Method for configuration of control software in a rail vehicle

A method for configuring control software in a rail vehicle, the method comprising:

• providing control software with basic functions that are intended for a basic operation of any of a multiplicity of rail vehicles;
• providing the control software with optional functions that are needed to implement a multiplicity of customer-specific requirement profiles;
• testing, validating, and approving embodiments, combinations, and functional sequences of the basic functions and of the optional functions before the control software is implemented in the rail vehicles;
• subsequently implementing the basic functions and the optional functions as control software in the rail vehicles;
• in a selected rail vehicle, selectively activating or deactivating at least one optional function using a switching parameter that is individually assigned to the optional function;
• creating the switching parameter remotely from the rail vehicle on a basis of a special customer-specific requirement profile;
• wherein contents of the respective switching parameters are selected and determined by a manufacturer of the rail vehicle in order to enable fleet management in which selected rail vehicles are configured to specific tasks according to a specification of the customer-specific requirement profile;
• subsequently transmitting the switching parameter to the selected rail vehicle in encrypted form and individually to the selected rail vehicle;
• wherein a transmission to the selected rail vehicle is encrypted by using an individual identification number that is specific to the selected rail vehicle so that only the selected rail vehicle is able to carry out a decryption in the vehicle in order to use the switching parameters.