# US 12,118,346 B2 · Center, management method, and non-transitory storage medium

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- Number: US 12,118,346 B2
- Document ID: US12118346B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 18/387,092
- Filed: 2023-11-06
- Published: 2024-02-29
- Granted: 2024-10-15
- Earliest claimed: 2021-01-14
- Assignees: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
- Applicants: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
- Inventors: Yoshikazu Sakai
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12118346B2

## CPC

- G06F 8/65: Updates (security arrangements therefor G06F21/57)
- G06F 8/71: Version control (security arrangements therefor G06F21/57); Configuration management
- H04L 67/34: {involving the movement of software or configuration parameters (network booting or remote initial program loading [RIPL] G06F9/4416)}
- H04L 67/1095: Replication or mirroring of data, e.g. scheduling or transport for data synchronisation between network nodes
- H04L 67/12: specially adapted for proprietary or special-purpose networking environments, e.g. medical networks, sensor networks, networks in vehicles or remote metering networks
- G06F: ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING (computer systems based on specific computational models G06N)
- H04L: TRANSMISSION OF DIGITAL INFORMATION, e.g. TELEGRAPHIC COMMUNICATION (arrangements common to telegraphic and telephonic communication H04M)

## Abstract

A center configured to communicate with an OTA master configured to control software updating of a plurality of electronic control units installed in a vehicle includes: a communication device configured to receive, from the OTA master, identification information; a storage device storing propriety determination information used in propriety determination of determining whether the version of software implemented in each of the electronic control units is an implementation management version; and a processor configured to perform the propriety determination based on the identification information and the propriety determination information, and perform, by communicating with the OTA master, restoration control on at least one of the electronic control units regarding which a determination has been made that the version of the software is not the implementation management version.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A center configured to communicate, via a network, with an over-the-air (OTA) master configured to control software updating of a plurality of electronic control units (ECUs) installed in a vehicle, the center comprising a processor configured to:
perform a propriety determination determining whether a version of software implemented in each of the ECUs is an implementation management version that is a version of software to be implemented;
use identification information and compatible configuration information to determine whether a newest combination of software versions indicated by the identification information is appropriate, the identification information indicating the version of software implemented in each of the ECUs, and the compatible configuration information defining an appropriate combination of versions of software implemented in each of the ECUs; and
transmit an instruction to the vehicle to roll back the software of at least one of the ECUs when the processor determines that the version of the software of the at least one of the ECUs is not the implementation management version and determines that the newest combination is not appropriate, wherein
the processor is configured to not transmit the instruction to the vehicle to roll back the software of the at least one of the ECUs when the processor determines that the version of the software of the at least one of the ECUs is not the implementation management version and determines that the newest combination is appropriate.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The center according to claim 1, wherein:
the processor is configured to generate history information indicating history of implemented software versions for the ECUs, based on the identification information;
the history information is stored in a storage device; and
the processor is configured to perform the propriety determination using the history information.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The center according to claim 1, wherein the identification information includes identification information indicating a version of software implemented in at least one of the ECUs installed in the vehicle due to parts replacement.

### Claim 4

A management method executed by a computer including a processor and that is configured to communicate, via a network, with an over-the-air (OTA) master configured to control software updating of a plurality of electronic control units (ECUs) installed in a vehicle, the management method comprising:
performing a propriety determination determining whether a version of software implemented in each of the ECUs is an implementation management version that is a version of software to be implemented;
using identification information and compatible configuration information to determine whether a newest combination of software versions indicated by the identification information is appropriate, the identification information indicating the version of software implemented in each of the ECUs, and the compatible configuration information defining an appropriate combination of versions of software implemented in each of the ECUs; and
transmitting an instruction to the vehicle to roll back the software of at least one of the ECUs when the processor determines that the version of the software of the at least one of the ECUs is not the implementation management version and determines that the newest combination is not appropriate, wherein
the instruction to roll back the software of the at least one of the ECUs is not transmitted to the vehicle when the processor determines that the version of the software of the at least one of the ECUs is not the implementation management version and determines that the newest combination is appropriate.

### Claim 5

A non-transitory storage medium storing a management program that is executable by a computer including a processor and that is communicable, via a network, with an over-the-air (OTA) master that controls software updating of a plurality of electronic control units (ECUs) installed in a vehicle, and that causes the computer to perform functions comprising:
performing a propriety determination determining whether a version of software implemented in each of the ECUs is an implementation management version that is a version of software to be implemented;
using identification information and compatible configuration information to determine whether a newest combination of software versions indicated by the identification information is appropriate, the identification information indicating the version of software implemented in each of the ECUs, and the compatible configuration information defining an appropriate combination of versions of software implemented in each of the ECUs; and
transmitting an instruction to the vehicle to roll back the software of at least one of the ECUs when the processor determines that the version of the software of the at least one of the ECUs is not the implementation management version and determines that the newest combination is not appropriate, wherein
the instruction to roll back the software of the at least one of the ECUs is not transmitted to the vehicle when the processor determines that the version of the software of the at least one of the ECUs is not the implementation management version and determines that the newest combination is appropriate.