# US 12,761,902 B2 · Program update system and vehicle management server > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 12,761,902 B2 - Document ID: US12761902B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 18/907,812 - Filed: 2024-10-07 - Published: 2025-01-23 - Granted: 2026-10-13 - Earliest claimed: 2019-11-08 - Assignees: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha - Applicants: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha - Inventors: Takanori Ariga; Tomoyasu Ishikawa; Jun Hamasaki; Shoichi Nagamitsu; Yusuke Takatsuna - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12761902B2 ## CPC - G06F 8/65: Updates (security arrangements therefor G06F21/57) - B60W 50/14: Means for informing the driver, warning the driver or prompting a driver intervention - G06F 8/656: while running - G06F 8/66: {of program code stored in read-only memory [ROM]} - B60R 16/0231: {Circuits relating to the driving or the functioning of the vehicle (monitoring tyres B60C23/00; indicating overspeed B60K31/00; for dash boards B60K37/00, B60Q3/10; for indicating emergencies B60Q1/52; brake control systems B60T; registering or indicating the working of vehicles G07C5/00; measuring distance G01C, e.g. combinations of speed and distance G01C23/00; engine indicators G01L; measuring speed or acceleration G01P)} - B60W 2050/146: {Display means} - G06F: ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING (computer systems based on specific computational models G06N) - B60W: CONJOINT CONTROL OF VEHICLE SUB-UNITS OF DIFFERENT TYPE OR DIFFERENT FUNCTION; CONTROL SYSTEMS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR HYBRID VEHICLES; ROAD VEHICLE DRIVE CONTROL SYSTEMS FOR PURPOSES NOT RELATED TO THE CONTROL OF A PARTICULAR SUB-UNIT - B60R: VEHICLES, VEHICLE FITTINGS, OR VEHICLE PARTS, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR ## Abstract A vehicle management server is configured to transmit, to a vehicle, an update program for updating an existing program of an electronic device mounted on the vehicle. The vehicle management server includes a communicator and a controller. The communicator is configured to communicate with the vehicle. The controller is configured to control an update process. The controller is configured to determine, depending on a type of the update program, whether to present, to a vehicle user, an indication related to the update process for the existing program using the update program, and transmit, when the controller determines to present the indication related to the update process to the vehicle user, information for causing a predetermined information terminal to display the indication related to the update process to the vehicle via the communicator. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A vehicle management server configured to transmit to a vehicle an update program for updating an existing program of an electronic device mounted on the vehicle, the vehicle management server comprising: a communicator configured to communicate with the vehicle; and a controller configured when information indicating that a vehicle user sets permission for an automatic update is received from the vehicle via the communicator, and when a type of the update program is a type with a content to improve an existing function of the vehicle: (i) to transmit information to notify the vehicle user only a notification of start of an update process and a notification of completion of the update process; and (ii) not to transmit information to notify the vehicle user of a permission request for execution of the update process. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The vehicle management server according to claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to determine information to be provided to the vehicle user based on an update urgency level when the information indicating that the vehicle user sets permission for an automatic update is not received from the vehicle via the communicator. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The vehicle management server according to claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to determine the information to be provided to the vehicle user based on the type of the update program when the information indicating that the vehicle user sets permission for an automatic update is not received from the vehicle via the communicator. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The vehicle management server according to claim 3, wherein the type of the update program is determined in accordance with an update content and an update urgency level. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The vehicle management server according to claim 4, wherein the update content includes a content in which control specifications of an actuator of the vehicle are changed, and a content in which the control specifications of the actuator of the vehicle are not changed. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The vehicle management server according to claim 5, wherein the content in which control specifications of an actuator of the vehicle are changed are classified into: contents in which a new function that is not previously installed in the vehicle is added and the user of the vehicle needs to permit the update process, and contents in which an existing function that is already installed in the vehicle is modified or solutions or measures are added to the existing function and the user of the vehicle need not permit the update process. ### Claim 7 (depends on 2) The vehicle management server according to claim 2, wherein the update urgency level is classified into at least two groups in accordance with the content of the update program. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The vehicle management server according to claim 1, wherein the type of the update program is a type with a content in which control specifications of an actuator of the vehicle are changed. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The vehicle management server according to claim 1, wherein the type of the update program is a type with a content in which control specifications of an actuator of the vehicle are not changed. ### Claim 10 A vehicle management system, comprising: a user terminal configured to display information; and a vehicle management server configured to transmit to a vehicle an update program for updating an existing program of an electronic device mounted on the vehicle, including: a communicator configured to communicate with the vehicle; and a controller configured when information indicating that a vehicle user sets permission for an automatic update is received from the vehicle via the communicator, and when a type of the update program is a type with a content to improve an existing function of the vehicle: (i) to transmit information to notify the vehicle user via the user terminal only a notification of start of an update process and a notification of completion of the update process; and (ii) not to transmit information to notify the vehicle user via the user terminal of a permission request for execution of the update process. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The vehicle management system according to claim 10, wherein the controller is configured to determine information to be provided to the vehicle user based on an update urgency level when the information indicating that the vehicle user sets permission for an automatic update is not received from the vehicle via the communicator. ### Claim 12 (depends on 10) The vehicle management system according to claim 10, wherein the controller is configured to determine the information to be provided to the vehicle user based on a type of the update program when the information indicating that the vehicle user sets permission for an automatic update is not received from the vehicle via the communicator. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The vehicle management system according to claim 12, wherein the type of the update program is determined in accordance with an update content and an update urgency level. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The vehicle management system according to claim 13, wherein the update content includes a content in which control specifications of an actuator of the vehicle are changed, and a content in which the control specifications of the actuator of the vehicle are not changed. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The vehicle management system according to claim 14, wherein the content in which control specifications of an actuator of the vehicle are changed are classified into: contents in which a new function that is not previously installed in the vehicle is added and the user of the vehicle needs to permit the update process, and contents in which an existing function that is already installed in the vehicle is modified or solutions or measures are added to the existing function and the user of the vehicle need not permit the update process. ### Claim 16 (depends on 11) The vehicle management system according to claim 11, wherein the update urgency level is classified into at least two groups in accordance with the content of the update program. ### Claim 17 (depends on 10) The vehicle management system according to claim 10, wherein the user terminal is a multi-information display that is coupled with the controller via a controller area network. ### Claim 18 (depends on 10) The vehicle management system according to claim 10, wherein the user terminal is a mobile device. ### Claim 19 (depends on 10) The vehicle management system according to claim 10, wherein the type of the update program is a type with a content in which control specifications of an actuator of the vehicle are changed. ### Claim 20 (depends on 10) The vehicle management system according to claim 10, wherein the type of the update program is a type with a content in which control specifications of an actuator of the vehicle are not changed.