Vehicle information communication system

A center apparatus for providing software update data via wireless communications to a vehicle apparatus mounted in a vehicle that includes a plurality of electronic control units (ECUs) and a vehicle computer configured to send vehicle configuration information which includes configuration information on the plurality of ECUs mounted in the vehicle to the center apparatus via the wireless communications, the center apparatus comprising:

• an approved-configuration database (DB) that includes approved-configuration information which contains approved ECUs configurations for the plurality of ECUs mounted in the vehicle;
• an update DB that contains ECU software update data;
• and
• a center computer configured to:
• perform a first determination of whether the vehicle configuration information received from the vehicle apparatus matches the approved configuration information registered in the approved-configuration DB;
• perform a second determination of whether software update data for at least one ECU of the plurality of ECUs mounted in the vehicle exists in the update DB;
• and
• when both the first and second determinations are true, send the software update data for at least one ECU of the plurality of ECUs mounted in the vehicle to the vehicle apparatus via the wireless communications, which causes the vehicle computer to, based on the software update data for at least one ECU of the plurality of ECUs mounted in the vehicle received from the center apparatus, perform a software update for at least one ECU of the plurality of ECUs mounted in the vehicle.

A method for providing software update data via wireless communications to a vehicle apparatus mounted in a vehicle that includes a plurality of electronic control units (ECUs) and a vehicle computer configured to send vehicle configuration information which includes configuration information on the plurality of ECUs mounted in the vehicle to a center apparatus via wireless communications,

• the center apparatus including (i) an approved-configuration database (DB) that includes approved-configuration information which contains approved ECUs configurations for the plurality of ECUs mounted in the vehicle and (ii) an update DB that contains ECU software update data,
• the method comprising:
• performing a first determination of whether the vehicle configuration information received from the vehicle apparatus matches the approved-configuration information registered in the approved-configuration DB;
• performing a second determination of whether software update data for at least one ECU of the plurality of ECUs mounted in the vehicle exists in the update DB;
• and
• when both the first and second determinations are true, sending the software update data for at least one ECU of the plurality of ECUs mounted in the vehicle to the vehicle apparatus via the wireless communications, which causes the vehicle computer to, based on the software update data for at least one ECU of the plurality of ECUs mounted in the vehicle received from the center apparatus, perform a software update for at least one ECU of the plurality of ECUs mounted in the vehicle.