Control unit for a motor vehicle, programming unit and programming system

A programming unit for at least one control unit of a motor vehicle, comprising:

• a programming unit communication interface by way of which the programming unit is coupleable with a respective control unit, wherein the programming unit is operatively configured to:
• retrieve a program version of at least one control program of the respective control unit with which it is coupled,
• when the programming unit recognizes that the at least one control program is not stored in a specified program version in the control unit, send a program data updating prompt for at least the one control program to be updated by way of the programming unit communication interface to the respective control unit, the program data updating prompt comprising at least a first indicator, which represents a plurality of conceivable protocols usable for the programming with updated program data of the respective control program,
• analyze a program data request provided in response to the program data updating prompt at the programming unit communication interface to produce a result of analyzing the program data request, the program data request comprising a second indicator which represents a protocol selected by the respective control unit from the plurality of conceivable protocols, and
• provide the programming with the current program data according to the respectively selected protocol either directly or indirectly, based on the result of analyzing the program data request;
• wherein, when the result of analyzing the program data request indicates that the programming unit cannot directly provide the programming with the current program data, the programing unit sends the program data updating prompt, including an address of an external data source from which the current program data is retrievable, to the control unit.

A programming system, comprising:

• a control unit for a motor vehicle, comprising:
• at least one central processing unit, which is operatively configured for implementing one or more control programs;
• at least one communication interface for sending and receiving data;
• at least one program memory for storing program data of the respective control programs;
• a memory management unit operatively configured for determining a storage area in the program memory for the program data of the respective control programs and providing the program data to the central processing unit for execution;
• wherein the control unit is operatively configured to:
• support a specified set of a plurality of protocols for the programming of the control unit with program data that are stored in a specified manner in the program memory,
• read-in and analyze a program data updating prompt for at least one control program to be updated, which program data updating prompt is provided at the communication interface, the program data updating prompt comprising at least a first indicator representing a plurality of conceivable protocols which are usable for the programming with updated program data of the respective control program,
• determine, depending upon the first indicator in each case, a second indicator, which represents that protocol from the set of the plurality of protocols that is to be used for the programming of the control unit with the program data of the control program to be updated, and
• send, by way of the communication interface, in response to the program data updating prompt, a program data request, which comprises the second indicator;
• and
• a programming unit coupled with the control unit, the programming unit comprising:
• a programming unit communication interface by way of which the programming unit is coupleable with a respective control unit, wherein the programming unit is operatively configured to:
• retrieve a program version of at least one control program of the respective control unit with which it is coupled,
• when the programming unit recognizes that the at least one control program is not stored in a specified program version in the control unit, send a program data updating prompt for at least the one control program to be updated by way of the programming unit communication interface to the respective control unit, the program data updating prompt comprising at least a first indicator, which represents the plurality of conceivable protocols usable for the programming with updated program data of the respective control program,
• analyze a program data request provided in response to the program data updating prompt at the programming unit communication interface to produce a result of analyzing the program data request, the program data request comprising a second indicator which represents a protocol selected by the respective control unit, and
• provide the programming with the current program data according to the respectively selected protocol either directly or indirectly, based on the result of analyzing the program data request;
• wherein, when the result of analyzing the program data request indicates that the programming unit cannot directly provide the programming with the current program data, the programing unit sends the program data updating prompt, including an address of an external data source from which the current program data is retrievable, to the control unit.

A method of operating a control unit of a motor vehicle for programming the control unit with program data, which control unit supports a specified set of a plurality of protocols for the programming of the control unit with program data that are stored in a specified manner in a program memory of the control unit, the method comprising the acts of:

• reading-in and analyzing a program data updating prompt for at least one control program of the control unit to be updated, said program data updating prompt being provided at a communication interface of the control unit, wherein the program data updating prompt comprises at least a first indicator representing a plurality of conceivable protocols usable for the programming with updated program data of the respective control program;
• determining a second indicator, as a function of the first indicator, said second indicator representing that protocol from the specified set of the plurality of protocols to be used for the programming of the control unit with the program data of the control program to be updated;
• sending, by way of the communication interface, a program data request in response to the read-in program data updating prompt, the program data request comprising the second indicator;
• and
• when the control unit cannot be directly provided with the current program data, receiving, by way of the communication interface, the program data updating prompt, including an address of an external data source from which the current program data is retrievable;
• and
• retrieving the current program data from the address of the external data source for execution by a central processing unit.