IP Library Granted Patent US 12681716
Granted Patent B2
US 12681716 · App. 18/484,977 · Granted Jul 14, 2026

Server, software management system, software management method, and non-transitory storage medium

Inventors: Satoru Fukuyo (Nisshin, JP); Takuya Kawasaki (Anjo, JP)
Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
G06F8/65G07C5/008
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12681716
App. No.
18/484,977
Granted
Jul 14, 2026
Kind
B2
Abstract

A server that is configured to manage software for electronic equipment installed in a vehicle, the server includes: storage in which first software is stored; and one or more processors configured to transmit the first software to the vehicle via a wireless communication device. The one or more processors are configured to determine whether activation processing of second software transmitted from an external server to the vehicle is completed at the electronic equipment, and transmit, when the activation processing of the second software is not completed, the first software to the vehicle after the activation processing of the second software is completed.

Claims (44)

1 . A server that is configured to manage software for electronic equipment installed in a vehicle, the server comprising:

a memory in which first software is stored; and

one or more processors configured to transmit the first software to the vehicle via a wireless communication device, wherein

the one or more processors are configured to

determine whether second software previously transmitted from an external server to the vehicle has become enabled on the electronic equipment after having been downloaded and installed on the electronic equipment, and

(i) when it has been determined that the second software has become enabled on the electronic equipment, transmit the first software to the vehicle, and

(ii) when it has been determined that the second software has not become enabled on the electronic equipment, suspend transmitting of the first software to the vehicle until it is subsequently determined that the second software has become enabled, and then after subsequently determining that the second software has become enabled on the electronic equipment, transmit the first software to the vehicle,

where the one or more processors determine that the second software has become enabled on the electronic equipment installed in the vehicle in response to receiving a notification from one of the external server and the vehicle.

2 . The server according to claim 1 , wherein:

the first software is flag data for switchover between an enabled state and a disabled state of a specific function of the software; and

the second software is update software for updating the software.

3 . The server according to claim 2 , wherein the one or more processors are configured to perform the switchover between the enabled state and the disabled state of the specific function according to a fee payment status of a user of the vehicle.

4 . The server according to claim 2 , wherein

the one or more processors are configured to

transmit, when the software features a difference in functions due to payment of fees, the flag data after it has been determined that the update software has become enabled, and

transmit, when the software does not feature the difference in functions, the flag data without awaiting determination that the update software has become enabled.

5 . The server according to claim 2 , wherein the one or more processors are configured to transmit the flag data after it has been determined that the update software has become enabled regardless of whether the update software features a difference in functions due to payment of fees.

6 . The server according to claim 1 , wherein:

the first software is update software for updating the software; and

the one or more processors are configured to

transmit, when the software after being updated features a difference in functions due to payment of fees, the update software after it has been determined that the second software has become enabled, and

transmit, when the software after being updated does not feature the difference in functions, the update software without awaiting determination that the second software has become enabled.

7 . The server according to claim 1 , wherein the notification is from the external server.

8 . The server according to claim 1 , wherein the notification is from the vehicle.

9 . The server according to claim 1 , wherein:

at least one of the external server and the vehicle is configured to transmit, to the one or more processors, a notification indicating processing-in-progress of the second software by the electronic equipment; and

the one or more processors are configured to determine that, when the notification has not been received for a certain period of time, the second software has become enabled.

10 . A software management system comprising:

the server according to claim 1 ; and

the external server.

11 . A software management method for managing software of electronic equipment installed in a vehicle, the software management method comprising:

performing a wireless transmission of first software from a computer to the vehicle; and

determining whether second software previously wirelessly transmitted to the vehicle from another computer has become enabled on the electronic equipment after having been downloaded and installed on the electronic equipment, wherein

the wireless transmission of the first software includes:

(i) when it has been determined that the second software has become enabled on the electronic equipment, wirelessly transmitting the first software to the vehicle, and

(ii) when it has been determined that the second software has not become enabled on the electronic equipment, suspending transmitting of the first software to the vehicle until it is subsequently determined that the second software has become enabled, and then after subsequently determining that the second software has become enabled on the electronic equipment, wirelessly transmitting the first software to the vehicle,

wherein the computer determines that the second software has become enabled on the electronic equipment installed in the vehicle in response to receiving a notification from one of the another computer and the vehicle.

12 . A non-transitory storage medium storing instructions that are executable by a computer and cause the computer to execute a software management method comprising:

performing a wireless transmission of first software from a computer to a vehicle; and

determining whether second software previously wirelessly transmitted to the vehicle from another computer has become enabled on an electronic equipment installed in the vehicle after having been downloaded and installed on the electronic equipment, wherein

the wireless transmission of the first software includes:

(i) when it has been determined that the second software has become enabled on the electronic equipment, wirelessly transmitting the first software to the vehicle, and

(ii) when it has been determined that the second software has not become enabled on the electronic equipment, suspending transmitting of the first software to the vehicle until it is subsequently determined that the second software has become enabled, and then after subsequently determining that the second software has become enabled on the electronic equipment, wirelessly transmitting the first software to the vehicle,

wherein the instructions cause the computer to determine that the second software has become enabled on the electronic equipment installed in the vehicle in response to receiving a notification from one of the another computer and the vehicle.