Method and apparatus for accepting data

1. A method for entering program data into a control unit in a motor vehicle from a data transfer point, said method comprising:

sending a program data acceptance request to the control unit;

transmitting the program data to the control unit;

the control unit checking whether program-data-independent program data acceptance conditions prescribed for the control unit are satisfied; and

the control unit changing to a program data acceptance state in which the program data are accepted by the control unit after the control unit has determined that the program data acceptance conditions are satisfied.

2. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the data transfer point checks whether program data acceptance conditions prescribed for the control unit are satisfied before the program data are provided.

3. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the control unit's check to determine whether the program data acceptance conditions prescribed for the control unit are satisfied comprises a request for the data transfer point's check result.

4. The method according to claim 1 , wherein at least one of the control unit and the data transfer point establishes which program data acceptance conditions need to exist for the control unit, by requesting a safety classification from the control unit.

5. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the program data acceptance conditions are dependent on at least one of a vehicle state, a data transmission path, control unit program initialization options, control unit program backup options and a type of data which are to be accepted.

6. The method according to claim 1 , wherein a program data acceptance condition checked by at least one of the control unit and the data transfer point includes at least one of whether the motor vehicle's engine is running and whether there is a communication link between the control unit and at least one of a tester and a data acceptance control center.

7. The method according to claim 6 wherein at least one of the following is true:

while the control unit is in the data acceptance state, the motor vehicle's engine is prevented from starting, by the control unit or by the data transfer point; and

the data acceptance state is exited by the control unit only after receipt of a data acceptance end command from the tester or from the data acceptance control center.

8. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the data transfer point buffer-stores the program data until the prescribed program data acceptance conditions exist in the control unit for which the program data are intended.

9. The method according to claim 1 , wherein:

the data transfer point is in the form of a vehicle component; and

the data transfer point accepts the program data from an external source.

10. The method according to claim 1 , wherein an authenticity check on the program data is carried out by one of the control unit and the data transfer point.

11. The method according to claim 10 , wherein:

the authenticity check on the program data is carried out by checking a signature using a public key;

a key pair is used for encrypting and decrypting the program data, comprising a secret key and the public key; and

the program data having been signed with the secret key.

12. A data transfer system for transmitting program data to a control unit in a motor vehicle, comprising:

a data transfer point;

a control unit having means for accepting program data from the data transfer point; and

means for checking whether prescribed program data acceptance conditions are satisfied in the control unit and in the data transfer point;

wherein the means for checking prescribed program data acceptance conditions in the control unit are adapted to request check results for a check on prescribed program data acceptance conditions in the data transfer point.

13. A method for entering program data into a control unit in a motor vehicle from a data transfer point, said method comprising:

determining, by the control unit, whether program data acceptance conditions prescribed for the control unit are satisfied; and

changing, by the control unit, to a program data acceptance state in which the program data are accepted by the control unit after the control unit has determined that the program data acceptance conditions are satisfied,

wherein the program data acceptance conditions are prescribed to the control unit based on one of a plurality of safety classes.

14. The method according to claim 13 , wherein the safety class prescribed to the control unit depends upon consequences which a malfunction of the control unit can have on the vehicle's driving safety.