Virtualisation as a Means for Dynamic Software Update within the Automotive E/E Architecture
Nick Ayres, Lipika Deka, Benjamin N. Passow · 2019
Software, in the context of connected and autonomous vehicles, is both the means for feature enhancement as well as the bearer of potential security risks and bugs. Software needs regular updating/upgrading to mitigate safety and security risks as well as to upgrade and add new functionality post-sale. Currently, to administer a software update the vehicle must be taken to a dealer or be parked and powered down; incurring significant downtime and inconvenience to the consumer. As autonomous vehicles roll out on our roads, the software will have to be updated seamlessly requiring minimum intervention and downtime. However, the existing automotive E/E architecture does not render itself to online dynamic updates or even partial updates while the car is operating with its software still in use. This paper presents as proof-of-concept, a container based (operating system level virtualisation) ECU approach to facilitate dynamic software updates in connected autonomous vehicles. The proposed approach was tested examining overall system latencies with promising results. Apart from finding a very convincing use case for automotive software updates, the use of a container based E/E architecture within the connected and autonomous vehicle can be enhanced. These supplementary enhancements include an overall reduced system weight and volume by limiting the need for distinct dedicated hardware and allowing multiple application-specific OS's to co-exist.