METHOD FOR OPERATING VIRTUAL MACHINES ON A COMPUTER SYSTEM FOR A MOTOR VEHICLE AND A COMPUTER SYSTEM OF THIS TYPE

Abstract

A motor vehicle includes a vehicle computer, a detection unit, an evaluation unit and a removable data storage. Detection of a motor-vehicle-related activation event causes operating system installation data stored on the data storage unit as a virtual machine to be loaded by the vehicle computer unit and the virtual machine is started. Detection of a vehicle-related deactivation event causes operating system installation data describing a current operating system state of the virtual machine to be transmitted to the data storage and/or a storage device of the vehicle computer by the vehicle computer.

Claims

1-13. (canceled)

14. A method of operating a computer system for a motor vehicle, the computer system including a vehicle computing device fixedly installed in the motor vehicle, an acquisition device, an evaluation unit and a removable data storage, the method comprising: ascertaining, by the evaluation unit, a motor vehicle-related activation event for running operating system installation data stored on the data storage device as a virtual machine on the computer system based on activation indicator data, acquired by the acquisition device; when the motor vehicle-related activation event has been ascertained, receiving the operating system installation data stored on the data storage device and starting running of the virtual machine by the vehicle computing device; ascertaining, by the evaluation unit, a motor vehicle-related deactivation event for running the virtual machine on the vehicle computing device based on deactivation indicator data, acquired by the acquisition device; when the motor vehicle-related deactivation event has been ascertained, transferring operating system installation data describing a current operating system state of the virtual machine to the data storage device and a storage apparatus of the vehicle computing device by the vehicle computing device; erasing the data stored in the storage apparatus of the vehicle computing device at least one of when the data have not been accessed for a predefined period of time and when storage space in the storage apparatus drops below a predefined minimum storage space value; and upon a next activation event, selecting between transferring new operating system installation data from the data storage device, and loading at least some of the operating system installation data from the storage apparatus.

15. The method as claimed in claim 14, further comprising, after the motor vehicle-related deactivation event has been ascertained and the operating system installation data describing the current operating system state of the virtual machine have been transferred, ending the running of the virtual machine.

16. The method as claimed in claim 15, further comprising: running, by virtualization software included in the vehicle computing device, the received operating system installation data as a virtual machine.

17. The method as claimed in claim 16, further comprising: generating, by data synchronization software in the vehicle computing device, the operating system installation data describing the current operating system state of the virtual machine to be transmitted to the data storage device and/or the storage apparatus.

18. The method as claimed in claim 17, further comprising: transferring the operating system installation data describing the current operating state of the virtual machine during the running of the virtual machine at at least one predefined data synchronization time.

19. The method as claimed in claim 18, further comprising: acquiring, by the acquisition device as activation indicator data, data that describe at least one or more of: actuation of an activation element in order to start running of the virtual machine; coupling of the data storage device comprising the stored operating system installation data to a data storage device interface of the motor vehicle; a successful login process with a predefined user account; unlocking of a door-locking device of the motor vehicle; opening of a vehicle door of the motor vehicle when the virtual machine is not running; and occupancy of a vehicle seat in the motor vehicle when the virtual machine is not running.

20. The method as claimed in claim 19, further comprising: acquiring, by the acquisition device as deactivation indicator data, data that describe at least one or more of: actuation of a deactivation element in order to end running of the virtual machine; a successful logout process with a predefined user account; non-actuation of an operating element for running the running virtual machine for a predefined minimum period of time; locking of a door-locking device of the motor vehicle; opening of a vehicle door of the motor vehicle when the virtual machine is running; and non-occupancy of a vehicle seat in the motor vehicle.

21. The method as claimed in claim 20, further comprising: acquiring sensor data describing an occupant of the motor vehicle by a sensor device of the motor vehicle; and evaluating the acquired sensor data by the evaluation unit using an identification criterion to generate an authorization signal, wherein the setting of the communication link between the data storage device and the vehicle computing device is permitted or prevented by the vehicle computing device depending on the generated authorization signal.

22. The method as claimed in claim 21, wherein the vehicle computing device comprises a hypervisor, the method further comprising: running multiple virtual machines on the vehicle computing device at the same time when the vehicle computing device is provided with respective operating system installation data by multiple data storage devices.

23. The method as claimed in claim 22, further comprising: running, by virtualization software included in the vehicle computing device, the received operating system installation data as a virtual machine.

24. The method as claimed in claim 23, further comprising: generating, by data synchronization software in the vehicle computing device, the operating system installation data describing the current operating system state of the virtual machine to be transmitted to the data storage device and/or the storage apparatus.

25. The method as claimed in claim 24, further comprising: transferring the operating system installation data describing the current operating state of the virtual machine during the running of the virtual machine at at least one predefined data synchronization time.

26. The method as claimed in claim 25, further comprising: acquiring, by the acquisition device as activation indicator data, data that describe at least one or more of: actuation of an activation element in order to start running of the virtual machine; coupling of the data storage device comprising the stored operating system installation data to a data storage device interface of the motor vehicle; a successful login process with a predefined user account; unlocking of a door-locking device of the motor vehicle; opening of a vehicle door of the motor vehicle when the virtual machine is not running; and occupancy of a vehicle seat in the motor vehicle when the virtual machine is not running.

27. The method as claimed in claim 26, further comprising: acquiring, by the acquisition device as deactivation indicator data, data that describe at least one or more of: actuation of a deactivation element in order to end running of the virtual machine; a successful logout process with a predefined user account; non-actuation of an operating element for running the running virtual machine for a predefined minimum period of time; locking of a door-locking device of the motor vehicle; opening of a vehicle door of the motor vehicle when the virtual machine is running; and non-occupancy of a vehicle seat in the motor vehicle.

28. The method as claimed in claim 27, further comprising: acquiring sensor data describing an occupant of the motor vehicle by a sensor device of the motor vehicle; and evaluating the acquired sensor data by the evaluation unit using an identification criterion to generate an authorization signal, wherein the setting of the communication link between the data storage device and the vehicle computing device is permitted or prevented by the vehicle computing device depending on the generated authorization signal.

29. The method as claimed in claim 28, wherein the vehicle computing device comprises a hypervisor, the method further comprising: running multiple virtual machines on the vehicle computing device at the same time when the vehicle computing device is provided with respective operating system installation data by multiple data storage devices.

30. A computer system for a motor vehicle, comprising: a vehicle computing device fixedly installed in the motor vehicle; an acquisition device to acquire activation indicator data and deactivation indicator data; a data storage device, not fixedly installed in the motor vehicle, configured to transfer and/or receive operating system installation data, able to be run as a virtual machine (VM) to and/or from the vehicle computing device via a communication link with the vehicle computing device; and an evaluation unit configured to ascertain a motor vehicle-related activation event for running operating system installation data stored on the data storage device as a virtual machine on the vehicle computing device based on the activation indicator data acquired by the acquisition device, and a motor vehicle-related deactivation event for stopping the virtual machine on the vehicle computing device based on the deactivation indicator data acquired by the acquisition device, the vehicle computing device receiving the operating system installation data stored on the data storage device and running the virtual machine when the motor vehicle-related activation event has been ascertained, transferring operating system installation data describing a current operating system state of the virtual machine to the data storage device and a storage apparatus of the vehicle computing device, when the motor vehicle-related activation event has been ascertained, and automatically erasing the data stored in the storage apparatus of the vehicle computing device when at least one of the data have not been accessed for a predefined period of time and storage space in the storage apparatus drops below a predefined minimum storage space value, and select, upon a next activation event, between transferring new operating system installation data from the data storage device and loading at least some of the operating system installation data from the storage apparatus.

31. The computer system as claimed in claim 30, wherein the data storage device comprises at least one of a mobile electronic appliance including at least one of a Universal Serial Bus data carrier, a hard drive, a memory card and a mobile telephone; and a storage unit outside of the motor vehicle, including at least one of a computer network, a server device and computer cloud infrastructure.

32. The computer system as claimed in claim 31, further comprising, actuated by the vehicle computing device during the running of the virtual machine, at least one of a display device; an actuation device; a microphone device; and a loudspeaker device.

33. The computer system as claimed in claim 32, wherein the vehicle computing device is a computer decoupled from a control device of the motor vehicle.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0037] These and other aspects and advantages will become more apparent and more readily appreciated from the following description of the exemplary embodiments, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings of which:

[0038] FIG. 1 is a schematic illustration of a computer system for a motor vehicle; and

[0039] FIG. 2 is a schematic illustration of a signal flow graph for a method for running a computer system for a motor vehicle.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0040] Reference will now be made in detail to the preferred embodiments, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein like reference numerals refer to like elements throughout.

[0041] In the exemplary embodiments, the described components of the embodiments each represent individual features that should be considered independently of one another and be developed in each case independently of one another. The disclosure is therefore also intended to include combinations of the features of the embodiments other than those illustrated. Furthermore, the described embodiments may also be supplemented by further features that have already been described.

[0042] In the figures, identical reference signs each denote elements of identical function.

[0043] FIG. 1 outlines a computer system 10 for a motor vehicle 12. The computer system 10 includes a vehicle computing device 14 fixedly installed in the motor vehicle 12, this being for example an on-board computer of the motor vehicle 12. In addition, the computer system 10 includes two acquisition devices 16, 17, each of which is assigned an evaluation unit 18. The computer system 10 furthermore includes two data storage devices 20, 21 that are each not fixedly installed in the motor vehicle 12. A respective communication link 26 is set up between a communication interface 22 of the vehicle computing device 14 and the respective data storage device 20, 21. Here, the data storage device 20 is designed as a Universal Serial Bus (USB) data carrier that is coupled to the communication interface 22 of the vehicle computing device 14 by way of a data storage device interface 24 via the communication link 26. In contrast, the data storage device 21 is designed as a storage unit of a computer cloud infrastructure, that is to say as a cloud platform, which in turn has its own communication interface 22, by way of which the communication link 26 is set up between the data storage device 21 and the vehicle computing device 14. The data storage device 20, 21 is designed to transfer operating system installation data to the vehicle computing device 14 and/or to receive them therefrom via the communication link 26.

[0044] There are two occupants 30, 31 in the motor vehicle 12. The occupant 30 is in this case sitting on a front seat 13 of the motor vehicle 12, and the occupant 31 is sitting on a rear seat 15 of the motor vehicle 12. The acquisition device 16, which is designed as a touch-sensitive screen 32, is located within sight and reach of the occupant 30. On this touch-sensitive screen 32, the occupant 30 may for example actuate an activation element in order to start running of a virtual machine (VM) based on the operating system installation data stored on the data storage device 20. Likewise, the occupant 30 may give a signal to end the running of the VM by way of the vehicle computing device 14 through corresponding actuation of a deactivation element on the touch-sensitive screen 32. If one of these scenarios is the case, the corresponding actuation on the touch-sensitive screen 32 is acquired by way of the acquisition device 16 and the corresponding actuation is evaluated as activation indicator data or as deactivation indicator data by way of the evaluation unit 18.

[0045] The occupant 31 is seated and within reach of a display device 34 of the motor vehicle 12, which is just a screen. There is also an actuation device 36, designed in the form of a keyboard, in front of the occupant 31. The occupant 31 is able to work and/or play a computer game by way of the display device 34 and the actuation device 36 when running a corresponding operating system on the vehicle computing device 14 during a journey in the motor vehicle 12. As an alternative or in addition to the keyboard outlined here, the actuation device 36 may be designed as a button, rotary pushbutton switch and/or knob. The occupant 31 who is sitting on the rear seat 15 in the motor vehicle 12 is also on a seat in which a weighing device is integrated as acquisition device 17. Occupancy of the rear seat 15 of the motor vehicle 12 may be established using this weighing device as acquisition device 17.

[0046] The touch-sensitive screen 32, the display device 34 and the actuation device 36 are each contained in the computer system 10. The computer system 10 additionally includes a microphone device 38 and a loudspeaker device 40 of the motor vehicle 12. All of the components mentioned, that is to say the touch-sensitive screen 32, the display device 34, the actuation device 36, the microphone device 38 and the loudspeaker device 40, are each designed to be actuated by the vehicle computing device 14.

[0047] The vehicle computing device 14, which is fixedly installed in the motor vehicle 12, has virtualization software 42, by way of which the operating system installation data provided by the data storage device 20, 21 via the communication link 26 may be run as a VM. The vehicle computing device 14 furthermore has data synchronization software 44, by way of which operating system installation data describing a current operating system state of the VM may be generated in order to be transmitted to the data storage device 20, 21. The vehicle computing device 14 additionally includes a hypervisor 46, so that multiple VMs are able to be run on the vehicle computing device 14 at the same time if the vehicle computing device 14 is provided with respective operating system installation data by multiple data storage devices 20, 21. The occupants 30, 31 may thus run respective VMs on the vehicle computing device 14 at the same time.

[0048] The motor vehicle 12 additionally has a sensor device 48 that is designed as an interior camera of the motor vehicle 12. The occupant 30, 31 of the motor vehicle 12 may be detected by way of the sensor device 48 by virtue of sensor data describing him being measured by the sensor device 48. The measured sensor data may be evaluated by way of the evaluation unit 18, for example, using an identification criterion in order to generate an authorization signal. Depending on the generated authorization signal, the setting up of the communication link 26 between the data storage device 20, 21 and the vehicle computing device 14 is authorized or possibly prevented.

[0049] As an alternative to the described USB data carrier as data storage device 20, another mobile electronic appliance may alternatively serve as data storage device 20, for example a memory card and/or a mobile telephone. As an alternative to the described data storage device 21 in the form of a storage unit of a computer cloud infrastructure, the data storage device 21 may be designed as an alternative storage unit arranged outside the motor vehicle 12, such as for example as a storage unit of a computer network and/or as a storage unit of a server device.

[0050] The vehicle computing device 14 may be designed so as to be decoupled from a control device of the motor vehicle 12. However, as an alternative thereto, it may be part of a central vehicle computing device 14 of the motor vehicle 12.

[0051] FIG. 2 shows a method for running the computer system 10 for the motor vehicle 12. In S1, a motor vehicle-related activation event is in this case ascertained for running operating system installation data, stored on the data storage device 20, 21, as a VM on the vehicle computing device 14. This takes place on the basis of activation indicator data, acquired by way of the acquisition device 16, 17, by way of the evaluation unit 18. The acquisition device 16, 17 in this case acquires, as activation indicator data, data that may describe one of the following situations: actuation of an activation element on the touch-sensitive screen 32 or on the display device 34 in combination with the actuation device 36 in order to start running the VM (as outlined for the occupant 30), occupancy of the corresponding vehicle seat in the motor vehicle 12, for example established using a corresponding weighing sensor as acquisition device 17 (as outlined for the occupant 31), unlocking of a door-locking device of the motor vehicle 12 and/or an opening of a vehicle door of the motor vehicle 12 when the VM is not running.

[0052] As soon as the motor vehicle-related activation event has been ascertained on the basis of the corresponding activation indicator data, the operating system installation data stored on the data storage device 20, 21 are received in S2. Thus, the corresponding operating system installation data are transferred from the USB data carrier as data storage device 20 and/or from the storage device of the computer cloud infrastructure as data storage device 21 to the vehicle computing device 14 for the communication link 26. In S3, the running of the VM is then started by way of the vehicle computing device 14. The virtualization software 42 of the vehicle computing device 14 is used.

[0053] In S4, a motor vehicle-related deactivation event is ascertained for running the VM on the vehicle computing device 14. This takes place on the basis of deactivation indicator data, acquired by way of the acquisition device 16, 17, by way of the evaluation unit 18. The acquisition device 16, 17 acquires, as deactivation indication data, data that describe at least one of the following situations: actuation of a deactivation element in order to end running of the VM (as may be the case for example with the occupant 30 on the touch-sensitive screen 32 and/or for the occupant 31 through corresponding actuation of the actuation device 36), non-actuation of an operating element for running the running VM for a predefined minimum period of time, non-occupancy of the vehicle seat in the motor vehicle 12, locking of a door-locking device of the motor vehicle 12 and/or opening of a vehicle door of the motor vehicle 12 when the virtual machine is running. For example, if the occupant 31 leaves the motor vehicle 12, this is recorded by the acquisition device 17 in the rear seat 15, whereupon this may be evaluated as a motor vehicle-related deactivation event.

[0054] In S5, as soon as the deactivation event has been ascertained, operating system installation data describing a current operating state of the VM are then transferred to the data storage device 20, 21. This is performed by way of the vehicle computing device 14. In this case, S5 may be performed using the data synchronization software 44. There is therefore a kind of backup of the current state of the VM. In S6, after the deactivation event has been ascertained and the operating system installation data describing the current operating system state of the VM have been transferred, the running of the VM is ended by virtue of it being shut down.

[0055] As an alternative or in addition to transferring the operating system installation data describing the current operating state of the VM to the data storage device 20, 21, these data may be transferred to a storage apparatus of the vehicle computing device 14. From there, the operating system installation data may be reloaded upon a new activation event if the occupant 30, 31 has stopped working in the meantime and there is therefore no more up-to-date state than the saved state. A corresponding checking operation may take place after the activation event has been ascertained in S1, wherein, in the case of stored operating system installation data in the storage apparatus, these are loaded, specifically instead of or in addition to loading the operating system installation data from the data storage device 20, 21.

[0056] During running of the VM, that is to say for example after S3, provision may additionally be made for the operating system installation data describing the current operating state of the VM to be transferred to the data storage device 20, 21 at least at a predetermined data synchronization time. This is illustrated at S7. This data synchronization time is reached for example at intervals after the VM is started, typically every ten minutes, such that after the VM starts running in S3, such a data transfer from the vehicle computing device 14 to the data storage device 20, 21 takes place every ten minutes. As an alternative to the cited data synchronization time, this may be reached every two minutes, three minutes, five minutes, 15 minutes, 20 minutes, 30 minutes, 45 minutes, 60 minutes, 90 minutes or 120 minutes.

[0057] Overall, the examples show the use of a VM in a motor vehicle 12. The occupant 30, 31 in this case uses hardware fixedly installed in the motor vehicle 12 in the form of the vehicle computing device 14, that is to say a computing unit, a working memory and input options, such as the touch-sensitive screen 32, the display device 34 and/or the actuation device 36 of the vehicle computing device, to work and/or play computer games. However, he does not use any operating system fixedly installed in the motor vehicle 12 in the process, but instead provides his own operating system installation, which he either carries around on an external data carrier, that is to say a mobile electronic appliance as data storage device 20, such as a hard drive, a USB stick, a memory card and/or a mobile telephone, or which he is able to download from a cloud platform accessible to him, that is to say from a storage unit of a computer cloud infrastructure as data storage device 21. The corresponding operating system installation data are stored and transferred in encrypted form in this case so that they are able to be used only by the occupant. In this context, it may be advantageous to integrate further vehicle systems for identifying the occupant 30, 31, as is possible for example through image recognition using the interior camera as sensor device 48 of the motor vehicle 12. As an alternative thereto, this occupant identification may be carried out using an identification by way of a vehicle key that is carried around. In this case, coupling to a possibly already existing user account of the occupant 30, 31 may take place.

[0058] Technically, virtualization technology in the form of the virtualization software 42 according to the related art may be used here. The operating system installation of the occupant 30, 31 is therefore available as a VM in the motor vehicle 12, which is then executed on the vehicle computing device 14 of the motor vehicle 12 via corresponding interfaces. The corresponding interface is designed here as a communication link 26 between the communication interface 22 of the vehicle computing device 14 and either the data storage device interface 24 or the communication interface 22 of the storage unit of the computer cloud infrastructure.

[0059] When leaving the motor vehicle 12, the state of the VM is stored on the data storage device 20, 21, that is to say synchronized either on the USB stick or in the cloud. The occupant 30, 31 may then for example continue working or continue playing with the same VM that he was previously running in the motor vehicle 12 in the office or at home. The occupant 30, 31 thus simply inserts his USB data carrier as data storage device 20 into the motor vehicle 12, for example, or carries out a cloud synchronization, which advantageously runs in the background, in order to avoid waiting times, and may immediately continue working at home, for example. A method such as what is known as the snapshot method of the working memory, which is performed using the data synchronization software 44, makes it possible for the operating system of the VM not to have to be shut down and restarted, but instead a change of workplace may take place during ongoing operation.

[0060] The described sequence provides the motor vehicle 12 with synchronized VM files, that is to say the operating system installation data, or snapshot files. These files may then be executed by the vehicle computing device 14 which is designed accordingly to be run in the motor vehicle 12 and is fixedly installed in the motor vehicle 12. The synchronization component takes place in this case via the link to the USB data carrier as data storage device 20 and/or via a radio link, and thus a wireless link to the storage device of the computer cloud infrastructure as data storage device 21.

[0061] If multiple occupants 30, 31 select a respective VM on their respective data storage device 20, 21, a selection may first be made on the display device 34, via the touch-sensitive screen 32, as to which operating system installation data should be executed in each case. It is additionally possible for multiple VMs to be executed simultaneously, these possibly being assigned to multiple occupants 30, 31. One application in this case is a shuttle in which multiple occupants 30, 31 use their respective VM. In this case, however, only one vehicle computing device 14 is required, which, however, has a correspondingly larger working memory and has the hypervisor 46 at its disposal.

[0062] Suitable input and output options are also reserved in the motor vehicle 12 and contained in the computer system 10. A wireless keyboard, a wireless computer mouse, a corresponding storage option, for example for a bag in the interior of a motor vehicle, a wireless touchscreen, that is to say the touch-sensitive screen 32, a tablet computer and/or a pure screen may be provided as a display device 34, which is arranged for example on a flexible swivel arm, in the motor vehicle 12. Provision may also be made to output sounds via the loudspeaker device 40 installed in the motor vehicle 12.

[0063] A description has been provided with particular reference to preferred embodiments thereof and examples, but it will be understood that variations and modifications can be effected within the spirit and scope of the claims which may include the phrase “at least one of A, B and C” as an alternative expression that means one or more of A, B and C may be used, contrary to the holding in Superguide v. DIRECTV, 358 F3d 870, 69 USPQ2d 1865 (Fed. Cir. 2004).