Method and system for securely providing vehicle services data to a vehicle

Abstract

A computer device, having at least two long-range wireless profiles and coupled with a communication bus of a vehicle, receives a notice that a vehicle-centric download for the computer device, or for a vehicle device coupled to the communication bus, is pending from a remote server. The vehicle computer device determines the size and security requirement associated with the pending download, and a current operational state of the vehicle. If the size or security requirement is low, a consumer-centric profile may be used for the download even if the vehicle is currently being used. If the download file size is large or requires very high security, or if a user is currently using the computer device according to the consumer-centric profile, the computer device may schedule the download to occur after receiving a trigger event occurrence message.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method, comprising:
 receiving, with a vehicle wireless communication device, a download notification that vehicle centric services data are to be downloaded; wherein the download notification is generated by a telematics services provider (“TSP”) backend computer system;   determining a current operational state of the vehicle associated with the vehicle wireless communication device to which the vehicle centric data are to be downloaded;   determining whether a download permission configuration associated with the vehicle communication device permits downloading of the vehicle centric services data during the current operational state of the vehicle, wherein the vehicle wireless communication device includes a vehicle-centric Subscriber Identity Module (“SIM”) profile and a consumer-centric SIM profile;   establishing a connection over a consumer-centric wireless communication network that corresponds to the consumer-centric SIM profile using information of the consumer-centric SIM profile that is unique to the consumer-centric SIM; and   downloading the vehicle centric services data using the connection established using the information that is stored in, and unique to, the consumer-centric SIM profile when the download permission configuration permits, based on the current operational state of the vehicle.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the vehicle-centric data is downloaded via a vehicle services provider secure connection that is associated with a vehicle services provider. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the download permission configuration of the vehicle communication device does not permit downloading of the vehicle centric data when a consumer data session corresponding to a consumer APN of a consumer-preferred wireless mobile network is active and being used for downloading consumer-centric high volume/high bandwidth data services. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the download notification is received via a vehicle services provider APN of an anchor wireless mobile network that is associated with a vehicle services provider. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the download permission configuration permits downloading of the vehicle-centric services data using the connection established using the information that is stored in, and unique to, the consumer-centric SIM profile when the current operational state of the vehicle is a key-off condition. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the download permission configuration prohibits downloading of the vehicle centric data when the current operational state of the vehicle is a key-on condition. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the download permission configuration permits downloading of the vehicle centric data using the connection established using the information that is stored in, and unique to, the consumer-centric SIM profile when the current operational state of the vehicle is nonuse of the consumer SIM profile of the vehicle wireless communication device. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the download permission configuration permits downloading of the vehicle centric data using the connection established using the information that is stored in, and unique to, the consumer-centric SIM profile when the current operational state of the vehicle is nonuse of the consumer SIM profile of the vehicle wireless communication device. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the download permission configuration prohibits downloading of the vehicle centric data using the connection established using the information that is stored in, and unique to, the consumer-centric SIM profile when the current operational state of the vehicle includes current and active use of the vehicle wireless communication device according to the consumer-centric SIM profile. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 9  wherein the vehicle-centric data are buffered when the download permission configuration prohibits downloading of the vehicle centric data using the connection established using the information that is stored in, and unique to, the consumer-centric SIM profile and the current operational state of the vehicle includes current and active use of the vehicle wireless communication device according to a consumer-centric SIM profile. 
     
     
         11 . A method, comprising:
 receiving, with a vehicle wireless communication device, a download notification that vehicle centric services data are to be downloaded;   determining with the vehicle communication device a current operational state of a vehicle associated with the vehicle wireless communication device to which the vehicle centric data are to be downloaded;   determining with the vehicle communication device that the vehicle centric services data are not permitted to be downloaded during the current operational state of the vehicle;   establishing a connection over a consumer-centric wireless communication network that corresponds to a consumer-centric Subscriber Identity Module (“SIM”) profile in the vehicle communication device using information of the consumer-centric SIM profile that is unique to the consumer-centric SIM;   receiving with the vehicle communication device a vehicle operational state trigger event message indicating that the current operational state of the vehicle has changed to a changed operational state; and   downloading the vehicle centric data using consumer-centric SIM profile when the vehicle operational state trigger event message indicates that the current operational state of the vehicle has changed.   
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11  wherein the current operational state includes receiving consumer-centric services with the vehicle wireless communication device according to consumer-centric SIM profile. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 12  wherein the changed current operational state includes termination of receiving consumer-centric services according to the consumer-centric SIM profile. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 12  wherein the changed current operational state includes a key-off state of the vehicle. 
     
     
         15 . A method, comprising:
 establishing, with a vehicle wireless communication device, a connection over a consumer-centric wireless communication network that corresponds to a consumer-centric Subscriber Identity Module (“SIM”) profile in the vehicle communication device using information of the consumer-centric SIM profile that is unique to the consumer-centric SIM profile;   receiving, with the vehicle wireless communication device, a download notification via the connection over the consumer-centric wireless communication network using the consumer-centric SIM profile that vehicle centric-services data are to be downloaded;   establishing, with the vehicle wireless communication device, a connection over a vehicle-centric wireless communication network that corresponds to a vehicle-centric SIM profile in the vehicle communication device using information of the vehicle-centric SIM profile that is unique to the vehicle-centric SIM profile; and   downloading the vehicle centric data using the vehicle-centric SIM profile;   wherein the download notification is received via the connection over the consumer-centric wireless communication network using the consumer-centric SIM profile through an encrypted tunnel and wherein the vehicle-centric services data are downloaded via the connection over the vehicle-centric wireless communication network using the consumer-centric SIM profile through an encrypted tunnel that is not the same encrypted tunnel through which the download notification was received.   
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 15  further comprising:
 determining with the vehicle communication device one of a data size or a security level associated with the vehicle-centric services that are to be downloaded based on content included in the download notification; 
 determining with the vehicle communication device that the vehicle-centric services data may be downloaded during a current operational state of the vehicle. 
 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 16  wherein the current operational state of the vehicle is key-on. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 16  wherein the data size of the vehicle centric services to be downloaded is large. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 18  wherein the current operational state of the vehicle is key-off. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 16  wherein the security level is high due to the nature of the vehicle-centric services data to be downloaded being one or more firmware updates to an ECM of a vehicle that includes the vehicle communication device