Toyota Patent: Server Distributes Vehicle Software Updates

ChangeBridge: Patent Grants - Networking (H04L)

Published March 24th, 2026

Detected March 27th, 2026

Summary

The USPTO has granted Toyota a patent for a server system designed to distribute software updates for vehicle electronic control units. The system aims to ensure updates are delivered to the correct portable terminal associated with a vehicle's communication module, even if direct communication with the vehicle's update control device is not possible.

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What changed

The United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) has granted Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha patent US12585458B2 for a server system that manages software updates for vehicle electronic control units. The patented system includes a storage device that associates vehicle communication module information and portable terminal information with update data. A processor determines if communication with the vehicle's update control device is possible and, if not, transmits the update data to the associated portable terminal.

This patent grant is primarily an intellectual property matter and does not impose direct regulatory obligations on other entities. However, it signifies a technological advancement in vehicle software distribution and cybersecurity. Companies involved in automotive software development or connected vehicle services may wish to review the patent to understand the scope of Toyota's intellectual property in this area, particularly concerning methods for ensuring secure and reliable software updates to vehicles and associated devices.

Source document (simplified)

← USPTO Patent Grants

Server, software update system, distribution method, and non-transitory storage medium

Grant US12585458B2 Kind: B2 Mar 24, 2026

Assignee

TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA

Inventors

Yusuke Takatsuna

Abstract

A server is configured to distribute update data for software for an electronic control unit mounted on a vehicle. The server includes: a storage device that stores device identification information in which information that specifies a communication module mounted on the vehicle and information that specifies a portable terminal configured to communicate with an update control device mounted on the vehicle are associated with each other, and the update data; and a processor configured to determine whether communication with the update control device is possible, and transmit the update data to the portable terminal that is associated with the communication module when the determination unit determines that the communication with the update control device is not possible.