Method and apparatus for hardware/firmware trap

• US 20020091417A1
• Filed: 09/14/2001
• Published: 07/11/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 01/05/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Medtronic Incorporated (Medtronic Plc)
• Original Assignee: Medtronic Incorporated (Medtronic Plc)
• Inventors: Schu, Carl A., Huelskamp, Paul J., Splett, Vincent E., Haerle, Mark
• Granted Patent: US 6,915,167 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 607/30
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/362 Heart stimulators heart defibrillators A61N1/39
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/37 Monitoring; Protecting
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/37211 Means for communicating with stimulators
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/37264 Changing the program; Upgrading firmware
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/60 Software deployment
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/328 for runtime instruction patching
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/4486 Formation of subprogram jump address
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/4812 by interrupt, e.g. masked

Abstract

A method and an apparatus for a hardware/firmware trap. At least one set of a firmware code is executed for operation of the device. Modification to the operation of the device is performed. The modification to the operation comprises: receiving a patch code; creating a firmware trap; generating an interrupt in response to the firmware trap; and executing the patch code in response to the interrupt.

Claims

1. A method for operating a device, comprising:

executing at least one set of a firmware code for operation of said device;

performing a modification to said operation of said device, said modification to said operation comprising;

receiving a patch code;

creating a firmware trap;

generating an interrupt in response to said firmware trap; and

executing said patch code in response to said interrupt.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein executing at least one set of a firmware code for operation of said device further comprises executing at least one set of a firmware code for operation of an implantable medical device.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein executing at least one set of a firmware code for operation of an implantable medical device further comprises executing said set of firmware code from a read only memory device (ROM).

4. The method of claim 1, wherein performing a modification to said operation of said device further comprises performing an upgrade to said firmware.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein performing a modification to said operation of said device further comprises performing a patchwork correction to said firmware.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein performing a modification to said operation of said device further comprises adding at least one new function to said operation of said device.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving a patch code further comprises storing said patch code in a non-volatile memory location with said device.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein creating a firmware trap further comprises monitoring said execution of said firmware to determine a match of a program counter.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein creating a firmware trap further comprises monitoring said execution of said firmware to check for a predetermined event.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein creating a firmware trap further comprises flagging a predetermined location in a memory location within said device.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein generating an interrupt in response to said firmware trap further comprises generating a non-maskable interrupt.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein generating an interrupt in response to said firmware trap further comprises moving said patch code from a non-volatile memory to a random access memory (RAM).

13. The method of claim 12, wherein executing said patch code further comprises executing said patch code stored in said random access memory (RAM).

14. The method of claim 1, further comprising returning to said executing of said firmware code in response to executing said patch code.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein receiving a patch code further comprises storing said patch code in a non-volatile memory location with said device.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein creating a firmware trap further comprises monitoring said execution of said firmware to determine a match of a program counter.

18. The method of claim 15, wherein creating a firmware trap further comprises monitoring said execution of said firmware to check for a predetermined event.

19. The method of claim 15, wherein creating a firmware trap further comprises flagging a predetermined location in a memory location within said device.

20. The method of claim 15, wherein generating an interrupt in response to said firmware trap further comprises generating a non-maskable interrupt.

21. The method of claim 15, wherein generating an interrupt in response to said firmware trap further comprises moving said patch code from a non-volatile memory to a random access memory (RAM).

22. The method of claim 21, wherein executing said patch code further comprises executing said patch code stored in said random access memory (RAM).

24. The apparatus of claim 23, further comprising a random access memory (RAM), a read-only memory (ROM), and a non-volatile memory.

25. The apparatus of claim 23, wherein said non-volatile memory is at least one of a programmable read only memory (PROM), a electrically erasable programmable read only memory (EEPROM), and a flash memory.

26. The apparatus of claim 24, wherein said controller, said hardware/firmware trap unit, said random access memory (RAM), said read-only memory (ROM), and said non-volatile memory being integrated into an implantable medical device.

27. The apparatus of claim 26, wherein said controller comprises a central processing unit (CPU).

28. The apparatus of claim 25, wherein said CPU to execute firmware code stored in said read-only memory (ROM).

29. The apparatus of claim 25, further comprising said patch code downloaded into said apparatus from a programming unit, said programming unit to operatively couple with said apparatus in a remote fashion.

30. The apparatus of claim 29, further comprising said patch code is transferred from said non-volatile memory to said RAM for execution by said CPU.

31. The apparatus of claim 29, wherein said hardware/firmware trap unit to create a firmware trap by matching a program counter relating to said execution of said firmware to a predetermine value.

32. The apparatus of claim 23, wherein said hardware/firmware trap unit to create a firmware trap by monitoring said execution of said firmware to determine an occurrence of a predetermined event.

33. The apparatus of claim 23, wherein said hardware/firmware trap unit to create a firmware trap by setting a flag in a memory locating in said apparatus.

34. The apparatus of claim 23, wherein said hardware/firmware trap unit to generate a non-maskable interrupt to interrupting said CPU from performing execution of said firmware to said execution of said patch code.

37. The computer readable program storage device encoded with instructions that, when executed by a computer, performs the method of claim 1, wherein executing at least one set of a firmware code for operation of said device further comprises executing at least one set of a firmware code for operation of an implantable medical device.

38. The computer readable program storage device encoded with instructions that, when executed by a computer, performs the method of claim 2, wherein executing at least one set of a firmware code for operation of an implantable medical device further comprises executing said set of firmware code from a read only memory device (ROM).

39. The computer readable program storage device encoded with instructions that, when executed by a computer, performs the method of claim 1, wherein performing a modification to said operation of said device further comprises performing a patchwork correction to said firmware.

40. The computer readable program storage device encoded with instructions that, when executed by a computer, performs the method of claim 1, wherein creating a firmware trap further comprises monitoring said execution of said firmware to determine a match of a program counter.

41. The computer readable program storage device encoded with instructions that, when executed by a computer, performs the method of claim 1, wherein creating a firmware trap further comprises monitoring said execution of said firmware to check for a predetermined event.

42. The computer readable program storage device encoded with instructions that, when executed by a computer, performs the method of claim 1, wherein creating a firmware trap further comprises flagging a predetermined location in a memory location within said device.

43. The computer readable program storage device encoded with instructions that, when executed by a computer, performs the method of claim 1, wherein generating an interrupt in response to said firmware trap further comprises moving said patch code from a non-volatile memory to a random access memory (RAM).

44. The computer readable program storage device encoded with instructions that, when executed by a computer, performs the method of claim 12, wherein executing said patch code further comprises executing said patch code stored in said random access memory (RAM).

45. The computer readable program storage device encoded with instructions that, when executed by a computer, performs the method of claim 1, further comprising returning to said executing of said firmware code in response to executing said patch code.

15. A method, comprising:

controlling an implantable medical device using a controller using a pre-emptive real-time operating system (RTOS) having a scheduling mechanism, said controller having a firmware architecture allowing;

executing at least one set of a firmware code for operation of said performing a modification to said operation of said implantable medical device, said modification to said operation comprising;

receiving a patch code;

creating a firmware trap;

generating an interrupt in response to said firmware trap; and

executing said patch code in response to said interrupt.

23. An apparatus, comprising:

a controller for executing at least one set of a firmware code; and

a hardware/firmware trap unit operatively coupled with said controller, said hardware/firmware trap to provide a firmware trap for interrupting normal execution of said firmware code and executing a patch code in response to said hardware/firmware trap.

35. An apparatus, for operating a device, comprising:

means for executing at least one set of a firmware code for operation of said device;

means for performing a modification to said operation of said device, said means for performing modification to said operation comprising;

means for receiving a patch code;

means for creating a firmware trap;

means for generating an interrupt in response to said firmware trap; and

means for executing said patch code in response to said interrupt.

36. A computer readable program storage device encoded with instructions that, when executed by a computer, performs a method for operating a device, comprising:

executing at least one set of a firmware code for operation of said device;

performing a modification to said operation of said device, said modification to said operation comprising;

receiving a patch code;

creating a firmware trap;

generating an interrupt in response to said firmware trap; and

executing said patch code in response to said interrupt.