Software management systems and methods for automotive computing devices
First Claim
1. A programmable automotive computing device programmed with instructions which, when executed by the automotive computing device, cause the computing device to:
- copy an object store into device flash memory; and
create an object store page table in device SRAM that is configured to track the locations of all of the object store pages in the device.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
Methods and systems for operating automotive computing devices are described. In one embodiment, a small amount of static RAM (SRAM) is incorporated into an automotive computing device. The SRAM is battery-backed to provide a non-volatile memory space in which critical data, e.g. the object store, can be maintained in the event of a power loss. Circuitry is provided to ensure that the SRAM receives back up power from the battery at appropriate times. Software manages the SRAM and the other storage assembly components and makes use of virtual paging or virtual addressing techniques to keep track of where various pages, including object store pages, are stored in the system. The software knows where all of the object store pages are located so that in the event of a power loss, the page locations are known and hence the pages can be used when power is restored. The SRAM is advantageously used to maintain so-called “dirty pages” or pages that have been written to so that these pages are not lost in the event of a power interruption. Additionally, the software can also provide an orderly means by which pages in the SRAM can be written out to flash memory thereby avoiding unnecessary flash write operations which, in turn, increases the lifetime of the flash memory.
-
Citations
18 Claims
-
1. A programmable automotive computing device programmed with instructions which, when executed by the automotive computing device, cause the computing device to:
-
copy an object store into device flash memory; and
create an object store page table in device SRAM that is configured to track the locations of all of the object store pages in the device. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11)
-
-
12. In an automotive computing device, a method comprising:
-
booting the computing device; and
responsive to said booting, processing an object store page table that is maintained in battery-backed SRAM, the object store page table being configured to track locations of all object store pages in the device, said processing comprising changing any entries in the object store page table that indicate an object store page is in device DRAM to an entry that indicates that the object store page is in device flash memory. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14)
-
-
15. In an automotive computing device, a method comprising:
-
maintaining multiple object store pages in device SRAM that is configured to be battery backed in an event of a power loss;
periodically flushing one or more object store pages to device non-volatile memory to make room for additional object store pages;
tracking the frequency of object store page writes, and flushing object store pages that are least frequently written to, before object store pages that are more frequently written to; and
battery-backing the SRAM in the event of a power loss. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18)
-
Specification