Storing compressed code on a non-volatile memory

• US 20080001789A1
• Filed: 06/29/2006
• Published: 01/03/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 06/29/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Original Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Inventors: Dover, Lance W., Ahlquist, Brent
• Granted Patent: US 7,391,345 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 341/50
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/445 Program loading or initiating bootstrapping G06F9/4401; security arrangements for program loading or initiating G06F21/57
• CPC Class Codes: H03M 7/30 Compression speech analysis-synthesis for redundancy reduction G10L19/00; for image communication H04N; Expansion; Suppression of unnecessary data, e.g. redundancy reduction

Abstract

The time used in manufacturing an electronic device can be reduced by reducing the amount of time taken to store code on non-volatile memories. In one embodiment, storing compressed code to a non-volatile memory can reduce the manufacturing time of an electronic device. The code stored on the non-volatile memory can be decompressed by a controller in the electronic device and loaded on the non-volatile memory for execution by the electronic device.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

automatically decompressing, using a controller in an electronic device, a compressed code stored on a non-volatile memory at the time of manufacturing the electronic device; and

loading decompressed code generated from the compressed code to the non-volatile memory.

2. The method of claim 1, including applying a decompression algorithm stored on the controller to the compressed code.

3. The method of claim 2, including testing the electronic device while applying the decompression algorithm to the compressed code.

4. The method of claim 1, including erasing the compressed code from the non-volatile memory after the decompressed code is loaded to the non-volatile memory.

5. The method of claim 1, including compressing the decompressed code in fragments and storing the compressed code on the non-volatile memory.

6. The method of claim 5, including decompressing the compressed code in fragments.

7. The method of claim 6, including erasing a fragment of the compressed code if the fragment is stored as decompressed code on the non-volatile memory.

8. The method of claim 6, including linking the fragments of the decompressed code.

9. A computer readable medium comprising instructions that, if executed, enable a processor-based system to perform:

storing a compressed code fragment on a non-volatile memory in an electronic device;

decompressing the compressed code fragment stored on the non-volatile memory with a controller in the electronic device; and

erasing the at least one compressed code fragment corresponding to the decompressed code fragment.

10. The computer readable medium of claim 9, further comprising instructions that, if executed, enable the system to perform storing other code in the non-volatile memory after the compressed code fragments are erased.

11. The computer readable medium of claim 9, further comprising instructions that, if executed, enable the system to perform linking a plurality of decompressed code fragments to form decompressed code.

12. The computer readable medium of claim 11, further comprising instructions that, if executed, enable the system to perform reading the decompressed code stored on the non-volatile memory and to execute the decompressed code.

13. The computer readable medium of claim 9, further comprising instructions that, if executed, enable the system to perform storing the compressed code, to erase the compressed code and to decompress the compressed code.

14. The computer readable medium of claim 9, further comprising instructions that, if executed, enable the system to perform searching for the compressed code fragment on the non-volatile memory if power is applied to the non-volatile memory.

15. The computer readable medium of claim 14, further comprising instructions that, if executed, enable the system to perform applying a decompression algorithm to the compressed code fragment.

16. A memory component to install in an electronic device comprising:

a non-volatile memory; and

a first controller to store compressed code fragments to operate the electronic device on the non-volatile memory, the first controller to decompress compressed code fragments stored on the non-volatile memory, and the first controller to load the decompressed code fragments on the non-volatile memory.

17. The device of claim 16, including a second controller coupled to the first controller to send the compressed code fragments to the first controller to store in the non-volatile memory.

18. The device of claim 17, including the second controller to generate compressed code fragments.

19. The device of claim 16, including the controller to store the compressed code, to erase the compressed code and decompress the compressed code on the non-volatile memory.

20. The device of claim 19, including the controller to erase the compressed code fragments if the compressed code fragments are decompressed.

21. The device of claim 16, including a processor to execute a program stored as decompressed code on the non-volatile memory.

22. The device of claim 16, including a decompression algorithm stored in the controller as microcode.

23. An electronic system comprising:

a non-volatile memory;

a processor in the electronic system to execute decompressed code on the non-volatile memory;

a static random access memory coupled to the processor; and

a controller in electronic system to store compressed code fragments to operate the electronic system, the controller to decompress compressed code fragments stored on the non-volatile memory, and the controller to load the decompressed code on the non-volatile memory.

24. The system of claim 23, including the controller to write other code in the non-volatile memory after the compressed code is erased.

25. The system of claim 23, including the controller to decompress the compressed code in fragments if the compressed code is written in fragments.

26. The system of claim 23, including the processor to execute a program stored as decompressed code on the non-volatile memory.

27. The system of claim 23, wherein the electronic device is a cellular telephone.