APPARATUS AND METHOD TO DRIVE DEVICES

• US 20090271604A1
• Filed: 10/28/2008
• Published: 10/29/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 04/23/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: JANG, Dong-jun
• Granted Patent: US 8,380,970 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 713/2
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/4401 Bootstrapping security arrangements therefor G06F21/57
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/4416 Network booting; Remote initial program loading [RIPL]

Abstract

A device driving apparatus includes a storage unit to store a plurality of device driving programs, a plurality of devices to receive the plurality of device driving programs, and a switching unit to transfer the plurality of device driving programs.

Claims

1. A device driving apparatus, comprising:

a storage unit to store a plurality of device driving programs;

a plurality of devices to receive one of the plurality of device driving programs from the storage unit and to be booted using the received device driving program; and

a switching unit to sequentially transfer the plurality of device driving programs to the plurality of devices.

2. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein, while one of the plurality of device driving programs transferred to one of the plurality of devices is executed, the switching unit transfers another device driving program to another device.

3. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of devices comprises:

a processor to launch one of the plurality of device driving programs received from the storage unit.

4. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the plurality of device driving programs comprise:

a plurality of programs required to boot the plurality of devices and a plurality of programs required to operate the plurality of devices.

5. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of devices receives one of the plurality of device driving programs directly from the storage unit.

6. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein one of the plurality of devices is a control unit to control the switching unit to sequentially transfer the plurality of device driving programs to the plurality of devices.

7. The apparatus as claimed in claim 6, wherein, if the plurality of devices are completely booted, the control unit receives another device driving program for another device stored in the storage unit and transfers the received device driving program to the other device.

8. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the storage unit comprises:

a nonvolatile memory.

9. A device driving apparatus, comprising:

a storage unit to store a plurality of device driving programs;

at least one device driven by part of the plurality of device driving programs stored in the storage unit; and

a control unit to control the plurality of device driving programs stored in the storage unit to be transferred sequentially to a processor built in the control unit and at least one processor disposed in the at least one device, the control unit being driven by a portion of the plurality of device driving programs stored in the storage unit.

10. The apparatus as claimed in claim 9, wherein the control unit receives one of the plurality of device driving programs, and launches the received device driving program using the built-in processor, and

while one of the plurality of device driving programs is activated by the built-in processor, the control unit controls another device driving program to be transferred to the at least one device.

11. A device driving method, the method comprising:

transferring one of a plurality of device driving programs to one of a plurality of devices; and

if the transferring is completed, booting the device using the received device driving program and simultaneously transferring another device driving program to another device.

12. The method as claimed in claim 11, wherein the plurality of device driving programs comprise:

a plurality of programs required to boot the plurality of devices; and

a plurality of programs required to operate the plurality of devices.

13. A set-top box (STB) usable with a display device, the set-top box comprising:

a storage unit; and

a plurality of devices including respective processors thereof to share the single storage unit,

wherein the devices receive boot programs from the storage unit sequentially to boot the devices.

14. The STB as claimed in claim 13, wherein the devices include one or more of a broadcast receiving unit, a control unit and a graphical user interface generating unit.

15. A driving method of a set-top box, the method comprising:

sharing a single storage by devices including respective processors; and

sequentially receiving boot programs from the storage unit to the devices to boot the devices.

16. A device driving system, comprising:

a display device; and

a set-top box (STB) to communicate with the display device, the STB comprising;

a storage unit; and

a plurality of devices having respective processors thereof to share the single storage unit such that the devices receive boot programs from the storage unit sequentially to boot the devices.