EXTERNALLY POWERED TEST METER FIRMWARE UPGRADE
First Claim
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1. An analyte meter comprising:
- a microcontroller comprising electronic memory storing resident firmware which, when executed by the microcontroller, causes the microcontroller to perform an analyte measurement;
a power supply electrically connected to the microcontroller for powering the analyte measurement; and
a USB circuit for receiving a USB connector inserted therein, the USB circuit comprising nonvolatile memory that is connected to the electronic memory of the microcontroller, the nonvolatile memory for storing updated firmware transmitted over the USB cable for loading into the electronic memory of the microcontroller, the nonvolatile memory being unconnected to the power supply and operable under electrical power delivered by the inserted USB cable.
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Abstract
An analyte meter having nonvolatile memory is configured to update its firmware via a USB cable using the power provided by the cable to transfer program code into temporary storage in the meter and to transfer the program code from the temporary storage to a program memory for reprogramming the meter'"'"'s microcontroller.
14 Citations
21 Claims
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1. An analyte meter comprising:
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a microcontroller comprising electronic memory storing resident firmware which, when executed by the microcontroller, causes the microcontroller to perform an analyte measurement; a power supply electrically connected to the microcontroller for powering the analyte measurement; and a USB circuit for receiving a USB connector inserted therein, the USB circuit comprising nonvolatile memory that is connected to the electronic memory of the microcontroller, the nonvolatile memory for storing updated firmware transmitted over the USB cable for loading into the electronic memory of the microcontroller, the nonvolatile memory being unconnected to the power supply and operable under electrical power delivered by the inserted USB cable. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6)
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7. A method of upgrading a resident program in a battery powered analyte meter, the method comprising:
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connecting a USB cable to the analyte meter; transmitting new program code over the USB cable into nonvolatile storage in the meter, including powering the nonvolatile storage using electrical power from the USB cable; and transferring the new program code from the nonvolatile storage into a microcontroller program memory for programming the microcontroller according to the new program code, the new program code comprising an algorithm for causing the microcontroller to perform an analyte measurement. - View Dependent Claims (8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
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15. An analyte meter comprising:
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a microcontroller having program storage comprising a resident control program for controlling operation of the analyte meter when the resident control program is executed; a memory chip connected to the program storage and comprising a new control program, the memory chip configured to transfer the new control program into the program storage to replace the resident control program; and a USB circuit connected to the memory chip for storing therein the new control program when the new control program is received over the USB circuit, the USB circuit receiving electrical power from a USB cable connected to the USB circuit for powering the memory chip and for powering the transfer of the new control program from the memory chip into the program storage. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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21. A method for updating firmware of a hand-held test meter, the method comprising:
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powering a flash memory integrated circuit of a hand-held test meter via a USB connector of the hand-held test meter; downloading updated firmware to the flash memory integrated circuit via the USB connector; and updating firmware stored in a microcontroller of the hand-held test meter with the updated firmware stored in the flash memory integrated circuit.
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Specification