Programmable radio

• US 4,525,865 A
• Filed: 10/03/1983
• Issued: 06/25/1985
• Est. Priority Date: 10/03/1983
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Ericsson GE Mobile Communications Inc (Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson)
• Original Assignee: General Electric Company
• Inventors: Mears, David F.
• Primary Examiner(s): NG, JIN FAY
• Application Number:
  US06/538,178
• Time in Patent Office: 631 Days
• Field of Search: 455/151, 455/185, 455/186, 364/200 MS File, 364/900 MS File
• US Class Current: 455/186.2
• CPC Class Codes: H03J 1/0008 using a central processing unit, e.g. a microprocessor digital tuning in general H03J5/0245
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/245 from a network towards a terminal

Abstract

An arrangement for externally programming a radio upon proper identification under microcomputer control using fixed and transient memories without removing or adding circuit modules to the radio.

Claims

1. Apparatus for programming a plurality of different radios with respectively different commands from a common programming source, each of said radios having a stored symbol identifying the radio and a memory storing commands representing its operating radio characteristics, said apparatus for programming a desired one of said different radios with a given set of commands comprising:

means for interrogating said given radio to read its stored symbol, means responsive to a read symbol representing only said desired radio for reading the commands stored in said memory and for modifying said read commands to correspond to said given commands, means to store said modified commands in said radio memory, and means to confirm the accuracy of said stored modified commands including (a) means to read the stored modified commands and to compare them with said given commands at said source, and (b) means for providing a signal in response to said comparison.

2. Apparatus for programming a mobile radio with commands to exhibit certain characteristics such as a preselected operating frequency, address identification signals, and carrier control timer under the control of a programmer external of said radio, said apparatus comprising:

a programmer including a first microcomputer, a first transient memory and a second transient memory, a mobile radio including a first fixed memory and a second fixed memory, a third transient memory and a second microcomputer, means for coupling said second microcomputer to said second fixed memory through said third transient memory, said second microcomputer having an identification symbol stored in first fixed memory, means for causing said programmer to interrogate said second microcomputer to establish the acceptability of the identification signals, said programmer being responsive to nonacceptability of said identification signal for providing an error signal, said programmer being responsive to the acceptability of said identification signal for providing a first control signal, said first and second microcomputer being responsive to said first control signal to read the commands stored in said second fixed memory into said first transient memory through third transient memory, said programmer also including a fourth transient memory, means for programming desired commands into said fourth transient memory, means for modifying the commands stored in said first transient memory under control of said first microcomputer to incorporate said desired commands stored in said fourth transient memory to produce modified commands in said first transient memory, means for reading said modified commands from said first transient memory to said second fixed memory via said third transient memory under control of the first and second microcomputers, means for reading the modified commands stored in said second fixed memory into said second transient memory via said third transient memory under control of said first and second microcomputers, means for comparing the modified commands stored in said first and second transient memories, means responsive to the result of said comparison to produce an output signal.

3. An apparatus according to claim 2 wherein commands are transferred between said first and second microcomputers in bit serial form.

4. An apparatus according to claim 2 further comprising means responsive to said output signal for causing said radio to exhibit said certain characteristics in response to commands stored in said second fixed memory under control of said second microcomputer.

5. Apparatus for selectively programming a plurality of mobile radios to exhibit respectively different combinations of operating functions under control of a common external programmer, said apparatus comprising:

a programmer including a given first memory and a given second memory, said mobile radio including a fixed memory, a transient memory and a microcomputer, means for coupling said programmer to said microcomputer, means for coupling said microcomputer to said transient memory, means for coupling said transient memory to said fixed memory, means for storing a symbol in said radio to establish such radio as a given radio, means for causing said programmer to interrogate said radio to read said stored symbol, said programmer being responsive to a non-given radio read symbol for providing an error signal, said programmer being responsive to a given radio read symbol for causing the microcomputer to read selected operating function information stored in said fixed memory and to write it into said transient memory and to read the information written in said transient memory and write it into the programmer'"'"'s given first memory under control of said programmer and said microcomputer, means for modifying the function information stored in said programmer given first memory under control of said programmer, means to read the modified function information stored in said programmer given first memory and to write it into said transient memory under control of said programmer and said microcomputer, means to read the modified function information stored in said transient memory and to write it into said fixed memory under control of said programmer and said microcomputer, means to read the modified information stored in said fixed memory and to write it into said transient memory under control of said microcomputer, means to read the information stored in said transient memory and to write said information in the programmer'"'"'s given second memory under control of said programmer and said microcomputer, means for comparing the modified information stored in said programmer'"'"'s first and second given memories, means responsive to a non-equal compare of said last named information to produce an error signal, and means responsive to an equal compare of said last named information to produce a successful operating function change signal.

6. An arrangement for programming radio commands into a non-volatile memory of a radio from a programming source of a desired set of commands external of said radio, said radio having a non-volatile memory programmed with data representing commands, said arrangement programming said radio memory only with respect to those commands which do not match the desired set of commands, said arrangement comprising:

means for reading the entire command set from the radio memory to the programming source, said programming source including means for selecting from the entire read command set a subset representing the commands to be changed, means for changing said selected subset to obtain the desired set of commands, means to read said last named set of commands and to write it in said non-volatile memory under control of said programming source and a microcomputer included in said radio, means for verifying that said written last set of commands were correctly made including means for reading the entire command set from the radio non-volatile memory to the programming source, means for comparing the read last named entire radio command set with the desired set of commands in said programming source and for producing a signal in response to said comparing.

7. In combination, a programming source of an entire set of commands including a desired subset of commands, said source comprising a first microcomputer, a radio having a second microcomputer and a non-volatile memory programmed with data representing radio commands, means for reprogramming said radio memory only with respect to those commands which do not match the desired subset of commands, means for reading the entire command set from the radio memory to the programming source, means for selecting from the entire read command set a subset representing the commands to be changed, means for changing such selected subset to obtain the desired set of commands, means under control of said first and second microcomputers for storing said reprogrammed radio commands in said radio non-volatile memory, means responsive to said first and second microcomputers for verifying that the command changes were incorrectly reprogrammed comprising (a) means for reading the entire radio command set from said radio memory to the programming source, and (b) means for comparing the last named read entire radio command set with the entire set of source commands in said programming source to determine if they match, and for producing a signal indicative of whether or not there is a match.

8. Programmer apparatus for quickly and reliably changing the computer commands stored in the digital memory of a computerized mobile radio using only electrical signals and without requiring removal/replacement/insertion of physical radio components, said programmer apparatus comprising:

coupling means for electrical connection with computer circuits while located in situ within said mobile radio;

computer means including a manual control input keyboard, an output indicator means and at least one programming memory all coupled to a digital computer;

said computer means being programmed to perform the following functions;

(a) to read first electrical signals from a computerized mobile radio coupled thereto via said coupling means, said first electrical signals representing identifying data indicative of the type of such coupled mobile radio;

(b) to compare said identifying data to predetermined identifying data and to indicate via said output indicator means that reprogramming of said coupled mobile radio in accordance with the following steps (c)-(f) should not proceed unless said coupled mobile radio is successfully identified by this compasrison;

(c) to read second electrical signals from said coupled mobile radio via said coupling means, said second electrical signals representing at least part of the computer commands at that time stored in the digital memory of the coupled mobile radio;

(d) to temporarily store in said programming memory digital data signals derived from the read electrical signals of (c) above;

(e) to selectively change at least some of said digital data signals to predetermined new command values; and

(f) to transfer third electrical signals to said coupled mobile radio via said coupling means, said third electrical signals representing at least part of a new computer command to be stored in the digital memory of the coupled mobile radio.

9. Programmer apparatus as in claim 8 wherein said computer means is further programmed to follow function (f) with the following additional functions:

(g) to re-read said second electrical signals from said coupled mobile radio via said coupling means, said second electrical signals now representing said at least part of a new computer command;

(h) to temporarily store in said programming memory digital data signals derived from the read electrical signals of (g) above;

(i) to compare the stored data signals of (h) with said predetermined new command values; and

(j) to indicate via said output indicator means a successful re-programming sequence in response to a successful comparison in (i) above.