Program download type information processor

• US 5,630,139 A
• Filed: 02/08/1995
• Issued: 05/13/1997
• Est. Priority Date: 02/10/1994
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: NEC Corporation
• Original Assignee: NEC Corporation
• Inventors: Ozaki, Hirokazu
• Primary Examiner(s): Kriess, Kevin A.
• Application Number:
  US08/385,683
• Time in Patent Office: 825 Days
• Field of Search: 395/700, 395/650
• US Class Current: 717/167
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/656 while running

Abstract

An information processor includes a CPU, an EEPROM for storing a program for ordinary processing and program download control, and a RAM having a first program storage area for loading the program stored in the EEPROM and a second program storage area for storing a new downloaded program. In an idle time in the ordinary processing program, the CPU executes the download control program to download the new program from an external device into the second program storage area of the RAM and store the downloaded program in the EEPROM, while the CPU is reset after the storage of the program.

Claims

1. A program download type information processor comprising:

control means including a CPU for executing programmed control; and

external storage means for storing a new program replacing a current program being executed by the CPU of said control means;

said control means including;

first storage means for storing a program for executing ordinary processing and program download control; and

second storage means having a first storage area for loading the program stored in said first storage means to be executed by said CPU and a second storage area for storing a new program downloaded from said external storage means;

said CPU, at its activation, executing ordinary processing under control of said ordinary processing program loaded from said first storage means into the first storage area of said second storage means; and

said CPU executing said download control program without stopping said ordinary processing, to download said new program stored in said external storage means into the second storage area of said second storage means and store said new program into said first storage means after the down-loading.

2. The program download type information processor according to claim 1, wherein said download control program is executed at a timing when an idle time is generated in said ordinary processing by said CPU.

3. The program download type information processor according to claim 1, further comprising third storage means for storing an IPL program for loading said ordinary processing program from said first storage means into the first storage area of said second storage means.

4. The program download type information processor according to claim 1, wherein

download control of said program is executed at a timing when an idle time is generated in execution of said ordinary processing program by said CPU;

and

in execution of said download control program, the new program in said external storage means is divided into a plurality blocks, and the new program is downloaded into the second storage area of said second storage means on the basis of said plurality of blocks.

5. The program download type information processor according to claim 1, further comprising reset means for executing reset of said CPU at a time point when said new program downloaded from said external storage means into the second storage area of said second storage means is stored in said first storage means.

6. The program download type information processor according to claim 1, further comprising input means for providing a request for downloading said new program to said CPU, said CPU executing said download control program in an idle time of said ordinary processing program when receiving the download request from said input means.

7. The program download type information processor according to claim 1, further comprising:

input means for providing a request for downloading said new program to said CPU and generating a reset of said CPU;

notifying means for notifying normal completion and abnormal completion of down-loading of said new program; and

reset means for executing reset of said CPU;

wherein

in an idle time of said ordinary processing program, said CPU executes said download control program when receiving the download request from said input means;

at a time point when said new program downloaded from said external storage means into the second storage area of said second storage means is stored in said first storage means, said CPU notifies normal completion of the down-loading through said notifying means and said reset means executes reset of said CPU; and

said CPU notifies abnormal completion of the downloading through said notifying means when said new program is not normally downloaded from said external storage means into the second storage area of said second storage means.

8. A program download type information processor comprising:

control means including a CPU for executing programmed control; and

external storage means for storing a new program replacing a current program being executed by the CPU of said control means;

said control means including;

first storage means for storing a program for executing ordinary processing and program download control;

second storage means having a first storage area for loading the program stored in said first storage means to be executed by said CPU and a second storage area for storing a new program downloaded from said external storage means; and

reception processing means connected to said external storage means via a communication medium for executing reception of said new program;

said external storage means including;

transmission processing means for executing transmission of said new program to said communication means;

said CPU, at its activation, executing ordinary processing under control of said ordinary processing program loaded from said first storage means into the first storage area of said second storage means;

said CPU executing download control by said downlaod control program without stopping said ordinary processing;

program and

in download control, said CPU storing said new program received from said external storage means through said reception means in the second storage area of said second storage means and then storing said new program in said first storage means.

9. The program download type information processor according to claim 8, wherein said download control program is executed during an idle time in said ordinary processing program.

10. The program download type information processor according to claim 8, further comprising third storage means for storing an IPL program for loading said program from said first storage means into the first storage area of said second storage means.

11. The program download type information processor according to claim 8, wherein

download control of said program is executed at a timing when an idle time is generated in execution of said ordinary processing program by said CPU;

in execution of said download control program, the new program in said external storage means is divided into a plurality blocks, and the new program is downloaded into the second storage area of said second storage means on the basis of said plurality of blocks; and

said CPU, at every reception of one block by said reception means, stores the received one block in the second storage area of said second storage means and then continues execution of said ordinary processing program.

12. The program download type information processor according to claim 8, further comprising reset means for executing reset of said CPU at a time point when said new program downloaded from said external storage means into the second storage area of said second storage means is stored in said first storage means.

13. The program download type information processor according to claim 8, further comprising input means for providing a request for downloading said new program to said CPU, said CPU executing said download control program in an idle time of said ordinary processing program when receiving the download request from said input means.

14. The program download type information processor according to claim 8, further comprising:

input means for providing a request for downloading said new program to said CPU and generating a reset of said CPU;

notifying means for notifying normal completion and abnormal completion of down-loading of said new program; and

reset means for executing reset of said CPU;

wherein

in an idle time of said ordinary processing program, said CPU executes said download control program when receiving the download request from said input means;

at a time point when said new program downloaded from said external storage means into the second storage area of said second storage means is stored in said first storage means, said CPU notifies normal completion of the down-loading through said notifying means and said reset means executes reset of said CPU; and

said CPU notifies abnormal completion of the downloading through said notifying means when said new program is not normally downloaded from said external storage means into the second storage area of said second storage means.

15. The program download type information processor according to claim 8, further comprising input means for providing a request for downloading said new program to said CPU and reset means for executing reset of said CPU, wherein

said CPU executes said download control program when an idle time is generated in said ordinary processing program, and within the idle time of said ordinary processing program, when a download request is generated from said input means, sends a request for receiving said new program to said reception mean;

said reception means, upon receiving the reception request, sends a transmission request to the transmission means of said external storage means;

said transmission means, upon receiving said transmission request, divides the new program in said external means into a plurality of blocks and sequentially transmits the new program on the basis of said plurality of blocks to said reception means;

said reception means, at every reception of one block, sends a request for writing the block to said CPU;

said CPU stores said received block in the second storage area of said second storage means in response to said writing request; and

said CPU, in response to notice of reception completion of all blocks given by said reception means, stores said new program stored in the second storage area of said second storage means in said first storage means and then sends a reset request to said reset means.

16. The program download type information processor according to claim 15, wherein

said transmission means transmits each block with an error checking code added;

and

said reception means, upon receiving the block, checks an error in the received block by said error checking code.