Electronic apparatus, process for its duplication, and arrangement for data transfer between two similarly constructed electronic apparatus
First Claim
1. An electronic apparatus (A) including a microprocessor (MP;
- MPI,
10), a non-volatile memory (SP;
SP1) and an interface (I;
KUA, KGNDA, KTA, KDA, KCA), said interface being adapted to be coupled with a second interface (I;
KUB, KGNDB, KTB, KDB) of a second electronic apparatus (B) which is substantially identical in structure to said electronic apparatus (A);
wherein, said electronic apparatus (A) includes an energy supply circuit for;
distributing an intrinsic operating voltage, obtained by said electronic apparatus (A) independently of the interface, to the microprocessor, the non-volatile memory and the interface; and
, distributing an external operating voltage received from said interface to the non-volatile memory;
wherein said electronic apparatus (A) further includes a data transfer circuit for;
retrieving data from a second non-volatile memory of said second electronic apparatus (B) when the second electronic apparatus (B) is coupled to said interface and powered by said intrinsic operating voltage across the interface; and
transmitting data from the non-volatile memory to said substantially-structurally-identical electronic apparatus (B) across said interface when said electronic apparatus (A) receives said external operating voltage from said second electronic apparatus (B) across said interface;
whereby, said electronic apparatus (A) can be coupled to said second electronic apparatus (B) at said interface, can distribute said intrinsic operating voltage to said second non-volatile memory of said second electronic apparatus (B) across said interface for powering said second non-volatile memory, and can retrieve data from said second non-volatile memory to thereby become a replacement electronic apparatus for said second electronic apparatus (B).
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
An electronic apparatus, process for its duplication, and arrangement for data transfer between two similarly constructed electronic apparatus is described in which the electronic apparatus has a microprocessor or microcontroller, a non-volatile memory, and an interface. The microprocessor or microcontroller, the non-volatile memory and other measures of the apparatus allow a data content of a certain memory component of a certain other apparatus to be simply transferred into the non-volatile memory. The apparatus thus has the ability to bequeath its data characteristics, or to duplicate itself. Further, a process is described for carrying out such a duplication. Assuming a second inventive electronic apparatus is built, a particular advantageous arrangement can be created in which a data record can be completely transferred from the memory of the first apparatus into the memory of the second apparatus. This data transfer is even beneficially possible when the second apparatus is partially defective.
36 Citations
30 Claims
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1. An electronic apparatus (A) including a microprocessor (MP;
- MPI,
10), a non-volatile memory (SP;
SP1) and an interface (I;
KUA, KGNDA, KTA, KDA, KCA), said interface being adapted to be coupled with a second interface (I;
KUB, KGNDB, KTB, KDB) of a second electronic apparatus (B) which is substantially identical in structure to said electronic apparatus (A);wherein, said electronic apparatus (A) includes an energy supply circuit for;
distributing an intrinsic operating voltage, obtained by said electronic apparatus (A) independently of the interface, to the microprocessor, the non-volatile memory and the interface; and
, distributing an external operating voltage received from said interface to the non-volatile memory;wherein said electronic apparatus (A) further includes a data transfer circuit for;
retrieving data from a second non-volatile memory of said second electronic apparatus (B) when the second electronic apparatus (B) is coupled to said interface and powered by said intrinsic operating voltage across the interface; and
transmitting data from the non-volatile memory to said substantially-structurally-identical electronic apparatus (B) across said interface when said electronic apparatus (A) receives said external operating voltage from said second electronic apparatus (B) across said interface;whereby, said electronic apparatus (A) can be coupled to said second electronic apparatus (B) at said interface, can distribute said intrinsic operating voltage to said second non-volatile memory of said second electronic apparatus (B) across said interface for powering said second non-volatile memory, and can retrieve data from said second non-volatile memory to thereby become a replacement electronic apparatus for said second electronic apparatus (B). - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24)
- MPI,
-
25. Process for copying the contents of a second electronic apparatus (B) which has a second microprocessor (MP2), a second non-volatile memory (SP2) and a second interface (KUB, KGNDB, KTB, KDB), into a first similarly-structured electronic apparatus (A) having a similarly structured first interface, a first microprocessor and a first non-volatile memory (SP1) whereby the first interface is so arranged that it can be coupled with the second interface of the second similarly-structured, electronic apparatus, said process including the following steps:
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(1) coupling the first interface of the first electronic apparatus with the second interface of the second electronic apparatus; (2) applying a normal operational voltage to terminals (K10, K11) of the first electronic apparatus (A); (3) initially, immediately, deactivating the first non-volatile memory component (11) of the first electronic apparatus (A) in response to this application of voltage and immediately activating the second non-volatile memory component (21) in the second electronic apparatus (B) in response to this application of voltage, (4) recording with the first microprocessor of the first electronic apparatus (A), data from the second non-volatile memory (SP1) by initiating and carrying out a reading of data from the second non-volatile memory (SP2) of the second electronic apparatus (B) into a working memory area (10.5) of the first microprocessor (10) of the first electronic apparatus (A); (5) Monitoring, upon completion of this reading, a signal level (DATA;
UR14), which is positively caused to pass over the first and second interfaces away from the second electronic apparatus (B) into the first electronic apparatus (A), to indicate to the first microprocessor (10) of the first electronic apparatus (A) the existence of a coupling with the second electronic apparatus (B);(6) Separating the first and second electronic apparatuses (A) and (B), while maintaining the current supply to the first electronic apparatus (A); (7) Recognizing by means of the level monitoring in step (5) the separation of the interfaces as a true condition for a now possible reverse writing of data previously read into said first working memory area (10.5) of the first microprocessor (10) of the first electronic apparatus (A) into the first non-volatile memory (SP1), of the first electronic apparatus (A); (8) Initiating and carrying out a reverse writing of said data from the working memory area (10.5) into the first non-volatile memory (SP1) of the first electronic apparatus (A) and waiting until this is completed. - View Dependent Claims (26, 27, 28, 29)
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30. A system comprising a plurality of Electronic apparatus each including a microprocessor (MP;
- MPI,
10), a non-volatile memory (SP;
SP1) and an interface (I;
KUA, KGNDA, KTA, KDA, KCA), with a first interface (I;
KUA, KGNDA, KTA, KDA) of a first electronic apparatus (A) of the system being adapted to be coupled with a corresponding second interface (I;
KUB, KGNDB, KTB, KDB) of a second electronic apparatus (B) of the system;
said first electronic apparatus having a first microprocessor (MP;
MPI,
10), a first non-volatile memory (SP;
SP1), a first energy supply circuit, and a first data transfer circuit and said second electronic apparatus having a second microprocessor (MP;
MPI,
10), a second non-volatile memory (SP;
SP1), a second energy supply circuit, and a second data transfer circuit;wherein, the first energy supply circuit includes first terminals which, when an operating voltage is applied thereto, supplies an operating voltage to the first microprocessor and the first non-volatile memory and, at the same time, supplies an operating voltage to the first interface for thereby supplying an operating voltage to the second electronic apparatus when said first and second interfaces are coupled; Wherein said second energy supply circuit includes means for powering said second non-volatile memory with an operating voltage received by said second electronic apparatus at said second interface; wherein said first and second data transfer circuits and said first microprocessor cooperate to transmit data from said second non-volatile memory to said first non-volatile memory across said first and second interfaces when they are coupled, in response to said second non-volatile memory being powered with an operating voltage received from said first energy supply circuit across said first and second interfaces.
- MPI,
Specification