Integrated circuit and method for bringing an integrated circuit to execute instructions

• US 6,356,942 B1
• Filed: 09/29/1998
• Issued: 03/12/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 05/13/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Axis AB (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Axis AB (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Bengtsson, Jan, Zander, Per, Ranerup, Ronny, Nilsson, Hans-Peter, Ranerup, Kenny
• Primary Examiner(s): Rinehart, Mark H.
• Assistant Examiner(s): KANG, PAUL H
• Application Number:
  US09/162,681
• Time in Patent Office: 1,260 Days
• Field of Search: 709/201, 709/200, 709/219, 709/250, 709/220, 709/221, 709/222, 370/85, 712/1
• US Class Current: 709/220
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/4403 Processor initialisation

Abstract

An integrated circuit comprises a CPU, ports for external communication, a memory means and a switching means for converting the circuit between a working mode and an initiating mode. The circuit is in itself, in the initiating mode, adapted to receive an initiating signal, comprising external instructions, and to bring the CPU to execute said instructions.

According to a method for bringing the integrated circuit to execute instructions, the integrated circuit is in a first step brought into the initiating mode. Thereafter the circuit receives said external signal and uses the integrated CPU to execute said instructions.

Claims

1. A method for enabling peripheral devices coupled by a network to a server, and the method comprising:

storing on the server operating systems each associated with a corresponding type of peripheral device;

generating a random number at each one among a first group of the peripheral devices and with each of the random numbers uniquely identifying a corresponding one among the first group of peripheral devices;

sending a peripheral identification network packet from each one among the first group of the peripheral devices to the server and with each of the peripheral identification network packets including a non-unique source address corresponding with the first group and a payload with the corresponding random number generated in said act of generating;

broadcasting from the server, responsive to the sending act, a plurality of server download network packets each including a non-unique destination address corresponding with the first group and a payload with a corresponding one of the random numbers sent in said sending act, a selected one among the operating systems stored in said storing act which corresponds in type with, and a unique network address for the peripheral device uniquely identified by the corresponding one of the random numbers; and

downloading at each of the first group of peripheral devices the operating system and unique network address from the payload of a selected one of the plurality of server download network packets which includes the random number which matches the random number generated in said generating act.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising the acts prior to the generating act of:

broadcasting from the server a server query network packet including a non-unique destination address corresponding with the first group, a unique source address corresponding with the server and a payload with transitory code for generating the random number in said generating act; and

downloading at each of the first group of the peripheral devices the transitory code from the payload of the server query network packet.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

storing the transitory code, downloaded in said act of downloading transitory code, in volatile memories each associated with a corresponding one of the first group of the peripheral devices;

storing the operating system, downloaded in said act of downloading the operating system, in non-volatile memories each associated with a corresponding one of the first group of the peripheral devices; and

enabling each of the volatile memories as a cache for the corresponding non-volatile memories subsequent to the storage of the operating system in said act of storing the operating system in non-volatile memories.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein said act of broadcasting from the server a plurality of server download packets, further comprises:

generating at the server the unique network address for each of the first group of peripheral devices.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein said act of sending a peripheral identification network packet further comprises:

adding a non-unique peripheral device type identifier identifying a corresponding one among the first group of peripheral devices into the payload of each of the peripheral identification network packets.

6. A means for enabling peripheral devices coupled by a network to a server, and the means comprising:

means for storing on the server operating systems each associated with a corresponding type of peripheral device;

means for generating a random number at each one among a first group of the peripheral devices and with each of the random numbers uniquely identifying a corresponding one among the first group of peripheral devices;

means for sending a peripheral identification network packet from each one among the first group of the peripheral devices to the server and with each of the peripheral identification network packets including a non-unique source address corresponding with the first group and a payload with the corresponding random number generated by said means for generating;

means for broadcasting from the server a plurality of server download network packets each including a non-unique destination address corresponding with the first group and a payload with a corresponding one of the random numbers sent by said means for sending, a selected one among the operating systems stored by said means for storing which corresponds in type with, and a unique network address for the peripheral device uniquely identified by the corresponding one of the random numbers; and

means for downloading at each of the first group of peripheral devices the operating system and unique network address from the payload of a selected one of the plurality of server download network packets which includes the random number which matches the random number generated by said means for generating.

7. The means for enabling of claim 6, further comprising:

means for broadcasting from the server a server query network packet including a non-unique destination address corresponding with the first group, a unique source address corresponding with the server and a payload with transitory code for generation of the random number by said means for generating; and

means for downloading at each of the first group of the peripheral devices the transitory code from the payload of the server query network packet.

8. The means for enabling of claim 7, further comprising:

means for storing the transitory code, downloaded by said means for downloading transitory code, in volatile memories each associated with a corresponding one of the first group of the peripheral devices;

means for storing the operating system, downloaded by said means for downloading the operating system, in non-volatile memories each associated with a corresponding one of the first group of the peripheral devices; and

means for enabling each of the volatile memories as a cache for the corresponding non-volatile memories subsequent to the storage of the operating system by said means for storing the operating system in non-volatile memories.

9. The means for enabling of claim 8, wherein the means for broadcasting from the server a plurality of server download packets, further comprises:

means for generating at the server the unique network address for each of the first group of peripheral devices.

10. The means for enabling of claim 6, wherein said means of sending a peripheral identification network packet further comprises:

means for adding a non-unique peripheral device type identifier identifying a corresponding one among the first group of peripheral devices into the payload of each of the peripheral identification network packets.