Mechanism for updating firmware of an electronic device

• US 6,842,858 B2
• Filed: 03/18/2002
• Issued: 01/11/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 03/19/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Funai Electric Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Funai Electric Co., Ltd.
• Inventors: Suzuki, Takuya
• Primary Examiner(s): PEIKARI, BEHZAD
• Application Number:
  US10/100,669
• Publication Number:
  US 20020162098A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,030 Days
• Field of Search: 709/319, 709/320, 709/321, 709/327, 709/328, 709/330, 710/10, 710/13, 711/102, 711/103, 711/104, 712/220, 713/1, 713/2, 714/42, 714/44, 714/46, 714/47, 714/48, 717/168, 717/174
• US Class Current: 713/2
• CPC Class Codes: G11C 16/102 External programming circuits, e.g. EPROM programmers; In-circuit programming or reprogramming; EPROM emulators
• CPC Class Codes: G11C 16/105 Circuits or methods for updating contents of nonvolatile memory, especially with 'security' features to ensure reliable replacement, i.e. preventing that old data is lost before new data is reliably written

Abstract

A system for updating firmware of an electronic device includes a flash memory for storing a system control program to control the electronic device, and a RAM for storing the system control program and a writing control program to perform writing operation that the system program is loaded into the flash memory from the RAM. The system also includes a JTAG interface in conformity with the standard 1149.1 of IEEE (the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers). The system stores the system control program and the writing control program into the RAM, and then executes the writing control program stored in the RAM to load the system control program into the flash memory. Thus, the firmware of the electronic device is updated.

Claims

1. A system for updating a system control program of an electronic device, comprising:

a JTAG interface;

a control unit connected to the JTAG interface;

a flash memory connected to said control unit;

a random access memory connected to said control unit; and

a display unit for displaying predetermined information to a user;

wherein

said control unit loads the system control program and a writing control program transferred via said JTAG interface from an external computer into said random access memory, and executes the writing control program stored in said random access memory to load the system program into said flash memory; and

said display unit displays a write error when the write error occurs during loading the system control program stored in said random access memory into said flash memory, and displays a verification error when contents of the system control program loaded in said flash memory does not match contents of the system control program stored in said random access memory.

2. A system for updating a system control program of an electronic device, comprising:

a first storage unit for storing a system control program to control said electronic device;

a second storage unit for temporarily storing the system control program and a writing control program to load the system control program into said first storage unit; and

a control unit for loading the system control program and the writing control program transferred from an external computer into said second storage unit, and executing the writing control program stored in said second storage unit.

3. The system according to claim 2, wherein said first storage unit is a flash memory.

4. The system according to claim 2, wherein said second storage unit is a random access memory.

5. The system according to claim 2, wherein said control unit is controlled by the external computer via a JTAG interface.

6. The system according to claim 2, further comprising:

a write error display unit for displaying a write error when the write error occurs during loading the system control program stored into said second storage unit into said first storage unit.

7. The system according to claim 6, wherein said write error display unit is a display device.

8. The system according to claim 2, further comprising:

a verify error display unit for displaying a verify error when contents of the system control program stored in said first storage unit does not match contents of the system control program stored in said second storage unit.

9. The system according to claim 8, wherein said verify error display unit is a display device.

10. A method for updating a system control program of an electronic device, comprising:

(a) connecting a host computer to a JTAG interface of said electronic device;

(b) temporarily storing a system control program and a writing control program transferred from said host computer into a second storage unit, wherein the writing control program performs writing operation to load the system control program into a first storage unit;

(c) detaching said host computer from said JTAG interface;

(d) conveying said electronic device; and

(e) executing said writing control program stored in said second storage unit.

11. The method according to claim 10, wherein said first storage unit is a flash memory.

12. The method according to claim 10, wherein said second storage unit is a random access memory.

13. The method according to claim 10, wherein the step (b) is controlled under a JTAG system.

14. The method according to claim 10, further comprising:

displaying a write error when said write error occurs during loading said system control program stored into said second storage unit into said first storage unit.

15. The method according to claim 10, further comprising:

displaying a verify error when contents of said system control program loaded in said first storage unit does not match contents of said system control program stored in said second storage unit.