Method and system of switching between two or more images of firmware on a host device
First Claim
1. A method of switching between two or more images of firmware on a host device, said method comprising:
- storing two or more images of firmware in non-volatile memory of said host device; and
loading one of said images upon startup in response to a user-controllable indicator comprising a plurality of digital flags, a separate flag being associated with each of said two or more images of firmware, each said flag having a plurality of possible states and selectively exhibiting one of said plurality of states, such that said plurality of digital flags, taken together, indicate which of said firmware images to load at startup;
wherein said loading one of said images upon startup comprises reading the digital flag associated with each of said firmware images and loading a particular firmware image in accordance with said digital flags.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A method of switching between two or more images of firmware on a host device includes storing two or more images of firmware in non-volatile memory of the host device and loading one of the images upon startup in response to a user-controllable indicator. A host device that runs firmware during operation may include a non-volatile memory unit that stores a boot code module and is configured to hold two or more firmware images, a processor for executing the boot code module and firmware, said processor being in communication with the non-volatile memory and a switch in communication with the processor, where the boot code module is configured to cause the processor to execute a particular firmware image in response to a position of the switch. Alternatively, a host device that runs firmware during operation may include a non-volatile memory unit that stores a boot code module and at least one firmware image, a processor for executing firmware that communicates with the non-volatile memory unit and a digital flag associated with each firmware image in the non-volatile memory unit, where the boot code module is configured to execute a particular firmware image in response to the digital flags.
79 Citations
14 Claims
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1. A method of switching between two or more images of firmware on a host device, said method comprising:
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storing two or more images of firmware in non-volatile memory of said host device; and loading one of said images upon startup in response to a user-controllable indicator comprising a plurality of digital flags, a separate flag being associated with each of said two or more images of firmware, each said flag having a plurality of possible states and selectively exhibiting one of said plurality of states, such that said plurality of digital flags, taken together, indicate which of said firmware images to load at startup; wherein said loading one of said images upon startup comprises reading the digital flag associated with each of said firmware images and loading a particular firmware image in accordance with said digital flags. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
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9. A host device that runs firmware during operation, said host device comprising:
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a non-volatile memory unit that stores a boot code module and at least one firmware image; a processor for executing firmware that communicates with said non-volatile memory unit; and a plurality of digital flags such that a different digital flag is associated with each said firmware image in said non-volatile memory unit, each said flag having a plurality of possible states and selectively exhibiting one of said plurality of states; wherein said boot code module is configured to execute a particular firmware image in response to said digital flags. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11, 12, 13)
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14. A system for rapidly switching between two or more images of firmware on a host device, said system comprising:
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means for storing two or more images in said host device; means for indicating a particular image to load at startup comprising a separate digital flag associated with each said image for indicating which image to load at startup, each said flag having a plurality of possible states and selectively exhibiting one of said plurality of states; and means for loading one of said images upon startup in response to said means for indicating which a particular image to load at startup.
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Specification