Loading a machine code API onto an 8-bit virtual machine to enable new functionality

• US 7,362,256 B1
• Filed: 08/27/2004
• Issued: 04/22/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 02/10/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: IXYS Intl Limited (Littelfuse Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: ZiLOG Incorporated (Littelfuse Incorporated)
• Inventors: Provis, Adam P. G., Miramontes, Oscar C., Vergis, George C.
• Primary Examiner(s): Holloway, III, Edwin C.
• Application Number:
  US10/928,830
• Time in Patent Office: 1,334 Days
• Field of Search: 341/173, 341/176, 340/825.22, 340/825.24, 340/825.25, 340/825.69, 340/825.72, 348/734, 398106-112, 717/115, 717/139
• US Class Current: 341/173
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 17/02 using a radio link
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 2201/33 Remote control using macros, scripts
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 2201/50 Receiving or transmitting feedback, e.g. replies, status updates, acknowledgements, from the controlled devices
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 23/04 using light waves, e.g. infrared
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/1803 Stop-and-wait protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/41265 having a remote control device for bidirectional communication between the remote control device and client device unidirectional remote control device H04N21/42204
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42221 Transmission circuitry, e.g. infrared [IR] or radio frequency [RF]
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42226 Reprogrammable remote control devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4437 Implementing a Virtual Machine [VM] virtual machines in general G06F9/45533

Abstract

A machine code API can be loaded onto an eight-bit, register-based virtual machine. A higher level script that is interpreted by a script interpreter of the virtual machine can then use the new functionality provided by the added API. The API may, for example, provide access to hardware of the underlying platform that is otherwise inaccessible to a higher level script. The API loading feature sees use where the virtual machine is remotely deployed in the field but can be communicated with via a bidirectional link. The API is communicated to the virtual machine via the bidirectional link and the API is loaded onto the virtual machine. The API is assigned a reference that a higher level script can use to call the API. Using this feature, various APIs can be loaded and their operations tested. Unwanted machine code APIs can also be erased from the virtual machine.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

executing a first script interpreter on a first eight-bit processor, the first eight-bit processor having a first instruction set and being a part of a first device, wherein the first device does not execute an operating system, wherein a first script is stored in the first device, and wherein the first script interpreter interprets the first script;

loading an amount of machine code into the first device, wherein the amount of machine code is executable on the first eight-bit processor; and

calling the amount of machine code from the first script such that the amount of machine code is executed by the first eight-bit processor.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

executing a second script interpreter on a second eight-bit processor, the second eight-bit processor having a second instruction set different from the first instruction set, wherein the second-eight-bit processor is part of a second device, and wherein a second script identical to the first script can be interpreted by the second script interpreter.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the first device and the first script interpreter together comprise an eight-bit virtual machine.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the eight-bit virtual machine can communicate with an external device via a bidirectional link, and wherein the amount of machine code is received onto the first device via the bidirectional link.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the bidirectional link is a wireless link, and wherein the first device is a remote control device.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein the bidirectional link is a hardwired link.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the amount of machine code is loaded into the first device after the first script interpreter has already been executing on the first eight-bit processor.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the amount of machine code enables the script to control a device taken from the group consisting of:

a light emitting diode (LED), a speaker, a display, a digital output terminal, a bus controller, a motor, an engine, a relay, a switch and a transceiver.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the amount of machine code enables the script to receive information from a device taken from the group consisting of:

a key, a button, a card-reader, a photodetector, a digital input terminal, a bus controller, a motor, an engine, a transceiver and a sensor.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the first eight-bit processor is part of a microcontroller, the microcontroller comprising an analog-to-digital converter, and wherein the amount of machine code enables the script to read information from the analog-to-digital converter.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the first eight-bit processor is part of a microcontroller, the microcontroller comprising an input terminal, and wherein the amount of machine code enables the script to read information from the input terminal.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the first script includes a script instruction to load machine code into the first device such that the loaded machine code is assigned an identifier.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the first script includes a script instruction for:

1) loading an amount of machine code into a memory,

     2) associating an identifier with the amount of machine code, and

     3) adding an entry into a table such that the entry is associated with the identifier and such that the entry points to the amount of machine code in the memory.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the first device is a remote control device that communicates with an electronic consumer device via a wireless link, wherein the amount of machine code is loaded into the first device via the wireless link, and wherein the wireless link is taken from the group consisting of an infrared link and an RF link.

15. An integrated circuit, comprising:

an eight-bit processor, wherein the eight-bit processor does not execute an operating system;

a memory that stores a script interpreter; and

a loader functionality, wherein the loader functionality is operable to cause an amount of machine code to be loaded into the integrated circuit, wherein the script interpreter interprets in accordance with a scripting language, and wherein interpretation of an instruction in the scripting language causes execution by the processor of the amount of machine code.

16. The integrated circuit of claim 15, wherein the eight-bit processor, the memory, the script interpreter, and the loader functionality together comprise an eight-bit virtual machine.

17. The integrated circuit of claim 15, wherein the memory is a program memory, wherein the integrated circuit further comprises an amount of data memory, wherein the integrated circuit includes no more than 64 k bytes of program memory, and wherein the integrated circuit includes no more than 4 k bytes of data memory.

18. The integrated circuit of claim 15, wherein the integrated circuit is part of a remote control device, wherein the memory also stores a script, and wherein the script is interpreted by the script interpreter such that the remote control device outputs an operational signal that controls an electronic consumer device.

19. An apparatus comprising:

an eight-bit processor, wherein the eight-bit processor does not execute an operating system;

a memory that stores a script interpreter, the script interpreter being executed by the eight-bit processor; and

means for loading an amount of machine code into the apparatus such that the amount of machine code can be called by a script instruction, the script instruction being interpretable by the script interpreter.

20. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein the amount of machine code is written into the memory under control of the means for loading, and wherein a pointer is placed in a table, the pointer pointing to the amount of machine code in the memory.

21. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein the eight-bit processor, the memory, the script interpreter, and the means for loading together comprise an eight-bit virtual machine, and wherein the virtual machine receives the amount of machine code via a bus.

22. A method comprising:

transmitting a signal engine to a remote hardware platform, wherein the remote hardware platform comprises a processor;

loading the signal engine into the processor; and

transmitting a script to the remote hardware platform, the script containing embedded codeset information, the signal engine generating a string of timing information using the script, and the signal engine generating an operational signal using the string of timing information, wherein the operational signal is associated with a function of an electronic consumer device.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein the transmitting the signal engine is performed via a bidirectional link.

24. The method of claim 22, wherein the transmitting the script is performed via a bidirectional link, and wherein the bidirectional link is a wireless link.

25. A method comprising:

executing a script interpreter on a processor, the processor being a part of a device, wherein the processor does not execute an operating system, wherein the devices stores a script, and wherein the script interpreter interprets the script;

receiving a first amount of machine code into the device; and

calling the first amount of machine code from the script such that the first amount of machine code is executed by the processor.

26. The method of claim 25, further comprising:

receiving a second amount of machine code into the device; and

calling the second amount of machine code from the script such that the second amount of machine code is executed by the processor.

27. The method of claim 26, wherein the second amount of machine code provides functionality not provided by the first amount of machine code.

28. The method of claim 26, wherein the first and second amount of machine code enable the script to control another device taken from the group consisting of:

a light emitting diode (LED), a speaker, a display, a digital output terminal, a bus controller, a motor, an engine, a relay, a switch and a transceiver.

29. The method of claim 26, wherein the first and second amount of machine code enable the script to receive information from another device taken from the group consisting of:

a key, a button, a card-reader, a photodetector, a digital input terminal, a bus controller, a motor, an engine, a transceiver and a sensor.