Data processing apparatus and program data setting method thereof

• US 7,711,862 B2
• Filed: 09/14/2006
• Issued: 05/04/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 01/19/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Kim, Young-chan
• Primary Examiner(s): Tsai; Henry W. H.
• Assistant Examiner(s): RHU, KRIS M
• Application Number:
  US11/520,725
• Publication Number:
  US 20070168906A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,328 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 710/8
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/60 Software deployment
• CPC Class Codes: G11C 16/102 External programming circuits, e.g. EPROM programmers; In-circuit programming or reprogramming; EPROM emulators

Abstract

A data processing apparatus and a program data setting method that can minimize a manufacturing cost. The data processing apparatus includes a plurality of In System Programming (ISP) devices to store program data used to drive the data processing apparatus, a connector to receive the program data from an external program providing device, and a switch to switch a connection between the connector and the plurality of ISP devices. The data processing apparatus can adjust the connection between the connector and the plurality of ISP devices using the switch. Accordingly, the data processing apparatus does not require an additional connector or a separate program to distribute the program data received at the connector to each ISP device so that the manufacturing cost can be minimized and a structure can be simplified.

Claims

1. A data processing apparatus connected to an external program providing device to provide program data, the apparatus comprising:

a connector connected to the external program providing device to transmit and receive program data to and from the external program providing device;

a first In System Programming (ISP) device to store the program data received from the external program providing device through the connector;

at least one second ISP device connected to the first ISP device to store the program data received from the external program providing device through the connector; and

at least one switch connected to the connector to switch a connection between the connector and the first and the second ISP devices so that one of the first and the second ISP devices is connected to the connector in response to a control of the first ISP device, wherein the second ISP device has a status value that varies depending on whether the program data is downloaded therein, and the first ISP device detects the status value of the second ISP device to determine a current status of the second ISP device, wherein the first ISP device controls the at least one switch according to the current status of the second ISP device.

2. The data processing apparatus as claimed in claim 1, further comprising:

a first signal line part connected to the connector;

a second signal line part connected to the second ISP device; and

a third signal line part connected to the first ISP device,

wherein the switch is connected to the first signal line part to switch a connection of the first signal line part to one of the second and the third signal line parts.

3. The data processing apparatus as claimed in claim 2, wherein the switch sets a connection between the first signal line part and the third signal line part to a basic connection.

4. A data processing apparatus, comprising:

a first ISP device;

a second ISP device to communicate with the first ISP device;

a connector connectable to an external device;

a data line connected between the connector and the first and second ISP devices;

a clock line selectively connected between the connector and one of the first and second ISP devices according to a control from the first ISP device; and

a switch disposed on the clock line between the connector and the first ISP device to selectively connect the connector to one of the first ISP device and the second ISP device according to a status value provided by the second ISP device.

5. A data processing apparatus, comprising:

a connector having first clock and data lines connectable to an external device;

a first ISP device;

a second ISP device;

second clock and data lines connected to the first clock and data lines of the connector, respectively, the second data line connected to the first ISP device;

third clock and data lines connected to the second ISP device, the third data line connected to the second data line; and

a fourth clock line connected to the first ISP device;

a switch connected to the second clock line, the fourth clock line, and the third clock line, wherein the first ISP device controls the switch to connect the second clock line to one of the fourth clock line and the third clock line according to a status value provided by the second ISP device.

6. The data processing apparatus as claimed in claim 5, wherein:

the switch comprises a first terminal connected to the second clock line, a second terminal connected to the fourth clock line, and a third terminal connected to the third clock line; and

the first ISP device controls the switch to connect the first terminal to one of the second and the third terminals.

7. A data processing apparatus to execute program data, the apparatus comprising:

a plurality of micro computers to download a plurality of corresponding program data from a program data providing device;

a connector connectable to the program data providing device; and

a switch to establish a connection between the connector and a selected one of the micro computers such that the selected one of the micro computers communicates with the program data providing device,

wherein a predetermined one of the micro computers manages operation of the switch with respect to the other micro computers according to a status value provided by at least one of the other microcomputers.

8. The apparatus as claimed in claim 7, further comprising:

a data line connected between the connector and the plurality of micro computers; and

a clock line connected between the connector and the plurality of micro computers,

wherein the connector comprises a connector of the clock line to selectively connect the connector to the selected one of the micro computers.

9. A data processing apparatus, comprising:

a plurality of micro computers;

a connector to communicate with a program data providing device outside of the apparatus; and

a switch having a plurality of switching terminals and being interposed between the micro computers and the connector and to selectively connect the micro computers to the connector, wherein the plurality of micro computers comprise;

one or more non-control micro computers having corresponding status indicators to indicate whether a downloading process is being performed thereby; and

a control micro computer to control the switch to selectively connect one of the control or non-control micro computers to the connector according to the status indicators of the non-control micro computers.

10. The apparatus as claimed in claim 9, wherein the plurality of micro computers comprise:

a first micro computer to receive one or more commands from the program data providing device and to control the switch based on the received commands; and

a second micro computer to be selectively connected to the connector by the switch.

11. The apparatus as claimed in claim 10, wherein when the first micro computer receives a switching command, the first micro computer controls the switch to switch a connection between a currently connected micro computer and the connector.

12. The apparatus as claimed in claim 9, wherein each of the micro computers has a corresponding ID and transmits the ID to the program data providing device whenever the corresponding ones of the micro computers are connected to the connector to communicate with the program data providing device.

13. The apparatus as claimed in claim 12, wherein the program data providing device recognizes a current micro computer that is connected to the connector according to the corresponding ID that is received through the connector.

14. The apparatus as claimed in claim 9, wherein each of the micro computers includes a corresponding serial data line connected to the connector to bypass the switch and a corresponding serial clock line connected to the switch such that the switch selectively connects the serial clock line of a selected one of the micro computers with a serial clock line of the connector to establish a communication connection between the selected micro computer and the program data providing device.

15. The apparatus as claimed in claim 9, wherein the plurality of micro computers sequentially download corresponding program data from the program data providing device.

16. The apparatus as claimed in claim 15, wherein the micro computers provide a corresponding external status indicator to the program data providing device and update a corresponding internal status indicator when the downloading is complete.

17. A control micro computer to manage communication between a data processing apparatus and an external program providing device, the data processing apparatus having a plurality of micro computers including the control micro computer installed therein, a connector, and a switch connected to the connector and selectively connected to the plurality of micro computers, wherein the control micro computer manages the communication by controlling the switch to connect a selected one of the micro computers with the connector according to one or more status indicators of the plurality of micro computers provided by at least one of the plurality of micro computers to the control micro computer and one or more commands received from the external program providing device.

18. A method of setting program data in a data processing apparatus connected to an external program providing device to provide the program data, the method comprising:

downloading the program data received through a connector from the external program providing device to a first ISP device connected to the connector;

if the downloading to the first ISP device is completed, the first ISP device controlling a switch according to a status value provided by a second ISP device to switch a first connection between the connector and the first ISP device to a second connection between the connector and the second ISP device to connect the second ISP device with the external program providing device through the connector; and

sending a changed current status value of the second ISP device to the first ISP device to indicate whether the program data of the external device is set in the second ISP device.

19. The method of setting program data as claimed in claim 18, further comprising:

detecting the status value of the second ISP device to confirm a downloading completion of the second ISP device; and

switching a connection between the connector and the second ISP device to connect the connector to the first ISP device.

20. A method of controlling a data processing apparatus having a plurality of micro computers, a connector connected with a program data providing device outside of the apparatus, and a switch interposed between the micro computers and the connector to selectively connect the micro computers to the connector, the method comprising:

a first micro computer controlling the switch to selectively connect a selected one of the micro computers to the connector in response to one or more commands received from the program data providing device and one or more status indicators corresponding to the micro computers to indicate whether program data of the program data providing device is set in the selected one of the micro computers.

21. A data processing apparatus connected to an external program providing device to provide program data, the apparatus comprising:

a plurality of microcomputers to selectively receive program data from the external program providing device and to communicate with each other; and

a switch to select which of the plurality of the microcomputers receives the program data, such that one of the plurality of microcomputers operates the switch with respect to the remainder of the plurality of microcomputers according to a status indicator provided by one of the remainder of the plurality of microcomputers.

22. The data processing apparatus of claim 21, further comprising:

a connector to connect the external program providing device to the plurality of microcomputers, such that the switch allows only selected one of the plurality of microcomputers to be connected to the external program providing device.

23. A data processing apparatus connected to an external program providing device to provide program data, the apparatus comprising:

a first microcomputer;

a second microcomputer connected to the first microcomputer;

a connector to establish a basic connection between the external program providing device and the first microcomputer; and

a switch to exclusively connect one of the first microcomputer and the second microcomputer to the external program providing device in response to a request by the external program providing device and a status indicator provided by the second microcomputer to the first microcomputer, wherein the switch is controlled by the first microcomputer.

24. A data processing apparatus connected to an external program providing device to provide program data, the apparatus comprising:

a connector connected to the external program providing device to transmit and receive program data to and from the external program providing device;

a first In System Programming (ISP) device to store the program data received from the external program providing device through the connector;

at least one second ISP device to store the program data received from the external program providing device through the connector; and

a switch connected between the first ISP device and the second ISP device, wherein the second ISP device outputs a status value to the first ISP device, and the first ISP device, in response to the status value, outputs a signal to the switch to change the connection between a first line to connect to the first ISP device and a second line to connect to the second ISP device.