Method for controlling an optic disk

• US 6,170,043 B1
• Filed: 01/22/1999
• Issued: 01/02/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 01/22/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: MediaTek, Inc.
• Original Assignee: MediaTek, Inc.
• Inventors: Hu, Yi-Kwang
• Primary Examiner(s): Cabeca, John W.
• Assistant Examiner(s): TZENG, FRED
• Application Number:
  US09/234,977
• Time in Patent Office: 711 Days
• Field of Search: 711/158, 711/102, 711/111, 711/170, 711/112, 710/1, 710/52, 710/74
• US Class Current: 711/158
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/65 Updates security arrangements therefor G06F21/57

Abstract

A CD-ROM control chip is provided for a use of firmware information update in the CD-ROM system. The control chip at least includes a microprocessor, a decoder, a controller, and an extra memory. The microprocessor is coupled to a data bus, and further coupled to an external ROM, which stores all firmware information. The decoder is coupled to the microprocessor through the data bus, and is also coupled to an external buffer memory and an external main board interface. The external main board interface allows the CD-ROM control chip to communicate with an external computer. The controller is coupled to the decoder, and is coupled to the microprocessor the data bus. The controller is used to receive information and control signals from an external CD. The extra memory is coupled to the microprocessor through the data bus. When the microprocessor starts to update the firmware information, it generates at least one output enabling signal, one chip selecting signal, and one writing-in signal, and sends these signals to the external ROM. The external ROM is treated as an information storing space, and the extra memory is treated as execution space used by an update program routine.

Claims

1. An optic-disk system control chip, used in an optic-disk system to update its firmware information, the control chip comprising:

a microprocessor, coupled to a data bus, wherein the microprocessor is also coupled to an external memory through the data bus, in which the external memory is used to store the firmware information;

a decoder, coupled to the microprocessor through the data bus, wherein the decoder is also coupled to an external buffer memory, and an external main board inter face, which serves as an interface to communicate with an external computer;

a controller, coupled to the decoder, and coupled to the microprocessor through the data bus, wherein the controller is used to receive a control signal and general data; and

an extra memory, coupled to the microprocessor through the data bus, wherein when the optic-disk system is operated at an update mode, the microprocessor yields at least an output enable signal, a chip selection signal, and a writing-in signal so as to temporarily treat the external memory to as a data access memory and treat the extra memory as an execution program memory, and after the firmware is completely updated, the extra memory is treated back as its original data access memory and the external memory is treated back as its original execution program memory.

2. The control chip of claim 1, wherein the external memory comprises a flash memory.

3. The control chip of claim 1, wherein the external memory comprises an electrical erasable programmable read only memory (EEPROM).

4. The control chip of claim 1, wherein the extra memory comprises dynamic random access memory (DRAM).

5. The control chip of claim 1, wherein the external buffer memory coupled to the decoder comprises DRAM.

6. The control chip of claim 1, wherein the main board interface comprises an IDE interface.

7. The control chip of claim 1, wherein the main board interface comprises an enhanced-IDE interface.

8. The control chip of claim 1, wherein the optic-disk system comprises a CD-ROM system.

9. An update method used in an optic-disk system to update its firmware information, which is stored in a firmware memory, through a microprocessor, wherein the firmware memory serves as an intrinsic execution program memory, the method comprising:

fetching an update program with a characteristic format from a compact disk (CD), in which the update program includes a program code and an update program routine;

storing the program code into a first buffer memory, and the update program routine into a second buffer memory, wherein the microprocessor accesses to the second buffer memory at a special address, treats the firmware memory as a data access memory, and treats the second buffer memory as an execution program memory;

executing the update program routine stored in the second buffer memory;

writing the program code stored in the first buffer memory into the firmware memory to update the firmware information;

treating the firmware memory back as its intrinsic execution program memory, and treating the second buffer memory back as its intrinsic data access memory; and

using the program code as an updated firmware information to control the opticdisk system and provide any kind of updated information residing in the program code.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the optic-disk system comprises a CD-ROM system.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein the firmware memory comprises a flash memory.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein the firmware memory comprises an electrical erasable programmable read only memory (EEPROM).

13. The method of claim 9, wherein the first buffer memory comprises dynamic random access memory (DRAM).

14. The method of claim 9, wherein the second buffer memory comprises DRAM.

15. An update method used in an optic-disk system to update its firmware information, which is stored in a firmware memory, through a microprocessor, wherein the firmware memory serves as an intrinsic execution program memory, the method comprising:

fetching an update program from a peripheral device through a main board interface, in which the update program includes a program code and an update program routine;

storing the program code into a first buffer memory, and the update program routine into a second buffer memory, wherein the microprocessor accesses to the second buffer memory at a special address, treats the firmware memory as a data access memory, and treats the second buffer memory as an execution program memory;

executing the update program routine stored in the second buffer memory;

writing the program code stored in the first buffer memory into the firmware memory to update the firmware information;

treating the firmware memory back as its intrinsic execution program memory, and treating the second buffer memory back as its intrinsic data access memory; and

using the program code as an updated firmware information to control the optic-disk system and provide any kind of updated information residing in the program code.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the optic-disk system comprises a CD-ROM system.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein the firmware memory comprises a flash memory.

18. The method of claim 15, wherein the firmware memory comprises an electrical erasable programmable read only memory (EEPROM).

19. The method of claim 15, wherein the first buffer memory comprises dynamic random access memory (DRAM).

20. The method of claim 15, wherein the second buffer memory comprises DRAM.

21. The method of claim 15, wherein in the step of fetching the update program, the periphery device comprises a computer, which comprises the update program by downloading the update program from an software source.

22. The method of claim 15, wherein in the step of fetching the update program, the main board interface comprises an IDE interface, an enhanced-IDE interface, or a SCSI interface.