EP0569178A2
Expired / Lapsed
EP
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Apparatus and method for downloading programs
Assignee: AT&T Inc
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Filing: 1993-04-26
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Granted: —
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Expires: 2013-04-26
Abstract
Abstract A modified version of the operating communication program of a stored program controlled apparatus is installed with the aid of a downloadable start address specification means, optionally realized with an EEPROM memory. The start address specification means stores information that is downloaded through a communication port in the apparatus, and that information is used in defining the address from where the communication programs are initiated. In accordance with the method of this invention, downloading of the entire new set of programs is effected by first downloading (50) a segment of the essential portion of the new package of programs. Control is then transferred to the new segment by downloading appropriate information into the start address specification means. Thereafter, utilizing the downloaded essential portion of the new package of programs, the remainder of the new package is downloaded (52). <IMAGE>
Inventors
- 👤 Gideon Hecht
- 👤 Kurt Ervin Holmquist
- 👤 Donald C. Snoll
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
EP
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-03 15:48
CPC Classifications
G; G06; G06F; G06F8/00; G06F8/60; H; H04; H04L; H04L67/00; H04L67/34; H04L9/00; H04L9/40
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 10
Claim 1
Independent Claim
67 words
A system containing a processor (10), a memory (20), and a set of programs stored in said memory that are executed when the system needs to be initialized, said programs being executed when the processor accesses the contents of addresses of said memory, the improvement comprising: alterable storage means (40) for holding an address that is used as an offset address accessed by the processor when initializing.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
12 words
The system of claim 1 wherein said memory is an EEPROM memory.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
16 words
The system of claim 1 wherein said memory is the only program memory in the system.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
14 words
The system of claim 1 wherein said memory consists of 2 FLASH EEPROM devices.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
14 words
The system of claim 1 wherein said alterable storage means is an EEPROM memory.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
21 words
The system of claim 1 when said initializing is triggered by a signal received at an input port of the system.
Claim 7
Independent Claim
73 words
A system containing a processor (10), a memory (20) and a communications port (12) comprising: operationally alterable means (40) for setting the starting position of a program executed by said processor in connection with communication with said port, wherein said means for setting the starting position of a program executed by said processor in connection with communication with said port sets the starting position in accordance with information supplied via said communication port.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
81 words
The system of claim 7 wherein said memory contains a first set of programs and a second set of programs, said memory is at least twice the size of the size of the first set of programs, and said operationally alterable means sets the starting position of the program executed by said processor in connection with communication with said port at a second specified location that is M removed from the first location, M being half the size of said memory.
Claim 9
Independent Claim
187 words
A method for installing a new set of communication programs P new into a stored program controlled apparatus that includes a communication port (12) and a memory (20) by transmitting said set of programs P new to said apparatus via said port, with the aid of a set of communication programs P old already resident in said memory (10), where said set of programs P old contains a subset of programs EP old that occupy less than half of the memory and said set of programs P new also contains a subset of programs EP new that, when installed, occupy less than half of the memory, comprising the steps of: installing the EP new programs (50) in an area of said memory that contains programs other than the EP old programs, thereby overwriting at least a portion of one program in said P old set of programs; altering operation of said apparatus to execute the EP new programs instead of the EP old programs, and installing the remaining programs (52) of said P new set of programs in memory locations not occupied with the EP new programs.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
110 words
The method of claim 9 further comprising a step of moving, interposed between said step of altering operation of the apparatus and said step of installing the remaining programs, that installs said EP new programs into memory locations starting at a location that corresponds to a starting location of the EP old programs, and a second step of altering operation of said apparatus to execute the EP new programs in the installed locations by said step of moving, wherein said installing the remaining programs of said P new set of programs stores the programs in memory locations not occupied with the EP new programs installed by said step of moving.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
No citation records indexed.
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