JP4408504B2 - GAME DEVICE AND ALLOCATION METHOD - Google Patents

Description

[0001]
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a game device and a system program allocation method.
[0002]
[Background Art and Problems to be Solved by the Invention]
Conventionally, a system program for the purpose of controlling an electronic device is written using a dedicated writing circuit and a writing device, or the system program is written in a memory and then the memory is mounted in the system.
[0003]
For this reason, in an electronic device that frequently updates a system such as a game device, it is necessary to replace the substrate and the system memory each time the system is updated. In addition, these operations may be difficult for general users, and are laborious and costly.
[0004]
There are also systems that have communication means and write information transferred from outside through the communication means to the system memory. However, communication means and a program for communication control are required, and the system scale must be expanded. It was a factor of cost increase.
[0005]
In addition, in recent electronic devices, there are electronic devices that allow users to update firmware and system programs. In these devices, it is assumed that the system program is running for rewriting the system program. In some cases, if the firmware or system program update operation fails, the electronic device itself may become unusable, which is a risky operation.
[0006]
The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide a game apparatus capable of assigning a system program and a system program assigning method.
[0007]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
In order to solve the above problems, an electronic device according to the present invention includes a system memory having a rewritable nonvolatile memory,
A connection unit connectable to an external information storage medium having a memory storing predetermined information;
Control means for allocating one of the system memory and the memory of the external information storage medium to a memory space for system startup;
It is characterized by including.
[0008]
According to the present invention, one of the system memory and the memory of the external information storage medium can be allocated to the system activation memory space. Thereby, the system can be rewritten using the information stored in the external information storage medium.
[0009]
As a result, even if the system program is rewritten using the memory of the external information storage medium, if the system program fails, the system program may be updated again. There is no risk that will not start, and the safety of rewriting system programs can be improved.
[0010]
Further, when a flash memory or the like is used as the system memory, only a simple writing circuit is provided in the system, and an advanced additional circuit such as a communication means for writing information stored in the external information storage medium is unnecessary. Therefore, the system configuration can be simplified and an electronic device can be manufactured at low cost.
[0011]
Examples of the electronic device include game devices, information devices, portable electronic devices, digital cameras, and the like.
[0012]
Further, as the external information storage medium, for example, a substrate having a ROM, a flash memory, or the like is applicable.
[0013]
Moreover, as said connection part, a connector etc. correspond, for example.
[0014]
The control means includes
Means for detecting whether or not the external information storage medium is connected to the connection unit;
When the external information storage medium is connected to the connection unit, it is preferable that the memory of the external information storage medium is allocated to a system activation memory space.
[0015]
A system program rewriting method according to the present invention is a system program rewriting method in an electronic device.
Detecting whether or not an external information storage medium having a memory storing predetermined information is connected to a predetermined connection;
A step of allocating a memory of the external information storage medium to a memory space for system startup instead of a system memory having a rewritable nonvolatile memory when detecting that it is connected to the connection unit;
Starting the system;
It is characterized by including.
[0016]
According to the present invention, it is possible to automatically change the allocation of the memory space by detecting that the external information storage medium is connected.
[0017]
Here, the system program is a program used to exhibit the functions of the electronic device. Therefore, the system program includes not only a system startup program, an operating system, and a utility program, but also a game program, an application program, and the like.
[0018]
The control means preferably includes a manually selectable selection means for allocating one of the system memory and the memory of the external information storage medium to the memory space for starting the system.
[0019]
Further, another system program rewriting method according to the present invention is a system program rewriting method in an electronic device,
Selectively allocating one of a memory space of a system memory having a rewritable nonvolatile memory and a memory space of a memory of an external information storage medium as a memory space for system startup;
Starting the system;
It is characterized by including.
[0020]
According to the present invention, while the external information storage medium remains connected, either the nonvolatile memory or the memory of the external information storage medium is selected using, for example, a switch or the like, and the memory space for starting the system Can be assigned to. This eliminates the need to detach and attach the external information storage medium when switching between the system memory and the external information storage medium alternately, thus reducing the possibility of damage to the connection part during detachment and switching comfortably. Can be used.
[0021]
These are particularly effective when the system program is frequently rewritten during development of an electronic device.
[0022]
The information in the external information storage medium preferably includes a system program.
[0023]
The information in the external information storage medium preferably includes a writing program for writing the information.
[0024]
According to this, a writing program becomes unnecessary in the system memory, and the system program in the external information storage medium can be transferred to the system memory using the writing program in the external information storage medium. As a result, the amount of system memory occupied by the program can be reduced, the free space of the system memory can be increased, and the amount of memory that can be used by the system program or the like can be increased.
[0025]
The control means preferably allocates at least one of the system memory and the memory of the external information storage medium to a memory space different from a system activation memory space.
[0026]
The system program rewriting method may further include a step of allocating at least one of the system program rewriting method, the system memory, and the memory of the external information storage medium to a memory space different from a system activation memory space. preferable.
[0027]
According to this, since the system can simultaneously refer to at least one of the system memory and the memory of the external information storage medium and the memory space for system startup, the system program can be easily rewritten.
[0028]
Moreover, it is preferable that the information of the external information storage medium includes a game system program for executing a game.
[0029]
According to this, the game system program can be rewritten quickly and at low cost.
[0030]
In particular, during development and testing, game system programs may be frequently rewritten, and by allocating the memory space of the external information storage medium to the memory space on the system and starting the system, various versions of System startup can be performed, and development and testing can be performed efficiently.
[0031]
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
Hereinafter, a case where the present invention is applied to a game device will be described as an example with reference to the drawings.
[0032]
FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a game apparatus 300 according to an example of the present embodiment.
[0033]
The game apparatus 300 is an apparatus for playing a game by displaying a game image or the like based on game information generated on the game board 100 in which a system program for games is stored.
[0034]
Here, the system program is a program used to exhibit the function of the game apparatus 300. Therefore, the system program includes not only a system startup program, an operating system, and a utility program, but also a game program, an application program, and the like.
[0035]
When the game system program is changed as in the game apparatus 300, how quickly this can be performed is important for the management operator of the game apparatus 300.
[0036]
In particular, the game apparatus 300 is not only arranged in a so-called game center but also in a facility such as a hotel, so a specialized management operator is not necessarily arranged.
[0037]
In the present embodiment, a system is adopted in which a system program stored on the game board 100 is updated using a portable external information storage medium storing a game system program for update.
[0038]
Details of this method will be described below.
[0039]
FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the game board 100 and the external information storage medium 200 according to an example of the present embodiment.
[0040]
On the game board 100, an image generation circuit 1010, a sound generation circuit 1008, an external device interface 1012, a CPU 1000, a system memory 10 storing a game system program and the like, a switch 30, a RAM 1004, a connector 20, and the like are arranged. ing.
[0041]
On the other hand, on the external information storage medium 200, a memory 210 storing a system program for updating, a connector 220, and the like are arranged.
[0042]
By inserting the connector 220 of the external information storage medium 200 into the connector 20 of the game board 100 and starting the system with the switch 30 turned OFF, the system program for updating the memory 210 or the like is transferred to the system memory 10 of the game board 100. Is written to.
[0043]
Next, functional blocks of the game board 100 and the external information storage medium 200 will be described.
[0044]
FIG. 3 is a functional block diagram of the game board 100 and the external information storage medium 200 according to an example of this embodiment.
[0045]
The game image generated by the image generation circuit 1010 is displayed by a display device 1018 such as a display. Further, the game sound generated by the sound generation circuit 1008 is output from the speaker 1020.
[0046]
The external device interface 1012 functions as an interface unit between the input device and other peripheral devices 1022 and the game board 100.
[0047]
The CPU 1000 performs various controls such as game calculation and system memory update for reproducing these game images and game sounds. The RAM 1004 functions as a work area.
[0048]
The memory space control unit 1040 has a function of controlling memory allocation of information stored in the memory 210 and information stored in the system memory 10.
[0049]
The image generation circuit 1010, the sound generation circuit 1008, the external device interface 1012, the CPU 1000, the RAM 1004, and the memory space control unit 1040 are connected via a system bus 1016 and exchange information with each other.
[0050]
For example, a flash memory or the like can be applied as the system memory 10, and a ROM or a flash memory can be applied as the memory 210, for example. Further, as the external information storage medium 200, for example, a portable substrate or the like can be applied.
[0051]
Next, the memory space control unit 1040 will be described in detail.
[0052]
FIG. 4 is a circuit diagram of the game board 100 and the external information storage medium 200 according to an example of this embodiment.
[0053]
For example, the memory space control unit 1040 can be configured by the circuit shown in FIG. Each circuit outputs HIGH or LOW. Further, it is assumed that the activation memory space selection signal, which is an input to the AND circuit 44 and is output when it is desired to select the activation memory space, is HIGH in the following example.
[0054]
In the present embodiment, a switch 30 for selecting information in the memory 210 is provided so that the information in the system memory 10 can be used even when the connector 220 of the external information storage medium 200 is inserted into the connector 20. . Note that the switch 30 is OFF by default.
[0055]
First, a case where the connector 220 of the external information storage medium 200 is inserted into the connector 20 will be described.
[0056]
When the connector 220 of the external information storage medium 200 is not connected to the connector 20, a pull-up resistor is provided, so that HIGH is input to the upper input of the two inputs of the OR circuit 40. On the other hand, a pull-up resistor is provided at the lower input of the OR circuit 40 as well as the upper input, but a NOT circuit 41 is also provided between the pull-up resistor and the lower input of the OR circuit 40. Therefore, LOW is input to the lower input of the OR circuit 40.
[0057]
Since the output of the OR circuit 40 at this time is HIGH, the lower input of the AND circuit 44 is HIGH, and the output of the AND circuit 44 is HIGH. As a result, a system memory space selection signal indicating that system memory space information is selected is output.
[0058]
On the other hand, the output of the OR circuit 40 is inverted by the NOT circuit 42, and LOW is input to the lower input of the AND circuit 46. As a result, the output of the AND circuit 46 becomes LOW, and the memory space selection signal of the external information storage medium 200 is not output.
[0059]
When the detection pin indicated by hatching indicates that the connector 220 of the external information storage medium 200 is inserted into the connector 20, the input on the upper side of the OR circuit 40 in FIG. 4 becomes LOW, and the input on the lower side of the OR circuit 40. Since the signal is inverted by the NOT circuit 41 and becomes LOW, the output of the OR circuit 40 becomes LOW.
[0060]
The output from the OR circuit 40 is LOW, but is inverted by the NOT circuit 42 and becomes HIGH. As a result, the two inputs of the AND circuit 46 are both HIGH, and the output of the AND circuit 46 is HIGH. Thereby, a memory space selection signal of the external information storage medium 200 indicating that information of the external information storage medium 200 is selected is output.
[0061]
Further, since the output from the OR circuit 40 is LOW, the two inputs of the AND circuit 44 are HIGH on the upper side and LOW on the lower side, so that the output of the AND circuit 44 is LOW and selects information in the system memory 10. A system memory space selection signal indicating this is not output.
[0062]
Therefore, only by inserting the connector 220 of the external information storage medium 200 into the connector 20 of the game board 100, the information of the external information storage medium 200 is allocated to the activation memory space, and the system memory 10 can be updated.
[0063]
Next, a case where information in the system memory 10 is manually selected using the switch 30 will be described. It is assumed that the connector 220 and the connector 20 are connected, and the upper input of the OR circuit 40 shown in FIG. 4 is LOW.
[0064]
When the switch 30 is turned on, the input on the lower side of the OR circuit 40 becomes HIGH through the NOT circuit 41. As a result, the output of the OR circuit 40 becomes HIGH.
[0065]
Therefore, the two inputs of the AND circuit 44 are HIGH on the upper side and HIGH on the lower side, the output of the AND circuit 44 is HIGH, and the system memory space selection signal is output.
[0066]
The output from the OR circuit 40 is HIGH, but is inverted by the NOT circuit 42 to become LOW. Accordingly, since the two inputs of the AND circuit 46 are different, the output of the AND circuit 46 becomes LOW, and the memory space selection signal of the external information storage medium 200 is not output.
[0067]
Therefore, even if the connector 220 of the external information storage medium 200 is inserted into the connector 20 of the game board 100, the system allocates the memory of the external information storage medium 200 to the startup memory space when the switch 30 is ON. Instead, the system memory 10 is allocated to the startup memory space.
[0068]
The case where the information in the system memory 10 is rewritten using the information in the external information storage medium 200 using the operation principle described above will be described.
[0069]
FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram of a memory map according to an example of the present embodiment.
[0070]
Here, for simplification of description, addresses 0000 to 0fff are startup memory spaces, addresses 1000 to 1fff are system memory spaces, addresses 2000 to 2fff are memory spaces of the external information storage medium 200, and addresses after 3000 are work memory spaces. Assuming that it is mapped as
[0071]
That is, the CPU 1000 can refer to the information in the system memory 10 and the information in the external information storage medium 200 regardless of the allocation of the startup memory space. For example, when the information in the external information storage medium 200 is not referred to, only the information in the system memory 10 needs to be referred to. When the information in the system memory 10 is not referred to, the information in the external information storage medium 200 is stored. It is only necessary to refer to the information.
[0072]
Next, transfer of information from the external information storage medium 200 to the system memory 10 in a state where such mapping is performed will be described.
[0073]
FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram of a memory map according to another example of the present embodiment. FIG. 6A shows a state in which the memory 210 of the external information storage medium 200 is allocated to the activation memory space. B) is a diagram showing a state after the system program is written in the system memory space.
[0074]
Before the state shown in FIG. 6A, the external information storage medium 200 stores a writing program and a system program, and the remaining storage area is a free area.
[0075]
As described with reference to FIG. 4, when the connector 220 of the external information storage medium 200 is inserted into the connector 20 of the game board 100 and the system is started, transfer of information from the external information storage medium 200 to the system memory 10 starts. Is done.
[0076]
The CPU 1000 recognizes the area including the writing program and the system program as the memory space of the external information storage medium 200, and at the same time recognizes the memory 210 of the external information storage medium 200 as the startup memory space.
[0077]
As a result, the memory map of the CPU 1000 is in the state shown in FIG.
[0078]
Then, by restarting the system (game device 300 in the present embodiment), the CPU 1000 executes the write program mapped to the startup memory space, and maps it to the startup memory space in the same manner as the write program. The system program is written in the system memory space, specifically, the system memory 10.
[0079]
When the switch 30 is turned on and the game apparatus 300 is restarted, the CPU 1000 is started from the system memory 10 mapped in the start-up memory space.
[0080]
At this time, the memory map of the CPU 1000 is as shown in FIG.
[0081]
With the above operation, the game apparatus 300 can operate with the updated system program.
[0082]
As described above, according to the present embodiment, one of the system memory 10 and the external information storage medium 200 can be allocated to the system activation memory space.
[0083]
As a result, the system can be activated using the information stored in the external information storage medium 200. Further, since the CPU 1000 can simultaneously refer to both the system memory 10 and the external information storage medium 200, information can be quickly written from the external information storage medium 200 to the system memory 10, and the system program stored in the system memory 10 can be stored. Can be updated quickly.
[0084]
In addition, when the system program is rewritten using the external information storage medium 200, even if the rewrite fails due to an unexpected situation such as a power failure, the update operation may be performed again. There is no risk that the system will not start due to a failure such as updating, and the safety of rewriting the system program can be improved.
[0085]
This is particularly effective when applied to an electronic device such as the game device 300 that rewrites a system program many times during development. In addition to the game apparatus 300, for example, the present invention can be applied to various electronic devices such as information devices, portable electronic devices, and digital cameras.
[0086]
Further, it is possible to use the information of the external information storage medium 200 by detecting that the connector 220 of the external information storage medium 200 is inserted into the connector 20 without providing the switch 30. According to this, the allocation of the activation memory space can be automatically changed by inserting / removing the external information storage medium 200.
[0087]
For example, it is preferable to employ a configuration in which the switch 30 is provided when the game board 100 is developed and the switch 30 is not provided when the game board 100 is mass-produced.
[0088]
In this case, by inserting the connector 220 of the external information storage medium 200 into the connector 20 of the game board 100, the CPU 1000 recognizes the memory 210 of the external information storage medium 200 as a startup memory space, and the external information storage medium 200 is played as a game. By removing from the substrate 100, the system memory 10 is allocated to the startup memory space.
[0089]
By adopting such a simple configuration, it is possible to reduce operator mistakes and easily update the system program of the system.
[0090]
Further, since it is possible to start the system from the external information storage medium 200, it is not necessary to store a system rewriting program or the like in the system memory 10 of the game board 100. It can be allocated to a memory space for system program execution.
[0091]
Furthermore, since an additional circuit such as a communication unit for writing information stored in the external information storage medium 200 is unnecessary, the system configuration can be simplified and an electronic device can be manufactured at low cost.
[0092]
Note that the circuit configuration of the memory space control unit 1040 is not limited to the configuration illustrated in FIG. 4, and various logical configurations can be employed.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a game device according to an example of the present embodiment.
FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a game board and an external information storage medium according to an example of the present embodiment.
FIG. 3 is a functional block diagram of a game board and an external information storage medium according to an example of the present embodiment.
FIG. 4 is a circuit diagram of a game board and an external information storage medium according to an example of the present embodiment.
FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram of a memory map according to an example of the present embodiment.
FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram of a memory map according to another example of the present embodiment, where FIG. 6A shows a state in which the memory of the external information storage medium is allocated to the startup memory space, and FIG. FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a state in which a system program is transferred to a system memory space.
[Explanation of symbols]
10 system memory 20 connector 30 switch 100 game board 200 external information storage medium 210 memory 220 connector 300 game device 300
1000 CPU
1040 Memory space control unit

Claims (4)

A game for the first system program rewritable storing nonvolatile memory of for executing a game,
And external information storage medium and connectable connection section that stores a second system program for game for executing the game,
Means for detecting whether or not the external information storage medium is connected to the connection unit;
A CPU that executes the game based on the first system program or the second system program assigned to the activation area of the memory space;
Selection means capable of selecting to allocate the second system program to the activation area;
Control means;
Only including,
The control means includes
The first system program is allocated to a first area that is an area in the memory space and that is different from the activation area,
Allocating the second system program to a second area that is an area in the memory space and is different from the activation area and the first area;
The second system when the external information storage medium is connected to the connection unit and the condition that the selection unit assigns the second system program to the activation area is satisfied. A game apparatus , wherein a program is assigned to the activation area, and the first system program is assigned to the activation area when the condition is not satisfied . Oite to claim 1,
The memory of the external information storage medium stores a writing program for writing the second system program to the nonvolatile memory ,
The CPU, based on the writing program, game device and updates the first system program to the second system program. A rewritable non-volatile memory storing a game first system program for executing a game and an external information storage medium storing a game second system program for executing a game are connectable Based on a connection unit, detection means for detecting whether or not the external information storage medium is connected to the connection unit, and the first system program or the second system program allocated to the activation area of the memory space A system program allocating method in a game device, comprising: a CPU for executing the game; a selecting means capable of selecting the second system program to be assigned to the boot area; and a control means .
The control means includes
The first system program is allocated to a first area that is an area in the memory space and that is different from the activation area,
Allocating the second system program to a second area that is an area in the memory space and is different from the activation area and the first area;
Determining whether a condition is satisfied that the external information storage medium is connected to the connection unit, and the selection unit performs selection to allocate the second system program to the memory space of the CPU;
When the condition is satisfied, the second system program is assigned to the activation area,
A system program assignment method , wherein the first system program is assigned to the boot area when the condition is not satisfied . Oite to claim 3,
The memory of the external information storage medium stores a writing program for writing the second system program to the nonvolatile memory ,
The CPU updates the first system program to the second system program based on the writing program, and assigns the system program.

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