AU2016200063A1

AU2016200063A1 - A system programming tool and an alarm host equipped with the programming tool

Info

Publication number: AU2016200063A1
Application number: AU2016200063A
Authority: AU
Inventors: Beyond Chen
Original assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
Current assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
Priority date: 2015-01-16
Filing date: 2016-01-06
Publication date: 2016-08-04
Also published as: CN105843633A; CN105843633B; AU2021203537A1

Abstract

The present invention discloses a programming key and an alarm host device equipped 5 with said programming key, wherein the programming key is used to carry out hardware upgradation and configuration updating of a controlling host device. The programming key comprises a first interface for connecting the controlling host device; a communication protocol module at least for processing communication data of the first interface; a multi-file storage module for storing and managing multiple files; and a file 10 selection module enabling a file to be chosen from the multi-file storage module and enabling the controlling host device to access the chosen file via the first interface. (Fig. 2) Fig. 1 503n Fig, 2

Description

A SYSTEM PROGRAMMING TOOL AND AN ALARM HOST EQUIPPED WITH THE PROGRAMMING TOOL

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present application relates to the technical field of electronic controlling, especially a system programming key and an alarm host device equipped with the system programming key

BACKGROUND

An alarm host device is usually provided in a monitoring system to issue an alarm if there exists an abnormal situation in the area to be monitored. When the alarm host device needs hardware upgradation or configuration updating, a (system) programming key is required to carry out the upgradation or updating. However, in the prior art, one programming key can store only one file. Therefore, one alarm host device has to be provided with two programming keys, one of which is used for the hardware upgradation and the other of which is used for the configuration updating. If information relating to the hardware and configuration has several versions, more programming keys will be required. Fig. 1 is a block diagram illustrating a conventional programming key. The programming key 1 comprises a communication protocol module 2, a memory management module 3, a physical storage module 4 and an interface module 5. The physical storage module 4 can be used to store only one file therein. The interface module 5 is used to be connected to a controlling host device. It can be seen that the alarm host device, when equipped with such a micro-processor programming key according to the prior art, may lead to high manufacturing costs and thus is not portable.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

It is an objective of the present application is to provide a programming key which can store hardware and configuration files in several versions so as to carry out hardware upgradation and configuration updating for several controlling host devices. Therefore, manufacturing costs are saved and the programming key becomes portable.

It is another objective of the present application is to provide an alarm host device for a monitoring system, in which the alarm host device is equipped with the inventive programming key to carry out its hardware upgradation and configuration updating. Therefore, manufacturing costs are saved and the operation can be simplified.

To achieve the objectives, the present invention provides a programming key, which is used to carry out hardware upgradation and configuration updating of a controlling host device, the programming key comprises: a first interface for connecting the controlling host device; a communication protocol module at least for processing communication data of the first interface; a multi-file storage module for storing and managing multiple files; and a file selection module enabling a file to be chosen from the multi-file storage module and enabling the controlling host device to access the chosen file via the first interface.

Optionally, the multiple files comprise hardware and/or configuration files in various versions.

Optionally, files in the multi-file storage module are numbered from 1 to N, wherein the N is an integral number larger than I, and the file selection module chooses a file’s number by a dial switch or jumper such that the file accessed by the controlling host device via the first interface can be chosen.

Optionally, the multi-file storage module comprises a file input-output unit, a file allocation table unit and a file data block unit.

Optionally, the file input-output unit comprises one or more functions of reading a file, writing a file, deleting a file and inquiring a file.

Optionally, the file allocation table unit is used to record location information of a file, the file’s location information contains one or more of the group comprised of the file name, the file size, the file attribution, the starting position of the date block occupied by the file, the size of the date block occupied by the file and the file number.

Optionally, the file date block unit is used to divide a physical memory into a plurality of blocks, and each block contains an occupancy mark which can be used to indicate whether the date has been occupied.

Optionally, the programming key comprises a second interface for connecting a computer host device.

Optionally, the first interface is a programming interface matable with the controlling host device, and the second interface is a USB interface.

The present invention also provides an alarm host device for a monitoring system, wherein the alarm host device is equipped with the programming key mentioned above so as to carry out hardware upgradation and/or configuration updating.

The inventive programming key can store a plurality of files, and the plurality of files stored in the programming key can be selectively accessed by means of the file selection module. The problem that the conventional programming key can store only one file can be solved. In comparison with a technical solution that is equipped with several conventional programming keys, the inventive programming key can be manufactured with reduced costs and is portable. The alarm host device equipped with the inventive programming key has the same advantage.

The configuration of the present invention and other objectives and beneficial effects thereof will be well understood by description of preferred embodiments in accompany with the drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

As a part of the description and in order to provide further explanation of the present invent, the drawings illustrate preferred embodiments of the present invention, and together with the description are used to explain the principle of the present invention.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a block diagram illustrating a conventional programming key; and

Fig. 2 is a block diagram illustrating a programming key according to an embodiment of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

In order to help a skilled person in the art to understand the subject matter to be protected by the present invention, an embodiment of the present invention is described in conjunction with the attached drawings.

As shown in Fig. 2, the present invention provides a programming key 10 which is used to carry out hardware upgradation and configuration updating for a controlling host device (not shown). In this embodiment, the controlling host device is an alarm host device.

The programming key 10 comprises a first interface 20 for connecting the controlling host device; a second interface 30 for connecting a computer host device (not shown); a communication protocol module 40 for processing communication date between the first interface 20 and the second interface 30; a multi-file storage module 50 for storing and managing multiple files therein; and a file selection module 60 for selecting and accessing an assigned file of the multiple files stored in the multi-file storage module 50.

In this embodiment, the multiple files comprise hardware and/or configuration files in several versions. These hardware and/or configuration files in different versions are numbered from 1 to N, wherein N is an integral number larger than 1. The file selection module 60 can employ a dial switch or jumper to provide a user with a set of numbers from 1 to N. After the user chooses a number, the controlling host device is enabled to access a file corresponding to the chosen number. For instance, if the user chooses the number 1, the controlling host device can access a hardware or configuration file numbered as 1 and finish hardware upgradation or configuration updating by the hardware or configuration file.

The multi-file storage module 50 comprises a file input-output unit 501, a file allocation table unit 502 and a file date block unit 503. The file input-output unit 501 has one or more functions of reading a file, writing a file, deleting a file and inquiring a file. The file allocation table unit 502 is used to record location information of a file. The file’s location information contains one or more of the group comprised of the file name, the file size, the file attribution, the starting position of the date block occupied by the file, the size of the date block occupied by the file and the file number. The file date block unit 503 is used to divide a physical memory into a plurality of blocks 5031, 5032,..., 503n. Each block contains an occupancy mark which can be used to indicate whether the date has been occupied.

In the present embodiment, the first interface 20 is a programming interface matable with the controlling host device. The second interface 30 is a Universal Serial Bus (USB) interface. The first interface 20 is adapted to connect the controlling host device, and the second interface 30 is adapted to connect the computer host device. When the second interface 30 is connected to the computer host device, the user can finish some setting or updating operations of the programming key by the computer host device and at the same time the programming key can be powered by the computer host device.

It should be understood by the skilled person in the art that the programming key according to the embodiment can be adapted to hardware upgradation and configure updating of various types of controlling host devices, including but not being limited to the alarm host device.

Although the present invention is explained with respect to several embodiments, they are presented as examples only and cannot be used to limit the scope of the present invention. The present invention can be implemented in some ways other than the embodiments already mentioned. Various alternations, changes or modifications without departing from the spirit of the present invention can be adopted. Those embodiments and their variants are included in the scope and content of the present invention and also included in the contents of claims and their equivalents.

Claims

1. A programming key, wherein it is used to carry out hardware upgradation and configuration updating of a controlling host device, the programming key comprises: a first interface for connecting the controlling host device; a communication protocol module at least for processing communication data of the first interface; a multi-file storage module for storing and managing multiple files; and a file selection module enabling a file to be chosen from the multi-file storage module and enabling the controlling host device to access the chosen file via the first interface.

2. The programming key as claimed in claim 1, wherein the multiple files comprise hardware and/or configuration files in various versions.

3. The programming key as claimed in claim 1, wherein files in the multi-file storage module are numbered from 1 to N, wherein the N is an integral number larger than 1, and the file selection module chooses a file’s number by a dial switch or jumper such that the file accessed by the controlling host device via the first interface can be chosen.

4. The programming key as claimed in claim 1, wherein the multi-file storage module comprises a file input-output unit, a file allocation table unit and a file data block unit.

5. The programming key as claimed in claim 4, wherein the file input-output unit comprises one or more functions of reading a file, writing a file, deleting a file and inquiring a file.

6. The programming key as claimed in claim 4, wherein the file allocation table unit is used to record location information of a file, the file’s location information contains one or more of the group comprised of the file name, the file size, the file attribution, the starting position of the date block occupied by the file, the size of the date block occupied by the file and the file number.

7. The programming key as claimed in claim 4, wherein the file date block unit is used to divide a physical memory into a plurality of blocks, and each block contains an occupancy mark which can be used to indicate whether the date has been occupied.

8. The programming key as claimed in claim 1, wherein the programming key comprises a second interface for connecting a computer host device.

9. The programming key as claimed in claim 8, wherein the first interface is a programming interface matable with the controlling host device, and the second interface is a USB interface.

10. An alarm host device for a monitoring system, wherein the alarm host device is equipped with a programming key as claimed in any one of the preceding claims so as to carry out hardware upgradation and/or configuration updating.