JP2984649B1 - Memory read control method and program read control method - Google Patents

Abstract

Abstract: PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To disable operation when a failure occurs while updating a program. SOLUTION: When a first memory for storing a program before update of a program to be downloaded and a second memory for storing a program after update are duplicated in memory, when updating a program in the second memory, first, It is invalidated (S5) and activated after updating (S6) (S7). Thereafter, reset and initial processing are executed (S8, S9), and if enabled (S10), the updated program in the second memory unit is executed (S11, S12). If the invalidation remains (S10), it is being updated (S6),
It is checked whether the first memory unit is valid or invalid because a failure has occurred (S13). If it is valid, the pre-update program in the first memory unit is executed (S14, S15).

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a read control method for a memory, and more particularly, to a method for storing a program downloaded from an upper station to a mobile communication base station in a dual memory.
The present invention relates to a read control method of a program after update and a program before update.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, a mobile communication base station in commercial operation,
A method of changing a program (hereinafter, simply referred to as a program) for operating the base station has been performed according to a flowchart as shown in FIG. That is, during the operation of the base station (S21), the changed program is transferred from the upper station (S22), and the changed program transferred from the upper station is received by the transmission line interface unit in the base station (S21).
23) Then, the transmission line interface unit transfers the program to the download storage area in the control unit (S2).
4). The changed program is transferred from the download storage area to the memory card (S25). Here, the device or the CPU is reset (S26), the initial processing is executed by the program written in the boot ROM (S27), and then the data is written in the memory card by the program written in the boot ROM. The program is transferred to the program area (S28), and the CPU is started by the changed program (S29).

[0003] However, in such a method, during transfer of the changed program stored in the download storage area to the memory card (S25), a failure that cannot be restored unless the power supply is momentarily interrupted or reset for some reason or the like. Occurs, the reset is executed (S26), and the initial processing is executed by the program written in the boot ROM (S27). Subsequently, the program written in the memory card is transferred to the program area by the program written in the boot ROM (S28),
U tries to start (S29) by this program, but the base station cannot start. The reason is that the changed program stored in the download storage area is reset during transfer to the memory card (S25) (S2).
This is because the program stored in the memory card is illegal because step 6) is executed, and as shown in FIG. 7, the memory card stores only one set of the memory unit in which the program is stored.

[0004] In order to solve such problems,
A "download method" described in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 8-331278 is known. The method includes the steps of “receiving a control program downloaded from a host device via a telephone line by executing a loader program stored in a first memory, storing the control program in a second memory, and storing the control program in a second memory. In a terminal device that executes the control program and performs a service, a program having an emergency service function is stored in advance in a third memory,
Checking the control program stored in the memory of the third memory, and executing the program of the third memory when the result of the check is abnormal. ".

Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 9-325891 discloses that a file is downloaded from an upper station, an updated new file is stored in an SDM, and then a download time flag and a switching flag are used for the IC card.
A new file after update stored in the DM is written. In this case, if the device is reset while the old file before update is written to the IC card, the file before update in the IC card is written. A control program update control method in which the apparatus is started up is described.

[0006]

However, according to the technique disclosed in JP-A-8-331278, when the control program stored in the second memory is abnormal, the second
The third memory, which is an alternative to the above-mentioned memory, stores only a program for providing an emergency and minimum call service such as a "110" call or a "119" call (0015). There is a new problem that commercial operation cannot be continued with this program.

In the technique described in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 9-325891, if a reset is executed before updating a program, the apparatus starts up with the program before the update. Has a problem that it cannot be dealt with.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a memory read control method capable of reading data even if a failure occurs during data update.

A more specific object of the present invention is to provide a mobile communication base station which is operating in commercial operation even if a failure occurs while a program is being downloaded from an upper station and the program is changed. An object of the present invention is to provide a memory read control method and a program storage method that can be continued.

[0010]

Memory read control method of the present invention, in order to solve the problem] is duplicated by a second memory for storing the first memory and updated data for storing pre-update data, wherein
Indicates whether each memory has been updated effectively
A method for controlling reading of a memory provided with a valid / invalid judgment bit area , comprising:
At the time of new, valid / invalid judgment bit area of the second memory
Is rewritten as invalid, renewed as valid after updating,
Perform reset and initial processing, and enable / disable the second memory.
When the invalidation determination bit area is valid, the
Execute the program after updating, while if invalid,
Reads the valid / invalid judgment bit area of the first memory and
If effective, the pre-update program in the first memory is executed .

According to the program read control method of the present invention, a program before update is stored and a valid / invalid judgment bit area is stored.
First memory having an area, and storing and storing an updated program.
Duplication with the second memory having a valid / invalid judgment bit area
To a mobile communication base station equipped with a memory, a read control method of a program downloaded from an upper station , when updating the program by the download,
And effective to transfer the program to the second memory after invalidating the valid or invalid determination bit region of the second memory, after executing the reset and initialization process, valid or invalid determination bit region of the second memory is enabled Nara reads the second memory program, the disabled and the first memory enable,
If the invalid determination bit area is valid , the program in the first memory is read.

A read control method for a memory according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention is characterized in that the first memory is not updated and the valid / invalid determination bit area is always valid.

According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, there is provided a memory read control method, wherein the first memory includes the second memory.
It is characterized in that the memory is configured to store pre-update data of one generation before in the memory.

[0014]

Next, an embodiment of the present invention will be described.

A read control method for a memory according to the present invention is a read control method for a memory that is duplicated by a first memory for storing data before update and a second memory for storing data after update, wherein each of the memories is A valid / invalidity determination bit area that indicates whether or not the update has been performed effectively. When updating, the validity / invalidity determination bit area of the memory is invalidated, then changed to valid after writing, and the duplexing is performed. When the memory is read, the updated / updated data in the second memory is invalid if the valid / invalid judgment bit area of the second memory is valid, and the first data is invalid.
If the valid / invalid judgment bit area of the memory is valid, the first
It is characterized in that the pre-update data of the memory is read and output.

Further, the read control method of a program according to the present invention is a read control method of a program downloaded from an upper station to a mobile communication base station, wherein the mobile communication base station stores a pre-update program and stores the pre-update program. A dual memory including a first memory having an invalidity determination bit area and a second memory storing an updated program and having a validity / invalidity determination bit area; and when updating the program by the download, the second memory Valid
After disabling the invalidity determination bit area, transfer the program to the second memory to make it valid. After performing reset and initial processing, read out the validity / invalidity determination bit of the second memory. It is characterized by reading the validity / invalidity determination bit of the first memory if it is invalid, and reading the program of the first memory if valid.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram of a mobile communication system to which the present invention is applied, and shows a connection between a base station 100 located at a terminal in the mobile communication system and an upper station 200.
The upper station 200 is connected to the base station 100 by the transmission line a, is a center of control of a mobile communication system, which can install and control several tens of base stations 100 under the control thereof, and has an interface with a public network. Is responsible for In addition, the base station 100 has a wireless interface with the mobile communication terminal, and can receive when a program is remotely transferred from the upper station 200, and restart using this program.
In addition, data can be stored in the memory card 123 inside the base station 100. This program includes a radio unit 11
0, control of the control unit 120, control of the transmission line interface unit 130, and a program for receiving a transfer from the upper station 200 when the program is changed. Hereinafter, a program means the entire program unless otherwise specified.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing the configuration inside base station 100, which comprises radio section 110, control section 120, and transmission path interface section 130. The transmission line interface unit 130 transmits the transmission line a
The signal transmitted via the base station 100 is voice (data).
Is divided into a control signal and a program for controlling the communication, and voice (data) is transmitted to the wireless unit 110 via the connection line d.
A control signal and a program for controlling the base station 100 are transmitted to the control unit 120 via the connection line b, and the radio unit 1
The voice (data) input from the control unit 10 via the connection line d and the control signal input from the control unit 120 via the connection line b are multiplexed and transmitted to the host station 200 via the transmission line a.

The radio unit 110 receives the digitized voice (data) transmitted by the upper station 200 via the transmission line a, the transmission line interface unit 130, and the connection line d, and controls the radio frequency under the control of the control unit 120. The signal is converted into a signal, emitted to the space via an antenna, a high-frequency signal from the mobile communication terminal is received via the antenna, voice (data) is digitized, and a connection line d, a transmission line interface unit 130, and a transmission line are transmitted to the upper station 200. The transmission is performed via the path a.

The control section 120 receives a control signal from the upper station 200 via the transmission line interface section 130 and controls the base station 100. The control in the base station 100 includes radio control for controlling the radio unit 110, the upper station 2
There is control of the transmission line interface unit 130 having an interface with the base station 100 and control of the control unit 120 itself which controls the entire base station 100.

Further, the base station 100 can update a program while the base station 100 is operating by remote control from the upper station 200, so that the base station 100 transmitted from the upper station 200 operates. Control unit 1
20 and can operate with the program.

FIG. 4 is a block diagram showing the control unit 120 in the base station 100 in detail.
OM 122, memory card 123, work RAM 12
4, a program area 125, a download storage area 126, and an address data bus e for connecting the blocks.

The CPU 121 has a main control function for controlling not only the control unit 120 but also the base station 100. When the power is turned on and the reset is released, the program written in the boot ROM 122
After executing the initial processing, the program written in the memory card 123 is transferred to the program area 125 to control the base station 100.

The boot ROM 122 includes a program for executing the initial processing of the CPU 121 and the memory card 12.
3 is transferred to the program area 125. Also, when transferring the program stored in the memory card 123 to the program area 125, the valid / invalidity determination bit area in the memory card 123 is checked, and if valid, the program in the second memory unit in the memory card 123 is checked. Is transferred to the program area 125. The second in the memory card 123
The validity / invalidity determination bit area of the memory unit is confirmed. If invalid, the validity / invalidity determination bit area of the first memory unit in the memory card 123 is confirmed.
23, the program in the first memory unit is stored in the program area 1
Transfer to 25.

The memory card 123 stores a program by the CPU 121, is internally divided into two blocks (ROM section and RAM section) as shown in FIG. 5, and stores data indicating whether the stored program is valid or invalid. Is stored in the validity / invalidity determination bit area. The program transferred from the upper station 200 by remote control from the upper station 200 is stored in the second memory unit. The first memory section is not rewritten by remote control. Further, non-volatile memories are used for the first memory unit and the second memory unit.

The work RAM 124 is a work area used when the CPU 121 operates. When the program stored in the memory card 123 is executed by the CPU 121,
The PU 121 is an area for executing a program in the boot ROM 122, transferring the program from the memory card 123, and executing the program. Further, the download storage area 126 is an area for receiving a program when the base station 100 remotely transmits a program from the upper station 200 during operation.

Next, a program read control method according to the present invention having the above configuration will be described.

In this mobile communication system, as shown in FIG. 2, the upper station 200 and the base station 100 are connected by the transmission line a, and the base station 100 changes the program by remote control from the upper station 200. It is possible. Also,
As shown in FIG. 3, the base station 100 receives a voice or a control signal from the upper station 200 via the transmission line a, or transmits the voice or control signal to the upper station 200, and receives a program. If the received voice, control signal, and program are multiplexed, they are separated by the transmission line interface unit 130. The voice is transmitted to the wireless unit 110 via the connection line d, and the control signal and the program are transmitted to the control unit 120 via the connection line b.

The program among the signals from the upper station 200 separated by the transmission line interface unit 130 is stored in the download storage area 126 in the control unit 120 from the transmission line interface unit 130 via the connection line b.

The program after the change stored in the download storage area 126 is stored in the download storage area 1 by the CPU 121 which operates on the program before the change.
26 to the second memory unit in the memory card 123. At this time, the transfer is performed after rewriting the validity / invalidity determination bit area of the second memory unit to invalid. After the transfer is completed, the valid / invalid judgment bit area of the second memory unit is rewritten as valid. When the transfer to the second memory unit is completed, the CP
A reset is executed in U121. C after reset release
The PU 121 performs an initial process by using a program in the boot ROM 122, reads a valid / invalid determination bit area of the second memory unit in which the changed program is stored, confirms that the program is valid, and executes the changed program. Transfer to the program area 125. The CPU 121 starts operation of the base station 100 using the changed program transferred to the program area 125.

The normal operation has been described above. Next, while the changed program stored in the download storage area 126 is being transferred to the second memory, the power supply is momentarily interrupted or reset for some reason. An operation performed when a failure or the like that cannot be recovered unless otherwise occurs will be described.

As in the case of normal operation, when the reset at the time of occurrence of a failure such as a momentary power failure or forcible reset is executed, the CPU 121 resets the boot ROM 1 after the reset is released.
22 executes the initial processing by the program in the memory card 1 and the memory card 1 in which the changed program will be stored.
The validity / invalidity determination bit area of the second memory unit in 23 is read. However, since a failure has occurred during the writing of the changed program from the download storage area 126 to the second memory unit and a reset has been executed, the program in the second memory unit is an illegal program that is neither new nor old. The valid / invalidity determination bit area of the second memory in the memory card 123 indicates invalid. Therefore, this time, the validity / invalidity determination bit area of the first memory unit is read, and the validity / invalidity determination bit area of the first memory unit is confirmed. If the validity / invalidity determination bit area is valid, the program stored in the memory card 123 is transferred to the program area. Transfer to 125.
The CPU 121 starts operation of the base station 100 by using the program before the change transferred to the program area 125. The first memory unit is not rewritten when a remote program from the upper station 200 is transferred.

Next, the above processing will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG.

While the base station 100 is operating (S1 in FIG. 1),
When the changed program is transferred from the upper station 200 (S2), the program is received by the transmission line interface unit 130 in the base station 100 (S3), and the transmission line interface unit 130 stores the download storage area in the control unit 120. The program is transferred to 126 (S4). When transferring the changed program from the download storage area 126 to the second memory unit in the memory card 123, the valid / invalidity determination bit area of the second memory unit is rewritten as invalid (S5). The changed program is transferred from the download storage area 126 to the second memory unit (S6),
When the transfer is completed, the valid / invalid determination bit area of the second memory unit is rewritten as valid (S7). Here, the device or the CPU 121 is reset (S8), and the activation R
Initial processing is executed by the program written in the OM 122 (S9), and subsequently, the valid / invalid determination bit area of the second memory unit is read by the program written in the boot ROM 122 (S10). If the validity / invalidity determination bit area of the second memory unit is valid, the program written in the second memory unit is transferred to the program area 125 (S11), and the CPU 121 is started by the changed program (S12).

The changed program stored in the download storage area 126 is being transferred to the second memory unit (S
In 6), if a failure or the like that cannot be restored unless the power supply is instantaneously interrupted or reset occurs for some reason, the valid / invalid determination bit area indicates invalid in S10. This is the download storage area 126
While transferring the changed program from the to the second memory unit,
This is because a restart by reset has been executed. Also,
At this time, the program in the second memory unit is an illegal program that is neither new nor old. Since the valid / invalid determination bit area of the second memory unit indicates invalid, the valid / invalid determination bit area of the first memory unit in the memory card 123 is continuously read by the program written in the boot ROM 122 (S13). ). The first memory portion valid / invalidity determination bit area in the memory card 123 which is not rewritten when the program is updated from the upper station 200 indicates validity, and stores the program before modification indicating validity. The program before the change is transferred from the first memory unit to the program area 125 (S1
4) Then, the CPU 121 is activated by the program before the change (S15).

It should be noted that the processing shown in FIG. 1 is programmed, the program is recorded on a recording medium, such as a magnetic disk or a semiconductor memory, which can be read by the computer of the base station, and read into the base station for execution. It can also be done. This program is readable by a computer in which a read control program for a memory duplicated by a first memory for storing a program before update and a second memory for storing a program after update is recorded.
A recording medium for transferring a received program to a download storage area, disabling a valid / invalid determination bit area of a second memory, and transferring a program from the download storage area to the second memory. Processing, processing for validating the valid / invalid determination bit area of the second memory after the transfer, processing for executing reset and initial processing, and reading and determining the valid / invalid determination bit area of the second memory. A process of transferring the program in the second memory to the program area if the result of the determination is valid, and a process of starting the program if the result of the determination is invalid.
The method includes a process of reading the validity / invalidity determination bit area of the memory to make a determination, and a process of transferring the program of the first memory to the program area and starting the program if the result of the determination is valid.

In the embodiment described above, the first memory unit is not rewritten. However, the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the first memory unit may store a pre-update program before one generation. It may be.

The first memory unit and the second memory unit may be flash memories, and may be realized by the same memory chip.

Furthermore, the above embodiment is directed to a method of controlling reading of a program downloaded to a mobile communication base station, but it can be easily expanded to a more general method of controlling reading of a memory.

[0041]

According to the present invention, the first method for storing pre-update data is provided.
Since the memory is duplicated with the memory and the second memory for storing the updated data, and the second memory is set as an object to be updated, the memory is first invalidated and then updated, and then the updated memory is enabled.
Even if a failure occurs during the update, the pre-update data of the first memory can be used.

More specifically, two memories for storing a program for operating the base station are provided, and the program is written in only one of the memories. Since an area for determining whether the base station is valid or invalid is provided, a program for operating the base station is remotely transferred from the upper station, and the changed base station is operated to the memory in the base station. Even if a failure involving resetting occurs in the base station during the transfer of the program, the base station can be restarted, and the restart enables the remote transfer of the program again. Have.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a flowchart showing one embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram of a mobile communication system to which the present invention is applied.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing details of a base station shown in FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a block diagram illustrating details of a control unit illustrated in FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is a diagram showing the concept of a first memory and a second memory in the present invention.

FIG. 6 is a flowchart showing an example of a conventional program read control method.

FIG. 7 is a diagram showing a concept of a memory unit in a conventional example.

[Explanation of symbols]

 REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 100 base station 110 radio section 120 control section 121 CPU 122 boot ROM 123 memory card 124 work RAM 125 program area 126 download storage area 130 transmission path interface section 200 upper station

──────────────────────────────────────────────────続 き Continued on the front page (58) Fields surveyed (Int. Cl. ⁶ , DB name) G06F 12/16 G06F 9/06 G06F 9/445 H04Q 7/36 G06F 12/00

Claims (8)

(57) [Claims] 1. A is duplicated in the first memory for storing data prior to updating the second memory for storing the updated data, each
Indicates whether the update was valid for each of the memories
A read control method for a memory provided with a valid / invalid determination bit area , wherein the second memory is used to update a program in the second memory.
Rewrite the valid / invalid judgment bit area of the memory
After that, rewrite as valid, and then perform reset and initial processing.
And the valid / invalid judgment bit area of the second memory is
If the update is effective, execute the updated program in the second memory unit.
The first memory is valid / invalid if invalid
Reads the judgment bit area, and if valid, in the first memory
A read-out control method for a memory, which executes a pre-update program . 2. A program for storing a pre-update program and determining validity / invalidity.
A first memory having a bit area and an updated program
A second memory for storing and having a valid / invalid judgment bit area;
Mobile communication base station with dual memory
The read control method of a program downloaded Luo, when updating the program by the download, the program in the second memory as a valid transferred after disabling to enable or disable determination bit region of the second memory , after executing the reset and initialization process, the valid or invalid determination bit region in the second memory reads the valid if the second memory program, if invalid effective or invalid determination bit region of the first memory is enabled, the A program read control method, comprising reading a program from a first memory. 3. The first memory is not updated,
3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the valid / invalid determination bit area is always valid. 4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the first memory is configured to store pre-update data of one generation before the second memory. Program read control method. 5. The memory read control method or program read control according to claim 1, wherein the first memory and the second memory are realized by the same memory chip. Method. 6. The method according to claim 2, wherein the program includes a download program. 7. The program according to claim 1, wherein the program is transferred from an upper station having an interface with a public network and being a center of a mobile communication system, and is executed in a base station having a wireless interface with a mobile communication terminal. 7. The method according to claim 5 or 6, wherein the program is read. 8. A computer in which a read control program for a memory duplicated by a first memory for storing a program before update and a second memory for storing a program after update is recorded.
A recording medium readable by a computer, a process of transferring a received program to a download storage area, a process of invalidating a validity / invalidity determination bit area of a second memory; Transferring the program to the second memory, validating the valid / invalid determination bit area of the second memory after the transfer, performing reset and initial processing, and valid / invalid determination bit area of the second memory. A process for reading and judging the data, a process for transferring the program in the second memory to the program area if the result of the judgment is valid, and a process for starting the valid / invalid judgment bit area in the first memory if the result of the judgment is invalid Reading and determining, and if the result of the determination is valid, transferring the program in the first memory to the program area And processing for starting to perform the mobile communication base station Te, the read control program is recorded
Recording medium readable by a computer .