JPH02144644A - Portable electronic device and method for checking its memory - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To shorten check time by writing optional data generated by a data generating means and data obtained by inverting the bits of the optional data in the whole space of a memory part and discriminating whether a memory part is normal or not based upon respective results of 1st and 2nd check means for checking whether writing is normally executed or not. CONSTITUTION:An optional data (a character) is inputted from the external and written in the memory part 12 to verify it. A data obtained by inverting the bit of the optional data is inputted from the external and written in the memory part 12 to verify it. When the data is not normally written as the checked result, a control element 11 outputs status meaning memory abnormality to a terminal equipment. Although 256 writing/verifying operations are required for checking one byte in an ordinary method, the memory part 12 can be checked by two writing/verifying operations in this method. Consequently, the check time can be shortened and load for the number of times of guarantee of the memory part 12 can be reduced.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention [Object of the Invention] (Industrial Application Field) The present invention provides an erasable non-volatile memory and a
IC with control aS such as CI'U that controls these
A so-called IC card with a built-in chip;
:, Concerning iJ Noden electronic device and its memory check method.

(Prior Art) In recent years, new portable data storage media, erasable non-volatile memories, and CPUs that control them have become popular.
A built-in IC chip with control elements such as 4]
1φ IC cards are attracting attention. This type of IC card selectively inputs and outputs data to and from the outside by accessing a nonvolatile memory using a control element.

Now, in such an XC card, when checking whether the non-volatile memory is normal or not, the first
There are two checking methods: one checking method and a second checking method performed externally.

The first method to check internally is to input a write command consisting of a write address and write data to the IC card from the outside.1. Check whether data can be written normally to the non-volatile memory. This is to check the following. However, with this checking method, in order to check the entire space of the non-volatile memory, it is necessary to input a write command from the outside for the size of the non-volatile memory17, which not only takes too much time but also reduces efficiency. , the external burden is too large.

A second external checking method is to write a value from 0 to FF(il) per byte and perform verification to check the validity of all bits. However, this checking method requires writing and verifying 256 times per byte, which not only takes too much time and degrades efficiency, but also reduces the guaranteed number of writes to the nonvolatile memory by 1°.

(Problems to be Solved by the Invention) The present invention has been made in order to solve the above-mentioned problems in that the I-Yo...:) takes too much time to check and the guaranteed number of writes to the memory section decreases. It is an object of the present invention to provide a portable electronic device and a memory checker method thereof, which can significantly shorten the check time and reduce the burden on the number of write guarantees in the memory section.

"Structure of the Invention" (Means for Solving Problems) A portable electronic device of the present invention includes a memory section and a memory section for writing and reading data to and from the memory section. In a portable electronic device that selectively inputs and outputs data to and from the outside, the portable electronic device includes a data generating means for generating arbitrary data, and a data generating means for generating arbitrary data in the memory section. A first checking means for writing to the entire space and checking whether the writing was performed normally; and a first checking means for checking whether the writing was performed normally; and a first checking means for writing to the entire space; a second checking means for writing into the entire space of the memory section and checking whether the writing has been performed normally; and a judgment for determining whether or not the memory section is normal based on the results of the first and second checking means. It is equipped with the means.

The memory check method for a portable electronic device according to the present invention includes a memory section and a control section 12 for writing and reading data to and from the memory section, and selectively inputting and outputting data to and from the outside. In a portable electronic device,
Input arbitrary data from the outside and write it into the memory section, check whether the writing was performed normally or not, and write data with the bits of the arbitrary data inverted into the memory section, and check whether the data is normal. The portable electronic device of the present invention is characterized in that the portable electronic device of the present invention is characterized in that it checks 17 whether or not writing has been performed in the memory section, and determines whether or not the memory section is normal based on the conclusion of these two checks. By generating arbitrary data, writing the generated arbitrary data into the entire space of the memory section, and performing verification, the entire space of the memory section can be checked by providing only one check time. Therefore, the check time can be significantly shortened compared to the conventional method, and the burden on outsiders can also be reduced.

A method of checking a memory of a portable electronic device according to the present invention involves inputting arbitrary data (characters) from the outside, writing them into a memory section, and performing verification.

Then, data obtained by inverting the bits of the above-mentioned arbitrary data is inputted from the outside, written into the memory section, and verified. As a result, whereas conventionally it required 256 writes and verifications to check one byte, now 2
You can check the memory section by writing and verifying once. Accordingly, the check time can be significantly shortened compared to the conventional method, and the burden of guaranteeing the number of write operations on the memory section can be reduced.

(Example) Hereinafter, an example of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 5 shows a portable electronic device and 17 ICs according to the present invention.
This figure shows an example of the configuration of a terminal device that handles cards. That is, this terminal device enables an IC card 1 to be connected to a control section 3 consisting of a CPU, etc. via a reader/writer 2, and also connects a keyboard 4, CR, etc. to the control section 3.
T-display device 5, printer 6 and floppy disk,
It is configured by connecting an f-disk device 7.

FIG. 4 shows an example of the configuration of the IC card 1, in which a control element (for example, CPU) 11. .

Erasable non-volatile memory 12 as a memory section. , program memory] 3, and a contact part 14 for obtaining electrical contact with the card reader/writer 2; of these, the part within the broken line (control element 11, nonvolatile memory 12, The program memory 13) is composed of one IC chip (or a plurality of IC chips) and is embedded within the IC card body. The program memory 13 is constituted by a mask ROM, for example, and stores control programs for the control element 11 and the like. The nonvolatile memory 12 is used to store various data, and is composed of, for example, an EEF ROM.

Next, the checking operation of the nonvolatile memory 12 in such a configuration will be explained. First, the first check operation performed internally will be explained with reference to the flowchart shown in FIG. Now, when memory check command data is input from the terminal device (SX), the control element 11
saves arbitrary data previously set and stored in the internal 2 memories, for example 55 (+1) to the non-volatile memory] 2
The data is written to the entire space of the memory, and verification (checking whether writing has been performed normally) is performed (S2). This chie・
・If the writing was not performed normally as a result of the tsuku, =
cs3), the control element 11 outputs a status indicating memory abnormality to the terminal device S4), and returns to the command data standby state.

As a result of the above check, if writing was performed normally (
S3), the control element 11 writes the previously written data 55 (
Write the bit/inverted data of A
S5) o If writing is not performed normally as a result of this check = (S6), the control unit T-11
Output the status indicating memory abnormality to the terminal device 1.
(S4) Return to the command data standby state. After completing the above check, if writing is performed normally (56), the control element 11 outputs a status indicating completion of the memory check to the terminal device (S7), and returns to the command data standby state.

In this way, arbitrary data is generated inside the control element,
By writing this generated arbitrary data into the entire space of the non-volatile memory and verifying it, the entire space of the non-volatile memory can be checked by issuing a single check command. Therefore, the check time can be significantly shortened compared to the conventional method, and the burden on outsiders can also be reduced.

Next, regarding the second check operation performed externally, the second
This will be explained with reference to the flowchart shown in the figure. When writing data to the nonvolatile memory 12 in the IC card 1, write command data having a format as shown in FIG. 3, for example, is input. This write command data
As shown in the figure, the data is composed of a write function code, a write address, and write data. When the write is performed normally, a status indicating normal completion is output from the IC card 1, and the write is completed successfully. If this is not performed, a status indicating a verify error is output from IC;'y-D1.

The control unit 3 of the terminal device first sets the pointer to the starting address of the nonvolatile memory 12. Note that the pointer is a write address of write command data. Next, the control section 3
By inputting the above-mentioned write command data into the IC card 1, writes arbitrary data, 55 (11), to the address indicated by the pointer, and verifies (checks whether writing was performed normally). (S)
12). As a result of this check, if writing is not performed normally (813), then IC card 1
If a status indicating a verify error is output from , the control unit 3 determines that the memory is abnormal (S14).

As a result of the above check, if writing was performed normally (
S13), that is, if the IC card 1 outputs a status indicating normal completion, $11gII section 3
By inputting the write command data into the IC card 1 again, the bit inverted data A A (H) of the previously written data 55 (H) is written to the address indicated by the pointer, and verification is performed (S15). , as a result of this check, if writing was not performed normally (S1
6), the control unit 3 determines that the memory is abnormal (S14).

As a result of the above check, if writing was performed normally (
S16), the control unit 3 updates the pointer 517), and determines whether the updated pointer exists in the nonvolatile memory 12 (S18).

As a result of this judgment, if the pointer exists in the non-volatile memory 12, the control unit 3 returns to step 812 and repeats the same operation as described above; if the pointer does not exist in the non-volatile memory 12, the control unit 3 Determine that the memory is normal (S
19).

In this way, arbitrary characters are input from the outside, written into the nonvolatile memory, and verified. Then, a character obtained by inverting the bits of the above character is inputted from the outside, written into a nonvolatile memory, and verified.

This allows all bits to be checked.

According to such a memory check method, the non-volatile memory can be checked with just two writes and verifications, whereas conventionally it required 256 writes and verifications to check one byte. . Therefore, the check time is significantly 1. compared to the conventional method. <It is possible to shorten the time period, and it is also possible to reduce the burden on the guaranteed number of writes to the nonvolatile memory.

[Effects of the Invention] As detailed above, the present invention provides a portable electronic device and its memory check method that can significantly shorten the check time and reduce the burden of guaranteeing the number of times the memory section can be written. can.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

The figure is for explaining one embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 2 is a flowchart explaining the first check operation performed internally, FIG. 2 is a flowchart explaining the second check operation performed externally, FIG. FIG. 4 is a block diagram showing an example of the structure of an IC card, and FIG. 5 is a block diagram showing an example of the structure of a terminal device. 1... C card (portable electronic device) 2... Card reader/writer, 3... Control section, 11... Control element (control section) 12... Non-volatile memory (memory section)
, 13...program memory. Applicant's representative Patent attorney Takehiko Suzue Figure r----1"--1 Ni-111, -1-2-1,-,-,=" Plant 4 Flash number number is

Claims (2)

[Claims] (1) A portable electronic device that has a memory section and a control section for writing and reading data to and from the memory section, and that selectively inputs and outputs data to and from the outside. a first checking means for writing arbitrary data generated by the data generating means into the entire space of the memory section and checking whether or not the writing has been performed normally; Write the bit-inverted data of the generated arbitrary data into the entire space of the memory section, and confirm that it is normal.
It is characterized by comprising: a second checking means for checking whether writing has been performed on the memory section; and a determining means for determining whether or not the memory section is normal based on the results of the first and second checking means. A portable electronic device. (2) A portable electronic device that has a memory section and a control section for writing and reading data to and from the memory section, and that selectively inputs and outputs data to and from the outside. Input from the outside and write into the memory section, check whether the writing has been performed normally, and write data which is a bit-inverted version of the arbitrary data into the memory section, and check whether the writing has been performed normally. 1. A method for checking a memory of a portable electronic device, characterized in that it is determined whether or not the memory section is normal based on the results of both checks.