JPH11282700A - Electronic instrument and method for releasing runaway of microcomputer - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To remove troubles such as the generation of a shock on hardware and the frequent initialization of all data or states by preventing a microcomputer(MC) from being frequently and unnecessarily reset at the runaway of the MC. SOLUTION: In a step S1, a 2nd MC judges whether a key input exists or not. When the key input exists, the information of a data transfer state to a 1st MC 1 is loaded in a step S2. In a step S3, whether data transfer is stopped or not is judged. When the data transfer is not stopped (S3: NO), operation goes to a processing corresponding to the key input e.g. a processing routine corresponding to a remote controller input, in a step S4. When the data transfer is stopped (S3: YES), reset operation for the 1st MC 1 is executed in a step S5.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an electronic apparatus such as a television receiver and, more particularly, to an appropriate release method when a microcomputer runs out of control.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Microcomputers are used in most cases for controlling electronic devices at present. As is well known, microcomputers rarely run away due to external noise or the like. When a microcomputer runaway occurs, control of the device becomes impossible, and a runaway release means such as reset is required. Among electronic devices such as television receivers, devices using a plurality of microcomputers are increasing. In this case, a method is used in which one microcomputer monitors the other microcomputer.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing an example of a reset circuit of an electronic device. The first microcomputer 1 controls an electronic device, and a reset terminal 3 is connected to a reset circuit 3. Normally, when the power is turned on, the reset circuit 3 sets the potential of the reset terminal 2 to a low level (normal earth potential) for a predetermined period to perform a reset operation.
The second microcomputer 4 also controls the electronic device. As one of the control operations, the second microcomputer 4 receives a remote control (remote control) input of the electronic device from the input port 5 and writes the content of the remote control. A corresponding processing command is transmitted to the first microcomputer 1. Normally, the first microcomputer 1 and the second microcomputer 4 exchange information such as data and status via a data transfer path and exchange information to enable a cooperative operation.

[0004]

Therefore, when the data transfer from the first microcomputer 1 is stopped, the second microcomputer 4 determines that the first microcomputer 1 has run out of control, and the output port 6 thereof. Is set to a low level, the potential of the reset terminal 2 of the first microcomputer 1 is set to a low level via the diode 7, and the first microcomputer 1 is reset to release from runaway. However, in this conventional runaway cancellation method, since only data transfer is monitored, even if the data transfer path is disconnected or data transfer is disturbed by some external factor, it is determined that all runaways occur, and more than necessary. There was a disadvantage of resetting. The reset operation gives a shock on hardware, and all data and states are initialized. Therefore, it is desirable that the reset operation be minimized. The present invention has been made in order to solve the above-mentioned problem, and it is not necessary to perform reset more frequently than necessary at the time of microcomputer runaway, so that a shock on hardware is given or all data and state are frequently An object of the present invention is to provide an electronic device and a runaway cancellation method free from troubles such as initialization.

[0005]

In order to achieve the above object, (1) a first microcomputer, and a second microcomputer which exchanges information with the first microcomputer via a data transfer path to perform a cooperative operation.
In an electronic device having at least two or more microcomputers, the key input determining means for determining the presence or absence of a key input from a user, and the data transfer with the first microcomputer being stopped. A data transfer stop determining unit that determines whether there is a key input by the key input determining unit and a data transfer stop determining unit that determines that the data transfer is stopped; An electronic device comprising reset means for performing a reset operation, wherein (2) a first microcomputer and a cooperative operation by exchanging information with the first microcomputer via a data transfer path. A key input determining step of determining whether there is a key input from a user in an electronic device having at least two or more microcomputers, the key input determining step including: A data transfer stop determining step of determining that data transfer with the icon is stopped; and a key input determining step determining that there is a key input, and that the data transfer is stopping in the data transfer stop determining step. A reset step of performing a reset operation of the first microcomputer when it is determined that the microcomputer has run out of control.

[0006]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS The circuit configuration of the present invention is the same as that shown in FIG. A feature of the present invention lies in a processing routine in the second microcomputer 4 of FIG. FIG. 1 is a flowchart showing an embodiment of the present invention. While the steady processing of step S0 is being performed in the second microcomputer 4, it is determined in step S1 (key input determining means, key input determining step) whether or not there is a key input. This is a determination as to whether an operation key of a device or a key of a remote controller is input.
If there is no key input (No), the process proceeds to the process next to Step 6. If there is a key input (Yes), information on the state of data transfer with the first microcomputer 1 is loaded in step S2.

Then, in step S3 (data transfer stop determining means, data transfer stop determining step), it is determined whether data transfer is stopped. If the data transfer is not stopped (No), the process proceeds to a process corresponding to the key input in step S4, for example, a process routine corresponding to the remote control input. If the data transfer is stopped (Yes), the potential of the output port 6 in FIG. 2 is set to a low level in step S5 (reset means, reset step), and the reset operation of the first microcomputer 1 is performed. The process proceeds to the next process. The point of the present invention described in the above-described flowchart is that the second microcomputer 4 does not immediately perform the reset operation even when the data transfer from the first microcomputer 1 is stopped, and resets only when a key input is performed. The point is to perform the operation.

[0008] In a normal electronic device, when a microcomputer runaway occurs, some operation troubles such as a change in the operation state of the device occur. In such a case, the user (viewer or the like) always performs an input operation of an operation key of an electronic device or a key of a remote control to try to correct an operation state. Therefore,
Even if the data transfer is stopped, if there is no key input from the user, the data transfer path may be momentarily disturbed due to an external factor or the like. Probable or high. In such a case, the reset operation to the first microcomputer 1 is not performed.

[0009]

The electronic device and the runaway cancellation method of the present invention are as follows.
When the microcomputer goes out of control, there is no need to reset it more often than necessary.
There is an extremely excellent effect that there is no problem that all data and states are frequently initialized.

[Brief description of the drawings]

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

FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating an example of a reset circuit of the electronic device.

[Explanation of symbols]

 REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 1 first microcomputer 2 reset terminal 3 reset circuit 4 second microcomputer 5 input port 6 output port 7 diode

Claims (2)

[Claims] 1. An electronic apparatus comprising at least two microcomputers, a first microcomputer and a second microcomputer that exchanges information with the first microcomputer via a data transfer path and performs a cooperative operation. A key input determining means for determining whether there is a key input from a user; a data transfer stop determining means for determining that data transfer with the first microcomputer is stopped; Resetting means for resetting the first microcomputer when it is determined that an input is present and the data transfer stop determining means determines that data transfer is stopped. machine. 2. An electronic apparatus comprising at least two microcomputers, a first microcomputer and a second microcomputer which exchanges information with the first microcomputer via a data transfer path and performs a cooperative operation. A key input determining step of determining presence or absence of a key input from a user; a data transfer stop determining step of determining that data transfer with the first microcomputer is stopped; and a key input determining step. It is determined that there is an input,
And resetting the first microcomputer when the data transfer is determined to be stopped in the data transfer stop determination step.