KR20060068832A - Rom collection method using of firmware upgrade - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to a ROM collection method using firmware upgrade in a composite video device, comprising: determining whether an error is found in a masked microprocessor, determining whether ROM collection data is present in a firmware upgrade process, and Transmitting firmware modification command data to the microprocessor if collection data is present, and deleting firmware data from the EEPROM and writing the modification data to the EEPROM if the firmware modification command data is provided to the microprocessor. According to the present invention, the post-management of the product masking the microprocessor will be convenient, and the hassle of disassembling the product to modify the program of the finished product will be eliminated. In addition, the cost of switching to a new EEPROM can be reduced.

Description

ROM collection method using firmware upgrade in composite video device {ROM COLLECTION METHOD USING OF FIRMWARE UPGRADE}

1 is a system block diagram for implementing a method according to the present invention;

2 is a flowchart illustrating a ROM collection process using firmware upgrade in a composite video device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

<Explanation of symbols for the main parts of the drawings>

20 microprocessor

22: main memory

24: ROM

26: EEPROM

TECHNICAL FIELD The present invention relates to a ROM collection technology, and in particular, a ROM collection using a firmware upgrade in a complex video device such as a DVD / VCR combo (Digital Video Disc / Video Cassette Recorder Combo) or an ID-VCR. It is about a method.                         

In general, a microprocessor of an image display device performs a predetermined function using programs and information stored in a ROM, and a program or information stored in a ROM is modified through a ROM collection.

Referring to the above-described conventional ROM collection method, the user turns off and on the power after writing information to be corrected through the program for the ROM writer jig and the ROM write in the EEPROM (Electrically Erase Programmable Read Only Memory). At this time, in order to record the information in the EEPROM, you must disassemble the product and replace the EEPROM.

When powered on, the microprocessor reads the information written to the EEPROM and stores it in RAM called the ROM collection register.

After storing the information to be corrected in the ROM collection register, the microprocessor reads and uses the information recorded in the ROM collection register when the information of the ROM which is required to modify the information is required during program execution.

As described above, in order to correct the information recorded in the ROM, a ROM writer and a program for the ROM write are necessary. In addition, since the product had to be disassembled and the EEPROM replaced, a lot of inconvenience was required for the modification.

In the past, electronic products consisted of a single product with a simple function. For example, only DVD playback was performed on DVD and VCR playback on VCR.

Recently, however, products that combine other video devices such as DVD / VCR combos and ID-VCRs into one product have been released, and these composite products generally include MPEG (Moving Pictures Experts Group) technology, which is generally firmware. It is.

As is well known, firmware is a kind of program that is stored in a recording medium such as a ROM in order to increase the efficiency of the system. Since the firmware is included in the hardware from the time of manufacture to make it difficult to erase or change, the firmware is not called a program or a device. This firmware is installed inside the hardware and contains the information necessary to operate the device or handle the programs necessary to perform basic operations.

Complex products, such as DVD / VCR combos, are controlled by these firmwares, so when firmware upgrades such as performance improvements or bug patches are required, the firmware must be upgraded from time to time.

The firmware upgrade method of the DVD / VCR combo according to the prior art typically upgrades the firmware of the DVD / VCR combo by storing a program in a CD-ROM and reading data of the CD-ROM from the DVD / VCR combo.

Applicant came to realize that if the firmware upgrade in MPEG can be applied to the microprocessor's program correction ROM collection and the correction data can be recorded in the EEPROM, the program error can be easily corrected without disassembling the product and replacing the EEPROM. .

The present invention has been conceived by the above-described idea, and firmware upgrade in a composite video device that implements a simple ROM collection by writing modified data of a masked microprocessor using an firmware upgrade in an EEPROM. The purpose is to provide a collection of ROMs.

According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention for achieving this object, a ROM collection method capable of upgrading by writing modification data in an EEPROM in a firmware upgrade program, the method comprising: determining whether an error is found in a masked microprocessor; Determining whether the ROM collection data exists in the upgrade process, transmitting firmware modification command data to the microprocessor when the ROM collection data exists, and if firmware modification command data is provided to the microprocessor, It provides a ROM collection method using a firmware upgrade in a composite video device comprising the step of deleting the previous data of the EEPROM and recording the correction data in the EEPROM.

Hereinafter, with reference to the accompanying drawings will be described in detail a preferred embodiment of the present invention.

Prior to the description, the technical gist of the present invention is the same method of upgrading firmware in a composite video device having a part capable of upgrading firmware and a part masking a microprocessor, in particular a DVD / VCR combo equipped with MPEG. By communicating with the microprocessor and writing the data to the EEPROM, the object of the present invention can be easily achieved from this technical idea.

1 is a block diagram illustrating a system configuration for implementing a ROM collection method according to the present invention. The microprocessor 20 performs overall control of a composite video device, and stores main data required for system operation of the composite video device. Main memory 22, ROM 24 for storing programming data for performing general operations of the composite video device, and firmware in the case where ROM collection data exists while the masked microprocessor fails and upgrades the firmware. EEPROM 26 in which upgrade data is recorded.

Hereinafter, the ROM collection process using the firmware upgrade in the composite image device according to the preferred embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the flowchart of FIG. 2.

First, in step S200, it is determined whether an error is found in the masked microprocessor 20, and if an error is found, the process proceeds to step S202.

In step S202, the correction data is written to the firmware upgrade program to start the upgrade. In other words, the firmware is upgraded when the performance needs to be improved in the composite image device.

In the present invention, it is determined whether the ROM collection data exists in the firmware upgrade process (S204).

If the ROM collection data does not exist, the process proceeds to step S206. If the ROM collection data exists, the process proceeds to step S208.

In step S206, only the firmware is upgraded as in step S202, and the process ends.                     

However, in the case where the ROM collection data exists, the firmware modification command data is transmitted to the microprocessor 20 in step S208.

When the firmware modification command data is provided to the microprocessor 20, the microprocessor 20 proceeds to step S210 to delete the data of the existing EEPROM and to write the correction data to the EEPROM 26.

As described above, the present invention applies a ROM collection method for modifying a masked program in a composite video device to be recorded in an EEPROM through a firmware upgrade.

In the above, the present invention has been described in detail based on embodiments, but the present invention is not limited to these embodiments, and various modifications, such as masking a microprocessor, and firmware are often used without departing from the gist of the present invention. Of course, it can be applied to all composite video products having an upgradeable part.

According to the present invention, the post-management of the product masking the microprocessor will be convenient, and the hassle of disassembling the product to modify the program of the finished product will be eliminated. In addition, the cost of switching to a new EEPROM can be reduced.

Claims (3)

ROM collection method that can be upgraded by writing correction data to EEPROM in firmware upgrade program. Determining if an error is found in the masked microprocessor; Determining whether the ROM collection data exists during the firmware upgrade process; Transmitting firmware modification command data to the microprocessor if the ROM collection data exists; If firmware modification command data is provided to the microprocessor, deleting previous data of the EEPROM and writing the correction data to the EEPROM. ROM collection method using a firmware upgrade in a composite video device comprising a. The method of claim 1, The method is a ROM collection method using a firmware upgrade in a composite video device, characterized in that to upgrade only the firmware when the ROM collection data does not exist. The method according to claim 1 or 2, The composite video device is a ROM collection method using a firmware upgrade in the composite video device characterized in that the embedded MPEG technology.

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