Apparatus for controlling optional functions of electronic...

Details Apparatus for controlling optional functions of electronic... Apparatus for controlling optional functions of electronic...

1999-07-14

2004-09-21

Banankhah, Majid A. (Department: 2127)

Electrical computers and digital processing systems: multicomput

Computer-to-computer data routing

Least weight routing

C709S241000, C709S241000, C710S001000, C710S002000, C710S008000, C710S010000, C710S014000

Reexamination Certificate

active

06795844

ABSTRACT:

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an apparatus for processing optional programs in electronic equipment and a method therefor, and more particularly, to an apparatus for controlling optional functions in electronic equipment, in which various functions are executed using a single hardware circuit, and a method therefor.
2. Description of the Related Art
Function printed circuit boards (PCB) are typically used in electronic equipment such that based on the presence or absence of optional diodes in a key metric, one or more optional functions can be selected from a group of optional functions. That is, optional functions corresponding to the specifications of a particular product model can be selected according to the combination of diodes in a key metric connected between the scan out port and the scan in port of a microprocessor.
Therefore, since the design of the key metrics of the scan in and scan out ports of the microprocessor varies in each specification, the function PCB of a front panel is designed so that different key metric designs are applied according to the optional functions of produced models.
Since the PCB is managed according to models having different optional functions when the products are produced, the number of PCBs increases. Accordingly, it is difficult to manage materials for production. Also, when a changed PCB is applied according to the change of the specification, the PCB mis-operates in a selected model.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
To solve the above problem, it is an object of the present invention to provide an apparatus for controlling optional functions of electronic equipment, designed to have the same hardware of a microprocessor, regardless of the optional functions of products.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a method for controlling optional functions of electronic equipment.
Accordingly, to achieve the first object, there is provided an apparatus for controlling optional programs corresponding to the mode type of electronic equipment, including a data base for storing all optional programs, comprising a memory for storing a selected optional program in a specific region, a controller for generating a control command for selecting the optional program, a central processing unit (CPU) for decoding the control command, controlling the display of an optional function selecting menu screen with respect to a selected level, reading the optional program selected according to an input selection command, storing the selected optional program in the memory, and executing only the optional program stored in the specific region of the memory according to an input optional program execution command, and a displayer for displaying the optional program selecting menu screen.
To achieve the second object, there is provided a method for controlling optional functions of electronic equipment, by which the same hardware circuit structure is used regardless of different optional functions, comprising the steps of (a) selecting the program of an optional function corresponding to the product specification of the electronic equipment and storing the program in a memory, (b) determining whether a command input to the CPU of the electronic equipment corresponds to an optional function related command, (c) determining whether the command input to the CPU corresponds to an optional program execution command stored in the step (a) after determining in step (b) that the command input to the CPU corresponds to the optional function related command, and (d) fetching and executing the optional program when the inputted command is the optional program execution command stored in the step (a) as determined in step (c) and preventing the execution of a concerned command when the input command is not the optional program execution command stored in step (a).


REFERENCES:
patent: 5115410 (1992-05-01), Hirata et al.
patent: 5539661 (1996-07-01), Nordenstam
patent: 5577257 (1996-11-01), Nakamura
patent: 5664190 (1997-09-01), Cohen et al.
patent: 6115144 (2000-09-01), Hirokawa

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