Electrical computers and digital data processing systems: input/ – Input/output data processing – Direct memory accessing
Patent
1998-04-07
2000-09-26
Lee, Thomas C.
Electrical computers and digital data processing systems: input/
Input/output data processing
Direct memory accessing
710 12, 710 23, 710 52, 710 58, 710102, 711102, 711104, G06F 1314
Patent
active
061254096
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention provides a process for the remote loading of functions between a personal computer and a memory card. It also relates to the device which permits the performance of this process.
Description of the Related Art
The memory card used is of the PCMCIA type (personal computer memory card international association).
There exist at present numerous PCMCIA cards used throughout the world. This is a memory card but also a modem/fax card, a network (ethernet) card, a security or interface card for cards with chips. These other cards are commonly called I/O (input/output) cards.
When these cards must permit remote loading of new functions or improvement of existing functions, there is added to them a flash memory. This memory is therefore associated with the conventional constituents of a PCMCIA card, namely an interface, a processor and the electronics associated with each specific function.
The document EP-A-0 419 005 relates to an apparatus and a process to load a base input/output system (BIOS) memorized in a uniformly accessible storage of a personal computer system. The personal computer system comprises a system processor, a system card, a principal random access memory, a read only memory and at least one uniformly accessible storage. The read only memory comprises a first BIOS region and data representing the type of system processor and the configuration of the input/output of the system card. The first BIOS region starts the system and the uniformly accessible storage to read a master initiating block into the system from the uniformly accessible storage. The master initiating block comprises a data segment and an executable code segment. The data segment comprises data representing the system material and a system configuration which is supported by the master initiation block. The first BIOS region confirms that the master initiation block is compatible with the system material by verifying that the data from the data segment of the master initiation block are in accord with the system processor, the system card, and the input/output system configuration. If the master initiation block is compatible with the system material, the first BIOS region directs the system processor to execute the executable code segment of the master initiation block. The executable code segment confirms that the configuration of the system has not changed and loads into the rest of the BIOS region, from the uniformly accessible storage toward the random access memory. The executable code segment then verifies the authenticity of the rest of the BIOS region and directs the system processor to begin executing the BIOS now in the random access memory. The execution of the BIOS in the random access memory then initiates the user system to commence use of the personal computer system.
This document discloses that the data loaded into the buffer memory are recopied into a random access memory. This represents the case of the conventional systems in which a program is remotely loaded into an additional memory.
The document EP-A-0 598 541 provides a control device with programmable external storage. It requires minimum intervention of a microprocessor and has greater extent and flexibility. It comprises a buffer circuit which stores a control program for data transfer in addition to the data to be transferred between one side and an external storage means, a control device which reads from the buffer circuit toward the control device in response to an instruction from the host. The control device controls the transfer of data between the host and the external storage means independently of the microprocessor such that the microprocessor can execute other tasks.
The device described uses a "programmable" program region so as to provide basis for a transfer of data between a server and a hard disk. There is no possibility for instantaneous transfer of an immediately executable program by the target. Thus, a microprogram is necessarily loaded into the buffer memory, then executed by a mi
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Du Thuan
Lee Thomas C.
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