Electrical computers and digital processing systems: memory – Storage accessing and control – Specific memory composition
Reexamination Certificate
1998-04-09
2001-03-20
Yoo, Do Hyun (Department: 2187)
Electrical computers and digital processing systems: memory
Storage accessing and control
Specific memory composition
C713S002000, C713S100000, C710S240000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06205513
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a process for loading an operating system of an information processing device with a microprocessor such as a computer or programmable logic controller.
2. Discussion of Background
The operating system forms the basic software, in a computer in the same way as in a programmable logic controller. It provides an environment, in liaison with the computer or PLC components, in which the application software or programs (often called “applications”) can operate.
There are information processing devices such as the PLC in
FIG. 1
that are equipped with a backed up RAM memory and in which the operating system is fully or partly located in an erasable Flash EPROM memory.
The operating system is provided with a boot program for starting the device and for loading the Flash EPROM memory when the said system is updated.
This update starts by erasing the Flash EPROM, and it will be impossible to restart the device if there is a power failure before the boot program (
FIG. 2
) is completely loaded.
The blocking situation thus generated makes it necessary to return the device to the factory or to work on site to replace the Flash Eproms that have lost their operating system.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The purpose of this invention is to reduce the risk of losing the operating system if a mains power supply failure occurs before the boot program (by definition, the boot program is the smallest software capable of starting the equipment and loading a complete operating system) has finished loading.
The process for loading an operating system according to the invention is applicable to an information processing device comprising a power supply with an energy reserve, a microprocessor, an erasable Flash EPROM memory; a backed up RAM memory; a device for detecting mains power supply failures; a console link or mass memory for updating the operating system and it is characterized by the fact that when making an update, the operating system transfers the boot program into the backed up RAM, then executes this boot program stored in RAM, this boot program stored in RAM erasing the Flash EPROM memory and then loading the new operating system into the Flash EPROM from the console link or the mass memory.
According to one characteristic, when a mains power supply failure is detected, the reserve energy in the power supply is sufficient for the boot program to program the pointer to the entry point in backed up RAM into the Flash EPROM memory so that when mains power returns, the microprocessor starts the boot program stored in RAM at the Restart address.
We will now describe this invention referring to an embodiment given as an example and represented by the appended drawings in which:
REFERENCES:
patent: 5432927 (1995-07-01), Grote et al.
patent: 5467286 (1995-11-01), Pyle et al.
patent: 5603086 (1997-02-01), Cree et al.
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patent: 5794054 (1998-08-01), Le et al.
patent: 5835761 (1998-11-01), Ishii et al.
patent: 2 295 908 (1996-06-01), None
Godicke Thomas
Ianni Giovanni
Moazzami Nasser
Oblon & Spivak, McClelland, Maier & Neustadt P.C.
Schneider Automation
Yoo Do Hyun
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