Electrical computers and digital processing systems: memory – Storage accessing and control – Control technique
Utility Patent
1999-01-22
2001-01-02
Cabeca, John W. (Department: 2752)
Electrical computers and digital processing systems: memory
Storage accessing and control
Control technique
C711S102000, C711S111000, C711S170000
Utility Patent
active
06170043
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to an optic disk, and more particularly to a control method used to control an optic disk system.
2. Description of Related Art
FIG. 1
is a schematic drawing of an optic disk system of a conventional compactdisk (CD) read-only-memory (ROM), or called CD-ROM. In
FIG. 1
, a CD
100
includes a large amount of data, which are to read by an optic pickup head
102
. When data are processed by a radio-frequency (RF) amplifier and controller
110
, the processed data are decoded by a decoder
114
. The decoded data are stored in a buffer memory
116
. A microprocessor
112
is used to control the RF amplifier and controller
110
, the decoder
114
, the optic pickup head, and a driving force to drive the optic disk
100
to obtain a proper performance. In other words, the microprocessor
112
controls all operations of an optic disk system, such as a CD-ROM system. The microprocessor
112
is also coupled to a ROM
118
, which stores all needed data, commands, instructions, programs, and all other information used in the optic disk system, all of which are generally called firmware information. Users can read the data stored in the buffer memory
116
through a computer
122
, a main board interface
120
, and the decoder
114
.
Recently, computer industry has been rapidly developed. Its various periphery hardware devices are also accordingly developed. The CD-ROM is an essential periphery device of the computer, so that the CD-ROM needs a method to be able to rapidly update the firmware information. A conventional method to update the firmware usually puts all firmware data and the execution program for update in a single ROM. This manner consumes the available memory space of the ROM and further causes a longer execution time of the update process.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is therefore an objective of the present invention to provide a CD-ROM control chip, which provides an extra memory space. When the an update execution program is executed to update a firmware information, the update execution program does not occupy memory space of a ROM, and further has faster execution speed so that the firmware information can be updated in a shorter time.
It is another an objective of the present invention to provide a method for updating a firmware information so as to reduce an updating time.
In accordance with the foregoing and other objectives of the present invention, a CD-ROM control chip is provided for a use of firmware information update. The CD-ROM control chip at least includes a microprocessor, a decoder, a controller, and an extra memory. The microprocessor is coupled to a data bus, and further coupled to an external ROM, which stores all firmware information. The decoder is coupled to the microprocessor through the data bus, and is also coupled to an external buffer memory and an external main board interface. The external main board interface allows the CD-ROM control chip to communicate with an external computer. The controller is coupled to the decoder, and is coupled to the microprocessor the data bus. The controller is used to receive information and control signals from an external CD. The extra memory is coupled to the microprocessor through the data bus. When the microprocessor starts to update the firmware information, it generates at least one output enabling signal, one chip selecting signal, and one writing-in signal, and sends these signals to the external ROM. The external ROM is treated as an information storing space, and the extra memory is treated as execution space used by an update program routine. In the above descriptions, the buffer memory can be, for example, an usual dynamic random access memory (DRAM), and the external ROM can be, for example, a flash ROM or an electric erasable programmable ROM (EEPROM).
In accordance with the foregoing CD-ROM chip and other objectives of the present invention, a method to address the extra memory is provided. In this method, when firmware information is updated, the firmware information and execution commands are divided into several parts. Each part is stored in a different memory area. For example, the firmware information is written into the ROM through the buffer memory, and the execution commands are stored in the extra memory. Therefore, the firmware information and the execution commands have their own individual memories. The firmware information can be updated in a faster speed.
Moreover, in the invention, a refresh queue unit is also introduced. The refresh queue provides a larger refreshing buffer capability so that a refreshing sequence is not delayed during the memories are busy in update actions.
REFERENCES:
patent: 5884093 (1999-03-01), Berenguel et al.
patent: 6061751 (2000-05-01), Bruner et al.
patent: 6085297 (2000-07-01), Satoh
patent: 6088742 (2000-07-01), Sim
patent: 6105107 (2000-08-01), Ho et al.
Cabeca John W.
Huang Jiawei
J.C. Patents
Media Tek Inc.
Tzeng Fred F.
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