The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Oct. 20, 1998
Filed:
Nov. 27, 1991
Richard Bealkowski, Delray Beach, FL (US);
Ralph Murray Begun, Boca Raton, FL (US);
International Business Machines Corporation, Armonk, NY (US);
Abstract
An automated programmable firmware store for a personal computer system includes a plurality of nonvolatile alterable electronic memories connected in a mutually paralleled circuit arrangement. The memories are connected to a means for automatically controlling the memories to read firmware from and write firmware into the electronic memories, and to write-protect at least one of the memories. Any memory can be write-protected as initially selected by the automatic control means. The initial selection can be changed easily to write-protect another of the memories. The firmware in one memory includes code for checking the validity of firmware stored in another memory, and for selecting one or the other of the memories dependent upon a version code of the firmware. The control means also includes an update code for updating the firmware in a selected memory. The automated store further includes means for allowing the computer system to recover automatically from invalid firmware stored in one of the memories.