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:
May. 04, 1999
Filed:
Dec. 05, 1996
Mark A Ireton, Austin, TX (US);
Gerald Champagne, Buda, TX (US);
Corbett A Marler, Round Rock, TX (US);
Advanced Micro Devices, Inc., Sunnyvale, CA (US);
Abstract
A system and method for performing software patches for embedded system devices in which the firmware of the system is included in non-alterable storage of the device. The patch mechanism provides a means for finding firmware errors, prototyping fixes to the errors and/or prototyping new functionality of the firmware of the embedded system. The system comprises an embedded system device coupled to an external memory. The device includes a non-alterable memory, including firmware, coupled to a processor. The device further includes a relatively small amount of patch RAM within the device also coupled to the processor. The patches are loaded from the external memory into the patch RAM. The device further includes a means for determining if one or more patches are to be applied. If the device detects a patch to be applied, the system loads the patch from the external memory into the patch RAM. The device also includes a breakpoint register. When the value of the program counter of the processor equals the value in the breakpoint register, a patch insertion occurs, i.e., the processor deviates from executing firmware to executing patch instructions. Preferably, the embedded system device comprises a single integrated circuit. The processor may include a plurality of breakpoint registers. The patch may be encrypted for increased security. Multiple patches may be chained together, and run-time patch replacement is contemplated.