Patent · US Expired

Method and apparatus for efficient software updating

US6266736A · kind A · utility

49Cited by
12References
11Claims
0Family size

Assignees

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateJan 31, 1997
Grant dateJul 24, 2001
Priority date
Expiry dateJan 31, 2017

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC G)Physics
  • CPC primaryG06F8/656
  • WIPO fieldComputer technology
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

A method to update information including code and data in a non-volatile memory reliably and efficiently to avoid loss of information during the loading process and to minimize aircraft service downtime in an In-Flight Entertainment System (IFES). The non-volatile memory is partitioned into two sections: one section contains the currently valid information and the other is available for loading the new information. A section pointer is used to keep track of the currently valid section and to select the loading section. The new information is loaded to the selected loading section. A validation procedure is performed to determine if the loading is successful. When the loading of the new information is successfully completed, the section pointer is updated to point to the newly loaded section.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.