Information processing device comprising a read-only memory and a method for patching the read-only memory
US9342294B2 · kind B2 · utility
Assignee
Inventor
Key dates
| Filing date | May 10, 2012 |
| Grant date | May 17, 2016 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Jul 15, 2032 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC G)Physics
- CPC primaryG06F8/66
- WIPO fieldComputer technology
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
Patching a read-only memory, including a program executable by a processor is performed with a MRAM-based CAM device connected to the address bus and comparing in the background the addresses requested by the processor with the elements of a vector of addresses. The match-in-place operation is done in parallel on all the elements of the vector and typically is performed in less than a clock cycle. If a match is found, the CAM device outputs a diversion address that's used to retrieve a substitution machine code element from a flash memory that is presented to the processor in lieu of the one addressed in the ROM. This patching scheme is totally transparent, has little overhead, and extreme granularity.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.