Patent ID: 7174276
Filing Date: 2007-02-06
Classification: G06F,H05K

Abstract:
1. A system for electronically tracking a history of engineering change orders (ECOs) associated with a manufactured device having at least one electronic component thereon, comprising: an electronic storage device associated with the manufactured device; ECO information associated with the electronic storage device, indicating the history of ECOs associated with the manufactured device and allowing modification thereto to indicate when a new ECO was implemented on the manufactured device; comparison information relating ECOs to versions of a programmable element installable on the manufactured device, indicating the compatibility of the versions with the ECOs and the manufactured device; ECO mask information to identify the ECOs which affect the operation of the versions of the programmable element for the manufactured device; and an analysis device having access to the ECO information, the comparison information and the ECO mask information and adapted to determine whether a version of the programmable element may operate on the manufactured device, and second comparison information relating ECOs to versions of a firmware element which are installable on the manufactured device, indicating the compatibility of the versions of the firmware element with the ECOs and the manufactured device; second ECO mask information to identify the ECOs which affect the operation of the versions of the firmware element for the manufactured device; and the analysis device further utilizes the second comparison information and the second ECO mask information to determine whether a version of the firmware element may operate on the manufactured device.