Patent ID: 6182004
Filing Date: 2001-01-30
Classification: G11C

Abstract:
An electronic control apparatus comprising:a rewritable nonvolatile memory for storing in respective storage areas thereof a control program for controlling a predetermined control object and a rewriting processing program, which includes a rewriting program for executing a rewriting or a boot program for reading in the rewriting program from an outside;electronic control means for executing a processing corresponding to the control program or the rewriting processing program stored in the nonvolatile memory; andelectric power control means for holding an electric power supply in response to an instruction from the electronic control means even when the electric power supply to the electronic control means is interrupted externally,wherein the electronic control means interrupts an entire electric power supply upon an external interruption of the electric power supply when the storage area of the control program in the nonvolatile memory is being rewritten, and the electronic control means holds the electric power supply irrespective of the external interruption of the electric power supply by controlling the electric power control means when the storage area of the rewriting processing in the nonvolatile memory is being rewritten.