Abstract:
A multipoint general-purpose input/output control interface device is provided, which is a control interface device that is applicable to, but not limited to, PCI transmission interface, and can be installed in or removed from a computer system or a game machine as desired to use the computer system or the game machine to control a timer and access or encrypt static random access memory and general purpose input/output (GPIO).

Description:
(A) TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
       [0001]    The present invention generally relates to a control interface device that can be installed in either a computer system or a game machine and uses the computer system or the game machine to control input/output devices and access and/or encrypt static random access memory (SRAM). 
       (B) DESCRIPTION OF THE PRIOR ART 
       [0002]    For the currently available electronic/electric systems, the operation of non-standard electronic device must be controlled through a control interface that is provided by individual device or mechanism, such as being controlled by individual pushbuttons of a keypad, coin receiving/returning mechanisms, and a purchasing button of a game machine, or audio/video buttons of a multimedia device, a function module selection button of a joy stick of a game machine, and pushbuttons of a POS system. 
         [0003]    To meet the needs for various input/output interfaces for peripheral devices of an electronic system, an embedded controller IC (EC-IC) must be provided in addition to the system. Such a control unit provides a peripheral function controller is of a fixed form, whereby once the control unit is constructed, there is no way to make any modification of the functions thereof. Further, the control unit must be embedded in the main board or chipset of the system. If a user attempts to apply the control functions of such a control unit in a different system, a system main board in which the control unit is embedded must be additionally purchased or replaced, leading to additional costs. Further, it is not possible to install the control unit in an existing electronic device according to the requirements of control at any time or to remove the control unit from a first electronic device for mounting to a second electronic device. This is certainly troublesome. 
         [0004]    Further, the conventional electronic devices/systems provide only very simple protection of security code for recorded data and apparently, there is still quite a space for improvement of data security. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0005]    The primary objective of the present invention is to construct architecture of operation function controller for a programmable control processing module in a simple configuration by adopting field programmable gate array (FPGA) technology, whereby a user is allowed to design programs according to various requirements for controlling a multipoint general-purpose input/output port through a programmable control processing module to realize timing control, interruption control, and protection of data with control data being transmitted through at least one peripheral function device interfaced therewith. 
         [0006]    Another objective of the present invention is to provide a control interface device that is connectable and thus controls various input/output interfaces, and/or a control interface device that can be combined with various electronic devices and allows for edition of desired control function, and/or a control interface device that provides a security function of data encryption, and/or a control interface device that reduces the requirements for system input and outputs. 
         [0007]    The foregoing objectives and summary provide only a brief introduction to the present invention. To fully appreciate these and other objects of the present invention as well as the invention itself, all of which will become apparent to those skilled in the art, the following detailed description of the invention and the claims should be read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. Throughout the specification and drawings identical reference numerals refer to identical or similar parts. 
         [0008]    Many other advantages and features of the present invention will become manifest to those versed in the art upon making reference to the detailed description and the accompanying sheets of drawings in which a preferred structural embodiment incorporating the principles of the present invention is shown by way of illustrative example. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0009]      FIG. 1  is a schematic view showing architecture of the present invention in an in-operation condition. 
           [0010]      FIG. 2  is a block diagram of a programmable control processing module according to the present invention. 
           [0011]      FIG. 3  is a schematic view illustrating the present invention connected to a security recording module. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
       [0012]    The following descriptions are exemplary embodiments only, and are not intended to limit the scope, applicability or configuration of the invention in any way. Rather, the following description provides a convenient illustration for implementing exemplary embodiments of the invention. Various changes to the described embodiments may be made in the function and arrangement of the elements described without departing from the scope of the invention as set forth in the appended claims. 
         [0013]    Referring to  FIG. 1 , the present invention provides a multipoint general-purpose input/output control interface device  3 , which is simultaneously connectable with an electronic device  1 , one or more external output/input devices  2 , and a stepping motor  4 . Referring simultaneously to  FIGS. 1 and 2 , the multipoint general-purpose input/output control interface device  3  comprises a programmable control processing module  31  as a core portion thereof, which is connected to a second transmission interface  32 , a multipoint general-purpose input/output interface  34 , a programming/setting switch  35 , a data transmission buffer  37 , and a data storage unit  33 . The data transmission buffer  37  is further connected with a serial transmission interface  36 . 
         [0014]    The control processing module  31  preferably comprises a field programmable gate array (FPGA), whereby when there is a need to work with different system or in different applications, such as interfacing the present invention to a different electronic device or when there is a need to modify the circuit logic, edition can be performed on the control processing module  31 . 
         [0015]    The second transmission interface  32  is electrically connectable with a first transmission interface  11  of the electronic device  1  to receive control data transmitted from the electronic device  1 ; and the multipoint general-purpose input/output interface  34  may comprise general purpose I/O (GPIO). The first transmission interface  11  and the second transmission interface  32  can be mateable plug and socket, but not limited thereto, such as PCI, PCI-E, USB interface, and IEEE1394 interface. Further, the serial transmission interface  36  is a serial peripheral interface (SPI), which provides interface transmission control for flash, or the serial transmission interface  36  is used to control interfaces of ADC, PLL, RTC, LIU, CODEC, or an equivalent circuit, such as an inter-integrated circuit (I 2 C), that realizes serial transmission of data can be applied. 
         [0016]    The data storage unit  33  can be static random access memory (SRAM) or flash memory, but not limited thereto, and may be composed of more than one set of memory devices. The data storage unit  33  is further electrically connected to a first battery  39 , which provides emergency power to help preserving data stored in the data storage unit  33  when failure of external power occurs. 
         [0017]    The programming/setting switch  35  comprises a dip switch, which allows for switching among different settings, including event probability, parameter variation, speed setting, and generates a control signal to the control processing module  31 . 
         [0018]    Referring to  FIG. 2 , which shows a block diagram of the control processing module  31 , the control processing module  31  comprises at least a motor control unit  314 , an encryption/decryption unit  316 , an arithmetic processing unit  318 , an interface connection control unit  311 , a timing function controller  312 , an interruption controller  313 , a data storage unit controller  315 , a transmission function controller  317 , and a programming/setting connector  319 . The motor control unit  314  controls actuation and de-actuation of the stepping motor  4 . The encryption/decryption unit  316  functions to apply a process of Advanced Encryption Standard (AES) for encryption and decryption. In other words, recorded data can be encrypted with a pubic key through the AES process and stored in the data storage unit  33 . When a user at the electronic device  1  attempts to use a general purpose procedure interface of the electronic device  1  to access the recorded data, a private key must be presented in order to decrypt the data. However, the data can be encrypted with other processes, such as DES, Hash, and RAS. 
         [0019]    The interface connection control unit  311  is electrically connected to the second transmission interface  32  and the multipoint general-purpose input/output interface  34 . 
         [0020]    The timing function controller  312  is electrically connected to the interface connection control unit  311  for controlling operation timing of the external output/input device(s)  2 . 
         [0021]    The interruption controller  313  functions to perform interruption according to the control data to control the change of the electronic device  1  or the external output/input device(s)  2 . 
         [0022]    The data storage unit controller  315  functions for access control of the recorded data. 
         [0023]    The transmission function controller  317  functions to control data transmission between the programmable control processing module  31  and the data transmission buffer  37 . 
         [0024]    The programming/setting connector  319  is electrically connected to the programming/setting switch  35  for programming setting. For example, in the embodiment illustrated, the programming/setting switch  35  comprises an 8-bit dip switch, which comprises switching elements of which combinations representing different meanings that can be pre-set or set or edited through the general purpose procedure interface of the electronic device  1 . For example, in the case that the electronic device  1  is a game machine, a first switching element can be set in such a way that an “ON” condition indicates doubling the point gained in the game and an OFF condition means regular setting of the game points; or a plurality of switching elements can be set, in combination, in all ON condition to force the external output/input device(s)  2  into a standby maintenance mode. 
         [0025]    Referring to  FIG. 3 , the multipoint general-purpose input/output control interface device  3  of the present invention connects a security recording module  5  through the serial transmission interface  36  to the data transmission buffer  37  for monitoring any operation that an external user might take on the electronic device  1  of the present invention. The security recording module  5  comprises a security data recorder  51 , a security data preserver  53 , a second battery  55 , and a real time clock  57  interconnecting each other. When a person opens a housing of the electronic device  1  with an attempt to change the setting of the programming/setting switch, the security data recorder  51  makes a record of that operation, and such security data, together with the data of the real time clock  57 , are preserved in the security data preserver  53 , so as to realize monitoring of change of the system, as well as system modification that is made manually or non-manually. The second battery  55  supplies electrical power to maintain the security data in the security data recorder  51  and to power the real time clock  57  in case of power failure, whereby the security data will not get lost due to power failure. The serial transmission interface  36  can be connected to an external device, such as a read only memory (ROM) or a timer. The security recording module  5  and the multipoint general-purpose input/output control interface device  3  can be arranged in the same circuit or can be arranged as external devices according to the needs. 
         [0026]    It will be understood that each of the elements described above, or two or more together may also find a useful application in other types of methods differing from the type described above. 
         [0027]    While certain novel features of this invention have been shown and described and are pointed out in the annexed claim, it is not intended to be limited to the details above, since it will be understood that various omissions, modifications, substitutions and changes in the forms and details of the device illustrated and in its operation can be made by those skilled in the art without departing in any way from the spirit of the present invention.