Abstract:
A data processing system includes a storage device which stores data, a processor which processes application programs and generates decision signals, a bus switch which is coupled with the storage device and the processor, and a processing chip which is coupled with the bus switch, the storage device, and the processor. The data processing system takes advantage of functions of playing media and processing application programs, wherein the functions are designed together with the processing chip. It is more powerful for combining both the functions to increase efficiency of the processor than general data processing system.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0001]     1. Field of the Invention  
         [0002]     The claimed invention provides a data processing system, particularly, a data processing system capable of operating in two different modes independently and exclusively.  
         [0003]     2. Description of the Prior Art  
         [0004]     Most Global Positioning Systems (GPS) stores maps on a hard disk (HD). Maps belonging to various areas must be stored by GPS so that users are able to look up the maps for where they are at anytime. As a result, the amount of stored maps is often very large. Therefore such combinative systems of GPS and HD must be large in disk space.  
         [0005]     Taking GPS as it is disposed in domestic vehicles as an example, if the disk space of the GPS system is too large, the cost of production will significantly increase. More seriously, the design of domestic vehicles will be affected. The above reasons result in an extreme decrease in the practicability of GPS to be disposed in domestic vehicles.  
         [0006]     Secondly, because of the large difference between the spheres of activities of most users, each user&#39;s essential maps are often different. Moreover, since the essential maps of most users take up a small percentage of the considerable number of maps stored on the HD, and a large percentage of the stored maps are rarely used by users, efficient usage of storage space is difficult. In view of the price of storage space on the HD, as well as the lack of usage of the stored maps, storing all the maps needed by GPS on the HD is a waste of space, at a high cost of usage.  
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0007]     Therefore, the present invention provides a data processing system capable of operating in two different modes independently and exclusively to solve the aforementioned problems.  
         [0008]     The data processing system comprises a storage device for storing data, a processor for processing application programs and generating decision signals, a bus switch coupled to the storage device and the processor, and a processing chip coupled to the bus switch, the storage device and the processor. The processing chip is capable of ordering the bus switch to establish a connection enabling the processing chip to transmit control signals to the storage device, or a connection enabling the processing chip to transmit control signals to the processor according to a decision signal generated by the processor.  
         [0009]     These and other objectives of the present invention will no doubt become obvious to those of ordinary skill in the art after reading the following detailed description of the preferred embodiment that is illustrated in the various figures and drawings.  
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0010]      FIG. 1  is a diagram of the data processing system of the embodiment.  
         [0011]      FIG. 2  is a diagram of the decision circuit in  FIG. 1 . 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION  
       [0012]     The present invention replaces the prior art&#39;s method of combining GPS and HD by a method of combining a Digital Video Disc Player (DVD-Player) and Motion Pictures Expert Group (MPEG) chips to reach a specific effect of economizing the amount of disk space used and using the disk space more efficiently.  
         [0013]     The embodiment of the present invention uses an MPEG chip called M3355. While designing the MPEG chip, the respective functions of MPEG and Servo are preserved; which allows for the combination of the MPEG chip and DVD-Player as a specific embodiment of the present invention, to replace the combination of GPS and HD.  
         [0014]     Please refer to  FIG. 1 , which is a diagram of the data processing system  100  of the embodiment. Data processing system  100  comprises a storage device  101 , a processor  103 , a bus switch  105 , a processing chip  107 , a decision circuit  109 , and a media loader  111 , which has its own storage device. The storage device  101  stores needed programs during the operation of the data processing system  100 . The processor  103  processes application programs and generates decision signals. The processing chip  107  is coupled with the bus switch  105 , the storage device  101 , and the processor  103 . The processing chip  107  directs the bus switch  105  to establish a connection enabling the processing chip  107  to transmit control signals to the storage device  101  or a connection enabling the processing chip  107  to transmit control signals to the processor  103  according a decision signal generated by the processor  103 . The decision circuit  109  transmits the decision signal generated by the processor  103  to the processing chip  107 . The media loader  111  transmits the data stored by the storage device inside the media loader  111  to the processing chip  107 , where the transmitted data could be media data or application programs, including GPS. Furthermore, when the storage device  101  receives a the control signal generated by the processing chip  107 , an enabling switch  113  belonging to the storage device  101  is enabled for the stored programs in the storage device  101  to be transmitted to the processing chip  107 . When the enabling switch  113  is disabled, the storage device  101  stops transmitting programs to the processing chip  107 .  
         [0015]     The data processing system  100  controls the bus switch  105  to establish two connections according to a decision signal generated by the processor  103 . One connection is for the processing chip  107  to transmit control signals to the storage device  101 , where the connection is operated under an operation mode called “Servo Only” mode, which is run for executing application programs, including GPS. Another connection is for the processing chip  107  to transmit control signals to the processor  103 , and the connection to be operated under an operation mode called “Combo” mode or “DVD-Player” mode, which is used for playing media data. Both the connections are independent of each other and exclusive, and they cannot happen at the same time through control of the bus switch  105 .  
         [0016]     When the data processing system  100  is booted from its initialization state, the enabling switch  113  of the storage device  101  is enabled for the storage device  101  to transmit core programs of Servo Only mode and Combo mode to the processing chip  107 . After the processing chip transmits all the core programs, the enabling switch  113  of the storage device  101  is disabled so that the storage device  101  is not able to continue transmitting programs to the processing chip  107 .  
         [0017]     During the initialization state, the purpose of the data processing system  100  is to transmit the core programs with high frequency of usage from the storage device  101  to reside in the processing chip  107  so that the processing chip  107  can save additional time by not having to continually request them from the storage device  101 .  
         [0018]     When the data processing system  100  is going to be in Combo mode, the processor  103  transmits a decision signal belonging to Combo mode through the decision circuit  109  to the processing chip  107 . Then the processing chip  107  orders the bus switch  105  to establish a connection enabling the processing chip  107  to transmit a control signal to the storage device  101  so that the processing chip  107  is capable of transmitting a request signal to the storage device  101 . According to the request signal generated by the processing chip  107 , the enabling switch  113  is enabled, and the storage device  101  is allowed to transmit other programs of Combo mode needed by the processing chip  107 . Lastly, the processing chip  107  loads the media data stored in the storage device into the media loader  111  and processes the media data according to the programs transmitted from the storage device  101  until a decision signal, which gives an order to switch the data processing system  100  from Combo mode to Servo Only mode, is transmitted from the processor  103 . When the data processing system  100  is switched from Combo mode to Servo Only mode, the enabling switch  113  of the storage device  101  is disabled by grounding so that no more programs are transmitted from the storage device  101  to the processing chip  107 . At the same time, the processor  103  transmits a decision signal belonging to Servo Only mode to the processing chip  107  through the decision circuit  109  so that the processing chip  107  will transmit a control signal to the bus switch  105 . After receiving the control signal, the bus switch  105  disconnects the connection enabling the processing chip  107  to transmit request signals to the storage device  101  and establishes a connection enabling the processing chip  107  to transmit data to the processor  103 .  
         [0019]     When the data processing system  100  is going to be in Servo Only mode, the processor  103  transmits a decision signal, belonging to the Servo Only mode, to the processing chip  107 . Then the processing chip  107  transmits a control signal ordering the bus switch  105  to establish a connection enabling the processing chip  107  to transmit data to the processor  103  so that the processing chip  107  is capable of transmitting messages to the processor  103  or transmit application programs through the connection to the processor  103  to assist Servo Only mode. The processing chip simultaneously loads application programs stored in the storage device inside the media loader  111  and transmits the application programs to the processor  103 , so that the processor  103  is capable of executing the transmitted application programs. When the data processing system  100  is switched from Servo Only mode to Combo mode, the processor  103  transmits a decision signal belonging to Combo mode to the processing chip  107  so that the processing chip  107  transmits a control signal to the bus switch  105 ; after receiving the control signal, the bus switch  105  disconnects the connection enabling the processing chip  107  to transmit data to the processor  103  and establishes a connection enabling the processing chip  107  to transmit request signals to the storage device  101 .  
         [0020]     Please refer to  FIG. 2 , which is a diagram of the decision circuit  109  in  FIG. 1 . The decision circuit  109  outputs a signal from one of the outputs V 01  and V 02  to the processing chip  107  according to the decision signal V in  transmitted from the processor  103 , wherein the outputs V 01  and V 02  correspond to Servo only mode and Combo mode or Combo mode and Servo Only mode respectively.  
         [0021]     By using a DVD-Player, maps can be stored in different DVDs according to varying types of activities and varying purposes of users. With the convenience of changing DVDs in DVD Players, the storage space of maps decreases significantly and the efficiency of stored map usage increases. Moreover, in addition to serving as GPS hardware, the embodiment can also play media data directly so that it is capable of providing entertainment, which increases its practicality. The presentation of maps is not the only program that can be put on DVD; personal data can, too. In the method of combining GPS and HD, most space of HD is used to store huge amounts of map data, such that surplus space is too rare to store other media data. The combination of DVD-Player and MPEG chip of the present invention is more versatile than the method of combining GPS and HD.  
         [0022]     The embodiment of the present invention preserves function of the processing chip because Combo mode (which plays media data) and Servo Only mode (which executes application programs) are both capable of being operated inside the same processing chip independently and exclusively by way of switching the bus switch. Therefore it is more frugal with hardware usage than the prior art&#39;s method of operating the two modes in different chips and systems. Furthermore, because of independent and exclusive operations of both modes, the efficiency of the processing chip will not decrease by combining both modes in the same processing chip.  
         [0023]     Those skilled in the art will readily observe that numerous modifications and alterations of the device and method may be made while retaining the teachings of the invention. Accordingly, the above disclosure should be construed as limited only by the metes and bounds of the appended claims.