Patent Publication Number: US-2007118683-A1

Title: Apparatus for updating television firmware and method therefor

Description:
This application claims the benefit of Taiwan application Serial No. 94138852, filed Nov. 4, 2005, the subject matter of which is incorporated herein by reference.  
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
      1. Field of the Invention  
      The invention relates in general to an apparatus capable of updating firmware and the method therefor, and more particularly to an apparatus for updating television firmware and the method therefor.  
      2. Description of the Related Art  
      Nowadays, television has become a popular electronic appliance. Atypical television includes a display device, a control circuit board, a power converter and other components. In a television set, firmware plays a very important role in operating the control IC of the control circuit board for enabling the television to display live programs or perform interactive functions. The firmware also responds to a remote controller held by a viewer. For example, the firmware provides on screen display (OSD) function for the viewer to adjust the frame, the sound and other settings. The firmware is normally stored in a flash memory and includes several programming codes. When the firmware is able to control other hardware via a micro-controller for enabling the television to display a complete frame. If error occurs to the firmware, the television is unable to perform the above functions and needs to be updated.  
      Referring to  FIG. 1 , a diagram illustrating the components for conventional firmware updating is shown. When the computer  110  updates the firmware of the television  130 , the components involved include the computer  110 , a conversion circuit board  120 , an RS-232 transmission line  140 , a VGA transmission line  150 , a power supply of the conversion circuit board and a terminal program (stored in the computer  110 ).  
      Since the RS-232 port of the computer  110  is unable to handshake with the VGA port of the television  130 , the conversion circuit board  120  connects the RS-232 port of the computer  110  to the VGA port of the television  130  via the RS-232 transmission line  140  and the VGA transmission line  150  for enabling the computer  110  to be electrically connected to the television  130 . The updating of the firmware is executed through the terminal program. When the computer  110  executes the terminal program, several parameters such as the port number, the baud rate and the flow control need to be determined and a suitable firmware needs to be selected so that the updating of the firmware is completed.  
      The updating of a television firmware involves several actions, and it is indeed not easy to update a television firmware by a computer. Several parameters need to be determined before the updating of the television firmware is executed. The updating may fail if any error occurs during the updating process. Under such circumstance, the casing of the television needs to be dismounted for replacing the original memory with a memory having a new firmware to be disposed on the circuit board of the television. Consequently, a large amount of time and labor are wasted.  
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
      It is therefore an object of the invention to provide an apparatus for updating a television firmware and a method therefor. By means of the television firmware updating apparatus, human interferences are avoided when updating a firmware, hence reducing the error rate as well as the labor and costs involved.  
      The invention achieves the above-identified object by providing a television firmware updating apparatus used for updating a television firmware. The television includes a first processor and a first memory unit. The first memory unit is for storing a television firmware. The television firmware updating apparatus includes a second memory unit and a second processor. The second memory unit stores an updating firmware. After the second processor handshakes with the first processor, the second processor reads and encodes a chosen block data of the updating firmware to output an encoded signal. The first processor decodes the encoded signal to generate the chosen block data and write the chosen block data to the first memory unit until all the block data of the updating firmware are written to the first memory unit.  
      The invention further achieves the above-identified object by providing a television firmware updating method applied in an apparatus for updating television firmware. The television firmware updating apparatus stores an updating firmware. Firstly, the television firmware updating apparatus handshakes with a television. The television includes a first processor and a first memory unit. The first memory unit is for storing a television firmware. Next, a chosen block data of the updating firmware is read and encoded to generate an encoded signal. Then, the encoded signal is transmitted to the first processor of the television. Afterwards, the first processor decodes the encoded signal to generate the chosen block data and write the chosen block data to the first memory unit. Lastly, the step of generating and transmitting an encoded signal is repeated until all the block data of the updating firmware are written to the first memory unit.  
      Other objects, features, and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following detailed description of the preferred but non-limiting embodiments. The following description is made with reference to the accompanying drawings. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       FIG. 1  (Prior Art) illustrates the components for conventional firmware updating;  
       FIG. 2  illustrates a television firmware updating apparatus according to a preferred embodiment of the invention being linked to a television;  
       FIG. 3  illustrates a block diagram of the television firmware updating apparatus according to the preferred embodiment of the invention and the television;  
       FIG. 4  illustrates a flowchart of a television firmware updating method according to a preferred embodiment of the invention; and  
       FIG. 5  illustrates a flowchart of a method for decoding an encoded signal to generate a chosen block data and writing the chosen block data. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION  
      Referring to  FIG. 2 , a diagram illustrating a television firmware updating apparatus according to a preferred embodiment of the invention being linked to a television is shown. The television firmware updating apparatus  210  is electrically connected to a television  220  via a transmission line  230  for updating a firmware of the television  220 . Referring to  FIG. 3 , a block diagram illustrating the television firmware updating apparatus according to the preferred embodiment of the invention and the television is shown. The television  220  includes a first processor  222  and a first memory unit  221 . The first processor  222  is for operating the television  220 . The first memory unit  221  is electrically connected to the first processor  222  for storing the firmware for operating the television  220 .  
      The updating firmware apparatus  210  includes a second memory unit  211 , a second processor  212  and an output port  213 . The second processor  212  is electrically connected to the second memory unit  211  and the output port  213 , respectively. The second memory unit  211  stores a firmware for updating the television  220 . The updating firmware has a number of block data. The output port  213  is electrically connected to the transmission line  230  for enabling the second processor  212  to be electrically connected to the first processor  222  via the output port  213  and the transmission line  230  and handshake with the first processor  222 .  
      After the second processor  212  handshakes with the first processor  222 , the second processor  212  reads a chosen block data D 1  stored in the updating firmware of the second memory unit  211  and encodes the chosen block data D 1  to an encoded signal D 2 . Then, the second processor  212  outputs the encoded signal D 2  to the first processor  222  via the output port  213  and the transmission line  230 .  
      After the first processor  222  receives the encoded signal D 2 , the first processor  222  decodes the encoded signal D 2  to generate the chosen block data D 1  and write the chosen block data D 1  to the first memory unit  221  until all the block data of the updating firmware are written to the first memory unit  221 . Examples of the second memory unit  211  and the first memory unit  221  include a flash memory. The specification of the output port  213  is RS232 for example. The specification of the encoded signal D 2  complies with the specification of RGB signal for example. In the present embodiment of the invention, the television firmware updating apparatus  210  uses a signal pin of the RS232 output port  213  to transmit an encoded signal D 2  such as an RGB signal.  
      Referring to  FIG. 4 , a flowchart of a television firmware updating method according to a preferred embodiment of the invention is shown. Firstly, the television firmware updating apparatus  210  handshakes with the television  220  as shown in step  41 . Next, the television firmware updating apparatus  210  reads a chosen block data D 1  and encodes the chosen block data D 1  to generate an encoded signal D 2  as shown in step  42 . The television firmware updating apparatus  210  transmits the encoded signal D 2  to the first processor  222  of the television  220  as shown in step  43 . The first processor  222  receives and decodes the encoded signal D 2  to generate the chosen block data D 1  and write the chosen block data D 1  to the first memory unit  221  as shown in step  44 . Then, the first processor  222  checks if the remaining block data of the updating firmware are all written to the first memory unit  221  as shown in step  45 . If not, steps  42 ,  43  and  44  are repeated until all the block data of the updating firmware are written to the first memory unit  221 . If so, step  46  is processed. Lastly, the second processor  212  handshakes with the first processor  222  again to check if the updating of the television firmware is successful and displays a checking message as shown in step  46 .  
      Referring to  FIG. 5 , the detailed processes of step  44  are shown. Firstly, the first processor  222  decodes the received encoded signal D 2  to generate the chosen block data D 1  as shown in step  441 . Next, the first processor  222  checks if the chosen block data D 1  is intact according to the checksum method as shown in step  442 . Then, the first processor  222  writes the chosen block data D 1  to the first memory unit  221  as shown in step  443 . The checking result of step  442  is for the second processor  212  to check if the updating of firmware in step  46  is completed.  
      In step  46 , the second processor  212  of the television firmware updating apparatus  210  checks if the updating firmware is completely written to the first memory unit  221  according to the checking result of step  44 . Then, the television firmware updating apparatus  210  uses an indicator module (not shown in the diagram) to display a checking message. For example, if the updating firmware of the television  220  is successfully updated, the indicator module, such as LED, displays a green light. If the updating is failed, a red light is displayed. However, the ways of displaying the message are not limited thereto. In the present embodiment of the invention, when the television  220  needs to update the firmware to a newer version, only the second memory unit  211  having a firmware of newer version needs to be updated. There is no need to update the entire television firmware updating apparatus  210 . The television firmware updating apparatus  210  can be powered by battery. When the battery is low, the user is automatically reminded to replace the battery.  
      The firmware updating apparatus disclosed in the above embodiment of the invention uses fewer components than the prior art would do, hence reducing the component costs. Meanwhile, human interferences during the setting of terminal routines are reduced and so is the failure rate in updating a firmware. The manufacturers and retailers would find the labor and costs for updating the firmware of a large amount of television sets largely decreased.  
      While the invention has been described by way of example and in terms of a preferred embodiment, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited thereto. On the contrary, it is intended to cover various modifications and similar arrangements and procedures, and the scope of the appended claims therefore should be accorded the broadest interpretation so as to encompass all such modifications and similar arrangements and procedures.