# US 12,008,256 B2 · Memory system with accessible storage region to gateway > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 12,008,256 B2 - Document ID: US12008256B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 17/959,427 - Filed: 2022-10-04 - Published: 2023-02-02 - Granted: 2024-06-11 - Earliest claimed: 2019-03-19 - Assignees: Kioxia Corporation - Applicants: Kioxia Corporation - Inventors: Atsushi Yamazaki; Kentaro Umesawa; Naoko Yamada; Yuta Kageyama - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12008256B2 ## CPC - G06F 3/0634: {by changing the state or mode of one or more devices} - G06F 3/0647: {Migration mechanisms} - G06F 3/0604: {Improving or facilitating administration, e.g. storage management} - G06F 3/0614: {Improving the reliability of storage systems} - G06F 3/0673: {Single storage device} - G06F 3/0679: {Non-volatile semiconductor memory device, e.g. flash memory, one time programmable memory [OTP]} - G06F 11/26: Functional testing - G06F 11/27: Built-in tests - G06F: ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING (computer systems based on specific computational models G06N) ## Abstract A memory system comprising a first storage region which stores first firmware corresponding to an external first electronic control apparatus; a second storage region which stores second firmware corresponding to an external gateway and third firmware corresponding to the first electronic control apparatus; and a controller configured to transmit the second firmware and the third firmware to the gateway on the basis of a first command received from the gateway, and transmit the first firmware to the gateway on the basis of a second command received from the gateway. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A memory system comprising: a first storage region configured to store a first firmware which is selected in a normal operation; a second storage region configured to store a second firmware which is used in a restoration mode and a third firmware which is used in a diagnosis operation, wherein the first storage region is configured to be accessible to the gateway when a gateway is started using a first software, and accessible to the gateway when the gateway is started using a second software, the second storage region is configured to be inaccessible to the gateway when the gateway is started using the first software, and accessible to the gateway when the gateway is started using the second software; and a controller configured to transmit the second firmware and the third firmware to the gateway when the gateway is in the restoration mode, and transmit the first firmware to the gateway when the gateway is in the normal operation. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) A control system comprising: the memory system according to claim 1; the gateway; and a first electronic control apparatus, wherein the gateway is connected to the memory system, the first electronic control apparatus is connected to the gateway, and the gateway is configured to: receive the second firmware and the third firmware from the memory system; execute the second firmware and transmit the third firmware to the first electronic control apparatus; receive first information from the first electronic control apparatus; transmit a second command based on the first information to the memory system; receive the first firmware from the memory system; and transmit the first firmware to the first electronic control apparatus. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The control system according to claim 2, wherein the first electronic control apparatus is configured to: execute the third firmware to execute a self-diagnosis operation of examining a state of the first electronic control apparatus; transmit a result of the self-diagnosis operation to the gateway as the first information; and execute the first firmware. ### Claim 4 (depends on 2) The control system according to claim 2, wherein the gateway is configured to: check whether the first electronic control apparatus is altered; transmit a request to the memory system to start the gateway using the second software responsive to determining that the first electronic control apparatus is altered; and transmit a first command to the memory system after the gateway is started using the second software. ### Claim 5 (depends on 2) The control system according to claim 2, further comprising: a watchdog; wherein the watchdog is configured to instruct the gateway to check whether the first electronic control apparatus is altered; the gateway is configured to transmit second information corresponding to the instruction to the watchdog; the watchdog is further configured to transmit a request to the memory system to start the gateway using the second software on the basis of the received second information or based on the second information not being received in a predetermined period from the instruction; and the gateway is further configured to transmit a first command to the memory system after the gateway is started using the second software. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The control system according to claim 5, further comprising: a second electronic control apparatus which is connected to the gateway, wherein the gateway is configured to check whether the second electronic control apparatus is altered after the first electronic control apparatus executes the first firmware. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) A control system comprising: the memory system according to claim 1; the gateway; a first electronic control apparatus; and a second electronic control apparatus; wherein the gateway is connected to the memory system; the first electronic control apparatus is connected to the gateway; the second electronic control apparatus is connected to the gateway; and the gateway is configured to: receive the second firmware and the third firmware from the memory system; execute the second firmware and transmit the third firmware to the first electronic control apparatus; receive first information from the first electronic control apparatus; transmit the second command based on the first information to the memory system; receive the first firmware from the memory system; and transmit the first firmware to the second electronic control apparatus. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The control system according to claim 7, wherein the first electronic control apparatus is configured to control an external first equipment and the second electronic control apparatus is configured to control an external second equipment; the first electronic control apparatus is configured to execute the third firmware to execute a self-diagnosis operation of examining a state of the first electronic control apparatus, and transmit a result of the self-diagnosis operation to the gateway as the first information; and the second electronic control apparatus is configured to execute the first firmware responsive to receiving the first firmware from the gateway and control both the first equipment and the second equipment. ### Claim 9 (depends on 7) The control system according to claim 7, wherein the first electronic control apparatus is configured to control an external first equipment; the first electronic control apparatus is configured to execute the third firmware to execute a self-diagnosis operation of examining a state of the first electronic control apparatus, and to transmit a result of the self-diagnosis operation to the gateway as the first information; and the second electronic control apparatus is configured to execute the first firmware and control the first equipment. ### Claim 10 A method for managing firmware using a control system that comprises a gateway, a first electronic control apparatus, and a memory system including a first storage region configured to store a first firmware which is selected in a normal operation and a second storage region configured to store a second firmware which is used in a restoration mode and a third firmware which is used in a diagnosis operation, the method comprising: transmitting, by the controller to the gateway, the second firmware and the third firmware when the gateway is in the restoration mode; and transmitting, by the controller to the gateway, the first firmware when the gateway is in the normal operation, wherein the first storage region is configured to be accessible to the gateway when the gateway is started using a first software, and accessible to the gateway when the gateway is started using a second software, and the second storage region is configured to be inaccessible to the gateway when the gateway is started using the first software, and accessible to the gateway when the gateway is started using the second software. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The method according to claim 10, wherein the gateway is connected to the memory system and first electronic control apparatus is connected to the gateway, the method further comprising: receiving, by the gateway, the second firmware and the third firmware from the memory system; executing, by the gateway, the second firmware and transmitting the third firmware to the first electronic control apparatus; receiving, by the gateway, first information from the first electronic control apparatus; transmitting, by the gateway, a second command based on the first information to the memory system; receiving, by the gateway, the first firmware from the memory system; and transmitting, by the gateway, the first firmware to the first electronic control apparatus. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The method according to claim 11, further comprising: executing, by the first electronic control apparatus, the third firmware to execute a self-diagnosis operation of examining a state of the first electronic control apparatus; transmitting, by the first electronic control apparatus, a result of the self-diagnosis operation to the gateway as the first information; and executing, by the first electronic control apparatus, the first firmware. ### Claim 13 (depends on 11) The method according to claim 11, further comprising: checking, by the gateway, whether the first electronic control apparatus is altered; transmitting, by the gateway, a request to the memory system to start the gateway using the second software responsive to determining that the first electronic control apparatus is altered; and transmitting, by the gateway, a first command to the memory system after the gateway is started using the second software. ### Claim 14 (depends on 11) The method according to claim 11, wherein the control system further comprises a watchdog, the method further comprising: instructing, by the watchdog, the gateway to check whether the first electronic control apparatus is altered; transmitting, by the gateway, second information corresponding to the instruction to the watchdog; and transmitting, by the watchdog, a request to the memory system to start the gateway using the second software on the basis of the received second information or based on the second information not being received in a predetermined period from the instruction; and transmitting, by the gateway, a first command to the memory system after the gateway is started using the second software. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The method according to claim 14, wherein the control system further comprises a second electronic control apparatus which is connected to the gateway, the method further comprising: checking, by the gateway, whether the second electronic control apparatus is altered after the first electronic control apparatus executes the first firmware. ### Claim 16 (depends on 10) The method according to claim 10 wherein the control system further comprises a second electronic control apparatus connected to the gateway, the first electronic control apparatus is connected to the gateway, and the gateway is connected to the memory system, the method further comprising: receiving, by the gateway, the second firmware and the third firmware from the memory system; executing, by the gateway, the second firmware and transmitting the third firmware to the first electronic control apparatus; receiving, by the gateway, first information from the first electronic control apparatus; transmitting, by the gateway, a second command based on the first information to the memory system; receiving, by the gateway, the first firmware from the memory system; and transmitting, by the gateway, the first firmware to the second electronic control apparatus. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The method according to claim 16, further comprising: controlling, by the first electronic control apparatus, an external first equipment; control, by the second electronic control apparatus, an external second equipment; executing, by the first electronic control apparatus, the third firmware to execute a self-diagnosis operation of examining a state of the first electronic control apparatus, and transmitting a result of the self-diagnosis operation to the gateway as the first information; and executing, by the second electronic control apparatus, the first firmware responsive to receiving the first firmware from the gateway and controlling both the first equipment and the second equipment. ### Claim 18 (depends on 16) The method according to claim 16, further comprising controlling, by the first electronic control apparatus, an external first equipment; executing, by the first electronic control apparatus, the third firmware to execute a self-diagnosis operation of examining a state of the first electronic control apparatus, and transmitting a result of the self-diagnosis operation to the gateway as the first information; and executing, by the second electronic control apparatus, the first firmware and control the first equipment. ### Claim 19 A control system comprising: a gateway; a first electronic control apparatus configured to control an external apparatus; a second backup electronic control apparatus; and a memory system comprising: a first storage region configured to store a first firmware which is selected in a normal operation; a second storage region configured to store a second firmware which is used in a restoration mode and a third firmware which is used in a diagnosis operation; and a controller configured to transmit the second firmware and the third firmware to the gateway when the gateway is in the restoration mode, and transmit the first firmware to the gateway when the gateway is in the normal operation, wherein the gateway is configured to receive the first firmware from the memory system, and to transmit the first firmware to the second backup electronic control apparatus, and the second backup electronic control apparatus is configured to execute the first firmware to control the external apparatus. ### Claim 20 (depends on 19) The control system of claim 19, wherein: the third firmware is self-diagnosis firmware; the first electronic control apparatus is configured to: execute the third firmware to execute a self-diagnosis operation of examining a state of the first electronic control apparatus; and transmit a result of the self-diagnosis operation to the gateway; and the gateway is configured to transmit a second command to the memory system on the basis of the result of the self-diagnosis operation.