US 6,205,526 B1 · Device and method for backing up internal information and storage medium having internal information backup control program stored thereon

Abstract

The invention provides an internal information backing up device by which, even if the information is changed or the memory allocation is changed by a change in version of a firmware, the data structures of the information can be corrected automatically. When a firmware is started in which the form of backup data has been changed, a backup data expansion processing element expands all labels of data structures into a RAM using default values of a default value storage element, based on stored contents of a data structure table. The backup data expansion processing element compares a version of the data structure table of the firmware with a version of a data structure table in a non-volatile RAM. If these versions coincide with each other, the backup data expansion processing element expands the backup data of a backup data element into the RAM. But if the versions do not coincide, the backup data expansion processing element maintains the default value.

Claims12

Dependent claims

An internal information backing up device for backing up internal information used by a firmware to facilitate a re-start and operation of an electronic apparatus after said electronic apparatus has been turned off and then on, said firmware being incorporated into said electronic apparatus, said internal information being organized into a plurality of groups of information entities, each information entity including at least one label, each respective label including at least version information indicating the version of said respective label, said firmware controlling the operation of said electronic apparatus and including a data structure table which stores current labels having current data, said internal information backing up device comprising:

a first non-volatile storage medium including a backup section which stores said plurality of groups of information entities relating to data that exists in said non-volatile storage medium before said electronic apparatus is turned off and on, said non-volatile storage medium further including a data structure storage section which stores prior labels, said prior labels including data that exists in said prior labels before said electronic apparatus is turned off and on;
a second storage medium;
a comparator which compares said version information stored in said data structure storage section of said non-volatile storage medium for each prior label and said version information stored in said data structure table of said firmware for each corresponding current label;
and
an expansion processing unit which expands information entities related to a particular prior label stored in said back-up section into said second storage medium when said version information of said particular prior label matches with said version information of a corresponding current label.

2 more elements

An method for backing up internal information used by a firmware to facilitate a re-start and operation of an electronic apparatus after said electronic apparatus has been turned off and on, said firmware being incorporated into said electronic apparatus, said internal information being organized into a plurality of groups of information entities, each information entity including at least one label, each respective label including at least version information indicating the version of said respective label, said firmware controlling the operation of said electronic apparatus and including a data structure table which stores current labels having current data, said method comprising the steps of:

storing, in a non-volatile storage medium, prior information entities relating to data that exists in said non-volatile storage medium before said electronic apparatus is turned off and on;
storing, in said non-volatile storage medium, prior labels including data that exists in said prior labels before said apparatus is turned off and on;
comparing said version information in said prior labels stored in said non-volatile storage medium with said version information in said current labels stored in said firmware, for each of the plurality of groups of information entities;
and
when said comparing indicates that said version information in a particular prior label matches said version information in a corresponding particular current label, writing into another storage medium said information entities relating to said particular prior label.

2 more elements

A computer readable storage medium containing program data for controlling an internal information backup device for backing up internal information used by a firmware to facilitate a re-start and operation of an electronic apparatus after said electronic apparatus has been turned off and on, said firmware being incorporated into said electronic apparatus, said internal information being organized into a plurality of groups of information entities, each information entity at least one label, each respective label including at least version information indicating the version of said respective label, said firmware controlling the operation of said electronic apparatus and including a data structure table which stores current labels having current data, said program data including the step of:

storing, in a non-volatile storage medium, prior information entities relating to data the exists in said non-volatile storage medium before said electronic apparatus is turned off and on;
storing, in said non-volatile storage medium, prior labels including data that exists in said prior labels before said apparatus is turned off and on;
comparing said version information in said prior labels stored non-volatile storage medium with said version information in said current labels stored in said firmware, for each of the plurality of groups of information entities;
and
when said comparing indicates that said version information in a particular prior label matches said version information in a corresponding particular current label, writing into another storage medium said information entities relating to said particular prior label.

2 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Device and method for backing up internal information and storage medium having internal information backup control program stored thereon

Life of this patent

Device and method for backing up internal information and storage medium having internal information backup control program stored thereon

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims12