Program modification device

A program modification device for executing modified programs in place of programs unable to be modified as is because of being fixedly recorded in an instruction ROM or the like, comprising:

• a CPU core unit;
• a memory for modification target program data for storing modification target program data corresponding to modification source program data before said CPU core unit starts program execution;
• a modifying address storage table for storing a necessary number of pairs of addresses of such modification source program data and addresses of such modification target program data before said CPU core unit starts program execution;
• a modifying address register for storing the addresses of such modification source program data before said CPU core unit starts to execute such modification source program data;
• an execution unit located in said CPU core unit for loading into said memory for modification target program dat addresses of such modification source program data from said modifying address storage table to predetermined positions in said modifying address register in accordance with contents of load modification instructions, when said execution unit detects such load modification instructions in a program, based on address information stored in said modifying address register;
• a program monitor unit for detecting agreement between an address of a program to be executed by said CPU core unit and an address of a modification source program in said modifying address register, with reference to said modifying address register, before execution of modification source program data corresponding to such modification program address;
• and
• an acquired instruction switch unit for performing replacement of necessary program data and addresses in order to make said execution unit in said CPU core unit read from said memory for modification target program data the program data at a modification target address corresponding to a program at a modification source address stored in said modifying address register, instead of a program at such modification source address, when said program monitor unit detects agreement between both addresses.

A program modification device for executing modified programs in place of programs unable to be modified as-is because of being fixedly recorded in an instruction ROM or the like, comprising:

• a CPU core unit;
• a memory for modification target program data for storing modification target program data corresponding to modification source program data in accordance with information or rules for specifying an address of such modification target program data before said CPU core unit starts program execution;
• a modifying address storage table for storing a necessary number of pairs of information or rules for specifying addresses of such modification target program data and addresses of such modification source program data before said CPU core unit starts program execution;
• a modifying address register for storing the addresses of such modification source program data before said CPU core unit starts to execute such modification source program data;
• an execution unit located in said CPU core unit for loading into said memory for modification target program data addresses of such modification source program data from said modifying address storage table to predetermined positions in said modifying address register in accordance with contents of load modification instructions, when said execution unit detects such load modification instructions in a program, based on address information stored in said modifying address register;
• a program monitor unit for detecting agreement between an address of a program to be executed by said CPU core unit and an address of a modification source program in said modifying address register, with reference to said modifying address register, before execution of modification source program data corresponding to such modfication source address;
• and
• an acquired instruction switch unit for performing necessary processes in order to make said execution unit in said CPU core unit execute the program data at a modification target address which has been obtained from said memory for modification target program data and corresponds to a program at a modification source address stored in said modifying address register, instead of a program at such modification source address when said program monitor unit detects agreement between both addresses, based on the information to specify such address of the modification target program data.

A method of modifying programs comprising in sequence:

• loading an entrant in a modifying address storage table to a modifying address register, according to a modification instruction existing in an instruction ROM;
• monitoring agreement between an address of an instruction which is being executed and a modification source address in said modifying address storage table;
• executing a modified program stored in a memory different from said instruction ROM, when agreement is detected in said monitoring agreement;
• and
• loading the entrant in said modifying address storage table to said modifying address register, according to a modification instruction stored in the memory different from said instruction ROM, after agreement is detected in said monitoring agreement.