Apparatus for controlling at least one electronic device and related method
AssigneeSilicon Motion, Inc.
InventorsLi-Ling Chou, Yung-Wei Chen
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An apparatus for controlling at least one electronic device is coupled to a host. The apparatus includes a controller and a non-volatile storage unit. The controller is controlled by a driver of the host to thereby control the operation of the electronic device. The non-volatile storage unit is externally coupled to the controller and used for storing data. When the driver is activated, it is determined whether the non-volatile storage unit stores a setting data utilized for the driver. If the setting data for the driver is stored in the non-volatile storage unit, the setting data of the driver is read out for setting the driver.
Claims18
An apparatus for controlling at least one electronic device, the apparatus being coupled to a host, the apparatus comprising:
- a controller, controlled by a driver of the host, for controlling an operation of the electronic device;
- and
- a non-volatile storage unit, externally coupled to the controller, for storing data;
- wherein it is determined whether a setting data utilized for the driver is stored in the non-volatile storage unit when the driver is activated;
- and when the determination is positive, the setting data is read out for setting the driver;
- the operation of the electronic device can be modified by modifying the setting data without re-installing and changing/modifying the driver, and functions of the electronic device are extended by modifying the setting data without re-installing and changing/modifying the driver;
- wherein the setting data for the driver is stored in a specific data storage section of the non-volatile storage unit, and the controller reads out the setting data from the specific data storage section by referring to a fixed address of the specific data storage section without performing a data search on the non-volatile storage unit;
- wherein the specific data storage section is a starting data storage section in storage space of the non-volatile storage unit.
A method for controlling at least one electronic device, comprising:
- storing a setting data utilized for a driver in a non-volatile storage unit;
- comprising storing a configuration data in a specific data storage section of the non-volatile storage unit, wherein the specific data storage section is a staring data storage section in storage space of the non-volatile storage unit;
- and
- reading out the setting data from the non-volatile storage unit to set the driver when the drive is activated, thereby executing the driver to control an operation of the electronic device;
- wherein reading out the setting data from the specific data storage section of the non-volatile storage unit is performed by referring to a fixed address of the specific data storage section without performing a data search on the non-volatile storage unit;
- wherein the operation of the electronic device can be modified by modifying the setting data without re-installing and changing/modifying the driver, and functions of the electronic device are extended by modifying the setting data without re-installing and changing/modifying the driver.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.