A method, a tcon and a system for online burning of a tcon code

Abstract

The application discloses a kind of methods, TCON and system of online burning TCON Code, the method comprises: when needing to update the running code of TCON, the latest version of the code of TCON is sent to the SOC of access network by cloud server;TCON is located in panel, panel is in the same device with SOC, communication connection between TCON and SOC, SOC has network online upgrade function;The latest version of the code of TCON is received by SOC and is temporarily stored;SOC carries out the check to the latest version of the code of TCON temporarily stored;When check passes, the latest version of the code of TCON is transmitted to TCON;TCON received code is stored to the preset storage area in the FLASH of itself.The application can realize the update of TCON running code under the condition of remote free disassembly, and also can reduce maintenance cost, improve update reliability and the advantages of compatible existing hardware architecture.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention belongs to the field of display driver technology, specifically relating to a method for online programming of TCON Code, TCON, and system. Background Technology

[0002] Currently, display products range from 32 to 100 inches, with a large number of different models available to customers. Given the varying functional requirements of different customers for the panels, the following product issues arise: 1) Products have already reached end customers, but during backend technical development, some functional or visual issues are discovered, requiring modifications to the TCON runtime code to improve current product functionality; 2) Updates to panel visual settings or TCON functional requirements are needed to meet customer demands, requiring modifications to register settings and updates to the TCON runtime code on the client side. Both of these situations involve frequent TCON runtime code updates, which can easily lead to code version inconsistencies and complex programming methods.

[0003] During customer production or use, due to the unpredictable modifications to the TCON (Timing Controller) settings and frequent updates to related lookup tables (LUTs), situations often arise where the TCON code still needs to be updated after the entire device is assembled. Traditionally, this requires technicians to be on-site to disassemble the entire device and then use specialized programming tools to refresh the TCON's internal operating code. However, this process not only consumes significant manpower and time but also carries multiple risks: 1) Disassembly itself can easily cause physical damage to the PCB board or LCD panel, such as broken ribbon cables, panel damage from pressure, or backlight module displacement, directly leading to the scrapping of the entire device or high repair costs; 2) Repeated disassembly and assembly may introduce electrostatic discharge (ESD) damage, damaging the TCON chip or other sensitive components, causing latent faults; 3) On-site operation also carries risks such as data programming errors and firmware version incompatibility; failure may require multiple reworks, further delaying production; 4) Frequent personnel entry and exit from the customer's site can also create management and coordination difficulties and may even cause other peripheral circuit failures due to improper operation. These combined risks not only significantly increase material and labor costs but also lengthen delivery cycles, impacting customer satisfaction. Therefore, a safer and more efficient remote or non-intrusive TCON code update solution is needed. Summary of the Invention

[0004] To address the aforementioned problems in the existing technology, this invention provides a method, a TCON, and a system for online TCON code programming. The technical problem to be solved by this invention is achieved through the following technical solution: In a first aspect, the present invention provides a method for online programming of TCON Code, comprising: When the timing controller TCON's running code needs to be updated, the cloud server sends the latest version of the TCON's code to the main control system SOC connected to the network; wherein, the TCON is located in the panel, the panel and the SOC are in the same device, the TCON and the SOC are communicatively connected, and the SOC has online network upgrade capabilities; The SOC receives and temporarily stores the latest version of the TCON's code. The SOC verifies the latest version of the code of the temporarily stored TCON and obtains the verification result; When the verification result shows that the verification is successful, the SOC transmits the latest version of the code of the TCON to the TCON through the existing communication protocol between the SOC and the TCON. The TCON stores the latest version of the code it receives into a preset storage area within its own Flash.

[0005] In one embodiment of the present invention, the Flash includes a main code area and a spare code area, and the main code area and the spare code area are independently addressable. The spare code area pre-stores a spare version of the code. The TCON stores the received latest version of the code into a preset storage area within its own Flash, including: The TCON stores the received latest version of the code into the main code area of ​​its own Flash.

[0006] In one embodiment of the present invention, the backup version code is not updated after being pre-stored in the backup code area.

[0007] In one embodiment of the present invention, the latest version of the TCON code is the entire set of TCON code, or the latest version of the TCON code is a portion of the entire set of TCON code.

[0008] In one embodiment of the present invention, the method further includes: When the TCON is reset or powered on, the TCON reads code from the main code area and verifies the read code to obtain the verification result; When the verification result shows that the code read from the main code area passes the verification, the code read from the main code area is executed. When the verification result indicates that the read code has failed the verification, the backup version code is read from the backup code area and the backup version code is run.

[0009] In one embodiment of the present invention, the SOC verifies the latest version of the code of the temporarily stored TCON to obtain a verification result, including: The SOC performs an integrity check on the latest version of the code of the temporarily stored TCON and obtains the check result.

[0010] In one embodiment of the present invention, the TCON reads code from the main code area and verifies the read code to obtain a verification result, including: The TCON reads code from the main code area and performs integrity verification on the read code to obtain the verification result.

[0011] In one embodiment of the present invention, the TCON and the SOC are connected via an IIC bus or a dedicated ISP programming interface.

[0012] Secondly, the present invention provides a timing controller TCON for implementing the steps performed by the TCON in the above-described online TCON Code programming method.

[0013] Thirdly, the present invention provides a system for online TCON code programming, used to implement the above-mentioned online TCON code programming method, the system comprising: The system comprises a cloud server, a timing controller (TCON), a main control system (SOC), and a Flash. The TCON is located in a panel assembly, which is in the same device as the SOC. The TCON and the SOC are connected for communication, and the SOC has an online network upgrade function. The cloud server is used to send the latest version of the TCON code to the SOC connected to the network when the runtime code of the timing controller TCON needs to be updated. The SOC is used to receive and temporarily store the latest version of the code of the TCON, and to verify the stored latest version of the code of the TCON to obtain a verification result; when the verification result shows that the verification is successful, the latest version of the code of the TCON is transmitted to the TCON through the existing communication protocol between the SOC and the TCON. The TCON is used to store the received latest version of the code into a preset storage area within Flash.

[0014] Compared with the prior art, the beneficial effects of the present invention are as follows: 1) Enable remote, non-disassembly-free updates: Utilize the existing online upgrade capabilities of the SOC to complete TCON code updates without the need for on-site personnel or disassembly of the entire device, completely avoiding physical risks such as panel damage, PCB deformation, and ESD damage.

[0015] 2) Reduced maintenance costs: Saves on the manpower and material costs of technicians' travel, disassembly and assembly, use of special programmers and repairs, and improves operation and maintenance efficiency.

[0016] 3) Improve update reliability: With the dual-zone design, even if the main code zone is damaged during the update process due to power failure, bus interference or write error, TCON can still automatically load a stable version from the backup zone, avoiding the whole machine black screen or abnormal display caused by TCON failure.

[0017] 4) Compatible with existing hardware architecture: It reuses the existing IIC / SPI bus between SOC and TCON and TCON's read and write capabilities to Flash without increasing hardware costs or changing the overall structure.

[0018] The present invention will be further described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and embodiments. Attached Figure Description

[0019] Figure 1 This is a flowchart illustrating a method for online TCON code programming provided in an embodiment of the present invention; Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the partitioning results of the Flash storage space provided in an embodiment of the present invention; Figure 3 This is a partial structural diagram of the complete device containing the TCON and SOC provided in this embodiment of the invention. Detailed Implementation

[0020] The present invention will be further described in detail below with reference to specific embodiments, but the implementation of the present invention is not limited thereto.

[0021] In a first aspect, embodiments of the present invention provide a method for online programming of TCON Code.

[0022] Please see Figure 1 , Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of an online TCON code programming method provided by an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 1 As shown, the method includes: S101. When it is necessary to update the running code of the timing controller TCON, the cloud server sends the latest version of the TCON code to the SOC connected to the network. The TCON is located in the panel, the panel and the SOC are in the same device, the TCON and the SOC are connected for communication, and the SOC has the function of online network upgrade.

[0023] For example, the device described in this invention may be a display screen, a smart TV, or other similar devices.

[0024] In this invention, since the SOC has an online upgrade function, in some embodiments, the cloud server can be a server that provides the SOC with the code required for the SOC update when the SOC updates its own code online via a network connection. Based on this, before step S101, whenever the TCON's running code needs to be updated, the server responsible for providing the latest version of the TCON's code sends the latest version of the TCON's code to the cloud server. Then, the cloud server distributes the latest version of the TCON's code to the SOC via the network. In other embodiments, the cloud server can also be a server responsible for providing the latest version of the TCON's code; whenever the TCON's code needs to be updated, the cloud server directly distributes the latest version of the TCON's code to the SOC via the network.

[0025] In this invention, the latest version of TCON's code is the entire TCON codebase, or the latest version of TCON's codebase is a portion of the entire TCON codebase. That is, when updating the TCON code, this application can either update the entire old version of the code or only update a portion of the old version's code.

[0026] S102 and SOC receive and temporarily store the latest version of TCON's code.

[0027] S103 and SOC verify the latest version of the code of the temporarily stored TCON and obtain the verification result.

[0028] Specifically, the SOC performs an integrity check on the latest version of the code in the temporarily stored TCON to verify whether the received code is complete. If the check passes, it indicates that the received code is complete; if the check fails, it indicates that the received code is incomplete. For example, CRC checksum can be used to implement code integrity verification.

[0029] S104. When the verification result shows that the verification is successful, the SOC will transfer the latest version of the code of TCON to TCON through the existing communication protocol between SOC and TCON.

[0030] Specifically, in the aforementioned devices, the TCON and SOC communicate via the IIC bus or a dedicated ISP programming interface. Therefore, when the SOC needs to send verified and error-free code to the TCON, it can send the code directly to the TCON via the IIC bus or the dedicated ISP programming interface.

[0031] In some embodiments, when the verification result shows that the verification failed, the SOC discards the temporarily stored latest version of the TCON code and sends the verification result back to the cloud server. The cloud server then reissues the latest version of the TCON code to the SOC based on the verification result.

[0032] S105 and TCON store the latest version of the code they receive into a preset storage area within their own Flash memory.

[0033] The entire online TCON Code programming process described above distributes the TCON code as a "sub-firmware" through the SOC's network channel, rather than using a separate TCON programmer or offline programming method. At the same time, it reuses the existing hardware connection between the SOC and TCON and the TCON's ability to read and write Flash. Therefore, it does not require additional hardware costs or changes to the overall structure of the device, and it does not require disassembly or a dedicated programmer, completely avoiding physical risks such as panel damage, PCB deformation, and ESD damage. It also saves on the manpower costs of on-site personnel and disassembly / reassembly.

[0034] When updating the TCON Code online via the network, the entire device (i.e., the device mentioned above) needs to be powered on at all times. If a power outage, signal interruption, or data error occurs during the update, the device's panel will fail to start or display properly due to errors in the internal code of the TCON. In addition, if the code stored in the Flash is partially damaged but not completely invalid, the TCON may be able to start, but unpredictable abnormal problems such as screen flickering, screen malfunctions, or other functional errors may occur, thus affecting the normal display of the panel.

[0035] To address the aforementioned issues, this application functionally divides the Flash storage space and, based on this, designs a code verification mechanism executed by TCON and a boot path selection mechanism based on the verification results. Specifically, as follows... Figure 2As shown, this invention divides the Flash storage space into two independent areas: a main code area and a backup code area. These two areas are independently addressable. The backup code area pre-stores backup version code, while the main code area is used to burn and store the latest version of the TCON's running code. Based on this, when the TCON receives a verified, error-free latest version of the code sent by the SOC, it can store the received code in the main code area. It should be noted that the backup version code stored in the backup code area is a fixed and reliable base version of the code, and it does not participate in regular online code updates. This ensures that the TCON always retains a stable and reliable code version with basic functionality, serving as a consistently available rollback code. The backup version code in the backup code area can be burned into the TCON's Flash backup code area during panel factory manufacturing.

[0036] Based on dividing the Flash storage space into two independent areas—the main code area and the spare code area—the code verification mechanism executed by TCON and the boot path selection mechanism based on the verification results are implemented through steps S106-S108. Steps S106-S108 can be executed either after step S105 or during the execution of steps S101-S105. Steps S106-S108 are as follows: S106. When TCON is reset or powered on, TCON reads the code from the main code area and verifies the read code to obtain the verification result.

[0037] Specifically, TCON performs an integrity check on the code read from the main code area to verify whether the read code is complete. If the check passes, it indicates that the read code is complete; if the check fails, it indicates that the read code may have been interrupted during a previous update, suffered a write error, or is itself corrupted. For example, CRC checksum can be used to implement code integrity verification.

[0038] S107. When the verification result shows that the code read from the main code area passes the verification, run the code read from the main code area.

[0039] S108. When the verification result indicates that the read code has failed the verification, read the backup version code from the backup code area and run the backup version code.

[0040] Here, when TCON detects that the code read from the main code area fails the verification, it immediately stops loading the main code and instead reads and executes the pre-stored, stable and reliable backup version code from the backup code area.

[0041] As can be seen from the above, this invention, through its primary and backup dual-zone design, code verification mechanism, and boot path selection mechanism based on verification results, ensures that even if the primary code zone is damaged during the update process due to power failure, bus interference, or write errors, TCON can still automatically load a stable version of the code from the backup zone to guarantee basic functionality. This avoids the problem of the entire machine going black or displaying abnormalities due to TCON malfunction, and it can achieve self-healing without additional human intervention.

[0042] Secondly, embodiments of the present invention provide a timing controller TCON, which can implement the steps performed by the TCON in the first aspect described above. Since the relevant steps have been described in detail in the first aspect, they will not be repeated here.

[0043] Thirdly, embodiments of the present invention provide a system for online TCON code programming, used to implement the online TCON code programming method provided in the first aspect above. The system includes: a cloud server, a TCON, a SOC, and a Flash; the TCON is located in a panel assembly, the panel assembly and the SOC are in the same device, the TCON and the SOC are communicatively connected, and the SOC has an online upgrade function. The cloud server is used to send the latest version of the TCON code to the SOC connected to the network when the running code of the timing controller TCON needs to be updated. The SOC is used to receive and temporarily store the latest version of the TCON code, and verify the temporarily stored latest version of the TCON code to obtain a verification result; when the verification result shows that the verification is successful, the latest version of the TCON code is transmitted to the TCON through the existing communication protocol between the SOC and the TCON. The TCON is used to store the received latest version of the code in a preset storage area within the Flash. For example, Figure 3 This is a partial structural diagram of the equipment, such as... Figure 3 As shown, BT represents TCON, and the client SOC represents SOC, as... Figure 3 As shown, TCON is equipped with an external FLASH ( Figure 3 The FLASH1 in the TCON and SOC communicate via the IIC bus or a dedicated ISP programming interface. Since the relevant details have already been explained in the first aspect, they will not be repeated here.

[0044] In summary, this invention, through code backup and automatic switching mechanisms, ensures that the system can immediately switch to the backup program to restore the display when the main program update fails or is damaged, preventing damage to the TCON due to improper burning and improving the reliability of the panel display. Remote secure updates via SOC eliminate the need for disassembly, and the fault-tolerance mechanism greatly simplifies the maintenance process, reducing the cost and risk of on-site maintenance. Furthermore, the SOC's ability to remotely update the TCON code through the commonly used and efficient IIC and ISP interfaces, combined with the aforementioned fault-tolerance architecture, forms a convenient and secure complete solution. Power-on / reset code verification effectively intercepts incomplete or erroneous code, preventing display anomalies such as screen flickering and color distortion, ensuring the stability of the panel display.

[0045] In the description of this specification, the references to terms such as "one embodiment," "some embodiments," "example," "specific example," or "some examples," etc., indicate that a specific feature, structure, material, or characteristic described in connection with that embodiment or example is included in at least one embodiment or example of the invention. In this specification, the illustrative expressions of the above terms do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment or example. Furthermore, the specific features, structures, materials, or characteristics described may be combined in any suitable manner in one or more embodiments or examples. In addition, those skilled in the art can combine and integrate the different embodiments or examples described in this specification.

[0046] The above description, in conjunction with specific preferred embodiments, provides a further detailed explanation of the present invention. It should not be construed that the specific implementation of the present invention is limited to these descriptions. For those skilled in the art, various simple deductions or substitutions can be made without departing from the concept of the present invention, and all such modifications and substitutions should be considered within the scope of protection of the present invention.

Claims

1. A method for online programming of TCON Code, characterized in that, include: When the timing controller TCON's running code needs to be updated, the cloud server sends the latest version of the TCON's code to the main control system SOC connected to the network; wherein, the TCON is located in the panel, the panel and the SOC are in the same device, the TCON and the SOC are communicatively connected, and the SOC has online network upgrade capabilities; The SOC receives and temporarily stores the latest version of the TCON's code. The SOC verifies the latest version of the code of the temporarily stored TCON and obtains the verification result; When the verification result shows that the verification is successful, the SOC transmits the latest version of the code of the TCON to the TCON through the existing communication protocol between the SOC and the TCON. The TCON stores the latest version of the code it receives into a preset storage area within its own Flash.

2. The method for online TCON code programming according to claim 1, characterized in that, The Flash includes a main code area and a backup code area, and the main code area and the backup code area are addressed independently. The backup code area stores backup version code in advance. The TCON stores the received latest version of the code into a preset storage area within its own Flash memory, including: The TCON stores the received latest version of the code into the main code area of ​​its own Flash.

3. The method for online TCON code programming according to claim 2, characterized in that, The backup version code is not updated after being pre-saved into the backup code area.

4. The method for online TCON code programming according to claim 2, characterized in that, The latest version of the TCON code is the complete set of TCON code, or the latest version of the TCON code is a part of the complete set of TCON code.

5. The method for online TCON code programming according to claim 2, characterized in that, The method further includes: When the TCON is reset or powered on, the TCON reads code from the main code area and verifies the read code to obtain the verification result; When the verification result shows that the code read from the main code area passes the verification, the code read from the main code area is executed. When the verification result indicates that the read code has failed the verification, the backup version code is read from the backup code area and the backup version code is run.

6. The method for online TCON code programming according to claim 1, characterized in that, The SOC verifies the latest version of the code of the temporarily stored TCON and obtains the verification result, including: The SOC performs an integrity check on the latest version of the code of the temporarily stored TCON and obtains the check result.

7. The method for online TCON code programming according to claim 5, characterized in that, The TCON reads code from the main code area and verifies the read code to obtain the verification result, including: The TCON reads code from the main code area and performs integrity verification on the read code to obtain the verification result.

8. The method for online TCON code programming according to claim 1, characterized in that, The TCON and the SOC communicate via an IIC bus or a dedicated ISP programming interface.

9. A timing controller TCON, characterized in that, Used to implement the steps performed by the TCON in any one of claims 1-8 above.

10. A system for online TCON code burning, characterized in that, The system for implementing the online TCON Code programming method according to any one of claims 1-8, the system comprising: The system comprises a cloud server, a timing controller (TCON), a main control system (SOC), and a Flash. The TCON is located in a panel assembly, which is in the same device as the SOC. The TCON and the SOC are connected for communication, and the SOC has an online network upgrade function. The cloud server is used to send the latest version of the TCON code to the SOC connected to the network when the runtime code of the timing controller TCON needs to be updated. The SOC is used to receive and temporarily store the latest version of the code of the TCON, and to verify the stored latest version of the code of the TCON to obtain a verification result; when the verification result shows that the verification is successful, the latest version of the code of the TCON is transmitted to the TCON through the existing communication protocol between the SOC and the TCON. The TCON is used to store the received latest version of the code into a preset storage area within Flash.

Images