JP2006155391A - Image forming apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an image forming apparatus which attains cost reduction thereof, and performs high-speed start by saving a read history from an HDD or an SD card in a flash memory for booting and using the read history, since downloading (reading in of a program) from the HDD and the memory card is slower than a ROM and requires more start time when achieving cost reduction of a storing medium of a program of the apparatus by starting from the HDD and a memory card of which price per bit is cheaper than the ROM. <P>SOLUTION: The apparatus equipped with a flash memory (FROM) 2 for booting writes a program in a low speed memory device such as an HDD or an SD card, saves a history read from the HDD or the SD card for subsequent start time, and at starting on and after the next time, high-speed start is performed by reading the program directly from the saved history without going through a file system. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2006,JPO&NCIPI

Description

  The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus having a flash memory for booting and starting a program from a low-speed memory device such as an HDD or an SD card.

  In recent years, the program size has increased due to the higher functionality of digital copying machines, and a ROM having a large capacity has been mounted. However, the cost of ROM is higher than that of RAM, and the bit unit price is higher than that of HDDs and SD cards.

  Here, there is a program in which a memory card is used instead of a ROM, and an application program written in the memory card is downloaded to a RAM and started.

  As a result, an application program can be selected and used from one memory card in which various application programs are written according to the purpose, so there is no need to prepare many memory cards in which only a single application program is written. An apparatus with improved workability and operability is provided.

  According to the present invention, the cost of the apparatus is reduced by starting from the memory card (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

  In a conventional microprocessor system, a boot ROM (ROM into which a startup program is written) is mounted on a circuit, and a processing program is prepared in an external device such as a floppy (registered trademark) disk or a hard disk.

  Then, the startup program executed at the time of resetting reads out the processing program from the disk, expands it on the memory, and then passes the control to this processing program. I was sorry.

  After the processing program is written in the non-volatile memory, the processing program can be executed directly after the power is turned on, and there is no need to execute the startup program written in the boot ROM, providing a system that shortens the rise time after the power is turned on (See, for example, Patent Document 2).

  Further, in a conventional information processing apparatus, an OS (Operating System) is started after power is turned on or reset, and various application programs and the like are started under the control of the OS.

  A memory card is known as a detachable semiconductor memory device used in an information processing apparatus. This memory card has a disadvantage that it requires a long waiting time because it is necessary to first turn on the device, start up the OS, and start various programs.

  In particular, in recent years, since the OS has become multifunctional and scaled up, it takes a lot of time to start up the OS.

  In order to solve this problem, a removable memory card is used in the information processing apparatus main body, and a boot program and an operating system loaded into the information processing apparatus main body by the boot program are stored in the information processing apparatus main body. Therefore, the OS can be started from the memory card.

  Thus, the OS is easily and quickly started by mounting the memory card in the information processing apparatus and turning on or resetting the power (see, for example, Patent Document 3).

Similar to the microprocessor system and the information processing apparatus as described above, the function of the image processing apparatus is improved, and an inexpensive program storage medium and a faster apparatus start-up are required.
Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 06-105039 Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 06-348504 JP 2002-82810 A

  Booting from an HDD or memory card, which has a lower bit unit price than ROM, reduces the cost of the device's program storage medium. However, HDDs and memory cards are slower to download (loading programs) than ROM, and the startup time is low. There was the fault that it took.

  An object of the present invention is to reduce the cost of the apparatus, save a reading history from an HDD or an SD card using a flash memory for booting, and perform high-speed activation based on the reading history.

  According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided an image forming apparatus having a boot flash memory (FROM), wherein a program is written in a low-speed memory device such as an HDD or an SD card, and the HDD or the SD is subsequently started up. It has a storing means for storing a history of reading from a card, and at the time of the next and subsequent startups, the program is directly started from the history stored by the storing means without going through the file system, and high-speed startup is performed. To do.

  The invention according to claim 2 is characterized in that, even when the configuration of the image forming apparatus is changed, high-speed startup is performed by directly reading a program from the history stored by the storage unit.

  The invention according to claim 3 is characterized in that, even when the program of the image forming apparatus is updated, high speed activation is performed by directly reading the program from the history stored by the storage unit.

  According to the present invention, it is possible to reduce the cost and shorten the startup time by using an inexpensive memory card without using an expensive FROM for a program that occupies the majority of the system excluding the boot program and the startup history.

  Next, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

  FIG. 1 shows the configuration of an image forming apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.

  The system configuration of this apparatus includes a CPU (Central Processing Unit) 1, a boot FROM 2, a memory card 3, a memory controller 4, a RAM (Random Access Memory) 5, an operation panel controller 6, an input device 7, The display device 8 includes a printer engine 9, a scanner 10, a network 11, and a bus 12.

  Next, each block in FIG. 1 will be described.

  A CPU (Central Processing Unit) 1 is a central part that performs processing from control of each device and calculation of data in a computer. A device that executes a program stored in a memory, receives data from an input device or storage device, calculates and processes the data, and outputs the result to an output device or storage device. It also controls the entire system.

  The boot FROM 2 is a boot flash memory (FROM) in which a boot program that is executed first when power is turned on is stored.

  The memory card 3 is a card-type storage device that employs a flash memory as a storage medium. Since it is very small and consumes little power for reading and writing data, it is widely used as a recording medium for mobile devices. In the present invention, it refers to an HDD (Hard Disk Drive) or SD card in which a program or the like is stored.

  The memory controller 4 controls the memory card.

  The RAM 5 is a storage device using a semiconductor element. Used for a main memory (main storage device) of a computer. Since the RAM electrically reads and writes data, it operates at high speed and can be accessed directly from the CPU, but cannot be used in large quantities due to its high price per unit capacity. In addition, the content is lost when the power is turned off. In the present invention, program execution, image storage, and editing are performed.

  The operation panel controller 6 controls the input device 7 and the display device 8.

  The input device 7 is a device for giving instructions and data to a computer. In the present invention, an input device such as a key.

  The printer engine 9 outputs an image of character data, image data, graphic data, etc. created by a computer to an OHP sheet or the like.

  The scanner 10 is a device that reads figures and photographs from paper and transfers them to a personal computer as figure data. Light is applied to the paper to be read and the reflected light is read by a CCD or the like and converted into digital data. Since the read image is expressed as a collection of points, dpi (dot per inch) is used as a performance index indicating how finely the image is read. The higher this value, the finer the image that is closer to the original picture. In the present invention, it is used as an apparatus for reading an image.

  The network 11 is a transmission medium or circuit network composed of devices for connecting terminals and the like, and is a network device for communicating with devices connected to the network 11.

  The bus 12 is a transmission path for each circuit to exchange data within the computer. In the present invention, all the devices are connected.

  FIG. 2 shows a configuration example of a boot FROM and a memory card and a RAM area.

  The FROM 2 is mapped to the activation start address of the CPU 1, and a boot program is stored at the activation address.

  In the FROM 2, information on the presence / absence of the plotter, scanner 10, FAX, network 11 and the like is stored as device configuration information.

  In addition, as the reading history, a FAT area and a selector No. at the head of an area indicating an area where a file storing various information exists, and a corresponding RAM 5 address are stored.

  Next, a configuration example of the memory card 3 will be described.

  The memory card 3 (HDD or SD card) has a FAT file system that is a general file system.

  By fixing the position and size of FAT information for managing files on the memory card 3 and by setting the startup flag, device configuration information, and reading history, which are files storing various information, to a fixed size, and writing them first It exists in a continuous area.

  The memory card 3 stores various programs such as a system program, a copy control program, a scanner control program, a printer control program, a network control program, a display control program, and a FAX control program.

  Each of these files may be stored in any location and need not be a continuous area.

  Next, the RAM 5 area will be described.

  At startup, the boot program copies the FAT information, the startup flag, the device configuration information, and the reading history to the RAM 5. These pieces of information access not the memory card 3 but the copied RAM 5 area.

  The boot program first transfers the system program from the memory card 3 to the RAM 5, and transfers control to the system program. The system program refers to the FAT information on the RAM 5 as necessary, and causes the RAM 5 to execute the program on the memory card 3.

  FIG. 3 shows a control flow of the image forming apparatus of the present embodiment.

  First, the boot FROM (boot program, transfer area information) 2 and the configuration file of the memory card 3 are written.

  When this system is started, the boot program written in the boot FROM 2 first refers to the transfer area information, stores the sector number stored therein, the FAT information on the memory card 3 indicated by the sector size, The activation flag, device configuration information, and reading history are copied to the RAM 5 (step S101).

  Next, the activation flag copied to the RAM 5 is checked (step S101), and it is determined whether it is normal activation or high-speed activation (step S103).

  In the case of normal startup (step S103 / Yes), first, the device configuration connected to the system is checked (step S104), the program necessary to control them is selected, and the file system of the memory card 3 is copied. A program stored in a predetermined location of the memory card 3 is loaded into the RAM 5 via the FAT information on the RAM 5 (step S105).

  At this time, the sector number read from the memory card 3 and the transfer destination RAM address are registered in the read history on the RAM 5 (step S106).

  After the registration is completed, the device configuration information is registered (step S107), the activation flag on the RAM 5 is rewritten to “high speed” (step S108), the transfer area information on the FROM is referred to, and the FAT information on the RAM 5 area is referred to. The activation flag, device configuration information, and reading history are written back to the memory card 3 (step S109).

  As a result of these series of operations, the startup flag is “high-speed” at the next startup, so that the program on the memory card 3 is written in the read history without going through the file system on the memory card 3. The DMA transfer is performed based on the transfer destination sector No. and the transfer destination RAM address, the program on the memory card is transferred to the RAM 5 at a high speed, the program on the previous RAM 5 is executed (step S110), and the process ends.

  Here, returning to step S103, if the activation flag is high speed (step S103 / No), the device configuration information is checked (step S111), and the device configuration is changed before rewriting the activation flag to “high speed” during normal activation. Register information.

  At the time of high-speed startup, the device configuration information is compared with the current device configuration (step S112). If they do not match (step S112 / No), the flow proceeds to the normal startup flow and the reading history and device configuration information are updated. Let If they match (step S112 / Yes), the read history is loaded into the RAM 5 (step S113), the program on the RAM 5 is executed (step S110), and the process ends.

  When a program update occurs, the storage location and size of the program on the memory card 3 and the transfer destination of the RAM 5 are different.

  If high-speed startup is performed in this state, a mismatch occurs and normal startup cannot be performed, so the program is rewritten (step S201).

  When the program is updated, the activation flag is replaced with “normal” (step S202).

  Since the FAT information on the RAM 5 is also updated by updating the program, the transfer area information on the FROM is referred to and the FAT information on the RAM area, the activation flag, the device configuration information, and the reading history are displayed in the memory card 3. (Step S203).

  Reboot after the writeback is complete. As a result, the activation after the reboot is a normal activation, and the reading history and device configuration information are registered.

1 is a configuration diagram of an image forming apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. 1 is a configuration diagram of a boot FROM, a memory card, and a RAM according to an embodiment of the present invention. It is a flowchart which shows operation | movement of one Embodiment of this invention.

Explanation of symbols

1 CPU
2 Boot FROM
3 Memory card 4 Memory controller 5 RAM
6 Operation Panel Controller 7 Input Device 8 Display Device 9 Printer Engine 10 Scanner 11 Network 12 Bus

Claims (3)

An image forming apparatus having a boot flash memory (FROM),
A storage unit for writing a program to a low-speed memory device such as an HDD or an SD card, and for storing a history of reading from the HDD or the SD card at the subsequent startup;
An image forming apparatus that performs high-speed startup by reading a program directly from a history stored by the storage unit without going through a file system at the time of subsequent startup.   2. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein even when the configuration of the image forming apparatus is changed, the image forming apparatus is activated at high speed by directly reading a program from a history stored by the storing unit.   The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein even when the program of the image forming apparatus is updated, the image forming apparatus is activated at high speed by directly reading the program from the history stored by the storing unit.

Images