JP2854154B2 - Processing equipment - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a processor using a battery as a power source, and more particularly to a processor having a resume function.

2. Description of the Related Art In a processing device such as a handheld computer, a laptop computer, or a palmtop computer, a battery is used as a power source. Among them, those having a resume function are turned on from the state when the power was last turned off. Sometimes the process can be resumed.

[0003]

2. Description of the Related Art In a processor of this type, a suspend process for saving a register value of a CPU, a set value of each I / O and the like to a backup memory when power is cut off is performed.

When the power is turned on again, a resume process for restoring the saved data in the backup memory is performed, and as a result, the process is restarted from the state when the power was last turned off.

[0005] Conventionally, when the battery power is turned on, the resume process is immediately started.

[0006]

When the power is turned on while the remaining capacity of the battery is small, the battery voltage often falls below a level sufficient for driving the apparatus during the resume processing.

In this case, since the contents of the memory are destroyed or the resume processing is interrupted in the middle, the resume processing cannot be performed normally at the next power-on.

The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and an object of the present invention is to cause the destruction of memory contents and interruption of resume processing even when power is turned on with a small remaining capacity of a battery. There is no provision for processing equipment.

[0009]

In order to achieve the above object, a processing apparatus according to the present invention is configured as shown in FIG.

In the present invention, the battery cell 10 supplies power to each section of the apparatus, and the suspend processing means 12 performs suspend processing when the supply of power is cut off.

The battery capacity check means 14 checks the remaining capacity of the battery 10 when the power supply is started, and the resume processing means 16 confirms that sufficient battery capacity remains for the resume processing. Sometimes resume processing is performed.

Further, the power cutoff control means 18 is connected to the battery 1
When it is confirmed that the remaining capacity of 0 is not enough for the resume processing, the power supply is immediately stopped.

Further, the battery 10 supplies power to each unit of the apparatus, and the suspend processing means 12 can perform the suspend processing when the power supply is cut off.

The battery capacity checking means 14 checks the remaining capacity of the battery 10 when the power is turned on, and the resume processing means 16 performs the resume processing when the power supply is started.

Further, the power supply start control means 20 controls the start of power supply when it is confirmed that sufficient battery capacity remains in the apparatus 10, and the power cutoff control means 18 determines that sufficient battery capacity remains for resume processing. When the confirmation is not performed, the start of the power supply is controlled to be prohibited.

[0016]

According to the present invention, when the battery capacity is not sufficient for the resume process, the power supply is immediately cut off, thereby prohibiting the start of the resume process.

Further, when it is not possible to confirm that the remaining battery capacity is sufficient for the resume processing, it is possible to inhibit the start of the power supply and prevent the start of the resume processing. Note that the processing time of the resume processing is constant, and FIG. 11 (illustration diagram of the discharge characteristics of the NiCd battery) and FIG.
If the discharge characteristics of the battery (battery) as shown in (discharge characteristic diagram of alkaline battery) are known, it is possible to determine whether or not to perform the resume process using the remaining amount (voltage) of the battery.

[0018]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Preferred embodiments of a processing apparatus according to the present invention will be described below with reference to FIGS. 2, 3, 4, 5, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, and 10.

FIGS. 2 and 3 illustrate the configuration of the first embodiment. In FIG. 2, power is supplied from a battery 10 to each unit of the apparatus.

In the processing device 30, when the power supply is cut off, a suspend process is performed (steps 400 and 402 in FIG. 4), whereby the value of the CPU register, the set value of each I / O, etc. are backed up. The data is saved in the memory 32.

When the power is turned on, the power supply voltage is detected by the voltage detection circuit 34, and the output of the voltage detection circuit 34 is supplied to the processing circuit 30 (step 404 in FIG. 4).

The voltage detection circuit 34 uses the AD converter 34a shown in FIG. 3, and the processing circuit 30 uses the output of the AD converter 34a to
Is checked (step 40 in FIG. 4).
6).

At this time, when the processing circuit 30 confirms that the remaining capacity of the battery 10 is sufficient for the resume processing, the resume processing is started and the backup memory 3
2 is restored (step 40 in FIG. 4).
8).

Therefore, it is possible to resume the processing when the power is turned on from the state when the power was last turned off.

When the processing circuit 30 confirms from the output of the power detection circuit 34 that the remaining capacity of the battery 10 is not sufficient for the resume processing, a control instruction is given from the processing circuit 30 to the power control circuit 36. .

In the power supply control circuit 36, the control of the power supply circuit 38 is performed in accordance with the control instruction given from the processing circuit 30, and as a result, the supply of power to each unit of the apparatus is immediately cut off.

As a result, the start of the resume processing is prohibited, so that the destruction of the memory contents and the interruption of the resume processing can be prevented.

FIG. 5 illustrates the configuration of the second embodiment. In this embodiment, the output of the voltage comparison circuit 34 is supplied to the power supply control circuit 36.

The comparator 34b shown in FIG. 6 is used in the voltage comparison circuit 34. The power control circuit 36 determines from the output of the comparator 34b whether or not the remaining capacity of the battery 10 is sufficient for the resume processing. Is done.

At this time, when it is confirmed by the power supply control circuit 36 that the remaining capacity of the battery 10 is sufficient, the power supply circuit 38 is controlled by the power supply control circuit 36, and power supply to the respective units including the processing circuit 30 is started. Is done.

Therefore, the resume processing is performed normally, and the processing is resumed from the state when the power was last turned off.

If the voltage control circuit 36 confirms that the remaining capacity of the battery 10 is not sufficient, the power supply circuit 38 is controlled by the power supply control circuit 36, and power supply to each unit of the apparatus is prohibited.

Therefore, the resume processing is not performed.
Therefore, destruction of the memory contents and interruption of the resume processing are prevented.

FIG. 7 shows a specific circuit configuration of the processing device, and FIG. 8 shows a memory map thereof.

As can be understood from FIG. 8, various data are stored in the suspend process from "97FFFH" to "A0000".
H ", and the saved data is restored by the resume processing.

FIG. 9 shows the details of the suspend process, and FIG. 10 shows the details of the resume process.

As described above, since the resume process is not performed when the capacity of the battery 10 is insufficient, it is possible to avoid the destruction of the memory contents and the interruption of the resume process. The operation of starting the processing as it is from the state can be surely performed.

[0038]

As described above, according to the present invention, when the remaining capacity of the power supply battery is insufficient for the resume processing, the resume processing is not performed, so that the destruction of the memory contents and the interruption of the resume processing are avoided. Can, therefore,
The normal operation of starting the processing as it is from the state when the power supply was last cut off can be always performed without error.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating the principle of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating the configuration of an embodiment.

FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram illustrating a configuration of a voltage detection circuit according to the first embodiment.

FIG. 4 is an operation explanatory view of the first embodiment.

FIG. 5 is a configuration explanatory view of a second embodiment.

FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating a configuration of a voltage comparison circuit according to a second embodiment.

FIG. 7 is an explanatory diagram of a specific circuit configuration of the processing apparatus.

FIG. 8 is an explanatory diagram of a memory map.

FIG. 9 is a flowchart illustrating a specific procedure of a suspend process.

FIG. 10 is a flowchart illustrating a specific procedure of a resume process.

FIG. 11 is an explanatory diagram of discharge characteristics of a nickel cadmium battery.

FIG. 12 is an explanatory diagram of discharge characteristics of an alkaline battery.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 Battery 30 Processing circuit 32 Backup memory 34 Voltage detection circuit 36 Power supply control circuit 38 Power supply circuit

──────────────────────────────────────────────────続 き Continuation of the front page (56) References Japanese Utility Model 58-76943 (JP, U) (58) Fields investigated (Int. Cl. ⁶ , DB name) G06F 1/00 G06F 1/28 G06F 12 / 16

Claims (1)

(57) [Claims] 1. A battery for supplying power to each unit of the apparatus, a suspend processing means for performing a suspend process when the power supply is cut off, and a battery capacity for checking the remaining capacity of the battery when the power supply is started. Check means, resume processing means for performing resume processing when sufficient battery capacity for resume processing is confirmed, and power supply for immediately cutting off power supply when sufficient battery capacity for resume processing is not confirmed. And a disconnection control means.