JPH06208525A - Method for switching operation mode of processor - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To provide a method for starting an application program which differs in an operation mode without switching the operation mode with an operation mode changeover switch by providing an operation mode switching process part on a processor and its peripheral device which have two operation modes. CONSTITUTION:An operation mode switching process (step 4) which is actuated at a request made by the application program is provided, and the operation mode switching process (step 4) includes a step 5 wherein an operating system is read in again, a step 6 wherein the operation mode of the processor and peripheral device is changed, a step 7 wherein the peripheral device, a basic input/output program, and the operating system are initialized, a step 10 wherein the application program is loaded, and a step 11 wherein the application program is started.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an operation mode switching method for a processor having two operation modes.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, a small processing device such as a personal computer has a changeover switch for selecting an operation mode of the processing device according to a model of a peripheral device to be connected. Then, when the operation mode is switched, the operation of the processing device is temporarily stopped, the switching switch is switched, the operating system program is reloaded, and the application program is started.

[0003]

According to the above-mentioned conventional application program starting method, when the application program operating in the operation mode different from the operation mode currently operating is started, the operation mode changeover switch of the processing device is switched. It is necessary to stop and restart the system. An object of the present invention is to provide an operation mode switching method of a processing device by an operation mode switching processing program which does not require mechanical switching of the operation mode switching switch.

[0004]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The operation mode switching method for a processing device according to the present invention comprises a procedure for re-reading an operating system program in a processing device for selecting an operation mode corresponding to a peripheral device to be connected, and the above-mentioned processing. A procedure for changing the operation mode of the device, a procedure for initializing the processing device and the peripheral device, a basic input / output program for controlling the input / output operation of the processing device and the peripheral device, and the operating system A method of switching an operation mode of a processing device, comprising: a procedure; and a procedure of loading an application program and starting the application program.

[0005]

Embodiments of the present invention will now be described with reference to the drawings.

Referring to FIG. 1, which shows the flow of the procedure of an embodiment of the present invention, an operating system starting process 1 for starting an operating system, and an operating system starting process 1 load an application program operating in the A mode. By the environment setting process 2 for the A mode application program and the completion of loading the A mode application program, A
A mode application program starting process 3 for starting the mode application program and operation mode switching process 4 for switching the operation mode to the B mode at the request of the A mode application program.
And an operating system program reloading process 5 for reading an operating system program according to a command of the operation mode switching process 4 for switching the operation mode, and a hardware mode for switching the operation mode of the processing device and the peripheral device according to the operation mode of the application program. Change process 6, hardware initialization process 7 for initializing the processing device and peripheral devices changed by the hardware mode change process 6, and basic input / output program initialization for initializing the basic input / output program to the switchable operation mode Initialization process 8, operating system initialization process 9 for initializing the operating system into an operation mode in which the operating system can be switched, and B mode application for loading an application program that operates in B mode A program for the environment setting process 10, B
B mode application program start processing 11 for starting the mode application program.

Next, referring to FIG. 2 for explaining the configuration of this embodiment, the configuration of the system 20 for executing this operation mode switching method is such that the control unit 21 for executing the operating system program and the peripheral device are connected. A basic input / output unit 22 that executes output, a peripheral device 231 that operates in the A mode, and a peripheral device 232 that operates in the B mode;
A mode application unit 24 that executes an application program that operates in the mode, B mode application unit 25 that executes an application program that operates in the B mode, and a control unit that receives an operation mode switching request from the application units 24 and 25. Two
1 and an operation mode switching unit 26 that sends an operation mode switching command. Furthermore, the operation mode switching unit 26
Sends a switching command to one of the A mode operation unit 211 and the B mode operation unit 212 of the control unit 21. Control unit 2
1 sends a switching command to one of the A mode operating unit 221 and the B mode operating unit 222 of the basic input / output unit 22 in response to the request of the A mode or the B mode. The basic input / output unit 22 controls one of the peripheral devices 23 and 24 in a corresponding mode in response to an A mode or B mode command.

Next, the flow of the procedure of this embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. First, when the processing device (not shown) and the peripheral device 231 set to the A mode are turned on, the processing device and the peripheral device are automatically processed by the operating system starting process 1 of the control unit 21 having the operating system program. Is initialized to the A mode, and the operation in the A mode becomes operable. Further, the control unit 1 initializes the basic input / output unit 22 having the basic input / output program to enable the A mode function 221 of the basic input / output unit 22 (step 1 in FIG. 1). Next, the control unit 21
The A-mode application program environment setting process included in step A loads the A-mode application program into the A-mode application section 24 (step 2). Next, the A-mode application program activation process 3 is activated, and the A-mode application unit 24 can operate. Then, the A mode application unit 2
4, the activation of the operation mode switching process 4 to the B mode is requested (step 3). The operation mode switching unit 26 that executes the operation mode switching process 4 first executes the reloading process (step 5) of the operating system program for re-initializing the processing device, the peripheral device, and the operating system for the B mode. In executing the operating system program reloading process, the operation mode switching unit 26 reads an operating system program from an external storage device (not shown) into an area (not shown) on the main memory of the operation mode switching unit 26 itself (step). 5). Next, in the execution of the hardware mode changing process, the operation mode switching unit 26 changes the operation mode of the processing device operating in the A mode to the B mode, and stores the B mode in the area on the main memory (step 6). Based on the information indicating the B mode stored in this area, the operation mode switching unit 26 performs the B of the processing device during the hardware initialization process.
The mode peripheral device 232 is made operable via the control unit 21 and the basic input / output unit 22. The B-mode function 222 of the basic input / output unit 22 having the basic input / output program for controlling the B-mode peripheral device 232 can be operated by the B-mode operation unit 212 which executes the basic input / output program initialization processing of the control unit 21. (Step 8). Further, the B-mode function 212 of the control unit 21, which controls the B-mode function 222 of the basic input / output unit 22, executes the operating system initialization process, and the operation mode switching unit 26.
The operating system program in its own storage area is transferred to the operating system program area of the control unit 1 (step 9). Then, the control unit 21
Executes the application program environment setting process,
The B-mode application program is loaded into the B-mode application unit 25 (step 10). Further, the control unit 21 executes the application program starting process, and the B mode application program is started in the B mode application unit (step 11).

[0009]

As described above, according to the present invention,
In a small processing device such as a personal computer having two operation modes, the operation mode is not changed by switching the operation mode changeover switch, but the operation mode changeover process is provided in the application unit to change the operation mode. An application program operating in a different mode switches the operation mode and is started without temporarily stopping the system and restarting the system. Therefore, an operation mode switching operation can be easily performed even by an operator who is not accustomed to handling the processing device.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a procedure flow of an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a system configuration of FIG.

[Explanation of symbols]

1 Operating system startup processing 2 Environment setting processing for A mode application programs 3 A mode application program startup processing 4 Operation mode switching processing 5 Operating system reloading processing 6 Hardware mode change processing 7 Hardware initialization processing 8 Basic input / output program initialization Processing 9 Operating system initialization processing 10 B mode application program environment setting processing 11 B mode application program startup processing 20 Operation mode switching system

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A processing device for selecting an operation mode corresponding to a peripheral device to be connected, a procedure of reloading an operating system program, a process of changing an operation mode of the processing device, the processing device and the peripheral device. A procedure for initializing a device, a procedure for initializing a basic input / output program for controlling input / output operations of the processing device and the peripheral device and the operating system, a procedure for loading an application program and starting the application program, An operation mode switching method for a processing device, comprising: