JP2001134338A - User management method for hibernation function and information processor - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To manage whether hibernation can be utilized or not and to select the storage format of working environment information in accordance with the length or frequency of an application period. SOLUTION: A user management method for a hibernation function for evading working environment information stored in a main storage device and an image memory device to an external storage device in each user stores a user list registering registered user names and supervisor names in a non- volatile storage device allowed to be accessed from a BIOS and certifies an inputted user name as a registered user name, a supervisor name or an unregistered user name. When the certified user name is a supervisor name, the execution of registering processing for adding the user name to the user list and securing an exclusive data storage area in the external storage device in relation with the added user name and registration canceling processing for canceling the user name already registered in the user list and releasing a data storage area related to the user name and secured in the external storage device is permitted.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

The present invention relates to an information processing apparatus such as a personal computer, and more particularly to a so-called hibernation function. The hibernation function
This is a function to quickly restore the work environment before the interruption when the work on the information processing device is interrupted and the power is turned off and then resume the work. Information such as the contents of the storage device and the status of each connected device, hereinafter referred to as work environment information) is saved in the external storage device. When the power is turned on again, the work environment is restored based on the saved information.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In a general hibernation system employed in a conventional personal computer, only one area for storing work environment information (hereinafter simply referred to as a data storage area) is secured in an external storage device.

For this reason, when the work environment information is stored, the work environment is always restored from the same work environment information when the personal computer is next started, regardless of who the user is. It has become. In other words, once the work environment information is saved and the power is turned off, normal startup cannot be executed the next time the power is turned on. As a result, when a plurality of users use the same personal computer, it is necessary to consider other users before executing the hibernation and saving the work environment information, and it is difficult to make full use of the hibernation. It is in a situation.

[0004] In order to solve such a problem of the general hibernation system, an improved hibernation system has been proposed. For example, JP-A-7-
No. 28544 (hereinafter referred to as Reference 1) and JP-A-7-200
In Japanese Patent Publication No. 112 (hereinafter referred to as Reference 2), a data storage area for storing a plurality of pieces of work environment information is provided in an external storage device.
At the time of startup, one of the stored work environment information is selected, so that a plurality of users can execute the hibernation in parallel and save different work environments. In addition, by not selecting any of the stored work environment information, normal startup can be selected.

[0005]

However, the techniques described in these references have the following problems.

First, these techniques do not provide means for managing a data storage area. For this reason, there is a problem that the data storage area may be randomly increased. In other words, in these technologies, all users who use personal computers are completely on an equal footing, and each can use hibernation arbitrarily. Therefore, when the number of users increases or when the same user creates a plurality of data storage areas, there is a problem that the entire data storage area is enlarged and the capacity of the external storage device is reduced.

Second, in these techniques, a data storage area is prepared for all users who use hibernation, regardless of the frequency of use of the users. That is,
A data storage area of a user who is infrequently used or a user who uses it only for a limited period of time is treated exactly the same as a data storage area of a user who always uses it, and there is a problem that resources are easily wasted.

The present invention has been made in view of these problems, and a problem to be solved is to provide a hibernation system capable of managing whether hibernation can be used.

Another object to be solved by the present invention is to provide a hibernation system capable of selecting a storage mode of work environment information in accordance with the length of use period and the frequency of use.

[0010]

In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, the present invention provides the following means.

The present invention relates to a user management method of a hibernation function for saving work environment information stored in a main storage device and an image memory device of an information processing device to an external storage device for each user.
tem) stores a registered user name and a registered user name in a non-volatile storage device accessible to
A method in which the IOS refers to the user list to authenticate the input user name as one of a registered user name, an administrator name, and an unregistered user name, and the authenticated user name is an administrator name. In the case, a new user name is added to the user list and a registration process is performed to secure a dedicated data storage area in the external storage device in association with the user name, and a user name registered in the user list is deleted and the user is deleted. The present invention provides a user management method for a hibernation function, which permits execution of a registration deletion process for releasing a data storage area secured in an external storage device in association with a name.

According to this method, the registration processing and the registration deletion processing can be executed only by the administrator, so that it is possible to prevent each user of the information processing apparatus from creating a data storage area without permission.

In this method, when the authenticated user name is an unregistered user name, execution of a hibernation process for saving the work environment information to a data storage area shared by all unregistered users secured in advance by the registration process is executed. Permission may be granted. In this case, the data storage area dedicated to the user is not secured, but once the administrator secures the data storage area for the unregistered user, the hibernation function can be used freely without registration, so it is temporarily used. This is useful when there is a user who wants to do so. Even if the number of temporary users increases, the data storage area is shared, so that the capacity of the external storage device does not need to be consumed.

The recording medium of the external storage device can be taken out, and the registration processing may secure a data storage area on a different recording medium for each user name. In this case, if a data storage area is secured in advance on a recording medium owned by each user, and the user brings the recording medium and executes hibernation, the work environment information is saved to the recording medium at hand of the user. . Therefore, if the number of recording media is prepared by the number of users, the external storage device of the information processing apparatus is not affected even if the number of users increases.

Further, the present invention relates to an information processing apparatus having a hibernation function for saving work environment information stored in a main storage device and an image memory device to a data storage area secured for each user name. A non-volatile storage device that stores a user list in which user names are registered, an external storage device that secures a data storage area for each registered user name, and a BIOS that performs authentication of a user name input with reference to the user list. There is provided an information processing apparatus comprising: means for permitting addition and deletion of a data storage area in an external storage device only when a user name authenticated by a BIOS is an administrator name.

In this information processing apparatus, a data storage area shared by unregistered users is further secured in the external storage device, and the user name authenticated by the BIOS does not correspond to either the registered user name or the administrator name. The work environment information may be saved in the shared data storage area.

Further, the external storage device may be an external storage device from which a recording medium can be taken out. in this case,
Furthermore, in addition to the external storage device from which the recording medium can be taken out, a second external storage device is provided, and the second external storage device may store a user profile indicating the presence / absence of work environment information and a save location. .

[0018]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS A personal computer 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

1. 1. Configuration As shown in FIG. 1, the personal computer 100 includes a nonvolatile storage device 110, an external storage device 120, a main storage device 130, an image memory device 140, a BIOS (basic input device).
/ output system) 150 and an operating system 160.

Next, each of these components will be described.

The non-volatile storage device 110 stores an administrator who manages the hibernation function of the personal computer 100 and a user list 111 including registered users 1, 2,...

The external storage device 120 is a nonvolatile storage device, and has a user profile storage area 121 and a data storage area 122 defined for each user in principle.

The user profile storage area 121 includes an unregistered user profile shared by all unregistered users, a user 1 used by registered users individually,
2,... N profiles. Each of these user profiles holds information on the presence / absence of the user's work environment information and the storage location. Specifically, information on whether the user used the hibernation function at the end of the previous work, information specifying the external storage device from which the user's work environment information was saved, and which data area of the external storage device The location includes the address of the data storage area indicating whether the work environment information is held.

On the other hand, the data storage area 122 is an area for storing work environment information for each user. The work environment information stored here includes unregistered user information shared by all unregistered users and user 1, 2,... N information individually used by registered users.

Main storage device 130 and image memory device 14
Numeral 0 is a volatile storage device, which can return to the original work state at the start of the next work by evacuating and restoring the work environment information stored in these devices.

The BIOS 150 authenticates the user currently using the personal computer 100 with reference to the user list 111. If the user is authenticated as a registered user, the work environment information is saved in the data storage area 122 as the user information of the user.

Upon receiving the hibernation request from the user, the operating system 160 updates the user profile of the currently authenticated user among the user profiles recorded in the user profile storage area 122, and transmits the hibernation request to the BIO.
Notify S150.

2. User Management Process Next, referring to FIG. 2, the nonvolatile storage device 110 and the BI
The user management process performed by the OS 150 will be described. The transition to this process is executed only when the personal computer 100 is started by a special operation such as starting while pressing a specific key when turning on the power. Upon entering the user management process, the user is required to enter his or her user name. The BIOS 150 checks the input user name against the user list 111 and identifies whether the user corresponds to an administrator, a registered user, or an unregistered user.

When the user is authenticated as an administrator, the user is not only provided with his / her own storage area in the external storage device 120, but also given the right to update the user list 111. That is, the administrator can add a newly registered user to the user list 111 or delete an existing registered user.

The registered users are users registered in the user list 111 by the administrator, and each user has a dedicated data storage area in the external storage device, but has authority to update the user list 111. do not have.

An unregistered user is a user who is not in the user list, and does not have a dedicated storage area in the external storage device 120. Instead, unregistered users perform hibernation using a common data storage area.
Of course, unregistered users do not have the authority to update the user list 111.

Note that the number of users that can be registered requires a storage area of {(number of users) × (main storage capacity + image memory capacity)} in the external storage device, so that data is stored in the external storage device. In such a case, it is necessary to register the number of users that does not cause a problem.

Next, the user management process will be described in more detail with reference to the flowchart of FIG.

The user inputs a user name (step A)
1), first, the BIOS 150 refers to the user list 111 to determine whether or not an administrator is registered (step A2). If an administrator is not registered in the user list 111 (user registration is performed for the first time), the input user name is added to the user list 111 as an administrator (step A4), and the process ends after registration (step A13).

If an administrator has already been registered,
It is determined whether or not the input user name belongs to the administrator (step A5). If it is not the user name of the administrator, the process is terminated because the user does not have the qualification to execute the user management process.

If the input user name is that of an administrator, the process shifts to a substantive user management process. When the administrator inputs the user name to be subjected to the user management process (step A6), the BIOS 150 searches the user list 111 for the input user name (step A).
At the same time, ask the administrator whether the process to be executed is to register a new user or to delete the registration of an existing user (step A).
8).

When a user is registered, if there is no user having the same name in the search in step A8, a user profile and user information associated with the input user name are created in the external storage device 120 (step A11).

When a user who has already been registered is to be deleted, if a user having the same name exists in the search in step A8, the user profile and user information for that user are deleted from the external storage device 120 ( Step A12).

3. Hibernation Next, the operation of the personal computer 100 during hibernation will be described with reference to FIG.

First, a user gives an instruction to the operating system 160 to request execution of hibernation (step B1).

In response to this command, the operating system 160 sets the user profile 121 of the current user.
Is updated (step B2).

Further, the BIOS 150, having received this notification from the operating system 160, searches for a user who is currently using the personal computer 100 from the user list 111 stored in the nonvolatile storage device 110 (step B3).

When a user is found in the user list 111, the BIOS 150 searches the data storage area 122 secured in the external storage device 120 (step B).
6).

When the data storage area 122 of the user is found, the main storage device 130 and the image memory device 1
The information of 40 is saved in the data storage area 122 (step B9, step B10).

Also, the personal computer 100
If the user using is not found in the user list 111, the information of the main storage device 130 and the image memory device 140 is saved in the data storage area 122 for storing unregistered user information secured in the external storage device 120. (B5, B7, B9, B10). If the administrator does not create the data storage area 122 for storing the unregistered user information, the unregistered user cannot use the hibernation function. Therefore, it is necessary to restrict the use of the hibernation function by the unregistered user. Can be.

4. Resume Finally, the data storage area 122 of the external storage device 120
The operation of the resume process for restoring the information stored in the main storage device 130 and the image storage device 140 and returning to the work state before the interruption will be described with reference to FIG.

First, the BIOS 150 checks whether the user name of the user who intends to use the personal computer 100 is in the user list 111, and classifies the user as a registered user or an unregistered user (step C).
1).

If the user is a registered user, BIO
S150 refers to the user profile of the user to check whether the user performed hibernation during the previous use (step C2). If the hibernation was completed, the evacuation information saved in the data storage area 122 of the user is determined. (Step C4).

On the other hand, if the user has not been registered, the BIO
In step S150, referring to the unregistered user profile, it is determined whether the user or another unregistered user performed hibernation during the previous use (step C3). When the hibernation was completed, the unregistered user information in the data storage area 122 is stored. Search for area to do (Step C5)
Then, if it exists, it is determined whether or not the evacuation information is stored in the area (step C9).

If it is determined in step C8 or step C9 whether or not the evacuation information exists,
The information is stored in the main storage device 130 and the image memory device 140.
(Steps C10 and C11).

Further, the user profile storage area 12
1 is retrieved (step C12), and the operating system 160 is returned to the working state before the interruption from the user profile of the user (step C15).

If the user profile saving area 121 of the user trying to start the personal computer 100 is not found, an error message is displayed (step C14) to notify the user that the normal resume processing could not be performed. . Also, if the user has not hibernated the last time, or
If there is no data storage area 122 or if the data storage area 122 is present but the save information is not stored (when the processing is terminated without performing the processing of steps C10 and C11), a normal startup processing is performed.

5. Second Embodiment Next, a personal computer 200 according to a second embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

Referring to FIG. 6, a personal computer 200 includes a nonvolatile storage device 210 and an external storage device 2.
20; a removable external storage device 230; a main storage device 240 and an image memory device 250; a BIOS 260 and an operating system 270.

Next, each component will be described.

The non-volatile storage device 210 stores a user list 211 including a registered user name and an administrator name.

The external storage device 220 is a nonvolatile storage device and stores a user profile storage area 221.

The removable storage device 230 is a nonvolatile storage device from which a recording medium can be removed, and a data storage area 231 for saving the user's work environment is secured. The work environment information of the main storage device 210 and the image memory device 220 when the work is interrupted is saved in the data storage area 231.

Main storage device 240 and image memory device 25
Reference numeral 0 denotes a volatile storage device in which work environment information to be saved is stored. By saving and restoring the data stored in these, it is possible to return to the original work state at the next work start.

The BIOS 260 is provided in the nonvolatile storage device 21
The operating system 270 that performs user authentication with reference to the user list 211 stored in the external storage device 22 receives the hibernation request from the user.
0, update the user profile 221 in the BIOS
Notify 260 to that effect. Upon receiving the hibernation request, the operating system 270 updates the user profile 221 of the user currently using the personal computer in the external storage device 220 and notifies the BIOS 260 of the hibernation request.

In the BIOS 120, the nonvolatile storage device 27
0 is compared with the user list of the user 280 currently using the computer.
Is in the user list, the main storage device 210 is stored in the data storage area 230 of the external storage device 200 that can be removed.
And the information of the image memory device 220 is saved.

This embodiment (personal computer 2
00) and the first embodiment (personal computer 100) described above, the most remarkable difference between them is that the personal computer 200 has an external storage device 230 that can be taken out. A data storage area 231 is provided in the removable external storage device 230,
The work environment of the user of the main storage device 240 and the image memory device 250 is saved. This eliminates the need to provide a data storage area in the external storage device 220, so that even if the number of users increases, the data storage area is not
No pressure on capacity. Other points are the same as those of the first embodiment.

[0063]

According to the present invention, only a specific user (administrator) is authorized to create an area for saving the work environment of the main storage device and the image memory device, so that the data storage area is randomly increased. It is possible to prevent the capacity of the external storage device from being compressed.

Further, according to the present invention, if the administrator does not provide a data storage area for unregistered users, it is possible to restrict the use of the hibernation function by anyone other than the registered users. On the other hand, if a data storage area for an unregistered user is provided, hibernation can be used for a user who is used intensively for a short period of time without registering the user.

If the data storage area is provided in the removable external storage device, there is no fear that the capacity of the external storage device is squeezed by the data storage area. Therefore, for example, even when registering a large number of infrequently used users, the capacity of the external storage device does not matter.

Although the present invention has been described based on the embodiments, the present invention is not limited to the embodiments, and it is understood that changes and improvements can be made within the ordinary knowledge of those skilled in the art. Of course.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a personal computer 100 according to a first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating a nonvolatile storage device 110 and a BIOS 150.

FIG. 3 is a flowchart illustrating a user management process.

FIG. 4 is a flowchart of a hibernation process.

FIG. 5 is a flowchart of a resume process.

FIG. 6 is a block diagram of a personal computer 200 according to a second embodiment of the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

 100, 200 Personal computer 110, 210 Non-volatile storage device 111, 211 User list 120, 220 External storage device 121, 221 User profile storage area 122, 231 Data storage area 140, 250 Image memory device 130, 240 Main storage device 150, 260 BIOS 160, 270 Operating system 230 Removable external storage device

Claims (7)

[Claims] In a user management method of a hibernation function for saving work environment information stored in a main storage device and an image memory device of an information processing device to an external storage device for each user, a basic input / output system (BIOS) accesses A user list in which the registered user name and the administrator name are registered is stored in a possible non-volatile storage device, and the BIOS refers to the user list so that the input user name can be registered as the registered user name, the administrator name and the unregistered user name. A method for authenticating as one of the registered user names. Only when the authenticated user name is an administrator name, add a new user name to the user list and associate it with that user name and dedicate it to the external storage device. Registration process to secure the data storage area of the user, and delete the user name registered in the user list and associate it with the user name A user management method for permitting execution of a registration deletion process for releasing a data storage area secured in an external storage device. 2. In the user management method of the hibernation function according to claim 1, when the authenticated user name is an unregistered user name, a data storage area shared by all unregistered users secured in advance by a registration process. A hibernation function for allowing the user to save the work environment information. 3. The user management method of the hibernation function according to claim 1, wherein the recording medium of the external storage device can be taken out, and the registration process saves the data on a different recording medium for each user name. A user management method for a hibernation function characterized by securing an area. 4. An information processing apparatus having a hibernation function for saving work environment information stored in a main storage device and an image memory device to a data storage area secured for each user name, wherein a registered user name and an administrator name are registered. A non-volatile storage device for storing a registered user list, an external storage device for securing a data storage area for each registered user name, a BIOS for authenticating a user name input with reference to the user list, Means for permitting addition and deletion of a data storage area in an external storage device only when the user name is an administrator name. 5. The information processing apparatus according to claim 4, wherein a data storage area shared by an unregistered user is further secured in the external storage device, and the user name authenticated by the BIOS is a registered user name and an administrator name. If none of the above conditions is satisfied, the information processing apparatus saves the work environment information in the shared data storage area. 6. The information processing apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the external storage device is an external storage device from which a recording medium can be taken out. 7. The information processing apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the external storage device from which the recording medium can be taken out is provided in addition to the second storage device.
An information processing apparatus, comprising: an external storage device, wherein the second external storage device stores a user profile indicating presence / absence of work environment information and a place where the work environment information is saved.