JP2004038777A - Image forming apparatus and application id allocating method - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To automatically allocate an application ID, and to continuously use the application ID and information per each application even after turning a power source ON/OFF. <P>SOLUTION: In a composite machine 100, when registration notice is received from a new application 117, an SCS 122 refers to a correspondence table in a flash memory 104 which is a nonvolatile memory and retrieves an application name, determines whether or not an application by that name has ever been activated, and if there is an activation history in the past, a previously used application ID is assigned, and a storage region of the flash memory 104 of a previously used size is allocated. If it is an application that has never been activated, a retrieval table of the flash memory 104 is referred to retrieve and assign an unused application ID. The application ID and the application name are saved in the correspondence table of the flash memory 104. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2004,JPO

Description

[0001]
TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention assigns an ID number for identifying each application (hereinafter, also referred to as an application) mounted on an image forming apparatus that provides a user service related to image forming processing such as a copy, a printer, a scanner, and a facsimile. The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus that performs arbitration between applications and an application ID allocation method.
[0002]
[Prior art]
2. Description of the Related Art In recent years, an image forming apparatus (hereinafter, referred to as a “multifunction peripheral”) in which functions of respective apparatuses such as a printer, a copier, a facsimile, and a scanner are housed in one housing has been known. This multifunction peripheral includes a display unit, a printing unit, an imaging unit, and the like in a single housing, and three types of software corresponding to a printer, a copying machine, and a facsimile machine, respectively. Is operated as a printer, copier, scanner or facsimile machine.
[0003]
In such a conventional multifunction peripheral, an application program is started for each functional unit such as a printer, a copier, a facsimile, and a scanner, and has a function of accessing hardware resources. Registration processing had to be performed. The application registration process is to record an application ID, which is identification information (ID number) of the application, in an application registration table generated in a RAM or the like when an application registration request message is transmitted from the application to be installed to the MFP. It is done by doing. This application ID is unique to each application, and in a multi-function device equipped with a plurality of applications, it is necessary to identify each application using the application ID in order to arbitrate between the applications.
[0004]
For this reason, in the conventional multifunction peripheral, an application to be mounted is assumed in advance, and an application ID such as the application ID is fixedly assigned to this application. Further, in other conventional multifunction peripherals, there has been a case in which the application ID is not assigned but is dynamically assigned each time the application is started.
[0005]
As a prior art related to this kind of invention, there is, for example, "Configuration Information Management Apparatus and Method" described in JP-A-10-198626.
[0006]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
By the way, in such a conventional multifunction peripheral, software corresponding to a printer, a copier, a scanner, and a facsimile machine is separately provided, so that it takes a lot of time to develop each software. For this reason, the applicant has an application that has hardware resources used in image forming processing such as a display unit, a printing unit, and an imaging unit and performs processing specific to each user service such as a printer, a copy or a facsimile. When providing a user service by interposing between a plurality of applications and hardware resources, management, execution control, and image forming processing of hardware resources required by at least two of the applications in common Invented an image forming apparatus (multifunction peripheral) equipped with a platform composed of various control services for performing the following.
[0007]
In such a new MFP, the application and the control service are provided separately. Therefore, after the MFP is shipped, the user or a third-party third party must develop a new application and install it in the MFP. It is possible to provide a wide variety of functions. However, in a conventional multifunction peripheral in which the application ID of an application is fixedly assigned, it is not possible to assume in advance what kind of new application is to be installed, so that the automatic assignment of the application ID cannot be performed. was there.
[0008]
Also, in some conventional multifunction peripherals, an application ID is dynamically assigned without fixing the application ID. In this case, it is possible to automatically assign an application ID even for a new application. However, the assigned application ID may change each time, and information (memory, When the power is turned off (OFF) and the power is turned on again (ON), all of the memory contents are erased. There is a problem that information that is desired to be retained for each application cannot be continuously used after the power is turned off / on.
[0009]
Further, in the above-mentioned Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 10-198626, since the configuration information of components and the distribution information of shared device resources are unifiedly managed independently of the components, the conventional multifunction peripherals are There is a problem that the configuration is complicated and the cost is increased accordingly.
[0010]
The present invention has been made in view of the above, and it is possible to automatically assign an application ID for arbitrating between a plurality of applications even when a new application is added. An image forming apparatus and an application ID assigning method capable of continuously using information desired to be stored in a computer even after the power is turned off and on, and realizing the information with a simple configuration at a low cost. With the goal.
[0011]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
In order to achieve the above object, the invention according to claim 1 includes a hardware resource used in the image forming process, an application process for performing a process specific to a user service related to the image forming process, and the application and the application. A control service that is interposed between hardware resources and performs a request for acquisition, management, execution control, and image forming processing of the hardware resources required by at least two applications in common when providing the user service. An image forming apparatus comprising: an allocation control unit for dynamically allocating an ID number of each application when the application is first started; and an application name assigned to the application by the allocation control unit. Memory hand to memorize in response to When, wherein the assignment control means, when the second and subsequent activation of the application, and wherein the assigning the ID number corresponding to the application name stored in the storage means.
[0012]
According to the first aspect of the present invention, the assignment control means dynamically assigns the ID number of each application when the application is first started. Therefore, even when a new application supplied by a third vendor or the like is added, the application ID of the application is not changed. Automatic assignment becomes possible. Then, the ID number of the assigned application is stored in the storage unit corresponding to the application name, and at the time of starting the application for the second time or later, the allocation control unit sets the ID number corresponding to the application name stored in the storage unit. Because of the assignment, the same application ID can be continuously used even after the power is turned off / on.
[0013]
According to a second aspect of the present invention, in the image forming apparatus according to the first aspect, the storage unit includes a nonvolatile memory.
[0014]
According to the second aspect of the present invention, since the storage means is constituted by a non-volatile memory, data such as an application ID stored in the non-volatile memory can be stored without using a backup power supply even when the apparatus power is turned off / on. Can be continuously used regardless of whether the power of the apparatus is OFF or ON, and the apparatus configuration can be simplified and the cost can be reduced.
[0015]
According to a third aspect of the present invention, in the image forming apparatus according to the first or second aspect, the allocation control unit further sets a storage area of the storage unit used by the application at the time of startup to a size corresponding to the application. It is characterized by allocation.
[0016]
According to the third aspect of the present invention, the allocation control means further allocates the storage area of the storage means used when the application is started to a size corresponding to the application, so that the storage area of a required size corresponding to each application is provided. Can be secured in advance, and it is possible to prevent a memory shortage from occurring during application startup.
[0017]
According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, in the image forming apparatus according to the third aspect, the allocation control means can further designate an expiration date of the storage area when allocating the storage area of the storage means. In addition, the storage area allocated at the expiration of the designated expiration date is deleted.
[0018]
According to the fourth aspect of the invention, when allocating the storage area of the storage means, the allocation control means further instructs the expiration date of the storage area, and deletes the allocated storage area when the expiration date comes. Once the storage area is allocated, it is not fixed to this once, and the allocation period can be limited only by indicating the expiration date at the time of allocation, and the allocated storage area is released when the expiration date expires. Since the storage state is returned to the state before the allocation, even if the storage area is allocated to the application that is hardly started, it is resolved after a certain period, and the limited storage area can be used effectively.
[0019]
Further, according to a fifth aspect of the present invention, in the image forming apparatus according to any one of the first to fourth aspects, the allocation control unit further efficiently saves a storage area of the storage unit allocated for each application. It is characterized by being re-assigned to a different arrangement.
[0020]
According to the fifth aspect of the present invention, the allocation control means reallocates the storage areas of the storage means allocated for each application to an efficient arrangement, so that the allocation and release of the storage areas are repeatedly performed. In such a case, it is possible to prevent a useless space from being generated in the storage area, prevent a substantial decrease in storage capacity, and use the storage area more efficiently.
[0021]
According to a sixth aspect of the present invention, in the image forming apparatus according to the fourth or fifth aspect, the allocation control unit performs at least one of a process of allocating a storage area of the storage unit and a process of erasing at the time of starting an application. It is characterized by the following.
[0022]
According to the invention according to claim 6, the allocation control means performs at least one of the processing of allocating the storage area of the storage means and the processing of erasing at the time of starting the application, so that the storage area to be used at the time of starting the application is secured. Or deleting unnecessary storage areas makes it easier to secure storage areas for other applications.
[0023]
According to a seventh aspect of the present invention, there is provided an image forming apparatus comprising: a hardware resource used in an image forming process; an application process for performing a process specific to a user service related to the image forming process; And a control service process for performing acquisition control, management, execution control, and image forming processing of the hardware resources required by at least two of the applications in common when providing the user service. A method of allocating an ID number for identifying the application on the image forming apparatus, comprising: an allocating step of dynamically allocating an ID number of each application when the application is started up for the first time; Application ID number A storage step of storing the application name in the storage unit in association with the application name, and a restart-time allocation step of allocating an ID number corresponding to the application name stored in the storage unit when the application is started for the second time or later, It is characterized by including.
[0024]
According to the invention of claim 7, since the ID number of each application is dynamically allocated at the time of the first activation of the application by the allocation step, even if a new application supplied by a third vendor or the like is added, the application ID is automatically allocated. Assignment becomes possible. Then, the ID number of the application allocated in the storage step is stored in the storage unit in association with the application name, and in the restart-time allocation step, the application name stored in the storage unit is stored when the application is started for the second time or later. Since the corresponding ID number is assigned, the same application ID can be continuously used even after the power is turned off / on.
[0025]
The invention according to claim 8 is the application ID assigning method according to claim 7, wherein the storing step stores the assigned application ID number in a nonvolatile memory in association with an application name. I do.
[0026]
According to this invention, in the storing step, the assigned application ID number is stored in the non-volatile memory in association with the application name. Since the stored data such as the application ID can be held without using a backup power supply or the like, the once-assigned data such as the application ID is continuously used regardless of whether the power of the apparatus is OFF or ON. Therefore, the apparatus configuration can be simplified and the cost can be reduced.
[0027]
According to a ninth aspect of the present invention, in the application ID allocating method according to the seventh or eighth aspect, the allocating step further allocates a storage area of the storage unit used at the time of starting the application to a size corresponding to an application. It is characterized by including a storage area allocating step.
[0028]
According to the ninth aspect of the present invention, since the allocating step further includes a storage area allocating step of allocating a storage area of the storage unit used at the time of starting the application to a size corresponding to the application, the allocation step is performed according to each application. It is possible to secure a storage area of an appropriate size in advance, and it is possible to prevent a memory shortage from occurring during application startup.
[0029]
According to a tenth aspect of the present invention, in the application ID allocating method according to the ninth aspect, in the allocating step, when allocating a storage area of the storage unit, the allocation validity period can be further specified, and the specified validity period can be specified. It is characterized by including an expiration date instructing step of erasing the storage area allocated at the expiration of the expiration date.
[0030]
According to the tenth aspect of the present invention, in the allocating step, at the time of allocating the storage area of the storage unit, the allocation expiration date can be further designated, and the validity of deleting the allocated storage area when the designated expiration date comes is reached. Once the storage area is allocated, it is not fixed to this, because it includes the expiration instruction step. The allocation period can be limited only by indicating the expiration date at the time of allocation, and the storage allocated when the expiration date expires Since the area is released and returns to the state before the allocation, even if the storage area is allocated to the application that is hardly started, it is resolved after a certain period of time, and the limited storage area can be used effectively.
[0031]
According to an eleventh aspect of the present invention, in the application ID allocating method according to any one of the seventh to tenth aspects, the allocating step further efficiently allocates a storage area of the storage unit allocated to each application. And a rearrangement step of rearranging the arrangement to a proper arrangement.
[0032]
According to the eleventh aspect of the present invention, the allocating step further includes a relocation step of reallocating the storage area of the storage unit allocated for each application to an efficient allocation. When release is repeatedly performed, it is possible to prevent a useless gap from being generated in the storage area, prevent a substantial decrease in storage capacity, and use the storage area more efficiently.
[0033]
According to a twelfth aspect of the present invention, in the application ID allocating method according to the tenth or eleventh aspect, the allocating step performs at least one of a process of allocating a storage area of the storage unit and a process of erasing at the time of starting an application. It is characterized by the following.
[0034]
According to the twelfth aspect of the present invention, in the allocating step, at least one of the processing of allocating the storage area of the storage unit and the processing of erasing is performed at the time of starting the application. In addition, by deleting useless storage areas, it is possible to easily secure storage areas for other applications.
[0035]
BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION
Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of an image forming apparatus and an application ID allocating method according to the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.
[0036]
(Embodiment 1)
FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration of an image forming apparatus (hereinafter, referred to as a “multifunction peripheral”) according to a first embodiment of the present invention. As shown in FIG. 1, the multifunction peripheral 100 includes a monochrome line printer (B & W LP) 101, a color line printer (Color LP) 102, and hardware resources 103 such as a scanner, a facsimile, a hard disk, a memory, and a network interface. Software having a flash memory 104 composed of a non-volatile memory as a storage unit or a storage means used as a work area for storing an allocated application ID or when starting up an application, and comprising a platform 120 and an application 130 And a group 110.
[0037]
The platform 120 interprets a processing request from an application to generate a hardware resource acquisition request, and a system resource manager that manages one or more hardware resources and arbitrates the acquisition request from the control service. (SRM) 123 and a general-purpose OS 121.
[0038]
The control service is formed from a plurality of service modules, and includes SCS (system control service) 122, ECS (engine control service) 124, MCS (memory control service) 125, and OCS (operation panel control service) as allocation control means. ) 126, FCS (fax control service) 127, and NCS (network control service) 128. The platform 120 has an application program interface (API) that can receive a processing request from the application 130 by a predefined function.
[0039]
The general-purpose OS 121 is a general-purpose operating system such as UNIX (registered trademark), and executes each software of the platform 120 and the application 130 in parallel as a process.
[0040]
The process of the SRM 123, together with the SCS 122, controls the system and manages resources. The process of the SRM 123 uses hardware resources such as an engine such as a scanner unit and a printer unit, a memory, an HDD file, and a host I / O (centro I / F, network I / F, IEEE1394 I / F, RS232C I / F, etc.). Arbitration is performed according to a request from the upper layer to be used, and execution is controlled.
[0041]
Specifically, the SRM 123 determines whether the requested hardware resource is available (whether it is not used by another request), and if it is available, the requested hardware resource is used. Inform the upper layer that it is possible. The SRM 123 also schedules use of hardware resources in response to a request from an upper layer, and directly implements the contents of the request (for example, paper transport and image forming operation, memory reservation, file generation, and the like by a printer engine). .
[0042]
The process of the SCS 122 performs application management, operation unit control, system screen display, LED display, resource management, interrupt application control, and the like. The SCS 122 is a characteristic component of the present invention, such as dynamically assigning an application ID at the time of starting an application, storing the assigned application ID in the flash memory 104 in association with the application name, When the application is started for the second time or later, an application ID corresponding to the application name stored in the flash memory 104 is assigned. In addition, the SCS 122 instructs an expiration date when allocating a storage area of the flash memory 104 used by the application at the time of startup with a necessary and sufficient size according to the specification of the application, or when allocating the storage area of the flash memory 104, When the specified expiration date expires, the allocated area is deleted. Further, the SCS 122 may reallocate the storage areas of the flash memory 104 allocated for each application so that the storage areas are arranged efficiently. As described above, the SCS 122 of the present invention is characterized in that the application ID and the storage area are allocated using the flash memory 104 when the application mounted on the multifunction peripheral 100 is started as the allocation control means.
[0043]
The process of the ECS 124 controls an engine of a hardware resource 103 including a monochrome line printer (B & W LP) 101, a color line printer (Color LP) 102, a scanner, a facsimile, and the like.
[0044]
The process of the MCS 125 performs acquisition and release of an image memory, use of a hard disk device (HDD), compression and decompression of image data, and the like.
[0045]
The process of the FCS 127 includes facsimile transmission / reception using PSTN / ISDN network from each application layer of the system controller, registration / quotation of various facsimile data managed by BKM (backup SRAM), facsimile reading, facsimile reception printing, fusion transmission / reception. Provides an API to do so.
[0046]
The process of the NCS 128 is a process for providing a service that can be used in common to applications requiring network I / O, and distributes data received from the network according to each protocol to each application, or distributes data from the application to the data. Mediation when sending to the network side. Specifically, it has server daemons such as ftpd, httpd, lpd, snmpd, telnetd, smtpd, and client functions of the same protocol.
[0047]
The process of the OCS 126 controls an operation panel (operation panel) serving as information transmission means between an operator (user) and main body control. The OCS 126 obtains a key press from the operation panel as a key event, and transmits a key event function corresponding to the obtained key to the SCS 122, and displays various screens on the operation panel in response to a request from the application 130 or the control service. A drawing function for drawing and outputting, a function for controlling the operation panel, and the like are configured from a part of the OCS library registered in advance. This OCS library is implemented by being linked to each module of the application 130 and the control service. Note that all of the OCS 126 may be configured to operate as a process, or all of the OCS 126 may be configured as an OCS library.
[0048]
The application 130 includes a printer application 111 that is a printer application having a page description language (PDL), PCL, and PostScript (PS), a copy application 112 that is a copy application, and a fax application 113 that is a facsimile application. A scanner application 114 as a scanner application, a net file application 115 as a network file application, a process inspection application 116 as a process inspection application, and a new application 117 in which a third vendor develops and installs a new application. And Each of these applications transmits an application registration request message together with the process ID of its own process to the SCS 122 at the time of activation, and the SCS 122 that has received the application registration request message stores the application registration request message in the application registration table generated in the flash memory 104 or the like. By recording the application ID, which is the identification information of the application, registration for the activated application is performed.
[0049]
Each process of the application 130 and each process of the control service realize user services related to image forming processing such as copy, printer, scanner, and facsimile while performing inter-process communication by transmitting a function call, transmitting a return value thereof, and transmitting and receiving a message. are doing.
[0050]
As described above, in the multifunction peripheral 100 according to the first embodiment, there are a plurality of applications 130 and a plurality of control services, all of which operate as processes. The control service provides a common service to the application 130. For this reason, many of these processes perform parallel operation and thread parallel operation, perform inter-process communication with each other, and perform cooperative operation. User services related to image forming processes such as copying, printing, scanning, and facsimile are provided. In addition, the MFP 100 allows a third party such as a third vendor to develop and install a new application 117 in an application layer above the control service layer. FIG. 1 shows an example in which the new application 117 is mounted.
[0051]
Each application 130 of the multifunction peripheral 100 according to the first embodiment can be added or deleted for each application.
[0052]
FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of a search table for searching whether or not an application ID has been assigned at the time of starting the application according to the first embodiment. The search table shown in FIG. 2 is formed in the flash memory 104 of FIG. 1, and assignable application IDs (1 to 100) are listed in the right column, and the corresponding application IDs are listed in the left column. An assigned flag indicating whether the ID has been assigned can be input. The SCS 122 changes the application ID flag from “0” to “1” in the search table of FIG. 2 when the application ID is allocated, and changes the application ID flag from “1” to “0” when the allocation is canceled. I do. Therefore, by collating the search table, it is possible to clearly determine whether or not the application ID is already assigned, and it is possible to dynamically assign the application ID.
[0053]
Although not shown here, the flash memory 104 also has a correspondence table for storing an application name corresponding to the assigned application ID. This correspondence table is used to refer to when the application is started for the second time or later, so that the same application ID as when the application is first started can be assigned. Furthermore, if the storage area size required by the application at the time of startup is stored in association with the application name in the correspondence table, it is possible to allocate an appropriate storage area size according to the specification of the application.
[0054]
FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating a state in which the SCS 122 of FIG. 1 assigns an application ID at the time of the first activation of each application. FIG. It is a figure explaining the state which assigns. In FIG. 3, since the fax application 113, the copy application 112, the printer application 111, and the new application 117 are activated for the first time, the application IDs 1, 2, 3, and 4 in the search table in FIG. Is assigned an application ID. The application ID assigned in this manner is registered in a correspondence table (not shown) in correspondence with the application name. FIG. 4 shows a case in which the copy application 112 and the new application 117 are started for the second time or later, and the SCS 122 refers to the correspondence table of the flash memory 104, and thus, the same application as the one allocated at the first start is executed. An ID can be assigned to each of the copy application 112 (ID = 2) and the new application 117 (ID = 4). Furthermore, if the size data of the storage area according to the specifications of each application is registered in the above-described correspondence table, the storage area size can be allocated according to the application even at the second or subsequent startup.
[0055]
Next, a method of assigning an application ID and the like in the MFP 100 configured as described above will be described. FIG. 5 is a flowchart illustrating the operation of the first embodiment.
[0056]
In FIG. 5, when the MFP 100 receives a registration notification from the application (step S2). The SCS 122 searches for an application name by referring to the correspondence table in the flash memory 104, which is a non-volatile memory (step S4), and determines whether an application having that name has ever been started (step S4). S6) If there is a past boot history (YES), the process proceeds to YES to assign a previously used application ID and allocate a storage area of the flash memory 104 of the previously used size (step S8).
[0057]
In step S6, if the application has never been started, the process proceeds to (NO), and referring to the search table in FIG. 2, an unassigned (not flagged) free application ID is referred to. Are searched in order from the top (step S12). Then, a free application ID found first is numbered (step S14), and a combination of the application name and the numbered application ID is stored in the correspondence table of the flash memory 104 for the next startup (step S16). Further, when the storage area size is instructed, the designated area size of the flash memory 104 is allocated (step S18), and the area size is registered in the correspondence table of the flash memory 104.
[0058]
Then, when the processing in each of steps S8 and S18 ends, the application is notified of the numbered application ID and the allocated storage area of the flash memory 104 (step S10).
[0059]
As described above, in the multifunction peripheral 100 according to the first embodiment, an application ID can be dynamically allocated to a plurality of applications to be mounted by referring to the search table in the flash memory 104 which is a nonvolatile memory. . Then, the allocation result is registered in the correspondence table of the flash memory 104 in association with the application name. Therefore, even if the device power is turned off / on while the application is started for the second time or later, it is a non-volatile memory. The storage is retained, and the same application ID as that at the time of the first activation can be assigned. In addition, if the size of the storage area of the flash memory 104 required by the application at the time of startup is indicated in addition to the application ID, the size data can be held. Can be provided. That is, even when a new application is added, there is no need to change the module that mediates between applications. In addition, in the first embodiment, since the application ID is dynamically allocated, there is an advantage that even if a new application is installed, the application ID can be automatically allocated if there is a free application ID.
[0060]
In the first embodiment, when an unused application ID is searched, a search table is generated and referred to. However, the search table is not necessarily limited to the search table. Any device can be used as long as the stored contents can be retained without being affected and the search can be easily performed.
[0061]
(Embodiment 2)
The feature of the second embodiment is that when allocating the area size of the flash memory 104 which is a nonvolatile memory, the expiration date of the area can be designated.
[0062]
FIG. 6 is a flowchart for explaining the operation of the second embodiment. Since the same processing as that of the flowchart of FIG. 5 is performed between A and B in FIG. 6, a duplicate description will be omitted. The SCS 122 shown in FIG. 1 can simultaneously indicate the expiration date when allocating the storage area size of the flash memory 104 used by the application at the time of startup. Thus, the specified expiration date data can be registered in the correspondence table of the flash memory 104 in association with the application name. When an expiration date is registered in the correspondence table of the flash memory 104, the SCS 122 constantly monitors whether the expiration date has expired. By releasing the storage area (step S22), the storage area that can be used by other applications can be increased. By using the area thus released, an application ID of a new application and a storage area can be allocated (see the flowchart of FIG. 5).
[0063]
As described above, in the multifunction peripheral 100 according to the second embodiment, in addition to the effects of the first embodiment, by specifying a storage area with an expiration date on the flash memory 104, the time when the expiration date expires Because the storage area of that part is released, for example, in the case of an application that is used only for a short period of time, it becomes possible to reuse the storage area allocated to the application when the expiration date expires, and it is installed in the system The storage area of the limited size flash memory 104 can be used more effectively.
[0064]
In the second embodiment, the release processing of the storage area of the expired flash memory 104 is performed every time the application is activated. However, it is not always necessary to perform the storage area release processing check every time the application is activated. For example, it may be performed only once when the system is started, or may be performed only when the storage area is insufficient in order to allocate the storage area to the application.
[0065]
(Embodiment 3)
The feature of the third embodiment is that the storage area of the flash memory 104 with the expiration date set in the second embodiment is released when the expiration date has expired, and when there is a released storage area, This is to efficiently rearrange the storage area.
[0066]
FIG. 7 is a flowchart for explaining the operation of the third embodiment. The same processing as in FIG. 5 is performed between A and B in FIG. The SCS 122 shown in FIG. 1 can indicate the expiration date when allocating the storage area size of the flash memory 104 used when the application starts up. The storage area is released (step S32). In step S34, it is determined whether or not there is an actually released storage area. If there is a released storage area, the storage area of the flash memory 104 is re-allocated so that the area arrangement of the entire storage area becomes efficient. (Step S36).
[0067]
That is, as in the above-described second embodiment, when the expiration date is specified in the storage area of the allocated application, the area is released after the expiration date, so that the storage area of the new application is stored in the released area. Can be assigned. However, if such release and allocation of the area are repeated for a long time, a gap occurs between the allocated areas, and a new problem that the total available storage area size decreases may occur. I understand. For this reason, in the third embodiment, useless gaps generated between the areas are eliminated by reallocating only the arrangement of the storage areas without changing the already allocated storage area size and the data therein. Is to do so. At this time, the data in each storage area of the flash memory 104 is individually copied and temporarily saved in another memory (RAM or HDD), and is then saved after the storage area of the flash memory 104 is reallocated. The stored data is copied (or moved) to the corresponding storage area.
[0068]
If there is no released storage area in step S34, step S36 is skipped. Subsequent registration processing is the same as the flowchart in FIG. 5 of the first embodiment.
[0069]
As described above, in the multifunction peripheral 100 according to the third embodiment, in addition to the effect of the second embodiment, the expired storage area on the flash memory 104 is released, and the storage area can be reused. In this case, the storage areas of the flash memory 104 can be used efficiently by re-allocating the storage areas so that no gap is formed between the storage areas.
[0070]
In the third embodiment, the storage area is rearranged when a storage area released due to expiration expires. However, the present invention is not limited to this. When a sufficient storage area cannot be secured, the storage area may be relocated. At that time, the relocation processing may be automatically performed.
[0071]
In the first to third embodiments, the flash memory 104 is used as an example of the non-volatile memory. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the stored contents can be held without being affected by turning off / on of the device power. Anything is fine.
[0072]
【The invention's effect】
As described above, according to the first aspect of the present invention, the ID number of each application is dynamically allocated at the time of the first activation of the application by the allocation control means, so that a new application supplied by a third vendor or the like is added. In this case, the application ID can be automatically assigned. Then, the ID number of the assigned application is stored in the storage unit corresponding to the application name, and at the time of starting the application for the second time or later, the allocation control unit sets the ID number corresponding to the application name stored in the storage unit. Since the assignment is performed, the same application ID can be continuously used even after the power is turned off / on.
[0073]
According to the second aspect of the present invention, since the storage means is constituted by a nonvolatile memory, data such as an application ID stored in the nonvolatile memory does not use a backup power supply or the like even when the apparatus power is turned off / on. Data, such as the application ID once assigned, can be used continuously regardless of whether the power of the apparatus is OFF or ON, and the apparatus configuration can be simplified and the cost can be reduced. .
[0074]
According to the third aspect of the present invention, the allocation control means further allocates the storage area of the storage means used at the time of starting the application to a size corresponding to the application. It is possible to secure a storage area in advance, and it is possible to prevent shortage of memory during application startup.
[0075]
Also, according to the invention according to claim 4, the allocation control means, when allocating the storage area of the storage means, further instructs the expiration date of the storage area, and sets the allocated storage area at the expiration of the expiration date. Since the storage area is deleted, it is not fixed even if the storage area is allocated once, and the allocation period can be limited only by indicating the expiration date at the time of allocation, and the allocated storage area is deleted when the expiration date expires Since the storage area is released and returns to the state before the allocation, even if the storage area is allocated to the application that is hardly started, it is resolved after a certain period, and the limited storage area can be used effectively.
[0076]
According to the fifth aspect of the present invention, the allocation control means reallocates the storage area of the storage means allocated for each application to an efficient arrangement. When the repetition is performed, it is possible to prevent a useless space from being generated in the storage area, prevent a substantial decrease in storage capacity, and use the storage area more efficiently.
[0077]
According to the invention according to claim 6, the allocation control means performs at least one of the processing of allocating the storage area of the storage means and the processing of erasing the storage area when the application is started. Or by erasing useless storage areas, it is possible to easily secure storage areas for other applications.
[0078]
Further, according to the invention according to claim 7, since the ID number of each application is dynamically allocated at the time of the first activation of the application in the allocation step, even if a new application supplied by a third vendor or the like is added, the application ID is determined. Can be automatically assigned. Then, the ID number of the application allocated in the storage step is stored in the storage unit in association with the application name, and in the restart-time allocation step, the application name stored in the storage unit is stored when the application is started for the second time or later. Since the corresponding ID number is assigned, the same application ID can be continuously used even after the power is turned off / on.
[0079]
According to the eighth aspect of the present invention, in the storing step, the assigned application ID number is stored in the nonvolatile memory in association with the application name. The data such as the application ID stored in the memory can be retained without using a backup power supply or the like, and the data such as the application ID once allocated is continuously used regardless of whether the power supply of the device is OFF or ON. This makes it possible to simplify the device configuration and reduce the cost.
[0080]
According to the ninth aspect of the present invention, the allocating step further includes a storage area allocating step of allocating a storage area of the storage unit used at the time of starting the application to a size corresponding to the application. It is possible to secure a storage area of a required size in advance, and it is possible to prevent a memory shortage during application startup.
[0081]
According to the tenth aspect of the present invention, in the allocating step, when allocating the storage area of the storage unit, the allocation expiration date can be further specified, and the allocated storage area is deleted when the specified expiration date comes. Since it includes an expiration date instruction step, once the storage area is allocated, it is not fixed to this, but it is possible to limit the allocation period only by instructing the expiration date at the time of allocation, and it is allocated when the expiration date expires Since the storage area is released to return to the state before the allocation, even if the storage area is allocated to an application that is hardly started, the storage area is resolved after a certain period of time, and the limited storage area can be used effectively.
[0082]
According to the eleventh aspect of the present invention, the allocating step further includes a reallocation step of reallocating the storage area of the storage unit allocated for each application to an efficient allocation. In the case where the storage area is repeatedly released, the occurrence of useless gaps in the storage area is prevented, the substantial reduction in storage capacity is prevented, and the storage area can be used more efficiently.
[0083]
According to the twelfth aspect of the present invention, in the allocating step, at least one of the processing of allocating the storage area of the storage unit and the processing of erasing is performed at the time of starting the application. By securing or erasing useless storage areas, it is possible to easily secure storage areas for other applications.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration of an image forming apparatus according to a first embodiment of the present invention;
FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of a search table for searching for an assigned application ID at the time of starting the application according to the first embodiment;
FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating a state in which the SCS of FIG. 1 assigns an application ID when each application is activated for the first time.
FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating a state in which the SCS refers to a correspondence table in the flash memory and assigns an application ID at the time of the second or subsequent startup.
FIG. 5 is a flowchart illustrating the operation of the first embodiment.
FIG. 6 is a flowchart illustrating the operation of the second embodiment.
FIG. 7 is a flowchart illustrating the operation of the third embodiment.
[Explanation of symbols]
100 MFP
101 black and white line printer
102 color line printer
103 Hardware resources
104 flash memory
110 software group
111 Printer App
112 Copy app
113 Fax App
114 Scanner App
115 Net File App
116 Process inspection application
117 New Apps
120 platform
121 General-purpose OS
122 SCS
123 SRM
124 ECS
125 MCS
126 OCS
127 FCS
128 NCS
130 Application

Claims (12)

The hardware resources used in the image forming process, the process of the application that performs processing specific to the user service related to the image forming process, and the user service provided between the application and the hardware resource A request for acquiring the hardware resources required by at least two of the applications in common, management, execution control, and a control service process for performing image forming processing.
Assignment control means for dynamically assigning an ID number of each application when the application is first started;
Storage means for storing the ID number of the application allocated by the allocation control means in association with the application name;
Wherein the allocation control means allocates an ID number corresponding to an application name stored in the storage means when the application is started for the second time or later. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the storage unit includes a nonvolatile memory. 3. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the allocation control unit further allocates a storage area of the storage unit used when the application starts up to a size corresponding to the application. 4. When allocating a storage area of the storage means, the allocation control means can further designate an expiration date of the storage area, and deletes the allocated storage area when the designated expiration date has come. The image forming apparatus according to claim 3. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the allocation control unit further reallocates storage areas of the storage unit allocated for each application to an efficient arrangement. 6. The image forming apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the allocation control unit performs at least one of a storage area allocation process and a deletion process of the storage unit when an application is started. The hardware resources used in the image forming process, the process of the application that performs processing specific to the user service related to the image forming process, and the user service provided between the application and the hardware resource In this case, the application is executed on an image forming apparatus including a control service process for performing acquisition, management, execution control, and image formation of the hardware resources required by at least two of the applications in common. An application ID assignment method for assigning an ID number for identification,
An assignment step of dynamically assigning an ID number of each application when the application is first started;
A storage step of storing the assigned application ID number in the storage unit in association with the application name;
A restart-time allocating step of allocating an ID number corresponding to an application name stored in the storage unit at the time of starting the application for the second or subsequent time;
A method of assigning an application ID, comprising: 8. The application ID assignment method according to claim 7, wherein the storing step stores the assigned application ID number in a nonvolatile memory in association with an application name. 9. The application ID allocation method according to claim 7, wherein the allocating step further includes a storage area allocating step of allocating a storage area of the storage unit used at the time of starting the application to a size corresponding to an application. The allocating step may further include, when allocating a storage area of the storage unit, an expiration date instructing step of enabling an allocation expiration date to be indicated, and deleting the allocated storage region when the indicated expiration date comes. The application ID allocation method according to claim 9. The method according to any one of claims 7 to 10, wherein the allocating step further includes a relocation step of reallocating a storage area of the storage unit allocated for each application to an efficient allocation. Application ID assignment method. 12. The application ID allocating method according to claim 10, wherein in the allocating step, at least one of a process of allocating a storage area of the storage unit and a process of erasing is performed when an application is started.

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