JP2005038198A - Information processor - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To properly manage operation settings and the like of a system as a whole for improving performance and reducing power consumption in an information processing device constructed of a plurality of components combined mutually for providing an information processing function. <P>SOLUTION: This information processor is provided with a plurality of components 14, 14, etc. having basic processing function, and when an instruction for designated information processing is received from an application 9, a processing function including reproduction and storage of the information is realized by combining a plurality of components. Each component has a function for providing resource request information necessary for itself, and on the basis of the information, a system management means 11 totally determines resources necessary for processing the designated information (a use device, a clock frequency of a CPU and the like, a memory usage amount, and the like) for setting and changing the system as a whole. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2005,JPO&NCIPI

Description

  The present invention realizes high-performance processing such as information reproduction and recording by combining a plurality of components having basic functions, and appropriately manages the usage status of resources necessary for information processing. Regarding technology.

  Resources that can be used in the information processing system include, for example, an operating frequency related to an arithmetic processing device such as a CPU (central processing unit), a storage area (storage capacity) of a storage device, a supply voltage, and the like. Management according to the operating status is required.

  In general, the power consumption in an electronic circuit system depends on the power supply voltage and the clock frequency.For example, when the system operating state and the load state are not constant, as a measure for preventing unnecessary power consumption, A method of detecting that the system is in a standby state and reducing the clock frequency (for example, see Patent Document 1) is known.

JP-A-11-219237

  By the way, conventional devices do not have the function of dynamically changing the operation settings and control status of the entire system by managing the usage status of resources required for processing specified information. There is a problem that necessary performance cannot be sufficiently exhibited, or the amount of power consumption reduction is not sufficient.

  For example, when a module necessary for processing specified information is known in advance, it is easy to predict and grasp the operating status. However, when processing specified information, a plurality of components ( In a configuration in which the information processing function is realized by combining the modules, it is difficult to manage and estimate resources (for example, each component is required while observing the operating state of the entire system). It is difficult to change the operating frequency and memory usage allocation, or a very complicated control structure is required.)

  Therefore, the present invention provides an information processing apparatus configured to be able to provide an information processing function by combining a plurality of components having basic functions by appropriately managing operation settings and the like of the entire system. An object is to realize performance improvement and power saving.

  In order to solve the above-described problems, the present invention has the following configuration.

  ・ Equipped with multiple components with basic processing functions, and when receiving instructions from the application regarding the processing of specified information, realizes processing functions including playback or recording of the information by combining multiple components To do.

  -System management means for managing the usage status of resources available for information processing.

  Each component has a function to provide resource request information required by itself, and based on the information, the system management means sets or changes a resource required for processing specified information, or the current state To maintain.

  Therefore, according to the present invention, the resource management information from each component can be comprehensively determined by the system management means to define operation settings and the like related to the entire system. Flexible resource management can be realized according to the nature of the resource.

  According to the present invention, it is possible to improve processing performance, save power, and the like by appropriately managing operation settings and the like of the entire system based on component resource request information. And a control unit that performs overall control including components in accordance with a request from an application, and a component management unit that manages available components and provides the information to the resource request information inquiry from the control unit. Thus, it is possible to manage in detail the provision of the resource request information according to the component.

  Further, by including the operating frequency of the arithmetic processing device and the memory usage of the storage device in the resource request information, more accurate notification of the request content can be performed.

  Introducing dynamic information provided when components are combined and processing is started, and static information that can be provided at the stage before components are combined, for the purpose of using resource request information Depending on the situation, dynamic information and static information can be used properly.

  Each component determines dynamic information during its operation, so that information that changes according to the actual processing status can be reflected in the system settings.

  Providing effect processing means for managing the connection relation of a plurality of components and managing the dependency relation of each component makes it possible to perform detailed control of the component according to the operating state and the like.

  It is possible to determine whether or not the request content is allowed based on the total information of individual resource request information, and to define the system setting status. Also, dynamic information is changed during component operation. In this case, the information can be reflected in the system setting state.

  FIG. 1 shows an example of the configuration in the case of reproducing data such as MPEG (Moving Picture Experts Group) 4 files by applying the present invention.

  In the present invention, functions necessary for achieving the processing purpose (reproduction of moving images and sounds in this example) are separated into a plurality of functions, and these are implemented as individual components. In other words, it has multiple components with basic processing functions, and when receiving instructions from the application (program) for processing of specified information, combining multiple components necessary for processing It realizes processing functions such as playback and recording.

The example of FIG. 1 shows a configuration example 1 in the case of reproducing moving image and audio information (MPEG4 player), and the following components are used (numbers in parentheses indicate codes).
-Parser (2) = Receives data from the data source, discriminates audio data and image data and outputs them to each subsequent decoder-MPEG4 video decoder (3) = Decodes image data and outputs to the subsequent color space converter AAC decoder (4) = decodes audio data and outputs it to the subsequent audio renderer. Color space converter (5) = converts the color space and outputs it to the subsequent video renderer. Video renderer (6) = Perform drawing processing. Audio renderer (7) = Perform audio output processing.

  Each component includes, for example, a case where it is configured by software and a case where it is configured by dedicated hardware, but is basically classified into the following three types.

  (I) Source component = component having only a sending function to other components, for example, a disk source component that reads data from a disk, a network source component that receives data through a network, and the like.

  (II) Sync component = component having only a function of receiving data from other components, for example, a video renderer component that displays received video data as an image, an audio renderer component that outputs received audio data as audio, and reception For example, a dump component that writes and saves the stored data on a recording medium such as a disk.

  (III) Other components = components that receive data from other components, process the data, and send the data to another component.

  The parser 2 first reads an MPEG4 file from a data source (including a disk source), reads the data according to a predetermined format, and sorts the data into audio and video frame data. To the subsequent component (3, 4). At that time, time data (time) at which information of the frame is to be reproduced is finally given to each data. For MPEG4 files, content data is acquired from a disk source, a network source, or the like.

  The reproduction system of moving image information is processed by combining each component of the MPEG4 video decoder 3, the color space converter 5, and the video renderer (VideoRenderer) 6. Of these, the color space converter 5 that performs color system conversion processing is configured using hardware, and the other components are configured by software (the color space converter 5 is realized by software processing). Is also possible.)

  The MPEG4 video decoder 3 is located between the parser 2 and the color space converter 5, receives data encoded in the MPEG4 format from the parser 2, performs decoding processing, and outputs output data (YUV420 frame data) to the color space converter. Send to 5.

  The color space converter 5 is located between the MPEG4 video decoder 3 and the video renderer 6, converts the YUV420 frame data from the MPEG4 video decoder 3 into RGB565 frame data, and sends it to the video renderer 6.

  The video renderer 6 receives the RGB565 frame data from the color space converter 5 and writes the data to the frame buffer in accordance with the reproduction time information given thereto (rendering process). In this case, the reference time is based on time information provided by the audio renderer 7 (a request is made in advance so that time information can be provided using the clock (clock) of the audio renderer 7 as a master clock). Yes.)

  The audio information reproduction system is processed by combining components of an AAC (Advanced Audio Coding) decoder 4 and an audio renderer (Audio Renderer) 7, which are all configured as software.

  The AAC decoder 4 is located between the parser 2 and the audio renderer 7, receives AAC encoded data from the parser 2, performs decoding processing, and sends PCM (Pulse Code Modulation) audio data to the audio renderer 7 at the subsequent stage. To do.

  The audio renderer 7 performs digital / analog conversion by outputting the PCM audio data from the AAC decoder 4 to a DAC (Digital-Analogue Converter) (not shown), and outputs audio through audio output means (speakers, headphones, etc.). Then, in order to synchronize the sound and the image, time information is provided to the video renderer 6 in accordance with the output of the sound information.

  In this way, each component is connected to each other, and each component sequentially receives and processes the data output from the source component, and finally sends it to the sink component for video and audio playback. Is called. In other words, this example has a graph structure in which each component is coupled according to two series of data, and is divided into two systems from the data source through the parser 2, one of which is a video processing system, and the other is an audio processing system. A processing system (or a tree structure will be used for explanation). There are two child tree MPEG4 video decoders 3 and AAC decoders 4 under a parser 2 having a data source as a parent tree. (The color space converter 5 is present in the tree, the video renderer 6 is present in the child tree, and the audio renderer 7 is present in the child tree of the AAC decoder 4). In this example, the reproduction of the moving image and the voice is shown. However, for example, when only the reproduction of the voice is desired, the application may be instructed so that only the voice processing system is formed.

  Next, a system configuration according to the present invention will be described.

  FIG. 2 conceptually shows the configuration of the information processing apparatus 8, and a processing request for designated information is made from the application 9 to the main body (core) of the system. The application 9 performs processing according to user operations and the like, but includes a library and the like necessary for processing.

  The main body includes system management means, effect processing means, and component management means.

  The system management means (hereinafter referred to as “system manager”) manages available resources such as the system clock frequency, the amount of memory, the device used, and the power supply voltage, and the rendering processing means (hereinafter referred to as “player”). ") Manages the connection relationship of a plurality of components according to the graph structure. The component management means (hereinafter referred to as “component manager”) has a role of providing information (resource request information) related to each component. As will be described in detail later, the resource request information is not limited to fixed information but includes information that can be dynamically set according to the situation (for example, the MPEG4 video decoder 3 in FIG. Resource request information can be determined based on size, frame rate, etc.).

  The graph structure shown in FIG. 2 corresponds to the configuration shown in FIG. 1. “Ci” (i = 2 to 7) surrounded by a circle represents each component, and “i” represents the component. The code | symbol is shown.

  FIG. 3 is a block diagram illustrating the system configuration, which is configured using the modules shown below.

- (Multimedia) The application 9 located at the top of the application software hierarchy is in charge of the user interface (UI), but does not have a function of performing multimedia-related processing (drawing processing, audio processing, etc.) The request content is instructed to the controller described later. Further, the application 9 gives instructions for operations such as specification, reproduction, and stop of content data through a library or the like, for example, but has no relation to the above components. The library performs component selection, loading, connection, and the like according to a request from the application 9, and has a function of hiding a unique function from the upper layer. In addition, it is necessary to generate one or more players prior to content reproduction or recording.

・Controller (control means)
The controller 10 controls the entire system including components in accordance with a request from the application 9 and performs desired operation control using other modules, but does not perform data processing. Further, even when there are a plurality of applications, control processing is performed by one controller 10 (note that the number of applications and players is shown as a single number in the figure for the sake of simplicity).

System Manager The system manager 11 manages the usage status of resources that can be used in information processing such as content data. That is, the current usage status is managed with respect to system resources (resources that can be used in an environment necessary for system operation). The resource includes, for example, the operating frequency of an arithmetic processing device such as a CPU, the amount of memory used, the device used, and the like, and the resource request information is described by a value or a range (to be described in detail later). .)

  When the generation, deletion, change, update, etc. of the graph structure database representing the connection relationship of a plurality of components is notified via the controller 10, the system manager 11 updates related information, and if necessary, hardware Change the setting (operating frequency, etc.). Each component described above has a function of providing resource request information (described later) required by itself, and the system manager 11 is required for the specified information processing based on the information. If the resource is set or changed, or if it is not necessary, the current setting is maintained. For example, when the power consumption of the apparatus is reduced, processing such as changing the hardware setting to lower the frequency of the system clock is performed.

  Examples of management items are as follows.

・ Device color space converter => Id: 1234 Status: free or in use
Frame buffer => Id: 3456 Status: free or in use
DAC (D / A Converter) => Id: 4567 Status: free or in use
ADC (A / D Converter) => Id: 5678 Status: free or in use
・ Total memory capacity: S bytes Status: min SL bytes max SH bytes ・ CPU
Maximum allowable frequency: fs hertz Status: min fL hertz max fH hertz.

  The “Id” indicates an identification number assigned to the device, and the value of “Status” indicates free (in use) or in use (in use). The memory usage is set within the range indicated by the lower limit value SL and the upper limit SH (for example, when S = 16 M (mega) bytes, the range indicated by “Status” in a certain state is 1 M to 1.5 Mbytes). The CPU frequency is set within the range indicated by the lower limit fL and the upper limit fH (for example, when fs = 200 M (mega) hertz, the range indicated by “Status” in a certain state is 100 M to 150 Mhertz, etc.) ).

・Graph structure DB (database)
In order to realize a specific function by combining a plurality of components, for example, it is necessary to correctly establish the connection relationship of each component as illustrated in FIG. That is, it is preferable to manage the coupling state of each component using the graph structure DB 12 describing the connection relationships and dependency relationships of a plurality of components.

With respect to the graph structure of the component shown in FIG. 1, the database entry is illustrated in the tag format in the description language as follows (shown with a line number attached to the left end of each descriptor. This is an explanatory comment.)
1: <GRAPH "MP4Player"> * Start of graph structure definition *
2: <COMPONENTS> * Start of component definition *
(Describe each component here)
3: </ COMPONENTS> * End component definition *
4: <CONNECTIONS> * Start definition related to component connection *
(Describe connection between components here)
5: </ CONNECTIONS> * End of definition related to component connection *
6: </ GRAPH> * End of graph structure definition *
An example of component definition is shown below.
<COMPONENTS> * Descriptor for starting component definition *
<COMPONENT> * Parser *
<NAME> Parser </ NAME>
<ID> 123 </ ID>
</ COMPONENT>
<COMPONENT> * About MPEG4 video decoder *
<NAME> MPEG4VideoDecoder </ NAME>
<ID> 234 </ ID>
</ COMPONENT>
<COMPONENT> * About AAC decoder *
<NAME> AACDecoder </ NAME>
<ID> 345 </ ID>
</ COMPONENT>
(Omitted)
<COMPONENT> * Audio renderer *
<NAME> AudioRenderer </ NAME>
<ID> 789 </ ID>
</ COMPONENT>
</ COMPONENTS>
A component name is described between tags <NAME> and </ NAME>, and an identification number assigned to the component is described between tags <ID> and </ ID>.

In addition, a definition example of the connection relation of components is shown below.
<CONNECTIONS>
<CONNECTION> * Parser to MPEG4 video decoder *
<FROM> Parser: 0 </ FROM>
<TO> MPEG4VideoDecoder: 0 </ TO>
</ CONNECTION>
<CONNECTION> * MPEG4 video decoder to color space converter *
<FROM> MPEG4VideoDecoder: 0 </ FROM>
<TO> ColorSpaceConverter: 0 </ TO>
</ CONNECTION>
<CONNECTION> * From color space converter to video renderer *
<FROM> ColorSpaceConverter: 0 </ FROM>
<TO> VideoRenderer: 0 </ TO>
</ CONNECTION>
<CONNECTION> * Parser to AAC decoder *
<FROM> Parser: 1 </ FROM>
<TO> AACDecoder: 0 </ TO>
</ CONNECTION>
<CONNECTION> * From AAC decoder to audio renderer *
<FROM> AACDecoder: 0 </ FROM>
<TO> AudioRenderer: 0 </ TO>
</ CONNECTION>
</ CONNECTIONS>
The component name on the output side is described between the tags <FROM> and </ FROM>, and the component name on the input side is described between the tags <TO> and </ TO>. In this example, there are two systems, a video image processing system and a sound processing system, and the system branches to each system at the output stage of the parser, so the system can be added by adding “: 0” and “: 1” to the parser. (See FIG. 2. The numbers “0” and “1” attached to the nodes indicating the components indicate the port numbers). In this example, the data structure related to the description of the graph structure is a method that makes it easy to describe a hierarchical structure. Is possible.

Component manager The component manager 13 manages the components that can be used by the system. When the controller 10 wants to acquire the resource request information of the target component, it provides necessary information in response to the inquiry. To do.

Component Each component 14 has specific functions such as loading from media or a network, data conversion, and output to a device for reproduction and recording of content data. A specific example is as described with reference to FIG. 1, but when further explained here, a plurality of components are registered in the system in advance, and the purpose is achieved by combining necessary components according to the content data to be handled. The function can be realized. In addition, the component can be added as a plug-in module when the component is mounted on the system from the beginning, and thus the system can be expanded.

  Each component 14 has a function of providing resource request information required by itself when a request from another module or when its own state changes. Here, “resource request information” means information that a module requests for a resource, and includes “static resource request information” and “dynamic resource request information”. The latter is dynamic information provided when the components are combined and processing is started based on the graph structure DB 12, and the former is static information that can be provided at a stage before the components are combined. Information.

  For example, “static resource request information” provided by a component means resource information (value or range) that the component can take regardless of the operation status. “Dynamic resource request information” provided by a component means resource information (value and range) that can be obtained when the component is operating in a specific environment. Resource request information is determined according to the situation.

  Regardless of whether it is “static” or “dynamic”, the resource request information can include various requests related to system resources. In the following description, the device used (color space converter, frame memory, DAC, etc.) Etc.), necessary memory usage (value or range), and load (clock frequency range) applied to the CPU.

For each component shown in FIG. 1, the static resource request information and the dynamic resource request information are exemplified as follows.
<MPEG4 video decoder>
[Static resource request information]
Device used: None Memory amount: min = 300 kbytes max = 900 kbytes CPU: min = 30 MHz max = 60 MHz [Dynamic resource request information]
Memory amount: 900 kbytes CPU: min = 55M hertz max = 60M hertz

<AAC decoder>
[Static resource request information]
Device used: None Memory amount: min = 80 kbytes max = 100 kbytes CPU: min = 10 Mhertz max = 30 Mhertz [Dynamic resource request information]
Memory amount: 80 kbytes CPU: min = 5M hertz max = 10M hertz

<Parser>
[Static resource request information]
Device used: None Memory amount: min = 80 kbytes max = 80 kbytes CPU: min = 5 Mhertz max = 10 Mhertz [Dynamic resource request information]
Memory amount: min = 80 kbytes max = 80 kbytes CPU: min = 10M hertz max = 10M hertz

<Color space converter>
[Static resource request information]
Device used: ID = 1234 (color space conversion circuit)
Memory amount: min = 80 kbytes max = 100 kbytes CPU: min = 10 Mhertz max = 30 Mhertz [Dynamic resource request information]
Memory amount: 80 kbytes CPU: min = 5M hertz max = 20M hertz

<Video renderer>
[Static resource request information]
Device used: ID = 3456 (frame buffer)
Memory amount: min = 300 kbytes max = 600 kbytes CPU: min = 5M hertz max = 20M hertz [dynamic resource request information]
Memory amount: min = 600 kbytes max = 600 kbytes CPU: min = 10M hertz max = 20M hertz

<Audio renderer>
[Static resource request information]
Device used: ID = 4567 (DAC)
Memory amount: min = 100 kbytes max = 200 kbytes CPU: min = 5M hertz max = 20M hertz [dynamic resource request information]
Memory amount: min = 100 kbytes max = 100 kbytes CPU: min = 10M hertz max = 15M hertz.

  As the resource request information, the use device includes use request information, and “ID” represents an identification number assigned to the use device. In addition, for the operating frequency of an arithmetic processing device such as a CPU and the memory capacity (use amount) of a storage device, request information indicating the value or range (upper and lower limits) of each component is included, and “min” is set. The lowest value (lower limit) is indicated, and “max” indicates the highest value (upper limit). Note that the content of the dynamic resource request information changes according to the actual operation status of the component.

  The component 14 provides static resource request information via the component manager 13 before the connection relation is established as an actual graph according to the above-described graph structure DB 12, that is, before the configuration in which the components are actually combined. However, the dynamic resource request information can be provided only after the components are actually combined and the operation is started.

  The component needs to be registered with a player described later.

  Briefly explaining the exchange of data between components, there is a port (an object serving as a window for buffer transmission / reception) inside the component. For example, one port is used to send a buffer to another component. It is necessary to have the above ports. A “buffer” means an object that is a container for data sent between ports, and is sent from one component to another via a port (specifically, a buffer object). The address is notified to the corresponding port.) Although the types of components are described above, the source component is a component having only a function of sending a buffer, and the sink component is a component having only a function of receiving a buffer. The other components are components that can receive a buffer from another component, process the data, and send the buffer to another component.

  In addition, some components have a clock (clock) for timing, and can be synchronized with other components using the clock as a master clock. That is, in a component having a clock (an object for synchronizing processing among a plurality of components), the clock time can be advanced in accordance with the content reproduction status or the like. When it is necessary to synchronize with the master clock, it is possible to request notification of time and time information when a specific time is reached with respect to the clock, or whenever a certain time elapses. For example, when the audio sync component (audio renderer 7 in FIG. 1) provides a master clock, when the video sync component (video renderer 6 in FIG. 1) receives video data to be displayed at a specific time, at that time. You can ask the audio sync component to let you know (see the dashed arrow in Figure 1), and this will play the video data in sync with the playback of the audio data. Can do.

The player player 15 processes the production of the component 14, and supervises the data reproduction process literally when reproducing content data or the like, but according to the combination of components according to the graph structure DB 12, Players corresponding to various functions such as data recording and data conversion are generated.

  For example, the player 15 manages the connection relationship of a plurality of components constructed according to the graph structure DB 12 in order to realize functions such as reproduction and recording of content data, and each component 14 is registered with the player. Managed.

  The application 9 can control the component 14 by issuing a request (command) to the player 15 via the controller 10. For example, when the application 9 issues a stop request to the player 15 during content playback, the player ends the operation of each component in an appropriate order according to the dependency relationship between components analyzed in advance. .

  The resource request information related to the player 15 is classified into three types: static, initialization, and dynamic. “Static player resource request information” is generated by the component manager 13 and “initialization player resource” The player 15 generates “request information” and “dynamic player resource request information”.

  The meaning of each resource request information is as follows.

(A) Static player resource request information Resource request information before the connection relation of components according to the graph structure DB is established, that is, the operation of the player that can be obtained before a plurality of components are configured with a graph structure. Required resource request information. For example, if some applications have already been started and are operating, it is possible to determine whether or not the specified player can be newly operated without actually configuring the player. Can be determined based on The static player resource request information is determined based on the static resource request information provided by the component 14.

(B) Player resource request information at initialization Resource request information that can be obtained after a plurality of components are actually configured with a graph structure and content data to be processed is specified (related to conditions necessary for player operation) Information). For example, by specifying the content, information necessary for processing (playback or the like) of the content for each component registered in the player can be obtained in more detail than the static player resource request information. This resource request information is notified to the system manager 11 and is used to manage information required for operating the application currently running on the system. The initialization player resource request information is determined based on the dynamic resource request information provided by the component in a state immediately after the initialization of the registered component is completed.

(C) Dynamic player resource request information Obtained when a plurality of components are actually configured with a graph structure and processing (playback, etc.) of the data is performed after the content data to be processed is specified. Resource request information (information relating to conditions necessary for the actual operation of the player). The dynamic player resource request information is determined based on the dynamic resource request information provided during operation of each component. That is, since the component in operation determines the dynamic resource request information according to the current processing status, the content of the dynamic player resource request information changes according to the information.

  The relationship of the above resource request information will be described using the symbols shown below.

“Rc (i)” = component resource request information (natural number variable “i” in parentheses indicates a number for distinguishing components)
“Rp (j)” = resource request information of the player (a natural number variable “j” in parentheses indicates a number for distinguishing the player)
“Rs” = system resource request information (information obtained by combining all resource request information, for example, the system manager 11 calculates and sets the information). In order to distinguish between static and dynamic resource request information, for example, “S_” (Static) and “D_” (Dynamic) may be added before the symbol.

  First, the resource request information Rp (j) of the player number j can be expressed as follows using the function “Fp ()”.

Rp (j) = Fp (Rc (1), Rc (2),..., Rc (n))-(1) The function “Fp ()” is based on the resource request information of the component, and the resource request information of the player Rp is calculated based on n Rc.

  Rs can be expressed by the following equation using the function “Fs ()”.

Rs = Fs (Rp (1), Rp (2),..., Rp (m)) − (2) The function “Fs ()” derives the resource request information of the entire system based on the resource request information of the player. Rs is calculated based on m Rp.

  Thus, the request information regarding the resources of the entire system is calculated by integrating the resource request information of each component. The actual resource request information is calculated based on the above-described relational expression from complex expressions that are individually defined for calculation targets such as resource type, range (lower limit value and upper limit value), and set value. Therefore, only the main points will be briefly described below.

  First, the use devices are distinguished from the presence or absence of use, and can be calculated by taking the union (∪) for the required devices “Ri” (i = 1, 2,...) As shown in the following equation.

Fp (R1, R2,..., Rn) = R1 ∪ R2 ∪… ∪ Rn
Fs (R1, R2,..., Rm) = R1 ∪ R2 ∪… ∪ Rm
For example, when there are three devices in use and the first and third devices are used, “R1∪R3”.

  Next, regarding the clock frequency of the CPU, the above “Ri” may be regarded as a required frequency and calculated as follows.

・ When “undef” (undefined) is included in R1 to Rn Fp (R1, R2,..., Rn) = undef
・ When “undef” is not included in R1 to Rn Fp (R1, R2,..., Rn) = Kp. (R1 + R2 +... + Rn)

・ When “undef” is included in R1 to Rm Fs (R1, R2,..., Rm) = undef
・ When “undef” is not included in R1 to Rm Fs (R1, R2,..., Rm) = Ks (R1 + R2 +... + Rm)
“Kp” indicates a CPU load calculation coefficient of the player, and is defined by adjusting the coefficient value in consideration of the influence on the cache memory when the player operates a plurality of components. “Ks” represents a CPU load calculation coefficient of the system, and is defined by adjusting the coefficient value in consideration of the influence on the cache memory when the system operates a plurality of players (Kp and Ks). The values are generally different, but they can be the same.)

  Such calculation is performed for each of the minimum and maximum values of the clock frequency, and unless the frequency indicated by each resource request information is undefined, the value obtained by multiplying the added value of each frequency by the CPU load calculation coefficient is Calculated.

  Regarding the difference between dynamic and static, note that higher static information is calculated from lower static information and higher dynamic information is calculated from lower dynamic information, In order to distinguish between the two, “S_” or “D_” may be added before Fp and Fs described above. Further, it is necessary to define the values of Kp and Ks for each of static information and dynamic information.

  Next, the memory usage amount may be calculated using the following equation in which “Ri” is formally regarded as the usage amount (necessary memory size) and Kp = Ks = 1.

・ When “undef” is included in R1 to Rn Fp (R1, R2,..., Rn) = undef
When R1 to Rn do not include “undef” Fp (R1, R2,..., Rn) = R1 + R2 +.

・ When “undef” is included in R1 to Rm Fs (R1, R2,..., Rm) = undef
・ When “undef” is not included in R1 to Rm Fs (R1, R2,..., Rm) = R1 + R2 +.
Such calculation is performed for each of the minimum usage amount and the maximum usage amount of the memory, and an added value (total) is calculated unless the usage amount indicated by each resource request information is undefined. In order to distinguish between dynamic and static, “S_” or “D_” may be added before Fp and Fs as described above.

  As described above, the resource request information Rp of the player 15 is calculated from the resource request information Rc of the component 14, and further the resource request information Rs of the system is calculated. If the requested content of the resource indicated in the information Rs is allowed, the system manager 11 performs system setting or change for the resource according to the requested content. If the requested content of the resource is not allowed, This is notified to the controller 10. For example, depending on the type of content data to be processed, the processing is relatively simple and less burdensome, and the processing may be heavy and time consuming, so we fully identified the current situation and various factors. It is preferable to calculate the resource request information Rs and review the system setting status periodically or under certain conditions.

  In applying the present invention, any method may be used for determining the resource request information Rc, but it is preferable to fully consider the component implementation. For example, when determining the CPU clock frequency, test content data is prepared, and data is actually reproduced for content that is assumed to have the lightest CPU load and content that is assumed to have the heaviest CPU load. Alternatively, it is possible to record and acquire profile information every predetermined time to determine the minimum value and the maximum value of the clock frequency.

  The above calculation function is merely an example, and it is needless to say that the application of the present invention is not limited to a specific calculation function or calculation method.

  Next, the operation of the system configuration in FIG. 3 will be described by taking an example of a reproduction process of a moving image or sound by an application.

(1) Application activation and operation (2) Initialization process (3) Reproduction process (4) End process

  First, in (1), when the application 9 is activated by a user operation and an instruction is given regarding a moving image or audio playback process, in (2), the controller 10 receives an instruction from the application 9 and an initialization process (player's operation). Generation).

  The procedure until the player is actually operated is as shown in the following steps (S1) to (S14).

(S1) The application 9 designates the player type (moving image playback of MPEG4 file, etc.) to the controller 10 and instructs the generation of the player 15. (S2) The controller 10 receives the information of the player 15 from the graph structure DB 12. Acquire (S3) The controller 10 specifies information about the player 15 to the component manager 13 and requests generation of static player resource request information. (S4) The component manager 13 registers each component registered in the player 15. The static resource request information is acquired from the above, the static player resource request information is calculated using the above calculation function, and the calculation result is sent to the controller 10 (S5). The controller 10 receives the static resource request information received from the component manager 13. In player resource request information The system manager 11 inquires whether or not the requested resource can be acquired under the current situation. (S6) The system manager 11 determines whether or not the resource request is permitted, and the result is sent to the controller 10. (S7) In response to a response from the system manager 11, when it is determined that the resource request is not permitted (resource acquisition is impossible), the controller 10 returns the fact to the application 9 as error information ( Returning to S1) (S8) Upon receiving a response from the system manager 11 and determining that the resource request is allowed (resource acquisition is possible), the controller 10 actually sends the player 15 to the component manager 13 (S9) When the player 15 is generated, the controller 10 Provides the player with information necessary for the operation of the player 15 such as content data (S10). The player 15 initializes each component 14 based on the given information (S11). Acquires dynamic resource request information from each component, and calculates initialization player resource request information based on the collected information. (S12) The controller 10 acquires initialization player resource request information from the player 15. Then, the information is notified to the system manager 11 (S13) The system manager 11 updates the system resource request information (Rs) based on the initialization player resource request information, and sets the system resources as necessary. Make a change (S14) The controller 10 Player 15 is notified that successfully generated against.

  Note that the initialization player resource request information in (S11) is determined based on the dynamic resource request information of the component in the state immediately after the initialization of the registered component is completed. In the calculation function Fp (Rc (1), Rc (2),..., Rc (n)), Rc (1) to Rc (n) represent dynamic resource request information immediately after initialization.

  In (S13), for example, the CPU clock frequency is dynamically changed in accordance with the load state of the system, and the change range can be controlled by the system manager 11. Therefore, by changing the setting of the lower limit and upper limit of the clock frequency in a timely manner, it is possible to guarantee the execution environment for the playback and recording functions of content data such as video and audio, or to reduce the clock frequency and reduce power consumption. Can be reduced.

  When the player 15 is generated, information necessary for the reproduction process (3) is given to the player, and a moving image or audio can be reproduced.

  Operations such as reproduction, pause, and stop are processed as in the following steps (S21) to (S24).

(S21) In response to a request from the user, the application 9 instructs the controller 10 to perform an operation such as reproduction. (S22) The controller 10 instructs the player 15 to perform reproduction or the like. (S23) The player 15 is registered. (S24) Each component starts processing corresponding to the designated operation.

  The state of the player 15 includes, for example, “Running”, “Paused”, “Stopped”, “Searching”, “Fast-forward” (FF), “Return”, and the like. The state of the component that is currently consistent with the state of the player. Further, the state transition is not performed without an instruction from a higher layer such as an application regarding the state of the player or component.

  In (S24), processing is performed according to the dependency relationship of each component registered in the player. For example, the reproduction processing is realized by the cooperation of each component. In addition, when a running component transitions to a stopped state or the like, the player issues an instruction to each component in an appropriate order, thereby eliminating the occurrence of a deadlock or the like.

  In the operation state of the player 15, the controller 10 confirms whether the current system setting state matches or matches the actual operation state, for example, at a predetermined time, for example, the following steps (S31) to (S34) is executed to update the system dynamic information (dynamic player resource request information, dynamic system resource request information).

(S31) The controller 10 requests dynamic player resource request information from each player 15. (S32) The player 15 obtains dynamic resource request information from each component 14, and calculates dynamic player resource request information. (S33) The controller 10 acquires dynamic player resource request information from each player and notifies them to the system manager 11. (S34) The system manager 11 uses the dynamic player resource request information to obtain system resource request information. And change system settings if necessary.

  Each component 14 can independently notify the player that its own resource request information has been updated. In this case, the dynamic player resource request information is accompanied by the dynamic resource request information. Since it is updated, the player notifies the controller 10 that his / her information has been updated. Upon receiving this notification, the controller 10 executes the processes (S31) to (S34).

  In this way, when the component is notified to the player that the dynamic resource request information has been changed during the operation, the dynamic player resource request information Rp is updated according to the information, and the dynamic resource request information Rp is further updated. By integrating the player resource request information, the resource request information Rs of the entire system is calculated. If the request content indicated by the information Rs is allowed, the system manager 11 sets or changes the resource according to the request content. If the request content indicated by the information Rs is not allowed, The setting state of is maintained.

  When the reproduction process of the content data is finished, the player 9 is notified of the fact through the controller 10 in the end process (4).

  According to the configuration described above, for example, the following advantages can be obtained.

-In order to realize multimedia functions such as recording and playback of moving images and audio, it is not necessary for the application to perform individual processing depending on a specific format, device, etc.-Content data by combining multiple components Various processing functions can be provided, and by adding components as plug-in modules, system extensibility is excellent in support of new devices and formats, and design flexibility is high. thing.

-Since a large-scale system configuration is not required, it can be used by incorporating it into portable devices (small devices) such as small computers, PDAs (Personal Digital Assistance), mobile communication terminal devices, and video equipment. It requires a small amount of memory and requires little system and operating system requirements.- By changing the system settings to reflect the component dynamic resource request information, A power saving effect can be obtained by guaranteeing an execution environment or reducing power consumption as necessary (especially effective in a battery-powered device).
-Based on the static resource request information of the component, it is possible to grasp the request contents of the necessary resources before actually operating the component (for example, if the request contents do not pass, You can notify the application before it is established.)

It is a block diagram which shows the structural example which concerns on the reproduction | regeneration of the moving image based on this invention, and audio | voice information. 1 is a conceptual diagram of a system configuration according to the present invention. 1 is a block diagram illustrating a system configuration of the present invention.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 8 ... Information processing apparatus, 9 ... Application, 10 ... Control means, 11 ... System management means, 13 ... Component management means, 14 ... Component, 15 ... Production processing means

Claims (8)

A plurality of components having basic processing functions are provided, and when an instruction is received from an application regarding processing of designated information, a processing function including reproduction or recording of the information is realized by combining the plurality of components. And an information processing apparatus having system management means for managing the usage status of resources available for information processing,
Each of the above components has a function of providing resource request information required by itself, and the system management means sets or changes the resource required for processing the specified information based on the information. An information processing apparatus characterized by performing or maintaining the current status. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1,
Control means for performing overall control including the component in accordance with a request from the application;
An information processing apparatus comprising: a component management unit that manages available components and provides the information when the control unit receives an inquiry about the resource request information regarding the component. The information processing apparatus according to claim 2,
The information processing apparatus characterized in that the resource request information includes information indicating a value or a range requested by each component for the operating frequency of the arithmetic processing device or the memory usage of the storage device. The information processing apparatus according to claim 3.
The connection state of each component is managed using the graph structure database describing the connection relationship of the above-mentioned components,
As the resource request information, dynamic information provided when the components are combined and processing is started based on the graph structure database, and static information that can be provided at a stage before the components are combined. An information processing device characterized by the use of information. The information processing apparatus according to claim 4,
The information processing apparatus, wherein the component in operation determines the dynamic information according to a current processing state. The information processing apparatus according to claim 4,
An information processing apparatus comprising presentation processing means for managing connection relations of a plurality of components constructed in accordance with the graph structure database, wherein each component is managed by being registered in the presentation processing means. The information processing apparatus according to claim 2,
By summing up the resource request information of each component, the request information regarding the resources of the entire system is calculated, and when the requested content of the resource indicated in the information is allowed, the system management means according to the requested content The information processing apparatus is configured to set or change a resource, and when the requested content of the resource indicated in the information is not permitted, the system management unit notifies the control unit to that effect. The information processing apparatus according to claim 6,
When the component is notified that the dynamic information has been changed during operation to the effect processing means, the request information related to the resources of the entire system is calculated by integrating the resource request information. If the requested content indicated by the information is allowed, the system management means sets or changes the resource in accordance with the requested content. If the requested content indicated by the information is not allowed, the system management means An information processing apparatus characterized in that the means maintains the current setting state.

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