JP2005115720A - Information processor and program for use in the same - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To improve the convenience to a user by allowing interrupted data processing to be continued in the case that processing of restoring an execution state on the basis of saved data is performed after interruption of data processing and processing of saving the execution state in an information processor. <P>SOLUTION: Stored information in a non-volatile storage means 4 is written back to a volatile storage means 3 in response to power-on or an operation instruction after information related to the execution state including contents of the volatile storage means 3 and an internal state of a CPU 2 is stored in the non-volatile storage means 4, so that information processor is configured so as to restore to the preceding execution state. System internal states other than information related to a real world, such as time information can be completely restored, and data processing (for example, operation of music reproduction) interrupted when saving data in the non-volatile storage means 4 can be transparently restarted from the preceding stop state. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2005,JPO&NCIPI

Description

  In an information processing apparatus including a volatile storage unit and a nonvolatile storage unit, the present invention saves the current execution state by saving the contents of the volatile storage unit to the nonvolatile storage unit, and then stores the nonvolatile The present invention relates to a technique for reproducing the original execution state by rewriting the contents of the storage means to the volatile storage means and continuing the information processing.

  A hibernation mechanism is known as a power saving measure in current computer equipment, and the system power supply is cut off after temporarily saving the contents of volatile memory to a hard disk. And after turning on a system and returning from a hibernation state, it can return to the original state (for example, refer patent document 1).

  In addition, when music data played on one playback device is played on another playback device, in order to avoid playback of the overlapped portion, time information indicating the location played immediately before to the semiconductor memory card is provided. A form of storing as resume information is known (for example, see Patent Document 2).

JP 2002-324012 A

JP 2003-162300 A

  However, in the case of the conventional apparatus, when the application shifts to the hibernation state during the operation of the application, the operation of the application cannot be continued after the return from the state, or a special control mechanism for that purpose is provided. There are problems such as need and lack of versatility.

  For example, when a transition is made to the hibernation state during the reproduction of a moving image or music, the reproduction of the moving image or music is stopped after the return from the hibernation state. In other words, if playback of a movie or music is interrupted during hibernation, the playback operation cannot be continued from that point (the data necessary to continue does not remain), and the application operates from its initial state. Therefore, when the user returns from the hibernation state, an operation for searching for the position during the previous reproduction and restarting it (such as pressing the reproduction button) is required for the user to perform the reproduction in the middle. Alternatively, there is a need for a control mechanism for storing information indicating the playback location before the transition to the hibernation state in a recording medium or the like, examining the previous playback location after returning from the hibernation state, and continuing playback. It cannot be applied to a medium that does not have such a mechanism or cannot cope (for example, a read-only medium).

  Therefore, the present invention is interrupted when the information processing apparatus performs the process of restoring the execution state based on the stored data after the data process is interrupted and the execution state is stored. It is an object of the present invention to improve user convenience by allowing data processing to continue.

  The present invention has the following configuration in order to solve the above-described problems.

  -When receiving an operation instruction from the user or when a preset condition is satisfied, information on the execution state including the contents of the volatile storage means and the internal state of the central processing unit is stored in the nonvolatile storage means. To remember.

  -After that, in response to power-on or operation instructions, the storage contents of the nonvolatile storage means, that is, the contents of the previous volatile storage means and the information indicating the internal state of the central processing unit are read from the nonvolatile storage means, Information is written back to the volatile storage means to return to the original execution state, and information processing is continued.

  Therefore, according to the present invention, using the volatile storage means and the nonvolatile storage means, for example, the execution state including the contents of the volatile storage means and the internal state of the central processing unit at the time pointed by the user. All information is stored in the non-volatile storage means, and when the power is turned on again, the information stored in the non-volatile storage means is read out and written back to the volatile storage means, so that it is executed at the time pointed by the user first. It can be returned to the state. And in the configuration according to the present invention, since the system internal state other than the information related to the real world such as the current time information can be completely restored, after returning to the execution state at the time when the information was saved, for example, In the same way that music playback operations were performed at the time of storage, it was transparent, that is, automatically without the user being aware of the processing or operation contents performed inside the device. It is possible to resume.

  Note that the volatile storage unit according to the present invention preferably has, for example, the following storage areas.

-A first storage area for storing programs (codes) and data-A second storage area for holding information related to the execution state including the internal state of the central processing unit-The first and second A third storage area that is used only when information stored in the storage area is written to the nonvolatile storage means and when information written to the nonvolatile storage means is written back to the first and second storage areas.

  According to the present invention, when the process of restoring the execution state based on the data stored in the nonvolatile storage means is performed, the data process that has been stopped halfway can be continued. Contributes to the improvement of sex. Further, for example, information indicating the previous playback interruption location is stored in the recording medium, and after the restoration of the execution state, a special control mechanism for examining the previous playback interruption location and continuing playback is unnecessary, and reading is performed. Since it can be widely applied to dedicated media, it is highly versatile.

  Then, the contents of the volatile storage means and the center stored in the nonvolatile storage means when the power supply to the device is cut off after being stored in the information in the nonvolatile storage means and the power is turned on again. Power saving can be achieved by reading information indicating the internal state of the processing apparatus and writing the information back to the volatile storage means. That is, when the device is not in use, when the remaining battery level is low, or when the battery consumption is high, such as when used in a low temperature environment, the volatile storage means, CPU, etc. By cutting off the power supply, the amount of power consumption can be reduced.

  In addition, information on the execution state including the contents of the volatile storage means and the internal state of the central processing unit at the time of receiving an operation instruction from the user is stored in the nonvolatile storage means, and then the user's operation Alternatively, when a determination process is performed for a preset condition, information stored in the nonvolatile storage unit can be read and written back to the volatile storage unit. In this case, the execution state at the time pointed by the user is changed according to the subsequent instruction from the user or the condition judgment result (for example, the match between the current time and the set time, the passage of a certain time, etc.). This is convenient because it is possible to return to the state (previously designated by the user).

  As for the volatile storage means according to the present invention, information such as the contents and execution status of the volatile storage means is stored in the nonvolatile storage means, or information necessary for recovery from the nonvolatile storage means is stored in the volatile storage means. By securing the third storage area as a work area in the case of writing back to the state, it is possible to perform the state saving process and the state return process reliably or quickly.

  When reproduction of audio data or image data is stopped by an operation instruction from the user, the data is saved in the nonvolatile storage means, and then the data is read from the nonvolatile storage means and is volatile. This is convenient because data can be restored to the original execution state by writing back to the storage means, and data reproduction can be continued from the previous reproduction interruption position. That is, it is possible to save the user from searching for the previous reproduction interruption position or performing a restart operation.

  FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a configuration example of an information processing apparatus according to the present invention.

  The information processing apparatus 1 includes a CPU 2 that performs an operation according to a program instruction, a volatile storage unit 3 that stores program codes and data, and a nonvolatile storage unit 4 that stores the contents of the volatile storage unit 3. ing.

  The information processing apparatus 1 can be widely applied to, for example, video equipment, audio equipment, imaging devices, etc., in addition to personal computers, personal digital assistants, and mobile communication terminal devices.

  Examples of the volatile storage means 3 accessed from the CPU 2 include a form using an external memory, a form using an internal memory (VRAM, etc.) of the CPU, or a combination of both. There is no limitation on the implementation form.

  Nonvolatile storage means 4 capable of holding data when the power is shut off includes a form using a semiconductor memory such as a flash memory and a form using various recording media. In the latter case, an auxiliary storage device using a magnetic recording medium such as a hard disk or a readable / writable optical recording medium (such as a magneto-optical disk or a phase change type disk) is required. It is preferable to use a non-volatile storage device suitable for high speed. If low processing speed does not matter depending on the application, a storage device (external storage device) outside the device can be used.

  For example, a liquid crystal display (LCD) is used as the image information display unit 5 to display the data written in the video memory (VRAM) in the CPU 2 on the screen.

  In addition, examples of the operation unit 6 as a man-machine interface with the user include a keyboard, a dial-type operation device, a pen-type input device, and a pointing device such as a mouse.

  The data input / output unit 7 is involved in processing of audio data and image data, and examples thereof include an audio processing unit 7a and an imaging processing unit 7b. The audio processing unit 7a includes an audio module, a microphone, a speaker, a headphone, and the like. Processing for outputting audio data to be output to the speaker, the headphone, etc. after digital-analog conversion, and sampling processing for a microphone input signal In charge of etc. In addition, the imaging processing unit 7b includes an imaging device such as a CCD type or a CMOS type, a camera module, and the like. Responsible for processing to be recorded on the medium.

  The power management unit 8 monitors the power supply state of the apparatus and controls the power supply state of the apparatus. For example, it manages the connection of the AC adapter, the mounting state of the battery, the remaining battery level, and the like.

  In the information processing apparatus 1, when a user's operation instruction is received from the operation unit 6 or when a preset condition is satisfied, the execution state including the contents of the volatile storage unit 3 and the internal state of the CPU 2 All of the information related to is stored in the nonvolatile storage means 4. Here, “when a preset condition is satisfied” means, for example, when the user's operation or processing is not performed for a certain period of time or when the battery is monitored by the power management unit 8 This is when the remaining amount (remaining capacity) becomes equal to or less than a preset threshold value.

  After the information related to the execution state is stored in the nonvolatile storage unit 4, the contents of the nonvolatile storage unit 4 are written back to the volatile storage unit 3 with a power-on of the apparatus or an operation instruction as a trigger. That is, since the nonvolatile storage unit 4 stores information indicating the contents of the volatile storage unit 3 and the internal state of the CPU 2 at the above-described time point, the information is read from the nonvolatile storage unit 4 and stored in the volatile storage unit. The original state is restored by writing back to the means 3.

  For example, the embodiment shown below is mentioned.

(A) A mode in which the execution state is saved when an operation instruction is received from the user, and then the power supply is shut off and then restored to the original execution state. (B) An operation instruction from the user After saving the execution state at the time of receipt, return to the normal execution state and continue processing, and then return to the execution state at the time when the user issued the operation instruction first In this case, an instruction to return to the execution state is issued.

  In the case of the above (A), first, when the operation instruction from the operation unit 6 is received, information on the execution state including the contents of the volatile storage unit 3 and the internal state of the CPU 2 is stored in the nonvolatile storage unit 4. After that, the power supply management unit 8 cuts off the power supply to the volatile storage unit 3, the CPU 2, peripheral devices, and the like. Thereafter, when the power is turned on again using the operation unit 6, the storage contents of the nonvolatile storage means 4, that is, the previous contents of the volatile storage means 3 and the information indicating the internal state of the CPU 2 are read out. Write back to the volatile storage means 3. As a result, it is possible to return to the execution state at the time when the user has instructed the operation first, and to continue the suspended processing. According to the control mode of the present embodiment (hereinafter referred to as “power saving mode”), waste of power can be suppressed, and the battery usage time can be extended in application to a battery-driven device.

  In the case of (B), the nonvolatile storage unit 4 stores information on the execution state including the contents of the volatile storage unit 3 and the internal state of the CPU 2 at the time when the operation instruction is received from the operation unit 6. . Then, the device continues to be used, but when a determination process is performed for the user's operation or a preset condition after that, the storage content of the nonvolatile storage means 4, that is, the previous volatile storage. Information indicating the contents of the means 3 and the internal state of the CPU 2 is read from the nonvolatile storage means 4 and written back to the volatile storage means 3. As a result, the user can return to the execution state at the time when the operation instruction is given first, and can continue the interrupted process.

  For example, if the user issues an operation instruction and saves the execution state while compiling or data conversion is in progress, the user can return to the previous execution state instructed by the user. Can be traced back to.

  The above-mentioned “preset condition” means, for example, whether a predetermined time or a preset time has elapsed since the last execution state was saved, or whether the current time and the set time are Determination conditions such as whether or not they match, determination conditions such as whether or not the operating frequency of the CPU, the remaining memory capacity, etc. are below a predetermined value or a preset threshold value, etc. The content of the setting condition does not matter.

  FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram conceptually showing the memory map.

  The information processing apparatus 1 includes a volatile storage unit 3 and a register (not shown) that holds the internal state of the CPU 2. The nonvolatile storage unit 4 includes the contents of the volatile storage unit 3 and It has an area (storage capacity) sufficient to save the register information of the CPU 2.

  The volatile storage means 3 has, for example, the following areas.

First storage area “A1” for storing programs (codes) and data
A second storage area “A2” for holding information relating to the execution state including the internal state of the CPU 2
For work that is used only when information stored in the storage areas A1 and A2 is written to the nonvolatile storage means 4, or when information written to the nonvolatile storage means 4 is written back to the storage areas A1 and A2. A third storage area “A3” as an area.

  FIG. 3 is a diagram for explaining an example of an execution state saving process, which is realized, for example, by the CPU 2 interpreting and executing a control program including the following steps.

(S1) Disabling interrupts to the CPU (S2) Write all information necessary for restoring the CPU and peripheral device registers to the volatile memory (excluding the area A3) (S3) Stack, heap, etc. Reserve the area on A3 (make the area on A3 used)
(S4) Write all data in the volatile memory excluding the area A3 to the nonvolatile memory. (S5) Turn off the power of the apparatus and shift to the power saving mode (or continue executing the desired processing as it is).

  First, when the CPU 2 is instructed to save the system state (including the execution state) to the device, for example, when an operation instruction is received from the user, or the remaining battery level falls below a threshold value. At times, the CPU 2 sets so as to ignore all external requests for state changes such as interrupts (see (S1) above). In the next step (S2), information including the current internal state of the CPU itself and the state of the circuit (IC) existing in the peripheral device connected to the CPU 2 is written in the volatile storage means 4 other than A3.

  Then, in (S3), the CPU 2 uses a memory area used only during the saving and restoring process, that is, only the storage area A3 in the main memory existing on the volatile storage means 3 (hereinafter referred to as “area restriction mode”). ). In this mode, addressing is performed so that the stack, heap, and the like used by the CPU 2 exist on the storage area A3 (designation is made so that the stack and heap area are used on the A3). Copy a group of given instructions onto A3.

  After the CPU 2 shifts to the area restriction mode, all the data on the volatile storage means 3 excluding the storage area A3 is written into the nonvolatile storage means 4 in the above (S4).

  Incidentally, when the contents of the volatile storage means 3 are stored in the nonvolatile storage means 4, there are a form in which data is written as it is without being compressed and a form in which data compression is performed (compression and expansion method). In the latter case, the contents of the volatile storage means 3 are compressed and stored in the nonvolatile storage means 4, and at the time of return, the data obtained by decompressing (decompressing) the contents of the nonvolatile storage means 4 is restored to the volatile storage. Since the data is written back to the means 3, the storage capacity of the non-volatile storage means 4 can be reduced. However, it is necessary to secure a work area necessary for processing on the storage area A3 (the capacity required for A3 is small). In consideration of the fact that processing time is required, etc., it is preferable to store the data in the nonvolatile storage means 4 and read it without any processing.

  After the data is written to the non-volatile storage unit 4, in (S5), the CPU 2 instructs the volatile storage unit 3 and peripheral devices (image display unit, etc.) to be turned off and shifts to the power saving mode. If the current process is continued without turning off the power in (S5), the execution right may be passed to the subsequent processing program after canceling the prohibition of the interrupt.

  As described above, the processing procedure of the program includes the contents of the volatile storage means 3 and the internal state of the CPU 2 when an operation instruction is received from the user or when a preset condition is satisfied. A processing step (S4) for storing information related to the state in the nonvolatile storage means 4 is included. In the case of the above-described form (A), a processing step for cutting off the power supply to the volatile storage means 3 after the storage in the nonvolatile storage means 4 is required as in (S5). In the case of the above form (B), the execution of the process may be continued as it is.

  Next, an example of an execution state return process will be described with reference to FIG.

(S11) Disable interrupts to the CPU (S12) Reserve areas such as stack and heap on A3 (make the area on A3 used)
(S13) The contents of the nonvolatile memory (information stored in the volatile memory) are read and written to the volatile memory. (S14) Information necessary for returning the CPU and peripheral devices is read from the volatile memory, and each information is read. Is written to a register or the like (at this point, the stack and heap area return to the original saved state).
(S15) Check the status change at the time of restoration (S16) Cancel the interrupt inhibition.

  In the program processing for returning to the original execution state, information indicating the contents of the previous volatile storage unit 3 and the internal state of the CPU 2 stored in the nonvolatile storage unit 4 in response to power-on or an operation instruction. Is read from the non-volatile storage means 4 and written back to the volatile storage means 3 (see (S13) above) to return to the original state. In the mode (A), the power supply to the apparatus is turned on as a trigger (cause) to start the recovery process. In the mode (B), the user's operation or setting condition is satisfied. The return process is started as a trigger, but the basic process remains the same.

  When returning from the power saving mode or the like, an instruction to return the CPU 2 to a normal state (for example, a state in which the power saving function is not provided or the power saving amount is low) such as pressing of the power button by the user. Or is instructed by the user to return to the execution state stored in the nonvolatile storage means 4 in the normal state.

  In response to this, the CPU 2 ignores all external requests for state changes such as interruptions (see (S11) above), and in the next step (S12), the area restriction mode uses only the storage area A3. Migrate to Then, proceeding to (S13), the data existing on the nonvolatile storage means 4, that is, the contents (data) of the volatile storage means 3 excluding the area A3 are read out and written into the original storage areas A1 and A2. When this writing is finished, the state of the volatile storage means 3 is exactly the same as that at the time of data storage except for the area A3. Then, the CPU 2 exits the area restriction mode and returns to the normal mode (the operation mode in which the use area in the memory space is not restricted), and the internal state of the CPU 2 existing in the area A2 on the volatile storage means 3 and Various information indicating the state of the peripheral device connected to the CPU itself is read, and necessary information is written in a register or the like so as to return to the execution state at the time of saving (see (S14) above).

  In the subsequent (S15), for example, the system state is saved as in the case of an auxiliary storage device having a removable storage medium (removable media, a device using a portable semiconductor memory medium, etc.). The CPU 2 issues an instruction to check whether or not a state change has occurred with respect to a device whose physical state may change. For example, when a storage medium attached to the apparatus at the time of saving the system state is removed from the apparatus while the power supply is stopped (eject or the like), the storage medium cannot be accessed. Therefore, it is necessary to grasp that the situation has changed since the previous save. In this case, after recognizing the situation change, for example, a notification display that the storage medium is not installed may be displayed, or a message for prompting the user to install the recording medium may be displayed. .

  After that, in (S16), the CPU 2 is set so as to accept an external state change request such as an interrupt, and returns to the execution state at the time when the system state is instructed to be saved. Since the internal state of the stack, the CPU 2 registers, VRAM (for example, built-in eDRAM), etc. remains unchanged at the time of return, the processing or operation (video or Music playback etc.) can be continued. That is, information indicating the point of interruption (for example, time information such as a time code when playback is stopped) is not stored in the nonvolatile storage means, but all information necessary for saving and restoring the system state is stored in the nonvolatile storage. The original system state at the time of interruption can be reproduced based on the storage state of the nonvolatile storage means.

  For example, a music playback software program (hereinafter referred to as “Z”) will be described as follows (see FIG. 5).

  (1) In a normal state where power saving control is not performed, the CPU 2 reads music data from an external or internal non-volatile memory (flash memory, removable semiconductor memory medium, etc.) and is connected to the speaker of the audio processing unit 7a. The decrypted data is sent to a D / A (Digital to Analogue) converter.

  (2) During execution of music playback, for example, when an instruction to enter the power saving mode is given, the operating OS (Operating System) in operation from Z is a program for power saving mode control software (hereinafter referred to as “ Transfer the execution right to “X”.)

  (3) X (process) having the execution right notifies other processes or threads to enter the power saving mode. At this time, Z can voluntarily stop music playback if there is a problem on the user interface. However, if music playback is not stopped, there is a Z as with a normal OS task switch. The control right is returned to X in the execution state.

  (4) X instructs the nonvolatile memory controller (not shown) to stop execution and stops reading music data, and the D / A converter stops conversion and saves power itself. Instruct to enter mode. X 1 copies the contents of the volatile memory (excluding the area A3) to the non-volatile memory, and then shifts the entire apparatus to the power saving mode.

  (5) Before returning from the power saving mode to the normal state in response to an instruction from the user, etc., before writing the information in the non-volatile memory back to the volatile memory under the control of the CPU 2 and shifting to the power saving mode Restore the state of volatile memory. Although it is possible to immediately restore the execution state of Z at this point, prior to that, the state of the D / A converter is returned to the previous state, and the controller of the nonvolatile memory is also returned to the previous state in the same manner. . Thereafter, control is given to Z. When the state at this time is viewed from Z, the difference from the state before entering the power saving mode is that the real time has advanced (that is, the time information of the real-time clock has passed to the present time). ) And the other states are the same (except for the removable storage medium having portability, etc.), and the music data is reproduced from the previously interrupted reproduction state.

  In the above (4), the D / A converter's first-in first-out buffer (FIFO: Fast In Fast Out) may be left in the unused state, but it may be in the power saving mode. In this case, since only a small amount of music data just before entering the power saving mode is not reproduced, there is no significant difference in the feeling of use, and there is no possibility that the convenience will be significantly impaired.

  In this way, when the reproduction is interrupted (reproduction stopped) during the reproduction of the data including the audio data (or image data) and the data is saved in the nonvolatile storage means 4, the nonvolatile storage is performed thereafter. When the data is read from the means 4 and written back to the volatile storage means 3 to return to the original state, the reproduction of the data can be continued from the previous reproduction stop position. There is no need to search for the playback start position.

  According to the configuration described above, in application to a computer device, for example, the system state is stored using a built-in nonvolatile memory, and then the contents of the nonvolatile memory are written back to the volatile memory. By returning to the previous execution state, the interrupted data processing can be continued. In addition, when the device is not in use, power can be saved by cutting off the power supply to the volatile memory and the CPU. User interface can be realized.

  The application of the present invention is not limited to the above-described apparatus and program, but is an information recording medium that records a program having the above-described execution state storage and restoration functions (so that the program can be loaded into an information processing device and loaded into a memory. The present invention can be widely applied to execution state storage and restoration methods using non-volatile storage means.

It is a figure which shows the structural example which concerns on this invention. It is a figure for demonstrating the structure of a volatile memory | storage means, and the relationship with a non-volatile memory | storage means. It is a flowchart figure which shows the example of a preservation | save process of an execution state. It is a flowchart figure which shows the example of a return process of an execution state. It is explanatory drawing regarding the reproduction | regeneration interruption of data and subsequent resumption of reproduction | regeneration.

Explanation of symbols

  DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Information processing apparatus, 2 ... Central processing unit, 3 ... Volatile memory means, 4 ... Nonvolatile memory means

Claims (8)

In an information processing apparatus including a volatile storage unit and a nonvolatile storage unit, and a central processing unit that performs arithmetic processing according to a program instruction,
Information on the execution state including the contents of the volatile storage means and the internal state of the central processing unit is stored in the nonvolatile storage means when an operation instruction is received or when a preset condition is satisfied Thereafter, in response to power-on or operation instructions, the contents of the volatile storage means stored in the nonvolatile storage means and information indicating the internal state of the central processing unit are read from the nonvolatile storage means, and the information is read out. An information processing apparatus, wherein information processing is continued by writing back to the volatile storage means and returning to the original execution state. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1,
Information on the execution state including the contents of the volatile storage means and the internal state of the central processing unit at the time of receiving the operation instruction is stored in the nonvolatile storage means, and then the power to the volatile storage means is stored. When the supply is cut off and the power is turned on again, the contents of the volatile storage means stored in the nonvolatile storage means and the information indicating the internal state of the central processing unit are read from the nonvolatile storage means. An information processing apparatus, wherein the information is read and written back to the volatile storage means to return to the execution state at the time point when the operation instruction is received first. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1,
Information on the execution state including the contents of the volatile storage means and the internal state of the central processing unit at the time of receiving the operation instruction is stored in the nonvolatile storage means, and then operated or preset conditions When the determination processing is performed, information indicating the contents of the volatile storage means and the internal state of the central processing unit stored in the nonvolatile storage means is read from the nonvolatile storage means and the information is obtained. An information processing apparatus that returns to the execution state at the time point when the operation instruction is received first by writing back to the volatile storage unit. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1,
The volatile storage means includes a first storage area for storing programs and data, a second storage area for holding information relating to an execution state including an internal state of the central processing unit, Only when information stored in the first and second storage areas is written to the nonvolatile storage means and only when information written to the nonvolatile storage means is written back to the first and second storage areas. An information processing apparatus having a third storage area to be used. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1,
When the operation instruction is received or when a preset condition is satisfied, the reproduction of the audio data or the image data is stopped and the data is saved in the non-volatile storage means, and then from the non-volatile storage means An information processing apparatus, wherein the data is continuously reproduced from the reproduction stop position when the data is read and written back to the volatile storage means to return to the original execution state. In a program used for an information processing apparatus including a volatile storage unit and a nonvolatile storage unit and a central processing unit that performs arithmetic processing according to a program instruction,
When the operation instruction is received or when a preset condition is satisfied, information on the execution state including the contents of the volatile storage unit and the internal state of the central processing unit is stored in the nonvolatile storage unit Processing steps;
In response to power-on or operation instructions, the contents of the volatile storage means stored in the nonvolatile storage means and information indicating the internal state of the central processing unit are read from the nonvolatile storage means and the volatile And a processing step of returning to the original execution state by writing back to the storage means. The program according to claim 6,
Information on the execution state including the contents of the volatile storage means and the internal state of the central processing unit at the time of receiving the operation instruction is stored in the nonvolatile storage means, and power is supplied to the volatile storage means Processing steps for cutting,
When the apparatus is turned on again, information indicating the contents of the volatile storage means and the internal state of the central processing unit stored in the nonvolatile storage means is read from the nonvolatile storage means. A program characterized by having a processing step of writing the information back to the volatile storage means and returning to the execution state at the time point when the operation instruction was received first. The program according to claim 6,
A processing step for storing information on the execution state including the contents of the volatile storage unit and the internal state of the central processing unit at the time of receiving the operation instruction in the nonvolatile storage unit;
Thereafter, when a determination process is performed for an operation or a preset condition, information indicating the contents of the volatile storage means and the internal state of the central processing unit stored in the nonvolatile storage means A program comprising a processing step of reading from the nonvolatile storage means, writing the information back into the volatile storage means, and returning to the execution state at the time point when the operation instruction was received first.

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