JP2009199190A - Information processor, information processing method, and program - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To shorten a start time in the case of starting an information processor on which a plurality of operating systems are loaded. <P>SOLUTION: This information processing method in an information processor equipped with: an HDD for storing a plurality of OS; a CPU-A for executing first OS by using a first RAM in which the first OS stored in the HDD has been loaded; and a CPU-B for executing second OS by using a second RAM in which the second OS stored in the HDD has been loaded is characterized by controlling the CPU-A to perform access to the HDD in the case of starting the information processor, and to read both the first and second OS, and to load the OS in the first RAM (S504), and to transfer the second OS loaded in the first RAM to the second RAM (S505), and to make a start instruction to the CPU-B (S507). <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2009,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to information processing technology when starting an information processing apparatus.

  In recent years, in order to realize multi-functionality of devices, hardware such as an arithmetic device (CPU), an auxiliary storage device (HDD), a main storage device (for example, RAM) is installed in various devices, and various functions are provided by application programs. Realization is becoming possible.

Recently, a proposal has been made to realize further multi-functionality of an information processing device by mounting a plurality of arithmetic devices and a plurality of OSs (operating systems) on one information processing device (for example, Patent Document 1).
JP 2007-35066 A

  However, in the case of an information processing apparatus equipped with a plurality of arithmetic devices and a plurality of OSs as in Patent Document 1, each arithmetic device accesses the auxiliary storage device at the same time when starting up, and reads and executes each OS. There is a need. For this reason, there is a problem that a prolonged start-up time cannot be avoided.

  In particular, since the auxiliary storage device is accessed by a mechanical mechanism, it has a characteristic that random access is slow in the first place, and this becomes more remarkable as the number of arithmetic devices increases. Further, in order to start a plurality of OSs simultaneously, it is necessary to control the auxiliary storage device to be accessed alternately while switching each arithmetic device, and the access time is compared with the case where each arithmetic device accesses. An increase in is inevitable.

  On the other hand, by holding a plurality of OSs in a volatile memory with fast random access, it is possible to solve such a problem, but in this case, it is necessary to always hold the power supply of the apparatus. For this reason, while starting time can be shortened, there exists a problem of causing the increase in power consumption.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and in starting an information processing apparatus equipped with a plurality of arithmetic devices capable of executing each of a plurality of operating systems, the startup time is not increased without causing an increase in power consumption. It aims at shortening.

In order to achieve the above object, an information processing apparatus according to the present invention comprises the following arrangement. That is,
An information processing apparatus comprising an auxiliary storage device storing a plurality of operating systems,
First computing means for accessing a first main storage device loaded with a first operating system stored in the auxiliary storage device and executing the first operating system;
Access to a second main storage device loaded with a second operating system stored in the auxiliary storage device, and executing the second operating system, and
The first calculation means is configured to start up the information processing apparatus,
Accessing the auxiliary storage device, reading both the first and second operating systems, loading them into the first main storage device and the second main storage device, respectively, the second main storage device When the loading to is completed, activation is instructed to the second computing means.

  According to the present invention, when starting up an information processing apparatus equipped with a plurality of arithmetic devices capable of executing each of a plurality of operating systems, it is possible to shorten the startup time without causing an increase in power consumption. Become.

  Hereinafter, exemplary embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. However, the components described in the following embodiments are merely examples, and the scope of the present invention is not limited to these components.

[First Embodiment]
1. Configuration of Image Forming Apparatus FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an overall configuration of an image forming apparatus equipped with an information processing apparatus according to the present embodiment. The image forming apparatus 100 includes a document transport device 110, an image reader 120, a main body including a printer unit 130, a folding device 150, and a finisher 160.

  The document transport device 110 feeds the documents set on the document tray 111 one by one in order from the first page, and transports them onto the document table glass 121 through a curved path.

  As a method for reading a single-sided document in the image reader 120, there are a fixed document reading mode and a document flow reading mode. In the fixed document reading mode, the document is conveyed so that the trailing edge of the document comes to the reading position R1 on the platen glass 121, stopped, and then the scanner unit 122 is moved from left to right to read the document. This is the mode to perform.

  On the other hand, the document flow reading mode is a mode in which the document is conveyed to the reading position R1 at a certain reading speed and the document is read while the scanner unit 122 is fixed at the reading position R1. In any mode, the read original is discharged to the paper discharge tray 112.

  When the reading target is a double-sided original, the front side is read by the scanner unit 122 and the back side is read using the optical unit 113 disposed in the original conveying apparatus 110. In the optical unit 113, an image sensor and a light source (not shown) are arranged.

  Image data of a document generated by reading the document by the image sensor 124 via the lens 123 is subjected to image processing in a controller control unit in a control device (not shown in FIG. 1). Further, the image processed image data is stored in a hard disk in the control device and is sent to the exposure control unit 131 via a printer control unit in the control device. The exposure control unit 131 outputs laser light corresponding to the image data.

  The laser beam output from the exposure control unit 131 is applied to the photosensitive drum 132 to form an electrostatic latent image on the photosensitive drum 132. The electrostatic latent image formed on the photosensitive drum 132 is developed by the developing unit 133 using a developer. The developer on the photosensitive drum 132 is transferred via the transfer unit 138 to a sheet fed from any of the cassettes 134 and 135, the manual sheet feeding unit 136, and the duplex conveyance path 137.

  The sheet onto which the developer has been transferred is guided to the fixing unit 139, where the developer is fixed. The sheet that has passed through the fixing unit 139 is once guided from the path 141 to the path 140 by a flapper (not shown). When the rear end of the sheet passes through the path 141, the sheet is switched back, and the sheet 142 is discharged from the path 142. Led to.

  As a result, the surface onto which the developer has been transferred can be turned downward (face down) and discharged from the printer unit 130 by the discharge roller 143. This is called reverse paper discharge. Thus, by discharging face down, it is possible to form an image in the correct page order from the first page when printing an image obtained by reading a plurality of documents using the document conveying device 110.

  When image formation is performed on a hard sheet such as an OHP sheet inserted from the manual sheet feeding unit 136, the sheet is not guided to the path 141, and the surface onto which the developer has been transferred (face Is discharged from the discharge roller 143.

  Further, when image formation is performed on both sides of the sheet, the sheet is guided from the fixing unit 139 to the path 141 and the path 140, and the back end of the sheet is switched back immediately after passing through the path 141, which is not illustrated. It is guided to the duplex conveyance path 137 by the flapper. The sheet guided to the duplex conveyance path 137 is again transferred with the electrostatic latent image by the transfer unit 138 and subjected to fixing processing by the fixing unit 139.

  In this way, in the one-pass path that returns from the transfer unit 138 to the transfer unit 138 again via the double-sided conveyance path 137, it can be conveyed even in a state where five half-size sheets such as A4 and B5 are contained. The path length, roller arrangement, and drive system are divided.

  Note that the discharge page order by these processes is discharged so that the odd-numbered pages face down, so that the page order during double-sided copying can be matched.

  The sheet discharged from the discharge roller 143 is sent to the folding device 150. The folding device 150 performs processing for folding the sheet into Z-folds. In the case of A3 size or B4 size, folding processing is performed by the folding device 150 and then the sheet is sent to the finisher 160. Sheets of other sizes are sent to the finisher 160 as they are.

  The finisher 160 performs bookbinding processing, binding processing, punching, and the like. An inserter 170 is provided on the upper part of the finisher 160 and feeds a cover sheet, a slip sheet, and the like to the finisher 160.

2. Configuration of Control Device Mounted on Image Forming Apparatus 100 FIG. 2 shows the overall configuration of the control device 200 mounted on the image forming apparatus 100 and an external computer 230 connected to the control device via an external bus 220. FIG. The control device 200 is configured around a controller control unit 210 (information processing device according to the present embodiment) that controls the entire image forming apparatus 100.

  The document conveying device control unit 201 controls the document conveying device 110 based on the setting of the operation unit 205 and an instruction from the external computer 230. The image reader control unit 202 controls the image reader 120. The controller control unit 210 communicates with the document conveying device control unit 201 and the image reader control unit 202 to acquire document image data.

  The printer control unit 203 controls the printer unit 130. The controller control unit 210 communicates with the printer control unit 203 to print image data on a sheet. The folding device control unit 206 and the finisher control unit 207 control the folding device 150 and the finisher 160, respectively. The controller control unit 210 communicates with the folding device control unit 206 and the finisher control unit 207 to realize an output in which processing such as stapling or punching is performed on the printed sheet.

  The external I / F 204 is an interface connected to the external computer 230. For example, the external I / F 204 receives print data from the external computer 230 via the external bus 220 such as a network or USB, and develops and outputs the image data. Also, the image data stored in the hard disk (HDD) in the controller control unit 210 is transmitted to the external computer 230 via the external bus 220.

3. Configuration of Controller Control Unit 210 FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing a device configuration of the controller control unit 210 which is the information processing apparatus according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

  The controller control unit 210 includes two CPUs (first arithmetic means and second arithmetic means), which are CPU-A (301) and CPU-B (308), and execute different operating systems (hereinafter referred to as OSs). To do.

  The CPU-A (301) and the CPU-B (302) each function as a calculation unit. The computing means may be constituted by one CPU such as CPU-A (301) or CPU-B (302), or one computing means may be constituted by a plurality of CPUs. Or you may comprise one calculating means with one CPU which has several CPU cores.

  A bus bridge 304 is connected to the CPU-A (301) side, and communication between the CPU-A (301) and the CPU-B (308) is performed via the bus bridge 304. The bus bridge (304) is connected to a ROM-A (302) that stores an initial startup BIOS program (hereinafter simply referred to as BIOS) of the CPU-A (301). Further, a RAM-A (303) (a volatile first main storage device) that temporarily holds a program executed by the CPU-A (301) and is used as a work area at the time of execution is connected.

  A hard disk (HDD) 307 is a non-volatile storage device, and includes two OSs (OS-A (first operating system), OS-B (second operating system)) of CPU-A (301) and CPU-B (308). Operating system)). In addition, a boot loader and a kernel that define the operation of the CPU-A at startup, application programs (APP-A and APP-B), acquired image data, and the like are stored. Note that the controller control unit 210 of the present embodiment is configured to be accessible to the HDD 307 from both the CPU-A (301) and the CPU-B (308).

  Here, APP-A is a program (first application program) that operates under the management of OS-A when CPU-A (301) is executing OS-A. APP-B is a program (second application program) that operates under the management of OS-B when CPU-B (308) is executing OS-B.

  Note that the CPU-A (301) and CPU-B (308) access the RAM-A (303) and RAM-B (310) at a higher speed than the HDD (307).

  The bus bridge 304 is further connected to an external I / F control unit 305 that controls the external I / F 204 and an operation unit control unit 306 that controls the operation unit 205.

  On the other hand, a ROM-B (309) storing an initial startup program for the CPU-B (308) is connected to the CPU-B (308). Further, a RAM-B (310) (a volatile second main storage device) that temporarily holds a program executed by the CPU-B (308) and is used as a work area at the time of execution is connected.

  Further, a device control unit 311 is connected to the CPU-B (308). The device control unit 311 is connected to the document conveyance device control unit 201, the image reader control unit 202, the printer control unit 203, the folding device control unit 206, and the finisher control unit 207, and controls each control unit.

4). Configuration of Operation Unit 205 FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an external configuration of the operation unit 205 of the image forming apparatus 100. The LCD display unit 410 has a touch panel sheet pasted on the LCD, displays an operation screen of the image forming apparatus 100, and when the displayed key is pressed, the position information is sent to the controller control unit 210. Tell. A numeric keypad 401 is used to enter numbers such as the number of copies.

  A start key 402 is a key used when a copying operation and a document reading operation are started after user-desired conditions are set. A stop key 403 is a key used to stop an operation in operation. The energy saving key 404 is a key used when instructing a shift to the power saving mode or a return.

  Reference numeral 405 denotes a guide key that is pressed when the user does not understand the function of the key. When the guide key 405 is pressed, an explanation of the key is displayed. A copy mode key 406 is used when copying.

  Reference numeral 407 denotes a fax key, which is a key used when making settings related to a fax. Reference numeral 408 denotes a file key, which is used when outputting file data. Reference numeral 409 denotes a printer key, which is used when settings relating to print output are performed from the external computer 230 or the like.

5). Flow of processing at the time of startup of the image forming apparatus 100 Figure 5 is a flowchart showing a process flow of the controller control unit 210 at startup of the image forming apparatus 100. FIG. 6 is a diagram showing the processing contents of the CPU-A (301), CPU-B (308), and HDD 307 operating based on the flowchart of FIG. 5 over time. Hereinafter, the processing flow of the controller control unit 210 when the image forming apparatus 100 is activated will be described with reference to FIGS. 5 and 6. In this embodiment, it is assumed that the CPU-A (301) is operated by Linux, which is a general-purpose OS.

  When the user depresses a main switch (not shown) of the image forming apparatus 100 and power is turned on to each unit in the controller control unit 210, the startup process is started.

  In step S501, the CPU-A (301) loads the BIOS from the ROM-A (302) to the RAM-A (303), and initializes the CPU-A (301).

  In step S502, the CPU-B (308) reads and executes the initial startup program from the ROM-B (409), thereby initializing the RAM-B (310) and the CPU-B (308).

  In step S503, when the CPU-A (301) executes the BIOS and confirms that the HDD 307 is in a readable / writable state (Ready state), the boot loader is loaded from the HDD 307 to the RAM-A (303), Start the boot loader.

  Further, when the CPU-A (301) executes the boot loader, the HDD 307 is accessed to acquire the kernel and initial RAM DISK data (initrd), and the kernel and initrd are loaded into the RAM-A (303). . The kernel and initrd loaded in the RAM-A (303) are expanded on the RAM-A (303), and the CPU-A (301) executes the kernel based on the initrd. When the CPU-A (301) executes the kernel, the CPU-A (301) recognizes various devices in the controller control unit 210 and performs settings for the various devices, and then the process proceeds to step S504.

  In step S504, the OS (OS-A) executed by the CPU-A (301) is loaded from the HDD 307 into the RAM-A (303) and the execution is started. At the same time, the CPU-A (301) loads the OS (OS-B) executed by the CPU-B (308) in the HDD 307 into the RAM-A (303).

  Thus, in the controller control unit 210, each CPU does not load a plurality of OSs respectively executed by the CPU-A (301) and the CPU-B (308) from the HDD 307. In the controller control unit 210, the CPU-A (301) loads both OSs into the RAM-A (303) in a batch.

  As a result, unlike the conventional method in which the CPU-A (301) and the CPU-B (308) separately access the HDD 307, the CPU-A (301) can occupy the access to the HDD 307. As a result, the time required to load both OSs can be shortened.

  In step S505, the CPU (A-B) executed by the CPU-B (308) is transferred from the RAM-A (303) to the RAM-B (310) by the CPU-A (301).

  In step S506, it is monitored whether or not the OS (OS-B) executed by the CPU-B (308) has been transferred from the RAM-A (303) to the RAM-B (308). If the CPU-A (301) determines that the transfer has ended, in step S507, the CPU-B (308) is notified of the transfer end / start-up.

  Receiving the notification, the CPU-B (308) executes the OS (OS-B) on the RAM-B (310) in step S508.

  In step S509, the CPU-A (301) loads / executes the application program (APP-A) in the HDD (307). The CPU-B (308) loads / executes the application program (APP-B) in the HDD (307). As a result, the information processing apparatus completes startup and enters an operation standby state.

  As is apparent from the above description, in the present embodiment, in an information processing apparatus having a plurality of CPUs and OSs, one CPU loads a plurality of OSs from the HDD into one RAM at a time. The OS is transferred to another RAM.

  As a result, the time required to load the OS from the HDD can be shortened and the startup time of the information processing apparatus can be shortened compared to the conventional method in which each CPU accesses the HDD and loads each OS. Can be realized.

  In addition, an increase in power consumption can be suppressed as compared with a case in which a plurality of OSs are held in a volatile memory with quick random access to shorten the startup time.

[Second Embodiment]
In the first embodiment, the boot loader and the kernel executed by the CPU-A are stored in the HDD. However, the present invention is not limited to this and may be stored in the ROM-A.

  The configuration of the controller control unit that is the information processing apparatus according to the present embodiment and the flow of processing of the controller control unit when the image forming apparatus is activated will be described below. Note that the configuration of the control device in which the controller control unit according to the present embodiment is arranged and the configuration of the image forming apparatus having the control device are the same as those in the first embodiment, and thus description thereof is omitted here.

1. Configuration of Controller Control Unit FIG. 7 is a block diagram showing a device configuration of a controller control unit 700 which is an information processing apparatus according to the second embodiment of the present invention.

  The controller control unit 700 includes two CPUs, CPU-A (701) and CPU-B (708), and each executes a separate OS.

  The CPU-A (701) and the CPU-B (702) each function as a calculation unit. The computing means may be constituted by one CPU such as CPU-A (701) or CPU-B (702), or a plurality of CPUs may constitute one computing means. Or you may comprise one calculating means with one CPU which has several CPU cores.

  A bus bridge-A (705) is connected to the CPU-A (701) side, and a bus bridge-B (710) is connected to the CPU-B (708) side. Communication is performed between the CPU-A (701) and the CPU-B (708) via the bus bridge-A (705) and the bus bridge-B (710).

  Further, the ROM-A (702) storing the BIOS of the CPU-A (701) is connected to the bus bridge-A (705). Further, a ROM-B (703) storing a boot loader and a kernel, a program executed by the CPU-A (701) are temporarily stored, and a RAM-A (704) used as a work area at the time of execution is connected. Has been.

  Further, an external I / F control unit 706 that controls the external I / F 204 and an operation unit control unit 707 that controls the operation unit 205 are connected to the bus bridge-A (705).

  On the other hand, a RAM-B (709) that temporarily holds a program executed by the CPU-B (708) and is used as a work area at the time of execution is connected to the bus bridge-B (710). Further, a device control unit 712 for controlling the document conveying device control unit 201, the image reader control unit 202, the printer control unit 203, the folding device control unit 206, and the finisher control unit 207 is connected.

  The HDD (711) includes two OSs (OS-A, OS-B) of CPU-A (701) and CPU-B (708), application programs (APP-A, APP-B), and CPU-B (708). ) Initial startup program, acquired image data, and the like. Note that the controller control unit 700 of this embodiment is configured to be accessible from both the CPU-A (701) and the CPU-B (708) to the HDD 711. The HDD 711 may be connected to the bus bridge-A (705).

  It is assumed that the CPU-A (701) can also access the RAM-B (709) via the bus bridge-A (705) and the bus bridge-B (708).

2. Flow of processing at the time of startup of the image forming apparatus 100 FIG 8 is a flowchart showing a process flow of the controller control unit 700 at startup of the image forming apparatus 100. FIG. 9 is a diagram showing the processing contents of the CPU-A (701), CPU-B (708), and HDD 711 that operate based on the flowchart of FIG. 8 over time. Hereinafter, the flow of processing performed by the controller control unit 700 when the image forming apparatus 100 is activated will be described with reference to FIGS. 8 and 9. Note that in this embodiment, the CPU-A (701) is operated by Linux, which is a general-purpose OS.

  When the user depresses a main switch (not shown) of the image forming apparatus 100 to turn on the power in each unit in the controller control unit 700, the activation process is started.

  In step S801, the CPU-A (701) loads the BIOS from the ROM-A (702) to the RAM-A (704), and initializes the CPU-A (701).

  In step S802, the CPU-A (701) executes the BIOS to load the boot loader from the ROM-B (703) and activate the boot loader.

  Further, when the CPU-A (701) executes the boot loader, the ROM-B (703) is accessed to acquire the kernel and initial RAM DISK data (initrd), and the kernel and initrd are stored in the RAM-A (704). ). The kernel and initrd loaded in the RAM-A (704) are expanded on the RAM-A (704), and the CPU-A (701) starts executing the kernel based on the initrd.

  As a result, in step S803, the CPU-A (701) initializes the RAM-B (709) via the bus bridge-B (710) and makes the RAM-B (709) accessible. In addition, various devices in the controller control unit 700 are recognized, and settings for various devices are made. At this time, the CPU-B (708) is still in the reset state and not operating.

  In step S804, the OS (OS-A) executed by the CPU-A (701) is loaded from the HDD 711 into the RAM-A (704) and the execution is started. At the same time, the CPU-A (701) loads the OS (OS-B) executed by the CPU-B (708) in the HDD 711 into the RAM-B (709).

  As described above, in the controller control unit 700, each CPU does not load a plurality of OSs respectively executed by the CPU-A (701) and the CPU-B (708) from the HDD 711. In the controller control unit 700, the CPU-A (701) is configured to load both OSs at once. Then, the CPU-A (701) does not transfer the OS-B to the RAM-A (704) after the OS-B is loaded to the RAM-B (709) as in the first embodiment, but transfers the RAM from the HDD (701) to the RAM-A (704). -Load directly to B (709).

  As a result, unlike the conventional method in which the CPU-A (701) and the CPU-B (708) access the HDD 711, the CPU-A (701) can occupy the access to the HDD 711. As a result, the time required to load both OSs can be shortened.

  In step S805, it is determined whether the CPU-A (701) has completed the process of loading the OS (OS-B) executed by the CPU-B (708) from the HDD 711 to the RAM-B (709). .

  If it is determined that the transfer by the CPU-A (701) has ended, in step S806, the CPU-B (708) is notified of the transfer end / reset release.

  Receiving the notification, the CPU-B (708) executes the OS (OS-B) on the RAM-B (709) in step S807.

  In step S808, the CPU-A (701) loads / executes the application program (APP-A) in the HDD (711). The CPU-B (708) loads / executes the application program (APP-B) in the HDD (711). As a result, the image forming apparatus completes startup and enters an operation standby state.

  As is apparent from the above description, in the present embodiment, in an information processing apparatus having a plurality of CPUs and OSs, a single CPU collects a plurality of OSs from an HDD in a lump for each CPU. To load.

  As a result, the time required to load the OS from the HDD can be shortened and the startup time of the information processing apparatus can be reduced as compared with the conventional method in which each CPU accesses the HDD and acquires each OS. Can be realized.

  In addition, an increase in power consumption can be suppressed as compared with a case in which a plurality of OSs are held in a volatile memory with quick random access to shorten the startup time.

  Further, in this embodiment, the boot loader and the kernel are activated from the ROM. Generally, since the data access speed of the ROM is higher than that of the HDD, the waiting time until the HDD enters the ready state can be eliminated, and the startup time can be further shortened.

  In the above description, the CPU-A (701) loads the OS-B stored in the HDD 711 directly from the HDD 711 into the RAM-B (709). However, other modes may be used. Specifically, the CPU-A (701) may temporarily load the OS-B from the HDD 711 into the RAM-A (704) and then transfer the OS-B to the RAM-B (709).

[Third Embodiment]
In the first embodiment, one of the plurality of CPUs is configured to collectively read out the OS executed by the other CPU from the HDD and store it in the RAM. However, the present invention is not limited to this. For example, a communication control device for reading out the OS executed by each CPU from the HDD may be separately provided, and the communication control device may be configured to read from the HDD in a lump and store in the RAM.

  The configuration of the controller control unit that is the information processing apparatus according to the present embodiment and the flow of processing of the controller control unit when the image forming apparatus is activated will be described below. Note that the configuration of the control device in which the controller control unit according to the present embodiment is arranged and the configuration of the image forming apparatus having the control device are the same as those in the first embodiment, and thus description thereof is omitted here.

1. Configuration of Controller Control Unit FIG. 10 is a block diagram showing a device configuration of a controller control unit 1000 which is an information processing apparatus according to the third embodiment of the present invention.

  The controller control unit 1000 includes two CPUs, CPU-A (1001) and CPU-B (1011), and each executes a separate OS.

  The CPU-A (1001) and the CPU-B (1002) each function as a calculation unit. Then, the calculation means may be constituted by one CPU such as CPU-A (1001) or CPU-B (1002), or one calculation means may be constituted by a plurality of CPUs. Or you may comprise one calculating means with one CPU which has several CPU cores.

  A bus bridge-A (1005) is connected to the CPU-A (1001) side, and a bus bridge-B (1013) is connected to the CPU-B (1011) side. The CPU-A (1001) and the CPU-B (1011) communicate with each other via the bus bridge-A (1005) and the bus bridge-B (1013).

  Further, the ROM-A (1002) storing the BIOS of the CPU-A (1001) is connected to the bus bridge-A (1005). Further, a ROM-B (1003) storing a boot loader and a kernel and a program executed by the CPU-A (1001) are temporarily stored, and a RAM-A (1004) used as a work area at the time of execution is connected. Has been.

  Also, an external I / F control unit 1006 that controls the external I / F 204 and an operation unit control unit 1007 that controls the operation unit 205 are connected.

  On the other hand, a RAM-B (1012) that temporarily holds a program executed by the CPU-B (1011) and is used as a work area at the time of execution is connected to the bus bridge-B (1013). Further, a device control unit 1015 for controlling the document conveying device control unit 201, the image reader control unit 202, the printer control unit 203, the folding device control unit 206, and the finisher control unit 207 is connected.

  Further, a communication control device 1017 capable of accessing the HDD 1014 and accessing the RAM-B (1012) is connected via the bus bridge-B (1013). The communication control apparatus 1017 is connected to a ROM-C (1016) that stores an initial activation program of the communication control apparatus 1017.

  The HDD 1014 stores two OSs (OS-A, OS-B) of CPU-A (1001) and CPU-B (1011) and application programs (APP-A, APP-B). Further, an initial activation program for the CPU-B (1011), acquired image data, and the like are stored. Note that the controller control unit 1000 according to the present embodiment is configured so that both the CPU-A (1001) and the CPU-B (1011) can access the HDD 1014 via the communication control device 1017.

  The HDD 1014, the communication control device 1017, and the ROM-C (1016) may be connected to the bus bridge-A (1005). The boot loader and kernel stored in the ROM-B (1003) may be stored in the HDD 1014.

2. Flow of processing at the time of startup of the image forming apparatus Figure 11, 12 and 13 are flowcharts showing the flow of processing in the controller control unit 1000 of the image forming apparatus 100 starts up according to the third embodiment. Among these, FIG. 11 is a flowchart showing the flow of processing of the CPU-A (1001) when the image forming apparatus 100 is activated. FIG. 12 is a flowchart showing a processing flow of the CPU-B (1011) when the image forming apparatus 100 is activated. Further, FIG. 13 is a flowchart showing a processing flow of the communication control apparatus 1017 when the image forming apparatus 100 is activated.

  On the other hand, FIG. 14 is a diagram illustrating processing contents of the CPU-A (1001), the CPU-B (1011), the communication control device 1017, and the HDD 1014 with time. The processing flow of the controller control unit 1000 when the image forming apparatus 100 is activated will be described below with reference to FIGS. In this embodiment, it is assumed that the CPU-A (1001) is operated by Linux, which is a general-purpose OS.

2.1 Process Flow in CPU-A (1001) First, the process flow of the CPU-A (1001) when the image forming apparatus 100 is activated will be described with reference to FIGS.

  When the user depresses a main switch (not shown) of the image forming apparatus 100 and power is turned on to each unit in the controller control unit 1000, the startup process is started.

  In step S1101, the CPU-A (1001) loads the BIOS stored in the ROM-A (1002) into the RAM-A (1004), and initializes the CPU-A (1001).

  In step S1102, the CPU-A (1001) executes the BIOS to load the boot loader from the ROM-B (1003) and start the boot loader.

  Further, the CPU-A (1001) executes the boot loader, thereby accessing the ROM-B (1003) to acquire the kernel and the initial RAM DISK data (initrd). Then, the kernel and initrd are loaded into the RAM-A (1004).

  The kernel and initrd loaded in the RAM-A (1004) are expanded on the RAM-A (1004), and the CPU-A (1001) starts executing the kernel based on the initrd. When the CPU-A (1001) executes the kernel, the CPU-A (1001) recognizes various devices in the controller control unit 1000, sets the various devices, and then proceeds to step S1103.

  In step S1103, the OS (OS-A) executed by the CPU-A (1001) is loaded from the HDD 1014 into the RAM-A (1004) via the communication control device 1017. Specifically, the communication control apparatus 1017 loads the OS-A previously loaded from the HDD 1014 into the RAM-B (1012) into the RAM-A (1004).

  In step S1104, it is determined whether or not the OS (OS-A) executed by the CPU-A (1001) is completely loaded from the RAM-B (1012) to the RAM-A (1004). If it is determined that the loading of the OS (OS-A) executed by the CPU-A (1001) has been completed, the process proceeds to step S1105.

  In step S1105, the process waits until the activation of CPU-B (1011) is completed. If the activation of the CPU-B (1011) is completed, the process advances to step S1106 to load / execute the application (APP-A) in the HDD 1014.

2.2 Processing Flow in CPU-B (1011) Next, the flow of processing in the CPU-B (1011) when the image forming apparatus 100 is started will be described with reference to FIGS.

  When the user depresses a main switch (not shown) of the image forming apparatus 100 to turn on the power in each unit in the controller control unit 1000, the CPU-B (1011) starts a startup process.

  In step S1201, the CPU-B (1011) waits for the reset to be released. If it is determined in step S1201 that the reset has been released, the process proceeds to step S1202. Here, when the reset of the CPU-B (1011) is released, the OS (OS-B) executed by the CPU-B (1011) is already stored in the RAM-B (1012). Therefore, the CPU-B (1011) activates the OS (OS-B) stored in the RAM-B (1012).

  In step S1203, the CPU-A (1001) is notified of activation completion. In step S1204, the application (APP-B) in the HDD 1014 is loaded / executed.

2.3 Process Flow in Communication Control Device 1017 Next, a process flow in the communication control device 1017 when the image forming apparatus 100 is activated will be described with reference to FIGS. 13 and 14.

  When the user depresses a main switch (not shown) of the image forming apparatus 100 to turn on the power of each unit in the controller control unit 1000, the communication control device 1017 starts an activation process.

  In step S1301, the initial activation program stored in the ROM-C (1016) is activated. The ROM-C (1016) stores an initial activation program for the communication control device 1017. In addition, information on the initial activation program of the HDD 1014 and the start addresses and areas of the programs of the CPU-A (1001) and CPU-B (1011) stored in the HDD 1014 are stored.

  In step S1302, the RAM-B (1012) is initialized. In step S1303, it is checked whether the HDD (1014) is in a readable / writable state (Ready state). If it is determined that the ready state is entered, the OS (OS-A) executed by the CPU-A (1001) is loaded from the HDD (1014) to the RAM-B (1012).

  In step S1304, the CPU-B (1011) side initial startup program and OS (OS-B) are loaded into the RAM-B (1012). At this time, the OS (OS-A) on the CPU-A (1001) side is stored in an area that does not hinder the activation of the CPU-B (1011), for example, an image area.

  When the OS (OS-A, OS-B) of the CPU-A (1001) and CPU-B (1011) is stored in the RAM-B (1012), the reset of the CPU-B (1011) is canceled in step S1305. . As a result, the CPU-B (1011) starts executing the program.

  If it is determined in step S1306 that an OS (OS-A) acquisition request has been input from the CPU-A (1001) to the HDD 1014, and it is determined that an OS (OS-A) acquisition request has been input. In step S1307, the process proceeds to step S1307.

  At this time, the OS (OS-A) executed by the CPU-A (1001) has already been loaded on the RAM-B (1012). Therefore, in step S1307, first, the communication control apparatus 1017 converts the address of the HDD 1014 requested to be acquired into an address stored on the RAM-B (1012). Then, the OS (OS-A) is read from the converted address and transferred to the RAM-A (1004).

  In step S1309, it is monitored whether or not all the OS (OS-A) executed by the CPU-A (1001) has been transferred. If it is determined that all the OS (OS-A) has been transferred, the process ends. .

  As is clear from the above description, in the present embodiment, a communication control device is provided, and a plurality of OSs stored in the HDD are loaded into one RAM at a time when the information processing device is activated. As a result, each CPU can acquire the OS from the RAM at the time of startup, and the startup time can be shortened.

  Further, in response to an OS acquisition request from each CPU to the HDD, the communication control apparatus converts the HDD address into a RAM address and reads it from the RAM in which the OS is stored in advance. As a result, the CPU can acquire the program without being aware of whether the program is transferred from the HDD or from the RAM, and it is necessary to change the startup sequence of the CPU. Disappear.

[Other Embodiments]
Note that the present invention can be applied to a system (for example, a copier, a facsimile machine, etc.) consisting of a single device even when applied to a system composed of a plurality of devices (for example, a host computer, interface device, reader, printer, etc.). You may apply.

  Needless to say, the object of the present invention can also be achieved by supplying a system or apparatus with a storage medium storing software program codes for realizing the functions of the above-described embodiments. In this case, the above functions are realized by the computer (or CPU or MPU) of the system or apparatus reading and executing the program code stored in the storage medium. In this case, the storage medium storing the program code constitutes the present invention.

  As a storage medium for supplying the program code, for example, a floppy (registered trademark) disk, hard disk, optical disk, magneto-optical disk, CD-ROM, CD-R, magnetic tape, nonvolatile memory card, ROM, or the like is used. be able to.

  Further, the present invention is not limited to the case where the functions of the above-described embodiments are realized by executing the program code read by the computer. For example, an OS (operating system) running on a computer performs part or all of actual processing based on an instruction of the program code, and the functions of the above-described embodiments may be realized by the processing. Needless to say, it is included.

  Further, when the program code read from the storage medium is written in a memory provided in a function expansion board inserted into the computer or a function expansion unit connected to the computer, the functions of the above-described embodiments are realized. Is also included. That is, after the program code is written in the memory, the CPU or the like provided in the function expansion board or function expansion unit performs part or all of the actual processing based on the instruction of the program code, and is realized by the processing. This is also included.

1 is a diagram illustrating an overall configuration of an image forming apparatus. 1 is a diagram illustrating an overall configuration of a control device mounted on an image forming apparatus and an external computer connected via an external bus. It is a block diagram which shows the device structure of the controller control part which is the information processing apparatus which concerns on the 1st Embodiment of this invention. 3 is a diagram illustrating a configuration of an operation unit of the image forming apparatus. FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing a flow of processing when the image forming apparatus is activated. It is the figure which showed the processing content of CPU-A, CPU-B, and HDD which operate | moves based on the flowchart of FIG. 5 with progress of time. It is a block diagram which shows the device structure of the controller control part which is an information processing apparatus which concerns on the 2nd Embodiment of this invention. 3 is a flowchart showing a flow of processing when the image forming apparatus is activated. It is the figure which showed the processing content of CPU-A, CPU-B, and HDD which operate | moves based on the flowchart of FIG. 8 with progress of time. It is a block diagram which shows the device structure of the controller control part which is an information processing apparatus which concerns on the 3rd Embodiment of this invention. 4 is a flowchart showing a flow of processing of a CPU-A when the image forming apparatus is activated. 3 is a flowchart showing a flow of processing of CPU-B at the time of activation of the image forming apparatus. 4 is a flowchart showing a flow of processing of the communication control device when the image forming apparatus is activated. It is the figure which showed CPU-A, CPU-B, the communication control apparatus, and the processing content of HDD with time passage.

Claims (13)

An information processing apparatus comprising an auxiliary storage device storing a plurality of operating systems,
First computing means for accessing a first main storage device loaded with a first operating system stored in the auxiliary storage device and executing the first operating system;
Access to a second main storage device loaded with a second operating system stored in the auxiliary storage device, and executing the second operating system, and
The first calculation means is configured to start up the information processing apparatus,
Accessing the auxiliary storage device, reading both the first and second operating systems, loading them into the first main storage device and the second main storage device, respectively, the second main storage device An information processing apparatus characterized by instructing the second computing means to start up when loading to a computer is completed.   The first computing means loads the second operating system from the first main storage device to the second main storage device after loading the second operating system into the first main storage device when the information processing apparatus is activated. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the information processing apparatus is transferred to the information processing apparatus.   The first computing means loads the second operating system into the second main storage device without loading into the first main storage device when the information processing apparatus is activated. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1. A non-volatile main storage device that stores a program that defines the operation of the first computing means when the information processing device is activated;
The said 1st calculating means reads and runs the program memorize | stored in the said non-volatile main memory at the time of starting of the said information processing apparatus. Information processing device. An information processing apparatus comprising an auxiliary storage device storing a plurality of operating systems,
First computing means for accessing a first main storage device loaded with a first operating system stored in the auxiliary storage device and executing the first operating system;
A second computing means for accessing the second main storage device loaded with the second operating system stored in the auxiliary storage device and executing the second operating system;
A communication control device that accesses the auxiliary storage device at the time of startup of the information processing apparatus, reads both the first and second operating systems, and loads them into the second main storage device;
When the communication control device recognizes from the first computing means that there has been an acquisition request for the first operating system stored in the auxiliary storage device, the communication control device is loaded into the second main storage device. An information processing apparatus which reads one operating system and transfers it to the first main storage device.   The communication control device instructs the second computing means to start in response to reading both the first and second operating systems and loading them into the second main storage device. The information processing apparatus according to claim 5, characterized in that: The first main storage device and the second main storage device are volatile storage devices, and the auxiliary storage device is a nonvolatile storage device,
The access speed at which the first calculation means and the second calculation means access the first main storage device or the second main storage device is determined by the first calculation means and the second calculation means. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the information processing apparatus has an access speed higher than that for accessing the auxiliary storage device. The auxiliary storage device includes a first application program that operates under the control of the first operating system when the first computing unit is executing the first operating system, and the second computing device. A second application program that operates under the control of the second operating system when the means is executing the second operating system;
The first calculation means reads and executes the first application program from the auxiliary storage device while executing the first operating system,
The said 2nd calculating means reads the said 2nd application program from the said auxiliary | assistant storage device, and performs it, when running the said 2nd operating system. The information processing apparatus according to item 1. An auxiliary storage device storing a plurality of operating systems;
First computing means for accessing a first main storage device loaded with a first operating system stored in the auxiliary storage device and executing the first operating system;
Information in an information processing apparatus comprising: a second arithmetic unit that accesses a second main storage device loaded with a second operating system stored in the auxiliary storage device and executes the second operating system A processing method,
When the first computing means starts up the information processing apparatus,
Accessing the auxiliary storage device, reading both the first and second operating systems, and loading them into the first main storage device and the second main storage device, respectively;
An information processing method comprising: a step of instructing the second calculation means to start when the first calculation means has been loaded into the second main storage device.   In the loading step, the first computing unit loads the second operating system from the first main storage device after loading the second operating system when the information processing apparatus is activated. The information processing method according to claim 9, wherein the information processing method is a step of transferring to a second main storage device.   In the loading step, the first computing means loads the second operating system into the second main storage device without loading the second operating system into the first main storage device when the information processing apparatus is activated. The information processing method according to claim 9, wherein the information processing method is a loading step. An auxiliary storage device storing a plurality of operating systems;
First computing means for accessing a first main storage device loaded with a first operating system stored in the auxiliary storage device and executing the first operating system;
A second computing means for accessing the second main storage device loaded with the second operating system stored in the auxiliary storage device and executing the second operating system;
An information processing method in an information processing device comprising a communication control device accessible to the auxiliary storage device,
The communication control device accessing the auxiliary storage device at the time of starting the information processing device, reading both the first and second operating systems and loading them into the second main storage device;
When the communication control device recognizes that there has been a request for obtaining the first operating system stored in the auxiliary storage device from the first arithmetic means, the communication control device is loaded into the second main storage device. And a step of reading out the first operating system and transferring it to the first main storage device.   Instructing the second computing means to start in response to the communication control device reading both the first and second operating systems and loading them into the second main storage device; The information processing method according to claim 12, further comprising:

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