JP2013242875A - Packet processing circuit, packet processing method, and program - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To process a predetermined packet received via a network while maintaining an information processing apparatus having an electric power saving mode function to be in the electric power saving mode.SOLUTION: A network controller 24 of a general-purpose processor 20 as a control unit having a CPU 21 is connected to a PHY 15 as a connecting unit to a network via a packet processing unit 40. When the general-purpose processor 20 or the like is in an electric power saving mode, a packet received from the PHY15 is processed by the packet processing unit 40 without the CPU 21. The packet processing unit 40, in response to the received packet, outputs a signal J for abandoning an unnecessary packet, preparing and transmitting a response packet, or changing an electric power mode of the general-purpose processor 20 or the like.

Description

  The present invention relates to an information processing apparatus, a packet processing method, and a program that are connected to a network and can switch power modes.

  In recent years, network systems in which a plurality of information processing apparatuses such as computers and printers are connected to a LAN network such as Ethernet (registered trademark), and various types of data are transmitted and received between them have become widespread. Further, as such an information processing apparatus, conventionally, a control processor having a built-in MAC (Media Access Controller) or the like is provided, and when a predetermined condition is satisfied, a part of power of the apparatus including the processor is cut off. Thus, an apparatus having a power saving mode function for reducing power consumption is known.

  However, in such a conventional information processing apparatus, in general, a predetermined packet received from the network is discarded, a response packet is transmitted to the received packet, etc. without going through the CPU (Central Processing Unit) of the processor. I can't. As a result, in this information processing apparatus, for example, even if the CPU is shifted to the sleep mode and the apparatus is set to the power saving mode, it is necessary to return the CPU to the normal power mode every time a packet is received. There is a problem that it is difficult to maintain the power state for a long time and it is difficult to effectively reduce power consumption.

  As a method of dealing with such a problem, a CPU, a MAC, and a packet processing means capable of processing a predetermined packet are integrated in an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit), and one of the received packets is stored in the power saving mode. A method of processing the unit by the packet processing means without using the CPU is conceivable. However, if this is done, the development cost of the ASIC cannot be reduced in a device that employs a wide variety of processors depending on the performance of the system, which may increase the cost.

  As another countermeasure, there is a method of providing a dedicated network controller for processing received packets on an external bus such as a PCI bus (Peripheral Components Interconnect BUS) of the CPU. However, in this case, a function unit not related to network communication such as a PCI bus function is separately installed in the apparatus, and the MAC and the network processing function of the processor including the CPU are wasted and effectively used. There is a problem that it cannot be performed and the cost of the entire apparatus increases.

  By the way, it is well known that the power consumption of a circuit becomes smaller as the operating frequency becomes lower. By using this, the clock frequency supplied to an information processing apparatus or the like connected to a network has been conventionally changed to a power mode. Devices that switch power consumption and reduce power consumption are also known (see Patent Documents 1 and 2).

  However, in the apparatus described in Patent Document 1, since it is necessary to process received packets by the CPU, the CPU cannot be maintained in a low power consumption state as described above, and the power consumption is effectively reduced. Is difficult.

  On the other hand, in the apparatus described in Patent Document 2, it is necessary to provide a dedicated special unit provided with a means for controlling connection to the network and a means for changing and controlling the clock frequency in the circuit in the power saving mode. Therefore, there is a problem that the configuration becomes complicated and the cost increases.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above, and a predetermined packet received via a network while maintaining an information processing apparatus capable of switching the power mode to the power saving mode or the normal power mode in the power saving mode. It is possible to provide an information processing apparatus, a packet processing method, and a program that can reduce the cost while reducing the power consumption.

  In order to solve the above-described problems and achieve the object, an information processing apparatus according to the present invention includes a connection unit with a network and a communication control unit for communicating with an external network device via the connection unit. Between a processor and a power mode, a normal power mode that is a mode for supplying power to all components of the information processing apparatus, and a power saving mode that is a mode for supplying power to a part of the information processing apparatus And a packet processing unit connected between the connection unit and the processor, wherein the packet processing unit is a packet received by the connection unit by the packet processing unit in the power saving mode. A first determination unit that determines the necessity of processing of the packet, and the packet when the first determination unit determines that the packet needs to be processed. A second determination unit that determines whether or not processing by the packet processing unit is possible, and the power control unit switches the power mode based on a determination result of the second determination unit. Features.

  The packet processing method according to the present invention is a packet processing method executed by an information processing device, and the information processing device communicates with a network connection unit and an external network device via the connection unit. And a packet processing unit connected between the processor and a power processing mode for supplying power to all components of the information processing apparatus. A power control step of switching between a normal power mode and a power saving mode that is a mode for supplying power to a part of the information processing apparatus; and in the power saving mode, the packet processing unit is A first determination step for determining the necessity of processing of the packet according to the received packet, and processing of the packet by the first determination step. A second determination step that determines whether or not the packet processing unit can process the packet when it is determined that there is a need for the packet, the power control step includes a determination in the second determination step. The power mode is switched based on the result.

  A packet processing program according to the present invention is a packet processing program for causing a computer to execute, wherein the computer communicates with a network connection unit and an external network device via the connection unit. A processor having a control unit, a packet processing unit connected between the connection unit and the processor, a power mode, a normal power mode that is a mode for supplying power to all components of the computer, A power control step for switching between a power saving mode, which is a mode for supplying power to a part of the computer, and the packet processing unit in response to a packet received by the connection unit during the power saving mode. A first determination step for determining the necessity of the processing, and the first determination step A second determination step for determining whether or not the packet processing unit can process the packet when it is determined that the packet processing is necessary, and the power control step includes: The power mode is switched based on the determination result of the second determination step.

  According to the present invention, it is possible to process a predetermined packet received via a network while maintaining an information processing apparatus capable of switching the power mode between the power saving mode and the normal power mode in the power saving mode, and the power consumption thereof. The cost can be reduced while reducing the cost.

1 is a block diagram illustrating a schematic configuration of a printer according to a first embodiment. 3 is a block diagram illustrating a schematic configuration of a packet processing unit according to Embodiment 1. FIG. It is a block diagram which shows typically the packet process part of the state which transfers a packet. It is a block diagram which shows typically the packet processing part of the state which can process a predetermined packet. It is a data block diagram of an ARP request packet. It is explanatory drawing which shows the conditions for producing | generating the response packet for every detection target field of an ARP request | requirement. It is a data block diagram of a PING request packet. It is explanatory drawing which shows the conditions for every detection target field of a PING request | requirement. FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram illustrating a transition mode of a power mode of the printer according to the first embodiment. 4 is a flowchart illustrating a flow of a packet processing procedure by the printer according to the first embodiment. It is a block diagram which shows the example of schematic structure of the conventional printer. FIG. 6 is a block diagram illustrating a schematic configuration example of a printer according to a second embodiment. FIG. 6 is a block diagram illustrating a schematic configuration example of a printer according to a third embodiment. 10 is a flowchart illustrating a flow of a packet processing procedure by the printer according to the third embodiment.

  Exemplary embodiments of an information processing apparatus, a packet processing method, and a program according to the present invention will be explained below in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

(Embodiment 1)
The information processing apparatus according to this embodiment is an apparatus that is connected to a network such as Ethernet (registered trademark) or another LAN and communicates with an external network apparatus via the network. In addition, this information processing device has a power saving mode function for shifting to a power saving mode for reducing power consumption when a predetermined condition is satisfied, and the power mode can be switched to a normal power mode or a power saving mode. It has become. Hereinafter, a printer connected to a network will be described as an example of the information processing apparatus.

  FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a schematic configuration of a printer according to the present embodiment, and each function and the like of the main part is schematically shown as a block. As shown in the figure, the printer 1 includes a controller board 2 that is a control device that controls the entire apparatus, and a plotter 3 that is a printing unit that performs print processing, and responds to a print request from an external network device. Then, printing is performed by the plotter 3 under the control of the controller board 2.

  The controller board 2 includes a processor (a general-purpose processor in this embodiment, hereinafter referred to as a general-purpose processor) 20, a processor clock generation unit 4 that generates and supplies a clock to the general-purpose processor 20, and a user performs various types of operations. An operation unit 5 that performs operations, a hard disk device (HDD) 6 that stores various data, an SDRAM (Synchronous DRAM) 7 that is a work memory, and a ROM 8 that is a memory for storing programs are provided.

  The controller board 2 includes a power management controller 10 connected to the general-purpose processor 20 for controlling the power of the apparatus, and a board power control unit 11 and an external power control unit connected to the power management controller 10 respectively. 12, a PHY (Physical layer) 15 that constitutes a network physical layer and is a connection unit with the network, a PHY clock generation unit 16 that generates a clock to the PHY 15, and a PHY 15 and a general-purpose processor 20. And a packet processing unit 40 connected thereto.

  The general-purpose processor 20 is, for example, an ASIC, an integrated circuit, or a device, and performs processing of data received via the network, data processing necessary for controlling operations of each unit of the printer 1, and the like. It constitutes a main control unit and a data processing unit of a device to be mainly controlled. Therefore, the general-purpose processor 20 includes a CPU 21 that performs various data processing and operations, overall control of the controller board 2, and the like, and a network controller 24 that communicates with an external network, and is connected to the clock generator 22 and the SDRAM 7. The SDRAM controller 23 is provided. The general-purpose processor 20 includes a USB (Universal Serial Bus) interface (USB • I / F) 25 for connection to the operation unit 5, an HDD • I / F 26 for connection to the HDD 6, and an external input / output (I). I / O · I / F 27 for controlling / O), PCI · I / F 28 for connecting the plotter 3, and serial I / F 29 for connecting to the packet processing unit 40. Yes. Further, the general-purpose processor 20 includes an internal bus (Internal BUS) 30 for connecting the above-described units and exchanging data with each other, and performs all internal control and data transfer via the internal bus 30. .

  The SDRAM controller 23 performs control such as reading / writing of data in the SDRAM 7, transition to the self-refresh mode of the SDRAM 7, and return to the normal power mode (normal state). The SDRAM controller 23 outputs a signal indicating whether the SDRAM 7 is in the self-refresh mode or the normal power mode to the network controller 24.

  The network controller 24 is a communication control unit for the general-purpose processor 20 (CPU 21) to communicate with an external network device connected to the network via the PHY 15, and the above-described media for controlling communication with the network An access controller (MAC) is built in. Further, here, the general-purpose processor 20 (network controller 24) and the PHY 15 are connected via a packet processing unit 40 by a general-purpose bus or interface of a network PHY such as MII (Media Independent Interface) and the like. To communicate with the network to send and receive packets (network packets). On the other hand, the packet processing unit 40 is also connected to the serial I / F 29 of the general-purpose processor 20, and communicates with the CPU 21 through the serial I / F 29 and the internal bus 30.

  In addition to the above, the power management controller 10 is connected to the general-purpose processor 20 via the general-purpose bus 31. The power management controller 10 includes the inside and outside of the general-purpose processor 20 based on the control from the CPU 21 via the general-purpose bus 31 and predetermined input signals D, H, and J from other connected units. Power control such as power supply or stop of the printer 1 is performed.

  The input signal D to the power management controller 10 is a plurality of signals output from the network controller 24 and includes, for example, a signal output when the network controller 24 receives a specific packet. On the other hand, the input signal H is input from the outside of the general-purpose processor 20 such as a signal output when an energy saving (hereinafter referred to as energy saving) return / transition key (not shown) provided in the printer 1 is pressed. A plurality of signals. The input signal J is a plurality of signals output from the packet processing unit 40, and includes, for example, a signal output when the packet processing unit 40 receives a specific packet.

  The power management controller 10 controls the power of each part of the apparatus based on these signals D, H, J, etc., and shifts the printer 1 to the energy saving state (power saving mode), and from this state to the normal state (normal state) The switching of the power mode such as the return to the power mode is executed. Accordingly, in each of these signals D, H, and J, for example, a signal for shifting the general-purpose processor 20 and the SDRAM 7 to the normal power mode, and power to the operation unit 5, the HDD 6, and other units on the controller board 2 are included. Includes a signal for supplying / stopping, or a signal for supplying / stopping power to the plotter 3. Further, the printer 1 of the present embodiment has a plurality of power modes with different power consumptions (two power-saving modes and one normal power mode). The power management controller 10 controls transition between these power modes. That is, the power management controller 10 constitutes a power control unit that controls the printer 1 to switch to a power saving mode including the plurality of power saving modes or a normal power mode. In the present embodiment, the configuration includes two power saving modes. However, the configuration is not limited thereto, and a configuration including three or more power saving modes may be employed.

  Hereinafter, these three power modes will be described.

1. Normal Power Mode The normal power mode is a mode in a normal operation enabled state in which power is supplied to all the printer 1 and all areas are energized, and the power consumption is the largest.

2. Controller Mode The controller mode is a first power saving mode in which power is supplied to the entire controller board 2 and energized, and only the plotter 3 is cut off to enter a power saving state.

3. Standby mode In the standby mode, power to the plotter 3 and the operation unit 5 and the HDD 6 surrounded by the broken line of the controller board 2 is cut off. This is a second power saving mode that is shifted to a certain self-refresh mode. Therefore, this standby mode is a mode in the lowest power saving state in which the power consumption is the lowest among the three power modes.

  Switching between these power modes (transition / return) is performed by the CPU 21 setting the power mode in the power management controller 10 via the buses 30 and 31 or as described above for the power management controller 10. This is performed under the control of the power management controller 10 based on the input of the signals D, H, J and the like. At this time, predetermined signals A, B, E, F, and G are directly or indirectly output from the power management controller 10 to the respective devices and blocks in the printer 1.

  Specifically, the output signal A from the power management controller 10 is a signal for causing the CPU 21 to generate an interrupt and causing the CPU 21 and the general-purpose processor 20 to enter a movable state or a sleep state (sleep mode). . The output signal B is a signal for causing the SDRAM 7 to transit to the self-refresh mode or the normal power mode via the SDRAM controller 23. The output signals E and F are output via the board power control unit 11, and the output signal E cuts off or restores the power of the operation unit 5 and the HDD 6 in the area surrounded by the broken line in the controller board 2. It is a signal for. On the other hand, the output signal F is a signal for controlling the power of the other part in the controller board 2 and is used, for example, to cut off or restore the power supply for pull-up. The output signal G is a signal for controlling the power outside the controller board 2 that is output via the external power control unit 12, and is output to the plotter 3, for example, and used to control the power. The

  Here, in the present embodiment, as described above, the general-purpose processor 20, the PHY 15, and the packet processing unit 40 including the network controller 24 are separately provided on the controller board 2, and the general-purpose processor 20, the PHY 15, Between these, a packet processing unit 40 is provided to mediate communication. Further, even when the printer 1 is in the power saving mode, power is supplied to the PHY 15 and the packet processing unit 40, and a part of the packets is processed by the packet processing unit 40. That is, the packet processing unit 40 processes packets received by the PHY 15 in a predetermined power saving mode. For example, when the general-purpose processor 20 and the CPU 21 are in the sleep mode, Correspondingly, predetermined packet processing is performed.

  FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a schematic configuration of the packet processing unit 40, and each of the internal functions and the like is schematically shown as a block. As shown in the figure, the packet processing unit 40 includes a MAC 41 that is a media access controller for communicating with an external network device via the PHY 15, a filter 42 that performs a filtering process on received packets, and a FIFO (a FIFO memory). First-In First-Out) 43, an internal register (REG) 44, a packet engine 45, three selectors a46, a selector b47, and a selector c48.

  These three selectors 46, 47, and 48 are used to switch data paths (processing paths) such as packets in the packet processing unit 40, and change the state of the packet processing unit 40 according to the power mode of the printer 1. Used to switch between multiple predetermined states. Further, here, the selectors 46, 47, and 48 indicate the processing path of the packet received by the packet processing unit 40 as the processing path in the packet processing unit that processes the packet in the packet processing unit 40 according to the power mode described above. And switching to a transfer path for transferring to the general-purpose processor 20. Thereby, the state of the packet processing unit 40 is a state in which a packet received via the PHY 15 is processed according to the power mode, and a state in which the received packet is transferred to the network controller 24 of the general-purpose processor 20 without being processed. These are switched between both states, and the packet processing unit 40 is caused to execute packet processing or transfer according to each state.

  FIG. 3 is a block diagram schematically showing the packet processing unit 40 in a state where the packet is transferred without being processed, and the data path (packet flow) including the inside of the packet processing unit 40 is indicated by a thick line arrow. .

  In this printer 1, when the packet processing unit 40 is in a state where the packet received by the general-purpose processor 20 (CPU 21) can be processed, the packet processing unit 40 does not process the received packet by the packet processing unit 40, as shown in FIG. Transfer to the network controller 24 of the processor 20.

  Specifically, as described above, the general-purpose processor 20 is in the sleep mode in which packets cannot be processed when the printer 1 is in the standby mode, but the normal operation is not performed in other normal power modes and controller modes. Is possible. Therefore, the packet processing unit 40 passes the received packet and transfers it to the general-purpose processor 20 at the time of initialization (initial state) or when the printer 1 is in a mode other than the standby mode. At this time, the packet processing unit 40 switches the selector c48 and the selector b47 and transfers the packet received via the PHY 15 to the network controller 24 as it is. Further, the packet processing unit 40 switches the selector a46, transfers the response packet from the network controller 24 as it is to the PHY 15, and transmits it to the outside via the network.

  On the other hand, when the printer 1 shifts to the standby mode, the packet processing unit 40 switches the selectors 46, 47, and 48 from the above state in response to a request from the general-purpose processor 20, changes the packet processing path, Shift to a state where packets can be processed (energy saving mode). However, the packet processing unit 40 according to the present embodiment switches between enabling and disabling the packet processing function associated with switching of the packet processing path when there is no packet inside the packet processing unit 40.

  FIG. 4 is a block diagram schematically showing the packet processing unit 40 in a state where a predetermined packet can be processed, and a data path (packet flow) including the inside of the packet processing unit 40 is indicated by a thick line arrow.

  As shown in the figure, the packet processing unit 40 changes the packet path from the transfer path to the intra-packet processing path as the printer 1 shifts to the standby mode, switches the selector c48, and changes the packet received by the PHY 15. Lead to FIFO 43 and accumulate. At the same time, the packet processing unit 40 transfers the received packet to the MAC 41, converts the received packet into a format that can be processed by the filter 42, and transfers the packet to the filter 42.

  Here, the filter 42 is an address filter that performs packet filtering by examining a packet based on an address such as a source or destination MAC address included in the received packet, and determining whether to pass the packet. Yes, a packet that satisfies a predetermined condition is discarded. The filter 42 is also a pattern filter that performs packet filtering from a specific pattern included in the packet, and discards the received packet or transfers it to the packet engine 45.

  That is, the packet processing unit 40 uses the MAC 41, the filter 42, the packet engine 45, and the like to process the packet in its own device in the power saving mode (here, the standby mode) according to the type of the received packet. -It has the function of the 1st determination part which determines unnecessary, and the function which discards the packet, when it determines with this 1st determination part being unnecessary.

  Specifically, in the printer 1, the filter 42 determines the type of packet (local station guess, broadcast, multicast, etc.) from the destination MAC address or destination IP address included in the packet received via the MAC 41. Then, the packet that does not need to be processed by the own device (own station) is discarded. In addition, the filter 42 scans a specific pattern included in the packet passed by this address check, selects a packet that needs to be processed by the own device, and discards a packet that does not need to be processed.

  Examples of packets that need to be processed include SNMP (Simple Network Management Protocol), stored image read request, print request, print data, ARP (Address Resolution Protocol) request, PING (Packet Internet Groper) request, and FTP. (File Transfer Protocol) and other predetermined protocol packets. In the packet filtering by the filter 42, a passable address and a specific pattern to be scanned are set in the internal register 44, and are read from the internal register 44 by the filter 42 and used during the filtering process. Similarly, in addition to the filter 42 that performs this address and pattern filtering, setting values such as the operating conditions of the MAC 41 and the packet engine 45 in the packet processing unit 40 can be set by the CPU 21, and based on this setting and the like. The packet processing unit 40 executes the following processes.

  Specifically, the packet processing unit 40 is a packet to be processed by the own device, and the packet can respond relatively easily such as an ARP request, a PING request, an SNMP packet, or the like. If it is a predetermined packet, the packet is transferred from the filter 42 to the packet engine 45.

  The packet engine 45 generates a response packet according to the type of the received packet, and transfers the generated packet to the MAC 41 in order to send the response packet to the network through the PHY 15. Thereafter, the response packet is transferred to the PHY 15 through the selector a46 by the MAC 41, and is sent out on the network.

  That is, in the communication using TCP, the TCP itself is not a specification that can be easily handled. Therefore, whether the filter 42 of the packet processing unit 40 is a packet of the predetermined protocol such as an ARP request, a PING request, and an SNMP enough to return one response packet for one packet. Judging. Then, when the received packet is a packet of the predetermined protocol, the filter 42 detects a specific value from the field in the packet, and only transmits a response packet corresponding to the detected value. Since the processing is sufficient, it is possible to respond with a simple processing.

  Here, the determination of the ARP request packet will be described in detail as an example of the determination of the packet. FIG. 5 is a data configuration diagram of an ARP request packet.

  As shown in FIG. 5, the filter 42 detects the value of the Destination MAC Address field and the value of the Type field from the Ethernet (registered trademark) header of the ARP request packet. In addition, the filter 42 determines the value of the Hardware Type field, the value of the Protocol Type field, the value of the Hardware (HW) Size field, the value of the Protocol (PT) Size field, the value of the Tag MAC address field from the ARP of the ARP request packet. The value of the Target IP address field is detected.

  FIG. 6 is an explanatory diagram showing conditions for generating a response packet for each detection target field of the ARP request. The filter 42 determines whether or not the value of each detected field satisfies the condition shown in FIG. 6. When the filter 42 satisfies the condition, the filter 42 determines that processing is necessary, and the packet engine 45 generates a response packet.

  As described above, when the printer 1 receives a packet that can be responded by the packet processing unit 40 by the PHY 15 when the printer 1 is in the standby mode, a series of processing is completed.

  When the filter 42 determines that the packet needs to be processed, the packet engine 45 has a function of a second determination unit that determines whether or not the packet processing unit 40 can process the packet. When the packet engine 45 determines that processing is possible, the packet engine 45 creates a response packet according to the type of the packet and transmits the response packet created via the PHY 15 to the network.

  For example, if the received packet is a PING request and the packet of this PING request is fragmented (in the case of a fragment state), the packet processing unit 40 has a size equal to or larger than the size of the divided packets (for example, 64 KB). If a memory with a storage capacity is not installed, the packet processing unit 40 cannot process this PING request packet. For this reason, in such a case, it is determined that the divided PING request packet is processed by the CPU 21 of the general-purpose processor 20.

  The determination as to whether or not the PING request packet is divided is performed as follows. FIG. 7 is a data configuration diagram of the PING request packet.

  As shown in FIG. 7, the packet engine 45 detects the value of the Destination MAC Address field and the value of the Type field from the Ethernet (registered trademark) header of the packet of the PING request. In addition, the packet engine 45 uses the IP header of the packet of the PING request from the value of the version field, the value of the header size field, the value of the service field, the value of the Flags field, the value of the Fragment offset field, the value of the Protocol field, and the Destination IP. The value of the address field is detected. Further, the packet engine 45 detects the value of the Type field from the ICMP of the PING request packet.

  FIG. 8 is an explanatory diagram showing conditions for each detection target field of the PING request. The packet engine 45 determines that the packet is a fragmented packet when both the value of the Flags field of the IP Header and the value of the Fragment offset field are not 0 among the detected values of the fields.

  Thereby, the packet processing unit 40 performs predetermined packet processing including analysis of the received packet, discard of the received packet, and transmission of a response packet corresponding to the received packet.

  When the packet engine 45 determines that the packet processing unit 4 cannot process the packet, it requests that the power mode be switched to a power mode in which the general-purpose processor 20 can process the packet. That is, the packet processing unit 40 is a packet other than a packet that can be responded relatively easily, such as a read request for stored image, a print request, FTP, and other TCP (Transmission Control Protocol) packets. Sometimes, the filter 42 outputs a device return signal J (see FIG. 1) to the power management controller 10. This device return signal J is a signal for requesting the transition of the power mode including the return from the power saving mode to the normal power mode such as the general-purpose processor 20 and the controller board 2, and the return of the plotter 3, the operation unit 5, and the HDD 6 is performed. Depending on a necessary packet or a packet that can be restored only by the general-purpose processor 20, a different mode transition request is added and output.

  Accordingly, the filter 42 of the packet processing unit 40 outputs a signal J for shifting the power mode of the printer 1 to a power mode with higher power consumption according to the packet received in the power saving mode. To request switching of the power mode. Thus, the packet processing unit 40 outputs a signal J for shifting the power consumption state to a higher power consumption state when the printer 1 is in a state of lower power consumption than during normal operation. Is switched from the standby mode to the controller mode or the normal power mode, for example, to switch the power mode. The power mode transition condition is set in the packet processing unit 40 by the general-purpose processor 20, and the filter 42 determines based on the setting condition and the packet type and the like, and the device return signal J corresponding to each is determined. Output.

  Subsequently, the packet processing unit 40 transfers the packet stored in the FIFO 43 to the general-purpose processor 20, and writes the type of the packet that has become the transition condition, information related to the SNMP response, and the like to the internal register 44. 44 may be rewritten whenever the state of the power mode changes. Thereafter, when there are no more packets in the FIFO 43 and packets in the packet processing unit 40, the selectors 46, 47, and 48 are switched, and the path in the packet processing unit 40 transfers the packet to the general-purpose processor 20. Change to a route (see FIG. 3).

  As described above, when the printer 1 is in the standby mode, a series of processes performed by the packet processing unit 40 when a packet that needs to be processed by the general-purpose processor 20 is received is completed. On the other hand, the power management controller 10 outputs signals A and B in response to a device return signal J including a controller return request from the filter 42, for example, to return the general-purpose processor 20 from the energy saving state (sleep mode) and the like. 1 power mode is switched. Thereafter, for example, when the received packet is a MIB (Management Information Base) request, the general-purpose processor 20 performs predetermined packet processing by the CPU 21.

  On the other hand, for example, when the received packet is a read request for the stored image, the power management controller 10 uses the device return signal J including the HDD return request from the filter 42 in addition to the signals A and B. The signals E and F are output via the board power control unit 11. With this signal E, power is supplied to the HDD 6, the image stored in the HDD 6 is read out by the CPU 21, and the image data is output to the external network device via the network. For example, when the received packet is a print request, the power management controller 10 uses the device return signal J including the plotter return request from the filter 42 to change the signals A, B, E, and F described above. In addition, the signal G is output via the external power control unit 12. With this signal G, power is supplied to the plotter 3 to return from the power saving mode to the normal power mode, and print data is printed by the plotter 3 and output. As described above, the power management controller 10 uses the power control units 11 and 12 and the signal path to change the power saving mode according to the packet received by the packet processing unit 40 in the power saving mode. Switch to a higher power mode.

  Here, when the CPU 21 is in the sleep mode and the packet processing unit 40 makes a predetermined response without going through the CPU 21, the packet processing and the like are correctly performed after the CPU 21 returns to the normal power mode (normal state). In order to do this, the general-purpose processor 20 needs to know the response contents of the packet processing unit 40 before returning. Therefore, in this printer 1, the CPU 21 accesses the internal register 44 and the like of the packet processing unit 40 when shifting from the low power consumption state to the higher power consumption state. As a result, the general-purpose processor 20 has received a request before information about a packet processed by the packet processing unit 40, for example, an identifier of an IP header in the packet or a Get-Next command in SNMP, before the power state shifts. Data such as what the MIB was is acquired. Therefore, here, the data acquisition is performed by the CPU 21 of the general-purpose processor 20 and the power mode is switched from the power mode to the power mode with higher power consumption. Predetermined data related to the packet received before switching is acquired.

  Next, the transition between the power modes in the printer 1 of the present embodiment will be specifically described.

  FIG. 9 is a schematic diagram showing the power mode transition mode of the printer 1. Hereinafter, the power mode transition (switching) will be described in the order of the numbers shown in the figure.

1. 1. Transition between normal power mode and controller mode 1-1. Factors for shifting from the normal power mode to the controller mode include a case where the operation of the plotter 3 is not performed for a certain period of time or a case where the above-described energy saving return / transition key (not shown) is pressed. At this time, for example, if the operation of the plotter 3 is not performed for a predetermined time, the CPU 21 detects this and notifies the power management controller 10 to shut off the power supply of the plotter 3. As a result, the power management controller 10 outputs a signal G via the external power control unit 12, the power of the plotter 3 is shut off by this signal G, and the printer 1 is shifted to the controller mode.

  1-2. Conversely, the cause of the transition from the controller mode to the normal power mode is that the print data from the external network device connected to the network, the reception of the print request, or the energy saving return / transition key (not shown) is pressed, etc. Is mentioned. At this time, for example, when print data is received from an external network device, a device return signal J including a plotter return request is output from the filter 42 of the packet processing unit 40 and notified to the power management controller 10. As a result, the power management controller 10 outputs the signal G via the external power control unit 12, returns the power of the plotter 3 to return the plotter 3 to the normal operable state, and sets the printer 1 in the normal power mode. To move to. Thereafter, the print data passes through the packet processing unit 40 and is transferred to the SDRAM 7 via the network controller 24. Subsequently, the CPU 21 processes the print data and transfers the print data to the plotter 3, whereby the paper on which the print data is printed is output from the plotter 3.

2. Transition between controller mode and standby mode 2-1. The reason for the transition from the controller mode to the standby mode is that the network data to be processed by the CPU 21 is not received for a certain time, the energy saving return / transition key (not shown) is not pressed for a certain time, and the operation on the operation unit 5 is also performed for a certain time. For example, when there is no event for a certain period or for a predetermined time. Thus, for example, when the CPU 21 confirms that no event has occurred for a certain period of time, the CPU 21 is set in the sleep mode, the SDRAM 7 is set in the self-refresh mode, a part of the controller board 2 and the power management controller 10. A part of the general-purpose processor 20 is transmitted to shift to the power saving state. In response to this, the power management controller 10 outputs signals A and B and signals E and F via the board power control unit 11. With these signals, the CPU 21 shifts to the sleep mode, the SDRAM 7 shifts to the self-refresh mode, a part of the controller board 2 and a part of the general-purpose processor 20 shifts to the power saving state, and the printer 1 shifts to the standby mode. Let

  2-2. On the other hand, the transition factor from the standby mode to the controller mode includes, for example, reception of an accumulated image read request packet for the external network device to acquire image data stored in the HDD 6. At this time, a device return signal J not including a plotter return request is output from the filter 42 of the packet processing unit 40 and notified to the power management controller 10. As a result, the power management controller 10 outputs the signals A and B and the signals E and F via the board power control unit 11, the CPU 21 from the sleep mode to the normal power mode, and the SDRAM 7 from the self-refresh mode to the normal power mode. Switch to power mode. At the same time, a part of the controller board 2 such as the HDD 6 and a part of the general-purpose processor 20 are shifted from the power saving state to the normal state, and the printer 1 is shifted to the controller mode. In this state, for example, the stored image read request packet passes through the packet processing unit 40 and is transferred to the SDRAM 7 via the network controller 24 and the like. Further, the CPU 21 reads the designated image data from the HDD 6 and transfers it to the request source on the network, whereby the external network device acquires the stored image in the HDD 6.

3. 3. Transition between standby mode and normal power mode 3-1. Factors for shifting from the standby mode to the normal power mode include receiving print data or a print request from an external network device or pressing an energy saving return / transition key (not shown). At this time, for example, when print data is received from an external network device, a device return signal J including a plotter return request is output from the filter 42 of the packet processing unit 40 and notified to the power management controller 10. Accordingly, the power management controller 10 shifts the CPU 21 from the sleep mode to the normal power mode by the signal A, and shifts the SDRAM 7 from the self-refresh mode to the normal power mode by the signal B. Further, the power management controller 10 shifts a part of the controller board 2 and a part of the general-purpose processor 20 from the power saving state to the normal state by the signals E and F via the board power control unit 11. Further, the power of the plotter 3 is restored by the signal G via the external power control unit 12, the plotter 3 is restored to the normal operation state, and the printer 1 is shifted to the normal power mode. Thereafter, the print data passes through the packet processing unit 40 and is transferred to the SDRAM 7 via the network controller 24 and the like. Subsequently, the CPU 21 processes the print data and transfers the print data to the plotter 3, whereby the paper on which the print data is printed is output from the plotter 3.

  Next, an information processing procedure including the packet processing procedure of the printer 1 for switching the power mode between the normal power mode and the power saving mode and processing the received packet by the packet processing unit 40 and the like as described above will be described. FIG. 10 is a flowchart showing a flow of a packet processing procedure by the printer 1.

  Here, the printer 1 of the present embodiment includes a first processing step in which the general-purpose processor 20 processes the packet received from the PHY 15 in the normal power mode or the first power saving mode (here, the controller mode). The second processing step performed by the packet processing unit 40 in the second power saving mode (here, the standby mode) is performed. At that time, as shown in the figure, first, with the establishment of the above-described conditions (see FIG. 9), the printer 1 is shifted from the normal power mode or the controller mode to the standby mode, and the power mode is switched (step S101). ).

  Next, it waits until a packet is received through the network and the PHY 15 (step S102: NO). When a packet is received in this standby mode (step S102, YES), the first determination process is executed by the packet processing unit 40 (filter 42), and whether or not processing of the packet is necessary or unnecessary depending on the received packet. Determination is made (step S103). At that time, for example, when the packet processing unit 40 performs packet filtering based on the address included in the received packet and determines that the processing is unnecessary (NO in step S103), the packet processing unit 40 receives the packet. The packet is discarded (step S104), and reception of the next packet is awaited (step S102).

  On the other hand, when it is determined that processing of the packet is necessary (processing is required) (YES in step S103), the packet processing unit 40 executes the second determination process, and the received packet can be processed by the packet processing unit 40. -Impossibility is determined (step S105). As a result, when it is determined that processing is possible (step S105, YES), this standby mode is maintained and the second processing step by the packet processing unit 40 described above is executed. Specifically, in this embodiment, first, the packet engine 45 of the packet processing unit 40 creates a response packet corresponding to the received packet (step S106). Subsequently, after the response packet is transmitted from the packet processing unit 40 to the connected network via the PHY 15 (step S107), it remains in the standby mode as described above until the next packet is received (step S102). stand by.

  On the other hand, when it is determined in the second determination step that processing is not possible (step S105, NO), the first processing step for processing the packet received by the general-purpose processor 20 is performed as the power mode of the printer 1. Switch to the power mode (step S108). At that time, various signals J are output from the packet processing unit 40, and the power management controller 10 switches the power mode from the standby mode to the controller mode or the normal power mode. Next, after the power mode is switched to the power mode in which the first processing step by the general-purpose processor 20 is possible, the general-purpose processor 20 receives the packet received from the packet processing unit 40 and the packet processing unit 40 described above Data relating to other packets received before the mode switching is acquired (step S109).

  In the printer 1, the processing path of the packet received by the packet processing unit 40 is switched between the processing path in the packet processing unit and the transfer path to the general-purpose processor 20 (see FIGS. 3 and 4) according to the power mode. Here, the packet processing path is switched to the transfer path (step S110). However, this packet processing path switching is performed when there is no packet in the packet processing unit 40. On the other hand, the general-purpose processor 20 executes processing corresponding to each packet, such as transfer of image data or printing, according to the type of received packet, request content, or the like (step S111). Subsequently, the general-purpose processor 20 processes each packet (step S112, NO, step S111) until the reception and processing of the packet are completed (step S112, NO, step S111). Similarly, the power mode is switched to the standby mode when a predetermined condition is satisfied (step S101).

  As described above, in the printer 1 of the present embodiment, the PHY 15 (see FIG. 1) and the general-purpose processor 20 (network controller 24) are compared with the conventional printer 1100 that does not include the packet processing unit 40 shown in FIG. Are connected via the packet processing unit 40, and packets from the network are received via the packet processing unit 40. At this time, when the printer 1 is in a predetermined power saving mode, the packet processing unit 40 determines whether or not packet processing is necessary or not, and discards the received packet or sends a response packet without using the CPU 21 or the like. Since predetermined packet processing such as transmission is performed, it is not necessary to return the CPU 21 or the like to the normal power mode every time a packet is received. For this reason, when the printer 1 is in the power saving mode, the return from the power saving mode due to packet reception and the shift of the power mode can be suppressed, and each unit in the printer 1 including the CPU 21 and the general-purpose processor 20 Can be maintained in mode.

  As described above, since the printer 1 can receive a packet while maintaining the power saving mode, the time in the low power consumption state can be increased as compared with the conventional case, and the power consumption of the entire apparatus can be increased. Can be reduced. In addition, the network controller 24, the packet processing unit 40, and the PHY 15 can be connected to each other through, for example, a general-purpose PHY interface. Thus, the above-described effects can be obtained. A packet processing function for maintaining can be easily and easily added.

  In addition, even in a device that employs a wide variety of processors according to the performance of the system (or apparatus), a packet processing function in the power saving mode can be added simply by adding the same packet processing unit 40, and the same effect can be obtained. Therefore, the development cost of a processor made of ASIC or the like can be kept low. As a result, the effect of the power saving mode function of each device can be improved, and the power consumption of various models can be reduced at a low cost, and the overall cost can be reduced. At the same time, since a general-purpose interface may be used here, the same packet processing unit 40 can be used by a large number of processors regardless of general-purpose or non-general-purpose, and the total cost can be reduced. Similarly, according to the packet processing unit 40, the above-described functions can be easily added to conventional devices, and the operation in the normal power mode is not different from that before the addition of functions, and therefore, a small change in software, etc. The above function can be added.

  Further, when a dedicated network controller for processing received packets is connected to an external bus such as a PCI of a CPU, for example, the network processing function of the general-purpose processor 20 is wasted. Such waste can be suppressed. That is, here, after the general-purpose processor 20 returns from the energy-saving state to the normal state, the high-performance network processing function of the general-purpose processor 20 can be completely used, so that the function can be effectively utilized without being wasted. Can do. At the same time, in the printer 1, it is not necessary to separately install a function unit not related to network communication such as a PCI bus function as described above in the apparatus, and the packet processing unit 40 has functions related to the network and power consumption reduction. Therefore, the configuration of the apparatus is not relatively complicated, and the cost of the entire apparatus can be kept low.

  Therefore, according to the present embodiment, it is possible to process a predetermined packet received via the network while maintaining the printer 1 having the power saving mode function in the power saving mode, thereby reducing the power consumption and reducing the cost. The rise can be suppressed.

  Here, in a predetermined power saving mode, the packet processing unit 40 according to the present embodiment determines whether the processing is possible or not according to the received packet, and sets the power mode of the printer 1 to a power mode with higher power consumption. It is possible to output a signal for shifting to. That is, for example, when the general-purpose processor 20 is in the sleep mode and the packet processing unit 40 determines that the received packet needs to be processed by the general-purpose processor 20, the packet processing unit 40 outputs a signal for returning the general-purpose processor 20 from the sleep mode. And means for requesting switching of the power mode. For this reason, even when a packet is received, a device having a processor that does not have a function of returning the CPU or the like from the power saving mode state can receive a packet from the network by providing this packet processing unit 40. In the state, it becomes possible to shift to the power saving mode, and the power consumption of such a device can be effectively reduced.

  Further, the packet processing unit 40 includes a switching unit that switches a packet processing path in accordance with the power mode of the printer 1. Thereby, when the general-purpose processor 20 is not in the sleep mode and is in a state where the received packet can be processed, the packet processing unit 40 can transfer the received packet as it is to the general-purpose processor 20 without processing. As a result, the latency (delay time) until the received packet reaches the general-purpose processor 20 in the same state can be reduced, and the data transfer throughput can be improved when performing data transfer while continuously confirming reception. It can also be made.

  Further, the switching of the state of the packet processing unit 40 by the switching unit when the packet does not exist in the packet processing unit 40 as described above, the transfer order of a plurality of received packets is changed, A problem that data of a plurality of received packets are mixed can be prevented with a simple configuration. Further, like the packet processing unit 40, each internal unit analyzes and discards the received packet, creates and transmits a response packet to the received packet, and the power saving mode of the printer 1 and the processor is further improved. It can be maintained for a long time, and its power consumption can be further reduced.

  In addition, here, after the power mode is switched to the power mode with higher power consumption due to the reception of the packet, the general-purpose processor 20 accesses the packet processing unit 40 and the like from the packet processing unit 40 as described above. Predetermined data relating to a packet received before switching of the power mode is acquired. Accordingly, for example, the general-purpose processor 20 can acquire and grasp the packet processing content and the like performed by the packet processing unit 40 without using the CPU 21, so that the next processing performed by the CPU 21 can be performed properly and appropriately. It is possible to reliably prevent various inconveniences caused by obstruction.

  In this embodiment, packet filtering is performed when the packet received by the general-purpose processor 20 cannot be processed by the filter 42 of the packet processing unit 40 (standby mode). However, the general-purpose processor 20 is in another state. Sometimes packet filtering may be performed. This packet filtering process is performed, for example, by providing a filter similar to the filter 42 in a path (see FIG. 3) through which the packet received by the packet processing unit 40 is passed and transferred to the general-purpose processor 20. Alternatively, a new selector or the like is provided in the packet processing unit 40, and by switching each selector, each received packet is transmitted to the general-purpose processor 20 via the filter 42 without passing through the received packet as it is. May be processed.

  In this way, when the general-purpose processor 20 is in a state in which the received packet can be processed (in this case, the normal power mode or the controller mode), the address filter of the packet processing unit 40 is activated and the address included in the received packet. When packet filtering is performed based on the above, the data processing efficiency of the entire apparatus can be improved. That is, for example, since the destination MAC address and the source MAC address exist at the head of the Ethernet (registered trademark) frame, it is easy to perform filtering based on each MAC address of the received packet. Therefore, the latency when the received packet is transferred to the general-purpose processor 20 after performing address filtering in this way is lower (smaller) than when scanning the entire received packet.

  Therefore, when the packet processing unit 40 has an address filter, the address filter is operated regardless of the power mode of the printer 1 (including the power saving mode and the normal power mode), and the packet is based on the address included in the received packet. It is desirable to perform filtering processing. In this way, unnecessary packets that do not need to be processed by the general-purpose processor 20 can be discarded while the latency in transferring the received packet to the general-purpose processor 20 is kept low. As a result, the burden on the CPU 21 of the general-purpose processor 20 can be reduced, and the data processing efficiency of the entire apparatus can be improved.

  Unlike the present embodiment, when the network controller 24 in the general-purpose processor 20 has a function of returning the CPU 21 by receiving a signal such as a specific packet, the packet processing unit 40 and the power management controller 10 May not be connected through the output path of the device return signal J. In this case, the CPU 21 can be restored and the power mode of each part of the apparatus can be switched simply by transferring a predetermined signal such as a packet that cannot be processed by the packet processing unit 40 to the network controller 24.

(Embodiment 2)
Although the packet processing unit 40 is connected to the serial I / F 29 provided in the general-purpose processor 20 in the first embodiment, the packet processing unit 40 may be connected to the general-purpose processor 20 by other connection means.

  FIG. 12 is a block diagram illustrating a schematic configuration example of the printer 1200 according to the second embodiment. FIG. 12 shows a configuration of the printer 1200 in which the connection of the packet processing unit 40 is changed.

  In the printer 1200 of this embodiment, as shown in the figure, the packet processing unit 40 is connected to the internal bus 30 of the general-purpose processor 20 via the general-purpose bus 32 (other configurations are the same as those of the printer 1 shown in FIG. 1). The packet processing unit 40 and the CPU 21 communicate with each other through these. As described above, the packet processing unit 40 may communicate directly with the CPU 21 via the bus without using the serial I / F 29.

(Embodiment 3)
In the first and second embodiments, the response packet is generated when the packet engine 45 determines that the packet can be processed. However, in the present embodiment, the packet is processed when it is determined that the packet can be processed. Even if it exists, it is determined whether or not the packet processing unit 40 further processes the packet.

  FIG. 13 is a block diagram illustrating a schematic configuration of a printer 1300 according to the third embodiment. In the printer 1300 of this embodiment, the function of the packet processing unit 1340 of the controller board 1302 is different from that of the first embodiment. The configuration other than the packet processing unit 1340 is the same as that of the first embodiment.

  The packet processing unit 1340 according to the present embodiment determines whether or not the packet processing unit 1340 can process the packet, as in the first embodiment. Further, it is determined whether or not to process the packet in the packet processing unit 1340. If it is determined that processing is to be performed, the packet engine 45 generates a response packet. On the other hand, when the packet processing unit 1340 determines that the packet processing unit 1340 does not process the packet, the packet processing unit 1340 transmits the packet to the general-purpose processor 20 and issues a command to switch the power mode to the normal power mode.

  The case where the packet processing unit 1340 can perform processing but does not perform processing includes the following cases. For example, the packet engine 45 is composed of a CPU having a processing capacity lower than that of the CPU 21 of the general-purpose processor 20, and a program stored in the ROM of the packet processing unit 1340 is used as a packet engine 45 for processing related to packets such as response packet generation processing. Let us consider a case where the processing is executed by the CPU. In such a configuration, for example, when the received packet is an encrypted packet and the encrypted packet is decrypted, the decryption executed by the packet engine 45 (CPU) of the packet processing unit 1340 It can be processed by a program, but the processing speed is slow.

  On the other hand, since the CPU 21 of the general-purpose processor 20 has a higher processing capability than the packet engine 45 (CPU) of the packet processing unit 1340, the decryption process using the encryption processing engine of the CPU 21 speeds up the process. Can be executed. Therefore, in such a case, it is determined that the packet processing unit 1340 does not perform processing, and the encrypted packet is transmitted to the general-purpose processor 20.

  In this embodiment, when the packet processing unit 1340 determines not to process a packet, the packet is transmitted to the general-purpose processor 20 and the general-purpose processor 20 generates a response packet. It is not limited. For example, when it is determined that the packet processing unit 1340 does not process a packet, a response packet may not be generated or transmitted.

  For example, there is a case where it is not desired to transmit a response packet for a packet received from a specific IP address. That is, the packet processing unit 1340 can generate a response packet for a packet such as a PING request or an ARP request, but transmits a packet to the general-purpose processor 20 for a packet received from the specific IP address. The packet processing unit 1340 can be configured not to generate a response packet.

  Next, packet processing according to the third embodiment configured as described above will be described. FIG. 14 is a flowchart illustrating a procedure of packet processing according to the third embodiment.

  Here, the processing from step S201 to S205 is performed in the same manner as in the first embodiment. If it is determined in step S205 that the packet can be processed (step S205: Yes), the packet processing unit 1340 further determines whether or not to process the packet (step S206).

  If it is determined that the packet is to be processed (step S206: Yes), a response packet corresponding to the received packet is created by the packet engine 45 of the packet processing unit 40 as in the first embodiment (step S206). S207). Subsequently, the response packet is transmitted from the packet processing unit 40 to the connected network via the PHY 15 (step S208), and then waits in the standby mode until the next packet is received (step S202).

  On the other hand, if it is determined in step S206 that the packet processing unit 1340 does not process the packet (step S206: No), the power mode of the printer 1300 is set to the first processor that processes the packet received by the general-purpose processor 20. It switches to the electric power mode which performs the process process of (step S209). The subsequent processing from step S210 to S213 is performed in the same manner as the processing from step S109 to S112 in the first embodiment.

  As described above, in this embodiment, even when it is determined that the packet processing is possible, it is determined whether or not the packet processing unit 40 further performs the packet processing. Can be achieved. In particular, when the packet processing unit 1340 is configured by software, packet processing that requires high processing capability is determined not to be processed by the packet processing unit 1340 and is performed by the general-purpose processor 20 having high processing capability. By doing so, it is possible to increase the speed of packet processing.

  The example in which the packet processing units 40 and 1340 are provided in the printer has been described above. However, the packet processing units 40 and 1340 are provided between the PHY 15 provided on the controller board 2 and the like and the general-purpose processor 20 (network controller 24). Thus, it can also be realized as a network processing device that mediates communication and processes packets received via the network. That is, when the information processing apparatus is in the power saving mode, the network processing device determines whether the processing of the packet is necessary / unnecessary and possible / impossible according to a predetermined packet received via the PHY. A packet processing unit having a first unit and a second unit is provided. By connecting the PHY and the processor via the network processing device, it is possible to obtain the same effects as described above, for example, the device can be prevented from returning from the power saving mode and the power mode can be suppressed.

  In addition, the packet processing units 40 and 1340 of the first to third embodiments and other configurations may be configured by software in addition to hardware.

  That is, each procedure (step) of the information processing method of the information processing apparatus described using the printers 1, 1200, and 1300 as an example can be realized by describing in a general-purpose program language as a program to be executed by a computer. it can. In addition, the program can be easily implemented by recording the program on an arbitrary computer-readable recording medium such as a flexible disk, CD-ROM, DVD-ROM, or MO, and causing the computer to read the program.

  It should be noted that the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment as it is, and can be embodied by modifying the constituent elements without departing from the scope of the invention in the implementation stage. In addition, various inventions can be formed by appropriately combining a plurality of constituent elements disclosed in the above embodiments. For example, some components may be deleted from all the components shown in the embodiment. Furthermore, constituent elements over different embodiments may be appropriately combined.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1,1100,1200 ... Printer 2 ... Controller board 3 ... Plotter 4 ... Processor clock generation part 5 ... Operation part 6 ... HDD
7 ... SDRAM
8 ... ROM
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 ... Power management controller 11 ... Board power control part 12 ... External power control part 15 ... PHY
16 ... PHY clock generator 20 ... General-purpose processor 21 ... CPU
22 ... Clock generator 23 ... SDRAM controller 24 ... Network controller 25 ... USB I / F
26 ... HDD I / F
27 ... I / O ・ I / F
28 ... PCI I / F
29 ... Serial I / F
30 ... Internal bus 31,32 ... General-purpose bus 40,1340 ... Packet processing unit 41 ... MAC
42 ... Filter 43 ... FIFO
44 ... Internal register 45 ... Packet engine 46 ... Selector a
47 ... selector b
48 ... selector c

JP 2007-148681 A JP 2004-362282 A

The present invention relates to a packet processing circuit , a packet processing method, and a program that are connected to a network and can switch power modes.

The present invention has been made in view of the above, and a predetermined packet received via a network while maintaining an information processing apparatus capable of switching the power mode to the power saving mode or the normal power mode in the power saving mode. It is possible to provide a packet processing circuit , a packet processing method, and a program that can reduce the cost while reducing the power consumption.

In order to solve the above-described problems and achieve the object, a packet processing circuit according to the present invention includes a control circuit that switches processing according to a plurality of power modes for a packet received via a network, and the network. A packet processing circuit connected to a connection unit, wherein the plurality of power modes are modes for supplying power to all components of the control circuit, and a part of the control circuit A switching unit that switches a processing path of a packet received via the network in accordance with each power mode of the power saving mode that is a mode for supplying power to the components of the normal power mode and the power saving mode. A control signal related to switching between the control circuit and the power mode switching unit for the control circuit, the switching unit accompanying the output of the control signal. When returning from the power saving mode to the normal mode, the packet received via the network is output to the control circuit, while in the power saving mode, a predetermined value is applied to the packet received via the network. After processing, the data is output directly to the network without being output to the control circuit.

The packet processing method according to the present invention includes a packet processing unit connected between a control circuit that switches processing according to a plurality of power modes for a packet received via a network and a connection unit with the network. And a plurality of power modes in which the power is supplied to all the components of the control circuit and the power to some components of the control circuit. Switching a processing path of a packet received via the network according to each power mode of the power saving mode, which is a mode for supplying power, and switching between the normal power mode and the power saving mode. Outputting the control signal to the power mode switching unit for the control circuit, and accompanying the output of the control signal, the power saving mode. When returning from the normal mode to the packet, the packet received via the network is output to the control circuit, while in the power saving mode, the packet received via the network is subjected to predetermined processing. And outputting directly to the network without outputting to the control circuit.

Also, Help program written in the present invention, a computer that is connected between the control circuit to the packet received through the network switch the process in accordance with a plurality of power modes, a connecting portion with the network A plurality of power modes, in which the plurality of power modes supply power to all components of the control circuit, and power is supplied to some components of the control circuit A step of switching a processing path of a packet received via the network according to each power mode of the power saving mode, which is a mode to perform, and control related to switching between the normal power mode and the power saving mode Outputting a signal to the power mode switching unit for the control circuit; and When returning to the normal mode, the packet received via the network is output to the control circuit, while in the power saving mode, the packet received via the network is subjected to predetermined processing, Outputting the data directly to the network without outputting to the control circuit .

Exemplary embodiments of a packet processing circuit , a packet processing method, and a program according to the present invention will be explained below in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

Claims (13)

An information processing apparatus,
A connection to the network;
A processor having a communication control unit for communicating with an external network device via the connection unit;
Power that switches the power mode between a normal power mode that is a mode for supplying power to all components of the information processing apparatus and a power saving mode that is a mode for supplying power to a part of the information processing apparatus A control unit;
A packet processing unit connected between the connection unit and the processor,
The packet processing unit
A first determination unit that determines the necessity of processing of the packet according to a packet received by the connection unit by the packet processing unit during the power saving mode;
A second determination unit that determines whether or not the packet processing unit can process the packet when the first determination unit determines that the packet needs to be processed;
The information processing apparatus, wherein the power control unit switches the power mode based on a determination result of the second determination unit. The power saving mode includes a plurality of power saving modes in which the number of components for supplying power is different,
The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the power control unit switches the one power saving mode to a power mode with higher power consumption according to a packet received in the one power saving mode. The packet processing unit
The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein when the first determination unit determines that processing of the packet is unnecessary, the information processing apparatus discards the packet. The packet processing unit transmits the packet to the processor when the second determination unit determines that the packet cannot be processed,
The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the power control unit switches to a power mode in which power is supplied to the processor.   The packet processing unit generates a response packet according to the packet when the second determination unit determines that the packet can be processed, and transmits the generated response packet to the network via the connection unit The information processing apparatus according to claim 4, wherein: The packet processing unit
The information processing according to claim 1, further comprising: a switching unit that switches a processing path of the received packet between a processing path inside a packet processing unit and a transfer path to the processor according to the power mode. apparatus.   The information processing apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the switching unit switches the processing path of the packet when the packet does not exist in the packet processing unit.   The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the packet processing unit includes an address filter unit that performs packet filtering based on an address included in the received packet.   2. The processor according to claim 1, wherein after the power mode is switched to a power mode with higher power consumption, the processor acquires data of a packet received before switching the power mode from the packet processing unit. The information processing apparatus described. When the second determination unit determines that the packet processing unit can process the packet, the second determination unit further determines whether to process the packet in the packet processing unit;
The packet processing unit transmits the packet to the processor when the second determination unit determines not to process the packet,
The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the power control unit switches to a power mode in which power is supplied to the processor.   The packet processing unit generates a response packet according to the packet when the second determination unit determines to process the packet, and transmits the generated response packet to the network via the connection unit The information processing apparatus according to claim 10. A packet processing method executed by an information processing apparatus,
The information processing apparatus includes a network connection unit, a processor having a communication control unit for communicating with an external network device via the connection unit, and a packet processing unit connected between the connection unit and the processor. And comprising
Power that switches the power mode between a normal power mode that is a mode for supplying power to all components of the information processing apparatus and a power saving mode that is a mode for supplying power to a part of the information processing apparatus Control steps;
A first determination step in which the packet processing unit determines the necessity of processing of the packet according to the packet received by the connection unit during the power saving mode;
A second determination step for determining whether or not the packet processing unit can process the packet when it is determined that the packet needs to be processed in the first determination step;
The packet processing method characterized in that the power control step switches the power mode based on a determination result of the second determination step. A packet processing program for causing a computer to execute,
The computer includes a connection unit with a network, a processor having a communication control unit for communicating with an external network device via the connection unit, and a packet processing unit connected between the connection unit and the processor. Prepared,
A power control step of switching a power mode between a normal power mode which is a mode for supplying power to all components of the computer and a power saving mode which is a mode for supplying power to a part of the computer;
A first determination step of determining the necessity of processing of the packet according to the packet received by the connection unit by the packet processing unit during the power saving mode;
Causing the computer to execute a second determination step for determining whether or not the packet processing unit can process the packet when it is determined that the packet needs to be processed in the first determination step. ,
The power control step is a packet processing program for switching the power mode based on a determination result of the second determination step.

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