JP5558453B2 - Device state control method and information processing apparatus - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a device state control method for controlling a device state, and more particularly to device state control for a device whose power supply is stopped.

  In recent years, computers capable of connecting device groups such as an optical disk drive and a hard disk drive have been developed. With the development of such a computer, power supply control for devices connected to the computer has also been developed.

  Conventionally, there has been a personal computer that can identify the type of expansion bay that is installed in the bay slot and supply the corresponding voltage power (see Patent Document 1).

Japanese Patent Laying-Open No. 2003-330576 (page 14, FIG. 29)

  When a user uses an expansion bay, voltage power must be supplied to the expansion bay as disclosed in Patent Document 1.

  On the other hand, when removing a device connected to a computer, it is necessary to perform a process of stopping power supply to the device using, for example, an operating system of the computer.

  When the power supply to the device is started after the power supply to the device is stopped, for example, a troublesome operation such as physically removing the device from the computer and physically connecting the device to the computer again is required.

  Therefore, the present invention provides an information processing apparatus capable of shifting a device in an unusable state to a usable state by performing a simple operation, and a device state control method for transitioning a device in an unusable state to a usable state. The purpose is to provide.

  In order to achieve the above object, a device state control method according to claim 1 includes a main body, a device connectable to the main body, a power supply state information to the device, and a storage unit for storing a device type and a device type. In a device state control method executed by an information processing apparatus having a controller for controlling power supply, an instruction step for instructing a transition from a power supply off state to a power supply on state to the device, and an instruction step An acquisition step of acquiring the power supply state information to the device stored in the storage unit based on the instruction by; and a confirmation step of checking the power supply state to the device based on the power supply state information acquired by the acquisition step; If the confirmation step confirms that the power supply is off, power supply to the device will start. A notification step of notifying the, based on notification by the notification step, characterized by comprising a power supply starting step for starting the power supply to the device by the controller.

  An information processing apparatus according to claim 4 includes: a main body; a device connectable to the main body; a storage unit that stores power supply state information for the device; and a power supply state to the device from a power supply off state to a power source Instructing means for instructing transition to the supply-on state, acquiring means for acquiring power supply state information to the device stored in the storage unit based on an instruction from the instructing means, and power supply state information acquired by the acquiring means Confirmation means for confirming the power supply status to the device based on the notification means, and if the confirmation means confirms that the power supply is off, the notification means for notifying the device to start power supply, and the notification by the notification means And a controller for starting power supply to the device.

  According to the present invention, there is provided an information processing apparatus capable of shifting a device in an unusable state to a usable state by performing a simple operation, and a device state control method for transitioning a device in an unusable state to a usable state. It becomes possible to provide.

The figure which shows the state which opened the display unit with respect to the main body. The figure explaining an example of the hardware constitutions of a computer. Block diagram illustrating an example of control involving I / O hub and EC / KBC The flowchart explaining an example of the control flow which makes the power supply state from the power supply OFF state to the power supply ON state to the device mounted in the select bay slot. The figure explaining an example of the screen which shows an ODD power-on instruction.

  FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a state in which a display unit 3 of a notebook personal computer (hereinafter referred to as a computer) 1 is opened with respect to a main body 2.

  The computer 1 includes a main body 2 and a display unit 3. The display unit 3 incorporates a display device having an LCD (Liquid Crystal Display) 4, and the LCD 4 is positioned substantially at the center of the display unit 3.

  The display unit 3 is attached to the main body 2 so as to be rotatable between an open position and a closed position. The main body 2 has a substantially box shape, and a keyboard unit 5 and a power button 6 for turning on / off the power of the computer 1 are arranged on the upper surface of the main body 2. The power button 6 is pushed down when the computer 1 starts to be used.

  A select bay slot 7 is provided on the side surface of the main body 2. A device group corresponding to the select bay slot 7 can be detachably connected to the select bay slot 7. As a device group corresponding to the select bay slot 7, there are types of devices such as ODD (Optional Disk Drive), HDD (Hard Disk Drive), and TV tuner.

  Next, the hardware configuration of the computer 1 will be described with reference to FIG.

  A CPU 10, a main memory 13, a graphics controller 15, and an I / O hub 20 are connected to the host hub (first bridge circuit) 11.

  The host hub 11 is connected to the CPU 10 via the system bus 12. The host hub 11 includes a memory controller that controls access to the main memory 13.

  The CPU 10 is a main processor that controls the operation of the computer 1. The CPU 10 executes an operating system (OS) 13b, an application program, and a utility program 13c, which are loaded from the hard disk drive (HDD) 21, which is an external storage device, to the main memory 13 via the memory bus 14. Further, the CPU 10 executes a system BIOS (Basic Input Output System) 13 a loaded from the BIOS-ROM 27 to the main memory 23.

  A graphics controller 15 connected to the host hub 11 via an AGP (Accelerated Graphics Port) bus 16 outputs a digital display signal to the LCD 4. A video memory (VRAM) 17 is connected to the graphics controller 15, and the graphics controller 15 displays data drawn on the video memory 17 by the OS / application program on the LCD 4.

  An I / O hub (second bridge circuit) 20 connected to the host hub 11 via a dedicated bus such as a hub interface controls each device on an LPC (low pin count) bus 26.

  The I / O hub 20 is an external storage device and is connected to an HDD 21 that supports serial ATA and a bus 21a that supports serial ATA. Further, the I / O hub 20 is connected to the expansion connector 24 via a bus 21b that supports IDE, a bus 21c that supports USB, and the like.

  The expansion connector 24 is configured to be connectable to each connector provided in a device group corresponding to the select bay slot attached to the select bay slot 7.

  The HDD 21 stores data created by the user by using an operating system (OS), application programs, utility programs, and application programs.

  The audio codec 23 is connected to the I / O hub 20 via an AC (Audio Codec) 97 (22). The audio codec 23 is a kind of codec for sound input / output. The audio codec 23 includes a codec portion for input / output sound.

  An AMP 25 a is connected to the audio codec 23. The AMP 25a amplifies the sound signal generated by the audio codec 23. The sound signal amplified by the AMP 25a is sent to the speaker, and the speaker outputs sound waves in the audible frequency band.

  An embedded controller / keyboard controller IC (EC / KBC) 23 is connected to the LPC bus 26.

The embedded controller / keyboard controller IC (EC / KBC) 28 is a one-chip microcomputer in which an embedded controller for performing power management and a keyboard controller for controlling the keyboard (KB) unit 5 are integrated.
The EC / KBC 28 is connected with a keyboard 5, a power button 6 and a PSC (Power Supply Controller) 30. Further, an AC adapter 31 and a secondary battery 32 are connected to the PSC 30.

  When the user operates the power button 6, the EC / KBC 28 detects that the power button 6 has been operated. When the EC / KBC 28 detects that the power button 6 has been operated, the EC / KBC 28 notifies the PSC 30 to start supplying power to the system of the computer 1, for example. Based on the notification received from the EC / KBC 28, the PSC 30 controls the AC adapter 31 or the secondary battery 32 to start supplying power to the computer 1 system. Next, an example of control involving the I / O hub 20 and the EC / KBC 28 will be described.

  FIG. 3 is a block diagram illustrating an example of control involving the I / O hub 20 and the EC / KBC 28.

  The I / O hub 20 includes a serial ATA (S-ATA) controller 20a for controlling the serial ATA bus 21a, an IDE controller 20b for controlling the IDE bus 21b, and a USB controller 20c for controlling the USB 21c. Built in.

  The EC / KBC 28 has a register 28 a for storing the type of device mounted in the select bay slot 7 and a register 28 b for storing a power supply state to the device mounted in the select bay slot 7.

  When the ODD 7a corresponding to the select bay slot is attached to the select bay slot 7, the expansion connector 24 and the connector 7a1 provided in the ODD 7a corresponding to the select bay slot are connected. When the connection connector 24 and the connector 7a1 are connected, the EC / KBC 28 reads the voltage value of the signal line 24a, thereby recognizing that the device attached to the select bay slot 7 is the ODD 7a.

  Similarly, when the HDD 7b corresponding to the select bay slot is installed in the select bay slot 7, the expansion connector 24 and the HDD 7b corresponding to the select bay slot are connected. When the connection connector 24 and the connector 7b1 are connected, the EC / KBC 28 reads the voltage value of the signal line 24a to recognize that the device mounted in the select bay slot 7 is the HDD 7b.

  After the EC / KBC 28 recognizes the device mounted in the select bay slot 7, it writes the recognized device type in the register 28a.

  Here, consider a case where the user performs an operation for removing a device attached to the select bay slot 7 using the OS 13b in a state where power is supplied to the device attached to the select bay slot 7. .

  When the user performs an operation for removing a device attached to the select bay slot 7 using the OS 13b, the OS 13b instructs the system BIOS 13a to "remove the device attached to the select bay slot 7". To be notified. Upon receiving this notification, the system BIOS 13a controls the bus connected to the device mounted in the select bay slot 7 and disables the controller provided in the I / O hub 20.

  Further, the system BIOS 13a notifies the EC / KBC 28 of “device removal”. Upon receiving the notification, the EC / KBC 28 sends a signal for controlling the switch 24c from on to off via the signal line 24b. Then, power supply to the device mounted in the select bay slot 7 is stopped. Further, the EC / KBC 28 writes in the register 28b that power is not supplied to the device mounted in the select bay slot 7. Next, a method for changing the power supply state to the device mounted in the select bay slot from the power supply off state to the power supply on state will be described.

  FIG. 4 is a flowchart for explaining an example of a control flow for changing the power supply state to the device mounted in the select bay slot from the power supply off state to the power supply on state. Here, a case where the ODD 7a is mounted in the select bay slot 7 will be described.

  The user operates, for example, a specific key in the key group constituting the keyboard 5 so that the power supply state to the ODD 7a is changed from the power supply off state to the power supply on state (step S101).

  Then, the screen shown in FIG. 5 is displayed on the LCD 4 (step S102). When the user wants to shift the power supply state to the ODD 7a from the power supply off state to the power supply on state, the user selects the display dis1, while the power supply state to the ODD 7a is changed from the power supply off state to the power supply on state. When the user wants to change to the state and then want to open the tray of the ODD 7a, the user selects the display dis2.

  When the user selects one of the display dis1 and the display dis2, the utility 13c starts a series of processes that are meant by the selected display content. First, the utility 13c notifies the system BIOS 13a to check the state of the device installed in the select bay slot 7 (step S103).

  Upon receiving the notification from the utility 13c, the system BIOS 13a reads the value of the register 28a and the value of the register 28b provided in the EC / KBC 28. The system BIOS 13a reads “the type of device mounted in the select bay slot 7” (hereinafter referred to as device type information) from the register 28a (step S104). Further, the system BIOS 13a reads “a power supply state to the device mounted in the select bay slot 7” (hereinafter referred to as power supply state information to the device) from the register 28b (step S105).

  The system BIOS 13a notifies the utility 13c of the information read from each of the register 13a and the register 13b (step S106).

  Based on the power supply status information notified from the system BIOS 13a, the utility 13c determines whether or not the power supply status to the ODD 7a installed in the select bay slot 7 is a power supply off status (step S107). .

  When the utility 13c determines that “the power supply state of the ODD 7a installed in the select bay slot 7 is the power supply off state” (No in step S107), the utility 13c sends the power to the ODD 7a to the system BIOS 13a. Notification is made to shift the supply state to the on state (step S108). On the other hand, if the utility 13c does not determine that "the power supply state of the ODD 7a installed in the select bay slot 7 is the power supply off state" (Yes in step S107), the utility 13c is installed in the select bay slot 7. Since the power supply state of the ODD 7a is the power supply on state, the process proceeds to step S113 described later.

  Upon receiving the notification from the utility 13c, the system BIOS 13a notifies the EC / KBC 28 to start supplying power to the ODD 7a.

  Based on the notification from the system BIOS 13a, the EC / KBC 28 sends a control signal to turn on the switch 24c via the signal line 24a as described with reference to FIG. Then, power supply to the ODD 7a is started (step S109).

  Further, the System BIOS 13a that is notified that the power supply to the ODD 7a from the EC / KBC 28 is started, checks the type of the device installed in the slot 7, and if the confirmed device is the ODD 7a, the I / O The IDE controller 20b in the hub is shifted from the disabled state to the enabled state (step S110).

  Then, the system BIOS 13a writes a bit indicating that power is supplied to the ODD 7a installed in the select bay slot 7 in the register 28b (step S111).

  The system BIOS 13a changes the power supply state of the ODD 7a from the power supply off state to the power supply on state, and then notifies the OS 13b that “power is being supplied to the ODD 7a”. The OS 13b receives the notification and recognizes that the ODD 7a installed in the select bay slot 7 is a usable device (step S112).

  The utility 13c receives a notification from the system BIOS 13a that "the power supply state of the ODD 7a is a power supply on state (usable state)". Among the contents displayed in step S102, a display dis2 indicating that the user shifts the power supply state to the ODD 7a from the power supply off state to the power supply on state and then opens the tray of the ODD 7a is displayed. If it has been selected (Yes at Step S113), the utility 13c receives notification from the System BIOS 13a that the ODD 7a is available, and then controls to open the tray of the ODD 7a (Step S114).

  In the above-described embodiment, the control for restarting the power supply to the device group mounted in the select bay slot 7 has been described. However, the control is not limited to the device group mounted in the SELEBEY slot 7, and is fixed to the main body 2. It may be a device.

  Further, as a user operation for starting the process for changing the power supply state of the device from the power supply off state to the power supply on state described with reference to FIG. It is not necessary to limit to “operating a specific key of the device”. “Operation for pressing the button in advance by providing a button for starting the process of turning the power supply state of the device from OFF to ON” “AC For example, an operation of connecting the adapter or “moving the display unit 3 from the closed position to the open position” may be used.

  In addition, for example, a timer counter is provided in the utility 13c, and the counting by the timer counter is started after the power supply state of the device shifts from the on state to the off state. The utility 13c may execute the processing content of step S103 described with reference to FIG. 4 so as to shift the state from the power supply off state to the power supply on state.

  Further, for example, a utility 13c is provided so that the computer 1 is provided with a sensor and the sensor detects a predetermined state to shift the power supply state to the device from the power supply off state to the power supply on state. The processing content of step S103 described in 4 may be executed.

  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 components disclosed in the embodiment. 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 ... Computer, 2 ... Main body, 3 ... Display unit, 4 ... LCD, 5 ... Keyboard, 6 ... Power button, 7 ... Select bay slot, 10 ... CPU, 11 ... Host hub, 13 ... Main memory, 15 ... Graphic controller, 17 ... VRAM, 20 ... I / O hub, 21 ... HDD, 28 ... EC / KBC,

Claims (6)

The body,
Device having a tray which is inserted freely and out of the housing and the housing is detachably connected to a slot is provided et prior SL body,
A controller that recognizes the device and controls power supply to the device;
A module that transmits a power supply instruction signal for turning on power supply to the device and a removal signal that instructs removal of the device from the slot;
An input device for accepting a selection of whether or not operation to the state of the tray after the power supply to the device has been switched from OFF to ON in the open state,
With
The module is
Sending the power supply instruction signal to the controller when the input device accepts the selection operation,
The controller is
When the removal signal is received from the module, the power supply to the device connected to the slot is turned off, and the power supply to the device connected to the slot is turned off from the module. when the power supply instruction signal is received, and wherein the device on the power supply to the pre-Symbol device to operate the device so as to correspond to recognize and the selection operation as being connected to said slot Information processing apparatus.   The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the module includes a main processor that executes a program to control the information processing apparatus.   The information processing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the module is a BIOS (Basic Input Output System). The body,
Device having a tray which is inserted freely and out of the housing and the housing is detachably connected to a slot is provided et prior SL body,
A controller that recognizes the device and controls power supply to the device;
And accept applying input device whether the selection operation to a state of the tray in the open state after the power supply has been switched from OFF to ON to an instruction input or the device, removing the device,
When the input device receives an input of an instruction to remove the device, the first command indicating the instruction is transmitted to the controller, and after the first command is transmitted, the device is connected to the slot. a module for transmitting a second command indicating the start of the supply of power to the front Symbol device by the input device while being maintained accepts the selection operation to said controller,
With
The controller is
The device turns off the power supply to the device connected to the slot based on the first command, and turns on the power supply to the device connected to the slot based on the second command. An information processing apparatus that recognizes that it is connected to the slot and operates the device in response to the selection operation . The body,
Device having a tray which is inserted freely and out of the housing and the housing is detachably connected to the connecting portion is provided et the prior SL body,
And Turkey controller controls the power supply to the device to recognize the device,
An input device to attach accept the whether the status of the tray is in the open state selection operation after the input of an instruction to remove the device, or power to the device has been switched from OFF to ON,
With
The controller is
When the input device receives an input of an instruction to remove the device, the power supply to the device is turned off, and the power supply to the device connected to the connection unit is turned off. information which recognize and to correspond to the selection operation so that the device turns on the power supply is connected to the connecting portion to the front Symbol devices by accepting a selection operation, characterized in that operating the device Processing equipment.   6. The display device according to claim 1, further comprising a display unit configured to display information indicating an operation content of the device after power supply to the device is switched from off to on. Information processing device.

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