JP6575440B2 - Electronics - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to an electronic apparatus such as an image forming apparatus (a copying machine or a multifunction machine).

  2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, image forming apparatuses such as copiers and multi-function machines have reduced power consumption by shifting to an energy saving mode when there is no operation for a certain period of time (see, for example, Patent Document 1). In Patent Document 1, a print job that is likely to be executed next is predicted, the print job is read from the HDD in advance into a memory that operates in the energy saving mode, and the number of times the HDD is started up to reduce power consumption. We are trying to make it.

JP 2007-210222 A

  The LSI that controls the image forming apparatus is configured by a plurality of power supply hierarchies, and can individually set the power ON / OFF. Each power supply hierarchy includes a plurality of modules. The LSI is internally divided into four power supply hierarchies: an FP (full power) hierarchy, a DRAM hierarchy, a main CPU hierarchy, and a DS (deep sleep) hierarchy. The power supply modes are two modes: a normal mode, a light sleep state, and a deep sleep state. It consists of two energy saving modes. In the normal mode, the power supply to all layers is turned on, and in the energy saving mode in the light sleep state, the power supply to the FP layer is turned off (power supply to the DRAM layer, main CPU layer, DS layer is on), In the energy saving mode in the deep sleep state, power supply to other tiers other than the DS tier is turned off.

  A module for controlling network communication exists in the DS hierarchy. In the energy saving mode, normally, only the power supply to the DS layer is in a deep sleep state, but for the purpose of a network response, the light sleep state is once periodically (for example, every 30 seconds). When network processing (corresponding to a network packet that cannot be supported by the DS layer) is completed in the light sleep state, the deep sleep state is entered again, and this is repeated.

  Here, the FP hierarchy includes a plurality of modules (LCDC / VIDEO / NANDC / SPIB / USB-H / SDIF-CARD / KCD-FP / SCAN / IEPHT / GEU / GBCU / KCS / I2C / SSI / UART / CoreSight / CLKGEN-FP / other GICL systems, etc.) exist and cannot be accessed in the light sleep state. That is, since the power supply to the FP hierarchy is off, accessing the FP hierarchy aborts and interrupts the program being executed.

  Among the plurality of modules in the FP hierarchy, NANDC that controls access to a NAND flash memory (hereinafter referred to as NAND memory) is particularly problematic. The NAND memory is a kind of flash memory of a nonvolatile memory element, and stores applications and library programs required by the main CPU. Therefore, the main CPU sequentially loads the necessary program into the DRAM and executes it. However, in the write sleep state, the power supply to the FP hierarchy in which the NANDC exists is off, so that the main CPU cannot read from the NAND memory even if there is no program required on the DRAM. Therefore, conventionally, when executing a network process in the light sleep state (corresponding to a network packet that cannot be supported by the DS layer), if there is no program required on the DRAM, the program is loaded from the NAND memory. The power supply to the FP hierarchy has to be turned on.

  This invention is made | formed in view of this point, The place made into the objective is to provide the electronic device which can reduce the frequency | count of loading a program during an energy saving mode.

An electronic device according to the present invention is an electronic device having an energy saving mode in which power consumption is reduced as compared with a normal mode, wherein a plurality of programs for operating the electronic device are stored and reading / writing is stopped in the energy saving mode The second storage unit has a smaller storage capacity than that of the second storage unit, but the data read / write speed is high, and the first storage unit operates even in the energy saving mode, and the program to be used is stored in the second storage unit. The first module that is loaded from the unit into the first storage unit and executed on the first storage unit, and the plurality of programs stored in the second storage unit during the normal mode, the energy saving mode A prediction unit that predicts a program that is expected to use the first module as a use expected program, and at the time of transition from the normal mode to the energy saving mode, Serial characterized by comprising a loading section for loading in the first storage unit the use expected program predicted from the second storage unit by the prediction unit.
Furthermore, the electronic device of the present invention includes a communication interface connected to a network, and the prediction unit predicts the expected use program based on a network packet received via the network during the normal mode. Also good.
Further, in the electronic device according to the present invention, the prediction unit may include one or more of a packet amount per unit time of the network packet, a type of the network packet, and a program used for response processing of the network packet. The expected use program may be predicted based on this.
Furthermore, in the electronic device of the present invention, in the energy saving mode, the first storage unit and the first module operate, the first storage unit and the first module stop the operation, consists of a second sleep state, further power consumption is reduced than in the first sleep mode, and operates in the second sleep state, comprising a second module for proxy receiving said network packet over said network, said In the energy saving mode, a transition is repeatedly made between the first sleep state and the second sleep state, and the first module responds to the network packet that cannot be handled by the second module in the first sleep state. May be executed.
Furthermore, in the electronic device of the present invention, the prediction unit may predict the use expected program based on any one or more of an enabled function and connected device information.
Furthermore, in the electronic device of the present invention, the prediction unit predicts the expected use program every predetermined time, and the load unit predicts immediately before by the prediction unit at the time of transition from the normal mode to the energy saving mode. The used expected program may be loaded from the second storage unit to the first storage unit.

  According to the present invention, the first storage unit is in a state where a use expected program predicted to be used during the energy saving mode by the prediction unit is stored, and the program is stored from the second storage unit to the first storage unit during the energy saving mode. There is an effect that the number of times of loading can be reduced.

1 is a block diagram illustrating a schematic configuration of an image forming apparatus that is an embodiment of an electronic apparatus according to the invention. It is a block diagram which shows the structure of network CPU and main CPU shown in FIG. It is a transition diagram of the power supply state of the main control part shown in FIG. It is a flowchart explaining the energy saving mode transfer operation | movement of the main-control part shown in FIG. It is a figure which shows the example of packet information accumulate | stored by the measurement part shown in FIG. It is explanatory drawing explaining operation | movement of the energy-saving control part shown in FIG. 6 is a flowchart for explaining another example of the energy saving mode moving operation in the image forming apparatus shown in FIG. 1.

Next, embodiments of the present invention will be specifically described with reference to the drawings.
An electronic apparatus according to the present invention is an image forming apparatus 1 such as a copying machine or a multifunction peripheral. Referring to FIG. 1, a document reading unit 2, a document feeding unit 3, a recording unit 4, an operation unit 5, A panel CPU 6, an engine CPU 7, a main control unit 8, a communication interface (I / F) 9, and a storage unit 10 are provided. The operation unit 5 is provided with a liquid crystal display unit, various operation buttons, and the like. A user operates the operation unit 5 to input instructions, thereby performing various settings of the image forming apparatus 1 and various types of image formation and the like. Execute the function.

  The document feeding unit 3 sequentially feeds the placed documents one by one and feeds them to the document reading unit 2. The document reading unit 2 reads the document in synchronization with the feeding operation by the document feeding unit 3. The image data is acquired, and the acquired image data is output to the recording unit 4. The recording unit 4 includes a photosensitive drum, a charging unit, an exposure unit, a development unit, a transfer unit, a fixing unit, and the like, and is acquired by executing an image forming process including charging, exposure, development, transfer, and fixing. A toner image based on the processed image data is recorded on the recording paper P.

  The panel CPU 6 functions as a display control unit that performs display control of the liquid crystal display unit in the operation unit 5 based on an instruction from the main control unit 8. The engine CPU 7 functions as a recording control unit that controls operations of the document reading unit 2, the document feeding unit 3, and the recording unit 4 based on instructions from the main control unit 8.

  The main control unit 8 is an LSI (Large Scale Integrated circuit) that controls the image forming apparatus, and includes a network CPU 81, a main CPU 82, a DRAM C 83, a NAND C 84, an SDRAM 85, and a NAND memory 86. The main control unit 8 is internally divided into four power supply hierarchies: an FP (full power) hierarchy, a DRAM hierarchy, a main CPU hierarchy, and a DS (deep sleep) hierarchy. The power supply modes are a normal mode, a light sleep state, and a deep sleep state. It consists of two energy saving modes. In the normal mode, the power supply to all layers is turned on, and in the energy saving mode in the light sleep state, the power supply to the FP layer is turned off (power supply to the DRAM layer, main CPU layer, DS layer is on), In the energy saving mode in the deep sleep state, power supply to other tiers other than the DS tier is turned off.

  A network CPU 81 exists in the DS hierarchy. The network CPU 81 executes minimum response processing (proxy response) of network packets received via a network such as a LAN or the Internet connected to the communication I / F 9. That is, the network CPU 81 functions as the proxy communication unit 101 as shown in FIG.

  A main CPU 82 exists in the main CPU hierarchy. The main CPU 82 controls the entire apparatus, and also functions as a communication unit 100 that controls network communication and an energy saving control unit 110, as shown in FIG.

  In the DRAM hierarchy, there is a DRAM C 83 that is a controller that controls the writing of data to the SDRAM 85 and the reading of data from the SDRAM 85. The SDRAM 85 is a volatile memory, and temporarily stores a program used by the main CPU 82. The SDRAM 85 has a smaller storage capacity than the NAND memory 86, but has a high data read / write speed. Note that the refresh of the SDRAM 85 is executed by hardware (not shown), and the stored contents are retained even in the energy saving mode in the deep sleep state in which the power supply to the DRAM hierarchy is turned off.

  In the FP hierarchy, there is a NANDC 84 that is a controller that controls the writing of data to the NAND memory 86 and the reading of data from the NAND memory 86. The NAND memory 86 is a nonvolatile memory, and stores various programs for controlling the entire apparatus. The main CPU loads a program to be used from the NAND memory 86 to the SDRAM 85 and executes the program from the SDRAM 85.

  The storage unit 10 is a storage unit such as a semiconductor memory or an HDD (Hard Disk Drive), and stores image data acquired by the document reading unit 2.

FIG. 3 shows a transition diagram of the power supply state of the main control unit 8. The main control unit 8 normally operates in the normal mode, and shifts to the energy saving mode (deep sleep state) when detecting no energy saving transition command by pressing a key or the like or a timer for a predetermined period of time.
In the energy saving mode (deep sleep state), the network CPU 81 operates and executes a minimum response process (proxy response) of the received network packet. However, there are network packets that cannot be processed by the network CPU 81 alone, and when these unacceptable packets are received, it is necessary to start the main CPU 82 and execute the processing. Therefore, the main control unit 8 shifts to the energy saving mode (light sleep state) when a transition time set periodically (for example, every 30 seconds) or a packet that cannot be handled is received, and activates the main CPU 82 and the DRAM C 83. The response processing of the received network packet is executed. When the main control unit 8 finishes executing the network process (response process for incompatible packet not supported by the network CPU 81 in the DS hierarchy) in the energy saving mode (light sleep state), the main control unit 8 again enters the deep sleep state and repeats this. . In the energy saving mode (light sleep state), the main CPU 82 executes a program that exists on the SDRAM 85. If the program to be used does not exist on the SDRAM 85, the power supply to the FP hierarchy is turned on once and the NANDC 83 is activated. The program to be used is loaded from the NAND memory 86 to the SDRAM 85. Thereafter, the main CPU 82 turns off the power supply of the FP hierarchy and then executes the program loaded in the SDRAM 85.

Next, the energy saving mode transition operation of the main controller 8 will be described in detail with reference to FIGS.
Referring to FIG. 4, the main CPU 82 of the main control unit 8 functions as the energy saving control unit 110 in the normal mode, and monitors reception of network packets from a network such as a LAN or the Internet connected to the communication I / F 9. (Step S11), and a transition trigger to the energy saving mode (energy saving transition command by pressing a key or detection of no operation for a predetermined period by a timer) is monitored (step S12).

  When the network packet is received in step S11, the energy saving control unit 110 functions as the measurement unit 111. As illustrated in FIG. 5A, the reception time of the network packet, the type of the received network packet, and the received packet are received. The program used for network packet response processing is stored in the SDRAM 85 as packet information (step S13), and the process returns to step S11. The packet information may be accumulated in the NAND memory 86 or the storage unit 10.

  When a transition trigger to the energy saving mode is detected in step S12, the energy saving control unit 110 functions as the prediction unit 112, and predicts a program expected to be used during the energy saving mode based on the packet information stored in the SDRAM 85. (Step S14). Note that an accumulation time T for accumulating packet information in the SDRAM 85 is set in advance, and as shown in FIG. 6A, when a transition trigger to the energy saving mode is detected at time t1, the previous time t1-T. To time t1 is the packet information accumulation period. Based on the packet information accumulated in the packet information accumulation period, the prediction unit 112 predicts a program to be used during the energy saving mode. Hereinafter, the program predicted by the prediction unit 112 is referred to as a use expected program. Further, the number of expected use programs is determined as appropriate in consideration of the size of the expected use program and the free space of the SDRAM 85. Note that the number of packet information to be accumulated may be set in advance instead of the accumulation time T for accumulating packet information.

  For example, the prediction unit 112 sets the programs used for the response processing as the expected use program in descending order of the count number based on the count number of the types of network packets accumulated in the packet information accumulation period. Also, the prediction unit 112 sets a program used for response processing as a use expected program in order from the most recently stored type based on the order of network packets stored in the packet information storage period. Further, the prediction unit 112 may predict the expected use program based on the amount of packets per unit time, the enabled function, and the information of the connected device.

  Next, the energy-saving control unit 110 functions as the load unit 113, and after loading the expected use program predicted in step S14 from the NAND memory 86 to the SDRAM 85 (step S15), the main CPU hierarchy (main CPU 82), the DRAM hierarchy The power supply to the (DRAMC 83) and the FP hierarchy (NANDC 84) is turned off to shift to the energy saving mode (deep sleep state) (step S16). As a result, the SDRAM 85 is in a state where a use expectation program predicted to be used in the energy saving mode by the prediction unit 112 is stored. Therefore, there is a high probability that the program used in the network processing by the main CPU 82 in the energy saving mode (light sleep state) is stored in the SDRAM 85 as the expected use program, and the FP hierarchy (NANDC84) is activated during the energy saving mode. The number of times the program is loaded from the NAND memory 86 to the SDRAM 85 can be reduced. Thereby, the energy-saving effect can be improved.

  In this embodiment, the use expectation program is predicted after the transition trigger to the energy saving mode is detected. However, the use expectation program may be regularly predicted. Hereinafter, the energy saving mode transition operation of the main control unit 8 when the expected use program is regularly predicted will be described in detail with reference to FIG.

  Referring to FIG. 7, the main CPU 82 of the main control unit 8 functions as the energy saving control unit 110 in the normal mode, and starts time measurement (step S21). Then, the energy saving control unit 110 receives a network packet from a network such as a LAN or the Internet connected to the communication I / F 9 (step S22), and reaches the preset accumulation time T of the time measurement started in step S21. (Step S23), and a transition trigger to the energy saving mode (energy saving transition command by key pressing or detection of no operation for a predetermined period by a timer) is monitored (step S24).

  When the network packet is received in step S22, the energy saving control unit 110 functions as the measurement unit 111, accumulates packet information of the received network packet in the SDRAM 85 (step S25), and returns to step S22. The packet information may be accumulated in the NAND memory 86 or the storage unit 10. Also, as shown in FIG. 5B, network packet types may be set in advance as packet information, and a count value for each type may be constructed.

  When the preset accumulation time T of time measurement is reached in step S23, the energy saving control unit 110 functions as the prediction unit 112 and is expected to be used during the energy saving mode based on the packet information accumulated in the SDRAM 85. The program is predicted (step S26), and the predicted use expected program is stored in the SDRAM 85 (step S27). Note that the expected use program stored in the SDRAM 85 in step S27 is an index used when loading. The expected use program (index) may be stored in the NAND memory 86 or the storage unit 10. Further, when a predicted use program is stored in the previous prediction, the predicted use program is updated and stored. Next, the energy saving control unit 110 functions as the measurement unit 111, deletes the accumulated packet information (step S28), and returns to step S21. As a result, as shown in FIG. 6B, the accumulation time T becomes the packet information accumulation period. Based on the packet information accumulated in the packet information accumulation period, the prediction unit 112 can use the program used during the energy saving mode. This is predicted every accumulation time T.

  When a transition trigger to the energy saving mode is detected in step S24, the energy saving control unit 110 functions as the load unit 113, and after loading the expected use program stored in step S27 from the NAND memory 86 to the SDRAM 85 (step S29). ), The power supply to the main CPU hierarchy (main CPU 82), DRAM hierarchy (DRAMC83) and FP hierarchy (NANDC84) is turned off to shift to the energy saving mode (deep sleep state) (step S30).

As described above, according to the present embodiment, the image forming apparatus 1 having the energy saving mode in which the power consumption is reduced as compared with the normal mode, the SDRAM 85 being the first storage unit operating in the energy saving mode; A main CPU 82 that is a first module that operates according to a program on the SDRAM 85 in the energy saving mode; a NAND memory 86 that is a second storage unit that stores a plurality of programs for operating the main CPU 82 and that stops reading and writing in the energy saving mode; Of the plurality of programs stored in the NAND memory 86 in the normal mode, a prediction unit 112 that predicts a program that is expected to be used by the main CPU 82 in the energy saving mode as a use expected program, and at the time of transition from the normal mode to the energy saving mode, Usage predicted by the prediction unit 112 And a load unit 113 to load the prospective program from the NAND memory 86 to SDRAM85.
With this configuration, the SDRAM 85 is in a state where a use expectation program predicted to be used in the energy saving mode by the prediction unit 112 is stored. Therefore, the probability that the program used in the network processing by the main CPU 82 in the energy saving mode is stored in the SDRAM 85 as the expected use program is increased, and the number of times the program is loaded from the NAND memory 86 to the SDRAM 85 during the energy saving mode is reduced. be able to.

Furthermore, according to the present embodiment, the communication I / F 9 connected to the network is provided, and the prediction unit 112 predicts the expected use program based on the network packet received via the network during the normal mode.
With this configuration, there is a high probability that network processing for network packets received during the energy saving mode can be executed using the expected use program.

  Further, according to the present embodiment, the prediction unit 112 is based on one or more of the packet amount per unit time of the network packet, the type of the network packet, and the program used for the response processing of the network packet. Estimate expected program usage.

  Furthermore, according to the present embodiment, the energy saving mode includes the light sleep state, which is the first sleep state in which the SDRAM 85 and the main CPU 82 operate, and the SDRAM 85 and the main CPU 82 stop the operation and consume more than in the first sleep state. The network CPU 81, which is a second module that consists of a deep sleep state, which is a second sleep state in which power is reduced, operates in the deep sleep state, and receives a network packet as a proxy via the network, Transition is repeated between the light sleep state and the deep sleep state, and the main CPU 82 executes a response to a network packet that cannot be handled by the network CPU 81 in the light sleep state.

  Furthermore, according to the present embodiment, the prediction unit 112 predicts a use expected program based on any one or more of the enabled function and the information of the connected device.

Further, according to the present embodiment, the prediction unit 112 predicts a use expected program every predetermined time, and the load unit 113 is predicted immediately before by the prediction unit 112 when shifting from the normal mode to the energy saving mode. The expected use program is loaded from the NAND memory 86 to the SDRAM 85.
With this configuration, since it is not necessary to perform the prediction operation by the prediction unit 112 when shifting from the normal mode to the energy saving mode, it is possible to quickly shift from the normal mode to the energy saving mode.

  Note that the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and it is obvious that the embodiments can be appropriately changed within the scope of the technical idea of the present invention.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Image forming apparatus 2 Original reading part 3 Original feeding part 4 Recording part 5 Operation part 6 Panel CPU
7 Engine CPU
8 Main controller 9 Communication interface (I / F)
10 storage unit 81 network CPU
82 Main CPU
83 DRAMC
84 NANDC
85 SDRAM
86 NAND memory 100 communication unit 101 proxy communication unit 110 energy saving control unit 111 measurement unit 112 prediction unit 113 load unit

Claims (6)

An electronic device having an energy saving mode in which power consumption is reduced compared to the normal mode,
A plurality of programs for operating the electronic device is stored, and a non-volatile second storage unit in which reading and writing is stopped in the energy saving mode;
Compared to the second storage unit, the storage capacity is small, but the data read / write speed is fast, and the first storage unit operates even in the energy saving mode,
A first module that loads the program to be used from the second storage unit to the first storage unit and executes the program on the first storage unit;
A predicting unit that predicts, as a use expected program, a program that is expected to use the first module in the energy saving mode among the plurality of programs stored in the second storage unit during the normal mode;
And a load unit that loads the expected use program predicted by the prediction unit from the second storage unit to the first storage unit when shifting from the normal mode to the energy saving mode. machine. A communication interface connected to the network;
The electronic device according to claim 1, wherein the prediction unit predicts the use expected program based on a network packet received via the network during the normal mode.   The prediction unit predicts the expected use program based on any one or more of a packet amount per unit time of the network packet, a type of the network packet, and a program used for response processing of the network packet. The electronic device according to claim 2. The energy saving mode includes a first sleep state in which the first storage unit and the first module operate, and the first storage unit and the first module stop operating, and further power consumption than in the first sleep state. A second sleep state in which
Operating in the second sleep state, comprising a second module for proxy receiving said network packet over said network,
In the energy saving mode, a transition is repeatedly made between the first sleep state and the second sleep state,
4. The electronic device according to claim 2, wherein the first module performs a response to the network packet that cannot be handled by the second module in the first sleep state. 5.   The said prediction part predicts the said use expectation program based on any one or more of the function in which it is enabled, and the information of the connected device, The Claim 1 thru | or 4 characterized by the above-mentioned. The electronic device described. The prediction unit predicts the expected use program every predetermined time,
The load unit loads the expected use program predicted immediately before by the prediction unit from the second storage unit to the first storage unit when shifting from the normal mode to the energy saving mode. The electronic device according to claim 1.

Images