JPH0368052A - Personal computer - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To use the same application program on the various kinds of personal computers by providing a special drive, which executes preprocessing to a processing request from a data processing part, respectively between the data processing part and each device driver. CONSTITUTION:When the data processing part 1 outputs the processing request to control a device 8 for input/output, interruption is applied to the special driver 7 at first and the special driver 7 executes processing which can be executed by preprocessing in the driver 7 itself. Then, a required device driver 6 is activated and processing to the input/output device 8 is executed. According ly, when the other kind of the application program 5 is used or function is added, it is enough to add or change only the special driver 7. Thus, the applica tion program for the other kind of the personal processor can be easily used or the function can be easily added at low cost.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION (Field of Industrial Application) The present invention relates to a personal computer equipped with various input/output devices such as a keyboard, a mouse, a floppy disk drive, a display, and a printer.

[Conventional technology]

A personal computer has a central processing unit (CPU)
), memory (ROM and RAM), etc. The data processing unit runs by executing various application programs (software) under the control of the operating system, and performs various processes such as image processing, document creation and editing, and data search processing. Data processing is performed, and dedicated device drivers for controlling each of the various input/output devices described above reside in the operating system.

There are as many device drivers as there are devices, and each device driver is further divided into areas for each type of work. When an interrupt requesting a work occurs from application software or a device, the corresponding device driver is activated by relaying the memory storing the destination.

For example, when a keyboard, which is an input device, is operated, a device driver for the keyboard is activated, and input data is stored in the memory of the data processing unit through the device driver.

Further, when output data is passed from the data processing section by a program that requests display on the display, a device driver for the display is called, and the device driver causes the output data to be displayed on the display.

However, when trying to execute processing by the same application program on different models of personal computers, the interrupt request issued by the application software to start the device driver is
Acceptance may not be accepted by device drivers resident in the operating system of that personal computer.

Therefore, in such cases, it is necessary to modify the device driver for each input/output device, or to convert all interrupt requests issued by the application software into interrupt requests that can be accepted by the device driver of the personal computer. I set it up and dealt with it.

[Problem to be solved by the invention]

However, although device drivers are generally made general-purpose so that they can meet all kinds of demands, there are severe demands on performance, especially processing speed, and it is not easy to modify them to add or modify functions. is normal.

Therefore, in the above case, it is necessary to provide a means to convert all interrupt requests issued by application software into interrupt requests that can be accepted by the device driver of the personal computer, which not only requires considerable cost but also However, there is a disadvantage that processing time is increased when converting an interrupt request.

Furthermore, when it is desired to add a new function to an input/output device that cannot be handled by an existing device driver, the entire device driver must be replaced, which is very time consuming and costly.

This invention has been made in view of the above points, and it is possible to convert interrupt requests issued from application software, or to convert personal computers of different models without having to change or replace general-purpose device drivers for each input/output device. The purpose is to make it possible to use the same application program on a computer and to easily add new functions related to each input/output device.

[Means to solve the problem]

In order to achieve the above object, the present invention includes various input/output devices and a data processing unit, and the data processing unit controls each input/output device via a general-purpose device driver by an application program, and inputs In a personal computer that processes data input from an output device and outputs the processed data to an output device, a special driver is provided between the data processing section and each device driver to preprocess processing requests from the data processing section. It is something that

[For production]

When the data processing unit issues a processing request to control an input/output device, it first interrupts the special driver, and this special driver executes the processing that it can do by itself through preprocessing, and also starts the required device driver and performs the input/output device. Execute processing on the output device.

Therefore, when using application programs of other models or adding functions, it is only necessary to add or change this special driver.

〔Example〕

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a personal computer showing an embodiment of the present invention.

1 is a data processing unit, which is called a central processing unit (hereinafter referred to as rcPU).
(abbreviated as J) 2, and an operation system (O3) which is a basic operating program stored in the main memory 3.
4 and an application (program) 5 for executing various functions such as image processing 1, branch creation/editing processing, and data search processing.

The main memory B stores a general-purpose device driver 6, which is a program for controlling each of the various input/output devices 8 included in this personal computer, and a special driver 7, which preprocesses processing requests thereof. are doing.

Examples of the input/output device 8 include a keyboard and a mouse as input devices, a display and printer as output devices, and a disk drive device as an input/output device.

In this embodiment, the CPU 2 of the data processing unit 1 operated by the operation system 4 sends processing requests for each input/output device 8 due to interrupts generated by hardware and interrupts generated by the application 5 to the special driver 7, respectively. As a result, the special driver 7 executes its own processing by preprocessing the processing request, and also starts the required device driver 6 and performs processing for the input/output device 8, that is, inputting or outputting data. Execute.

In the main memory 3, as shown in the memory map of FIG. 2, there is an area called an interrupt vector table in which branch destination addresses corresponding to interrupt numbers are stored at the highest address.

Additionally, the O8 area and numerous device drivers.

There is a command interpreter, an application area, and a free area, and there is a storage area for special drivers.

As shown in FIG. 3, the interrupt vector table stores branch destination addresses in order from interrupt numbers NO and O as offsets (upper addresses) and segments (lower addresses).

Each address consists of 4 bytes and supports 64 interrupts.

The CPU 2 in FIG. 1 uses the main memory by interrupts generated from hardware (for example, periodically generated from a timer not shown every few milliseconds) and interrupt instructions (j, ntX×) written in software in the application 5. Jump to the address of the corresponding interrupt number written in the interrupt vector table No. 3.

This interrupt is a processing request to the device driver 6, and its address (offset and segment) points to the location (entrance) of the device driver 6 resident in the system.

In this embodiment, the address of this interrupt is rewritten to point to the special driver 7, so that the interrupt always passes through the special driver 7.

FIG. 4 shows a flowchart of an example of processing by the special driver.

This special driver is provided as a device driver 6 between the mouse driver and the mouse driver that controls the mouse.

The processing of this special driver is executed by hardware interrupt 1nt15H generated from the mouse interface.
Alternatively, if it is started by a software interrupt 1nt33H by the mouse application and the keyboard handler checks the status of the ESC (escape) key at the time of the interrupt, if the ESC key is pressed (
If ON) mouse information (current x, y coordinates of the mouse 9
Analyze the amount of movement from the time of the interrupt, button 0N10FF, etc.).

After that, if a user routine can be called, a user routine that performs some processing is called. This user routine can be changed using application software.

Specifically, if the ESC key and any of the up, down, left, and right arrow keys are pressed at the same time, the mouse cursor is moved in that direction.

If the ESC key is not pressed, the process immediately branches to 1nt15H processing or 1nt33H processing of the mouse driver.

Such special drivers are also provided between the device driver and the device driver to perform preprocessing of processing requests caused by interrupts.

[Effects of the Invention] As explained above, the personal computer according to the present invention interrupts the special driver when a processing request for controlling an input/output device occurs, and allows this special driver to perform processing that it can perform by itself through preprocessing. At the same time, it starts the required device driver and executes processing for the input/output device, so when using applications/programs of other models or adding functions, you only need to add or change this special driver. Bye.

Therefore, it is possible to use application programs for different models and add functions easily and inexpensively.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block configuration diagram of a personal computer showing an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of the memory map in the main memory of FIG. 1, and FIG. 3 is an illustration of the interrupt vector table. FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing an example of the processing of the special driver 7 shown in FIG. 1. 1... Data processing unit 2... Central processing unit (CPU) 3... Main memory 4... Operating system (OS) 5... Application (program) 6... Device driver 7... Special driver 8... Input/output device; d/11-S112 Figure 3! ! l

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1 Equipped with various input/output devices and a data processing unit, the data processing unit controls each of the input/output devices via a general-purpose device driver by an application program, and processes data input from the input device. A personal computer that processes and outputs data to an output device, characterized in that a special driver is provided between the data processing section and each device driver to preprocess processing requests from the data processing section. Computer.