JPH05165545A - System time managing device - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To facilitate the maintenance of a time managing function or the setting of time managing accuracy, etc., even on the stage of application development or the like and further to simplify a system at the managing device of an in-system timer in a computer constructing an operation system. CONSTITUTION:The managing function of an in-system timer 2 in a computer 1 is constructed by using an application software. Concerning this managing function, external time data and a time setting completion report are inputted from a clock device 3 through an interface part 4 for terminal equipment and based on this information, a prescribed processing is selected 6. Namely, any one of processings such as a time setting processing 7 to fetch external time into system time regardless of error between the external time and the system time, correction processing 9 to correct the time of the in-system timer with the external time as a reference and abnormality processing 10 for an abnormality alarm, etc., is selected 6.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a computer having an operating system built therein, and more particularly to a device for managing an internal system timer inside a computer by using an external clock device.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Generally, a computer system has a built-in system timer, and a function for managing the system timer is required. Usually, a standard timepiece device is secured outside the system, and a dedicated driver regularly takes in the external time from the timepiece device to manage the in-system timer.

[0003]

However, the above conventional structure has the following problems.

(1) Since a driver and an interface dedicated to the timepiece device are required, the system is complicated and the cost is increased.

(2) Since input / output with the clock device is performed by a dedicated driver, even if the dedicated driver is maintained at the stage of application development, knowledge about the operating system is required. ..

(3) Despite the need for highly accurate time management depending on the function of the application, the time management accuracy depends on the dedicated driver.

In view of the above-mentioned problems, the present invention facilitates maintenance of the time management function even in the stage of application development, etc. in the management device for the in-system timer in the computer in which the operation system is constructed, and the system is simple. The purpose is to enable conversion.

[0008]

As shown in FIG. 1, a system time management apparatus according to the present invention has an internal system timer 2 in a computer 1 having an operating system.
Is a management target, and is managed by using the external time information and the time setting operation presence / absence information input from the external clock device 3, and the following measures are taken.

(1) The computer 1 is provided with a terminal connection interface section 4 for inputting / outputting data to / from the timepiece device 3, and a system time management means 5 using application software utilizing the operation system. I'm building.

(2) The system time management means 5 has the following elements.

A. Process selecting means 6 for selecting either one of the time setting means 7 and the error determining means 8 based on the time setting operation presence / absence information.

B. Selected when there is a time setting operation,
Time setting means 7 for setting the time of the in-system timer 2 with reference to the external time.

C. Selected when there is no time setting operation,
An error determination unit 8 that determines whether or not the error between the external time and the time of the system timer is within an allowable range, and selects either the time correction unit 9 or the abnormality processing unit 10 based on the determination result.

D. Selected when the error is within tolerance,
Time correction means 9 for correcting the time of the internal timer with reference to the external time.

E. Abnormality processing means 10 which is selected when the error exceeds the allowable range and performs abnormal notification output processing and other abnormal processing.

[0016]

According to the present invention, the management function of the in-system timer 2 in the computer 1 is constructed by using the application software. That is, the external time information and the time setting operation presence / absence information are input from the timepiece device 3 via the terminal connection interface unit 4, and a predetermined process is selected based on these information. When the time setting operation is performed on the timepiece device 3, the external time, which is the time after the setting, is set to the time of the in-system timer. Even if the time setting operation is not performed, the process of correcting the time of the in-system timer based on the external time is selected, but if the error between both times exceeds the allowable range, an error has occurred. Is selected as an abnormal process such as an abnormal alarm.

[0017]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail below.

FIG. 2 shows a main part of a system configuration of a computer according to an embodiment of the present invention. In Calculator 1, 11
Is a CPU for main control, 12 is a main memory including ROM and RAM, and 2 is a timer unit. The interface unit 4 is for connecting to the timepiece device 3, and uses, for example, an RS-232C interface. That is,
Without using a dedicated driver or interface
The clock device 3 is treated as one of the terminal devices of the computer 1. The main memory 12 stores programs and various data for constructing operation system functions, application functions, and the like. The application program includes a system time management processing procedure.

FIG. 3 shows an outline of the system time management process. As shown in this figure, for example, the timepiece device 3 is regularly used.
Input time data (external time data) from (S
1). It is assumed that, in addition to the external time data, a time setting completion notification indicating that there is a time setting on the time device 3 side is input from the time device 3 from the external time data. When the input from the clock device 3 is completed, it is confirmed whether or not there is this time setting completion notification (S2). If there is this notification, the time setting process (S3)
Proceed to. In this time error correction processing, the external time newly set on the timepiece device 3 side is set in the timer unit 2. If there is no time setting completion notification, the process proceeds to time error correction processing (S4).

FIG. 4 shows an outline of the time error correction processing.
As shown in this figure, first, the time difference ΔT between the external time and the system internal time is obtained (S1). Next, the preset allowable error T _SET is compared with the time error ΔT (S
2) If the error ΔT is within the allowable range, the system time is corrected based on the external time (S3). If the error ΔT exceeds the allowable range, system time abnormality processing is performed (S4). In this processing, it is possible to flexibly deal with notification of an abnormal alarm and other methods suitable for the system.

FIG. 5 shows the application of this embodiment to a dual system. The dual system is the A system computer 1A and B
The system computer 1B is provided. Both are made to execute the same processing, and when one fails, the other inherits the actual processing and continues the processing operation. In this system, A
It is essential to ensure the sameness of processing operations of both the B-system and the B-system, but if this embodiment is applied, the timepiece device 3
By setting the time, the system times of both computers 1A and 1B can be matched. in this case,
The timepiece device 3 may be configured to cancel the output of the time setting completion notification after confirming that the time setting completion notification has been output to both the computers 1A and 1B.

[0022]

As described above, according to the present invention,
Since the system time management means is constructed by using the application software that uses the operation system, the workability of time management maintenance and management accuracy setting is improved, contributing to the efficient use of human resources. To do. In addition, a dedicated driver and interface are not required, which facilitates simplification and cost reduction of the system.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a functional block diagram showing the configuration of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a main part of a system configuration of a computer according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing an outline of system time management processing.

FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing an outline of time difference correction processing.

FIG. 5 is a block diagram showing the application of this embodiment to a dual system.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Computer 2 ... In-system timer 3 ... Clock device 4 ... Terminal connection interface unit 5 ... System time management means 6 ... Process selection means 7 ... Time setting means 8 ... Error determination means 9 ... Time correction means 10 ... Abnormality processing means

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A device for managing an in-system timer in a computer having an operating system, which is managed by using external time information and time setting operation presence / absence information input from an external clock device. Includes a terminal connection interface unit for inputting and outputting data to and from the clock device, and constructs a system time management means using application software that uses the operation system, and as the system time management means, A process selecting means for selecting either one of the time setting means and the error determining means based on the time setting operation presence / absence information, and a time selected by the time setting operation, and the time of the in-system timer is set based on the external time. It is selected when there is no time setting operation and time setting operation, and the external time and When the error in the time of the in-system timer is determined whether it is within the allowable range, the error determination means that selects one of the time correction means and the abnormality processing means based on the determination result, and And a time correction means for correcting the time of the in-system timer on the basis of the external time, and an abnormality processing means selected when the error exceeds the allowable range and performing abnormality notification output processing and other abnormality processing. A system time management device characterized by the above.