JPH05175964A - Control method for lan - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To preserve the network even when power is applied or interrupted by interrupting power when a device having a resume function establishes a virtual line with other device on the LAN and informing the other device of it when the mode is going to be set to the sleep mode. CONSTITUTION:When a personal computer 1 establishes a virtual line with personal computers 2, 3, the personal computers send mutually a packet periodically to await a reply of the other party. When the power of the personal computer 1 having resume function in this state is interrupted, a CPU of the personal computer 1 is interrupted to be stopped and the personal computer 1 sends a packer 6 including a destination address, a sender address and message reporting the entry to the sleep mode to the personal computers 2, 3. The personal computers 2, 3 receiving the packet recognize it that the power of the personal computer 1 is interrupted and reaches the sleep mode and the transmission to the virtual line established with the personal computer 1 is stopped. However, the relation between the personal computer 1 and the virtual line is preserved and the resume function is active.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a method for controlling a local area network (LAN) in which various devices such as a plurality of independent personal computers are interconnected.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Local Area Network (LAN)
Is configured so that devices such as computers, terminal devices, personal computers, etc., which are distributed in a limited area can be interconnected to communicate. This LA
Some devices such as a personal computer (hereinafter, abbreviated as "personal computer") forming N have a resume function.

The resume function has a battery backup function, and when the power is turned off (by a power switch or software), the contents of the work are saved in a memory (VRAM, RAM, etc.), and then the power is turned on. This is a function to return to the state before the power was turned off when was turned on. This is a convenient function that minimizes battery consumption and eliminates the time and effort required for system startup, mainly in notebook-type and laptop-type battery-operated personal computers.

In this case, the power supply is not completely turned off, but the main circuits such as the CPU and the memory are in the sleep mode (a state in which only the minimum necessary power is supplied). Is.

[0005]

Generally, in a device (such as a personal computer) that constitutes a LAN, packets are periodically transmitted to a device that has established a virtual circuit and a response is waited for.
When there is no response for a certain period of time, it has a function of disconnecting the virtual circuit by determining that the device of the other party of the virtual circuit cannot respond due to some reason, for example, resetting. Even if the device does not have such a function, when a packet is transmitted and there is no response indicating that the packet has been normally received, the packet is retransmitted and the virtual circuit is disconnected when there is no response.

Therefore, in a device having a resume function, if the power is turned off and the sleep mode is set by the resume function, the virtual line is disconnected because it cannot respond to the request from the device that has established the virtual line. However, there is a disadvantage that the resume function cannot be used.

Further, when data is transmitted and received using the LAN, the LAN interface sends an interrupt request signal to the CPU of the device. When the CPU receives the interrupt request signal, the program in progress is interrupted and the LAN is interrupted. Execute instructions from the interface. However, when the device is in the sleep state due to the resume function, the CPU cannot receive the interrupt signal, and therefore the communication partner judges that the device is in some abnormal state, and the device is in the abnormal state. Since the virtual line between and is disconnected unilaterally, a communication error occurs.

The present invention has been made in view of the above points, and an object thereof is to provide a LAN control method capable of utilizing the resume function of a personal computer or the like.

[0009]

According to the LAN control method of the present invention, when a device having a resume function is turned off and enters a sleep mode, another device that establishes a virtual line on the network is provided. On the other hand, it is characterized in that a packet having a message informing that the sleep mode is to be transmitted is transmitted, and the network environment is the same as that before the power is turned off after the power is turned on next. In addition, it is preferable that the message notifying that the sleep mode is to be entered includes data that causes another device to execute its own network processing function instead.

Even when the device having the resume function is in the sleep mode with the power turned off, the interrupt request from another device connected to the network is used as a trigger to perform the resume control, and the power is turned on. You may make it return to a normal operating state. In that case, it is preferable that the device having the resume function can accept a plurality of interrupt requests and select (mask processing) whether or not to accept each interrupt request.

[0011]

According to the present invention, when the device having the resume function establishes a virtual line with another device on the LAN, when the power is turned off to enter the sleep mode, the sleep mode is set for the other device. You can save the network environment between powering off and powering on by sending a message telling you to enter.

[0012] In addition, by including in the message notifying that the device enters the sleep mode, the data that causes the other device to execute its own network processing function instead, the other device is notified by itself when the power is turned off. The network processing function of can be executed instead.

Even when the device having the resume function is in the sleep state, when an interrupt request from the peripheral device is received, the resume control is performed by using the trigger as a trigger, and the power is turned on to return to the normal operation state. Therefore, the device is connected to the LAN. It becomes possible to continue exchanging data with peripheral devices. In that case, the sleeping device can accept only a necessary interrupt request signal from among a plurality of interrupt request signals and mask unnecessary interrupt request signals.

[0014]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT An embodiment of the present invention will be specifically described below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the overall rope form of a typical LAN. As shown in the figure, personal computers 1-4
Are connected to the central control station 5. And personal computer 1
Has a resume function, that is, a battery backup, and V
It has a function of storing data such as RAM and RAM.

Assuming that the personal computer 1 is currently establishing a virtual line with the personal computers 2 and 3 as shown in the signal sequence of FIG.
Send packets to each other periodically and wait for the other party's response.

In this state, when the power switch of the personal computer 1 having the resume function is turned off, the CP of the personal computer 1 is turned off.
An interrupt occurs at U and the stop process starts. Upon entering this stop processing, the personal computer 1 transmits to the personal computer 2 and the personal computer 3 a packet 6 notifying a destination address and a source address as shown in FIG.

Upon receipt of the packet 6, the personal computers 2 and 3 know that the personal computer 1 has been turned off and entered the sleep mode, and stop transmitting to the virtual circuit established with the personal computer 1. .. However, in this case, the virtual line with the personal computer 1 is held. Then, the personal computer 1 which has entered the sleep mode exhibits the resume function.

Next, when the power switch of the personal computer 1 is turned on, the personal computer 1 simultaneously transmits a packet 7 for notifying a message indicating the activation as shown in FIG. 4 to the personal computers 2 and 3 in the activation processing. When the personal computer 2 and the personal computer 3 receive this message, they open the virtual line with the personal computer 1 and restart mutual transmission and reception with the personal computer 1. By processing in this way, the resume function of the personal computer 1 can be realized without the user of the personal computer 1 being aware of it.

In the above embodiment, when the power supply of the personal computer 1 is turned off, the packet 6 notifying the message to enter the sleep mode is transmitted to the personal computers 2 and 3 to which the virtual circuit is established, and the personal computer 2 , 3 do not send or receive packets because they know that PC 1 is in sleep mode, but other PCs 4
Does not know this, it may make a connector request or broadcast type transmission to the personal computer 1. In that case, since there is no response from the personal computer 1 to the personal computer 4, an error will occur in the network. Therefore, it is necessary to avoid this error.

Therefore, when the personal computer 1 transmits a packet for informing the sleep mode to the personal computers 2 and 3, the first packet to be transmitted to the personal computer 2, as shown in FIG. A message indicating the alternative processing request is added. When the personal computer 2 receives this packet 6 ', when it receives a broadcast type packet from the personal computer 4, it also responds on behalf of the personal computer 1.

For example, when the personal computer 1 is in the sleep mode with the power off, when the personal computer 4 attempts to start the network under the name personal computer 1,
Cannot respond, so the personal computer 2 returns a response to the personal computer 4. When the personal computer 4 tries to establish a virtual line with the personal computer 1, it sends a broadcast packet and waits for the personal computer 1 to respond.
Since the personal computer 1 cannot respond, the personal computer 2 sends a packet to the personal computer 4 to the effect that “the personal computer 1 is in a sleep state”.

In this way, it is possible to avoid the occurrence of an error in the network when the personal computer 1 is in the sleep mode. In the above embodiment, an example in which the present invention is applied to a LAN in which only a plurality of personal computers are connected to the network has been described for the sake of simplicity. However, equipment other than personal computers (workstation, display, printer, FAX) Needless to say, various terminal devices including the above) may be connected.

Next, another embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 6 is a block diagram showing a main part of a device such as a personal computer having a resume function in this embodiment.

This equipment includes a CPU 1 which is a central processing unit.
0, ROM 11 as a program memory, RAM 12 as a data memory, a power supply unit (P
SU) 13, power switch 14, interrupt controller 1
5, a resume controller 16, a LAN interface 17, and a system bus 18 connecting them. Then, the LAN interface 17 is connected to another device such as a personal computer through a LAN network (not shown) and the central control station shown in FIG.

The interrupt request line from the LAN interface 17 is connected to the CPU 10 through the resume controller 16 and the interrupt controller 15. In this embodiment, when transmitting / receiving data using the LAN, the transmission signal TxD is transmitted from the LAN interface 17.
To receive the received signal RxD from another device.

When the power switch 14 is on, the power supply unit 13 outputs the DC voltage Vcc, and the CPU 10 and R
Although the specified voltage is supplied to the OM 11, the RAM 12, etc., when the power switch 14 is turned off, the resume controller 16 functions to supply the minimum necessary voltage to the main circuits such as the CPU 10 and the RAM 12. Enter the sleep mode.

In the sleep mode, if there is a communication request from another device connected to the network,
The LAN interface 17 receives it and sends an interrupt request signal to the resume controller 16. When the resume controller 16 receives the interrupt request signal, the resume controller 16 temporarily holds the signal internally, sends a command to the power supply unit 13 to cancel the sleep state, turns the power on, and supplies a regular voltage to each circuit. ..

After the system processing is restarted (after a certain time required for the resume to restore the device to the normal operating state), the interrupt request held by the resume controller 16 is sent to the CPU 10 as an interrupt signal IRQ. send. The resume controller 16 has a status register so that the CPU 10 can read the cause of the resume. There are two factors for this, an interrupt signal due to a communication request from another device connected to the LAN network, and the power switch 14 being turned on.

When the CPU 10 receives the interrupt signal IRQ, it interrupts the program in progress and executes the command from the LAN interface 17. At the end of a series of interrupt processing, the status register of the resume controller 16 is read to determine the state before the interrupt (sleep or normal power switch ON). If it is sleep, the resume controller is completed at the end of the interrupt processing. Return 16 to its original sleep state.

As a result, the resume controller 1
Reference numeral 6 sends a command to the power supply unit 13 to bring the power supply unit 13 into the minimum required power supply state. It should be noted that the interrupt controller 15 is also connected to a plurality of interrupt lines from other various peripheral devices, and receives interrupt signals from them.

FIG. 7 is a block diagram showing the essential parts of an apparatus according to an embodiment obtained by partially modifying the above-mentioned embodiment, and the functions of the resume controller and interrupt controller are different from those of the above-mentioned embodiment.

Resume controller 1 of this embodiment
Reference numeral 6'denotes an interrupt signal input line (including interrupt lines from other peripheral devices in addition to an interrupt request from the LAN interface 17) for inputting a plurality of interrupt request signals and output lines (INT0 to INT3). ), And a master register for designating whether or not to enable resume for each input signal line is provided. The register can be operated by the CPU 10.

Immediately before the device enters the sleep operation, the register is operated to accept only the required interrupt signal from the plurality of interrupt request signals during the sleep and mask the unnecessary interrupt. When a plurality of interrupts are permitted and they are input at the same time, the interrupt controller 15 'determines the priority of the interrupts. The other operations are similar to those of the above-described embodiment, and thus the description thereof is omitted.

[0034]

As described above, according to the invention of claim 1, a personal computer having a resume function is a LAN.
If you have established a virtual line with another computer above, when you turn off the power and enter sleep mode, you can turn off the power by sending a message to other computers The network environment can be saved even while the power is turned on after that, and the original resume function can be used without the user's awareness.

According to the second aspect of the invention, the power is turned off by including the data instructing the other personal computer to execute its own network processing function in the message notifying that the sleep mode is entered. Sometimes, by having another personal computer execute its own network processing function instead, it is possible to process the broadcast packet of the other personal computer, and avoid the occurrence of an error in the network.

According to the third aspect of the invention, the virtual circuit of the LAN is not disconnected while the consumption of the battery is suppressed to the minimum, and the communication can be performed whenever necessary. Claim 4
According to the invention of (1), it is possible to handle a plurality of peripheral devices, and it is possible to select a peripheral device that requires an interrupt. Further, it is possible to suppress interruption of interrupts more than necessary and process only interrupts that are really necessary during sleep, so that battery consumption can be suppressed to a minimum.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a signal sequence diagram showing an operation of an embodiment of the present invention in the LAN shown in FIG.

FIG. 2 is a configuration diagram showing an example of an overall rope form of a LAN to which the present invention is applied.

FIG. 3 is a diagram showing a data frame of a packet for notifying a message to enter a sleep mode when the personal computer 1 having the resume function shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 is powered off.

FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a data frame of a packet for notifying a message indicating activation when the personal computer 1 is powered on.

FIG. 5 is a diagram showing a data frame of another example of a packet for notifying a message that the personal computer 1 is about to enter the sleep mode.

FIG. 6 is a block diagram showing a main part of a device such as a personal computer having a resume function according to another embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 7 is a block configuration diagram showing a main part of a device of still another embodiment in which the embodiment of FIG. 6 is partially modified.

[Explanation of symbols]

1-4 PC 5 Central control station 6,
6 ', 7 packets 10 CPU 11 ROM 12 R
AM 13 power supply unit 14 power switch 15,15 'interrupt controller 16,16' resume controller 17 LAN interface

Claims (4)

[Claims] 1. A packet having a message informing another device, which establishes a virtual circuit on the network, to enter the sleep mode when the device having the resume function turns off the power and enters the sleep mode. LA to obtain a network environment that is the same as that before the power is turned off after the power is turned on.
N control method. 2. The LAN control method according to claim 1, wherein the message notifying that the sleep mode is entered includes data for causing another device to execute its own network processing function instead. LAN control method. 3. Even when a device having a resume function is turned off and is in a sleep mode, an interrupt request from another device connected to the network is used as a trigger for resume control and the power is turned on. A method of controlling a LAN, which is characterized in that the normal operation state is restored. 4. The LAN control method according to claim 3, wherein a device having a resume function is capable of accepting a plurality of interrupt requests and selecting whether or not to accept each interrupt request. LAN control method.