JPH0573225A - Information processor - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To provide an information processor where a hard disk can be loaded and unloaded without cutting off the power supply. CONSTITUTION:The loading/unloading states of a hard disk device 20 are detected by a detector switch 30 and therefore can be sensed through an operating system or an application program under execution. Thus the operating system and the application program can deal with the loading and unloading operations of the device 20. Then it is not required to cut off the power supply every time the device 20 is loaded or unloaded.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an information processing apparatus to which a cartridge type hard disk device can be mounted.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, there has been an information processing apparatus to which a cartridge type hard disk device can be mounted. The attachment / detachment of the hard disk device in such a conventional information processing apparatus has been performed after the power supply has been turned off. This is because if the hard disk device is attached or detached without turning off the power, it may malfunction. For example, if the application program is being executed when the hard disk device is removed and a different hard disk device is installed, the application program will not be treated as if the previous hard disk device is installed even after the another hard disk device is installed. This is because the hard disk device may be accessed. In another example, if the operating system manages the data stored at the specified address of the hard disk device, if the hard disk device is replaced with another one, the previous hard disk device will be installed even after the replacement. This is because the operating system may access data at a predetermined address of another hard disk device.

[0003]

By the way, in such a conventional information processing apparatus, there is a demand to attach / detach the hard disk device without turning off the power source of the information processing apparatus main body. This is because the termination process for turning off the power source takes time, and if the power source is turned off while the application program is being executed, the program cannot be restarted halfway after the hard disk device is mounted.

However, because of the problem of malfunction as described above, it is difficult to attach / detach the hard disk device without turning off the power source of the information processing apparatus main body.

The present invention aims to solve such a problem.

[0006]

In order to solve the above problems, the information processing apparatus of the present invention is provided with a detection switch for detecting attachment / detachment of the hard disk device.

[0007]

According to the information processing apparatus of the present invention, when the hard disk device is attached / detached after the suspend switch is operated, the detection switch detects the attachment / detachment of the hard disk device. Therefore, the operating system and the application program currently being executed are stored in the hard disk. Can detect the attachment and detachment of the device.

[0008]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing the information processing apparatus of this embodiment. As shown in FIG.
Power switch 11 with a knob that slides,
A push button type suspend switch 12 for executing a suspend process, a detachable cartridge type hard disk device 20, and a micro switch 30 which is a detection switch for detecting attachment / detachment of the hard disk device 20.
And a storage section 40 containing a removable RAM and a co-processor, a cover 50 for covering the storage section 40, and a cover 5.
A micro switch 60 for detecting the attachment / detachment of 0 is provided. Here, the suspend process is a process for temporarily suspending the execution of software, and during the suspension, the minimum necessary power supply such as a backup memory is supplied.

As shown in FIG. 2A, the suspend switch 12 can be pushed down when the knob of the power switch 11 is at the power-on position. Further, as shown in FIG. 2B, the knob of the power switch 11 is at the power-off position,
It becomes impossible to push down.

The positional relationship between the power switch 11 and the suspend switch 12 is as shown in the sectional views of FIGS. 3 (a) and 3 (b). FIG. 3A shows a state in which the knob 11a of the power switch 11 is slid to the power-on position. A slide switch 1 is provided below the knob 11a.
1b is placed, and the slide switch 11b is supported by the substrate 13. Suspend switch 12
Is supported by spring 14, so it can be pushed down,
This pressing operation is transmitted to the tact switch 15 placed below the suspend switch 12. In the state of FIG. 3A, since the suspend switch 12 is exposed from the knob 11a, the suspend switch 12 can be pushed down to execute the suspend process. Further, FIG. 3B shows a state in which the knob 11a is slid to the power-off position. In this state, since the suspend switch 12 is covered with the knob 11a, the suspend switch 12 cannot be pushed down. Therefore, while the power is on, the suspend switch 12 can be operated, but when the power is off, the suspend switch 12 cannot be operated. In this way, the suspend process can be performed only when the suspend switch 12 is visible.

The power switch of this embodiment is not limited to the slide type switch, but a rotary type switch as shown in FIG. 4 may be used. From the figure, the power switch 16 and the suspend switch 17 are arranged side by side.
Is composed of a knob portion 16a and a rotation support portion 16b. In the power-on state as shown in FIG. 4A, the suspend switch 17 is exposed, so the suspend switch 17 can be operated at any time. Further, when the knob portion 16a of the power switch 16 is twisted to turn off the power as shown in FIG. 4B, the knob portion 16a covers the upper portion of the suspend switch 17, so that the suspend switch 17 cannot be operated. .. In this way, the suspend process can be performed only when the suspend switch 17 is visible.

Next, a circuit diagram of the information processing apparatus 10 of this embodiment is shown in FIG. As shown in the figure, the information processing apparatus 10 is composed of a personal computer body 70 and an expansion box 90. When the suspend switch 12 is pushed down when the personal computer 70 alone is operated, the power control circuit 7
2 works and suspend processing is performed. The suspend process is performed by the LCD 74, the backlight 75, the modem 78,
The power to the I / O devices such as the FDD (floppy disk device) 80, the keyboard device 82, and the hard disk device 20 is cut off. Also, during the suspend process, the CPU clock of the system 73 is dropped from 20 MHz to 0 MHz. In addition, DRAM memory devices (main,
Video) has the longest refresh rate.

Next, the operation of this embodiment will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG. As described above, in the conventional example, since the malfunction occurs, the hard disk device cannot be attached or detached without turning off the power supply. The cause of this malfunction mainly occurred because it was replaced with another hard disk device. In other words, the operating system and the application program cannot know that the hard disk device 20 has been replaced, and therefore, the data is accessed as if the previous hard disk device was installed even after the replacement. Therefore, in the present embodiment, a microswitch 30 for detecting the replacement of the hard disk device 20 by the operating system or application program is provided so that the operating system or application program can detect the attachment / detachment of the hard disk device. Specifically, when the hard disk device 20 is removed after the suspend switch 12 is activated, the micro switch 30 detects the removal of the hard disk device 20 (step 100). The detection of the microswitch 30 prohibits subsequent access to the hard disk device 20 (step 101). Next, when the hard disk device 20 is mounted, the microswitch 30 detects the mounting of the hard disk device 20 (step 102).
Upon detection of the micro switch 30, the operating system performs the address reset process on the hard disk (step 103). Further, it is checked whether or not the application program is currently being executed (step 104). If the application program is currently being executed, the hard disk device 2 for re-initialization processing or the like is executed.
Perform the processing required to access 0 (step 10
5). After performing these processes, the prohibition of access to the hard disk device 20 is released (step 10).
6).

Further, in the present embodiment, the attachment / detachment of the cover 50 of the storage section 40 accommodating the RAM and the co-processor is detected by the micro switch 60. The cover 50 can be removed by removing the RAM, co-processor, or another RA.
Only when installing an M or co-processor. In order to attach / detach such a RAM or coprocessor without turning off the power supply, a termination process for preventing overcurrent or data destruction is required. Therefore, in this embodiment, by detecting the attachment / detachment of the cover 50 by the microswitch 60, it is possible to perform the termination process before removing the RAM or the co-processor.

[0015]

According to the information processing apparatus of the present invention, since the attachment / detachment of the hard disk device is detected by the detection switch, the operating system and the application program currently being executed can detect the attachment / detachment of the hard disk device.

Therefore, it becomes possible for the operating system and application programs to take measures when the hard disk device is attached and detached, and the power supply to the hard disk device is cut off because of the suspend switch, but the power supply to the entire system is cut off. There is no such thing.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an information processing apparatus of this embodiment.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a main part of the information processing apparatus of this embodiment.

FIG. 3 is a sectional view showing a positional relationship between a power switch and a suspend switch.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing a main part of the information processing apparatus of this embodiment.

FIG. 5 is a circuit diagram showing an information processing apparatus of this embodiment.

FIG. 6 is a flowchart showing the operation of this embodiment.

[Explanation of symbols]

 10 ... Information processing device 11 ... Power switch 12 ... Suspend switch 20 ... Hard disk device 30 ... Micro switch 40 ... Storage part 50 ... Cover 60 ... Micro switch

Claims (3)

[Claims] 1. An information processing apparatus comprising a removable hard disk device functioning as an auxiliary storage device, comprising: a detection switch for detecting attachment / detachment of the hard disk device. 2. When the detection switch detects detachment of the hard disk device, access to the hard disk device is prohibited, and when the detection switch detects mounting of the hard disk device, the hard disk device is accessed. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising means for canceling access prohibition. 3. The information according to claim 1, further comprising means for performing an initialization process associated with mounting of the hard disk device when the detection switch detects mounting of the hard disk device. Processing equipment.