JPS62254222A - Protecting device against service interruption - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To reduce the battery capacity by saving the data needed for a nonovolatile memory into a floppy disk for protection when a main power supply has a service interruption and then cutting off the battery serving as a spare power supply. CONSTITUTION:A service interruption occurs and the supply of AC power of a main power supply 11 is stopped. A service interruption occurrence detecting means 14 detects the service interruption and at the same time the information on the service interruption is given to a CPU 1 via a service interruption information means. It is discriminated whether the flag of a service interruption processing selection means 9 is turned on or not to decide execution of the service interruption processing. That is, the service interruption processing is carried out when said flag is equal to '1' (ON) and the data needed for a nonvolatile memory 8 is saved to a floppy disk device 5. Then a cut control signal S2 is delivered and a spare power supply 12 is cut off.

Description

[Detailed Description of the Invention] <Industrial Application Field> The present invention is applicable to information processing machines such as electronic cash registers and POS terminals, semiconductor memories such as DRAM, and power supplies such as delay line memories. In an information processing machine that has a storage section made up of volatile memory that loses its contents when the main power is cut off, and that operates while being constantly supplied with power from an external main power source, it is possible to erase the stored contents of the storage section in the event of a power outage to the main power source. This invention relates to a power outage protection device for protection.

<Conventional technology> Conventional electronic cash registers use a magnetic core in the storage section, which permanently retains memory contents even if the main power is cut off. has the disadvantage of being very expensive. Therefore, in recent years, semiconductor memory has been developed to replace the magnetic core.
It is used in electronic cash registers, POS terminals, personal computers, etc. However, when a volatile memory such as a semiconductor memory is used, the information stored at the time of a power outage of the main power supply is lost, resulting in a situation where it becomes impossible to compare the information with sales proceeds, for example. In order to prevent this, an uninterruptible power supply system is generally adopted in which a battery is prepared as a backup power supply, and when the main power supply fails, the system switches to the battery battery and continues power supply.

<Problems to be solved by the invention> However, in order to operate with a backup power source in case of a long-term power outage of the main power source, a considerably large capacity battery is required, which increases the cost burden. , since it cannot be built into equipment, it has the disadvantage of requiring additional installation space.

Furthermore, main power outages may last for a long time, so
It is necessary to shut off the battery after a certain amount of time has passed.

<Purpose of the Invention> The present invention was devised in view of the above-mentioned problems, and uses a small, low-capacity battery that can be built into equipment as a backup power source, while destroying necessary information in the event of a power outage. The object of the present invention is to provide a power outage protection device that can be maintained without causing damage.

<Means for Solving the Problems> In order to achieve the above object, the power outage protection device of the present invention has a floppy disk device and has information for loading and executing an application program from the floppy disk into a volatile memory. A power outage protection device for a processing machine includes a backup power source such as a battery having a capacity to drive the processing machine for several minutes, a power outage detection means and a power outage notification means for detecting the occurrence of a power outage in the main power supply, and A configuration in which an application program sets a power outage processing selection means for selecting whether or not to perform a process, and a means for cutting off the backup power supply after executing a power outage processing for saving necessary data in the volatile memory to the floppy disk. The main points are as follows.

Function> Since the power outage protection device of the present invention has the above configuration, when a main power outage occurs, it detects the occurrence of this outage and controls the CPU.
When notified, the system determines whether or not to process the power outage according to the program set in the application program.
In other words, it is determined whether the data stored in the volatile memory is necessary or not, and when it is determined that the power outage process is to be executed, the drive continues with the backup power supply and the necessary data in the volatile memory is saved to the floppy disk. and then the standby power supply is cut off. Therefore, the backup power source may be of small capacity since it is sufficient to supply the mold source for about several minutes while processing the power outage.

<Example> Hereinafter, an example of the present invention will be described in detail based on the drawings.

First, the configuration of the information processing machine will be explained with reference to Fig. 1.
PU 1, CRT 2 for visually displaying information, keys 3 for inputting information, printer section 4 for printing information stored in the storage section, floppy disk device 5 for selecting the program to be used and switching functions, various types. It is provided with a device or interface 6, an initial program load 7 for loading the program of the floppy disk device 5 into the volatile memory 8, and a power failure processing selection means 9 for determining whether or not power failure processing is to be performed. Also, CPU
I is supplied with driving DC power from a power supply regulator 10, and this power supply regulator 1o is driven by a commercial AC power supply which is a main power supply 11. On the other hand, a battery is provided as a backup power source 12 in case of a power outage of the main power source 11, and this backup power source 12 is charged by the power regulator 10 when driven by the main power source 11, and has a capacity that can drive the processing machine for several minutes. are doing. The power supply regulator 1o and the backup power supply 12 are driven and controlled by a connection/disconnection control signal s1 and a disconnection control signal s1 from the CPUI, respectively.

When a power outage occurs in the main power supply 11, the power outage notification means 13 notifies the CPUI.

Next, in FIG. 2 showing the power supply section, the aforementioned power supply regulator 1o consists of a primary regulator 10a and a secondary regulator 10b, and after converting the commercial AC of the main power supply 11 into DC by the primary regulator 10a, Power is supplied to various parts such as the CPU via a relay RL1 that is turned on and off by a control signal s1 that is turned on and off by a power switch (not shown), a backflow prevention diode D1, and a secondary regulator 10b. On the other hand, the backup power source 12 includes a relay RL2 that is turned off by a disconnection control signal S2;
Backflow prevention diode D2 and secondary generator 10
Power is supplied to the CPUI etc. via b. The disconnection control signal S2 is normally turned off, and the standby power supply 12 is connected to the disconnection control signal S2 via the relay RL2 and the diode D2.
It is connected to the next regulator 10b. The power outage detection means 14 is, for example, a switching circuit such as a Schmitt circuit, and outputs a detection signal when the voltage of the primary regulator 10a, that is, the voltage of the main power supply 11, falls below a predetermined value.

The power outage processing operation will be explained based on Fig. 3.
It is supported by the device's operating system as shown in figure (a). That is, when a power outage occurs and the supply of AC power from the main power source 11 is stopped, the power outage is detected by the power outage detection means 14 and the power outage notification means 13 detects the CP.
The power outage is notified to the UI (A), and then it is determined whether the flag ■ as the power outage processing selection means 9 is on or not (B)
be done. In other words, it is determined whether or not to execute the power outage process. When the flag ■ is turned on, the flag ■ is turned on as a means of notifying the application program of the occurrence of a power outage. On the other hand, if the flag ■ is not turned on, a disconnection control signal S is sent from the CPU to relay RL2.
2 is supplied, the backup power supply 12 is cut off, and the operation of the device is stopped.

Figures 3(bl and 3e) respectively show two types of application programs that are set up before using this information processing machine. In addition, if the same (Figure C1 shows the power outage processing program, this application program is processed in parallel with the application program shown in Figure C1, and the flag ■ is turned on) flag is turned on and volatile memory 8 is turned on.
The necessary data is saved in the floppy disk device and power outage processing is performed, and then a disconnection control signal is output and the standby power source 12 is shut off.

<Effects of the Invention> As detailed above, according to the power outage protection device of the present invention,
In the event of a main power outage, the necessary data in volatile memory is saved to a floppy disk to protect the data, and then the battery as a backup power source is shut off, so a small capacity battery can be used as a backup power source. Therefore, it is possible to achieve miniaturization of batteries and equipment, and it is also possible to reduce costs. Moreover,
Since the necessary data in the volatile memory is saved to the floppy disk at the same time as a power outage occurs, the necessary data can be reliably protected in any state, regardless of the length of the power outage. Furthermore, there is an advantage that the application program can select whether or not to perform this power outage process.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

The drawing shows one embodiment of the power outage protection device of the present invention, and shows the first embodiment of the power outage protection device of the present invention.
The figure is a block configuration diagram, Figure 2 is a block diagram of the power supply section, Figure 3 (Figure 81 is a flowchart of power outage processing,
(C) is a flowchart of different application programs. 1-CPU 5-Floppy disk device 8-Volatile memory 9... Signal processing selection device 12-Backup power source 13--Power failure detection means 14...-Power failure detection device Patent applicant Sharp Corporation Agent Patent attorney West 1) New - Figure 1 Figure 2

Claims (1)

[Claims] A power outage protection device for an information processing machine that has a floppy disk device and loads and executes an application program from the floppy disk into a volatile memory, includes a backup power source such as a battery having a capacity that can drive the processing machine for about several minutes. , comprising power failure occurrence detection means and power failure notification means for detecting the occurrence of a main power power failure, power failure processing selection means for determining whether to perform power failure processing, and saving necessary data in the volatile memory to the floppy disk. A power outage protection device characterized in that an application program is used to set means for shutting off the backup power supply after executing power outage processing.