KR100292155B1 - Digital computer having easy operation environment and using method thereof - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE: A digital computer having an easy operation environment and a using method thereof are provided to reduce the time needed to execute an application program and to rapidly switch to each operation environment by using a backup memory. CONSTITUTION: The system comprises a CPU(30), a bus(40) transmitting the information between each element by connecting the CPU with various element constructing the system, a first memory enabling the CPU to load a system and user software, a second memory previously loading a specific program executed by the CPU, a real time clock(70) storing the information for time calculation and system configuration, an interface(80) including a display and key board, a user interface controller(110) consisting of a display and keyboard controller, an auxiliary storage consisting of a floppy disk drive and a hard disk drive, a backup memory(140) storing the contents of first memory and the state information of system hardware, and a power controller maintaining the power until storing the present operation environment in the backup memory in case that a user turns off the power.

Description

Digital computer systems that can be easily switched to work environments and how to use them

1 is a block diagram of a conventional digital computer system,

2 is a flowchart illustrating a process of performing a specific task in a conventional digital computer system.

3 is a block diagram of a digital computer system that can easily switch a working environment according to an embodiment of the present invention.

4 is a flowchart illustrating a process of performing a specific task in a digital computer system that can be easily switched to a work environment according to an embodiment of the present invention.

5 is a flowchart illustrating a process of switching from one digital computer system to another in an easy working environment according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

<Explanation of symbols for main parts of drawing>

30: central processing unit 40: bus

50: first memory unit 60: second memory unit

70: RTC 80: user interface

90: serial and peripheral peripheral unit 100: auxiliary memory device

140: backup memory unit 150: power control unit

The present invention relates to a digital computer system that can be easily converted to a work environment and a method of using the same. More particularly, the present invention relates to a digital computer system that can be easily switched to a work environment and to a method of using the same. It is about.

Due to the widespread use and application of computers, various types of operating systems (OSs) operate in one digital computer system, and there is a need to execute applications under each operating system.

In addition, it is necessary to switch the working environment between operating systems.

For example, in the case of a personal computer (PC) which is widely used at present, it is possible to execute an application in a text mode DOS (Disk Operating System) working environment and a window'95 (window'95). Switching the working environment when running an application in a working environment, or switching between a working environment that functions as a general personal computer and a settop box, or a working environment that functions as a general personal computer There is a transition between various working environments, such as switching between a work environment that functions as a network-only terminal and a work environment that functions as a general personal computer and a work environment that functions as a television.

Hereinafter, with reference to the accompanying drawings will be described a computer system for providing a conventional working environment of various kinds.

1 is a block diagram of a conventional digital computer system, and FIG. 2 is a flowchart showing a process of performing a specific task in a conventional digital computer system.

As shown in FIG. 1, the configuration of a conventional digital computer system includes a central processing unit 1; A random access memory (RAM) unit (3) for providing a place for the central processing unit (1) to load system software and user software; A ROM (read only memory) section 5 in which a specific program is already mounted; A real time clock (RTC) 7 for storing information about time calculation and system configuration; A bus 9 for interconnecting various elements constituting the system and transferring information between the elements; A user interface unit 11 including a display device and a keyboard; A serial-to-parallel peripheral unit (13) comprising an RS-232C interface device and a printer, and an auxiliary storage unit (15) comprising a floppy disk drive (FDD) and a hard disk drive (HDD); A user interface controller 17 composed of a display controller and a keyboard controller; A serial-parallel port unit 19 composed of a serial interface and a parallel interface; And an auxiliary storage controller 21 composed of a floppy disk drive controller and a hard disk drive controller.

The operation process of such a conventional digital computer system is as follows.

When power is supplied to the computer system (S1), the central processing unit 1 is controlled by the control unit mounted in the ROM unit 5 such as the RAM unit 3, the user interface control unit 17, and the auxiliary storage unit control unit 21. An initialization process is performed so that hardware can be operated, and a self-test process is performed to check whether each hardware is abnormal (S2).

In the case of a personal computer (PC), the control program denotes a power on self test (POST) portion of a basic input output system (BIOS) program mounted in the ROM 5.

When the above process is completed, the central processing unit 1 uses a bootstrap loader included in the control program to specify a specific position of the auxiliary storage device such as the floppy disk drive and the hard disk drive in the auxiliary storage unit 15. After loading the boot program mounted in the RAM unit 3, the boot program is executed (S3).

During the execution of the boot program, the user may select one working environment from among various kinds of working environments, that is, select one operating system to execute an application program (S3).

The boot program loads the operating system selected by the user into the RAM unit 3, and the operating system performs an operating system initialization process at the computer system level and then enters a standby state for receiving a user's command input (S3).

In the standby state, the user inputs a command to execute an application program to perform a necessary task (S4), and when the necessary task is terminated, the operating system shuts down (Shutdown) process to exit the operating system (S5).

However, an operating system such as DOS does not need to perform the shutdown process S5 as described above.

When all of the above process is completed, the user turns off the applied power (off) to complete all the tasks (S6).

However, the above-described conventional technology takes a long time to execute a specific application program, and a command must be input several times and may be repeated many times.

In the case where the power of the computer system is turned off in the middle of the work, the above-described work process must be performed again from the beginning in order for the user to restore power and continue the interrupted work.

In addition, even if the application needs to be executed under another work environment outside the current work environment, there is a problem that the above-described work process must be performed again from the beginning.

Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to solve the above-mentioned problems and to shorten the time required to execute a specific application in a digital computer system that provides a different working environment and is capable of working under each environment. It is intended to provide a digital computer system and a method of using the same, which can easily switch the working environment using a backup memory to speed up the transition between them.

A configuration of the present invention for achieving the above object is a central processing unit which is a central element of a digital computer system; A bus which interconnects the various elements constituting the central processing unit and the system to transfer information between the elements; A first memory portion coupled to the bus for providing a place for the CPU to load system software and user software; A second memory unit connected to the bus, in which a specific program to be executed by the central processing unit is already loaded; A peripheral unit including several peripheral devices constituting the system; An interface unit for connecting each peripheral device of the peripheral device unit to the CPU through the bus; A backup memory unit connected to the bus and storing contents of the RAM unit and state information of system hardware to store a work environment of a user; And a power control unit connected to the bus to maintain external power until the current work environment is stored in the backup memory unit even when the user turns off the power.

According to another aspect of the present invention for achieving the above object, in the process of performing a specific operation in the digital computer system under the control of the central processing unit connected to the power control unit and the backup memory unit, the power is applied to the computer system Steps; Initializing a user interface by a control program existing in a second memory unit, and selecting a work environment to be performed; Determining whether information on the selected working environment is stored in a memory block of a backup memory unit; In the determining step, if information is not stored in the memory block, loading and executing an operating system in the peripheral device portion by the bootstrap loader of the control program in the first memory portion; Under the operating system executed in the above step, an application program performing a specific task is executed; In the determining step, if information is stored in a memory block, setting hardware using the information and writing the information into a first memory unit; Transferring control to the application to perform a specific task; Turning off the power switch to interrupt work; Storing the hardware state and the contents of the first memory unit in a memory block corresponding to a work environment; The power is cut off by the power control unit.

Another aspect of the present invention for achieving the above object is that in the process of switching from a digital computer system to another working environment, the application program is executed by a user under a specific working environment; Requesting the user to stop the work being performed and to perform work in another environment; Storing the working environment in a corresponding memory block in the backup memory unit; The system state is set according to the requested working environment by the information stored in the requested memory block; System control rights are transferred to the requested job from the control program that has performed the above process, and the work is performed.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION Hereinafter, exemplary embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

3 is a block diagram of a digital computer system that facilitates a work environment change according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 4 is a process of performing a specific task in a digital computer system that enables easy work environment change according to an embodiment of the present invention. 5 is a flowchart illustrating a process of switching from a digital computer system that is easy to switch to a work environment according to an embodiment of the present invention to another work environment.

As shown in FIG. 3, the configuration of the digital computer system which can be easily switched to the working environment according to the embodiment of the present invention includes a central processing unit 30 which is a central element of the digital computer system; A bus (40) for interconnecting the CPU (30) and various elements constituting the system and transferring information between the elements; A first memory unit (50) connected to the bus (40) for providing a place for the central processing unit (30) to load system software and user software; A second memory unit 60 connected to the bus 40 and in which a specific program to be executed by the central processing unit 30 is already mounted; An RTC (70) connected to the bus (40) for storing information about time calculation and system configuration; A user interface unit 80 including a display device 82 and a keyboard 84; A serial-to-parallel peripheral unit 90 including an RS-232C interface device 92 and a printer 94; An auxiliary storage unit 100 composed of a floppy disk drive 102 and a hard disk drive 104; A user interface controller 110 composed of a display controller 112 and a keyboard controller 114; A serial-parallel port unit 120 including a serial interface 122 and a parallel interface 124; An auxiliary storage controller 130 composed of a floppy disk drive controller 132 and a hard disk drive controller 134; A backup memory unit (140) connected to the bus (40) and storing contents of the first memory unit (50) and state information of system hardware to store a user's working environment; The power control unit 150 is connected to the bus 40 and maintains the power until the current work environment is stored in the backup memory unit 140 even if the user turns off the power.

The backup memory unit 140 according to the embodiment of the present invention consists of at least one memory block connected to the bus 40.

And the backup memory unit 140 may be made of a RAM that can be read and written so that the central processing unit 30 can store a specific working environment through the bus 40, the central processing unit 30 is already stored The working environment can be read only ROM.

As a related art of the power control unit 150, a 'network hibernation system' of Korean Patent Application No. 94-27299 and an 'Auxiliary Power Supply for Emergency Work Environment Backup' of Korean Patent Application No. 94-29301 are disclosed.

As shown in FIG. 4, the configuration of a process for performing a specific task in a digital computer system that can be easily switched to a work environment according to an embodiment of the present invention includes: applying power to the computer system (ST1); A step ST2 of initializing a user interface by a control program existing in a second memory unit and selecting a work environment to be performed; Determining whether information on the selected working environment is stored in the memory block of the backup memory unit 140 (ST3); In the determination step ST3, if information is not stored in the memory block, the operating system in the auxiliary memory device 100 is loaded into the first memory unit 50 and executed by the bootstrap loader of the control program. Step ST4; A step (ST5) of executing an application program performing a specific task under the operating system executed in the step (ST4); In the determination step (ST3), if information is stored in the memory block, setting the hardware by using the information and recording it in the first memory unit (50) (ST6); The control right is passed to the application program and a specific task is performed (ST7); A step ST8 in which the power switch is turned off to stop the operation; Storing the hardware state and the contents of the first memory unit 50 in a memory block corresponding to the working environment (ST9); In step ST10, the external power is cut off by the power control unit 150.

As shown in FIG. 5, the configuration of a process of switching from a digital computer system that is easy to switch to a work environment according to an embodiment of the present invention to another work environment is performed by a user under a specific work environment. T1); Requesting (T2) to stop the work being performed by the user and to perform work in another environment; Storing a working environment in a corresponding memory block in the backup memory unit 140 (T3); A step (T4) of setting a system state according to the requested working environment by the information stored in the requested memory block; In step T5, the system control right is transferred to the requested job from the control program that has performed the above process.

According to the above configuration, the working process and operation of the digital computer system which can be easily switched to the working environment according to the embodiment of the present invention are as follows.

First, a process of performing a specific task illustrated in FIG. 4 will be described.

When power is applied to the computer system (ST1), the central processing unit 30 controls the display controller 112 and the keyboard controller 114 via the bus 40 under the control of a control program mounted in the second memory unit 60. Initialize (ST2).

The CPU 30 displays a menu on the display device 82 connected to the display controller 112 together with the number of the memory blocks of the backup memory unit 140 and a brief description of each block (ST2). .

The user selects a work environment to be performed from the menu through the keyboard 84 of the user interface unit 80 connected to the keyboard controller 114 (ST2).

If the user does not select a job to be performed via the keyboard 84 for a predetermined time to elapse in step ST2, the work environment number, that is, the default number predetermined by the control program is considered to be selected.

In addition, the user may specify a brief description of each memory block displayed in the menu through a set-up program, and the waiting time and the default number waiting for the user's selection and the backup memory unit 140 may be set. Information such as whether it is writable RAM or non-swappable ROM is stored in a register in the RTC 70 or a separate nonvolatile memory.

The control program checks whether information on a job to be performed is stored in the selected memory block of the backup memory unit 140 (ST3).

As a result of the checking step ST3, if information on a job to be performed in the selected memory block is not stored, the processing is performed as follows.

The central processing unit 30 is connected to the floppy disk drive controller 132 of the auxiliary storage controller 130 and the hard disk drive controller 134 by a bootstrap loader included in the control program. The boot program loaded in a specific position of the auxiliary storage device such as the floppy disk drive 102 and the hard disk drive 104 is loaded into the first memory unit 50, and then the boot program is executed (ST4).

The boot program loads an already designated operating system into the first memory unit 50, and the operating system performs an operating system initialization process at a computer system level, and then waits for a user's command input ( ST4).

In the standby state, the user inputs a command to execute an application program to perform a necessary task (ST5).

As a result of the checking step ST3, if information on a job to be performed is stored in the selected memory block, the following process is performed.

The control program sets the state of each hardware according to the environment by using the work state information about the system hardware stored in the selected memory block of the backup memory unit 140, reads data from the memory block, Restore the contents to the working environment (ST6).

The application program stored in the restored first memory unit 50 receives the system control right from the control program and performs the selected task (ST7).

The user turns off the power switch (ST8) to terminate or interrupt the work being performed.

The step ST8 may include not only a power switch off by a user, but also an automatic power off when the system is not used for a predetermined time and an external power supply to the system itself. have.

The power controller 150, which senses the power off, outputs an interrupt signal to the central processing unit 30 through the bus 40, and the central processing unit 30 is connected to the second memory unit 60. The corresponding interrupt program is executed to store the current working environment such as each hardware state and the contents of the first memory unit 50 in the corresponding memory block (ST9).

When the step ST9 is completed, the interrupt program outputs a power off signal to the power controller 150 through the central processing unit 30, and the power controller 150 cuts off the power by the input power off signal. (ST10)

When the memory blocks of the backup memory unit 140 are read-only ROMs, the above steps ST9 and ST10 are omitted.

The following describes the transition process to the other working environment shown in FIG.

The user executes the application under a specific working environment (T1).

The user requests to perform another task by means of a specific key combination that has already been set in order to stop the specific task of the step T1 and to perform the task in another task environment (T2).

In the step T2, the user attaches a job changeover switch corresponding to the memory block of the backup memory unit 140 to the outside of the computer system, selects and operates the switch, and requests the execution of another job; Determining a special function key to display and if the function key is selected to display a menu can be configured to include a request for selecting another operation.

An interrupt signal is generated by the user's request, and the central processing unit 30 receiving the interrupt signal executes the corresponding interrupt program mounted in the second memory unit 60 (T3).

The interrupt program stores a current working environment, such as a hardware state and contents of the first memory unit 50, in a corresponding memory block in the backup memory unit 140 (T3).

Step T3 is omitted when the memory blocks of the backup memory unit 140 are read-only ROMs.

The interrupt program resets each hardware state according to the environment by using work state information about system hardware stored in a memory block of the backup memory unit 140 requested by the user, and reads data from the memory block to read the first memory unit ( Change the contents of 50) to suit the working environment (T4).

The application program stored in the changed first memory unit 50 receives the system control right from the interrupt program and performs the requested operation (T5).

As described above, in the embodiment of the present invention, in a digital computer system that provides a different environment and is capable of working under each environment, the system includes a power control unit for controlling the power of the system and a backup memory unit for storing the working environment. It takes a short time to run the application, and even if the task is interrupted, it is possible to restore the contents already saved and continue again, and it is easy to switch the working environment with the effect of speeding up the transition between different working environments. A computer system and a method of using the same can be provided.

Claims (8)

A central processing unit for executing a computer program, and a bus connected to the central processing unit to provide a passage of information; A first memory unit connected to the bus to store system software and user software executed by the central processing unit, and a second memory unit to store a system control program connected to the bus and executed by the central processing unit And a backup memory unit connected to the bus and including at least one memory block, and a power control unit connected to the bus to control power of the system, wherein each of the memory blocks is performed by different operating systems and the operating system. Digital computer system, characterized in that for storing the job information. The digital computer system of claim 1, wherein the backup memory unit comprises a RAM capable of reading and writing so that the CPU can store a specific working environment through a bus. The digital computer system of claim 1, wherein the backup memory unit comprises a ROM capable of reading only a work environment in which the central processing unit is already stored. In the process of performing a specific task in the digital computer system under the control of the central processing unit by connecting the power control unit and the backup memory unit to the bus, the user interface hardware is initialized after the power is applied to store the work to be performed by the user. Selecting a memory block in the backup memory unit; Setting a system state according to a selected working environment by information stored in the selected memory block; Transferring a system control right to a selected job from the control program controlling the process, and performing the work; A method of using a digital computer system that can be easily switched to a work environment, characterized in that the work environment being executed by the power control unit is stored in a memory block in the backup memory unit when the power is turned off for work interruption. 5. The work environment switch according to claim 4, wherein the memory block in the backup memory unit consists of a read-only ROM so that when the user turns off the power, the power control unit cuts off the external power supply without storing the work environment in which the power is turned off. How to use this easy digital computer system. 5. The method of claim 4, wherein the power off for interrupting work is automatically powered off when the system is not used for a certain period of time. The method of claim 4, wherein the backup auxiliary power supply is operated by the power controller to maintain the system power when the power supply for interrupting work is turned off when the external power supply to the system is turned off. How to use a digital computer system. Performing a task under a first operating system, suspending the task, requesting a task under a second operating system, storing a task under the first operating system, and a working environment under the requested second operating system. Setting up the computer system to suitably perform and performing a task under the requested second operating system.