KR20100033274A - Power management unit for system having multiple storage medium - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE: An apparatus for power management for being used in the system equipped with a plurality of memories, and supplies the power source in the specific memory the power being supplied. The electrical energy consumption is reduced to the whole system. CONSTITUTION: It is corresponded to a plurality of memories(106) and it interlinks the power source or a plurality of switches(104). According to a controller(102) is the state of system, memories are run altogether, whether it in other words decides if it runs only the specific memory. According to controller is the decision result, the signal coming in the switch corresponding to the memory for to running is sent. The off signal is sent in a switch corresponding to the memory for no need to running. Memory in which the OS(Operating System) of system is saved in the initial booting of system certainly runs.

Description

Power management unit for a system having a plurality of storage devices {Power management unit for system having multiple storage medium}

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a power management apparatus for managing a power supply of a system, and more particularly, to a power management apparatus for driving only a specific memory device in a system having a plurality of memory devices.

A hard disk drive (HDD) is used as an information storage device of a personal computer. Such HDDs are widely used not only for computers but also for devices that need to store a large amount of information, such as a digital video recorder (DVR).

In general, a hard disk is a memory device that stores and reads data while rotating a magnetic aluminum plated aluminum substrate. A hard disk is a metal head that prevents dust from entering and a vacuum is used to read and write data. To protect.

The HDD thus configured stores information in tracks arranged concentrically on a rotating magnetic disk, which are accessed by a magnetic head for reading and recording data. However, such a HDD has a problem that high power consumption is required.

Also, in recent years, a hard disk is used as a recording medium of a mobile device used for portable use such as a digital video camera. In the case of a mobile device, since a battery is used as a power source, conditions such as prolongation of battery duration and suppression of temperature rise in the mobile device must be sufficiently satisfied. However, when HDDs are mounted in mobile devices, these drives consume more power and generate more heat than other device parts mounted in the same body. For this reason, it is desired to reliably and sufficiently reduce the power consumption with respect to the HDD.

Moreover, in recent years, personal computers, DVRs, and the like are equipped with a plurality of HDDs for storing a large amount of information, and thus, reduction of power consumption is more important. In particular, since all HDDs are set to be ON at the same time when the system is driven, there is a problem in that unnecessary power is wasted in HDDs that are not used for a certain period of time.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made in view of the foregoing, and in a system having a plurality of storage devices, a power management device that can be controlled to supply power only to specific storage devices that are needed instead of supplying power to all storage devices. The purpose is to provide.

A power management device used in a system having a plurality of storage devices for achieving the above object includes a plurality of switches corresponding to each of the plurality of storage devices to connect or disconnect a power supply, and a plurality of storages depending on the state of the system. Determine whether to drive all of the devices or to drive only a specific storage device, and send an ON signal to the switch corresponding to the storage device to be driven according to this determination, and turn off the switch corresponding to the storage device that does not need to be driven. And a control unit for sending a signal.

When booting such a system for the first time, it is desirable to operate the storage device in which the system's operating system is stored. Or, when the system first boots, it can run only the highest priority memory.

The DVR system equipped with the power management device drives only a storage device in which a photographed image is to be recorded in a recording mode, and only a storage device having information of stored image files in a search mode, and plays back in a playback mode. It is preferable to drive only a memory device in which an image to be stored is stored.

At this time, when the storage capacity of the memory device which is in the driving state for recording in the recording mode is exhausted, the next memory device is sequentially driven.

The DVR system memorizes the last recording device when the recording mode of the DVR is finished. If the user selects the recording mode after booting the DVR, the DVR system automatically selects the last recording device and drives only the storage device. It is preferable to use an algorithm. Alternatively, when the playback mode of the DVR is exited, the storage device that recorded the last played file is memorized. If the user selects the playback mode after booting the DVR, the storage device where the last played file is recorded is automatically selected. It is desirable to use a prediction algorithm that drives only that storage device. Alternatively, the system continuously monitors the user's previous playback and stores the most frequently recorded file as the highest priority memory. If the user selects the playback mode after booting the DVR, the highest priority memory is selected. A prediction algorithm can be used that automatically selects and drives only that memory.

As described above, according to the present invention, the system having a plurality of storage devices does not supply power to all the storage devices at the same time, but supplies power to drive only the storage devices required at a specific time. It is effective to reduce consumption.

Hereinafter, exemplary embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. However, the following embodiments are provided to those skilled in the art to fully understand the present invention, and may be modified in various forms, and the scope of the present invention is limited to the embodiments described below. It doesn't happen.

1 is a block diagram illustrating a power management apparatus according to the present invention.

The power management apparatus according to the present invention can be applied to any system having a plurality of storage devices, for example, a computer, a PMP, or a DVR. As a storage device, an HDD such as that shown in FIG. 1 is typically used, but any memory device having a similar function is within the scope of the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 1, when power is supplied from a power supply 100 of a system to a plurality of HDDs 106, each HDD is provided with a switch 104 individually. Each switch receives a control signal from the controller 102 and controls the power supplied to the plurality of HDDs 106.

That is, the controller 102 determines whether to drive all of the plurality of HDDs or only specific HDDs according to the state of the system. According to this determination, an ON signal is sent to the switch corresponding to the HDD to be driven, and an OFF signal is sent to the switch corresponding to the HDD which does not need to be driven.

For example, when the system is first booted, the HDD in which the system's operating system is stored must be running. In addition, the main HDD in which data to be mainly used in the system is stored is preferably driven together with the HDD in which the operating system is stored. If the system's operating system stores data that is intended to be used mainly in the system, only one main HDD may be driven and the other HDDs may be turned off.

Alternatively, only HDDs with an operating system and HDDs with the highest priority can be run at first boot. Of course, if the HDD containing the operating system has the highest priority, only the HDD needs to be driven. Priority is the most recently used, or the user can give priority to all HDDs according to the frequency of use.

After booting the system, you can turn on the HDDs individually according to your needs. At this time, the control unit may predict the usage pattern of the user and turn on the HDD which is likely to be used for a specific task in advance or put it into a standby mode to save driving time.

By using the power management apparatus according to the present invention, since it is not necessary to drive all the HDDs in the system using a plurality of HDDs, a considerable portion of power consumption can be saved.

Hereinafter, an embodiment in which the present invention is applied to a DVR system having a plurality of HDDs will be described in detail with reference to FIGS. 2 and 3.

2 is a flowchart illustrating an embodiment in which the power management device according to the present invention is applied to a DVR system. The DVR system refers to a device that converts analog video taken by a camera into a digital signal, stores the digital data in a storage device such as a hard disk, and then plays or retrieves it.

First of all, when the DVR system boots, only the main HDD with the operating system is running and other HDDs are not running to reduce power consumption. After booting the system, the user selects one of a recording mode, a playback mode, and a search mode (S200). The recording mode is a mode for receiving images captured by the camera and saving them on the hard disk. The search mode is for retrieving a desired file among several stored image files. The playback mode is for retrieving the retrieved image files. This mode makes it visible.

If the user selects the recording mode, only one HDD to be recorded is driven, and all other HDDs are turned off (S202). It is preferable that the HDD which is first driven after the DVR booting is the highest priority HDD, for example, the HDD which was last recorded when the DVR was last shut down. The method of selecting such a high priority HDD may be implemented by a prediction algorithm. That is, the prediction algorithm memorizes the last recorded HDD when the DVR is terminated, and if the user selects a recording mode after booting the DVR, the last recorded HDD is automatically selected to drive only the HDD.

If the storage capacity of the HDD in the driving state for recording is exhausted, the next HDD is sequentially driven. In this case, the controller may previously drive the next HDD in consideration of the storage capacity of the current hard disk, or may leave the standby state in a ready state for driving.

If the user selects the search mode, only the HDD having the information of the stored image files is driven (S204). In the search mode, not all HDDs are driven to find an image file desired by the user, but only a HDD having information of stored image files is used. To this end, video files are recorded on separate hard disks when recording images, but information about recording of these video files should be stored on a specific hard disk.

For example, as shown in Fig. 3, a table of video files is recorded on a specific hard disk. This table matches file names, recorded dates and times, hard disk numbers where files are stored, and file details. Therefore, the user can know which hard disk the video file is stored in by inputting a name, a date, and a time of the video file to be searched.

Next, in the playback mode, only the HDD for storing the image to be played back is driven, and all other HDDs are not driven (S206). If the video file you want to play is stored in the 4th and 5th hard disks continuously, the controller waits for the user to wait for the HDD to start the HDD 4 first and then drive the HDD 5 in advance or to the standby mode. Can be reduced.

The method of selecting a specific HDD in the playback mode after DVR booting may be implemented by a prediction algorithm. For example, the prediction algorithm memorizes the HDD where the last played file was recorded when the DVR's playback mode was exited, and automatically selects the HDD where the last played file is recorded if the user selects the playback mode after the DVR boots. Select to drive only that HDD. Or, the prediction algorithm continuously monitors the user's previous playback and remembers the HDD with the most played file as the highest priority HDD. If the user selects the playback mode after booting the DVR, the highest priority HDD is recorded. Can be selected automatically to drive only that HDD.

1 is a block diagram illustrating a power management apparatus according to the present invention.

2 is a flowchart illustrating an embodiment in which the power management device according to the present invention is applied to a DVR system.

3 is a diagram showing an example of a table of video files recorded on a specific hard disk.

Claims (8)

In the power management device used in a system having a plurality of storage devices, A plurality of switches corresponding to each of the plurality of storage devices to connect or disconnect power; Depending on the state of the system, it is determined whether to drive all of a plurality of storage devices or only a specific storage device, and according to this determination, an ON signal is sent to the switch corresponding to the storage device to be driven and there is no need to drive the storage device. And a control unit for sending an off signal to a switch corresponding to the storage device. The method of claim 1, Power management device, characterized in that for the first boot of the system, the operating system must be stored in the storage device is stored. The method of claim 1, Power management device characterized in that, when the system first boots, only drives the highest priority memory. A DVR system having a power management device according to claim 1, In the recording mode, it drives only the memory device to which the captured image is to be recorded. In the search mode, it drives only the memory device that has the information of the stored image files. In the playback mode, it drives only the memory device where the video to be played is stored. System characterized. The system according to claim 4, wherein the next storage device is sequentially driven when the storage capacity of the storage device in the driving state for recording in the recording mode is exhausted. The memory device of claim 4, wherein the memory device was recorded last when the recording mode of the DVR is ended, and if the user selects the recording mode after booting the DVR, the memory device is automatically selected by selecting the last recording device. Using a predictive algorithm to drive the system. The memory device of claim 4, further comprising: storing a memory device in which a file played last when the playback mode of the DVR ends, and selecting a play mode after booting the DVR. And a prediction algorithm that automatically selects and drives only that memory. 5. The method according to claim 4, wherein the user's previous playback is continuously monitored so that the storage device recording the most played file is stored as the highest priority storage device. And a prediction algorithm that automatically selects this high memory and drives only that memory.

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