JP2011239183A - Image processing system - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To perform restoration from power-saving mode quickly while eliminating wasting of power and storage capacity during power-saving mode of an apparatus.SOLUTION: The image processing system includes a storage device containing a nonvolatile semiconductor memory means, a disk type memory means, and a power management means. The power management means can control power-saving mode through a plurality of steps according to execution of writing or reading of data. At the time of controlling a standby state of the disk type memory means according to the power-saving mode, if a mode of lower power consumption than previous one is selected as the power-saving mode, the memory region of control program is changed from a memory region on the low speed side in the storage device to that on the high speed side.

Description

  The present invention relates to various image processing apparatuses including a storage unit that stores data to be processed and processing programs in various information processing, and relates to an operation improvement of the image processing apparatus in a power saving mode.

  The demand for energy saving for various electronic devices is increasing. Here, industrial standards for energy conservation are also established, and in order to comply with such industrial standards, power consumption to units that are not operating in electronic equipment is stopped, so that power consumption is higher than during normal operation. Electronic devices that employ a power-saving mode that reduces power consumption are common.

  In an electronic device connected to a network, for example, a multifunction peripheral (MFP) having a single function of a scanner, a copier, a printer, and a facsimile machine, an instruction from a user from an operation panel or via a network When the received command is not received for a predetermined time, the power saving mode is entered. The MFP connected to the network returns from the power saving mode (standby state) to the normal mode (operating state) upon receiving an instruction from the user from the operation panel or receiving a command via the network.

  Note that recent multifunction peripherals are equipped with a hard disk drive (HDD) as disk-type storage means for storing image data to be processed due to an increase in the amount of document images to be processed. Also, control programs that have become large due to an increase in the amount and quality of functions processed by the multifunction machine are often stored in the HDD.

  Here, in the power saving mode, the operation from the operation unit and the reception of the command via the network are possible, but the operation of each other unit is almost stopped to realize the power saving.

  Then, when the multi-function peripheral storing the control program in the HDD returns from the power saving mode to the normal mode, the CPU loads the control program from the HDD to the RAM and executes the control program on the RAM. At this time, CPU initialization, OS execution, device driver loading, peripheral device initialization, application program execution, and the like are included. After the control program is executed in this way and each part of the system is started up, the multifunction peripheral can perform a normal operation.

  Here, the HDD whose power supply is stopped by the power saving mode is in the sleep state. In this sleep state, the rotation of the disk type recording medium in the HDD is stopped. Therefore, in order to start up the HDD and enable writing and reading of data to and from the hard disk, it takes time to spin up the HDD. Here, the spin-up time is a time until the rotational speed of the disk-type recording medium inside the hard disk is stabilized, and usually about ten and several seconds are required.

  Then, when the HDD storing the control program is started from the sleep state and the system is started up and the MFP can function, the HDD of the control program is loaded in real time for load processing and execution. Spin-up time must be added.

  Thus, it takes a certain amount of time to return the multifunction device from the power saving mode to the normal mode, and considering the convenience of the user, it is possible to quickly return from the power saving mode to the normal mode. It was desired.

  As a technique for avoiding this problem, the following Patent Document 1 discloses that a control program for controlling a device such as an image processing apparatus is transferred from a nonvolatile storage unit such as an HDD to a volatile property such as a RAM when shifting to a power saving mode. Copy it to the storage and save it in parallel. Here, this RAM is energized even in the power saving mode, and the stored contents (control program) are held. When returning from the power saving mode to the normal power mode, the control program stored in the RAM is read and executed, so that the HDD can be quickly recovered without causing a delay due to the spin-up time of the HDD. Proposed.

JP 2005-193652 A (paragraphs 0157, 0159, 0169, 0177 etc.)

  That is, in the technique described in Patent Document 1 described above, it is necessary to hold the control program in both the HDD and the RAM in the power saving mode, which is a waste of hardware resources.

  Furthermore, it is necessary to supply power to the RAM and hold the control program even in the power saving mode, and power is wasted even in the power saving mode.

  The present invention has been made in order to solve the above-described problem, and makes it possible to quickly return from the power saving mode while saving storage capacity and power when the device is in the power saving mode. For the purpose.

  The present invention for solving the problems is configured as follows.

  (1) A first invention is an image processing apparatus comprising a storage device having a nonvolatile semiconductor storage means, a disk-type storage means, and a power management means, wherein the power management means is for writing or reading data. It is possible to control the power saving mode in a plurality of stages according to the presence or absence, and when controlling the standby state of the disk type storage means according to the power saving mode, the power saving mode is lower in power consumption than immediately before. When the mode is changed, the storage area of the control program is changed from the low-speed storage area to the high-speed storage area in the storage device.

  (2) A second invention is an image processing apparatus comprising a storage device having a nonvolatile semiconductor storage means, a disk-type storage means, and a power management means, wherein the power management means is for writing or reading data. It is possible to control the power saving mode in a plurality of stages according to the presence or absence, and when controlling the standby state of the disk type storage means according to the power saving mode, the power saving mode is lower in power consumption than immediately before. Changing the data storage area from a low-speed storage area to a high-speed storage area in the storage device for a predetermined type of data stored in the storage device when the mode is changed. It is characterized by.

  (3) A third invention is an image processing apparatus comprising: a storage device having a nonvolatile semiconductor storage means, a disk-type storage means, and a power management means; and a control means for controlling each part, wherein the control When the means determines one of the power saving modes of the plurality of stages according to whether data is written to or read from the storage device, and the power saving mode is determined to be a mode of lower power consumption than immediately before In addition, the storage area of the control program is changed from the low-speed storage area to the high-speed storage area in the storage device, and the power management means is configured to change the disk-type storage means according to the determined power saving mode. The standby state is controlled.

  (4) A fourth invention is an image processing apparatus comprising: a storage device having a nonvolatile semiconductor storage means, a disk-type storage means, and a power management means; and a control means for controlling each part, wherein the control When the means determines one of the power saving modes of the plurality of stages according to whether data is written to or read from the storage device, and the power saving mode is determined to be a mode of lower power consumption than immediately before In addition, for a predetermined type of data stored in the storage device, the storage area of the data is changed from a low-speed storage area to a high-speed storage area in the storage device, and the power management means determines The standby state of the disk-type storage unit is controlled in accordance with the power saving mode.

  (5) In the fifth invention, in any one of (1) to (4), the change in the storage area is a change between the nonvolatile semiconductor storage means and the disk-type storage means. Features.

  (6) In a sixth invention according to any one of (1) to (4), the change of the storage area is a change between the inner periphery side storage area and the outer periphery side storage area of the disk type storage means. It is characterized by that.

  (7) In a seventh aspect according to any one of (1) to (4), the change of the storage area is a change between a plurality of storage areas having different data management methods of the disk-type storage means. Features.

  (8) In an eighth invention according to any one of (1) to (7), the storage device has nonvolatile storage areas with different reading speeds, and the low-speed storage area and the high-speed storage area The storage area on the side is characterized in that at least the data reading speed is relatively low or high.

  (9) In a ninth invention according to any one of (1) to (8), the disk-type storage means includes a disk-type recording medium and a head for performing seek or read or write on the disk-type recording medium. Active state in which either seek or read or write is executed, the disk type recording medium is rotating, and the head is loaded at an inner position of the disk type recording medium A low power idle state in which the disk-type recording medium is rotating and the head is retracted to a predetermined retracted position, a standby state in which the disk-type recording medium is not rotating and accepting a command, the disk type Low power consumption state in order of sleep state where the recording medium is not rotating and commands are not accepted It becomes, the it is possible to control at least in two states of each state, and wherein the.

  (10) In a tenth aspect of the invention, in any of (1) to (9), when a plurality of disk type storage units are provided, the disk type storage unit that does not store the control program stores the control program. It is controlled to the low power consumption state at an earlier stage than the disk type storage means that is being used, or to the lower low power consumption state.

  (11) In an eleventh aspect of the invention, in any one of (1) to (10), the control program is read from the changed storage area when returning to the normal operation mode from the power saving mode. It is characterized by that.

  According to the present invention, the following effects can be obtained.

  (1) In the first invention, when the power management means controls the standby state of the disk-type storage means in accordance with the power saving mode, the power saving mode is changed to a mode of lower power consumption than immediately before as the power saving mode. In addition, the storage area of the control program is changed from the low-speed storage area to the high-speed storage area in the storage device.

  As a result, when returning from the low power consumption mode, the program can be read from the high-speed storage area, and the return can be realized at high speed. In addition, since the storage unit is nonvolatile, useless power is not used in the power saving mode. As a result, it is possible to return from the power saving mode at high speed while eliminating waste of storage capacity and power when the device is in the power saving mode.

  (2) In the second invention, when the power management means controls the standby state of the disk-type storage means in accordance with the power saving mode, the power saving mode is changed to a mode of lower power consumption than immediately before as the power saving mode. Further, for a predetermined type of data stored in the storage device, the data storage region is changed from the low-speed storage region to the high-speed storage region in the storage device.

  As a result, when returning from the low power consumption mode, a predetermined type of data such as a program can be read from the high-speed storage area, and the return can be realized at high speed. In addition, since the storage unit is nonvolatile, useless power is not used in the power saving mode. As a result, it is possible to return from the power saving mode at high speed while eliminating waste of storage capacity and power when the device is in the power saving mode.

  (3) In the third invention, the control means determines one of a plurality of power saving modes depending on whether data is written to or read from the storage device, and consumes less power than immediately before as the power saving mode. When the power mode is determined, the storage area of the control program is changed from the low-speed storage area to the high-speed storage area in the storage device.

  As a result, when returning from the low power consumption mode, the program can be read from the high-speed storage area, and the return can be realized at high speed. In addition, since the storage unit is nonvolatile, useless power is not used in the power saving mode. As a result, it is possible to return from the power saving mode at high speed while eliminating waste of storage capacity and power when the device is in the power saving mode.

  (4) In the fourth invention, the control means determines one of a plurality of power saving modes depending on whether data is written to or read from the storage device, and consumes less power than immediately before as the power saving mode. When the power mode is determined, for a predetermined type of data stored in the storage device, the data storage area is changed from the low-speed storage area to the high-speed storage area in the storage device.

  Thereby, when returning from the low power consumption mode, a predetermined type of data, for example, a control program, can be read from the high-speed storage area, and the return can be realized at high speed. In addition, since the storage unit is nonvolatile, useless power is not used in the power saving mode. As a result, it is possible to return from the power saving mode at high speed while eliminating waste of storage capacity and power when the device is in the power saving mode.

  (5) In the fifth invention, in any one of the above (1) to (4), the change of the storage area is a change between the nonvolatile semiconductor storage means and the disk-type storage means. Thereby, when returning from the low power consumption mode, the program can be read from the high-speed nonvolatile semiconductor memory means, and the return can be realized at high speed. Further, since the nonvolatile semiconductor memory means is nonvolatile, useless power is not used in the power saving mode. As a result, it is possible to return from the power saving mode at high speed while eliminating waste of storage capacity and power when the device is in the power saving mode.

  (6) In the sixth invention, in any of the above (1) to (4), the change of the storage area is a change between the inner periphery side storage area and the outer periphery side storage area of the disk type storage means. is there. Thereby, when returning from the low power consumption mode, the program can be read from the high-speed outer peripheral storage area, and the return can be realized at high speed. Further, since the disk-type storage means is nonvolatile, useless power is not used in the power saving mode. As a result, it is possible to return from the power saving mode at high speed while eliminating waste of storage capacity and power when the device is in the power saving mode.

  (7) In the seventh invention, in any one of the above (1) to (4), the change of the storage area is a change between a plurality of storage areas with different data management methods of the disk type storage means. As a result, when returning from the low power consumption mode, the program can be read from the storage area of the high-speed data management method in the disk-type storage means, and the recovery can be realized at high speed. Further, since the disk-type storage means is nonvolatile, useless power is not used in the power saving mode. As a result, it is possible to return from the power saving mode at high speed while eliminating waste of storage capacity and power when the device is in the power saving mode.

  (8) In the eighth invention, in any one of the above (1) to (7), the storage device has nonvolatile storage areas with different reading speeds, and the low-speed storage area and the high-speed storage area In this storage area, at least the data reading speed is relatively low or high.

  As a result, when returning from the low power consumption mode, the program can be read from the storage area having a high read speed, and the return can be realized at high speed. Further, since it is a non-volatile storage area, useless power is not used in the power saving mode. As a result, it is possible to return from the power saving mode at high speed while eliminating waste of storage capacity and power when the device is in the power saving mode.

  (9) In the ninth aspect of the invention, in any of the above (1) to (8), the disk type recording medium is rotating and the head is in rotation in the active state in which either seek, read or write is executed. Active idle state loaded at the inner position of the disk-type recording medium, low-power idle state where the disk-type recording medium is rotating and the head is retracted to a predetermined retracted position, and the disk-type recording medium is rotated It is in the low power consumption state in the order of the standby state in which no command can be received and the disk type recording medium is not rotated and the command is not received, and control is performed in at least two of the above states. Therefore, it is possible to transition to each state according to commands from the control means and power management means, depending on the used / unused status. It is suitable for realizing an efficient power saving mode.

  (10) In the tenth invention, in any of the above (1) to (9), when a plurality of disk type storage means are provided, the disk type storage means that does not store the control program has the control program. Is controlled to a low power consumption state at an earlier stage than the disk-type storage means storing the above, or to a lower low power consumption state. That is, the disk-type storage unit that stores the control program is controlled to a low power consumption state later than the disk-type storage unit that does not store the control program.

  As a result, the disk-type storage means that does not store the control program does not need to be read at the time of return, so it can be efficiently and wasted without delaying the return by making the power consumption state lower and faster. It becomes possible to suppress electric power. On the other hand, since the disk-type storage means that stores the control program requires reading at the time of return, it is possible to suppress wasteful power without delaying the return as much as possible by setting the power consumption state later. become.

  (11) In an eleventh aspect of the invention, in any one of (1) to (10), the control program is read from the changed storage area when returning to the normal operation mode from the power saving mode. It is characterized by that.

  As a result, when returning from the low power consumption mode, the program can be read from the high-speed storage area, and the return can be realized at high speed. In addition, since the storage unit is nonvolatile, useless power is not used in the power saving mode. As a result, it is possible to return from the power saving mode at high speed while eliminating waste of storage capacity and power when the device is in the power saving mode.

It is a block diagram which shows the structure of the image processing apparatus of embodiment of this invention. It is a block diagram which shows the structure of the image processing apparatus of embodiment of this invention. 3 is a flowchart illustrating an operation of the image processing apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention. 3 is a flowchart illustrating an operation of the image processing apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention.

  DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS Hereinafter, embodiments (embodiments) for carrying out an image processing apparatus of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

  In this specification, the term “high speed / low speed” describes a state in which a plurality of states are relatively compared, and does not mean an absolute speed. Further, in this specification, the term “high speed / low speed” describes a state in which a plurality of states are relatively compared with respect to at least a data reading speed, and means an absolute speed. It is not a thing.

[Configuration of Image Processing Apparatus 100]
Here, the configuration of the image processing apparatus 100 of the first embodiment will be described in detail based on FIG. 1 (block diagram).

  The image processing apparatus 100 of this embodiment can be applied to various types of image processing apparatuses. Here, however, a composite having functions of a scanner, a copier, a printer, and a facsimile apparatus connected to a network. The description will be continued by taking a machine (MFP) as a specific example.

  Also, description of general portions that are known as the image processing apparatus 100 and are not directly related to the characteristic operation and control of the present embodiment is omitted.

  The image processing apparatus 100 according to the present embodiment includes a CPU (Central Processing Unit) 101, a RAM (Random Access Memory) 110, a bridge 120, a BIOSROM (Basic Input Output System Read Only Memory) 130, an image as a control unit that controls each unit. The input unit 140 includes an image processing unit 145, an image output unit 150, a power control unit 160, an I / O control unit 170, and an HDD (Hard Disk Drive) 180.

  Here, the CPU 101, the RAM 110, and the BIOS ROM 130 that constitute the image processing apparatus are connected to each other via the bridge 120. The image input unit 140, the image processing unit 145, the image output unit 150, the power control unit 160, and the I / O control unit 170 are connected to each other via the system bus 103. Further, the HDD 180 is connected to the bridge 120.

  The CPU 101 controls each part of the image processing apparatus 100 according to a control program of the image processing apparatus 100 based on an installed OS (Operating System) or firmware, and performs various arithmetic processes. Centrally controls the image processing apparatus. The CPU 101 constitutes a control means in the claims.

  The RAM 110 is a volatile storage unit (volatile memory) used as a work area (main memory) for the CPU 101. For example, the RAM 110 is a memory that temporarily stores an OS, a control program, processing data, and the like stored in the HDD 180 or the like.

  The bridge 120 is configured by a north bridge, a south bridge, and the like, and incorporates functions such as various memory controllers, various network controllers, and various standard interfaces.

  The BIOSROM 130 is a read-only memory that stores a BIOS (Basic Input Output System). Here, the BIOS contains a program for controlling the basic operation of the CPU 101. That is, the BIOS program stored in the BIOS ROM 130 is executed first when a startup event occurs in the CPU 101, and executes a POST (Power On Self Test) process for initializing each component.

  The image input unit 140 is an image input unit such as a scanner that reads an image from a document and inputs image data. An image input unit 140 that reads an image from a document and obtains image data includes a scanning light source unit, a scanning mirror unit, an imaging lens, and a CCD image sensor.

  As the image input unit 140, when the image processing apparatus 100 is the above-described multifunction peripheral, as an example, the light from the light source is irradiated while scanning the document, and the reflected light is read as follows. It is configured as a scanner that generates image data.

  Hereinafter, the image input unit 140 will be described with reference to FIG. The scanning light source unit includes a light source 140a and a first mirror 140b. The light source 140a irradiates the original with light. The first mirror 140b receives the reflected light from the document and reflects it to the scanning mirror unit. The scanning mirror unit includes a second mirror 140c and a third mirror 140d. The second mirror 140c receives the reflected light from the scanning light source unit and reflects it to the third mirror 140d. The third mirror 140d receives the reflected light from the second mirror 140c and reflects it to the imaging lens 140e. The imaging lens 140e receives the reflected light from the scanning mirror unit and forms an image on the light receiving surface of the CCD image sensor 140f.

  The CCD image sensor 140f is composed of a CCD (Charge Coupled Device) that is a solid-state imaging device. The CCD image sensor 140f reads the amount of light imaged by the imaging lens 140e as a light amount signal. The light amount signal is converted into an electrical signal by photoelectric conversion by the solid-state imaging device and output. The image input unit 140 can read the original placed on the platen glass by moving the scanning light source unit (original fixed placement type), and can move on the platen glass without moving the scanning light source unit. It is also possible to read an original (original conveyance reading type). An automatic document feeder is used to move the document on the platen glass.

  The automatic document feeder 140DF includes a document tray 140DF1, an introduction roller group (not shown), a feed roller group (not shown), a platen glass 140DFP, a discharge roller group (not shown), and a discharge tray 140DF2. . A document is placed on the document tray 140DF1. The number of documents placed at one time may be one or more, but the shape of the document is a sheet. The introduction roller group separates the originals placed on the original tray one by one and conveys the originals to the feeding roller group on the conveyance path. The feeding roller group conveys the original conveyed from the introduction roller group onto the platen glass 140DFP while measuring the timing. The document passes over the platen glass 140DFP and is conveyed to the discharge roller group. The discharge roller group discharges the original conveyed on the platen glass 140DFP to the discharge tray 140DF2. The document whose image has been read is discharged to the discharge tray 140DF2.

  When the image processing apparatus 100 is a video recording apparatus or the like, the image input unit 140 corresponds to a video input terminal, a tuner, a DVD player, or the like.

  The image processing unit 145 performs image processing on data (image data or video data) to be processed in the image processing apparatus 100 as necessary. At this time, image data before processing, during processing, or after processing is stored in the HDD 180 as spool data before image output. In this case, since it is necessary to store and read a large amount of image data as fast as possible, the partition area on the outer peripheral side that can be read at high speed in the disk unit 180 of the HDD 180 is used as the data storage area. .

  When the image processing apparatus 100 is the above-described multifunction device, the image output unit 150 can be configured as a printer that forms a toner image on a recording material as follows, for example.

  The image output unit 150 will be described below with reference to FIG. The image output unit 150 forms a toner image corresponding to the image data on the recording material, and outputs the recording material on which the image is formed. The image output unit 150 that forms an image on a recording material includes a paper feed tray 150Ta to 150Tc, a photosensitive drum 151, a charging unit 152, a print head or exposure unit 153, a developing unit 154, a transfer unit 155, a separation unit 156, and a cleaner. 157, a conveyance unit 158, a fixing unit 159, and the like. The photosensitive drum 151 is obtained by winding a photosensitive resin around a cylindrical drum, and rotates in a predetermined direction at a predetermined speed. The charging unit 152 uniformly charges the surface of the photosensitive drum 151. The print head or exposure unit 153 forms an electrostatic latent image on the surface of the photosensitive drum 151 by irradiating the surface of the photosensitive drum 151 with light emitted from the light source. The developing unit 154 forms a toner image by attaching the toner conveyed to the carrier to the surface of the photosensitive drum 151. The transfer unit 155 uses a transfer roller to transfer a toner image to a recording material that is fed from a paper feed tray and conveyed on a conveyance belt. The fixing unit 159 uses a fixing roller to heat or press the recording material on which the toner image is transferred. The toner image is fixed on the recording material to form an image. The recording material on which the image is formed is discharged to the paper discharge tray 150HT. The cleaner 157 removes the toner remaining on the surface of the photosensitive drum 151 after the transfer. The photosensitive drum 151 restored by the cleaner 157 can be used again, and a series of image forming processes from uniform charging of the surface of the photosensitive drum 151 by the charging unit 152 can be repeatedly performed.

  When the image processing apparatus 100 is a video recording apparatus or the like, the image output unit 150 corresponds to a video output terminal, a video display apparatus (display), or the like.

  The power control unit 160 controls power supply to each unit constituting the image processing apparatus 100. That is, the power control unit 160 supplies power to each unit constituting the image processing apparatus 100 according to the control of the CPU 101. When the image processing apparatus 100 is activated, power is supplied to the CPU 101 under the control of the power control unit 160.

  The power control unit 160 includes a power circuit unit 160A and a power supply unit 160B. Here, the power circuit unit 160 </ b> A generates a DC power source necessary for supplying each unit constituting the image processing apparatus 100 from a commercial power source or the like. In addition, the power supply unit 160B controls the amount of power supplied from the power circuit unit 160A to each unit constituting the image processing apparatus 100.

  The I / O control unit 170 connects the image processing apparatus 100 and various peripheral devices, and controls input / output of data between the image processing apparatus 100 and the peripheral devices. For example, an existing interface standard such as USB (Universal Serial Bus) or PCI (Peripheral Components Interconnect) is connected to a peripheral device to output data to the peripheral device or input data from the peripheral device. Here, the peripheral device includes not only the outside of the image processing apparatus 100 but also a device housed or built in the image processing apparatus 100.

  A hard disk device (hereinafter referred to as HDD) 180 includes a disk unit 180B, which is a disk-type storage unit that stores information in a disk-type recording medium, and a nonvolatile memory 180C, which is a nonvolatile semiconductor storage unit, as nonvolatile storage units. This is a large-capacity storage device that can be accessed at random.

  Here, the HDD 180 includes a hard disk controller 180A as a control unit in the HDD 180, a disk unit 180B as a disk type storage unit including a disk type recording medium, and a nonvolatile memory 180C as a nonvolatile semiconductor storage unit. It is prepared for. That is, the HDD 180 is a non-volatile storage unit that can store a large amount of data magnetically in the disk unit 180B, and the non-volatile memory 180C can store a smaller amount of data than the disk unit 180B. .

  Here, the non-volatile memory 180C is a storage unit composed of a non-volatile semiconductor memory, and can be read at a higher speed than the disk unit 180B of the HDD 180, and constitutes the non-volatile semiconductor storage means in the claims. ing. Here, the nonvolatile memory 180C constitutes a high-speed storage area in the claims as compared with the disk unit 180B. In FIG. 1, the nonvolatile memory 180C is connected to the hard disk controller 180A in parallel with the disk unit 180B. As the nonvolatile memory 180C, for example, a NAND flash EEPROM is used.

  Further, a mechanical drive mechanism provided in the HDD 180 is used for writing data to and reading data from the disk unit 180B in the HDD 180. The mechanical drive mechanism in the HDD 180 includes a spindle motor 180BM that rotates the disk 180BD, a head 180BH that writes data to and reads data from the disk 180BD, and an actuator 180BA that moves the head 180BH on the disk 180BD. Is included.

  The hard disk controller 180A includes an MPU (microprocessor unit) 180A1, a hard disk controller 180A2, a power controller 180A3, a data controller 180A4, and a motor controller 180A5. The hard disk controller 180A constitutes power management means in the claims within the HDD 180.

  The MPU 180A1 includes a CPU, ROM, RAM, timer, and the like. In accordance with the control program for the HDD 180 recorded in the ROM, each part of the HDD 180 is controlled to control the HDD 180 in an integrated manner.

  The hard disk control unit 180A2 controls command reception from the connected host (in this case, the image processing apparatus 100), reception of write data, transmission of status to the host, transmission of read data, and the like.

  The data control unit 180A4 controls data writing to the disk unit 180B or the nonvolatile memory 180C and data reading from the disk unit 180B or the nonvolatile memory 180C.

  The motor control unit 180A5 controls rotation and stop of the spindle motor 180BM that rotates the disk 180BD of the disk unit 180B, movement of the head 180BH onto the disk 180BD via the actuator 180BA, and retraction to the lamp unit 180BL.

  The power control unit 180 </ b> A <b> 3 controls power supply to each unit constituting the HDD 180. Here, the power control unit 180A3 is supplied with power from the power control unit 160 configuring the image processing apparatus 100 via the power supply line, and the hard disk control unit 180A2, the data control unit 180A4, and the motor control unit 180A5 configuring the HDD 180. Then, power is supplied to the disk unit 180B and the nonvolatile memory 180C.

  Note that data is concentrically divided and stored on the disk 180BD of the disk-type storage medium. A concentric area divided into a circle is called a track. Each portion obtained by equally dividing the track radially is called a sector. A plurality of consecutive sectors are collectively called a cluster. The HDD 180 writes data to and reads data from a plurality of consecutive sectors corresponding to the designated cluster number.

  MBR (Master Boot Record) is stored in the head sector of the disk 180BD. The MBR includes a partition table and the like. The partition table indicates partitions that are a plurality of storage areas obtained by logically dividing the disk 180BD. The partition table records the partition position, size, partition type, and the like.

  The partition type includes a RAW area and a BOX area. The RAW area is a storage area for temporarily storing data, and high-speed data writing and reading are possible. The BOX area is a storage area where data is managed by a file management system such as FAT (File Allocation Tables) or NTFS (NT File System), and the speed of data writing and reading is not considered important. File management is possible.

  This difference in partition type is referred to as a difference in data management method in this embodiment. In other words, the RAW area means the storage area managed by the high-speed data management method in the claim when compared with the BOX area, and the BOX area means the slow data in the claim when compared with the RAW area. It means a storage area managed by the management method.

  The partition is divided into concentric circles of the disk 180BD. The disk 180BD rotates at a constant speed around the center of the circular disk. The circumferential distance of the head 180BH that moves on the disk 180BD for a certain time is longer on the outer peripheral side than on the inner peripheral side. Therefore, the access speed for writing data to the disk 180BD and reading data from the disk 180BD is faster in the outer partition than in the inner partition.

  Therefore, in the present embodiment, in the HDD 180, the storage area (the outer partition area of the disk 180BD) having a high reading speed in the disk 180BD is charged when compared with the inner partition area. The storage area on the high speed side in the section is configured and secured as a data storage area for storing data.

  Further, in the present embodiment, in the HDD 180, a storage area with a low reading speed in the disk 180BD (inner side partition area in the disk 180BD) is charged when compared with an outer side partition area. The storage area on the low speed side in the section is configured and reserved as a program storage area for storing the control program.

  In this embodiment, the non-volatile HDD 180 in which the data storage area for storing data and the program storage area for storing the program are secured is non-volatile and can be read faster than the disk unit 180B. The memory 180C is used as a storage unit.

[Prerequisites for the entire image processing apparatus 100]
The image processing apparatus 100 is controlled by an ACPI (Advanced Configuration and Power Interface Specification) specification or a similar technique as a power management technique for reducing power consumption and recovery time of an electronic device.

  For example, in the ACPI specification, the system state between the normal operation state (S0) and the stop state (S5) is classified according to the state of each component and is classified into a plurality of stages.

here,
S0: The state where power is supplied to each part during the program operation,
S1: Power is supplied to each part, but the clock to the CPU is stopped,
S2: A state where power is supplied to other than the CPU and power to the CPU is cut off,
S3: Power supply other than the CPU is cut off, but the memory state is maintained,
S4: A state in which the data in the main memory is transferred to the HDD, and the power supply to other than the HDD is interrupted,
S5: A state where power supply to each part including the HDD is interrupted,
It is.

In this case, the time T required to return to the operating state S0 is
T (S0) <T (S1) <T (S2) <T (S3) <T (S4) <T (S5)
It becomes.

[Prerequisites for HDD 180]
In the HDD 180 connected to the image processing apparatus 100 of the present embodiment, the power management in the HDD 180 is performed according to the mode corresponding to each state in parallel with the power management technology of the entire image processing apparatus 100 described above. Running.

  Further, in the HDD 180 connected to the image processing apparatus 100 according to the present embodiment, spool data (image data) processed by the image processing apparatus 100 and a control program for controlling the image processing apparatus 100 store the storage area of the HDD 180. Share and remember together. Here, the spool data and the control program are stored in separate partitions.

  In the case of the image processing apparatus 100 having a plurality of HDDs 180, there may be an HDD 180 that stores only spool data without a control program, but here, the control program and spool data are stored. The HDD 180 will be described.

  In the normal mode, the HDD 180 temporarily stores the image data processed by the image processing unit 145 for the purpose of outputting to the image output unit 150 at a predetermined timing. Sex is required.

  Therefore, a partition on the outer peripheral side, which has a higher access speed for writing data to the disk 180BD of the HDD 180 and reading data from the hard disk than the inner peripheral side, is allocated as a storage area (data storage area) for image data. . On the other hand, a partition on the inner periphery side of the disk 180BD is allocated as a storage area for the control program.

  In addition, when the RAW area / BOX area data management method is used, the RAW area has a higher access speed for writing data to the disk 180BD of the HDD 180 and reading data from the disk 180BD than the BOX area. Are allocated as image data storage areas (data storage areas). On the other hand, the BOX area of the disk 180BD is allocated as a storage area for the control program.

  When the transition condition from the normal mode to the power saving mode is satisfied and the transition is made from the normal mode to the power saving mode, the priority of the control program is higher than the image data as data that requires high-speed data writing and reading. . This is because there is no read / write of image data because it is in the power saving mode, and because the control program is read when returning from the power saving mode to the normal mode.

  Thus, as will be described later, in the power saving mode, the control program stored in the inner partition on the disk 180BD of the HDD 180 in the normal mode is copied or moved to the outer partition. By storing the control program in the outer partition in this way, when returning from the power saving mode to the normal mode, the control program can be read at a higher speed than when stored in the inner partition. It becomes possible.

  Alternatively, as described later, in the power saving mode, the control program stored in the BOX area of the disk 180BD of the HDD 180 in the normal mode is copied or moved to the RAW area. By storing the control program in the RAW area from the BOX area in this way, when returning from the power saving mode to the normal mode, it is possible to read the control program faster than when it was stored in the BOX area. Become.

  Further, the control program for changing the storage area as described above corresponds to the predetermined type of data in the claims.

[Details of power saving mode of HDD 180]
The state of the HDD 180 is divided into at least five states or a state including any of the following five states in the power saving mode according to the operation state of the head 180BH and the spindle motor 180BM.

  The HDD 180 is controlled by the hard disk controller 180A under the control of the CPU 101, and is in one of five states of “active state”, “active idle state”, “low power idle state”, “standby state”, “sleep state”, or Any one of these five states is taken. Here, although five states will be described, at least two types of the five states may exist.

  The “active state” is a state (operating state) in which the disk 180BD is rotationally driven by the spindle motor 180BM and the head 180BH is performing seek, read or write with respect to the disk 180BD.

  The “active idle state” is a standby state in which the disk 180BD is driven to rotate by the spindle motor 180BM and the head 180BH is loaded at the innermost position on the disk medium.

  The “low power idle state” is a standby state in which the disk 180BD is driven to rotate by the spindle motor 180BM, but the head 180BH is retracted to the ramp portion 180BL as a predetermined retracting position outside the disk 180BD.

  The “standby state” is a standby state in which the head 180BH is unloaded and the disk 180BD is not rotationally driven by the spindle motor 180BM and is stopped, but the hard disk controller 180A can accept commands.

  The “sleep state” is a standby state in which the head 180BH is unloaded and the spindle motor 180BM is stopped, and the hard disk controller 180A cannot accept a command. In order to change the HDD 180 from the sleep state to another state, the HDD 180 needs to be reset.

  In the above five states, the power consumption of the HDD 180 decreases in the order of “active state”, “active idle state”, “low power idle state”, “standby state”, and “sleep state”. Upon receiving a command from a connected host (such as the CPU 101 of the image processing apparatus 100), the HDD 180, in accordance with the received command, in accordance with an instruction from the hard disk controller 180A, an active state, an active idle state, a low power idle state, a standby state, It is possible to transition to each state of the sleep state.

  It should be noted that the power control unit 160 that receives an instruction from the CPU 101 also changes the power state supplied to each unit of the image processing apparatus 100 in accordance with the above-described states of the HDD 180. In addition, about the change of the electric power state from this power control part 160 to each part, since various known control, for example, power saving control of the ACPI specification mentioned above, etc. can be used, description is abbreviate | omitted.

  In this embodiment, it is assumed that the normal power consumption state at the normal time is changed to a lower power consumption state, a lower low power consumption state, and a lower low power consumption state sequentially. And in this embodiment, when changing from each power state to another power state, the storage area of the control program is changed.

[(A) Transition from normal mode to power saving mode]
FIG. 3 shows a state transition of the HDD 180 connected to the image processing apparatus 100 of the present embodiment when shifting from the normal mode to the power saving mode.

  In the following description, when the CPU 101 changes the state of the HDD 180, it means that the state is changed by coordinated control of both the CPU 101 and the hard disk controller 180A.

  In the following description of the operation, a specific example is given of a case where the control program is transferred from the inner partition area to the outer partition area in the disk 180BD. In the case of the BOX area / RAW area data management method, This means that the control program is transferred from the BOX area to the RAW area.

(A-1) Transition from the active state to the active idle state:
First, in the normal mode, the CPU 101 gives an instruction to activate the HDD 180 to the hard disk controller 180A (step S301 in FIG. 3). Then, the CPU 101 expands the OS on the RAM 110 as necessary, and further executes a control program (step S302 in FIG. 3).

  Here, the CPU 101 periodically monitors whether or not the control program on the RAM 110 is being executed (step S303 in FIG. 3).

  If the CPU 101 monitors (step S303 in FIG. 3) and the execution of the control program on the RAM 110, that is, the start event is not generated for a predetermined time (YES in step S303 in FIG. 3), the image processing apparatus 100 means that the operation of 100 is paused, it is determined that the condition for transition from the normal mode to the power saving mode is satisfied, and the state of the HDD 180 is transitioned from the active state to the active idle state (step in FIG. 3). S304). Due to the transition to the active idle state, the power consumption of the HDD 180 can be reduced as compared with the active state.

  At this time, the control program stored in the inner peripheral partition (low-speed storage area) of the disk 180BD is copied or moved to the outer peripheral partition (high-speed storage area) (in FIG. 3). Step S305). As a result, when returning from the active idle state to the normal mode, the reading of the control program is performed on the outer partition, so that it can be performed faster than when stored in the inner partition. Become.

  When the CPU 101 detects that the transition condition from the normal mode to the power saving mode is satisfied, the CPU 101 copies or moves the control program stored in the inner partition on the disk 180BD to the outer partition. The HDD 180 is changed from the active state to the active idle state (step S304 in FIG. 3).

  Here, the control program stored in the inner partition of the disk 180BD is copied or moved to the outer partition (step S305 in FIG. 3), thereby executing the control program to the inner partition. This can be done faster than when it was stored.

  As described above, when the HDD 180 connected to the image processing apparatus of the present embodiment shifts from the normal mode to the power saving mode, the HDD 180 is restored from the current state by changing the location in the HDD 180 where the control program is stored. In this case, the reading of the control program can be maintained at a high speed, and the power consumption of the HDD 180 can be sequentially reduced by appropriately changing the state of the HDD 180.

  In the above description, the CPU 101 regularly monitors whether or not the control program on the RAM 110 is being executed, but instead of this, or in addition to this, the hard disk controller 180A The presence or absence of data reading or writing to the disk unit 180B may be monitored, and when such data reading or writing does not occur, control may be performed so as to change the state of the HDD 180 and change the control program area. .

(A-2) Transition from the active idle state to the low power idle state:
The CPU 101 continues to monitor each unit, and monitors whether a control program is executed on the RAM 110 and whether a start event occurs (step S306 in FIG. 3).

  In the active idle state, if any start event does not occur for a certain time or longer (NO in step S306 in FIG. 3 and YES in S307), it is detected that a further power saving mode transition condition is satisfied, and the outer periphery of the disk 180BD The control program stored in the partition on the side is held, and the state of the HDD 180 is changed from the active idle state to the low power idle state (step S308 in FIG. 3). At this stage, the control program transferred to the outer partition of the disk 180BD is retained as it is.

  In other words, when the power saving mode transition condition is satisfied in the active idle state, the CPU 101 changes the state of the HDD 180 from the active idle state to the low power idle state, thereby reducing the power consumption of the HDD 180 than in the active idle state. Can be reduced.

  In the above description, the CPU 101 regularly monitors whether or not the control program on the RAM 110 is being executed, but instead of this, or in addition to this, the hard disk controller 180A The presence or absence of data reading or writing to the disk unit 180B may be monitored, and control may be performed so as to change the state of the HDD 180 described above when reading or writing of these data does not occur.

(A-3) Transition from low power idle state to standby state (1):
The CPU 101 continues to monitor each unit and monitors whether or not a start event occurs (step S309 in FIG. 3).

  In the low power idle state, if any start event does not occur for a certain time or longer (NO in step S309 in FIG. 3 and YES in S310), it is detected that a further power saving mode transition condition is satisfied, and the HDD 180 state Is shifted from the low power idle state to the standby state (step S311 in FIG. 3).

  That is, when the power saving mode transition condition is satisfied in the low power idle state, the CPU 101 changes the HDD 180 state from the low power idle state to the standby state, thereby stopping the rotation of the spindle motor of the HDD 180 and the like. Power consumption can be reduced as compared with the low power idle state.

  Note that when the HDD 180 is changed from the low power idle state to the standby state (step S311 in FIG. 3), the spindle motor stops. Therefore, when returning to the normal mode, a spin-up time is required to start the stopped spindle motor and stabilize the rotational speed of the disk 180BD in a steady state.

  Therefore, at this time, the CPU 101 and the hard disk controller 180A copy or move the control program stored in the outer peripheral partition of the disk 180BD to the nonvolatile memory 180C (step S312 in FIG. 3).

  This eliminates the need for the spin-up time of the disk unit 180B required to access the HDD 180 when returning from the standby state, so that the execution of the control program is executed more than when the disk unit 180B is stored. The speed of the spin-up time of the part 180B can be increased.

  That is, the control program stored in the disk unit 180B of the HDD 180 is copied or moved to the non-volatile memory 180C (step S312 in FIG. 3), so that it is necessary to access the HDD 180 when returning from the standby state. As a result of not requiring the spin-up time of the disk unit 180B, the control program can be executed at a higher speed by the spin-up time of the disk unit 180B than when stored in the disk unit 180B.

  In the above description, the CPU 101 regularly monitors whether or not the control program on the RAM 110 is being executed, but instead of this, or in addition to this, the hard disk controller 180A The presence or absence of data reading or writing to the disk unit 180B may be monitored, and when such data reading or writing does not occur, control may be performed so as to change the state of the HDD 180 and change the control program area. .

(A-3 ′) Transition from low power idle state to standby state (2):
As described above, the HDD 180 is shifted from the low power idle state to the standby state (step S311 in FIG. 3), and the control program is copied or moved from the disk unit 180B to the nonvolatile memory 180C (FIG. 3 in step S312), the free capacity of the nonvolatile memory 180C is detected, and the programs in the capacity control program that can be stored in the nonvolatile memory 180C are nonvolatile from the HDD 180 in descending order of priority. The remaining control program that is copied or moved to the volatile memory 180C and cannot be stored in the non-volatile memory 180C may be held in a partition on the outer peripheral side of the disk 180BD.

  Here, the control program for controlling the image processing apparatus 100 of the present embodiment includes an OS, a device driver, and an application program. As for the reading priority, the first is the OS, the second is the device driver, and the third is the application program. Detecting the free capacity of the nonvolatile memory in the HDD 180 and copying or moving the programs in the control program having a capacity that can be stored in the nonvolatile memory 180C to the nonvolatile memory 180C in order from the highest priority. Is desirable.

  In this case, when returning from the standby state, first, the important part of the control program stored in the non-volatile memory 180C is read out first, expanded in the RAM 110 and executed, and the spin-up time of the disk unit 180B is elapsed. Waiting, and then reading the remaining control program after the spin-up of the disk unit 180B is completed, so that the spin-up time of the disk unit 180B is greater than when all the control programs are stored in the disk unit 180B. Can be substantially faster.

(A-4) Transition from the standby state to the sleep state:
The CPU 101 continues to monitor each unit and monitors whether or not a start event occurs (step S313 in FIG. 3).

  If no start event has occurred for a certain time or longer in the standby state (NO in step S313 in FIG. 3 and YES in S314), it is detected that a further power saving mode transition condition is satisfied, and the HDD 180 state is set to the standby state. The state is changed to the sleep state (step S315 in FIG. 3).

  That is, when the transition condition of the power saving mode is satisfied in the standby state, the CPU 101 changes the state of the HDD 180 from the standby state to the sleep state, thereby stopping the operation of the hard disk controller 180A in the HDD 180 and not accepting the command. As a result, the power consumption of the HDD 180 can be reduced compared to the standby state.

  At this time, the CPU 101 and the hard disk controller 180A maintain the control program stored in the nonvolatile memory 180C (step S312 in FIG. 3).

  This makes it possible to read the control program at a higher speed when returning from the sleep state to the normal mode than when the control program is stored in the disk unit 180B.

  That is, it is necessary to access HDD 180 when returning from the sleep state by copying or moving the control program stored in disk unit 180B of HDD 180 to nonvolatile memory 180C (step S312 in FIG. 3) and holding it. Therefore, the spin-up time of the disk unit 180B is not required. As a result, the control program can be executed at a higher speed for the spin-up time of the disk unit 180B than when it is stored in the disk unit 180B.

  Note that if the HDD 180 is changed from the standby state to the sleep state, the command cannot be accepted. Therefore, in order to make the command acceptable, a reset process is required for the HDD 180 from the outside of the HDD 180. Become.

  As described above, the control program stored in the disk unit 180B of the HDD 180 is copied or moved to the non-volatile memory 180C of the HDD 180 (step S312 in FIG. 3) to read from the hard disk when returning from the sleep state. The required hard disk reset process and spin-up time are no longer required, and the control program can be executed at a higher speed than the hard disk reset process and spin-up time stored in the disk unit 180B.

  In the above description, the CPU 101 regularly monitors whether or not the control program on the RAM 110 is being executed, but instead of this, or in addition to this, the hard disk controller 180A The presence or absence of data reading or writing to the disk unit 180B may be monitored, and control may be performed so as to change the state of the HDD 180 described above when reading or writing of these data does not occur.

(A-5) Transition (return) from each power saving mode state to normal mode:
The CPU 101 continues to monitor each unit and monitors whether a start event occurs. Similarly, the hard disk controller 180A monitors the presence / absence of data reading / writing on the disk unit 180B.

  When returning from the power saving mode to the normal mode due to a start event or the like (YES in step S306 in FIG. 3, YES in step S309, YES in step S313, YES in step S316), the disk unit 180B or nonvolatile memory of the HDD 180 The control program read from 180C is expanded in the RAM 110 and executed.

  Further, when the spindle motor of the HDD 180 is stopped and all the control programs cannot be copied or moved to the nonvolatile memory 180C, a part of the control program is read out from the nonvolatile memory 180C first. The program is expanded and executed on the RAM 110, and after the spin-up is completed, the remaining control program stored in the outer partition of the disk 180BD is expanded on the RAM 110. The return to the normal mode will be described in detail below.

[(B) Return from power saving mode to normal mode]
FIG. 4 shows a flowchart of POST (Power On Self Test) processing for initializing each component. When the above-described activation event in FIG. 3 occurs (YES in step S306 in FIG. 3, YES in step S309, YES in step S313, YES in step S316), this POST process is performed when returning from the power saving mode to the normal mode. Is first executed to return from the power saving mode to the normal mode.

  The CPU 101 and the hard disk controller 180A monitor each unit and monitor whether or not a start event occurs. When a boot event occurs, the BIOS program stored in the BIOS ROM 130 initializes the RAM 110 based on an instruction from the CPU 101 (step S401 in FIG. 4).

  When the initialization of the RAM 110 is completed normally, the BIOS program stored in the BIOS ROM 130 initializes each component (step S402 in FIG. 4).

  When the initialization of each component is completed normally, the BIOS program stored in the BIOS ROM 130 determines the current power saving mode state of the HDD 180 (step S403 in FIG. 4).

(B-1) Return from power saving mode (1):
When the HDD 180 is in the active idle state or the low power idle state (“active idle” or “low power idle” in step S403 in FIG. 4), the BIOS program stored in the BIOS ROM 130 is loaded from the partition on the outer periphery side of the disk 180BD. Is read and executed (step S404 in FIG. 4). Then, the OS is expanded in the RAM 110 according to the boot loader, and control is transferred from the BIOS program to the OS (step S405 in FIG. 4).

  Then, in accordance with an instruction from the CPU 101, the hard disk controller 180A moves or deletes the control program stored in the outer peripheral partition area of the disk 180BD to the inner peripheral partition area of the disk 180BD (step in FIG. 4). S406).

  When the control program for the inner partition on the disk 180BD is copied to the outer partition at the time of shifting to the power saving mode, the control program for the outer partition on the disk 180BD is simply deleted. When the control program for the inner peripheral partition of the disk 180BD is moved to the outer partition during the power saving mode transition, the control program for the outer peripheral partition of the disk 180BD is moved to the inner partition.

  As described above, when returning to the normal mode from the active idle state or the low power idle state, when the control program is read in the high-speed outer partition, it is stored in the low-speed inner partition. It is possible to perform the operation at a higher speed, and it is possible to achieve both power saving and a reduction in the recovery time.

(B-2) Return from power saving mode (2):
When the HDD 180 is in a standby state (“Standby” in step S403 in FIG. 4), first, the BIOS program stored in the BIOSROM 130 issues a command to instruct the HDD 180 to spin up (step S408 in FIG. 4). .

  When the HDD 180 is in a standby state or a sleep state, the BIOS program stored in the BIOS ROM 130 reads the boot loader from the nonvolatile memory 180C and executes it (step S409 in FIG. 4).

  Then, the OS is expanded in the RAM 110 according to the boot loader, and control is transferred from the BIOS program to the OS (step S410 in FIG. 4).

  Further, after the completion of the spin-up of the HDD 180 (step S411 in FIG. 4), the hard disk controller 180A sends the control program stored in the non-volatile memory 180C according to the instruction from the CPU 101 to the inner periphery side of the disk 180BD. It is moved to the partition area or erased (step S412 in FIG. 4), and the return to the normal mode is completed.

  Note that when the control program for the disk 180BD is copied to the nonvolatile memory 180C during the power saving mode transition, the control program for the nonvolatile memory 180C is simply deleted. When the control program for the disk 180BD is moved to the nonvolatile memory 180C at the time of shifting to the power saving mode, the control program for the nonvolatile memory 180C is moved to the disk 180BD.

  As described above, when returning from the standby state to the normal mode, the control program is read by using the nonvolatile memory 180C, so that the spin-up time is not required and the control program is read faster than when stored in the disk 180BD. This makes it possible to achieve both power saving and shortening of the recovery time.

  If all the control programs cannot be copied or moved to the non-volatile memory 180C at the time of shifting to the power saving mode, a part of the control program is first read out from the non-volatile memory 180C and developed on the RAM 110 and executed. Then, after the completion of the spin-up, the remaining control program stored in the partition on the outer periphery side of the disk 180BD is expanded in the RAM 110. Also in this case, since a part of the control programs can be spun up while being read from the nonvolatile memory 180C and executed, it can be executed at a higher speed than when all the control programs are stored in the disk 180BD. Thus, it is possible to achieve both power saving and shortening of the recovery time.

(B-3) Return from power saving mode (3):
When the HDD 180 is in the sleep state (“sleep” in step S403 in FIG. 4), the BIOS program stored in the BIOS ROM 130 performs a reset process (step S407 in FIG. 4) on the HDD 180 that does not accept commands. After that, a command for instructing the HDD 180 to spin up is issued (step S408 in FIG. 4).

  Then, the BIOS program stored in the BIOSROM 130 reads the boot loader from the nonvolatile memory 180C and executes it (step S409 in FIG. 4).

  Then, the OS is expanded in the RAM 110 according to the boot loader, and control is transferred from the BIOS program to the OS (step S410 in FIG. 4).

  Further, after the completion of the spin-up of the HDD 180 (step S411 in FIG. 4), the hard disk controller 180A sends the control program stored in the non-volatile memory 180C according to the instruction from the CPU 101 to the inner periphery side of the disk 180BD. It is moved to the partition area or erased (step S412 in FIG. 4), and the return to the normal mode is completed.

  Note that when the control program for the disk 180BD is copied to the nonvolatile memory 180C during the power saving mode transition, the control program for the nonvolatile memory 180C is simply deleted. When the control program for the disk 180BD is moved to the nonvolatile memory 180C at the time of shifting to the power saving mode, the control program for the nonvolatile memory 180C is moved to the disk 180BD.

  As described above, when the control program is read from the non-volatile memory 180C when returning from the sleep state to the normal mode, the reset processing time and the spin-up time are not necessary, and are stored in the disk 180BD. It is possible to perform the operation at a higher speed, and it is possible to achieve both power saving and a reduction in the recovery time.

  If all the control programs cannot be copied or moved to the non-volatile memory 180C at the time of shifting to the power saving mode, a part of the control program is first read out from the non-volatile memory 180C and developed on the RAM 110 and executed. Then, after the completion of the spin-up, the remaining control program stored in the partition on the outer periphery side of the disk 180BD is expanded in the RAM 110. Also in this case, reset processing and spin-up can be performed while a part of the control program is read from the nonvolatile memory 180C and executed, so that the control program is executed faster than when all the control programs are stored in the disk 180BD. This makes it possible to achieve both power saving and shortening of the recovery time.

[(C) Power Saving Control with Multiple HDDs]
The image processing apparatus 100 may include a plurality of HDDs 180. For example, the control program and spool data are stored in the first HDD (hereinafter referred to as HDD 180) as described above, and the spool data is stored in the second HDD (hereinafter referred to as HDD 180 ′) without storing the control program. Sometimes.

  In this case, for the HDD 180 ′, the CPU 101 or the hard disk controller 180A ′ (not shown) in the HDD 180 ′ moves each part so as to shift to the power saving mode with lower power consumption than the HDD 180 when shifting to the power saving mode described above. It is desirable to control.

  Alternatively, after the HDD 180 shifts from the active state to the active idle state, the HDD 180 ′ may be controlled to shift to each power saving mode at an earlier timing than the HDD 180.

  By controlling in this way, when returning from the power saving mode, the HDD 180 ′ can be restored while the HDD 180 having the above-described control program is being restored, and image processing can be performed without delaying the restoration time. The entire apparatus 100 can further save power.

  In other words, since the HDD 180 ′ that does not store the control program does not need to be read at the time of restoration, it can be efficiently put into operation without delaying the restoration of the entire image processing apparatus 100 by making the power consumption state lower and faster. It becomes possible to suppress useless power. On the other hand, since the HDD 180 storing the control program needs to be read at the time of return, the wasteful power can be suppressed without delaying the return of the entire image processing apparatus 100 as much as possible by setting the power consumption state later. It becomes possible.

[Operation of Other Embodiments]
In the above description of the embodiment, the HDD 180 is controlled by the CPU 101 or the hard disk controller 180A, and is “active state”, “active idle state”, “low power idle state”, “standby state”, and “sleep state”. Although two states (one operation state and four standby states) have been taken as specific examples, they are not limited to these five states and state names.

  That is, even if there are fewer than the above five states, more than five states, or different state names, the storage area for the control program accompanying the state transition described above (inner / outer side of the disk, non-volatile memory) The above-described effects can be obtained by changing the data management method (RAW area / BOX area).

  That is, in the above embodiment, the storage location and data management method of the control program are changed when transitioning from each power state to another power state. The change timing is a specific example of the above embodiment. It is not limited to.

  In the above description of the embodiment, the image processing apparatus 100 is a specific example of a multifunction peripheral (see FIG. 2) having a printer or scanner function. However, the present invention is not limited to this and is used with a tuner or the like. It may be a video recording device (hard disk recorder) for television broadcasting.

  The image processing apparatus 100 is assumed to be a copier or printer for office use, but is not limited thereto, and may be applied to a medical printer, a DPE-use photo printer, a printing apparatus, and the like. Is possible.

100 Image processing apparatus 101 CPU
110 RAM
120 bridge 130 BIOSROM
140 Image input unit 145 Image processing unit 150 Image output unit 160 Power control unit 180 HDD
180A hard disk controller 180B disk unit 180C nonvolatile memory

Claims (11)

An image processing apparatus comprising a storage device having nonvolatile semiconductor storage means, disk-type storage means, and power management means,
The power management means can control the power saving mode in a plurality of stages according to whether data is written or read, and when controlling the standby state of the disk-type storage means according to the power saving mode, When the power saving mode is changed to a mode of lower power consumption than immediately before, the storage area of the control program is changed from the low speed storage area to the high speed storage area in the storage device.
An image processing apparatus. An image processing apparatus comprising a storage device having nonvolatile semiconductor storage means, disk-type storage means, and power management means,
The power management means can control the power saving mode in a plurality of stages according to whether data is written or read, and when controlling the standby state of the disk-type storage means according to the power saving mode, When the power saving mode is changed to a mode of lower power consumption than before, the predetermined type of data stored in the storage device is stored from the low-speed storage area in the storage device to the high-speed storage. Changing the storage area of the data to an area,
An image processing apparatus. A storage device having nonvolatile semiconductor storage means, disk-type storage means, and power management means;
Control means for controlling each part;
An image processing apparatus comprising:
The control means determines one of the plurality of power saving modes according to whether or not data is written to or read from the storage device, and determines the power saving mode to be a lower power consumption mode than immediately before. The storage area of the control program is changed from the low-speed storage area to the high-speed storage area in the storage device,
The power management means controls the standby state of the disk-type storage means according to the determined power saving mode;
An image processing apparatus. A storage device having nonvolatile semiconductor storage means, disk-type storage means, and power management means;
Control means for controlling each part;
An image processing apparatus comprising:
The control means determines one of the plurality of power saving modes according to whether or not data is written to or read from the storage device, and determines the power saving mode to be a lower power consumption mode than immediately before. The storage area of the data is changed from a low-speed storage area to a high-speed storage area in the storage device for a predetermined type of data stored in the storage device,
The power management means controls the standby state of the disk-type storage means according to the determined power saving mode;
An image processing apparatus. The storage area is changed as follows:
A change between the non-volatile semiconductor storage means and the disk-type storage means;
The image processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the image processing apparatus is an image processing apparatus. The storage area is changed as follows:
It is a change between the inner periphery side storage area and the outer periphery side storage area of the disk type storage means,
The image processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the image processing apparatus is an image processing apparatus. The storage area is changed as follows:
It is a change between a plurality of storage areas with different data management methods of the disk type storage means.
The image processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the image processing apparatus is an image processing apparatus. The storage device has nonvolatile storage areas with different reading speeds,
The storage area on the low speed side and the storage area on the high speed side are at least relatively slow or high in data read speed,
The image processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the image processing apparatus is an image processing apparatus. The disk-type storage means includes a disk-type recording medium, and a head that performs seek or read or write on the disk-type recording medium,
Active state performing either seek or read or write,
The disk-type recording medium is rotating and the head is loaded in an inner position of the disk-type recording medium;
A low power idle state in which the disk-type recording medium is rotating and the head is retracted to a predetermined retracted position;
The disc type recording medium is not rotated and is in a standby state where commands can be received,
The disk-type recording medium is not rotated and does not accept commands,
It becomes the low power consumption state in order of each state of
Control is possible in at least two of the above states,
The image processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the image processing apparatus is an image processing apparatus. A plurality of the disk-type storage means;
Each disk-type storage means stores at least one of a control program and spool data,
The disk-type storage unit that does not store the control program is controlled to a low power consumption state at an earlier stage or lower power consumption than the disk-type storage unit that stores the control program. Controlled by the state,
The image processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the image processing apparatus is an image processing apparatus. When returning to the normal operation mode from the power saving mode, the control program is read from the changed storage area.
The image processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the image processing apparatus is an image processing apparatus.

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