Information processing device, information processing method, and information processing program

Abstract

To reduce the processing time during startup. [Solution] If the power-off preparation process is properly performed when the power is last turned off, the parameter usage flag 34 of the image forming apparatus 1 is set to off. Therefore, if the parameter usage flag 34 is off when the power is turned on, the image forming apparatus 1 can skip the parameter recovery process and read the parameter PM from the non-volatile parameter storage 31 and write it to the volatile parameter storage 41, thereby completing the startup process in a relatively short time. Also, if the power-off preparation process was not properly performed when the power was last turned off and the parameter usage flag 34 was on, the image forming apparatus 1 can use the appropriate parameter PM, albeit with some time, by performing the parameter recovery process.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] The present invention relates to an information processing apparatus, an information processing method, and an information processing program, which is suitably applied to, for example, an image forming apparatus that forms an image on a sheet of paper. BACKGROUND ART

[0002] Conventionally, widely used image forming apparatuses perform printing by controlling each unit with a control unit to generate a print image based on image data and the like supplied from a host apparatus such as a computer apparatus, developing the image with a developer such as toner in an image forming unit, transferring the developed image onto a sheet of paper, and fixing the image with a fixing unit.

[0003] In such an image forming apparatus, when the power is turned on to start up or when the apparatus is restarted, it is necessary to execute startup processes such as activating each unit and expanding programs, so that a certain amount of time is required for the startup processes. Accordingly, an image forming apparatus has been proposed that attempts to reduce the time required for startup processes by efficiently selecting and using a program corresponding to image information obtained from a host apparatus (see, for example, Patent Document 1). PRIOR ART DOCUMENTS PATENT DOCUMENTS

[0004] PATENT DOCUMENT 1 Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2005-309912 (Figure 7, etc.) SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION PROBLEMS TO BE SOLVED BY THE INVENTION

[0005] Incidentally, in most image forming apparatuses, information files containing information necessary for operation, such as parameters including various settings and log information representing the processing history, are updated as needed, and these information files are properly saved during the shutdown process performed before the power is cut off. Furthermore, during the startup process, the image forming apparatus opens the information files and makes them accessible.

[0006] Therefore, if the image forming apparatus experiences a sudden power outage or other issue that prevents proper shutdown, there is a possibility that the information files may be corrupted. To address this, the image forming apparatus checks for information file corruption during the startup process, and if corrupted, it performs a recovery process for the information files.

[0007] However, due to increased functionality and other factors, the size of information files in image forming machines tends to increase. Consequently, image forming machines face the problem of taking time to determine whether or not the information files are corrupted, which in turn increases the time required for startup.

[0008] This invention has been made in consideration of the above points, and aims to propose an information processing device, an information processing method, and an information processing program that can shorten the processing time at startup. [Means for solving the problem]

[0009] To solve these problems, the information processing apparatus of the present invention includes a non-volatile storage unit that stores data accessed during operation and usage information that represents the status of data usage, a usage information management unit that sets the usage information to the "in use" state when access to the data begins and sets the usage information to the "not in use" state when access to the data ends, and a control unit that controls the operation while accessing the data. The control unit starts operation after performing pre-use processing that should be performed before starting data usage if the usage information is in the "in use" state when the power is turned on, and starts operation without performing pre-use processing if the usage information is in the "not in use" state.

[0010] Furthermore, the information processing method of the present invention includes an operation start step in which, when starting operation, the usage information of the non-volatile memory unit that stores information is updated from an unused state to an used state, indicating that the data to be accessed during operation is in use, and access to the said data is started; a power off step in which, when the power is turned off, access termination processing is performed to terminate data access, and then the usage information is updated from an used state to an unused state; and when the power is turned on, a step to check the usage information, and if the usage information is in an used state, a pre-use processing that should be performed before starting to use the data is performed and then operation is started, and if the usage information is in an unused state, operation is started without performing pre-use processing.

[0011] Furthermore, in the information processing program of the present invention, the information processing device is instructed to perform the following steps when operation is started: an operation start step in which, when operation is started, the non-volatile memory unit that stores information updates the usage information, which indicates that the data to be accessed during operation is in use, from an unused state to an used state, and starts accessing the said data; a power off step in which, when the power is turned off, the access termination process to terminate data access is performed, and then the usage information is updated from an used state to an unused state; and when power is turned on, a step to check the usage information, and if the usage information is in an used state, the pre-use processing that should be performed before starting to use the data is performed and then the operation is started, and if the usage information is in an unused state, the operation is started without performing the pre-use processing.

[0012] In many cases, the present invention allows for the omission of pre-use processing and enables the start of data-based operations in a short time, as the system is in an unused state when powered on, due to normal processing performed during the previous power-off. However, although less frequent, if normal processing was not performed during the previous power-off, the system is in an used state when powered on, and pre-use processing is required to start normal data-based operations, albeit with some time. [Effects of the Invention]

[0013] According to the present invention, it is possible to realize an information processing device, an information processing method, and an information processing program that can shorten the processing time at startup. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0014] [Figure 1] This is a schematic block diagram showing the configuration of an image forming apparatus. [Figure 2] This is a schematic block diagram showing the configuration of the non-volatile memory unit and the volatile memory unit according to the first embodiment. [Figure 3] This is a flowchart showing the parameter management processing procedure according to the first embodiment. [Figure 4] This is a schematic block diagram showing the configuration of the non-volatile memory unit and the volatile memory unit according to the second embodiment. [Figure 5] This flowchart shows the database file management processing procedure according to the second embodiment. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0015] The embodiments for carrying out the invention (hereinafter referred to as embodiments) will be described below with reference to the drawings.

[0016] [1. First Embodiment] [1-1. Configuration of the Image Forming Apparatus] As shown in Figure 1, the image forming apparatus 1 according to the first embodiment is an electrophotographic color printer capable of forming monochrome or color images on paper, i.e., printing. The image forming apparatus 1 also functions as an information processing device and performs various processes by executing various programs, as will be described later. Incidentally, the image forming apparatus 1 does not have an image scanner function for reading originals or a communication function using a telephone line, and is a single-function SFP (Single Function Printer) that only has a printing function.

[0017] This image forming apparatus 1 is configured around a control unit 11 that governs the entire system, and a non-volatile storage unit 12, a volatile storage unit 13, a communication unit 14, a display unit 15, an operation unit 16, a printing unit 17, a power supply unit 18 and the like are connected thereto. The control unit 11 internally includes a CPU (Central Processing Unit, not shown) that performs various arithmetic processes, and executes various programs read from the non-volatile storage unit 12 and the like by the CPU to perform various processes.

[0018] The non-volatile storage unit 12 is a non-volatile storage medium such as a ROM (Read Only Memory), an SSD (Solid State Drive) or an HDD (Hard Disk Drive), which stores various programs, various information and the like, and retains the storage of the relevant information regardless of power supply. The volatile storage unit 13 is, for example, a RAM (Random Access Memory), which stores various information while power is supplied, but loses the stored information when the power supply is cut off.

[0019] The communication unit 14 has, for example, a wireless LAN interface compliant with standards such as IEEE (Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers) 802.11 (IEEE802.11a / b / g / n / ac / ax). The communication unit 14 is connected to a network (not shown), and transmits and receives various information to and from a computer apparatus, a server apparatus and the like (not shown) via the network.

[0020] The display unit 15 is, for example, a liquid crystal panel, and displays various information under the control of the control unit 11. The operation unit 16 is, for example, an operation button group composed of a combination of a plurality of direction buttons, a confirmation button and the like, which receives a pressing operation from a user and notifies the control unit 11 of the operation. The operation unit 16 is also provided with a power button for instructing power-on and power-off of the image forming apparatus 1.

[0021] The printing unit 17 includes, for example, a conveyance mechanism that conveys paper along a predetermined conveyance path, an image forming unit that performs exposure processing using light such as LEDs (Light Emitting Diodes) to form a toner image using toner of each color, a fixing unit that fixes the toner image onto paper, and the like (all not shown). Under the control of the control unit 11, the printing unit 17 performs printing processing for forming (that is, printing) an image based on image data on paper.

[0022] The power supply unit 18 is connected to a commercial power supply (not shown), converts commercial power supplied from the commercial power supply into DC power of a predetermined voltage (for example, 12[V], 5[V], etc.), and supplies the DC power to each unit including the control unit 11.

[0023] Further, as shown in FIG. 2, the non-volatile storage unit 12 is provided with a non-volatile parameter storage area 31, a backup parameter storage area 32, a database (DB) file storage area 33, and a parameter in-use flag 34, respectively.

[0024] The non-volatile parameter storage area 31 stores a parameter PM including one or more types of information. The parameter PM includes, for example, setting values of items that can be set by the user, such as paper size and print density, and values such as statistical values such as the number of printed sheets. In the first embodiment, this parameter PM is also referred to as data. In the backup parameter storage area 32, a copy of the parameter PM is stored as a backup parameter BPM (hereinafter also referred to as backup data).

[0025] The database file storage area 33 stores a database file DBF in which information such as user operation histories and logs is stored. When the image forming apparatus 1 is started up, the database file DBF is subjected to opening processing, and information representing the content of an operation instruction received from a user, the content of executed processing, and the like (that is, log information) is sequentially written and updated. Further, the database file DBF is subjected to closing processing when the image forming apparatus 1 receives a shutdown operation instruction from a user and shutdown processing is performed.

[0026] The parameter usage flag 34 is a flag that can be switched on or off, and it indicates whether or not parameter PM is in use. In other words, the parameter usage flag 34 is switched on if parameter PM is in use, and switched off when the use of parameter PM is finished.

[0027] In the first embodiment, the parameter in use flag 34 is also referred to as usage information, the state in which the parameter in use flag 34 is on is also referred to as the in-use state, and the state in which the parameter in use flag 34 is off is also referred to as the non-use state.

[0028] The volatile storage unit 13 is provided with a volatile parameter storage area 41. The volatile parameter storage area 41 stores the parameter PM read from the non-volatile parameter storage area 31 of the non-volatile storage unit 12. In addition, the volatile parameter storage area 41 directly stores values ​​of the parameters PM that have been changed due to user operations, an increase in the number of printed pages, etc.

[0029] Furthermore, the control unit 11 (Figure 1) reads a predetermined program from the non-volatile storage unit 12 and executes it, thereby forming a flag management unit 51 as a functional block within it. The flag management unit 51, acting as a usage information management unit, manages the state of the parameter usage flag 34 in the non-volatile storage unit 12 and changes the parameter usage flag 34 to on or off.

[0030] [1-2. Parameter Management Processing Procedure] Next, a series of processes related to parameter PM management performed by the image forming apparatus 1 from power-on to power-off will be described. When the power button on the operation unit 16 is pressed and the power is turned on, the control unit 11 of the image forming apparatus 1 performs a predetermined startup process, and then reads and executes a parameter management processing program from the non-volatile storage unit 12. As a result, the control unit 11 forms a flag management unit 51 (Figure 1) as a functional block inside it, and then starts the parameter management processing procedure RT1 shown in Figure 3, and moves to the first step SP1.

[0031] In step SP1, the control unit 11 uses the flag management unit 51 to determine whether the parameter usage flag 34 (Figure 2) of the non-volatile storage unit 12 is in the ON state. If an OK result is obtained, this indicates that the power cut-off process was not performed properly when the image forming apparatus 1 was last started up, meaning that the parameters PM and their copies stored in the volatile parameter storage area 41 of the volatile storage unit 13 were not stored in the non-volatile parameter storage area 31 and the backup parameter storage area 32, respectively. At this point, the control unit 11 moves to the next step SP2.

[0032] In step SP2, the control unit 11 reads the backup parameter BPM from the backup parameter storage 32 and moves to the next step SP3. In step SP3, as a parameter recovery process, the control unit 11 writes the read backup parameter BPM to the non-volatile parameter storage 31 and moves to the next step SP4. In the first embodiment, this parameter recovery process is also called the pre-use process.

[0033] On the other hand, if a negative result is obtained in step SP1, this indicates that the power-off process was performed correctly when the image forming apparatus 1 was last started up, that is, the parameters PM and their copies stored in the volatile parameter storage area 41 of the volatile storage unit 13 were stored in the non-volatile parameter storage area 31 and the backup parameter storage area 32, respectively. At this point, the control unit 11 proceeds to the next step SP4 without performing the parameter recovery process (step SP3).

[0034] In step SP4, the control unit 11 reads the parameter PM from the non-volatile parameter storage area 31 of the non-volatile storage unit 12, writes it to the volatile parameter storage area 41 of the volatile storage unit 13, and moves to the next step SP5. In step SP5, the control unit 11, using the flag management unit 51, sets the parameter usage flag 34 of the non-volatile storage unit 12 to ON, and moves to the next step SP6.

[0035] Incidentally, after completing the processing in step SP5, the image forming apparatus 1 performs printing in the printing unit 17 (Figure 1), thereby forming an image on paper based on image data while referring to the parameters PM stored in the volatile parameter storage area 41 of the volatile storage unit 13. Furthermore, the image forming apparatus 1 appropriately updates the parameters PM stored in the volatile parameter storage area 41 of the volatile storage unit 13 in response to changes in various settings by the user or an increase in the number of printed sheets. In this way, the image forming apparatus 1 performs operations such as printing while appropriately accessing the parameters PM.

[0036] In step SP6, the control unit 11 determines whether or not it has received a power-off operation from the user, that is, whether or not the power button on the operation unit 16 has been pressed. If a negative result is obtained, the control unit 11 repeats step SP6, waiting for the user to perform a power-off operation while appropriately executing the printing process. On the other hand, if a positive result is obtained in step SP6, the control unit 11 moves to the next step SP7 to perform the power-off preparation process, which is necessary when turning off the power.

[0037] In step SP7, the control unit 11 reads the latest parameter PM from the volatile parameter storage area 41 of the volatile storage unit 13, updates it by writing it to the non-volatile parameter storage area 31 of the non-volatile storage unit 12, and then moves to the next step SP8.

[0038] In step SP8, the control unit 11 updates the backup parameter BPM by writing the latest parameter PM to the backup parameter storage 32 as a process to terminate access to the parameter PM, and then moves to the next step SP9. Hereinafter, this process will also be referred to as the access termination process.

[0039] In step SP9, the control unit 11, using the flag management unit 51, sets the parameter usage flag 34 of the non-volatile storage unit 12 to off, and then proceeds to the next step SP10. As a result, when the power is turned on again, the control unit 11 can recognize that the latest parameter PM and its copy are stored in the non-volatile parameter storage area 31 and the backup parameter storage area 32 of the non-volatile storage unit 12, respectively, based on the fact that the parameter usage flag 34 is off.

[0040] In step SP10, the control unit 11 instructs the power supply unit 18 to turn off the power, thereby ending the power supply from the power supply unit 18 to each component. After that, the control unit 11 moves to the next step SP11 and terminates the parameter management processing procedure RT1.

[0041] Incidentally, in the image forming apparatus 1, if the supply of commercial power to the power supply unit 18 is interrupted due to a power outage or the like after the processing in step SP5 of the parameter management processing procedure RT1 is completed, that is, at the stage where printing can be performed, the operation of each part will immediately stop. In this case, the contents of the volatile memory unit 13 are immediately lost, while the contents of the non-volatile memory unit 12 are retained. For this reason, when the power is turned on again in the image forming apparatus 1, the parameter usage flag 34 of the non-volatile memory unit 12 remains on.

[0042] [1-3. Effects, etc.] In the above configuration, when the image forming apparatus 1 according to the first embodiment receives a power-off operation from the user during operation, as a power-off preparation process, it reads the parameter PM from the volatile parameter storage area 41 of the volatile storage unit 13 and stores it in the non-volatile parameter storage area 31 of the non-volatile storage unit 12, and then sets the parameter in use flag 34 to off.

[0043] If the parameter usage flag 34 is on when the power is turned on, the power-off preparation process was not performed when the power was last turned off, and the latest parameter PM was not saved in the non-volatile parameter storage area 31 of the non-volatile storage unit 12. In this case, the image forming apparatus 1 can restore the previous parameter PM by performing a parameter recovery process and use it to perform a new printing process.

[0044] On the other hand, if the parameter usage flag 34 is off when the power is turned on to the image forming apparatus 1, it means that the power-off preparation process was properly performed when the power was last turned off, and the latest parameter PM is stored in the non-volatile parameter storage area 31 of the non-volatile storage unit 12, etc. In this case, the image forming apparatus 1 can complete the startup process in a relatively short time by omitting the parameter recovery process.

[0045] In this way, when the power is turned on, the image forming apparatus 1 switches whether or not to perform parameter recovery processing according to the status of the parameter usage flag 34. In other words, since it is expected that the power off operation will be performed normally by the user in most cases, when the power is turned on again, the startup processing can be completed in a very short time, and the user's waiting time can be kept short.

[0046] Furthermore, even if the power-off preparation process is not properly performed due to a sudden power outage or the like, the image forming apparatus 1 can retrieve the appropriate parameters PM by performing parameter recovery processing when the power is next turned on, although this may slightly extend the user's waiting time, and then perform normal printing processing.

[0047] In other words, if the power-off preparation process is performed properly, the image forming apparatus 1 can start up in a shorter time than before, and if the power-off preparation process is not performed properly, it can be brought to a state where it can perform printing in the same way as before by parameter recovery processing, etc., as in the same way as before.

[0048] From another perspective, when the power is turned on, the image forming apparatus 1 changes the parameter in use flag 34 to ON in step SP5 after reading the parameter PM from the non-volatile parameter storage 31 and storing it in the volatile parameter storage 41. Also, when the image forming apparatus 1 receives a power-off operation from the user, it changes the parameter in use flag 34 to OFF in step SP9 after reading the latest parameter PM from the volatile parameter storage 41 and storing it in the non-volatile parameter storage 31, etc.

[0049] Therefore, if the parameter in use flag 34 is off when the power is turned on, the image forming apparatus 1 can appropriately determine that the power-off preparation process was performed appropriately during the previous power-off, that the latest parameter PM is stored in the non-volatile parameter storage area 31, and that parameter recovery processing is unnecessary.

[0050] Furthermore, in step SP9 of the parameter management processing procedure RT1, the image forming apparatus 1 sets the parameter in use flag 34 to off as part of the power-off preparation process after updating the backup parameter BPM in the backup parameter storage area 32. Therefore, even if a malfunction occurs in step SP10 while the power supply unit 18 is being stopped, and the various parts cannot be stopped properly, the parameter PM is saved correctly, allowing the parameter recovery process to be omitted and the startup time to be shortened.

[0051] With the above configuration, if the power-off preparation process is properly performed when the power is last turned off, the parameter usage flag 34 of the image forming apparatus 1 according to the first embodiment is set to off. Therefore, if the parameter usage flag 34 is off when the power is turned on, the image forming apparatus 1 can complete the startup process in a relatively short time by omitting the parameter recovery process and reading the parameter PM from the non-volatile parameter storage 31 and writing it to the volatile parameter storage 41. Also, if the power-off preparation process was not properly performed when the power was last turned off and the parameter usage flag 34 was on, the image forming apparatus 1 can use the appropriate parameter PM, albeit at a time-consuming rate, by performing the parameter recovery process.

[0052] [2. Second Embodiment] The image forming apparatus 1 according to the second embodiment (Figure 1) differs from the image forming apparatus 1 according to the first embodiment in that it has a control unit 211 and a non-volatile storage unit 212 instead of the control unit 11 and non-volatile storage unit 12, but is otherwise configured similarly.

[0053] The control unit 211, like the control unit 11, has a CPU (not shown) and other components, and performs various calculation processes. The non-volatile storage unit 212, like the non-volatile storage unit 12 in the first embodiment, is a non-volatile storage medium such as ROM, SSD, or HDD, and stores various programs and information, and retains the storage of said information regardless of the power supply. As shown in Figure 4, which corresponds to Figure 2, the non-volatile storage unit 212 has a non-volatile parameter storage area 31, a backup parameter storage area 32, and a database file storage area 33, similar to the non-volatile storage unit 12, as well as a database (DB) file usage flag 235 and a check flag 236.

[0054] The database file usage flag 235 is a flag that can be switched on or off, and it indicates whether the database file DBF stored in the database file storage area 33 is in use, that is, whether the file is open or not. Therefore, the database file usage flag 235 is switched on if the database file DBF is open and in use, and switched off if the database file DBF is closed and its use has ended.

[0055] In this second embodiment, the database file DBF is also simply referred to as data, the database file usage flag 235 is also referred to as usage information, the state in which the database file usage flag 235 is on is also referred to as the usage state, and the state in which the database file usage flag 235 is off is also referred to as the non-usage state.

[0056] The checking flag 236 is a flag that can be switched on or off, and it indicates whether or not the checking process for the database file DBF stored in the database file storage area 33 is currently running (i.e., being checked), that is, whether or not the database file DBF should not be accessed.

[0057] Furthermore, the control unit 211 (Figure 1) reads a predetermined program from the non-volatile storage unit 212 and executes it, thereby forming a flag management unit 251 as a functional block within it. The flag management unit 251, acting as a usage information management unit, manages the status of the database file usage flag 235 and the check flag 236 (Figure 4) in the non-volatile storage unit 212, and changes the database file usage flag 235 and the check flag 236 to on or off, respectively.

[0058] [2-1. Database File Management Procedure] Next, a series of processes related to the management of the database file DBF, which the image forming apparatus 201 performs from power-on to power-off, will be described. When the power button on the operation unit 16 is pressed and the power is turned on, the control unit 211 of the image forming apparatus 201 performs a predetermined startup process, and then reads and executes the database file management processing program from the non-volatile storage unit 212. As a result, the control unit 211 forms a flag management unit 251 (Figure 1) as a functional block inside it, and then starts the database file management processing procedure RT2 shown in Figure 5, and moves to the first step SP21.

[0059] In step SP21, the control unit 211 performs a process to open the database file DBF stored in the database file storage area 33 of the non-volatile storage unit 212, and then proceeds to the next step SP22.

[0060] In step SP22, the control unit 211 uses the flag management unit 251 to determine whether the database file in use flag 235 (Figure 4) of the non-volatile storage unit 212 is in the ON state. If an OK result is obtained, this indicates that the power cut-off process was not performed properly when the image forming apparatus 201 was last started, meaning that the database file was not properly closed and may be corrupted. At this point, the control unit 211 moves to the next step SP23.

[0061] In step SP23, the control unit 211 uses the flag management unit 251 to set the checking flag 236 of the non-volatile storage unit 212 to the ON state, and proceeds to the next step SP24. In step SP24, the control unit 211 performs a check to confirm whether or not there is corruption in the database file DBF, and proceeds to the next step SP25. In the second embodiment, this database file DBF check process is also called the pre-use process.

[0062] In step SP25, the control unit 211 determines whether the database file DBF is corrupted. If a positive result is obtained, this indicates that the database file DBF, which is necessary for various processes of the image forming apparatus 201, is corrupted, and therefore, formatting of the database file DBF is required. At this point, the control unit 211 moves to the next step SP26.

[0063] In step SP26, the control unit 211 displays a predetermined confirmation screen on the display unit 15 (Figure 1) to ask the user whether it is OK to perform the formatting process on the database file DBF, and determines whether the user has instructed the user to perform the formatting process via the operation unit 16. If a negative result is obtained, this indicates that the user has indicated their intention to repeat the database file DBF check process. At this point, the control unit 211 returns to the initial step SP21 and repeats the series of processes.

[0064] On the other hand, if a positive result is obtained in step SP26, the control unit 211 moves to the next step SP27 to format the database file DBF, and once this is completed, moves to the next step SP28.

[0065] Furthermore, if a negative result is obtained in step SP25, this indicates that the database file DBF is not corrupted and that various processes of the image forming apparatus 201 can be executed without formatting. At this point, the control unit 211 moves on to the next step SP28.

[0066] In step SP28, the control unit 211, using the flag management unit 251, sets the checking flag 236 of the non-volatile storage unit 212 to the off state, and then proceeds to the next step SP29.

[0067] On the other hand, if a negative result is obtained in step SP22, this indicates that the power-off process was performed normally when the image forming apparatus 201 was last started, that is, the database file DBF was closed normally, and therefore it can be considered that there is no possibility of corruption. At this point, the control unit 211 moves on to the next step SP29.

[0068] In step SP29, the control unit 211, using the flag management unit 251, sets the database file usage flag 235 of the non-volatile storage unit 212 to the ON state, and then proceeds to the next step SP30.

[0069] Incidentally, after completing the processing in step SP30, the image forming apparatus 201 performs printing in the printing unit 17 (Figure 1), thereby accessing the database file DBF stored in the database file storage area 33 of the non-volatile storage unit 212 and forming an image on paper based on the image data. Furthermore, the image forming apparatus 201 updates the database file DBF as it performs various processes such as printing.

[0070] In step SP30, the control unit 211 determines whether or not it has received a power-off operation from the user, that is, whether or not the power button on the operation unit 16 has been pressed. If a negative result is obtained, the control unit 11 repeats step SP30, waiting for the user to perform a power-off operation while appropriately executing the printing process. On the other hand, if a positive result is obtained in step SP30, the control unit 211 moves to the next step SP31 to perform the power-off preparation process, which is necessary when turning off the power.

[0071] In step SP31, the control unit 211 closes the database file DBF stored in the database file storage area 33 of the non-volatile storage unit 212, and then moves to the next step SP32. In step SP32, the control unit 211, using the flag management unit 251, sets the database file in use flag 235 of the non-volatile storage unit 212 to the off state, and then moves to the next step SP33.

[0072] In step SP33, the control unit 211 instructs the power supply unit 18 to turn off the power, thereby ending the power supply from the power supply unit 18 to each unit. After that, the control unit 211 moves to the next step SP34 and terminates the database file management processing procedure RT2.

[0073] Incidentally, in the image forming apparatus 201, if the supply of commercial power to the power supply unit 18 is interrupted due to a power outage or the like, without accepting a power off operation after the processing in step SP30 of the database file management processing procedure RT2, the operation of each part will immediately stop, similar to the first embodiment. In this case, the operation of the control unit 211 will stop without the database file DBF being closed. For this reason, when the power is turned on again in the image forming apparatus 201, the database file in use flag 235 of the non-volatile storage unit 12 will remain on.

[0074] [2-2. Effects, etc.] In the above configuration, when the image forming apparatus 201 according to the second embodiment receives a power-off operation from the user during operation, it performs a power-off preparation process, which includes closing the database file DBF and setting the database file in use flag 235 to off.

[0075] If the database file in use flag 235 is on when the image forming apparatus 201 is powered on, it means that the power-off preparation process was not performed when the power was last turned off, and the database file DBF was not properly closed. At this time, the image forming apparatus 201 performs a process to check for corruption of the database file DBF, and if it is corrupted, it undergoes a formatting process and becomes ready to perform a new print operation.

[0076] On the other hand, if the database file in use flag 235 is off when the image forming apparatus 201 is powered on, it means that the power-off preparation process was properly performed when the power was last turned off, and the closing process for the database file DBF was properly performed. In this case, the image forming apparatus 201 can complete the startup process in a relatively short time by omitting the database file DBF check process.

[0077] In this way, when the image forming apparatus 201 is powered on, it switches whether or not to perform a check on the database file DBF depending on the status of the database file usage flag 235. In other words, since it is expected that the user will perform the power-off operation correctly in most cases, when the power is turned on again, the startup process can be completed in a very short time, and the user's waiting time can be kept short. For example, if the capacity of the database file DBF is approximately 45 [MB], the image forming apparatus 201 can reduce the time required for startup by approximately 7 seconds by omitting the check on the database file DBF.

[0078] Furthermore, even if the power-off preparation process is not properly performed due to a sudden power outage or the like, the image forming apparatus 201 can appropriately determine whether formatting is necessary by checking the database file DBF when the power is next turned on, although this may slightly extend the user's waiting time. If the database file DBF is not corrupted, the image forming apparatus 201 can perform printing shortly thereafter; if the database file DBF is corrupted, printing can be performed after the formatting process is completed.

[0079] In other words, if the power-off preparation process is performed properly, the image forming apparatus 201 can start up in a shorter time than before, and if the power-off preparation process is not performed properly, it can be brought to a state where printing can be performed in the same way as before by checking and formatting the database file DBF in the same way as before.

[0080] In other respects as well, the image forming apparatus 201 according to the second embodiment can achieve the same effects as the image forming apparatus 1 according to the first embodiment.

[0081] [3. Other Embodiments] In the first embodiment described above, the parameter usage flag 34 is switched on or off to indicate whether or not the backup parameter BPM update process in step SP9 of the parameter management processing procedure RT1 (Figure 3) has been completed. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and various methods using the non-volatile storage unit 12 may be used to indicate whether or not the backup parameter BPM update process has been completed.

[0082] Specifically, for example, whether or not the backup parameter BPM update process is complete may be indicated by whether or not a flag file indicating that parameter PM is in use exists in the non-volatile storage unit 12. Alternatively, for example, first date and time information representing the date and time when parameter PM was last read from the non-volatile parameter storage area 31 and second date and time information representing the date and time when parameter PM was last written to the backup parameter storage area 32 may be stored in the non-volatile storage unit 12, and it may be determined whether or not the backup parameter BPM update process is complete based on the comparison result of the two. In this case, the first date and time information and the second date and time information can be updated and saved as, for example, a well-known log file. The same applies to the second embodiment.

[0083] Furthermore, in the first embodiment described above, a method was described in which the necessity of parameter recovery processing is determined based on the state (on or off) of the parameter usage flag 34. In the second embodiment, a method was described in which the necessity of checking the database file DBF stored in the database file storage area 33 is determined based on the state (on or off) of the database file usage flag 235. However, the present invention is not limited to these, and various types of information that are used in an image forming apparatus 1, etc., are updated as appropriate, and need to be stored in the non-volatile storage unit 12 before the power is cut off may be provided with a usage flag indicating whether or not the information is in use, and the necessity of recovery processing for the information may be determined according to the state of the usage flag.

[0084] Furthermore, in the first embodiment described above, a configuration was described in which both a non-volatile parameter storage area 31 and a backup parameter storage area 32 are provided as areas for storing parameters PM in the non-volatile storage unit 12. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the backup parameter storage area 32 may be omitted from the areas for storing parameters PM, for example, and only the non-volatile parameter storage area 31 may be provided. The same applies to the second embodiment.

[0085] Furthermore, in the first embodiment described above, a volatile parameter storage area 41 (Figure 2) is provided in the volatile storage unit 13, and after power is turned on, the parameter PM is read from the non-volatile parameter storage area 31 and written to the volatile parameter storage area 41, and the volatile parameter storage area 41 is accessed during operation after startup. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and for example, the volatile parameter storage area 41 may be omitted, and the non-volatile parameter storage area 31 may be accessed during operation after startup.

[0086] Furthermore, in the second embodiment described above, the case in which formatting is performed when the database file DBF is corrupted in the database file management processing procedure RT2 (Figure 5) was described (step SP27). However, the present invention is not limited to this, and for example, a backup of the database file DBF may be stored in the non-volatile storage unit 212 and updated as appropriate, and if it is corrupted, the database file DBF may be restored from the backup.

[0087] Furthermore, in the first embodiment described above, a configuration was described in which a functional block such as the flag management unit 51 (Figure 1) is formed by software by reading and executing a parameter management processing program in the control unit 11. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and for example, at least a part of the functional block such as the flag management unit 51 may be configured by hardware. The same applies to the second embodiment.

[0088] Furthermore, in the first embodiment described above, a configuration was described in which various programs to be executed by the control unit 11 are pre-stored in the non-volatile storage unit 12. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and for example, at least one of the various programs may be obtained and executed from a predetermined server device (not shown) connected via a predetermined network from the communication unit 14. The same applies to the second embodiment.

[0089] Furthermore, in the first embodiment described above, the image forming apparatus 1 was described as a single-function printer. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the image forming apparatus 1 may also be a printer with various other functions (a so-called multifunction device), such as an MFP (Multi-Function Peripheral) that has a scanner function, a communication function using a telephone line, etc., and also operates as a copier or facsimile machine. The same applies to the second embodiment.

[0090] Furthermore, in the first embodiment described above, the present invention was applied to an image forming apparatus 1 having the function of forming an image on paper (i.e., printing). However, the present invention is not limited to this, and may be applied to various other information processing devices that perform various processes using data stored in a non-volatile memory unit, and update and save the data as appropriate. In this case, with respect to the various data accessed in the operation of the information processing device, a "in use" flag indicating the usage status can be provided in the non-volatile memory unit, the "in use" flag can be set to "on" after startup, and the "in use" flag can be set to "off" during the power-off preparation process.

[0091] Furthermore, the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above and other embodiments. That is, the scope of application of the present invention extends to embodiments that arbitrarily combine some or all of the embodiments described above and other embodiments, or embodiments that extract some of them. The scope of application of the present invention also extends when a part of the configuration described in any embodiment among the embodiments described above and other embodiments is extracted and replaced or adapted with a part of the configuration of any embodiment among the embodiments described above and other embodiments, or when the extracted part of the configuration is added to any embodiment.

[0092] Furthermore, in the first embodiment described above, an image forming apparatus 1 as an information processing device was described in which a non-volatile storage unit 12 as a non-volatile storage unit, a flag management unit 51 as a usage information management unit, and a control unit 11 as a control unit were configured. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and an information processing device may be configured with a non-volatile storage unit, a usage information management unit, and a control unit having various other configurations. [Industrial applicability]

[0093] This invention can be used in an information processing device that performs various processes based on information pre-stored in a non-volatile memory unit. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0094] 1, 201...Image forming apparatus, 11, 211...Control unit, 12, 212...Non-volatile storage unit, 13...Volatile storage unit, 16...Operation unit, 17...Printing unit, 18...Power supply unit, 31...Non-volatile parameter storage area, 32...Backup parameter storage area, 33...Database file storage area, 34...Parameter in use flag, 41...Volatile parameter storage area, 51, 251...Flag management unit, 235...Database file in use flag, DBF...Database file, PM...Parameter, BPM...Backup parameter.

Claims

1. A non-volatile storage unit that stores data accessed during operation and usage information representing the status of the use of said data, A user information management unit sets the user information to the "in use" state when access to the data is initiated, and sets the user information to the "not in use" state when access to the data is terminated. A control unit that controls the operation while accessing the aforementioned data. Equipped with, The control unit, When the power is turned on, if the usage information is in the "in use" state, the pre-use processing that should be performed before starting to use the data is performed before starting the operation; if the usage information is not in use, the operation is started without performing the pre-use processing. An information processing device characterized by the following:

2. The aforementioned data is a parameter that includes setting values ​​for performing the aforementioned operation. The information processing apparatus according to feature 1.

3. Volatile memory unit that stores information Furthermore, The control unit, When the above operation is started, the usage information management unit updates the usage information to the "in use" state, reads the data from the non-volatile storage unit and writes it to the volatile storage unit, and then starts accessing the data to the volatile storage unit. When the power supply is disconnected, the process of reading the data from the volatile storage unit and writing it to the non-volatile storage unit is performed, and then the usage information management unit updates the usage information to the unused state. When the power is turned on, if the usage information is in the "in use" state, the operation is started after reading the data from the non-volatile storage unit and restoring the data as a pre-use process; if the usage information is not in use, the operation is started without performing the pre-use process. The information processing apparatus according to feature 2.

4. The control unit, In addition to the data and usage information, the non-volatile storage unit stores backup data, which is a backup of the data. When the power supply is disconnected, the process of reading the data from the volatile storage unit and writing it to the non-volatile storage unit, and updating the backup data is performed, after which the usage information management unit updates the usage information to the unused state. When the power is turned on, if the usage information indicates that the device is in use, the device performs a pre-use process to read the backup data from the non-volatile storage unit and restore the data before starting the operation. If the usage information indicates that the device is not in use, the device starts the operation without performing the pre-use process. The information processing apparatus according to claim 3.

5. The aforementioned data is a database file that is accessed when performing the aforementioned operation. The control unit, When the power supply is disconnected, after the database file is closed, the usage information management unit updates the usage information to the unused state. When the power is turned on, if the usage information is in the "in use" state, the operation is started after performing a pre-use process to check for corruption in the database file; if the usage information is not in use, the pre-use process is omitted and the operation is started. The information processing apparatus according to feature 1.

6. The control unit, When the power is turned on, if the database file is corrupted during the pre-use processing, the database file will be formatted. The information processing apparatus according to feature 5.

7. When starting an operation, the operation start step involves updating the usage information of the non-volatile memory unit that stores information, from an unused state to an used state, to indicate that the data to be accessed during the operation is in use, and then starting access to the said data. When the power is cut off, the power cut-off step includes performing an access termination process to terminate access to the data, and then updating the usage information from the "in use" state to the "not in use" state. When the power is turned on, the steps include checking the usage information, If the usage information is in the "in use" state, the operation starts after performing the pre-use processing that should be performed before starting to use the data; if the usage information is not in use, the operation starts without performing the pre-use processing. An information processing method having

8. For information processing equipment, When starting an operation, the operation start step involves updating the usage information of the non-volatile memory unit that stores information, from an unused state to an used state, to indicate that the data to be accessed during the operation is in use, and then starting access to the said data. When the power is cut off, the power cut-off step includes performing an access termination process to terminate access to the data, and then updating the usage information from the "in use" state to the "not in use" state. When the power is turned on, the steps include checking the usage information, If the usage information is in the "in use" state, the operation starts after performing the pre-use processing that should be performed before starting to use the data; if the usage information is not in use, the operation starts without performing the pre-use processing. An information processing program to execute an action.

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