Reboot system, method and program

Abstract

To enable time required for processing before execution of power discontinuity to be additionally secured when a failure of communication occurs.SOLUTION: A reboot system according to one embodiment of the present invention includes: an operation panel; a main body which is an object to be operated with the operation panel; a first power source control unit which controls a power source of the main body; a second power source control unit which controls a power source of the operation panel; a timer of the main body; a first kernel of the main body; and signal transmission units which execute signal transmission between the operation panel and the main body when an error of communication between the operation panel and the main body occurs. The first power source control unit starts the timer when the error of communication between the operation panel and the main body occurs. The first kernel requests the timer to execute a timer extension of time required for processing of the main body. The first power source control unit, when a POWER-OFF signal is transmitted from the second power source control unit, executes power-off and starts rebooting.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a reboot system, method and program. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, when a communication failure occurs between the operation unit and the main body of a device, the power is turned off.

[0003] A technology has been disclosed that automatically shuts down the power supply and reboots the device when a communication failure occurs between the device's operation unit and the device's main body (see Patent Document 1). Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] However, with conventional reboot methods, there is a possibility that the power will be cut off before the log of an abnormality is saved or while the HDD is being accessed, which can result in the log not being saved or the HDD failing.

[0005] The present invention has been made in consideration of the above, and aims to provide a reboot system, method, and program that can secure additional time required for processing before power is turned off when a communication failure occurs. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] In order to solve the above-mentioned problems and achieve the objectives, one embodiment of the reboot system comprises an operation panel, a main body that is the object of operation of the operation panel, a first power control unit that controls the power supply of the main body, a second power control unit that controls the power supply of the operation panel, a timer of the main body, a first kernel of the main body, and a signal transmission unit that transmits a signal between the operation panel and the main body in the event of a communication error between the operation panel and the main body, wherein the first power control unit starts the timer when a communication error occurs between the operation panel and the main body, the first kernel requests the timer to extend the timer for the time required for processing on the main body, and the first power control unit turns off the power and initiates a reboot when a power OFF signal is transmitted from the second power control unit. [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] According to the present invention, when a communication failure occurs, it is possible to secure additional time required for processing before power is turned off. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing the external configuration of an MFP shown as an example of a reboot system according to this embodiment. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of the hardware configuration of the MFP. [Figure 3] FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating the functions of the MFP. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of a sequence of reboot processing between the main body and the operation panel of the MFP. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0009] The following describes in detail embodiments of a reboot system, a method, and a program with reference to the accompanying drawings. While an example of a reboot system applied to an MFP (Multifunction Peripheral) is shown, the reboot system is not limited to MFPs and may be applied to any system that performs a reboot.

[0010] (Embodiment) (First embodiment) 1 is a diagram showing the external configuration of an MFP (Multifunction Peripheral) shown as an example of the "reboot system" according to this embodiment. The MFP is a device that has two or more different functions from among a plurality of functions such as a copy function, a scanner function, a printer function, and a fax function.

[0011] The MFP 1 to which the reboot system is applied has a main body 10 and an operation panel 20. The main body 10 has an image processing unit 10-1 and an image forming unit 10-2, and performs image processing such as scanning, copying, and printing. The image processing unit 10-1 includes a reading scanner that reads documents and an image processing board that processes the read images. The image forming unit 10-2 includes an image forming section that forms read images on paper using, for example, an electrophotographic or inkjet method, and a paper feeding section that feeds paper.

[0012] The operation panel 20 is a user interface that allows the user to operate the main unit 10, which is the object of operation. The main unit 10 and the operation panel 20 communicate with each other via a wired or wireless connection. The main unit 10 and the operation panel 20 are connected by a dedicated connection cable 30 (see FIG. 2), and the device status is communicated between them by transmitting signals such as ON / OFF via the connection cable 30. For example, ON is a HIGH level signal, and OFF is a LOW level signal.

[0013] The operation panel 20 receives operations and settings from the user on an operation screen, and transmits the operations and settings to the main body 10 via a wireless or wired communication I / F.

[0014] Settings on the operation screen include parameters for image formation, reading resolution, job setting values, print settings such as toner density and color settings when printing, reboot settings, and settings for how to obtain log information.

[0015] (Hardware configuration) Fig. 2 is a diagram showing an example of the hardware configuration of MFP 1. As shown in Fig. 2, main body 10 and operation panel 20 each include a CPU (Central Processing Unit), ROM (Read Only Memory), and RAM (Random Access Memory), and operate on independent OSs (Operating Systems) by executing their respective control programs.

[0016] The main body 10 has a CPU 100, a ROM 101, a RAM 102, an HDD (Hard Disk Drive) 103, a communication I / F 104, a connection I / F 105, an engine 106, a timer 107, and a power controller 108. Each part is connected via a bus 110.

[0017] CPU 100 loads control programs stored in ROM 101, HDD 103, etc. into RAM 102 and executes each program as appropriate. Here, CPU 100 is the main CPU of main body 10. CPU 100 loads the OS of main body 10 into RAM 102 and executes it, and by appropriately executing various application programs corresponding to the OS, performs the main functions of image processing such as scanning and copying.

[0018] The ROM 101 is a non-volatile memory that stores fixed programs (such as a boot loader). The RAM 102 is a volatile memory that is used as a work area for the CPU 100. The HDD 103 is an auxiliary storage device that includes a recording disk and writes programs and data to the recording disk and reads programs and data from the disk. The programs include executable programs such as the first OS and applications.

[0019] The communication I / F 104 is a communication interface that communicates with the operation panel 20. The communication interface is, for example, a wireless system such as Bluetooth (registered trademark), but may also be a system that communicates via a wired cable such as USB.

[0020] The connection I / F 105 is an interface that transmits signals (HIGH and LOW switching signals) to and from the operation panel 20 via the connection cable 30. The connection I / F 105, the connection I / F 205, the connection cable 30, etc. correspond to the signal transmission unit.

[0021] The engine 106 is an engine that performs scanning by the image processing unit 10-1 and printing by the image forming unit 10-2.

[0022] The timer 107 counts a set time.

[0023] The power supply controller (first power supply control unit) 108 is a microcomputer that performs predetermined control during rebooting. The power supply controller 108 is constantly supplied with power from an external power source or the like, and the microcomputer's CPU (called a sub-CPU) monitors the signal status of the connection I / F 105 and performs control for rebooting when rebooting is necessary. When rebooting, the power supply controller 108 controls signal input / output, such as starting the timer 107, and turns the power supply device 109 on / off. The power supply device 109 is a power supply device for the main body 10, and is configured to supply power to each part of the main body 10 when turned on, and to shut down the power when turned off.

[0024] In this configuration, the log information is stored in the HDD 103, but the storage destination for the log information is not limited to the HDD. Of course, a nonvolatile memory such as a flash ROM may be provided and the log information may be stored there.

[0025] The operation panel 20 has a CPU 200, a ROM 201, a RAM 202, a flash ROM 203, a communication I / F 204, a connection I / F 205, a touch panel 206, an LCD (Liquid Crystal Display) 207, and a power controller 208. Each part is connected via a bus 210.

[0026] CPU 200 loads control programs stored in ROM 201, flash ROM 203, etc. into RAM 202 and executes each program as appropriate. Here, CPU 200 is the main CPU of operation panel 20. CPU 200 loads the OS of operation panel 20 into RAM 202 and executes it, and performs the main function of operation setting processing by appropriately executing various application programs corresponding to the OS.

[0027] The ROM 201 is a non-volatile memory that stores fixed programs (such as a boot loader). The RAM 202 is a volatile memory that the CPU 200 uses as a work area. The flash ROM 203 is a non-volatile memory that stores a second OS (such as the Android (registered trademark) OS) separate from the main body 10, an application (such as the Android (registered trademark) application) that runs on the second OS by the CPU 200, and the like.

[0028] The communication I / F 204 is a communication interface that communicates with the operation panel 20. The communication interface is, for example, a wireless system such as Bluetooth (registered trademark), but may also be a system that communicates via a wired cable such as USB.

[0029] The connection I / F 205 is an interface for transmitting signals (switching signals between HIGH and LOW) to and from the main body 10 via the connection cable 30.

[0030] The touch panel 206 is an input device that detects a touch position on the screen of the LCD 207 and notifies information about the detected position to the CPU 200. Note that in addition to the touch panel 206, hardware keys or the like may also be provided as input devices.

[0031] The LCD 207 has a liquid crystal display screen, and displays on the liquid crystal display screen screen the screen information output by the CPU 200 to the LCD 207. Note that, instead of liquid crystal, an organic EL (Electro Luminescence) display or the like may be used as the display device.

[0032] The power supply controller (second power supply control unit) 208 is a microcomputer that performs predetermined control during rebooting. When the main body 10 is connected to an external power supply, power is constantly supplied to the power supply controller 208, for example, via a power cable included in the connection cable 30. The power supply controller 208 performs control for rebooting by having the CPU (referred to as a sub-CPU) of the microcomputer monitor signals from the connection I / F 205. The power supply controller 208 turns the power of the power supply device 209 on and off in conjunction with the reboot control in the main body 10. The power supply device 209 is a power supply device for the operation panel 20. When the power supply device 209 is turned on, power is supplied to each part of the operation panel 20, and when the power supply device 209 is turned off, the power to the operation panel 20 is cut off.

[0033] (Function description) Fig. 3 is a diagram illustrating the functions of the MFP 1. In Fig. 3, an application management unit 151 and a first kernel 153 as the OS of the main body 10 are shown in the CPU 100 on the main body 10 side. The application management unit 151 and the first kernel 153 are examples of functions related to reboot control on the main body 10 side. Fig. 3 also shows a signal transmission unit 161, a timer control unit 171, and a power control unit 181 as functional units in the connection I / F 105, timer 107, and power controller 108 on the main body 10 side that are related to reboot control, respectively.

[0034] The application management unit 151 communicates with each application of the main body 10 and manages the processing status of each application, etc. The application is, for example, an application that executes a scan function, a copy function, a print function, etc.

[0035] In this embodiment, when a communication error (e.g., a predetermined communication failure error) with an application on the operation panel 20 is detected, the application management unit 151 suppresses the operation of each application that is to be managed. At this time, if a managed application requests time to perform necessary processing (such as saving log information or unmounting an HDD) before rebooting, the application management unit 151 acquires the time information and requests a timer extension from the first kernel 153. The application then completes saving the log information and other operations within that time. Furthermore, when a print application is executing a print, the application management unit 151 acquires time information from the print application at which the print will be completed and requests a timer extension from the first kernel 153 that includes that time. Therefore, if no print errors or the like occur during the print execution, the print can be completed within that time.

[0036] The first kernel 153 extends the timer as needed based on the time set in the timer 107, the time acquired by the application management unit 151, and the like. The first kernel 153 extends the timer, including the time required to disconnect the device, for example, the time required to unmount the HDD. For example, if an additional 30 seconds are needed beyond the set time, the first kernel 153 extends the timer by 30 seconds. When a reboot is requested, the first kernel 153 unmounts the HDD, and so on.

[0037] The signal transmission unit 161 transmits signals to the signal transmission unit 261 on the operation panel 20 side. For example, when a communication failure error signal is received from the operation panel 20 side, the signal transmission unit 161 notifies the power supply control unit 181 of the communication failure error. Furthermore, the signal transmission unit 161 transmits various signals related to reboot control to the signal transmission unit 261 on the operation panel 20 side in accordance with instructions from the power supply control unit 181. Here, the transmission of a signal from the transmission source to the transmission destination is performed by, for example, switching signal transmission ON or OFF at the transmission source, and transmitting the signal switched to signal transmission ON from the transmission source to the transmission destination.

[0038] Based on the start request, the timer control unit 171 starts the timer with a preset default initial setting and counts down (or up) the time. The timer time may be changed to the transmitted time and then started. In this embodiment, the timer time is set to the time (for example, 20 seconds) for saving log information on the operation panel 20. Furthermore, when the timer control unit 171 receives a transmission of a timer extension time after starting the timer, it adds time based on the extension time information, thereby extending the initial time from the start.

[0039] When a communication failure error signal is received by the signal transmission unit 161, the power supply control unit 181 sends a signal to the timer control unit 171 to start the timer, and sends a signal to the CPU 200 indicating that a communication failure error has been detected. After the timer starts, if the CPU 200 requests that the power be turned off, the power supply control unit 181 instructs the operation panel 20 to turn the power off, and turns off the power supply device 109. Furthermore, if the timer finishes counting before that, the power supply control unit 181 uses this as a trigger to forcibly turn off the power supply device 109. In other words, even if a print error has caused the process to enter a loop during print execution, the power can be forcibly turned off to terminate the process.

[0040] Furthermore, after turning off the power, the power supply control unit 181 starts rebooting and sends a reboot start signal to the signal transmission unit 261 on the operation panel 20 side.

[0041] 3 shows a device status management unit 251, a monitoring service unit 252, and a second kernel 253 as a second OS in the CPU 200 on the operation panel 20 side. The device status management unit 251, the monitoring service unit 252, and the second kernel 253 are examples of functions related to reboot control on the operation panel 20 side. Fig. 3 also shows a signal transmission unit 261 and a power supply control unit 281 as functional units in the connection I / F 205 and the power supply controller 208 on the operation panel 20 side, which are related to reboot control.

[0042] The device status management unit 251 manages the device status of the operation panel 20. For example, it also manages the processing status of each application. The applications are, for example, applications for executing functions such as scanning, copying, and printing.

[0043] The monitoring service unit 252 communicates with the device status management unit 251 and monitors the status of communication between each application and the main unit 10. When the monitoring service unit 252 detects a communication failure that requires a reboot, it notifies the second kernel 253 of the error number of the communication failure.

[0044] Furthermore, if an application requests a waiting time before operation suppression, the monitoring service unit 252 may wait until that time has elapsed before notifying the second kernel 253 of the error number. In this embodiment, the timer time in the main body 10 is set to the time (for example, 20 seconds) for saving log information on the operation panel 20, so even if the error number is notified to the second kernel 253 without waiting for the waiting time, the log information can be saved. If the waiting time is to be waited for, the error number is notified to the second kernel 253 when a predetermined upper limit time is exceeded.

[0045] When the second kernel 253 receives the error number from the monitoring service unit 252, it transmits a communication failure error signal of that number to the signal transmission unit 161 on the main unit 10 side via the signal transmission unit 261. After the second kernel 253 completes saving the log information, it prepares for shutdown.

[0046] The signal transmission unit 261 transmits signals to the signal transmission unit 161 on the main unit 10 side. The signal transmission unit 261 transmits a communication failure error signal to the main unit 10 side and transmits various signals related to rebooting. Note that, as described above, the transmission of a signal from the transmission source to the transmission destination is performed by switching the signal transmission ON or OFF at the transmission source, and the signal switched to signal transmission ON is transmitted from the transmission source to the transmission destination.

[0047] When a power-off signal is received from the main body 10 side by the signal transmission unit 261, the power supply control unit 281 turns off the power supply on the operation panel 20 side. Furthermore, when a reboot start signal is received from the main body 10 side by the signal transmission unit 261, the power supply control unit 281 turns on the power supply to the operation panel 20 again and starts rebooting the operation panel 20.

[0048] (sequence) 4 is a diagram showing an example of a sequence of reboot processing between the main body 10 and the operation panel 20 of the MFP 1. First, when a communication failure occurs between the main body 10 and the operation panel 20, the device status management unit 251 on the operation panel 20 side detects it (S101) and notifies the monitoring service unit 252 (S102).

[0049] Next, the monitoring service unit 252 determines whether a reboot is necessary based on the content of the communication failure (S103), and if the communication failure requires a reboot, notifies the second kernel 253 of the A number of the specified communication failure error (S104).

[0050] Then, the second kernel 253 switches the state of the error signal of the signal transmission unit 261 to ON (S105), whereby the error signal is transmitted from the signal transmission unit 261 of the operation panel 20 to the signal transmission unit 161 of the main unit 10 (S106).

[0051] In the main body 10, when an error signal is transmitted to the signal transmission unit 161, the power supply control unit 181 detects this (S201) and transmits a timer start signal to the timer control unit 171 (S202). The timer control unit 171 starts counting down (or counting up) using the timer start signal as a trigger (S203).

[0052] Furthermore, the power supply control unit 181 notifies the first kernel 153 of an error while transmitting a timer start signal to the timer control unit 171 (S204).

[0053] When the first kernel 153 receives the error notification, it notifies the application management unit 151 (S205). The application management unit 151 acquires the processing time required for processing required before booting from the application (S206), and notifies the first kernel 153 (S207).

[0054] When the first kernel 153 is notified of the processing time by the application management unit 151, it requests the timer control unit 171 to extend the timer (S208).

[0055] The timer control unit 171 extends the preset timer time based on the timer extension request from the first kernel 153 (S209). The extension time may be set appropriately, for example, to 30 seconds. The extended timer time, including this time, is the time required for the main body 10 to save log information, unmount the HDD, and so on. Note that if printing is being executed on the main body 10, a time request is made from the print application, and therefore the extended timer time is set to include the time until printing is completed.

[0056] After notifying the application manager 151 of the processing time (S207), the application manager 151 waits for the time requested by the application and then inhibits the operation of the application (S207-1). During this waiting time, the main unit 10 performs necessary processing such as saving log information.

[0057] After the operation is restricted, the application management unit 151 requests the first kernel 153 to reboot (S210).

[0058] When a reboot request is received, the first kernel 153 puts each device into a state where there is no problem even if the power is turned off (S211). For example, the first kernel 153 unmounts the HDD to put each device into a state where there is no problem even if the power is turned off. After that, the first kernel 153 requests the power control unit 181 to turn off the power (S212).

[0059] If a print error or the like occurs during printing, the printing cannot be completed within the extended timer time, and the power supply control unit 181 uses the timer timeout as a trigger to turn off the power.

[0060] When the power control unit 181 receives the power OFF request, it turns ON the power OFF signal in the signal transmission unit 161 (S213) and transmits the power OFF signal to the signal transmission unit 261 of the operation panel 20 (S214).

[0061] When the power OFF signal is transmitted to the signal transmission unit 261, the power control unit 281 of the operation panel 20 detects this (S111) and turns off the power on the operation panel 20 side (S112).

[0062] After the power supply has been turned off, the power supply control unit 281 turns on the completion signal in the signal transmission unit 261 (S113), and transmits the completion signal to the signal transmission unit 161 of the main body 10 (S114).

[0063] When the completion signal is transmitted to the signal transmission unit 161, the power supply control unit 181 of the main body 10 detects this (S215) and turns off the power supply on the main body 10 side (S216).

[0064] After the power is turned off, the power control unit 181 of the main unit 10 starts rebooting (S217). The rebooting procedure after powering on is the conventional procedure, so a detailed explanation will be omitted here.

[0065] After starting the reboot, the power supply control unit 181 turns on a start signal indicating that the reboot has started in the signal transmission unit 161 (S218), and transmits the start signal to the signal transmission unit 261 of the operation panel 20 (S219).

[0066] In operation panel 20, power supply control unit 281 detects that the start signal has been transmitted to signal transmission unit 261 (S115), which triggers the operation panel 20 to start rebooting (S116). The reboot procedure after power-on is the conventional procedure, so a detailed description will be omitted here.

[0067] In this embodiment, a timer for power-off is provided in the main unit 10, and when a communication failure occurs with the operation panel 20, the time required for processing required before rebooting, such as the time required for log processing or HDD unmounting, can be added to the timer as appropriate to extend the time-out period. When the timer times out, the power is forcibly turned off, and extending the time-out period allows necessary processing before rebooting, such as saving logs or unmounting the HDD, to be completed, increasing the success rate of the reboot.

[0068] In this way, by using software to prepare for power off before performing the reboot process, it is possible to save a log in the event of an abnormality and also to avoid damage to devices such as HDDs, thereby achieving both safety and reliability in rebooting.

[0069] The program executed by the reboot system of this embodiment may be provided by being pre-installed in a ROM. Alternatively, the program may be provided by being recorded in an installable or executable file format on a computer-readable recording medium such as a CD-ROM, a flexible disk (FD), a CD-R, or a DVD (Digital Versatile Disk). Alternatively, the program may be stored on a computer connected to a network such as the Internet and provided by being downloaded via the network.

[0070] Each function of the above-described embodiments can be realized by one or more processing circuits. Here, the term "processing circuit" in this specification includes a processor programmed to perform each function by software, such as a processor implemented by an electronic circuit, as well as devices such as an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit), a DSP (Digital Signal Processor), an FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array), and conventional circuit modules designed to perform each of the above-described functions. [Explanation of symbols]

[0071] 1 MFP 10 Main Unit 20 Operation Panel 30 Connection Cable 100 CPU 101 ROM 102 RAM 103 HDD 104 Communication I / F 105 Connection I / F 106 Engine 107 Timer 108 Power Controller 109 Power supply 151 Application Management Department 153 First Kernel 161 Signal transmission section 171 Timer control unit 181 Power supply control unit 200 CPU 201 ROM 202 RAM 203 Flash ROM 204 Communication I / F 205 connection interface 206 Touch Panel 207 LCD 208 Power Controller 209 Power supply 251 Equipment Status Management Unit 252 Monitoring Services Department 253 Second Kernel 261 Signal Transmission Unit 281 Power supply control unit [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0072] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2017-105163

Claims

1. An operation panel, a main body that is an object to be operated by the operation panel; a first power supply control unit that controls a power supply of the main body; a second power supply control unit that controls a power supply for the operation panel; a timer of the main body; a first kernel of the body; a signal transmission unit that transmits a signal between the operation panel and the main body when a communication error occurs between the operation panel and the main body; Equipped with the first power supply control unit starts the timer when a communication error occurs between the operation panel and the main body; the first kernel requests a timer extension for a time required for processing the main body; the first power supply control unit turns off the power and starts rebooting when a power-off signal is transmitted from the second power supply control unit; Reboot system.

2. the first power supply control unit transmits a power supply OFF signal for the operation panel to the second power supply control unit when a power OFF request is received from the first kernel; The reboot system according to claim 1 .

3. When the timer times out before the power-off request, the first power supply control unit uses the timer time-out as a trigger to turn off the power and transmits a power-off signal for the operation panel to the second power supply control unit. The reboot system according to claim 2 .

4. The timer is set to an initial setting of the log information storage time on the operation panel, and further set to an additional timer extension time which is the log information storage time on the main body and the time for unmounting the HDD.

3. The reboot system according to claim 1 or 2.

5. An operation panel, a main body that is an object to be operated by the operation panel; a first power supply control unit that controls a power supply of the main body; a second power supply control unit that controls a power supply for the operation panel; a timer of the main body; a first kernel of the body; a signal transmission unit that transmits a signal between the operation panel and the main body when a communication error occurs between the operation panel and the main body; A reboot method in a system comprising: a step in which the first power supply control unit starts the timer when a communication error occurs between the operation panel and the main body; a step in which the first kernel requests a timer extension for a time required for processing the main body; a step in which the first power supply control unit turns off the power and starts rebooting when a power OFF signal is transmitted from the second power supply control unit; A method comprising:

6. An operation panel, a main body that is an object to be operated by the operation panel; a first power supply control unit that controls a power supply of the main body; a second power supply control unit that controls a power supply for the operation panel; a timer of the main body; a first kernel of the body; a signal transmission unit that transmits a signal between the operation panel and the main body when a communication error occurs between the operation panel and the main body; In the computer of the main body of the system comprising: when a communication error occurs between the operation panel and the main body, the first power supply control unit starts the timer; a step in which the first kernel requests a timer extension for a time required for processing the main body; when a power OFF signal is transmitted from the second power supply control unit to the first power supply control unit, the first power supply control unit turns off the power and starts rebooting; A program that executes the following.

Images