Printer Boot Image Loading via Parallel Memory Programming
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Solution Overview
Problem
Printers take a significant amount of time to boot up from a low power state to an operational state, which delays user tasks and does not effectively conserve energy when not in use.
Innovation Solution
The implementation of a boot engine and configuration engine that load a boot image into volatile memory and program a second portion of memory with a predetermined allocation structure, allowing the printer to quickly transition to an operational state without performing a full boot, by copying data from a persistent storage device and using a dedicated circuit to minimize clock cycles.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a full boot operation is performed to transition from low power state to operational state, then the system can reliably perform tasks, but the boot time becomes excessively long (30 seconds to 10 minutes)
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary actions by maintaining a boot image in a compressed state in non-volatile memory and preparing a predetermined allocation structure in advance. During boot, these pre-prepared elements are quickly loaded and decompressed into RAM, eliminating the need for time-consuming full boot operations while ensuring system reliability.
Solution Approach 2:
The memory system is segmented into multiple portions with different functions: a first portion for loading the boot image, a second portion for the predetermined allocation structure, and a third portion for operational data. This segmentation allows parallel processing and optimized data flow, reducing overall boot time while maintaining system reliability.
2Loss of energy
If the printer remains in low power state to conserve energy, then energy consumption is reduced, but the transition to operational state is delayed
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary actions by maintaining essential boot components in a compressed state in non-volatile memory during low power state. When transitioning to operational state, these pre-prepared components are quickly decompressed and loaded, enabling fast wake-up from low power state without continuous energy consumption.
Solution Approach 2:
The system creates a compressed copy of the boot image in non-volatile memory that can be quickly copied to RAM when needed. This copy mechanism allows the system to maintain energy efficiency in low power state while enabling rapid transition to operational state through fast data copying and decompression.
3Productivity
If data is transferred from persistent storage device to main memory during boot, then the system can operate, but the data transfer time significantly extends boot duration
Solution Approach 1:
The system creates a compressed copy of the boot image in non-volatile memory that can be quickly copied to RAM when needed. This compressed copy reduces the amount of data that needs to be transferred during boot, significantly reducing data transfer time while maintaining system operational readiness.
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes the state of the boot image from uncompressed to compressed form for storage, and then decompresses it during boot. This parameter change (compression ratio) reduces the data transfer volume and time while ensuring the system has all necessary data for operational readiness.
4Speed
If a dedicated circuit is used to program memory with predetermined allocation structure, then memory configuration is completed faster, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system introduces a dedicated circuit as an intermediary component that专门 handles memory programming with predetermined allocation structures. This dedicated circuit acts as a mediator between the processor and memory, performing complex programming operations in parallel with the boot image loading process, thereby increasing speed while managing complexity through functional specialization.
Data Source
AI summary
An example printer includes a non-transitory computer-readable medium. The printer also includes a boot engine communicatively coupled to the non-transitory computer-readable medium. The boot engine is to load a boot image into a first portion of the non-transitory computer-readable medium. The boot image includes data from an operational state of an operating system. The printer includes a configuration engine. The configuration engine is to program a second portion of the non-transitory computer-readable medium while the boot engine is loading the boot image.