JP2004094494A - Storage medium processing device and control method therefor - Google Patents

Abstract

An object of the present invention is to provide a storage medium processing device that allows a user to easily remove a memory card when the user wishes to remove the memory card, which is natural and easy to understand, and that allows the user to safely remove the memory card. Is what you do.
A storage medium reading / writing means for reading / writing a predetermined storage medium, a power switch means for instructing a user to turn on and off the power of the storage medium processing device, and a power supply cutoff via the power switch means. The power-off instruction is suspended when the predetermined condition is satisfied after receiving the instruction and after that, and when the predetermined condition is not satisfied, the power supply for turning off the power of the storage medium processing device is held. A storage medium processing device having a control unit.
[Selection diagram] Fig. 1

Description

[0001]
TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a storage medium processing apparatus for processing a storage medium such as a semiconductor memory card and a control method thereof.
[0002]
[Prior art]
In recent years, semiconductor memory cards have attracted attention as storage media for digital cameras and the like, and accordingly, reading and writing of memory cards by a PC (personal computer) is required. Against this background, each company has developed a memory card reader / writer for reading and writing a memory card with a PC.
[0003]
There is also a demand for printers, copiers, facsimile machines, etc. to output digital camera images, and printers, copiers, facsimile machines, etc. having a memory card reader are increasing.
[0004]
When writing data from a PC to a memory card using a memory card reader, the processing speed of a nonvolatile memory built in the memory card is lower than the processing speed of the PC. Therefore, in a recent operating system (hereinafter referred to as OS), writing to a memory card is performed by a predetermined application, writing is performed after a lapse of time, and it is assumed that the writing is completed before the writing to the memory card is actually completed. The OS notifies the application.
[0005]
By doing so, the application can operate at high speed without being pulled by a low-speed storage medium.
[0006]
In the above case, from the user's point of view, it seems that the writing has already been completed, but the OS has not actually written yet. Therefore, as described above, if the memory card is removed or the power of the card reader is turned off when it appears to the user that the writing has already been completed, the writing may not be completed.
[0007]
In this case, when "file transfer" is performed from the PC to the memory card, the file is deleted from the transfer source, the file is not written to the transfer destination, and the file is lost.
[0008]
If the memory card is removed from the PC during writing, the written contents and the file allocation table are inconsistent, and the data of the entire memory card is destroyed by software.
[0009]
Furthermore, if the memory card is removed from the PC during power supply, in the worst case, it may be physically destroyed.
[0010]
Therefore, in the conventional product, by following the procedure for safely removing the memory card from the OS on the PC using the attached manual or the like, it is necessary to wait for the completion of the delayed writing in the OS, and then, Power supply is stopped, and after that, the memory card must be removed.
[0011]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
However, as described above, the procedure for safely removing the memory card with the OS on the PC is a procedure that is not well known in the first place, and is also an opaque operation. Furthermore, the operating method differs depending on the OS, and it is unclear how the future OS will respond.
[0012]
Conventionally, when it is necessary to remove a memory card while a predetermined operation is being performed on a PC, attention is paid to the device, the end process is performed on the PC, and the memory card is removed from the device. Work is required, and there is a problem that this work is complicated.
[0013]
In addition, although the problem is likely to occur for beginners, there is a problem that the memory card is broken by software or hardware, and as a result, cannot be read out and cannot be solved by beginners.
[0014]
An object of the present invention is to provide a storage medium processing device that allows a user to easily remove a memory card when the user wants to remove the memory card, which is natural and easy to understand, and that can safely remove the memory card. It is assumed that.
[0015]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
The present invention provides a storage medium reading / writing means for reading / writing a predetermined storage medium, a power supply switch means for instructing a user to turn on and off the power of the storage medium processing device, and a power supply cutoff via the power supply switch means. The power-off instruction is suspended when the predetermined condition is satisfied after receiving the instruction and after that, and when the predetermined condition is not satisfied, the power supply for turning off the power of the storage medium processing device is held. A storage medium processing device having a control unit.
[0016]
Embodiments and Examples of the Invention
FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a schematic configuration of a storage medium processing device 10 according to one embodiment of the present invention.
[0017]
The storage medium processing device 10 includes a CPU 11, a ROM 12, a RAM 13, a power control unit 14, a power switch 15, a display unit 16, a card reader unit 17, a USB function control unit 18, and a CPU bus 19. Have.
[0018]
The CPU 11 is a system control unit, and controls the entire storage medium processing device 10.
[0019]
The ROM 12 stores a control program executed by the CPU 11, an embedded operating system (OS) program, and the like. In the above embodiment, each control program stored in the ROM 12 performs software control such as scheduling and a task switch under the management of the embedded OS stored in the ROM 12.
[0020]
The RAM 13 is configured by a DRAM (dynamic RAM) or the like, stores program control variables and the like, stores set values, management data of the storage medium processing device 10, and the like, and is provided with various work buffer areas.
[0021]
The power control unit 14 controls the power supply B to supply power to each unit.
[0022]
The power switch 15 is a simple switch, and only notifies the power control unit 14 that the user has pressed the switch, but does not directly control the power B. When the user desires to turn off the power, the CPU 11 determines the conditions described below, and then controls the power supply B via the power supply control unit 14 to turn off the power of the entire storage medium processing device 10.
[0023]
In other words, the power switch 15 is an example of a power switch unit that instructs the user to turn on and off the power of the storage medium processing device.
The power control unit 14 suspends the power-off instruction when the power-off instruction is received via the power switch means and thereafter while the predetermined condition is satisfied, and This is an example of a power supply control unit that cuts off the power supply of the storage medium processing device if the condition is not satisfied.
[0024]
The display unit 16 includes an LED (light emitting diode), an LCD (liquid crystal display), and the like, and displays an operation status including a power on / off state of the storage medium processing device 10, a power status, a status status, and a card reader status.
[0025]
The card reader unit 17 has various memory card interfaces, and executes data input / output control in accordance with the standard of each memory card.
[0026]
That is, the card reader unit 17 is an example of a storage medium read / write unit that reads / writes a predetermined storage medium.
[0027]
The USB function control unit 18 performs communication control of the USB interface 50, performs protocol control according to the USB communication standard, converts data from a USB control task executed by the CPU 11 into a packet, and transmits the packet to an external processing device 20 described later. , A USB packet is transmitted, and conversely, a USB packet from the external processing device 20 is converted into data and transmitted to the CPU 11.
[0028]
The power supply B converts a household power supply or the like into a voltage suitable for each device in the present system and supplies it. The power supply B can individually supply power to each part, and can stop the supply.
[0029]
However, the ROM 12 to the USB function control unit 18 are connected to the CPU bus 19, and in the power saving mode, only the CPU is stopped, and the other parts are not supplied with power.
[0030]
The ROM 12 to the USB function controller 18 are mutually connected via a CPU bus 19 managed by the CPU 11.
[0031]
Next, the external processing device 20 will be described in detail.
[0032]
FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating a schematic configuration of the external processing device 20.
[0033]
The external processing device 20 is composed of a PC, is connected to a memory card via a card reader, and reads and writes the memory card. The external processing device 0 includes CPU 21, ROM 22, RAM 23, internal storage device 24, external storage device 25, external storage disk 26, operation unit 27, display unit 28, communication unit 29, , A USB host control unit 30 and a CPU bus 31.
[0034]
The CPU 21 controls the overall operation of the external processing device 20 via the system bus 31 according to a program read from a program stored in the ROM 22, the RAM 23, or the internal storage device 24 and the external storage device 25. .
[0035]
The ROM 22 stores a control program for the CPU 21 and the like.
[0036]
The RAM 23 temporarily stores programs and image data, and operates the external processing device 20 at high speed.
[0037]
The internal storage device 24 is a memory that stores an operating system, various application programs, image data, and the like. The internal storage device 24 includes various control commands for the storage medium processing device 10, application software for transmitting and receiving data, printer driver software, scanner driver software, facsimile driver software, USB class driver software for each function, USB Bus driver software and the like are installed.
[0038]
Usually, by controlling the external storage device 25 from an external storage disk 26 (floppy (registered trademark) disk, CD-ROM medium) storing the application software and the driver software, the application software and the driver software are installed. Is done.
[0039]
Alternatively, the application unit and the driver software may be received by the communication unit 29 (network or modem) via the communication line L and installed in the internal storage device 24.
[0040]
The operation unit 27 controls a keyboard and a mouse (not shown) on which an operator inputs instructions. When printing is started, the keyboard and the mouse of the operation unit 27 are usually used.
[0041]
The display unit 28 performs various displays for the operator. When printing is started by the external processing terminal 20, a confirmation dialog or the like is displayed on the display unit 28 to prompt the operator to input. During the execution of the printing operation, information indicating the printing status is provided to the operator.
[0042]
The communication unit 29 connects to a network (not shown), connects to an Internet provider via a communication line, and communicates data, image information, and the like with a partner communication device.
[0043]
A known method is used for connection to a network or a communication line, and will not be described in detail.
[0044]
The USB host control unit 30 controls communication of the USB interface 50, converts data from the CPU 21 into a packet according to the USB communication standard, transmits a USB packet to the storage medium processing device 10, and conversely. , Converts the USB packet from the storage medium processing device 10 into data, and transmits the data to the CPU 21. A known method is used for the communication control method and will not be described in detail.
[0045]
Next, the operation of the above embodiment will be described.
[0046]
In the above embodiment, the storage medium processing device 10 is a card reader, and a known method conforming to the mass storage class is used as a procedure for accessing a memory card from a PC. Only the processing of the power-off disable flag will be described.
[0047]
In this embodiment, in the mass storage class, the Protocol Code is set to Bulk-Only Transport and the Subclass Code is specified to the SCSI transparent command set.
[0048]
In the command of the mass storage class, the command CBW is transmitted from the PC to the card reader, and if the command is a write command corresponding to the command, the data to be subsequently written is transmitted from the PC to the card reader (storage medium processing device 10). Can be If the command is a read command or a command for inquiring the status, the requested data is transmitted from the card reader (storage medium processing device 10) to the PC. If the command is only for inquiring the status such as Test Unit Ready, there is no data exchange. After these processes, the card reader (storage medium processing device 10) transmits a CSW instruction having an error flag indicating whether or not the command has been normally completed to the PC.
[0049]
In these procedures, when the CBW command is received from the PC, the power-off disable flag is set. Then, the CSW instruction is transferred to the USB function control unit 18, and the power-off disable flag is turned off when the transmission to the PC is completed by using an interrupt or the like of the USB function control unit 18.
[0050]
Next, writing in the above embodiment will be described.
[0051]
Since the SCSI command is used from the PC by the Subclass Code declaration, write (6) is used as write (10) at the time of writing. Note that write (6) and write (10) are present in the command specified by scsi (HYPERLINK "http://www.t10.org/scsi-3.htm" http: // /Www.t10.org/scsi-3.htm).
[0052]
When these commands are issued, a flag indicating that power cannot be turned off is set, and in this embodiment, a 10-second timer is started. The flag indicating that the power cannot be turned off will be described later. The timer subtracts 10 seconds using a periodic interrupt or the like. If the write command is reissued halfway, the timer value is returned to 10 seconds. When the value of the timer becomes 0, the power-off impossible flag is dropped and writing is permitted.
[0053]
Next, a procedure for removing the memory card from the storage medium processing device 10 in the above embodiment will be described.
[0054]
When the user gives an instruction to turn off the power by turning off the power switch 15, the power-off disable flag is referred to. If the power-off disable flag is set, the key input indicating power-off by the power switch 15 is ignored, and a message indicating that processing is being performed is displayed on the display unit 16. If the power cut-off flag is turned off, various termination processes in the memory card are performed, the power supply by the power supply B is stopped via the power supply control unit 14, and the power supply of the storage medium processing device 10 is turned off.
[0055]
That is, in the above embodiment, since the operation of removing the memory card from the card reader unit 17 is simple, when the user removes the memory card, the user presses the power switch 15 of the card reader, turns off the power, and then removes the memory card. Unplug.
[0056]
The power switch 15 is software-based, and turns off the power B of the card reader main body or enters a power saving mode to be in a sleep state when some of the following conditions are satisfied.
[0057]
The first condition of the power-off condition is that, in the case of a memory card that satisfies the mass storage class by USB connection, the command is performed in a sequence of sending CBW from the PC, DATA from either, and sending CSW from the memory card. The power cannot be turned off until this set of commands is completed. This is because, if communication with the command cannot be performed in the middle state, the driver on the PC side often causes an error at the next connection.
[0058]
Further, the writing from the PC ends after writing the data in several parts and then writing the FAT. If the power is turned off during the series of writing, data in the memory card is incompletely lost.
[0059]
Therefore, the second condition is that when the CBW instruction is a write command to the memory card, the condition is within a certain period from the last write command, and it is assumed that the power is not turned off under this condition. .
[0060]
According to the above embodiment, when the user wants to remove the memory card, the user presses the power switch 15 so that the memory card is removed after the power is turned off. The memory card can be safely removed.
[0061]
Further, according to the above embodiment, since the operation and processing for removing the memory card are completed on the PC device side and do not depend on the OS on the PC side, the card can be safely removed by any OS, and the specifications of the OS will be changed in the future. Need not be considered.
[0062]
In the above embodiment, if the power is turned off, the writing from the PC has been completely completed, so there is no possibility that data may be destroyed by removing the memory card during the writing. Since the power supply to the power supply is stopped, there is no possibility of electrical breakdown.
[0063]
Furthermore, according to the above embodiment, since the delayed writing is performed safely, even when the default of the OS is not the delayed writing, the performance of the PC is improved by using the delayed writing.
[0064]
【The invention's effect】
According to the present invention, when the user wants to remove the memory card, the user presses the power switch to remove the memory card after the power is turned off, so that the operation of removing the memory card is natural and easy to understand, and This has the effect that the memory card can be safely removed.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a schematic configuration of a storage medium processing device 10 according to an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating a schematic configuration of an external processing device 20.
[Explanation of symbols]
10 ... storage medium processing device,
11 ... CPU,
12 ... ROM,
13 ... RAM,
14 power supply control unit,
15. Power switch,
17 Card reader part,
18. USB function control unit
20 external processing device,
21 ... CPU,
22 ... ROM,
23 ... RAM,
24 ... internal storage device,
25 external storage device,
27 ... Operation unit,
30 ... USB host control unit,
50 ... USB interface,
B: Power supply.

Claims (11)

In the storage medium processing device,
Storage medium reading / writing means for reading / writing a predetermined storage medium;
Power switch means for instructing a user to power on and power off the storage medium processing device;
Via the power switch means, when a power-off instruction is received and thereafter, while the predetermined condition is satisfied, the power-off instruction is suspended, and if the predetermined condition is not satisfied, Power control means for turning off the power of the storage medium processing device;
A storage medium processing device comprising: In claim 1,
Even if a power-off instruction is received by the power switch means, while the predetermined condition is satisfied, the instruction is ignored, and when the power-off instruction is received when the predetermined condition is not satisfied. A storage medium processing apparatus characterized in that the power of the apparatus is turned off by the power control means. In claim 1 or claim 2,
The storage medium processing device, wherein the predetermined condition is a condition that data is transmitted and received from the external information processing device via an interface connecting the external information processing device and the control means. In any one of claims 1 to 3,
The storage medium processing, wherein the predetermined condition is a condition that the external information processing device is in the middle of a series of sequences via an interface connecting the external information processing device and the control means. apparatus. In any one of claims 1 to 4,
The predetermined condition is that the last data received from the external information processing device via the bulk transfer endpoint in the interface means is not a mass storage class CSW. Media processing device. In any one of claims 1 to 5,
The storage medium processing, wherein the predetermined condition is a condition that the external information processing apparatus is writing to the storage medium via an interface connecting the external information processing apparatus and the control unit. apparatus. In any one of claims 1 to 5,
The predetermined condition is a condition that the external information processing device is writing to the storage medium via the interface connecting the external information processing device and the control unit, or the writing to the storage medium is completed. A storage medium processing device, wherein the condition is within a predetermined period of time. In any one of claims 1 to 7,
The storage medium processing device, wherein the predetermined condition is a condition that the storage medium is being processed inside the storage medium processing device. In any one of claims 1 to 8,
The storage medium processing device according to claim 1, wherein the power cutoff performed by the power supply control means is a stoppage of power supply to the entire storage medium processing device. In any one of claims 1 to 9,
The power cutoff performed by the power control means is a stoppage of power supply to a part of the storage medium processing device, but it is apparently a power cutoff that is seen by a user as if the power was turned off. Characteristic storage medium processing device. In the control method of the storage medium processing device,
A storage medium reading / writing step for reading / writing a predetermined storage medium;
The power-on and power-off of the storage medium processing device are performed when the power-off instruction is received via the power switch means instructed by the user and thereafter, while the predetermined condition is satisfied, while the power-off instruction is received. Suspending the power-off instruction and, if the predetermined condition is not satisfied, power-off the storage medium processing device;
A method for controlling a storage medium processing device, comprising:

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