Method for processing processor and processor system

• US 20030009656A1
• Filed: 04/24/2002
• Published: 01/09/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 04/24/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ricoh Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Ricoh Company Limited
• Inventors: Yamamura, Toshimi
• Granted Patent: US 6,981,134 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 713/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 15/177 Initialisation or configuration control processor initialisation G06F9/4405
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/4405 Initialisation of multiprocessor systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/445 Program loading or initiating bootstrapping G06F9/4401; security arrangements for program loading or initiating G06F21/57

Abstract

A processor processing method suitable for a processor system. The processor system comprises a CPU 10, a ROM 20 coupled to the CPU, and a DSP 30 having a memory unit 50 for storing programs and a processor unit 40 for processing data according to the programs. The ROM stores a plurality of programs and parameters required for processing the programs to the ROM. The CPU downloads an initial program to the memory unit of the DSP when a power is turned on. Then, the programs and the parameters corresponding to each process request from the system processor external are transferred from the ROM to the memory unit of the DSP. The data to be processed is input from the external of the processor system to the DSP; processing the data by the processor unit based on the programs and the parameters that are transferred to the memory unit, and then the processed data is output to the system processor external.

Claims

1. A processor processing method, suitable for a processor system, wherein the processor system comprises a CPU, a ROM coupled to the CPU, and a DSP having a memory unit for storing programs and a processor unit for processing data according to the programs, the method comprising the steps of:

storing a plurality of programs and parameters required for processing the programs to the ROM;

downloading an initial program from the CPU to the memory unit of the DSP when a power is turned on;

transferring the programs and the parameters corresponding to each process request from the system processor external from the ROM to the memory unit of the DSP;

inputting data to be processed from the system processor external to the DSP;

processing the data by the processor unit based on the programs and the parameters that are transferred to the memory unit; and

outputting the processed data to the system processor external.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

storing a plurality of programs corresponding to types of process requests;

receiving the process request by the CPU at any time, and then transferring the programs and the parameters corresponding to the respective process request from the ROM to the memory unit of the DSP;

acquiring the data of a plurality of input/output interfaces respectively, wherein the DSP has the input/output interfaces corresponding to the data;

processing the data by the processor unit based on the programs and the parameters that are transferred to the memory unit; and

outputting the data to the external of the processor system through the input/output interfaces.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

preparing a table corresponding to the process requests and program groups required for processing the process requests; and

determining program groups to be transferred to the DSP and required parameters by the CPU by referring to the table according to the process requests.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the table is stored in the ROM.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

detecting a memory use status of the memory unit of the DSP by the CPU;

searching empty regions in the memory unit; and

transferring the programs and the required parameters corresponding to each process request from the ROM to the empty regions in the memory unit.

6. The method of claim 3, further comprising:

holding a history of the process requests by the CPU;

determining whether each coming process request from the external of the processor system is consistent with past process requests;

transferring required different programs and required different parameters from the ROM to the memory unit of the DSP to process the coming request by referring to the table if the coming process request is not consistent with the past process request;

using the programs and parameters that have been transferred to the memory unit of the DSP if the coming process request is consistent with the past process request, and then processing the data by the processor unit and outputting the data to the system processor external; and

using the different programs and the different parameters as well as the programs and parameters that have been transferred to the memory unit of the DSP to process the data by the processor unit and then to output the data to the system processor external, if the different programs and the different parameters are transferred.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising

detecting a memory use status of the memory unit of the DSP by the CPU;

searching empty regions in the memory unit, and then transferring the different programs and the required parameters from the ROM to the empty regions in the memory unit; and

referring to the history of the process requests to ask the DSP to release regions where the programs are not used if there are no empty regions, and then transferring the different programs and the required parameters from the ROM to the released regions in the memory unit.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising

detecting a memory use status of the memory unit of the DSP and a register use status of the register unit of the processor unit by the CPU;

and

distributing and transferring the programs and the required parameters corresponding to each process request from the ROM to empty regions in the memory unit and empty regions in the registers of the register unit of the processor unit.

9. The method of claim 3, further comprising:

holding a history of the process requests by the CPU;

determining whether each coming process request from the system processor external is consistent with past process requests;

distributing and transferring required different programs and required different parameters from the ROM to the memory unit of the DSP and a register unit of the processor unit to process the coming request by referring to the table if the coming process request is not consistent with the past process request;

using the programs and parameters that have been transferred to the memory unit of the DSP if the coming process request is consistent with the past process request, and then processing the data by the processor unit and outputting the data to the external of the processor system; and

using the different programs and the different parameters as well as the programs and parameters that have been transferred to the memory unit of the DSP to process the data by the processor unit and then to output the data to the external of the processor system, if the different programs and the different parameters are transferred.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

detecting a memory use status of the memory unit of the DSP and a register use status of the register unit of the processor unit by the CPU;

distributing and transferring the different programs and the required parameters from the ROM to empty regions in the memory unit and empty regions in the register unit of the processor unit; and

referring to the history of the process requests to ask the DSP to release regions where the programs are not used if there are no empty regions, and then transferring the different programs and the required parameters from the ROM to the released regions in the memory unit and the released regions in the register unit of the processor unit.

11. The method of claims 6, 7, 9 or 10, wherein the CPU holds the history if the past process requests one time.

12. The method of claim 8, wherein the register unit of the processor unit is connected to line memories, an image processing hardware, or an audio processing hardware.

13. The method of claim 5, wherein the transfer of the programs required from the CPU to the DSP is performed each time when the respective required program to process the process request is determined each time.

14. The method of claim 5, wherein the transfer of the programs required from the CPU to the DSP is performed once after the required program group to process the process request is determined.

15. A processor system, consisting of a CPU and a DSP to perform plural data processes with respect to data, and to execute functions for different applications, the processor system comprising:

the CPU further comprising;

a ROM coupled to the CPU, for storing programs corresponding to a plurality of processes respectively, and parameters used by the program;

a process request input device, for inputting process requests to starting processes to execute the functions;

a determining device, for determining process combinations to be processed by the DSP and required parameters according to the process requests input from the process request input device; and

a transferring device, for transferring programs related to the process combinations, and the parameters, which are determined by the determining device from the programs and parameters stored in the ROM, to the DSP;

the DSP further comprising;

an data input device for inputting the data;

a RAM for storing the programs and parameters transferred from the CPU;

a processing device, for performing a series of processes to the data input from the data input device, according to the programs and parameters stored in the RAM, and therefore to execute the functions corresponding to applications.

16. A processor system, consisting of a CPU and a DSP to perform plural data processes with respect to data, and to execute functions for different applications, the processor system comprising:

the CPU further comprising;

a ROM coupled to the CPU, for storing programs corresponding to a plurality of processes respectively, and parameters used by the program;

a process request input device, for inputting process requests to start processes to execute the functions;

a determining device, for determining process combinations to be processed by the DSP and required parameters according to the process requests input from the process request input device; and

a transferring device, for transferring programs related to the process combinations, and the parameters, which are determined by the determining device from the programs and parameters stored in the ROM, to the DSP;

the DSP further comprising;

an data input device for inputting the data;

a RAM and a register unit for storing the programs and parameters transferred from the CPU;

a processing device, for performing a series of processes to the data input from the data input device, according to the programs and parameters stored in the RAM through the register unit, and therefore to execute the functions corresponding to applications.