Data processing device characterized in its data transfer method, program for executing on a computer to perform functions of the device, and computer readable recording medium storing such a program

• US 20040125415A1
• Filed: 09/17/2003
• Published: 07/01/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 09/19/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ricoh Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Ricoh Company Limited
• Inventors: Shimizu, Hiromitsu, Hattori, Yasuhiro, Michiie, Norio, Obata, Yuriko, Moteki, Kiyotaka, Okamura, Takao
• Granted Patent: US 7,185,151 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 358/444
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00933 Timing control or synchronising H04N1/00928, H04N1/00931, H04N1/00954 and H04N1/0096 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00954 Scheduling operations or managing resources H04N1/0096 takes precedence; program initiating or switching G06F9/48; allocation of computer resources G06F9/50
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/32358 using picture signal storage, e.g. at transmitter H04N1/17 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/40 Picture signal circuits H04N1/387 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0081 Image reader H04N2201/0091 - H04N2201/0094 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0082 Image hardcopy reproducer H04N2201/0091 - H04N2201/0094 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0093 Facsimile machine H04N2201/0094 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3297 Simultaneous use of a single memory for different image storage purposes

Abstract

A data processing device is disclosed. The device is provided with a plurality of data processing units; a first memory shared for storing data, to which each of the data processing units makes an access so as to perform an operation; a transfer completion time designation unit for designating a transfer completion time according to need, within which transferring the data in response to the accesses made by the data processing units should be completed; an expected transfer completion time calculation unit for calculating an expected transfer completion time needed for completing the data transfer in response to the accesses made by the data processing units, taking current access status of the first memory into consideration; and an access management unit for managing the access to the first memory based on the transfer completion time and the expected transfer completion time.

Claims

1. A data processing device comprising:

a plurality of data processing units;

a first memory shared for storing data, to which first memory each of said data processing units makes an access so as to perform an operation;

a transfer completion time designation unit for designating a transfer completion time according to need, within which transfer completion time, transferring the data in response to the accesses made by said data processing units should be completed;

an expected transfer completion time calculation unit for calculating an expected transfer completion time needed for completing the data transfer in response to the accesses made by said data processing units, said expected transfer completion time calculation unit calculating the expected transfer completion time by taking current access status of said first memory into consideration; and

an access management unit for managing the access to said first memory based on the transfer completion time and the expected transfer completion time.

2. The device as claimed in claim 1, said device further comprising:

a second memory for storing the data stored in said first memory, said second memory having a transfer rate lower than a transfer rate of said first memory;

wherein,

when the data transfer is executed between said first memory and said second memory, said expected transfer completion time calculation unit calculates the expected transfer completion time by taking the data transfer rates of said first memory and said second memory into consideration.

3. The device as claimed in claim 1, wherein:

when one of the data processing units makes an additional access to said first memory, said access management unit prevents or postpones the additional access to said first memory when the expected transfer completion time exceeds the transfer completion time.

4. The device as claimed in claim 1, wherein:

said data processing device is an image-forming device provided with one data processing unit as an image input unit for inputting image data to said first memory and one data processing unit as an image output unit for outputting the image data stored in said first memory.

5. A data processing device comprising:

a plurality of data processing means;

first memory means shared for storing data, to which first memory means each of said data processing means makes an access so as to perform an operation;

transfer completion time designation means for designating a transfer completion time according to need, within which transfer completion time, transferring the data in response to the accesses made by said data processing means should be completed;

expected transfer completion time calculation means for calculating an expected transfer completion time needed for completing the data transfer in response to the accesses made by said data processing means, said expected transfer completion time calculation means calculating the expected transfer completion time by taking current access status of said first memory means into consideration; and

access management means for managing the access to said first memory means based on the transfer completion time and the expected transfer completion time.

6. The device as claimed in claim 5, said device further comprising:

second memory means for storing the data stored in said first memory means, said second memory means having a transfer rate lower than a transfer rate of said first memory means;

wherein,

when the data transfer is executed between said first memory means and said second memory means, said expected transfer completion time calculation means calculates the expected transfer completion time by taking the data transfer rates of said first memory means and said second memory means into consideration.

7. The device as claimed in claim 5, wherein:

when one of the data processing means makes an additional access to said first memory means, said access management means prevents or postpones the additional access to said first memory means when the expected transfer completion time exceeds the transfer completion time.

8. The device as claimed in claim 5, wherein:

said data processing device is an image-forming device provided with one data processing means as an image input means for inputting image data to said first memory means and one data processing means as an image output means for outputting the image data stored in said first memory means.

9. A program for executing on a computer to perform the functions of:

a plurality of data processing units;

a first memory shared for storing data, to which first memory each of the data processing units makes an access so as to perform an operation;

a transfer completion time designation unit for designating a transfer completion time according to need, within which transfer completion time, transferring the data in response to the accesses made by said data processing units should be completed;

an expected transfer completion time calculation unit for calculating an expected transfer completion time needed for completing the data transfer in response to the accesses made by said data processing units, said expected transfer completion time calculation unit calculating the expected transfer completion time by taking current access status of said first memory into consideration; and

an access management unit for managing the access to said first memory based on the transfer completion time and the expected transfer completion time.

10. A computer-readable recording medium storing a program for executing on a computer to perform the functions of:

a plurality of data processing units;

a first memory shared for storing data, to which first memory each of the data processing units makes an access so as to perform an operation;

a transfer completion time designation unit for designating a transfer completion time according to need, within which transfer completion time, transferring the data in response to the accesses made by said data processing units should be completed;

an expected transfer completion time calculation unit for calculating an expected transfer completion time needed for completing the data transfer in response to the accesses made by said data processing units, said expected transfer completion time calculation unit calculating the expected transfer completion time by taking current access status of said first memory into consideration; and

an access management unit for managing the access to said first memory based on the transfer completion time and the expected transfer completion time.

11. An image-forming device comprising:

an image input unit;

an image output unit;

a storage unit for storing an image signal provided from said image input unit in a primary storage part, and storing the image signal stored in the primary storage part in a secondary storage part;

a delivering unit for delivering the image signal stored in the primary storage part, which image signal is read out from the secondary storage part, to said image output unit; and

a priority designation unit for designating priority for each of a plurality of image signal input/output operation requests.

12. The image-forming device as claimed in claim 11, said device further comprising:

a request acceptance unit for accepting the image signal input/output operation requests;

a processing order control unit for determining a processing order of the image signal input/output operation requests based on respective priorities designated by said priority designation unit; and

an interruption/resumption control unit for interrupting a current image signal input/output operation request when the priority of the current image signal input/output operation request is lower than a highest priority of an image signal input/output operation request among the image signal input/output operation requests, and for resuming the current image signal input/output operation request after completion of the image signal input/output operation request with the highest priority.

13. The image-forming device as claimed in claim 12, said device further comprising:

a selection unit for selectively executing the control of said processing order control unit and said interruption/resumption control unit.

14. An image-forming device comprising:

image input means;

image output means;

storage means for storing an image signal provided from said image input means in a primary storage part, and storing the image signal stored in the primary storage part in a secondary storage part;

delivering means for delivering the image signal stored in the primary storage part, which image signal is read out from the secondary storage part, to said image output means; and

priority designation means for designating priority for each of a plurality of image signal input/output operation requests.

15. The image-forming device as claimed in claim 14, said device further comprising:

request acceptance means for accepting the image signal input/output operation requests;

processing order control means for determining a processing order of the image signal input/output operation requests based on respective priorities designated by said priority designation means; and

interruption/resumption control means for interrupting a current image signal input/output operation request when the priority of the current image signal input/output operation request is lower than a highest priority of an image signal input/output operation request among the image signal input/output operation requests, and for resuming the current image signal input/output operation request after completion of the image signal input/output operation request with the highest priority.

16. The image-forming device as claimed in claim 15, said device further comprising:

selection means for selectively executing the control of said processing order control means and said interruption/resumption control means.

17. A data processing device comprising:

a plurality of data processing units;

a first memory shared for storing data, to which first memory each of said data processing units makes an access so as to perform an operation;

a transfer completion time designation unit for designating a transfer completion time according to need, within which transfer completion time, transferring the data in response to the accesses made by said data processing units should be completed;

an expected transfer completion time calculation unit for calculating an expected transfer completion time needed for completing the data transfer in response to the accesses made by said data processing units, said expected transfer completion time calculation unit calculating the expected transfer completion time by taking current access status of said first memory into consideration;

an access management unit for managing the access to said first memory based on the transfer completion time and the expected transfer completion time; and

a priority designation unit for designating priority for each of the accesses made by said data processing units.

18. A data processing device comprising:

a plurality of data processing means;

first memory means shared for storing data, to which first memory each of said data processing means makes an access so as to perform an operation;

transfer completion time designation means for designating a transfer completion time according to need, within which transfer completion time, transferring the data in response to the accesses made by said data processing means should be completed;

expected transfer completion time calculation means for calculating an expected transfer completion time needed for completing the data transfer in response to the accesses made by said data processing means, said expected transfer completion time calculation means calculating the expected transfer completion time by taking current access status of said first memory means into consideration;

access management means for managing the access to said first memory means based on the transfer completion time and the expected transfer completion time; and

priority designation means for designating priority for each of the accesses made by said data processing means.

19. A data processing device comprising:

a unit for receiving a plurality of data transfer process requests;

a unit for calculating a required process time necessary for executing all data transfer processes corresponding to the data transfer process requests in a time-sharing process manner, when at least one data transfer process has a time constraint; and

a unit for executing in the time-sharing process manner all data transfer processes except for data transfer processes that should be excluded from those data transfer processes to be executed for the purpose of satisfying the time constraint, when the calculated required process time exceeds the time constraint for the relevant at least one data transfer process.

20. The data processing device as claimed in claim 19, wherein:

said unit for executing in the time-sharing process manner all data transfer processes except for data transfer processes that should be excluded from those data transfer processes to be executed for the purpose of satisfying the time constraint selects the data transfer processes to be excluded from those data transfer processes to be executed for the purpose of satisfying the time constraint based on predetermined priority information provided to respective data transfer processes.

21. The data processing device as claimed in claim 20, wherein:

the data transfer processes that should be excluded comprise those data transfer processes having a lower priority in said predetermined priority information.

22. A data processing device comprising:

means for receiving a plurality of data transfer process requests;

means for calculating a required process time necessary for executing all data transfer processes corresponding to the data transfer process requests in a time-sharing process manner, when at least one data transfer process has a time constraint; and

means for executing in the time-sharing process manner all data transfer processes except for data transfer processes that should be excluded from those data transfer processes to be executed for the purpose of satisfying the time constraint, when the calculated required process time exceeds the time constraint for the relevant at least one data transfer process.

23. The data processing device as claimed in claim 22, wherein:

said means for executing in the time-sharing process manner all data transfer processes except for data transfer processes that should be excluded from those data transfer processes to be executed for the purpose of satisfying the time constraint selects the data transfer processes to be excluded from those data transfer processes to be executed for the purpose of satisfying the time constraint based on predetermined priority information provided to respective data transfer processes.

24. The data processing device as claimed in claim 23, wherein:

the data transfer processes that should be excluded comprise those data transfer processes having a lower priority in said predetermined priority information.