Information processing apparatus, memory management apparatus, memory management method, and information processing method

• US 20040139310A1
• Filed: 10/02/2003
• Published: 07/15/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 01/31/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Godo Kaisha IP Bridge 1 (IP Bridge, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Okazaki, Takayoshi, Maeda, Akiyoshi
• Granted Patent: US 7,418,436 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 713/2
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/4401 Bootstrapping security arrangements therefor G06F21/57
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99931 Database or file accessing

Abstract

It is an object to provide an information processing apparatus and a memory management method, which realize highly reliable writing and reading of data into/from a serial flash memory, and reduce the execution time of a CPU by booting at power-on.

An information processing apparatus (100) is composed of a memory management unit (10) for storing files, and an information processing unit (30) for performing processing on the basis of a program file supplied from the memory management unit (10), and the memory management unit (10) is composed of a file flash (11) for storing files, a file management unit (13) for managing the files stored in the file flash (11), a work memory (14) as a work area of the information processing unit (30), a flash I/F 12 for making access from the file management unit (13) to the file flash (11), and a boot flash (15) for storing a boot program.

Claims

1. An information processing apparatus having a memory management unit for managing files, and a processing unit for executing processing of a program on the basis of a program file supplied from the memory management unit, wherein

said memory management unit comprises:

a main storage means for storing the program file and various kinds of files, first management information describing information of all of the stored files, and second management information for backing up the first management information;

a boot program storage means for storing a boot program to be used at boot-up;

an auxiliary storage means for storing a supplied file;

a file management means for making access to the main storage means, the boot program storage means, and the auxiliary storage means; and

said file management means transferring, at boot-up, the first management information and the second management information to the auxiliary storage means on the basis of the boot program that is read from the boot program storage means, and transferring the file stored in the main storage means to the auxiliary storage means on the basis of the transferred first management information; and

said processing unit reads the program file transferred to the auxiliary storage means, and executing the processing of the program thereof.

7. An information processing apparatus as defined in any of claims 1 to 6, wherein said file management means stores a file generated in the processing apparatus into the main storage means.

8. An information processing apparatus as defined in any of claims 1 to 7, wherein said main storage means is a serial flash memory.

9. An information processing apparatus as defined in claim 8, wherein said main storage means comprises a serial flash memory containing the management information and various kinds of files, and at least one serial flash memory containing various kinds of files.

10. An information processing apparatus as defined in claim 8, wherein said main storage means comprises a serial flash memory containing the management information, and at least one serial flash memory containing various kinds of files.

11. An information processing apparatus as defined in claim 8, wherein said main storage means comprises plural serial flash memories each containing the management information and various kinds of files.

2. An information processing apparatus having a memory management unit for managing files, and a processing unit for executing processing of a program on the basis of a program file supplied from the memory management unit, wherein

said memory management unit comprises:

a main storage means for holding a first program file and various kinds of files, first management information describing information of all of the stored files, and second management information for backing up the first management information;

a communication means for obtaining a second program file from the outside of the apparatus;

an auxiliary storage means for storing a supplied file;

a boot program storage means for storing a boot program to be used at boot-up;

a file management means for making access to the main storage means and the auxiliary storage means;

a setting means for setting processing at boot-up;

a first transfer means for transferring the first management information and the second management information to the auxiliary storage means on the basis of the boot program that is read from the boot program storage means, and transferring the first program file stored in the main storage means to the auxiliary storage means; and

a second transfer means for transferring the first management information and the second management information to the auxiliary storage means on the basis of the boot program that is read from the boot program storage means, and transferring the second program file obtained through the communication means to the auxiliary storage means; and

said memory management unit selects, at boot-up, either the first transfer means or the second transfer means on the basis of the setting by the setting means to perform transfer of the program file to the auxiliary storage means; and

said processing unit reads the program file transferred to the auxiliary storage means, and executing the processing of the program thereof.

3. An information processing apparatus as defined in claim 2 wherein

said memory management unit further comprises:

a data storage device for accumulating and storing a third program file and data supplied thereto; and

a third transfer means for transferring the first management information and the second management information to the auxiliary storage means on the basis of the boot program read from the boot program storage means, and transferring the third program file stored in the data storage device to the auxiliary storage means; and

said memory management unit selects, at boot-up, one of the first transfer means, the second transfer means, and the third transfer means on the basis of the setting by the setting means to transfer the program file to the auxiliary storage means.

4. An information processing apparatus as defined in claim 2 or 3, wherein said processing unit obtains a file from an external apparatus through the communication means.

5. An information processing apparatus as defined in claim 3, wherein said file management means stores a file generated in the processing apparatus to the data storage device.

6. An information processing apparatus as defined in any of claims 2 to 5, wherein said file management means outputs a file generated in the processing apparatus to the outside through the communication means.

12. A memory management apparatus comprising:

a main storage means for storing files, and first management information and second management information which describe information of all of the stored files;

a management information generation means for generating new management information for performing erasing and writing from/into the main storage means;

a first management information updating means for updating the contents of the first management information stored in the main storage means by the contents of the new management information;

a storage processing means for performing erasing and writing from/into the main storage means on the basis of the new management information; and

a second management information updating means for updating the contents of the second management information stored in the main storage means by the contents of the new management information.

13. A memory management apparatus as defined in claim 12, wherein the new management information generated by the management information generation means includes,

information of a new file to be added and information of an old file to be erased at updating the file stored in the main storage means,

information of a block into which new data to be added is to be written and information of a block in which old data to be erased is stored at updating a block stored in the main storage means,

information of a file to be added at adding a new file into the main storage means;

and

information of a file to be erased at erasing a file from the storage means.

14. A memory management apparatus as defined in claim 12 or 13, wherein said main storage means has a processing state indication area indicating a processing state.

15. A memory management apparatus as defined in claim 14, wherein said processing state indicating area comprises:

an end-of-writing indication area indicating that writing into a predetermined area has ended,

an operating state indication area indicating various kinds of states that occur during erasing or writing from/into a predetermined area, and

a disablement indication area indicating that a predetermined area cannot be used.

16. A memory management apparatus as defined in claim 15, wherein

said main storage means comprises plural blocks each comprising a predetermined number of pages, and

said end-of-writing indication area comprises:

an end-of-page-writing indication area which is provided in each page, and indicates that writing into the corresponding page has ended, and

an end-of-block-writing indication area which is provided in a predetermined page in each block, or over plural pages starting from a predetermined page, and indicates that writing into the corresponding block has ended.

17. A memory management apparatus as defined in claim 16, wherein said storage processing means overwrites an end-of-writing indication into the end-of-page-writing indication area when the writing into the page has ended, and overwrites the same into the end-of-block-writing indication area when the writing into the block has ended.

18. A memory management apparatus as defined in claim 15, wherein

said main storage means comprises plural blocks each comprising a predetermined number of pages;

and

every time the storage processing means performs erasing or writing from/into any area, the storage processing means overwrites a state indication indicating the state of the processing, on the operation state indication area in a predetermined page in a predetermined block, or on the operation state indication areas over plural pages starting from a predetermined page in a predetermined block.

19. A memory management apparatus as defined in claim 18 wherein said state indication comprises:

a first state indication indicating that the first management information is being erased,

a second state indication indicating that the first management information is being updated,

a third state indication indicating that a new file is being written,

a fourth state indication indicating that an old file is being erased,

a fifth state indication indicating that the second management information is being erased,

a sixth state indication indicating the second management information is being updated, and

a seventh state indication indicating that all of processings have completed.

20. A memory management apparatus as defined in claim 15 or 18 wherein

said operation state indication area comprises

a first state indication area indicating that the first management information is being erased,

a second state indication area indicating that the first management information is being updated,

a third state indication area indicating that a new file is being written,

a fourth state indication area indicating that an old file is being erased,

a fifth state indication area indicating that the second management information is being erased,

a sixth state indication area indicating that the second management information is being updated, and

a seventh state indication area indicating that all of processings have completed.

21. A memory management apparatus as defined in claim 15, wherein

said main storage means comprises plural blocks each comprising a predetermined number of pages, and

when a block goes into disable state, the storage processing means overwrites a disablement indication on the block disablement indication area in a predetermined page in the corresponding block, or on the block disablement indication areas over plural pages starting from a predetermined page in the corresponding block.

22. A memory management apparatus as defined in any of claims 14 to 21 further comprising an indication value acquisition means for dividing a value indicated in each of the processing state indication areas, for every predetermined number of bits, and assigning a binary value to each divided area by majority judgement, to obtain indication values in the respective areas.

23. A memory management apparatus as defined in any of claims 14 to 21, wherein said memory management apparatus further comprises an indication value acquisition means for dividing a value indicated in each of the processing state indication areas, for every predetermined number of bits, and assigning a binary value to each divided value according to whether all of the bits are in a predetermined state or not, to obtain indication values in the respective areas.

24. A memory management apparatus as defined in any of claims 16, 18, and 21, wherein

the memory management apparatus further comprises a block indication value acquisition means for performing majority judgement for block indication values in each page, which are obtained by dividing a value indicated in each page for every predetermined number of bits and assigning a binary value to each divided value, thereby to determine plural indication values as indication values as block indication values of the target block.

25. A memory management apparatus as defined in any of claims 12 to 24, wherein said main storage means is a serial flash memory.

26. A memory management method for performing erasing and writing from/into a main storage means which has plural blocks containing data, and stores files and first management information and second management information in which information of all of the stored files are described, said method comprising:

a management information generation step of generating new management information including information of a block into which new data is to be written, and information of a block from which old data is to be erased;

a block writing step of writing the new data on the basis of the new management information;

a first management information updating step of updating the first management information stored in the main storage means by the contents of the new management information;

a second management information updating step of updating the second management information stored in the main storage means by the contents of the new management information; and

a block erasing step of erasing the old data on the basis of the new management information.

29. A memory management method as defined in any of claims 26 to 28, wherein said main storage means has a data storage area which comprises plural blocks containing data and stores files, said method further comprising:

a disablement indication step of, when a block becomes disable in the block writing step, or the file updating step, or the file writing step, overwriting a disablement indication indicating that the block is a disable block, into a predetermined area in the disable block;

a rewriting step of rewriting the contents to be written in the disable block, into an alternative block that is available in the data storage area; and

a correction management information updating step of updating the first management information and the second management information which are stored in the main storage means, by the contents of correction management information including information of the disable block and the alternative block.

32. A memory management method as defined in any of claims 26 to 28 and 30, wherein said main storage means has a management information storage area which comprises plural blocks containing data, and stores first management information and second management information, said method further comprising:

a disablement indication step of, when a block becomes disable in the first management information updating step or the second management information updating step, overwriting a disablement indication indicating that the block is a disable block, into a predetermined area in the disable block; and

a management information rewriting step of rewriting the new management information into an alternative block that is available in the management information storage area.

27. A memory management method for managing erasing and writing of files from/into a main storage means which stores files and first management information and second management information in which information of all of the stored files are described, said method comprising:

a management information generation step of generating new management information including information of a new file to be added and information of an old file to be erased;

a first management information updating step of updating the first management information stored in the main storage means by the contents of the new management information;

a file updating step of writing the new file on the basis of the new management information, and erasing the old file on the basis of the new management information; and

a second management information updating step of updating the second management information stored in the main storage means by the contents of the new management information.

28. A memory management method for managing writing of files into a main storage means which stores files and first management information and second management information in which information of all of the stored files are described, said method comprising:

a management information generation step of generating new management information including information of a new file to be added;

a first management information updating step of updating the first management information stored in the main storage means by the contents of the new management information;

a file writing step of writing the file on the basis of the new management information; and

a second management information updating step of updating the second management information stored in the main storage means by the contents of the new management information.

30. A memory management method for managing erasing of files from a main storage means which stores files and first management information and second management information in which information of all of the stored files are described, said method comprising:

a management information generation step of generating new management information including information of a file to be erased;

a first management information updating step of updating the first management information stored in the main storage means by the contents of the new management information;

a file erasing step of erasing the file on the basis of the new management information; and

a second management information updating step of updating the second management information stored in the main storage means by the contents of the new management information.

31. A memory management method as defined in claim 30 wherein said main storage means comprises plural blocks containing data, said method comprising:

a disablement indication step of, when a block becomes disable in the file erasing step, overwriting a disablement indication indicating that the block is a disable block, into a predetermined area of the disable block; and

a correction management information updating step of updating the first management information and the second management information stored in the main storage means by the contents of correction management information including information of the disable block.

33. An information processing method employing an information processing apparatus which includes a memory management unit for managing files, and a processing unit for executing processing of a program on the basis of a program file supplied from the memory management unit, wherein

said memory management unit comprises:

a main storage means for storing the program file and various kinds of files, first management information describing information of all of the stored files, and second management information for backing up the first management information;

a boot program storage means for storing a boot program to be used at boot-up;

an auxiliary storage means for storing files supplied thereto; and

a file management means for making access to the main storage means, the boot program storage means, and the auxiliary storage means; and

said information processing unit

transfers, at boot-up, the first management information and the second management information to the auxiliary storage means on the basis of the boot program that is read from the boot program storage means by the file management means,

transfers the file stored in the main storage means to the auxiliary storage means on the basis of the transferred first management information, and

reads the program file transferred to the auxiliary storage means by the processing unit, and executes the processing of the program thereof.