Image forming device

• US 7,911,639 B2
• Filed: 05/10/2007
• Issued: 03/22/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 05/12/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kyocera MITA Corporation (Kyocera Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Kyocera MITA Corporation (Kyocera Corporation)
• Inventors: Hara, Hiroyuki
• Primary Examiner(s): Pham; Thierry L
• Application Number:
  US11/801,552
• Publication Number:
  US 20080005388A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,412 Days
• Field of Search: 358/1.1, 358/1.2, 358/1.4, 358/1.5, 358/1.6, 358/1.9, 358/1.11, 358/1.12, 358/1.13, 358/1.14, 358/1.15, 358/1.16, 358/1.17, 358/1.18
• US Class Current: 358/1.16
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 12/1036 for multiple virtual address spaces, e.g. segmentation G06F12/1045 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 12/109 for multiple virtual address spaces, e.g. segmentation G06F12/1036 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/5016 the resource being the memory
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/544 Buffers; Shared memory; Pipes

Abstract

A method that enables an image forming device of efficient memory sharing between processes and a kernel in a simple multiple-process-configuration. The image forming device has a real address space including a DMA buffer area and a shared memory area, a virtual address spaces, and job page assurance (JPA) programs. The virtual address spaces of the executing processes are mapped onto the real address space. The DMA buffer area can be accessed by the kernel. The shared memory area stores a job list and a job management list. The processes in the virtual address spaces include identical JPA libraries. Each of the JPA libraries requests the kernel to allocate of one page non-compressed data memory size for the job in the DMA buffer area, and upon completion of the job output, requests the kernel to release the allocated area and alters the contents in the job management list accordingly.

Claims

1. An image forming device having a processor, multiple image input units connected to the processor, and a storing unit connected to the processor and embodying a virtual address spaces and a real address space, wherein an operating system that executes multiple jobs by mapping a virtual address space of a process of each job onto a real address space being stored in the storing unit, the image forming device, comprising:

a first shared area onto which a data area in each virtual address space of an executing process is mapped and to which a kernel of the operating system can make access;

a second shared area where state information of each executing job and an area allocation status information of each executing job in the first shared area are stored, wherein the real address space includes the first shared area and the second shared area; and

identical job page assurance programs, wherein processes in the virtual address spaces have the identical job page assurance programs; and

the job page assurance programs, further comprising steps of;

(a) determining a memory size of an area to which one page of non-compressed data for a job is allocated in the first shared area, which is to be requested to the kernel, based on the state information and the area allocation status information of the job;

(b) requesting the kernel to allocate the area of the size and altering the area allocation status information; and

(c) requesting the kernel to release the allocated area for the job in the first shared area and altering the area acquisition status information, in response to an output completion report of the job.

2. The image forming device of claim 1, wherein:

the first shared area is a direct memory access buffer area in a kernel address space.

3. The image forming device of claim 2, wherein:

the job state data includes a job ID and state information of each job corresponding to the job ID, and the memory management data includes a job ID, a memory size required for execution of each job in the first shared area, and a memory size allocated for the job in the first shared area, the memory size corresponding to the job IDs;

the state information of the job includes data indicating whether or not the required size has been allocated; and

each job page assurance program further includes a step (d), in response to the job generation, of adding data for the job to the job state data and the memory management data, the job page assurance program requesting the kernel to release the allocated area, and deleting data for the job in the job state data and the memory management data in the step (c).

4. The image forming device of claim 3, wherein:

the job state data is a job list constituted by data blocks in which state information of a job and a job ID correspond to the job, and the data blocks are linked to each other for each job; and

the memory management data is a memory management list constituted by data blocks in which a memory size allocated for a job in the first shared area and a job ID corresponds to the job ID, the data blocks are linked to each other for each job.

5. The image forming device of claim 3, wherein:

the state information includes a priority order in the order of a job execution starting time from earliest to latest; and

if the job priority is primary, the job page assurance program requests the kernel to allocate one page of non-compressed data area in the first shared area, and if the job priority is secondary, upon creation of a third priority job, the job page assurance program requests the kernel to allocate the rest of non-compressed job data area of equal to or less than one page in the first shared area.

6. The image forming device of claim 4, wherein:

the state information includes a priority order in the order of a job execution starting time from earliest to latest; and

if the job priority is primary, the job page assurance program requests the kernel to allocate one page of non-compressed data area in the first shared area, and if the job priority is secondary, upon creation of a third priority job, the job page assurance program requests the kernel to allocate the rest of non-compressed job data area of equal to or less than one page in the first shared area.

7. The image forming device of claim 3, further comprising:

a dynamic link library, wherein the job page assurance program is included in the dynamic link library.

8. The image forming device of claim 4, further comprising:

a dynamic link library, wherein the job page assurance program is included in the dynamic link library.

9. The image forming device of claim 5, further comprising:

a dynamic link library, wherein the job page assurance program is included in the dynamic link library.

10. The image forming device of claim 6, further comprising:

a dynamic link library, wherein the job page assurance program is included in the dynamic link library.