Patent Publication Number: US-2004042041-A1

Title: Image forming device

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS  
       [0001] This application claims the benefit of Korean Application No. 2002-50950, filed Aug. 27, 2002, in the Korean Intellectual Property Office, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference.  
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0002] 1. Field of the Invention  
       [0003] The present invention relates to an image forming device, and more particularly, to an image forming device which is provided with separate storing spaces for storing a program to initialize the image forming device and an operating program for operating a system of the image forming device, thereby enabling an easy management of the programs.  
       [0004] 2. Description of the Related Art  
       [0005] Image forming devices such as facsimile machines, printers and multifunction machines includes functions to print, fax, and/or copy. The printers are frequently used for visualizing computer-processed information.  
       [0006]FIG. 1 is a schematic view showing a conventional image forming device. Referring to FIG. 1, the image forming device includes a video controller  10  and a printing engine unit  30 . The video controller  10  processes printing data transmitted from an external device (for example, a host computer) in order for the printing engine unit  30  to print the printing data.  
       [0007] The video controller  10  includes an interface portion  12  receiving the printing data by interfacing with the external device, a storage  14  storing programs such as a boot program, an operating program, and an application program. The video controller  10  further includes a system memory  16  storing a program necessary to operate a system and data generated following the execution of the program, and a controller  18  controlling the interface portion  12 , the storage  14 , and the system memory  16 .  
       [0008] The printing engine unit  30  performs a printing operation with respect to the printing data transmitted from the video controller  10  according to a control of the controller  18 .  
       [0009] By the supply of power, the image forming device is initialized through a system reset. When the image forming device is initialized, the controller  18  executes the boot program stored in the storage  14 . The operating program stored in the storage  14  is executed as the boot program is executed, thereby initializing the system.  
       [0010] Such processes of executing the operating program through a series of initialization processes are called “booting”.  
       [0011] In the conventional image forming device, however, because the boot program and the operating program are stored in the same storage, modularization thereof is difficult and, thus, upgrading the programs is impossible. Accordingly, reprogramming and version management are not easy.  
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0012] According to an aspect of the present invention there is provided an image forming device that enables easy upgrade and modularization of programs by storing a boot program and a system program to operate a system in separate storing spaces.  
       [0013] Additional aspects and/or advantages of the invention will be set forth in part in the description which follows and, in part, will be obvious from the description, or may be learned by practice of the invention.  
       [0014] According to an aspect of the present invention, there is provided an image forming device including: a system memory storing data for a system operation; a memory controller controlling the system memory; a printing engine unit performing a printing operation to print data; a controller; a system bus having an address bus and a data bus; a first storage storing a first function program to perform a booting and initialization of the image forming device; and a second storage storing a second function program to perform a system operation and a specific function, wherein the first storage and the second storage are connected to the controller via the data bus, and at least one of the first storage and the second storage is connected to the controller via the address bus.  
       [0015] In accordance with an aspect of the present invention, the controller executes the first function program stored in the first storage when power is applied to the image forming device, and executes the second function program with the executed first function program to initialize the image forming device.  
       [0016] The second function program stored in the second storage is downloaded to the system memory.  
       [0017] In accordance with an aspect of the present invention, there is provided an image forming device and method including a first storage storing a first function program, a system memory, a second storage storing a second function program, and a controller. When power or a reset signal is applied to the image forming device, the controller executes the first function program and executes the second function program after downloading the second function program to the system memory.  
       [0018] In accordance with an aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method of an image forming device including a first storage, a second storage, a memory controller, a system controller, a controller, and an interface portion, the method including: applying power or a reset signal to initialize the image forming device; executing a boot program stored in the first storage; downloading a system operating program stored in the second storage to the system memory; and executing the operating program stored in the system memory when the downloading is complete. 
     
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
     [0019] These and/or other aspects and advantages of the invention will become apparent and more readily appreciated from the following description of the embodiments, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings of which:  
     [0020]FIG. 1 is a schematic view showing a conventional image forming device;  
     [0021]FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing an image forming device, according to an aspect of the present invention; and  
     [0022]FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing a process of initializing a system of the image forming device of FIG. 2.  
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION  
     [0023] Reference will now be made in detail to the aspects of the present invention, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein like reference numerals refer to like elements throughout. The embodiments are described below in order to explain the present invention by referring to the figures.  
     [0024]FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing an image forming device, according to an aspect of the present invention.  
     [0025] Referring to FIG. 2, an image forming device  100  has a video controller  110  and a printing engine unit  130 .  
     [0026] The video controller  110  converts printing data transmitted from a host computer (not shown) into image data and then outputs the image data to the printing engine unit  130 .  
     [0027] The video controller  110  has an interface portion  112 , a first storage  114 , a second storage  116 , a memory controller  118 , a system memory  120 , a controller  122 , and a display portion  124 .  
     [0028] The interface portion  112  is connected with the host computer to support a mutual data communication between the controller  122  and the host computer. The interface portion  112  serves as a module to interface in parallel or serially between the host computer and the controller  122  and receives the printing data from the host computer. Also, the interface portion  112  provides the host computer with information about a power supply of the image forming device  100  and printing information.  
     [0029] The first storage  114  stores a first function program such as a boot program that boots the image forming device  100 . The first storage  114  uses a ROM, a flash memory, or other types of memory.  
     [0030] The second storage  116  stores a second function program such as a system operating program and an application program. The second storage  116  uses a ROM, a flash memory or other types of memory.  
     [0031] The system memory  120  is a storing space that serves as a buffer, to process data generated during an operation of the image forming device  100  operated in accordance with an execution of the system operating program and the application program. The system memory  120  uses a volatile memory element such as a DRAM or a SRAM.  
     [0032] The first storage  114 , the second storage  116 , the memory controller  118 , and the system memory  120  are connected to the controller  122  via a system bus including an address/data bus and a control bus. The address/data bus is for transmitting data information and addresses.  
     [0033] Depending on a memory type being employed, the second storage  116  storing the system operating program can be connected to the controller  122  via the address/data bus or the data bus alone. For example, an HDD or a NAND type flash memory permits data to be input/output via the data bus alone.  
     [0034] The memory controller  118  downloads the system operating program stored in the second storage  116  to the system memory  120  according to a control from the controller  122 .  
     [0035] The controller  122  communicates with the host computer via the interface portion  112 , and converts the printing data received via the interface portion  112  to data to be processed by the printing engine unit  130  and transmits the data to the printing engine unit  130 .  
     [0036] Also, when power is applied to the image forming device  100 , the controller  122  executes the boot program stored in the first storage  114 . With the boot program being executed, the controller  122  executes the system operating program stored in the second storage  116  to initialize the system.  
     [0037] Also, the controller  122  controls the memory controller  118  to download the system operating program stored in the second storage  116  to the system memory  120 . The system operating program and other application programs are executed after being downloaded to the system memory  120  that employs the SRAM or the DRAM characterized in a high speed access to the memory, thereby improving a processing speed of the image forming device  100 .  
     [0038] The controller  122  has an option of executing any one of the programs stored in the second storage  116  and any one of the programs downloaded to the system memory  120 . The display portion  124  displays a general operating status of the image forming device  100  according to a control of the controller  122 . The printing engine unit  130  receives the image data processed by the video controller  110  and performs a printing operation with respect to the image data.  
     [0039] Hereinafter, a process of initializing the system of the image forming device, according to an aspect of the present invention, will be described with reference to FIG. 3.  
     [0040] At S 200 , if power or a reset signal is applied to the image forming device  100 , at S 210 , the controller  122  executes the boot program stored in the first storage  114 . With the boot program being executed, at S 220 , the controller  122  controls the memory controller  118  to download the system operating program stored in the second storage  116  to the system memory  120 .  
     [0041] At S 230 , the controller  122  determines whether downloading of the system operating program to the system memory  120  is completed or not. At S 240 , if it is determined that the downloading is completed, the controller  122  executes the operating program stored in the system memory  120 . When the image forming device  100  is applied with the power, the controller  122  initializes the system of the image forming device  100  by performing S 210  to S 240 .  
     [0042] As described above, the boot program, the operating program, and the application program are stored in separate storing spaces such that a selective upgrade of the programs becomes possible.  
     [0043] According to the image forming device as described above, because it is provided with separate storing media to respectively store the boot program and the system operating program, modularization of the programs becomes possible. Accordingly, an upgrade and version management of the programs become easier.  
     [0044] Also, by using an inexpensive memory to store the system operating program or a storing media permitting input/output data simply via a data bus, the cost of a product including the image forming device, according to an aspect of the present invention, can be reduced. Also, because the system operating program and the application program are downloaded and executed on the system memory at a high processing speed, the processing speed of the image forming device can be improved.  
     [0045] Although a few embodiments of the present invention have been shown and described, it would be appreciated by those skilled in the art that changes may be made in this embodiment without departing from the principles and spirit of the invention, the scope of which is defined in the claims and their equivalents.