JP4835977B2 - Information processing device - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to an information processing apparatus, and more particularly to an information processing apparatus capable of appropriately selecting a communication speed for exchanging data with a data recording medium.

  As a data recording medium for recording data by an information processing apparatus such as a personal computer, there is a CF (Compact Flash (registered trademark)) card. An information processing apparatus corresponding to the CF card is provided with a card slot for the CF card, and the information processing apparatus can access the CF card when the user inserts the CF card into the card slot. become.

  There are two types of CF cards, a memory card and an IO card. When the information processing apparatus exchanges data with the CF card of the memory card inserted in the card slot, two operations of the memory mode and the TrueIDE mode are performed. Must be done in one of the modes. In the memory mode, a plurality of communication speed modes are provided, and in the TrueIDE mode, a plurality of communication speed modes are provided.

  Which operation mode is used to exchange data with the CF card is arbitrary, but since the communication speed is often faster when accessed in the TrueIDE mode, an information processing device has been inserted so far. The corresponding operation mode of the CF card is checked, a CF card that supports the TrueIDE mode is accessed in the TrueIDE mode, and a CF card that does not support the TrueIDE mode is accessed in the memory mode (for example, a special feature). No. 2004-355476 (Patent Document 1)).

  However, in some CF cards, the communication speed supported in the memory mode may be faster than the communication speed supported in the TrueIDE mode. In such a case, the CF card in the memory mode may be used. Data transfer time can be shortened by exchanging data. Therefore, in Japanese Patent Application No. 2006-002804 (Patent Document 2), the communication speed supported in the memory mode and the communication speed supported in the TrueIDE mode are checked, and the operation mode corresponding to the higher communication speed is supported. Select to access.

However, it has been found that even if the CF card is accessed at a communication speed that should allow normal data exchange, a communication error occurs and data exchange cannot be performed normally. This is because there are various manufacturers and types of CF cards, and depending on the manufacturer and type, the communication speed that should be supported by the manufacturer may not be supported, or there may be inconsistencies with the driver. From this, it was found that such a situation would occur. However, in such a case, if the CF card cannot be used, it will be inconvenient for the user, which is not desirable. Such a problem may occur not only in the CF card but also in other types of data recording media.
JP 2004-355476 A Japanese Patent Application No. 2006-002804

  Therefore, the present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and even when data exchange fails at the fastest communication speed that should be supported, the data recording medium can be reduced by reducing the communication speed. It is an object of the present invention to provide an information processing apparatus capable of realizing the exchange of data with a user and reducing the waiting time of a user when accessing a data recording medium as much as possible.

In order to solve the above problems, an information processing apparatus according to the present invention provides:
A data recording medium having a first operation mode having one or a plurality of communication speeds and a second operation mode having one or a plurality of communication speeds is inserted as an operation mode, and the inserted data recording medium is accessed. Data recording medium access means for
Selection means for allowing a user to select the type of access to the data recording medium inserted in the data recording medium access means;
A first access that performs the type of access selected by the selection means to the data recording medium in an operation mode having a higher communication speed of the first operation mode and the second operation mode. Means,
When the access by the first access unit fails and the access selected by the user by the selection unit is an access type for exchanging data at once, the first operation mode and the first In the second operation mode, the fastest communication speed is selected from the communication speeds in which data can be normally exchanged, and the type of access selected by the selection means is again made to the data recording medium. A second access means,
If the access by the first access means fails and the access selected by the selection means is not the type of access for exchanging data in a batch, the communication speed is reduced in the current operation mode. Re-accessing the data recording medium of the type selected by the selection means;
It is characterized by providing.

  In this case, when the third access means lowers the communication speed, the third access means should reduce the communication speed to the slowest communication speed that can normally exchange data with the data recording medium in the current operation mode. It may be.

  In addition, if the access to the data recording medium fails again, the second access means determines that there is no possibility that data can be normally exchanged with the data recording medium at the selected communication speed. Then, after the communication speed is excluded from the candidates, the fastest communication speed that can exchange data normally in the first operation mode and the second operation mode is selected. Then, the type of access selected by the selection unit may be made to the data recording medium again.

Further, the type of access selected by the user in the selection means is at least:
As a type of access for exchanging data collectively, there is a backup of data recorded on the data recording medium,
Browsing of data recorded on the data recording medium may be performed as a type that is not access for exchanging data collectively.

  Further, the first access means may access the data recording medium to access the data recording medium in the first operation mode, and the data in the second operation mode. It is also possible to acquire the communication speed that can possibly access the recording medium and select the operation mode with the fastest communication speed from among the acquired communication speeds.

Further, the data recording medium is a card type recording medium that is inserted in the data recording medium access means so as to be removable.
The data recording medium access means may be constituted by a card slot into which the card type recording medium is inserted.

  In this case, the card type recording medium may be a compact flash card.

  In this case, the first operation mode may be a memory mode, and the second operation mode may be a TrueIDE mode.

An information processing apparatus control method according to the present invention includes:
A data recording medium having a first operation mode having one or a plurality of communication speeds and a second operation mode having one or a plurality of communication speeds is inserted as an operation mode, and the inserted data recording medium is accessed. An information processing apparatus control method comprising a data recording medium access means for
Allowing the user to select the type of access to the data recording medium inserted into the data recording medium access means;
Accessing the data recording medium in a type selected by a user in an operation mode with a higher communication speed of the first operation mode and the second operation mode;
When access to the data recording medium fails, and the access selected by the user is an access type for exchanging data at once, the first operation mode and the second operation mode Selecting the fastest communication speed among the communication speeds that can normally exchange data, and again accessing the data recording medium of the type selected by the user;
When access to the data recording medium fails, if the access selected by the user is not the type of access for exchanging data at once, the communication speed is reduced while maintaining the current operation mode, and again, Accessing the data recording medium of the type selected by the user;
It is characterized by providing.

A program for controlling the information processing apparatus according to the present invention includes:
A data recording medium having a first operation mode having one or a plurality of communication speeds and a second operation mode having one or a plurality of communication speeds is inserted as an operation mode, and the inserted data recording medium is accessed. A program for controlling an information processing apparatus including a data recording medium access means for
Allowing the user to select the type of access to the data recording medium inserted into the data recording medium access means;
Accessing the data recording medium in a type selected by a user in an operation mode with a higher communication speed of the first operation mode and the second operation mode;
When access to the data recording medium fails, and the access selected by the user is an access type for exchanging data at once, the first operation mode and the second operation mode Selecting the fastest communication speed among the communication speeds that can normally exchange data, and again accessing the data recording medium of the type selected by the user;
When access to the data recording medium fails, if the access selected by the user is not the type of access for exchanging data at once, the communication speed is reduced while maintaining the current operation mode, and again, Accessing the data recording medium of the type selected by the user;
This is characterized in that the information processing apparatus is executed.

The recording medium according to the present invention is
A data recording medium having a first operation mode having one or a plurality of communication speeds and a second operation mode having one or a plurality of communication speeds is inserted as an operation mode, and the inserted data recording medium is accessed. A recording medium on which is recorded a program for controlling an information processing apparatus including a data recording medium access means,
Allowing the user to select the type of access to the data recording medium inserted into the data recording medium access means;
Accessing the data recording medium in a type selected by a user in an operation mode with a higher communication speed of the first operation mode and the second operation mode;
When access to the data recording medium fails, and the access selected by the user is an access type for exchanging data at once, the first operation mode and the second operation mode Selecting the fastest communication speed among the communication speeds that can normally exchange data, and again accessing the data recording medium of the type selected by the user;
When access to the data recording medium fails, if the access selected by the user is not the type of access for exchanging data at once, the communication speed is reduced while maintaining the current operation mode, and again, Accessing the data recording medium of the type selected by the user;
Is recorded on the information processing apparatus.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. Note that the embodiments described below do not limit the technical scope of the present invention.

  FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating an example of the internal configuration of the information processing apparatus 10 according to the present embodiment. The information processing apparatus 10 is a variety of information processing apparatuses having a card slot. In this embodiment, a small image display device called a photo viewer and a portable music playback device are assumed. Of course, the information processing apparatus is not limited to an image display apparatus or a music playback apparatus, but may be a notebook type or a desktop personal computer.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the information processing apparatus 10 according to the present embodiment includes a CPU (Central Processing Unit) 20, a RAM (Random Access Memory) 22, a ROM (Read Only Memory) 24, a hard disk drive 26, and the like. , A user interface 30, a video decoder 32, a display screen 34, an audio decoder 36, a D / A converter 37, and a speaker 38.

  The CPU 20, RAM 22, ROM 24, and hard disk drive 26 are connected to each other via an internal bus. Therefore, the CPU 20 can arbitrarily access the RAM 22, ROM 24, and hard disk drive 26 via the internal bus.

  Image data is output from the CPU 20 to the video decoder 32, and the image data is decoded by the video decoder 32 and displayed on the display screen 34. The display screen 34 is configured by an LCD (Liquid Crystal Display), a CRT (Cathode Ray Tube), or the like. Further, the music data is output from the CPU 20 to the audio decoder 36, the music data is decoded by the audio decoder 36, digital-analog converted by the D / A converter 37, and then output from the speaker 38.

  Various user operation instructions are input to the CPU 20 from the user interface 30. The user interface 30 can be composed of, for example, one or a plurality of buttons, a keyboard, a pointing device, and the like, or can be composed of a combination thereof. In the example of FIG. 1, the user interface 30 is provided in the information processing apparatus 10 itself, but the user interface 30 may be provided outside the information processing apparatus 10. The CPU 20 executes various processes based on operation instructions from the user interface 30.

  The information processing apparatus 10 according to the present embodiment is provided with a card slot 40. In the present embodiment, the CF card 50 is inserted into the card slot 40 by the user, and the inserted CF card 50 is removed. Accordingly, various types of CF cards 50 are inserted into / removed from the card slot 40 by the user, and CF cards 50 corresponding to various modes are inserted / removed. The CF card 50 is an example of a card type recording medium in the present embodiment.

  In particular, in the present embodiment, the CF card 50 inserted / removed into / from the card slot 40 is assumed to be a memory card that can operate in both the memory mode and the TrueIDE mode. In this embodiment, an error occurs when an I / O card operable in the I / O mode is inserted into the card slot 40. Of course, if a standard other than this is newly established, the CF card 50 of the new standard may be inserted into / removed from the information processing apparatus 10.

  Control of the CF card 50 inserted into the card slot 40 is performed from the CPU 20 via the card controller 60. That is, the CPU 20 determines whether or not the CF card 50 is inserted into the card slot 40 based on the card detection signal output from the card slot 40. When the CF card 50 is inserted, the CPU 20 outputs a mode switching signal to the card controller 60 and switches between accessing in the memory mode and accessing in the TrueIDE mode. When the information processing apparatus 10 supports the I / O mode, the mode switching signal is used to switch to the I / O mode.

  The card controller 60 and the card slot 40 are connected by a card bus, and data is exchanged between the CPU 20 and the CF card 50 inserted in the card slot 40 via the card controller 60. Is called.

  The card power is supplied to the CF card 50 inserted into the card slot 40 from the card power control circuit 62 via the power wiring. Whether or not the card power control circuit 62 supplies card power is controlled based on a card power control signal output from the CPU 20. That is, when the CPU 20 detects that the CF card 50 is inserted, or when the CPU 20 is trying to access the CF card 50, the CPU 20 sends a card power control signal for supplying card power to the card power control circuit 62. Output. On the contrary, when the CPU 20 detects that the CF card 50 has been removed, or when the CPU 20 exits from the card access state, the CPU 20 stops the card power supply to the card power control circuit 62. Outputs a power control signal.

  In the present embodiment, when the CF card 50 is switched from the memory mode to the TrueIDE mode, or conversely, when switching from the TrueIDE mode to the memory mode, it is necessary to turn off the power of the CF card 50 once. Even when the CPU 20 outputs a card power control signal for supplying card power, the CPU 20 once outputs a card power control signal for turning off the card power, and the card power sufficiently falls after a predetermined time has elapsed. After that, the card power control signal for supplying the card power is output again.

  In this embodiment, for example, the card power control signal when the card power is supplied is at a high level, and the card power control signal when the card power is not supplied is at a low level. Also, under what conditions the card power is turned on and under what conditions the card power is turned off are variously set according to the specifications of the information processing apparatus 10 and the CF card 50.

  Next, a card data transfer process that is regularly executed by the information processing apparatus 10 will be described with reference to FIGS. 2 and 3. This card data transfer process is a process realized by the CPU 20 reading and executing a card data transfer process program stored in the ROM 24 or the hard disk drive 26. The card data transfer process is a process that is automatically started when the information processing apparatus 10 is turned on.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the information processing apparatus 10 determines whether a new CF card 50 is detected in the card slot 40 (step S10). In the present embodiment, it is determined whether a new CF card 50 has been inserted into the card slot 40 based on the card detection signal output from the card slot 40 described above.

  More specifically, the information processing apparatus 10 determines that a new CF card 50 is inserted into the card slot 40 when both the CD1 signal and the CD2 signal in the card slot 40 change from a high level to a low level. to decide. Further, in the present embodiment, the information processing apparatus 10 checks the CD1 signal and the CD2 signal in the card slot 40 when the power supply of the information processing apparatus 10 is turned on, and the CD1 signal and the CD2 signal turn on the power. Even if it is at the low level when turned on, it is determined that a new CF card 50 has been inserted into the card slot 40 because the CF card 50 has already been inserted into the card slot 40. That is, in the present embodiment, the CD1 signal and the CD2 signal are at a low level while the CF card 50 is inserted, and the CD1 signal and the CD2 signal are at a high level while the CF card 50 is not inserted. Therefore, these CD1 signal and CD2 signal are used as card detection signals.

  If it is determined in step S10 that a new CF card 50 is not detected (step S10: NO), this step S10 is repeated until the new CF card 50 is detected in the card slot 40.

  On the other hand, if it is determined in step S10 that a new CF card 50 has been detected in the card slot 40 (step S10: YES), the information processing apparatus 10 selects a CF card processing selection as shown in FIG. A screen W10 is displayed (step S12).

  As can be seen from FIG. 4, on the CF card processing selection screen W10 according to the present embodiment, two options “CF card backup” and “CF card browsing” are displayed. When “CD card backup” is selected, the data stored in the CF card 50 is collectively transferred to the hard disk 26 for backup.

  On the other hand, when “Browse CF Card” is selected, the data information stored in the CF card 50 is read instead of backing up the data, and a list of files is displayed on the display screen 34. Then, the user selects a still image data file, a moving image data file, or a music data file to be displayed from the list of files. In the present embodiment, for example, when a still image data file is selected, the selected still image data stored in the CF card 50 is sequentially read and displayed on the display screen 34. When a moving image data file is selected, the selected moving image data stored in the CF card 50 is read and displayed on the display screen 34. Alternatively, when a music data file is selected, the selected music data stored in the CF card 50 is read and reproduced from the speaker 38. Of course, in order to display a list of files, it is necessary to access the CF card 50 once.

  In addition, an operation for selecting either “CF card backup” or “CF card browsing” or an operation for selecting a data file from the file list is performed by the user using the user interface 30.

  When the user selects either “CF card backup” or “CF card browsing”, the information processing apparatus 10 accesses the CF card 50 in the memory mode and reads CIS information as card attribute information. (Step S14).

  Next, the information processing apparatus 10 examines and acquires the cycle time in the memory mode of the inserted CF card 50 based on the read CIS information (step S16).

  FIG. 5 is a diagram showing a list of cycle times that the CF card 50 may support in the memory mode. The table shown in FIG. 5 is stored in advance in the ROM 24 or the hard disk drive 26, for example.

  As shown in FIG. 5, in this embodiment, the CF card 50 operates in any cycle time of 250 ns, 150 ns, 120 ns, 100 ns, and 80 ns. Which cycle time the CF card 50 supports can be determined by looking at bit 2 to bit 0 of the device ID in byte 2 in the CISTPL_DEVICE tuple in the CIS information. Accordingly, in step S16, it is specified in which cycle time the inserted CF card 50 operates based on the read CIS information. Here, since the cycle time is a time of one cycle of the basic operation clock, it means that the shorter the cycle time, the faster the basic operation.

  The cycle time of 150 ns is not supported by the CF + and Compact Flash Specification Revision 3.0 standard, but some cards with specifications that operate with a normal CF card 50 or a microdrive with a built-in hard disk drive and a cycle time of 150 ns. Exists. For this reason, the information processing apparatus 10 according to the present embodiment can be adapted to the CF card 50 and the microdrive that operate with a cycle time of 150 ns.

  Next, as shown in FIG. 2, the information processing apparatus 10 executes the IdentifyDevice command (step S18), and acquires the cycle time of the TrueIDE mode (step S20). That is, even in the TrueIDE mode, the mode that can be handled varies depending on the type of the CF card 50, and the communication speed, that is, the cycle time varies depending on the mode that can be handled. For this reason, it is necessary for the information processing apparatus 10 to check the compatible modes.

  In general, there are three transfer modes of the TrueIDE mode: a PIO mode, a Multiword DMA mode, and an Ultra DMA mode. In these three transfer modes, several modes are prepared for each corresponding speed. It is assumed that the information processing apparatus 10 according to the present embodiment supports only the PIO mode among these three transfer modes.

  Furthermore, it is assumed that the information processing apparatus 10 according to the present embodiment supports the latest revision revision 3.0 (CF + and Compact Flash Specification Revision 3.0) in the PIO mode. In the PIO mode of Revision 3.0, since PIO mode 0 to PIO mode 6 are defined, it is determined which CF card 50 inserted in which PIO mode corresponds.

  FIG. 6 is a diagram showing a list of cycle times of mode 0 to mode 6 defined in the PIO mode. The table shown in FIG. 6 is stored in advance in the ROM 24 or the hard disk drive 26, for example.

  As shown in FIG. 6, in the PIO mode, the communication speed is the slowest in the PIO mode 0, the cycle time is 600 ns, and the communication speed increases as the PIO mode 6 is reached. In the PIO mode 6, the cycle time is 80 ns. is there. The information processing apparatus 10 determines which mode the CF card 50 corresponds to based on the read Identity Device information, and identifies the shortest cycle time corresponding to the mode.

  Next, as shown in FIG. 2, the information processing apparatus 10 refers to the mode selection table TB10 and selects a mode used for data transfer (step S22). FIG. 7 is a diagram illustrating an example of the configuration of the mode selection table TB10 according to the present embodiment. In the present embodiment, the mode selection table TB10 is stored in advance in the ROM 24 or the hard disk drive 26.

  As can be seen from FIG. 7, in the mode selection table TB10, the comparison between the cycle time corresponding to the memory mode and the PIO mode corresponding to the TrueIDE mode is that the communication speed is higher than the memory mode. It is a list which shows which is in TrueIDE mode. Therefore, the information processing apparatus 10 selects the operation mode with the higher transfer speed among the operation modes supported by the newly detected CF card 50 based on the mode selection table TB10. For example, when the memory mode corresponds to a cycle time of 250 ns and the TrueIDE mode corresponds to the PIO mode 1 of 283 ns, the memory mode is selected as the operation mode. When the memory mode corresponds to a cycle time of 250 ns and the True IDE mode corresponds to the PIO mode 3 of 180 ns, the True IDE mode is selected as the operation mode.

  However, since the memory mode and the TrueIDE mode are different operation modes, when comparing the transfer rates between the two, the driver and the data transfer protocol are different. It is not always fast. Therefore, in this embodiment, instead of simply determining the operation mode based on the cycle time, the transfer speed in the memory mode and the TrueIDE mode is checked in advance, and the operation mode with the higher transfer speed is selected. As described above, the mode selection table TB10 is prepared.

  Next, as illustrated in FIG. 2, the information processing apparatus 10 performs data transfer in the operation mode determined in step S22 (step S24). That is, when the user selects “CF card backup”, the data is transmitted from the CF card 50 to the hard disk drive 26 to perform backup. On the other hand, when the user selects “Browse CF Card”, the file information stored in the CF card 50 is sequentially read from the CF card 50, and the file information is read from the CF card 50 as an information processing apparatus. 10, the information processing apparatus 10 displays a list of files.

  Then, the information processing apparatus 10 determines whether the data transfer has been normally completed (step S26). If it is determined that the data transfer has been completed normally (step S26: YES), the process returns to step S10 described above. Here, the data transfer completed normally means that the data backup from the CF card 50 to the hard disk drive 26 is completed when the user selects “CF card backup”. On the other hand, if the user selects “Browse CF Card”, the file information stored in the CF card 50 is sequentially read out from the CF card 50 and a list of files is displayed. It means that one or more files are selected and reading of the files is completed.

  On the other hand, if it is determined in step S26 that the data transfer has not been completed normally (step S26: NO), that is, if the data transmission has failed, the information processing apparatus 10 as shown in FIG. Then, it is determined whether or not the user's selection is “CF card backup” (step S30).

  When the user's selection is not “CF card backup” (step S30: NO), that is, when the user's selection is “view CF card”, the operation mode determined in step S22 is not changed. The operation mode is changed to the slowest mode (step S32). And it returns to step S24 mentioned above and performs data transfer. That is, the mode is switched to the mode with the longest cycle time among the modes in which data can be normally exchanged with the CF card 50 without changing the current operation mode.

  The reason for switching to the mode with the longest cycle time is that the mode with the slowest communication speed is most likely to perform the normal data transfer. When the user's selection is “browsing CF card”, the data read from the CF card 50 is only file information, so the amount of data is small, and the user's waiting time is hardly increased even if the communication speed is somewhat slow. Because.

  On the other hand, if it is determined in step S30 that the user's selection is “CF card backup” (step S30: YES), the cycle time of the mode that is one step slower than the current mode remains in the current operation mode. Obtain (step S34). That is, when the current operation mode is the memory mode, the cycle time when the one-stage mode is dropped is acquired according to the table of FIG. If the current operation mode is the TrueIDE mode, the cycle time when the one-step mode is dropped is acquired according to the table of FIG.

  Next, the information processing apparatus 10 acquires the cycle time of the fastest mode supported by the CF card 50 when the operation mode is changed (step S36). That is, when the current operation mode is the memory mode, according to the TrueIDE mode table shown in FIG. 6, among the modes in which data can be normally exchanged with the CF card 50, the communication speed is the highest. Get the fast mode cycle time. Further, when the current operation mode is the TrueIDE mode, according to the memory mode table shown in FIG. 5, the mode having the highest communication speed among the modes in which data can be normally exchanged with the CF card 50 is obtained. Get the fast mode cycle time.

  In addition, if the operation mode has already been changed in the process so far and the data transfer has failed, it has been found that the mode selected in the data transfer cannot normally exchange data. The communication speed mode in which the data transfer could not be performed is excluded from the candidates, and the cycle time of the mode that is one step slower than the mode in which the data transfer failed is acquired.

  Next, the information processing apparatus 10 determines whether the data transfer speed is faster when the data transfer is performed with the current operation mode acquired in step S34 while the one-step mode is reduced than when the operation mode is changed. Judgment is made (step S38). Specifically, the mode selection table of FIG. 7 is searched based on the cycle time acquired in step S34 and the cycle time acquired in step S36, and the data transfer is performed in which operation mode. Determine if the speed will increase.

  Then, if it is determined that the data transfer speed is faster when the one-step mode is lowered while maintaining the current operation mode (step S38: YES), the operation mode is not changed and one step is delayed. The mode is changed (step S40), data transfer is attempted again (step S24), and the processes after step S24 are repeated.

  On the other hand, if it is determined that the data transfer speed is not faster when the one-step mode is lowered while maintaining the current operation mode (step S38: NO), that is, the communication speed is changed when the operation mode is changed. Is determined to be fast, the operation mode is changed to switch to the cycle time mode acquired in step S36 (step S42). Then, the data transfer is attempted again (step S24), and the processes after step S24 are repeated.

  As described above, in the information processing apparatus 10 according to the present embodiment, when the data transfer fails, whether the access type selected by the user is backup of the CF card 50 or whether the CF card is viewed. If it is a backup of the CF card 50, the communication speed of the mode in which the one-step mode is lowered in the current operation mode and the communication speed of the mode corresponding to the case of switching the operation mode are obtained. In comparison, data transfer was attempted in the operation mode with the higher communication speed. For this reason, the information processing apparatus 10 uses the mode with the fastest data transfer speed that allows normal data exchange with the CF card 50 even if the data exchange with the CF card 50 fails in the mode with the fastest communication speed. You can choose. For this reason, the user's waiting time in backup can be shortened as much as possible.

  For example, a typical large-capacity CF card 50 that has recently become mainstream is 4 Gbytes, but the fastest is when backing up the data of the 4 Gbyte CF card 50 to the hard disk drive 26. Even in the mode, about 10 minutes are required. Naturally, in the mode where the data transfer rate is slower than this, the time required for backup further increases. For this reason, even if it takes some time to select the operation mode and the data transfer mode, it is considered that the overall time required for backup is shortened if a mode with a high communication speed is selected.

  On the other hand, when the user's selection is browsing the CF card, the amount of data to be transferred is small, and when the operation mode is switched, the power of the CF card 50 must be turned off once. Therefore, it is not always a good idea to switch the operation mode. Rather, the user is probably waiting to see the list of files stored in the CF card 50 as soon as possible, so there is a possibility that data can be transferred normally without changing the operation mode. We decided to switch to the highest mode, that is, the mode with the slowest communication speed among the modes that can exchange data normally. For this reason, in the information processing apparatus 10 according to the present embodiment, it is possible to display a list of files in the CF card 50 without causing the user to wait for the time required to switch the operation mode.

  Here, the mode and communication speed in which data can be normally exchanged with the CF card 50 means a mode and communication speed that are compatible with the inserted CF card 50. For example, when the inserted CF card 50 is in the memory mode, the cycle time is 80 ns, 100 ns, 120 ns, but the cycle time is longer than 150 ns, 250 ns. Of course, the modes of 150 ns and 250 ns are not included in the selection candidates. That is, the modes in which data can be normally exchanged with the CF card 50 are three modes with cycle times of 80 ns, 100 ns, and 120 ns.

  In addition, this invention is not limited to the said embodiment, A various deformation | transformation is possible. For example, in the above-described embodiment, if it is determined in step S30 that the user's selection is not backup of the CF card 50, the mode with the slowest communication speed among the modes supported by the CF card 50 is at once. Although it was decided to drop, the mode may be lowered step by step. However, in this case, the waiting time of the user is increased slightly.

  In the above-described embodiment, a CF card (Compact Flash (registered trademark) card) is described as an example of a data recording medium that can be inserted and removed. However, the present invention is similarly applied to other types of data recording media. can do. That is, a plurality of operation modes are provided, and each of the plurality of operation modes has one or a plurality of communication speeds, and a data recording medium that requires a time required for switching between the operation modes can be inserted and removed. The present invention can be applied to any information processing apparatus 10 having a data recording medium access means.

  The present invention can also be applied to various operation modes other than the memory mode, TrueIDE mode, and I / O mode described above. That is, since various operation modes are prepared according to the type of the data recording medium, the present invention can be applied according to the prepared operation mode.

  Also, “CF card backup” in FIG. 4 is an example of access types in which data is exchanged between the information processing apparatus 10 and the CF card 50 at once, and other types of access are also batched. If the access type is to exchange data, the processing from step S34 to step S42 shown in FIG. 3 may be performed.

  Furthermore, “browsing CF card” in FIG. 4 is an example of a type that is not an access for exchanging data between the information processing apparatus 10 and the CF card 50 at all. If the access type is not to exchange data, the process of step S32 shown in FIG. 3 may be performed.

  Further, in the above-described embodiment, the present invention has been described by taking as an example the case where the user's selection is the type of access for transmitting data from the CF card 50 to the information processing apparatus 10, but the user's selection is from the information processing apparatus 10. The present invention can also be applied to the type of access for transmitting data to the CF card 50. In other words, the options displayed on the CF card process selection screen in FIG. 4 can be arbitrarily modified according to the user's request and the specifications of the information processing apparatus 10.

Further, in the above-described embodiment, based on the mode selection table TB10 of FIG. 7, it is determined which one of the communication speed in the memory mode and the communication speed in the TrueIDE mode is faster, and the operation mode for exchanging data, Although the communication speed is selected, an operation mode for exchanging data may be selected based on each acquired cycle time. That is, as described above, between the memory mode and the TrueIDE mode, the communication speed is not necessarily faster when the cycle time is shorter, but in general, the communication speed may be higher when the cycle time is shorter. Therefore, if the cycle time in the mode selected in the memory mode is shorter, the memory mode is selected as the operation mode for exchanging data. If the cycle time in the mode selected in the TrueIDE mode is shorter, the data exchange is performed. The TrueIDE mode may be selected as an operation mode for performing the above. By doing so, the capacity in the ROM 24 or the hard disk drive 26 where the mode selection table TB10 should be stored can be reduced. Therefore, it can be said that the method for determining which communication speed is faster can be arbitrarily changed. In addition, the card data transfer process described in the above embodiment is executed in order to execute the card data transfer process. Can be recorded on a recording medium such as a flexible disk, a CD-ROM (Compact Disc-Read Only Memory), a ROM, or a memory card, and distributed in the form of a recording medium. In this case, the above-described embodiment can be realized by causing the information processing apparatus 10 to read and execute the program recorded on the recording medium.

  Further, the information processing apparatus 10 may include other programs such as an operating system and another application program. In this case, in order to utilize another program included in the information processing apparatus 10, a program including an instruction for calling a program that realizes processing equivalent to the above-described embodiment from among the programs included in the information processing apparatus 10 May be recorded on a recording medium.

  Furthermore, such a program can be distributed not as a recording medium but as a carrier wave through a network. The program transmitted in the form of a carrier wave on the network is taken into the information processing apparatus 10, and the above-described embodiment can be realized by executing this program.

  Also, when a program is recorded on a recording medium or transmitted as a carrier wave on a network, the program may be encrypted or compressed. In this case, the information processing apparatus 10 that has read the program from the recording medium or the carrier wave needs to execute the program after decoding or decompressing the program.

  Furthermore, in the above-described embodiment, the card data transfer process is realized by software, but may be realized by hardware such as ASIC (Application Specific IC).

It is a block diagram for demonstrating the internal structure of the information processing apparatus which concerns on one Embodiment of this invention. FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating a flowchart for explaining an example of card data transfer processing executed by the information processing apparatus illustrated in FIG. 1 (part 1); FIG. 8 is a diagram illustrating a flowchart for explaining an example of card data transfer processing executed by the information processing apparatus illustrated in FIG. 1 (part 2); The figure which shows an example of the CF card process selection screen displayed on the display screen of information processing apparatus. It is a figure which shows the list of the cycle time corresponding in memory mode. It is a figure which shows the list of the cycle time corresponding by the PIO mode of TrueIDE mode. The figure which shows an example of the mode selection table for judging which of the communication speed in memory mode and the communication speed in TrueIDE mode is faster.

Explanation of symbols

10 Information processing device 20 CPU
22 RAM
24 ROM
26 Hard Disk Drive 30 User Interface 32 Video Decoder 34 Display Screen 36 Audio Decoder 37 D / A Converter 38 Speaker 40 Card Slot 50 CF Card 60 Card Controller 62 Card Power Supply Control Circuit

Claims (11)

A data recording medium having a first operation mode having one or a plurality of communication speeds and a second operation mode having one or a plurality of communication speeds is inserted as an operation mode, and the inserted data recording medium is accessed. Data recording medium access means for
Selection means for allowing a user to select the type of access to the data recording medium inserted in the data recording medium access means;
A first access that performs the type of access selected by the selection means to the data recording medium in an operation mode having a higher communication speed of the first operation mode and the second operation mode. Means,
When the access by the first access unit fails and the access selected by the user by the selection unit is an access type for exchanging data at once, the first operation mode and the first In the second operation mode, the fastest communication speed is selected from the communication speeds in which data can be normally exchanged, and the type of access selected by the selection means is again made to the data recording medium. A second access means,
If the access by the first access means fails and the access selected by the selection means is not the type of access for exchanging data in a batch, the communication speed is reduced in the current operation mode. Re-accessing the data recording medium of the type selected by the selection means;
An information processing apparatus comprising:   When the third access means lowers the communication speed, it is reduced to the slowest communication speed among the communication speeds that can normally exchange data with the data recording medium in the current operation mode. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1.   The second access means determines that there is no possibility of normal data exchange with the data recording medium at the selected communication speed when access to the data recording medium fails again, After removing the communication speed from the candidates, select the fastest communication speed that can exchange data normally in the first operation mode and the second operation mode. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the type of access selected by the selection unit is made again with respect to the data recording medium. The type of access selected by the user in the selection means is at least:
As a type of access for exchanging data collectively, there is a backup of data recorded on the data recording medium,
As a type that is not access for exchanging data collectively, there is browsing of data recorded in the data recording medium,
The information processing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 3.   The first access means may access the data recording medium to access the data recording medium in the first operation mode, and the data recording medium in the second operation mode. 5. The communication speed that can be accessed to the network is acquired, and the operation mode of the fastest communication speed is selected from these acquired communication speeds. The information processing apparatus described in 1. The data recording medium is a card-type recording medium that is inserted into the data recording medium access means so as to be insertable / removable,
The data recording medium access means is constituted by a card slot into which the card type recording medium is inserted.
The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the information processing apparatus is an information processing apparatus.   The information processing apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the card-type recording medium is a compact flash card. The first operation mode is a memory mode;
The second operation mode is a TrueIDE mode.
The information processing apparatus according to claim 7. A data recording medium having a first operation mode having one or a plurality of communication speeds and a second operation mode having one or a plurality of communication speeds is inserted as an operation mode, and the inserted data recording medium is accessed. An information processing apparatus control method comprising a data recording medium access means for
Allowing the user to select the type of access to the data recording medium inserted into the data recording medium access means;
Accessing the data recording medium in a type selected by a user in an operation mode with a higher communication speed of the first operation mode and the second operation mode;
When access to the data recording medium fails, and the access selected by the user is an access type for exchanging data at once, the first operation mode and the second operation mode Selecting the fastest communication speed among the communication speeds that can normally exchange data, and again accessing the data recording medium of the type selected by the user;
When access to the data recording medium fails, if the access selected by the user is not the type of access for exchanging data at once, the communication speed is reduced while maintaining the current operation mode, and again, Accessing the data recording medium of the type selected by the user;
An information processing apparatus control method comprising: A data recording medium having a first operation mode having one or a plurality of communication speeds and a second operation mode having one or a plurality of communication speeds is inserted as an operation mode, and the inserted data recording medium is accessed. A program for controlling an information processing apparatus including a data recording medium access means for
Allowing the user to select the type of access to the data recording medium inserted into the data recording medium access means;
Accessing the data recording medium in a type selected by a user in an operation mode with a higher communication speed of the first operation mode and the second operation mode;
When access to the data recording medium fails, and the access selected by the user is an access type for exchanging data at once, the first operation mode and the second operation mode Selecting the fastest communication speed among the communication speeds that can normally exchange data, and again accessing the data recording medium of the type selected by the user;
When access to the data recording medium fails, if the access selected by the user is not the type of access for exchanging data at once, the communication speed is reduced while maintaining the current operation mode, and again, Accessing the data recording medium of the type selected by the user;
For causing the information processing apparatus to execute the program. A data recording medium having a first operation mode having one or a plurality of communication speeds and a second operation mode having one or a plurality of communication speeds is inserted as an operation mode, and the inserted data recording medium is accessed. A recording medium on which is recorded a program for controlling an information processing apparatus including a data recording medium access means,
Allowing the user to select the type of access to the data recording medium inserted into the data recording medium access means;
Accessing the data recording medium in a type selected by a user in an operation mode with a higher communication speed of the first operation mode and the second operation mode;
When access to the data recording medium fails, and the access selected by the user is an access type for exchanging data at once, the first operation mode and the second operation mode Selecting the fastest communication speed among the communication speeds that can normally exchange data, and again accessing the data recording medium of the type selected by the user;
When access to the data recording medium fails, if the access selected by the user is not the type of access for exchanging data at once, the communication speed is reduced while maintaining the current operation mode, and again, Accessing the data recording medium of the type selected by the user;
A recording medium on which a program for causing the information processing apparatus to execute is recorded.

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