Information device, computer-readable storage medium for computer program, and method for sharing memory

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10255533-B2
Application number	US-201514611786-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 2, 2015
Priority date	Feb 3, 2014
Publication date	Apr 9, 2019
Grant date	Apr 9, 2019

Abstract

A device includes a first processing portion configured to keep a memory region to perform a first process; a second processing portion configured to perform any one of a plurality of second processes by using a memory region provided by the first processing portion; and a predicting portion configured to predict a first size of a first memory region to be required next to a second memory region which is required at present by the second processing portion. The second processing portion requests, from the first processing portion, a memory region having at least a larger size of the first size and a second size of the second memory region. In response to the request, the first processing portion provides the second processing portion with a memory region which is a part of the memory region kept and is of a size requested by the second processing portion.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An information device executing a plurality of processes using a memory as a work area in parallel with one another, the information device comprising:
the memory having a common memory region previously allocated for a first process; and
a hardware processor that:
receives a request of at least one of a plurality of second processes, wherein the first process and the plurality of second processes are executed in parallel and a type of the plurality of second processes is different from a type of the first process;
obtains a first size of a first memory region in the common memory region, wherein the first memory region is requested by a present second process included in the plurality of second processes;
predicts a second size of a second memory region in the common memory region, wherein the second size is a maximum request size that a next second process to be executed directly after the present second process requires in the second memory region;
determines which of the first size and the second size is larger; and
secures a memory region having a predetermined size that is larger than the larger of the first size and the second size determined by the hardware processor for the plurality of second processes before the hardware processor executes the next second process, wherein

the plurality of second processes are two processes which involve using memory regions having different sizes, and
the hardware processor further:
predicts whether the size of the memory region to be required next is a third size or a fourth size larger than the third size;
estimates, when the present second process is executed, and when the hardware processor receives the request of one of a plurality of second processes, a required time for the present second process; and
if the required time estimated is equal to or longer than a preset time, determines that the size of the memory region to be required next is the fourth size, and
if the required time estimated is shorter than the preset time, determines that the size of the memory region to be required next is the third size.

2. The information device according to claim 1 , wherein the hardware processor returns the memory region for use by the first process if there is no other of the plurality of second processes to be executed next when said any one of the plurality of second processes is finished.

3. The information device according to claim 1 , further comprising:
an operating panel; and
a network interface card that connects the information device to a network, wherein
when at least any one of the operating panel and an external device connected to the information device via the network selects the next second process and when said at least any one of the operating panel and the external device does not give a command to start execution of the next second process, the hardware processor determines that the size of the memory region to be required next is the fourth size.

4. The information device according to claim 1 , further comprising:
an operating panel; and
a network interface card that connects the information device to a network,
wherein the hardware processor further obtains a use frequency of the plurality of second processes and a selection frequency of selecting a process which involves using a memory region having the fourth size, the use frequency and the selection frequency being calculated and recorded on a user-by-user basis; wherein
when at least any one of the operating panel and an external device connected to the information device via the network displays an operating screen for setting a job using one of the plurality of second processes, and when both the use frequency and the selection frequency have values equal to or greater than respective thresholds, the hardware processor determines that the size of the memory region to be required next is the fourth size.

5. The information device according to claim 1 , wherein, when the hardware processor is put in an operation mode in which the next second process is automatically executed on process target data sent by the external device, and when the process target data is being received, the hardware processor determines that the size of the memory region to be required next is the fourth size.

6. The information device according to claim 1 , wherein
the first process is a process for generating raster image data for printing, and
each of the plurality of second processes is a process for generating data in a designated format.

7. The information device according to claim 1 , wherein
when the hardware processor executes any one of a plurality of transmission data generation processes by using the provided memory region, a request is made to provide a memory region having at least a larger size of the size predicted by the hardware processor and a size of the memory region which is required at the point in time, and
in response to the request, the hardware processor provides a memory region which is a part of the memory region allocated to execute a process for generating raster image data for printing.

8. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing thereon a computer program executed by a hardware processor in an information device executing a plurality of processes using a memory as a work area in parallel with one another, the computer program, when executed by the hardware processor, causes the information device to:
receive a request of at least one of a plurality of second processes, wherein the first process and the plurality of second processes are executed in parallel and a type of the plurality of second processes is different from a type of the first process;
obtain a first size of a first memory region in the common memory region, wherein the first memory region is requested by a present second process included in the plurality of second processes;
predict a second size of a second memory region in the common memory region, wherein the second size is a maximum request size that a next second process to be executed directly after the present second process requires in the second memory region;
determine which of the first size and the second size is larger; and
secure a memory region having a predetermined size that is larger than the larger of the first size and the second size determined by the hardware processor for the plurality of second processes before executing the next second process, wherein
the plurality of second processes are two processes which involve using memory regions having different sizes, and
the computer program further causes the information device to:
predict whether the size of the memory region to be required next is a third size or a fourth size larger than the third size;
estimate, when the present second process is executed, and when the hardware processor receives the request of one of a plurality of second processes, a required time for the present second process; and
if the required time estimated is equal to or longer than a preset time, determine that the size of the memory region to be required next is the fourth size, and
if the required time estimated is shorter than the preset time, determine that the size of the memory region to be required next is the third size.

9. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium according to claim 8 , wherein the computer program further causes the information device to return the memory region for use by the first process if there is no other of the plurality of second processes to be executed next when said any one of the plurality of second processes is finished.

10. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium according to claim 8

Assignees

• Konica Minolta Inc

Inventors

• Oikawa Takashi
• Atsumi Tomoyuki
• Sugiyama Takanobu
• Kitaguchi Tatsuya

Classifications

• G06F3/1215

  achieving increased printing speed, i.e. reducing the time between printing start and printing end · CPC title

• G06F3/1229

  Printer resources management or printer maintenance, e.g. device status, power levels · CPC title

• G06K15/1836

  Rasterization · CPC title

• G06K15/1848

  Generation of the printable image · CPC title

• G06F3/1237

  Print job management · CPC title