Automatic backup and restoring device and method of computer system

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention relates to an automatic backup and restoring device and its method of computer system which detects whether or not there is abnormal(electric power failure) of power supply in a computer system, and in case when an electric power failure is occurred, automatically backs up all informations presently proceeding in computer to a hard disc, and at a time of re-operation of the computer system after the electric power is recovered, restores said stored information.

BACKGROUND ART

In a conventional computer system, when an electric power failure was occurred during operation, since data presently proceeding was damaged, precious information became lost, and accordingly since the work which had been executing before the electric power failure was occuιτed should be repeated from beginning and already damaged information should be restored, not only it was troublesome but also a time losing and an interference of business processing were occurred, and therefore there had been a problem that a deterioration of business processing efficiency according to this was caused.

And, in a conventional computer system, since the power of computer was continuously supplied regardless of using time period of the computer, when a user turned on the computer and left it at a state that key board was not operated for long time, unnecessary power supply was made, therefore there has been a problem that an electric power extravagance was occurred.

Further, in a conventional computer system, in case when one electric power supply was to be selected among 110 volt or 220 volt of inputting commercial alternating power supply, since this was made by a manual switching operation, in case when a set power supply was 110 volt, when a power supply of 220 volt was applied due to a carelessness of a user, there has been a problem that the computer circuit was damaged in accordance with applying of over voltage.

DISCLOSURE OF INVENTION

Therefore, it is an object of the present invention to provide an automatic backup ad restoring device of computer system which is made such that a means for detecting an electric power failure and a means for executing an automatic backup and restore of information according to this detected result of electric power failure, so that above described conventional problem is solved and a damage of information during processing can be prevented even at a time of an electric power failure, and when the computer is left alone at a state of not using for a predetermined time period, automatically minimum necessary power is lest and the operation of rest power circuit is made to be stopped, so that power saving can be expected, and further an inputting commercial alternating current power is judged and automatically power switching is carried out so that a damage of computer circuit according to over voltage applying can be prevented before anything happens.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG.l is a flow chart of operating system of automatic backup and restoring device of computer system of the present invention,

FIG.2 is a block diagram of the automatic backup and restoring device of computer system of the present invention, and

FIG.3 is a flow chart of automatic backup and restoring method

of computer system of the present invention.

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION

Hereinafter, configuration and operation of a preferred embodiment of the present invention attaining above object will be described in more detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

Firstly, FIG.l shows an operating system of the present invention making the above object, and when explaining first from an operating system of the present invention in reference to this, it will be as follows.

When a commercial alternating current power supply(AC

110V 220V) is inputted, presently inputted power supply is judged and a pertinent power supply is selected among said judged power supply and feeds to a power supply section of the computer through an interface.

Thus, the computer system supplied with the power loads its operating system (OS) and becomes to execute a corresponding operation. On the other hand, in accordance with the power is supplied as above, an automatic backup and restoring device of the present invention also becomes to execute an operation.

That is, presently inputting power supply is monitored and whether or not there is an electric power failure being occurred is judged, and an accessing time interval of the computer system is monitored, and whether or not a user left alone the computer for a predetermined time period without operating it is judged.

As a result of above judgement, when the commercial alternating current power which has been inputting is cut off due to an electric power failure, at this moment, the automatic backup and restoring device supplies an emergency power supply for a backup is supplied to the computer system and at the same time the backup command is fed to the computer system.

According to this, the computer system stores contents of each memory(base memory, extended memory, expanded memory) to the hard disc.

Thus, when an information which has been processing to a hard disc in the computer system is completed to do a backup, an information which has been completed is fed to the automatic backup and restoring device.

The automatic backup and restoring device received the backup completion information sets down also a backup power supply of itself. Thus, when the power supply is supplied again after the backup is completed, the automatic backup and restoring device executes above described power detection and the selection switching, and feeds a command to restore the backup information in the computer system to the computer system. In accordance with this, the computer system makes to restore the information which has been stored to the hard disc to a state before the commercial alternating current power supply being cut off.

On the other hand, in case when a user has left at a state that the computer system was not used more than a set time as a result of access time retrieval in the automatic backup and restoring device as described above, a suspending command is fed to the computer system.

The computer system received the suspend command from the automatic backup and restoring device controls the display of monitor to a suspend mode(black) state, and when the user presses any key on the key board, automatically returns to a normal state and restores the monitor display to a normal display state.

The backup, the restoring and the electric power saving control of information by the automatic backup and restoring device of the present invention as described above will be more concretely described with explaining the construction of the automatic backup and restoring device of the present invention of FIG.2.

Referring FIG.2 now, the automatic backup and restoring device

of the present invention comprises : a slot 1 for communication with the computer; a control section 2 for executing a power supply selection and an own electric power saving control, a control of suspend mode, a backup and restore of information, with executing a communication with the computer through said slot 1; a switch section 2A for selecting an allocation address and an interrupt for communication with the computer of said control section 2; a selection driving section 3 for driving and controlling a power supply selection by receiving a control of said control section 2; a power supply section 4 for supplying a commercial alternating cuιτent power supply selected by a control of said selection driving section 3 to the computer; a power selecting section 5 for selecting an inputting commercial alternating current power supply of 110 volt or 220 volt by controlling said power supply section 4 by receiving a control of said selection driving section 3; a voltage detecting section 6 for feeding a detected result to the control section 2 by detecting said inputting commercial alternating current power supply; a battery 7 for supplying a backup power supply of the computer in case of electric power failure; a battery power supply detecting section 8 for feeding by detecting a power level of said battery 7 to the control section 2; a charging section 9 for charging the battery 7 by receiving a control of said control section 2; a charge monitor section 10 for feeding by detecting a charging power supply level of said battery 7 to said control means 2; a 5 volt power supplier 11 for supplying a detected result of said voltage detecting section 6 to the control section 2; a 5 volt power supplier 12 for supplying the 5 volt power to said voltage detecting section 8; a 5 volt power supplier 13 for supplying the 5 volt power of the computer by rectifying an output of said battery 7 with receiving a shut down control of said control section 2; a constant voltage section 14A,14B and switching section 14 for supplying -12 volt and -5 volt of the computer by switching and converting said battery 7 output; and a switching power supply section 15 which receives a shut down control of said control section 2 and switching

and rectifying the output of said switching section 14 whereby supplying 12 volt power to the computer.

In the drawings, unexplained reference numeral symbols 16,17,18,19 are rectifiers. An automatic selection of inputting power supply and an control operation of backup and restoring, power saving in time of power failure in accordance with the automatic backup and restoring device of the computer system of the present invention constructed as this will be described with reference to FIG.2 and FIG.3. When a commercial alternating current power supply of 110 volt or 220 volt is inputted, the inputted power supply is supplied to the voltage detecting section, and the voltage detecting section 6 detects the inputted power supply level and feeds the detected result to the control section 2. The control section 2 interprets the detected result of the voltage detecting section and judges whether or not the presently inputting commercial alternating current power supply is 110 volt or 220 volt whereby switches and controls the power supply selecting section 5 through the selection driving section 3 in accordance with the judged result.

According to this, the power supply selecting section 5 supplies the inputted power supply to the computer, for example, directly to the computer through the power supply section 4 when the inputting power supply is 110 volt if the computer uses 110 volt, or else when the inputting power supply is 220 volt, this is made to be dropped down so as to be supplied.

Thus, when the power supply is supplied to the computer, the computer operates whereby a load(booting) of own operating system is made, and each memory and register and the like are utilized and simultaneously corresponding application program is executed, and necessary information is stored to a hard disc, and a predetermined information process conforming to a demand of user is executed, and these correspond to a ordinary computer operation.

And, the computer feeds an access time interval information of key board and power off information (power failure information) and the like to the control section 2 through the slot 1.

On the other hand, when the power supply selection and feedings are made as above, the automatic backup device of the computer system of the present invention operates as well, and the control section 2 firstly seizes whether or not the output power level of the battery 7 is a necessary and sufficient level for the backup operation, and when it is a lower level, it is made to be charged. That is, the output power supply of the battery 7 is inputted to the battery power detecting section 8, and the battery power detecting section 8 detects the inputted battery 7 output level and feeds the detected result to the control section 2.

The control section 2 interprets the detected result of the inputted battery 7 power level and determines whether or not to charge.

When the power level of the battery 7 is less than a standard value, the control section 2 operates the charging section 9, and according to this, the charging section 9 is operated whereby the charging power is fed to the battery 7 through the rectifier 16 so that the battery 7 is started to be charged.

The charging level of the battery 7 is detected by receiving a feed back of output of the charging section 9 from the charge monitor section 10, and its detected result is fed to the control section 2, and the control section 2 interprets the inputted charging level detected result, and when presently charged level of the battery 7 is less than a level suitable for backup, successively operates the charging section 9 whereby continues the charging, and when the charging level becomes to a level suitable for backup, stops the operation of the charging section 9. Thus, the charging of the battery 7 is executed, so as to become always ready against the supply of backup power supply.

And, the control section 2 judges the access time information from the computer inputted to the slot 1 as described above, and

judges whether or not a predetermined standard time is elapsed which is judged as a case that a user has left the computer without accessing.

As a result of above, when the time which does not access the computer is elapsed more than a predetermined first standard time (e.g., 2 minutes), the control section 2 feeds a suspend command to the computer through the slot 1, and according to this, the computer enters the suspend mode and controls the monitor to a black state whereby successively monitors the access time. When said first standard time is elapsed and the time which does not access the computer is elapsed more than a predetermined standard time (e.g., 5 minutes), the control section 2 judges that it is a case that the user has left the computer without using it, and cuts off the input of the commercial alternating current power supply through the selection driving section 3.

Thus, when the power supply of the computer is cut off, the computer feeds an information of the power supply being cut off to the control section 2 through the slot 1.

As described above, when the power supply off information is inputted to the control section 2, the control section 2 supplies necessary powers to respective sections of the computer circuit from the battery 7 and simultaneously feeds the backup command to the computer through the slot 1.

Thus, the computer received a backup power supply and a backup command from the automatic backup device of the computer system stores the information during processing of each memory and CPU to a hard disc.

When the storing is completed, the computer informs the completion of storing to the control section 2 through the slot 1, and according to this, feeds the shut down signal whereby shuts down respective sections so that the power supply of the automatic backup device itself of the computer system is also made to be cut off, and thereby a power saving state of consuming a minimum power is

maintained.

On the other hand, as described above, when any key is pressed while standing-by with a power saving mode until any key is operated on the key board in a state that the monitor is operated at a suspend mode, the suspend mode is released and the monitor is made to be normally displayed, and as described above, when the power supply of the computer is normally inputted (i.e., when the user turns on the computer power supply) in a power off state after the backup completion, the control section 2 feeds a restore command of the backup information to the computer through the slot 1 whereby restores the information which has been being backup to said hard disc.

On the other hand, as described above, the power supply being charged and outputted from the battery 7 is fed as an operating power supply of 5 volt power supplier 2 (12), and fed also as an operating power supply to 5 volt power supplier 1 (11) through the rectifier 19, and fed also to 5 volt power supplier 3 (13), and thereby becomes to feed 5 volt power supply to the computer.

And, the output of the batteiy 7 is fed also to the switching section 14, and the switching section 14 switches the inputted power supply and becomes to feed -12 volt power and -5 volt power which are necessary for the computer through respective constant voltage sections 14A,14B.

And, the output of said battery 7 is fed also to the switching power supply section 15, and the switching power supply section 15 switches and rectifies the inputted power supply whereby feeds +12 volt power supply which is necessary to the circuit operation.

As described above, the automatic backup device of the computer system of the present invention operates and executes an automatic selection and power saving control of the inputting commercial alternating current power supply and simultaneously feeds the power supply required at respective sections, and the backup power supply is kept to be secured through the charging of the battery 7.

Thus, when the computer power supply is cut off due to unexpected power failure during the automatic backup device of the computer and the computer system is operating, the computer feeds the information of the power supply being cut off to the control section 2 through the slot 1.

As described above, when the power off information is inputted to the control section 2, the control section 2 feeds necessary power supplies from the battery 7 to respective sections of the computer circuit as described above and simultaneously feeds a backup command to the computer through the slot 1.

Thus, the computer received the backup power supply and the backup command from the automatic backup device of the computer system stores the informations being processing of each memory and CPU to the hard disc. When the storing is completed, the computer informs the storing completion to the control section 2 through the slot 1, and according to this, the control section 2 feeds a shut down signal to the 5 volt power supplier 3(13), the charge monitor section 10 and the switching power supply section 15 whereby shuts down each power supply section and thereby cuts off the power supply of the automatic backup device itself of the computer system, so that the power saving state consuming a minimum power is maintained.

In this state, when the power supply of the computer is normally inputted (recovering of electric power failure), the operation from said very first operation is proceeded and simultaneously presence or absence of the backup information according to the power failure is judged, and when a restoration of the stored information is required, a restoring command is fed through the slot 1 whereby the information which has been backup to said hard disc is restored, and thereby an automatic restoring process of the present invention is terminated.

Thereafter, as described above, a series of processes continued to the judgement of the inputting power supply, the power supply selection, the charging control, the access time detection, on off

judgement of main power supply, and the backup and restoring are successively executed.

As described above, in accordance with the present invention, it is convenient because the commercial alternating current power supply used at the computer is automatically selected and switched, and the computer damage causing from mistaken applying of power supply can be previously prevented, and even if unexpected power failure is occurred during using of the computer, program during executing and data are protected whereby their damages can be prevented, and when a user leaves it more than a predetermined time period at a state that the computer is turned on, automatically the display of the monitor is switched to a suspend mode and simultaneously own power supply is cut off and the power supply becomes to be fed at a saved state in maximum so that a power saving can be expected, and therefore there is effect that an improvement of operation of appliances accompanying with these as well as a strengthening of function of the appliances and a quality improvement can be secured.