COMPUTER APPARATUS, START-UP CONTROLLING METHOD, AND STORAGE MEDIUM

Abstract

The present invention relates to start-up control of a computer apparatus connected with an external device such as a USB device and is intended to easily avoid abnormalities such as a start-up failure. Identification and connectivity of an external device is monitored at the time of start-up in a computer apparatus connected with an external device such as a USB device, and if the external device is recognized as a failure device, device information of the external device is captured and an abnormality such as a start-up failure is avoided by excluding the failure device at the time of the next start-up.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The above and other objects, features, and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description of the preferred embodiments with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a computer apparatus and connection of a USB device, according to a first embodiment;

FIG. 2 is a flowchart of a process procedure of start-up control according to the first embodiment;

FIG. 3 is a sequence diagram of capturing of device information from the USB device;

FIG. 4 is a flowchart of a process procedure of start-up control according to a second embodiment;

FIG. 5 is a flowchart of a process procedure of start-up control according to a third embodiment; and

FIG. 6 is a flowchart of a process procedure of start-up control according to another embodiment.

Claims

1. A computer apparatus that is connected with an external device, the computer apparatus analyzing the function of the external device at the time of start-up to enable the use of the external device, the computer apparatus comprising: an abnormality detecting unit that detects a start-up abnormality due to the external device; anda notifying unit that performs a notification of the start-up abnormality in case where the abnormality detecting unit detects the start-up abnormality.

2. The computer apparatus of claim 1, wherein the abnormality detecting unit generates an output representing the start-up abnormality if normal operation cannot be achieved in a predetermined time.

3. The computer apparatus of claim 1, comprising: a storing unit that stores device information representing the external device as an abnormal device if the abnormality detecting unit detects the start-up abnormality not achieving normal operation in a predetermined time; anda device selecting unit that compares device information of the external device with the device information in the storing unit at the time of start-up, the device selecting unit excluding the external device from targets of use if the device information is identical.

4. The computer apparatus of claim 1, comprising: an input detecting unit that detects operational input, in case where the start-up abnormality is detected by the abnormality detecting unit and the notification of the start-up abnormality is performed by the notifying unit;a storing unit that stores device information representing the external device as an abnormal device in case where the input detecting unit detects the operational input; anda device selecting unit that compares device information of the external device with the device information in the storing unit at the time of start-up, the device selecting unit excluding the external device from targets of use if the device information is identical.

5. The computer apparatus of claim 1, wherein the external device is a USB (Universal Serial Bus) device.

6. The computer apparatus of claim 1, wherein the storing unit is a nonvolatile memory.

7. A start-up controlling method of a computer apparatus that is connected with an external device, the computer apparatus analyzing the function of the external device at the time of start-up to enable the use of the external device, the start-up controlling method comprising the steps of: detecting a start-up abnormality due to the external device at the time of the start-up of the computer apparatus; andperforming a notification of the start-up abnormality in case where the start-up abnormality is detected.

8. The start-up controlling method of the computer apparatus of claim 7, comprising the step of: detecting the start-up abnormality if normal operation cannot be achieved in a predetermined time.

9. The start-up controlling method of the computer apparatus of claim 7, comprising the steps of: storing into a storing unit device information representing the external device as an abnormal device in case where detecting the start-up abnormality not achieving normal operation in a predetermined time; andcomparing device information of the external device with the device information in the storing unit at the time of the start-up of the computer apparatus and excluding the external device from targets of use if the device information is identical.

10. The start-up controlling method of the computer apparatus of claim 7, comprising the steps of: detecting operational input, in case where the start-up abnormality is detected and the notification of the start-up abnormality is performed;storing into a storing unit device information representing the external device as an abnormal device in case where the operational input is detected; andcomparing device information of the external device with the device information in the storing unit at the time of the start-up and excluding the external device from targets of use if the device information is identical.

11. A computer readable storage medium having embodied therein a start-up controlling program of a computer apparatus connected with an external device, the computer apparatus analyzing the function of the external device at the time of start-up to enable the use of the external device, the program driving the computer apparatus to execute the steps of: detecting a start-up abnormality due to the external device at the time of the start-up of the computer apparatus; andperforming a notification of the start-up abnormality in case where the start-up abnormality is detected.

12. The computer readable storage medium of claim 11, the program driving the computer apparatus to execute the step of: detecting the start-up abnormality if normal operation cannot be achieved in a predetermined time.

13. The computer readable storage medium of claim 11, the program driving the computer apparatus to execute the steps of: storing into a storing unit device information representing the external device as an abnormal device in case where the abnormality detecting unit detects the start-up abnormality not achieving normal operation in a predetermined time; andcomparing device information of the external device with the device information in the storing unit at the time of the start-up of the computer apparatus and excluding the external device from targets of use if the device information is identical.

14. The computer readable storage medium of claim 11, the program driving the computer apparatus to execute the steps of: detecting operational input, in case where the start-up abnormality is detected by the abnormality detecting unit and the notification of the start-up abnormality is performed by the notifying unit;storing into a storing unit device information representing the external device as an abnormal device in case where the operational input is detected by the input detecting unit; andcomparing device information of the external device with the device information in the storing unit at the time of the start-up and excluding the external device from targets of use if the device information is identical.

15. A computer apparatus that is connected with an external device, the computer apparatus analyzing the function of the external device at the time of start-up to enable the use of the external device, the computer apparatus comprising: an abnormality detecting unit that detects a start-up abnormality due to the external device;a storing unit that stores device information representing the external device as an abnormal device if the abnormality detecting unit detects the start-up abnormality not achieving normal operation in a predetermined time; anda device selecting unit that compares device information of the external device with the device information in the storing unit at the time of start-up, the device selecting unit excluding the external device from targets of use if the device information is identical.

16. A start-up controlling method of a computer apparatus that is connected with an external device, the computer apparatus analyzing the function of the external device at the time of start-up to enable the use of the external device, the start-up controlling method comprising the steps of: detecting a start-up abnormality due to the external device at the time of the start-up of the computer apparatus;storing into a storing unit device information representing the external device as an abnormal device in case where detecting the start-up abnormality not achieving normal operation in a predetermined time; andcomparing device information of the external device with the device information in the storing unit at the time of the start-up of the computer apparatus and excluding the external device from targets of use if the device information is identical.

17. A computer readable storage medium having embodied therein a start-up controlling program of a computer apparatus connected with an external device, the computer apparatus analyzing the function of the external device at the time of start-up to enable the use of the external device, the program driving the computer apparatus to execute the steps of: detecting a start-up abnormality due to the external device at the time of the start-up of the computer apparatus;storing into a storing unit device information representing the external device as an abnormal device in case where detecting the start-up abnormality not achieving normal operation in a predetermined time; andcomparing device information of the external device with the device information in the storing unit at the time of the start-up of the computer apparatus and excluding the external device from targets of use if the device information is identical.