Image processing apparatus and image processing method

Abstract

According to an aspect of the present invention, there is provided an information processing apparatus including: a first processor; a second processor that has an information processing capability and a power consumption higher than those of the first processor; a temperature monitoring module configured to acquire an operating temperature of the second processor; and a processor switching control module configured to perform, when the operating temperature of the second processor is equal to or higher than a given temperature: stopping an operation of the second processor; causing the first processor to perform an information process; and prohibiting the operation of the second processor.

1 - 8 . (canceled) 
     
     
         9 . An information processing apparatus comprising:
 a first processor;   a second processor that has an information processing capability and a power consumption higher than those of the first processor;   a temperature monitoring module configured to acquire an operating temperature of the second processor;   a processor switching control module configured to perform, when the operating temperature of the second processor is equal to or higher than a given temperature:
 stopping an operation of the second processor; 
 causing the first processor to perform an information process; and 
 prohibiting the operation of the second processor; 
   a throttle control module configured to perform, when the information process is performed by the second processor:
 executing a throttling control for the second processor when the operating temperature of the second processor is higher than a first temperature that is different from the given temperature; and 
 ending the throttling control when the operating temperature of the second processor becomes a second temperature that is lower than the first temperature; and 
   a throttle number determination module configured to determine whether the throttling control is performed a given number of times or more within a given time interval,   wherein the processor switching control module performs, when the throttling control is performed the given number of times or more within the given time interval:
 stopping the operation of the second processor; 
 causing the first processor to perform the information process; and 
 prohibiting the operation of the second processor. 
   
     
     
         10 . The apparatus of  claim 9 ,
 wherein the processor switching control module performs, when the operating temperature of the second processor is equal to or higher than the given temperature:
 stopping the operation of the second processor; 
 causing the first processor to perform the information process; 
 setting a switch enablement flag stored in a storing module to “disabled” for prohibiting the operation of the second processor; and 
 upon receiving a request for performing the information process by the second processor when the first processor performs the information process, checking the switch enablement flag to refuse the request when the switch enablement flag is “disabled”, causing the first processor to continue the information process, thereby controlling the first processor and the second processor. 
   
     
     
         11 . The apparatus of  claim 9 ,
 wherein the given temperature at which the processor switching control module performs stopping the operation of the second processor and causing the first processor to perform the information process is lower than the first temperature at which the throttle control module performs executing the throttling control.   
     
     
         12 . The apparatus of  claim 11 , further comprising:
 a setting module configured to set a “performance preference” mode or a “silence preference” mode as a cooling mode to derive the system,   wherein the processor switching control module performs, when the setting module sets the cooling mode to the “silence preference” mode and the operating temperature of the second processor is equal to or higher than the given temperature:
 stopping the operation of the second processor; 
 causing the first processor to perform the information process; and 
 prohibiting the operation of the second processor. 
   
     
     
         13 . The apparatus of  claim 9 ,
 wherein the first processor is a first graphic controller configured to perform a display control process, and   wherein the second processor is a second graphic controller having a display control processing capability and the power consumption higher than those of the processor.   
     
     
         14 . The apparatus of  claim 10 ,
 wherein the processor switching control module performs, when the first processor performs the information process, upon receiving the request for performing the information process by the second processor from the user through a manipulation input device, checking the switch enablement flag to refuse the request when the switch enablement flag is “disabled”, causing the first processor to continue the information process, thereby controlling the first processor and the second processor.   
     
     
         15 . The apparatus of  claim 10 ,
 wherein the switch enablement flag is, when having been set to “disabled” once, cleared only when the system is restarted or shut down.   
     
     
         16 . The apparatus of  claim 13 , further comprising:
 a display module configured to display an image based on a video signal generated by either of the first graphic controller or the second graphic controller; and   a notification module configured to cause, when the processor switching control module prohibits the operation of the second graphic controller, the display module through the first graphic controller to superimposedly display a notification image including a content indicating that information.