JP2001236302A - Information processor - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an information processor with superior usability which automatically makes all equipment preparations for the target operation of a user only by connecting external peripheral equipment. SOLUTION: The information processor is provided with a detecting means which detects the connection of peripheral equipment, and a discrimination means which discriminate the kind of the equipment, and an area where the contents of automatic processing that the external peripheral equipment normally perform is provided in a setting information file for operating the external peripheral equipment hardware. When the peripheral equipment connection is detected (step S1), the kind of the connected external peripheral equipment is decided (step S3) to install data of the information file read out according to the kind in a system start file and an environment setting file, and processes (steps S5, S9, and S10) for using the external peripheral equipment are automatically performed, for example, by updating the installed data and starting application software using the corresponding external peripheral device.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an information processing apparatus for automatically selecting and setting software and the like for using a peripheral device in consideration of operability when the peripheral device is connected.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art When a user uses an information processing device and peripheral devices and connects the peripheral devices to the information processing device via external peripheral device connecting means in order to achieve a certain purpose, the relationship is processed. Assuming that the device is main and the peripherals are subordinate,
On the connected main information processing device side, the setting information file for operating the dependent peripheral hardware is incorporated into the setting information of the main information processing device and updated, and the upper layer software in the main information processing device is It is necessary to make preparations such as updating lower layer software so that the dependent peripheral device hardware can be used. Thereafter, the user activates the upper layer software including the user interface in the main information processing device.

[0003] The hardware constituting the device is reduced to the minimum necessary. Instead, a connector is prepared as an external peripheral device connection means, and the hardware which is used less frequently has information configured to be connected as an external device. There is a processing unit. In another example, in order to use a different communication infrastructure, the hardware of the interface portion for connecting to the communication infrastructure portion is not installed, and instead, external peripheral device connection means is prepared, and the communication infrastructure of A is installed. When used, the peripheral device a can be used, and when necessary, the peripheral device b can be used when using the communication infrastructure B, for example, so that the peripheral device used can be replaced as necessary. There are also things. 2. Description of the Related Art There is an information processing apparatus configured to eliminate unnecessary functions, intentionally or consequently, to prioritize portability of a device, and to suppress an initial investment amount and a total investment amount of a purchaser.

Here, it is attached only when the user uses it,
In consideration of the usage of the device, which is repeatedly detached after use, it is often the case that the user attaches the peripheral device, that is, the starting point of the action. However, external hardware means that
This means that the information setting file that manages it must be changed each time.

In order to eliminate such trouble, an invention relating to an information processing apparatus having an automatic connection function of peripheral devices and an automatic connection of peripheral devices is disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 9-2821.
No. 47 discloses this. According to the present invention, when a new external peripheral device is detected when the information processing device is activated,
The setting of the information processing device is automatically changed based on information in a database in a secondary storage device prepared in advance.

[0006]

However, simply updating the information setting file and the like for managing the added hardware and setting the attached hardware as in this known example requires only the operation of the user. In order to actually connect the peripheral devices and perform the work, only the peripheral devices connected in the next stage must be completed. It is necessary to launch an application for performing a desired operation using the application.

[0007] That is, when the information processing apparatus and two or more types of external peripheral devices are regarded as one system with respect to the starting point of the user's operation of attaching the external peripheral devices, only a certain peripheral device is connected. Then, when all the device preparations for the user's intended operation are automatically performed, the usability of the information processing apparatus can be improved.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made in view of such a background, and a purpose thereof is to simply execute connection of a certain peripheral device and automatically execute all the device preparations for a user's intended operation, and to use the device. An object of the present invention is to provide an information processing apparatus having excellent performance.

[0009]

In order to achieve the above object, the present invention relates to an information processing apparatus having connection means for connecting external peripheral devices, wherein each section and overall control are performed by control means. Detecting means for detecting that an external peripheral device is connected, determining means for determining the type of the connected external peripheral device, and holding means for holding an information file for operating the external peripheral device, When the connection of the external peripheral device is detected by the detection unit, the determination unit determines the type of the connected external peripheral device, and the control unit determines the type of the external peripheral device according to the type of the external peripheral device. The system is configured to automatically select and update data to be incorporated in the setting file and execute an automatic process according to the data.

The process of automatically selecting and updating is as follows:
The data to be incorporated in the information setting file and / or the environment setting file held in the holding means according to the type of the external peripheral device is read from the holding means and incorporated in a system startup file or an environment setting file, and the corresponding external peripheral device is read. This is performed by activating application software that uses.

Further, the connection means is connected to one connection means.
It is possible to connect the above types of external peripheral devices, and a connector is used as the connection means, and the determination means determines the type of the external peripheral device only by connecting the connector. This determination is made based on the model information input from the connected external peripheral device.

[0012]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a system configuration of information processing according to an embodiment of the present invention. This system includes an information processing apparatus 101, a mobile phone 112 as an external peripheral device connected to the information processing apparatus 101, and a LAN.
114. The mobile phone is connected by the communication IF adapter 111 for the A communication system,
4 is connected to the information processing apparatus 101 via a connector 110 as a connection means by a communication IF adapter 113 for the B communication system. That is, two types of adapters can be arbitrarily connected to one connector 110. In this embodiment, one connector 110
Although two types of adapters can be connected to the network, more types of adapters can be connected. In addition, a plurality of connectors 110 may be provided, and in such a case, a plurality of types of adapters can be connected to each connector.

The information processing apparatus 101 includes a CPU 102,
A keyboard (KB) 105 for inputting, a keyboard controller (KBC) 104 for controlling the operation of the keyboard 105, and a holding unit for holding an information file for operating an external peripheral device. RAM1 for storing important data
03, a monitor 108, a display controller 106 as a control device of the monitor 108, and a V for storing image data.
RAM 107, I / O interface 109, and connector 1 connected to I / O interface 109
10, a keyboard controller 104, a RAM 103, and a display controller 106 for the CPU 102.
And the I / O interface 109 are bus-coupled so that they can communicate with each other.

The I / O interface 109 receives output signals from the external peripheral devices 112 and 114 when the I / O interface 109 is connected to the mobile telephone 112 or LAN 114 as external peripheral devices via the communication interfaces 111 and 113 and the connector 110. Connected to the CPU
An interrupt factor can be generated with respect to 102. Therefore, the I / O interface 109 functions as a detecting unit in this embodiment.

FIG. 2 is a system structure diagram showing a processing system of hardware and software. This system structure includes application software (layer) 201, device driver (layer) 202, and hardware (layer) 203. The application software 201 is located at the highest layer and executes various processes. The device driver 202 is lower layer software that controls the hardware 203.
The device driver 202 bridges the application software 201 and the hardware 203, and the device driver 202, which has received an instruction from the application software 201, operates the hardware 203 and executes the instruction. When new hardware 203 is added as an external peripheral device, the setting information file is updated for the application software 201 that issues a certain command, so that the device driver 202 corresponding to the new software 203 can be used properly. 203 needs to be available.

FIG. 3 shows a connected device detection / determination processing routine when an external peripheral device is connected. In this routine,
When an external peripheral device is connected to the information processing apparatus 101, connection detection means (in this embodiment, the I / O interface 1
09 corresponds), detects a peripheral device (step S1), and C
An external connection interrupt is generated to the PU 102 (step S2). When an external connection interrupt occurs, the CPU 102
Requests the device information from the connected device, acquires the model information, or recognizes and determines the type of the connected device based on the model information notification from the external peripheral device (step S3). Therefore, in this embodiment, the CPU 102 functions as a determination unit.

In step S4, it is checked whether or not the connected peripheral device (hardware device) is a known one. If it is known, information for operating the corresponding hardware 203 is stored in a database in the RAM 103. Recall the file and include it in the system file. Alternatively, the information setting file is changed (step S5).

If the connected peripheral device (hardware device) 203 is unknown, the database in the RAM 103 is searched for an available information file (step S6). (Step S7-Yes), the setting information is updated in the same manner as above (Step S5). If there is no setting information, the connection of the unregistered peripheral device is notified (Step S8), and the process ends.

Next, a search is made for an area additionally provided in the information file for operating the peripheral device, in which the automatic processing normally executed by the individual hardware can be registered. When there is (Step S9-Yes)
Starts automatic processing such as activating specific application software and activating application software that executes registered specific processing contents (step S1).
0). When there is no registered automatic process (step S9-
No), the present process ends.

When the above functions are provided in a portable information processing apparatus, the following usage forms can be assumed.

(1) In the case of the A-method communication In this case, it is desired to connect to the Internet via a mobile phone and mainly perform only transmission and reception of e-mail software. Also,
Because charges are incurred during communication, we want to minimize the required connection time. Therefore, the A communication system interface adapter 1
When 11 is connected, it is set to use the electronic mail software of the application software.

When the A communication system interface adapter 111 which is a peripheral device of the information processing apparatus 101 is connected, first, the setting for operating the interface adapter 111 in the information processing apparatus 101 is updated, and the interface for connecting to the external network is updated. Change to mobile phone service setting for A-method communication. Then, e-mail software is started, and e-mail is transmitted and received.

With this setting, the user immediately reads the e-mail according to the result of the incoming e-mail software,
Or you can take action such as writing a reply.

(2) In the case of B system communication In this case, the external peripheral device is used for an in-house LAN or the like,
In particular, since there is no cost in the connection state, the connection state is always set to the connection state, and the browsing of the database in the in-house network is mainly performed through WWW (World Wide Web) browser software. Therefore, B
When the communication system interface adapter 113 is connected, WWW browser software of application software is used.

When the B communication system interface adapter 113, which is a peripheral device of the information processing apparatus 101, is connected, first, the information processing apparatus 10
1. The setting for operating the interface adapter 113 is updated within 1, and the interface connected to the external network is changed to the mobile telephone service setting of the B system communication. Then, the WWW browser software is started.

In this way, after connecting the external peripheral device, the user can immediately take action such as browsing the in-house LAN database. When a printer is connected, the print execution program can be started.When an image scanner is connected, the image capture execution program can be started.When a digital camera is connected, the image viewer software can be started. Can be.

[0028]

As described above, according to the present invention, when the detecting means detects the connection of the external peripheral device, the determining means determines the type of the connected external peripheral device, and the control means controls the external peripheral device. Read the information file for operating the corresponding external peripheral device from the holding means according to the type of,
Since the necessary processing for using the external peripheral device is automatically executed, when the external peripheral device is added and used for a predetermined application, setting preparation when a new connection is established can be automated. Instead, by automating the subsequent mechanical work of the determined behavior, it is possible to provide an information processing apparatus having excellent usability, thereby improving the work efficiency of the user.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration of an information processing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating a system structure of an information processing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a flowchart illustrating a processing procedure of the information processing apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

 101 Information Processing Apparatus Body 102 CPU 103 RAM 104 Keyboard Controller 105 Keyboard 106 Display Controller 107 VRAM 108 Monitor 109 I / O Interface 110 Connector 111 A Method Communication Interface Adapter 112 Mobile Phone 113 B Method Communication Interface Adapter 114 LAN 201 Application Software ( Layer) 202 Device driver (layer) 203 Hardware (layer)

Claims (5)

[Claims] 1. An information processing apparatus comprising a connection unit for connecting an external peripheral device, wherein each unit and overall control is performed by a control unit, wherein: a detection unit for detecting that the external peripheral device is connected; Determining means for determining the type of the external peripheral device, and holding means for holding an information file for operating the external peripheral device, wherein when the detecting means detects the connection of the external peripheral device, the determination is performed. Means for judging the type of the connected external peripheral device, the control means reading an information file for operating the corresponding external peripheral device from the holding means according to the type of the external peripheral device, An information processing apparatus for automatically executing a necessary process for using a device. 2. A process necessary for using the external peripheral device includes a process of incorporating the data of the read information file into a system startup file and / or a process of incorporating the read information file into an environment setting file, and a process of incorporating the data into the environment setting file. And updating the application software to start the application software using the corresponding external peripheral device. 3. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said connection means is capable of connecting two or more types of external peripheral devices to one connection means. 4. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said connection means comprises a connector, and said determination means determines the type of the external peripheral device only by connecting said connector.
The information processing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 7. 5. The information processing apparatus according to claim 4, wherein said determining means determines the type of the connected device based on model information input from the connected external peripheral device.