JPH01302453A - Interface system - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To facilitate a processing for an error by notifying an error message corresponding to respective types of error statuses in terminal equipment. CONSTITUTION:Asynchronous type serial data corresponding to the respective error statuses are transmitted from a printer 60 to a host computer 50. Consequently, the data are discriminated in a prescribed time, and when they are the serial data, the data are read and analyzed. Further, the error messages corresponding to the error statuses are displayed on a display device 50E. Thus, the message corresponding to paper shortage, paper clogging, ink shortage, etc., in the printer 60 is displayed.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [Field of Application for A-Business Owners] The present invention relates to an interface system, and more particularly to an interface system equipped with a mechanism for notifying a main device such as a host computer of an error status in a terminal device such as a printer.

(Prior Art) Conventionally, as this type of intersystem, one based on the parallel interface standard of Centronics Corporation, for example, has been popular.

FIG. 4 shows terminal numbers and corresponding signal names in the standard interface described above.

In the figure, signal FAtlLT (32) is a signal indicating that some kind of error has occurred in a terminal device such as a printer, and signal B
LISY (11) is a signal indicating that the terminal device is unable to receive data, signal SE, LECT (13) is a signal indicating online status with main equipment such as a host computer, signal PE (12) is a signal indicating that the printer is out of recording paper. The signal ^CK (10) is a signal generated when the terminal device receives data, and the signal 5TROBE is a synchronization signal when transmitting data to the terminal device.

5 and 6 are signal waveform diagrams and a flowchart of error display processing when an error occurs in a conventional printer.

The process shown in FIG. 6 is an IA process executed in the host computer, in which data is transmitted in step 561, and it is determined in step 562 whether or not a signal C has been sent from the printer side. Data transmission is possible as long as the signal ^C is sent, and the process returns to step S61 to continue data transmission.

On the printer side, when data is received, it sends a CK signal within a predetermined time, but if some error occurs and the signal ACK is not sent, the signal FAULT is sent as shown in Figure 5. Becomes active. At the same time, the signal BUOY indicating that data cannot be received becomes active, and the signal 5ELECT indicating the online state of the host computer becomes inactive. Further, if the content of the error is that the printer is out of recording paper, the signal PE becomes active.

In step 563, the signal FAULT, which has become active as described above, is received, and in step S64, the signal PE
Determine whether or not a message has been received. If the signal PE is present, a paper out message is displayed in step 565; if not, a message is displayed in step 566 indicating that some kind of error has occurred, although the content of the error cannot be specified.

(Problem to be Solved by the Invention) However, since the above-mentioned interface device uses a one-way transmission method, there are few transmission lines for transmitting error status, and in the above example, there is a transmission line for error status indicating that the recording paper is out. Even if a vacant transmission line is used, 1. There is a problem in that the number of types of error status that can be transmitted is not that large.

The present invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned conventional problems, and its purpose is to detect errors in terminal equipment in detail by converting the error status signal transmitted through the error status transmission line into a serial data signal. The object of the present invention is to provide an interface device that allows information to be known.

(Means for Solving the Problems) To achieve this, the present invention provides a signal line for transferring data related to an error status in a terminal device, and a serial data supply means for supplying serial data related to the error status to the signal line. a serial data receiving means for receiving the serial data transferred to the signal line; a serial data determining means for determining the content of the serial data received by the serial data receiving means; and a serial data determining means for determining the content of the serial data received by the serial data receiving means. The present invention is characterized by comprising a notification means for making a notification according to the content to be posted.

(Operation) According to the above configuration, an error message is notified in accordance with each of various error statuses occurring in a terminal device, for example, a printer.

〔Example〕

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

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a system comprising a main device and a terminal device according to an embodiment of the present invention. In the figure, 50 is a host computer as the main device;
is a printer as a terminal device.

The host computer 50 includes a CPU 50 that controls the entire system, such as controlling signal exchange with the printer 60.
A. RAM5OC having a storage area as a work area of RAM5OC%CPU5O^ which stores processing procedures of the entire system such as processing procedures described later in FIG.

and an interface SOD for exchanging signals with the printer 60. In addition, the host computer 5
0 includes a display 5 for displaying system status, such as error displays depending on the type of error in the printer 60.
0E is connected.

Similarly, the printer 60 also has a CP that controls the entire printer.
It has u60A, ROM80B, RAM60C, and interface 600, and further includes a mechanical unit 60E composed of, for example, an inkjet recording head, a paper feeding mechanism, and the like.

FIG. 2 is a flowchart of data transmission and printer error display processing based on the configuration shown in FIG.

When the process is started, data is transmitted in steps 5201, 5202 and 5203, similar to steps 561, SB2 and S63 (II) in FIG.
Receive LT.

Incidentally, the interface system according to an embodiment of the present invention is configured to transmit asynchronous serial data corresponding to each error status from the printer 60 to the host computer 50 using the transmission line of the signal PE indicating paper out. be done.

Therefore, in step 5204, PE No. 18 is read continuously within a predetermined time, and in step 5205, it is determined whether the signal PE changes during this period, that is, whether the serial data is configured as shown in FIG. to judge.

If it is serial data, proceed to step 5206;
Data is read and analyzed in step 5207. That is, it is determined what the error status indicated by the serial data is.

In step 5208, an error message corresponding to the determined error status is displayed on the display 50H, and the process ends.

This makes it possible to display messages corresponding to various error statuses in the printer 60, such as out of paper, paper jam, out of ink, etc.

If it is determined in step 5205 that the signal PE does not constitute serial data, which is the case where the present invention is not applied to the interface system, the process proceeds to step 520g and determines whether the signal PE is active or inactive. Determine and differentiate. If it is active, the printer 60 is displayed in step 5210 if it is inactive.
A message indicating that some kind of error has occurred is displayed, and the process ends.

As described above, according to this embodiment, when the interface system of the present invention is applied, error messages corresponding to each of the various error statuses of the printer are displayed, so that the operator can easily respond to errors. It became possible to respond.

Further, according to this embodiment, it is possible to use either a conventional printer or a printer having the interface system of the present invention without changing the conventional interface device.

〔Effect of the invention〕

As is clear from the above description, according to the present invention, error messages are notified in accordance with each of various error statuses that occur in a terminal device, such as a printer.

As a result, the operator is able to know in detail the state of errors occurring in the terminal equipment, making it easier to deal with errors.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a system comprising a main device and a terminal device according to an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a flowchart showing a processing procedure according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. A data waveform diagram showing the configuration of the signal PE according to an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram showing terminal numbers and corresponding signal names in a conventional interface device, and FIG. 5 is a paperless diagram in the conventional example. FIG. 6 is a flowchart of data transmission and error display processing in the conventional example. 50...Host computer, 50A, 60A-CPU. soa, aoa...-ROM. soc, aoc...RAM. SOD, 600...Interface (1/F), 5
0E...Display, 60E...Mechanical unit, PE...Out of paper signal. Kyoto Figure 2 Figure 3 Figure 5

Claims (1)

[Scope of Claims] 1) A signal line for transmitting data related to an error status in a terminal device; a serial data supply means for supplying serial data related to the error status to the signal line; serial data receiving means for receiving the serial data to be transferred; serial data determining means for determining the contents of the serial data received by the serial data receiving means; and serial data determining means for determining the content of the serial data received by the serial data determining means. An interface system characterized by comprising a notification means for making a notification.