JP2000099415A - Information processor - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To enable a user to be coached with an instructor while staying at a place for the user to operate an information processor even when the place is away from the place of the skilled instructor. SOLUTION: This processor is provided with an input device switching part 12 interposed between an input device 11 and an input device control part 14 so as to impart information from the input device 11 through a protocol converting device 13 and a communication means 2 to the other information processor or to dispatch information imparted from the other information processor to the input device control part 14 in place of the information from the input device 11. Thus, when plural users being away from each other at a physical distance utilize the information processor, it is very efficient to mutually grasp operating conditions or operate one information processor from the other side.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to communication between information processing apparatuses, and more particularly to a technique for operating a remote information processing apparatus using communication.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In recent years, information processing apparatuses represented by word processors and computers have been developed and spread, and their use opportunities have increased. At the same time, information communication networks connecting information processing apparatuses have been developed, and it has become possible for users of information processing apparatuses to communicate without being restricted by physical distance.

[0003]

In order to make full use of such an information processing apparatus, it is necessary for a user of the information processing apparatus to learn an operation method and to master it to some extent. Learning how to operate is a shortcut to getting the guidance of an instructor who is familiar with the operation method on the spot when the operation method is not understood or questions arise while repeating trial and error while actually operating the device. Seem. However, in reality, it is difficult to realize such a situation in every home or office.

[0004]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made to solve the above-mentioned problems, and it is an object of the present invention to link information processing apparatuses physically separated from each other by communication means, and to connect the other information processing apparatuses to each other. By incorporating means for recognizing the status of the device and notifying the status of the information processing device to the other, it is possible to grasp the operation status of each other and to operate one information processing device from the other. .

According to the present invention, even if the place where the user operates the information processing apparatus is far from the place where the trained instructor is located, it is possible to receive guidance from the instructor while staying there.

[0006]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS An information processing apparatus according to a first aspect of the present invention includes an input unit, an input control unit, a protocol conversion unit, a communication unit, and an input switching unit. An information processing apparatus having an operation of switching information from an internal input unit and information from a communication unit.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, in the information processing apparatus according to the first aspect, the input switching means is interposed between the input means and the input control means, and the input switching means is connected to the input means. An information processing apparatus for transmitting information from a protocol conversion unit to an external unit via a communication unit, and transmits information from an internal input unit to an external unit via the communication unit. This makes it possible to monitor the information of the input means at an external remote location.

According to a third aspect of the present invention, in the information processing apparatus according to the first aspect, the input switching means is interposed between the input means and the input control means, and is provided with a communication means from outside. An information processing apparatus characterized in that information input via a protocol conversion means is passed to input control means instead of information from the input means, wherein information from the communication means is used as input information. is there. This makes it possible to use information from an external remote location instead of inputting information from internal input means.

According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, there is provided the information processing apparatus according to the first aspect, wherein the input switching means is interposed between the input means and the input control means. An information processing device for outputting information from a protocol conversion unit to another plurality of external information processing devices via a communication unit, wherein the information can be transmitted to a plurality of external devices. Become.

According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, in the information processing apparatus according to the first aspect, the input switching means is interposed between the input means and the input control means, and the communication means and the protocol are provided. An information processing apparatus capable of exchanging information with the outside through a conversion means and selecting either information from the input means or information from the outside to be passed to the input control means. Thus, either the information from the internal input means or the external information can be used as the actual input information.

According to a sixth aspect of the present invention, there is provided an information processing apparatus comprising output means, output control means, protocol conversion means, communication means, and output switching means. In addition, it has an effect of switching the output between the inside and the outside.

According to a seventh aspect of the present invention, in the information processing apparatus according to the sixth aspect, the output switching means is interposed between the output means and the output control means, and a communication means is provided from outside. An information processing apparatus characterized in that information inputted through a protocol conversion means is passed to an output means in place of information from an output control means via a communication means, and external information is outputted via a communication means. To output information from a remote place to the output means of the information processing apparatus.

According to an information processing apparatus according to an eighth aspect of the present invention, in the information processing apparatus according to the sixth aspect, the output switching means is interposed between the output means and the output control means. Is transmitted to the outside through the communication means via the protocol conversion means, and the output information of the main body can be output to a remote place via the communication means.

According to a ninth aspect of the present invention, in the information processing apparatus according to the sixth aspect, the output switching means is interposed between the output means and the output control means, and a protocol is provided from the communication means. An information processing apparatus characterized in that information can be exchanged with the outside via a conversion means, and that information to be passed to the output means can be selected from information from the output control means or information from the outside. Thus, either the information from the internal output control means or the external information can be used as actual output information.

[0015] An information processing apparatus according to a tenth aspect of the present invention includes an information processing means, a protocol conversion means, and a communication means, and the information processing means transmits another information through the communication means via the protocol conversion means. An information processing apparatus connected to the information processing means of the processing apparatus, wherein the states of the two information processing means can be matched by exchanging the states of each other. Once they are matched,
The operations of both information processing apparatuses can be made to match.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. (Embodiment 1) FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an example of an information processing apparatus according to the present embodiment. The information processing device 1 and the information processing device 3 are completely the same device, and examples thereof include a word processor and a personal computer. Less than,
A user of the information processing apparatus 1 is a user A, and a user of the information processing apparatus 3 is a user B.

The communication means 2 connects these two information processing devices, and examples thereof include a telephone line and a LAN.

The information processing device 1 further includes an input device 11,
An input device switching unit 12, a protocol conversion device 13, an input device control unit 14, an information processing unit 15, an output device control unit 16,
It comprises an output device switching section 17, a protocol conversion device 18, and an output device 19.

The input device 11 is a means for the user A to input information, and examples thereof include a keyboard, a pointing device such as a mouse and a touch panel, a microphone, a scanner, and a camera.

The input device switching section 12 is provided between adjacent blocks, that is, the input device 11, the protocol conversion device 13,
This is a device that controls the flow of information between the input device control units 14. The information flow controlled by the input device switching unit 12 has three patterns. One is a pattern in which information input by the operator A flows from the input device 11 to only the input device control unit 14, and a block diagram in this case is shown in FIG. One is that the information input by the operator A is input device 11.
Are patterns that flow from the input device control unit 14 to the protocol conversion device 13, and a block diagram in this case is shown in FIG. One is a pattern in which information input from the communication unit 2 flows to the input device control unit 14 through the protocol conversion unit 13, and a block diagram in this case is shown in FIG. The input device switching section 12 selects one of these three patterns.

The protocol converter 13 has two functions. One is an information processing device 1 in which an input device 1
1. To transmit information input by the user A that has passed through the input device switching unit 12 to another information processing device 3 via the communication unit 2, encode the information into a form suitable for communication, or negotiate. Work. One is that information input by the user B that has passed through the communication means 2 is decoded into a form of information that can be interpreted by the input device control unit 14,
It is a function to negotiate. The protocol conversion means 13 may include functions such as error correction, compression, and compression / decompression for efficient and accurate communication.

The input device control unit 14 includes the input device switching unit 1
The information transmitted from the input device 11 or the protocol conversion device 13 via the communication device 2 is converted into a form of information that can be interpreted by the information processing unit 15 and transmitted to the information processing unit 15. As a result, information input from the input device 11 or the input device 31 is transmitted in response to a request from the input device control unit 14. Due to the presence of the input device control unit 14,
From the information processing unit 15, the communication unit 2 and the protocol conversion device 13 are concealed, and the information processing unit 15 stores the information without depending on whether the information comes from the information processing device 1 or the information processing device 3. Can be processed. Examples of the input device control unit 14 include a BIOS and a device driver. Further, a mode in which the input device switching unit 12 is incorporated in the input device control unit 14 is also conceivable.

The information processing section 15 is a program such as an OS or an application used by the user A and hardware for operating the program. User A
Gives necessary output according to input from. Examples of such programs include programs such as a Japanese word processor function and a spreadsheet function.

The output device control unit 16 outputs the result of the information processing performed by the information processing unit 15 to the output device 19 or the output device 39.
Is a means directly used by the display information processing unit 15 in order to inform the user A and the user B by using the information. Examples of such a case include a BIOS and a device driver. Due to the presence of the output device control unit 16, the communication unit 2 and the protocol conversion device 18 are hidden from the information processing unit 15, and information is output to the information processing device 1 or the information processing device 3. No, information processing unit 15
Can process information.

The output device switching unit 17 is a device that controls the flow of information between peripheral blocks, that is, between the output device control unit 16, the protocol conversion device 18, and the output device 19. The information flow controlled by the output device switching unit 17 has three patterns. One is the information processing unit 15
Is output from the output device 1 via the output device control unit 16.
9 is a pattern flowing only in the case of FIG. 9, and a block diagram in this case is shown in FIG. One is that the output from the information processing unit 15 is
FIG. 6 is a block diagram showing a pattern flowing to the output device 19 and the protocol conversion device 18 via the output device control unit 16. One is that information input from the communication means 2 is passed through the protocol conversion means 18 and output to the output device 19.
The block diagram in this case is shown in FIG.
Shown in The output device switching unit 17 selects one of these three patterns. The output device switching unit 17
May be incorporated in the output device control unit 16.

The protocol converter 18 has two functions. One is the information processing unit 1 that has passed through the output device control unit 16 and the output device switching unit 17 in the information processing device 1.
In order to convey the output information of No. 5 to another information processing device 3 via the communication means 2, the output information 5 is a function of encoding or negotiating information suitable for communication. One is
The output information of the information processing unit 35 in the information processing device 3 that has passed through the communication unit 2 is decoded into information that can be interpreted by the output device 19 or the output device switching unit 17,
It is a function to negotiate. The protocol conversion device 18 may include functions such as error correction, compression, and decompression for efficient and accurate communication. further,
Protocol converter 13 and protocol converter 18
May be one block.

The output device 19 is a means for outputting information to the user A, and examples thereof include a display, a speaker, and a printer.

Although the blocks in the information processing apparatus 1 have been described above, the blocks in the information processing apparatus 3 have the same functions and functions as the corresponding blocks in the information processing apparatus 1.

Hereinafter, when the user A and the user B operate independently, when the user A performs input instead of the user B, the user A monitors the operation state of the user B. Each case will be described.

(When User A and User B Operate Independently) Input Device Switching Unit 12 of Information Processing Apparatus 1
Selects an information flow pattern as shown in FIG. 2, and the output device switching unit 17 selects an information flow pattern as shown in FIG. The input device switching unit 32 of the information processing device 3 selects a pattern corresponding to the information flow as shown in FIG. 2, and the output device switching unit 37 selects a pattern corresponding to the information flow as shown in FIG.

In such a state, in the information processing apparatus 1, the information input by the user A is input device 11, input device switching unit 12, input device control unit 14, information processing unit 15,
Output device control unit 16, output device switching unit 17, output device 1
The user A is fed back following the flow of 9. Also in the information processing device 3, the information input by the user B is fed back to the user B following the same flow. The user A and the user B operate the information processing devices independently, and no information is exchanged with each other. The communication means 2 is not used.

(Case where User A Makes Input Instead of User B) Next, a case where the information that the user A inputs to the information processing apparatus 1 is notified to the information processing apparatus 3 will be described. In this case, the input device switching unit 12 of the information processing device 1
Selects an information flow pattern as shown in FIG. 3, and the output device switching unit 17 selects an information flow pattern as shown in FIG. The input device switching unit 32 of the information processing device 3 selects a pattern corresponding to the information flow as shown in FIG. 4, and the output device switching unit 37 selects a pattern corresponding to the information flow as shown in FIG.

First, information input by the user A is input device 11, input device switching unit 12, input device control unit 14, information processing unit 15, output device control unit 16, output device switching unit 1.
7. The information is fed back to the user A following the flow of the output device 19. The information input by the user A also flows from the input device switching unit 12 to the protocol conversion device 13, enters the protocol conversion device 33 in the information processing device 3 via the communication unit 2, and from there, the input device switching unit 32. The user B is reached by following the flow of the input device control unit 34, the information processing unit 35, the output device control unit 36, the output device switching unit 37, and the output device 39.

The above is a state in which the user A is operating the information processing apparatus 3 instead of the user B. For example, if the user B cannot understand the operation in the middle, the user A It is conceivable that the method is applied when instructing the user B by using No.3. Alternatively, conversely, it is conceivable to apply when the user B monitors whether the operation of the information processing apparatus 1 of the user A is correct.

(When User A Monitors Operational State of User B) Next, as a result of the operation of the information processing device 3 by the user B, information output to the user B is also notified to the user A. The case in which it is performed will be described. In this case, the input device switching unit 12 of the information processing device 1 selects an information flow pattern as shown in FIG. 2, and the output device switching unit 17 selects an information flow pattern as shown in FIG. The input device switching unit 32 of the information processing device 3 selects a pattern corresponding to the information flow as shown in FIG. 2, and the output device switching unit 37 selects a pattern corresponding to the information flow as shown in FIG.

First, information input by the user B is input device 31, input device switching unit 32, input device control unit 34, information processing unit 35, output device control unit 36, output device switching unit 3.
7. The information is fed back to the user B following the flow of the output device 39. Information output to the user B also flows from the output device switching unit 37 to the protocol conversion device 38,
The user enters the protocol conversion device 18 in the information processing device 1 via the communication unit 2 and follows the flow of the output device switching unit 17 and the output device 19 to reach the user A.

The above may be applied to the case where the user A monitors whether the operation of the information processing device 3 of the user B is correct or not.

As described above, by recognizing the status of the other information processing device and incorporating means for notifying the status of the information processing device to the other, the operating status can be grasped by the other information processing device. In order to operate the apparatus from a remote location, it is preferable that the states of the information processing units match each other. For this purpose, as shown in FIG. 8, the protocol conversion device 110 is connected to the information processing unit 15 of the information processing device 1 and the protocol conversion device 310 is also connected to the information processing unit 35 of the information processing device 3. Are connected via the communication means 2. With such a configuration, the state of the information processing unit 15 of the information processing apparatus 1 is changed to the information processing apparatus 3
Can be copied to the information processing section 35. Alternatively, the state of the information processing unit 35 of the information processing device 3 can be copied to the information processing unit 15 of the information processing device 1. As a result, the states of the information processing unit 15 of the information processing device 1 and the information processing unit 35 of the information processing device 3 can be completely matched, and thereafter, unless both are operated independently of each other, Operations can be matched.

Further, the above description is made of the user A and the user B.
The operation status between the users has been described, but as shown in FIG. 9, the input information of the information processing apparatus 1 is notified to another plurality of information processing apparatuses via the communication unit 2 to perform one-to-many operation. Realizing the situation is also conceivable. This can be applied, for example, when one instructor teaches a plurality of students who are separated from each other.

[0040]

As described above, according to the present invention, when a plurality of users physically separated from each other use the information processing apparatus, they can grasp the operation status of each other or switch one information processing apparatus from the other. Operation becomes possible, and the effect is great.

[Brief description of the drawings]

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

FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a first pattern of information flow by the input device switching unit 12;

FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing a second pattern of information flow by the input device switching unit 12;

FIG. 4 is a block diagram showing a pattern 3 of information flow by the input device switching unit 12;

FIG. 5 is a block diagram showing a first pattern of information flow by the output device switching unit 17;

FIG. 6 is a block diagram showing a second pattern of information flow by the output device switching unit 17;

FIG. 7 is a block diagram showing a third pattern of information flow by the output device switching unit 17;

FIG. 8 is a block diagram showing an information processing apparatus for matching the states of the information processing unit 15 and the information processing unit 35;

FIG. 9 is a block diagram showing a state of one-to-many communication according to the second embodiment of the present invention;

[Explanation of symbols]

 REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 1 information processing device 2 communication means 3 information processing device 11 input device 12 input device switching unit 13 protocol conversion device 14 input device control unit 15 information processing unit 16 output device control unit 17 output device switching unit 18 protocol conversion device 19 output device 31 Input device 32 Input device switching unit 33 Protocol conversion device 34 Input device control unit 35 Information processing unit 36 Output device control unit 37 Output device switching unit 38 Protocol conversion device 39 Output device 110 Protocol conversion device 310 Protocol conversion device

Claims (10)

[Claims] 1. An information processing apparatus comprising: input means, input control means, protocol conversion means, communication means, and input switching means. 2. The input switching means is interposed between the input means and the input control means, and transmits information from the input means to the outside from the protocol conversion means via the communication means. 2. The information processing device according to 1. 3. The input switching means is interposed between the input means and the input control means, and performs input control in place of information input from the outside via the communication means and the protocol conversion means in place of the information from the input means. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the information is passed to a means. 4. An input switching means interposed between the input means and the input control means, and outputs information from the input means to another plurality of external information processing devices via the communication means from the protocol conversion means. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein: 5. The input switching means is interposed between the input means and the input control means, is capable of exchanging information with the outside through the communication means and the protocol conversion means, and inputs information passed to the input control means. 2. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein either one of the information from the means and the information from the outside can be selected. 6. An information processing apparatus comprising output means, output control means, protocol conversion means, communication means, and output switching means. 7. The output switching means is interposed between the output means and the output control means, and outputs information inputted from outside through the protocol conversion means via the communication means in place of the information from the output control means. The information processing apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the information is passed to a means. 8. The output switching means is interposed between the output means and the output control means, and sends out information from the output control means to the outside through the communication means via the protocol conversion means. Item 7. An information processing device according to Item 6. 9. The output switching means is interposed between the output means and the output control means, is capable of exchanging information with the outside from the communication means via the protocol conversion means, and outputs information to be passed to the output means. 7. The information processing apparatus according to claim 6, wherein it is possible to select whether to use the information from the output control unit or the information from the outside. 10. An information processing means, a protocol conversion means, and a communication means, wherein the information processing means is connected to the information processing means of another information processing apparatus through the communication means via the protocol conversion means. An information processing apparatus characterized in that the states of both information processing means can be matched by exchanging states.