JP2000122942A - Network system and recording medium where emulator program is recorded - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To obtain the network system which makes it possible to develop applications when the network system is structured by allowing a terminal device to function as an emulator for a server device. SOLUTION: A portable terminal 2 displays a screen image at its display part once receiving a request to select a processing item. At this time, the portable terminal 2 transfers the selection request that a communication function part 23 receives to a client-side emulation function part 25, which recognizes the selection request and extracts screen data added to the selection request. Then a display of the extracted screen data is controlled through a dedicated API 26. Further, the portable terminal 2 waits for a user to select and input a processing item and sends a choice input to the server device 1 when the choice is inputted. The server device 1 sends a request to input data needed to perform the selected processing to the portable terminal 2.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a network system in which a server device and a client device are connected via a network such as a LAN, and a recording medium storing an emulator program applied to the network system.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art As is well known, a client-server type network system is a system in which functions (applications) of a server device can be shared by client devices connected to a network.

[0003] The server device has an application for managing data, executes an appropriate application in response to a processing request from the client device, and transmits the processing result to the client device. On the other hand, the client device not only transmits the above-described processing request including the input data input at the input unit such as the keyboard to the server device, but also processes the input data and the processing result transmitted from the server device. Execute output processing such as screen display and printing. As described above, in the conventional client-server type network system, the processing is shared between the server device and the client device.

[0004]

However, in order to share the processing between the server device and the client device,
Both devices required an application (a server device requires an application to manage data, and a client device requires an application to perform output processing). For this reason, when developing (constructing) a network system, it is necessary to develop an application for each of the server device and the client device, and also to define the communication between the two applications and the processing performed by the two applications. Work such as separation is also required, and there is a problem that the development period is long and the development cost is increased.

[0005] In addition, when an application developed for a server device and a client device checks the operation including the reliability of data communication between the two devices, it cannot be performed by the server device or the client device alone. Was. That is, debugging of the developed application could not be performed by the server device or the client device alone. For this reason, there is a problem that a special environment (a network environment or the like actually used) is created and the above-described operation check is performed in the environment, and it takes time to debug the application.

An object of the present invention is to make a terminal device function as an emulator of a server device, thereby facilitating application development at the time of constructing a network system or the like, and a terminal device and a server constituting the network system. An object of the present invention is to provide a recording medium on which an emulation program applied to a device is recorded.

[0007]

According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided an application program, a server-side input / output program for performing input / output control on a terminal device in response to a call from the application program, and
A client-side input / output program that performs an input / output operation by linking to the server-side input / output program; the application program and the server-side input / output program are arranged in a server device; Arranged, further, the server-side input / output program and the application program,
It is created on WindowsNT (OS manufactured by Microsoft Corporation).

In this configuration, a server-side input / output program for performing input / output control on a terminal device disposed in the server device is started in response to a call of an application program, and is linked to the server-side input / output program to link with the server-side input / output program. Starts the client-side input / output program located in. Therefore, when the server-side input / output program is activated on the server side, the client-side input / output program arranged in the terminal device is activated. This allows
The terminal device can function as an emulator of the server device. Here, letting the terminal device function as an emulator of the server device means that input and output relating to an application executed on the server device are actually performed by the terminal device. Therefore, there is no need to provide an application for performing output processing in the client device unlike the related art, and a network can be constructed only by developing an application to be provided in the server device. Therefore, it is possible to shorten the development period of the application and reduce the development cost.

Moreover, Windows NT is an OS applicable to a general-purpose computer, so that a general-purpose computer can be used as a server device.

The client input / output program can be connected to the server device from the terminal device at an arbitrary timing by providing a configuration for making a connection request to the server input / output program. By providing a wireless communication unit for connecting the output program and the server-side input / output program via a wireless LAN, the present invention can be applied to a network system using a wireless LAN.

Further, the terminal device can be carried by using a portable terminal.

According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, there is provided an application program, a server-side input / output program for performing input / output control on a terminal device in response to a call from the application program, and the server-side input / output program. A client-side input / output program that performs an input / output operation by linking to a program, the application program and the server-side input / output program are arranged on a server device, and the client-side input / output program is arranged on a terminal device side; The server-side input / output program receives a connection request from the client side when a linked input / output operation is not performed in the client-side input / output program within a predetermined period of time or when there is no response to a request for the input / output operation. The client side entry / exit Again to request the input and output operations to the program.

In this configuration, when the server-side input / output program does not perform the linked input / output operation in the client-side input / output program within a predetermined time,
Since the input / output operation is requested again to the client-side input / output program, even if the terminal device is stopped due to an unexpected power interruption or the like during the processing, the processing at the time of the stop is performed when the terminal device is restarted. Will be restarted. Therefore, the reliability of the terminal device against an unexpected accident can be improved.

According to a sixth aspect of the present invention, there is provided an application program, a server-side input / output program for performing input / output control on a terminal device in response to a call from the application program, and the server-side input / output program. A client-side input / output program that performs an input / output operation by linking to the program; wherein the application program and the server-side input / output program are arranged on a server device; the client-side input / output program is arranged on a terminal device side; The side input / output program has connection request means for making a connection request to the server side input / output program, and the server side input / output program requests a screen display to the client side input / output program. Request means, data requesting data input Input request means, and processing result transmitting means for transmitting a processing result, further comprising receiving the connection request from the client side input / output program, the screen display requesting means to the client side input / output program, A requesting means, and a processing result transmitting means for executing the processing in response to a response from the client-side input / output program, further comprising the client-side input / output program included in the selection request, the input request, and the processing result. This is a program that performs a screen display based on the screen data to be displayed and responds to the input request.

In this configuration, as shown in FIG. 12, the server-side input / output program converts the screen display request, the data input request, and the transmission of the processing result into a response to each request in response to a connection request from the client-side input / output program. It is executed sequentially in accordance with it.

Further, the client-side input / output program transmits a response to the screen display request, the data input request, and the screen display or input request based on the screen data included in the processing result. Therefore, it is not necessary to provide a special application on the terminal device side.

Further, in the invention described in claim 7, the server-side input / output program is configured such that when there is no response to the request from the client-side input / output program within a predetermined time, and when the response to the request for the input / output operation is not received. If there is no connection and there is a connection request from the client side,
The same request is made again to the client side input / output program.

With this configuration, even if the terminal device is stopped due to an unexpected power interruption or the like in the middle of processing, the terminal device is restarted when the terminal device is restarted. Processing is resumed. Therefore, the reliability of the terminal device against an unexpected accident can be improved.

The invention described in claim 8 is a program in which programs respectively applied to the server device and the terminal device of the network system described in claim 1 are recorded, and the invention described in claim 9 is A program recorded on each of a server device and a terminal device of the network system described in claim 5 is recorded.

[0020]

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a configuration of a network system according to an embodiment of the present invention. In the figure, 1 is a server device, and 2 is a portable terminal (corresponding to a terminal device in the present invention). 3 is LA
N, etc., and a network 3 is connected to a wireless server 4 and a plurality of wireless bridges 5.
The wireless bridge 5 performs wireless (or wired) communication with the mobile terminal 2 and also communicates with the wireless server 4 via the network 3. The wireless server 4 is a server device 1
And wirelessly (or wired).

FIG. 2 is a diagram hierarchically showing the functional configuration of the server device, and FIG. 3 is a diagram hierarchically showing the functional configuration of the portable terminal. In FIG. 2, reference numeral 11 denotes an OS of the server device 1, reference numeral 12 denotes a communication function unit for controlling communication with the wireless server 4, reference numeral 13 denotes a server-side emulation function unit (corresponding to a server-side input / output program in the present invention), and 14
Is an application interface (API), and 15 is an application (AP). The AP 15 is provided with an application for managing data. The OS of the server device 1 may be any OS suitable for a network environment. In particular, W which is a general-purpose OS
If Windows NT (Windows is a registered trademark of Microsoft Corporation in the United States) is used, a general-purpose computer can be used as the server device. In FIG. 3, reference numeral 21 denotes an OS of the mobile terminal 2, 22 denotes an API for the OS,
23 is a layer of the application (AP). Also,
The mobile terminal 22 according to this embodiment has, in addition to the above configuration, a communication function unit 2 that controls wireless communication with the wireless bridge 4.
4 and a client-side emulation function section 25 (corresponding to a client-side input / output program referred to in the present invention) for functioning as an emulator of the server device 1. The client-side emulation function unit 25 incorporates a dedicated API 26 for controlling input keys, a display unit, and the like provided on the mobile terminal 2. Note that, as described below, the AP 23 of the mobile terminal 2 may not be provided with an application.

Next, the operation of the network system will be described in detail. Here, the following description will be given by taking a network system in which an application for managing articles (management of article entry, exit, stock quantity, etc.) is provided in the server device 1 as an example. FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing the processing of the server device, and FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing the processing of the mobile terminal. FIG. 6 is a diagram showing a data flow between the server device and the portable terminal. First, the user turns on the power of the mobile terminal 2. When the power is turned on, the mobile terminal 2 wirelessly transmits a connection request to the server device 1 (n11). Here, the connection request transmitted from the mobile terminal 2 is received by the wireless bridge 5 closest to the mobile terminal 2, and the connection request received by the wireless bridge 5 is transferred to the wireless server 4 via the network 3, The wireless server 4 wirelessly transfers the connection request to the server device 1 so that the connection request is received by the server device 1 (portable terminal 2).
All transmissions from the server to the server device 1 are performed through this route. ).

Upon receiving the connection request from the mobile terminal 2, the server device 1 transmits a processing item selection request to the mobile terminal 2 (n1, n2). Hereinafter, the processing of the server device 1 according to n1 and n2 will be described in detail. In the server device 1, the connection request received by the communication function unit 12 is notified to the server-side emulation function unit 13, and the server-side emulation function unit 13
The data is transferred to the application provided in the AP 15 via the PI 14. When recognizing the notified connection request, the application instructs the server-side emulation function unit 13 via the API 14 to select a processing item. This selection instruction includes image data of a screen to be displayed on the mobile terminal 2. When the server-side emulation function unit 13 receives a processing item selection instruction,
This is transmitted to the mobile terminal 2 as a processing item selection request.
Here, the processing item selection request transmitted from the server device 1 is transmitted to the mobile terminal 2 via the wireless server 4 → network 3 → wireless bridge 5 (all transmissions from the server device 1 to the mobile terminal 2 Done by route.)

When the portable terminal 2 receives the processing item selection request, it displays a screen shown in FIG. 7 on the display unit (n12,
n13). At this time, in the mobile terminal 2, the communication function unit 24
Is transferred to the client-side emulation function unit 25, and the client-side emulation function unit 25 recognizes the selection request and extracts the screen data added to the selection request. Then, the display based on the screen data extracted here is controlled via the dedicated API 26. In addition, the mobile terminal 2
Waits for the user to select and input a process item, and when there is a selection input, transmits this to the server device 1 (n14, n15). The client-side emulation function unit 25 can read input data at the input unit via the dedicated API 26. The client-side emulation function unit 25 transmits the input data read here to the server device 1 via the client communication function unit 24.
Send to

When receiving the result of the selection of the processing item from the portable terminal 2, the server device 1 transmits to the portable terminal 2 a request for inputting data necessary for executing the process selected here (n3, n4). . This selection result is also transmitted to the communication function unit 12 →
The data is transferred to an application provided in the AP 15 via the server-side emulation function unit 13 → API 14. The application recognizes the type of input data required to execute the processing item selected here,
The server-side emulation function unit 13 is instructed to input the input data of the type recognized here. The input instruction includes screen data to be displayed on the display unit of the mobile terminal 2.

After the completion of the processing of n2, if the selection result of the processing item is not received from the portable terminal 2 even after the elapse of a predetermined time (n8), the processing of n2 is executed again. This allows
Even if the portable terminal 2 is stopped due to an unexpected power interruption or the like, the screen shown in FIG. 7 is displayed when the portable terminal 2 is restarted. That is, even if the portable terminal 2 is stopped due to an unexpected accident, when the portable terminal 2 is restarted, it can be restarted from the processing at the time of the stop. Although not shown in the figure, even if the process of n2 is repeated a predetermined number of times, if there is no response from the mobile terminal 2, an error process is performed.

When receiving the input request, the portable terminal 2 displays the screen of the screen data included in the input request on the display unit in the same manner as when the selection request is received (n16,
n17). FIG. 8A shows a case where the selected processing item is an article receiving process, FIG. 8B shows a case where the selected processing item is an article leaving process, and FIG. 8C shows a selected item. 13 shows an example of a screen when the processed item is an article inventory check process. Then, the portable terminal 2 (the client-side emulation function unit 25) waits for input of all types of data requested to be input here, and outputs an input result including all types of input data to the server device. 1
(N18, n19).

When receiving the input result from the portable terminal device 2, the server device 1 transfers the input result to the AP 15,
The application is executed using this input result (n
5, n6). After the completion of the process of n4, if the input result is not received from the portable terminal 2 even after the lapse of a predetermined time (n
9) Execute the process of n4 again. As a result, even when the portable terminal 2 is stopped due to an unexpected power interruption or the like, the screen shown in FIG. 8 is displayed when the portable terminal 2 is restarted. That is, even if the portable terminal 2 is stopped due to an accident, it can be restarted from the process at the time of restart when it is restarted.
Although not shown in the figure, even if the process of n4 is repeated a predetermined number of times, if there is no response from the portable terminal 2, an error process is performed.

Then, the processing result of the application is transmitted to the portable terminal 2, and the processing is terminated (n7). In the case where the executed processing is the article entry processing and the article exit processing, data such as the stock number of the article is updated in n7. Also, data such as the number of stocks is managed (stored) in the server device 1.

Upon receiving the processing result from the server device 1, the portable terminal 2 displays the screen of the screen data included in the processing result in the same manner as at the time of receiving the selection request, and ends the processing. (N20, n21). FIG. 9A shows a case where the selected processing item is the article storage processing.
FIG. 9B shows an example of a screen when the selected processing item is an article leaving process, and FIG. 9C shows an example of a screen when the selected processing item is an article stocking process.

As described above, in the network system of this embodiment, the server device 1 creates screen data of a screen to be displayed on the portable terminal 2 and transmits the screen data to the portable terminal 2, for example. It functions as an emulator of the server device 1. That is, the mobile terminal 2
Basically, it only needs to have a function of responding to a request from the server device 1, and does not require a special application. Therefore, there is no need to provide a function (application) for creating screen data in the portable terminal 2 as in the related art. That is, it is only necessary to provide an application in the server device 1. Further, not only one application to be developed may be used, but also work for defining communication between the two applications and separating processes performed by the two applications as in the related art becomes unnecessary. Therefore, it is possible to shorten the development period of the network and reduce the development cost. Further, since the portable terminal 2 does not hold the data managed by the server device 1, there is no problem that the data is lost due to a failure of the portable terminal 2 or a power failure, and the reliability of the data is reduced. Can be improved. Further, even if the portable terminal 2 is stopped due to an unexpected accident during the processing, the portable terminal 2 can be restarted from the processing at the time of the restart when it is restarted, and the reliability of the portable terminal 2 against the unexpected accident can be improved.

Further, when the portable terminal 2 is turned on, the connection request is made to the server device 1 so that the connection with the server device 1 can be made easily. The connection request may be made when a specific key provided on the mobile terminal 2 is operated.

Further, the server device 1 may be provided with a simulation function so that an application can be debugged. FIG. 10 shows a functional configuration of a server device provided with a simulation function. The server device 1 has a configuration in which a communication function unit 24 and a client-side emulation function unit 25 provided in the mobile terminal 2 of the above embodiment are added to the functional configuration shown in FIG.

In this configuration, the communication function units 12 and 24
Communication between the server-side emulation function unit 13 and the client-side emulation function unit 25 between the server device 1 and the portable terminal 2 described in the above embodiment (in this case, data Transfer)), the developed application can be debugged. That is, since the application can be debugged by the server device 1 alone, the time and cost required for the debugging can be reduced. Although not shown, a dedicated API 26 is provided in the client-side emulation function unit 25, and the API 26 controls the screen of a display device provided in the server device 1 and reads an input from a keyboard. Will be

In the above embodiment, the server 1
Although the screen data is transmitted from, it is also possible to transmit data for printing. Further, the client device referred to in the present invention is the portable terminal 2, but may be a stationary terminal device. Further, although the server device 1 manages articles, the server apparatus 1 may manage other types of data. In addition, as an input unit of the device on the client side, not only a keyboard but also a barcode reader,
A voice recognition device, a scanner, and the like can be provided. Further, a printing device (printer), a sound output device, or the like can be provided as the output unit. Further, the present invention is applied to a network system in which the server device 1 shown in FIG. 11A is directly connected to the network 3, a network system in which the server device 1 and the client device 2 ′ shown in FIG. The invention can be applied.

[0036]

As described above, according to the present invention, since the terminal device is made to function as an emulator of the server device, an application may be provided only in the server device, and it is unnecessary to develop an application in the client device. Become. As a result, the development period and the development cost can be reduced. In addition, since Windows NT having versatility is used as the OS of the server device, a general-purpose computer can be used as the server device.

Further, since a configuration is provided in which the terminal device issues a connection request to the server device, the terminal device can be connected to the server device at an arbitrary timing.

Further, the server-side input / output program requests the client-side input / output program to perform the input / output operation again when the linked input / output operation is not performed in the client-side input / output program within a predetermined time. Therefore, even if the terminal device is stopped due to an unexpected power interruption or the like in the middle of the process, when the terminal device is restarted, the process at the time of the stop can be restarted. As a result, the reliability of the terminal device against an unexpected accident can be improved.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a configuration of a network system according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating a functional configuration of a server device.

FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating a functional configuration of a mobile terminal.

FIG. 4 is a flowchart illustrating processing of a server device.

FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing processing of the mobile terminal.

FIG. 6 is a diagram showing a data flow between a server device and a mobile terminal.

FIG. 7 is a diagram illustrating a display example of a display unit in the mobile terminal.

FIG. 8 is a diagram illustrating a display example of a display unit in the mobile terminal.

FIG. 9 is a diagram illustrating a display example of a display unit in the mobile terminal.

FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating a functional configuration of a server device applied to a network system according to another embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 11 is a diagram showing a configuration of a network system according to another embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 12 is a diagram showing an outline of the invention described in claim 6;

[Explanation of symbols]

 1-server device 2-portable terminal (2'-client device) 3-network 4-wireless server 5-wireless bridge 13-server emulation software 25-client emulation software 26-dedicated API

 ──────────────────────────────────────────────────続 き Continuing on the front page (72) Inventor Yoshihisa Tashita 9-52, Ashiharacho, Nishinomiya-shi, Hyogo Furuno Electric Co., Ltd. (72) Inventor Yutaro Akao 9-52, Ashihara-cho, Nishinomiya-shi, Hyogo Furuno Inside Electric Company (72) Inventor Satoshi Nakatani 9-52, Ashihara-cho, Nishinomiya City, Hyogo Prefecture Inside Furuno Electric Company (72) Inventor Shigeru Karaki 9-52, Ashihara-cho, Nishinomiya City, Hyogo Prefecture Furuno Electric Company (72) Inventor Kazuyuki Asanuma 1-7-15 Tenjinbashi, Kita-ku, Osaka City, Osaka Pref. ME08 5K033 AA04 CB01 DA01 DA05 DA19 DB14 DB18

Claims (9)

[Claims] 1. An application program, a server-side input / output program for controlling input / output in a terminal device in response to a call from the application program, and an input / output operation linked to the server-side input / output program A client-side input / output program, wherein the application program and the server-side input / output program are located on a server device, the client-side input / output program is located on a terminal device side, and the server-side input / output program and the application program Is a network system created on WindowsNT (Microsoft OS). 2. The network system according to claim 1, wherein the client-side input / output program issues a connection request to a server-side input / output program. 3. The network system according to claim 1, further comprising a wireless communication unit that connects the client input / output program and the server-side input / output program via a wireless LAN. 4. The terminal device according to claim 3, wherein the terminal device is a portable terminal.
Network system as described. 5. An application program, a server-side input / output program for performing input / output control on a terminal device in response to a call from the application program, and an input / output operation linked to the server-side input / output program. A client-side input / output program, wherein the application program and the server-side input / output program are located on a server device, the client-side input / output program is located on a terminal device side, and the server-side input / output program is When a linked input / output operation is not performed in the client-side input / output program within a time period or when there is no response to a request for the input / output operation and a connection request is received from the client side, the client-side input / output I / O operation to the program again Network system that request. 6. An application program, a server-side input / output program for performing input / output control on a terminal device in response to a call from the application program, and an input / output operation linked to the server-side input / output program. A client-side input / output program, wherein the application program and the server-side input / output program are located on a server device, the client-side input / output program is located on a terminal device side, and the client-side input / output program is located on the server side. A connection request unit for making a connection request to the input / output program, wherein the server-side input / output program requests a screen display request unit for requesting a screen display to the client-side input / output program; and a data input request. Data input request means and processing Further comprising a processing result transmitting unit for transmitting the connection request from the client side input / output program, the screen display requesting unit, the input requesting unit, and the processing result transmission to the client side input / output program. A program for executing means in response to a response from the client-side input / output program. The client-side input / output program further includes a screen display based on the selection request, the input request, and the screen data included in the processing result. And a network program that responds to the input request. 7. The server-side input / output program issues a connection request from the client side when there is no response to the request from the client-side input / output program within a predetermined period of time or when there is no response to the request for input / output operation. 7. The network system according to claim 6, wherein when there is a request, the same request is made to the client-side input / output program again. 8. A server-side input / output program that performs input / output control on a terminal device in response to a call from an application program, and a client-side input / output that performs an input / output operation by linking to the server-side input / output program. And a server-side input / output program and an application program.
S) A recording medium on which an emulator program which is a program executed on the emulator program is recorded. 9. A server-side input / output program that performs input / output control on a terminal device in response to a call from an application program, and a client-side input / output that performs input / output operations by linking to the server-side input / output program. And the server-side input / output program is configured such that when the linked input / output operation is not performed in the client-side input / output program within a predetermined time, and in a state where there is no response to a request for the input / output operation. And a recording medium on which an emulator program which is a program for requesting the client-side input / output program to perform an input / output operation again when a connection request is made from the client side.