JP2000284918A - Device equipment - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To simplify an operation in an initial use by making it unnecessary to provide any storage medium exclusive for install. SOLUTION: Relating to device equipment 1 to be used by being connected with electronic data processor, a data holding region part 7 and a mode switching means 6 are provided in the device equipment 1. Then, driver information necessary for operating the device equipment 1 connected with the electronic data processor is stored in the data holding region part 7, and the driver information is read from the data holding region part 7 in the initial operation of the device equipment 1, and transmitted to an electronic data processor, and when the transmission of the driver information is ended, the driver information transmission mode is switched to a normal transmission and reception mode with the electronic data processor by the mode switching means 6.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a device connected to a computer and used, and more particularly to a device which itself stores driver information.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art When a new device device is added to an electronic data processing device such as a personal computer, in order to use the device device properly, a device driver incorporated in an OS must be used, or a maker must use the device driver. You will use the provided device driver.

[0003]

As described above, it does not take much time when the device device can be used with the device driver provided by the OS. However, when the device driver provided by the maker is used, it usually takes a floppy disk. It is necessary to import the device driver provided on the disk to the personal computer. The attached floppy disk may be lost or accidentally erased. On the manufacturer side, there is a complication that the device device and the device driver must be shipped in correspondence with each other without fail.

As described above, the conventional device has disadvantages in that a dedicated storage medium such as a floppy disk in which a device driver is stored is separately required, and installation work of the device is complicated.

An object of the present invention is to provide a device which solves the above-mentioned drawbacks of the prior art, does not require a storage medium dedicated to installation, and is easy to operate at the beginning of use.

[0006]

In order to achieve the above object, the present invention relates to a device which is used by connecting to an electronic data processing device such as a personal computer. A mode switching means such as a switch.

Then, driver information necessary for operating the device by connecting to the electronic data processing apparatus is stored in the data holding area, and the driver information is read out from the data holding area during the initial operation of the device. And transmitting the driver information to the electronic data processing apparatus, and when the transmission of the driver information is completed, the mode switching means switches from the driver information transmission mode to a transmission / reception mode with a normal electronic data processing apparatus. Is what you do.

[0008]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS The present invention has the above-mentioned configuration, and stores driver information required for installation on a device, and performs only the first access from an electronic data processing device. Since the device device can be used exclusively for reading out the driver information by using an access method according to the interface provided in the electronic data processing device, it is possible to use the device device without using a data floppy for installation.

Next, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a schematic configuration diagram of an IC card reader / writer according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a schematic configuration diagram of an electronic data processing system using the IC card reader / writer.

As shown in FIG. 2, an electronic data processing system according to this embodiment includes an IC card 8, a floppy disk type IC card reader / writer 1 capable of storing the IC card 8, and a disk top type It mainly comprises an electronic data processing device 9 such as a notebook type personal computer or various workstations. The electronic data processing device 9 is a floppy disk drive (FD).
D) 10 is built in. A floppy disk drive 1 is inserted into the head insertion slot of the IC card reader / writer 1.
0, the magnetic interface 1 facing the magnetic head 11
2 are installed. Reference numeral 13 in the figure denotes a terminal pattern provided on the surface of the IC card 8.

As shown in FIG. 1, an IC card 8 is stored in a card reader / writer 1 and
By electrically connecting the C cards 8 and attaching them to the floppy disk drive 10 of the electronic data processing device 9, the IC cards are connected via the card reader / writer 1.
The system transmits and receives data between the card 8 and the electronic data processing device 9.

Next, the configuration of the IC card reader / writer 1 will be described. The IC card reader / writer 1 has the same outer shape as a 3.5-inch floppy disk, and as shown in FIG. 1, a microprocessor unit (MPU) 2, a power supply controller 3, a gate array 4, a comparator 5, a mode switching switch. 6, a data holding area section 7 comprising a memory, and the gate array 4 has an IC card interface 4a and an MFM modulation / demodulation circuit 4b, and each section has a connection relationship as shown in the figure.

Next, the processing operation of the electronic data processing system will be described with reference to FIGS. Normal,
In order to use the device connected to a personal computer,
You need some files or data provided as device drivers. The present invention employs means for copying a device driver to an arbitrary or designated directory of a personal computer or copying a file using an installer provided with the device driver at the start of use of the device.

Step (hereinafter abbreviated as S) 1 in FIG.
As shown in (1), when the IC card reader / writer 1 is shipped, data (management information) necessary as a device driver
Is written and stored in the data holding area 7.
The enlarged display section in FIG. 4 shows this state, and disk management information for writing disk management information such as the number of tracks and the number of sectors is stored in the data holding area 7 of the IC card reader / writer 1 in the same manner as a normal floppy disk. Region 14,
A file management information area 15 for writing file management information such as a file name, a file length, and a storage address;
A driver software information area 16 for writing driver software for a D-type reader / writer, an empty area 17 and the like are provided.

After the IC card 8 is inserted, the switch 6 of the IC card reader / writer 1 is turned on and inserted into the floppy disk drive (FDD) (S2). When the switch 6 is on, the IC card reader / writer 1 operates in the same manner as a normal floppy disk, that is, by using a floppy disk driver previously stored in the electronic data processing device 9 (in a floppy mode). 7, the device driver data is read and transmitted to the electronic data processing device 9, and the electronic data processing device 9 stores the FD type reader / writer driver software at a predetermined address (S3, see FIG. 5).

Next, the IC card reader / writer 1 is once removed from the floppy disk drive, and the mode switch 6 is turned off. As a result, the transmission mode of the device driver is switched to the transmission / reception mode of normal electronic data processing. Therefore, the IC card reader / writer 1 is inserted again into the floppy disk drive, and if the insertion is confirmed in S4 (Yes is determined). In step S5, access to the IC card reader / writer 1 is started using the saved FD type reader / writer driver software (reader / writer mode). This state is shown in the flow on the right side of FIG.

If it is determined in S4 that the inserted floppy disk drive is not the IC card reader / writer 1, it is determined that a normal floppy disk has been inserted, and the floppy disk inserted in S6 is accessed. To start. This state is shown in the flow on the left side of FIG.

It is to be noted that whether or not the one inserted into the floppy disk drive in step S4 is an IC card reader / writer or a normal floppy disk
IC using driver software for card reader / writer
If access to the card reader / writer 1 is successful,
Judgment that an IC card reader / writer has been inserted, and if access is not possible, a method of judging that a normal floppy disk has been inserted, or insert dummy reading in a format that matches the normal data format. If the reading succeeds, it is determined that a normal floppy disk has been inserted, and if the reading cannot be performed, it is determined that an IC card reader / writer has been inserted.

In this embodiment, the mode switching switch 6 is provided in the IC card reader / writer 1 to switch the mode mechanically. However, the transmission mode of the initial device driver information and the normal electronic data processing device For example, a flag indicating whether or not device driver information has been installed in an electronic data processing device (personal computer) is provided, and the transmission mode of device driver information and a normal electronic data processing device are switched according to the state of the flag. The transmission / reception mode can be switched by software.

In this embodiment, an IC card reader / writer is used, but the same installation is possible with a reader / writer of another electronic card such as a memory card.

In addition to using the floppy disk interface as in the above embodiment, a PC card interface or other connection methods may be used, and no special installation disk is required. It is only necessary that the system can be used.

[0022]

The present invention has the above-described configuration. When a new device is used, a storage medium dedicated to installation is not required, and the operation for starting use is easy.
Further, it is not necessary to worry about storage or loss of the installation-dedicated storage medium, and a highly convenient device can be provided.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic configuration diagram of an IC card reader / writer according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a schematic configuration diagram of an electronic data processing system using the IC card reader / writer.

FIG. 3 is a control flowchart when the IC card reader / writer is mounted on an electronic data processing device.

FIG. 4 is a diagram for explaining a configuration of a data holding area in the IC card reader / writer.

FIG. 5 is a diagram for explaining a flow of transmitting FD type reader / writer driver software from the IC card reader / writer to the electronic data processing apparatus.

FIG. 6 is a diagram for explaining a flow of accessing an FD type reader / writer and a normal floppy disk from the electronic data processing device.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 IC card reader / writer 2 MPU 4a IC card interface 6 Mode switch 7 Data holding area 8 IC card 9 Electronic data processor 10 Floppy disk drive 14 Disk management information area 15 File management information area 16 Drive software information area 17 Free region

 ──────────────────────────────────────────────────続 き Continued on the front page F term (reference) 5B014 FA11 5B058 KA40 YA20 5B065 BA09 CA13 CA16 ZA05 ZA07 5D066 DA03 DA12 DA16

Claims (2)

[Claims] 1. A device used by connecting to an electronic data processing apparatus, wherein a data holding area and mode switching means are provided in the device, and the device is connected to the electronic data processing apparatus to operate the device. Storing the driver information necessary for the in the data holding area, reading the driver information from the data holding area at the time of the initial operation of the device device, and transmitting to the electronic data processing device,
A device device configured to switch from a driver information transmission mode to a transmission / reception mode with a normal electronic data processing device by the mode switching means when the transmission of the driver information is completed. 2. The device according to claim 1, wherein the device comprises an electronic card and a disk cartridge type reader / writer capable of storing the electronic card, wherein the data holding area and the mode switching means are provided in the reader / writer. A device device, which is provided.