JP3222303B2 - Information transmission method between terminal devices and interface device - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a merchandise distribution system using a credit card or a cash card, and more particularly, to a case where a single piece of information can be shared among a plurality of terminal devices which need to input the same information. The present invention relates to a tightening method and components for performing the method.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In recent years, when buying and selling goods using a credit card or a cash card, the POS (point
of sale) terminal equipment and CAT (credit autorization ter)
POS systems using terminal devices in combination are widely used.

A POS terminal is installed at a merchandise sales floor and immediately processes sales information on the movement and price of the merchandise when selling it. On the other hand, a CAT terminal is located at the same sales floor or a credit member store. Installed, CAF
Check with an IS (credit and finance information system) center for invalid card checks, credit limit checks,
This automatically issues a slip, processes sales information, and the like. When processing the sales information of a product by a credit card, the sales information such as the product code and the amount is input to the POS terminal device, and the sales information is input again to the CAT terminal device and transmitted to the CAFIS center.

[0004]

As described above, in a conventional POS system of this type, a POS terminal and a CAT are used.
The same sales information is input independently from the terminal device. For this reason, the operation becomes complicated, and there is a problem that data is apt to be erroneously mistaken, and a long time is required for input processing and for solving a trouble. This is extremely inconvenient for a store or the like that requires a quick sales process, and there has been a strong demand for an improvement in a system for transferring sales information.

On the other hand, the POS terminal device and the CAT terminal device can be used independently, and are manufactured according to a manufacturer's own standard. In addition, like the POS terminal device, the same function is often incompatible with each other due to differences in the respective standards, and has been used in an extremely limited environment.

In view of the above problems, the present invention provides a method for sharing one piece of information by a simple method between a plurality of terminal apparatuses which need to input the same information, particularly between apparatuses having different standards. It is another object of the present invention to provide a component (interface device) for realizing this method.

[0007]

According to the present invention, there is provided a method for transmitting information over a communication path between a plurality of terminals including at least one of a POS terminal and a CAT terminal. A method for transmitting or receiving information to or from an information recording area of an IC card in the IC card reader / writer in each of the plurality of terminal devices, wherein the IC card reader / writer is interposed in the communication path. An interface device for performing the operation described above, the transmission target information generated in one of the terminal devices is written in the information recording area of the IC card, and the other terminal device reads the transmission target information written in the information recording region, and It is characterized by being taken in. The IC card may be either an IC card or an IC memory card in a narrow sense.

In the above method, preferably, the IC card is an S-type IC card, and the information recording area thereof is
Format according to the common specifications of each terminal device. Furthermore, I
The transmission target information written in the information recording area of the C card may be accumulated and stored. It should be noted that the S-type IC card is an IC card based on a common specification established by many manufacturers in cooperation with each other, and is actually a domestic standard. Smart cards also belong to this S-type IC card.

The interface device according to the first configuration of the present invention is provided in a POS terminal device or a CAT terminal device, and is an IC card reader / writer connected to each terminal device and an IC mounted on the IC card reader / writer. An interface device for controlling the drive of a card, a command generating means for generating an access command for an information recording area of the IC card, and transmission target information generated by the device when the generated access command is a write command And input / output control means for taking in the transmission target information from the IC card when the access command is a read command.

An interface device according to a second configuration of the present invention is an interface device of an IC card reader / writer for transmitting information to at least one of a POS terminal device and a CAT terminal device, wherein the POS terminal device A determining means for determining whether or not an access command sent from the CAT terminal device is directed to itself or an IC card to be attached thereto; and when the determination result is directed to the IC card, a transmission target is determined in accordance with the access command. Input / output control means for switching the direction of information.

In the interface device of the first or second configuration, preferably, the IC card is
A type IC card, and its information recording area is formatted according to a common specification of a terminal device that transmits information. This S-type IC card is as described above.

[0012]

In the method for transmitting information between terminal devices according to the present invention, as a first step, for example, the POS terminal device records the information to be transmitted via its own interface device on the information recording of the IC card mounted on the IC card reader / writer. Write cumulatively to the area. In the second stage, for example, the CAT terminal
The information recording area of the IC card is accessed via its own interface device to read out the transmission target information and take it into its own device. As a result, the CAT terminal can share the transmission target information from the POS terminal, so that it is not necessary to input the information again, and it is possible to avoid a trouble caused by erroneous data.

When the standard of the IC card conforms to the standard of each terminal device and the information recording area is formatted according to the specification common to each terminal device,
The same information can be shared only through the first and second steps. However, if the standard does not conform and the format is different, it is difficult to realize the above method as it is. In this case, by using an S-type IC card and formatting with a common specification for each terminal device, differences in standards are absorbed and information compatibility becomes more complete, so the above difficulty is solved.

In the interface device according to the first configuration of the present invention, first, the command control means generates an access command to the information recording area of the IC card. The input / output control means guides this access command to the IC card reader / writer, and when the access command is a write command, writes the transmission target information generated in the own device into the information recording area of the IC card. On the other hand, when the access command is a read command, the information to be transmitted is taken into the own device from the information recording area of the IC card. In this way, information transmission with the IC card reader / writer is realized.

Further, in the interface device according to the second configuration of the present invention, when an access command is sent from the POS terminal device or the CAT terminal device, first, whether the access command is directed to itself or to the IC card mounted on the self device is determined. Is determined by the determination means. When it is confirmed that the information is addressed to the IC card, the direction of the transmission target information is changed according to the access command. For example, when a write command is issued, the transmission target information is sent from the terminal device to the IC card, and when a read command is issued, the transmission target information is sent from the IC card to the terminal device. The writing or reading of the transmission target information is controlled by the IC card.

As described above, the IC card is S-type I
By using a C card and formatting the information recording area according to the common specifications of the terminal device that performs transmission information,
The differences between the standards are absorbed and the compatibility of information is increased.

Next, an embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a block diagram of an embodiment of the present invention, showing an example of a POS system for quickly processing sales information when buying and selling goods using a credit card.

In the figure, 1 is a POS terminal device, 2 is a CAT terminal device, 3 is an S-type IC card reader / writer (hereinafter, referred to as an R / W device in this embodiment), and 4 is an S-type IC card (hereinafter, referred to as an R / W device). , This embodiment is simply referred to as an IC card), and each of the devices 1 to 3 is connected to each other via an RS232C cable so as to be mutually transmittable. Each device 1
3 has a unique address set therein, and has means for determining whether the received information is addressed to itself.
Even if the 32C cable is connected as shown, no interference occurs. This figure shows the configuration of only the part that implements the present invention.

The POS terminal 1 and the CAT terminal 2
Except that the latter communication control unit 21 is connected to the CAFIS center 5, although there are some differences in function,
It has almost the same configuration. That is, each of the terminal devices 1 and 2
Is a communication control unit 1 for controlling communication with the partner device.
1, 21; interface units 12 and 22; data input units 13 and 23; data output units 14 and 24; and storage units 15 and 25 for storing control programs and related data of the own device. The programs and the like stored in the storage units 15 and 25, the interface units 12 and 22, and the communication control units 11 and 21 implement the interface device according to the first configuration of the present invention.

The R / W device 3 includes a switch mechanism 31
, An interface unit 32, a data input unit 33, a data output unit 34, and a card contact unit 35. The switch mechanism 31 and the interface unit 32, and control means (not shown) for controlling each of these units, are used. An interface device according to a second configuration of the present invention is realized. Note that the card contact portion 35 serves as an electrical contact with the IC card 4.

The interface units 12 and 22 of the POS terminal device 1 and the CAT terminal device 2 respectively control the R / W devices 3 according to the control programs recorded in the storage units 15 and 25.
And various commands including an access command (write or read command) to the IC card 4 (command generation means), and based on the generated commands, the communication control units 11 and 12.
1 to control input / output (INPUT / OUTPUT) of information between the R / W device 3 and the IC card 4 (input / output control means). For example, when the access command is a write command, the transmission target information generated in the own device is guided to the IC card 4, and when the access command is a read command, the transmission target information is fetched from the IC card 4.

The interface unit 3 of the R / W device 3
2 refers to its own unique address, for example, P
When it is determined whether or not the access command sent from the OS terminal device 1 or the CAT terminal device 2 is directed to the IC card 4 attached thereto (determination means), and when it is confirmed that the access command is directed to the IC card 4 Mediates the access command. That is, when the access command is a write command, the information to be transmitted is guided to the IC card 4 side, and when the access command is a read command, the information from the IC card 4 is transmitted to the POS terminal 1 or the CAT terminal 2.
To the side (input / output control means).

The IC card 4 controls writing or reading of information to be transmitted according to the access command. Note that I
The information recording area of the C card 4 is formatted according to a common specification determined in advance with the POS terminal device 1 and / or the CAT terminal device 2 to form a data file.
It is assumed that the transmission target information is not lost from the information recording area by reading, but is stored cumulatively unless it is newly formatted.

In the POS system having such a configuration, the sales information input from the data input unit 13 of the POS terminal device 1 is set as the transmission target information, and the CAT information is transmitted via the R / W device 3 (IC card 4) to the CAT. A specific processing procedure when transmitting to the terminal device 2 will be described with reference to FIGS.

FIG. 2 is a flowchart of the processing in the POS terminal device 1 in this case, where S represents each processing step (the same applies hereinafter). Referring to FIG. 2, the POS terminal device 1 performs an initial setting at the start of a POS process (S21), and executes a sales process when a product is purchased (S22).
This sales process is, for example, a keyboard or barcode input process of a product code or amount data in a register, and immediately generates sales information at a sales floor of the product. Thereafter, the credit processing is selected (S23), and this sales information is transferred to the R / W device (S24).

Thereafter, it is determined whether or not the transfer has been completed normally (S25). If the transfer is normal, an automatic CAT process described later is awaited (S26). If the transfer is abnormally terminated, the operation of the R / W device is checked (S27), and if the result is good, the sales information is transferred again. If the operation is defective, the manual CAT process is performed, that is, the sales information is re-input to the CAT terminal device and the result of the process is waited as before (S28). When the CAT process ends, the product is delivered to the purchaser (S29), and the process ends.

FIG. 3 is a flowchart of the process on the CAT terminal device 2 side. The CAT terminal device 2 first performs the initial setting of the CAT process (S31), and fetches the aforementioned sales information from the R / W device based on a notification from the POS terminal device or triggered by a manual operation (S32). At this time, it is determined whether or not the data has been taken in normally (S33).
The operation of the / W device is checked (S34), and if the result is good, the sales information is fetched again. If the operation is defective, the sales information is re-input (S35). When the acquisition or re-entry of the sales information is completed, an online line is connected to the CAFIS center (S36). Receipt printing is performed if the result of credit check is good (S38). (S39), and the CAT process ends.

The processing flow in the R / W device 3 and the IC card 4 at this time will be described with reference to FIG.
First, initialization such as initialization processing is performed (S4).
1) When the IC card is mounted (S42), the IC card itself and the administrator are checked (S43). If the check is bad, the card is ejected (S52).
If the check is good, the POS terminal device can
(S44).
This write command is checked (S45), and if there is any abnormality, an abnormality notification is output to the POS terminal (S5).
3). If the write command is normal, writing to the IC card is permitted (S46). Then, it is confirmed whether or not the processing has been completed normally (S47). If the processing has been abnormally completed, the fact is notified to the POS terminal device (S54).

After the normal end, when a read command addressed to itself (IC card) is received from the CAT terminal device (S48),
This read command is checked (S49), and if there is any abnormality, an abnormality notification is output to the POS terminal device (S5).
5). At this time, the notification may be sent to the CAT terminal device. If the read command is normal, the read command is guided to the IC card, and information transmission from the IC card to the CAT terminal is permitted (S50). Thereafter, it is confirmed whether or not the processing has been completed normally (S51). If the processing has been abnormally completed, the fact is notified to the POS terminal device (S56). On the other hand, if the processing ends normally, the processing ends.

When the IC card is ejected (S52),
When writing to the IC card ends abnormally (S54) and when reading from the IC card ends abnormally (S56),
The process returns to the IC card mounting (S42) again.

As described above, in the POS system according to the present embodiment, the sales information input by the POS terminal
Since the data is automatically taken into the CAT terminal device 2 via the W device (IC card 4), one piece of sales information can be shared. The problem is solved. Further, since the sales information is sequentially stored in the IC card 4, it is possible to read the sales information by another R / W device and perform sales totalization, or to use it as a proof at the time of occurrence of an accident.

The above description is an example of transmission of sales information from the POS terminal device 1 to the CAT terminal device 2.
There may also be information transmission in the reverse direction. Even in this case, substantially the same description is valid only by changing the directions of the write / read command and the transmission target information.

The present invention also relates to a PO
Not limited to the S system, information transmission between POS terminal devices or between a plurality of POS terminal devices and a server device which collectively manages sales information of each POS terminal device, and other interface devices of the present invention can be added. The same can be applied to information transmission between terminal devices.

Further, in this embodiment, the description has been made on the premise that the information recording area is formatted according to the common specification for the POS terminal device and the CAT terminal device using the S-type IC card. And a terminal device or IC card reader / writer (I
In the case of constructing a system that does not need to consider differences in standards, such as a C card, or a system that separately performs address operations and file operations, an S-type IC card does not necessarily need to be used. Cards can be used.

[0034]

As is apparent from the above description, according to the method for transmitting information between terminal devices of the present invention, the transmission target information generated by one terminal device is automatically or manually operated. In a system in which the same information needs to be input to a plurality of terminal devices, which has the effect of being taken into the other terminal device, this is an extremely effective method for avoiding troubles due to mismatching of this information and for quick processing. .

Further, by using an S-type IC card as the above-mentioned IC card and formatting the information recording area according to the common specification of each terminal device, it is possible to comply with the standard between terminal devices without separately providing an address operation or a file operation. As differences in information structure are absorbed, resources can be used effectively,
A more versatile system can be constructed.

Moreover, this method can be realized only by adding an inexpensive IC card reader / writer and an interface device without specializing each terminal device to a dedicated device, so that it is extremely advantageous in terms of cost. The transmission target information accumulated and stored in the information recording area of the IC card is stored in another IC card.
The data can be read and counted by a card reader / writer, and can be used for other purposes, and its practical effects are enormous.

Further, the interface device according to the first configuration of the present invention provided in the POS terminal device or the CAT terminal device has a command generating means for generating an access command to the IC card reader / writer, and a command for transmitting the transmission target information based on the command. Since there is provided a means for performing input / output control with the IC card reader / writer, information can be transmitted to / from the IC card reader / writer (and the IC card), so that the information transmission method can be easily implemented.

Further, the interface device according to the second configuration of the present invention provided in the IC card reader / writer has a PO
Means for determining whether or not the access command received from the S terminal device or the CAT terminal device is directed to itself (and an IC card attached to the self device), and input / output control of the access command and the transmission target information associated therewith Means for using the IC card as an information recording medium in these terminal devices, so that the information transmission method can be easily implemented.

Also in these interface devices, differences in standards and information structures are absorbed by using the S-type IC card as the IC card and formatting the information recording area according to the common specifications of the terminal device. Has an effect.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a POS system according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a processing procedure diagram of a POS terminal device in the system having the configuration of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a processing procedure diagram of the CAT terminal device in the system having the configuration of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a processing procedure diagram of an IC card and an IC card reader / writer in the system having the configuration of FIG. 1;

[Explanation of symbols]

 REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 1 POS terminal device 2 CAT terminal device 3 IC card reader / writer 4 IC card 5 CAFIS center 11, 21 Communication control unit 12, 22, 32 Interface unit 13, 23, 33 Data input unit 14, 24, 34 Data output unit 15, 25 storage unit 31 switch mechanism 35 card contact unit

──────────────────────────────────────────────────続 き Continuation of the front page (56) References JP-A-4-355895 (JP, A) JP-A-52-64248 (JP, A) JP-A-63-7057 (JP, A) 15936 (JP, A) (58) Fields investigated (Int. Cl. ⁷ , DB name) G06F 13/00 G06F 17/00 G06K 17/00 G07G 1/00-5/00 H04L 29/00

Claims (5)

(57) [Claims] 1. A method for transmitting information between a plurality of terminal devices including at least one of a POS terminal device and a CAT terminal device via a communication path, wherein an IC card reader / writer is interposed in the communication path. , Each of the plurality of terminal devices is provided with an I in the IC card reader / writer.
An interface device for controlling writing or reading of information to / from the C card is provided, and information to be transmitted generated in one terminal device is written in the information recording area of the IC card, and the other terminal device is written in the information recording region. A method for transmitting information between terminal devices, wherein the information to be transmitted is read out and taken into its own device. 2. The information between terminal devices according to claim 1, wherein the IC card is an S-type IC card, and an information recording area thereof is formatted according to a common specification of each terminal device. Transmission method. 3. An interface device provided in a POS terminal device or a CAT terminal device for controlling driving of an IC card reader / writer connected to each terminal device and an IC card mounted on the IC card reader / writer. Command generating means for generating an access command to the information recording area of the IC card; and guiding the transmission target information generated in the own device to the IC card when the generated access command is a write command. An interface device comprising: an input / output control unit that captures the transmission target information from the IC card when an information read command is issued. 4. An interface device of an IC card reader / writer for transmitting information to at least one of a POS terminal device and a CAT terminal device, wherein the access command sent from the POS terminal device or the CAT terminal device is A determination unit that determines whether the destination is an IC card to be mounted on the IC card; and an input / output control unit that switches a direction of transmission target information in accordance with the access command when the determination result is directed to the IC card. An interface device comprising: 5. The information processing device according to claim 3, wherein the IC card is an S-type IC card, and an information recording area thereof is formatted according to a common specification of a terminal device that performs information transmission. Interface device.