JP3380704B2 - POS system - Google Patents

Description

Description: BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a POS system used in a distribution business such as a convenience store. 2. Description of the Related Art Generally, a POS (Point Of Sales) terminal used in a distribution business such as a store operates according to a normal business program or the like, and performs a sales registration process, a settlement process and the like. Have been. For this reason, this type of equipment includes an FDD (floppy disk drive) and an HDD (hard disk drive) in order to extend the memory function, in addition to the CPU, ROM and RAM. Thus, the necessary program is usually installed using the FDD. That is, normally, a program for reading a program is stored in the ROM as a standard BIOS (BIOS), and a program for reading an application program from the FDD is set. This is the same for the HDD. [0003] In recent years, POS terminals have been often used as personal entities based on ordinary personal computers, and are provided with HDDs but not with FDDs according to the demands of the delivery destination. POS terminals tend to increase. [0004] However, in a POS terminal having such a specification, if the HDD fails for some reason and is replaced with a new HDD, the program is lost. Program cannot be copied to the POS terminal, and the POS terminal cannot be operated. For this reason, at present, even if the FDD-less specification is used, an interface for FDD is provided, and a maintenance FDD is connected to this interface, and a program is installed in the HDD by using this FDD. . [0005] After all, despite the FDD-less specification, the HD
F for maintenance in consideration of program down due to failure of D
DD must be able to be connected, and H
In the event of a program failure due to a DD failure, the troublesome connection work of the maintenance FDD must actually be performed, and the FDD-less specification has not been achieved. Therefore, in the case of the complete FDD-less specification, a problem is how to recover the HDD program down without any troublesome connection work or the like. Accordingly, the present invention provides a POS system that can copy a program to a new HDD that has been replaced without using a troublesome FDD for maintenance even if the program goes down due to a failure of the HDD in the FDD-less specification. The purpose is to provide. According to the present invention, there is provided a POS system in which a plurality of POS terminals each having no floppy disk drive but having a hard disk drive are interconnected by a dedicated transmission path. The terminal has a server program for transmitting its own file to the other POS terminal via the transmission path in response to a file transmission request transmitted from another POS terminal via the transmission path. And transmitting a file transmission request to another POS terminal via the transmission path, and storing the file transmitted from the other POS terminal via the transmission path in response to the request in its own hard disk. A program stored in a ROM for performing the operation is stored on a transmission path board. [0008] Therefore, when the hard disk drive of the own POS terminal fails and needs to be replaced, the program stored in the ROM on the transmission path board is started, and
By issuing a file transmission request to another normal POS terminal connected by the transmission path, and installing the file transmitted from the POS terminal on the replaced new hard disk according to the server program,
Program down on the hard disk drive is recovered. Since the program for this is stored in the form of ROM on the transmission path board, it is not lost by replacing the hard disk drive. That is, a transmission path such as a LAN (Local Area Network),
And other normal POs connected by this transmission path
By using the S terminal, the program held by the normal POS terminal can be installed on its own hard disk, and can be dealt with without using the maintenance FDD. An embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. The POS system 1 according to the present embodiment
For example, it is used in convenience stores, etc.
A plurality of POS terminals, here two POS terminals 2a and 2b, as shown in FIG.
3 are connected to each other to form a system. A store controller (SC) 4 is also connected to the LAN 3. The POS terminals 2a and 2b have the same configuration, and the hardware configuration is shown in FIG. First, there is provided a CPU 5 serving as a control subject for controlling each unit, and the CPU 5 is connected to a ROM via a bus line 6.
7 and DRAM 8 are connected. In addition, basic configurations required for the POS terminals 2a and 2b include a keyboard 9, a printer 10 for receipts / journals,
Display 11 for customer, scanner 1 for reading barcode
2. Each drawer device 13 is an interface (I / F)
The CPU 5 is connected to the CPU 5 by a bus line 6 via the I / O ports 17, 14 and 15, a controller 16, and the like. Furthermore, in the present embodiment, an interface for connecting a 3.5-inch floppy disk FDD (maintenance FDD) is omitted, and a 3.5-inch hard disk drive (HDD) 18 is connected. Interface 19 is provided. Further, an interface 20 for connecting the POS terminals 2a and 2b to the LAN 3 is provided on the LAN board 21. A part of the LAN board 21 is provided with a ROM 22 in which a program described later is stored as a ROM. Here, for example, focusing on the POS terminal 2a, a file transmission request is transmitted to another POS terminal 2b via the LAN 3,
In response to the request, another POS terminal 2b sends the LAN 3
A program for storing the file transmitted via the hard disk in its own hard disk is stored in the ROM and held on the LAN board 21. That is, the ROM 22 has this program and can be started on the LAN 3. In addition to the normal business programs necessary for normal business, the HDD 18 stores the program files owned by itself in response to a file transmission request transmitted from another POS terminal 2b via the LAN3. Has a server program for sending it to another POS terminal 2b via the server. These programs in the HDD 18 are loaded into the DRAM 8 by the HDD 18 and are actually used. The POS terminal 2b also has a similar program correspondingly. In such a configuration, for example, POS
The HDD 18 fails on the terminal 2a side and a new HDD
Consider the case where the number is changed to 18. POS in this case
FIG. 1 schematically shows the program structure of the terminals 2a and 2b.
become that way. That is, in the normal POS terminal 2b, the RAM program in the DRAM 8 is the HDD 1
8 stores a program (including a server program) loaded therein, whereas the POS terminal 2a has no RAM 18 program in the DRAM 8 because the HDD 18 does not function. The process control when the program is installed in the HDD 18 of the POS terminal 2a will be described with reference to flowcharts shown in FIGS. In this recovery operation, after replacing the failed HDD 18 with a new HDD 18 in the POS terminal 2a, the position of a key switch provided on a part of the keyboard 9 or the like is switched to a blind mode (serviceman mode) and the power supply is switched off. When the switch is turned on, the diagnosis 0.5 mode is entered (Y in step S1). In this diagnostic 0.5 mode, a numerical value set in advance for each desired process is input by a key operation on the keyboard 9, but if the numerical value does not mean HDD copy designation (N in S2), A process of another diagnostic 0.5 mode corresponding to the numerical value is performed (S3). For example, there is a RAM clearing process. On the other hand, when a numerical value indicating the HDD copy designation which is particularly targeted in the present embodiment is input (Y in S2), the ROM 22 on the LAN board 21 is
A file transmission request is transmitted to the server program in the RAM unit program of the adjacent POS terminal 2b via the LAN 3 via the address designation of the LAN 3 via the address designation of the LAN 3 and the server 3 of the POS terminal 2b. The IPL file transmitted via the LAN 3 is installed in the DRAM 8 according to the program (S4). Prior to this, the server program in the DRAM 8 responds to the POS terminal 2b receiving the file transmission request from the POS terminal 2a (Y in S11) as shown in FIG. Then, the designated file is read from the server (S12), and the file is transmitted to the POS terminal 2a via the LAN 3 (S13). After that, on the POS terminal 2a side, the DRAM
The file registered in the IPL file from the POS terminal 2b once installed in the HDD 8 is copied to the HDD 18 as program data (S5, S6).
The OS terminal 2a is started (S7). [0017] These relations are determined by the POS terminal 2b on the HD side.
The same applies to the case where the D18 fails and is replaced with a new HDD 18, and the program is installed using the LAN 3 and the normal POS terminal 2a. In this manner, a new HDD replaced when the HDD 18 fails without using any maintenance FDD at all.
The program can be installed in D18. In particular, in the present embodiment, a file transmission request is issued to another POS terminal 2b or 2a, and the program data file returned in response to the request is stored in its own P
Since a program to be stored in the HDD 18 of the OS terminal 2a or 2b is stored in the ROM 22 on the LAN board 21, the contents of the program are not lost due to the replacement work of the HDD 18 and the LAN 18
3 can be started, and the above-described installation process can be performed reliably. According to the present invention, in a POS system in which a plurality of POS terminals each having no floppy disk drive but having a hard disk drive are interconnected by a dedicated transmission path, each of the POS terminals is Holding a server program for sending a file held by itself to the other POS terminal via the transmission path in response to a file transmission request transmitted from another POS terminal via the transmission path, Another PO via the transmission path
A file transmission request is transmitted to the S terminal, and in response to the request, a ROMized program for storing a file transmitted from the other POS terminal via the transmission path to its own hard disk is transmitted. Since it is held on the path board, if the hard disk drive of its own POS terminal breaks down and needs to be replaced, the program stored in the ROM on the transmission path board is started and connected by the transmission path. By sending a file transmission request to another normal POS terminal, and installing the file transmitted from the POS terminal on the replaced new hard disk according to the server program, the program down on the hard disk drive can be recovered. The program for this can be Since it is stored in the form of ROM on the board, it is not lost by replacing the hard disk drive, and after all, using the transmission path and other normal POS terminals connected by this transmission path, You can install programs owned by various POS terminals on your hard disk,
This can be dealt with without using a maintenance floppy disk drive.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram schematically illustrating a program structure according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a connection diagram illustrating a configuration of a POS system. FIG. 3 is a block diagram illustrating a hardware configuration of the POS terminal. FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing processing by a program started when the power is turned on. FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing processing by a server program. [Description of Signs] 2a, 2b POS Terminal 3 Transmission Path 18 Hard Disk Drive 21 Transmission Path Board

Claims (1)

(57) [Claims 1] A plurality of POS terminals each having a hard disk drive without a floppy disk drive,
In a POS system mutually connected by a dedicated transmission path, each of the POS terminals transmits a file held by the POS terminal via the transmission path in response to a file transmission request transmitted from another POS terminal via the transmission path. And has a server program for sending to another POS terminal to transmit a file transmission request to the other POS terminal via the transmission path, and from the other POS terminal in response to the request. ROM for storing the file transmitted via the transmission path on its own hard disk
A POS system, wherein the computerized program is stored on a transmission path board.