JPH04247749A - Communication controller - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To attain proper processing by connecting a communication signal with high emergency to a host computer with priority. CONSTITUTION:Priority is given in advance in a communication signal from subordinate devices 25, 26,27,... depending on the emergency of their contents. When a communication signal is sent from the 2nd subordinate device 26 during the communication with the 1st subordinate device 25, a call signal during the connection is outputted and the 1st priority and the 2nd priority are compared. When the 2nd priority has a higher rank, the connection is switched to the 2nd subordinate device 26 and the communication is implemented with priority.

Description

[Detailed description of the invention]

0001

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to the structure of a communication control device, and more particularly to a switching structure based on priority when a communication signal is received from another lower-order device while connected to one lower-order device.

0002

2. Description of the Related Art A communication control device receives, for example, a communication signal from a terminal device as a lower-level device via a public line, and connects it to a host computer as a higher-level device. A plurality of terminals are often connected to one host computer through the same assigned channel, such as in point-of-sale information management systems, automated teller machines in banks, and the like. In such a case, the communication control device sequentially establishes connection with the host computer based on communication signals transmitted from each terminal.

0003

[Problem to be Solved by the Invention] In conventional communication control devices, while a terminal is connected to a host computer, it is difficult to connect to the host computer even if a terminal receives a communication signal from another terminal. I can't. That is, while a terminal is connected, the allocated channel is occupied, and connection between other terminals and the host computer is impossible. In such a case, the terminal waits for the communication with one terminal to end before connecting to the other terminal.

[0004] However, in addition to the normal processing signals, the terminal may sometimes transmit a failure signal requesting the termination of its functions, for example, due to an abnormality occurring in the terminal. If the host computer is communicating with another terminal when such a fault signal is sent, it will not be able to connect to the terminal in which the abnormality has occurred until the communication is completed. That is, even if the communication signal is highly urgent, it has to wait until the channel is released, and there is a problem that appropriate communication processing according to the priority cannot be performed.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide a communication control device that connects highly urgent communication signals to a host computer and enables appropriate processing.

[0006]

[Means for Solving the Problems] A communication control device according to the present invention receives a first communication signal from one of a plurality of lower-level devices as a first lower-level device, and controls connection with a higher-level device. A connection control means for switching the connection state based on a command of a communication switching signal, a first priority storage means for capturing and storing a predetermined first priority of the first communication signal, and a first lower order. During communication between the device and the higher-level device, a connected ringing signal output when a second communication signal is transmitted from another lower-level device, which is a second lower-level device, is captured, and the communication is switched toward the connection control means. Connected communication switching means that outputs a signal and switches the connection with the higher-level device to the second lower-level device, second priority storage means that captures and stores a predetermined second priority of the second communication signal, and first priority. The first priority stored in the ranking storage means and the second priority stored in the second priority storage means are fetched and compared, and if the second priority is higher than the first priority, the higher priority is The connection status between the device and the second lower-level device is maintained, and if the second priority is lower than or equal to the first priority, the communication switching signal is output, and the connection with the higher-level device is changed to the first priority again. It is characterized by comprising a priority comparison means for switching to a lower-level device.

[0007]

[Operation] The communication control device according to the present invention outputs a communication switching signal when the connected communication switching means takes in the connected calling signal, and changes the connection status of the connection control means with the higher-level device to the second lower-level device. Switch. Then, the priority comparison means compares the first priority and the second priority,
Only when the second priority is lower than or equal to the first priority, a communication switching signal is output, and the connection with the higher-level device is switched again to the first lower-level device. In other words, if the second priority is higher than the first priority, the higher-level device communicates with the second lower-level device; otherwise, communication with the first lower-level device is continued by switching again. .

[0008] Therefore, when the second priority of the second communication signal is higher than the first priority, the second lower-order device can be connected to the higher-order device with priority.

[0009]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS The basic configuration of a communication control device 1 according to the present invention will be explained based on FIG. The connection control means 2 receives a communication signal emitted by one of the plurality of lower-order devices 25, 26, 27, . . . Connect to device 3. Further, the connection control means 2 switches the connection state of the lower-level device to the higher-level device 3 based on the command of the input communication switching signal.

Each communication signal has a predetermined priority, and the first priority of the first communication signal is stored in the first priority storage means 21. A connected call signal that is output when a communication signal is transmitted from another lower-level device, for example, the lower-level device 26 during communication between the first lower-level device 25 and the higher-level device 3, is as follows:
During the connection, the data is taken into the communication switching means 4. Then, the connected communication switching means 4 outputs the communication signal to the connection control means 2 based on this connected calling signal, and switches the connection with the higher-level device 3 from the first lower-level device 25 to the second lower-level device. Switch to 26. Note that the second priority level of the second communication signal is captured and stored in the second priority level storage means 22.

The priority comparison means 6 takes in the first priority and the second priority from the first priority storage means 21 and the second priority storage means 22, respectively, and compares them. If the second priority is higher than the first priority, the connection state between the upper device 3 and the second lower device 26 is maintained. In other cases, that is, when the second priority is lower than or equal to the first priority, the switching signal is output to the connection control means 2, and the connection with the higher-order device 3 is reestablished to the first lower-order device. Switch to 25.

Next, an embodiment of the hardware configuration of the communication control device according to the present invention will be described based on FIGS. 2, 3, and 4. First, in FIG. 2, the communication control device 1 receives communication signals from each of the terminals K1, K2, K3, . . . through the public line L1. This communication signal is taken in via the exchange 30. Communication control device 1 transmits this communication signal to host computer 33 through communication line L9. In this way, the communication control device 1 connects the terminals K1, K2, K3...
Controls transmission and reception of communication signals between and the host computer 33. Communication control devices are used, for example, in point-of-sale information management systems, automatic cash dispensers in banks, and the like.

FIG. 3 shows a specific hardware configuration of the communication control device 1. The bus line 40 includes a CPU 42, R
OM44 and RAM46 are connected. The CPU 42 controls each section according to a program stored in the ROM 44. Further, a host communication control circuit 48 and a terminal communication control circuit 50 are connected to the bus line 40.

This host communication control circuit 48 is connected to the communication line L.
9, and the terminal communication control circuit 50 controls communication with each terminal K1, K2, K3, . . . through the public line L1. A detailed circuit diagram of the terminal communication control circuit 50 is shown in FIG. The terminal communication control circuit 50 includes a transmission control circuit 52, a connected paging signal detection circuit 54, a switching command sending circuit 56, and a public line connection control circuit 58.

The transmission control circuit 52 is connected to the bus line 40 and transmits and receives communication signals to and from the public line L1 via the public line connection control circuit 58. The connected paging signal detection circuit 54 detects the output of the connected paging signal. This connected paging signal is transmitted between the host computer 33 and the first terminal (
For example, this is a signal that is output when a communication signal is transmitted from a second terminal (for example, the terminal 26) during connection with the terminal 25), and is transmitted by the exchange 30. (See Figure 2). Incidentally, when the connection call signal detection circuit 54 receives the connection call signal, the connection call signal detection circuit 54 detects the bus line 40
A communication switching signal is output to the CPU 42 via.

The switching command sending circuit 56 is connected to the CPU 42.
A switching command signal is given to the public line connection control circuit 58 in accordance with the control of the public line connection control circuit 58. The CPU 42 causes the switching command sending circuit 5 to output a switching command signal when the communication switching signal is output from the connected call signal detection circuit 54.
Issue a command signal to 6. The public line connection control circuit 58 switches the connection of the terminal based on the switching command signal. That is, when a connected paging signal is detected, the connection state is switched according to commands from the public line connection control circuit 58 and the CPU 42.

Next, flowcharts of the programs stored in the ROM 44 are shown in FIGS. First, when transmitting data from the terminal K1 to the host computer 33, the terminal K1 and the communication control device 1 are connected through the public line L1 (see FIG. 2). And C.P.
U42 takes in data D1, which is a first communication signal, using terminal K1 as a first lower-order device, and stores it in RAM 46 (FIG. 5, step S1). Thereafter, the CPU 42 transmits the data D1 to the host computer 33 through the communication line L9 via the host communication control circuit 48 (step S2).

After transmitting the data D1, the CPU 42 detects the presence or absence of a connected call signal (step S3). This connected call signal is a signal sent by the exchange 30 (see Figure 2) when there is a call from another terminal, such as the terminal K2, which is a second lower-level device, during communication with the terminal K1. It is. This detection is performed by a connected paging signal detection circuit 54 (see FIG. 4) included in the terminal communication control circuit 50.

If no connected paging signal is detected in step S3, the process advances to step S4. CPU4
2 is response data H1 from the host computer 33
It is determined whether the data H1 has been transmitted (step S4), and if it has been transmitted, the data H1 is stored in the RAM 46 (step S4).
6). The stored data H1 is transmitted to the terminal K1 via the transmission control circuit 52 of the terminal communication control circuit 50 and the public line connection circuit 58 (see FIG. 4) (step S7). Incidentally, if the data H1 from the host computer 33 is not transmitted in step S4, it is determined whether or not subsequent data is transmitted from the terminal K1 (step S5).

[0020] If there is subsequent data from the terminal K1 and the host computer 33, the above-mentioned predetermined processing is performed, and if there is no subsequent data, the communication is terminated (steps S8 and S9).
. In this way, while waiting for the reception of data H1 from the host computer 33, the CPU 42 determines whether the connected paging signal is received and monitors the presence or absence of subsequent data from the terminal K1 (steps S3, S4, S5). .

FIG. 6 shows a flowchart of the program when a connected paging signal is detected in step S3. By detecting the connected ringing signal, the CPU 42 recognizes the transmission from the terminal K2, sends a switching signal from the switching command sending circuit 56 (see FIG. 4), and changes the connection state of the public line connection control circuit 58 from the terminal K1. The terminal is switched to the terminal K2 (step S10). Then, using the terminal K2 as the second lower-order device, data D2, which is a second communication signal, is taken in and stored in the RAM 46 (step S11). Note that during this time, the line with the terminal K1 is not disconnected, and the connection is maintained in a suspended state.

[0022] Here, data transmitted from each terminal is given a predetermined priority according to its content. The priorities Y1 and Y2 of the data D1 and data D2 are also captured and stored in the RAM 46, which serves as a first priority storage means and a second priority storage means. The CPU 42 compares the priority order Y1 and the priority order Y2, and determines whether the priority order Y2 is higher than the priority order Y1 (step S12). If the priority order Y2 is higher, the terminal K2 is given priority and communication is continued to transmit data D2 to the host computer 33 (step S13).

In this manner, when there is a transmission from another terminal K2 during communication with the terminal K1, the priorities of the two terminals, that is, the urgency of the contents are compared. If the communication signal from the terminal K2 is, for example, a device failure notification, the connection is switched to the terminal K2 and communication is performed. Thereby, appropriate processing can be performed according to the degree of urgency.

After transmitting the data D2 to the host computer 33 in step S13, it is determined whether there is subsequent data from the terminal K2 (FIG. 7, step S15), and if there is subsequent data, it is transmitted to the host computer 33 (
Step S16). When processing data is transmitted as a response signal from the host computer 33, this processing data is transmitted to the terminal K2 (step S17).
, S18).

Thereafter, the presence or absence of subsequent data from the terminal K2 and the host computer 33 is determined, and if there is subsequent data, the above-mentioned predetermined processing is performed (steps S15 to S1
8 or S15 to S20). Terminal K with no subsequent data
2, the priority order Y2 is compared with the priority order Y1 again (step S21). However, in this case, as the priority order has already been determined in step S12, the priority order Y2 is naturally higher and the process proceeds to step S22.

After the communication with the terminal K2 is completed, the switching command sending circuit 56 (see FIG. 4) transmits a switching signal to change the connection state of the public line connection control circuit 58 to the terminal K2.
The terminal device K1 is then switched again (step S22). That is, the communication with the terminal K1 that was on hold is resumed. Then, data from the terminal K1 and the host computer 33 are taken in, and each data is transmitted and processed (steps S23 to S28). Thereafter, the priorities are compared again (step S29). In this case as well, the priority Y2 is naturally higher than the priority Y1, and the communication ends here.

The above process is a flowchart when it is determined in step S12 of FIG. 6 that priority Y2 is higher than priority Y1. On the other hand, if the priority Y2 is lower than or equal to the priority Y1, the process advances to step S14. Then, the switching command sending circuit 56
(see FIG. 4), and the connection state of the public line connection control circuit 58 is switched again from the terminal K2 to the terminal K1 (step S14). That is, since the priority Y2 is not higher than the priority Y1, the connection is again switched from the terminal K2 to the terminal K1, and communication with the previously connected terminal K1 is continued. In this case, the data D2 from the terminal K2 imported in step S11 is
will be put on hold.

After switching the connection to terminal K1, the process shown in FIG. 8 is performed (steps S23 to S28).
. After completing the communication with the terminal K1, the priorities are compared (step S29). However, in this case, as determined in step S12, the priority order Y2 is lower than or equal to the priority order Y1, so the process proceeds to step S30.

Then, by outputting the switching signal again, the connection is switched to the terminal K2, and the pending data D2 is transmitted to the host computer 33 (step S30,
S31). In this manner, after the communication with the terminal K1 is completed, the communication process with the terminal K2 is started. As shown in FIG. 7, when data transmission and reception between the terminal K2 and the host computer 33 is completed (steps S15 to S20), the priorities are compared again (step S21). Here, as in step S12, it is possible to obtain a result that the priority Y2 is lower than or equal to the priority Y1.
Terminate the communication.

Although the above embodiment has been explained using a public line as an example, the present invention can also be applied to other lines (for example, a private line) as long as the connected paging signal is transmitted. Furthermore, the present invention can be applied to the case where a communication signal is sent from the terminal K2 while connected to the terminal K1, and then a third communication signal is sent from another terminal K3. Processing can also be performed by comparing the priority of the first and second priority. Furthermore, even if the fourth and fifth communication signals are transmitted redundantly, they can be sequentially processed in the same manner according to the priority order.

[0031]

[Effect of the invention] In the communication control device according to the present invention,
When the second priority of the second communication signal is higher than the first priority, the second lower-order device can be connected to the higher-order device with priority.

[0032] Therefore, it is possible to give priority to communication signals with a high degree of urgency and connect them to the higher-level equipment, so that appropriate processing can be performed.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is an overall configuration diagram showing the basic configuration of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram for explaining the communication structure between a host computer and a terminal.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing an embodiment of a communication control device according to the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a block diagram showing details of the terminal communication control circuit shown in FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is a diagram showing a flowchart of a program stored in the ROM shown in FIG. 3;

FIG. 6 is a diagram showing a flowchart of a program stored in the ROM shown in FIG. 3;

FIG. 7 is a diagram showing a flowchart of a program stored in the ROM shown in FIG. 3;

FIG. 8 is a diagram showing a flowchart of a program stored in the ROM shown in FIG. 3;

[Explanation of symbols]

1...Communication control device 2...Connection control means 3... Upper device 4... Communication switching means during connection 6...Priority comparison means 21...First priority storage means 22...Second priority storage means 25, 26, 27...lower equipment

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. Connection control means for receiving a first communication signal from one of a plurality of lower-level devices as a first lower-level device and controlling connection with a higher-level device, the device comprising: commanding a communication switching signal; connection control means for switching the connection state based on;
A first priority storage means for capturing and storing a predetermined first priority of a first communication signal; Connected communication switching means that captures the connected calling signal output when the second communication signal is transmitted, outputs the communication switching signal to the connection control means, and switches the connection with the higher-level device to the second lower-level device. , a second priority storage means for capturing and storing a predetermined second priority of the second communication signal; a first priority stored in the first priority storage means; and a second priority stored in the second priority storage means. If the second priority is higher than the first priority, the connection status between the higher-level device and the second lower-level device is maintained, and the second priority becomes the first priority. A communication control device comprising priority comparison means for outputting the communication switching signal when the priority is lower than or equal to the priority, and switching the connection with the higher-level device to the first lower-level device again.