JPH05158997A - Database access system - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To enable an easy access to database without requiring a user to provide expensive terminal equipments and master complicated operation. CONSTITUTION:A telephone set 23 and a facsimile equipment 24 provided on a user side 21 are connected through a database 22, public lines 30 and 31, an I/O controller 25, and a database protocol manager 26. A user 13 requires the start of the operation of the database 27 with the telephone set 23 and the facsimile equipment 24. The type and item or the like of the database 27 is outputted from the database 22 to the facsimile equipment 24, then the retrieval condition is selected in hierarchical structure using either of the telephone set 23 or the facsimile equipment 24, accessing to the objective database 27.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a database access system which can use a database only by telephone or facsimile.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art FIG. 2 shows a conventional database access method using a public line. As shown in the figure, on the user side 1, as a device for accessing a database 13 described later, a terminal 2, a terminal control circuit 3 for controlling the terminal 2, a television for displaying instruction contents and the like. A display device 4 such as a monitor, and a database side 1 from a terminal 2 or a telephone 5.
The printer 1 includes an input / output control device 7 for controlling the output to the device 1 and controlling the input of data from the database side 11. The database side 11 has an input / output control device 12 similar to the input / output control device 7 on the user side 1.
And a database 13 that stores information, and a database protocol manager 14 that performs operation start, operation end, exclusive control, etc. of the database 13.

An instruction such as an access request input from the terminal 2 is input / output control unit 7 via the terminal control circuit 3.
Entered in. That is, a search condition (search command or the like) of a database to be accessed by the terminal 2 and the display device 4 is input, and the input search command or the like is accumulated in the input / output control device 7 via the terminal control circuit 3 and is then connected to the public line 6. Sent at once.

The transmitted search command and the like are analyzed by the input / output control device 12 on the database side 11, and in the case of an incorrect input, the input / output control device 7 on the user side 1 via the public line 6.
Then, the display device 4 displays the fact that the input is incorrect and notifies the user. When the input / output control device 7 determines that the data is normal, the data is passed to the database protocol manager 14. The database protocol manager 14 controls access to the database 13 according to the data from the user. That is, data for search is exchanged between the database protocol manager 14 and the database 13, and the search result (regardless of whether it is normal or not) is sent to the input / output control device 12. Then, it is sent to the input / output control device 7 on the user side 1 via the public line 6, the result is displayed on the display device 4, and the printer 8 prints it on paper.

After that, when the user searches for other information, the database protocol manager 14 once performs the operation of ending the database operation, returns to the initial state again, and inputs the data by the terminal 2 and the display device 4. Further, when it is desired to retrieve more detailed information in the first retrieval, the database protocol manager 14 carries out a continuation process.
When the database 13 is updated in the first search (when purchasing a product, etc.), exclusive control is performed by the database protocol manager 14 to ensure the consistency of the database contents. As described above, similar processing is performed until the search request from the user is completed.

[0006]

However, in the above-mentioned database access method, the user side 1
In addition, as a device for accessing the database side 11, complicated devices such as the terminal 2, the display device 4, and the input / output control device 7 are required, which causes a problem of cost increase.

Further, there is a problem that knowledge for operating the equipment such as the terminal 2 is required, and the convenience (usability) is lacking.

The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and does not require expensive equipment on the user side, and therefore easily accesses data using a public line without operating a terminal or the like. It is intended to provide a database access method that can be performed.

[0009]

To achieve the above object, the present invention provides a telephone or facsimile provided on the user side and an instruction signal for data retrieval by the telephone or facsimile provided on the database side. And an input / output processing unit that processes and processes data signals from the database and enables mutual communication with a telephone or a facsimile.

The input / output processing unit is composed of a database protocol manager for performing mutual communication processing between the facsimile and the database, and an input / output control device for performing mutual communication processing between the telephone and the database protocol manager. Is desirable.

[0011]

The user is provided with a telephone or a facsimile, which is connected to the database side via a public line, and the input / output of the database access is performed by the telephone or the facsimile. The signal from the telephone or facsimile is processed by the input / output processing unit. This makes it possible to access the database only by telephone or facsimile.

[0012]

EXAMPLE One example of the present invention will be described below.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the database access method of this embodiment. In the figure, 21 is the user side, 2
2 indicates the database side.

First, the user side 21 has a telephone 23 and a FAX.
Only two devices of (facsimile) 24 are installed. Further, on the database side 22, an input / output control device 25,
A database protocol manager 26 connected to the input / output control device 25 by a line 32, and a database 27
Install the following three devices. The input / output control device 25 is mainly
It has a function of mutually communicating between a voice format signal on the telephone 23 side and a message format signal on the database protocol manager 26 side, and the processing function shown in FIG. This electronic message format is the same as the electronic message format of the FAX 24 described later. The database protocol manager 26 mainly has a function of converting a telegram format signal from the FAX 24 and a telegram format signal from the input / output control device 25 into a signal on the database 27 side.

The telephone 23 is connected to the input / output control device 25 via a public line 30, and the FAX 24 is connected to a database protocol manager 26 via a public line 31. However, the public lines 30 and 31 may be the same line or different lines. If the same line is used, the FAX can automatically receive and send by sending an incoming signal of 1,300 Hz.

As described above, the configuration of the database access method of this embodiment is different from the configuration of the prior art in that the equipment installed on the user side 21 is a general telephone 23 or F.
AX24 only, other devices, namely the conventional terminal 2,
The terminal control circuit 3, the display device 4, etc. are not installed.

Next, an operation example of the apparatus according to the database access method having the above configuration will be described. Here, a case where the database 27 is accessed by the telephone 23 will be described as an example. FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing the processing functions of the input / output control device 25 on the database side 22.

First, the user who wants to use the database 27 connects to the input / output control device 25 via the public line 30 by the telephone 23 and inputs the password.

If there is a connection by the telephone 23 (step 41), the input / output control device 25 judges whether or not the entered password is correct (step 42). If the password is correct, accept the operation start request from the user,
The database protocol manager 26 is notified of the start of operation of the database 27. If it is not correct, it will be notified by voice and the password to be re-entered will be determined.

Next, the user recognizes which database to select, the input database name, etc. (step 43), and determines whether or not the database exists by exchanging with the database protocol manager 26. (Step 44). It should be noted that the database protocol manager 26 communicates with the database 27 as shown in FIG.
This is done by exchanging the information tables shown in.

If the selected database does not exist, the fact is notified by voice, and the process returns to step 43. If the selected database exists, the operation of that database is started (step 45).

Next, the search condition is selected according to the hierarchical structure format (step 46). That is, the input / output control device 25
The user is made to select one by one in the alternative format by the synthesized voice. Then, it is judged whether or not the selected search condition exists (step 47), and if not, step 46.
Return to and repeat the first process. If it exists, it is judged whether or not the selection of the search condition is completed (step 48). If it is not completed, the process returns to step 46 to select the next search condition. As a result, the user repeats the alternative selection process until reaching the leaf of the database search condition. Specifically, there is a question from the input / output control unit 25, "Do you want it to be A? Is it B?"
In response to this, the user answers "A" or "B", and then the input / output control device 25 asks "Do you want to change to C? Do you want to change to D?""D"
Answer Then, this operation is repeated until the leaf of the database search condition is reached.

When the selection of the search condition is completed, it means that the user has finally selected the intended database, and the database protocol manager 26 searches the database (step 49).

Next, the searched database is called by the telephone 23.
Then, the user is asked by voice whether to output by voice or the FAX 24, and it is judged whether or not the output by the FAX 24 is made in response to the reply from the user (step 50). FAX24
In the case of the output in (1), the database protocol manager 26 outputs the information of the database to the FAX 24 of the user side 21 as a telegram format signal via the public line 31 (step 51). To output by voice, from the database protocol manager 26 to the public line 30
The telephone 23 on the user side 21 as a signal in the voice format via
The information of the database is output to (step 52).

Then, the user is asked whether or not the operation is stopped,
A reply from the user determines whether or not to stop the operation (step 53). When stopping the operation, the operation of ending the operation of the database is performed (step 54), and the public line 3
0 and 31 are cut (step 55). When the operation is not stopped, the instruction from the user as to whether or not to search for a new database is judged (step 56), and when the search is performed, the operation of the current database is ended (step 5).
7) and returns to step 43. If a new database is not searched, the database is updated (step 58) and the process returns to step 53.

As described above, the user can easily access the database 27 only by using the ordinary telephone 23.

Further, since the equipment provided on the user side 21 is only the telephone 23 and the FAX 24 which are generally provided everywhere, the cost for the equipment can be reduced and the complicated operation of the terminal and the operation knowledge thereof are required. do not do.

Furthermore, since the user finally selects the intended database while sequentially selecting by hierarchy, it is possible to reduce the access error, and even if an input error occurs, the relevant part of the error and the corresponding number of the error are identified. It can be easily judged.

In the above operation, the FAX 24 can be used together. In this case, for example, when the search condition is selected in step 46, the output of the type of database, items, etc. is instructed. As a result, the input / output control device 25 outputs an output instruction signal to the database protocol manager 26, identifies the database 27 in which the database protocol manager 26 is operating, and outputs the type, items, etc. to the FAX 24 in a predetermined format. Then, the user looks at the type, items, etc. output from the FAX 24, selects the database he / she wants to access, and sends the corresponding signal or the like by voice or by the FAX 24 to the database side 22. This allows the user to select the intended database, which is searched by the database protocol manager 26 in step 49.

Further, the database 27 is provided only by the FAX 24.
You can also access.

In this case, the password is input by the FAX 24 to connect to the database protocol manager 26. Next, FAX the type and items of the database 27.
24, and the above-mentioned processing is performed via the FAX 24. The information format by the FAX 24 is composed of a chart in a format such as a mark sheet, which indicates a type or item the user wants to select by filling a specific portion with black, data reading, output instruction, and the like. To be done.

As a result, a large amount of information can be transmitted and received at one time, and since it is recorded on paper, it does not disappear in an instant like voice and can be selected with due consideration, and input errors, etc. It is possible to prevent mistakes and loss caused thereby. Furthermore, a large amount of information can be surely obtained.

[0033]

As described above, according to the present invention, only the telephone and the facsimile should be provided as the input device and the output device on the user side, and the configuration can be minimized and inexpensive. Moreover, neither complicated operation nor knowledge such as a terminal is required. Further, since the data search condition can be performed by facsimile and the search condition is not transmitted at one time, it is possible to expect an effect of preventing loss such as an error.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an embodiment of a database access method according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a conventional database access method.

FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing a processing procedure of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram showing an information table used for communication between a database protocol manager and an input / output control device.

[Explanation of symbols]

21 ... User side, 22 ... Database side, 23 ... Telephone,
24 ... FAX, 25 ... Input / output control device, 26 ... Database protocol manager, 27 ... Database, 3
0, 31 ... Public line, 32 ... Line.

Claims (2)

[Claims] 1. A telephone or facsimile provided on the user side, and a telephone provided on the database side for processing an instruction signal for data retrieval by the telephone or facsimile and for processing a data signal from the database. A database access method comprising an input / output processing unit that enables mutual communication with a facsimile. 2. The input / output processing unit comprises a database protocol manager for performing mutual communication processing between a facsimile and a database, and an input / output control device for performing mutual communication processing between a telephone and the database protocol manager. The database access method according to claim 1.