JPH05303533A - Data processing system - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To check the memory state of a terminal device and whether a downloaded program is proper or not by performing a checking process at each terminal device at a maintenance request from a host device. CONSTITUTION:The maintenance request signal from the host device 6 is sent to a satellite terminal device 3b through a master terminal device 3a. The satellite terminal device 3b performs maintenance according to the contents that the maintenance request contains and sends the maintenance result to the master terminal device 3a. The maintenance which is executed here consists of a self-diagnosis of the connection state of hardware such as a display unit, printer, and a keyboard connected to the satellite terminal device 3b, an SUM check on a package program stored in a RAM yet, a check on the use state of the RAM, etc. The self-diagnosis of the hardware is required so as to check whether or not the satellite terminal device 3b can performs transaction processing normally.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a data processing system such as a POS system in which a plurality of terminal devices are connected to a host device via a data transmission line.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art As a data processing system, a plurality of ECRs (electronic cash registers), which are terminal devices, are installed in a store, these are connected by a LAN in the store, and one master machine is connected to a public telephone line or the like. Connected to the host device via the data transmission line of
There is an S system. In this POS system, it is considered that a single or a plurality of processing functions are individually set for each ECR installed in a store. In consideration of the operation of such a POS system, the applicant of the present invention has filed a patent application
No. 9144 proposes a data processing system in which a package program that operates independently for each unit function is downline loaded from a host device to each ECR. In this data processing system, each ECR is installed from the host device via the data transmission line and the master machine before the ECR is installed and operated in the store.
First, the package program related to the processing of a specific function is downline loaded. As a result, the processing function that can be executed in each ECR can be set from the host device, and the functional configuration of each terminal device in the store can be set.

[0003]

However, in the above data processing system, no consideration has been given to the memory contents of each terminal device and the check as to whether or not the downline loading is normally performed when the package program is downline loaded. Therefore, the memory state of the terminal device cannot be known prior to the downline loading, and it cannot be recognized whether or not a memory area having a sufficient capacity is secured. Therefore, the downline loading may fail. There is a problem that it is not possible to know that a bug due to transmission failure has occurred in a part of the package program unless the terminal device actually operates and executes the processing function.

An object of the present invention is to enable each terminal device to check the memory status of the terminal device and the suitability of the down loaded package program, and to send the check result to the host device for down line loading. An object of the present invention is to provide a data processing system capable of preventing the occurrence of an error related to the above processing.

[0005]

In the data processing system of the present invention, a plurality of terminal devices are connected to a host device via a data transmission line, and a program for each function is downlined from the host device to each terminal device. In a data processing system for loading, a check processing unit that executes a check process related to downline loading of a program to the terminal device in response to a request from the host device, and a check that transmits the check result of the check processing unit to the host device And a result transmitting means.

[0006]

According to the present invention, in each terminal device, the check process relating to the downline loading of the program is executed in response to the request from the host device, and the check result is transmitted to the host device. Therefore, the host device can recognize the state of the terminal device by requesting the check process when executing the downline loading of the program to the terminal device, and the downline loading should be executed based on this state. Whether or not it is possible can be known in the host device. Further, it is possible to know whether or not the program is normally transmitted to the terminal device by the check process after the downline loading.

[0007]

2 is a diagram showing the configuration of a POS system to which a data processing system according to an embodiment of the present invention is applied. The POS system 1 has a plurality of POSs in the store 2.
The terminal device 3 is connected by an in-store LAN. Of the plurality of POS terminal devices 3, one POS terminal device 3a is a master machine, and this master machine is connected to a public telephone line 5 via a modem 4. A host device 6 is connected to the public telephone line 5 via a modem 7. Therefore, the host device 6 transmits / receives data to / from the POS terminal device 3a, which is a master machine, via the public telephone line 5. Each of the plurality of POS terminal devices 3 does not have a program relating to the processing operation at the stage of being installed at each place in the store 2. After being installed in the store, a package program related to a predetermined processing function is downline loaded from the host device 6 to each POS terminal device 3. Therefore, each POS terminal device 3
Will be assigned after it is installed in the proper place in the store 2.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the POS terminal device. The POS terminal device 3 has a CPU 14, a display 11, a printer 12, a keyboard 13, and an RA.
It is configured by connecting the M15, the ROM 16 and the serial transmission device 17. A processing program relating to data transmission / reception and a check mode processing program described later are written in the ROM 16 in advance. RAM15 is EE
It is a non-volatile memory such as a PROM or a battery-backed memory, and the RAM 15 stores the package program transmitted from the host device 6 as described above. Further, the data input / output to / from the transaction process 1 is temporarily stored in a predetermined memory area.

The CPU 14 executes transaction processing according to the operation data of the keyboard 13, displays the transaction content on the display 11, and prints a receipt on the printer 12. Further, the CPU 14 is connected to the master machine via the in-store LAN by the serial transmission device 17. POS terminal device 3a which is a master machine
The serial transmission device 17 is connected to the modem 4, and the CPU 14 of the POS terminal device 3 a of the master machine transmits / receives data to / from the host device 6 via the modem 4.

FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing a processing procedure in the remote maintenance mode of the host device constituting the POS system. When the operator selects execution of remote maintenance, the host device 6 inquires of the master terminal device of the store where the maintenance is to be performed, about the connection status of the LAN in the store (n1). As a result of this inquiry, the connection status transmitted from the master terminal device of the store is displayed on a display (not shown) of the host device 6, and the operator side performs maintenance according to this display content. That is,
A maintenance request composed of the code number of the terminal device which should perform the maintenance and the maintenance content is transmitted (n2). When the result of the maintenance executed in the terminal device according to this request is received (n
3) This is displayed (n4).

If the operator requests confirmation of the contents of the package program stored in the terminal device when the particular terminal device does not operate normally, it is necessary to upload the program. The determination is made (n5), and an upline load request is transmitted to the terminal device (n6). When the program data transmitted from the terminal device is received based on the request for the upline load (n7), the content is confirmed (n
8). This confirmation of the program data is performed by the operator or the host device 6.

In the case where a defective portion is found in the work of checking the program data, or when the downline loading of the package program is required, as in the case of setting a new function for a specific terminal device, (n
9) The predetermined package program is downline loaded to the terminal device (n10). When the downline loading of the package program is completed normally (n11), it is judged whether or not the operator has selected the end of maintenance (n12). When the maintenance is continued, the process returns to n1 to perform maintenance. When is finished, a reset command is transmitted to the terminal device (n13).

FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing a part of the processing procedure of the master terminal device connected to the host device among the terminal devices constituting the POS system. The CPU 14 of the master terminal device executes the maintenance mode process shown in FIG. 4 when the maintenance request signal is input from the host device 6. First, it is judged whether or not the code number included in the maintenance request is its own (n21), and the master terminal device 3a is connected to the in-store LAN.
If it is the code number of the satellite terminal device 3b connected via the LAN, the maintenance request is transmitted via the LAN (n22). After that, it waits for the transmission of the maintenance result from the satellite terminal device 3b (n2
3) When receiving the maintenance result from the satellite terminal device, the maintenance result is transmitted to the host device 6 (n24).

On the other hand, when the code number included in the maintenance request transmitted from the host device 6 is its own code number, the maintenance is executed according to the contents included in the maintenance request (n25), and the host device 6 receives the maintenance. The maintenance result is transmitted (n24). Thereafter, it is judged whether or not the reset command is transmitted from the host device 6 (n27), and if the reset command is transmitted, this is transmitted to the satellite terminal device (n2).
8) Return to the routine of the application program related to transaction processing.

FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing a part of the processing procedure of the satellite terminal device connected to the master terminal device via the LAN among the terminal devices constituting the POS system. The satellite terminal device 3b
When the maintenance request is transmitted from the master terminal device 3a, the maintenance mode process shown in FIG. 5 is executed.
That is, the maintenance is executed with the content included in the maintenance request (n31), and the maintenance result is transmitted to the master terminal device 3a (n32). As the maintenance executed here, self-diagnosis of the connection state of the hardware such as the display 11, the printer 22 and the keyboard 13 connected to the satellite terminal device 3b, the SUM check of the package program already stored in the RAM 15, and the For example, the usage status of the RAM 15 is checked.

The hardware self-diagnosis is necessary to check whether the satellite terminal device 3b can normally execute the transaction processing. The SUM check of the package program is necessary to confirm whether or not the package program transmitted from the host device 6 is normally received. The use status of the RAM 15 is checked when adding another function to the satellite terminal device 3b.
It is necessary to determine whether or not there is a memory capacity for storing the package program related to the new function. After transmitting the maintenance result to the master terminal device 32, after determining the presence or absence of the maintenance request and the presence or absence of the reset command (n33, n34), the maintenance mode is continued or the application mode is restored.

FIG. 6 is a diagram showing data transmission / reception between the host device 6, the master terminal device 3a and the satellite terminal device 3b constituting the POS system in time series. In the remote maintenance mode, a maintenance request is transmitted from the host device 6 to the master terminal device 3a, and the master terminal device 3a returns a response, and then performs maintenance on the satellite terminal device 3b corresponding to the code number included in the maintenance request. Submit your request. When the satellite terminal device 3b receives the maintenance request, the satellite terminal device 3b transmits a response, then executes the maintenance, and transmits the maintenance result to the master terminal device 3a. The master terminal device 3a returns a response to the satellite terminal device 3b, and then the maintenance result is sent to the host device 6
Send to. The transmission / reception between the master terminal device 3a and the satellite terminal device 3b is repeated according to the maintenance request from the host device 6, and when the host device 6 transmits a set command, the master terminal device 3a is transmitted to the satellite terminal device 3b. A set command is transmitted to the remote maintenance mode, and the remote maintenance mode processing ends.

As described above, according to this embodiment, P
At the time of new installation of the OS terminal device 3 and at any maintenance timing, each terminal device can be maintained from the host device 6, the cause of trouble in the POS system can be pursued, and the memory when the package program is downline loaded. There is an advantage in that failure of downline loading or occurrence of trouble due to grasping the state in advance can be prevented.

[0019]

According to the present invention, since the check processing is executed in each terminal device in response to the maintenance request from the host device, a program for each function is provided to each of the plurality of terminal devices which constitute the data processing system. At the time of downline loading, the presence or absence of hardware for realizing the function, the presence or absence of the storage capacity of the program, etc. can be checked, and there is an advantage that failure or trouble of downline loading can be prevented.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a terminal device that constitutes a POS system to which a data processing system according to an embodiment of the present invention is applied.

FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing a configuration of the POS system.

FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing a processing procedure of a host device which constitutes the POS system.

FIG. 4 is a block diagram illustrating a terminal device included in the POS system.
It is a flowchart which shows a part of processing procedure of the master terminal device connected to a host device.

FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing a part of a processing procedure of a satellite terminal device connected to the master terminal device among the terminal devices.

FIG. 6 is a diagram showing data transmission / reception between the host device, the master terminal device, and the satellite terminal device.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1-POS system 3-POS terminal device 5-Public line 8-In-store LAN 15-RAM

Continuation of the front page (51) Int.Cl. ⁵ Identification code Office reference number FI Technical display location G07G 1/14 8921-3E

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A data processing system in which a plurality of terminal devices are connected to a host device via a data transmission line, and a program for each function is downline loaded from the host device to each terminal device, wherein the terminal device comprises: A check processing unit that executes a check process related to downline loading of a program in response to a request from the host device, and a check result transmission unit that transmits the check result of the check processing unit to the host device are provided. Data processing system.