JPH0635818A - Data processing system - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To shorten the waiting time for transmission of data, to prevent the collision of data and to improve the data transfer efficiency by sending its own transmission data onto a circuit after the data are transferred with the data processor of the specific ranking. CONSTITUTION:A deciding means discriminates whether the data are transmitted or not by a data processor of the specific ranking in order to successively transfer the data in a prescribed sequence. Then the data can be transmitted in the prescribed order of machine No. of machines (ECR11-13), for example, in such a manner that the data on the machine No.2 are transmitted after the transmission of the data on the machine No.1. Thus, the data processor of a specific machine No. that transmitted the data is discriminated. A transmitting means sends its own data onto a circuit the data processor of the specific ranking transmitted the data. Thus, the data are transmitted onto the circuit by the data processor of the next ranking after the data processor of the specific ranking transmitted the data.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to an electronic register (EC
R), a POS system, a data processing system in communication control such as a data terminal.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art POS systems are used in department stores, supermarkets,
It is a terminal device that is installed in a sales floor such as a specialty store or a retail store and immediately collects data used for single item management, customer management, sales management, and the like. Generally, it has a register function, a file function for temporarily storing data, and an online function for connecting to a host device. There are two types of transmission (also referred to as transfer) methods of the conventional POS system, a polling method and a contention method. In the polling method, a large number of terminal devices (slave devices) are generally connected to a center device (slave device), and the master device polls the slave devices (refers to "solicitation invitation" transmitted from the master device to a specific slave device). I do. The polling method communication control in the conventional POS system is shown in FIG.
Indicated by 2. As shown in FIG. 12, one of the systems is used as a polling master (master station), the master station issues polling to the slave station, and the slave station outputs N if there is no data to be transmitted.
It responds to the ULL data and responds to the ACK data if there is data to be transmitted. In the case of this polling, the connection process is operated from the master station, but the disconnection process is carried out from the slave station, and the slave station cannot transmit even if there is a transmission request unless polled by the master station. Therefore, the master station must constantly poll the slave stations in turn.
On the other hand, the contention system is a system in which a station trying to obtain control of a line transmits ENQ, requests acquisition of the line, and obtains control of the line by an affirmative response from the other party. As shown in the figure, all stations in the system are compound stations that are both main stations and affiliated stations, and if the transmission data are available, check the open state of the line to transmit if the line is open, and transmit if the line is not open. It waits for a break before transmission.

[0003]

However, in such a conventional data processing system for performing communication control, in a data transmission system in which a master station performs data transmission by a polling method in which a slave station polls a slave station, However, there is a problem in that it takes too much transmission time because the reception status is inquired one by one. For example, in FIG.
In the case of the polling system consisting of five machines as shown in Fig. 2, the main station No. No. 1 machine does polling.
Assuming that the numbers 2, 3, 4, and 5 are applied in this order, polling is performed in No. No. 4 when running on 4 machines If the transmission data is collected in three machines, No. The three machines will wait for transmission until the next polling. As described above, the polling method has a drawback that it has a long transmission wait. On the other hand, the contention method has an advantage that the transmission waiting time is short, but as shown in FIG. 13, when one machine is transmitting data and two or more machines have the same transmission data, the transmission data collides on the line. There was a drawback that it would end up. If such a state continues, transmission will take time, and in the worst case, the system will be locked. An object of the present invention is to reduce the waiting time for data transmission and prevent collision of transmission data.

[0004]

The means of the present invention are as follows. The discriminating means 1 (see the functional block diagram of FIG. 1, the same applies hereinafter) includes a plurality of data processing devices (for example, ECR,
In a data processing system in which terminals (such as a POS system) are connected by a line, it is determined that data has been transmitted by a data processing device of a specific order in order to sequentially transmit transmission data in a predetermined order. When the data transmission of the machine No. is completed. 2 has a predetermined machine number such that data is transmitted. The structure is such that data can be transmitted in order, and which machine No. It is determined whether the data has been transmitted by the data processing device. The transmission means 2 sends out its own transmission data onto the line after the data processing device of the specific rank finishes the data transmission. For example, the transmission means 2 waits for the end of the data transmission from the data processing device of the specific rank to proceed to the next step. Transmission data is transmitted on the line from the data processor of the order.

[0005]

The operation of the means of the present invention is as follows. First,
Multiple data processing devices are connected via communication lines,
When a data transmission request is designated from any device, it is assumed that the data can be sequentially transmitted to another device in a predetermined order. In this state, the discriminating means 1 discriminates that the data is transmitted by the data processor of the specific rank, and after the data transmission by the data processor of the specific rank is completed, the transmitting means 2 transmits its own transmission data on the line. Sent to. Therefore, the waiting time for data transmission can be shortened and the collision of transmission data can be prevented.

[0006]

EXAMPLES Examples will be described below with reference to FIGS. 2 to 11 are diagrams showing an embodiment of a data processing system having a communication control function, and this embodiment is an example applied to a master / slave type electronic register (ECR) as a data processing device. First, the configuration will be described. FIG. 2 is a block diagram of the data processing system 10. In FIG. 2, reference numerals 11, 12, and 13 denote communication lines 1.
4 is a plurality of electronic registers (ECR) connected via four, and one of the electronic registers 11, 12 and 13 does not necessarily have to be the master ECR serving as the master station, but all slave ECRs of slave stations. May be
Communication using the communication line 14 includes in-line (indoor communication) in which indoor devices are connected via a dedicated line and online in which data is exchanged in store units using, for example, a telephone line. In the present data processing system 10, since a plurality of electronic registers 11, 12, 13 are connected via the communication line 14 and transmission data is sequentially transferred in a predetermined order, each electronic register 11, 12, 13 has its own machine. No. 11a, 12a and 13a are provided. Since the electronic registers 11, 12 and 13 can have the same hardware configuration for communication control,
The electronic register 11 will be described as a representative.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram of the electronic register 11 of the data processing system. In the electronic register 11,
Reference numeral 21 is a CPU, and the CPU 21 calculates values required for various operations while exchanging data with the RAM 23 in accordance with a microprogram stored in the ROM 22, and transmits data to be described later based on the processed data. The control device 26, the display unit 27, the printing unit 29, the drawer 31, and the like are controlled. The CPU 21 includes a ROM 22 that stores a micro program for control that controls various operations of the ECR including a data transmission process, and a volatile memory that can be written and read, and the input sales data is a product name. A RAM 23 having a machine connection table 23a, a data transmission / reception buffer, various registers, and the like, which constitutes a PLU file classified and stored according to the number of pieces, the amount of money, and the like.
And a numeric keypad, a function key, an automatic program (PGM) setting key for sequentially setting program data, and an input control unit 25 for controlling a key input unit 24 provided with a mode switch for designating each mode, and an ECR.
12, 13 and a transmission control device 26 for mutually transmitting data via a communication line (including wireless communication) 14, and a display drive unit 28 for driving a display unit 27 for displaying various data.
And a print control unit 30 for controlling a print unit 29 for printing various data such as a PLU file stored in the RAM 23 on journal paper and receipt paper, and when cash is stored and a cash / deposit key is operated. The drawers 31 to be opened are connected to each other.

The key input section 24 is provided with operation keys such as a numeric keypad 31 and a function key 32 on its keyboard, as well as "setting (P)" and "register (R)".
EG) ”,“ power off (OFF) ”,“ check (X) ”,
Mode switch M to specify each mode of "Payment (Z)"
S is provided.

The RAM 23 is a writable and readable volatile memory and is a so-called working memory used for sales data and calculation. Specifically, RA
M23 is a PLU file that stores sales data such as the number and amount of money according to the product code, a data transmission buffer that temporarily stores sales data in a compressed form during transmission / reception, a register, a register that configures a counter and a flag. An area, an operation area (working area) of the CPU 21, and a machine connection table 23a for storing connection information of a plurality of ECRs are provided.

FIG. 4 is a diagram showing the structure of transmission data used in the communication protocol of this data processing system. As shown in FIG. 4, all transfer data including NULL data (data transfer, in-line start, in-line end) have the transmitting station and the receiving station data. That is, the NULL data is a "preample" for taking a transmission timing as header data such as data transfer start, declaration data, and the like. “Sending station data”, etc., the machine number of the machine to be the receiving station. Etc. consists of "receiving station data" and control command "NULL", and data transfer consists of "preample", "transmitting station data", "receiving station data", "data existence information" and "actual data". . The in-line start consists of "pre-ampule", "transmitting station data", "reception station data" and "in-line start command", and in-line termination is "pre-ampule", "transmitting station data", "receiving station data". And “inline end command”. When the data is to be transferred to all units, the "reception station data" is set to "FF" [HEX].

Next, the operation of this embodiment will be described. This data processing system is intended to eliminate the need for a master station such as polling by sequentially transmitting the transmission data in a predetermined order to shorten the transmission waiting time and eliminate the collision of the transmission data. To this end, first, all the data processing devices (five in this embodiment) are combined stations capable of station control, and as shown in FIG. 4, all transmission data including NULL data are transmitted to the transmitting station. And have a receiving station. Then, in the transmitting station and receiving station data, the machine number. By referring to the data of the transmitting station and the receiving station, it is possible to know which machine is transmitting to which machine. Machine No. No. 1 to No. 5 in order, and if any machine in the system issues an inline start command to all machines as shown in FIG. 1 transmits data (if there is no transmission data,
(Null data is transmitted as shown in FIG. 5), and when the transmission of the machine No. 1 is completed, the machine No. 2 transmits data and the machine number. Data is transmitted in this order, and when the transmission of all machines connected to the data processing system is completed, the process returns to the first machine No. 1 performs data transmission. That is, the data transmission is started, and the machine of a specific rank (E in this embodiment, E
CR), the next machine No. that receives the NULL data receives the NULL data. The machine of the next machine No. after the certain time. To send NULL data to. Thus, by sequentially transmitting the transmission data in a predetermined order, the data can be transmitted without the master station.

FIG. 6 and FIG. 7 are diagrams showing an example when there is data transmission (that is, data is generated).
Is a data processing system consisting of five machines,
No. No. 4 while four machines are transmitting NULL data. This is an example in which the transmission data is gathered in three machines and waiting for transmission.
In this case, No. Data is generated at the illustrated time of the three machines, but at this time, No. No. 3 machine has no right to transmit. Since the right has been transferred to four machines, data transmission cannot be performed, and as shown in FIG. No. 3 from machine 3 Four
Machine, No. You can transmit data when your right comes again after 5 machines. However, as compared with the conventional polling system shown in FIG. 12, no obvious polling is performed one by one, so that the transmission waiting time can be greatly shortened.

FIG. 7 shows the machine number. No. 1 is being transmitted. Two
Machine and No. 3 machines and No. This is an example when the transmission data is collected in 5 machines. As shown in FIG.
Unlike the contention method, data does not collide on the line. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the transmission from taking a long time and the occurrence of system lock.

Further, FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an abnormal state when data cannot be transmitted due to a failure such as line disconnection. Machine No. Machine No. 1 transmits data for a certain period of time. 2 does not transmit data, the machine number. 3 transmits data. That is, when there is no data transmission from the machine of the next machine No after a certain period of time, it is considered that the machine is locked, so that the machine next to the machine forcibly starts the data transmission.

9 shows that there is no master station or slave station, that is, any terminal can be a master station (ECR of machine No. n).
2 is a flowchart of a monitoring task of the reference numeral Sn in FIG.
(N = 1, 2, ...) Shows each step of the flow.

When the program starts, it is first determined in step S1 whether or not there is data on the line 14, and if there is data on the line 14, the transmitting station is set in step S2, and the source of the data is transmitted in step S2. It is determined whether or not the transmitting station of is a terminal before the own station (transmitting station n-1). When the transmitting station is the previous transmitting station n-1, it is determined in step S4 whether or not the data transmission is completed, and when the data transmission is completed, it is determined that it is the transmission order of the own station and the step is performed. In step S5, the transmission order flag of the local station is turned on and the processing of this flow ends.

On the other hand, if it is determined in step S3 that the transmitting station is not the terminal in front of itself (not the transmitting station n-1), it is determined in step S6 whether or not the data transmission is completed, and the data is transmitted. When is finished, the operation of the down timer for forcibly transmitting data is started after a certain period of time. Next, it is determined whether or not the down timer started to operate in step S8 has passed a certain time (down timer is over),
When the down timer has expired for a certain period of time, the transmitting station is incremented in step S9 and the process returns to step S1. When the down timer has not expired, it is determined that the data transmission operation is in progress and the process directly returns to step S1. . Note that the down timer is cleared when the data transmission is completed in step S4 or step S6. That is, the transmission station is incremented after a certain period of time, and the transmission data is sequentially transmitted in a predetermined order.

If there is no data on the line 14 in step S1, it is determined in step S10 whether or not the down timer is operating. If the down timer is operating, the process proceeds to step S8 and the down timer is over. If the down timer is not in operation, the process proceeds to step S7 to start the operation of the down timer.

FIG. 10 shows the machine number. 10 is a data transmission flow chart for transmitting data in n, and this flow is a flow showing a process of retaining transmission data until the turn comes to the own station and sending the data when it comes to the own station in the monitoring task flow of FIG. . First, in step S11, it is determined whether or not there is data, and if there is data, a transmitting station and a receiving station are added to the data in step S12. Next, in step S13, it is determined whether or not it is the transmission order of the own station,
If it is the transmission order of its own station, the data is transmitted in step S14 and the processing of this flow ends.

As described above, in the present embodiment, a plurality of ECRs 11 to 13 connected via the communication line 14 are used as a composite station, and all transmission data including NULL data are assigned to the machine number. By providing a transmitting station and a receiving station corresponding to, it is determined whether the data is transmitted by the ECR of the specific rank, and the transmission data of its own is sent to the line 14 after the weight of the data transmission by the ECR of the specific rank. Therefore, the transmission waiting time can be significantly shortened as compared with the polling method, and the data collision as in the contention method can be prevented and the efficiency of data transmission can be significantly improved.

Any data may be used as long as it can sequentially transmit the transmission data in a predetermined order. For example, the same processing can be performed even if the data is connected by a loop-shaped line as shown in FIG. 11 (in FIG. 11). ~ Indicates a terminal provided on a loop-shaped line). In this case, the data is transmitted through the transmission control units in each terminal. For example, if data is being sent to or from a terminal, no data will be sent to the other terminal. Therefore, if a declaration is made to prohibit data transmission in that state, and transmission is started after the declaration, the other terminal will be able to Will not work.

Although the above embodiment is an example applied to ECR, it can be applied to all devices including data transmission processing, and can be applied to data processing devices such as POS system and data terminal. Good.

Further, it goes without saying that the data transmission process may be any type of process as long as it is a communication system, and can be applied to, for example, sales data inspection / settlement process and an automatic program.

[0024]

According to the present invention, since the transmission data are sequentially transmitted in a predetermined order, the discriminating means discriminates whether or not the data is transmitted by the data processor of the specific order, and the data processor of the specific order is used. Since the transmission means sends its own transmission data onto the line after the data transmission is completed, the data transmission waiting time can be shortened, collision of the transmission data can be prevented, and efficient data transmission can be performed.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a functional block diagram of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an overall configuration of a data processing system.

FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing a program for data transmission processing of the data processing system.

FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a command sequence of the data processing system.

FIG. 5 is a diagram showing a transmission procedure of the data processing system.

FIG. 6 is a diagram showing a transmission procedure of the data processing system.

FIG. 7 is a diagram showing a transmission procedure of the data processing system.

FIG. 8 is a diagram showing a transmission procedure of an abnormal state of the data processing system.

FIG. 9 is a flowchart showing monitoring task processing of the data processing system.

FIG. 10 is a flowchart showing a data transmission flow of the data processing system.

FIG. 11 is a diagram showing a transmission procedure by a loop-shaped line of the data processing system.

FIG. 12 is a diagram showing a transmission procedure of a polling method.

FIG. 13 is a diagram for explaining a collision of the contention system of the data processing system.

[Explanation of symbols]

 11, 12, 13 ECR 14 communication line 21 CPU 22 ROM 23 RAM 23a machine connection table 24 key input unit 26 transmission control device

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A data processing system in which a plurality of data processing devices are connected by a line, for determining that data has been transmitted by a data processing device of a specific order in order to sequentially transmit transmission data in a predetermined order. And a transmission means for transmitting its own transmission data to the line when data transmission by the data processing device of the specific order is completed.