JPS61221880A - Control system for conversation procedure of conversational system - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To omit a developing job at the driver side when the specifications of the conversation control are changed and also to cope with the change of the conversation procedure in an extremely easy way, by retrieving a state shift table to read the corresponding line and to execute plural processed discribed there and then setting the next state described on the table to own state to repeat the same processing thereafter. CONSTITUTION:A program describing the conversation control procedure and set usually on a main memory MSU 2 is separated into a state shift table 41 showing the conversation control procedure and a program for a driver which drives the table 41. The table 41 is set on a file memory FM, for example, with the driver program set on the MSU 2 respectively. Then a central processor CPU 1 executes the driver program and retrieves the table 41 based on the present own executing state a nd the input code supplied by an operator. Then the CPU 1 reads the corresponding line to execute plural processes described on said line and sets the next state described on the table 41 to the own state. The same processing is repeated hereafter.

Description

[Detailed Description of the Invention] [Summary] In a computer system equipped with a processing mechanism that allows an operator and the computer system to exchange information in a conversational manner, a conversation control procedure that is normally stored in the main memory (MSU), for example, is described. a state transition table expressing the conversation control procedure;
The state transition table is separated into a program called a driver that drives the state transition table.
FM), the driver is placed in the main memory (MSU), and the central processing unit (CPU) executes the driver based on its current execution state and the input code input by the operator. Search the state transition table above, read the corresponding line, execute the multiple processes described there, and then set the next state described in the state transition table as your state. However, the same process is repeated thereafter.

[Industrial application field]

The present invention provides processing that should be performed internally by the computer system based on instructions from the operator from a certain state in a computer system equipped with a processing mechanism in which an operator and the computer system exchange information in a conversational manner. and a conversation procedure control method based on a state transition table for controlling the next state to which the processing is completed.

With recent advances in computer system utilization technology, conversation processing between computer systems and operators (humans) has become increasingly diverse.
Conversation processing systems have become more complex, and changes after development have become necessary.

In response to this situation, conventional methods have been adopted in which a processing mechanism for controlling conversations is created using a programming language, or for online program development, it is created using a definition language that is pre-built into the system. It was getting worse.

However, in conventional conversation processing, the target "conversation" was basically a conversation using character strings based on a character display, so "conversation control" itself was not very complicated, and it was difficult to use the above programming language. It was also possible to deal with a certain range of "conversation control" by using a method of creating a system using a system, or by using a definition language that was pre-installed in the system.

However, as ``conversation control'' that includes graphic processing is now being performed, many difficulties have arisen with conventional methods, and an effective conversation procedure control method has been awaited.

[Conventional technology]

Figure 3 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a conventional data processing device that performs "conversation control," and ■ is a central processing unit (C
PU), 2 is main memory (MSU), 3 is channel processing unit (CHP), 4 is file memory (FM), 5
is a display device (Dυ).

When performing "conversation control" with such a data processing device,
Conventionally, the conversation control procedure is stored as a conversation control program 22, and the Fuji program 22 is transferred from the file memory (PM) 4 to the main memory (1'1sU) 2 by initial program loading (IPL) such as when the power is turned on. Once deployed and booted by an operating system (O3) run by a central processing unit (CPU) 1,
Since then, the central processing unit (CPU) 1 has performed "conversation control" by executing the program step by step based on the input code input by the operator.

That is, in the conventional method, all the conversation processing procedures based on the input code input by the operator are built into the program, and the conversation processing procedure based on the input code input by the operator is all incorporated into the program.
I was running the line.

[Problem that the invention seeks to solve]

Therefore, in the conventional system, when changing the conversation control procedure, it was necessary to rewrite the conversation control program.

Changing this program depends on how the program was created, but the more complicated the "conversation control" is, the more difficult it tends to be to change the program.

In particular, the ``conversation control'' method that has become widely used in recent years and includes graphic processing as mentioned above is different from the conventional ``conversation control'' method using character strings based on character displays. ”, and there was also a high possibility that a change in specifications would occur.

Therefore, the development of software for the "conversation control",
There was a problem in that maintenance required a large amount of man-hours.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In view of the above-mentioned drawbacks of the conventional art, it is an object of the present invention to provide a means for performing "conversation control" including graphic processing, for example, a method for simplifying the software configuration.

[Means for solving the problem] Figure 1 shows an example of a state transition table showing the concept of the present invention. Input code [2] and the above ■, ■
A plurality of processes L2. - (For example, a subroutine program) ■ and the so-called next state ■ that occurs when the execution of the process of said ■ is completed are configured line by line, and the central processing unit (CPU) 1 is called a driver. Execute the program, search the state transition table above according to the input code [2] input by the operator and the state at that time [1], select and extract the corresponding row, and process it for one row. The system is configured so that a series of conversation processes can be performed.

[Effect]

That is, according to the present invention, in a computer system equipped with a processing mechanism for conversationally exchanging information between an operator and the computer system, a program describing a conversation control procedure normally stored in the main memory (MSU) 2 is The state transition table expressing the conversation control procedure is separated into a program called a driver that drives the state transition table, and the state transition table is provided in a file memory (FM) 4, for example, and the driver is in the main memory (MSU) 2 and central processing unit (CPtl).
) 1 executes the driver, searches the state transition table above based on its current execution state and the input code input by the operator, reads the corresponding line, and reads the line written there. After executing multiple processes, the next state described in the state transition table is set as the own state, and the same process is repeated thereafter, so the above state transition table and driver becomes a completely independent configuration,
When changing the specifications of the "conversation control," there is no need for development work on the driver side, and changes in the conversation procedure can be handled very easily.

〔Example〕

Embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing an embodiment of the present invention, in which the same reference numerals as in FIG. The state transition table 41 shown in (FM) 4 is the functional block necessary to implement the present invention.

First, after initial program loading (IPL) is performed by turning on the power, operating the console, etc., the program is executed under the management of an operating system (O3), not shown, which is executed in the central processing unit (CPU) 1. , when the conversation control program 21 of the present invention is started, the driver 2
11, the status area J 211a is initialized (that is, set to the (starting) state), and the status display program (processing i) among the subroutines in the processing program area 212 is started, and the display device (DU) 5 some kind of screen (for example,
(Initial screen) is displayed.

In this state (for example, (beginning)), while looking at the display screen of the display device (DI) 5, the operator operates, for example, a tablet, to move the cursor mark on the display screen to the target on the screen. If you move to the image you want and press it,
Input area J 211b of the driver 211 is manually entered with an input code (for example, (II)) indicating an operation for the image.

Using the current state entered in the above "state area" and the input code entered in the above "human power area" as keys,
The driver 211 searches the state transition table 41 on the file memory (FM) 4, extracts the contents of the corresponding row, and retrieves the contents of the state transition table storage area 21 on the main memory (MSU) 2.
Store at 0.

After the driver 211 extracts the plurality of processing groups [3] specified in the contents of the row from the processing program area 212 and executes them, the driver 211 selects the "next state" column of the state transition table storage area 210. The state is stored in the above [state area J 211a of the driver 211.

Thereafter, the same operation is repeated until the contents of the "next state" column (3) become (end).

In this way, in the present invention, all conversation control procedures are performed using, for example, the state transition table 4 on the file memory (FM) 4.
The state transition table 41 can be easily created or modified using, for example, an appropriate file editing function (editor) provided by the system.

On the other hand, the driver located on the main memory (MSU) 2 only processes one row of the state transition table 41 once, and is independent of the state transition table 41. The feature is that it is structured so as to be unrelated to the complexity of the conversation control procedure defined in the transition table 41.

Note that in the above embodiment, the driver 211. Processing 1,
2. -, etc. have been explained using an example configured with so-called software, but considering the gist of the present invention, it is not necessary to limit it to software, and it goes without saying that it may be configured with firmware, wiring logic, etc. There is no such thing.

〔Effect of the invention〕

As described above in detail, the conversation procedure control method of the conversational system of the present invention is generally used in the main memory (MM ) Separate the program that describes the conversation control procedure placed on 2 into a state transition table expressing the conversation control procedure and a program called a driver that drives the state transition table, and store the state transition table in a file, for example. The above-mentioned driver is placed on the main memory (MM) 2, and the central processing unit (CPU) executes the driver and records its current execution state and the input code input by the operator. Based on this, the state transition table is searched, the corresponding row is read, the multiple processes described there are executed, and then the next state described in the state transition table is determined. is set to its own state, and the same process is repeated thereafter, so the above state transition table and the driver have a completely independent configuration, and when changing the specifications of the "conversation control", the driver side This has the advantage of eliminating the need for development work and making it extremely easy to respond to changes in the conversation procedure.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a state transition table explaining the present invention in detail. FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 3 is a diagram explaining the conventional conversation control method. In the drawing, 1 is the central processing unit (CPU), 2 is the main memory (MSU).
). 21 is a conversation control program. 210 is a storage area for the state transition table. 211 is a driver, and 211a is a "state area". 211b is the input MJ, 212 is the processing program area, 22 is the conventional conversation control program, 3 is the channel processing unit (CHP), 4 is the file memory (FM), 41 is the state transition table, and 5 is the display device (DO). ■～■ are the contents of the state transition table.

Claims (2)

[Claims] (1) In a computer system equipped with a processing mechanism that allows an operator and the computer system to exchange information in a conversational manner, a state transition table (41 ) and the state transition table (41
) and a means (211) for processing the conversation procedure according to the method, and the means (211) executes the state transition table (41) for one row to process the conversation. A type system conversation procedure control method. (2) The state transition table (41) above shows at least the input code [2] to be input by the operator corresponding to the current execution state [1], and the above input code to be input by the operator. It is characterized by being configured to display the next state to proceed to [4] after executing a plurality of processes [3] corresponding to the code [2] and the current execution state [1]. A conversation procedure control method for a conversation type system according to claim 1.