JPS63198438A - Radio data communication system - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To improve the efficiency of data collection and command transmission by connecting each terminal and a host computer in radio as on-line so as to increase the degree of freedom of the arrangement and mobility of each terminal equipment. CONSTITUTION:Terminal controllers 4-1-4-n are connected to a host computer 2 and they are in on-line connection to plural handy terminal equipments 6-11-6-n8 in radio. Moreover, when more number of terminal equipments are required, a multi-controller 10 being a multiplexer is connected to the host computer 2, plural terminal controllers 4 are connected to the controller 10 and they handle single or plural terminal equipments.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention [Field of Industrial Application] The present invention relates to a wireless data communication system, and particularly relates to a wireless data communication system that provides wireless online connection between a plurality of terminals (handy terminals) and a host computer, and provides communication between the two. Concerning a system that allows arbitrary data communication.

[Prior Art] Conventionally, for example, in order to perform process control in a factory, terminal devices are installed at each site in the factory, and these terminals are connected by wire to a host computer located in a process control room, etc. A system is known that performs process control by sending data from a host computer to a terminal at each site, or by collecting data from a terminal at each site to a host computer.

[Problems to be Solved by the Invention] However, in this conventional type, the terminals installed at each factory site are connected to the host computer by wire, and the terminals themselves are large.
There are disadvantages in that the installation location of each terminal is limited and the installation space becomes large. In addition, since each terminal is connected to the host computer by wire, it is not possible to move each terminal freely to the location in the factory that is most commonly used for data entry or to a location that is convenient for data entry. It was not possible to increase efficiency sufficiently.

[Object of the Invention] In view of the problems of the conventional method, an object of the present invention is to provide an online system for wirelessly connecting each terminal and a host computer in a system that performs data communication between a plurality of terminals and a host computer. The purpose is to increase the degree of freedom in the arrangement and movement of each terminal, and improve the efficiency of data collection from each terminal and command transmission to each terminal.

[Means for Solving the Problems] In the wireless data communication system according to the present invention, a terminal controller is connected to a host computer, and the terminal controller and a plurality of terminals, that is, handy terminals are connected wirelessly online. If more terminals are required, a multi-controller, which is a multiplex device, is connected to the host computer, and a plurality of terminal controllers are connected to this multi-controller. Each of the plurality of terminal controllers is configured to have one or more terminals.

[Operation] In the above system, the terminal controller receives data from each handy terminal by boring each handy terminal in response to a command from the host computer, and transmits the data to the host computer. Transmit accordingly. Further, based on instructions from the host computer, a desired handy terminal can be selected from the terminal controller and data can be transmitted to this handy terminal.

Each handy terminal selectively receives data destined for itself among the data transmitted from the terminal controller, and also transmits data input from a keyboard or the like to the terminal controller as a response to polling of the terminal controller. In this way, each handy terminal and the host computer are wirelessly connected online and data can be sent and received between them as desired.

[Example] Hereinafter, the present invention will be explained in detail with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 shows the configuration of a wireless data communication system according to an embodiment of the present invention. The system shown in the figure includes a host computer 2 composed of, for example, a personal computer.
, a terminal controller 4 connected to the host computer 2, and a handy terminal 6-1 capable of wireless data communication with the terminal controller 4.
6-2゜6-3. ..., 6-8. The host computer 2 is constituted by, for example, a personal computer, and is connected to the terminal controller 4 by, for example, the commonly used R5232C communication standard. Note that the host computer 2 can also be constituted by, for example, a personal computer connected to the terminal controller 4 and a large-sized central computer connected to this personal computer through a communication line. Terminal controller 4 and each handy terminal 6-1. 6-2. 8-3.
. . , 6, -8, data is transmitted wirelessly. Further, other input means such as a barcode reader 8 can be connected to each handy terminal as necessary.

FIG. 2 shows wireless data J(i
Shows the system configuration. In the system shown in the figure, a multi-controller 10 is connected to a host computer 2, and a plurality of terminal controllers 4-1. ..., 4-n are connected. and each terminal controller 4-1. ..., 4-
For example, there are eight handy terminals 6-11, 6-12, . . . corresponding to n.

6-18. ......; 6-nl, 6-n2
, . . . , 6-n8 are provided. In this system, each handy terminal is wirelessly connected to its corresponding terminal controller.

Therefore, each handy terminal and the host computer 2 can exchange data with each other via the terminal controller and multi-controller 10.

FIG. 343 shows the configuration of the terminal controller used in the system according to each of the embodiments described above. The terminal controller in FIG. 3 includes, for example, a CPU 12 constituted by a microprocessor, an input/output interface circuit 14 for serial transmission, an input/output device 16 such as various switches and indicators, a transmitting module 18, a receiving module 20, and an antenna 22. , and antenna 22
The antenna switching circuit 24 is configured to switch and connect the antenna to the transmitting module 18 or the receiving module 20.

In the terminal controller shown in FIG. 3, signals such as commands and data are serially transmitted from the host computer according to the R5232C standard, for example, and input to the CPU 12 via the input/output interface 14. Further, signals transmitted from the CPU 12 to the host computer are also serially transmitted from the interface circuit 14 to the host computer. When transmitting a signal from the CPU 12 to the handy terminal, the antenna switching circuit 24 is switched to connect the transmitting module 18 and the antenna 22, and desired data is transmitted from the antenna 22 wirelessly. Further, signals transmitted wirelessly from the handy terminal can be received by switching the antenna switching circuit 24 so that the antenna 22 is connected to the receiving module 20.

FIG. 4 shows the configuration of a handy terminal used in the system shown in FIG. 1 or 2. FIG. The handy terminal shown in FIG. 4 includes, for example, a CPU 26 constituted by a microprocessor, a battery 28, a buzzer 30, a liquid crystal display 32 for displaying messages and data, a keyboard 34,
Transmission module 36, reception module 38, antenna 4
0, an antenna switching circuit 42 for selectively connecting the antenna 40 to the transmitting module 3[) and the receiving module 38 is provided. In addition, if necessary, barcode reader 4
4 is connected to CPU2B.

In the handy terminal shown in FIG. 4, in the reception mode, the antenna switching circuit 42
and a receiving module 38 are connected to receive signals transmitted from the terminal controller and input them to the CPU 28. Further, the buzzer 30 sounds depending on the type and content of the received data, and the data is displayed on the liquid crystal display 32. In the case of the transmission mode, the antenna switching circuit 42 connects the transmission module 36 and the antenna 4o, and data input from the keyboard 34 or the barcode reader 44 is transmitted to the terminal controller.

FIG. 5 shows the configuration of the multi-controller used in the system of FIG. 2. As shown in the figure, the multi-controller is a C
PU 46, input/output devices 48 such as various switches and displays, serial transmission input/output interface circuit 50 for connecting the host computer and CPU 4B,
Serial transmission input/output interface circuit 52 for connecting each terminal controller and CPU 4B.
It is equipped with 54°58, 58. Serial transmission is performed between the host computer and the CPU 48 and between the CPU 46 and each terminal controller in accordance with the R3232C transmission standard. The CPU 48 also has an RO for program storage.
M (Read Only Memory) and RAM (Random Access Memory), the RAM also has a buffer memory area for data transmission between the host computer and the terminal controller.

In the multi-controller shown in FIG. 5, data sent from the host computer is input to the CPU 48 via the input/output interface circuit 50. and,
When transferring the data received from the host computer to any terminal controller or handy terminal, the CPU 46 transfers the data to the terminal controller or handy terminal that requires transmission via the buffer memory based on the terminal controller number etc. in the received data. Data can be transmitted selectively or sequentially to terminal controllers corresponding to the handy terminals that need to be transmitted. Also, data sent from a certain handy terminal to the terminal controller is transmitted to the corresponding input/output interface circuit 52, 54, 56, 5.
8 to the CPU 46 and transmitted to the host computer via another input/output interface circuit 50.

FIGS. 6(a) and 6(b) show the format of a message (telegram) used in the above system. Figure (a)
indicates a message used for data transmission between the host computer and the terminal controller, including a transmission control character STX indicating the start of text, text data, a transmission control character ETX indicating the end of text, a checksum C31 used for error control, and, if necessary, Accordingly, a carriage return C/R, which is a telegram stopper, is included. The check using checksum C3 is performed on the text data and the transmission control character ETX indicating the end of the text, and all characters included in these parts are
The checksum O8 is obtained by adding the values in decimal notation and subtracting this value from O to convert it into a hexadecimal character code. Note that error control is also performed by vertical parity check.

Figure 6(b) shows the terminal controller and the handy
Indicates the format of messages used for data transmission between terminals. The message in the figure includes a synchronization code section, a transmission control character STX indicating the start of text, text data, a transmission control character ETX indicating the end of text, a cyclic redundancy code CRC for error control, and a trailing pad TP. The cyclic redundancy code CRC is, for example, the remainder of 16 bits obtained by dividing all the bits of the text data and the transmission control character ETX by a predetermined generating polynomial.

Next, the operation of the wireless data communication system configured as above will be explained with reference to FIGS. 7 and 8.

FIG. 7 shows the procedure when the terminal controller transmits data to the handy terminal in response to a transmission command from the host computer. In this case, before performing the process shown in FIG. 7, an initial command is sent from the host computer to the terminal controller, and the terminal controller itself initializes itself to the initial state. As shown in FIG. 7, a status request command is sent from the host computer to the terminal controller, and in response to this command, the terminal controller notifies the host computer of the status of all the handy terminals. The host computer determines whether or not transmission is possible based on the received status information, and if transmission is not possible, repeats the above process until transmission becomes possible, and if transmission becomes possible, the process is sent. Create data and send it as a send command to the terminal controller. When the terminal controller receives a transmission command from the host computer, it selectively transmits data to the corresponding handy terminal using a so-called selecting method. In the handy terminal,
Of the data sent from the host computer via the terminal controller, data intended for the handy terminal is received and displayed on the display. In this way, data is transmitted from the host computer to the handy terminal.

Next, the procedure for transmitting data from the handy terminal to the host computer via the terminal controller will be explained with reference to FIG. An oven command is sent from the host computer to the terminal controller, and the terminal controller that receives the command puts the designated handy terminal in the oven state.

Next, as shown in FIG. 8, the terminal controller sequentially polls the handy terminals that are currently in the oven state. Handy that received polling
If data has been previously input to the terminal using a keyboard, bar code reader, etc., and the input data is stored in a buffer, the handy terminal transmits the data in response to the terminal controller's polling. The terminal controller receives data sent from the handy terminal and stores it as received data. When receiving a receive command from the host computer, it transmits the received data stored in the buffer to the host computer. The host computer receives such data from the terminal controller and performs predetermined processing on the data. In this way, data is transmitted from each handy terminal to the host computer. Further, when a close command, for example, is sent from the host computer to the terminal controller thereafter, the terminal controller performs a close process for the corresponding handy terminal and stops polling for the corresponding handy terminal.

In the wireless data communication system shown in FIG. 2, when transmitting data from the host computer 2 to the handy terminal, the multi-controller 10 transmits data obtained from the data sent from the host computer as described above. The data is distributed and transmitted to the corresponding terminal controller based on the terminal controller number, etc.

Also, the data sent from the handy terminal via each terminal controller is sent to the multi-controller 1.
0 buffer memory to the host combiator. Other operations in the system shown in Figure 2 are as follows.
It is basically the same as the system shown in the figure, and can be easily inferred.

[Effects of the Invention] As described above, according to the present invention, there is no need to connect the host computer and each terminal by wire, and each terminal has a simple configuration, so that it is made smaller and lighter. Therefore, it becomes possible to move the handy terminal to any location, and it becomes possible to efficiently transmit information between, for example, a production site in a factory and a process control room. Furthermore, the area occupied by each terminal is reduced, and it is possible to isolate the terminal from a place where dust or toxic gas is present, thereby reducing device failure. The wireless data communication system according to the present invention can be used not only for process control in factories as described above, but also for inventory control in stores, warehouses, etc., administration of drugs to animals, collection of observation data, feeding management for animals, and other terminals. It can be used in various fields, such as places where wiring is difficult or where the terminal itself needs to be moved.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a wireless data communication system according to one embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a wireless data communication system according to another embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. is a block circuit diagram showing the configuration of the terminal controller used in the system shown in FIG. 1 or 2, and FIG. 4 is a block circuit diagram showing the configuration of the handy terminal used in the system shown in FIG. 1 or 2. Fig. 5 is a block circuit diagram showing the configuration of the multi-controller used in the system shown in Fig. 2;
Figures (a) and 6(b) are format diagrams showing the text format used in the system according to the present invention, and Figures 7 and 8 are respectively for explaining the operation of the system according to the present invention. This is a flowchart. 2: Host computer, 4.4-1. ..., 4-n: terminal controller, 6-1. 6-2. 6-3. ...+, a-a,
6-11, 6-12. ..., 6-18. ..., 6-nl, 6-
n2,..., 6-n8: Handy terminal, 8: Bar code reader, IO: Multi-controller, 12.28.46: CP
U. 14, 50.52.54.58.58: Input/output interface circuit, 16.48: Input/output device, 18, 38: Transmission module, 20, 38: Receiving module, 22.40: Antenna, 24, 42: Antenna Switching circuit, 28: Battery, 3
0: buzzer, 32: liquid crystal display, 34: keyboard, 44: barcode reader.

Claims (1)

[Scope of Claims] 1. A terminal control section having a wireless transmission/reception means and a plurality of handy terminals each having a wireless transmission/reception means for communicating with the terminal control section, and the terminal control section receives information from a host computer. By polling each handy terminal based on a command, it is possible to receive data and selectively transmit data to a desired handy terminal. What is claimed is: 1. A wireless data communication system that is capable of selectively receiving data addressed to itself from among the data sent to the terminal, and transmitting input data as a polling response to a terminal control unit. 2. The wireless data communication system according to claim 1, wherein the terminal control unit includes a single terminal controller capable of communicating with a plurality of handy terminals. 3. The terminal control unit has a plurality of terminal controllers each capable of communicating with one or more handheld terminals, and a multi-controller for multiplexly connecting these plurality of terminal controllers to a host computer. wireless data communication system.