JP2902846B2 - Wireless communication control device - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a wireless POS (point-of-sale information) system using a wireless line as a data communication line between a host device and a plurality of terminals for registering sales information. The present invention relates to a communication control device.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In recent years, a point-of-sale (POS) system using a wireless line as a data communication line between a host device and a plurality of sales information registration terminals has been developed. Since wiring between the terminal and the terminal is not required, it is effective in a large-scale retail store having a large sales area such as a department store.

According to the Radio Law, as a wireless station that can be used for data communication in a relatively limited area (premises) such as a POS system, a 400 MHz band and a 1.2 GHz band are used.
Two types of private radio stations in the z band are defined.

However, the output is limited to 10 mW in the case of a 400 MHz band radio station, and is also limited to 100 mW in the case of a 1.2 GHz band radio station. For this reason,
Where the floor space is large like a department store, one master station
It was extremely difficult to cover the entire floor, and it was necessary to arrange a plurality of master stations on one floor.

[0005] Also, the usable radio frequency band is 400
In the case of a radio station in the MHz band, 10 channels (of which 1
The channel is for a control channel), and even in the case of a radio station in the 1.2 GHz band, there are 21 channels (of which one channel is for a control channel). For this reason, department stores with a large number of floors may have a greater number of master stations than the number of usable radio frequency bands. In such a case, the fixed channel scheme in which a fixed radio frequency band is assigned to each master station is insufficient in the number of radio frequency bands. Therefore, the same radio frequency is assigned to master stations on different floors to cope with the problem.

[0006]

However, even if the master station using the same frequency band is assigned to different floors,
Interference could occur due to the structure of the building.
The multi-channel system that searches for a vacant frequency band and performs wireless communication using the vacant frequency band during communication business does not cause interference, but it takes time to search for a vacant frequency band and also uses a control channel. It took time to match the frequency band with the slave station. Also, since there is only one control channel, the frequency of use of this control channel is very high, and it is easy to be in a busy state. For this reason,
There is a problem that the communication efficiency is lower than that of the fixed channel method.

Therefore, the present invention provides a sufficient number of master stations to be managed even when the same frequency band is shared by a plurality of master stations, without causing interference, even if the number of available radio frequency bands is larger than the number of usable radio frequency bands. An object of the present invention is to provide a wireless communication control device that can ensure communication efficiency.

[0008]

According to the present invention, there is provided a radio communication control apparatus for managing a plurality of master stations for performing data communication with one or more slave stations via a radio line. Are assigned radio frequency bands. Also,
A predetermined start number is assigned as a time division number to a master station whose radio frequency band is different from that of another master station, and the same number is assigned to a master station whose radio frequency band matches that of another master station. In the master station to which the radio frequency band is assigned, numbers that continuously change from the head number and are different from each other are assigned as time division numbers. In this embodiment, the present invention provides a master station information storage means for storing information of a radio frequency band and a time division number assigned to each master station, and a maximum value of the time division number assigned to each master station. Number maximum value storage means is provided. Further, a frequency band setting means for setting a radio frequency band corresponding to each master station based on the radio frequency band information stored by the master station information storage means at the time of initial setting work is provided. Further, a currently operating number storage means for storing a head number as an initial value when starting a wireless communication service between the master station and the slave station, and a master station to which the number stored by the storage means is assigned as a time division number. Based on the time division number information stored by the master station information storage means, and instructs execution of data communication processing with the slave station. When the data communication processing of all the master stations is completed, the number stored in the currently operating number storage means is compared with the maximum value stored in the number maximum value storage means to determine whether or not the number matches the maximum value. The number stored by the number storage means is updated to the next consecutive number, and the updated serial number is instructed to the master station assigned as the time division number to execute data communication processing with the slave station, and the To continue communication operations, when a match is provided with a communication control means to terminate the wireless communication services.

[0009]

According to the present invention having such a configuration, a predetermined radio frequency band and a time division number are assigned to each master station in advance. When the wireless communication service between the master station and the slave station is started, first, all master stations to which a certain time division number is assigned are extracted, and data communication with the slave station is controlled. When the data communication is completed, all the master stations to which the next time division number is assigned are extracted, and the data communication with the slave station is similarly controlled.

Therefore, if the number of master stations to be managed is larger than the number of available radio frequency bands, the same radio frequency band must be assigned to a plurality of master stations. The time division number differs between the master stations used. By doing so, a plurality of master stations using the same radio frequency band do not simultaneously perform data communication with slave stations, so that occurrence of interference can be prevented. In addition, since a fixed channel method in which a predetermined radio frequency band is allocated to all master stations in advance is adopted, sufficient communication efficiency can be ensured.

[0011]

An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. In this embodiment, a plurality of sales information registration terminals (hereinafter, referred to as “terminals”) installed at each sales floor from the first floor [1F] to the eighth floor [8F] of the store building.
POS terminal) is connected to a host device installed in a store office or the like via a wireless line or the like.
A case will be described in which the present invention is applied to a system (using a local wireless station in the 1.2 GHz band).

FIG. 1 is a diagram schematically showing the overall configuration of a POS system according to this embodiment. As shown in FIG.
F] to [8F], four master stations 11A and 11
B, 11C, 11D and these four master stations 11A to 11D.
One master station control unit 12 that manages D is arranged. Each of the master stations 11A to 11D and the master station controller 12 are connected to the communication cable 1
3 via a wired connection.

[0013] The POS terminals 14 installed in each sales floor on each floor [1F] to [8F] are provided with slave stations 15 respectively. Also, all POS terminals 14 installed on each floor [1F] to [8F] are divided into four groups, and one master station is assigned to one group. Then, wireless data communication between each of the master stations 11A to 11D and one or more slave stations 15 of the POS terminal 14 belonging to the group assigned to the master station is enabled.

Each master station control unit 1 of each floor [1F] to [8F]
2 and a host device 16 installed in a store office or the like are connected by a cable via a communication cable 17. The host device 16 stores sales data and the like of products registered for sale at the POS terminals 14 installed at all the sales floors from the first floor [1F] to the eighth floor [8F].
A to 11D, the communication cable 13, the master station control unit 12, and the communication cable 17 collect and perform data processing.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the master station control unit 12, and includes a CPU (Central Processing Unit) 21 and an RO.
An M (read only memory) 22; a RAM (random access memory) 23; a host interface 24 for controlling data transmission / reception with the host device 16 via the communication cable 17; Station 11
A key signal is input from the master station interface 25 and the keyboard 26 for controlling data transmission and reception performed between the A to 11D via the communication cable 13 and the display 2
7 is provided with an I / O port 28 for outputting a display drive signal.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing the structure of the master stations 11A to 11D.
M33, a control unit interface 34 for controlling data transmission / reception performed via the communication cable 13 with the master station control unit 12, a wireless circuit 36 for performing wireless data communication via a transmission / reception antenna 35, a dip switch An I / O port 38 to which 37 signals are input is provided.

FIG. 4 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the slave station 15. In addition to a CPU 41, a ROM 42 and a RAM 43, a terminal interface 44 for controlling data communication with the POS terminal 14, a transmitting / receiving antenna A wireless circuit 46 for performing wireless data communication via the wireless communication device 45 is provided.

As shown in FIG. 5, the RAM 23 of the master station control section 12 is assigned to each master station 11A to 11D connected to each other via the communication cable 13 by a master station number set in advance. Master station management table 51 as master station information storage means for storing channel numbers and time division numbers of radio frequency bands to be used, area 52 as number maximum value storage means for storing the maximum value of the time division numbers, current operation Area 5 as a currently operating number storing means for storing a time-sharing number X in the middle
3 and the like are formed.

In this embodiment, since a 1.2 GHz band private radio station is used, there are only two usable radio frequency bands.
On the other hand, the number of master stations 11A to 11D is 32 from the first floor [1F] to the eighth floor [8F], whereas the number of master stations is 32. Is running out of numbers. Therefore, first, a radio frequency band of two channels is allocated to each floor. Then, since four channels are left, these four channels are allocated to the floor where the number of POS terminals 14 is large. At this time, especially POS
Two more channels are added to the floor where the number of terminals 14 is larger to make four channels. As a result, on the floor having four channels, one radio frequency band is allocated to one master station. That is, since each master station has a different radio frequency band from the other master stations, "1", which is a preset head number, is assigned to each time division number. On the other hand, on the floor where two channels remain, one radio frequency band is allocated to two master stations. That is, since each master station has the same radio frequency band as the other master station, the head division number “1” is assigned to one master station using the same radio frequency band as the time division number, The other master station is assigned a different number "2" that continuously changes from this head number.

At the time of the initial setting operation, the host device 16 transmits the information to the master station controller 12 of each floor via the communication cable 17 to the master station 11 managed by the master station controller 12.
The information of the channel number and the time division number assigned to each of A to 11D is transmitted as initial setting information. In this case, a unique identification code is set in advance in the master station control unit 12 on each floor, and the host device 16
A corresponding identification code is added to each of the initial setting information and transmitted.

The CPU 21 of each master station control unit 12
As shown in (a), when receiving the initial setting information to which its own identification code has been added via the host interface 24, the master station management table 5 is generated based on the received information.
1 is created in the RAM 23. Further, the maximum value of the assigned time-sharing information is stored in the area 52. Further, a program is set to transmit the corresponding channel number information to each of the master stations 11A to 11D via the master station interface 25. (Frequency band setting means)

In this case, each of the master stations 11A to 11D
, A unique identification code is set in advance, and the communication control unit 12 adds the corresponding identification code to the channel number information for each of the master stations 11A to 11D and transmits the information.

When the CPU 31 of each of the master stations 11A to 11D receives the channel number information to which its own identification code is added via the control unit interface 34 as shown in FIG. RAM 33
Store in Further, the program is set so that the wireless circuit 46 is operated to notify the above-mentioned channel number to all the slave stations 15 linked to itself using the control channel.

As shown in FIG. 8A, the CPU 41 of each slave station 15 is in a standby state for receiving the control channel at the time of the initial setting operation, and receives the channel number information on the control channel via the radio circuit 46. The program is set to store the received channel number in the RAM 43.

Thus, when the initialization operation is completed and the normal operation is started, the CPU 21 of each master station control unit 12 waits for a data collection command from the host device 16. When the data collection command is received via the host interface 24, the communication control task shown in FIG. 6B is executed. That is, first, the current operation time division number X of the area 53 is set to “1”. Next, the master station management table 51 is searched to extract all master stations whose time division number is X (= 1). Then, a data collection command is transmitted to all the extracted master stations via the master station interface 25. (Time division communication control means)

Thereafter, when data collection is completed from all master stations that have sent the data collection command, it is determined whether or not the currently operating time division number X of the area 53 matches the maximum time division number of the area 52. I do. If they match, the collected data is sent to the host device 16 via the host interface 24, and this processing ends. If they do not match, the currently operating time division number X in the area 53 is updated by "+1" to "2". Then, in the same manner as described above, all the master stations whose time division number is X (= 2) are extracted, and a data collection command is transmitted through the master station interface 25. Thereafter, when data collection is completed, it is determined whether or not the currently operating time division number X matches the maximum time division number. If they match, the collected data is transmitted to the host device 16 to end this processing. If they do not match, the current operation time division number X is updated by "+1" and the above processing is repeated. . (Communication control means)

[0027]

In normal operation, each of the master stations 11A to 11D
CPU 31 executes the processing shown in FIG. That is, upon receiving a data collection command for itself through the control unit interface 34, the R
Using the radio frequency band of the channel number stored in the AM 33, the data collection command is transmitted by radio to all the slave stations 15 linked to itself. In this case, the communication address of one pre-specified slave station among all the slave stations 15 linked to the self is set as the transmission destination address of the message at first.
The communication address of the master station is set as the transmission source address. When the data collection from the slave station 15 is completed, the next slave station is selected, the communication address of the slave station is set to the transmission destination address of the message, and the message is wirelessly transmitted. That is, the master station that has received the data collection command sequentially collects data from all the slave stations 15 linked to itself using the polling select method.

When data collection from all the slave stations 15 linked to itself is completed, the collected data is transmitted to the master station control unit 12 on the same floor via the control unit interface 34.
Send to Thereafter, the process returns to the data collection command reception standby state.

On the other hand, in the normal operation, C
The PU 41 executes the processing shown in FIG. That is, it waits for reception of the data collection command message in the radio frequency band of the channel number stored in the RAM 43 by the initial setting operation, and upon receiving the corresponding message, determines whether the transmission destination address in the message matches its own communication address. It is determined whether the source address matches the communication address of the corresponding master station. Only when both match, the command is recognized as a command to the own station, and it is determined whether data is stored in the RAM 43 to be collected by the host device 16. If the data is stored, the collected data is converted into a message and transmitted by radio to the corresponding master station. If not stored, a message indicating that there is no data is wirelessly transmitted to the corresponding master station. Thereafter, the process returns to a message reception standby state in the radio frequency band.

In this embodiment having such a configuration,
The radio frequency band of channel number "1" is allocated to the master station 11A of master station number "1" and the master station 11B of master station number "2" on the eighth floor [8F], and the master station of master station number "3" is assigned. It is assumed that the radio frequency band of channel number "5" is allocated to 11C and the master station 11D of master station number "4". In this case, the time division number of the master station 11A and the master station 11C is “1”, and the master station 11B and the master station 11C
The time division number of D is “2”.

In this state, when a data collection command is issued from the host device 16, the master station control unit 12 first extracts the master stations 11A and 11C whose time division number is "1" and sends them to the master stations 11A and 11C. Send data collection command. Then, the master station 11A collects data from each slave station 15 linked to itself by the polling select method in the radio frequency band of the channel number "1". At the same time, the master station 11B collects data from each slave station 15 linked to itself by the polling select method in the radio frequency band of the channel number "5".

When the data collection processing by the master stations 11A and 11C is completed, the master station control unit 12 next extracts the master stations 11B and 11D whose time division number is "2", and sends them to the master stations 11B and 11D. Send data collection command. Then, the master station 11B collects data from each slave station 15 linked to itself by the polling select method in the radio frequency band of the channel number “1”. At the same time, the master station 11D collects data from each slave station 15 linked to itself by the polling select method in the radio frequency band of the channel number "5". When the data collection processing by the master stations 11B and 11D is thus completed, the data collected by the master stations 11A to 11D is transmitted to the host device 16.

As described above, according to the present embodiment, even if the same radio frequency band is assigned to a plurality of adjacent master stations, these master stations never transmit while one of them is performing radio transmission. Since transmission is not performed, there is no possibility of interference.
Therefore, even if the number of usable radio frequency bands is smaller than the number of parent stations, highly reliable radio communication control is performed by adopting a fixed channel scheme in which radio frequency bands are set in advance for all parent stations. Since it can be performed, sufficient communication efficiency can be secured.

If the number of master stations is equal to or less than the number of usable radio frequency bands, different radio frequency bands are assigned to the respective master stations and a time division number "1" is assigned to each master station. Thereby, the same operation as the conventional fixed channel method can be obtained.

[0036]

As described above in detail, according to the present invention, a radio communication service is controlled to be performed in a time-sharing manner between master stations to which the same radio frequency band is set. Interference can be prevented even if shared by the master station. As a result, even if the number of parent stations to be managed is large compared to the number of available radio frequency bands, radio frequency bands can be set in advance for all parent stations, and high-reliability wireless communication can be performed while ensuring sufficient communication efficiency. Can be provided.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is an overall configuration diagram of a POS system according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram of a master station control unit in the embodiment.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram of a master station in the embodiment.

FIG. 4 is a block diagram of a slave station in the embodiment.

FIG. 5 is a diagram showing a main memory formed in a RAM of the master station control unit.

FIG. 6 is a flowchart showing main part processing of the master station control unit.

FIG. 7 is a flowchart showing main part processing of the master station.

FIG. 8 is a block diagram of the slave station.

[Explanation of symbols]

11A to 11D: master station, 12: master station controller, 14: PO
S terminal, 15: slave station, 16: host device, 51 ...
Master station management table.

Claims (1)

(57) [Claims] 1. A wireless communication control device for managing a plurality of master stations performing data communication with one or more slave stations via a wireless line, wherein a radio frequency band is assigned to each master station. For a master station whose radio frequency band is different from that of another master station, a predetermined head number is assigned as a time-division number, and for a master station whose radio frequency band matches the other master station, In the case where the same radio frequency band is continuously changed from the head number among the parent stations to which the same radio frequency band is allocated and different numbers are allocated as time division numbers, the radio frequency band and the radio frequency band respectively allocated to each of the parent stations Master station information storage means for storing information on the time division number; number maximum value storage means for storing the maximum value of the time division number assigned to each master station; Frequency band setting means for setting a radio frequency band corresponding to each of the master stations based on the radio frequency band information stored by the information storage means, and when starting a radio communication operation between the master station and the slave station. A currently operating number storage means for storing the head number as an initial value; and a master station to which the number stored by the storage means is assigned as a time division number. Time-division communication instruction means for extracting all data based on the information and instructing the execution of data communication processing with the slave station; and The number stored in the operating number storage means is compared with the maximum value stored in the number maximum value storage means to determine whether the number matches the maximum value. Update the stored number to the next consecutive number, and instruct the master station to which the updated serial number is assigned as a time-division number to execute data communication processing with the slave station and continue the wireless communication operation. And a communication control means for terminating the wireless communication operation when they match with each other.