JP3961008B2 - Connection method between host computer and terminal device and recording medium therefor - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a computer network, and more particularly to a connection method between a host computer and a terminal device in a computer network having a host computer and a plurality of terminal devices connected to the host computer via a transmission path, and a recording medium therefor. .

  In a computer network having a host computer and a plurality of terminal devices connected to the host computer via a transmission line, an operator of the terminal device registered to use the host computer can receive an online service from the host computer. An online system is known. In such an online system, for example, a personal computer is used as a terminal device and a telephone line is used as a transmission line, and data is transmitted and received between the terminal device and a host computer to communicate with an unspecified number of people. There is so-called personal computer communication. Representative examples of how to use personal computer communication include e-mail (hereinafter simply referred to as e-mail) that sends messages to designated recipients, and messages that are written or posted by users on a common bulletin board. There are electronic bulletin boards that read. Various electronic bulletin boards are provided for a group of unspecified users who are interested in a specific theme called a forum.

  The mail arrival inquiry is performed as follows. First, when an operator of a terminal device, that is, a user of a host computer, inquires whether or not an e-mail addressed to him / her has arrived, he calls the host computer, connects a telephone line, and inputs a user identification number. Then, when the password is input, the use of the host computer can be started, and at the same time, charging for the use of the host computer is started. The process for enabling the use of the host computer to be started is called a login process, and the process for terminating the use is called a logout process. After the login process is completed, the user operates the host computer to search whether the mail addressed to himself / herself has arrived, and only when the mail has arrived, the terminal device currently used by the operator from the host computer Download the mail message to, and stop using the host computer if the mail has not arrived.

  However, inquiries regarding whether or not an email has arrived as described above cannot be confirmed until the search operation for whether or not an email has arrived after the login process is completed, and it is necessary for the user to perform an operation for that purpose. In addition, the online service is charged during this period, and the network traffic increases. In addition, when an operator of a terminal device registered for use in a plurality of host computers, that is, a user inquires whether or not an e-mail addressed to each host computer has arrived, the same simple operation is repeated multiple times. There is a problem that it is necessary to repeat each time, which is time consuming and inefficient.

  Therefore, the present invention solves the above-mentioned problem, the user confirms whether or not the mail has arrived with a simple operation, and connects to the terminal device so that the host computer can be used only when the mail has arrived. In addition, an object of the present invention is to provide a connection method between a host computer and a terminal device and a recording medium therefor, which can start charging for an online service, thereby improving operation efficiency and reducing network traffic.

FIG. 1 is a flowchart showing the processing procedure of the connection method of the present invention. A third connection method between a host computer and a terminal device according to the present invention that achieves the above object is as follows. In a computer network having a host computer and a plurality of terminal devices connected to the host computer via a transmission line, A method for connecting a host computer and a terminal device includes the following steps.
First step: Identification information, a forum name, and an update date of a user who uses the host computer are received from the terminal device to the host computer (S31).
The second step: among the information addressed to the forum name, determines whether or not the information of the Updated newer date is stored in the computer (S32, S33).
Third step: When the determination result in the second step is affirmative, the user makes the host computer available (S34).

Another connection method between a host computer and a terminal device according to the present invention that achieves the above object is the host computer and the host computer in a computer network having a plurality of terminal devices connected to the host computer via a transmission path. A method for connecting between a computer and a terminal device includes the following steps.
A first step of receiving identification information, a forum name, and a reference version number of a user who uses the computer from the terminal device;
Second step: It is determined whether or not information of a version number newer than the reference version number is stored in the computer among the information addressed to the forum name.
Third step: When the determination result in the second step is affirmative, the user makes the host computer available.

  The recording medium of the present invention that achieves the object described above is characterized in that a computer-readable program for executing the connection method is recorded in a host computer.

  According to the connection method between the host computer and the terminal device of the present invention, and the host computer and recording medium therefor, the user using the host computer can easily identify the user identification number and password without repeating simple operations. By simply inputting, a predetermined service such as confirmation of mail arrival, confirmation of update of electronic bulletin board information or weather information can be received from the host computer, and the operation time can be reduced. In addition, when it is confirmed that the mail has not arrived by the mail arrival confirmation, or when it is confirmed that the bulletin board contents are not updated by the update confirmation of the electronic bulletin board information, the user of the host computer is not logged in. There is no charge and network traffic is suppressed.

  FIG. 2 is a schematic configuration diagram of an embodiment of the present invention. This figure mainly shows the host computer 20. The host computer 20 includes a central processing unit (CPU) 21 including a main storage device and a calculation / control device, an input device 22 including a mouse and a keyboard, an output device 23 including a CRT and a printer, and an auxiliary storage including a magnetic disk. It comprises a device 24 and a reading device 27 for a recording medium such as a CD-ROM or floppy (registered trademark) disk. The host computer 20 is connected to a plurality of n terminal devices 25-1,..., 25-n via communication lines 26-1,. The host computer 20 is connected to another host computer (not shown) and can receive programs and data from there. In this embodiment, a telephone line network is used as the communication line.

  The auxiliary storage device 24 stores a user ID management table relating to user ID, first password, and second password data. In order to identify the user who has registered for use with the host computer 20, these user ID (identification number) and two passwords (password) are given. Of the two passwords, the first password is used to inquire whether information addressed to the user is received by the host computer and stored in the area in the auxiliary storage device 24, and the second password is used by the host computer 20. It is for inquiring permission. The auxiliary storage device 24 is provided with an area called a reception mailbox that stores a file of information addressed to each user and identified by a number starting from the user ID. Further, the auxiliary storage device 24 stores a program for service to the operator of the terminal device, such as mail transmission, mail transmission, and mail search.

Next, program loading will be described. A program for executing each process of the flowchart described above with reference to FIG. 1 and the flowchart described later with reference to FIGS. 3 to 5 is loaded into the main storage device in the CPU 21 before the execution. As for these programs, first, the CPU 21 reads various programs recorded on a recording medium such as a CD-ROM or a floppy (registered trademark) disk from a reading device 27 and loads them into the auxiliary storage device 24 by a predetermined operation. Alternatively, a program stored in a recording medium of another host computer, such as a magnetic disk, is loaded into the auxiliary storage device 24 via a communication line. Of course, the operator may write the program directly into the main storage device of the CPU 21, for example, the RAM, and then load the program into the auxiliary storage device 24. Thereafter, the program stored in the auxiliary storage device 24 is loaded into the main storage device as needed by the processing of the CPU 21.
Next, mail arrival confirmation processing according to the present invention will be described below.

  FIG. 3 is a flowchart of the mail arrival confirmation process of the first embodiment. In this embodiment, the user inquires whether the mail addressed to himself / herself has arrived at the reception mailbox of the host computer, and makes the host computer available only when the user has arrived, that is, when logging in and not reaching Indicates an example of not logging in. First, the user calls the host computer and connects a communication line between the host computer and the terminal device (step S70). Next, the operator inputs a user ID (for example, AAA00123) (step S71), and inputs the first password (for example, 960610) or the second password (for example, 080610) (step S72).

  In step S73, whether the password entered in step S72 is the first password registered as an inquiry for asking whether information addressed to the user is received by the host computer and stored in the storage device. If the determination result is YES, the process proceeds to step S75. If the determination result is NO, the process proceeds to step S74. In step S74, the host computer determines whether or not the password input in step S72 is the original second password for inquiring about the normal use permission of the host computer. If the determination result is YES, use is made. The user logs in to be able to use the host computer (step S76), and if NO, the process returns to step S72.

  On the other hand, in step S75, it is determined whether information addressed to the user has been received by the host computer. That is, it is determined whether or not mail addressed to the user is stored in the reception mailbox of the host computer. In this embodiment, it is determined whether or not a file having a number starting with AAA is stored in the reception mailbox. When the determination result is YES, login is performed (step S76), and when the determination result is NO, the communication line is disconnected (step S79). After logging in at step S76, the user downloads a file having a number beginning with AAA stored in the reception mailbox, that is, a mail addressed to the user from the host computer to the terminal device (step S77). Use of the host computer is terminated, that is, logout is performed (step S78), and the communication line is disconnected (step S79).

  When the determination result in step S75 of the first embodiment is NO, instead of disconnecting the communication line, a message informing that the mail has not arrived is transmitted from the host computer to the terminal device, and the message is transmitted to the terminal device. It may be displayed on the display device. The usage fee of the host computer by the user is charged for the time from login to logout. Therefore, when it is determined in step S75 that the mail addressed to the user is not stored in the reception mailbox of the host computer, according to the prior art, even if there is no mail addressed to the user, the mail arrival confirmation is performed. While charged, the present invention does not charge for this. In addition, not only charging but also no login, network traffic is suppressed.

  FIG. 4 is a flowchart of the mail arrival confirmation process of the second embodiment. In this embodiment, instead of using the first password in the second embodiment, a suffix such as “MAIL” is added immediately after the user ID, and the host computer reads the suffix “MAIL” to read the user. This is an example of determining whether the mail addressed to the host computer is inquired whether the mail addressed to the host computer has arrived, and logging in only when it arrives, and not logging in when not reaching. is there. First, the user calls the host computer and connects a communication line between the host computer and the terminal device (step S80). Next, the user inputs a user ID (for example, AAA00123) with a suffix (for example, “MAIL”) added (step S81), and a second password for the user to inquire about normal use permission of the host computer. (For example, 080610) is input (step S82).

  In step S83, it is determined whether the information addressed to the user is received by the host computer as in step S75 of the first embodiment. If the determination result is YES, the process proceeds to step S84, and if NO, The communication line is disconnected (step S88). In step S84, the host computer determines whether or not the password input in step S82 is for the user to inquire about the use permission of the host computer. If the determination result is YES, the user is the host Log in so that the computer can be used (step S85), and if NO, return to step S82. After logging in at step S85, as in the first embodiment, the user downloads the mail addressed to the user from the host computer to the terminal device, that is, the file with the number starting with AAA stored in the reception mailbox ( In step S86, the use of the host computer by the user is terminated, that is, the user logs out (step S87), and the communication line is disconnected (step S88).

  The e-mail arrival confirmation process according to the present invention has been described above with reference to FIGS. 3 and 4. However, according to another embodiment of the present invention, only when information on the electronic bulletin board is updated, information on the electronic bulletin board is displayed on the terminal device. It can also be applied to electronic bulletin board reading processing for downloading. In this case, the forum name registered in the host computer is input instead of the first password. This example will be described below with reference to FIG.

  FIG. 5 is a flowchart of the electronic bulletin board reading process of the third embodiment. This embodiment is the same as the second embodiment except that steps S81, S83, and S86 in the second embodiment shown in FIG. 4 are replaced with steps S91, S93, and S96, respectively. explain. First, instead of using the first password in the first embodiment, the name of the forum to which the operator of the terminal device belongs, for example, BASEBALL and the update date 96.06.10 are added immediately after the user ID. (Step S91), the host computer reads the forum name BASEBALL and the update date 96.006.10, and whether or not information addressed to the forum BASEBALL dated later than the update date is received on the electronic bulletin board of the host computer. Log in only when it is determined that it has been received (step S95), download the forum bulletin board information from the host computer to the terminal device (step S96), and then log out (step S95) S97). On the other hand, if it is determined that it has not been received, the communication line is disconnected without logging in (step S98).

  As another embodiment, instead of inputting the update date in step S91 in FIG. 5, a reference version number, for example, V2.0 is input, and in step S93 in FIG. 5, the host computer has its forum name BASEBALL and reference version number. V2.0 is read to determine whether information addressed to BASEBALL with a version number V3.0 newer than the reference version number V2.0 has been received on the electronic bulletin board of the host computer, and information addressed to the forum name BASEBALL Compare the read version number V3.0 read from the file with the reference version number V2.0, and log in when the read version number is newer than the reference version number, and log out when the read version number is not new. .

  In the embodiment described above, a computer network using a telephone network as a communication line has been described. However, the present invention is a LAN composed of a host computer and a plurality of terminal devices connected via a digital communication line wired on the premises. The present invention can be similarly applied to a (local area network) except that a telephone line connection or disconnection operation is not necessary. Furthermore, the present invention can be similarly applied between a terminal device connected to the Internet and a remote host computer via the Internet connecting a plurality of computer networks using a telephone network or a computer network using a LAN. .

It is a flowchart which shows the process sequence of the connection method of this invention. It is a schematic block diagram of the Example of this invention. It is a flowchart of the mail arrival confirmation process of 1st Example. It is a flowchart of the mail arrival confirmation process of 2nd Example. It is a flowchart of the electronic bulletin board reading process of 3rd Example.

Explanation of symbols

20 Host computer 21 Central processing unit (CPU)
22 Input device 23 Output device 24 Auxiliary storage device 25-1, 25-n Terminal device 26-1, 26-n Communication line 27 Reading device

Claims (3)

A method of connecting the terminal device by a computer connected to the device terminal,
A first step of receiving identification information, a forum name, and an update date of a user who uses the computer from the terminal device;
Among the information addressed to the forum name, and a second step of determining whether information of the update date newer date is stored in the computer,
A third step for allowing the user to use the host computer when the determination result in the second step is affirmative;
Connection way to comprising the. A method of connecting the terminal device by a computer connected to the device terminal,
A first step of receiving identification information, a forum name, and a reference version number of a user who uses the computer from the terminal device;
A second step of determining whether information of a version number newer than the reference version number is stored in the computer among the information addressed to the forum name;
A third step for allowing the user to use the host computer when the determination result in the second step is affirmative;
A connection method characterized by comprising: On the computer,
A first step of receiving, from a terminal device, identification information of a user who uses the computer, a forum name, and an update date;
A second step of determining whether information of a date newer than the update date among the information addressed to the forum name is stored in the computer;
A third step for allowing the user to use the host computer when the determination result in the second step is affirmative;
A computer-readable recording medium in which a program for executing the program is recorded.

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