JP4872553B2 - Information processing apparatus and method for automatically recovering connection failure of USB device - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to an information processing apparatus (for example, a computer) that recovers a connection failure with a peripheral device (= USB device) by USB data transmission, and a method thereof.

Conventionally, a USB device connected to a USB cable (for example, an IC card reader / writer) cannot be recognized due to some cause (for example, noise such as static electricity) and cannot be used. It is activated (= reset) and resumes use.

For example, in Patent Document 1, in a USB device connected to a host (= information processing apparatus) with a USB cable, a reset signal issued by a host that cannot recognize the USB device is received, and the USB device is included in a reset circuit built in the USB device. A technique for resetting and re-recognizing is disclosed. (Prior art 1)
Further, in Patent Document 2, a host and a USB device are connected using a dedicated cable for resetting, a reset signal is transferred via the dedicated cable, and the USB device is reset to a reset circuit built in the USB device. A technique for restarting a USB device is disclosed. (Prior art 2)
JP 2006-48496 A (pages 6 to 10, FIGS. 1 and 3) Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2003-131956 (page 4, FIG. 1)

By the way, in the prior art 1 and the prior art 2, there is a problem that it is not possible to cope with an existing USB device because it is necessary to incorporate a restart circuit for restarting the USB device. In addition, there is a drawback that the cost increases by incorporating a restart circuit in the USB device. Furthermore, in the prior art 2, since a dedicated cable is used, the host device (for example, a personal computer) needs to be modified.

The present invention has been made in view of such a conventional technique, and an object of the present invention is to provide a system and a method for restarting a USB device easily and easily.

The present invention solves the above problems by the following means. That is, the invention of claim 1 stores a device manager, a driver library in which USB device specifying information and a USB device driver are associated, setting data including USB device specifying information, and a USB device driver. Means, a data operation instruction means for calling the USB device driver and transmitting a data operation instruction, a connection failure receiving means for receiving a connection failure report from the called USB device driver, and the USB device driver Using the storage area initialization means for initializing the stored storage area, the power supply control means for stopping or supplying the power supply, and the USB device specifying information of the setting data, the driver library USB device driver that matches the USB device identification information Select and send a driver recovery instruction including the driver recovery instruction means to the device manager, and read the USB device driver of the driver recovery instruction from the device manager to the initialized storage area An information processing apparatus for automatically recovering connection of a USB device, comprising: a driver reading report receiving unit that receives a report.

Here, the device manager is a program code that centrally manages a connection state of peripheral devices by setting a driver of a peripheral device built in or externally attached to the information processing apparatus. The USB device driver is a driver program code used to use a peripheral device that transmits data in the USB system.

In this way, when the connected device connected to the information processing apparatus cannot operate due to poor connection, by using the device manager to reinstall the driver of the connected device from the driver library, The normal connection state can be restored.

The invention according to claim 2 is an information processing using a device manager, a driver library in which USB device specifying information and a USB device driver are associated, setting data including USB device specifying information, and a predetermined USB device driver. A method for calling a predetermined USB device driver to transmit a user identification information transmission request, a user identification information transmission request step, and a connection failure reception step for receiving a connection failure report from the USB device driver. A storage area initialization step for initializing a storage area in which the predetermined USB device driver is stored, a power supply stop step for stopping the supply of power, and USB device specifying information of setting data, Browse the driver library and select the USB device driver and include it. A driver recovery instruction step of transmitting a driver recovery instruction to the device manager, and a driver reading report for receiving a report of reading the USB device driver of the driver recovery instruction from the device manager to the initialized storage area The USB device connection recovery method is characterized in that the procedure includes a receiving step and a power supply step for supplying power.

According to a third aspect of the present invention, there is provided a computer program that causes the computer to operate as the USB device connection recovery system according to the first aspect by being incorporated in the computer.

A fourth aspect of the present invention is a computer-readable recording medium on which the computer program according to the third aspect is recorded.

According to the present invention, it is possible to automatically restart an existing USB device using an existing information processing apparatus.

(Example)
Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in more detail with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a diagram for explaining the outline of the USB device connection recovery system 1.
The USB device connection recovery system 1 is configured by connecting an information processing device 100 and a USB device 700 (for example, an IC tag reader device) via USB.

The information processing apparatus 100 stores a device manager 194, a driver library 192, setting data 193, and a USB device driver 196.

Here, the USB device driver 196 is a program code used when a peripheral device is used in an application program by USB data transmission. In general, a device driver is a program code for using a peripheral device of the information processing apparatus 100.

The device manager 194 is a program code that sets a peripheral device driver of the information processing apparatus 100 and centrally manages the connection state of the peripheral device.

The setting data 193 is data including USB device identification information (for example, product ID = PID or supplier ID = VID). The driver library 192 is a library in which the USB device identification information and the USB device driver 196 are associated with each other.

Note that the IC tag reader device 700 reads the user identification information 391 stored in the IC tag card 300.

Further, the information processing apparatus 100 may receive the setting data 593 from the management server apparatus 500 by connecting to the management server apparatus 500 that stores the setting data 593 via a network.

FIG. 2 illustrates a rough processing flow of the USB device connection recovery system 1.

The information processing apparatus 100 calls the USB device driver 196 of the USB device 700 (for example, IC tag reader apparatus), and transmits a data operation instruction (for example, user identification information transmission instruction) (FIG. 2 (1)). The USB device driver 196 instructs OPEN of the USB device 700 ((2)).

Here, if the USB device 700 is in a malfunctioning state, the USB device 700 cannot accept an OPEN instruction if the USB device 700 is in a malfunctioning state, and therefore cannot perform an OPEN, and therefore returns an OPEN report. (No (3)).

If the OPEN report is not received within a predetermined time limit (for example, within 1 second), the USB device driver 196 transmits a connection failure report ((4)).

The information processing apparatus 100 receives a connection failure report from the USB device driver 196 ((5)).
The information processing apparatus 100 stops the power supply to the USB device 700 ((6)). The USB device 700 accepts the power stop and stops the USB device 700 ((7)).

The information processing apparatus 100 refers to the driver library 192 using the USB device identification information of the setting data 193, selects the USB device driver 196, and sends a driver restoration instruction including this to the device manager 194. (Same as (8)). The device manager 194 receives the recovery instruction, and arranges the USB device driver 196 included therein in a predetermined storage area ((9)).

The device manager 194 transmits a recovery report (same as (10)).
The information processing apparatus 100 receives the recovery report and supplies power to the USB device 700 ((11)).
The USB device 700 receives power supply and restarts the USB device ((12)).

The information processing apparatus 100 receives the recovery report from the device manager 194 and returns to (1) ((13)).

If the USB device 700 is in a normal operation state, the USB device 700 accepts an OPEN instruction, OPENs the USB device 700, and sends an OPEN report to the USB device driver 196. (Details will be described later)

As described above, the poorly connected USB device 700 can be easily restarted and used.

There is an advantage that it can be applied to the existing USB device 700.

FIG. 3 is a detailed configuration diagram of the USB device connection recovery system 1.
The USB device connection recovery system 1 includes an information processing apparatus 100 and a USB device 700.

The information processing apparatus 100 includes a data operation instruction unit 110, a connection failure reception unit 120, a storage area initialization unit 130, a driver recovery instruction unit 140, a power supply control unit 160, a driver read report reception unit 150, a storage Means 190. The storage unit 190 stores a device manager 194, a driver library 192, setting data 193, and a USB device driver 196.

The setting data 193 includes USB device identification information (for example, product ID = PID or supplier ID = VID).
The driver library 192 is data in which the USB device identification information and the USB device driver 196 are associated with each other.

The data operation instruction unit 110 calls the USB device driver 196 of the USB device 700 (for example, an IC tag reader device) and transmits a data operation instruction (for example, a user identification information transmission instruction).
The connection failure receiving unit 120 receives a connection failure report from the called USB device driver 196.

The storage area initialization unit 130 initializes the storage area in which the USB device driver 196 is stored. The power control unit 160 stops power supply or supplies power.

The driver recovery instructing unit 140 refers to the USB device specifying information in the driver library 192 using the USB device specifying information in the setting data 193 as a key, and the USB device driver corresponding to the USB device specifying information that matches the key. 196 is selected, and a driver restoration instruction including this is transmitted to the device manager 194.

The driver read report receiving means 150 receives a report from the device manager 194 that has read the USB device driver 196 for the driver recovery instruction into the initialized storage area.

The data operation instruction means 110, the connection failure reception means 120, the storage area initialization means 130, the driver recovery instruction means 140, the driver read report reception means 150, and the power supply control means 160 are computer programs.

The device manager 194, the driver library 192, the setting data 193, and the USB device driver 196 are data readable by a computer program. The storage unit 190 is a memory.

FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram of a connection failure detection procedure.

The data operation instruction unit 110 calls the IC tag reader connection device driver 196 ((1) in FIG. 4).

The IC tag reader connection device driver 196 instructs OPEN of the USB device 700 (IC tag reader device) ((2)). If the USB device 700 cannot be opened, the USB device device driver 196 returns a connection failure report (same (3)).

The data operation instruction unit 110 receives a connection failure report from the USB device device driver 196 ((4)).

FIG. 5 is an explanatory diagram of the recovery procedure of the USB device driver 196.

The driver restoration instructing unit 140 selects the USB device driver 196 by referring to the driver library 192 using the USB device identification information (= PID and VID of the IC tag reader device 700) of the setting data 193 (FIG. 5). (1)). The driver recovery instruction unit 140 transmits a driver recovery instruction including the USB device driver 196 to the device manager 194 ((2)).

The device manager 194 is stored in a predetermined storage area ((3)).

Next, a rough process when the USB device 700 operates normally will be described.

FIG. 6 shows a rough process flow of the normal state of the USB device connection recovery system 1.

(1) and (2) are the same as (1) and (2) in FIG.

If the USB device 700 is in a normal operation state, the USB device 700 accepts the OPEN instruction, OPENs the USB device 700, and sends an OPEN report to the USB device driver 196 ((3)).

The USB device driver 196 receives the OPEN report and transmits a data operation instruction (for example, a user identification information transmission instruction) to the USB device 700 ((4)).

The USB device 700 receives a data operation instruction (for example, a user identification information transmission instruction) from the USB device driver 196, and returns a result of the instructed data operation (for example, the user identification information 391) (same ( 5)).

The USB device driver 196 receives the result of the instructed data operation ((6)). The USB device driver 196 transmits the CLOSE instruction of the USB device 700 to the USB device 700 ((7)). The USB device 700 receives a CLOSE instruction from the USB device driver 196 and closes the USB device 700 ((8)).

As described above in detail, according to the present invention, an existing USB device can be automatically restarted using an existing information processing apparatus.

Overview of USB device connection recovery system Rough process flow of USB device connection recovery system Detailed configuration diagram of USB device connection recovery system Connection failure detection procedure USB device driver recovery procedure (Reference) General processing flow of normal state of USB device connection recovery system

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 USB apparatus connection recovery system 100 Information processing apparatus 110 Data operation instruction means 120 Connection failure reception means 130 Storage area initialization means 140 Driver recovery instruction means 150 Driver read report reception means 160 Power supply control means 190 Storage means 192 Driver library 193 Setting Data 194 Device manager 196 USB device driver 300 IC tag card 391 User identification information 500 Management server device 593 Setting data

Claims (4)

Storage means for storing a device manager, a driver library that associates USB device identification information with a USB device driver, setting data that includes USB device identification information, and a USB device driver;
Data operation instruction means for calling the USB device driver and issuing a data operation instruction;
Connection failure receiving means for receiving a connection failure report from the called USB device driver;
Storage area initialization means for initializing a storage area in which the USB device driver is stored;
Power control means for stopping power supply or supplying power; and
Using the USB device specifying information of the setting data, referring to the USB device specifying information of the driver library, selecting a USB device driver that matches both, and sending a driver recovery instruction including this to the device manager, A driver recovery instruction means to be issued;
Driver read report receiving means for receiving a report of reading the USB device driver of the driver recovery instruction from the device manager to the initialized storage area;
An information processing apparatus for automatically restoring connection of a USB device, comprising: An information processing method using a device manager, a driver library that associates USB device identification information with a USB device driver, setting data including USB device identification information, and a predetermined USB device driver,
Calling the predetermined USB device driver and issuing a user identification information transmission request to issue a user identification information transmission request; and
A connection failure receiving step of receiving a connection failure report from the USB device driver;
A storage area initialization step for initializing a storage area in which the predetermined USB device driver is stored;
A power stop step for stopping the supply of power;
Using the USB device identification information of the setting data, refer to the driver library, select a USB device driver, and issue a driver recovery instruction including the driver recovery instruction to the device manager;
A driver read report receiving step of receiving a report of reading the USB device driver of the driver recovery instruction from the device manager to the initialized storage area;
A power supply step for supplying power;
A USB device connection recovery method, characterized in that the method is performed by a procedure including: A computer program that causes a computer to operate as the USB device connection recovery system according to claim 1 by being incorporated in the computer. The computer-readable recording medium which recorded the computer program of Claim 3.

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