JP4876099B2 - Information processing device - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to an information processing apparatus such as a personal computer and a POS (Point Of Sales) terminal on which an OS (Operating System) and a BIOS (Basic Input / Output System) are mounted.

  In an information processing apparatus in which an OS and a BIOS are mounted, first, the BIOS operates when the power supply is started up. The BIOS confirms that input / output devices such as a keyboard, a display, a printer, and a hard disk are normally recognized and operated. Then, when the confirmation is completed, the process is transferred to the OS. Thereafter, the information processing apparatus executes an application program under the management of the OS and controls the input / output device to perform predetermined information processing.

  Generally, this type of information processing apparatus stores BIOS setting information in a rewritable nonvolatile memory. And it is programmed to shift to the mode for changing the BIOS setting information by performing a predetermined operation at power-on, and the user can change the BIOS setting information to a desired state as appropriate. it can. However, if it is changed carelessly, the BIOS may not start up normally and the information processing apparatus may not be activated.

Conventionally, in order to prevent such a problem, it is determined whether there is a BIOS abnormality at power-on, and if it is determined that the BIOS is abnormal and cannot be executed, the BIOS rewriting process is automatically performed on the previously stored repair data. There has been a technique for repairing the BIOS (see, for example, Patent Document 1).
JP 9-330216 A

  However, in the conventional technology, when the BIOS setting change fails and the system cannot be started up, the BIOS setting information is rewritten with predetermined restoration data, so that the user has already changed from the initial installation state. There was a risk of not knowing what state it was changed to.

  The present invention has been made based on such circumstances, and an object of the present invention is to provide an information processing apparatus that can easily return the setting information of the BIOS to a desired state used by the user before. It is something to be offered.

The present invention provides a basic input / output system, that is, a so-called BIOS storage unit that stores rewritable BIOS setting information, and sets the operation of the input / output device according to the setting information stored in the BIOS storage unit. Setting menu display means for displaying a setting menu screen on which a setting menu item of the basic input / output system and setting information stored in the BIOS storage unit for that item are displayed, and a setting menu item of the setting menu screen Identification for displaying a setting save confirmation screen including a setting change accepting unit for accepting a change of setting information for a menu item selected from the menu item and an input area for an identification name for the setting information accepted by the setting change accepting unit Save the setting information received by the name accepting means and the setting change accepting means When the save execution button for instructing the line is inputted, it is determined whether the text data as an identification name to said input area setting storage confirmation screen is inputted, the text data as the identification name is entered In this case, the setting information accepted by the setting change accepting means is stored in the BIOS history memory in association with the input identification name, and the setting information stored in the BIOS storage unit is accepted by the setting change accepting means. rewritten in the setting information, when the text data as an identification name is not entered is rewritten with the setting information accepted the change by the setting change receiving unit setting information stored in the BIOS memory unit the setting change receiving means is the setting information that has received the change in the BIOS history memory by those that includes a processing means do not want to save.

  According to the present invention in which such a measure is taken, it is possible to provide an information processing apparatus that can easily return the setting information of the BIOS to a desired state used by the user before and can improve the reliability.

  Hereinafter, the present invention is applied to the best mode for carrying out the present invention. In this embodiment, the present invention is applied to an open POS terminal in which a versatile OS is mounted.

  The principal part structure of the open POS terminal which concerns on this Embodiment is shown with the block diagram of FIG. The open POS terminal is equipped with a CPU (Central Processing Unit) 1 as a control unit main body. The CPU 1 is connected to a ROM (Read Only Memory) 3 as a read-only memory, a BIOS ROM 4 as a rewritable nonvolatile memory, and a rewritable volatile memory via a bus line 2 such as an address bus or a data bus. RAM (Random Access Memory) 5, BIOS history memory 6, RTC (Real-Time Clock) 7 as a clock unit, HDD (Hard Disk Drive) device 8, keyboard controller 9, display controller 10, multiple device interfaces 11, 12 and the communication interface 13 are connected to form a control circuit.

  The keyboard controller 9 controls a keyboard 14 on which various keys necessary for executing a job as a POS terminal are arranged. The display controller 10 controls the display 15 that can display a screen necessary for executing a job as a POS terminal. The plurality of device interfaces 11 and 12 can be connected to input / output devices such as a printer, a scanner, and a drawer, and exchange signals with the connected devices. The communication interface 13 manages data communication with a host device connected via a network such as a LAN (Local Area Network).

  As shown in FIG. 2, the BIOS history memory 6 forms an area for the storage position counter 21 and an area for the history storage table 22. The history storage table 22 is divided into a pointer area, an identification name area, and a BIOS setting data area. The BIOS history memory 6 is a rewritable nonvolatile memory, and for example, a flash memory can be used.

  The open POS terminal having such a configuration stores an OS as basic software in the HDD device 8 together with various application programs executed under the management of the OS. In addition, BIOS setting information that is a basic input / output system is stored in the BIOS ROM 4. Here, the BIOS ROM 4 functions as a BIOS storage unit.

  When the power is turned on, the BIOS first operates. The BIOS confirms that the keyboard 14, the display 15, the HDD device 8, and input / output devices such as printers, scanners, and drawers connected to the device interfaces 11 and 12 are normally recognized and operate. Then, when the confirmation is completed, the process is transferred to the OS. That is, a program such as an OS is resident in the RAM 5 from the HDD device 8 by the action of the boot strap loader stored in the ROM 3. Thereafter, the open POS terminal executes application programs under the management of the OS and performs business processing as a POS terminal such as registration, inspection, and settlement.

  The open POS terminal shifts to a mode for changing the setting information of the BIOS when a predetermined key operation is performed before the BIOS operates at power-on. When shifting to this mode, the CPU 1 controls each part in accordance with the procedure shown in the flowchart of FIG.

  First, the CPU 1 displays a BIOS setting menu screen on the display 15 as ST (step) 1 (setting menu display means). On this screen, items indicating various BIOS setting information, and current setting information stored in the BIOS ROM 4 for the items are displayed.

Next, the CPU 1 waits for selection of any item displayed on the screen as ST2. For example, if any item is selected by key input, the CPU 1 accepts a change of setting information for the item (a setting change accepting unit) as ST3. Thereafter, the CPU 1 waits for the next item to be selected.

  In this standby state, for example, when the BIOS setting process end is declared by a key input (YES in ST4), the CPU 1 has declared that the new setting is to be saved and ends as ST5, or ends without saving. Determine whether you have been declared to do so. For example, a [Save and Exit] button and [Exit without Save] button are displayed on the BIOS setting menu screen as key buttons for accepting an end declaration, and the CPU 1 determines which button is input. to decide. If it is declared that the new setting is to be ended without saving, the CPU 1 ends the current BIOS setting process.

On the other hand, when it is declared that the new setting is to be saved and terminated, the CPU 1 displays the setting saving confirmation screen 30 on the display 15 as ST6. An example of the setting save confirmation screen 30 is shown in FIG. As shown in the figure, the setting save confirmation screen 30 has an identification name input area 31 and a save execution button 32 (identification name receiving means).

The CPU 1 waits for the save execution button 32 to be input in ST7. Then, by, for example key input, the stored execution button 32 is confirmed to be inputted, CPU 1 is you determine whether text data as an identification name in the input area 31 is inputted as ST8. If it is determined that text data as an identification name has been input, the processes of ST9 to ST11 are executed (first processing means) . If it is determined that the text data has not been input, only the process of ST11 is performed. Is executed ( second processing means).

  That is, in ST9, the storage position counter 21 is incremented by “1”. In ST10, the identification name and the BIOS setting data are written in the area of the pointer n of the history storage table 22. Here, the pointer n is a count value of the storage position counter 21. The identification name is text data input in the input area 31 of the setting save confirmation screen 30. The BIOS setting data is data at the time when the BIOS setting process end is declared. Therefore, when the change of the setting information for any item is accepted in the process of ST3, the data after the change is written (setting information storage means). In ST11, the data in the BIOS ROM 4 is rewritten to the BIOS setting data at the time when the end of the BIOS setting process is declared (setting information updating means).

  When the process of ST11 ends, the CPU 1 ends the current BIOS setting process. When the BIOS setting process ends, the open POS terminal restarts. Therefore, at the time of restart, the BIOS is started based on the changed BIOS setting data. The BIOS confirms that the input / output device is recognized normally and operates.

  By the way, in the open POS terminal of the present embodiment, there is a history browsing menu as one of the menu items displayed on the BIOS setting menu screen. In the state where the BIOS setting menu screen is displayed, for example, when a history browsing menu is selected by key input (YES in ST12), the CPU 1 displays a list of identification names stored in the history storage table 22 as ST13. 15 (identification name list display means). Then, it waits for any one identification name to be selected from this list (ST14). Here, when the end of the history browsing menu is instructed without selecting the identification name (NO in ST14), the CPU 1 returns the screen of the display 15 to the BIOS setting menu screen (ST1).

On the other hand, for example, when any one identification name is selected from the list by key input (YES in ST14), the CPU 1 searches the history storage table 22 as ST15, and selects the selected identification name. The BIOS setting data stored in association with each other is acquired (setting information acquisition means). Thereafter, the process of ST11 is executed. That is, the data of the BIOS for ROM 4, rewrites the BIOS setting data obtained from the history storage table 22 (configuration information updating means).

  This is the end of the current BIOS setting process. When the BIOS setting process ends, the open POS terminal restarts. Therefore, at the time of restart, the BIOS is started based on the BIOS setting data after the change, that is, the BIOS setting data acquired from the history storage table 22.

  Thus, in this embodiment, the user who uses the open POS terminal can change the BIOS setting data in the BIOS ROM 4 as appropriate. Then, when saving the changed BIOS setting data, a setting saving confirmation screen 30 is displayed. On this screen 30, an identification name input area 31 is formed. Therefore, the user inputs a desired identification name for the changed BIOS setting data. For example, when an item related to the keyboard 14 is changed, the identification name “keyboard” is input. Then, the BIOS setting data associated with the identification name “keyboard” and the item information related to the keyboard 14 is changed is stored in the history storage table 22 of the BIOS history memory 6.

  In the history storage table 22, every time the BIOS setting data is changed from the initial installation state, it is stored and stored together with the identification name in order. It should be noted that the newly input identification name does not prevent the identification name already stored in the history storage table 22 from being duplicated. If they overlap, for example, “keyboard 1” and “keyboard 2” may be automatically assigned serial numbers so that they can be distinguished.

  In the present embodiment, a history browsing menu is prepared as one of the menu items displayed on the BIOS setting menu screen. When the history browsing menu is selected, a list of identification names stored in the history storage table 22 is displayed. When any one identification name is selected from the list, the BIOS ROM 4 stores the list. The BIOS setting data is changed to the BIOS setting data stored in the history storage table 22 in association with the selected identification name. Therefore, the user who wants to return the BIOS setting data to the previous data only needs to select and input the corresponding identification name from the history browsing menu, and can easily return the BIOS setting data to the previous data.

  For example, even if the BIOS does not start up normally because the user has inadvertently changed the BIOS setting data, the mode for changing the BIOS setting information is executed at the same time as the power is turned on, and the history browsing menu is displayed. select. Then, an identification name associated with the BIOS setting data before change is selected from the displayed identification name list. By doing so, the BIOS setting data can be returned to the state before the change. As described above, according to the present embodiment, it is possible to solve the problem that the BIOS cannot be normally started up without using a dedicated service processor.

The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment as it is, and can be embodied by modifying the constituent elements without departing from the scope of the invention in the implementation stage.
For example, in the above-described embodiment, the present invention is applied to an open POS terminal which is a type of information processing apparatus provided with a BIOS ROM 4 separately from the RTC 7, but the RTC 7 is also used as an open POS terminal that also serves as the BIOS ROM 4. The present invention can be similarly applied.

The present invention is not limited to an open POS terminal, but can be applied to an information processing apparatus such as a personal computer in which an OS and a BIOS are mounted.
In addition, various inventions can be formed by appropriately combining a plurality of constituent elements disclosed in the embodiment. For example, some components may be deleted from all the components shown in the embodiment. Furthermore, the constituent elements over different embodiments may be combined.
Hereinafter, the invention described in the scope of claims of the present application will be appended.
[Appendix 1]
In the information processing apparatus that includes a BIOS storage unit that stores the setting information of the basic input / output system in a rewritable manner and sets the operation of the input / output device according to the setting information stored in the BIOS storage unit.
A setting menu display means for displaying a setting menu of the basic input / output system;
A setting change processing means for accepting a change in setting information of a menu item selected from the setting menu;
Setting information update means for rewriting the setting information stored in the BIOS storage unit to the setting information received by the setting change processing means;
An identification name input means for receiving an input of an identification name for the setting information received by the setting change processing means;
Setting information storage means for storing the setting information received by the setting change processing means in association with the identification name received by the identification name input means;
An information processing apparatus comprising:
[Appendix 2]
Determining means for determining whether or not the identification name is input;
When the determination unit determines that the identification name is input, the setting change processing unit and the setting information storage unit are executed. When it is determined that the identification name is not input, only the setting change processing unit is executed. Control means;
The information processing apparatus according to appendix 1, further comprising:
[Appendix 3]
Identification name list display means for displaying a list of identification names associated with the setting information stored by the setting information storage means;
Setting information acquisition means for acquiring setting information associated with an identification name selected from the list and stored by the setting information storage means;
Second setting information update means for rewriting the setting information stored in the BIOS storage unit with the setting information acquired by the setting information acquisition means;
The information processing apparatus according to appendix 1 or 2, further comprising:
[Appendix 4]
4. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the setting information storage unit stores the identification name and setting information associated therewith in a rewritable nonvolatile memory.

The block diagram which shows the principal part structure of the open POS terminal which is one embodiment of this invention. The schematic diagram which shows the main memory areas formed in the BIOS log | history memory in the embodiment. The schematic diagram which shows an example of the setting preservation | save confirmation screen displayed in the same embodiment. 4 is a flowchart showing a main part processing procedure of the CPU when a BIOS setting information change mode is selected in the embodiment.

Explanation of symbols

  1 ... CPU, 4 ... BIOS ROM, 6 ... BIOS history memory, 22 ... history storage table.

Claims (4)

In the information processing apparatus that includes a BIOS storage unit that stores the setting information of the basic input / output system in a rewritable manner and sets the operation of the input / output device according to the setting information stored in the BIOS storage unit
A setting menu display means for displaying a setting menu screen on which a setting menu item of the basic input / output system and setting information stored in the BIOS storage unit for the item are displayed;
A setting change accepting means for accepting a change in setting information for a menu item selected from the setting menu items on the setting menu screen;
An identification name receiving means for displaying a setting save confirmation screen including an input area of an identification name for the setting information received by the setting change receiving means on the display;
Whether or not text data as an identification name is entered in the input area of the setting save confirmation screen when a save execution button for instructing save execution of the setting information received by the setting change accepting unit is input determine, if the text data as the identification name is entered associates the identification name inputted setting information accepted the change by the setting change receiving means and stored in the BIOS history memory further rewriting the setting information stored in the BIOS memory unit in the setting information received change by the setting change receiving means, wherein when the text data as an identification name is not entered is stored in the BIOS memory unit The setting information is rewritten to the setting information accepted by the setting change accepting means. And processing means do not want to save in the BIOS history memory configuration information that has received the further,
An information processing apparatus comprising: Before Kisho management means, when overlapping with the distinguished name DN input to the input area of the setting storage confirmation screen is associated with the setting information stored in the BIOS history memory, the input area A serial number is assigned to the input identification name, and setting information received by the setting change receiving means in association with the identification name to which the serial number is attached is stored in the BIOS history memory. Item 6. The information processing apparatus according to Item 1. An identification name list display means for displaying a list of identification names associated with setting information stored in the BIOS history memory on the display;
Setting information acquisition means for acquiring setting information associated with an identification name selected from the list and stored in the BIOS history memory;
Setting information update means for rewriting the setting information stored in the BIOS storage unit with the setting information acquired by the setting information acquisition means;
The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:   The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the BIOS history memory is a rewritable nonvolatile memory.

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