JPS6155709B2 - - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to an information transmission method in a system for transmitting information between a base unit and a plurality of slave units.

In general, when data stored in multiple handsets that input and process various information independently is transferred to a base unit and aggregated on the base unit, the new machine uses a large memory that covers the storage memory of each slave unit as a transmission memory. It was necessary to have a large amount of memory.

However, it is not preferable to provide the base unit with a large capacity memory as a transmission memory because of price limitations.

In view of the above points, the present applicant has separately proposed an information transmission method that is capable of aggregating a large amount of data stored in a slave device even if the transmission memory of the parent device has a small capacity. In other words, the information transmission method proposed separately divides the stored data of each child device and transfers it to the parent device via a transmission line in predetermined units, and in response to the completion of the data aggregation process of the predetermined unit in the parent device, each The device is configured to execute the next predetermined unit of transfer processing of data stored in the slave device.

In the divisional transmission method that divides such a large amount of data and transmits it to the base unit, there is a time interval between when the slave unit finishes sending one division of data and when it receives a transmission request for the next divided data from the base unit. If a key operation is performed during this time, the registered data will change,
There is a risk that the data that was previously divided and transmitted will not match.

It is an object of the present invention to provide an information transmission method that improves this point, and in order to achieve this object, the information transmission method of the present invention divides the stored data of each slave device and transmits the data in predetermined units via the transmission line. In a divided transmission method, the data stored in each child device is transferred to a parent device, and in response to completion of a predetermined unit of data aggregation processing in the parent device, the next predetermined unit of data transfer processing of the data stored in each child device is executed. Each child device is configured to interrupt transmission after sending data for one portion of a predetermined unit, and enter a machine lock state (key operation prohibited state) until the next access from the parent device.

An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

Figure 1 shows the information transmission method of the present invention applied to a register inline system in which information is transmitted between a plurality of electronic cash register (ECR) slave units and a master unit that independently perform monetary registration processing. FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the configuration of an applied example.

In FIG. 1, a plurality of slave units S are connected to a base unit M via a line L to form an ECR system. (In addition, Fig. 1 shows the case where three slave units S1 to S3 are connected.) The slave units S1 to S3 have different memory capacities, but otherwise have the same configuration. Because of this,
Only the slave unit S1 will be described in detail. Master unit M and slave unit S1 each have read-only memory ROM
It is configured to operate according to program instructions stored in CPUs 1 and 2, and to perform processing operations under the control of central processing units (CPUs) 3 and 4. The input means 5 of the parent device M is configured to input various registration information and input the machine number of the slave device that collects sales data to the CPU 3. The CPU 3 of the parent device M performs arithmetic processing on various types of input registration information, and transfers the results to a data storage memory (RAM) 6 for storage. Also CPU
3 is the ECR of the slave unit corresponding to the entered machine number
The data transfer request is transferred to the data transfer control means 7, interface 8, and line L. The RAM 6 of the parent device M stores sales data processed under the control of the CPU 3. Further, the transfer (totalization) memory (RAM) 9 has a storage capacity of, for example, 1 Kbyte, and adds and stores the sales data transferred from each slave device. The display means 10 of the main unit M is RAM
6 or RAM 9, and a printing means 11 prints the contents on a receipt or journal. After the master unit M transfers a data transfer request to each slave unit and accesses the slave unit using the machine number, if a signal is not sent within a predetermined time, the CPU 3 determines that there is a transmission error and performs an error reset. The sage is printed by a printing means 11. The CPU 4 of the slave device S1 operates to register the monetary transaction data inputted through the input means 12 of the slave device S1 as an ECR, and also registers the transaction data as ECR to the master device via the interface 13 and the data transfer control means 14. A data transfer request from M is received, and if the received content is for slave device S1, memory capacity information and sales data are transferred in parts. The RAM 15 of the slave device S1 has a storage capacity of, for example, 3 Kbytes, and stores sales data processed under the control of the CPU 4. Memory means 16
stores a number (for example, 3) corresponding to the memory storage capacity of the RAM 15 of the child device S1, and is counted down each time information is divided and transferred to the parent device M under the control of the CPU 4. The determining means 17 is the memory means 16
The CPU 4 determines the contents of the lock and inputs a machine lock signal or a machine lock release signal to the CPU 4. The display means 18 of the slave device S1 displays the contents of the RAM 15, and the printing means 19 prints the contents on a receipt or journal. In addition, the CPU 4 receives the transmission request signal sent from the base unit M and checks whether the transmission sequences match according to the transmission sequence check program stored in the memory 20. If they do not match, an error occurs. A signal is read from the message generating means 21, the error message is printed by the printing means 19, and the machine lock state is released.

FIG. 2 shows the memory configuration of the transmission (totalization) memory 9 of the master device M and the RAM 15 of the slave devices S1 to S3. The data capacity of S1's RAM is 3K bytes, and the data capacity of slave unit S2's RAM is 4K.
Byte, the data capacity of the RAM of slave device S3 is 1K byte, data areas a ₁ , a ₂ , a ₃ , a ₄ each have a storage capacity of 1K byte, and slave devices S1 to
It corresponds to each of S3.

Next, the operation of the above embodiment apparatus will be explained with reference to the operation flow diagram shown in FIG. 3 and each machine state diagram shown in FIG. 4. The operation flow diagram in FIG. 3 shows the program processing of the master device M and the program processing of the slave device S.

The ECR machine number of the slave machine for which the operator should now collect sales data using the input means 5 of the master machine M (e.g. machine numbers 1, 2, 3 for slave machines S1 to S3)
, and then operate the transmission request instruction key, the totalizing memory 9 of the master unit M is cleared to zero, and a data transfer request is issued from the CUP 3 to each of the slave units S1 to S3 (step 100). This data transfer request (break signal) is input to each slave unit S1 to S3 via line L, and
The CPU 4 in S3 puts each slave device into a data transfer preparation state (step 200). Next, base unit M specifies the data area ai to be aggregated (initially _A1 area) (step 101), specifies the machine number (initially No. 1) (step 102), and transmits the information to line L. (Step 103), and the CPU 4 of each slave determines whether the information is for its own station (Step 201, the information sent to the machine (It is determined whether the No. belongs to the own station or not.) here,
If the information is for your own station, CPU4
It is checked whether the information matches the transmission sequence according to the contents of the memory 20 storing the transmission sequence check program (step 202), and if it is determined that they do not match, the printing means 19 prints the information. An error message is printed (step 203). For example, a data error during transmission or a case where data area a ₁ was accessed first, data area a ₃ was accessed next, and access to data area a ₂ was skipped, is detected as a mismatch in the transmission sequence. be done. If this discrepancy is detected, the machine lock state (key operation prohibited state) of the slave unit is released, the transmission is terminated, and the slave unit becomes in a state in which it can perform normal registration operations.

In addition, if it is determined in step 202 that the transmission sequences match, the handset is stored in the memory capacity number of the handset (“3” in the case of handset S1) and the area a ₁ of the memory 15. The data (sales data, etc.) is read out and transferred to the base unit M (step 204). Furthermore, the handset that transferred the above data subtracts "1" from the memory capacity number stored in the memory means 16 ("3" is initially stored in the memory means 16 of the handset S1), and the result is If the determination means 17 determines that the signal is zero, the machine lock signal is input to the CPU 4, and if the signal is zero, the transmission is terminated, and if the signal is in the machine lock state, the machine lock state is released (step 205,
206, 207, 208). On the other hand, the base unit M that has received the data transfer from the slave unit stores the memory capacity number of the slave unit, and also stores the memory capacity of the slave unit in area a ₁ of the memory 15.
The data corresponding to is added and stored in the memory 9 (steps 104 and 105). Alternatively, in step 103, the master device M sets the data area ai and the machine
After transmitting the No. and making a data transfer request to each slave device, the CPU 3 measures the elapsed time, and if the specified data is not received even after the specified receivable time has elapsed, an error will occur indicating the status. The message is printed by the printing means 11 (steps 106 and 10).
7) Proceed to the transmission request step, which includes specifying the next machine number.

Next, the main unit M determines whether the specification of the machine number has been completed (step 108), and specifies the machine number.
If the specification of
No. ("2") is specified (step 102), and the data area information ai and machine number are sent to each slave device again (step 103). In addition, when the specification of the machine number has been completed (when the aggregation of the data areas ai of slave units S1 to S3 has been completed), data processing such as printing the contents of the memory 9 by the printing means 11 is performed (step 109), and then determines whether there is a data area ai to be aggregated (step 11).
0), data area ai to be aggregated (e.g. area
_a2 ), a new data area ai is designated (step 101), and the same operation is repeated thereafter. Furthermore, if there is no data area to be aggregated, the transmission ends (step 11).
1). Note that the data capacity information sent from each slave unit S1 to S3 is referenced when specifying each machine number when aggregating data areas after data area _a1.For example, when aggregating data area _a2 , the data capacity information sent from each slave unit S
Since the memory capacity information of No. 3 is "1", it is determined that the data area _a2 does not exist, and the machine number is specified only for the slave machines S1 and S2. Similarly, when data area _a4 is totaled, it is determined from the memory capacity information of each slave device that only slave device S2 has data area _a4 , and only the machine number of slave device S2 is specified.

As described above, when data in data areas a ₁ to _{a 4} are aggregated by the transmission system (slave units S1, S
2 and S3), the data is divided into 1K byte units and totaled in the 1K byte totaling memory of the parent device M.

Furthermore, the child device transfers the data to the parent device and ends the transmission, but if there is still data to be transmitted, it waits for access from the parent device. At this time, after the child device sends one division of data, it interrupts the transmission and waits in a machine lock state (key operation prohibited state) until the next access from the parent device. By putting the handset in the machine-locked state and putting it on standby in this way, the data contents can be kept unchanged until a series of data has been sent. Furthermore, when the next access is made from the base unit, it is possible to immediately establish a link with the base unit.

Furthermore, the slave unit checks the divided transmission sequence upon receiving access from the base unit, and if the sequence does not match, the slave unit prints an error message and releases the machine lock state, causing transmission problems. This prevents a situation in which the locked state of the handset is not released and the system goes down, which occurs when the transmission sequences do not match in an irregular case such as a data error.

As described above, according to the present invention, in the divisional transmission method in which a large amount of data held by a slave device is divided and transmitted to the parent device, the slave device interrupts transmission after sending one division of data, and Since the machine is in a locked state (key operation prohibited state) until the next access from the machine, normal key operations on the slave machine are not accepted and the stored data is fixed without changing until the series of data has been sent. It has excellent effects such as being able to maintain the condition.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a device according to an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a memory configuration of the device of the present invention, and FIG. 3 is an operation flow diagram for explaining the operation of the device of the present invention. FIG. 4 is a diagram showing the machine state of the apparatus of the present invention. M...Main device, S1 to S3...Slave device, 5 and 12
...Input means, 3 and 4...Central processing unit, 6 and 15...Data storage memory, 9...Transmission memory, 7 and 14...Data transfer control means, 17...
...Machine lock state determination means, _a1 to _a4 ...each memory area.

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. Input means for inputting and processing various information, arithmetic processing means for arithmetic processing of various data inputted by the input means, memory means for storing data processed by the arithmetic processing means, and others. In a system in which a plurality of slave units each transmit information to and from a single base unit, the base unit is equipped with a transmission control means for controlling data transfer, etc. with a device, and independently executes input processing of various information. In response to a data transfer request from the slave device, the data stored in each child device is divided and transferred to the parent device in predetermined units via the transmission line, and in response to completion of data aggregation processing in the predetermined unit in the parent device. and execute the transfer process of the next predetermined unit of data stored in each slave device, and
An information transmission method characterized in that the slave unit interrupts transmission when it has finished sending data for one division of a predetermined unit, and remains in a machine lock state until the next access from the master unit.