JPH07104887B2 - POS system - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [Industrial field of use] The present invention connects a POS loop to each of a pair of file control units controlled by a higher-level device, and connects between each file control unit and each POS loop. The present invention also relates to a POS system having a switching device for automatically switching and connecting a POS loop connected to this file control unit to a normal POS loop when one file control unit fails.

[Prior Art] In a POS system adopted by a distribution mechanism, for example, a plurality of electronic devices are provided in each of a pair of file control units (FC) controlled by a host device called a store control unit (SC). There is a system that connects a POS terminal that is a closed loop by connecting POS terminals such as an expression cash register (ECR).

In this POS system, in order to solve the problem that the sales registration work cannot be performed in the POS terminal on the POS loop connected to the file control unit when a failure occurs in one of the file control units, the present application People,
It is inserted between each file control unit and each POS loop and normally maintains a two-loop state. When a failure of one of the file control units is detected, the POS loop connected to the failed file control unit is detected. A switching device has been proposed, which is switched and connected to the other normal file control unit to form one loop, and automatically returns to the normal two-loop state when the failure of one file control unit is restored (Japanese Patent Application No. 60). -110928).

In addition, in the above-mentioned POS system, the applicant directly connects the pair of file control units with a line so that the host device can promptly recognize the failure of the file control unit and can take appropriate and prompt measures. , To each file controller,
Provided with a file for self to register sales data collected by itself, a file for other party to register sales data transmitted from the other side via line, and a transmission buffer to temporarily store sales data to be transmitted to the other side A POS system has been proposed which detects that the transmission buffer is full and judges that the other party is out of order and notifies the host device of it (Japanese Patent Application No. 62-246182).

[Problems to be Solved by the Invention] However, in the POS system of Japanese Patent Application No. 62-246182,
The application of the switching device of Japanese Patent Application No. 60-110928 has the following problems. That is, in the above POS system, when both of the pair of file control units are normal, the contents of the self-owned file and the contents of the partner's file on the other side are the same, so one file control unit Even if a failure occurs in which the contents of the self-use file are destroyed, it is backed up by the other-use file of the other file control unit, and data management is not hindered. On the other hand, when a failure occurs in one of the file control units, the switching device switches the POS loop connected to the file control unit to the normal other file control unit. Therefore, each P connected to two POS loops has its own file in the other normal file controller.
The sales data of the OS terminal is registered, but this data is not sent to the file control unit that has failed. For this reason, the contents of the normal file of the other file control unit and the contents of the partner file of the failed one file control unit are different. When the failure of one of the file control units is recovered in this state, the switching device automatically returns to the normal two-loop state. As a result, the registration of sales data will be restarted in a state where the contents of the file for the other party of one file control unit which had a failure were normal and the contents of the file for self of the other file control unit were different. , There is a problem that is not backed up.

In view of this, the present invention enables a pair of file control units to back up sales data of the other party, and when one of the file control units fails, the other file control unit operates normally on all POS terminals. In this system, a POS system that enables continuous operation even after the failure of one of the file control units is connected to enable continuous operation and further improves the reliability of the entire system It is a thing.

[Means for Solving the Problems] The present invention connects a pair of POS loops each of which is formed by connecting a plurality of POS terminals to a pair of file control units controlled by a higher-level device and connects a pair of files. Between the control unit and each corresponding POS loop, depending on the detection of the failure of one file control unit, the POS loop connected to the failed file control unit should be incorporated into the POS loop of the other normal file control unit. And a pair of file control units are connected by a line, and each file control unit is connected to itself.
Sales data collected from each POS terminal via the POS loop is registered in its own file and sent to the other file control unit via the line and from the other file control unit via the line. In a POS system in which sales data is registered in a file for the other party, each file control unit is
The status monitoring means for monitoring the connection status with the POS loop, and the connection status has been switched by this status monitoring means so that the POS loop connected to the other file control unit is incorporated into the POS loop connected to itself. When it detects an error, the fixed control means that fixes the connection status and the connection status monitored by the status monitoring means in response to the input of a recovery command from the outside are checked, and the POS loop of the other file control unit is added to its own POS loop. A connection state determination means for determining whether the one loop state in which a loop is incorporated or one's own POS loop is incorporated in the POS loop of the other file control unit, and the connection state determination means, If it is confirmed that the POS loop of the other file control unit is incorporated in one loop state, the data of the self file and the other party file will be sent to the other file via the line. A file content transmitting means for transmitting to the control section, a transmission state determining means for determining whether or not the data transmission by the file content means is normally completed, and a switching device fixed when the transmission state determining means determines normal completion File data transmitted via the line when it is confirmed by the fixed control releasing means for releasing the control and the connection state determining means that the own POS loop is the one loop state incorporated in the POS loop of the other file control section. And a file restoring means for storing the data of the self-use file in the other-use file and storing the data of the other-use file in the own-use file.

[Operation] In the POS system using such means, the pair of file control units are in a two-loop state when both are normal, and each file control unit is connected to its own loop.
The sales data from the POS terminal is registered in its own file and the sales data is sent to the other party via the line. Also, the sales data of the other party received via the line is registered in the other party's file for backup.

If a failure occurs in one of the file control units in this state, the file control unit that has failed due to the switching device is dealt with.
The POS loop is switched and connected to the other normal file control unit to be in one loop state, and the sales data from all the POS terminals are registered in the own file of the other file control unit. Further, the other file control unit detects that the connection state of the switching device has been switched and fixes the connection state. After that, when the failure recovery of one of the file control units is instructed, each data of the self file and the partner file is transmitted to the one file control unit via the line. As a result, one of the file control units stores the data of the own file received via the line in the file for the other party, and stores the data of the file for the other party received in the same file for the other party. Then, the other file control unit releases the fixed control for the switching device when the transmission of each file data is normally completed. As a result, the loop state is restored from the one-loop state of the other file control unit to the normal two-loop state while the contents of the self-use file of each file control unit are backed up in the other-party file of the other side.

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

FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing the entire POS system of this embodiment. In the figure, 1a and 1b are paired file control units (F
C), and these file control units 1a and 1b are connected to a store control unit (SC) 2 which is a higher-level device via a line 3. The file control units 1a and 1b are connected to POS loops 5a and 5b that form a closed loop by connecting a plurality of electronic cash registers (ECR) 4a and 4b, respectively. The file control units 1a and 1b are directly connected by the line 6.

Between each file control unit 1a, 1b and each POS loop 5a, 5b, between each file control unit 1a, 1b and each POS loop 5a, 5b according to the failure detection of the file control unit 1a, 1b. A switching device 7 that switches the connection state to a plurality of types is inserted. The file controllers 1a and 1b and the input / output port 8 of the switching device 7 are also connected by a port cable 9.
Then, the switching device 7 detects the failure of each file control unit 1a, 1b according to the presence or absence of an electric signal (for example, a polling signal) from each file control unit 1a, 1b, and when both are normal, as shown in FIG. As shown in,
The POS loop 5a, the file control unit 1b, and the POS loop 5b are connected to maintain a two-loop state. In contrast,
For example, when a failure of the file controller 1a is detected, as shown in FIG. 2, the POS loop 5a and the POS loop 5b are switched to a one-loop state in which the other normal file controller 1b is connected, and the failure of the file controller 1b is detected. Sometimes, as shown in Figure 3, PO
The S loop 5a and the POS loop 5b are switched to the one loop state in which they are connected to the other normal file control unit 1a.

Each of the electronic cash registers 4a, 4b includes, for example, a keyboard, a display, a printer, a memory for data processing, a microprocessor, etc., and the product sales data input from the keyboard is registered and displayed in the memory, for example, by division. It is displayed on the container and printed out on the receipt by the printer. The product sales data is also transmitted as sales data to the corresponding file control unit via the connected POS loop. Further, after the registration of the merchandise sales data for one customer is completed and the closing operation is performed using the keyboard, the total is printed out on the receipt and the receipt is issued. The processing of the electronic cash register as described above is well known in the art.

As shown in FIG. 4, the file control units 1a and 1b include a CPU 11 constituting a control unit main body, a ROM 12 storing program data for the CPU 11 to control each unit, and the CPU 11 described above.
RAM 13, which has a memory for use by the
An input / output port 14 connected to the input / output port 8 of the switching device 7 via a port cable 9; a loop controller 15 for controlling data transmission / reception on the POS loops 5a, 5b connected to the switching device 7; FC for controlling data transmission / reception with a partner file control unit connected via the line 6
Interface 16 and an SC transmission controller 17 for controlling data transmission / reception to / from the store controller 2 via the line 3, and these are connected by a bus line 18 such as an address bus or a data bus. It has been configured.

In the RAM 13, as shown in FIG. 5, a self-use file 13A for registering sales data from each electronic cash register connected to itself, for example, for each individual item, transmitted from the other party via the line 6. File 13B for the other party to register the sales data to be backed up, the input / output port 8 of the switching device 7 to the port cable 9, the input / output port
A current memory 13C and a previous memory 13D for storing the loop state information read via 14 are formed.

The store control unit 2 uses the file controllers 1a and 1b
And data setting function for each electronic cash register 4a, 4b, function to collect sales data registered by each file controller 1a, 1b and totalize by individual item, class, transaction, etc. As shown in FIG. 6, a CPU 21, a ROM 22, a RAM 23, a transmission controller 24 for controlling data transmission / reception to / from each of the file control units 1a and 1b via the line 3, and various commands. A keyboard input circuit 25 for inputting a key signal from a keyboard 25A in which input keys are arranged, a display control circuit 26 for driving and controlling a display unit 26A capable of dot display of letters, numbers and the like and a status display by an LED, a printer 27A. Printer control circuit 27 for drive control, buzzer control circuit 2 for drive control of buzzer 28A
8 is provided, and these are connected by a bus line 29.

The CPU 21 is program-controlled so as to execute the processing shown in FIG. 7 in response to a key input on the keyboard 25A. That is, it is determined in ST1 that there is a key input, and S
When it is recognized that the key input is a monitoring start command at T2, the current loop state is first grasped, and if it is in the two loop state, the monitoring command is sent to each of the file control units 1a and 1b, and the process ends. On the other hand, if the current loop state is one loop state, key input is an error.

When the key input is determined in ST1 and the key input is a monitoring stop command in ST3, the file control units 1a and 1b are monitored when the file control units 1a and 1b are being monitored.
And sends a stop command to quit. Note that it is possible to determine whether or not monitoring is being performed, for example, by providing the status set in the RAM 23 when the monitoring command is sent.

Furthermore, if the key input is judged in ST1 and the key input is recognized as a recovery command in ST4, the recovery command is sent to each file control unit 1a, 1b when each file control unit 1a, 1b is not monitoring. And then exit.

Further, the CPU 21 of the store control unit 2 is program-controlled so as to execute the process shown in FIG. 8 when receiving a message from each file control unit 1a, 1b. Ie ST
File controller 1 via transmission controller 24 as 11
When the message from a, 1b is received, the message content is recognized and ST
When it is recognized as a loop state notification as 12, the loop state is stored in a predetermined area of the RAM 23. If this loop status notification is a notification of switching to one loop, it is recognized that one of the file control units 1a and 1b has failed, and the file control unit and the abnormal state are detected. The detection contents are displayed on the display unit 26A and the buzzer 28A is sounded to issue an alarm. If the message content is other than the loop status notification, the normal processing according to the content is executed.

On the other hand, the CPU 11 of the file control units 1a and 1b is program-controlled so as to execute the process shown in FIG. 9 by receiving the command from the store control unit 2.
That is, when the command input is determined in ST21 and the command is a monitoring command in ST22, the current loop state is first read from the input / output port 8 of the switching device 7 and stored in the previous memory 13D, and then again. The current loop status from the input / output port 8 is read and stored in the memory 13C this time.
Next, as ST23, the contents of the current memory 13C and the previous memory 1
State monitoring means to compare with 3D content. In this case, since it is the same, the memory 13C is cleared this time as ST24. After a certain period of time, in ST24, it is determined whether or not a stop command is input. If it is not input, the current loop status is read again from the input / output port 8 and the current memory 13C is read.
If it has been input, the previous memory 13D is cleared and the process ends.

If the contents of the current memory 13C and the contents of the previous memory 13D differ in ST23, one of the file control units 1
Recognized that a failure occurred in a, 1b and the loop was switched,
Stop monitoring of switching device 7 and set ST25 as input / output port 1
4, a fixed control means for transmitting a loop fixing request signal to the switching device 7 via the port cable 9. In ST26, if it is recognized that the other party is abnormal from the contents of the memory 13C this time, one loop state notification message is created according to the contents of the memory 13C this time, and this message is stored in the store control unit. Send to 2. Then, the memory 13C this time and the memory 13D last time are cleared to finish. When it is recognized in ST26 that the self side is abnormal, the current memory 13C and the previous memory 13D are cleared and the process ends.

On the other hand, when the command input is judged in ST21 and the recovery command is received in ST27, the current loop status is read from the input / output port 8 and the self POS loop incorporating the POS loop of the other file control unit is read. 1 loop state or the own POS loop is the one loop state of the other side incorporated in the POS loop of the other file control unit (connection state determination means). Then, at ST28, if it is confirmed that it is in its own one-loop state, its own file 13
The data of A and the data of the file 13B for the other party are transmitted to the other party via the FC interface 16 and the line 6 (file content transmitting means). Then, it is determined whether or not this data transmission is normally completed (transmission state determination means).
When it is determined that the process is completed normally, the I / O port 14
Also, a fixing release request is transmitted to the switching device 7 via the port cable 9 (fixing control releasing means). In addition, a two-loop state notification message is created, transmitted to the store control unit 2 via the SC transmission controller 17 and the line 3, and the processing is terminated.
If it is confirmed in ST28 that the other party is in the one loop state, wait for the file content to be sent from the other party via line 6, and if the other party's own file content is received, the self File recovery means for storing the file in the other party's file 13B for backup, and storing it in the other party's own file 13A when the content of the other party's file is received.

With such a configuration, when both file control units 1a and 1b are normal, the switching device 7 maintains the two-loop state as shown in FIG. The sales data from the formula cash register 4a is received, registered in the own file 13A, and transmitted via the line 6 to the file control unit 1b which is the other party. File controller 1b
Then, the received sales data is registered in the partner file 13B and backed up.

On the contrary, the file control unit 1b is used for each electronic cash register.
File control unit that receives sales data from 4b, registers it in its own file 13A, and is the other party via line 6.
Send to 1a. The file control unit 1a registers the received sales data in the partner file 13B and backs it up.
Thus, the pair of file control units 1a and 1b back up each other.

On the other hand, in the store control unit 2, when the monitor activation is instructed by the keyboard 25A, the monitor command is sent to each of the file control units 1a and 1b because it is currently in the two loop state. Then, the file control units 1a and 1b monitor the loop by reading the loop state from the input / output port 8 of the switching device 7 at regular intervals.

In such an operation, for example, when a failure occurs in the file control unit 1b and goes down, the switching device 7 detects the failure of the file control unit 1b and immediately starts the state shown in FIG. 3, that is, the normal file control unit 1a. Switch the line to the loop state. Then, the file control unit 1a detects that the loop switching is performed due to the state change of the input / output port 8, issues a loop fixing request to the switching device 7, and creates a one-loop state notification message to perform store control. Send to Part 2.

The store control unit 2 recognizes from the notification from the file control unit 1a that a failure has occurred in the file control unit 1b, and notifies the operator by a display and a buzzer. Therefore, a countermeasure for the failure of the file control unit 1b is immediately taken. That is, the file control units 1a and 1b
It is possible to take appropriate and prompt measures against the failure of.

On the other hand, the file control unit 1a is an all-electronic cash register.
The sales data from 4a and 4b is received and registered in the own file 13A. Therefore, even if a failure occurs in one of the file control units, the sales registration work in all the electronic cash registers 4a and 4b can be continued.

After that, when the failure of the file control unit 1b is recovered, the switching device 7 detects it, but since the loop switching is prohibited by the loop fixing control by the file control unit 1a, the one loop state of FIG. 3 is maintained. To do. In this state, when the restoration instruction is input from the keyboard 25A, the store control unit 2 sends the restoration command to each of the file control units 1a and 1b. Then, the file control unit 1a in the one loop state transmits the contents of its own file 13A for itself and the contents of the file for other party 13B to the file control unit 1b on the other party side via the line 6. The file control unit 1b on the partner side stores the content of the received file for self in the file 13B for partner, and stores the content of the file for partner in the file 13A for self. Then, when it is determined that the contents of all the files are normally transmitted, the fixing release request is transmitted to the switching device 7. The switching device 7 requested to release the lock automatically switches to the two-loop state shown in FIG. 1 because both the file control units 1a and 1b are normal.

Therefore, the contents of the self-use files 13A of the file control units 1a and 1b are the contents of the self-use file 1
Sales registration work in a two-loop state will be resumed with accurate backup to 3B.

Thus, according to this embodiment, a pair of file control units
When both 1a and 1b are normal, the sales registration work can be performed while backing up the sales data of the other party.
Also, when a failure occurs in one of the file control units, the other normal file control unit can notify the host device that the other side has a failure, and the other file control unit can be used to Electronic cash register
Sales registration by 4a and 4b can be continued. Furthermore, when the failure of the failed file control unit is restored, the contents of the normal file control unit's own file and the other party's file are transferred to the other party's own file and the other's own file, and then a sales registration operation is performed in a two-loop state. Can be resumed. Therefore, even if a failure occurs in either one of the file control units, the sales registration work can be continued, and even if the failure is restored, the sales registration work can be continued while demonstrating the backup function. The property can be further improved.

Although a case has been described in which a failure occurs in one of the file control units in the above-described embodiment, the line 3 connecting the one file control unit and the store control unit 2 cannot communicate due to a disconnection or the like. Even in such a case, the present invention can be applied by providing the store control unit 2 with the following functions. That is, when the store control unit 2 detects that communication with any one of the file control units is impossible and that the other file control unit does not notify the loop switching, the line connecting one of the file control units is detected. Three
Is determined and the switching device 7 is instructed to switch the loop state from the two-loop state to the one-loop state by the normal file control section via the normal file control section. In this way, when the loop state is switched, the normal file control unit detects this loop switching, and thereafter, the same effect as the present invention can be obtained.

[Effects of the Invention] As described in detail above, according to the present invention, it is possible to back up the sales data of the other side by a pair of file control units, and when either one of the file control units fails. When all POS terminals are connected to the normal other file control unit to enable continuous operation, the backup function can be fully exerted even after failure recovery of one file control unit, and the reliability of the entire system is improved. It is possible to provide a POS system that can further improve performance.

[Brief description of drawings]

1 to 9 are views showing an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 1 is a schematic view showing the entire POS system, and FIGS. 2 and 3 are views showing switching types of a switching device, 4 is a block configuration diagram of the file control unit, FIG. 5 is a diagram showing a main memory configuration of the RAM in the file control unit, FIG. 6 is a block configuration diagram of the store control unit, and FIGS. 7 and 8 are FIG. 9 is a flowchart showing the operation of the CPU in the store controller, and FIG. 9 is a flowchart showing the operation of the CPU in the file controller. 1a, 1b …… File control unit, 2 …… Store control unit, 4a, 4b
...... Electronic cash register, 5a, 5b …… POS loop,
6 ... line, 7 ... switching device, 13A ... self file, 13B ... partner file, 13C ... current memory, 13D
…… Previous memory.

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A pair of POS terminals connected to a pair of file control units controlled by a higher-level device to connect POS loops each forming a closed loop, and each POS corresponding to the pair of file control units. A switching device for switching the connection state between the loop and the file control unit so that the POS loop connected to the failed file control unit is incorporated into the normal POS loop of the other file control unit in response to the detection of a failure in the file control unit. , And connecting the pair of file control units by a line, each of the file control units, the sales data collected from each of the POS terminal via a POS loop connected to the self into a file for its own The registration data is sent to the other file control unit via the line, and the sales data sent from the other file control unit via the line is sent to the partner file. It was to be registered in
In the POS system, each file control unit is connected to the other file control unit by a state monitoring unit that monitors the connection state between each file control unit and each POS loop by the switching device, and this state monitoring unit. When the POS loop detects that the connection state has been switched so as to be incorporated into the POS loop that is connected to itself, the fixed control means for fixing the connection state, and the state monitoring means according to the input of the restoration command from the outside. Check the connection status monitored by the one-loop state in which the POS loop of the other file control unit is incorporated into its own POS loop or one loop state in which its own POS loop is incorporated into the POS loop of the other file control unit. It is a one-loop state in which a connection state determination unit that determines whether the state is a state and a POS loop of the other file control unit is incorporated in the loop of its own POS by this connection state determination unit. If it is confirmed that the file contents transmitting means for transmitting each data of the self-use file and the partner-use file to the other file control unit via the line, and whether or not the data transmission by the file contents means is normally completed. Whether the transmission status determination means determines whether the transmission status determination means determines normal completion, the fixed control release means for releasing the fixed control of the switching device; When it is confirmed that the one-loop state is built in the POS loop of the control unit, the file data transmitted through the line is taken in, the data of the own file is stored in the other party's file, and the data of the other party's file is stored. A POS system comprising a file recovery means for storing the file in its own file.