JPH0612244A - Information processing equipment - Google Patents

Abstract

(57) [Summary] [Purpose] Automatically update the contents of the program RAM or setting data RAM to the changed program or setting data when the preset date comes. [Configuration] Setting RAM 6 and H for setting and storing the changed program and setting data together with the change execution date data
The DD 16 is provided, and the clock unit 7 for measuring the current date is provided. Then, in response to power-on, the date measured by the clock unit 7 is compared with the change execution date, and when the current date reaches the change execution date, the contents of the program RAM 3 are rewritten to the changed program and the data is changed. The contents of the RAM 4 for use are rewritten with the changed setting data.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an information processing device such as a personal computer or a POS (point of sale information management) terminal.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Generally, an information processing apparatus has a built-in CPU (central processing unit) as a control unit main body, and a program memory for storing programs and a data memory for storing setting data. Then, the CPU is configured to process the input information using the setting data stored in the data memory according to the program stored in the program memory.

For example, in a POS terminal, the unit price, tax classification, etc. of each product are set for each product code as setting data. When a single-item code of a sold product is input from a keyboard or the like, the unit price, tax classification, etc. corresponding to the input single-item code are read, product sales data is acquired, and sales registration processing is performed.

By the way, in this type of information processing apparatus, there is a case where a program or setting data needs to be changed due to a model upgrade or the like. In such a case, conventionally, a person in charge (a service person of a manufacturer or the like) updates the contents of the program memory or the data memory one by one using a dedicated maintenance tool.

[0005]

However, in the conventional information processing apparatus of this type, the person in charge had to update the memory contents one by one when there was a change in the program or the setting data. When it becomes necessary to change the memory contents of a large number of information processing devices, it takes a lot of labor and time to carry out the processing.

Therefore, according to the present invention, the contents of the program memory or the setting data memory can be automatically updated to the changed program or setting data at a preset date, and the contents of a large number of memories can be simultaneously updated. An object of the present invention is to provide an information processing device that can be easily processed with a small amount of labor even if it needs to be updated.

[0007]

According to the present invention, there is provided an information processing apparatus for performing information processing by using setting data stored in a data memory according to a program stored in a program memory, the program and the setting data after being changed. A change information storage unit that stores and stores at least one of the change execution date data, a clock unit that measures the current date, a date measured by this clock unit, and the change execution date set in the change information storage unit. As a result of the comparison by the date comparison means for comparison and the date comparison means, when the current date reaches the change execution date, if the changed program is set in the change information storage section, the contents of the program memory are changed. If the changed program is rewritten and the changed setting data is set in the change information storage section, the contents of the data memory are changed. It rewrites the setting data is obtained and a memory rewriting unit.

[0008]

According to the present invention having such a configuration, when the date measured by the clock unit reaches the change execution date set in the change information storage unit, the changed program is set in the change information storage unit. , The contents of the program memory are automatically rewritten to the changed program, and if the changed setting data is set in the change information storage section, the contents of the data memory are changed. It is automatically rewritten to the setting data of.

[0009]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. In this embodiment, the case where the present invention is applied to a POS terminal will be described.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a schematic configuration of a POS terminal. This POS terminal includes a CPU 1 as a main body of a control unit, a ROM (read only memory) 2 in which a program for a bootstrap loader is stored in advance, and a RAM for a program (random memory) for storing the program executed by the CPU 1. Access memory) 3 and a data RAM 4 for storing setting data used by the CPU 1 for information processing.

Further, it has a setting RAM 6 whose power source is backed up by a battery 5 and a clock section 7 for measuring the date and time.

Further, a keyboard controller 9 for taking in a key input signal from a keyboard 8 provided with product registration keys such as a numeric key, a subtotal key, and a deposit / cash total key, a price of a product registered for sale, A display controller 11 for controlling the driving of the display 10 for displaying the total amount of money, a printer controller 13 for controlling the driving of the printer 12 for performing receipt printing, and a driving of an FDD (floppy disk driver) 14. FDD controller 15, HDD (hard disk driver) 16 for controlling
An HDD interface 17 for controlling data transmission / reception to and from the computer, and a communication interface 18 for controlling data transmission / reception to / from a store controller connected inline via a communication line.

Then, the CPU 1, ROM 2, and each RAM
3, 4, 6, clock section 7, controllers 9, 11, 1
A bus line 19 connects the respective parts of the interfaces 3 and 15 and the interfaces 17 and 18 to each other.

FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing a file structure formed in the HDD 16. The POS terminal of this embodiment is capable of setting a plurality of types of program data and setting data in the HDD 16 by assigning file names to them.

FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram showing a memory area structure formed in the setting RAM 6. POS of this embodiment
The terminal has a setting RAM 6 in which storage areas 61 and 62 for storing execution program names and execution data names and storage areas 6 for storing a plurality of execution program change dates and changed program names
3 and 64, and a plurality of execution data change dates and time and change data name storage areas 65 and 66 are formed.

Here, the setting RAM 6 and the HDD 16
Configures a change information storage unit that sets and stores at least one of the changed program and the setting data together with the change execution date data.

In the POS terminal of this embodiment, when the power is turned on by turning on the power switch (not shown),
The CPU 1 is configured to execute the processing shown in the flowchart of FIG. 4 by the bootstrap loader program stored in the ROM 2.

That is, in response to the power being turned on, a self-diagnosis check of each RAM 3, 4, 6 and I / O unit (controller, interface, etc.) is performed in step ST1.
When it is confirmed in ST2 that each unit is normal, in ST3 the current date and time T1 clocked by the clock unit 7 is read. In ST4, the execution program change date and time T2 stored in the area 63 of the setting RAM 6 is read.

Next, in ST5, the current date and time T1 is compared with the execution program change date and time T2. As a result of the comparison, the current date T1 is the execution program change date T2.
If ST has passed, the contents of the execution program name area 61 of the setting RAM 6 are rewritten to the change program name in the change program name area 64 corresponding to the area 63 storing the execution program change date T2 in ST6. It

If a plurality of execution program change dates and times T2 are set, and one of them is before the current date and time T1, the change program name corresponding to the area 63 in which the execution program change date and time T2 is stored. Area 6
The contents of the execution program name area 61 are rewritten to the changed program name in 4.

If a plurality of execution program change dates and times T2 are set, and a plurality of them are before the current date and time T1, the area 63 in which the execution program change date and time T2 closest to the current date and time T1 is stored. The contents of the execution program name area 61 are rewritten to the change program name in the change program name area 64 corresponding to.

Next, in ST7, the area 6 of the setting RAM 6 is
Read the execution data change date and time T3 stored in 5,
At ST8, the current date and time T1 and execution data change date and time T3
Compare with. Then, as a result of the comparison, the current date and time T1
Has passed the execution data change date and time T3, S
At T9, the contents of the execution data name area 62 of the setting RAM 6 are changed to the area 65 in which the execution data change date and time T3 is stored.
The changed data name in the changed data name area 66 is rewritten.

If a plurality of execution data change dates / times T3 are set, and one of them is before the current date / time T1, the change data name corresponding to the area 65 in which the execution data change date / time T3 is stored. The contents of the execution data name area 62 are rewritten to the changed data name in the area 66.

If a plurality of execution data change dates and times T3 are set, and a plurality of them are earlier than the current date and time T1, the execution data change date and time T closest to the current date and time T3 is set.
3 is stored in the changed data name area 66 corresponding to the changed data name area 66.
Rewrite the contents of.

Next, in ST10, the program data of the file name stored in the execution program name area 61 of the setting RAM 6 is read from the HDD 16 and loaded into the program RAM 3.

In ST11, the setting data of the file name stored in the execution data name area 62 of the setting RAM 6 is read from the HDD 16 and loaded in the data RAM 4.

After that, the CPU 1 processes the input information from the keyboard 8 and the like using the setting data stored in the data RAM 4 according to the program stored in the program RAM 3 as in the conventional case.

Here, ST5 and S executed by the CPU 1
The process of T8 is performed by setting the date measured by the clock unit 7 and the RA for setting.
A date comparing means for comparing the change execution date set in M6 is configured.

Further, ST6 and ST executed by the CPU 1
In the processing of 9, ST10 and ST11, when the current date reaches the change execution date as a result of the comparison by the date comparison means, if the changed program is set in the setting RAM 6, the contents of the program RAM 3 are changed. When the changed program is rewritten and the changed setting data is set in the setting RAM 6, the data RAM 4
A memory rewriting unit that rewrites the contents of the above with the changed setting data is configured.

In the POS terminal of this embodiment having the above-described structure, normally, the program data to be currently executed and the setting data are set in the HDD 16, and the program data is stored in the execution program name area 61 of the setting RAM 6. A file name is set, and the file name of the setting data is set in the execution data name area 62.

Now, assuming that the file name of the program data to be currently executed is "program A" and the file name of the setting data is "setting data A", the execution program name area 6
The file name “program A” is set in 1, and the file name “setting data A” is set in the execution data name area 62.

In this state, when the power of the POS terminal of this embodiment is turned on, the HDD 16 causes the program RAM 3 to be turned on.
The program data having the file name “program A” is loaded into the RAM and the setting data having the file name “setting data A” is loaded into the data RAM 4 to enable information processing.

If it is found in advance that the program or setting data currently being executed cannot be dealt with due to a change in the tax law, for example, the manufacturer may change the time to the HDD 16 of each POS terminal by the date when the tax law is changed. The program data and the setting data are stored with file names.

Further, the file name of the changed program data and the file name of the setting data stored in the HDD 16 together with the date of implementation of the tax law change are set in the RAM 6 for setting.
Corresponding memory areas 63, 64, 65, 6
Store in 6.

Now, the changed program data file name is "program B", the setting data file name is "setting data B", and the tax law change date is "July 1, 1992".
If “day” is set, the file name “program B” is set in the execution program name area 64, the file name “setting data B” is set in the change data name area 66, and the execution program change date / time area 63 and the execution data change are set. In the date / time area 65, the data of [year-month-day-hour-minute] "19
92-07-01-00-00 "is set.

In this state, the contents of the execution program name area 61 and the execution data name area 62 are not changed and the power is turned on before the current date and time measured by the clock unit 7 is before July 1, 1992. In response, program RAM3
The program data having the file name "Program A" is loaded into the memory, and the setting data having the file name "Setting data A" is loaded into the data RAM 4 to perform information processing.

However, the current date and time is July 1, 1992.
After the day, the contents of the execution program name area 61 are updated to the contents of the changed program name area 63, that is, "program B", and the contents of the execution data name area 62 are changed to the contents of the changed data name area 66, that is, "setting". Data B ”is updated. As a result, in response to the power being turned on, the program data with the file name “program B” is loaded from the HDD 16 into the program RAM 3 and the setting data with the file name “setting data B” is loaded into the data RAM 4 to obtain the information. Processing is performed.

As described above, in the POS terminal according to the present embodiment, the programs and the setting data are automatically changed to the desired ones after the preset change execution date and time. The program or setting data can be changed at the same time.

In order to exercise this automatic change function, it is necessary to set the changed program and setting data in the HDD 16 and to register the date of change and the file name in the setting RAM 6. Work is usually
Since the change can be performed with a sufficient margin until the date of execution, even if the number of POS terminals to be changed is large, it can be easily processed with a small amount of labor.

Although the above embodiment has shown the case where the program data and the setting data are automatically changed at the same time, the present invention also includes the case where either the program data or the setting data is automatically changed.

Further, although the case where the present invention is applied to the POS terminal has been described in the above embodiment, it is needless to say that the present invention can be applied to various information processing devices such as a personal computer.

Besides, it is needless to say that various modifications can be made without departing from the scope of the present invention.

[0043]

As described above in detail, according to the present invention, the contents of the program memory or the setting data memory can be automatically updated to the changed program or setting data at the preset date. Therefore, it is possible to provide an information processing device which can be easily processed with a small amount of labor even if it is necessary to update the contents of a large number of memories at the same time.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a POS terminal according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing a file structure of the HDD shown in FIG.

FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram showing a memory area configuration of the setting RAM shown in FIG.

FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing main processing after the power of the CPU shown in FIG. 1 is turned on.

[Explanation of symbols]

1 ... CPU (central processing unit), 2 ... ROM (read only memory), 3 ... Program RAM (random
Access memory), 4 ... data RAM, 6 ... setting RAM, 7 ... clock section, 16 ... HDD (hard disk driver).

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. An information processing apparatus for performing information processing using setting data stored in a data memory according to a program stored in a program memory, wherein at least one of the changed program and the setting data is changed date data. A change information storage unit that is set and stored together, a clock unit that measures the current date, a date comparison unit that compares the date measured by this clock unit with the change execution date set in the change information storage unit, As a result of the comparison by the date comparing means, when the current date reaches the change execution date, if the changed program is set in the change information storage unit, the contents of the program memory are changed to the changed program. When rewriting, and if the changed setting data is set in the change information storage unit, the contents of the data memory are set after the change. An information processing apparatus comprising: a memory rewriting unit that rewrites data.