JPH07200430A - Network system - Google Patents

Abstract

(57) [Abstract] [Purpose] It is possible to provide advanced information services that enable data communication on complex networks that transcend network types and use each network resource with good operability. [Configuration] A feature is that the workstation 1-3 communicates with each network 1-1 and the integrated input / output system 1-2, and the workstation 1-3 emulates and relays communication processing between the networks.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an integrated input / output system which enables a facsimile device, a printer device and a scanner device to be accessed in a network environment, and controls data communication between the integrated input / output system and an existing network system. It concerns a network system.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art When constructing a system that uses existing scanners, printers, facsimiles, computers, etc. in a conventional network environment, each interface must correspond to a network interface, or A board (communication control board) is mounted to meet the request.

As described above, the system environment surrounding the network is fluid, and it is desired to develop a system for performing the integrated processing.

[0004]

When such an integrated system is introduced, that is, the integrated processing system and the existing network system can be smoothly linked to each other due to the difference in data communication protocol between them. Instead, the system performs communication processing independently of each other, which makes it impossible to efficiently use network system resources, resulting in an extremely high system development cost.

Similarly, there has been proposed a system in which a local area network via Ethernet or the like is constructed so that various workstations can exchange information with each other, but it is not a network such as an integrated input / output network. I couldn't connect the model. Also,
I couldn't directly connect the HDD and FDD peripherals to the integrated I / O network. Further, even if connected to the network, operation instructions of each peripheral device, such as a facsimile device, a printing device, and a copying device) can be instructed only on the operation panel provided for each device, and the operator can instruct each time. However, there is a problem that the operability is low because the user has to move to each device placement place and perform the operation.

Further, when the integrated input / output network is made into a LAN, the LAN group which is not the integrated input / output network constructed in the office up until now becomes inconsistent and the data processing is rather deteriorated. There was a problem.

The present invention has been made to solve the above problems, and emulates communication between different types of networks so that data communication can be performed between different types of networks. By making the OS on the network of the device resident and controlling the data access, the external storage device can be directly connected to the network, and the operation instruction from the network operation device is emulated to the operation instruction of each peripheral device. An object of the present invention is to provide a network system in which a single network operation unit can collectively issue operation instructions for peripheral devices on a network.

[0008]

A first network system according to the present invention communicates with a plurality of networks managed by different operating systems to emulate communication processing between the networks. And a relay means for relaying.

In a second network system according to the present invention, an external storage device having a processing section for emulating access based on an operating system is connected to the network.

In a third network system according to the present invention, a network operation device that emulates an operation instruction of each peripheral device is connected via a network, and the instruction from this network operation device is an operation instruction unique to each peripheral device. Each peripheral device is provided with a conversion means for converting into information.

[0011]

According to the first aspect of the present invention, the communication means communicates with each network, and the relay means emulates and relays the communication processing between the networks. Therefore, data communication is performed between different networks.

In the second invention, the processing unit of the external storage device emulates access based on the operating system and directly connects the external storage device to the network without any trouble.

In the third aspect of the invention, each conversion means converts an instruction from the network operation device into operation instruction information unique to each peripheral device, and one network operation unit collectively outputs operation instructions for the peripheral devices on the network. This is what you do.

[0014]

1 is a block diagram for explaining the configuration of a network system showing an embodiment of the present invention.

In the figure, 1-1 is a local area network which has been used up to now. 1-2 is a local area network dedicated to the integrated input / output network. Reference numeral 1-3 is a dedicated workstation that connects two network groups and converts data from the current network to the integrated input / output network. Workstation 1-3 dedicated to relay is LAN1
-1, and a communication emulator for emulating mutual access of the integrated input / output network 1-2,
Even if the OS of each LAN is different, the same processing is guaranteed.

In the integrated input / output network 1-2,
APR is a printer device with a communication function, DCP is a digital copying device with a communication function, APC is a computer that performs communication processing by a protocol of an integrated input / output network,
AWS is a workstation for performing communication processing by the protocol of the integrated input / output network, FAX is a facsimile machine including a communication processing function by the protocol of the integrated input / output network, and TEL is a telephone with a modem function.

PC1 to PC4 are computers connected to the LAN 1-1, perform communication processing by the same communication protocol, and perform data processing. WS1 and WS2 are workstations, and PR is a network printer.

In the network system thus configured, the workstation 1-3 communicates with each network 1-1 and the integrated input / output network 1-2, and the workstation 1-3 emulates the mutual communication processing between the networks and relays it. Therefore, data communication can be performed between different types of networks.

Further, by constructing a system in which a LAN is easily combined as the whole system, and seen from the integrated input / output network 1-2, the LAN 1-1 is only one terminal, and the workstation 1-3 is It manages the address of each device of the LAN 1-1 and communicates.

That is, the normal LAN 1-1 cannot simultaneously communicate with the integrated input / output network 1-2.

The above method is the same as the method of connecting the non-packet terminal to the packet terminal on the LAN.

When the LAN is a packet-dedicated LAN, the HDD can be made packet-compatible to share data.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating the configuration of the workstation 1-3 shown in FIG.

In the figure, 21 is a main body and 24 is a CPU
Then, the data processing of the input / output network 1-2 and the LAN 1-1 is performed based on the program stored in the ROM 23, which will be described later, and the program stored in the conversion data ROM 28. The CPU 24 is the input / output network 1
-2 and the data processing of LAN1-1 are bidirectionally converted. Reference numerals 25 and 26 are data registers. 27, 29
Is an input / output interface.

FIG. 3 is a flow chart showing an example of the data processing procedure of the workstation 1-3 shown in FIG. Note that (1) to (7) indicate each step.

First, when data is input from the LAN 1-1 side through the input / output interface 29, the terminal number (transmission address) of the terminal is determined (1). In addition, CPU
24 will transmit the integrated input / output network 1-2
Similarly, when there is no terminal in the group, the address written in the RAM 22 is read, and when the address is not written, the process proceeds to step (6), the input data is treated as error data, and the error is sent to the terminal that has just sent. The data is returned (7), and the process ends. On the other hand, if the address is written in the judgment in step (1), it is converted into the terminal address of the integrated input / output network 1-2 to be transmitted and is generated as transmission data (2). Next, the transmission data is discriminated (3), and if the transmission data does not exist, the process proceeds to step (6) and the error processing is similarly performed.

On the other hand, in step (3), if there is transmission data, the transmission data is converted into data for the integrated input / output network 1-2 and stored in the register 25 (4). This is also the conversion data ROM 2 shown in FIG.
8 is performed, but if there is no corresponding data,
Error data is generated and returned to the terminal in the same manner as above. Then, the transmission data is converted to determine the end of data (end of file (EOF) (5), if NO, return to step (3), and if YES, store in data register 25). The converted data is transmitted to the terminal on the integrated input / output network 1-2 side, and the process ends.
Data transmission to N1-1 is processed in substantially the same manner.

FIG. 4 is a block diagram for explaining the system configuration of the integrated input / output network shown in FIG.
The same symbols are attached to the same components.

In the figure, 2-1 is a LAN of an integrated input / output network. 2-3 is FDD that can be directly connected to the integrated input / output network, 2-3 is HD that can be directly connected
It is D.

In the network system configured as described above, the processing units 20 and 30 of the external storage device emulate the access based on the operating system and directly connect the external storage device to the network without any trouble. . In addition, the intelligence processing unit 2
0 and 30 write and read data on the integrated input / output network according to the procedure shown in FIG. 5 described later.
In addition, the intelligence processing units 20 and 30 are provided with a memory and a controller that resident the network OS of the integrated input / output network 2-1.

Each of the intelligence processing units 20 and 30
It is basically considered to be possible if the FDD 2-2 and HDD 2-3 corresponding to the packet that can be directly connected to the packet are provided.

FIG. 5 is a flow chart showing an example of a data reading processing procedure of the intelligence processing units 20 and 30 shown in FIG. Note that (1) to (6) indicate each step.

Hard disk (HD) or floppy disk 2 connected to the integrated input / output network 2-1
-2, when data is input (1), the intelligence processing units 20 and 30 determine whether the data is to be written to the hard disk (HD) or the floppy disk (FD) (2), and if NO, return an error message. Then (6), the process ends.

On the other hand, if the judgment in step (2) is YES, it is judged whether or not there is a medium error (3),
If the medium is not a data volume writable medium, the process proceeds to step (6), an error message is returned, and the process ends.

On the other hand, if the determination in step (3) is NO, the data is stored in the hard disk (H
D), the writing process is repeated on the floppy disk (FD) (4). [Second Embodiment] FIG. 6 is a block diagram for explaining the configuration of a network system showing a second embodiment of the present invention.

In the figure, 3-1 is an integrated input / output network (integrated LAN). Reference numeral 3-2 is an operation panel having a wireless communication function that is directly connected to this network. 3-3 is a copying machine, 3-4 is a facsimile machine, 3
-5 is a printer.

Reference numerals 41 to 43 are network-connecting IC-Boards, respectively, which receive instructions from the operation panel 3-2 as a copying apparatus 3-3, a facsimile apparatus 3-4, and a printer 3-.
In addition to emulating the operation instructions for 5, the output from each of the copying apparatus 3-3, the facsimile apparatus 3-4, and the printer 3-5 is output as an emulation to the operation panel 1-2 via the integrated LAN 3-1. .

FIG. 7 shows the IC-Board 4 shown in FIG.
It is a block diagram explaining the composition of 1-43.

In the figure, 51 is an interface port with each device, 52 is a CPU, which analyzes the transmission data from the operation panel 3-2 via the YMCK or the reception unit 54 based on the control program stored in the ROM 53. And control data communication. 55 is a data register.

In the network system configured as described above, each IC-Board 41 to 43 converts an instruction from the network operation device 3-2 into operation instruction information unique to each peripheral device, and one network operation unit performs the network operation. This is to collectively give operation instructions for the above peripheral devices.

Thus, by providing the operation panel 3-2 for network connection, it becomes possible to instruct operation of three terminals with only one operation panel.

In the above embodiment, FDD2-2, H
Although the case where the DD 2-3 is directly connected to the LAN 2-1 has been described, another device such as an optical disk or a CD-ROM may be directly connected to the LAN 2-1 in a packet compatible manner.

A plurality of wireless operation panels may be connected so that each operator operates from the desk.

The data processing of each IC-Board 41 to 43 will be described below with reference to the flowchart shown in FIG.

FIG. 8 shows each IC-Board shown in FIG.
It is a flowchart which shows an example of the data processing procedure of 41-43. Note that (1) to (9) indicate each step.

When receiving an instruction from the operation panel 3-2, the control data is received, and it is judged whether the received data is the transmission data for itself based on the address information (1). ), Waiting for data reception.

On the other hand, when it is judged in the judgment in step (1) that the data is addressed to itself, the line is connected and the contention state is set (2). The data is then analyzed (3) and if not, proceed to step (9)
Return the error message, go to step (7),
The line is disconnected and the process ends.

On the other hand, if the judgment can be made in the step (3), the operation panel 3-of the remote controller is connected to the terminal.
The control information sent from 2 is transmitted (4). Next, after waiting for a response from the terminal (5), response information is transmitted to the operation panel 3-2 (6), the process proceeds to step (7), the line is disconnected, and the process is terminated.

[0049]

As described above, according to the first aspect of the present invention, since the communication means communicates with each network and the relay means emulates the mutual communication processing between the networks and relays them, different types of communication are performed. Data communication can be performed between networks.

According to the second invention, the processing unit of the external storage device emulates access based on the operating system, so that the external storage device can be directly connected to the network without any trouble.

According to the third aspect of the invention, since each conversion means converts the instruction from the network operation device into the operation instruction information unique to each peripheral device, one network operation unit can operate the peripheral device on the network. Can be done collectively.

Therefore, it is possible to provide data communication on a complex network that goes beyond the network type, and to provide an advanced information service that can use each network resource with good operability.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration of a network system showing an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating the configuration of the workstation shown in FIG.

3 is a flowchart showing an example of a data processing procedure of the workstation shown in FIG.

FIG. 4 is a block diagram illustrating a system configuration of the integrated input / output network shown in FIG.

5 is a flowchart showing an example of a data read processing procedure of the intelligence processing unit shown in FIG.

FIG. 6 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration of a network system showing a second embodiment of the present invention.

7 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration of the IC-Board shown in FIG.

8 is a flowchart showing an example of a data processing procedure of each IC-Board shown in FIG.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1-1 LAN 1-2 Integrated I / O system 1-3 Workstation

Claims (3)

[Claims] 1. A network system comprising: a plurality of networks managed by different operating systems; and a relay means for communicating with each network to emulate and relay communication processing between the networks. . 2. In a network system in which peripheral devices managed by a common operating system communicate with each other, an external storage device having a processing unit for emulating access based on the operating system is connected to the network. And network system. 3. In a network system in which a plurality of peripheral devices are connected to a network, a network operation device that emulates an operation instruction of each peripheral device is connected through the network, and an instruction from this network operation device is sent. A network system characterized in that each peripheral device is provided with a conversion means for converting into operation instruction information unique to each peripheral device.