JP4170446B2 - Data transfer method - Google Patents

Description

[0001]
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a data input device provided in a data processing apparatus such as a personal computer, and more particularly to a data transfer method for transferring data of input means other than a keyboard to a system side via a common interface.
[0002]
[Prior art]
For example, some data processing devices such as personal computers use a magnetic card reader as a data input device in addition to a keyboard. This magnetic card reader reads data of a magnetic card used as, for example, a bank card or an employee card, and is mounted on a keyboard.
[0003]
Here, the keyboard data (key-in data) is transferred to the keyboard controller on the system side using the PS2 interface. However, when transferring the data of the magnetic card reader, the following methods are conventionally used. It was.
[0004]
(1) Apart from the PS2 interface, a standard interface such as RS-232C is prepared, and the data of the magnetic card reader is transferred using this interface.
[0005]
(2) Data of the magnetic card reader is transferred through the PS2 interface without being distinguished from keyboard data.
In the former data transfer method, a magnetic card reader is mounted on the keyboard, but the data of the magnetic card reader and the data of the keyboard are transferred through separate interfaces. On the other hand, the latter data transfer method uses the same interface as the keyboard, but when transferring the data of the magnetic card reader, it is converted into a combination of make code and break code of the keyboard data, and in the same format as the keyboard data. Data will be transferred.
[0006]
The make code is code data generated when a key is pressed, and the break code is code data generated when the key is released. The type of both codes corresponds to each key on the keyboard. It is decided in advance.
[0007]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
In a data input device equipped with a magnetic card reader in addition to the keyboard, if the data of the magnetic card reader is transferred using the same interface as the keyboard in the conventional method, either the data from the magnetic card reader or the keyboard when the key is entered Therefore, there is a problem that the data of the magnetic card reader is not properly transmitted to the system side.
[0008]
Further, when the data of the magnetic card reader is transferred by the same combination of the make code and the break code as the keyboard, there is a problem that the amount of data transfer becomes very large because the make code and the break code are combined.
[0009]
The present invention has been made to solve the above-described problem, and provides a data transfer method capable of reliably transferring data of input means other than the keyboard by distinguishing from the keyboard data using the same interface as the keyboard. For the purpose.
[0012]
The method of data transfer application Ming, share the interface of the keyboard only, a data transfer method for transferring the keyboard controller provided a data input means other than the keyboard to the system side, provided on the keyboard The control unit converts the data of the input means in accordance with a predetermined data transfer format, sets the bit configuration of the data as a break code, and continues the first and second start codes at the head of the converted data. In addition, the end code is added to the end of the data and transferred to the keyboard controller to synchronize with the keyboard controller using the first start code, and the second start code. At the start of the data of the input means, the end code The end of the data of the input means, characterized in that to recognize the above system side.
[0013]
According to such a data transfer method , for example, when transferring data of a magnetic card reader other than a keyboard, the data of the magnetic card reader can be transferred together in a predetermined data transfer format. Therefore, the data can be correctly transferred without entering the key-in data during the data transfer of the magnetic card reader.
[0014]
In addition, since the keyboard data is transferred as a combination of a make code and a break code, the data transfer amount increases, but the data transfer amount is reduced to 1 by transferring the data of the magnetic card reader using only the break code. / 2 and system performance can be improved.
[0016]
Further, by adding the first and second start codes to the head of the converted data and adding the end code to the end of the data, the system side receives the first start code. As a result, it is possible to control the keyboard controller not to issue a command during the data transfer of the magnetic card reader.
In addition, the system side can recognize that the data is other than the keyboard by receiving the second start code, and can also end the data by receiving the end code added to the end of the data. Can be recognized.
[0019]
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.
FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a system configuration of a data input device according to an embodiment of the present invention.
[0020]
In the system configuration shown in FIG. 1, reference numeral 10 denotes a personal computer that controls the entire system. The personal computer 10 is a general-purpose computer having a CPU, a ROM, a RAM, and the like, and executes various processes by starting a program in accordance with an input instruction.
[0021]
Reference numeral 20 denotes a keyboard, and 30 denotes a magnetic card reader. The keyboard 20 is a device that directly inputs data such as characters and numbers into the personal computer 10 by a key input operation, and various keys are provided according to a predetermined key arrangement. The magnetic card reader 30 reads, for example, data recorded on a magnetic card, which is a magnetic card used as a bank card or an employee card.
[0022]
Here, in the present embodiment, the magnetic card reader 30 is mounted on the keyboard 20 and is configured to transfer data through the same PS2 interface 40 as the keyboard 20.
[0023]
FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing functional configurations of the personal computer 10 and the keyboard 20.
The personal computer 10 is provided with a keyboard driver 101 and a keyboard controller 102. The keyboard driver 101 performs control between the system side and the keyboard controller 102. The keyboard controller 102 transmits and receives data between the keyboard driver 101 and the keyboard 20.
[0024]
The keyboard 20 is provided with a keyboard control unit 201, a keyboard unit 202, and a magnetic card reader unit 301. The keyboard control unit 201 performs interface control with the keyboard controller 102 on the personal computer 10 side, and control of the keyboard unit 202 and the magnetic card reader unit 301. The keyboard unit 202 controls the keyboard 20. The magnetic card reader unit 301 controls the magnetic card reader 30.
[0025]
FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing a data processing routine.
In the magnetic card read operation, the keyboard control unit 201 reads the data from the magnetic card reader 30 to the end, and then transfers the data to the personal computer 10 side separately from the data of the keyboard 20. I do.
[0026]
FIG. 4 is a diagram showing the configuration of the magnetic card data transfer format.
In the code conversion processing routine of step A13 in FIG. 2, the data of the magnetic card reader 30 is converted into the format shown in FIG. 4 and transferred. In this case, the first n bytes (here, 2 bytes) are the start codes 1 and 2 indicating magnetic card data. After the start codes 1 and 2, the total number of data, data size, transfer data (original data read from the magnetic card reader 30), error check code, and end code are added to create a data transfer format.
[0027]
FIG. 5 is a diagram showing a bit configuration of magnetic card data.
Originally, the data of the magnetic card reader 30 has a 7-bit configuration, and the most significant bit <7> is not used. In OADG (PC Open Architecture Developers Group), technical reference (hardware) keyboard scan code set 1, when bit <7> is “0”, make code and bit When <7> is “1”, it is defined as a break code. The make code is code data generated when the key is pressed, and the break code is code data generated when the key is released.
[0028]
Here, when the make code “0” is continuously transferred, the transfer data may be recognized as codes “Alt”, “Ctrl”, and “Delete” on the system side. Therefore, in this embodiment, the code <7> of the magnetic card data is set to “1” in the code conversion processing routine of step A13 in FIG.
[0029]
FIG. 6 is a flowchart showing a data transfer routine.
When transferring the data of the keyboard 20 or the data of the magnetic card reader 30 to the personal computer 10 side, the data of the keyboard 20 (data combining the make code and the break code) is transferred in the processing routine of steps B11 to B13. Magnetic card data (data converted by the code conversion routine of step A13) is transferred by the processing routine of steps B11 and B14 to B20.
[0030]
Next, the operation of the embodiment will be described.
The personal computer 10 and the keyboard 20 are connected via the PS2 interface 40. The magnetic card reader 30 is mounted on the keyboard 20. When a magnetic card is set in the card reader 30 and a read operation is performed, the following processing is executed in the data processing routine shown in FIG.
[0031]
First, data on the magnetic card is read by the magnetic card reader 30 (step A11). In this case, examples of the magnetic card include a bank card and an employee card, and data recorded there is sent to the keyboard control unit 201 through the magnetic card reader unit 301 in the keyboard 20.
[0032]
When the magnetic card data is read to the end (Yes in step A12), the keyboard control unit 201 executes a code conversion process to make the data into a bit configuration as shown in FIG. 5 and as shown in FIG. The data transfer format is summarized (step A13).
[0033]
That is, among the 7 bits of data of the magnetic card reader 30, the first bit <7> is set to “1” to form a break code. This is to prevent the system side from recognizing the data as codes “Alt”, “Ctrl”, and “Delete” due to the continuous transfer of the make code “0”.
[0034]
Further, according to the data transfer format, the first two bytes are set as start codes 1 and 2, and an end code is provided at the end of the data. The start codes 1 and 2 are used to indicate that the data is the magnetic card reader 30. The end code indicates the end of the data. By providing such start codes 1 and 2 and an end code for transfer, the system can determine that the data is from the magnetic card reader 30 and can recognize the end of the data. it can.
[0035]
After code conversion, the data transfer routine shown in FIG. 6 is executed.
At the time of data transfer, data from the magnetic card reader 30 is transferred to the keyboard controller 102 in the personal computer 10 via the PS2 interface 40 and sent to the keyboard driver 101 (step B11, steps B14 to B20).
[0036]
Here, when data of the magnetic card reader 30 is transferred, the two-byte start codes 1 and 2 are initially provided in the middle of the transfer of the magnetic card data by synchronizing with the keyboard controller 102. This is to prevent the keyboard controller 102 from issuing commands.
[0037]
That is, since the keyboard controller 102 can buffer n bytes (here, 1 byte) of data, a command for the buffered data may be issued during the transfer of the magnetic card data.
[0038]
Therefore, the keyboard control unit 201 first transfers a start code 1 indicating magnetic card data to the keyboard controller 102 (steps B14 and B15). This start code 1 is sent to the keyboard driver 101 via the keyboard controller 102. When the keyboard driver 101 recognizes the start code 1, if any command is currently issued to the keyboard controller 102, after the processing of the command is completed, until the end code of the magnetic card data is received, Controls not to issue the next command.
[0039]
On the keyboard control unit 201 side, if any command comes from the keyboard controller 102 after transferring the start code 1, the command processing is performed. When this process ends, synchronization between the keyboard controller 102 and the keyboard control unit 201 is performed. During this time, the keyboard controller 102 does not receive the next command until the keyboard controller 201 finishes transferring the magnetic card data.
[0040]
When synchronization with the keyboard controller 102 is established, the keyboard control unit 201 transfers the next start code 2 (steps B16 and B17). With this start code 2, the keyboard controller 102 can recognize that magnetic card data is being sent. Therefore, thereafter, the keyboard control unit 201 can continuously transfer the data from the magnetic card reader 30 via the PS2 interface 40 (steps B18 to B20).
[0041]
As described above, when data of the magnetic card reader 30 is transferred to the personal computer 10 using the same PS2 interface 40 as that of the keyboard 20, the magnetic card data can be transferred separately from the keyboard data. Thereby, on the personal computer 10 side, the process according to the type of the received data can be accurately executed. That is, if it is keyboard data, it can be passed to the normal input processing routine from the keyboard driver 101 of FIG. 2, and if it is magnetic card data, it can be passed to a dedicated application for processing. It becomes like this.
[0042]
In addition, when transferring data from the magnetic card reader 30, the bit configuration of the data is converted into a break code and transferred. Compared to the method of transferring data using a combination of make code and break code like keyboard data. Thus, the data transfer amount can be halved. Thereby, the amount of data transfer can be reduced and the system performance can be improved.
[0043]
In the embodiment described above, the magnetic card reader is assumed as an input means other than the keyboard. However, the method of the present invention can be applied even to a barcode reader, for example. In this case, the barcode reader data is converted and transferred by the method described with reference to FIGS. As a result, it is possible to transfer the data separately from the keyboard data, and it is possible to obtain the same effects as described above, such as the amount of data transfer can be suppressed as compared with the method of transferring by the combination of the make code and the break code.
[0044]
In the above-described embodiment, the PS2 interface is used as the interface unit. However, the present invention is not limited to this. For example, even when an interface other than the PS2 interface such as USB (Universal Serial Bus) is used, the same as above. It can be realized by the method.
[0045]
【The invention's effect】
As described above in detail, according to the present invention, for example, when a magnetic card reader is provided in addition to the keyboard, the data on the magnetic card reader can be transferred separately from the data on the keyboard. Then, the type of each input data can be recognized correctly, and the processing corresponding to each can be executed correctly, improving the degree of freedom of the system.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a system configuration of a data input device according to an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 2 is an exemplary block diagram showing functional configurations of a personal computer and a keyboard in the embodiment;
FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing a data processing routine in the embodiment.
FIG. 4 is a view showing a configuration of a transfer format of magnetic card data in the embodiment.
FIG. 5 is an exemplary view showing a bit configuration of magnetic card data in the embodiment.
FIG. 6 is a flowchart showing a data transfer routine in the embodiment.
[Explanation of symbols]
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 ... Personal computer 20 ... Keyboard 30 ... Magnetic card reader 40 ... PS2 interface 101 ... Keyboard driver 102 ... Keyboard controller 201 ... Keyboard control part 202 ... Keyboard part 301 ... Magnetic card reader part

Claims (1)

A data transfer method for transferring data of an input means other than the keyboard to a keyboard controller provided on the system side by sharing a keyboard- dedicated interface,
In the control unit provided in the keyboard, the data of the input means is converted according to a predetermined data transfer format and the bit configuration of the data is set as a break code,
By continuously adding the first and second start codes to the head of the converted data and adding the end code to the end of the data and transferring it to the keyboard controller,
Synchronize with the keyboard controller by the first start code, start the data of the input means by the second start code, and end the data of the input means by the end code A data transfer method characterized by causing the side to recognize.

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