Error detection/correction and fault detection/recovery – Data processing system error or fault handling – Reliability and availability
Reexamination Certificate
2000-10-17
2004-03-30
Baderman, Scott (Department: 2184)
Error detection/correction and fault detection/recovery
Data processing system error or fault handling
Reliability and availability
C714S006130, C717S135000, C703S022000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06715102
ABSTRACT:
TECHNICAL FIELD
The present invention relates to an operation input processing apparatus and method that is applicable to operation input processing apparatuses such as automatic issuance machines for issuing, for example, concert tickets in response to users' input operations.
BACKGROUND ART
Automatic issuance machines have been proposed which automatically issue tickets for concerts or the like in response to users' input operations. To buy a ticket, a user first obtains, based on a contract, a credit card issued by an administration company that administrates the automatic issuance machines. Subsequently, in buying a ticket, the user can insert the obtained credit card into an automatic issuance machine installed, for example, at a retail shop and input the contents of the concert in accordance with instructions on a touch panel, so that the automatic issuance machine issues the ticket. Payment is settled with the credit card.
As shown in
FIG. 16
, a conventional automatic issuance machine
1
has a signal processing section
2
comprising a personal computer that has its central processing unit (CPU) to control the operation of the entire automatic issuance machine
1
using software resources stored in a hard disc
3
and comprising an operating system (OS), programs, and application programs for operating the automatic issuance machine
1
.
A display section
4
has a display screen having a touch panel screen to display screens based on commands from the signal processing section
2
or communicate to the signal processing section
2
a user's input operation information input via the display screens.
A card reader
5
has a card insertion device for a credit card issued based on a contract with an administration company that administrates the automatic issuance machine
1
and reads identification information for identifying the user and which has been written to the credit card inserted into the card insertion device, to communicate the identification information to the signal processing section
2
.
A printer
6
issues a ticket for a concert or the like in accordance with the information from the signal processing section
2
. An uninterruptive power supply
7
retains the operation of the automatic issuance machine
1
for a predetermined amount of time when a power supply is turned off, and notifies the signal processing section
2
that the power supply has been turned off to allow it to carry out a shutdown process that is a preprocess for power turn-off.
The signal processing section
2
is connected via a modem
8
to a transmission line
9
comprising, for example, a public line to transmit data to a host computer installed in a center after the data has been modulated by the modem
8
and to receive signals transmitted from the host computer after the signals have been demodulated by the modem
8
.
Thus, when the credit card is inserted into the card reader
5
, the signal processing section
2
transmits the identification information read out from the credit card to the host computer via the modem
8
and transmission line
9
.
The automatic issuance machine
1
has the uninterruptive power supply
7
because, for example, a operation administrator who administrates the operation of the automatic issuance machine
1
may mistakenly turn off the power supply without executing any shutdown process (the preprocess for power turn-off). The uninterruptive power supply
7
notifies the signal processing section
2
that the power supply has been turned off, to allow it to carry out the shutdown process, thereby preventing a failure in a drive section for the hard disc
3
.
When the power supply is turned off without executing any shutdown process, a magnetic head for data reads and writes may come in contact with the rotating hard disc
3
to damage it, thereby destroying programs recorded thereon. If in particular a storage area of the operating system is damaged, irrecoverable failure may occur; for example, the signal processing section
2
cannot start up the automatic issuance machine
1
.
Consequently, even with the configuration shown in
FIG. 1
, the general configuration and maintenance work may be complicated due to the needs for the uninterruptive power supply
7
and the hard disc
3
.
DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION
The present invention is achieved in light of these points, and it is an object thereof to provide an operation input processing apparatus and method that are much more reliable than the prior art and that have a much simpler and more convenient configuration and maintenance work.
To attain this object, the present invention provides an operation input processing apparatus
10
for executing processing depending on a user's operation input using a portion of plural first program data stored in a basic program storage section
21
, the apparatus comprising a simulation device section
11
for extracting the portion of the program data from the basic program storage section
21
to create new second program data, process program distribution memory sections
12
(
12
A,
12
B,
12
C, . . . ) each removably connected to the simulation device section
11
to store the second program data created by the simulation device section
11
, and operation input processing sections
13
(
13
A,
13
B,
13
C, . . . ) each having connected thereto a corresponding one of the process program distribution memory sections
12
(
12
A,
12
B,
12
C, . . . ) removed from the simulation device section
11
to store in first memory means
33
C the second program data stored in the process program distribution memory section
12
(
12
A,
12
B,
12
C, . . . ) in order to execute the processing depending on the user's operation input using the second program data in the first memory means
33
C.
The program data in the basic program storage section
21
can partly be extracted to create the new program data, which is then stored in the process program distribution memory sections
12
(
12
A,
12
B,
12
C, . . . ), and the process program distribution memory sections
12
(
12
A,
12
B,
12
C, . . . ) can each be connected to a corresponding one of the operation input processing sections
13
(
13
A,
13
B,
13
C, . . . ) so as to supply the stored new program data thereto. Consequently, an operation input processing apparatus
10
can be easily realized which enables the program data used by the operation input processing sections
13
(
13
A,
13
B,
13
C, . . . ) to be easily supplied from the basic program storage section
21
without destruction even if an abnormal condition occurs, for example, the power supply to the operation input processing sections
13
(
13
A,
13
B,
13
C, . . . ) are inadvertently turned off.
Furthermore, the present invention comprises simulation device means
41
operating when using first program data stored in a basic program storage section
41
B to allow a testing operation input execution section
41
C to perform a simulation operation, to extract from the first program data second program data used for the simulation operation, process program distribution memory means
42
(
42
A,
42
B,
42
C, . . . ) for storing as third program data the second program data extracted by the simulation device means
41
, and operation input processing means
43
(
43
A,
43
B,
43
C, . . . ) for receiving the third program data from the process program distribution memory means
42
(
42
A,
42
B,
42
C, . . . ) as externally supplied data to drive and control the operation input execution section
63
, in which when a user performs an input operation on the operation input processing means
43
(
43
A,
43
B,
43
C, . . . ), the first program data in the basic program storage section
41
B is partly used to drive and control the operation input execution section
63
.
The program data corresponding to the read command provided for the basic program storage section
41
B is stored when the testing operation input execution section
41
C is allowed to perform the simulation operation so that the first program data st
Baderman Scott
Frommer William S.
Frommer & Lawrence & Haug LLP
Lohn Joshua
Romwin Limited Company
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