Boots – shoes – and leggings
Patent
1996-01-11
1998-07-14
Elmore, Reba I.
Boots, shoes, and leggings
194217, 194218, G06F 1700, G06F 700, G07F 500
Patent
active
057814449
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
TECHNICAL FIELD
The present invention relates to a distributed processing unit comprising at least one processor connected in a distributed configuration to a main controller through a signal line, and more particularly to a distributed processing unit designed so that set data stored in a memory in each processor can be read from and written to externally, thus facilitating modification of set data in the processor.
BACKGROUND ART
Distributed processing units recently proposed for use in automatic vending machines and the like include those comprising functional devices, for example, coin mechanisms which incorporate coin selectors, bill discriminators, card reader/writers, article conveyers, panel display units, and the like, which are connected in a distributed configuration to a main controller through a signal line.
In automatic vending machines and the like configured as distributed processing units of this type, the various functional devices communicate with the main controller through a signal line and perform their respective function processes.
For example, in a coin selector, data pertaining to permissible values for use in discriminating among coins, that is, upper limit values and lower limit values which define a permissible level range for each coin, is pre-stored in a memory as set data, the characteristics of inserted coins are measured by a measurement sensor, and the signals obtained thereby are compared with the set data stored in the memory in order to determine the validity and denomination of the inserted coins.
In a bill discriminator, data pertaining to permissible values for use in discriminating between bills, that is, upper limit values and lower limit values which define permissible level ranges for the plurality of measurement points on each bill, is pre-stored in a memory as set data, the characteristics of inserted bills at each measurement point are measured by a measurement sensor, and the signals obtained thereby are compared with the set data stored in the memory in order to determine the validity and denomination of the inserted bills.
In a card reader/writer, identification data for identifying cards is pre-stored in a memory as set data, the characteristics of the identification data of an inserted card are measured by a measurement sensor, and the signals obtained thereby are compared with the set data stored in the memory in order to determine the validity and denomination of the inserted coins.
In conventional distributed processing units of this type, set data to be stored in a memory is specified in advance and the set data is written into a memory (ROM) using a ROM writer or the like. This ROM is installed in the coin selector, bill discriminator, card reader/writer, and the like so as to be installed in each functional device.
However, with the foregoing configuration, it is not possible to specify set data adapted to variations in measurement sensors and other components of individual functional devices.
Also, designs for a coin selector in which a dedicated terminal for connection with a computer is provided, the computer is connected to this terminal so that measured values of coin characteristics are collected by the computer, permissible values for coin selection (upper limits and lower limits which define permissible ranges for valid coins) are calculated from these measured values of the coin characteristics, the permissible values for coin selection are written into a ROM using a ROM writer, and the ROM to which the permissible values for coin selection have been written is installed in the coin selector have been proposed, for example in Japanese Laid-Open Patent Application 5-233914, but such designs require the provision of a ROM writer for writing the permissible values for coin selection which have been calculated by the computer to the ROM.
An object of the present invention is to provide a distributed processing unit which permits easy modification of set data that has been written to the memory of each processor.
DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTI
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Ishida Takeshi
Sakamoto Yuichi
Yoshizawa Genzo
Dolan Robert J.
Elmore Reba I.
Kabushiki Kaisha Nippon Conlux
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