JPH10269125A - Data processor - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a data processor that can immediately notify the user of a terminal that data have updated in a server device, and also can allow the user of a terminal to optionally download updated data. SOLUTION: A data request signal receiving means 20 receives a data request signal from other terminals through a network. Requested data is read from a hard disk drive 18 and sent to a designated destination by a data sending means 22, and at the same time, the user information of a request source is stored on a hard disk. A data input receiving means 23 recognizes whether data in the hard disk is updated or not. When it is updated, a message signal generating means 33 generates an updating message, and the updating message is sent to users who are stored by a message signal sending means 26. A user quickly knows the updating state of data through the updating information and arbitrarily downloads data after updating.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a data processing system comprising storage means for storing data, and data transmission means for transmitting data from the storage means to a sender of the data request signal in response to the data request signal. Related to the device.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In a network type computer system including a server device and a plurality of terminal devices, any terminal device can download data stored in the server device via a network. In such a system, while updating of data can be centrally managed by the server device, the user of each terminal device can
Each time the terminal device is started, it is necessary to check for data update and download updated data. Therefore, as proposed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. Hei 7-160511, when data is updated, the server device automatically transmits updated data to a terminal device under management. Can be considered.

[0003]

As disclosed in the above publication, if the server device unconditionally updates the data of each terminal device when the data is updated, there is a problem for the user of the terminal device. May be extended. For example, if the user of the terminal device continues to use the old version of the word processor, if only the printer driver is updated to the latest version, printing will not be performed correctly.

There is also a demand that a user of a terminal device wants to arbitrarily save old version data. The present invention has been made in view of the above situation, and can immediately notify a user of a terminal device that data has been updated in a server device, and arbitrarily provide updated data to a user of the terminal device. It is an object to provide a data processing device that can be downloaded.

[0005]

According to the present invention, there is provided, in accordance with the present invention, a storage means for storing data, and in response to a data request signal, from the storage means to a sender of the data request signal. In a data processing device comprising: a data transmitting unit that transmits data, when data stored in the storage unit is updated, a notification signal generating unit that generates a notification signal indicating that the data has been updated; and A data processing device comprising: a notification signal transmitting unit that transmits the notification signal created by the notification signal creating unit.

According to this configuration, when the data is updated, the fact is notified, so that the user of the data can immediately know the update status, and the user optionally requests the updated data. be able to. Further, in the data processing device, for each data stored in the storage means,
Storage means for storing user information for specifying the caller, and counting means for counting the number of times the data has been updated for each caller after the caller specified by the user information has transmitted a data request signal And deletion means for deleting the user information related to the count from the storage means when the counted number exceeds a predetermined number, the user information relating to the sender who does not intend to update is deleted. As a result, useless management of user information can be avoided. Further, if the data processing device is provided with an initialization unit for initializing the number counted by the counting unit to zero, the data updating status of the sender can be easily grasped by the operation of the initialization unit. .

[0007]

An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. FIG. 1 shows a network system NW including a server computer device 10 including a data processing device according to the present invention. In this network system NW, a plurality of terminal computer devices 12 are connected to a server computer device 10 via a network 11 such as a LAN or the Internet. Printer devices 13 and 14 are individually connected to the server computer device 10 and the terminal computer device 12. In each terminal computer device 12, a printer driver for operating the attached printer device 14 is connected to the server computer device 10 via the network 11.
You can download it from Here, the printer driver is an example of data according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 shows a hardware configuration of the server computer 10. In the server computer device 10, the CPU functions as the data processing device 16. The data processing device 16 stores data 1 stored in a hard disk drive 18 connected via a bus 17,
The data such as data 2,..., Data n and the information management database are managed. As will be described later, data information on each data and user information on a user who uses the data are registered in the information management database. Therefore, this hard disk drive 18
It functions as storage means and storage means of the present invention.

[0009] The data request signal receiving means 20 receives a data request signal from the terminal computer 12 fetched through the network interface 21. The data request signal accepting means 20 is a data transmitting means 2
2, the data stored in the hard disk drive 18 can be transmitted to the terminal computer device of the data request signal, that is, the user. The detailed procedure of the transmission at this time will be described later. The data input receiving means 23
Data read from the floppy disk drive 25 by operating the keyboard 24 is accepted. The data in the hard disk can be updated with the received data. When the data is updated, a notification that the data has been updated is transmitted by the operation of the notification signal transmitting means 26. The detailed procedure of updating at this time will be described later.

[0010] The information input receiving means 27 receives input of information to the information management database stored in the hard disk. Such information may be captured through the network interface 21 or may be captured by operating the keyboard 24. The detailed procedure for inputting information at this time will be described later.

Further, the bus 17 has a transmitting terminal computer device specified by the user information, that is, counting means 30 for counting the number of times data has been updated after the user transmitted the data request signal for each user, Initializing means 31 for initializing the number counted by the counting means 30 to zero, and when the number counted by the counting means 30 exceeds a predetermined number, deletes user information related to the counting from the information management database. It includes a deletion unit 32 and the like. The notification signal creating means 33 creates a notification signal for notifying the user when the data is updated, and the address creating means 34 writes the address of the user for notifying the user when the data is updated. Causes the printer 13 to execute.

The server computer 10 is
A boot ROM for storing a boot program executed when the power is turned on, a RAM for temporarily taking in software stored in a hard disk when the CPU executes processing, and a video for storing bitmap data displayed on the display 35 A RAM or the like may be provided. The information management database includes, as shown in FIG. 3, head data information 40 for specifying the head of the data information, and a group of data information 41 linked to the head data information 40. One piece of data information 41 of the data information group is assigned to each data stored in the hard disk. Each data information 41 hangs user information 42 assigned to each user for the data specified by the data information. Based on the user information 41, a user who uses each data is specified.

As shown in FIG. 4, the data information 41 includes a next data information area 41a for specifying the next data information and a previous data information area 41b for specifying the previous data information. By these areas 41a and 41b, as shown in FIG. 3, a plurality of data information 41 are linked in order from the leading data information 40. Data identification information area 4
1c stores data identification information such as a file name. The comment information area 41d stores information that can be embedded in the text when issuing a notification to the user.

As shown in FIG. 4, the user information 42 includes a next user information area 42a for specifying next user information and a previous user information 42b for specifying previous user information.
As with the data information 41, the user information 42 is sequentially linked by these pieces of information. The corresponding data information area 42c stores an identifier related to the data information 41 of the data used by the user. The user name is written in the user name area 42d. Counter area 42
In e, the number of times the data has been updated since the user last accessed, that is, the number of update notifications transmitted each time the data was updated is written. In the notification method area 42f,
The notification method of the update notification such as e-mail or mail is stored. The address area 42g stores the destination of an update notification or data transmission such as an e-mail address in the case of an e-mail and an address in the case of a mail.

Now, consider a case where a data request signal is transmitted from an arbitrary terminal computer device 12 through the network 11. As shown in FIG. 6, the data request signal 50 includes a data identification information area 50a in which data identification information specifying data requested by the user is written, a user name area 50b in which the user name is written, Notification method area 50 in which notification methods such as e-mail and mail are written
c, an address area 50d in which an update notification such as an e-mail address and an address and a destination of data transmission are written.

First, as shown in FIG. 5, a first step S
In the server computer 10, the data request signal receiving means 20 is connected to the network interface 21.
, The data request signal is received. In the second step S2, the data request signal receiving means 20 determines whether the corresponding data information is registered in the management information database in the hard disk based on the data identification information included in the data request signal 50 ( For example, it is determined based on the coincidence of data identification information). If no data information is found,
In a third step S3, an error signal is returned using the data transmission means 22, and the process is terminated. The transmitting terminal computer device 12 that has transmitted the data request signal notifies the user that the requested data does not exist based on the received error signal.

When the presence of the data information is confirmed, in a fourth step S4, the data request signal receiving means 20 stores the corresponding user information in the information management database based on the user name included in the data request signal 50. It is determined whether or not the user has been registered (for example, it is determined based on a match of the user name). If the user information exists, the process directly proceeds to the fifth step S5. If the user information does not exist, the user information is added in the sixth step S6, and then the process proceeds to the fifth step S5. The user information 42 is created by the information input receiving unit 27 based on the information included in the data request signal 50.

In a fifth step S5, the data request signal receiving means 20 initializes the counter 42e to zero with the user information 42 on the corresponding user through the operation of the initializing means 31. That is, the fact that the latest version of data is transmitted to the user at this point is written in the user information 42. In a seventh step S7, the data request signal receiving means 2
0 sends the data requested from the hard disk to the network 11 using the data transmission means 22. When the terminal computer device 12 receives the data, the processing of the user ends. This allows the user to operate the attached printer 14 using, for example, a printer driver received as data.

Next, a case where data is updated in the server computer 10 will be considered. As shown in FIG. 7, first, in a first step T1, the server computer 10
The administrator inputs new data from the floppy disk drive 25, for example. In the second step T2, the data input receiving means 23 determines whether or not the data information 41 whose identification information matches the input data exists in the information management database in the hard disk.

If the data information does not exist, it is determined that the data is completely new, and the data input receiving means 23
Adds that data to the hard disk,
The data information 41 relating to the data is created (third and fourth steps T3, T4). At this time, the data input receiving means 23 displays a screen as shown in FIG. 8 on the display 35, and urges the administrator to input necessary data. The administrator inputs predetermined data such as comment information while operating the keyboard 24 while viewing the screen (fifth step T5). When the data information is completed, the processing of the administrator ends.

In the second step T2, when it is confirmed that the data information exists, the data input receiving means 23 updates the old version data in the hard disk with the data taken from the floppy disk in the sixth step T6. . In updating, the old version data is overwritten by the new version data. Subsequently, in a seventh step T7,
It is determined whether there is user information on the updated data. If there is no user information, the process is terminated.

When it is confirmed that the user information exists, the counter of the user information is incremented by one by using the counting means 30 in an eighth step T8. Therefore, every time the data is updated, the counter of the user information is incremented by one. In the ninth step T9, it is determined whether or not the added counter exceeds a predetermined number. If it exceeds
It is considered that the user has no intention to update the data any more, and the user information relating to the user is deleted from the information management database using the deletion means 32 (tenth embodiment).
Step T10). Thereafter, returning to the seventh step T7, it is determined whether or not the next user information exists.

In the ninth step T9, when it is confirmed that the number of updates of the counter has not exceeded the predetermined number, the user is considered to have a will to update the data and the procedure for creating an update notification is started. In an eleventh step T11, it is determined based on the user information 42 whether the notification method is electronic mail or mail. In the case of mailing, the twelfth step T12
To operate the address creation means 34, and the user information 4
2 and generates an address of the user, and prints the address on an address sticker (13th step T1).
3). In this case, a separate update letter will be prepared,
An address sticker is attached to the envelope of the letter and sent to the user. The received user can request the updated data from his / her own terminal computer device 12.

If it is an electronic mail, a fourteenth step T1
Proceeding to 4, the notification signal creation means 33 creates a message for update notification. As shown in FIG. 9, the transmission source address registered in advance in the server computer device 10 and the transmission destination address obtained from the address area 42 g of the user information 42 are written in the message by the notification signal generation unit 33. . The attached comment is read from the comment information area 41d of the data information. In this case, FIG.
As shown in (1), the updated data may be attached to the message. Further, instead of the updated data, batch data for changing the old data to the updated data may be attached.
As a result, the user of the terminal computer device 12 can always know the update status of the data by receiving the update notification, and the user can arbitrarily download the updated data. You can do it.

Next, consider the case where the administrator of the server computer 10 updates the user information offline. Such a situation occurs when obtaining user information by mail, for example. First, as shown in FIG.
In a first step P1, user registration information is input. In order to input the user registration information, as shown in FIG. 12, the identification information, the notification method, and the address of the required data can be input in an interactive manner using the keyboard 24 and the display 35. The user registration information 60 shown in FIG. 13 may be read from a floppy disk or the like by batch processing. User registration information 60
Stores a data identification information area 60a for storing data identification information, a user name area 60b for storing a user name, a notification method area 60c for storing a notification method, and a user's e-mail address and address. An address area 60d is included. In the second step P2, the information input receiving means 27 determines whether or not data information matching the identification information of the data included in the user registration information is registered in the information management database of the hard disk. If not registered, an error (no corresponding data) is displayed on the display 35 in the third step P3, and the process is terminated.

If data information exists, the fourth step P
Proceeding to 4, it is determined whether there is user information that matches the user name stored in the user registration information. If there is user information, since the user has already been registered, an error (already registered) is displayed on the display 35 in the fifth step P5, and the process is terminated. If there is no user information, the process proceeds to a sixth step P6, where new user information is created based on the user registration information and registered in the information management database. Thus, the user information can be newly added by the manual.

[0027]

As described above, according to the present invention, when data is updated, the fact is notified, so that the user of the data can immediately know the update status, and the user can arbitrarily update the data. Later data can be requested.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a conceptual diagram of a network computer system.

FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a hardware configuration of a server computer device including a data processing device according to the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a diagram showing a concept of a data structure of an information management database.

FIG. 4 is a diagram showing the concept of the data structure of each data information and user information.

FIG. 5 is a flowchart illustrating a process performed by the server computer when receiving a data request;

FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating a concept of a data structure of a data request signal.

FIG. 7 is a flowchart showing processing of the server computer device at the time of data input.

FIG. 8 is a diagram illustrating an example of a screen for prompting input of predetermined information regarding data information.

FIG. 9 is a diagram illustrating a specific example of a message used as an update notification.

FIG. 10 is a diagram showing another specific example of a message used as an update notification.

FIG. 11 is a flowchart illustrating a process performed by the server computer when updating user information.

FIG. 12 is a diagram illustrating an example of a screen for prompting input of predetermined information regarding user registration information.

FIG. 13 is a diagram showing a concept of a data structure of user registration information.

[Explanation of symbols]

Reference Signs List 16 data processing device (CPU), 18 hard disk drive as storage means and storage means 26 notification signal transmission means 30 counting means 31 initialization means 32 deletion means 33 notification signal creation means

Claims (3)

[Claims] 1. A data processing apparatus comprising: storage means for storing data; and data transmission means for transmitting data from the storage means to a sender of a data request signal in response to a data request signal. For each of the data stored in the storage means for storing user information identifying the sender, and when the data stored in the storage means is updated, a notification signal indicating that the data has been updated, Notification signal creating means for creating; and a notification signal sending means for sending a notification signal created by the notification signal creating means to a user stored in the storage means in association with the updated data. A data processing device comprising: 2. The data processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein after the sender specified by the user information transmits a data request signal, counting means for counting the number of times the data has been updated for each sender. And a deletion unit for deleting user information related to the count from the storage unit when the counted number exceeds a predetermined number. 3. The data processing apparatus according to claim 2, further comprising an initialization unit that initializes the number counted by said counting unit to zero.