JPH04250547A - Control program for peripheral equipment - Google Patents

Abstract

(57) [Summary] This bulletin contains application data before electronic filing, so abstract data is not recorded.

Description

[Detailed description of the invention]

0001

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a peripheral device control program used for controlling peripheral devices of an electronic computer.

Generally, computer peripheral devices such as keyboards, printers, tablets, digitizers, and mice are not compatible depending on the model. This is because peripheral device providers try to emphasize the features of their products, whereas peripheral device users want to use specific functions of other models that are not compatible with the model they are currently using. Situations may arise in which several types of incompatible peripheral devices must be used.

0003

2. Description of the Related Art A peripheral device control program (hereinafter referred to as a device driver) is usually created as a control program dedicated to a device with specific specifications. When one device driver supports multiple models, the specifications of each model may be the same, or if the specifications are different, there may be a special interface for setting/obtaining device information, or it may only support common specifications. carried out under the following conditions.

[0004] When supporting multiple models with different specifications with one device driver, the differences between each model include:
What can be supported depending on the creation of the device driver,
There are some things that cannot be supported. The former refers to the operations of devices that are defined as RS232C compliant or Centronics interface compliant, and is defined by those basic interfaces, and the latter refers to functions that involve sequences, extended functions of each device, etc. This includes parts related to error handling. Specifically, in the case of keyboard devices, even if the keys are the same, the internal code of the machine differs depending on the model, so it is usually impossible to control different keyboards with one keyboard driver. In the case of printers, the presence or absence of a hopper for single sheets, how to recognize the state of the single sheet/continuous sheet switching lever, how to control the data reception buffer in the device, differences in function levels such as escape sequences, notification of paper out, and offline status Due to differences in the transition conditions, etc., normal printing may be possible, but processing for errors such as out of paper or offline status is not possible as it differs depending on the model. In the case of a mouse, tablet, etc., the format of the notification coordinate data and the notification coordinate range such as the coordinate origin are different, so the amount of movement and coordinates cannot be recognized correctly.

[0005] For this reason, conventional device drivers support various functions for supported models, and
It is possible to set various modes and understand the status to adapt control, but even if the device is for the same purpose, if the model is not supported, the common specification part of the basic interface such as Centronics or RS232C interface will be used. It is impossible to control with a single device driver except for For this reason, it is common to prepare a dedicated device driver for one particular model.

FIG. 5 shows the configuration of a conventional device driver. In the figure, 1 is a device driver that controls the peripheral device, 5 is the operation of one step of the peripheral device, and 4 is a setting value that defines the operation of the peripheral device. Conventional device drivers have set values 4 in their programs that define the operation of peripheral devices as described above. Then, the set value 4 is referred to every time the operation 5 is performed.

However, when using multiple models, it is necessary to create or purchase a device driver for each specific model.
Additionally, reinstalling is inconvenient and often impossible. Additionally, it is not uncommon for a provider of a peripheral device to include a device driver for that device;
These device drivers are usually written for a specific operating system, so if you want to use the device on another operating system, you must create your own device driver.

[0008]

[Problem to be Solved by the Invention] As mentioned above, when using multiple peripheral device models, it is inconvenient to create or purchase a device driver for each specific model and then reinstall it. The problem was that it was impossible. In view of these points, it is an object of the present invention to provide means for configuring a device driver that easily controls a plurality of peripheral device models.

[0009]

[Means for Solving the Problems] The above problems are solved by a peripheral device control program configured as follows. FIG. 1 is a diagram showing the principle of the present invention.

In a control program 1 for controlling a peripheral device of a computer, an operating environment reference function 3 is provided to refer to an operating environment file 2 in which a dedicated operating environment setting value 4 for the peripheral device is set. The device is configured to refer to the setting value 4 of the operating environment file 2 when operating the device.

[0011]

[Operation] The operating environment reference function 3 of the control program 1 refers to the setting value 4 of the operating environment file 2 when operating a peripheral device.

0012

[Example] As a method of configuring a device driver that easily controls multiple peripheral device models, the dedicated operating environment settings for each peripheral device are separated from the device driver, and the operating environment is set. Create an operating environment file that collects only values, and configure the device driver to operate by referring to the file.

FIG. 2 shows the configuration of an embodiment of the present invention. In the figure, 1 is a device driver of the present invention that controls multiple peripheral device models, 2 is an operating environment file that collects operating environment settings dedicated to different peripheral devices for each model, and 3
is an operating environment reference function that refers to the operating environment file 2 when referring to the setting value 4 when operating the peripheral device in the device driver 1, 4 is the setting value that specifies the operation of the device, and 6 is the setting value for the peripheral device. The application programs to be used include an operating system (OS) 7 that controls the system, and an environment setting program 8 that creates an operating environment file.

In the figure, when an application program (hereinafter referred to as APL) 6 uses a peripheral device, an operation system (hereinafter referred to as OS) 7 that controls the system is used.
OS7 is a device driver (hereinafter referred to as DDV).
Issue a command to 1. In DDV1, the operating environment reference function 3 determines the setting value 4 when operating the peripheral device by referring to the operating environment file 2 which collects the setting value 4.
It operates using the setting value 4.

By creating different operating environment files 2 for the setting values 4 of a plurality of different peripheral devices in this way, it is possible to control different peripheral devices by changing the operating environment file 2 even if the DDV1 is the same. Furthermore, it is necessary to create the operating environment file 2 independently of the DDV1. Therefore, prepare an environment setting program that creates an operating environment file.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram of a system in which the environment setting program is used. In the figure, 10 is a computer that controls the system, 11 is a display device to which the computer 10 outputs information, and 12 is an input device to which the computer 10 inputs information. Other components having the same symbols as those in FIG. 2 are the same. The environment setting program 8 displays necessary setting values on the display device 11 and requests input. The input request screen of the display device 11 at this time is shown in FIG. In the environment setting screen shown in FIG. 4, the "■" mark indicates selection, and the "□" mark indicates non-selection. Here, some of the environment setting items are displayed when a single device driver supports multiple types of Centronics interface-compliant printer devices. In addition, the underlined part indicates the place where the operator inputs the numerical value, and the part with the numerical value written above it is written as this example, and when the operator actually inputs it. You will need to enter data based on the model you are using. If the field is left blank, it indicates that it has not been selected or that the device does not have the corresponding function. The setting value is input device 1
2, the environment setting program 8 displays the input information on the display device 11 for confirmation, and compiles the setting values to create an operating environment file 2.

The DDV 1 that has read the operating environment file 2 at the time of initialization makes settings regarding the environment setting items shown in FIG. 4 according to the information. In other words, changes in the recognition method for recognizing whether a cut sheet feeder is installed or not, as well as recognition of out-of-paper errors, etc., and changing the retry method for error retries due to device changes to be line by line or by byte. Make decisions such as: As a result, even in the case of a printer in which it is impossible to programmatically recognize whether a cut sheet feeder is installed or not, it is possible to indirectly recognize whether a cut sheet feeder is installed or not, and correct control becomes possible. Furthermore, even if the device cannot recognize the continuous sheet/single sheet state, it is possible to correctly recognize which state it is in depending on the settings, so that appropriate control can be performed.

[0018]

As is clear from the above description, the present invention has the industrial effect of easily configuring a device driver that controls a plurality of peripheral device models.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

[Figure 1] Principle diagram of the present invention

[Figure 2] Configuration diagram of an embodiment of the present invention

[Figure 3] Environment setting program system in an embodiment of the present invention

[Figure 4] Setting screen for operating environment for printer device

[Figure 5] Conventional control program

[Explanation of symbols]

1 Control program or device driver or D
DV2 operating environment file
3 Operating environment reference function 4 Setting values
5 Operation 6 Application program 7 Operating system 8 Environment setting program

Claims (1)

[Claims] [Claim 1] In a control program (1) that controls a peripheral device of a computer, an operating environment reference that refers to an operating environment file (2) in which a dedicated operating environment setting value (4) for the peripheral device is set. A control program for a peripheral device, characterized in that by providing a function (3), reference is made to the setting value (4) of the operating environment file (2) when operating the peripheral device (5).