Drawer control device, drawer control method, and drawer control system

Abstract

To provide a drawer control device capable of highly accurately determining which of a drawer opening command process and another method has caused opening of a drawer device.SOLUTION: A drawer control device 1 comprises: a command reception unit 12 that receives a command; a connection detection unit 14 that detects the presence or absence of connection of a drawer device 8; a command processing unit 111 that starts a drawer opening command process upon reception of a drawer opening command, transmits a drawer opening signal for opening the drawer device 8 to set a process execution flag when the detection result of the connection detection unit 14 is connection, and ends the drawer opening command process when the detection result is non-connection; an opening / closing signal reception unit 15 that receives an opening / closing signal indicating the opened / closed state of the drawer device 8; and an opening cause determination unit 113 that determiners whether a drawer opening command process has caused opening of the drawer device 8 on the basis of whether the process execution flag has been set when the opening / closing signal indicates the opened state.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a drawer control device that controls a drawer device, a drawer control method, and a drawer control system. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, a POS system, a cash register, etc., uses a drawer device such as a cash drawer for storing coins, bills, and coupons. In order to control this drawer device, a drawer control device or a drawer control system including a drawer control device and a host terminal may be used. The drawer control device may be used independently or may be incorporated into a peripheral device of the POS system such as a printer. When the drawer control device receives a drawer open command from the host terminal, it starts a drawer open command process and transmits a drawer open signal. This opens the drawer device and sets it to an open state in which money can be put in and taken out of the storage tray. The drawer device may also be opened manually using a key or the like. When a drawer device is used in a POS system or a cash register, the drawer device is usually opened using a drawer open command. On the other hand, when fraud such as theft is committed, the drawer device is often opened manually. For this reason, a determination means for determining whether the drawer device has been opened by a drawer open command process started in response to a drawer open command from the host terminal or by another method may be provided in the drawer control system (see, for example, Patent Document 1, etc.). The drawer control system of Patent Document 1 starts processing the drawer open command when it receives a drawer open command, sets an open start flag to open the drawer device, and then clears the open start flag if the drawer device is closed. This drawer control system then periodically detects the open / closed state of the drawer device, checks the open start flag when it detects that the drawer device is open, and if the open start flag is not set, determines that the drawer was opened by a method other than the drawer open command processing. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 10-143761 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] However, the drawer control system of Patent Document 1 starts the drawer open command processing and sets the open start flag when it receives a drawer open command regardless of whether the drawer device is connected to the drawer control device, and the open start flag remains set until the drawer device is once in an open state and then in a blocked state. Therefore, if the drawer control device receives a drawer open command when the drawer device is not connected to the drawer control device, the open start flag continues to be set. Then, if a blocked drawer device is connected to the drawer control device in this state and the drawer device is opened by a method other than the drawer open command processing, the flag is set and it is erroneously determined that the opening is due to the drawer open command processing. In other words, there is a problem in that the accuracy of determining whether the opening is due to the drawer open command processing or by another method is low.

[0005] In view of the above circumstances, the present invention aims to provide a drawer control device, a drawer control method, and a drawer control system that can determine with high accuracy whether a drawer device has been opened by a drawer open command process or by some other method. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The present invention provides a drawer control device that achieves the above object, comprising: a command receiving unit that receives a command from a host terminal; a connection detection unit that detects whether a drawer device is connected; a command processing unit that starts a drawer open command process when the command receiving unit receives a drawer open command instructing to open the drawer device, transmits a drawer open signal for opening the drawer device and sets a process execution flag when the detection result of the connection detection unit indicates a connection, and ends the drawer open command process when the detection result indicates a no connection; an open / close signal receiving unit that receives an open / close signal indicating an open / close state of the drawer device from the drawer device; The device is characterized in that it is provided with an opening cause discrimination unit which, when the opening / closing signal received by the opening / closing signal receiving unit indicates an open state, determines whether the drawer device has been opened by the drawer open command processing based on whether the processing execution flag is set.

[0007] According to this drawer control device, even if the drawer open command is received, if the detection result of the connection detection unit is no connection, the drawer open command processing ends with the processing execution flag not being set. Therefore, even if the drawer device is connected after the drawer open command processing and then opened, the open cause determination unit can correctly determine whether the opening was due to the drawer open command processing or by some other method.

[0008] Here, the opening cause determination unit may determine whether or not the drawer device has been opened by the drawer open command processing based on whether or not the processing execution flag is set when the opening / closing signal received by the opening / closing signal receiving unit changes from one indicating a closed state to one indicating an open state.

[0009] The drawer control device may further include a flag clearing section that clears the process execution flag when a predetermined time has elapsed since the process execution flag was set.

[0010] In this drawer control device, even if the drawer open signal is sent but the drawer device does not enter an open state for some reason, the process execution flag is cleared after a predetermined time has elapsed, thereby preventing the drawer device from being mistakenly determined to have been opened by a method other than the drawer open command process.

[0011] Here, the flag clearing unit may clear the process execution flag when the detection result of the connection detection unit is no connection. Also, the flag clearing unit may clear the process execution flag when the open / close signal received by the open / close signal receiving unit changes from one indicating an open state to one indicating a closed state.

[0012] Furthermore, the drawer control device may be configured to further include a state information transmission unit that transmits connection status information indicating the presence or absence of the connection to the host terminal.

[0013] According to this aspect, the host terminal can use the connection presence / absence information to analyze in detail the status of the drawer device.

[0014] In addition, in this drawer control device, the status information transmission unit may transmit the connection presence / absence information, open / close information indicating the open / close state, and drawer open factor information indicating the determination result of the open factor determination unit to the host terminal.

[0015] In this way, the host terminal can analyze the status of the drawer device in more detail by using the open / close information and the drawer open cause information in addition to the connection / non-connection information.

[0016] Here, the status information transmitting unit may transmit the connection / non-connection information, the open / close information, and the drawer open factor information to the host terminal when the command received by the command receiving unit is a status inquiry command.

[0017] Also, in the drawer control device, a drawer status storage unit is provided for storing connection / non-connection information indicating the connection / non-connection, open / close information indicating the open / close state, and drawer open factor information indicating the determination result of the open factor determination unit; a status monitoring unit that monitors changes in the connection presence / absence information and changes in the open / close information; The device may further include a status information transmission unit that, when the status monitoring unit detects that at least one of the connection presence information and the open / close information has changed, transmits the connection presence information, the open / close information, and the drawer open factor information stored in the drawer status storage unit to the host terminal.

[0018] When the state of the drawer device changes between an open state and a closed state, or between a disconnected state and a connected state, the host terminal can immediately obtain the connection / disconnection information, the open / close information, and the drawer open cause information. Also, the host terminal can correctly recognize the state change of the drawer device.

[0019] The drawer control device of the present invention further comprises: a command receiving unit for receiving a drawer open command from the host terminal, the command instructing the opening of the drawer device; The above a connection detection unit that detects whether a drawer device is connected; an open / close signal receiving unit that receives an open / close signal indicating an open / close state of the drawer device from the drawer device; Indicates whether the connection is Connection status information and opening / closing information indicating the opening / closing state. of The above and a status information transmission unit that transmits the status information to the host terminal.

[0020] According to this drawer control device, the host terminal can analyze the status of the drawer device in detail using the connection presence / absence information.

[0021] The present invention provides a method for controlling a drawer that achieves the above object, comprising: a command receiving step of receiving a command from a host terminal; a connection detection step for detecting whether or not a drawer device is connected; a drawer open command processing step which is started when a drawer open command instructing to open the drawer device is received in the command receiving step, and which transmits a drawer open signal for opening the drawer device and sets a processing execution flag when the detection result in the connection detection step indicates a connection, and terminates the processing when the detection result indicates a no connection; an open signal receiving step of receiving an open / close signal indicating an open / close state of the drawer device; If the open / close signal received in the open signal receiving step indicates an open state, the method further comprises an open cause determination step of determining whether or not the drawer device has been opened by the drawer open command processing step based on whether or not the processing execution flag is set.

[0022] According to this drawer control method, even if the drawer open command is received, if the detection result of the connection detection unit is no connection, the drawer open command processing step ends with the process execution flag not being set, so it is possible to correctly determine whether the drawer device was opened by the drawer open command processing step or by some other method.

[0023] Here, the opening factor determination step may be a step of determining whether or not the drawer device has been opened by the drawer open command processing step based on whether or not the processing execution flag is set when the opening / closing signal received in the opening signal receiving step changes from one indicating a closed state to one indicating an open state.

[0024] The drawer control system of the present invention which solves the above object is: A drawer control system including a host terminal and a drawer control device, The drawer control device includes: a command receiving unit for receiving a command from the host terminal; a connection detection unit that detects whether a drawer device is connected; a command processing unit that starts a drawer open command process when the command receiving unit receives a drawer open command instructing to open the drawer device, transmits a drawer open signal for opening the drawer device and sets a process execution flag when the detection result of the connection detection unit indicates a connection, and ends the drawer open command process when the detection result indicates a no connection; an open / close signal receiving unit that receives an open / close signal indicating an open / close state of the drawer device by a signal level from the drawer device; a factor determining unit that, when the open / close signal received by the open / close signal receiving unit indicates a change in an open / close state, determines whether or not the change in the open / close state of the drawer device has occurred due to the drawer open command process based on whether or not the process execution flag is set; a status information transmission unit that transmits information indicating a determination result of the factor determination unit and information indicating the signal level to the host terminal, The host terminal is characterized by having a judgment unit that judges whether the drawer device has been opened by the drawer open command processing based on information indicating the judgment result of the factor judgment unit and information indicating the signal level transmitted from the status information transmission unit.

[0025] According to this drawer control system, even if the drawer control device receives the drawer open command, if the connection detection unit detects that there is no connection, the drawer control device ends the drawer open command processing with the process execution flag not set. Therefore, even if the drawer device is connected to the drawer control device after the drawer open command processing and then the drawer device is opened, the determination unit can correctly determine whether the opening was due to the drawer open command processing or by some other method. Effect of the Invention

[0026] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a drawer control device, a drawer control method, and a drawer control system that can determine with high accuracy whether a drawer device has been opened by a drawer open command process or by some other method. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0027] [Figure 1] 1 is a block diagram showing a hardware configuration of a drawer control device according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Diagram 2] 2 is a functional block diagram showing a functional configuration of the drawer control device shown in FIG. 1. [Diagram 3] 10 is a circuit diagram showing a configuration of a circuit that operates in response to a drawer open signal and a configuration of a circuit that generates a connection signal. FIG. [Figure 4] 2 is a flowchart showing the operation of the drawer control device shown in FIG. 1. [Diagram 5] 5 is a flowchart showing the operation of the drawer status information acquisition process shown in FIG. 4. [Figure 6] 5 is a flowchart showing an operation of a drawer open command process shown in FIG. 4. [Figure 7] 5 is a flowchart showing the operation of the drawer status notification process shown in FIG. 4. [Figure 8] 4 is a timing chart showing a normal operation of the drawer control device shown in FIG. 1. [Figure 9] 4 is a timing chart showing operations before and after the drawer control device shown in FIG. 1 is connected to the drawer device. [Figure 10] 6 is a flowchart similar to FIG. 5, showing the operation of a drawer status information acquisition process in the drawer control device 1 of the second embodiment. [Figure 11] 8 is a flowchart similar to FIG. 7, showing the operation of a drawer status notification process in the drawer control device 1 of the second embodiment. [Figure 12] 10 is a functional block diagram similar to FIG. 2, showing the functional configuration of a drawer control device 1 according to a third embodiment. FIG. [Figure 13] 10 is a flowchart similar to FIG. 5, showing the operation of a drawer status information acquisition process in the drawer control device 1 of the third embodiment. [Figure 14] 8 is a flowchart similar to FIG. 7, showing the operation of a drawer status notification process in the drawer control device 1 of the third embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0028] DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS The present invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. A drawer control device according to an embodiment of the present invention is connected to a host terminal and a drawer device of a POS system, and controls the drawer device in accordance with commands from the host terminal.

[0029] FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a hardware configuration of a drawer control device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0030] As shown in FIG. 1, the drawer control device 1 is connected to the drawer device 8 via a drawer interface 80. The drawer control device 1 is also connected to a host terminal 9 via a host interface cable 90. The drawer control system 10 is formed by the drawer control device 1, the host terminal 9, and the host interface cable 90. The drawer interface 80 is detachably attached to each of the drawer control device 1 and the drawer device 8. By removing the drawer interface 80, the drawer control device 1 and the drawer device 8 are in a disconnected state. Hereinafter, the disconnected state of the drawer control device 1 and the drawer device 8 may be referred to as a non-connected state, and the connected state of the drawer control device 1 and the drawer device 8 may be referred to as a connected state. By removing the host interface cable 90, the drawer control device 1 and the host terminal 9 are in a disconnected state. The drawer control device 1 and the host terminal 9 may be connected wirelessly. In addition, when the drawer control device 1 and the drawer device 8 are supplied with power independently, the drawer control device 1 and the drawer device 8 may also be connected wirelessly. It is preferable that the host terminal 9 is configured by a device having input and display functions, such as a tablet terminal or a PC.

[0031] The drawer device 8 is equipped with a solenoid 81 and an open / close detection switch 82. The solenoid 81 is for opening the drawer device 8 from a closed state. The solenoid 81 is driven by a drive current. Driving the solenoid 81 pushes out a storage tray that holds cash and the like, and the drawer device 8 opens. The open / close detection switch 82 is for detecting whether the drawer device 8 is open or closed. The detection result of the open / close detection switch 82 is sent to the drawer control device 1 via the drawer interface 80 as an open / close signal that indicates the open / close state of the drawer device 8.

[0032] The host terminal 9 transmits various commands, such as a drawer open command and a status inquiry command, to the drawer control device 1 via the host interface cable 90. In addition, the host terminal 9 receives internal status information (described later) and other information stored in the drawer control device 1 from the drawer control device 1 via the host interface cable 90.

[0033] The drawer control device 1 includes a CPU 101, a non-volatile memory 102, and a volatile memory 103. The CPU 101 controls the operation of the drawer control device 1 according to a program stored in the non-volatile memory 102. The CPU 101 also transmits and receives signals to and from the drawer device 8 via the drawer interface 80, and also performs data communication with the host terminal 9 via the host interface cable 90. A timer 1011 for measuring time is provided inside the CPU 101. The non-volatile memory 102 is configured with a ROM in which the above-mentioned program is stored. The volatile memory 103 is configured with a RAM in which data used while the drawer control device 1 is running is saved. The non-volatile memory 102 and the volatile memory 103 may be incorporated in the CPU 101.

[0034] FIG. 2 is a functional block diagram illustrating a functional configuration of the drawer control device illustrated in FIG.

[0035] 2, the drawer control device 1 includes, as its functional components, a control unit 11, a command receiving unit 12, a connection detection unit 14, an open / close signal receiving unit 15, a status information transmitting unit 16, and a drawer status saving unit 17. These functional components are realized by the CPU 101 shown in FIG. 1 operating in accordance with a program stored in the non-volatile memory 102 while utilizing the volatile memory 103.

[0036] The command receiving unit 12 receives various commands from the host terminal 9 and transmits the received commands to the control unit 11. The connection detecting unit 14 detects whether the drawer device 8 is connected to the drawer control device 1 by receiving a connection signal. That is, the connection detecting unit 14 detects whether the drawer device 8 is connected. The open / close signal receiving unit 15 receives an open / close signal indicating the open / close state of the drawer device 8 detected by the open / close detection switch 82. This open / close signal is a signal whose output level is switched depending on the open / close state of the drawer device 8. The open / close detection switch 82 of this embodiment transmits a high-level signal when it detects that the drawer device 8 is in an open state, and transmits a low-level signal when it detects that the drawer device 8 is in a closed state. Note that, depending on the type of drawer device 8, the meanings of the high-level signal and the low-level signal may be reversed. To deal with this, the meaning of the state (open state / closed state) of the drawer device 8 corresponding to the signal level (High / Low) of the open / close detection switch 82 may be configured to be switchable by a dip switch or memory switch provided in the drawer control device 1. The status information transmission unit 16 transmits internal status information stored in the drawer status storage unit 17 to the host terminal 9. The drawer status storage unit 17 stores internal status information including connection / non-connection information indicating whether the drawer device 8 is connected or not obtained from the detection result of the connection detection unit 14, open / close information indicating the open / close state of the drawer device 8 obtained from the open / close signal received by the open / close signal receiving unit 15, and drawer open factor information indicating the determination result of the open factor determination unit 113 described below. Since this drawer status storage unit 17 is a functional element realized by the volatile memory 103, the stored internal status information is erased when the power to the drawer control device 1 is shut off.

[0037] The control unit 11 includes a command processing unit 111, a status monitoring unit 112, an open cause discrimination unit 113, and a flag clearing unit 114. The command processing unit 111 discriminates various commands transmitted from the command receiving unit 12 and executes processing according to the command. The commands include a drawer open command and a status inquiry command. The content of the processing for these commands will be described later in detail. The status monitoring unit 112 monitors the connection presence / absence information of the drawer device 8 and the open / close information of the drawer device 8. When the status monitoring unit 112 detects that at least one of the connection presence / absence information and the open / close information has changed, the status information transmitting unit 16 transmits the internal status information stored in the drawer status saving unit 17 to the host terminal 9. When the signal received by the open / close signal receiving unit 15 has changed from one indicating a blocked state to one indicating an open state, the open cause discrimination unit 113 discriminates whether the opening of the drawer device 8 has been executed in response to a drawer open command from the host terminal 9 based on whether a processing execution flag described later is set. The command processing unit 111 executes a drawer open command process in response to a drawer open command, and sets a process execution flag if a predetermined condition is met. The flag clearing unit 114 clears the process execution flag set in the drawer open command process executed by the command processing unit 111 in response to the drawer open command when a predetermined time has elapsed since the flag was set. The flag clearing unit 114 also clears the process execution flag when the detection result of the connection detection unit 14 is no connection, or when the open / close signal received by the open / close signal receiving unit 15 changes from one indicating an open state to one indicating a closed state. Note that the process execution flag is set using the volatile memory 103, and therefore the set process execution flag is cleared when the power supply to the drawer control device 1 is cut off.

[0038] Fig. 3 is a circuit diagram showing the configuration of a circuit that operates in response to a drawer open signal and the configuration of a circuit for generating a connection signal. Fig. 3 also shows an open / closed detection switch 82 and a third GPIO 1014 that receives a signal from the open / closed detection switch 82. Fig. 3 also shows an input / output line to a solenoid 81 and a receiving line that receives a signal from the open / closed detection switch 82, both of which are provided in the drawer interface 80.

[0039] As shown in FIG. 3, the drawer control device 1 supplies 24V power to the solenoid 81 of the connected drawer device 8. When a drawer open signal is sent through the second GPIO 1013 provided in the CPU 101, a switching element 131 formed of an FET or a transistor is turned on, and a drive current flows through the solenoid 81. When the drive current flows, the solenoid 81 is driven to push out a storage tray provided in the drawer device 8, and the drawer device 8 is opened. The drawer open signal is sent through the second GPIO 1013 when a predetermined condition is satisfied in the drawer open command process. The connection signal of the drawer device 8 is generated by dividing the 24V supplied to the solenoid 81 by the voltage divider circuit 141. When the drawer device 8 is not connected, 0V is input to the first GPIO 1012 as a connection signal. When the drawer device 8 is connected, 3.3V is input to the first GPIO 1012 as a connection signal. This connection signal is received by the connection detector 14 (see FIG. 2), and thus the connection or non-connection of the drawer device 8 is detected. This detection by the connection detector 14 corresponds to an example of a connection detection step.

[0040] Next, a description will be given of the operation of the drawer control device 1. Fig. 4 is a flow chart showing the operation of the drawer control device shown in Fig. 1.

[0041] The drawer control device 1 periodically performs the drawer status information acquisition process shown in FIG. 5. As shown in FIG. 4, the drawer control device 1 first judges whether a preset time has elapsed since the previous drawer status information acquisition process (step S1). The preset time is measured by starting the timer 1011 at the start of the drawer status information acquisition process. In step S1, it is judged that the preset time has elapsed even if the previous drawer status information acquisition process has not been performed, for example, when the power is turned on. It can be judged that the previous drawer status information acquisition process has not been performed by the absence of internal status information in the drawer status storage unit 17 or the timer 1011 not being started. In this embodiment, the preset time is set to 20 msec. If the preset time has elapsed since the previous drawer status information acquisition process (YES in step S1), the drawer control device 1 starts the drawer status information acquisition process shown in FIG. 5 (step S2) and proceeds to step S3. If a preset time has not elapsed since the previous drawer status information acquisition process (NO in step S1), the process proceeds to step S3 without starting the drawer status information acquisition process.

[0042] In step S3, the command receiving unit 12 determines whether or not a drawer open command has been received. If a drawer open command has been received (YES in step S3), the drawer control device 1 starts the drawer open command process shown in Fig. 6 (step S4) and proceeds to step S5. This YES in step S3 corresponds to an example of a command receiving step. If a drawer open command has not been received (NO in step S3), the drawer control device 1 proceeds to step S5 without starting the drawer open command process.

[0043] In step S5, the command receiving unit 12 judges whether or not a status inquiry command has been received. If the status inquiry command has been received (YES in step S5), the drawer control device 1 starts the drawer status notification process shown in FIG. 7 (step S7) and returns to step S1. If the status inquiry command has not been received (NO in step S5), the state monitoring unit 112 judges whether or not a state change of the drawer device 8 has been detected (step S6). The state monitoring unit 112 detects a state change of the drawer device 8 based on whether or not the connection presence / absence information of the drawer device 8 or the open / close information of the drawer device 8 has changed among the internal status information stored in the drawer status storage unit 17. More specifically, in the drawer status information acquisition process described later, if at least one of the connection presence / absence information and the open / close information stored this time is different from the previous connection presence / absence information and the open / close information stored in the drawer status storage unit 17, the state monitoring unit 112 judges that the state of the drawer device 8 has changed. If the status monitoring unit 112 detects a change in the status of the drawer device 8 (YES in step S6), the drawer control device 1 starts the drawer status notification process shown in Fig. 7 (step S7) and returns to step S1. If the status monitoring unit 112 does not detect a change in the status of the drawer device 8 (NO in step S6), the drawer control device 1 returns to step S1 without starting the drawer open command process. The drawer control device 1 repeats the above operations until the power is cut off.

[0044] FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing the operation of the drawer status information acquisition process shown in FIG.

[0045] As shown in Fig. 5, in the drawer status information acquisition process, first, the connection detection unit 14 detects whether the drawer device 8 is connected or not, and acquires connection status information obtained from the detection result. The open / close signal receiving unit 15 receives an open / close signal, and acquires open / close information obtained from the open / close signal (step S21). This step S21 corresponds to an example of an open signal receiving step. Then, while the connection status information, open / close information, and drawer open cause information stored in the previous drawer status information acquisition process are left in the drawer status storage unit 17 as the previous internal status information, the connection status information and open / close information acquired in the current drawer status information acquisition process are stored in the drawer status storage unit 17 as new internal status information (step S22).

[0046] Next, it is determined whether the connection information in the internal status information stored this time indicates that the device is connected (step S23). If the connection information does not indicate that the device is connected, that is, that the device is not connected (NO in step S23), the flag clearing unit 114 clears the process execution flag (step S24), and the drawer status information acquisition process is terminated. If the process execution flag has already been cleared, the drawer status information acquisition process is terminated as is. If the connection information indicates that the device is connected (YES in step S23), the open / close information in the previous internal status information is compared with the open / close information in the internal status information stored this time to determine whether a change has occurred (step S25). In this step S25, if the internal status information stored last time does not exist in the drawer status storage unit 17, for example, at the time of the first drawer status information acquisition process after power-on, it is determined that a change has occurred. If the open / close information has not changed (NO in step S25), the drawer status information acquisition process is terminated. If the open / close information has changed (YES in step S25), it is determined whether the open / close information in the internal status information stored this time is open (step S26). If the open / close information is not open, that is, if the drawer device 8 is blocked (NO in step S26), the above-mentioned step S24 is executed, and the drawer status information acquisition process ends.

[0047] If the open / close information is open (YES in step S26), it is determined whether or not the process execution flag is set (step S27). If the process execution flag is not set, that is, if the process execution flag is cleared (NO in step S27), drawer open cause information indicating that the drawer device 8 has been opened by a method other than the drawer open command process is stored in the drawer status storage unit 17 as new internal status information (step S28), and the drawer status information acquisition process is terminated. If the process execution flag is set (YES in step S27), the process execution flag is cleared (step S29). Then, drawer open cause information indicating that the drawer device 8 has been opened by the drawer open command process is stored in the drawer status storage unit 17 as new internal status information (step S30), and the drawer status information acquisition process is terminated. The above-described steps S27 to S30 are steps executed by the open cause determination unit 113, and correspond to an example of an open cause determination step.

[0048] FIG. 6 is a flowchart showing the operation of the drawer open command process shown in FIG.

[0049] As shown in FIG. 6, in the drawer open command process, first, it is determined whether the connection information in the latest internal status information stored in the drawer status storage unit 17 indicates connection (step S41). If the connection information indicates no connection (NO in step S41), the drawer open command process is terminated. If the connection information indicates connection (YES in step S41), a drawer open signal is sent (step S42) and a process execution flag is set (step S43). These steps S41 to S43 are processes executed by the command processing unit 111, and correspond to an example of a drawer open command process step. Thereafter, the process waits until a predetermined time has elapsed (step S44). The predetermined time is measured by starting the timer 1011 when the process execution flag is set. This predetermined time is a sufficient time from when the drawer open signal is sent in step S42 until the solenoid 81 operates to place the drawer device 8 in an open state, and the open / close detection switch 82 detects the open state and transmits a signal indicating the open state. In this embodiment, the predetermined time is set to 2.0 sec. When the predetermined time has elapsed (YES in step S44), the process execution flag is cleared (step S45), and the drawer open command process ends. If the process execution flag has already been cleared, the drawer open command process ends as is. These steps S44 and S45 are processes executed by the flag clearing unit 114. Note that, in cases where it is expected that the drawer device 8 will always be in an open state when the drawer open signal is sent, these steps S44 and S45 may be omitted.

[0050] FIG. 7 is a flowchart showing the operation of the drawer status notification process shown in FIG.

[0051] As shown in Fig. 7, in the drawer status notification process, first, it is determined whether the connection information in the latest internal status information stored in the drawer status storage unit 17 indicates a connection (step S71). If the connection information indicates a disconnection (NO in step S71), information indicating that the drawer is in a disconnected state is transmitted to the host terminal 9 (step S72), and the drawer status notification process is terminated. The information on whether the drawer is connected is transmitted using 1-bit data as shown in Table 1. Here, bit 1 = 0 is transmitted from the status information transmission unit 16 as information indicating whether the drawer is connected.

[0052] [Table 1]

[0053] If the connection information indicates that the drawer is connected (YES in step S71), it is determined whether the open / close information in the latest internal status information stored in the drawer status storage unit 17 is open (step S73). If the open / close information is not open (NO in step S73), information indicating that the drawer device 8 is connected and information indicating that the drawer device 8 is in a blocked state are transmitted to the host terminal 9 (step S74), and the drawer status notification process is terminated. Information indicating that the drawer device 8 is in a blocked state is transmitted using 2-bit data as shown in Table 2, separately from the information indicating that the drawer is connected. This 2-bit data also includes information indicating whether the drawer device 8 has been opened by the drawer open command process. Here, bit1=1 is transmitted as information indicating that the drawer is connected, and separately, bit1=0 and bit2=0 are transmitted from the status information transmission unit 16 as information indicating that the drawer device 8 is in a blocked state. The drawer control device 1 performs an initial operation after power is turned on. If the command receiving unit 12 receives a status inquiry command during the execution of the initial operation, the initial operation of the drawer control device 1 is completed, and the first drawer state information acquisition process is executed, followed by the drawer status notification process. In this manner, the drawer control device 1 can transmit correct information regarding the status of the drawer device 8 to the host terminal 9. However, if the command receiving unit 12 receives a status inquiry command during the execution of the initial operation, it may transmit information indicating that this is the initial operation, or may transmit specific status information stored in the non-volatile memory 102 to the host terminal 9.

[0054] [Table 2]

[0055] If the open / close information is open (YES in step S73), it is determined whether the drawer open cause information in the latest internal status information stored in the drawer status storage unit 17 is open due to a drawer open command process (step S75). If the information indicates that the drawer device 8 has been opened by a method other than the drawer open command process (NO in step S75), information indicating that the drawer device 8 is connected and information indicating that the drawer device 8 is in an open state opened by a method other than the drawer open command process is transmitted to the host terminal 9 (step S76), and the drawer status notification process is terminated. Here, bit1=1 is transmitted as information indicating whether the drawer is connected, and separately, bit1=1 and bit2=0 are transmitted from the status information transmission unit 16 as information indicating that the drawer device 8 is in an open state opened by a method other than the drawer open command process.

[0056] If the drawer open cause information in the latest internal status information is information indicating that the drawer device 8 has been opened by the drawer open command processing (YES in step S75), information indicating that the drawer device 8 is connected and information indicating that it is in an open state opened by the drawer open command processing is sent to the host terminal 9 (step S77), and the drawer status notification processing ends. Here, bit 1=1 is sent as information indicating whether the drawer is connected, and separately, bit 1=1 and bit 2=1 are sent as information indicating that the drawer device 8 is in an open state opened by the drawer open command processing.

[0057] Next, the operation of this drawer control device 1 will be described using a timing chart. Figure 8 is a timing chart showing normal operation of the drawer control device shown in Figure 1. In Figure 8, the reference characters A indicate processing operations inside the drawer control device 1, the reference characters B indicate the state of the drawer device 8, the reference characters C indicate information stored in the volatile memory 103, and the reference characters D indicate status information of the drawer device 8 acquired by the host terminal 9.

[0058] When the command receiving unit 12 receives a drawer open command during normal operation when the drawer device 8 is connected to the drawer control device 1 as shown in B1, a drawer open command process is executed as shown in A1. This process puts the drawer device 8 in an open state as shown in B2, and a process execution flag is set as shown in C1. When the periodically executed drawer status information acquisition process is executed as shown in A2, the open state is stored in the drawer status storage unit 17 as open / close information of the internal status information as shown in C3, and information indicating that the drawer device 8 has been opened by the drawer open command process is stored in the drawer status storage unit 17 as drawer open cause information of the internal status information as shown in C4. In addition, the process execution flag is cleared as shown in C1. This drawer status information acquisition process is executed so that the status monitoring unit 112 detects a change in the open / close information, and a drawer status notification process is executed as shown in A3. This drawer status notification process transmits information indicating that the drawer device 8 is connected and information indicating that the drawer is in an open state opened by the drawer open command process to the host terminal 9. This enables the host terminal 9 to obtain status information of the drawer device 8, such as that the drawer device 8 is connected to the drawer control device 1 as shown in D1, that the drawer device 8 has been opened as shown in D2, and that the drawer device 8 has been opened by processing a drawer open command as shown in D3.

[0059] Fig. 9 is a timing chart showing operations before and after connection of the drawer device in the drawer control device shown in Fig. 1. The reference characters A to D in Fig. 9 are the same as those in Fig. 8.

[0060] If the command receiving unit 12 receives a drawer open command when the drawer device 8 is not connected to the drawer control device 1 as shown in B1, then a drawer open command process is executed as shown in A1. However, because the drawer device 8 is not connected, the process execution flag is not set and the drawer open command process ends. Next, as shown in A2, a periodic drawer status information acquisition process is executed, but in the first drawer status information acquisition process, as shown in C2, "no connection" is stored in the drawer status storage unit 17 as connection presence / absence information in the internal status information, and the drawer status information acquisition process ends. Note that the process execution flag has already been cleared as shown in C1, so it remains as it is.

[0061] Next, when the drawer device 8 in a blocked state is connected to the drawer control device 1 as shown in B1, and the next drawer status information acquisition process is executed as shown in A2, "connected" is stored in the connection status information of the internal status information as shown in C2. Then, "blocked" is stored in the drawer status storage unit 17 as open / close information of the internal status information as shown in C3. Furthermore, as a result of this drawer status information acquisition process being executed, the status monitoring unit 112 detects a change in the connection status information, and a drawer status notification process is executed as shown in A3. This drawer status notification process transmits information indicating that the drawer device 8 is connected and information indicating that the drawer device 8 is in a blocked state to the host terminal 9. As a result, the host terminal 9 can acquire, as status information of the drawer device 8, that the drawer device 8 is connected to the drawer control device 1 as shown in D1, and that the drawer device 8 is in a blocked state as shown in D2.

[0062] Thereafter, when the drawer device 8 is manually opened as shown in B2, and the next drawer status information acquisition process is executed as shown in A2, the open state is stored in the drawer status storage unit 17 as open / close information of the internal status information as shown in C3, and information indicating that the drawer device 8 has been opened by a method other than the drawer open command processing is stored in the drawer status storage unit 17 as drawer open cause information of the internal status information as shown in C4. By executing this drawer status information acquisition process, the status monitoring unit 112 detects a change in the open / close information, and a drawer status notification process is executed as shown in A3. By this drawer status notification process, information indicating that the drawer device 8 is connected and information indicating that the drawer device 8 is in an open state that has been opened by a method other than the drawer open command processing are transmitted to the host terminal 9. As a result, the host terminal 9 can acquire, as status information of the drawer device 8, that the drawer device 8 is connected to the drawer control device 1 as shown in D1, that the drawer device 8 has been opened as shown in D2, and that the drawer device 8 has been opened by a method other than the drawer open command processing as shown in D3.

[0063] According to the drawer control device 1 of this embodiment, even if the command receiving unit 12 receives a drawer open command and starts the drawer open command process, if the drawer device 8 is not connected, the drawer open command process is terminated. Therefore, the process execution flag is not set even if the drawer device 8 is not connected. As a result, even if the drawer open command process is executed before the drawer device 8 is connected, and then the drawer device 8 is opened, it is possible to correctly determine whether the opening is due to the drawer open command process or a method other than the above. In addition, since the flag clearing unit 114 is provided, even if the drawer device 8 does not enter an open state due to factors such as the storage tray being pressed in the closing direction or a structural failure occurring in the drawer device 8, even if the drawer open signal is transmitted but the drawer device 8 does not enter an open state due to factors such as the storage tray being pressed in the closing direction or a structural failure occurring in the drawer device 8, the process execution flag is not left set. As a result, even if the drawer device 8 is opened next time by a method other than the drawer open command process, it is possible to correctly determine that the opening of the drawer device 8 is by a method other than the drawer open command process. In addition, since the connection / non-connection information, the open / close information, and the drawer open factor information are transmitted to the host terminal 9, the host terminal 9 can analyze the status of the drawer device 8 in detail. This makes it easier to grasp the status when, for example, fraud has been committed on the drawer device 8. In addition, since the status monitoring unit 112 starts the drawer status notification process in response to a change in the connection / non-connection information or the open / close information, the host terminal 9 can immediately recognize the change when a status change occurs in the drawer device 8. In addition, the host terminal 9 can correctly recognize the status change of the drawer device 8. Furthermore, since information related to the open / close of the drawer device 8 is transmitted to the host terminal 9 using 2-bit data in which the information indicating the open / close state is set as bit 1 and the drawer open factor information is set as bit 2, the host terminal 9 that does not need the drawer open factor information can recognize the open / close state by referring only to bit 1. In addition, even if the host terminal 9 can only handle 1-bit data as the open / close state information, the open / close state of the drawer device 8 can be recognized without changing the configuration because the information on the open / close state of the drawer device 8 is set in bit 1.In addition, when the drawer device 8 is connected to the drawer control device 1, a drawer status notification process is executed, so that the host terminal 9 can recognize whether the drawer device 8 is connected to the drawer control device 1 in an open state or in a closed state.

[0064] Next, a second embodiment of the drawer control device 1 will be described. In the following description, components having the same names as those previously described will be assigned the same reference numerals, and duplicate descriptions may be omitted. This second embodiment is an embodiment that allows the open / close information and the drawer open factor information to be sent to the host terminal 9 even if the connection detection of the drawer device 8 fails for some reason or does not function.

[0065] FIG. 10 is a flowchart similar to FIG. 5, showing the operation of the drawer status information acquisition process in the drawer control device 1 of the second embodiment.

[0066] As shown in Fig. 10, the drawer control device 1 of the second embodiment differs from the drawer status information acquisition process of the previous embodiment in that it omits step S23 shown in Fig. 5. By omitting step S23, even if connection detection of the drawer device 8 fails or does not function, the processes from step S25 onwards are executed, making it possible to determine whether the drawer device 8 has been opened by the drawer open command process.

[0067] FIG. 11 is a flowchart similar to FIG. 7, showing the operation of the drawer status notification process in the drawer control device 1 of the second embodiment.

[0068] As shown in FIG. 11, the drawer control device 1 of the second embodiment differs from the drawer status notification process of the previous embodiment in that it executes the processes of steps S81 to S85 instead of step S72 shown in FIG. 7. If the connection presence / absence information indicates no connection (NO in step S71), it is determined whether the open / close information in the latest internal status information stored in the drawer status storage unit 17 is open (step S81). If the open / close information is not open (NO in step S81), information indicating that the drawer device 8 is in a non-connected state and information indicating that the drawer device 8 is in a blocked state are transmitted to the host terminal 9 (step S82), and the drawer status notification process is terminated. That is, bit1=0 is transmitted from the status information transmission unit 16 as the information shown in Table 1, and bit1=0 and bit2=0 are transmitted as the information shown in Table 2.

[0069] If the open / close information is open (YES in step S81), it is determined whether the drawer open cause information in the latest internal status information stored in the drawer status storage unit 17 is open due to a drawer open command process (step S83). If the information indicates that the drawer device 8 has been opened by a method other than the drawer open command process (NO in step S83), information indicating that the drawer device 8 is in a non-connected state and information indicating that the drawer device 8 is in an open state that has been opened by a method other than the drawer open command process is transmitted to the host terminal 9 (step S84), and the drawer status notification process is terminated. That is, bit1=0 is transmitted from the status information transmission unit 16 as the information shown in Table 1, and bit1=1 and bit2=0 are transmitted as the information shown in Table 2.

[0070] If the drawer open cause information in the latest internal status information is information indicating that the drawer device 8 has been opened by the drawer open command processing (YES in step S83), information indicating that the drawer device 8 is in a non-connected state and information indicating that it is in an open state opened by the drawer open command processing is transmitted to the host terminal 9 (step S85), and the drawer status notification processing is terminated. That is, bit1=0 is transmitted from the status information transmitting unit 16 as the information shown in Table 1, and bit1=1 and bit2=1 are transmitted as the information shown in Table 2.

[0071] In addition to the effects of the previous embodiment, the second embodiment also has the effect of being able to transmit open / close information and drawer open factor information to the host terminal 9 even when the connection detection of the drawer device 8 does not function properly. However, when the connection detection operates normally and the drawer device 8 is in a disconnected state, it would normally be sufficient to transmit only the information shown in Table 1, but the second embodiment has the disadvantage that in addition to the information shown in Table 1, the information shown in Table 2 is also transmitted to the host terminal 9.

[0072] Next, a description will be given of the drawer control device 1 and the host terminal 9 of the third embodiment. The open / close detection switch 82 of the drawer device 8 includes a switch that transmits a high-level signal when it detects an open state and a low-level signal when it detects a blocked state, and a switch that transmits a low-level signal when it detects an open state and a high-level signal when it detects a blocked state. This third embodiment is an embodiment in which relationship information of the open / close state of the drawer device 8 corresponding to the signal level of the open / close signal received by the open / close signal receiving unit 15 is not stored in the non-volatile memory 102 or the volatile memory 103 of the drawer control device 1. In other words, it can also be said to be an embodiment in which the drawer control device 1 cannot understand the meaning of the open / close signal.

[0073] FIG. 12 is a functional block diagram similar to FIG. 2, showing the functional configuration of the drawer control device 1 of the third embodiment.

[0074] As shown in FIG. 12, the drawer control device 1 of the third embodiment is different from the previous embodiment in that a factor discrimination unit 115 is provided instead of the open factor discrimination unit 113, and a judgment unit 91 is provided in the host terminal 9. As described above, in the third embodiment, the drawer control device 1 does not have relationship information between the signal level of the open / close signal received by the open / close signal receiving unit 15 and the open / close state of the drawer device 8. For this reason, the drawer control device 1 cannot recognize the open / close state of the drawer device 8. When the open / close signal received by the open / close signal receiving unit 15 indicates a change in the open / close state, the factor discrimination unit 115 judges whether the change in the open / close state has occurred in response to a drawer open command based on whether the processing execution flag is set. In other words, when the signal level of the open / close signal switches between a high level and a low level, the factor discrimination unit 115 judges whether the state change is due to the drawer open command processing or due to something else, while the open / close state of the drawer device 8 remains unknown. The host terminal 9 is provided with a memory such as a non-volatile memory (not shown) and a CPU (not shown), and the CPU executes a program while referring to the memory in the host terminal 9 to realize the determination unit 91. The memory in the host terminal 9 stores relationship information between the signal level of the open / close signal and the open / close state of the drawer device 8. The determination unit 91 determines whether or not the drawer device 8 has been opened by the drawer open command process based on the relationship information, information indicating the determination result of the cause determination unit 115, and information indicating the signal level.

[0075] FIG. 13 is a flowchart similar to FIG. 5, showing the operation of the drawer status information acquisition process in the drawer control device 1 of the third embodiment.

[0076] As shown in FIG. 13, in the drawer state information acquisition process of the third embodiment, the connection detection unit 14 first detects whether the drawer device 8 is connected and acquires connection / non-connection information obtained from the detection result. The open / close signal receiving unit 15 receives the open / close signal and acquires information indicating the signal level of the open / close signal (step S210). Hereinafter, the information indicating the signal level of the open / close signal is referred to as open / close signal information. This step S210 corresponds to an example of an open signal receiving step. Then, while the connection / non-connection information, open / close signal information, and drawer state change factor information described later that were saved in the previous drawer state information acquisition process are left in the drawer state saving unit 17 as the previous internal status information, the connection / non-connection information and open / close signal information acquired in the current drawer state information acquisition process are saved in the drawer state saving unit 17 as new internal status information (step S220).

[0077] In step S250, the open / close signal information of the previous internal status information is compared with the open / close signal information in the currently saved internal status information to determine whether a change has occurred. In this step S250, if the previously saved internal status information does not exist in the drawer status saving unit 17, such as during the first drawer status information acquisition process after power-on, it is determined that a change has occurred. If the open / close signal information does not indicate a change in the open / close state (NO in step S250), that is, if the signal level of the open / close signal has not switched between High and Low levels, the drawer status information acquisition process is terminated. If the open / close signal information indicates a change in the open / close state (YES in step S250), that is, if the signal level of the open / close signal has switched between High and Low levels, step S26 in the previous embodiment is omitted and step S27 is executed.

[0078] If the process execution flag is not set (NO in step S27), the drawer state change factor information indicating that a state change of the drawer device 8 has occurred due to a method other than the drawer open command process is stored in the drawer state storage unit 17 as new internal status information (step S280), and the drawer state information acquisition process is terminated. Hereinafter, the drawer state change factor information indicating that a state change of the drawer device 8 has occurred due to a method other than the drawer open command process may be referred to as non-command open / close state change information. If the process execution flag is set (YES in step S27), the process execution flag is cleared (step S29). Then, the drawer state change factor information indicating that a state change of the drawer device 8 has occurred due to the drawer open command process is stored in the drawer state storage unit 17 as new internal status information (step S300), and the drawer state information acquisition process is terminated. Hereinafter, the drawer state change factor information indicating that a state change of the drawer device 8 has occurred due to the drawer open command process may be referred to as command open / close state change information. The above-described steps S27, S280, S29, and S300 are steps executed by the factor determination unit 115, and correspond to an example of a factor determination step. Note that the drawer device 8 of this embodiment is configured such that it cannot be put into a blocked state by command processing. For this reason, when it is determined that a state change of the drawer device 8 has occurred as a result of the drawer open command processing (YES in step S27), it can be determined that the drawer device 8 is in an open state due to the drawer open command processing. In other words, the factor determination unit 115 can also be called an open factor determination unit in the sense that it can distinguish whether the drawer device 8 is in an open state due to the drawer open command processing or in another state.

[0079] FIG. 14 is a flowchart similar to FIG. 7, showing the operation of the drawer status notification process in the drawer control device 1 of the third embodiment.

[0080] As shown in FIG. 14, if the connection information indicates that the connection is established (YES in step S71), it is determined whether the open / close signal information in the latest internal status information stored in the drawer status storage unit 17 is at a high level (step S730). If the open / close signal information is not at a high level (NO in step S730), it is determined whether the drawer status change factor information in the latest internal status information is command open / close state change information (step S91). If the drawer status change factor information is not command open / close state change information, that is, non-command open / close state change information (NO in step S91), information indicating that the drawer device 8 is connected and information indicating that a state change in the drawer device 8 has occurred by a method other than the drawer open command processing and that the open / close signal is at a low level are transmitted to the host terminal 9 (step S93), and the drawer status notification process is terminated. The information indicating that a state change in the drawer device 8 has occurred by a method other than the drawer open command processing and that the open / close signal is at a low level is transmitted using 2-bit data as shown in Table 3, separately from the information on whether the drawer is connected. Here, bit1=1 is sent as information indicating whether or not the drawer is connected, and separately, bit1=0 and bit2=0 are sent from the status information sending unit 16 as information indicating that a change in the status of the drawer device 8 has occurred due to a method other than the drawer open command processing and the open / close signal is at a low level. The data shown in Table 3 corresponds to an example of information indicating the determination result of the cause determination unit 115 and information indicating the signal level of the open / close signal. Note that the data in Table 3 indicates whether Bit1 is at a high level or a low level, and Bit2 indicates whether the status is due to a command or a method other than a command. Therefore, if the host device 9 needs only one of the pieces of information, the host device 9 can obtain the necessary information by simply checking either Bit1 or Bit2.

[0081] [Table 3]

[0082] If the drawer state change cause information is command open / close state change information (YES in step S91), information indicating that the drawer device 8 is connected and information indicating that a state change has occurred in the drawer device 8 as a result of the drawer open command processing and that the open / close signal is at low level is sent to the host terminal 9 (step S93), and the drawer status notification process ends. Here, bit1=1 is sent as information indicating whether the drawer is connected or not, and separately, bit1=0 and bit2=1 are sent from the state information transmitter 16 as information indicating that a state change has occurred in the drawer device 8 as a result of the drawer open command processing and that the open / close signal is at low level.

[0083] If the open / close signal information is at a high level (YES in step S730), it is determined whether the drawer state change cause information in the latest internal status information is command open / close state change information (step S750). If the drawer state change cause information is not command open / close state change information, i.e., non-command open / close state change information (NO in step S750), information indicating that the drawer device 8 is connected and information indicating that a state change in the drawer device 8 has occurred by a method other than the drawer open command processing and that the open / close signal is at a high level are transmitted to the host terminal 9 (step S760), and the drawer status notification process is terminated. Here, bit1=1 is transmitted as information indicating whether the drawer is connected, and separately, bit1=1 and bit2=0 are transmitted from the status information transmission unit 16 as information indicating that a state change in the drawer device 8 has occurred by a method other than the drawer open command processing and that the open / close signal is at a high level.

[0084] If the drawer state change factor information is command open / close state change information (YES in step S750), information indicating that the drawer device 8 is connected and information indicating that the drawer device 8 has changed in state due to the drawer open command processing and the open / close signal is at high level are transmitted to the host terminal 9 (step S770), and the drawer status notification process is terminated. Here, bit1=1 is transmitted as information indicating whether the drawer is connected or not, and separately, bit1=1 and bit2=1 are transmitted from the state information transmitting unit 16 as information indicating that the drawer device 8 has changed in state due to the drawer open command processing and the open / close signal is at high level. The above-described steps S92, S93, S760, and S770 correspond to an example of a state information transmitting step. As described above, since the drawer device 8 of this embodiment is configured in such a way that it cannot be put into a blocked state by command processing, one of steps S92 and S770, which indicates a blocked state due to command processing, is not used.

[0085] The determination unit 91 of the host terminal 9 shown in Fig. 12 acquires status information of the drawer device 8 transmitted from the status information transmission unit 16 of the drawer control device 1, and information on the relationship between the signal level of the open / close signal and the open / close state of the drawer device 8, which is stored in a memory (not shown) of the host terminal 9. Then, based on the information, it determines whether the drawer device 8 is in an open state or a closed state, and if it is in an open state, whether the drawer device 8 has been opened by the drawer open command processing. This determination by the determination unit 91 corresponds to an example of a determination step. The determination unit 91 also stores the determination result in the memory of the host terminal 9.

[0086] In the third embodiment, the drawer control system 10 has the same effects as those of the previous embodiment. Also, since the drawer control device 1 does not need to accommodate differences in the signal level of the open / close detection switch 82 due to the type of drawer device 8, the versatility of the drawer control device 1 is improved.

[0087] The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and various modifications can be made within the scope of the claims. For example, in this embodiment, the drawer control device 1 is provided separately from the drawer device 8, but the drawer control device 1 may be incorporated into the drawer device 8. The drawer control device 1 may also be incorporated into another peripheral device, such as a printer, or into the host terminal 9.

[0088] In addition, even if a constituent element is included only in the description of the embodiment or each modified example described above, that constituent element may be applied to other embodiments or other modified examples. [Explanation of symbols]

[0089] 1 Drawer control device 8 Drawer device 9. Host Terminal 12 Command receiver 14 Connection detection section 15 Opening and closing signal receiver 111 Command processing section 113 Open factor determination unit

Claims

1. A command receiving unit that receives a command from a host terminal; a connection detection unit that detects whether a drawer device is connected; a command processing unit that starts a drawer open command process when the command receiving unit receives a drawer open command instructing to open the drawer device, transmits a drawer open signal for opening the drawer device and sets a process execution flag when the detection result of the connection detection unit indicates a connection, and ends the drawer open command process when the detection result indicates a no connection; an open / close signal receiving unit that receives an open / close signal indicating an open / close state of the drawer device from the drawer device; A drawer control device characterized by comprising: an opening cause discrimination unit that, when the opening / closing signal received by the opening / closing signal receiving unit indicates an open state, determines whether the drawer device has been opened by the drawer open command processing based on whether the processing execution flag is set.

2. 2. The drawer control device according to claim 1, further comprising a flag clearing section for clearing the process execution flag when a predetermined time has elapsed since the process execution flag was set.

3. 3. The drawer control device according to claim 1, further comprising a status information transmission unit for transmitting connection status information indicating the presence or absence of connection to the host terminal.

4. The drawer control device according to claim 3, characterized in that the status information transmission unit transmits the connection presence / absence information, open / close information indicating the open / close state, and drawer open factor information indicating the determination result of the open factor determination unit to the host terminal.

5. a drawer status storage unit for storing connection / non-connection information indicating the connection / non-connection, open / close information indicating the open / close state, and drawer open factor information indicating a determination result of the open factor determination unit; a status monitoring unit that monitors changes in the connection / disconnection information and changes in the open / close information; 3. The drawer control device according to claim 1, further comprising a status information transmission unit that transmits to the host terminal the connection / non-connection information, the open / close information, and the drawer open cause information stored in the drawer status storage unit when the status monitoring unit detects that at least one of the connection / non-connection information and the open / close information has changed.

6. A command receiving step of receiving a command from a host terminal; a connection detection step for detecting whether or not a drawer device is connected; a drawer open command processing step which is started when a drawer open command instructing to open the drawer device is received in the command receiving step, and which transmits a drawer open signal for opening the drawer device and sets a processing execution flag when the detection result in the connection detection step indicates a connection, and terminates the processing when the detection result indicates a no connection; an open signal receiving step of receiving an open / close signal indicating an open / close state of the drawer device; and an open cause determination step for determining whether the drawer device has been opened by the drawer open command processing step based on whether the processing execution flag is set when the open / close signal received in the open signal receiving step indicates an open state.

7. A drawer control system comprising a host terminal and a drawer control device, The drawer control device includes: a command receiving unit for receiving a command from the host terminal; a connection detection unit that detects whether a drawer device is connected; a command processing unit that starts a drawer open command process when the command receiving unit receives a drawer open command instructing to open the drawer device, transmits a drawer open signal for opening the drawer device and sets a process execution flag when the detection result of the connection detection unit indicates a connection, and ends the drawer open command process when the detection result indicates a no connection; an open / close signal receiving unit that receives an open / close signal indicating an open / close state of the drawer device by a signal level from the drawer device; a factor determining unit that, when the open / close signal received by the open / close signal receiving unit indicates a change in an open / close state, determines whether or not the change in the open / close state of the drawer device has occurred due to the drawer open command process based on whether or not the process execution flag is set; a status information transmission unit that transmits information indicating a determination result of the factor determination unit and information indicating the signal level to the host terminal, The host terminal is characterized in that it has a judgment unit that judges whether the drawer device has been opened by the drawer open command processing based on information indicating the judgment result of the factor judgment unit and information indicating the signal level transmitted from the status information transmission unit.

Images