Control method for peripheral device in host computer connectable to a plurality of peripheral devices
First Claim
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1. A system including a host computer connected to a bus and a peripheral device connected thereto, wherein said bus is connectable to a plurality of types of peripheral devices, each of a plurality of peripheral devices connected to said bus comprising:
- program memory means for storing a control program for controlling the peripheral device by the host computer in advance;
acceptance means for accepting a request command for requesting transfer of the control program from the host computer; and
transfer means for transferring the control program to said host computer in response to the request command accepted by said acceptance means, andsaid host computer comprising;
selection means for selecting each of said plurality of peripheral devices connected to said bus, one by one;
transmission means for transmitting the request command to the peripheral device selected by said selecting means;
receiving means for receiving the control program transferred from said selected peripheral device in response to the request command;
internal memory means for storing said control program received by said receiving means; and
control means for controlling said selected peripheral device with said control program stored in the internal memory means.
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Abstract
A method of loading a program on a host computer connectable to a plurality of peripheral devices includes inquiring a device type of a peripheral device connected thereto, knowing the type of the peripheral device by receiving a response to an inquiry, and loading a control program corresponding to the type.
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Citations
6 Claims
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1. A system including a host computer connected to a bus and a peripheral device connected thereto, wherein said bus is connectable to a plurality of types of peripheral devices, each of a plurality of peripheral devices connected to said bus comprising:
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program memory means for storing a control program for controlling the peripheral device by the host computer in advance; acceptance means for accepting a request command for requesting transfer of the control program from the host computer; and transfer means for transferring the control program to said host computer in response to the request command accepted by said acceptance means, and said host computer comprising; selection means for selecting each of said plurality of peripheral devices connected to said bus, one by one; transmission means for transmitting the request command to the peripheral device selected by said selecting means; receiving means for receiving the control program transferred from said selected peripheral device in response to the request command; internal memory means for storing said control program received by said receiving means; and control means for controlling said selected peripheral device with said control program stored in the internal memory means. - View Dependent Claims (2, 4)
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3. A method of loading a program on a host computer connected to a bus, from an external memory connected thereto, said external memory storing a plurality of control programs each corresponding to a plurality of types of peripheral devices connectable to the bus, respectively, said method comprising the steps of:
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issuing an identification number on the bus for checking whether the identification number is assigned to any of a plurality of peripheral devices connected to the bus; selecting a peripheral device in which the identification number is assigned, if a first response to the issue of the identification number is received within a predetermined interval; transmitting an inquiry command to the selected peripheral device for inquiring of the selected peripheral device about a device type thereof; receiving a second response representing the device type to said inquiry command from said selected peripheral device; determining the device type of said selected peripheral device on the basis of the second response; loading one of said plurality of control programs corresponding to the determined device type of said selected peripheral device on said host computer from said external memory; incrementing the identification number if the loading is completed or the first response in not received within the predetermined interval; and repeating the preceding steps with the incremented identification number until the incremented identification number exceeds a predetermined number.
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5. A method of controlling a peripheral device connected to a bus by a host computer connected thereto, wherein said host computer is connectable to a plurality of types of peripheral devices, comprising the steps of:
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providing each of a plurality of peripheral devices connected to said bus with a program memory storing a control program for controlling a respective peripheral device by the host computer in advance; selecting each of a plurality of peripheral devices connected to said bus, one by one; transmitting a request command from said host computer to the selected one of the peripheral devices for requesting transfer of the control program for controlling said selected peripheral device; transferring the control program from said selected peripheral device to said host computer in response to said request command; storing said control program transferred from said selected peripheral device in an internal memory in said host computer; controlling said selected peripheral device by said host computer with said control program stored in said internal memory; operating an operation unit on said peripheral device; determining control parameters by reading operation results on said operation unit by said peripheral device; transmitting a second request command from said host computer to said peripheral device for requesting transfer of the control parameters; transferring said control parameters determined by said determining step from said peripheral device to said host computer in response to said second request command; storing said control parameters transferred from said peripheral device in said internal memory in said host computer; and controlling said peripheral device by said host computer with said control program and said control parameters stored in said internal memory.
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6. A host computer connected to an external memory via a bus, said external memory storing a plurality of control programs each corresponding to a plurality of types of peripheral devices connectable to said bus, respectively, said host computer comprising:
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issuing means for issuing an identification number on the bus for checking whether the identification number is assigned to any of a plurality of peripheral devices connected to the bus; receiving means for receiving a response from one of said plurality of peripheral devices; selecting means for selecting a peripheral device to which the identification number is assigned, if a first response to the issue of the identification number is received by said receiving means within a predetermined interval; transmission means for transmitting an inquiry command to the peripheral device selected by said selecting means for inquiring of the selected peripheral device about a device type thereof; judging means for judging the device type of said selected peripheral device on the basis of a second response representing the device type to the inquiry command,, received by said receiving means; loading means for loading one of said plurality of control programs corresponding to the device type of said selected peripheral device on said host computer from said external memory; increment means for incrementing the identification number if the loading by said loading means is completed or the first response is not received within the predetermined interval; and control means for controlling said issuing means to issue the incremented identification number unless the incremented identification number exceeds a predetermined number.
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Specification