AU703514B2 - Data processing system and method and remote acquisition systems comprising said system - Google Patents

Description

"Data processing system and method and remote data acquisition systems comprising said system"

DESCRIPTION

The present invention relates to a data processing system. It also relates to a method used in this system and to remote data acquisition systems comprising this system.

The acquisition of data from geographically dispersed sites, in particular from points-of-sale, carried out for statistical purposes is of considerable economic importance when, for example, it constitutes one of the links in a profit calculating process. This data acquisition must be carried out under the best possible condition of reliability without however generating excess work and whilst offering great flexibility of processing in particular with respect to the nature of the data to be acquired and processed.

Now, the local sites at which data acquisition is performed are generally equipped with management terminals which generate data which are often the raw material of the acquisitions. These management terminals are very often produced on the basis of a micro-computer comprising a central control and processing unit and accepting software and software packages. Furthermore, these management terminals are very often connected with remote server centres via a telecommunications network. In the case of pharmaceutical dispensaries, the latter are generally equipped with terminals connected by telephone lines to distribution centres in order to place orders for pharmaceutical or parapharmaceutical patent medicines.

A statistical data acquisition system is already known from the French patent application N' 2635626

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of 18 August 1988 in the name of IMS FRANCE. This system uses local acquisition devices connected to dispensary telephone lines. These acquisition devices detect, identify and store data carried on this line.

The stored data is then transmitted via che telephone system to a central site at predetermined times. This system is not designed to acquire data other than data carried on telephone lines. Furthermore, problems related to the adaptation of this system are encountered whenever it is a matter of providing the identification of new communications protocols.

From the French patent application No 92 04104 of 3 April 1992 in the name of the present applicants, there is also known a system for the remote acquisition of data from a group of local acquisition sites at a central site comprising central control and processing means, each local site comprising local data acquisition means and being connected to a telecommunications network. In this system, local sites are equipped with management terminals respectively connected to at least one telephone line which is provided at each of the said sites, and the local acquisition means are designed to identify any transmission of data between these management terminals and remote management centres via the respective telephone lines, in order to acquire the transmitted data and to store it directly in the local storage means, without local processing of this acquired data.

Remote acquisition systems of the prior art assume the installation in the local sites of acquisition devices which are connected to a telephone line on which is carried data which is required to be acquired remotely. These acquisition devices must furthermore acquire data coming from management terminals and 3 which is not carried by a telephone line. Now, when the volume of data to be acquired and processed is large, the problem of the slow speed of local data transfers from the management terminals to the local acquisition device very quickly arises because these transfers are very often carried out over a serial interface.

Furthermore, these local data transfers can interfere, in particular by slowing down processing, with the general management operations carried out by the terminals, which is not very acceptable in a pharmaceutical dispensary or, more generally, at any point-of-sale, because continuity and quality of service come above any other statistical processing consideration.

The American patent US 4 833 618 thus describes a system for the acquisition and automatic storage of metering data, comprising at the level of each subscriber a local data acquisition and transmission unit and, at the level of a central site, two processing units called "active" and "reserve" respectively, each associated with a storage unit and able to communicate with each other. The arrangement of these storage units cannot allow processing of the data stored in the active storage unit by the reserve processing unit without interfering with the functioning of the active processing unit. In effect, the storage units are each connected to a processing unit which then constitutes a compulsory point which has to be passed through in order to gain access to the storage unit which is associated with it.

The American patent US 5 093 780 discloses a transmission system between two processors which makes use of a data interface device. Each processor is associated with a separate memory unit. The data interface device comprises two Direct Memory Access (DMA) devices associated with each processor

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4 respectively and coupled to respective busses. This data interface device connects the respective busses of the two processors. Access by a first processor to a memory unit of the second processor therefore involves the use of both busses, and in particular of the bus associated with the second processor. This access cannot therefore be achieved without interfering with the operation of this second processor, since it will be necessary to have the simultaneous presence on the bus of, on the one hand, transmissions of instructions and of data managed by the second processor and, on the other hand, transfers of data from the second memory unit to the first processor. The transmission system described in this document does not therefore make it possible to achieve the previously mentioned objectives since it involves a necessary interference between the two processings.

The purpose of the invention is to overcome these disadvantages by proposing a data processing system which can simultaneously provide the principal management tasks and the principal data processing tasks, and perform processing and transfer operations without disturbing the running of the principal tasks.

According to the invention, the data processing system comprising, on the one hand, a first unit called the principal unit for processing data and connected to a first system bus called the principal bus and first means of storing data in a non-volatile manner, connected to this principal bus via first control means, and, on the other hand, at least a second unit called a secondary unit for processing data and connected to a second system bus called the secondary bus via second control means, is characterized in that it furthermore comprises means of interconnecting the first and second control means and in that the secondary processing unit is arranged to process data stored in the first non-volatile storage means without

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interfering in the operation of the principal processing unit, these stored data being accessible for reading by the secondary processing unit via the connecting means and the first and second control means.

Thus, with the system according to the invention, processing operations can be carried out by a second processing unit on data processed by a first processing unit, whilst preserving the extent of guarantee associated with the provision of service corresponding to the processings carried out by the first processing unit.

According to a preferred embodiment of the invention, the data processing system, furthermore comprising first means of communicating with a first group of external processing and/or management sites via a telecommunications network, these first communication means being connected to the principal processing unit via a first system bus called the principal bus, is characterized in that at least one of the secondary processing units is designed to process data relating to data exchanges carried out between the principal processing unit and external processing and/or management sites and stored in the first nonvolatile storage means.

The system according to the invention can furthermore comprise second means of communicating with a second group of management and/or processing sites via the first telecommunications network or via a second telecomtunications network, these second communication means being connected to one or more secondary units via a second system bus called the secondary bus.

This preferred embodiment of the invention makes it possible to construct a high-performance remote acquisition system based on a group of local data processing systems.

According to another aspect of the invention, the data processing method used in a processing system according to the invention, comprising several parallel processing processes which do not interfere with each other, a first processing process called the principal process comprising steps of data acquisition, of processing, of storage of raw or processed data and of communications with one or more external management and/or processing sites, and at least one other processing process called a secondary process, is characterized in that the secondary process comprises the following steps: reading of raw and/or processed data previously stored in the first non-volatile storage means; processing the said data; storage of resultant data in second nonvolatile storage means, and in that the reading step does not make use of any data transfers on the principal bus.

According to yet another aspect of the invention, there is proposed a system for the remote acquisition of data acquired in a group of local sites at a central site comprising means of processing this acquired data, characterized in that each local site comprises a local data processing system according to the invention and using the method according to the invention, each of the said local processing systems having at least one secondary processing unit connected via a telecommunications network to the said central site.

A data processing system according to the invention comprises at least two data processing units sharing all or a portion of the hardware resources of the system, in particular of the mass memory, and can carry out different processings on the basis of common data.

A data processing system according to the invention behaves as if it were two or more independent and juxtaposed machines. This makes it possible to include a system according to the invention within the extent of guarantee of a service provider using at least one of the processing units contained in the system as though it were a normal standard machine. The other processing unit or units contained in the processing system according to the invention can be used by other legal entities for the purpose of carrying out processings on the data processed by the first unit without this data being corrupted in any way. Thus, processing units can work on data originating in other processing units in a way which is transparent to the latter.

A syatem according to the invention can be used as the hardware means of offering a final user additional services provided by separate legal entities, each one being able to make the processing unit used re-enter his extent of guarantee, since there is no risk of interference between each of the processing units comprising the system according to the invention.

The composite structure of a system according to the invention can also be taken advantage of in order to offer increased reliability to a processing unit called the principal unit by means of direct substitution or by means of automatic reconfiguration of all or a portion of the resources of the machine in the event of failure of subassemblies in the environment of the unit called the principal unit.

In the event of failure, subassemblies normally allocated to processing units called secondary units

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can be automatically reallocated to the unit called the principal unit in order to obtain operational continuity of the services supported by the principal unit.

According to another aspect of the invention, a secondary processing unit can be entirely remote operated from a remote site from which it is possible to remote load software, data, operating parameters and to repatriate data.

Other features and advantages of the invention will furthermore appear in the following description.

In the accompanying drawings given by way of nonlimitative example: figure 1 is a block diagram of a data processing system according to the invention; and figure 2 is a simplified block diagram of a remote acquisition system according to the invention.

A particular embodiment of a processing system according to the invention together with the method used will now be described.

With reference to figure 1, a preferred embodiment of the invention consists in taking, in order to accommodate a data processing system S according to the invention, a normal computer casing in which are disposed two standard central processing units UC1, UC2, PC-compatible units for example, each one connected to its local expansion bus B2 intended to accept standard resources determined by the services supported by each of these units. For example, it will be possible to add to the principal processing unit UCI cards C1 for connection to acquisition terminals TIl, TIN, a bar-code reader device CB, a data backup device CSi, a diskette drive LDI and a modem Ml. On the other processing unit, it will be possible tc instal cards C2 for connecting to a terminal T2 and to a printer 12, a modem card 1.2, a diskette drive LD2, a data backup unit CS2, etc...

The principal unit UC1 is connected to a disk controller CD1 which manages two disks D1, DM operating in mirror mode (RAID1). Any request formulated by the principal processing unit UC1 results in a writing on the two disks D1, DM, whilst readouts are taken from only one of the two disks Dl.

The other disk DM can be used in a read-only fashion by the second processing unit UC2, provided that no failure has been detected on the principal disk D1. The secondary unit UC2 has a working hard disk D2 operating normally in read and in write.

In the event of failure of the principal disk D1 of the principal unit UC1, the common disk controller CD1 automatically switches to the other mirror disk DM in order to ensure continuity of service of the principal processing unit UC1; a local alarm indicates the fault which is also known by the secondary processing unit UC2 in order to warn the maintenance services automatically by the intermediary of a telecommunications link.

The electrical power supply A of the system S is provided by two independent power supply modules Al, A2, each module having sufficient power to provide the power supply of both of the units UC1, UC2 and of their peripherals. A switch Sl for switching the system on commands the activation only of the principal unit UC1; the secondary unit UC2 and its peripherals are always operational, in particular for nighttime remote operations.

A failure of one of the two modules Al, A2 is indicated by a local alarm and by an item of data available to the secondary unit UC2 in ordei co inform the remote maintenance services. An operational fault in the principal processing unit UCI also generates alarm data which is provided to the secondary unit UC2.

Remote operation software installed in the secondary processing unit UC2 allows remote loadings of software, data or parameters and data repatriation operations from a central remote operation site. During a first operational phase, an operator remotely takes control of a secondary unit and examines the contents of the files processed by the principal unit of the same processing system according to the invention in order to adapt data extraction software executed on the secondary unit in order that the latter supplies the required data on the basis of formatting specific data of the principal system.

Furthermore, the secondary unit can accept application software, for example thematic data base management software, as an additional serlice to the service rendered by the principal unit.

An application of a data processing system in a pharmaceutical dispensary will now be described. A screen E2, an acquisition device such as a keyboard CL2 and a printer 12 coupled to the secondary unit UC2 make it possible to form an interactive terminal for consultation of local and/or remote data bases. This makes it possible to offer additional services to the dispensary management applications executed on the principal unit UCI. It is possible, for example, to use the secondary unit UC2 and its peripherals to learn of equivalences between medicines, to learn of possible incompatibilities between molecules or of medicinal -Y -O II U 11 interactions, in order to know which vaccinations should be administered in order to travel to a foreign country, to be alerted quickly of possible problems with a given patent medicine, to obtain advice concerning a patient's health problem, etc...

The printer 12 makes it possible to supply a paper copy of information, in particular so that the pharmacist can offer an additional service to his patients.

It is also possible to consider the use of a t :ocessing system according to the invention in travel agencies, and more generally at points-of-sale.

A processing system according to the invention can be considered as the juxtaposition of several standard autonomous processing units with the possibility of data passing between the units. The invention is not however limited solely to a hardware juxtaposition of several units: it is possible to produce a juxtaposition by software means on the basis of a single more powerful processing unit on which several virtual autonomous independent units are implemented.

Whether the juxtaposition of units is produced by hardware or by software means, it is essential to make it impossible for a possible malfunction of one of the processing units to propagate to the other units.

:n the case where one of the processing units is privileged by being considered as the principal unit, the activity of the secondary units must not affect the performance of the principal unit.

The processing system according to che invention can advantageously be used in a remote data acquisition system 1, with reference figure 2.

Each point-of-sale Pa, Pb is equipped with a data prccessing system Sa, Sb according to the invention and I- 12 with terminals Tla, T2a; Tib, T2b respectively attached to the principal processing unit UCla, UClb and to the secondary processing unit UC2a, UC2b. In the configuration shown in figure 2, each principal processing unit UCla, UClb is connected by a first telephone line Lla, Lib belonging to a telecommunications network R, to a group of management centres R1, RN, for example centres for the distribution of patent medicines. Each secondary processing unit UC2a, UC2b is also connected by a second telephone line L2a, L2b belonging for example to the same telecommunications network R to a centrel statistical processing site SC. It should be noted that the same telephone line may be used for the respective communications of the principal processing units UCla, UClb and the secondary processing units UC2a, UC2b, without departing from the scope of the present invention. Each processing system Sa, Sb according to the invention furthermore comprises standard local expansion busses Bla, B2a; Bib, B2b associated respectively with the principal units UCla, UClb and with the secondary units UC2a, UC2b, storage units Dla, D2a; Dib, D2b respectively associated with the principal UCla, UClb and secondary UC2a, UC2b units, modems Mla, M 1 b; M2a, M2b associated respectively with the principal Lla, Lib and secondary L2a, L2b lines, disk controller circuits Dla, Dlb; D2a, D2b associated respectively with the principal Dla, Dib and secondary D2a, D2b storage units, and a buffer circuit Ta, Tb.

A processing method used in a processing system according to the invention will now be described.

In a first phase, the user of the remote acquisition system installs, in the secondary processing unit, data extraction software adapted to

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the nature and to the format of the data processed by the principal unit.

The data extractor is operational when it is capable of automatically producing files called "extraction results" from files processed by the principal unit. The "extraction results" files contain only the information which is of interest to the user of the secondary processing unit. This method makes it possible to reduce considerably the transmission times and associated costs when telecommunications networks are used for transmitting the results data to central sites providing the link with a higher level of the data processing system, in particular in order to produce statistics and to manage these statistics.

In fact, the files operated on by the principal processing unit UCI can be of very large size whilst the proportion of these files relating to data of interest to the user of the seccndary unit UC2 can be small.

A phase of qualification of the data extractor can be envisaged before proceeding to an automatic exploitation phase. This phase consists in keeping the secondary processing unit UC2 under observation over a predetermined time during which the files of raw data coming from the principal unit UCl and the results files retrieved by the data extractor are analyzed in detail.

When the confidence level is achieved with regard to the reliability of the resultant data produced, the secondary processing unit UC2 is qualified and can begin the automatic exploitation process.

For this exploitation process, it is possible to envisage in a general manner the followi g cases, with reference to figure 2: j 14 the secondary processing units UC2a, UC2b call a central remote acquisition site SC at times which are predetermined by the said central site, the secondary processing units UC2a, UC2b are called by the central remote acquisition site

SC,

the secondary processing units UC2a, UC2b call a central site SC when a predetermined event occurs in the secondary units UC2a, UC2b (for example, data, processiny, data quantity thresholds, Mechanisms for continuously checking the integrity of the acquired data are provided in order to alert the user in the event of problems resulting from changes possibly having taken place in the principal unit UCla, UClb, For example, if the data is not of the same structure because the version of the software executed in the principal processing unit has been changed.

Similarly, alarm mechanisms can be provided at the central site SC in order to inform the user of possible failures in the remote processing units or in the subassemblies of these units.

In the examples which have just been described, the data processing system S comprises at least three hard disks Dl, DM, D2, two disks Dl, DM operating in mirror mode with the principal processing unit UC1 and one disk D2 being connected to the controller CD2 of the secondary unit UC2. A link TD is provided between the two disk controllers CD1, CD2 so that the data processed by the principal unit UCI is accessible to the secondary unit UC2. The invention also applies without limitation when there is no backup to the disk of the principal unit UCI (a single disk instead of two operating in mirror mode), and whatever may be the path taken by the data from the principal unit UC1 in order to appear in full or in part on the disk D2 of the secondary unit UC2.

For example, it is possible to envisage the following data paths within a system according to the invention: direct controller to controller connection, connection from a principal controller to a secondary unit, connection from a principal unit to a secondary controller, connection from one processing unit to another unit via cards connected to each of the local system busses EISA, ESA or equivalent or via connections of the microprocessor local bus type (VESA, for example), or fast links of the SCSI, SCSI 2, etc.. type.

It should be noted that, in each local processing system, a secondary processing unit can be dedicated to the supply of data of interest to the operator of the local system, it being possible for this data equally well to be advice on the exercise of the profession of that operator or to be data of statistical nature providing assistance in optimizing the management of the point-of-sale equipped with this local processing system.

For example, in the case of a pharmaceutical dispensary, the data relating to the exercise of the profession can comprise information on the compatibility of medicines, on medicinal interactions or on new patent medicines. The information relating to the management of the dispensary can comprise statistical data on the comparative profitability of certain patent medicines, or data on the sales of certain patent medicines per geographic sector.

/1 1I A remote acquisition system according to the invention allows a rational exploitation of processing means installed in pharmaceutical dispensaries and, more generally, at points-of-sale making use of exchanges with servers and generating data which can be the subject of statistical processing. In fact, in the same day for the secondary processing units there can be, on the one hand, a daytime exploitation phase during which they are essentially used as interactive terminals for the provision of data of interest to pharmacists and more generally to the operators and, on the other hand, a nighttime exploitation phase executed after the dispensaries are closed and more generally after the points-of-sale are closed and after their principal processing units are put out of service, during which data transfers to the central statistical processing site are carried out.

It is furthermore possible to provide, within the processing system according to the invention, detection by the becondary processing unit of the stoppage of the principal processing unit, this detection being able to command the change from the daytime exploitation phase to the nighttime exploitation phase. Inversely, the detection of the powering up of the principal processing unit can command a reverse transition of the exploitation phases of the secondary processing unit.

The invention is not of course limited to the examples which have just been described and numerous arrangements could be applied to these examples without departing from the scope of the invention.

Thus, processing systems according to the invenrition can be provided which include more than one secondary processing unit. Furthermore, other methods of communication with the central site can be taken into consideration, for example communication by radio link.

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Claims (24)

1. Data processing system comprising, on the one hand, a first unit called the principal unit (UC1) for processing data and connected to a first system bus called the principal bus (Bl) and first means (Dl, DM) of storing data in a non-volatile manner, connected to this principal bus (B1) via first control means (CD1), and, on the other hand, at least a second unit called a secondary unit (UC2) for processing data and connected to a second system bus called the secondary bus (B2) and second control means (D2) for storing data in a non-volatile manner and connected to this secondary bus (B2) via second control means (CD2), characterized in that it furthermore comprises means (TD) of connecting the first and second control means (CD1, CD2) and in that the secondary processing unit (UC2) is arranged to process data stored in the first non-volatile storage means (D1, DM) without interfering in the operation of the principal processing unit (UC1), these stored data being accessible for reading by the secondary unit (UC2) via the connecting means (TD) and the first and second control means (CD1, CD2).

2. System according to Claim 1, furthermore comprising first means (Ml) of communicating with a first group of processing and/or management sites (R1, RN) via a telecommunications network these first communication means (Ml) being connected to the principal processing unit (UC1) via the principal bus characterized in that the secondary processing unit (UC2) is designed to process data relating to data exchanges carried out between the principal processing unit (UC1) and external processing and/or management sites (R1, RN) and stored in the first non-volatile storage means (Dl, DM). I 18

3. System according to Claim 2, characterized in that it furthermore comprises second means (M2) of communicating with a second group of central processing sites (SC) via the first telecommunications network (R) or via a second telecommunications network separate from the latter, these second communication means (M2) being connected to the secondary unit (UC2) via the secondary bus (B2).

4. System according to Claim 3, characterized in that a secondary processing unit (UC2) is arranged to extract, from raw data exchanged between the principal processing unit (UC1) and one or more external sites (Ri, RN) and stored in the first storage means (Dl, DM), resultant data, and to transfer this resultant data by the said second communication means (M2) to one or more predetermined processing sites (SC) via the first telecommunications network or any other telecommunications network.

System according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the first non-volatile storage means comprise a £irst storage unit (Dl), called the principal storage unit, accessible for writing and reading by the principal processing unit (UC1) and a second storage unit (DM) which is a mirror of the first storage unit (Dl) and accessible for writing by the said principal processing unit (UC1), and in that each secondary processing unit (UC2) is arranged to read data stored in the said mirror storage unit (DM) and to store resultant data in one of more secondary storage units (D2).

6. System according to Claim 5, characterized in that each secondary processing unit iUC2) has reading access to the data stored in the mirror storage I I 19 unit (DM) via the first control means (CD1) arranged to control the principal storage unit (Dl) and the mirror storage unit (DM).

7. System according to Claim 6, characterized in that it furthermore comprises isolation means to allow the functioning of the secondary processing unit or units (UC2) when the principal processing unit (UC1) is not powered up, these isolation means being included in the connection means (TD) between the first control means (CD1) and the second control means (CD2).

8. System according to Claim 7, characterized in that the isolation means are furthermore provided in order to allow read access to the mirror storage unit (DM) by the secondary processing unit or units (UC2) even when the principal processing unit (UC1) is not operating.

9. System according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the principal processing unit (UC1) and the secondary processing unit or units (UC2) are grouped within a single programmed circuit to provide an operating mode having several virtual machines. System according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that furthermore comprises electrical power supply means comprising at least first and second independent power supply modules (Al, A2) intended to provide the electrical power supply for the principal processing unit (UC1) and the secondary processing units (UC2; respectively, each of the said modules (Al, A2) being controlled in such a way as to be able to be substituted for another faulty power supply module.

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11. Data processing method used in a processing system according to one of the preceding claims, comprising several parallel processing processes which do not intertere with each other, a first processing process called the principal process comprising steps of data acquisition, of processing, of storage of raw or processed data and of communications with one or more external management and/or processing sites, this principal process using a principal system bus on which the processed and stored data is carried, and at least one other processing process called a secondary process, characterized in that this secondary process comprises the following steps: reading of raw and/or processed data previously stored in the first non-volatile storage means provided with a first disk controller, processing the said data, storage of resultant data in second non- volatile storage means provided with a second disk controller, and in that the reading step includes read access to the said previously stored data, by the secondary unit via the first and second disk controllers and connection means connecting the said first and second controllers.

12. Method according to Claim 11, c' t acterized in that the processing step carried out in at least one of the secondary processing processes includes a step for extracting, from raw data reaCd from the first storage means, resultant data ready for being processed by remote processing sites, after t-ansfer via a telecommunications network.

13. Method according to Claila 12, characterized in that the processing step carried out in at least one of the secondary processes furthermore comprises a step for pre-processing the resultant data after extraction. 21

14. Method according to one of Claims 11 to 13, characterized in that it furthermore comprises a process of remote operation of the secondary processing unit or units carried out from a remote operation site and in particular comprising a phase of remote loading of software into this secondary processing unit or these secondary processing units, a learning phase of the secondary process or processes, and a phase of maintenance of the said secondary processes carried out by the secondary processing unit or units.

System for the remote acquisiti )n of data acquired from a group of local sites (Pa, Pb) at a central site (SC) comprising means of processing this acquired data, characterized in that each local site (Pa, Pb) comprises a local data processing system (Sa, Sb) according to one of Claims 1 to 10 using the method according to one of Claims 11 to 14, each of the said local processing systems (Sa, Sb) having at least one secondary processing unit (UC2a, UC2b) connected via a telecommunications network to the said central site (SC).

16. Remote acquisition system according to Claim 15, characterized in that each local data processing system (Sa, Sb) is arranged such that at least one of its secondary processing units (UC2a, UC2b) can be continuously operational in order to transfer data to the central site.

17. Remote acquisition system according to Claim 16, characterized in that the data transfers from local sites (Pa, Pb) to the central site (SC) are controlled by the central site SC) which initiates a call to each local site (Pa, Pb) at predetermined times or in predetermined time slots.

18. Remote acquisition system according to Claim 16, characterized in that the data transfers from local sites (Pa, Pb) to the central site (SC) are controlled by each local site (Pa, Pb) which initiates a call to the central site (SC) at predetermined times on in predetermined time slots.

19. Remote acquisition system according to Claim 18, characterized in that the transfer times or the time slots are determined by the central site (SC) and communicated to =ch local site (Pa, Pb) concerned during a previous call or data transfer.

Remote acquisition system according to Claim 16, characterized in that the data transfers from each local site (Pa, Pb) to the central site (SC) are initiated by the secondary processing unit (UC2a, UC2b) of the processing system concerned (Sa, Sb), in response to an event occurring at the said local site (Pa, Pb).

21. Remote acquisition system according to one of Claims 15 to 20, applied to the acquisition of data relating to the management of pharmaceutical and parapharmaceutical patent medicines in a dispensary, characterized in that, in each processing system (Sa, Sb), the principal processing system UCla, UC1b) is dedicated to the management of the said patent medicines, whilst a secondary processing unit (UC2a, UC2b) is dedicated to the processing -f data relating to this management, in particular to statistical processing, and to the transfer of resultant data to the central site (SC).

22. Remote acquisition system 1' according to Claim 21, characterized in that in each local processing system (Sa, Sb), the seccrdary processing unit (UC2a, UC2b) is furthermore dedicated o the supply, to the operator of the said local processing I system (Sa, Sb), of data of interest to that operator, in particular of data relating to the compatibility of medicines, to medicinal interactions or to equivalences between patent medicines.

23. Remote acquisition system according to Claim 22, characterized in that the data supplied by the secondary processing unit (UC2a, UC2b) furthermore include statistical data relating to the management of the dispensary, in particular statistical data on the comparative profitability of patent medicines.

24. Remote acquisition system according to one of Claims 15 to 20, applied to points-of-sale connected to central reservation services, in particular to travel agencies or vehicle hire agencies.