JP2018019261A - Electronic apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an electronic device capable of executing software debugging with respect to a normal operation of software based on information received from a network. An MFP 10 includes a control unit 32 that executes software 31a, and a standard network interface device 26 and an optional network interface device 40 that are respectively connected to a network. The control unit 32 includes a standard network interface device 26 and an option. Based on information received from the network via each of the network interface devices 40, the software 31a performs a normal operation, and the optional network interface device 40 has a network communication function 41a for controlling communication for the normal operation of the software 31a, It is characterized by switching and executing a debugger function 41b that controls communication for debugging of the software 31a. [Selection] Figure 1

Description

  The present invention relates to an electronic device having a software debugger function.

  Conventionally, a software execution device that executes software and a network interface device connected to the network, the software execution device performs normal operation of the software based on information received from the network through the network interface device, As the network interface device, there is known an electronic device that switches between a network communication function that controls communication for normal operation of software and a debugger function that controls communication for software debugging (for example, Patent Document 1). reference.).

JP 2006-120014 A

  However, in the conventional electronic device, when the network interface device is executing the debugger function, the software execution device cannot execute the normal operation of the software based on the information received from the network. There is a problem that the software cannot be debugged with respect to the normal operation of the software based on the information.

  SUMMARY An advantage of some aspects of the invention is that it provides an electronic device that can perform software debugging on the normal operation of software based on information received from a network.

  The electronic apparatus of the present invention includes a software execution device that executes software and two network interface devices connected to a network, and the software execution device is connected to the network via each of the two network interface devices. A normal operation of the software is executed based on the received information, and at least one of the two network interface devices has a network communication function for controlling communication for the normal operation of the software, and for debugging the software. It is characterized by switching and executing a debugger function for controlling communication.

  With this configuration, when one of the two network interface devices executes the debugger function, the electronic apparatus according to the present invention is based on information received from the network via the other of the two network interface devices. Can perform the normal operation of the software, the debugging of the software can be performed by the debugger function with respect to the normal operation of the software based on the information received from the network.

  In the electronic apparatus of the present invention, the network interface device that switches between and executes the network communication function and the debugger function may be an optional removable device.

  With this configuration, in the electronic apparatus of the present invention, the network interface device that switches between and executes the network communication function and the debugger function is an optional device. Therefore, it is not necessary to provide a debugger function as a standard specification. The price can be reduced.

  The electronic device of the present invention can execute software debugging regarding the normal operation of the software based on information received from the network.

1 is a block diagram of an MFP according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a block diagram of the MFP shown in FIG. 1 in a standard specification configuration. 2 is a flowchart of the operation of the MFP shown in FIG. 1 when switching a function to be executed among a network communication function and a debugger function.

  Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

  First, the configuration of an MFP (Multifunction Peripheral) as an electronic apparatus according to the present embodiment will be described.

  FIG. 1 is a block diagram of MFP 10 according to the present embodiment.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the MFP 10 includes a main body 20.

  The main body 20 includes an operation unit 21 that is an input device such as buttons for inputting various operations, a display unit 22 that is a display device such as an LCD (Liquid Crystal Display) that displays various information, and an image from a document. A fax machine that performs fax communication via a communication line such as a public telephone line such as a scanner 23 that is a reading device, a printer 24 that is a printing device that prints an image on a recording medium such as paper, and an external facsimile apparatus that is not illustrated. A fax communication unit 25 which is a device, a standard network interface device 26 as a network interface device connected to a network (not shown) such as a LAN (Local Area Network), the Internet, and the main board 30 It is equipped with a.

  The standard network interface device 26 is fixed on the main board 30.

  The main board 30 includes a storage unit 31 that is a non-volatile storage device such as a semiconductor memory or HDD (Hard Disk Drive) that stores various types of information, and a control unit 32 that controls the entire main body 20.

  The storage unit 31 can store a plurality of software 31a executed by the control unit 32. The software 31a includes, for example, print software that executes printing by the printer 24 based on print data.

  The control unit 32 includes, for example, a CPU (Central Processing Unit), a ROM (Read Only Memory) storing a program and various data, and a RAM (Random Access Memory) used as a work area of the CPU. Yes. The CPU executes software stored in the ROM or software 31 a stored in the storage unit 31. That is, the control unit 32 constitutes a software execution device that executes software.

  The main board 30 is connected to a standard normal communication connection unit 33 to which the standard network interface device 26 is connected for input / output of information for normal operation of the software 31a, and for input / output of information for normal operation of the software 31a. An option normal communication connection unit 34 to which an option network interface device 40 (to be described later) is connected, and a debug dedicated connection unit 35 to which the option network interface device 40 is connected for inputting / outputting debugging information of the software 31a. I have.

  The MFP 10 includes an optional network interface device 40 as a network interface device connected to a network (not shown) such as a LAN or the Internet. The MFP 10 can be connected to different networks by the standard network interface device 26 and the optional network interface device 40.

  The optional network interface device 40 is a detachable optional device. When the option network interface device 40 is removed from the main body 20, the MFP 10 is in a state of only the main body 20 as shown in FIG. 2. The MFP 10 enters the state shown in FIG. 1 by inserting the option network interface device 40 into the slot (not shown) of the main body 20 from the state shown in FIG.

  The option network interface device 40 includes a control unit 41 that controls the entire option network interface device 40.

  The control unit 41 includes, for example, a CPU, a ROM that stores programs and various data, and a RAM that is used as a work area for the CPU. The CPU executes software stored in the ROM.

  The control unit 41 executes a software stored in the ROM, thereby executing a network communication function 41a for controlling communication for normal operation of the software 31a and a debugger function 41b for controlling communication for debugging of the software 31a. Function.

  The network communication function 41a inputs / outputs information to / from the main board 30 from / to the option normal communication connection unit 34, but does not input / output information from / to the debug dedicated connection unit 35.

  The debugger function 41 b inputs / outputs information to / from the main board 30 from / to the debug dedicated connection unit 35, but does not input / output information from / to the option normal communication connection unit 34. The debugger function 41b is connected to the optional network interface device 40 even when print data is input as information for normal operation of the printing software from a computer such as a PC (Personal Computer) to the optional network interface device 40 via the network. The input print data is not accepted.

  The control unit 41 functions as a switch function 41c that switches and executes the network communication function 41a and the debugger function 41b by executing software stored in the ROM.

  Next, the operation of the MFP 10 will be described.

  In the following, the printing software will be described as the software 31a.

  First, the operation of the MFP 10 when switching the function to be executed among the network communication function 41a and the debugger function 41b will be described.

  FIG. 3 is a flowchart of the operation of the MFP 10 when the function to be executed is switched among the network communication function 41a and the debugger function 41b.

  When an instruction to switch the function to be executed among the network communication function 41a and the debugger function 41b is input to the option network interface device 40 from a computer such as a PC via the network, the switch function 41c performs the operation shown in FIG. .

  As shown in FIG. 3, in the switch function 41c, whether or not the instruction input to the option network interface device 40 is an instruction to switch the function to be executed to the network communication function 41a among the network communication function 41a and the debugger function 41b. Is determined (S101).

  When determining in S101 that the switch function 41c is an instruction to switch to the network communication function 41a, the switch function 41c determines whether or not the network communication function 41a is set as a function to be executed among the network communication function 41a and the debugger function 41b (S102). ).

  If the switch function 41c determines in S102 that the network communication function 41a is set, the operation shown in FIG. 3 is terminated.

  When the switch function 41c determines in S102 that the network communication function 41a is not set, that is, the debugger function 41b is set, the debugger function 41b is set as a function to be executed among the network communication function 41a and the debugger function 41b. In step S103, the operation shown in FIG.

  If it is determined in S101 that the switch function 41c is not an instruction to switch to the network communication function 41a, that is, an instruction to switch to the debugger function 41b, the debugger function 41b is set as a function to be executed out of the network communication function 41a and the debugger function 41b. It is determined whether it has been performed (S104).

  If the switch function 41c determines in S104 that the debugger function 41b is set, the operation shown in FIG. 3 is terminated.

  When the switch function 41c determines in S104 that the debugger function 41b is not set, that is, the network communication function 41a is set, the network communication function 41a is executed as a function to be executed among the network communication function 41a and the debugger function 41b. After setting (S105), the operation shown in FIG.

  Next, the operation of the MFP 10 during normal operation of the print software, that is, during printing will be described.

  When print data is input to the standard network interface device 26 from a computer such as a PC via the network as information for normal operation of the printing software, the print data input from the network to the standard network interface device 26 is standard normal communication. Is input to the connection section 33. Therefore, the control unit 32 executes printing by the printer 24 based on the print data input to the standard normal communication connection unit 33.

  When the control unit 41 is set to execute the network communication function 41a of the network communication function 41a and the debugger function 41b, print data is transferred from a computer such as a PC as information for normal operation of the print software. When the data is input to the option network interface device 40, the print data input from the network to the option network interface device 40 is input to the option normal communication connection unit 34 by the network communication function 41a. Therefore, the control unit 32 executes printing by the printer 24 based on the print data input to the option normal communication connection unit 34.

  Next, the operation of the MFP 10 when debugging print software will be described.

  When the control unit 41 is set to execute the debugger function 41b of the network communication function 41a and the debugger function 41b, debugging information is input from a computer such as a PC to the option network interface device 40 via the network. Then, the debugging information input from the network to the option network interface device 40 is input to the debug dedicated connection unit 35 by the debugger function 41b. Therefore, the control unit 32 operates based on the information input from the option network interface device 40 to the debug dedicated connection unit 35 and inputs information indicating the operation result to the debug dedicated connection unit 35. Then, the debugger function 41b of the option network interface device 40 transmits the information input from the control unit 32 to the debug dedicated connection unit 35 to the computer that is the input source of the debug information.

  Therefore, a person who confirms the information input from the control unit 32 to the debug dedicated connection unit 35 via the computer can examine the cause of the malfunction that has occurred in the MFP 10, for example.

  In the MFP 10, when the optional network interface device 40 executes the debugger function 41b, the control unit 32 performs normal operation of the print software based on the print data received from the network via the standard network interface device 26, that is, print. Can be executed.

  As described above, in the MFP 10, when the optional network interface device 40 executes the debugger function 41b, the control unit 32 executes printing based on the print data received from the network via the standard network interface device 26. Therefore, debugging of the printing software can be executed by the debugger function 41b regarding printing based on the printing data received from the network.

  For example, when print data for test samples is input on the production line of the MFP 10, when a failure occurs, such as when printing cannot be performed correctly based on the input print data, the MFP 10 A person familiar with the debugging operation of the software 31a of the MFP 10 can input the debugging operation of the software 31a from a remote location via the network.

  Since the MFP 10 includes the optional network interface device 40 having both the network communication function 41a and the debugger function 41b, the network interface device having only the network communication function among the network communication function and the debugger function, and the network communication function and the debugger function are included. Manufacturing costs can be reduced as compared with a configuration including devices each having only a debugger function.

  In the MFP 10, the optional network interface device 40 that switches between and executes the network communication function 41a and the debugger function 41b is an optional device. Therefore, it is not necessary to provide a debugger function as a standard specification, and the configuration of the standard specification shown in FIG. The price can be reduced.

  In the MFP 10, the network interface device that executes the network communication function and the debugger function by switching may be a standard device instead of an optional device. In the MFP 10, when the network interface device that executes the network communication function and the debugger function by switching is a standard device, the network interface device that cannot execute the debugger function may be an optional device instead of the standard device. .

  In the present embodiment, the option network interface device 40 executes switching between the network communication function 41a and the debugger function 41b in response to an instruction from a remote place. However, the option network interface device 40 may switch between the network communication function 41a and the debugger function 41b by other methods. For example, the option network interface device 40 may be provided with a physical switch, and the network communication function 41a and the debugger function 41b may be switched by this switch. Further, the option network interface device 40 switches from the network communication function 41a to the debugger function 41b when connected to the debug dedicated connection unit 35, and switches from the debugger function 41b to the network communication function when disconnected from the debug dedicated connection unit 35. You may switch to 41a.

  In the present embodiment, the debugger function 41b inputs the debugging information input from the network to the optional network interface device 40 to the debugging dedicated connection unit 35. However, the debugger function 41b specifies information to be input to the debug dedicated connection unit 35 based on the debug information input from the network to the option network interface device 40, and the specified information is specified as the debug dedicated connection unit 35. May be entered.

  The electronic apparatus of the present invention is an MFP in this embodiment, but may be an image forming apparatus other than an MFP, such as a printer dedicated machine, a fax dedicated machine, a scanner dedicated machine, a copy dedicated machine, or an image forming apparatus such as a PC. Other electronic devices may be used.

10 MFP (electronic equipment)
26 Standard network interface device (network interface device)
31a Software 32 Control unit (software execution device)
40 Optional network interface device (network interface device)
41a Network communication function 41b Debugger function

Claims (2)

A software execution device for executing the software;
Two network interface devices each connected to the network,
The software execution device performs a normal operation of the software based on information received from the network via each of the two network interface devices;
At least one of the two network interface devices is
A network communication function for controlling communication for normal operation of the software;
An electronic device characterized by switching and executing a debugger function for controlling communication for debugging the software.   The electronic device according to claim 1, wherein the network interface device that switches between and executes the network communication function and the debugger function is an optional removable device.

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