JPH11231077A - Clock information control method - Google Patents

Abstract

(57) [Summary] [Problem] To automatically match clock information of all devices connected to a network without requiring manual operation. A management device (100) includes a network (100).
0, a network connection control circuit 4 and a clock circuit 3 that enable information communication with the terminal devices 200 and 400 and the control device 300 connected to the same network. ,
Clock information is periodically distributed to the control device 400 and the control device 300.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a clock information control system which is connected to a network and which can control clock information of devices scattered all over the country.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, when setting clock information of a device which is connected to a network and has a built-in clock function, it is manually set at the time of loading and installing the device or at the time of shipment from a factory. The fact is that it is not done.

[0003]

However, in the conventional clock information setting method as described above, the clock information set in each device is almost scattered, and the clock information of all the devices is set manually. Even if they are adjusted, there is an error in the clock itself built in each device, so that it is necessary to reset these clocks periodically. In this case, if the system is set in a relatively small area, it is possible to perform periodic resetting work, but it is practically impossible in a system installed on a nationwide scale. . Such a case is more common.

[0004] Therefore, for example, when it becomes necessary to switch the operation information of the system all over the country at a designated time, an operator or a maintenance person is arranged for each device, and while contacting by telephone or the like, it is manually performed. Although it is conceivable to operate the system, there is a problem that it is very difficult and practically impossible in a system that requires such operations frequently.

[0005] The present invention solves the above-mentioned conventional problems, and can automatically match clock information of all devices connected to a network without requiring manual operation. An object is to provide an information control method.

[0006]

In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, a clock information control system according to the present invention has a plurality of terminal devices, a control device, and a management device as a master connected to the same network. Each terminal device and control device have a network connection interface and clock means for enabling information communication with each other, and communication control means for enabling peer-to-peer information communication with all terminal devices and control devices in the network through the network connection interface. And one of the terminal devices and the control device is set as a master management device, and the management device sets the clock information distributed from the management device to its own clock means by the other terminal device and the control device. It has control means.

According to the present invention, the clock information of all the devices connected to the network can be automatically matched without requiring any manual operation.

[0008]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS The invention according to claim 1 of the present invention has a plurality of terminal devices, a control device and a management device as a master connected to the same network. A network connection interface and clock means for enabling information communication with each other, and communication control means for enabling peer-to-peer information communication with all terminal devices and control devices in the network through the network connection interface; One of the devices is set as a master management device, and the management device has control means for setting clock information distributed from the management device to another terminal device and a control device in its own clock means. Automatically matches clock information of all devices connected to the network without the need for manual operation An effect that can be.

[0010] According to a second aspect of the present invention, the management device polls all devices connected to the network at regular intervals, and measures the time until a response is returned for each partner device. By repeating this measurement a plurality of times, calculating the average response time, and then distributing clock information obtained by subtracting the average response time to the partner device, thereby controlling the clock time of all devices connected to the network. Thus, the clock information of all devices connected to the network can be controlled without error.

An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a schematic configuration of a network communication system according to an embodiment to which the clock information control system of the present invention is applied. FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the internal configuration of the management device in FIG. 1, and FIG. 3 is a sequence diagram for explaining the operation in the embodiment shown in FIG.

Referring to FIG. 1, a network communication system using the clock information control system of the present invention has a network 1000 composed of an ISDN, a public line, and the like.
The management device 100, the control device 300, and the plurality of terminal devices 200 and 400 are connected to each other via the. Also, the management device 100, the control device 300, the terminal device 200,
400 peers through the network 1000
Two-peer information communication is now possible.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the internal configuration of the management device 100 in FIG. 2, a management device 100 controls and manages the entire management device 100, a storage device (MEM) 2 that stores various data, and manages and stores clock information. A clock circuit (TIM) 3 having a timer function, a network connection control circuit (LC) 4 for connecting a communication path with the network line 7, an external display lamp (LED) 5 for displaying various information, and a management device 100 A terminal control unit (SCU) 6 for interfacing with the terminal and a central control bus 9 for connecting the central control unit 1 and each device;
Further, the terminal control device 6 is connected to a dumb terminal 8 for making various settings for the management device 100.

The storage device 2 stores various data such as management device operation data, network line control data, clock information control data, and processing status. Further, the external display lamp 5 displays failure information and operation status at the time of occurrence of a failure based on an instruction from the central control device 1. Further, the central control bus 9 exchanges various data such as management device operation data, network line control data, clock information control data and processing status between the storage device 2 and the central control device 1, for example. is there.

The network connection control circuit 4 constitutes a network connection interface in the claims, and the central control unit 1 constitutes the communication control means and the control means for distributing clock information to the partner apparatus in the claims. .

Next, in the present embodiment configured as described above, the management apparatus 100
The operation in the case of distributing clock information to the terminal devices 200 and 400 and the control device 300 via the terminal device will be described with reference to a sequence diagram shown in FIG.

First, the dam terminal 8 of the management device 100
When the time set by inputting from the user or the time fixed in advance elapses, the management apparatus 100 polls each of the control apparatus 300 and the terminal apparatuses 200 and 400 through the network 1000.
1, polling 1-2 and polling 1-3 are sequentially transmitted. At this time, clock information when the polling 1-1, polling 1-2, and polling 1-3 are transmitted to each device is read from the clock circuit 3 and stored in the storage device 2.

On the other hand, the control device 300 and the terminal devices 200 and 400 that have received the corresponding polls 1-1, 1-2 and 1-3 respectively respond to the polls 2-1 2-2 and 2-3. Are sequentially returned to the management device 100. This response 2-1 and 2-
The management device 100 having received the data 2 and 2-3 receives the response 2-2 from the clock information at the time of polling of the control devices 300 and the terminal devices 200 and 400 stored in the storage device 2 by the central control device 1. 1, 2-2, 2-
3 is calculated for each partner device with reference to the clock circuit 3 and the calculation result is stored in the storage device 2.
To memorize.

Hereinafter, after repeating the polling and response operations the number of times set in the dumb terminal 8 or the number of times fixedly determined in advance at the above-mentioned predetermined time intervals, each control device 300 and terminal Device 20
The average value of the time taken from transmitting a poll every 0, 400 to receiving a response is determined by the central controller 1
And the result of the calculation is stored in the storage device 2.

After that, based on the clock information stored in the storage device 2, a value obtained by subtracting half (one-way) of the average value of the time taken from the transmission of the polling to the reception of the response is correctly determined as the response. Control device 3 returned
00 and the terminal devices 200 and 400 as clock information. As a result, all the control devices 300 and the terminal devices 200 and 40 connected to the network 1000
Clock information of 0 can be controlled by error.

In the above embodiment, the management device 1
00, only the internal configuration of the control device 30 has been described.
0 and the terminal devices 200 and 400, the management device 1
It has the same internal configuration as 00.

[0022]

As described above, according to the present invention, the clock information of all the devices connected to the network can be automatically matched without requiring any manual operation. As a result, it is possible to make the clock information maintenance-free, and it is possible to easily cope with a system in which operation information and the like need to be switched at a specified time.

Further, according to the present invention, the delay time until the clock information reaches the partner device is calculated using polling, and the clock information obtained by subtracting this delay time is periodically delivered at a constant period. Thus, there is an effect that clock information without error can be set continuously.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a schematic configuration of a network communication system according to an embodiment to which a clock information control method of the present invention is applied.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating an internal configuration of a management device in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a sequence diagram for explaining an operation in the embodiment of the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

 REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 100 management device 200, 400 terminal device 300 control device 1000 network 1 central control device 2 storage device 3 clock circuit 4 network connection control circuit 5 external display lamp 6 terminal control circuit 7 nutwork line 8 dam terminal 9 central control bus

Continuing on the front page (72) Isao Senba, Institution 94, Koriyama-shi, Fukushima Pref., Nippon Telecom Technology Co., Ltd.

Claims (2)

[Claims] An information processing apparatus includes a plurality of terminal devices, a control device, and a management device serving as a master connected to the same network. Each of the terminal devices and the control device includes a network connection interface and a clock unit that enable information communication with each other. Comprising communication control means for enabling peer-to-peer information communication with all terminal devices and control devices in the network through the network connection interface, setting one of the terminal devices and control device as a master management device, A clock information control method, characterized in that the management device has control means for setting clock information distributed from the management device to another terminal device and a control device for its own clock means. 2. The management device polls all devices connected to the network at regular intervals, measures the time until a response is returned for each partner device, and repeats this measurement a plurality of times. And calculating the average response time, and then distributing clock information obtained by subtracting the average response time to the partner device, thereby controlling the clock times of all the devices connected to the network. Clock information control method described.