JP2006165794A - Information communication device - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an information communication device which enables a user to easily distinguish, when the user browses an image on the display screen of the information communication device, whether the image which the user browses is a photographed image by the user himself or herself with a digital camera or a received image, when the information communication device receives color image data via a communication line, and moreover enables the user to confirm the name of a sender or the like of the image data if the image is a received one. <P>SOLUTION: The information communication device can transmit and receive color images through communication lines, and has a read/write means for reading/writing digital data from/on a detachable recording medium, a receiving information acquisition means for acquiring receiving information concerning communication of image data reception when image data are received, and a writing means for writing the received image data on the recording medium relating the received image data and the acquired receiving information to each other. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2006,JPO&NCIPI

Description

The present invention relates to an information communication apparatus such as a facsimile apparatus that transmits and receives color image electronic data via a communication path such as a telephone line.

  In a conventional facsimile apparatus, color information is transmitted in accordance with ITU-T Recommendation T.264. ITU-T recommendation T.264, using JPEG encoding defined in J.82. A JPEG image is created and transmitted in the 42 color space Lab.

  However, a method is known in which the receiving device switches the color information processing method in accordance with the color space and encoding method of color information transmitted from the transmitting device (see, for example, Patent Document 1). ).

  With this method, if the receiving side is compatible with this method, the color image data is not widely used in conventional Lab color space JPEG data (hereinafter referred to as “Lab-jpeg”), but widely used in devices such as digital cameras. JPEG data expressed in the YCbCr color space (hereinafter referred to as “YCC-jpeg”) can be transmitted without image degradation in the process of YCbCr → Lab color conversion.

  Also known is a technique for converting a color facsimile received image (Lab-jpeg) into YCC-jpeg and writing it in a DCF (Design-Rule for Camera File System) format on a recording medium mounted on the facsimile apparatus. (For example, refer to Patent Document 2).

  “DCF” is a standard that defines the configuration (file name, tree structure, etc.) of image files to be recorded on a recording medium such as a CF card, and is widely adopted in digital cameras and the like. .

Some color facsimiles, such as Canon CF-H30CL, have digital cameras that can color print image data written in DCF format on recording media. By writing the image data to the recording medium in the same DCF format as the digital camera, the image captured by the digital camera, the image written to the recording medium is received via the telephone line, and the image written to the recording medium is Printing can be performed by the same operation.
JP 2003-224729 A JP 2003-18339 A

  In Patent Document 2, when the receiving facsimile apparatus writes the received image on the recording medium in the DCF format, if the recording medium is shared with the digital camera, both the facsimile apparatus and the digital camera are: Since the data is written on the recording medium in the DCF format, after being written, it is determined whether each image in the recording medium is an image recorded by a digital camera or an image sent from another person via a telephone line. There is a problem that the user of the facsimile apparatus cannot distinguish.

  Also, if the image written on the recording media is sent via a telephone line, if the user of the receiving facsimile device subscribes to the number display, the telephone number of the sender of the image is specified. The sender's name can be specified from the information. However, since the DCF standard cannot store the information, the received image is written on the recording medium. Such information is lost, and when the received image is confirmed and printed later, there is a problem that it is completely impossible to know when the image was sent from.

In the present invention, when the information communication device receives color image data via a communication line, when the user views the image on the display screen of the information communication device, the image that is viewed is taken by the digital camera. An information communication device that is easy for the user to distinguish whether it is a captured image or a received image, and can confirm the sender name of the image data if it is a received image Is intended to provide.

The present invention provides an information communication apparatus capable of transmitting and receiving image data via a communication line, a read / write means for reading / writing digital data from / to a removable recording medium that can be used in a digital camera, and via the communication line. And receiving information acquisition means for acquiring reception information related to the communication at the time of image data reception, and writing means for associating the acquired reception information and the received image data with each other and writing them to the recording medium. Is an information communication device.

According to the present invention, when the information communication device receives the color image data via the communication line, the reception information such as the sender telephone number obtained at the same time is written in the recording medium together with the received image data. When viewing an image on the display screen of the information communication device, the reception information is displayed on the display screen together with the image, and when the user prints the image, the reception information is printed together with the image, Therefore, there is an effect that the user can easily distinguish whether the image is a captured image taken with a digital camera or a received image, and if it is a received image, There is an effect that the sender name of image data can be confirmed.

  The best mode for carrying out the invention is the following embodiment.

  FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a facsimile apparatus FS1 that is Embodiment 1 of the present invention.

  The facsimile apparatus FS1 includes an image reading unit 10, a memory 20, a CPU 30, a printer 40, a modem device 50, a slot 70, and a display unit 80.

  The image reading unit 10 scans an original image and converts it into raster sequential digital RGB image data.

  The memory 20 temporarily stores image data received via the image reading unit 10 or the modem 50, and stores various information handled by the CPU 30.

  The CPU 30 controls the entire system.

  The printer 40 prints the image data received via the modem 50 and the image data read by the image reading unit 10 in color or monochrome.

  The modem device 50 is connected to a normal telephone line or the like, and transmits / receives image data to / from terminals of other facsimile devices.

  The recording medium 60 records digital data and includes a CF card, an SD card, and the like. The recording medium 60 is a general-purpose one and can be shared with a digital camera unrelated to the facsimile apparatus FS1.

  The recording medium 60 is mounted in the slot 70, and the CPU 30 can read / write digital data from / to the recording medium 60 via the slot 70.

  The display unit 80 displays bitmap image data.

  Next, the details of the operation until the facsimile apparatus FS2 different from the facsimile apparatus FS1 receives the color image data from the transmission side facsimile apparatus FS1 via the communication line and writes the received data on the recording medium 60 will be described.

  The configuration of the facsimile machine FS2 is the same as that of the facsimile machine FS1.

  FIG. 2 is a flowchart showing an operation until the facsimile apparatus FS2 receives color image data from the transmission-side facsimile apparatus FS1 via a communication line and writes the received data to the recording medium 60.

  In S1, the facsimile machine FS2 accepts a call from the facsimile machine FS1.

  In S2, the CPU of the facsimile apparatus FS2 stores the reception time in the memory 60 for this call, and obtains the sender telephone number and the sender name if possible. These are collectively stored in the memory 20 as reception information regarding this call.

  If the user U2 of the facsimile apparatus FS2 is using the number display, the telephone number of the facsimile apparatus FS1 can be obtained. Similarly, if the user U2 is using the name display or if the telephone number is registered in the telephone book of the facsimile apparatus FS2, the telephone book is searched from the telephone number and the user of the facsimile apparatus FS1 is searched. You can get a name. Since each method is well-known, the detailed description is omitted.

  In S3, the facsimile apparatus FS2 receives the image data transmitted from the facsimile apparatus FS1. The received image data is temporarily stored in the memory 20.

  When the reception ends normally in S4, the CPU 30 writes the received image data as a new file in the recording medium 60 according to the DCF format.

  In S5, the reception information obtained in S2 is written as in S4. At this time, the same image file name as the image file name written in S4 is used as the file name of the reception information, excluding the extension. The extension is. Let TXT.

That is, in S4, the file name when the received image data is written to the recording medium 60 is, for example, \ DCIM \ 101OOXXOOCFAX0005. In the case of JPG, the file name of the received information is \ DCIM \ 101OOXXOOCFAX0005. Become TXT. The contents of the reception information file are, for example, the following text file. Then, the process of the flowchart ends.
[ImageFileName] ¥ DCIM ¥ 101 ○○○○○ ¥ CFAX0005. JPG
[ReceiveTime] 2003/12/19 18:03:34
[CallerID] 0999999999
[CallerName] Nobunaga Oda Of the above example,
[ImageFileName] is a file name of received image data corresponding to the received information file.
The item [ReceiveTime] is the date / time when the received image data is received.
The item [CallerID] is a transmission source telephone number acquired by the number display.
The item [CallerName] is the name of the sender obtained by searching the telephone directory of the facsimile apparatus FS2 from the name display or from the sender telephone number.

  Next, an algorithm that the CPU 30 operates when the user of the facsimile apparatus FS1 prints the contents of the image data written on the recording medium 60 in the first embodiment will be described.

  FIG. 3 is a flowchart illustrating an algorithm that the CPU 30 operates when the user of the facsimile apparatus FS1 prints the contents of the image data written on the recording medium 60 in the first embodiment.

  In the recording medium 60, image data captured by a digital camera unrelated to the facsimile apparatus FS1 and written in the DCF format and image data received by the facsimile apparatus FS1 via a telephone line are shown in accordance with the flowchart shown in FIG. It is assumed that image data written in the DCF format is mixed.

  In S11, the user inserts the recording medium 60 into the slot 70 of the facsimile machine FS1. In S12, the CPU 30 detects the insertion of the recording medium 60 and checks the contents of the recording medium 60 according to the DCF format. In S13, the CPU 30 sorts the image files in the recording medium 60 by numbers according to the DCF standard.

  In S14, the CPU 30 obtains the file name of the lowest numbered file that is not displayed. Let this be a noticed image file. For example, ¥ DCIM ¥ 100 ○○○○○ ¥ DCIM0003. It is assumed that JPG is an attention image file.

  In S15, the CPU 30 searches for a reception information file corresponding to the target image file. The received information file corresponding to the target image file has only the extension of the file name of S14. It is a file having a file name changed to TXT. That is, the reception information file corresponding to the image file of interest is \ DCIM \ 100OOOOXX \ DCIM0003. TXT. If there is a reception information file corresponding to the target image file, the process proceeds to S17, and if there is no reception information file corresponding to the target image file, the process proceeds to S16.

  FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating a display example on the display unit 80.

  In S16, the target image file is a photographed image taken by the digital camera, and the CPU 30 displays the image data of the target image file on the display unit 80 as shown in FIG. 4A, and proceeds to S20.

  In S17, the target image file is a received image obtained from the communication line by the facsimile apparatus FS1, and the CPU 30 reads the received information file in S15 from the recording medium 60. In S18, the CPU 30 analyzes the read reception information file and obtains reception information regarding the image file of interest such as a transmission source telephone number.

  In S19, the CPU 30 displays the image data of the target image file together with the reception information obtained in S18 on the display unit 80 as shown in FIG. 4B. If the recipient name is not obtained, it is displayed on the display unit 80 as shown in FIG.

  In S20, when the user looks at the operation unit, the user can confirm whether the image file of interest is a captured image or a received image depending on whether or not reception information is displayed. The user selects whether to print the attention image file or move to the next image file. If the target image file is to be printed, the process proceeds to S21. If the next image file is to be printed, the process proceeds to S14.

  FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating a print example printed by the printer 40.

  In S21, if there is no reception information (reception information file corresponding to the target image file) regarding this image, the process proceeds to S22, and if there is such reception information, the process proceeds to S23. In S22, as shown in FIG. 5A, only the image of interest is printed on the output paper, and the process ends. In S23, as shown in FIG. 5B, the image of interest and the content of the received information are printed on the output sheet, and the process ends.

  Since the CPU 30 of the facsimile apparatus FS1 performs the above processing, when the user confirms the image on the display screen of the facsimile apparatus FS1, if the content of the received information is displayed on the display screen of the facsimile apparatus FS1, the image is displayed. Can be recognized as a received image (if there is no received information, it can be recognized as a captured image), and when printing an image, the contents of the received information are printed on the output paper together with the image of interest. If it is, it can be recognized that it is a received image.

  In other words, in the above embodiment, when the receiving side facsimile apparatus FS2 receives a call from the transmitting side facsimile apparatus FS1, the receiving side facsimile apparatus FS1 temporarily stores the received information regarding the call in the memory of the receiving side facsimile apparatus FS2. In the case of color image communication, after the reception is completed, the image data is written in the DCF format on the recording medium 60 mounted on the receiving facsimile apparatus FS2, and at the same time, the reception information is associated with the image data. Recording is performed on the recording medium 60.

  When the user U2 of the facsimile apparatus FS2 operates the facsimile apparatus FS2 later to view or print each image data in the recording medium 60, when the user U2 designates each image data, the image U The user U2 of the reception side facsimile apparatus FS2 displays the contents on the display screen of the facsimile apparatus FS2, and the user U2 of the reception side facsimile apparatus FS2 Whether it is a captured image or a received image can be distinguished, and if it is a received image, reception information such as a reception time can also be known. Or, when the user U2 designates and prints the image data in the recording medium 60, if the reception information related to the designated image data exists in the recording medium 60, the reception information is combined with the image data. By printing, the same effect as described above can be obtained.

  The reception information here is, for example, the time when the receiving side apparatus receives the image data, the sender telephone number, and the sender name.

The above embodiment may be applied to an information communication apparatus other than the facsimile apparatus FS1, such as a personal computer that transmits and receives color image electronic data.

1 is a block diagram of a facsimile machine FS1 that is Embodiment 1 of the present invention. FIG. 7 is a flowchart showing an operation until the facsimile apparatus FS2 receives color image data from the transmission-side facsimile apparatus FS1 via a communication line and writes the received data to the recording medium 60. 6 is a flowchart illustrating an algorithm that the CPU 30 operates when the user of the facsimile apparatus FS1 prints the content of image data written on the recording medium 60 in the first embodiment. 7 is a diagram showing a display example on the display unit 80. FIG. FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating a print example printed by a printer.

Explanation of symbols

FS1 ... transmission side facsimile machine,
FS2: Receiving facsimile machine,
10: Image reading unit,
20 ... Memory,
30 ... CPU,
40 ... Printer,
50 ... modem,
60 ... Recording media,
70: Recording media slot,
80: Display unit.

Claims (6)

In an information communication device capable of transmitting and receiving image data via a communication line,
Read / write means for reading / writing digital data from / to a removable recording medium that can be used with a digital camera;
Received information acquisition means for acquiring received information relating to the communication when receiving image data via the communication line;
A writing means for associating the acquired reception information and the received image data with each other and writing to the recording medium;
An information communication device comprising: In claim 1,
Display means capable of displaying a bitmap image;
Preview display control means for previewing the contents of the image data stored in the recording medium on the display screen;
If the reception information written in the recording medium in association with the predetermined image data stored in the recording medium exists, the image data received via the communication line can be identified. Display control means for displaying image data and the received information on the display means;
An information communication device comprising: In claim 1,
Printing means for printing image data stored in the recording medium,
If there is the reception information written to the recording medium in association with the image data stored on the recording medium, the printing is performed so that the image data received via the communication line can be identified. The means prints the received information on an output sheet together with the image data. In any one of Claims 1-3,
The information communication apparatus, wherein the reception information is reception time information. In any one of Claims 1-3,
The information communication apparatus, wherein the received information is a sender telephone number. In any one of Claims 1-3,
The information communication apparatus, wherein the received information is a sender name.

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