JP2007060034A - Network facsimile machine - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a network facsimile machine capable of preventing a communication charge from reaching a large amount of money against the intention of a user. <P>SOLUTION: An Internet facsimile machine 200 capable of transmitting facsimile data to a designated destination via a plurality of paths includes: an SMTP transmission section 102 and an IP-FAX transmission section 104 for transmitting the facsimile data to the destination via a network 1 designated among the paths; an inquiry section 206 that discriminates whether a user intends to carry out transmission via a PSTN 3 whose communication charge unit price is higher than that via the network 1 according to a prescribed inquiring condition and inquires of the user about the discrimination when the SMTP transmission section 102 and the IP-FAX transmission section 104 fail to make the transmission; and a G3FAX transmission section 106 for transmitting the facsimile data to the destination via the PSTN 3 when receiving a transmission instruction via the PSTN 3 from the user. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2007,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a network facsimile apparatus, and more particularly to a network facsimile apparatus capable of facsimile transmission to a designated destination by a plurality of routes.

  With the spread of network technology, for example, information devices such as facsimile machines and MFPs (Multi Functional Peripherals) have been connected to the network. Such a facsimile apparatus has an E-mail transmission / reception function, an Internet facsimile communication function for transmitting / receiving document image data, etc. via a network, and an IP phone via a network, in addition to a general G3 facsimile communication function. An IP facsimile communication function is provided, and information can be transmitted / received to / from other facsimile machines, computers, Internet facsimile machines, and the like.

As a conventional Internet facsimile apparatus, for example, there is one described in Patent Document 1. The Internet facsimile apparatus described in this document has a configuration that automatically switches to G3 facsimile transmission when transmission of image information via the Internet fails.
Japanese Patent No. 3055521

  However, the prior art described in the above literature has room for improvement in the following points. That is, for example, the G3 facsimile transmission using the public line network may have a much higher communication fee than when the image information is transmitted via the Internet. If switching to transmission, the communication fee may become high against the user's will.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and an object of the present invention is to provide a network facsimile apparatus capable of preventing an increase in communication charges against the user's will.

According to the present invention, a network facsimile apparatus capable of transmitting facsimile data to a designated destination through a plurality of routes,
A first transmission unit configured to transmit the facsimile data to the destination through a first route designated from among the plurality of routes;
In the first transmission unit, when transmission fails, an inquiry unit that determines whether or not to perform transmission on the second route having a higher communication charge unit price than the first route according to a predetermined inquiry condition, and inquires the user ,
A second transmission unit configured to transmit the facsimile data through the second path when receiving a transmission instruction from the user through the second path;
A network facsimile apparatus is provided.

  Here, the facsimile data is image data that has been read by a scanner or the like and converted into image data for transmission, or image data stored in a storage device. The image data is attached to an e-mail or encoded and compressed. Sent after being converted.

  The plurality of routes are, for example, a route for acquiring an IP address corresponding to a destination designated by a mail address by DNS (Domain Name System) and sending facsimile data via a network such as the Internet, or an IP phone. SIP (Session Initiation Protocol) or H.264 is sent to the destination designated by the number. A route for transmitting facsimile data via a network using a predetermined protocol such as H.323, a route for transmitting facsimile data via a public network to a destination designated by a G3 facsimile number, and the like are included.

  The predetermined condition is, for example, whether the inquiry is made when the communication fee is greater than or equal to the predetermined amount and the inquiry is not made when the communication fee is less than the predetermined amount, or is inquiry always necessary or necessary? Etc. for each destination.

  According to the present invention, when communication via the first route such as a network including the Internet fails, the communication route unit price is not automatically switched to the second route such as a public line network, but according to a predetermined condition. Since switching is performed after an inquiry is made, switching can be performed based on the user's judgment in consideration of communication charges and the like, which is convenient. Also, depending on the conditions, facsimile transmission is automatically performed via the second route without making an inquiry, so that communication efficiency and operability are improved.

  In the network facsimile apparatus, the plurality of routes include a route for acquiring an IP address corresponding to the mail address of the designated destination by DNS and SMTP transmitting the facsimile data via the network, and the designated destination. A route for transmitting facsimile data to the IP telephone number using a predetermined protocol via the network, and a route for transmitting the facsimile data to the designated destination facsimile number via the public line network. be able to.

  The network facsimile apparatus may include a condition storage unit that stores the inquiry condition for each destination. In the network facsimile apparatus, the inquiry condition can be set according to a communication fee of the facsimile data.

  According to this configuration, for example, an inquiry can be made only when the communication fee is high, and when the communication fee is low, G3 facsimile transmission can be automatically performed via the second route such as a public line network. The communication efficiency and operability are improved.

  In the network facsimile apparatus, the first route is an IP network, and can include an acquisition unit that acquires the IP address of the destination from a DNS server. When the IP address cannot be acquired, the second route The inquiry condition can include whether or not to inquire the user as to whether or not transmission is to be performed.

  Here, the IP (Internet Protocol) network is a network such as the Internet or an intranet. An IP address is assigned to each computer connected to the IP network. DNS is a system that manages a domain name and an IP address assigned to a computer in association with each other.

  In the network facsimile apparatus, the inquiry condition may include whether or not to inquire the user whether or not to perform transmission on the second route when the connection to the IP network is not possible.

  The network facsimile apparatus may include an address information storage unit that stores a plurality of address information respectively corresponding to the plurality of routes for each destination.

  Here, the plurality of address information includes, for example, a mail address in the case of Internet facsimile communication, an IP telephone number in the case of communication using a predetermined protocol such as SIP, and a facsimile number in the case of G3 facsimile communication.

According to the present invention, a network facsimile apparatus capable of transmitting facsimile data to a designated destination through a plurality of routes,
A first transmission unit configured to transmit the facsimile data to the destination through a first route designated from among the plurality of routes;
In the first transmission unit, when transmission fails, an inquiry unit that inquires of the user whether or not to perform transmission on the second route having a higher communication fee than the first route;
A second transmission unit configured to transmit the facsimile data through the second path when receiving a transmission instruction from the user through the second path;
A network facsimile apparatus is provided.

  According to the present invention, when communication via the first route such as a network including the Internet fails, the communication route is not automatically switched to the second route having a high communication unit price, but is switched after inquiring. Since switching can be performed based on the judgment of the user in consideration, convenience is good.

  The network facsimile apparatus may include a determination unit that determines a communication fee at the time of transmission of the facsimile data by the second transmission unit, and the inquiry unit is configured to transmit when the communication fee is higher than a predetermined value. When the communication fee is lower than a predetermined value, the second transmission unit can automatically transmit the facsimile data via the second route without performing the inquiry.

  According to this configuration, an inquiry is made only when the communication fee is high, and when the communication fee is low, G3 facsimile transmission can be automatically performed via the second route such as a public line network. Since there is no need to answer each query, communication efficiency and operability are improved.

  In the network facsimile apparatus, the second route is a public line network, the second transmission unit transmits the facsimile data by G3 facsimile communication via the public line network, and the determination unit includes the destination. The communication fee can be calculated and determined based on the facsimile number or the data amount of the facsimile data.

  Here, it is determined whether the facsimile number is out of the city, the city, or an international call, and the data amount of the facsimile data can be determined by specifying, for example, the number of originals to be transmitted, the original size, and the fine mode. . A communication fee can be calculated by a combination of these.

  It should be noted that any combination of the above-described constituent elements and a conversion of the expression of the present invention between a method, an apparatus, a system, a recording medium, a computer program, etc. are also effective as an aspect of the present invention.

  ADVANTAGE OF THE INVENTION According to this invention, the network facsimile apparatus which can prevent that a communication charge will become high contrary to a user's will is provided.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. In all the drawings, the same reference numerals are given to the same components, and the description will be omitted as appropriate.

(First embodiment)
FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating an example of a hardware configuration of the Internet facsimile machine 100 according to the present embodiment. The Internet facsimile machine 100 includes a control unit 10 including a CPU (Central Processing Unit) and an MPU (Micro Processing Unit), a ROM (Read Only Memory) 12, a RAM (Random Access Memory) 14, an image memory 16, Scanner 17, printer 18, network interface (shown as “network I / F” in the figure) 20, NCU (Network Control Unit) 22, modem 24, and CODEC (Coder and Decoder). 26, the operation part 28, the display part 30, and the bus | bath 32 which connects these.

  The control unit 10 is connected to each element of the Internet facsimile machine 100 via the bus 32 and controls the entire apparatus together with each element. The NCU 22 controls the connection between the telephone line connected to the public telephone switched line network (indicated as “PSTN (Public Switched Telephone Networks)” 3) 3 and the Internet facsimile machine 100 and the telephone number of the communication partner. The dial signal is sent and the incoming call is detected. The modem 24 performs modulation / demodulation between a voice signal and digital data transmitted / received to / from a communication partner via the telephone line via the NCU 22.

  The scanner 17 includes, for example, a CCD image sensor, reads an image of a document, and stores it in the image memory 16. The CODEC 26 encodes the image data stored in the image memory 16 or decodes the image data received through the telephone line and stores it in the image memory 16. The printer 18 prints out the received image data on paper.

  The operation unit 28 includes, for example, a keyboard, a sheet key, a button, a switch, a touch panel, a mouse, and the like, and performs operation instructions and inputs for the Internet facsimile machine 100. For example, it includes a start key for instructing the start of faxing and copying, and a numeric keypad for inputting a telephone number, a facsimile number, and the like. The display unit 30 displays, for example, various information such as a telephone number and facsimile number input and received by operation of the operation unit 28, the remaining amount of toner of the printer 18, an address book, an operation instruction screen, and the like. The display unit 30 is, for example, a CRT (Cathode Ray Tube) display, a liquid crystal display (LCD), an LED (Light Emitting Diode) display, or the like.

  The ROM 12 stores a program for controlling the overall operation of the Internet facsimile machine 100. The RAM 14 stores data necessary for control by the control unit 10 and data that needs to be temporarily stored during the control operation. In the present embodiment, when the Internet facsimile machine 100 is activated, the program stored in the ROM 12 is once loaded into the RAM 14 and then executed by the control unit 10 on the RAM 14. The image memory 16 stores image data read by the scanner 17 and stores image data received from an external telephone line via the modem 24.

  The Internet facsimile machine 100 of the present invention is, for example, an Internet facsimile machine or an MFP (Multi Functional Peripheral) connected to a network 1 such as the Internet or a LAN. In each of the drawings shown below, the configuration of parts not related to the essence of the present invention is omitted.

  FIG. 2 is a functional block diagram showing the Internet facsimile machine 100 according to the embodiment of the present invention.

  The Internet facsimile machine 100 according to the present embodiment is a network facsimile machine capable of transmitting facsimile data to a designated destination through a plurality of routes, and the first route (network 1) designated from among the plurality of routes. ) In the first transmission unit (SMTP transmission unit 102 or IP-FAX transmission unit 104) that transmits to the destination and the first transmission unit, when transmission fails, depending on the cause of the failure, To a determination unit (error detection unit 130 and route selection unit 114) for determining whether transmission on a second route (PSTN3) different from the first route is possible, and a second route determined to be transmittable by the determination unit A second transmission unit (G3 FAX transmission unit 106) that transmits facsimile data to a destination.

  Each component of the Internet facsimile machine 100 includes an arbitrary computer CPU, memory, a program that implements the components shown in the figure loaded in the memory, a storage unit such as a hard disk that stores the program, and a network connection interface. It is realized by any combination of hardware and software. It will be understood by those skilled in the art that there are various modifications to the implementation method and apparatus. Each figure described below shows functional unit blocks, not hardware unit configurations.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the Internet facsimile machine 100 includes an SMTP transmission unit 102, an IP-FAX transmission unit 104, a G3 FAX transmission unit 106, a transmission instruction reception unit 108, a reading unit 110, and an image data storage unit ( In the figure, indicated as “image data”) 112, a route selection part 114, a selection condition storage part (indicated in the figure as “selection condition”) 116, a destination reception part 118, and an address book storage part (in the figure). , Indicated as “address book”) 120, address acquisition unit 122, conversion unit 124, transmission data storage unit (shown as “transmission data” in the figure) 126, transmission control unit 128, and error detection unit 130. And.

  In the SMTP transmission unit 102, an address acquisition unit 122 acquires an IP address corresponding to a destination designated by a mail address by DNS (Domain Name System), and facsimile data is transmitted via the network 1 such as the Internet via the SMTP (Simple Mail Transfer Protocol). ) And other protocols. Here, the facsimile data is image data that has been read by a scanner or the like and converted into image data for transmission, or image data stored in a storage device. The image data is attached to an e-mail or encoded and compressed. Sent after being converted. The SMTP transmission unit 102 corresponds to the control unit 10 and the network interface 20 of FIG.

  The IP-FAX transmission unit 104 transmits facsimile data via the network 1 using a predetermined protocol such as SIP (Session Initiation Protocol) to a destination designated by an IP telephone number. The IP-FAX transmission unit 104 corresponds to the control unit 10 and the network interface 20 in FIG. The G3 FAX transmission unit 106 transmits G3 facsimile to the destination designated by the G3 facsimile number via the PSTN 3, and the G3 FAX transmission unit 106 corresponds to the control unit 10, the NCU 22, and the modem 24 of FIG.

  The transmission instruction receiving unit 108 receives a start instruction from the operation unit 28 by pressing a facsimile transmission start button or the like provided on the operation panel of the Internet facsimile machine 100. When the transmission instruction accepting unit 108 accepts a start instruction, the reading unit 110 reads an original with the scanner 17 in FIG. 1, generates image data, and stores the image data in the image data storage unit 112. The image data storage unit 112 corresponds to the image memory 16 of FIG.

  The route selection unit 114 selects a route from which the facsimile data is transmitted from among a plurality of routes. The route selection unit 114 can access the selection condition storage unit 116 and select a route to be transmitted according to the selection condition. The multiple routes are, for example, a route in which an IP address corresponding to a destination designated by an e-mail address is acquired by DNS, and facsimile data is sent via SMTP via a network such as the Internet, or a destination designated by an IP telephone number is SIP. Includes a route for transmitting facsimile data via IP-FAX via a network using a predetermined protocol such as (Session Initiation Protocol), a route for transmitting facsimile data to a destination designated by a facsimile number via G3 FAX, etc. It is.

  The destination accepting unit 118 accepts selection of a destination to which facsimile data is transmitted. For example, the user can select a destination from an address book displayed on the liquid crystal display of the operation panel.

  As shown in FIG. 3, the address book storage unit 120 has a mail address 142 (shown as “I-FAX” in the figure) 142 and an IP-FAX number (in the figure, “IP-FAX”) for each address 140. 144) and a G3 FAX number (shown as “G3 FAX” in the figure) 146 are stored.

  Returning to FIG. 2, the address acquisition unit 122 acquires an address corresponding to the selected route for each destination received by the destination reception unit 118. For example, when the SMTP transmission path is selected, the address acquisition unit 122 accesses the address book storage unit 120, acquires the destination mail address 142, and further passes through the network 1 via the network interface 20 of FIG. To inquire and obtain the DNS server and the IP address corresponding to the DDNS server. When the IP-FAX transmission path is selected, the address acquisition unit 122 accesses the address book storage unit 120 and acquires the destination IP-FAX number 144. When the G3 FAX transmission path is selected, the address acquisition unit 122 accesses the address book storage unit 120 and acquires the destination G3 FAX number 146.

  The conversion unit 124 converts the image data stored in the image data storage unit 112 into transmission data suitable for the selected route. For example, when the SMTP transmission path is selected, the image data stored in the image data storage unit 112 is encoded by, for example, the CODEC 26 in FIG. 1, an attached mail is created, and stored in the transmission data storage unit 126. .

  The transmission control unit 128 transmits the transmission data stored in the transmission data storage unit 126 on the route selected by the route selection unit 114 to any one of the corresponding SMTP transmission unit 102, IP-FAX transmission unit 104, and G3 FAX transmission unit 106. Let

  The error detection unit 130 detects whether or not the transmission in the SMTP transmission unit 102, the IP-FAX transmission unit 104, and the G3 FAX transmission unit 106 has ended normally, and the cause of the error. The cause of the transmission failure is, for example, when connection to the network 1 is not possible, when there is no response from the DNS server or DDNS server, and when transmission is performed with the IP address returned from the DNS server or DDNS server, This includes cases where a transmission error occurs due to the absence of a destination. For example, in the case where connection to the network 1 is not possible, the route selection unit 114 selects a route for G3 facsimile transmission via the PSTN 3, but due to a transmission error at the IP address returned from the DNS server, etc. In this case, the route selection unit 114 selects a transmission route using another communication protocol such as SIP via the network 1.

  FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating an example of the structure of the selection condition storage unit 116 of the present embodiment. The selection condition storage unit 116 stores priority orders 150 of a plurality of routes 152. The route selection unit 114 in FIG. 2 can access the selection condition storage unit 116 and select the route 152 according to the rank 150. In other embodiments, this selection condition may be set for each destination. According to this configuration, since priority can be set for each destination, the degree of freedom of setting is increased and convenience is improved.

  The operation of the Internet facsimile machine 100 of this embodiment configured as described above will be described below. 5 to 7 are flowcharts showing an example of the operation of the Internet facsimile machine 100 according to this embodiment. Hereinafter, description will be made with reference to FIGS.

  Here, the user presses the start button for Internet facsimile transmission (hereinafter referred to as “SMTP transmission”) on the operation panel, the transmission instruction reception unit 108 receives the start instruction, the reading unit 110 reads the document, and the image An operation after the image data is stored in the data storage unit 112 will be described. In accordance with the instruction received by the transmission instruction reception unit 108, the route selection unit 114 first selects an SMTP transmission route and notifies the address acquisition unit 122, the transmission control unit 128, and the conversion unit 124. The conversion unit 124 creates a transmission mail for the instructed SMTP transmission path, and stores it in the transmission data storage unit 126. It should be noted that the document reading and the image data creation may be performed at any time before the facsimile data is transmitted.

  First, the destination reception unit 118 receives a destination designated by the user using the operation unit 28 (S11). Since the selection of the SMTP transmission route is notified from the route selection unit 114, the address acquisition unit 122 accesses the address book storage unit 120 and checks whether or not there is a mail address corresponding to the destination accepted in step S11 ( If there is an e-mail address (S13: YES), the corresponding e-mail address is acquired (S15), and a transmission instruction is sent to the transmission control unit 128. The transmission control unit 128 instructs the SMTP transmission unit 102 to transmit facsimile data, and the SMTP transmission unit 102 first tries to connect to the network 1 (S17). When the connection to the network 1 is established (YES in S17), the address acquisition unit 122 inquires of the DNS server on the network 1 about the IP address via the network interface 20 of FIG. 1 (S19). When the IP address can be acquired (YES in S19), the transmission control unit 128 causes the SMTP transmission unit 102 to transmit the transmission data stored in the transmission data storage unit 126 to the destination via the network 1 (S21). The error detection unit 130 detects whether or not the transmission in step S21 has been completed normally (S23). If the process has been completed normally (YES in S23), this process ends.

  If there is no mail address for SMTP transmission in step S13 (NO in S13), or if an IP address cannot be obtained from the DNS server in step S19 (NO in S19), or facsimile transmission is determined in step S23. If it is determined that the data transmission has not ended normally (NO in S23), the process proceeds to step S31 in FIG.

  In step S31, the address acquisition unit 122 accesses the address book storage unit 120, and determines whether there is an IP-FAX number corresponding to the destination accepted in step S11 of FIG. 5 (S31). In the present embodiment, since the route priority is designated by the selection condition storage unit 116 shown in FIG. 4, IP-FAX transmission is selected next to the above-described SMTP transmission route. Returning to FIG. 6, when there is an IP-FAX number (YES in S <b> 31), the corresponding IP-FAX number is acquired (S <b> 33), and a transmission instruction is given to the transmission control unit 128. The transmission control unit 128 instructs the IP-FAX transmission unit 104 to transmit facsimile data, and the IP-FAX transmission unit 104 first tries to connect to the network 1 (S35). When the connection to the network 1 is established (YES in S35), the IP-FAX transmission unit 104 obtains the transmission data stored in the transmission data storage unit 126 via the network 1 in step S33. (S37).

  The error detection unit 130 detects whether or not the transmission in step S37 has ended normally (S39). If the process has been completed normally (YES in S39), the process ends.

  If the connection to the network 1 cannot be established in step S17 of FIG. 5 (NO in S17), or if there is no IP-FAX number corresponding to the destination in step S31 of FIG. 6 (NO in S31), Alternatively, if connection to the network 1 cannot be established in step S35 (NO in S35), or if it is determined in step S39 that transmission of facsimile transmission data has not ended normally (NO in S39), Proceed to step S41 in FIG.

  In step S41, the address acquisition unit 122 accesses the address book storage unit 120, and determines whether there is a G3 FAX number corresponding to the destination accepted in step S11 of FIG. 5 (S41). Also in this case, since the priority order of the route is designated by the selection condition storage unit 116 shown in FIG. 4, G3 FAX transmission is selected next to the above-described IP-FAX transmission route. If there is a G3 FAX number (YES in S41), the corresponding G3 FAX number is acquired (S43), and a transmission instruction is given to the transmission control unit 128. The transmission control unit 128 instructs the G3 FAX transmission unit 106 to transmit facsimile data, and the G3 FAX transmission unit 106 transmits the transmission data stored in the transmission data storage unit 126 to the G3 FAX number acquired in step S43 via the PSTN3. (S45).

  The error detection unit 130 detects whether or not the transmission in step S45 has ended normally (S47). If the process has been completed normally (YES in S47), this process ends.

  In step S41, if there is no G3 FAX number corresponding to the destination (NO in S41), a message for notifying that the document cannot be transmitted is displayed on the display unit 30 (S51), and this process is terminated. If it is determined in step S47 that the G3 FAX transmission has not ended normally (NO in S47), a message for notifying the G3 FAX transmission error is displayed on the display unit 30 (S49), and this process is terminated.

  As described above, according to the Internet facsimile machine 100 of the present embodiment, when transmission fails on a certain route, a route for retransmitting the document can be selected according to the cause, so that an appropriate retransmission route can be selected. Selection becomes possible and communication efficiency improves. Further, it is possible to select a transmittable route according to a predetermined priority order. For example, the priority order can be specified according to communication cost, communication efficiency, and the like.

(Second embodiment)
FIG. 8 is a functional block diagram showing the configuration of the network facsimile apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention. The network facsimile apparatus shown in FIG. 8 differs from the network facsimile apparatus of the above-described embodiment in that an inquiry is made to the user when the transmission path of facsimile data is switched.

  The network facsimile apparatus according to the present embodiment is a network facsimile apparatus (Internet facsimile apparatus 200) capable of transmitting facsimile data to a designated destination through a plurality of routes, and the facsimile data is designated from a plurality of routes. When the transmission fails in the first transmission unit (the SMTP transmission unit 102 and the IP-FAX transmission unit 104) and the first transmission unit that transmit to the destination through one route, the communication fee is charged from the first route according to a predetermined inquiry condition. When it is determined whether or not transmission is to be performed on the second route having a high unit price, and an inquiry unit (determination unit 204 and inquiry unit 206) for inquiring the user and a transmission instruction from the user on the second route are received, the facsimile A second transmission unit (G3FAX transmission unit 106) that transmits data through the second route.

  Specifically, the Internet facsimile machine 200 has the same configuration as the Internet facsimile machine 100 of FIG. 2, an inquiry condition storage unit (shown as “inquiry condition” in the figure) 202, a determination unit 204, an inquiry unit 206 and a G3 FAX instruction receiving unit 208 are further provided.

  When the error detection unit 130 detects a transmission error on a certain route, the inquiry condition storage unit 202 stores a predetermined condition for determining whether transmission on another route is possible. The predetermined condition is, for example, whether the inquiry is made when the communication fee is greater than or equal to the predetermined amount and the inquiry is not made when the communication fee is less than the predetermined amount, or is inquiry always necessary or necessary? Etc. are set for each destination. In the present embodiment, it is assumed that every destination is always set to make an inquiry before a route change.

  If the error detection unit 130 detects a transmission error on a route according to a predetermined condition stored in the inquiry condition storage unit 202, the determination unit 204 determines whether transmission on another route is possible. The inquiry unit 206 displays a message or the like for inquiring the user on the display unit 30 when an inquiry is required according to the determination by the determination unit 204. In addition, a voice or a warning sound can be output from a speaker (not shown).

  FIG. 9 shows an example of the inquiry screen 300 in the present embodiment. The inquiry screen 300 includes a communication charge display unit 302, an OK button 304, and a cancel button 306. The communication fee display unit 302 displays the calculated communication fee based on, for example, designation of the destination facsimile number and the amount of facsimile data, for example, the number of documents to be transmitted, the document size, the fine mode, and the like. When the user selects the OK button 304, the G3 FAX instruction receiving unit 208 receives it as a G3 FAX transmission instruction. When the user selects a cancel button 306, transmission is stopped.

  The G3 FAX instruction reception unit 208 receives a G3 FAX transmission instruction from the user and notifies the route selection unit 114 of it.

  The operation of the Internet facsimile machine 200 of the present embodiment configured as described above will be described below. FIG. 10 is a flowchart showing an example of the operation at the time of G3 FAX transmission of the Internet facsimile apparatus 200 of the present embodiment. Hereinafter, a description will be given with reference to FIGS.

  The operations at the time of SMTP transmission and IP-FAX transmission are the same as those of the Internet facsimile machine 100 of the above-described embodiment, and the same operations are performed according to the flowcharts of FIGS. In the present embodiment, the process in step S45 in FIG. 7 is the process in FIG. 10, and is different from the above embodiment in that an inquiry is made to the user during G3 FAX transmission.

  When transmission by SMTP transmission or IP-FAX transmission fails, processing according to the flowchart of FIG. 7 is performed. When G3 FAX transmission processing is started in step S45, processing according to the flowchart of FIG. 10 is started.

  First, the determination unit 204 receives a notification of transmission error detection from the error detection unit 130, accesses the inquiry condition storage unit 202, and determines whether to make an inquiry according to the inquiry condition. Here, since the setting is always made to make an inquiry, the inquiry unit 206 makes an inquiry to the user. Specifically, the inquiry screen 300 of FIG. 9 is displayed on the display unit 30 (S71). When the user presses the OK button 304 on the inquiry screen 300, the G3 FAX instruction reception unit 208 receives a transmission instruction (YES in S73), and notifies the route selection unit 114 of the G3 FAX transmission instruction. The route selection unit 114 notifies the transmission control unit 128 of a G3 FAX transmission instruction, and the G3 FAX transmission unit 106 sets the transmission data stored in the transmission data storage unit 126 to the G3 FAX number acquired in step S43 of FIG. 7 via the PSTN3. Transmission is started (S75), and the process returns to step S47 of FIG.

  On the other hand, when the user presses the cancel button 306 on the inquiry screen 300 displayed in step S71, the G3 FAX instruction reception unit 208 receives a transmission stop instruction (NO in S73), and the transmission control unit 128 via the route selection unit 114. The transmission stop instruction is notified (S77). Here, a message indicating that communication has been interrupted may be displayed on the display unit 30. The facsimile transmission is stopped, and the process returns to step S47 in FIG.

  As described above, according to the Internet facsimile apparatus 200 of the present embodiment, when communication via the first route such as the network 1 including the Internet fails, the Internet facsimile device 200 automatically switches to the second route such as the PSTN 3 having a high communication charge unit price. Since switching is performed after an inquiry is made in accordance with a predetermined condition without switching automatically, switching can be performed based on a user's judgment in consideration of communication charges and the like, which is convenient. Also, depending on the conditions, facsimile transmission is automatically performed via the second route without making an inquiry, so there is no need to answer the inquiry one by one, improving communication efficiency and operability.

(Third embodiment)
FIG. 11 shows an example of the structure of the inquiry condition storage unit 202 of the Internet facsimile machine 200 of this embodiment. The Internet facsimile machine 200 according to this embodiment is different from the above embodiment in that an inquiry is made according to a communication fee.

  As shown in FIG. 11, the inquiry condition storage unit 202 stores a destination 220 and a restricted communication charge (shown as “fee” in the figure) 222 in association with each other. Thus, for example, the destination A does not always need to be inquired regardless of the charge, the destination B is inquired when the communication fee is 800 yen or more, the destination C is inquired when the communication fee is 1200 yen or more, and the destination D Will always be inquired regardless of communication charges.

  In the present embodiment, the communication fee is calculated to determine whether or not to make an inquiry. However, the inquiry condition storage unit 202 simply stores the setting of whether the inquiry is necessary or not for each destination 220. Alternatively, for example, a setting may be stored such that for each destination, a facsimile number other than the local number is inquired, or inquired only for international calls. Alternatively, the determination may be based on whether or not the number of documents to be transmitted is a predetermined number or more. A combination of these can be used as a query condition.

  The operation of the Internet facsimile machine 200 of the present embodiment configured as described above will be described below. FIG. 12 is a flowchart showing an example of the operation at the time of G3 FAX transmission of the Internet facsimile machine 200 of the present embodiment. Hereinafter, description will be made with reference to FIGS. 5 to 8, 11, and 12.

  The operations at the time of SMTP transmission and IP-FAX transmission are the same as those of the Internet facsimile machine 100 of the above-described embodiment, and the same operations are performed according to the flowcharts of FIGS. In the present embodiment, the processing in step S45 in FIG. 7 is the processing in FIG. 12, and is different from the above embodiment in that an inquiry is made for each destination according to the communication fee during G3 FAX transmission.

  When transmission by SMTP transmission or IP-FAX transmission fails, processing according to the flowchart of FIG. 7 is performed. When G3 FAX transmission processing is started in step S45, processing according to the flowchart of FIG. 12 is started.

  First, the determination unit 204 receives a notification of transmission error detection from the error detection unit 130, accesses the inquiry condition storage unit 202, and determines whether to make an inquiry according to the inquiry condition. Here, in accordance with the conditions set in the inquiry condition storage unit 202 in FIG. 11, the restricted communication fee 222 of the destination accepted in step S11 in FIG. 5 is acquired (S101). For example, according to the inquiry condition storage unit 202 shown in FIG. 11, since there is no communication charge restriction for the destination A (NO in S101), the route selection unit 114 is instructed to send a G3 FAX, and the process proceeds to step S109. On the other hand, for destination B, the communication fee is limited to 800 yen (YES in S101).

  Then, the communication fee is calculated based on the destination facsimile number and the amount of facsimile data, and the determination unit 204 determines whether or not the predetermined communication fee limit value is 800 yen or less (S103). If the calculated communication fee is equal to or less than the predetermined limit value (YES in S103), a G3 FAX transmission instruction is given to the route selection unit 114, and the process proceeds to step S109.

  On the other hand, when the calculated communication fee is larger than the predetermined limit value (NO in S103), the inquiry unit 206 makes an inquiry to the user. Specifically, the inquiry screen 300 of FIG. 9 is displayed on the display unit 30 (S105). When the user presses the OK button 304 on the inquiry screen 300, the G3 FAX instruction reception unit 208 receives a transmission instruction (YES in S107), notifies the route selection unit 114 of the G3 FAX transmission instruction, and proceeds to Step S109. On the other hand, when the user presses the cancel button 306 on the inquiry screen 300, the G3 FAX instruction receiving unit 208 receives a transmission stop instruction (NO in S107), and the transmission control unit 128 sends a transmission stop instruction via the route selection unit 114. (S111). Here, a message indicating that communication has been interrupted may be displayed on the display unit 30. The facsimile transmission is stopped, and the process returns to step S47 in FIG.

  In step S109, the route selection unit 114 notifies the transmission control unit 128 of a G3 FAX transmission instruction, and the G3 FAX transmission unit 106 acquires the transmission data stored in the transmission data storage unit 126 through the PSTN 3 in step S43 of FIG. Transmission is started to the G3 FAX number (S109), and the process returns to step S47 in FIG.

  As described above, according to the Internet facsimile apparatus 200 of the present embodiment, when communication via the first route such as the network 1 including the Internet fails, the Internet facsimile device 200 automatically switches to the second route such as the PSTN 3 having a high communication charge unit price. Since switching is performed after an inquiry is made in accordance with a predetermined condition without switching automatically, switching can be performed based on a user's judgment in consideration of communication charges and the like, which is convenient. Also, depending on the conditions, since the facsimile transmission is automatically performed by PSTN 3 without making an inquiry, there is no need to answer the inquiry one by one, so that communication efficiency and operability are improved.

(Fourth embodiment)
The network facsimile apparatus of this embodiment is different from the above-described embodiment in that, in error processing during facsimile communication via a network, a retry is repeated a predetermined number of times or a predetermined time before switching to another route. To do. Note that the configuration of the Internet facsimile apparatus of this embodiment is the same as that of the Internet facsimile apparatus of the above-described embodiment shown in FIG. 2 or FIG.

  Here, the predetermined number of retries may be a predetermined time. That is, for example, an error may occur if an inquiry is made just when the IP address assignment is updated in DDNS. However, such an error may be resolved as time passes. Therefore, a retry is made for a time considered to be required for error resolution.

  In the Internet facsimile apparatus according to the present embodiment, when the transmission failure is caused by a transmission error in the SMTP transmission path, the first transmission unit (SMTP transmission unit 102 or IP-FAX transmission unit 104) is repeated up to a predetermined number of times. A retry unit (transmission control unit 128) for retrying transmission.

  The operation of the Internet facsimile apparatus of this embodiment configured as described above will be described below. FIG. 13 is a flowchart showing an example of the operation of the network facsimile apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention. In FIG. 13, processes not directly related to the present invention are omitted.

  First, after the user presses the SMTP transmission start button on the operation panel, the transmission instruction reception unit 108 receives the start instruction, the original is read by the reading unit 110, and the image data is stored in the image data storage unit 112. The operation of will be described. In accordance with the instruction received by the transmission instruction reception unit 108, the route selection unit 114 first selects an SMTP transmission route and notifies the address acquisition unit 122, the transmission control unit 128, and the conversion unit 124. The conversion unit 124 creates a transmission mail for the instructed SMTP transmission path, and stores it in the transmission data storage unit 126. It should be noted that the document reading and the image data creation may be performed at any time before the facsimile data is transmitted.

  Then, the destination reception unit 118 receives a destination designated by the user using the operation unit 28 (S121). Subsequently, the transmission control unit 128 instructs the SMTP transmission unit 102 to transmit facsimile data, and the SMTP transmission unit 102 first tries to connect to the network 1 (S123). When the connection to the network 1 is established (YES in S123), the address acquisition unit 122 accesses the address book storage unit 120, acquires the mail address corresponding to the destination accepted in step S121, and sets the network interface 20 The IP address is inquired to the DNS server or the DNS server on the network 1 via the network (S125).

  When the IP address can be acquired (YES in S127), the transmission control unit 128 causes the SMTP transmission unit 102 to transmit the transmission data stored in the transmission data storage unit 126 to the destination via the network 1 (S129). The error detection unit 130 detects whether or not the transmission in step S129 has been completed normally (S131). If the process has been completed normally (YES in S131), this process ends.

  If the IP address cannot be obtained from the DNS server in step S127 (NO in S127), the process in step S125 is repeated until the number of retries reaches a predetermined number (S133). After retrying a predetermined number of times (YES in S133), the process proceeds to step S137.

  If the facsimile transmission does not end normally in step S129 (NO in S131), the process in step S129 is repeated until the number of retries reaches a predetermined number or more (S135). After retrying a predetermined number of times (YES in S135), the process proceeds to step S137.

  In step S137, the address acquisition unit 122 accesses the address book storage unit 120, acquires the IP-FAX number corresponding to the destination accepted in step S121, and the transmission control unit 128 instructs the IP-FAX transmission unit 104. The transmission data stored in the transmission data storage unit 126 is transmitted to the IP-FAX number acquired via the network 1 (S137).

  In addition, the error detection unit 130 detects whether or not the IP-FAX transmission in step S137 has been normally completed (S139), and ends this process if it has been normally completed. If the IP-FAX transmission has not ended normally (NO in S139), the process proceeds to step S141.

  If the connection to the network 1 is not established in step S123 (NO in S123), the process proceeds to step S141. In step S141, the address acquisition unit 122 accesses the address book storage unit 120, and acquires the G3 FAX number corresponding to the destination accepted in step S121. Then, the transmission control unit 128 instructs the G3 FAX transmission unit 106 to perform facsimile transmission, and the G3 FAX transmission unit 106 transmits the transmission data stored in the transmission data storage unit 126 to the G3 FAX number acquired via the PSTN 3 (S141). .

  Thus, for example, when connection to the network 1 cannot be established during SMTP transmission (NO in S123), the transmission is immediately switched to G3 FAX transmission (S141). If an error occurs when acquiring the IP address to the DNS server (NO in S127), retry is performed up to a predetermined number of times (S133), and if the error can be recovered (YES in S127), SMTP transmission is performed (S129). be able to. Further, when the SMTP transmission fails (NO in S131 and YES in S135), it is possible to switch to IP-FAX transmission (S137) using SIP which is another communication protocol via the network 1.

  As described above, according to the Internet facsimile apparatus of this embodiment, for example, when a cause is a transmission error when inquiring an IP address to the DDNS server, the error may be eliminated by retrying. Thus, it is possible to avoid switching to a route that may cause a high communication fee such as G3 facsimile transmission as much as possible.

  As mentioned above, although embodiment of this invention was described with reference to drawings, these are the illustrations of this invention, Various structures other than the above are also employable.

It is a block diagram which shows an example of the hardware constitutions of the internet facsimile apparatus which concerns on embodiment of this invention. 1 is a functional block diagram showing an Internet facsimile apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. It is a figure which shows an example of the structure of the address book memory | storage part of the internet facsimile apparatus of FIG. It is a figure which shows an example of the structure of the selection condition memory | storage part of the internet facsimile apparatus of FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing an example of the operation of the Internet facsimile machine of FIG. 6 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a continuation of FIG. 5. 7 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a continuation of FIG. 6. It is a functional block diagram which shows the structure of the network facsimile apparatus based on other embodiment of this invention. It is a figure which shows an example of the inquiry screen of the internet facsimile apparatus of FIG. It is a flowchart which shows an example of the operation | movement at the time of G3 FAX transmission of the internet facsimile apparatus of FIG. It is a figure which shows an example of the structure of the inquiry condition memory | storage part of the internet facsimile apparatus of FIG. It is a flowchart which shows another example of the operation | movement at the time of G3 FAX transmission of the internet facsimile apparatus which concerns on embodiment of this invention. It is a flowchart which shows an example of operation | movement of the network facsimile apparatus based on other embodiment of this invention.

Explanation of symbols

1 Network 3 PSTN
10 Control unit 12 ROM
14 RAM
16 Image memory 17 Scanner 18 Printer 20 Network interface 22 NCU
24 modem 26 CODEC
28 Operation unit 30 Display unit 32 Bus 100 Internet facsimile machine 102 SMTP transmission unit 104 IP-FAX transmission unit 106 G3 FAX transmission unit 108 Transmission instruction reception unit 110 Reading unit 112 Image data storage unit 114 Path selection unit 116 Selection condition storage unit 118 Destination Reception unit 120 Address book storage unit 122 Address acquisition unit 124 Conversion unit 126 Transmission data storage unit 128 Transmission control unit 130 Error detection unit 140 Address 142 Mail address 144 IP-FAX number 146 G3 FAX number 150 Order 152 Path 200 Internet facsimile machine 202 Inquiry Condition storage unit 204 Judgment unit 206 Inquiry unit 208 G3FAX instruction reception unit 220 Destination 222 Restricted communication charge 300 Inquiry screen 302 Communication charge display unit 304 O Button 306 Cancel button

Claims (11)

A network facsimile apparatus capable of transmitting facsimile data to a designated destination through a plurality of routes,
A first transmission unit configured to transmit the facsimile data to the destination through a first route designated from among the plurality of routes;
In the first transmission unit, when transmission fails, an inquiry unit that determines whether or not to perform transmission on the second route having a higher communication charge unit price than the first route according to a predetermined inquiry condition, and inquires the user ,
A second transmission unit configured to transmit the facsimile data through the second path when receiving a transmission instruction from the user through the second path;
A network facsimile apparatus comprising: The network facsimile apparatus according to claim 1,
The plurality of routes are:
A route for acquiring an IP address corresponding to the mail address of the designated destination by DNS, and transmitting facsimile data via the network via SMTP;
A route for transmitting facsimile data to the designated destination IP phone number using a predetermined protocol via a network;
A network facsimile apparatus including a route for transmitting facsimile data to the designated destination facsimile number via a public network via G3 facsimile. The network facsimile apparatus according to claim 1 or 2,
A network facsimile apparatus comprising a condition storage unit for storing the inquiry condition for each destination. The network facsimile apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 3,
The network facsimile apparatus, wherein the inquiry condition is set according to a communication fee of the facsimile data. The network facsimile apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 4,
The first route is an IP network;
An acquisition unit that acquires the IP address of the destination from a DNS server;
The network facsimile apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the inquiry condition includes whether or not to inquire a user whether or not to perform transmission on the second route when the IP address cannot be acquired. The network facsimile apparatus according to claim 5, wherein
The network facsimile apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the inquiry condition includes whether or not to inquire a user whether or not to perform transmission on the second route when connection to the IP network is not possible. The network facsimile apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 6,
A network facsimile apparatus, comprising: an address information storage unit that stores a plurality of address information respectively corresponding to the plurality of routes for each destination. A network facsimile apparatus capable of transmitting facsimile data to a designated destination through a plurality of routes,
A first transmission unit configured to transmit the facsimile data to the destination through a first route designated from among the plurality of routes;
In the first transmission unit, when transmission fails, an inquiry unit that inquires the user whether or not to perform transmission on the second route having a higher communication fee than the first route;
A second transmission unit configured to transmit the facsimile data through the second path when receiving a transmission instruction from the user through the second path;
A network facsimile apparatus comprising: The network facsimile apparatus according to claim 8, wherein
A determination unit that determines a communication fee when the facsimile data is transmitted by the second transmission unit;
The inquiry unit makes an inquiry for transmission when the communication charge is higher than a predetermined value,
The second facsimile unit automatically transmits the facsimile data via the second path without performing the inquiry when the communication fee is lower than a predetermined value. The network facsimile apparatus according to claim 8 or 9,
The second route is a public line network, and the second transmission unit transmits the facsimile data by G3 facsimile communication via the public line network,
The network facsimile apparatus, wherein the determination unit calculates and determines the communication fee based on a facsimile number of the destination or a data amount of the facsimile data. The network facsimile apparatus according to any one of claims 8 to 10,
A network facsimile apparatus, comprising: an address information storage unit that stores a plurality of address information respectively corresponding to the plurality of routes for each destination.

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