JP2700560B2 - Control system for facsimile machine - Google Patents

Description

Description: BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a control method for a facsimile apparatus having an image storage function and an automatic transmission function.

2. Description of the Related Art In general, in a facsimile apparatus, if a destination is in a busy state at the time of a call, the call is temporarily stopped, and a call is re-established after a certain period of time. In the case of the busy state, the re-calling after a lapse of a certain time is repeated until the destination arrives or the number of re-calls reaches the specified number.

Further, if the destination does not arrive even after the specified number of re-calls, the image information transmission set at that time is canceled.

[Problems to be Solved by the Invention] Therefore, in a conventional facsimile apparatus, transmission / reception of a destination is very congested, and if it is difficult to connect to the destination, it is not possible to connect to the destination even if the call is repeated up to a specified number of times. In some cases, the set image information transmission becomes inconvenient.

In addition, in the state where the re-calling is repeatedly performed, it is impossible to make a call to another destination, thereby causing an inconvenience that image information transmission to another destination is greatly repeated.

An object of the present invention is to solve such a problem of the conventional apparatus and to provide a control method of the facsimile apparatus which can improve the use efficiency of the facsimile apparatus.

[Means for Solving the Problems] According to the present invention, in a control method of a facsimile apparatus having an image storage function and an automatic transmission function, a history of a busy state when each destination is called is stored for each destination. Storage means for storing the busy history table described above, and the time designation memory transmission is performed by designating a time other than the busy time registered in the busy history information table.

[Operation] Therefore, since the time-specified memory transmission with the specified time set to a time zone that is likely to be connected to the destination of the image information is automatically set, the possibility that a recall will occur is extremely low.
The use efficiency of the facsimile machine is greatly improved.

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

FIG. 1 shows a facsimile apparatus according to one embodiment of the present invention.

In FIG. 1, a control unit 1 is for performing control processing of various operations of the facsimile apparatus and processing of a group 3 facsimile transmission procedure, and a parameter memory 2 stores various information unique to the facsimile apparatus, for example, , A busy history table storing the history of the busy state at the time of calling each of the destinations.

The scanner 3 is for reading an image of a transmission original at a predetermined resolution, and the plotter 4 is for recording and outputting a received image at a predetermined resolution.
Outputs current time information.

The operation display unit 6 is composed of various operation keys necessary for operating the facsimile machine and various display devices such as a character display device.

The image storage device 7 is for storing image information and the like in a coded and compressed state.
This is for encoding and compressing the image signal and decoding the encoded and compressed image information into the original image signal.

The modem 9 is for performing a modulation / demodulation process for transmitting a digital signal using a telephone line which is an analog transmission line, and the network control device 10 is for connecting the facsimile device to the telephone line. is there. Further, the network control device 10 has an automatic transmission / reception function.

The control unit 1, the parameter memory 2, the scanner 3, the plotter 4, the clock circuit 5, the operation display unit 6, the image storage unit 7, the encoding / decoding unit 8, the modem 9, and the network control unit 10 The data transmission between these components is performed via the system bus 11. The input / output signals on the telephone line side of the modem 9 are directly connected to the network controller 10.

FIG. 2 shows an example of busy history information constituting a busy history table stored in the parameter memory 2.

The busy history information starts from the destination information CL such as the destination phone number that indicates the corresponding destination, and from 0:00 (24-hour display).
It is composed of busy time data BD1 to BD64 representing the busy times for each time period set in 15-minute intervals. This busy history information is formed for each destination.

 FIG. 3 shows a configuration example of the operation display unit 6.

In the figure, a start key 6a is for starting a transmission operation and a reception operation of the facsimile machine, and a stop key 6b is for stopping the operation of the facsimile machine.

The numeric keypad 6c is used to input numerical information such as a telephone number, and the YES key 6d and the NO key 6e are used to input a command to select an item to the operation guidance displayed on the character display device 6f. , Clear key 6g
Is for deleting input information or canceling the selected mode, and the mode key 6h is for setting and inputting the transmission mode and transmission function of the facsimile apparatus.

The character display device 6f is composed of a liquid crystal display or the like, and is for displaying and outputting various character information such as an operation guidance message from the facsimile device to the operator and the contents set in the mode key 6h.

FIG. 4 shows an example of processing executed by the control unit 1 when transmitting image information.

When an operator sets a document to be transmitted on the scanner 3 and operates the numeric keypad 6c to input a destination telephone number, the controller 1
First, it is checked whether the input destination telephone number is registered as a destination in the busy history table (processing 101, judgment 102).

If the destination at that time is already registered (decision 102
If the result is YES), the current time is read from the clock circuit 5, and in the busy time information of the destination, whether the content of the busy count data BD1 to BD64 in the time zone including the current time is 1 or more? Check whether it is (decision 103).

When the result of the determination 103 is YES, there is a high possibility that the destination is busy even if a call is made at the present time, so the transmission time setting dialogue processing for setting the time designation transmission to the destination ( Step 104) is performed.

In this process 104, of the busy count data BD1 to BD64,
A search is made for a time slot whose content is 0 (that is, no busy state) and that is closest to the current time, and the first of the time slots set in the searched busy count data is searched. A guidance message having the content set in the display field RR of the transmission time candidate as shown in FIG. 5A is displayed on the character display device 6f.

Then, the operator determines which of the YES key 6d and the NO key 6e has been operated in response to the guidance message (decision 105).

When the operator turns on the YES key 6d, the result of determination 105 is YES, whereby the control unit 1 sets the destination at that time as the transmission destination, and sets the time displayed in the display column RR to the designated transmission time. The set time-designated transmission management information is formed (process 106).

In this state, the operator finishes setting various transmission modes, and monitors that the start key 6a is turned on (NO loop of the judgment 107). When the start key 6a is turned on (the result of the judgment 107 is YES), the scanner 3 is operated to read the image of the transmission original set at that time, the read image signal is coded and compressed by the coding / decoding section 8, and the coded and compressed image information is obtained. Then, it is stored in the image storage device 7 as a transmission file of the time designation transmission at that time (processing 108), and this processing ends.

If the destination input at that time is not registered as a destination in the busy history table, the result of decision 102 is N
It becomes O. As a result, the control unit 1 sets the destination in the destination information CL, generates busy history information in which all the contents of the busy count data BD1 to BD64 are initialized to 0, and generates the busy history information in the busy history table. It is added (process 109).

Then, the operator finishes setting the transmission mode and the like,
It is monitored that the start key 6a is turned on (NO in the judgment 110).
When the start key 6a is turned on (loop), the destination input at that time is called (process 111).

At the time of calling, it is checked whether the destination is busy (decision 112). If the address is busy, the calling is interrupted and the current time at that time is read from the clock circuit 5. Then, the busy count data BD1 of the busy history information of the call destination at that time
Of BD to BD, the content of the busy count data corresponding to the time zone including the current time is incremented to update the busy history information (process 113).

Next, retransmission call transmission management information is set in which the call destination at that time is set as the destination and a time that has passed a certain time from the current time is set as the transmission time (process 114). The included recall counter CNB is incremented (process 115), and this process ends.

If the call is not busy at the time of the call and the result of determination 112 is NO, the image information transmission processing (processing 116) in the immediate mode is executed as it is, and the image of the transmission original set on the scanner 3 is processed. Is read and transmitted to the destination.

When the result of the determination 103 is NO, that is, when the content of the busy count data of the time zone that is registered as the destination in the busy history table but includes the current time is 0, and the result of the determination 105 Is NO, that is, if the user has been busy in the past during the time zone including the current time, but the operator has specified immediate transmission, the process proceeds to decision 110 and the start key 6a is turned on. Monitor and perform subsequent processing.

In this way, when the telephone number of the destination is operated and input, the control unit 1 determines that the destination has been in a busy state at least once in the past when the destination was called during the time period including the time. If there is, the operator searches for a time zone that is closest to the current time and has never been busy in the past, and asks the operator whether to set time-specified memory transmission with the start time of that time zone as a candidate time. Inquire.

In response to the inquiry, when the operator designates that the designated timed memory transmission is to be performed, the image of the transmitted document set on the scanner 3 is read at that time to form a transmission file, and the time designated memory transmission is performed. To form management information.

Therefore, if there is a high possibility that the telephone is busy when the message is immediately transmitted to the destination specified by the operator, the transmission time is set at a later time in a time period in which there is a high possibility that the telephone is not busy. Possibility is low, occupation of the facsimile machine for re-calling is suppressed, and utilization efficiency of the facsimile machine is improved.

FIG. 6 shows an example of processing performed by the control unit 1 at the time of designation transmission. This process is started for a certain period of time, for example, every minute when the facsimile machine is in a standby state.

First, the control unit 1 checks whether there is any of the time-designated transmission management information and the re-calling transmission management information whose transmission-designated time is earlier than the current time (decision 20).
1). When the result of the determination 201 is NO, there is no transmission file to be transmitted, so this processing is immediately terminated.

When the result of the judgment 201 is YES, the destination set in the time-designated transmission management information or the re-call transmission management information is called (process 202), and it is checked whether the destination is busy (decision 203). ).

If the destination is busy (the result of the determination 203 is YES), the current time at that time is read from the clock circuit 5, and the busy history information corresponding to the destination indicates the busy time corresponding to the time zone including the current time. The busy history information is updated by incrementing the contents of the frequency data BD1 to BD64 (process 204).

Next, retransmission call transmission management information in which the call destination at that time is set as the destination and a time that has passed a certain time from the current time is set as the transmission time is formed (process 205). The included recall counter CNB is incremented (step 206).

Then, it is checked whether or not the value of the recall counter CNB at that time exceeds a preset recall limit number NB (decision 207). If the result of the decision 207 is NO, this processing is performed for the recall. To end.

When the result of the determination 207 is YES, the re-call transmission management information and the transmission file relating to the transmission file are deleted (process 208), and an error report (not shown) indicating that the set image information could not be transmitted. (Abbreviation) and record and output from the plotter 4 to end this processing.

Also, the destination called in step 202 is not busy and
When the result is NO, it is checked whether or not the image information transmission at that time is a memory transmission for transmitting the transmission file stored in the image storage device 7 (decision 210).

When the result of the determination 210 is YES, the image information transmission process (process 211) in the memory transmission mode is executed as it is, the transmission file stored in the image storage device 7 is transmitted to the destination, and this process ends. .

If the result of the determination 210 is NO, the image information transmission processing in the immediate mode (processing 212) is executed as it is, the image of the transmission original set on the scanner 3 is read and transmitted to the destination, and this processing is ended. .

In this way, when the control unit 1 calls the destination,
If busy, the busy count data in the corresponding time zone is incremented to update the busy history information corresponding to the destination, and preparations are made for a recall. If the image information cannot be transmitted to the destination even after the specified number of re-calls, an error message is recorded and output without further re-calls.

If the destination is not busy, the image information set for the image information transmission is transmitted to the destination.

As described above, according to the present embodiment, when the destination designated by the operator is called at the current time and the possibility that the user is busy is high, the destination is not busy after the current time. Since the designated time is transmitted at a time in a time zone that has not been experienced, the possibility of making a recall is small, and the use efficiency of the facsimile apparatus can be significantly improved.

By the way, in the above-described embodiment, in the transmission time setting interactive process in the process of FIG.
Closest to the current time and the content of the busy count data is 0
Is presented as a candidate time in the time designation transmission, but when there are a plurality of time periods in which the content of the busy count data is 0 after the current time, They can be listed and let the operator choose.

In this case, an example of the guidance message displayed on the character display device 6f is shown in FIG. 5 (b).

In this case, up to the tenth candidate are listed, and one of them is selected by operating the numeric keypad 6c.
Further, when the cancel key 6g is operated and input, the time designation transmission is not performed.

Even if there are a plurality of candidate times, a guidance message similar to that shown in FIG. 5A in which the time of the first candidate is set in the column RR is displayed, and when the NO key 6e is operated and input. By sequentially changing the display content of the column RR to the time of the next candidate, the operator can be made to select one of a plurality of candidate times. However, in this case,
When the cancel key 6g is turned on, it is necessary to display that the time designation transmission is not performed.

If there is no time zone in which the content of the busy count data is 0 after the current time, the order of the candidates is set from the one with the smallest content of the busy count data.

Alternatively, in that case, the time specified transmission is not performed,
You may return to immediate transmission.

Further, in the above-described embodiment, the time zone of the busy count data is set at intervals of 15 minutes from 0:00, but the width of this time zone is not limited to this, for example, 30 minutes or 1 hour. Can also be set to

[Effects of the Invention] As described above, according to the present invention, in the control method of the facsimile apparatus having the image storage function and the automatic transmission function, the busy state when each destination is called for each destination Storage means for storing a busy history table that stores the history of the specified time, and a time specification memory transmission is performed by specifying a time other than the busy time registered in the busy history information table. There is an effect that the probability that a call is generated is extremely low, and the use efficiency of the facsimile apparatus is significantly improved.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a facsimile apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing an example of busy history information, FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram showing an example of an operation display unit, FIG. FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing an example of a process at the time of a call performed by the control unit. FIG. 5 (a) is a schematic diagram showing an example of a guidance message of the transmission time setting dialogue process, and FIG. FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram showing another example of the guidance message, and FIG. 6 is a flowchart showing a processing example performed by the control unit at the time of designated transmission. DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Control part, 2 ... Parameter memory, 5 ... Clock circuit, 6 ... Operation display part, 7 ... Image storage device, 10 ... Network control device.

Claims (1)

(57) [Claims] In a control method of a facsimile apparatus having an image storage function and an automatic transmission function, a busy history table storing a history of a busy state when each destination is called is stored for each destination. A control method for a facsimile apparatus, comprising storage means, wherein a time other than a busy time registered in the busy history information table is designated and time designated memory transmission is performed.