JP2752173B2 - Image communication device - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [Industrial Application Field] The present invention is directed to an image communication system suitable for application to an image communication system capable of performing relay communication or the like using a special image communication identification sheet. Related to a communication device.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION As an image communication system, an image communication device using a facsimile device that is widely used for home use, business use, and the like on the transmitter side has been considered.

In this image communication system, as shown in FIG. 9, image information transmitted from a transmitter (relay requesting device) 10 is temporarily stored in, for example, a center device 20, and then a plurality of receivers 50, The system attempts to transmit the image information to 51 and the like. Transmitter 10, center unit 20, receiver
A facsimile machine is used for each of 50, 51, and the like.

The center unit 20 has a built-in microcomputer having communication control means and the like, and is provided with a large-capacity storage means (memory) 30. Then, the image signal is supplied to the printer 40 as a recording means as needed, and the image signal is visualized.

When such an image communication system is used, image signals from a plurality of transmitters are temporarily stored in the memory 30, so that the image signals can be transmitted to a required final destination at a desired time, as in broadcast communication. There are benefits.

In order to realize such an image communication system, the transmitter needs to transmit the following information to the center device 20 in addition to the image information.

That is, the information transmitted from the transmitter side is transmitted to only the center device 20, or the plurality of receivers 50, 51,.
It is necessary to send information such as whether or not to transmit. Further, the center device 20 needs to determine whether the transmitted information is an image signal or information for communication control.

Therefore, in such an image communication system,
An identification sheet for image communication in which a transmission destination and the like are recorded is used, and the information is also transmitted to the center device 20.

FIG. 10 shows an example of an image communication identification sheet (hereinafter, referred to as an OMR sheet) used for such a purpose.

As the OMR sheet 45, as shown in the figure, a sheet of approximately A4 size is used. An information recording section (hereinafter, referred to as a mark section) 46 is provided at the center thereof, and information (a telephone number of a final destination, a relay request, a password, etc.) indicating a transmission destination or the like is written therein. Then, a mark (hereinafter, referred to as an OMR mark) OM that functions as a sheet identification unit for discriminating the OMR sheet 45 is formed on the sheet insertion start side end 47 side. In this example, the OMR mark OM is constituted by four band-shaped marks at predetermined intervals.

RM is a reference mark, and various information necessary for communication is written in the reference mark RM.

Both the recording information in the mark column 46 and the OMR mark OM are optically read on the transmitter 10 in the same manner as a normal document, and the information is transmitted to the center device 20 prior to the document. In the center unit 20, the instructed process is executed based on the record information.

The OMR mark OM, fiducial mark RM, or entry instruction mark (not shown) for information entry printed on the OMR sheet 45 is read by normal printing, but other explanatory texts and frame lines are transmitted. In all cases, a dropout color is used so as not to be read as information.

[Problems to be Solved by the Invention] When transmitting image information from the transmitter 10, both the original and the OMR sheet are transmitted as image information without distinction. OMR sheets are usually sent to the first page.

Therefore, when the center device 20 is set to the print mode, for example, the OMR sheet transmitted first may be printed out. When the center unit 20 is set to the file mode, the OMR sheet transmitted first is also filed in the memory, like the image information of the document.

Therefore, the recording paper is wasted and unnecessary information is stored in the memory.

In view of this, the present invention takes this point into consideration, and when it is determined that the content of the received image information is the identification sheet, even if the reception mode is set to the printer mode, However, the present invention proposes an image communication apparatus that automatically changes the reception mode to the file mode.

[Means for Solving the Problems] In order to solve the above-described problems, the present invention provides an image communication apparatus configured to perform image communication using an identification sheet for image communication. Selecting means for setting a print mode for printing out image information or a file mode for storing received image information in a file; and determining whether at least the content of the received image information is the identification sheet. Communication control means for changing the reception mode in preference to the selection means based on the output, wherein the communication control means, when it is determined that the content of the received image information is the identification sheet, Even if the reception mode is set to the print mode, control is performed so that the reception mode is automatically changed to the file mode. It is a sign.

[Operation] When the reception mode of the center unit 20 is set to the print mode, the received image information is immediately supplied to the printer 40 and the contents are printed out. This does not matter whether the image information is the image information of the document or the image information of the OMR sheet 45.

Since the OMR sheet 45 corresponds to the first page of the transmission, the OMR sheet 45 itself is printed out in this case.

The content of the received image information is analyzed, and as a result, if it is determined that the sheet is the OMR sheet 45, the print mode is immediately prohibited. Therefore, the paper printed out is 1
This is only a small part of the page, and wasteful consumption of paper is suppressed. The contents entered in OMR sheet 45 are
If the instruction is to store the image information from the next page in a file, the mode is automatically changed to the file mode (FIGS. 1 and 4).

When the reception mode of the center device 20 is set to the file mode, the received image information is stored in a file. The content of the received image information is analyzed, and as a result
If it is determined that the sheet is the sheet 45, the image information of the first page, that is, the image information of the OMR sheet is erased when all the memories of the received image information are completed (FIG. 4).

[Embodiment] Next, an example of an image communication apparatus according to the present invention will be described in detail with reference to FIG.

First, the communication control means 60 built in the facsimile machine used as the center machine 20 will be described with reference to FIG.

In the figure, reference numeral 61 denotes a CPU for managing communication control.
For example, the CPU 61 determines whether the content of the received image information is an identification sheet, or controls a change in the reception mode. 62
Is a ROM in which various control programs are stored, and 63 is a RAM for storing image signals to be transmitted.

The image signal read by the image reading unit 64 is supplied to a modem and a network control circuit (NCU) 66 after being stored in the RAM 63 or directly via the interface 65. The image signal input from the line is
Is temporarily stored in the RAM 63 or stored in the memory 30. When using the relay function, the file registration function, and the like, the memory 30 is generally used.

The image information read from the RAM 63 or the memory 30 is supplied to the printer 40 via the interface 67 and recorded.

The telephone number or the like of the transmission destination is supplied to the display unit 70 via the interface 69, so that it is displayed.

The operation unit 71 provided in the facsimile apparatus includes a file mode in which image information received for relay communication (including relay broadcast communication) is stored in a file or a print mode in which received image information is printed out. (Not shown) is provided, and when the user operates this, the contents are taken into the CPU 61 via the interface 72.

When used as the transmitter 10 or the receivers 50, 51,..., The memory 30 is unnecessary.

The control for the center machine 20 is controlled by the transmitted OMR sheet 4.
According to the instructions described in 5. A specific example of the OMR sheet 45 will be described.

FIG. 2 shows an example of the OMR sheet 45, in which the OMR mark OM and the reference mark RM are printed as in FIG. 10, and the following functions can be designated in the mark column 46.

(1) Relay request (2) Confidential transmission (3) File polling (4) Post office box (5) Database (6) Bulletin board As is clear from the above example, the function of the relay request is plural via the center unit. This function can be sent to other parties. The details will be described later.

The confidential transmission is a function in which information cannot be obtained by anyone other than the designated person, and a password is used.

File polling is a function that can request transmission of information from any station to any station including the own station.

Therefore, when the OMR sheet 45 specifying file polling is transmitted to the center unit 20, the OMR sheet 45
Recognition, analysis, and execution processing, and once disconnects the line. Then, the specified destination (10 or 50,51, etc.)
, And the designated file stored in the center device 20 is read and transmitted.

At this time, the destination to call is not limited to the transmitter 10 as described above, and may be any destination (the final destination receiver 50 or the like) as long as the destination is registered in the center device 20. In addition, since a call is made after the line is once disconnected, the requesting machine only needs to have a standard protocol and does not need to have a polling procedure.

The post office box is a function of storing highly confidential documents for each individual, and the contents can also be read out only by matching passwords.

The database is a function that classifies various documents and stores them in a specific file.
You will specify the database number.

The bulletin board is a function of storing information to be generally notified in a file. Since this information has no confidentiality, no password is used and anyone can access the information.

Therefore, the file registration function to the PO Box described above,
Both the database registration function and the bulletin board file registration function are a type of file registration processing function.

 Returning to FIG. 2, the description will be continued.

The area 31 is an area for specifying a relay one-touch number, and can specify 20 relay one-touch numbers.

The area 32 is a designated area for the password, and in this example, 4
The digits consist of a password.

The area 33 is a confidential key area and has a four-digit configuration.
An area 34 is an area for designating a post office box file number and has a two-digit configuration. An area 35 is a designated area for a database number (database file number) and has a 4-digit configuration.

Numeral 36 denotes an area for the abbreviated number of the own station, which has a two-digit configuration.

FIG. 3 is a specific example of entry on the OMR sheet 45. The figure shows
This is an example when a relay request is made to two stations using a password. This also contains the abbreviated number of your own station.

Subsequently, a specific example when the relay communication is specified among the above-described functions will be described below.

When the relay communication is performed, the procedure is as shown in FIG. Hereinafter, the procedure in the center machine 20 will be described.

FIG. 4 shows a reception processing routine 80. When there is an incoming call, the reception processing module and the image data processing module are activated respectively (steps 81 and 90). In the reception processing module, when a call is established with the partner transmitter 10, a predetermined communication procedure is performed, and the code data of the received image information is transferred to the image data processing module. The image data processing module decodes the compressed code data from the data entry module (reception processing module).

When the decryption processing is completed, the subsequent processing differs depending on the reception mode of the center device 20 (step 101). That is, when the reception mode is set to the print mode, the decoded image data is sent to the exit module for the print processing module (step 10).
2). When the reception mode is the file mode, the image data is sent to the file processing module (step
103).

In any case, for example, when the print processing module is activated, an indication that one page is being processed is displayed, and the processing of the first page is confirmed. When this is confirmed, it is checked whether the OMR sheet 45 has been received. (104-1
06). If it is determined that the page is the OMR sheet 45, the contents of the OMR sheet 45 are analyzed, and if the analysis result is normal, a post message response signal is sent to the partner transmitter 10 (steps 110, 107, 108). . As a result, when there is a next page to be transmitted, the next page is transmitted, and when there is no next page, the line is disconnected as described later.

After that, as a result of analyzing the entry contents of the OMR sheet 45, if the print mode is set to the next and subsequent pages, the process directly proceeds to step 104. At that time, the print mode is continued, and the print processing is performed as usual.

However, when the information indicating that the image information from the next page is to be stored is entered, the file processing module is activated and the process proceeds to step 103 (step 103).
09).

As a result of analyzing the contents of the entry on the OMR sheet 45, if the password is inconsistent, the entry is omitted, the entry is incorrect, the entry is low in density, and the density is low, and the reading is abnormal, the post message response signal is not sent out in step 107. The process proceeds to step 112 and thereafter proceeds to step 114 via step 113 or directly, so that the reception is completed.

That is, when there is an abnormality in the analysis result, a procedure error occurs, and the line is automatically disconnected due to non-transmission of the post message response signal to the partner transmitter 10.

Thus, the sender can determine that the content transmitted on the first page has an abnormality, and can automatically notify the abnormal communication.

When the reception mode is the print mode and the reception of all pages is completed, it is determined whether or not the OMR sheet 45 is stored in the file (steps 111 and 112). In the above case, since no data is stored in the memory, all the processing modules started at that time are stopped, and the reception processing operation ends (step 114).

On the other hand, when the reception mode is the file mode from the beginning, the received image data is stored in a predetermined file at the same time when the file processing module is activated. When the reception of all pages is completed, it is determined whether the OMR sheet 45 has been stored in the file (steps 111 and 112). In this case, since the OMR sheet 45 is stored at the very beginning, the OM
After the process of erasing the page of the R sheet 45 is performed and the OMR sheet 45 is deleted from the file (step 113), all the activated processing modules are stopped and the reception processing operation is completed (step 114).

FIG. 5 shows an example of the content of a processing module for image data. When the image data processing module is activated, image data of one raster line is input from an entrance module, and is decoded.
When it is the first page of image data processing, OM
The contents of the R sheet 45 are analyzed (steps 91, 92, 93,
110).

Next, in the reception mode, that is, when the exit module is not in the file mode, and thus in the print mode (step 94), the OMR sheet 4
When it is determined as 5, transmission of the image data of one raster line to the exit module is prohibited (step
97,98).

With this processing, even if the received image data is printed out in the print mode, the page is
When it is determined that the sheet is the R sheet 45, control is performed such that the printing process is immediately stopped. As a result, very little paper is printed out.

On the other hand, when the reception mode is the file mode, the decoded image data is encoded again, and
The raster line image data is output to the exit module and stored in a predetermined file in the memory 30 (steps 94 to 96).

FIG. 6 shows an example of the analysis processing of the contents of the OMR sheet 45 shown in FIG. 2. When this processing routine 110 is started, if the received page is the first page, It is checked whether it was already judged,
If the determination process has not yet been performed, the determination process is executed (steps 116, 117, 120).

By this determination processing, the OMR mark OM is detected. OMR
Since the mark OM is located only at a part of the leading edge of the sheet 45, the end of this determination processing does not mean that the determination processing of one entire page has been completed. Therefore, when this determination processing is completed, the process returns to step 117 again, and this time, the mark column 4
The analysis processing of the entry contents of step 6 is performed (step 130), and when this determination processing is completed, the determination processing of the first page is completed, whereby all the analysis processing of the OMR sheet 45 is completed. (Step 118).

FIG. 7 shows the determination processing routine 120 for the OMR sheet 45 described above.
Since the detection process of the reference mark RM is executed at first, if this detection process is not completed, step 12
This detection processing is continued in step 122 via 1.

When the detection of the fiducial mark RM is completed, this time the OMR mark O
The process proceeds to M detection processing (steps 123 and 124). Mark R
When the detection is completed for both M and OM, the OMR sheet 45
Is checked, and if the analysis result is abnormal, an abnormal flag is set to prepare for line disconnection (steps 125 to 128).

FIG. 8 is an example of the analysis processing routine 130 of the mark section 46.

When the reference mark RM has not been detected, the processing is first performed (steps 131 and 132). When the detection result of the reference mark RM is abnormal, an abnormal flag is set (step 140). When the result is not abnormal, the mark data is sampled and the contents of the mark column 46 are read (steps 133 to 135).

When reading of all the mark columns 46 is completed, the process proceeds to a mark data set process.
The internal code of the mark data is set (step 13
6,137).

Then, after the mark data set processing is completed, the end of reading the data of the reference mark RM and the mark column 46 is checked again, and if completed, the analysis of the mark column 46 for one line is performed. (Step 139).

[Effects of the Invention] As described above, according to the present invention, the selection means for setting the print mode or the file mode, and whether the content of the received image information is the identification sheet, is determined based on the determination output. Communication control means for changing the reception mode prior to the selection means.

Therefore, even if the reception mode is set to the print mode, if the identification sheet is attached to the received image information, control is performed so that the reception mode is automatically changed to the file mode. Therefore, when a file is to be stored in a file for relay communication or the like, desired processing is automatically performed, and all pages are not printed out, so that wasteful consumption of paper can be suppressed.

Accordingly, when a center unit having a memory is used, it is possible to use the mode without worrying about the mode to be set, and the transmitter does not need to check whether the memory is stored in the center unit.

Further, the password written on the identification sheet can be kept secret. Of course, when the subsequent reception mode is the print mode, the print processing is performed as usual,
No problem.

When the reception mode is the file mode,
Since the information on the OMR sheet is deleted, there is a benefit that the memory can be used effectively.

Therefore, the image communication apparatus according to the present invention is extremely suitable for application to an image communication system or the like in which a facsimile apparatus is used as a transmitter as described above.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a system diagram showing an example of a communication control means in the image communication apparatus according to the present invention, FIG. 2 and FIG. 3 are diagrams showing a specific example of an OMR sheet, FIG. 5 is a flowchart of an image data processing routine, FIG. 6 is a flowchart of an OMR sheet content analysis processing routine, FIG. 7 is a flowchart of an OMR sheet determination processing routine, FIG. 8 is a flowchart of a mark column analysis processing routine, FIG. 9 is a system diagram of an image communication system mainly using relay communication, and FIG. 10 is a diagram of an OMR sheet. 10… Transmitter 20… Center machine 30… Memory 40… Printer 45… OMR sheet (OMR sheet) OM… OMR mark RM… Reference mark

Claims (2)

(57) [Claims] An image communication apparatus in which image communication is performed using an identification sheet for image communication, wherein a reception mode is a print mode in which received image information is printed out, or the received image information is stored in a file. Selecting means for setting a file mode for memory-in, and at least determining whether the content of the received image information is the identification sheet and changing the receiving mode in preference to the selecting means based on a determination output Control means, the communication control means, when it is determined that the content of the received image information is the identification sheet, even if the reception mode is set to print mode,
An image communication apparatus, which controls to automatically change the reception mode to the file mode. 2. The communication control means according to claim 1, wherein said receiving mode is set to a file mode, and when it is determined that the content of said received image information is said identification sheet, said received image information is 2. The image communication apparatus according to claim 1, wherein when the memory is completed, the image information of the identification sheet is controlled to be erased from the memory.