JPH0365067B2 - - Google Patents

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to a facsimile device that can be controlled by operating a telephone.

Technical background of the invention and its problems In recent years, facsimile devices equipped with various advanced and convenient functions have been realized. For example, there are facsimile machines that are equipped with multiple communication modes and automatically set their own communication mode to match the communication mode of the other station, and those that have a polling (receiving calling station) function and that receive manufacturer codes sent from the other station. Alternatively, a facsimile device that identifies a password code and automatically starts transmission based on the identification result, and a facsimile device that is further equipped with an editing function has been realized.

However, although such facsimile devices are convenient, they also have the following drawbacks.

(1) In order to execute the various functions described above, complicated control procedures and the transmission and reception of complicated code signals are required, so there is a drawback that the device is expensive.

(2) The drawback is that the control procedures and transmission/reception of code signals to realize the various functions mentioned above can only be performed between a limited number of devices of the same type, making it impossible to fully utilize these various functions. be.
For example, depending on the function, it may be limited to facsimile devices of the same manufacturer, or in some cases, it may be limited to only facsimile devices of the same type made by the same manufacturer.

(3) If the other party's station is unattended, for example, if the other party's (called station's) facsimile device is in the automatic receiving state, the calling party can check the preset communication status of the called station's facsimile device. This method has the drawback that facsimile communication can only be carried out by telephone, and therefore it is difficult to set the communication state to the one desired by the caller.

By the way, not only facsimile machines having the above-mentioned functions but also general facsimile machines now have an automatic reception function that allows them to receive calls without taking off-hook from their telephones. A facsimile device having such an automatic reception function has the following drawbacks in addition to the above-mentioned drawbacks. The disadvantages are: (4) Even if the calling party desires communication (call) between telephones rather than facsimile communication between facsimile machines, as long as the called party's facsimile machine is in automatic reception mode, The drawback is that telephone calls cannot be made because the calling station always gives priority to the line connection to the facsimile machine. In order to solve this problem, a special code signal is sent to the called station by pressing the telephone ringing switch on the calling station's facsimile machine.
There is a method of canceling the automatic reception state of the called station's facsimile device. However, this method requires that the caller operate the facsimile machine of the called station, and it is not possible to cancel the automatic receiving state of the facsimile machine of the called station from a public phone, for example, and it is not possible to make a call using the telephone. There are drawbacks. That is, since the calling party cannot cancel the automatic reception state of the facsimile device of the called party using his own telephone, there is a drawback that the telephone line cannot be used efficiently.

Furthermore, general facsimile devices cannot be connected to a line by themselves, and cannot be remotely controlled by a telephone, so they are installed near a telephone.

(5) Therefore, if a facsimile device is installed in a location far away from the user, for example in a corner of the floor, due to operating noise or installation space, the telephone must also be installed in the same location, and the facsimile device's This makes it inconvenient to use the telephone for normal telephone calls, such as when the telephone is used infrequently, and has the disadvantage that the telephone line cannot be used efficiently. On the other hand, if a facsimile device is installed near the user, problems other than the above-mentioned problems arise, such as the problem of installation space and the problem of operational noise.

Purpose of the Invention The present invention has been made to eliminate the above-mentioned drawbacks, and has a relatively simple configuration that allows various functions to be changed by operating a telephone, and further improves the efficiency of line usage. The purpose is to provide a facsimile device that can.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Therefore, the present invention provides a facsimile device with a signal detecting means for detecting a signal obtained from a telephone, such as a tone signal, and a communication control means for controlling communication based on the detection result of the signal detecting means. The above object is achieved by making it possible to perform communication control through operation.

Embodiments of the Invention The present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.
FIG. 1 shows the first part of the facsimile device according to the present invention.
1 is a diagram showing an embodiment of the present invention, where T is a push-button dial telephone (hereinafter referred to as a pushphone), L is a telephone line, and FX is a facsimile device. The facsimile device FX includes a switching circuit 1, a calling signal detection circuit 2, a communication control circuit 3, a tone signal detection circuit 4, and a facsimile main body circuit 5. The switching circuit 1 switches the telephone line L to a pushphone T or facsimile body circuit 5 based on a switching command signal e which is an output of a communication control circuit 3 to be described later.
Normally, contacts 1c and 1b are connected as shown in the figure, and the telephone line L is connected to the telephone T.
and is connected to the calling signal detection circuit 6.

Therefore, when the telephone line L is connected to the calling station via the exchange (office) not shown, the 16Hz ringing signal output from the exchange (office) is transmitted via the telephone line L and the switching circuit 1. T
and are input to the calling signal detection circuit 2, respectively.

The calling signal detection circuit 2 detects this 16 Hz calling signal and outputs a calling signal detection signal Sc ₁ , and this signal Sc ₁ is input to the communication control circuit 3 . The tone signal detection circuit 4 detects a tone signal input via the telephone line L by the operator of the calling station operating a push button on a pushphone (not shown), and detects a code signal Dc corresponding to the tone signal. This signal Dc is input to the communication control circuit 3. Communication control circuit 3
is the contact 1c of the switching circuit 1 based on the input signal Sc ₁ .
The signal output from the facsimile main circuit 5 is outputted as a switching command signal e for connecting 1a to
Based on Sc ₂ , a switching command signal e for connecting the contacts 1c and 1b of the switching circuit 1 is output. Furthermore, this communication control circuit 3 forms a communication control signal Ct for executing facsimile communication in response to the input signal Dc, and sends it to the facsimile main circuit 5.
It also outputs to . The facsimile main body circuit 5 performs predetermined communication control based on the input signal Ct, and also sets the switching circuit 1 to the initial state (contact 1c
It outputs a signal Sc ₂ to restore the state (in which 1b and 1b are connected).

Next, the operation of this facsimile device FX, especially the initial operation, will be explained.

First, consider the case where the calling party changes the communication mode preset on the facsimile device FX. First, when a call is set up by the calling station and a line is established, a ringing signal is input to the ringing signal detection circuit 2 and the pushphone T.
At the same time, a ringing tone is generated and a signal Sc ₁ is output from the ringing signal detection circuit 2. Communication control circuit 3
outputs a signal e based on this signal Sc ₁ to connect the contact 1a of the switching circuit 1. As a result, the telephone line L and the tone signal detection circuit 4
They are connected via a switching circuit 1.

By the way, in normal facsimile communication, when a line is established between the calling station and the called station, for example, the called station sends a called party identification (CED) signal followed by a group identification (GI) signal to the calling station. Sent out. Generally, when this GI signal is sent for about one second, the called station waits for several seconds for a command signal, such as a group command (GC) signal, to be sent from the calling station, and if the GC signal cannot be received during this time, Then, the GI signal is sent again, and the same operation is repeated for a total of several tens of seconds.
It is waiting for the GC signal to arrive. Therefore, after the caller receives the GI signal, the tone signal obtained by operating the pushbutton of the own station's pushbutton can be received by the called station as a command signal from the calling station. can.

Therefore, when the contacts 1c and 1a of the switching circuit 1 are connected, the facsimile main circuit 5, for example,
The CED signal and GI signal are then sent to the telephone line L. After receiving this signal, when the caller operates the pushbutton of his/her own telephone according to the desired communication mode, the tone signal obtained by this operation is transmitted via telephone line L and switching circuit 1. , is input to the tone signal detection circuit 4. For example, if the caller wants to change the communication mode to G mode (mode based on CCITT standards), press the button "*",
It is assumed that the operations are performed in the order of "1". this"*",
The tone signal for "1" is input to the tone signal detection circuit 4, which sequentially outputs the code signal Dc corresponding to this tone signal. Based on this input signal Dc, the communication control circuit 3 outputs a control signal Ct for setting the communication mode of the facsimile main circuit 5 to G mode. this signal
In response to Ct, the communication mode of the facsimile main circuit 5 is set to G mode, and facsimile communication is thereafter performed in this communication mode between the calling station facsimile device and the called station facsimile device FX (not shown). When the facsimile communication ends, the facsimile main circuit 5 sends a reception end signal to the calling station and also outputs a signal _Sc2 . Upon receiving this signal _Sc2 , the communication control circuit 3 returns the switching circuit 1 to its initial state. In the above manner, facsimile communication is completed.

Second, consider the case where the calling station desires to receive, ie, the case of boring communication. here,
The facsimile device FX is a facsimile device on the side of the called station. It is now assumed that a manuscript has been set on the facsimile machine FX and preparations for boring communication (unmanned communication) have been completed. Under this condition, when the line is established as described above, a response signal is sent back from the facsimile device FX on the called station side. Upon receiving this response signal, the caller (not shown) enters the password code, for example, "1234," and sequentially operates the push buttons of the pushphone as "1,""2,""3," and "4." ”, “2”, “3”, and “4” are input to the tone signal detection circuit 4 via the telephone line L and the switching circuit 1. The tone signal detection circuit 4 identifies the input tone signal and exchanges it into a numerical code signal. Here, since the input tone signal corresponds to the number "1234", the tone signal detection circuit 4 sequentially outputs the code signal Dc corresponding to this number to the communication control circuit 3. The communication control circuit 3 determines whether the input signal Dc is a predetermined password code or not, and if the input signal Dc is a predetermined password code, controls the facsimile main circuit 5 to permit transmission. Outputs signal Ct. Here, the input signal
Since the DC supports the password code "1234", sending is permitted.

Next, when the caller operates the transmission request switch of his/her own facsimile device, a transmission request signal is sent to the facsimile body circuit 5 via the telephone line L and the switching circuit 1. Upon receiving this signal, the facsimile main circuit 5 starts a predetermined transmission operation. Thereafter, as described above, when the transmission is completed, the switching circuit 1 returns to the initial state and the facsimile communication is completed.

As described above, according to the present embodiment, the caller can set the communication mode by operating his/her own pushphone. Therefore, facsimile communication can be conveniently performed in the communication mode desired by the caller. In addition, since the manufacturer code or password code, which is generally required for boring communications to maintain confidentiality, can be obtained by operating the pushphone, boring communications can be easily performed even with facsimile machines of other manufacturers or types. It becomes possible.

If the facsimile device according to this embodiment is used as an editing facsimile device, editing functions can also be selected using input tone signals.

FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a second embodiment of the facsimile apparatus according to the present invention, and the same main parts as in FIG. In this embodiment, the telephone line L and the tone signal detection circuit 4 are connected so that the signal on the telephone line L is directly input to the tone signal detection circuit 4.

Next, the operation of this facsimile device FX, especially the initial operation, will be explained.

First, consider the case where the facsimile device FX is the calling station. As in the previous embodiment, the switching circuit 1 has contacts 1c and 1b connected as shown in the figure, and the tone signal obtained by operating the push button of the pushphone T is transmitted through the switching circuit 1 and the telephone line L. The signal is inputted to the tone signal detection circuit 4 via the tone signal detection circuit 4. Therefore, by operating the push buttons on the pushphone T, the start of transmission from the own station can be controlled. i.e. the calling party (fax machine)
The FX operator calls the called station and activates the called station's facsimile device. Next, when the caller presses a button on the pushphone T to send a transmission start code such as "#" or "2", tone signals corresponding to the "#" or "2" are sent to the switching circuit 1 and the telephone line. The signal is input to the tone signal detection circuit 4 via L. The tone signal detection circuit 4 sequentially outputs code signals Dc corresponding to the input tone signals to the communication control circuit 3. The communication control circuit 3 identifies this input signal Dc and determines whether or not this signal Dc is a transmission start code signal. Here, since this signal Dc is a transmission start code signal, the communication control circuit 3 outputs a communication control signal Ct instructing to start transmission to the facsimile main circuit 5, and outputs a switching command signal e to the switching circuit 1. do.
Switching circuit 1 switches contacts 1c and 1a when signal e is input.
will switch to connect. On the other hand, the transmission operation of the facsimile main circuit 5 is started based on the input signal Ct.

Note that regardless of whether the facsimile device FX is a calling station side facsimile device or a called station side facsimile device, the reception operation of the facsimile device FX of the own station can be controlled in the same manner after the end of a call, so a description thereof will be omitted.

Second, consider the case where the calling station desires to receive, ie, the case of boring communication. here,
The facsimile device FX is a facsimile device on the calling station side. It is now assumed that a document has been set on the facsimile device of the called station (not shown) and preparations for boring communication (unmanned communication) have been completed.
When a line is established under this condition, a response signal is sent back from the facsimile machine FX on the called station side. After receiving this response signal, the facsimile device first
By operating the FX or the pushphone T, a transmission request signal is sent to the called station, and then when a push button on the pushphone T is operated to send out a password, the called station's facsimile device enters the transmission state. Therefore, the calling station's facsimile device
With FX, it is now possible to receive bowling communications.

Third, let us consider the case where the facsimile machine FX is the called station and is in the automatic reception state. In this case, after the line between the calling station and the called station is established, if the calling party operates his own station's pushphone (not shown) and sends out the resulting tone signal as an automatic reception cancellation code signal, the tone The signal is input to the tone signal detection circuit 4. The tone signal detection circuit 4 outputs a code signal Dc to the communication control circuit 3 based on this tone signal. Since this signal Dc is an automatic reception cancellation code signal, the communication control circuit 3 cancels the automatic reception state of the facsimile main circuit 5. On the other hand, the communication control circuit 3 notifies the operator of the called station of the presence of a call by emitting a ringing tone (not shown), and returns the switching circuit 1 to the connection state shown in the drawing by a switching command signal after a certain period of time. . Therefore, the calling tone and the called station operator can communicate (talk) using the telephone. Furthermore, if the automatic reception state is automatically restored at the end of the call after the automatic reception has been canceled, the next call can be answered by automatic reception.

As described above, according to this embodiment, it is possible to perform communication control similar to the above-mentioned embodiments, and furthermore, it is possible to perform communication control such as automatically canceling reception of a facsimile device and starting transmission by operating a telephone. Therefore, not only can telephone lines be used efficiently, but also the facsimile device can be remotely controlled with a telephone, which is advantageous in terms of installation space for the facsimile device.

FIG. 3 shows a third embodiment of the facsimile apparatus according to the present invention, and the same main parts as in FIG. 2 are given the same reference numerals and their explanations will be omitted. In this embodiment, the tone signal detection circuit 41 is connected to the telephone line L and the pushphone T so that the tone signal output from the pushphone T and the tone signal on the telephone line L are input to the tone signal detection circuit 41. There is. This tone signal detection circuit 4
1 has the same function as the tone signal detection circuit 4 in the previous embodiment. Further, the communication control operation in this embodiment is similar to that in the second embodiment described above.

However, according to this embodiment, the tone signals obtained from the telephones on the local side and the other party are always input to the tone signal detection circuit 4, so that it is possible to use either the local telephone or the other party's telephone. It also has the advantage of being able to operate facsimile equipment FX.

FIG. 4 shows a fourth embodiment of the facsimile apparatus according to the present invention, and the same main parts as those in FIG. 2 are given the same reference numerals and the explanation thereof will be omitted. In this embodiment, a voice response circuit 10, a communication control circuit 3
1 is provided so that an operator at the local station or the other station can control communication of the facsimile device FX in an interactive manner. The communication control circuit 31 receives the output signal Sc of the calling signal detection circuit 2.
and the output code signal of the tone signal detection circuit 4
DC is input, and based on these input signals Sc and Dc, it outputs a communication control signal Ct for controlling communication of the facsimile main circuit 5, and also outputs a response control signal Cc corresponding to a predetermined communication control procedure. It is. The voice response circuit 10 also stores a voice signal Ss that allows the operator at the other station to check the communication control procedure, and this voice signal Ss is applied to the response control signal Cc output from the communication control circuit 31. Correspondingly, it is sent out to the telephone line L.

Next, the operation of this facsimile device, especially the initial operation, will be explained. Also, here, we will consider a case where the facsimile device FX becomes the facsimile device on the called station side.

When a line with the calling station is established, a 16Hz calling signal is detected by the calling signal detection circuit 2, and the signal Sc ₁ is input to the communication control circuit 31, the communication control circuit 3
1 is a response control signal that indicates before the start of communication.
Output Cc. As a result, the voice response circuit 10
outputs an audio signal Ss representing the initial setting state of its own station, such as communication mode, and then outputs an audio signal Ss representing the first question. This audio signal
Ss is emitted as an audible sound via the telephone line L from a pushphone on the calling station side (not shown).
After the caller hears the first question issued from the pushphone, the caller operates the pushphone to set the desired communication mode and sends out a tone signal. When the tone signal detection circuit 4 receives this tone signal and outputs the corresponding code signal Dc, the communication control circuit 31 identifies this signal Dc and, if it is a predetermined code signal, indicates the next step of the communication procedure. Outputs response control signal Cc. This results in
The voice response circuit 10 outputs a voice signal Ss representing the next question.

In this way, questions according to the communication control means,
The responses are repeated and the communication status, such as the caller's desired communication mode, is set.

Therefore, according to this embodiment, since the caller and the facsimile device FX interact, the operator can easily operate the facsimile device without having to remember a code number or the like.

Effects of the Invention As explained above, according to the present invention, the operator at the local station or the operator at the other station can operate the facsimile device by operating the telephone. It can be executed by operation.

Furthermore, since the operator can operate the facsimile device of his own station from a remote location (remote control), the telephone and the facsimile device can be installed separately. Therefore, when a telephone that shares a line with a facsimile device is used independently, the telephone can be installed in a location that is easy for the operator to use, regardless of the installation location of the facsimile device, and the telephone can be used effectively. .

Furthermore, when the present invention is applied to the called station's facsimile device, predetermined passwords, manufacturer codes, etc. can be transmitted by operating the calling station's pushphone during boring communication (receiving from the calling station). Boring communication is easily possible even with facsimile machines of other manufacturers or models.

Furthermore, when the facsimile device according to the present invention is used as an unmanned terminal, the facsimile device can be operated from a calling station or a remote location, such as automatically canceling reception and starting transmission and reception.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

FIG. 1 shows a first example of a facsimile device according to the present invention.
FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a second embodiment of the facsimile device according to the present invention, FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing a third embodiment of the facsimile device according to the present invention, FIG. 4 is a block diagram showing a fourth embodiment of a facsimile apparatus according to the present invention. 1...Switching circuit, 2...Call signal detection circuit,
3, 31... Communication control circuit, 4, 41... Tone signal detection circuit, 5... Facsimile main body circuit, 1
0...Voice response circuit.

Claims (1)

[Scope of Claims] 1. A facsimile communication means that performs an operation related to at least one of transmitting or receiving an image signal; A switching means that switches a telephone line to be connected to either a local telephone or the facsimile communication means; In the facsimile apparatus, the facsimile apparatus includes a ringing signal detecting means for detecting a ringing signal from the telephone line and responding to an incoming call from the telephone line, wherein after the ringing signal detecting means responds to the incoming call from the telephone line, A signal detection means for detecting a predetermined signal from a telephone at the other end transmitted via a line, and a communication control means for controlling an operation of the facsimile communication means in response to a detection output of the signal detection means. A facsimile device characterized by: 2. A facsimile communication means that performs an operation related to at least one of transmitting or receiving image signals; a switching means that switches a telephone line to be connected to either the local telephone or the facsimile communication means; and a call from the telephone line. In a facsimile apparatus, the facsimile apparatus has a ringing signal detecting means for detecting a signal and responding to an incoming call from the telephone line, wherein after the ringing signal detecting means responds to the incoming call from the telephone line, A facsimile device comprising: a signal detection means for detecting a predetermined signal from a telephone at the other end; and a communication control means for controlling the operation of the switching means in response to the detection output of the signal detection circuit. . 3. A facsimile device having a facsimile communication means that performs an operation related to at least one of transmitting or receiving an image signal, and a switching means that switches a telephone line to connect to either the local telephone or the facsimile communication means, The present invention is characterized by comprising: a signal detection means for detecting a predetermined signal inputted from a local telephone; and a communication control means for controlling the operation of the facsimile communication means in response to a detection output of the signal detection means. Fax machine. 4. A facsimile device having a facsimile communication means that performs an operation related to at least one of transmitting or receiving an image signal, and a switching means that switches a telephone line to be connected to either the local telephone or the facsimile communication means, A facsimile machine characterized by comprising: a signal detection means for detecting a predetermined signal input from a local telephone; and a communication control means for controlling the operation of the switching means in response to a detection output of the signal detection means. Device. 5. A facsimile communication means that performs an operation related to at least one of transmitting or receiving image signals; a switching means that switches a telephone line to connect to either the local telephone or the facsimile communication means; and a call from the telephone line. In the facsimile apparatus, the facsimile apparatus has a ringing signal detecting means for detecting a signal and responding to an incoming call from the telephone line, after the ringing signal detecting means responds to the incoming call from the telephone line, a predetermined message is sent to the other party's terminal. voice response means for transmitting a voice prompting the input of a signal; signal detection means for detecting a predetermined signal from the telephone of the other party transmitted via the telephone line; and communication control means for controlling the operation of the facsimile communication means. 6. A facsimile communication means that performs an operation related to at least one of transmitting or receiving image signals; a switching means that switches a telephone line to be connected to either the local telephone or the facsimile communication means; and a call from the telephone line. In the facsimile apparatus, the facsimile apparatus has a ringing signal detecting means for detecting a signal and responding to an incoming call from the telephone line, after the ringing signal detecting means responds to the incoming call from the telephone line, a predetermined message is sent to the other party's terminal. voice response means for transmitting a voice prompting the input of a signal; signal detection means for detecting a predetermined signal from the telephone of the other party transmitted via the telephone line; and communication control means for controlling the operation of the switching means.