JPH0638008A - Picture communication system - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To facilitate operations for registering and extracting image data and to prevent access from any unspecified user to an image information storage device. CONSTITUTION:When a telephone call is made to a voice guide device 3 in the case of registering or extracting image data from a facsimile terminal 1 to an image storage device 4, the preparation of a register signal or an extract signal is guided by voices. The voice guide device 3 transmits this signal to the image storage device 4 and opens a circuit between the facsimile terminal 1 and the image storage device 4. On the other hand, the voice guide device 3 starts the voice guide after a specified PB signal is received from a telephone set.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an image communication system having a facsimile terminal and an image storage device.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art There is used a facsimile storage / broadcasting device having a mail box function capable of taking out stored image information according to an instruction from a terminal and occasionally registering image information from a terminal.

An example of such a facsimile mail system will be described with reference to FIG. Such a system is composed of a plurality of general-purpose facsimile terminals 1, a touch-tone telephone installed for each of these terminals 1, an exchange 2 connected to each facsimile terminal 1, and a facsimile storage broadcasting device 4 connected to this exchange. Has been done.

The push-tone telephone transmits / receives control information such as a mailbox type, a mailbox number, and sender ID information to / from the facsimile storage / broadcasting device 4 prior to facsimile communication. Thereafter, according to the instruction content of the control information, the transmission of the stored image data to the facsimile device 1 or the registration process of the image data to the facsimile storage / broadcasting device 4 is performed.

FIG. 20 is a drawing sequence diagram of a conventional mailbox. First, a telephone line is opened with a touch-tone telephone, and the retrieval request service code and mailbox number are transmitted with PB tone. An example of this PB tone is shown below. PB tone: 1234 # * 10 # 4321 ### 1234: User ID # *: Service code start identifier 10: Mailbox extraction request #: Service code end identifier 4321: Mailbox number ##: PB sequence end identifier Facsimile mail device 4 When the PB tone is received, the telephone call is ended and the facsimile communication start is notified. When the response is received, the electronic message requested from the mailbox is transmitted to the facsimile apparatus 4, and the operation is ended.

[0006]

However, in the conventional facsimile storage / broadcasting device as described above, the control information (mail command information) necessary for the mail communication is the manual input operation by the operator pressing the touch-tone of the facsimile device. Therefore, when specifying a large number of digits, for example, there is a problem that the input procedure is complicated and an operation error is likely to occur. Therefore, it may not be possible to efficiently perform the mail communication process.

The above-mentioned problems occur for the following reasons. That is, since the mail communication process relies on the operation of the touch-tone telephone by the operator, the operator has to memorize the complicated touch-tone telephone operation, but in many cases, the operation is performed with incomplete memory.

The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and an image communication system capable of correctly performing mail communication by assisting the operator without knowing the control information to be transmitted. The purpose is to provide.

A further object of the present invention is to prevent access to the mailbox of an unspecified user and to make it possible to use the information of the congestion in the mailbox.

A further object of the present invention is to efficiently use the voice memory in the voice guide device.

[0011]

In order to achieve the above-mentioned first object of the present invention, an image storage device for transmitting image data stored in advance by a take-out signal from a telephone to a facsimile device having the telephone, It is interposed between the facsimile device and the image storage device, and when the facsimile device retrieves the image data, it causes the telephone to output the retrieval signal while guiding it by voice, and outputs the retrieval signal. It has a voice guide device for transmitting to the image storage device and setting a communication path of the facsimile device and the image storage device, and the voice guide device provides a voice guide after receiving a specific PB signal from the telephone. It was the one to start.

Further, in order to achieve the above-mentioned second object, an image storage device for transmitting image data stored in advance by a take-out signal from a telephone to a facsimile device having the telephone, the facsimile device and the image storage. When the facsimile machine retrieves the image data, the facsimile machine outputs the retrieval signal while guiding it by voice when transmitting the image data, and transmits the retrieved retrieval signal to the image storage device. Along with the facsimile device and a voice guide device for setting the communication path of the image storage device, the voice guide device sends the voice guide by combining a plurality of divided voice contents. is there.

[0013]

The present invention has a specific PB by the above-mentioned first configuration.
Only when it is determined that the signal (user ID, password, etc.) is correct, it is possible to retrieve the image information in the mailbox and prevent access to the mailbox by unspecified users. However, secret information can be used for the mailbox.

Further, according to the second structure of the present invention, among the voice guides for guiding the operation, similar voice guides are subdivided and stored so as not to be registered redundantly. It becomes possible to use it efficiently.

[0015]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the configuration of this embodiment. Reference numeral 1 is a facsimile terminal having a telephone, 2 is an exchange, 3 is a voice guide device, and 4 is a facsimile storage broadcasting device. A plurality of facsimile terminals 1 pass through a switch 2 and a voice accumulator 3 through a facsimile storage / broadcasting device 4
Connected to and register and retrieve image data.

The voice guide device 3 reads a line control unit 5 for controlling each communication line, a voice memory 7 storing voice contents to be guided, the contents of the voice memory 7, and voice guides to the telephone of the facsimile terminal 1. Voice sending unit 6
And P indicating the takeout signal and the registration signal that the telephone of the facsimile terminal 1 created and transmitted by the voice guide.
It is composed of a PB signal transmitter 8 for transmitting the B signal to the facsimile storage / broadcasting device 4, and a main controller 9 for controlling the entire voice guide device 3.

Further, the facsimile storage / broadcasting device 4 includes a line control unit 10 including a modem and a network control circuit for communicating with the facsimile terminal 1, an image storage unit 12 for storing image data transmitted from the facsimile terminal, and this image. The image data registered in the storage unit 12 is read, and the image data transmitted from the facsimile terminal 1 is read in the image storage unit 12
A communication control unit 11 for performing an operation of writing to the line control unit 10 and a main control unit 13 for controlling the entire facsimile storage broadcasting device 4.

FIG. 2 shows image data stored in the image storage section 12 of the facsimile storage / broadcasting device 4 and its identification code. Here, the menu of 0000 means 0 after this.
The information of 001 to 9999, which allows the user to see the contents of this menu, know the desired information and its identification code, and send it out from the telephone as an extraction signal without the help of a voice guide. Is.

FIG. 3 shows the above identification code in a voice guide.
Enter P when it is obtained by guiding the times
B shows a mailbox conversion table. The mailbox number is an identification code in the image data stored in the image storage unit 12.

FIG. 4 shows a case where the mailbox number is obtained by guiding the voice guide five times. The amount of image data to be stored is large, and the number of times increases in this way when trying to classify for easy understanding.

FIG. 5 is a diagram showing a concrete example of the voice guide and the registration process when the image data is registered in the facsimile storing / broadcasting device 4 by the facsimile terminal 1. In this case, the sports information is divided into 5 categories, 1 sports information, 2 various information, 4 horoscopes, and 5 menus, and each is divided into small categories. For example, 1 sports information is 1 professional baseball result,
2 golf results, 3 horse racing results, and so on. Corresponding to this, the image storage unit 12 also stores these image data in a tree structure as shown in FIG.

The method of obtaining the mailbox number by the two voice guides shown in FIG. 3 is applied when the classification is made up of two classifications, a large classification and a small classification, as shown in FIG.

FIG. 6 is a diagram showing a voice guide and an extracting process when the facsimile terminal takes out the image data registered in the image storage section 12.

Next, the operation of registering desired image data from the facsimile terminal 1 in the facsimile storage broadcasting device 4 will be described. This will be described with reference to the registration guidance explanatory diagram of FIG. 5, the flow charts of FIGS. 7 to 10, and the voice guidance example of FIG. As an example, a process of registering a professional baseball result will be described.

From the facsimile terminal 1 to the voice guide device 3
When you dial (step 20), the voice guide device 3
Reads out a predetermined voice from the voice memory 7 and transmits it to the facsimile terminal 1 (step 21). This content is a voice for instructing the user to input the user ID, and as shown in the figure, the message "Please insert the user ID." Is transmitted. This user ID is necessary when communicating with the facsimile storage broadcasting device.
It is given to mailbox users. In this embodiment, it is formed with a 7-digit PB tone.

When this PB tone is received (step 2)
2) Next, similarly to the above, the voice guide device 3 reads the redefined voice from the voice memory 7 and transmits it to the facsimile terminal 1 (step 23). This content is a voice for instructing the user to input the password, and as shown in the figure, "Please enter the password." Is transmitted. This password is necessary when using a specific box number or the like, and is given to a user who is permitted to access a secret mailbox or the like. In this embodiment, it is formed by a 4-digit PB tone.

When this PB tone is received, it is judged whether both the above user ID and password are correct numbers (step 25). If it is determined to be correct, the subsequent processing operations shown in FIG. 8 are performed, but if it is determined to be incorrect, it is further determined whether or not the erroneous number is within a prescribed number of times ( Step 26). If it is less than the specified number of times, the voice guidance "Please enter your user ID again" is sent (step 27),
Returning to the upstream of step 22, PB corresponding to the user ID
Stand by in the tone reception state. If it is determined in step 26 that the specified number of times has been exceeded, the voice guidance "Please check your user ID and password and try again" is sent to the facsimile terminal 1 (step 28), and the facsimile is sent. The line with the terminal 1 is released (step 29).

As described above, the user ID and password are closely examined, and the image information can be registered in and extracted from the mailbox only when the PB tone corresponding to these is determined to be correct. , It is possible to prevent access to the mailbox of an unspecified user and to use secret information and the like in the mailbox. Further, as is clear from FIG. 7, the number is carefully examined by the user ID.
Both the password and the password are received, but this is done by inspecting the user ID and password individually and prompting the user to enter the password when the user ID is determined to be correct. Since a person who does not know the ID (a person who is not a mailbox user) can easily grasp the user ID, a detailed examination of both is performed in step 2
We are going together with 5.

Further, the process when it is determined that the user ID and password are both correct will be described with reference to FIG.

From the facsimile terminal 1 to the voice guide device 3
When you dial (step 30), the voice guide device 3
Reads out a predetermined voice from the voice memory 7 and transmits it to the facsimile terminal 1 (step 31). As shown in FIG. 5 and FIG. 13, this content is transmitted as “Please enter 1 for sports information. Please enter 5 for menu registration.”. The facsimile terminal 1 presses the first PB tone "1" because the image data received and registered is for sports information (step 35). In this case, the voice guide device 3 is P
The presence or absence of B tone input is detected (step 32),
If there is no input within the predetermined time (step 33), guidance 2 (please check the usage before calling) is sent (step 34), and the process returns to idle.

Depending on the value of the first PB tone, the process proceeds to steps 36, 37, 38 and 39. If these do not apply, guidance 4 (please enter the correct number) is sent and the process returns to step 22 (step 40). PB =
The case of 5 (menu extraction) will be described later. In the case of the present invention, since PB = 1, the voice guidance device 3 reads the guidance information corresponding to the first PB tone from the voice memory 7 and outputs guidance 3 (1 for professional baseball and 2 for golf).
Please put in. ) Is transmitted (step 41).

The voice guide device 3 monitors whether a PB tone has been input (step 42), and if it times out (step 43), it sends the guidance 2 again (step 44) and returns to idle. The facsimile terminal 1 receives the guidance 3 and presses the PB tone "1" corresponding to the professional baseball result (step 45). In other cases, press the appropriate PB = 2, 3, 4 (step 4
6, 47, 48). If these are not the case, guidance 4 is sent (step 49). In this case PB = 1
Therefore, send guidance 5 (the desired information is professional baseball information. If it is correct, press #, and if it is incorrect, press * and #) (step 50).

The voice guide device 3 monitors the pressing of the PB tone (step 51), and if the time-out has occurred (step 52), the guidance 2 is sent out to return to the idle state (step 53). When the facsimile terminal 1 receives the final guidance information, the confirmation PB tone "#" is received.
Press. When the voice guide device 3 receives this PB tone (step 54), the facsimile storage broadcast device 4
Dial (step 57), confirm that the line is connected (step 58), and send the PB tone “11” for the previous two times to the facsimile storing / broadcasting device 4, which corresponds to this PB tone. It is instructed to register the image data to be processed (step 59). During this period, the voice guide device 3 outputs a voice message "Please wait for a while" to the facsimile terminal 1. If "* #" is pressed as an error in step 55, the guidance 7
(Start again from the beginning. Sports information 1
Please input) (step 56) and return to step 32.

Next, it is confirmed whether or not the telephone line between the voice guide device 3 and the facsimile storage / broadcasting device 4 has been disconnected and the facsimile line has been established (steps 60 and 61). If confirmed, the guidance 6 (fax start Push the button to return the handset) (step 62), and connect the line between the facsimile terminal 1 and the facsimile storing / broadcasting device 4 (step 6).
3) The image data to be registered is transmitted from the facsimile terminal 1 (step 64). Here, in the present embodiment, the line disconnection process is performed once when the image data is registered in the facsimile storage / broadcasting device 4, and then the line is reestablished from the facsimile storage / broadcasting device 4 to the voice guide device 3. . This is configured such that when image data is taken out from a general facsimile storage device, the information to be taken out is instructed to disconnect the line, and then the facsimile storage broadcast device is called back to output the data. This makes it possible to provide the system shown in this embodiment without making any changes to the main body of the facsimile storage / broadcasting device.

If the facsimile storage / broadcasting device can perform the processing for registering / retrieving it without calling back, it goes without saying that steps 60 and 61 can be omitted to register the image data. is there. Thereafter, the voice guide device 3 monitors the transmission of this image data (step 65), and releases the line (step 66) when the transmission is completed.

Next, with regard to the operation for taking out the menu, FIG.
Will be described. When PB = 5 is pressed in step 39, gadance 8 (it is a menu extraction. When it is correct, press #, when it is incorrect, press * and #) is sent to the facsimile terminal 1 (step 70), and the PB tone is displayed. The input is monitored, but it is monitored (step 71). If the time is out (step 72), guidance 2 is sent out (step 7).
3) Return to idol. The PB tone was input, but not "#" (step 74), and "* #" indicating an error
If so (step 75), guidance 7 is sent (step 76), and the process returns to step 32. Step 74
When "#" is entered, dial the facsimile storage / broadcasting device 4 (step 77), check whether the line is connected (step 78), and if connected, request the PB tone for the facsimile storage / broadcasting device 4 to take out the menu. Is transmitted (step 79). During this time, the facsimile terminal 1 outputs a voice saying "please wait for a while".

Next, it is monitored that the line to the facsimile storage / broadcasting device 4 has been disconnected and the facsimile line has been established (steps 80 and 81), and the guidance 6 is sent to the facsimile terminal 1 (step 82). 1
Then, the line between the facsimile storing and broadcasting device 4 is connected (step 83). The menu is sent to the facsimile terminal 1 (step 84), and when this communication is completed (step 85), the line is released (step 86).

Next, an example of shortening the voice guide will be described.
If the user experiences the audio guide several times, only the first few words will tell the entire guide for that category. For this reason, if a predetermined PB signal is output, the voice guide time can be shortened by moving to the next voice guide, and the user will not be asked to listen to the guide for a long time.

FIG. 14 is a flow chart of this shortening guide, and FIG. 15 is a diagram showing each part in the voice guide device 3 related to this operation.

First, the voice guide in the previous stage ends (step 90), the current voice guide is moved to, and the main control unit 9 instructs the voice transmitting unit 6 to transmit voice (step 9).
1), monitor whether the voice transmission is finished (step 92),
Before the end, it is monitored whether the PB signal for instructing the line control unit 5 to stop the current voice guide from the facsimile terminal 1 and move to the next voice guide is input (step 93). When this PB signal is input, the current voice guide is interrupted and the next guide is performed (step 94).

As the PB signal for canceling the voice guide,
For example, it is conceivable to push down * or the like, but such a technique is already known, and a detailed description thereof will be omitted here. Further, in the present embodiment, in the flowchart of the line connection shown in FIG. 7, after the PB tone of the password is received in the step 24, the password of the corresponding mailbox is found from the mailbox-password check table shown in FIG. -It is configured to read the no flag. As a result, the flag is turned on (flag = flag only when accessing a box with a password with secret information registered).
1), the user ID and password check processing is performed only when this flag is 1 to provide a service for specific users with a password and a service for the masses without a password by the same facsimile storing / broadcasting device. You can

Further, in the present embodiment, a series of voice information is registered for the guidance number to be sent as shown in the voice guidance example of the voice memory 7 as shown in FIG. 13, which is shown in FIG. Needless to say, as shown in the figure, a voice number may be added and divided into a plurality of voice content information for storage, and voice numbers corresponding to the guidance numbers to be transmitted may be sequentially uttered. Further, instead of the guidance number, a plurality of voice numbers may be designated and uttered. FIG. 18 shows a signal sequence between the facsimile terminal (FAX) voice guide unit (VRU), the information processing unit (PC), and the facsimile storage / broadcast unit (UX) at this time.

As an example, a case where information is taken out from a mailbox without a password from a facsimile terminal will be described with reference to FIG.

When a call is made from the facsimile terminal to retrieve information, the VRU that receives the call is the main control unit P
Incoming call is notified to C. The PC that has received the incoming call notification from the VRU notifies the VRU of the voice number 1 → 2 shown in FIG.
Voice instructions to send in order of → 5 → 6 → 9 → 10.
The VRU that received this instruction, based on the specified order,
"Thank you every time. This is ○○○○ FAX
Information center. Pip! After the sound, enter the box number and press sharp. Pip! The voice guide "" is sent to the facsimile terminal. The operator of the facsimile terminal who has heard this voice guide specifies the box number in which the necessary information is registered by pushing down the push button of the facsimile terminal, whereby the PB data of the box number is transmitted to the VRU.

Next, the VRU receiving the PB data of the box number notifies the PC of this data (here, as an example, the box number 01 is designated). Upon receipt of this, the PC inspects the PB data and instructs the VRU to output the voice data confirming that the designated box number is 01. The VRU receiving this is shown in Figure 1.
The voice guidance is sent to the facsimile terminal from the voice number-voice content correspondence table shown in FIG.

The operator who confirms by voice that the box number is correct sends out a #PB tone indicating that the box number is correct. The VRU notifies the PC of this, and the P
C instructs the VRU to connect to the UX with the box number 0001.

Upon receipt of the connection instruction to the UX, the VRU calls the UX and creates PB data which is a control signal which is a registration number of the facsimile terminal which has made a service takeout request and a takeout request from the box number 0001. Send out.
After that, the PC is notified that the connection with the UX is completed. Upon receiving the connection completion with the UX, the PC sends F to the VRU.
Instruct the voice number to start AX reception. Upon receipt of this, the VRU sends a voice guide to that effect to the facsimile terminal.

After this, the UX sends the information of the designated box number to the facsimile terminal. At this time, the VRU is monitoring the transmission of information, and when the transmission of all information is completed, the VRU notifies the PC of the end of communication, and the PC that receives this notifies
The RU is instructed to open the line, and the process is terminated.

[0050]

As is apparent from the above description, according to the present invention, when registering or retrieving image data, the operation method is voice-guided, which reduces the burden on the user and reduces erroneous operations. Further, when the user gets used to it, the voice guide can be shortened and the voice guide can be efficiently provided.

Further, according to the present invention, the user ID and password are closely examined, and when it is determined that these are correct, the mailbox can be accessed. Therefore, the mailbox of an unspecified user can be accessed. Access to and confidential information can be used for mailboxes.

Further, since the user ID and the password are closely examined to determine whether they are correct or not, it is possible to prevent a person other than the mailbox user from grasping the user ID. .

The voice memory can be effectively used by subdividing and storing the voice for guiding the operation so that similar voices among the guides are not registered redundantly.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a configuration of an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of a menu of registered image data.

FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an example of a case where a mailbox number is designated by two voice guides.

FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example in which a mailbox number is instructed by voice guidance five times.

[Figure 5] Registration guidance explanatory diagram

FIG. 6 is an explanatory diagram of the ejection guidance.

FIG. 7 is a diagram showing a part of a flow chart of the present embodiment.

FIG. 8 is a flow chart connecting to FIG.

FIG. 9 is a flow chart for connecting to FIG.

FIG. 10 is a flow chart for connecting to FIG.

11 is a flow chart for connecting to FIG.

FIG. 12 is a flowchart for connecting to FIG.

FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an example of voice guidance.

FIG. 14: Voice guide shortening flow chart

FIG. 15 is a diagram showing members in the voice guide device related to the voice guide shortening.

FIG. 16 is a diagram showing correspondence between mailboxes, presence / absence of passwords, and passwords.

FIG. 17 is a diagram showing correspondence between voice numbers and voice contents in a voice memory.

FIG. 18 is a diagram showing an example of a signal sequence when extracting information.

FIG. 19 is a block diagram showing a conventional mailbox system.

FIG. 20 is a sequence diagram of image data extraction in the system shown in FIG.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1 Facsimile Terminal 2 Switch 3 Voice Guide Device 4 Facsimile Storage Broadcasting Device 5, 10 Line Control Unit 6 Voice Transmission Unit 7 Voice Memory 8 PB Signal Transmission Unit 9, 13 Main Control Unit 11 Communication Control Unit 12 Image Storage Unit

Claims (4)

[Claims] 1. An image storage apparatus for transmitting image data stored in advance to a facsimile apparatus having the telephone in response to a take-out signal from a telephone, and the facsimile apparatus interposed between the image storage apparatus and the facsimile apparatus. When taking out the image data, the telephone is guided by voice to output the take-out signal, the output take-out signal is transmitted to the image storage device, and the communication path between the facsimile device and the image storage device is transmitted. And a voice guide device for setting the voice guide device, wherein the voice guide device starts voice guide after receiving a specific PB signal from the telephone. 2. The image communication system according to claim 1, wherein a plurality of PB signals are discriminated at the same time, and if the discrimination is not correct, an instruction is given from the input of the first PB signal. 3. The image data accumulated in the image accumulating device is classified and accumulated in different memory areas for each information type, and each of the classified memory areas independently has a specific identification number. The image communication system according to claim 1, further comprising: after receiving a specific PB signal representing the identification number transmitted from the telephone, starting communication with the storage area designated by the PB signal. 4. An image storage device for transmitting image data stored in advance to a facsimile device having the telephone in response to a take-out signal from the telephone device, the facsimile device, and the facsimile device interposed between the image storage device and the image storage device. When outputting the image data, it causes the telephone to output the extraction signal while guiding it by voice, transmits the output extraction signal to the image storage device, and communicates between the facsimile device and the image storage device. An image communication system, comprising: a voice guide device for setting a route, wherein the voice guide transmitted by the voice guide device is a combination of voice contents stored by being divided into a plurality of parts.