JPH0955839A - Image generator capable of facsimile transmission/ reception - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an image generator provided with a facsimile communication function for automatically performing FAX transmission to a called party just by preparing more than two information entry columns in an invoice, referring to a telephone book data base, judging the presence/absence of discrepancy and instructing the start of the read operation of a source document just once by a user when no discrepancy is present. SOLUTION: The characters written in entry columns such as a called party FAX number, called party name, etc., of a form invoice are subjected to charcter recognition by a character recognition part 18. They are referred to the telephone book data base stored in an HDD 17, their presence is confirmed and whether or not the two match each other is judged. When they match as a result, a called party line is automatically connected and the image data of the source document of facsimile transmission including the invoice are transmitted to the called party.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an image generating apparatus having a facsimile communication function.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, in an image generating apparatus having a facsimile function, in order to transmit image data, first, a destination FAX number is acquired from a telephone directory or a speed dial, and the FAX number is input to the apparatus. The document reading operation was started and the FAX data was transmitted to the other party.

[0003]

However, since the FAX number is manually operated by the user, erroneous transmission due to an input error is likely to occur, and it takes time to register a telephone directory or the operation itself. Was often troublesome.
Therefore, a first object of the present invention is to provide an image generating apparatus having a facsimile communication function which can immediately make a determination by storing image data of a standard cover sheet.

A second object of the present invention is to prepare various databases in a storage device such as an HDD and recognize the image data in the entry field of the standard cover sheet by character recognition so that the information necessary for FAX transmission can be obtained. It is an object of the present invention to provide an image generating apparatus having a facsimile communication function that can be recognized only by reading. A third object of the present invention is to prepare two or more information entry fields in a cover sheet as a function of preventing an error FAX due to a recognition error in character recognition, refer to a telephone directory database, judge whether there is a contradiction, and erroneously transmit. It is an object of the present invention to provide an image generating apparatus having a facsimile communication function for preventing the above.

A fourth object of the present invention is to prepare two or more information entry fields in a cover sheet as a function of preventing an error FAX due to a recognition error in character recognition, and refer to a telephone directory database to judge whether or not there is a contradiction. If there is no contradiction, it is an object of the present invention to provide an image generating apparatus having a facsimile communication function of automatically transmitting a fax to the other party only by the user once instructing the start of the reading operation of the document. A fifth object of the present invention is to speed up character recognition by inserting a font character existing in a font database for character recognition into an entry field by the operation unit input device of the image generation device and outputting the image information. An object of the present invention is to provide an image generation device having a facsimile communication function that reduces errors in character recognition.

[0006]

According to a first aspect of the present invention, an image generation apparatus capable of facsimile transmission / reception, a transmission / reception means for performing facsimile transmission / reception, a storage means for storing image data of a standard cover sheet, and the transmission / reception means. The first object is achieved by including a determining means for determining whether the cover sheet of the original to be sent is a standard cover sheet stored in the storage means. According to a second aspect of the present invention, the image generating apparatus capable of transmitting and receiving a facsimile according to the first aspect includes a plurality of pieces of information such as a destination facsimile number and a destination name in a standard cover sheet in which image data is stored in the storage means. An entry field is provided, and the image data described in the entry field is further provided with a recognition means for recognizing the character using a predetermined character font.
Achieve the objectives.

According to a third aspect of the invention, the image generating apparatus capable of transmitting and receiving a facsimile according to the second aspect stores the telephone directory database in the database registration means and the image data character-recognized by the recognition means in the database. It is equipped with a confirmation means for confirming whether it matches the telephone directory database registered in the registration means, and if the confirmation result by the confirmation means does not match, the transmission is stopped, which causes an error in character recognition by the recognition means. The third object is achieved by preventing erroneous facsimile transmission. In the invention according to claim 4, the image generating apparatus capable of transmitting and receiving the facsimile according to claim 2 causes the database registering means in which a telephone directory database is registered, and the image data character-recognized by the recognizing means in the database registering means. A facsimile including a confirmation means for confirming whether it matches the registered telephone directory database, and when the confirmation results in the confirmation means match, the transmitting / receiving means automatically connects to the destination line and includes a facsimile including a cover sheet. The fourth object is achieved by transmitting the image data of the transmission document to the other party.

According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, the image generating apparatus capable of transmitting and receiving a facsimile according to the second, third and fourth aspects comprises a character font storage means for storing a predetermined character font used by the recognition means. An input means for inputting character contents into an information entry box of a standard cover page stored in the storage means using a character font stored in the character font storage means; and an information entry box for inputting predetermined information by the input means. The fifth object is achieved by including an output unit for outputting the image data of the standard cover sheet written in the above item.

[0009]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT A preferred embodiment of an image generating apparatus having a facsimile communication function of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to FIGS. FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the configuration of an image generating apparatus having a facsimile communication function according to this embodiment. The image generating device having the facsimile communication function is a CPU (central processing unit).
11, memory 12, input device 13, display device 14, operation unit 15, image output device 16, HDD (hard disk)
17, a character recognition unit 18, a cover letter determination unit 19, a document reading unit 20, and a FAX device 21 connected to a telephone line 22.

The image output device 16 can output a fixed form cover letter, and can hand-write predetermined items to be output. Further, it is also possible to write predetermined items using the character fonts stored in the HDD 17 from the input device 13 and then output from the image output device 16. H
The DD 17 stores character font data, a cover sheet database, and a telephone directory database for character recognition by the character recognition unit 18 and a fixed cover sheet (see FIG. 2 for a format example). In addition, FIG. 2 shows an example of a fixed form cover sheet, which has two or more entry fields such as the recipient's FAX number and the recipient's name. In this entry field, there are a method of inputting by handwriting and a method of inputting from the input device 13.

Next, the operation procedure of the embodiment will be described with reference to the flow charts of FIGS. First, the standard cover sheet and the FAX document are set in the document reading section 20, a reading start command is issued from the operation section 15, and the cover sheet is read (step 10). Next, the cover letter determination unit 19 determines whether or not the image of the cover letter acquired in step 10 is a standard cover letter registered in the HDD 17 (step 1
1). As a result of this determination, if it is determined that it is the predetermined cover sheet (step 11; Y), the entry column area coordinates are acquired from the cover sheet database (step 12), and the entered image data is faxed by the character recognition unit 18. , Character recognition is performed for each name (steps 13 and 14). In addition, when it is determined that the cover letter is not the predetermined fixed form (step 1
1; N), the operation unit 15 is informed that it is not a standard cover sheet (step 26), and the fact is displayed on the display device 14, and F is displayed.
Instruct to enter the AX number.

Then, it is checked whether or not the obtained FAX number of the destination and the name of the destination are present in the telephone directory database (steps 15 and 16), and it is determined whether or not they match each other (step). 17). By this processing, it is possible to prevent erroneous FAX transmission due to erroneous conversion of the character recognition unit 18 due to handwritten input characters. Destination F
The AX number and the name of the other party exist in the telephone directory (step 1
5; Y, step 16; Y) and if the FAX number and name match (step 17; Y), the FAX number of the destination is notified to the FAX machine 21 (step 18), and the destination line is connected (step 18). Step 19). If the line connection is permitted (step 20; Y), the transmittal image data is transmitted through the telephone line 22 (step 21).

Thereafter, the original reading unit 2 determines whether or not there is a next original.
If 0 is determined (step 22) and there is a next original (step 22; Y), the original reading unit 20 reads the next original (step 24) and transmits image data (step 2).
5). This process is repeated until the next manuscript is exhausted (step 22; N), and finally the line connection is terminated (step 2).
3) The operation unit 15 is notified of that fact. Further, even when the process is not normally terminated, the operation unit 15 is notified of that fact.

[0014]

According to the first aspect of the present invention, since the storage unit stores the image data of the standard cover sheet, the standard cover sheet can be determined and printed. According to the invention of claim 2, by having a recognition means for recognizing characters,
The character image data in the standard cover sheet can be converted into a character code, and the information necessary for FAX transmission such as the FAX number of the other party can be filled only by reading the standard cover sheet. According to the third aspect of the present invention, by having the database registration means, it is possible to prevent erroneous transmission due to an error in character recognition identified by the identification means.

According to the invention described in claim 4, the recognition means,
It is possible to automatically connect to the destination line based on the information necessary for FAX transmission acquired and confirmed by the database registration means, and to transmit the transmission data including the cover sheet to the destination. According to the invention of claim 5, character recognition can be performed in the destination information entry field of the standard cover sheet with the character font existing in the font database used by the recognition means and printed as the cover sheet. Error can be reduced and the time required for the recognition process can be shortened.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram according to an embodiment of an image generating apparatus capable of transmitting and receiving a facsimile according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of a standard cover sheet.

FIG. 3 is a flowchart illustrating a processing procedure of an embodiment of an image generation apparatus capable of facsimile transmission / reception.

FIG. 4 is a flowchart illustrating a processing procedure of an embodiment of an image generation apparatus capable of transmitting and receiving a facsimile.

[Explanation of symbols]

 11 CPU 12 memory 13 input device 14 display device 15 operation unit 16 image output device 17 HDD 18 character recognition unit 19 cover letter determination unit 20 original reading unit 21 FAX device 22 telephone line

──────────────────────────────────────────────────続 き Continued on the front page (51) Int.Cl. ⁶ Identification code Agency reference number FI Technical display location H04N 1/21 H04N 1/21

Claims (5)

[Claims] 1. A transmission / reception unit for performing facsimile transmission / reception, a storage unit for storing image data of a fixed form cover sheet, and a fixed form cover sheet in which a cover sheet for an original document to be sent by the transmission / reception unit is stored in the storage unit. An image generating apparatus capable of facsimile transmission / reception, comprising: a determining unit that determines whether the image is transmitted. 2. The standard cover sheet in which the image data is stored in the storage means is provided with a plurality of information entry fields such as the recipient's facsimile number and the recipient's name, and the image data described in the entry field. 2. The image generating apparatus capable of facsimile transmission / reception according to claim 1, further comprising a recognition means for recognizing the character using a predetermined character font. 3. A database registration means for registering a telephone directory database, and a confirmation means for confirming whether the image data character-recognized by the recognition means matches the telephone directory database registered in the database registration means. The facsimile transmission / reception according to claim 2, characterized in that the facsimile transmission / reception is prevented by terminating the transmission when the result of the confirmation by the confirmation means does not match, thereby preventing an erroneous facsimile transmission due to an error in character recognition of the recognition means. Possible image generation device. 4. A database registration means for registering a telephone directory database, and a confirmation means for confirming whether the image data recognized by the recognition means matches the telephone directory database registered in the database registration means. When the result of the confirmation by the confirmation means is coincident, the transmission / reception means automatically connects to the destination line and transmits the image data of the facsimile transmission original including the cover sheet to the destination. An image generating apparatus capable of transmitting and receiving a facsimile according to item 2. 5. A character font storage unit that stores a predetermined character font used by the recognition unit, and information on a fixed cover sheet stored in the storage unit using the character font stored in the character font storage unit. The input means for inputting the character contents in the entry field, and the output means for outputting the image data of the standard cover sheet in which the predetermined information is entered in the information entry field by the input means are provided. An image generating apparatus capable of transmitting and receiving a facsimile according to claim 3 or 4.