JPH1127450A - Facsimile equipment - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To improve the operation in both a facsimile function and a telephone function having a message transfer function by allowing a speech directly to a transfer destination without using a recording function. SOLUTION: This facsimile equipment 9 provided with an output function of a facsimile document and a message transfer function to a separate telephone set uses a line control section 3 to control two systems of telephone line networks 1, 2 so as to detect whether a sender is facsimile equipment or a telephone set. In the case that the sender is facsimile equipment, data are received as they are and a facsimile document is outputted, while in the case that the sender is the telephone set, the call is transferred to the telephone set designated in advance by using either of the telephone line network 1, 2 so as to allow the sender and a recipient to directly make communication.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a facsimile apparatus having telephone line control means capable of controlling two telephone lines.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art A facsimile apparatus has been widely used as an electronic communication medium for transmitting documents, and is widely used from office use having higher-order functions to home use which can be easily operated. This facsimile apparatus is connected to a telephone line, and enables transmission and reception of a document. In many cases, simple types such as those for home use are manually or automatically switched between a facsimile function and a telephone function so that they can be used as telephones.

[0003] A facsimile apparatus having such a telephone function is generally provided with an answering machine function and a message transfer function, like a normal telephone.

[0004] The answering machine function allows a message from a caller to be recorded when a call is received by a called party and the receiver is not picked up.

[0005] Further, the business message transfer function is used when a business message from a caller is recorded by an answering machine function, where a specific person registered in advance in the apparatus, that is, a specific person who is a substitute for a receiver is registered. This is a system for calling a business message recorded to a business or office.

Such an answering machine function and a message transfer function are added to the telephone function of the facsimile apparatus, and the function of the answering machine and the message transfer function is not related to document reception.

[0007]

In such a facsimile apparatus, when a document is received, it is irrelevant to the telephone functions of sending and receiving, so that the document is printed out by receiving a signal about the document from the sender. Can be received.

[0008] On the other hand, when the mode is switched to the answering machine mode without picking up the handset when receiving a call from the outside, the message from the caller is automatically recorded. And
In the telephone having the message transfer function, the user dials the transfer telephone number of the transfer destination registered in advance by the user, and the recorded contents are transferred to another telephone terminal provided for transfer. The transfer of the recorded content is transmitted to the recipient by a display function such as a bell sound by a separate telephone terminal,
Based on this display, the receiver operates the other telephone terminal to hear the recorded content for the first time.

As described above, the transmission of the recording in the transfer mode by the message transfer function to another device is performed by a recording process by the answering machine function, a transfer process to another device after the recording is completed, and another device after the transfer is completed. Through the process of displaying the transfer by the telephone terminal, the recipient's information is transmitted to the recipient. Therefore, it takes time from the time the caller makes a call to the time when the message is transmitted to the receiver, which hinders the response in the case of urgent business in an emergency.

[0010] Further, the message transfer function is based on the premise that the message is recorded by the answering machine function, and the caller cannot directly make a call to the transfer destination telephone terminal. Lack of responsiveness.

As described above, even in a facsimile apparatus having a telephone function and having a message transfer function, there is a problem that the time required for the message to be transmitted from the sender to the receiver is lengthened.

A problem to be solved in the present invention is to enable a telephone function having a function as a facsimile and a function of transferring a message by making it possible to directly talk to a transfer destination without going through a recording function when a call is received by a telephone. It is to improve the usability on both sides.

[0013]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to a means for receiving and outputting a facsimile document, a transfer means for transferring a telephone signal to a separate transfer telephone when receiving a telephone signal, and a separate transfer telephone. Facsimile apparatus having a transfer destination storage means for storing the telephone number of the transfer telephone, and a transfer telephone number input means for inputting the telephone number of the transfer telephone in the transfer destination storage means, wherein two independent systems are provided. And a line control unit for controlling transmission and reception of signals to and from each of these telephone networks. A signal received from one of the telephone lines is transmitted by facsimile or by telephone. If the received signal is received by the telephone, a system for transmitting the received signal to the transfer telephone designated by the transfer storage means via the other telephone line network when the received signal is received. The features.

With such a configuration, when the received signal is facsimile, it is received as it is and output as a document, and when the received signal is from a telephone, it is designated from another vacant telephone line network. The received signal can be directly transferred to the transferred telephone and the call can be made, so that the recording process of the message from the caller and the transmission process by the subsequent reproduction are omitted.

[0015]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS The present invention relates to a means for receiving and outputting a facsimile document, a transfer means for transferring a telephone signal to a transfer telephone of another machine, and a telephone for a transfer phone of another machine. Transfer destination storage means for storing a number,
A facsimile apparatus comprising a transfer telephone number input means for inputting a telephone number of a transfer telephone to the transfer destination storage means, wherein two independent telephone line networks are connected and these telephone line networks are connected. A line control unit that controls the transmission and reception of signals between the two telephones, and determines whether a signal received from one telephone line network is a facsimile or a telephone. This is a system for transmitting a reception signal to the transfer telephone designated by the transfer storage means via the network, and when the reception signal is transmitted from the telephone, the reception signal is designated from another vacant telephone network. By directly transferring the call to the transfer telephone, the call can be made without any time from the start of the caller's call.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described. FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a facsimile apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a flowchart of the operation of the facsimile apparatus of FIG.

In FIG. 1, two telephone networks 1, 2
The facsimile device 9 which is connected to
It has a facsimile function for receiving and printing out documents and a telephone function. The facsimile device 9 includes a line control unit 3 for connecting the telephone line networks 1 and 2 to control a line, a key input unit 4 for receiving and transmitting and operating a telephone function, a modem 5, a facsimile machine, and the like. When the function is such that a received document can be used as a printing or copying function at the time of the function, a printer 6 for printing an original document is provided. A central control unit 8 for controlling all of these functions and a function for switching between the facsimile function and the telephone function is provided, and the telephone number of another telephone to which an incoming telephone call is transferred is registered in advance. And a transfer destination storage section 7 for storing.

The operation of the facsimile machine 9 having such equipment and control system is as shown in the flowchart of FIG.

First, when a bell signal is input from the telephone line network 1 to the line control unit 3, the facsimile machine 9 enters a receiving state (step S1). After receiving the bell signal, detection of a CNG signal (a signal indicating that the calling side is a non-voice terminal: a calling tone) by the modem 5 starts, and transmission of the bell signal from the telephone line network 1 starts. It is determined whether it is a facsimile or a telephone (step S
2).

If the modem 5 detects a CNG signal, it determines that the bell signal is transmitted from the telephone line network 1 by facsimile, and the central control unit 8 puts the modem 5 in a facsimile reception state. Then, in the facsimile reception mode, the received document is read in the same manner as a normal facsimile, and then printed and output by the printer 6 (step S3).

On the other hand, if the modem 5 does not detect the CNG signal, it determines that the transmission of the bell signal from the telephone line network 1 is not a facsimile, and informs the caller that the receiving side is currently in the calling mode. For this purpose, a ring back tone is transmitted using the telephone network 1 (step S4).

Here, the transfer destination storage unit 7 stores a telephone number of a transfer destination telephone set of another device, which is input by the user on the receiving side through the key input unit 4 in advance. Therefore, the telephone number of the transfer destination can be read out from the transfer destination storage unit 7 by the central control unit 8, and the vacant telephone line network 2 is connected via the line control unit 3 based on the read information of the telephone number. Dial this using (Step S
5).

When dialing the telephone network 2, the modem 5 detects a ringback tone from the telephone network 2 in order to detect whether a call arrives at another telephone at the transfer destination. Then, when it is detected that the receiver of the other telephone at the transfer destination is picked up and the reception mode is set, the line control unit 3 connects the telephone network 1 and the telephone network 2. As a result, a caller who is making a call using the telephone network 1 and a receiver who is answering the call of another device at the transfer destination can be in a state where they can talk directly (step S6).

As described above, the two telephone network systems 1 and 2 are connected to the facsimile machine 9 and these telephone network systems 1 and 2 are connected.
If the transmitting side is a facsimile, the line is automatically received as it is by providing the line control unit 3 that can handle the transmission. If the calling party is a telephone, dial the telephone number of the destination phone stored in advance in the destination storage unit 7 to directly connect the calling party and the receiving party without going through the process of recording the requirements of the calling party. Can be done. Therefore, compared to the conventional example, in which the time until the recording is completed and the transfer to the receiving side has been completed, the time from the sender to the transmission of the message to the receiver is greatly reduced, and the communication of the emergency message is shortened. Can be fully supported.

[0025]

According to the present invention, when the received signal is transmitted from the telephone, the time from the start of the transmission of the caller can be obtained by directly transferring the signal from another telephone line network on the free side to the designated transfer telephone. Calls can be made without making a call, so compared to the conventional method of recording the caller's message once and then transferring it to a transfer phone and playing it back, the message transfer can be completed in a shorter time, We can fully cope with business requirements. Then, since the receiver and the caller of the telephone of another transfer destination can directly talk and talk with each other, the message can be accurately transmitted.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a facsimile apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a flowchart of the operation of the facsimile apparatus of FIG. 1;

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Telephone network 2 Telephone network 3 Line control part 4 Key input part 5 Modem 6 Printer 7 Transfer destination storage part (transfer destination storage means) 8 Central control part 9 Facsimile machine

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A means for receiving and outputting a facsimile document, a transfer means for transferring a telephone signal to a transfer telephone of another device, and a device for storing the telephone number of the transfer telephone of another device. A facsimile apparatus comprising a transfer destination storage means and a transfer telephone number input means for inputting a telephone number of a transfer telephone to the transfer destination storage means, wherein two independent telephone line networks are connected. A line control unit for controlling transmission and reception of signals to and from each of these telephone lines, and determines whether a signal received from one of the telephone lines is by facsimile or by telephone, and received by the telephone. A facsimile system for transmitting a received signal to a transfer telephone designated by the transfer storage means via the other telephone line network in the case of a signal. Location.