JPH11284830A - Facsimile equipment - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide the facsimile equipment that receives a reception confirmation mail from an opposite party while a caller is resident in its own seat. SOLUTION: The facsimile equipment provided with a data communication means is provided with a mail address table 24 that stores pluralities of electronic mail addresses in cross reference with pluralities of sender terminal telephone number and with a terminal telephone number extract section 23 that extracts the sender terminal telephone number from the reception signal at facsimile reception, a system control section 11 acquires an electronic mail address in cross reference with a terminal telephone number extracted by the terminal telephone number extract section 23 from the mail address table 24, and at the end of facsimile reception, a mail communication control section 22 sends a reception confirmation mail denoting facsimile reception is sent to the electronic mail address via a LAN interface section 21.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a facsimile apparatus capable of transmitting information to a personal computer or the like via a data communication network such as the Internet. The present invention relates to a facsimile machine capable of transmitting.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art As a general operation of a conventional facsimile apparatus, if transmission is not successful, transmission is attempted several times, and if transmission is not successful, a non-delivery notice indicating that fact is sent to the image transmitting facsimile apparatus. Output from In addition, since notification is not made when the transmission is successful, if the sender wants to know the transmission result, the transmission result information is generally output to the facsimile apparatus after the transmission is completed to check the result. However, even if the transmission result information indicates that transmission has been completed normally, it is not possible to know whether or not the recipient has received it.
In the prior art disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 185158, the facsimile apparatus on the image receiving side stores the terminal number (telephone number) of the facsimile apparatus on the transmitting side, and the facsimile on the image receiving side when the receiver confirms the reception. Some devices transmit a reception confirmation notification from the device to a facsimile device on the image transmission side. Also, since it is not known from general transmission result information whether or not the output has been made on recording paper, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2-18515
No. 8, as in the above-mentioned prior art, the terminal number of the facsimile apparatus on the image transmitting side is stored, and when output on a recording sheet, a recording output notification is transmitted to the facsimile apparatus having the terminal number. Is also provided. Also,
Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication No. Hei 2-288458 discloses a transmission-side facsimile apparatus in which a receiver sends a reception confirmation notice to a transmission-side facsimile apparatus by a push button of a telephone attached to the facsimile apparatus, and receives the reception confirmation notice. There is disclosed a facsimile apparatus which performs reception confirmation display on a display device. Also, JP-A-3-626
No. 72, the image receiving-side facsimile machine acquires data such as the content and number of received data, a reception state or an abnormal state at the time of reception, creates a reception state notification document in which the data is described, and A facsimile apparatus having a function of transmitting data to an image transmitting facsimile apparatus is disclosed.

[0003]

However, various kinds of notifications used in the conventional facsimile apparatus, that is, non-delivery notification, transmission result information, recording output notification, etc.
Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2-185158 discloses a reception confirmation notification implemented in a facsimile apparatus.
The reception confirmation display implemented by the facsimile apparatus disclosed in Japanese Patent No. 8458 and the reception status notification document implemented by the facsimile apparatus disclosed in Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 3-62672 are to grasp the transmission result. However, if the facsimile machine is away from his / her desk, there is an annoyance that the caller cannot return to the facsimile machine unless he / she returns to his / her seat and goes to the place where the facsimile machine is installed again. . The object of the present invention is to
An object of the present invention is to provide a facsimile apparatus which can solve the above-described problems of the conventional technology and can receive a reception confirmation notification or the like from a partner while a caller is at his / her desk.

[0004]

According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a facsimile apparatus having data communication means, wherein a plurality of source terminal telephone numbers are associated with a plurality of source terminal telephone numbers in advance. E-mail address storage means for storing an e-mail address, terminal telephone number extracting means for extracting a source terminal telephone number from a received signal at the time of facsimile reception, and corresponding to the terminal telephone number extracted by the terminal telephone number extracting means. An e-mail address obtaining means for obtaining the attached e-mail address from the e-mail address storage means; and a receiving means for transmitting, by the data communication means, a reception confirmation mail to the e-mail address at the end of facsimile reception to the e-mail address. Confirmation notification means. According to the second aspect of the present invention, the reception confirmation notifying means is configured such that, when a reception error occurs during facsimile reception, an error message indicating that the reception error has occurred is transmitted to the obtained e-mail address. did. According to the third aspect of the present invention, there is provided a mail address setting means for setting a plurality of e-mail addresses in the mail address storage means in association with a plurality of source terminal telephone numbers. Further, in the invention according to claim 4, in the invention according to claim 1, if it is determined that the transmission source of the received signal is a telephone, the transmission of the reception confirmation mail is not performed.

[0005]

According to the first aspect of the present invention, when the facsimile reception is completed, the reception confirmation mail is sent to the e-mail address associated with the terminal telephone number sent at that time. Sent over a data communication network. According to the second aspect of the present invention, if a reception error occurs during facsimile reception, an error message indicating the error is transmitted to the e-mail address associated with the terminal telephone number sent at that time via the data communication network. Is done. According to the third aspect of the invention, the user can set a plurality of e-mail addresses in the mail address storage means in association with the plurality of source terminal telephone numbers. According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, in the first aspect of the present invention, if it is determined that the source of the received signal is the telephone, the transmission of the reception confirmation mail is not performed.

[0006]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below in detail with reference to the drawings. FIG. 8 is a system configuration diagram showing an example of a network system including a facsimile apparatus according to the present invention. As shown in the figure, this network system can execute at least an e-mail protocol which is a higher-level protocol (transmission control procedure) of data communication, and a facsimile apparatus 1 according to the present invention, as well as a client capable of executing the above protocol The PC 2, the LAN transmission path 3 to which the facsimile apparatus 1 and the client PC 2 are connected, and a wide area data communication network (hereinafter abbreviated as a data communication network) in which frames according to a wide area data communication protocol including a middle layer and a lower layer are transferred. 4) Perform protocol conversion of the lower layer and the middle layer as necessary, and perform LAN conversion from the LAN transmission path 3 to the data communication network 4 and data communication network 4 to the LAN.
It is composed of a gateway 5 that relays frames to the transmission path 4 and relays mails within its own LAN. It should be noted that a configuration in which the facsimile apparatus embodying the present invention is connected to the LAN transmission line 3 via a facsimile server is possible, and the present invention is implemented only in the facsimile apparatus 1b, and the facsimile apparatus 1a is connected to the LAN. It is not necessary.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a facsimile apparatus 1b according to a first embodiment of the present invention. As shown, the facsimile apparatus 1b includes a ROM and the R
A system control unit 11 including a CPU for managing and controlling the entire apparatus according to a program built in the OM or the like; a keyboard for the user to give an instruction to the facsimile apparatus 1b; and a facsimile apparatus 1b for giving a message or the like to the user. Operation display unit 1 including display means
2. A RAM 13 for temporarily storing image information, a scanner 14 for reading an image on an original, and a received image information decoded by an encoding / decoding unit (DCR) 18
A plotter 15 for outputting via M13, a network control unit (NCU) 16 for setting up a call with a remote facsimile apparatus via a public telephone network, for example, facsimile communication control for performing facsimile transmission and reception in accordance with a G3 transmission control procedure (Hereinafter abbreviated as a communication control unit) 17, a modem 19 comprising a low-speed modem and a high-speed modem, an image memory 20 for storing image information, and connected to the LAN transmission line 3 to execute middle and lower protocols of data communication. And a mail communication control unit 22 for executing an e-mail protocol which is a higher-level protocol. Note that the terminal telephone number extracting unit 23 as a terminal telephone number extracting means for extracting the source terminal telephone number from the received signal
Is provided in the system control unit 11, and an e-mail address (hereinafter, abbreviated as an e-mail address) is stored in the RAM 13 (or a flash memory in the system control unit 11) in association with the terminal telephone number. A mail address table 24 is provided as a means. The reception confirmation notifying means includes the system control unit 11 and the mail communication control unit 22, and the data communication means includes the system control unit 11, the mail communication control unit 22,
It comprises an AN interface unit 21 and the like.

FIG. 2 shows an operation flow of the first embodiment of the present invention. The operation of this embodiment will be described below with reference to FIG. However, prior to execution of this operation flow, FIG.
A mail address associated with the terminal telephone number is set (registered) in the mail address table 24 as shown in (1) (described later). That is, the terminal telephone number and the mail address are input in association with each other through the operation display unit 12 which constitutes the mail address setting means together with the system control unit 11, and the system control unit 11 converts the acquired terminal telephone number and the mail address with each other. This is set in the mail address table 24. Thereafter, the NCU 16 detects an incoming call from the facsimile machine 1a on the image transmitting side, and the communication control unit 17 sends out a predetermined phase B signal. When the communication control unit 17 receives the CIG signal (calling terminal identification signal), the terminal telephone number extracting unit 23, which is a terminal telephone number extracting unit, receives the CIG signal.
The terminal telephone number of the image transmitting facsimile machine (source) is extracted from the IG signal (S1). Further, the extracted terminal telephone number is stored in a predetermined area in the RAM 13.

Subsequently, the system control unit 11 as a mail address obtaining means searches the mail address table 24, and a terminal telephone number corresponding to the stored terminal telephone number is registered (set) in the mail address table 24. If yes (S2, Yes), a mail address associated with the terminal telephone number is obtained. Then, when the image information reception is completed normally (S3, OK), a reception confirmation mail as shown in FIG. 4 is created. Subsequently, the system control unit 11 passes the mail address and the created mail to the mail communication control unit 22, and the mail communication control unit 22
Sends the passed e-mail address and mail to the gateway 5 via the LAN interface unit 21 according to the e-mail protocol, and the gateway 5 transmits the passed e-mail to the mail address via the data communication network 4 (S4). ), A reception confirmation mail reaches, for example, the client PC 2a. In the case where the facsimile image information is normally received, the system control unit 11 causes the plotter 15 to output the received facsimile image information to recording paper. On the other hand, if it is determined in step S2 that the matching terminal telephone number is not registered (S2, No), the process exits this operation flow without issuing a reception confirmation mail, and thereafter,
The received image information is output to recording paper by the plotter 15. If a reception error or the like occurs during reception in step 3 (S3, ERROR), an error message as shown in FIG. 5 is created and transmitted to the client PC 2 on the image transmission side in the same manner as in the case of the reception confirmation message. (S5). Thus, according to this embodiment, if a PC connected to the data communication network is installed on the caller's seat, the reception result notification such as an acknowledgment mail or an error message reaches the caller's own seat. Is released from the trouble of going to the installation location of the facsimile apparatus and checking the reception result. In the above, when the reception is normally performed, an incoming call confirmation notification indicating normal recording output may be issued after the output to the recording paper is completed.

Next, according to the operation flow shown in FIG. 6, the mail address table 2 by the mail address setting means is set.
The setting operation of No. 4 will be described. First, the user selects a mail address setting mode by pressing a predetermined key in the operation display unit 12, selecting a menu, or the like (S11). As a result, the system control unit 11 displays guidance for requesting the input of the source terminal telephone number and the destination mail address of the reception confirmation mail corresponding thereto. Thus,
When the user inputs the source terminal telephone number and the e-mail address such as "03377717234 * a1" (S12), the system control unit 11 obtains them and stores them in the e-mail address table as shown in FIG. It is set (S13). If there are a plurality of pairs of the source terminal telephone number and the mail address to be set, step S1
2 (S14, No), and when all settings are completed (S1
4, Yes) This operation flow ends. If the operation flow of the first embodiment is started when there is an incoming call, the facsimile apparatus for both facsimile communication and telephone (call) is also started when there is an incoming call from the telephone. However, it is meaningless to send an incoming call confirmation mail in the case of a telephone call. Therefore, in the second embodiment, when there is an incoming call (S21) as shown in the operation flow shown in FIG.
It is determined whether the transmission source is a facsimile machine or a telephone based on whether an NG signal is detected (S22). And CN
If a G signal is detected and it is determined that the transmission source is a facsimile machine (S22, Yes), steps S1 to S5 shown in the first embodiment (see FIG. 2) are executed. On the other hand, if the CNG signal is not detected and it is determined that the caller is the telephone (S22,
No), the process immediately exits from this operation flow without sending an incoming confirmation mail or the like.

[0011]

As described above, according to the present invention,
According to the first aspect of the present invention, at the end of facsimile reception, the reception confirmation mail is transmitted via the data communication network to the e-mail address associated with the terminal telephone number sent at that time. The person can confirm that the facsimile sent by himself / herself has been received by the other party while staying at his or her seat. According to the second aspect of the present invention, if a reception error occurs during facsimile reception, an error message indicating the error is sent to the e-mail address associated with the terminal telephone number sent at that time via the data communication network. Thus, the sender can know that the facsimile sent by the sender has a reception error at the other party while staying at his or her seat. According to the third aspect of the present invention, a user can freely set a plurality of e-mail addresses in association with a plurality of source terminal telephone numbers. Further, in the invention according to claim 4, in the invention according to claim 1, if it is determined that the transmission source of the reception signal is a telephone, the reception confirmation mail is not transmitted.
In a facsimile machine that can also call, even if the reception confirmation mail transmission processing process is activated when there is an incoming call, if the caller is a telephone, the meaningless arrival confirmation mail will not be transmitted in such a case. I'm done.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a configuration block diagram of a facsimile apparatus showing a first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is an operation flowchart of the facsimile apparatus showing the first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a data configuration diagram of a main part of the facsimile apparatus showing the first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating an example of the content of a reception confirmation mail output from the facsimile apparatus according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a diagram showing an example of the content of an error message output from the facsimile apparatus according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 6 is another operation flowchart of the facsimile apparatus showing the first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 7 is an operation flowchart of a facsimile apparatus showing a second embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 8 is a system configuration diagram of a network system including a facsimile apparatus according to the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

1 facsimile machine, 2 client PC, 3L
AN, 4 wide area data communication network, 5 gateway, 11 system control unit, 12 operation display unit, 13
RAM, 15 plotter, 17 facsimile communication control unit, 20 image memory, 21 LAN interface unit, 22 mail communication control unit, 23 terminal telephone number extraction unit, 24 mail address table

Continued on the front page (51) Int.Cl. ⁶ Identification symbol FI H04M 11/00 303 H04N 1/00 107A H04N 1/00 106 H04L 11/20 101B 107

Claims (4)

[Claims] 1. A facsimile apparatus having data communication means, a mail address storage means for storing a plurality of e-mail addresses in advance in association with a plurality of source terminal telephone numbers, Terminal telephone number extracting means for extracting the original terminal telephone number, mail address obtaining means for obtaining from the mail address storage means an e-mail address associated with the terminal telephone number extracted by the terminal telephone number extracting means, A facsimile apparatus comprising: a reception confirmation notifying means for transmitting, by data communication means, a reception confirmation mail to the e-mail address at the end of facsimile reception to the e-mail address. 2. The facsimile apparatus according to claim 1, wherein
A facsimile apparatus comprising: a reception confirmation notifying unit configured to transmit an error message indicating that a reception error has occurred to an acquired e-mail address when a reception error occurs during facsimile reception. 3. The facsimile apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a mail address setting means for setting a plurality of e-mail addresses in a mail address storage means in association with a plurality of source terminal telephone numbers. Facsimile machine characterized. 4. The facsimile apparatus according to claim 1, wherein
A facsimile apparatus characterized in that, if it is determined that the source of a received signal is a telephone, transmission of a reception confirmation mail is not performed.