JPS6321390B2 - - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION (Field to which the invention pertains) The present invention relates to a facsimile response system that converts a document composed of character code strings into an image signal and outputs it to a facsimile terminal.

(Prior art) In this type of conventional system, a facsimile answering device or a higher-level device of the facsimile answering device determines the model (G, G) and maximum paper width (A4, B4, A3) of the facsimile terminal that the device itself accommodates.
etc.) were registered in advance, and an image signal corresponding to the output facsimile terminal was created to transmit the message. Therefore, each time the number of facsimile terminals to be accommodated increases, it is necessary to register the model and maximum paper width of the newly accommodated facsimile terminal in the facsimile response device or the host device of the facsimile response device, and the amount of information to be registered is low. There was a drawback that the amount increased. Furthermore, in the unlikely event that incorrect registration is performed, an incorrect image signal will be created and appropriate message transmission will not be possible.

(Object of the Invention) In order to eliminate these drawbacks, the present invention identifies the model and maximum paper width of the facsimile terminal using a procedure signal sent from the facsimile response device to the facsimile terminal, and creates an image signal based on this identification result. The drawings will be described in detail below.

(Structure and operation of the invention) The figure is a block diagram showing the structure of an embodiment of the method of the present invention, in which 1 is a computer in an information center, 2 is a facsimile answering device, 3 is an exchange, 4 is a facsimile terminal, 5- 9 is a component of the facsimile response device 2, 5 is a central control unit, 6 is an information center interface unit, 7 is a picture signal generation unit that converts a character code into a picture signal, and 8 is a line that controls the exchange 3. A control section 9 is a facsimile control section that outputs a facsimile signal.

Next, its operation will be explained. First, the computer 1 of the information center requests the facsimile response device 2 to output a message, and also transfers the message consisting of the telephone number and character code string of the facsimile that outputs the message. The information center interface section 6 of the facsimile response device 2 is connected to the computer 1 of the information center.
It receives the message output request, telephone number and character code string, and notifies the central control unit 5 of the completion of reception. The central control unit 5 sends the telephone number to the line control unit 8 and requests a call. The line control unit 8 controls the exchange 3 to call the facsimile terminal 4 having the telephone number received from the central control unit 5 (Phase A). When the line control unit 8 confirms that the facsimile terminal 4 has been called, it notifies the central control unit 5 that the call setting is complete. When the central control section 5 receives the completion of call setting from the line control section 8, it instructs the facsimile control section 9 to start facsimile control procedure phase B.

The facsimile control unit 9 receives a procedure start instruction from the central control unit 5 and starts the phase B procedure with the facsimile terminal 4. The facsimile control unit 9
The GI (group identification) signal of the T.30 tonal procedure determines whether the model of the facsimile terminal 4 is G or not.
G. Facsimile control unit 9
If it identifies the model of the facsimile terminal 4 as G, the binary procedure is further continued to identify the maximum paper width and two-dimensional encoding capability of the facsimile terminal 4 using a DIS (digital identification) signal. The facsimile control unit 9 determines the maximum paper width of the facsimile terminal 4 obtained through the above operations (for G models,
For A4 and G models, A4, B4 or A3) is notified to the central control unit 5.

The central control unit 5 notifies the image signal generation unit 7 of the maximum paper width (A4, B4, or A3) of the facsimile terminal 4, transfers the character code string received from the computer 1 in the information center, and instructs it to start image signal generation. do. The image signal generation section 7 is configured to handle the maximum paper width (A4, B4 or
Calculate the number of characters per line that can be written in A3) (for example, 40/line for A4 width, 50/line for B4 width,
If the width is 60/line), the character code string is sequentially converted into a character pattern and an image signal is created. However, when creating an image signal, if the number of characters per line is exceeded, line feed processing is performed. The image signal creation section 7 outputs the created image signal to the facsimile control section 9 every time the image signal creation processing for one line is completed.

When the facsimile control unit 9 receives the image signal from the image signal generation unit 7, it starts the phase C procedure with the facsimile terminal 4, and sequentially outputs the image signals to the facsimile terminal 4. However, if the facsimile terminal 4 is identified as G in the above-mentioned phase B procedure, the facsimile control unit 9 outputs the image signal as it is to the facsimile terminal 4, and the facsimile terminal 4 has two-dimensional encoding capability in G. If the image signal is identified as having no capability, the facsimile control unit 9 encodes the image signal with one-dimensional redundancy suppression and outputs it to the facsimile terminal 4, and the facsimile terminal 4 is identified as G having two-dimensional encoding capability. If you are
The facsimile control unit 9 encodes the image signal with two-dimensional redundancy suppression and outputs it to the facsimile terminal 4. When the image signal generation section 7 finishes generating image signals for all character code strings, it notifies the central control section 5 and the facsimile control section 9 of the completion of image signal generation.

When the facsimile control section 9 finishes transmitting all the image signals to the facsimile terminal 4, it starts the phase D procedure, and when the phase D procedure is completed, it notifies the central control section 5 that the image signal output has been completed. The central control section 5 instructs the line control section 8 to disconnect the call, and the line control section 8 controls the exchange 3 to disconnect the call, thereby completing the series of operations.

In the above description, it is assumed that redundancy suppression encoding of the image signal is performed by the facsimile control unit 9, but the facsimile control unit 9 notifies the image signal generation unit 7 of the redundancy suppression encoding method, and the image signal generation unit 7, redundancy suppression encoding may be performed.

In addition, although the facsimile control unit 9 is configured to identify the maximum paper width and two-dimensional encoding capability using the DIS signal in the binary procedure, the DIS signal also identifies the data signal speed, the minimum transmission time of one scanning line, etc. can be identified, and control can be performed in accordance with these identification results.

In addition, in the above example, the facsimile response device 2
Although a case is shown in which one facsimile terminal 4 is connected, the facsimile response device 2 may be provided with multi-processing capability so that a plurality of facsimile terminals can be connected at the same time.

(Effects) As explained above, the method of the present invention has the advantage that messages can be transmitted to facsimile terminals without knowing the model and maximum paper width of the facsimile terminal in advance, and the advantage is that it can easily handle an increase in the number of accommodated facsimile terminals. There is. In addition, since the method of the present invention determines the model of the facsimile terminal and the paper width using the facsimile procedure, the amount of hardware does not increase compared to the conventional method, and the program in the facsimile response device (if it is implemented as firmware, the program There are advantages that can be realized by changing the

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

The figure is a block diagram showing the configuration of an embodiment of the system of the present invention. DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1... Information center computer, 2... Facsimile response device, 3... Exchange, 4... Facsimile terminal, 5... Central control section, 6... Information center interface section, 7... Image signal generation section, 8...Line control unit, 9...Facsimile control unit.

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. In a facsimile response device that converts a document consisting of a character code string into an image signal and outputs it to a facsimile terminal, a procedure signal issued from the facsimile response device to the facsimile terminal determines whether the model of the facsimile terminal is a G machine or not. A first means for identifying whether G is
If the machine is a G machine, the maximum paper width is uniquely associated with A4 size, and if the machine is a G machine, a second means further identifies the maximum paper width by a procedure signal;
A third method calculates the number of characters per line that can be written within the maximum paper width identified as machine or G machine, and converts the document composed of character code strings into an image signal by starting a new line for each number of characters per line. means and
The image signal created by the third means is transmitted to the G machine as it is, and the image signal to the G machine is transmitted to each facsimile terminal via a fourth means that performs redundancy suppression coding processing. A facsimile response method characterized by having a fifth means for.