CN1069155A - A kind of fax computer - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to a kind of fax computer.Except that having complete facsimile function, also can resemble and work the general purpose personal computer.Comprise scanner, printer, the modulator-demodulator that is installed in the casing, fax control panel, facsimile interface, processor, the memory of faxing operation and the I/O interface of operating by means of external keyboard, display (as TV), also can be equipped with big storage capacity device such as hard disk and floppy disc, edit and software control by keyboard, display is for the picture and text that show and editor is stored, and printer then both can be used for the hard copy mode that the general purpose personal computer mode also can be used for facsimile transmission.

Description

A kind of fax computer

What the present invention relates to singly is not the facsimile machine, more particularly relates to a kind of fax computer that strengthens function (as keyboard and video display function).

Facsimile machine not only can be found everywhere at commercial field but also in the use of family's application facet, also can operate facsimile machine even be ignorant of computer, thus easy to operate be big characteristics of facsimile machine.At present at facsimile machine and all-purpose computer expanded application to the situation of family, some all-purpose computer user packs a part of facsimile function in their computer into by means of the hardware and software of special use, and usually said facsimile circuit plate just can make an all-purpose computer send with receiving to have communicating by letter of standard facsimile format.Unless but the all-purpose computer user disposes a scanning device in its system, otherwise all-purpose computer can't generate the facsimile transmission signal from hard copy (fax specimen page), to on all-purpose computer, increase limited transmission still more and receiving function also needs vacant expansion slot, need the facsimile circuit plate compatible mutually, also need the software and the system compatible of facsimile circuit plate with other functions of all-purpose computer.In addition, it also is very difficult determining to interrupt, be provided with the various characteristics fixed by equipment.

The only new computer of releasing that can carry out multitask, general general purpose personal computer just can not be used further to carry out operations such as word processing as facsimile machine the time, and equipment is transmission or all like this when receiving faxes transmission signals.These factors have all hindered all-purpose computer as facsimile machine.

And the available technology adopting interface circuit connects facsimile machine and computer, only is confined to the minority facsimile machine of specific model, and will do suitable modification to facsimile machine, and these have all hindered the universal use of this technology.

Advanced facsimile machine generally all adopts microcontroller or microprocessor, microprocessor is handled to produce desired form signal, there is the memory of file or telephonedirectory to carry out access to storage, and send and the work of the modulator-demodulator of the picture and text of receiving faxes in order to control, picture and text after the storage can recover according to a kind of letter-digital code of uniqueness, but it then is impossible watching or revising the file that has stored, certainly, the hard copy file that facsimile machine scanned is not made amendment, the hard copy file of being made by pattern and other information of facisimile transmission also can not get revising.

The objective of the invention is to design a kind of fax computer, external display and keyboard be equipped with, display can be television set or monitor, fax computer of the present invention not only possesses complete facsimile function, can also resemble and work the general purpose personal computer, the operator is watched and edit genuine file to be passed, watch and edit the fax picture and text that received.The present invention is by being equipped with disc driver (existing hard disk also has floppy disk), the also strong storage ability of tool.

Fax computer of the present invention, a scanner in a casing, is equipped with, a picture and text generation system, a modulator-demodulator, a processor, the fax control panel of can fax an operation and a FAX mode demonstration, a memory, and one link to each other with above-mentioned processor in order to receive the external keyboard signal or to send intelligent I/O (I/O) interface of vision signal (other vision signals of using as TV signal or general purpose personal computer) to external display, this interface also comprises the Magnetic Disk Controler in order to control hard disk and floppy disk or other big storage capacity devices, at processor and scanner, the picture and text generation system, modulator-demodulator, between the fax control panel facsimile interface circuit is arranged.

The present invention and existing traditional facsimile machine and be configured to send to compare by facsimile format to have many advantages with the general purpose personal computer of received communication, the picture and text that if can show storage, no matter this picture and text scanning writes, from big storage capacity device, read, still be after another facsimile machine sends, to receive, use external keyboard just can edit the fax picture and text before sending or after receiving, can also make or edit picture and text for facsimile transmission, the facsimile function of this fax computer can be carried out by the fax control panel easily, after the operational environment of this fax computer suitably programmed, can make fax computer and external display and keyboard intercommunication through the I/O interface, so that general purpose personal computer function and facsimile function are provided.Use multitask environment that simple fax operation is carried out simultaneously with the operation of computer function.In addition, the picture and text generation system can provide the Intelligent printing function to use together for general purpose personal computer and facsimile machine.

Describe essence of the present invention and advantage in detail below in conjunction with the embodiment accompanying drawing:

Fig. 1 is the structural principle block diagram according to the fax computer 10 of a most preferred embodiment made of the present invention.

Fig. 2 is the structural principle block diagram of I/O interface 50 among Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is the vertical view of fax computer 10.

Fig. 4 is the front view of fax computer 10, is contained in the big storage capacity device 56 in the casing 12 shown in the figure, as hard disk and floppy disc.

Fig. 5 is the cut-away view of fax computer 10.

Fig. 6 is the operational flowchart that has the fax computer of external keyboard.

Fig. 7 is the operational flowchart that has the fax computer 10 of external display (as television set).

Fig. 8 is that fax computer scans, edits and send function operations process flow diagrams such as fax.

Fig. 9 is the operating process flow chart that fax computer is carried out general purpose personal computer software.

Fig. 1 is the structural principle block diagram according to the fax computer 10 of a most preferred embodiment made of the present invention.This fax computer comprises casing 12, include a scanner 14 in the casing, a picture and text generation system that comprises printer 16, a modulator-demodulator 18, a fax control panel 20, facsimile interface circuit 24 control and monitor scans devices 14, printer 16, modulator-demodulator 18 and fax control panel 20, facsimile interface circuit 24 receives some control informations and the data of from processor 26, in fact this processor 26 can be the various tasks that will finish according to fax computer 10 and selected any microcontroller or microprocessor, in most preferred embodiment of the present invention, that processor 26 is selected for use is 80386SX microprocessor (California, USA Santa clara, Intel Company's product), processor 26 can carry out access to memory 28, and memory 28 is used for the picture and text that storing facsimile receives, the picture and text of confession facsimile transmission or program information etc.

In addition, this fax computer also comprises an input/output interface 50, and this interface is used to control external display 52, connects external keyboard 54, big storage capacity device 56 is carried out access, connects an additional extension device 58.I/O interface 50 devices include universal component in this interface in casing 12, this universal component is used for appropriate signals being provided for the external display 52 of a particular type from a video translation interface.In this most preferred embodiment, external display 52 is the logical television sets of a Daepori, in this case, has NTSC, PAL or SECAM modulator in the I/O interface 50, these modulators are design routinely all, can make digital device demonstrate picture and text on a general television set.

In order to connect keyboard 54, also have a keyboard controller of design routinely in the I/O interface 50, in this most preferred embodiment, keyboard 54 adopts standard QWERTY101 key board, in case detect the keystroke signal, this keyboard just produces scan code.Just as well-known such, these scan codes are corresponding with the key that is hit.

I/O interface circuit 50 in this most preferred embodiment, hard disk and FDC function are arranged, constitute the hard disk and the floppy disc of big storage capacity device 56 with control, and the interface that the additional extension device is 58 then depends on the type of device of being expanded, in general, more known standard interface technology just can be used for connecting expanding unit 58 and processor 26 in the present technique field, in typical case, these devices are serial or parallel interface or the standard set-up that can directly link to each other with the expansion bus of general purpose personal computer.

Fig. 2 is the structural principle block diagram of I/O interface 50 among Fig. 1.In this most preferred embodiment, the AT-type bus interface compatibility (such bus can be provided by the IBM Corporation of New York Armonk) of this I/O interface and Computer I BM-AT machine, the software of operation can be well and the IBM-PC compatibility on processor 26, that is to say that the I/O interface of being realized is realized in normally used mode in this most preferred embodiment.Specifically, I/O interface 50 by bus I/O timing controller logic, address decoder 70 is formed and by first bus 501 it is connected to processor interface 72, by second bus 502 it is connected to direct memory access dma controller 74, interrupt control unit 76 and timer 78.Processor interface 72 is communicated with I/O interface 50 and processor 26, the clock signal that processor interface 72 and bus I/O timing control logic, address decoder 70 receive from logical circuit of clock 80.Isa bus state device 82 links to each other with second bus 502, usually in order to control an expansion bus 84, expansion bus 84 links to each other with big storage capacity device 56, I/O expander 58 and Video Controller 86 successively, and Video Controller 86 also links to each other with video converter 88 in addition.Video converter 88 and display 52(television set/monitor) link to each other, keyboard controller 90 is connected keyboard 54 with timing controller logic, address decoder 70.

The signal of processor 26 passes to timing control logic, address decoder 70, signal and address translation are come out and produce needed in order to realize the logic of general AT-type bus, from the signal of dma controller 74, interrupt control unit 76 and timer 78 and the signal of processor 26 is synchronous, and these signals all add on the state device of isa bus controller 82 so that produce suitable standard I SA bus signals.

Video Controller 86 can become TV format with video signal conversion with video converter 88, and it is modulated into the NTSC/PAL/SECAM signal, in other embodiment, can adopt video figure commonly used, as CGA, EGA, VGA or SVGA.

Fig. 3 is the vertical view of fax computer 10.Fax control panel 20 has a state display part and divides 60 and Keyboard Control parts 62, state shows that 60 can show called-number, the identifier of the facsimile machine that is receiving, calling procedure signal and other signals, the actual displayed situation depends on concrete device, and Keyboard Control part 62 is used for importing telephone number or starts facsimile call etc.

Fig. 4 is the front view of fax computer 10, is contained in the casing 12 shown in the figure, forms the parts of big storage capacity device 56, as a floppy disc 561 and a hard disk 562.

Fig. 5 is the cut-away view of fax computer 10.Picture and text generation system 16 in this most preferred embodiment comprises thermal printer head 161, heat-sensitive paper 162 and printer roller 163, also can adopt the printer of other types, as also being laser printer well known in the art, scanner 14 comprises an image scanner 141 and a scanner cylinder 142,143 is scanner cover, and 144 is stepping motor.

For the facsimile transmission operation of routine, hard copy of scanner 14 scannings, generation one or more electron image, the user handles scanner 14 by fax control panel 20, and the telephone number of the facsimile machine of preparing reception is provided.Fax computer 10 can be finished connection by modulator-demodulator 18 before the scanning hard copy, also can be before facsimile call starts and finishes with the image memory that is scanned in memory 28, after the successful connection, electron image will resemble and convert the facsimile coding form that has compressed to by fax interface unit 24 known, modulator-demodulator 18 sends the fax image, picture and text generation system 16 can be reported by output state, in memory 28 storage electron image can the order repeating transmission, on display 52, can also demonstrate picture and text for watching, or keystroke is edited on keyboard 54, or be stored in the big storage capacity device 56, other picture and text in the big storage capacity device 56 also can recover, and watch or edit.

Fig. 6 is an operational flowchart that has the fax computer of external keyboard.The operation of the keyboard 54 of fax computer 10 adopts preferably that known keyboard controller 90 realizes in the I/O interface 56.In step 100, the user of fax computer 10 is by next key, in step 102, keyboard comprises that whether digital circuit is used for detecting by next key, in step 104, the keyboard controller 90 of I/O interface 50 obtains a key of selecting to press key corresponding to the user, keyboard controller 90 is sent a prearranged signal, as breakout service request, this signal is sent to I/O interface 50 in the 106th step, in step 108, this interface sends prearranged signal notice I/O interface to processor 26 successively and reads key, when after step 110 processor 26 is ready, just send the order of reading key to I/O interface 50, and make it read key from keyboard controller 90 in step 112, then, in step 114, the I/O interface sends this key to processor 26, and in step 116, operating software on processor 26 is read this key and is detected keystroke sequence.Key may command processor 26 be carried out different operations, and as the control operation of some facsimile function of fax computer, these orders all can be by 20 controls of fax control panel, goes to realize the characteristic of faxing.

In this most preferred embodiment, key is not only assisted the running software of general purpose personal computer but also is carried out as in step 118 to facsimile interface device 24 and send fax order and corresponding to the code of key.In step 120, facsimile interface device 24 is carried out the order that keyboard 54 sends, and these orders are included in step 122 and start scanner 14; Start printer 16 in step 124; Start modulator-demodulator 18 in step 126, the spendable fax command type of these order expressions, and the start-up operation mode of these orders.As top the suggestion, also can read key from keyboard 54 and use, thereby the flow process of Fig. 6 shows the intelligent keyboard operation of this fax computer for miscellaneous part by fax computer 10.

Fig. 7 is the operational flowchart that has the fax computer 10 of external display.For example television set or the display compatible mutually with video graphics adaptor (VGA), during beginning, in step 200, fax computer is carried out an application program, be intended to propose to carry out the request that video shows service, in the present embodiment, this request is sent key by keyboard exactly, when the needs Video service, such as need on display, writing a fresh character or refreshing the picture and text that performed, this application program just proposes interrupt call to binary system input-output system (BIOS), this binary system input-output system has the subroutine that pre-defines, be used on screen showing or other hardware of fax computer 10 are worked, these subroutines are made unique sign with interrupt number, and the subroutine of binary system input-output system generally all is stored in the read-only memory (ROM), and this memory is the part of memory 28, in step 202, by its unique identifier of identification service request is proposed corresponding to the service subroutine that shows in the binary system input-output system.In step 204, BIOS determines whether this service request is effective when showing, if effectively, the BIOS that is used for television set just translates into suitable television standard with this service call, NTSC as step 206, in step 208 scan line of picture and text output format is set to 200, and Dot Clock is set to 14.131MHz.

After step 208, system enters step 210, go to handle this service by VGA, BIOS, if show that routine is invalid, then directly enter step 210 and execution in step 206 and 208 not from step 204, after step 210 was handled this service, system turned back to the invokes application of step 212.By above introduction as can be known, embodiment can use two cover display systems at least, the one, television set, the 2nd, the VGA display, the both does suitable correction by the application program of request Video service, for family expenses, fax computer 10 can adopt the television set of a station symbol standard for showing or a very common VGA monitor.

In sum, though the present invention adopts general television set to show that display effect still can reach high density performance (VGA:800 * 600).

Fig. 8 is that fax computer scans, edits and send function operations process flow diagrams such as fax.Beginning, the scanning hard copy, the application subroutine sends the order of " beginning scanning " to scanner 14 in step 300, be communicated with fax interface unit 24 by the I/O mechanism that is similar to general purpose personal computer parallel communications port, in step 302, scanner 14 provides image, text and data to fax interface unit 24.In step 304, processor 26 and fax interface unit 24 produce image, text and datas and with this data-storing in the image buffer of memory 28.

In step 306, fax computer 10 determines whether to have scanned complete one page, if do not have, then flow process turns back to step 302 and goes to read all the other pictorial data from scanner 14, step 302～306 cyclings are until having scanned a view picture figure, fax computer 10 sets about editing in step 308 then, step 308a～308e has illustrated one group of possible image editing tools, promptly assembled the image editing tools of the fax computer 10 of keyboard 54 and display 52, in the present embodiment, the image editing of step 308 comprises: step 308a is image intensification (as cancellation " noise "), step 308b is image scaling and cuts out, step 308c makes high frequency control and halftone process to electron image, and step 308d is text editing, and step 308e is for printing.

Behind the step 308 couple document image editor, in step 310, fax computer 10 becomes T.30 form (facsimile format) to the image transform that edits by fax interface unit 24, then, fax computer 10 sends the image of conversion to modulator-demodulator 18, the facsimile machine that modulator-demodulator 18 extremely receives through the image that standard RS-232 interface links to each other concurrent warp let-off scanning, editor and conversion with fax interface unit 24 good.

Fig. 9 is for carrying out fax computer 10 controls, carry out the operating process flow chart of general purpose personal computer software on fax computer 10.From step 400, processor 26 calls BIOS subroutine in the memory 28 and finishes by pack into the task of software of memory 28, the software of packing into may or come arrogant storage capacity device 56 from ROM, step 402 response BIOS control, when required file is in big storage capacity device 56, the 50 response BIOS controls of I/O interface remove to adorn file, and in step 404,50 controls of I/O interface are packed required file in the memory 28.Pack into finish after, in step 406, BIOS notification processor 26 this document are ready can carry out (if this document is an executable file).If executable file is the control program of fax computer 10, then in step 408, make processor 26 propose the fax order by processor 26 executive softwares to fax interface unit 24, response be from this order of fax computer 10 (can be the key of response from keyboard 54), and 24 of fax interface units are carried out suitable fax subroutine in step 410.

Such as, operation of scanner if desired, then fax interface unit 24 starts scanner in step 412, modem operation if desired, then fax interface unit 24 is at step 414 active modem 18, equally, printer operation if desired, then fax interface unit 24 activates printer 16 in step 416.

In a word, the present invention has tangible advantage compared with the all-purpose computer of the common facsimile machine and the machine image that is configured to send and to receive faxes.Only a most preferred embodiment of the present invention is done detailed description above, can also make various replacements, improvement and equivalent replacement.

Claims (6)

1, a kind of fax computer, comprise a casing, be included in the processor that is used to read and store electronic image signal and program command in the casing, be also contained in the memory that is used to store electronic image signal and program command that links to each other with processor in the casing, the control signal to from processor and fax control panel that links to each other with processor responds and the electronic form picture signal is converted to the facsimile interface of fax hard copy form image, link to each other with facsimile interface and to be used for generating the scanner of electronic image signal from the fax hard copy, link to each other with facsimile interface and to be used for electronic image signal is replicated in image generation system on the tangible medium, the operation that is used to fax of linking to each other with facsimile interface provides telephone number and shows the fax control panel of fax operating state, be connected with telephone line with facsimile interface, be used to send the modulator-demodulator of picture signal of receiving faxes, it is characterized in that:

(1) also comprises and being included in the described casing,, be used to connect external display, described electronic image signal is converted to video display image and is used to be connected external keyboard the keystroke signal is encoded with the input/output interface that described processor links to each other;

(2) also comprise and being included in the described casing, link to each other with described input/output interface and can control the big storage capacity device of visit.

2, fax computer according to claim 1 is characterized in that described input/output interface also is connected with the additional I/O expander that is included in the described casing.

3, fax computer according to claim 1 and 2, it is characterized in that described input/output interface comprises the processor interface circuit that links to each other with described processor, by first bus and bus I/O timing controller logic, address decoder connects, there is logical circuit of clock to be connected to processor interface circuit and bus I/O timing controller logic, address decoder, bus I/O timing controller logic, address decoder is by second bus and isa bus state device, direct memory access dma controller, interrupt control unit, timer links to each other, and be connected to keyboard controller, keyboard controller links to each other with described external keyboard, isa bus state device control expansion bus, expansion bus successively with described big storage capacity device, described additional I/O expander links to each other with Video Controller, Video Controller links to each other with video converter, and video converter connects described external display.

4, fax computer according to claim 1 is characterized in that described image generating system is the printer that comprises thermal printer head, heat-sensitive paper and printer roller.

5, fax computer according to claim 1 is characterized in that described external display is a general television set.

6, fax computer according to claim 1 is characterized in that described big storage capacity device is hard disk and floppy disc.

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