JP2000341494A - Facsimile machine provided with charging device - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To enable a facsimile machine provided with charging device to limit charging based on a more accurate predicted communication charge, and also to avoid occurrence of a case where the machine is disabled from charging a user due to insufficient remaining money left. SOLUTION: This facsimile machine fetches information on remaining money from a charging device (S1), stores a one-page original (S2), and calculates the size of the stored image (S3). Then the machine calculates the communication charge by predicting the communication time from the size (S4), and when a file to be string-transmitted exists in the files waiting for transmission (S5), the machine predicts the communication charge from the total size of the files to be string-transmitted (S7) and the communication charge of the files waiting for transmission which has the same ID as that of files other than the files to be string-transmitted (S6) and adds the predicted charges to the charge calculated in S4 (S8). Then the machine compares the calculated predicted communication charge with the remaining money previously taken out (S9), and when the remaining money is larger than the predicted charge, the machine stores the next-page original. When the remaining money is smaller than the predicted charge, the machine terminates the storage, even when the transmitted original is left.

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 a billing device.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, there has been no facsimile machine having a billing device that limits the communication fee of a facsimile by a billing device, and there is no device that limits the operation by the balance notified from the billing device. according to it,
In order to determine the communication fee from the time required for actual communication, charging according to the communication fee cannot be performed, and charging can be performed only based on a different system such as the number of documents. Also, by predicting the communication charge, charging is performed according to the communication charge, and the storage operation is stopped at the number of original documents that is expected not to be short of the balance, so that the storage operation can be limited in consideration of the communication charge, Transmission files that have already been stored but not transmitted have not been considered.
In addition, not only the storage operation being performed at the current printing point, but also the expected communication charges for already stored transmission files are taken into account, and the communication is performed in consideration of the untransmitted stored transmission files. Even in the case of more accurate forecasting of charges, it is not possible to cope with the situation where the communication time is shortened by using the function of transmitting multi-page files of the same destination in one transmission (hereinafter referred to as queuing control). Was.

[0003]

A case where the storage operation is performed while comparing the estimated communication fee of the stored document and the previously stored document with the balance notified from the billing device, and the balance becomes insufficient. In this case, the accumulation operation is stopped to avoid a case in which charging cannot be performed due to a shortage of debt.

A first object of the present invention is to provide a facsimile apparatus having a control means for more accurately estimating a communication charge taking into account the communication control and restricting a document accumulation operation.

[0005] In this case, however, the accumulation operation can be restricted based on accurate prediction of the remaining balance. However, if the number of documents to be accumulated is large, all pages cannot be transmitted repeatedly. A second object of the present invention is to reduce the size of a document to be stored by dynamically lowering the reading cotton density when the balance is less than a predetermined amount, so that the number of documents that can be stored while taking the balance into account It is to increase.

[0006] In this case, control is performed so as not to cause a shortage of the remaining balance.
If the communication quality is longer than expected due to poor line quality, the stored originals may not be transmitted. A third object of the present invention is to automatically lower the cotton density at the time of transmission from the cotton density at the time of accumulation when the remaining money falls below a predetermined amount, so that the number of sheets that can be transmitted while considering the money It is to increase.

[0007]

In order to achieve the above object, a billing device having a balance notification function, a memory for storing compressed transmission images, a means for determining the size of the stored image data, and a telephone number A charge data table for obtaining a communication charge from the communication service, means for estimating the communication charge from the size of the stored image data and the telephone number, and multi-page files having the same destination in one call operation. In the facsimile apparatus having a control means for transmitting, in addition to the communication fee predicted for the draft being stored, the total of the predicted communication fee of the document stored in advance, and the balance notified from the billing device When performing the accumulation operation while comparing the communication destinations and estimating the communication charge, the same destination is multi-page transmitted in one communication, and the estimation is more accurately performed. Those having a control means for stopping the accumulation operation when the Mau.

[0010] Further, when the balance notified from the billing device becomes smaller than a predetermined amount, there is provided control means for automatically lowering the reading cotton density at the time of subsequent document accumulation. Further, when the balance notified by the billing device becomes smaller than a predetermined amount, a control means for automatically lowering the cotton density at the time of transmission of the stored originals is provided.

[0009]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a facsimile apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. CP for overall control
An encoder / decoder 2 for compressing a read image or decompressing a received image, an SAF memory 3 for storing a file waiting for transmission or a file waiting for reception and printing, and a column signal for transmitting a plurality of files having the same destination at once in U1. Transmitting means 4 for controlling and transmitting the stored transmission standby file; image size calculating means 5 for obtaining the size of the read image data which is compressed and stored in the SAF memory; It is composed of communication fee prediction means 6 for predicting the communication fee using the communication time predicted from the fee data table and the image size, a display device 7 recognizable by the operator, and a document reading device 8 for reading a transmission document prepared by the operator. You. A billing device 9 is connected to this facsimile machine.

FIG. 2 is a flowchart showing the functions of one embodiment of the control means provided in the facsimile apparatus of the present invention. The balance information is retrieved from the billing device (S1), 1
The page document is stored (S2), the size of the stored image is calculated (S3), and the communication time is calculated by estimating the communication time from the size (S4). If there is a target file (S5), the communication charge is predicted from the total size of the file to be transmitted (S7), and the communication charge of the transmission standby file having the same ID other than the file to be transmitted is predicted (S6). It is added to the fee calculated in (S4) (S8). The estimated communication charge calculated here is compared with the balance previously taken out (S
9) If the number is large, the next page is accumulated. If the number is small, the process is terminated even if the transmitted document remains.

FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing functions of another embodiment of the control means of the present invention. The balance information is extracted from the billing device (S11), the estimated communication fee of the transmission standby file having the same ID is calculated (S12), and it is compared whether the difference from the balance has reached a predetermined threshold (S1).
3) If the threshold is exceeded, the reading cotton density at the time of accumulation is automatically lowered (S14), and the accumulation operation is executed (S14).
15). After that, it is checked whether there is a balance (S16).
If there is a balance, the reading operation of the next page is continued (S1).
2) If there is no remaining money, the process ends.

FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing another embodiment of the control means of the present invention. The balance information is extracted from the billing device (S21), the estimated communication fee of the transmission standby file having the same ID is calculated (S22), and the difference between the balance and the balance reaches a predetermined threshold (S23).
If it exceeds the threshold, the reading cotton density at the time of transmission is automatically lowered (S24), and the transmission operation is executed (S2).
5). Thereafter, the presence or absence of the balance is checked (S26). If there is a balance, the reading operation of the next page is continued (S22).
If there is no balance, the process ends.

[0013]

According to the facsimile apparatus of the first aspect of the present invention, the storage operation is stopped not only at the number of originals corresponding to the estimated communication fee according to the balance notification from the accounting device, but also at the estimated communication fee of the transmission standby file. In addition to the above, it is possible to limit the billing based on the estimated communication charge more accurately and to avoid the case where the billing cannot be performed due to the shortage of the balance due to the prediction taking into account the reduction of the communication time by the column communication control. it can.

In the facsimile apparatus of the second aspect,
By automatically lowering the reading cotton density during storage when the remaining balance falls below a predetermined amount, reducing the size of the stored image and shortening the communication time, while avoiding the case where billing becomes insufficient due to insufficient balance Since the number of documents that can be stored can be increased, the case where all pages cannot be stored can be reduced.

In the facsimile apparatus of the third aspect,
If the balance is less than the specified amount, the communication time can be reduced by lowering the cotton density during transmission than that during accumulation, and the communication time actually took longer than expected due to poor line quality etc. The case where the remaining file cannot be transmitted when the file has been extended can be reduced.

[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 showing functions of an embodiment of a control unit provided in the facsimile apparatus of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing functions of another embodiment of the control means of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing functions of a control unit according to another embodiment of the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... CPU, 2 ... Code / decoder, 3 ... SAF memory, 4
... Sending means, 5 ... Screen size calculating means, 6 ... Communication fee estimating means, 7 ... Display device, 8 ... Document reading device, 9 ... Charging device.

Claims (2)

[Claims] 1. A billing device having a balance notification function, a memory for storing a compressed transmission image, a unit for determining the size of the stored image data, and charge data for obtaining a communication charge from a telephone number and a communication time. In a facsimile apparatus having a table, a unit for estimating a communication charge from the size of the stored image data and a telephone number, and a control unit for transmitting a plurality of files of the same destination in a single call operation by multi-page transmission, The storage operation is performed by comparing the sum of the estimated communication fee for the original document as well as the estimated communication fee of the draft that has been stored in advance and the balance notified from the billing device. A control means is provided for stopping the accumulation operation when the balance becomes insufficient while predicting more accurately even when the same destination is transmitted in multi-pages in one communication. A facsimile machine with a billing device. 2. A control means for automatically lowering the scanning density at the time of document storage after that when the balance notified from the charging device becomes smaller than a predetermined amount. A facsimile apparatus with a charging device according to claim 1. (3) A control means for automatically lowering the cotton density at the time of transmission of the stored original when the imperial money notified from the charging device becomes smaller than the final amount. 2. The facsimile apparatus with a charging device according to claim 1, wherein: