JP2003032464A - Facsimile equipment - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide facsimile equipment, with which processing can be simply performed when making contact from the facsimile equipment of a user to a G3FAX or an I-FAX of a prescribed destination such as a service center. SOLUTION: Facsimile equipment 1 installed by the user is connected with an I-FAX 4 of the service center through the Internet 2. Besides, the facsimile equipment 1 is connected with a G3FAX 7 of the service center through a PSTN 5. When demanding dealing with trouble or ordering consummable articles, in the state without transmitting original, the equipment setting information of the facsimile equipment 1 is transmitted to the I-FAX 4 or the G3FAX 7 of the service center by electronic mail or FAX by the facsimile equipment 1.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a user's facsimile machine and a predetermined destination G such as a service center.
The present invention relates to a facsimile device that can simplify the processing when contacting a 3FAX or an I-FAX.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In facsimile communication, the International Telecom Union
abbreviated as Unication Union, ITU)
Telecommunication Standardization (T) Recommendation (ITU-T Recommendation)
30 defines a facsimile communication procedure according to a group 3 (G3) facsimile transmission procedure (hereinafter,
A fax machine for performing facsimile communication according to the G3 facsimile transmission procedure is described in the specification and drawings as G3 FAX.
Is abbreviated. ).

With the recent spread of the Internet,
A fax device is connected to the internet (hereinafter, the fax device connected to the internet is abbreviated as I-FAX in the specification and drawings), and a communication terminal device such as another I-FAX and an electronic device It is also possible to send and receive mail.

In such a case, SMTP (Simple Mail T), which is one of the electronic mail protocols, is used.
A T.F.I., which is a facsimile communication protocol using the Transfer Protocol). Facsimile communication is performed according to the communication procedure of 37. In addition, I-FAX is
It is possible to send and receive electronic mail to and from the client personal computer (PC) via the Internet.

When a trouble occurs in the user's facsimile machine, the user informs the service center by telephone or the like. At the service center, the user is provided with a facsimile (hereinafter abbreviated as “FAX”) of electronic equipment and device installation information such as the machine number and model name of the facsimile machine.
Request to be sent via email.

Also, when the user orders consumables such as paper and toner, the user fills in the necessary items in the FAX or electronic mail and sends them to the G3 FAX or I-FAX of the service center. .

[0007]

As described above, when the user's facsimile apparatus requests the G3 FAX or I-FAX of the service center to deal with a trouble or orders a consumable item, -In each case, fill in the necessary items in the FAX or e-mail each time, and the service center G3FA
X and I-FAX.

For this reason, there is a problem that the process for contacting the G3 FAX or I-FAX of the service center from the user's facsimile machine becomes complicated.

In view of the above problems, the present invention simplifies the processing when a user's facsimile device contacts a G3 FAX or I-FAX of a predetermined destination such as a service center. The purpose is to provide a device.

[0010]

The above object of the present invention is, in the invention according to claim 1, a facsimile apparatus, an original sensor for detecting the presence or absence of a read original, and an operation section for inputting a destination of facsimile transmission. A storage unit that stores device setting information and a determination unit that determines whether or not the input destination is a predetermined destination to which the device setting information is transmitted are provided. In this case, the device setting information is transmitted to the predetermined destination.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, in the facsimile apparatus according to the first aspect, the device setting information is sent to the Internet fax machine connected to the Internet to the predetermined destination. -It is characterized in that it is transmitted at the time.

According to a third aspect of the present invention, in the facsimile apparatus according to the first aspect, the device setting information is transmitted to the G3 fax machine of the predetermined destination connected to the public line in the G3 mode. It is characterized by transmitting.

According to the features of the invention described in claim 1,
When it is determined that there is no document to be read and a predetermined destination has been input, the device setting information is transmitted to the predetermined destination. For this reason, it is possible to easily perform the processing when requesting a troubleshooting or ordering a consumable item to a predetermined destination such as a service center.

According to the second aspect of the invention, the device setting information is transmitted by electronic mail. Therefore, it is possible to deal with the processing when requesting the troubleshooting or ordering the consumables to a predetermined destination such as a service center connected to the Internet.

Further, in the invention according to claim 3, the device setting information is transmitted by facsimile in the G3 mode.
For this reason, it is possible to deal with a process when requesting a troubleshooting or ordering a consumable item to a predetermined destination such as a service center connected to a public line.

[0016]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT An embodiment of a facsimile apparatus according to the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. Figure 1
It is a block diagram showing an example of connection of the facsimile apparatus of the present invention. In FIG. 1, the facsimile device 1 is an I-FA.
Interfacing with I-FAX4 of X3 and service center
It is connected via the net 2.

Further, the facsimile apparatus 1 is connected to the G3 FAX 6 and the service center G3 FAX 7 via the public line network (PSTN). At the service center, both the I-FAX 4 and the G3 FAX 7 or one of them is installed depending on the environment of the communication line.

Facsimile communication is performed between the facsimile apparatus 1 and the I-FAX 3 and the I-FAX 4 of the service center by using SMTP which is one of the electronic mail protocols. Further, between the facsimile apparatus 1 and the G3 FAX 6 and the G3 FAX 7 of the service center, the G3 mode is set.
Fax communication.

Here, it is assumed that the facsimile apparatus 1 requests the I-FAX 4 or G3 FAX 7 of the service center for troubleshooting and orders consumables.
In the present invention, the device installation information is assigned to the numeric keys and function keys of the facsimile machine 1, and the necessary key installation and function keys are operated by operating the numeric keys and the function keys without placing the document to be read. Is to be transmitted to a predetermined destination such as a service center.

A storage unit such as a RAM of the facsimile apparatus 1 stores device setting information assigned to each key of a numeric keypad and a function key, and is stored when each key is operated. A control unit such as a small-scale processing unit (MPU) reads out corresponding device setting information from the storage unit,
Send to I-FAX4 or G3FAX7 of service center.

FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram showing an example in which the device setting information of the facsimile apparatus 1 is assigned to the numeric keypad. To the numeric keypad "1", the machine number of the facsimile apparatus 1 is associated and assigned. The date and time when the facsimile apparatus 1 is installed in the user is assigned to the numeric keypad "2" in association with it.
The user name of the facsimile apparatus 1 is assigned to the numeric keypad "3" in association with it.

On the numeric keypad "4", the facsimile machine 1
Allocate the FAX telephone numbers of the corresponding. Tenkey
“5” indicates the IP (Internet) of the facsimile device 1.
etProtocol) Allocate network information such as address. By acquiring the network information of the user, the remote diagnosis can be performed from the I-FAX 4 of the service center to the facsimile machine 1.

User registration contents such as a telephone directory are assigned to the numeric keypad "6" in association with each other. One-touch dial information for designating a destination by a one-touch key is assigned to the numeric keypad “7” in association with the numeric keypad “7”. The model name of the facsimile apparatus 1 is assigned to the numeric keypad "8" in association with it. To the numeric keypad “9”, the function of ordering consumables is assigned and assigned.

FIG. 3 is a diagram showing a facsimile machine of the user
3 is a flowchart showing a processing procedure of the present invention when transmitting a facsimile to 3 FAX or I-FAX. Next, this flow chart will be described.

(1) The processing program is started in step S1 and the destination is designated in step S2. As the destination, a facsimile number or an electronic mail address is designated by operating the numeric keypad or one-touch key. Next, step S
In the process of 3, it is determined whether or not the transmission key is pressed. If the determination result is NO (hereinafter abbreviated as N), the standby state of step S3 is entered.

(2) The determination result of step S3 is YES.
(Hereinafter, abbreviated as Y), the process proceeds to step S4, and it is determined whether or not there is a document on the document table.
The presence or absence of a document is detected by providing a document sensor on the document table. If the result of this determination is Y, then the original is read in the processing of step S5 and the image data is transmitted by facsimile to the designated G3 FAX or as an attached file of an electronic mail to the I-FAX. Send. Then, in step S6, the processing program ends.

(3) The determination result of the step S4 is N,
That is, when it is determined that there is no document on the document table, it is determined whether the destination designated in the process of step S7 is a predetermined destination such as a service center. As described above, the MPU 21 in FIG. 4 functions as a determination unit that determines whether the input destination is a predetermined destination for transmitting the device setting information. If the determination result in step S7 is Y, the process proceeds to step S8 and the data type, that is, the user type.
The specification of the device setting information of the facsimile machine of the Z is accepted.

(4) Next, in the process of step S9, the device setting information of the designated type is transmitted by facsimile to a G3 FAX of a predetermined destination such as a service center or an electronic mail is sent to the I-FAX. To send. Then, in step S6, the processing program ends. Step S7
If the result of the determination is N, it means that a destination other than the predetermined destination such as a service center has been designated in the state where the document is not on the document mounting table.
At 6, the processing program ends.

FIG. 4 is a schematic block diagram showing an example of a facsimile apparatus applied to the present invention. In FIG. 4, the facsimile device 1 is configured to have G3 FAX and I-FAX functions. Reference numeral 21 is an ultra-small arithmetic processing unit (hereinafter abbreviated as MPU) for processing various signals and data, 22 is a ROM for storing data and programs necessary for various operations of the facsimile apparatus 1, and 23 is This is a RAM that stores management data and the like.

Further, the RAM 23 stores the device setting information assigned to the numeric keys and function keys of the facsimile apparatus 1. When each key is operated, MPU
21 reads the corresponding device setting information from the RAM 23. Reference numeral 24 is a printer for outputting the received image data on a recording sheet, and 25 is a reading unit for reading the original document and outputting image data which is binary black and white image data. The reading unit 25 is provided with a document sensor that detects whether or not a document is placed on the document table. An operation unit 26 is provided with various operation keys.

The operation unit 26 is provided with a numeric keypad and a function key to which the device setting information is assigned. Further, a transmission key for facsimile transmission, a one-touch key, etc. are provided. The destination is designated by operating the numeric keypad or one-touch key, and the operation unit 26 functions as an input unit for the destination and device setting information. The operation unit 26 also functions as an electronic mail creating unit when creating an electronic mail text with characters or symbols.

The facsimile apparatus 1 is connected to the Internet 2 via a network interface (I / F) 27.
Connected to. In addition, the service integrated digital network (ISD
N) interface (I / F) 28 and digital line terminating device (DSU) 29 are connected to ISDN. In addition, the PSTN via the line control unit (NCU) 30
Connected to. 31 is the other party's G3F via PSTN
Modulates image data transmitted / received to / from communication terminal devices such as AX. A modem for demodulation, which includes a modem 31 and an NCU 30.
And are connected by an analog signal line 31a.

The coding / decoding section 32 codes and decodes the image data. The graphic character generation unit 33 displays the character code code.
Data into image data. 34 is a liquid crystal display (L
(CD) display unit, 35 is a clock unit used for recording the date and time on image data, 36 is a hard disk (HD) for storing communication management records and image data, and 37 is an internal bus. Is. When the storage capacity is not so required, the image memory can be used instead of the hard disk (HD).

The device setting information of the facsimile apparatus 1 is transmitted from the network I / F 27 to the I-FAX 4 of the service center via the Internet 2. In addition, the device setting information is sent from the line control unit (NCU) 30 by PS
It is transmitted by facsimile to the G3 FAX 7 of the service center via the TN.

[0035]

As described above in detail, according to the invention of claim 1, when it is determined that there is no original document to be read and a predetermined destination is input, the device setting information is transmitted to the predetermined destination. is doing. For this reason, it is possible to easily perform the processing when requesting a troubleshooting or ordering a consumable item to a predetermined destination such as a service center.

According to the second aspect of the invention, the device setting information is transmitted by electronic mail. Therefore, it is possible to deal with the processing when requesting the troubleshooting or ordering the consumables to a predetermined destination such as a service center connected to the Internet.

According to the third aspect of the invention, the device setting information is transmitted by facsimile in the G3 mode.
For this reason, it is possible to deal with a process when requesting a troubleshooting or ordering a consumable item to a predetermined destination such as a service center connected to a public line.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an example in which a facsimile apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention is connected.

FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram showing an example in which setting information of a facsimile device is assigned to a numeric keypad.

FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing a processing procedure of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a block diagram showing a facsimile apparatus.

[Explanation of symbols]

1 Facsimile machine 2 Internet 3 I-FAX 4 Service Center I-FAX 5 Public line (PSTN) 6 G3 FAX 7 Service Center G3 FAX 21 Micro Computing Unit (MPU) 23 RAM 26 Operation part 27 Network interface (I / F) 28 Line control unit (NCU)

Claims (3)

[Claims] 1. A document sensor for detecting the presence or absence of a read document, an operation unit for inputting a destination of facsimile transmission, a storage unit for storing device setting information, and a predetermined input unit for transmitting the device setting information. And a determination unit that determines whether the destination is a destination, and transmits the device setting information to the predetermined destination when it is determined that a predetermined destination is input without a read document. . 2. The facsimile according to claim 1, wherein the device setting information is transmitted by electronic mail to the Internet fax machine of the predetermined destination connected to the Internet. apparatus. 3. The facsimile apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the apparatus setting information is facsimile-transmitted in a G3 mode to a G3 fax apparatus of a predetermined destination connected to a public line.