JP2003244311A - Communication apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a communication apparatus capable of selecting and erasing recently non-used destination information registered in a registration means. <P>SOLUTION: In the communication apparatus (facsimile apparatus) correspondingly storing an one touch dial and an abbreviated dial which are registration means registering the destination information of transmitting destinations and the destination information in a transmitting destination table 8a of a RAM 8, a latest date is stored in the transmitting destination table 8a of the RAM 8 correspondingly to an one touch dial key 51 or an abbreviated dial key 52 when the key 51 or 52 is depressed upon receiving the input of the destination information of the transmitting destination in accordance with a facsimile transmitting request. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2003,JPO

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a communication device having destination information of a communication destination registered therein and having a registration means such as a plurality of one-touch dials, speed dials and the like used for communicating with the communication destination.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art A communication device such as a facsimile device has a registration means such as a one-touch dial or an abbreviated dial capable of registering destination information (facsimile number, etc.) of a communication destination that frequently communicates. There are many. In such a communication device, it is possible to communicate with the communication destination having the registered destination information simply by operating the key corresponding to the one-touch dial or the speed dial.

When the above-mentioned communication device has a plurality of one-touch dials and speed dials, there are one-touch dials or speed dials which are not erased but remain registered without being erased. There is a case. For this reason, since the number of one-touch dials and speed dials capable of registering the destination information is limited, the destination information may be registered in all the one-touch dials and speed dials of the communication device.
At this time, if the user tries to register new destination information, the new destination information cannot be registered unless any of the registered destination information is selected and deleted. At this time, there is a problem that the user has to check which one-touch dial or speed dial is not used so much in order to select the destination information to be deleted.

In order to solve such a problem, for example, in Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 8-204805, a means for storing the usage frequency of each of a plurality of speed dials is provided, and destination information having a low usage frequency is selected and erased. There has been proposed a facsimile machine having a configuration capable of performing.

[0005]

DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION Problems to be Solved by the Invention
In the facsimile device described in Japanese Patent No. 04805, the destination information to be erased is selected based on only the frequency of use. Therefore, for example, regarding the recently registered destination information, the date and time when it was last used is new, but the frequency of use may be low. In this case, when the new destination information is registered, the destination that should be erased. May be selected as information. Address information that has been used frequently in the past, but is not used recently and remains registered without being erased is frequently used, so it is selected as destination information to be erased. May not be done.

The present invention has been made in view of such circumstances, and an object thereof is to register communication destination information of a communication destination and to have a communication having a plurality of registration means used for communication. In the device, by providing a means for storing the usage time information for each of the registration means, when any of the registered destination information must be deleted,
It is an object of the present invention to provide a communication device capable of selecting and erasing destination information registered in a registration means that has not been used recently.

[0007]

A communication device according to a first aspect of the present invention is a communication device having a plurality of registration means for registering destination information of a communication destination and used for communicating to the communication destination. It is characterized in that it comprises a time information storage means for storing the use time information for each registration means.

In the first aspect of the present invention, the use time information is stored for each registration means, so that the user can know when each registration means is used. As a result, when the user registers new destination information, if the destination information is already registered in all the registration means, the user can determine which registration means has not been used recently based on the stored usage time information. Can be recognized, so that the work of selecting the destination information to be deleted can be performed accurately.

The communication device according to a second aspect of the present invention further comprises means for displaying the registration means according to the order of the last use time information of each of the registration means stored in the time information storage means. Is characterized by.

In the second invention, by displaying the registration means in the order of the last use time information of each registration means, the user can easily recognize which registration means is the least used recently. Therefore, the work of selecting the destination information to be deleted can be performed accurately and efficiently.

The communication device according to the third invention is the first or second communication device.
In the invention, a frequency storage means for storing a use frequency for each of the registration means, the final use time information of each of the registration means stored by the time information storage means, and each of the registration means stored by the frequency storage means. And a means for displaying the frequency of use together with.

According to the third aspect of the present invention, the frequency of use is stored for each registering means, and the final use time information and the frequency of use of each registering means are displayed together, so that the last use time is the same. When there is a registration means, the user can also consider the frequency of use displayed together with the last use time information and select to delete the destination information registered in the registration means with the lower frequency of use. Therefore, the work of selecting the destination information to be deleted can be performed more accurately.

[0013]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS The present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings showing the embodiments thereof. FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the configuration of an Internet facsimile apparatus which is a communication apparatus according to the present invention. This Internet facsimile apparatus can perform both transmission and reception of image information by facsimile communication via a telephone line (PSTN) and transmission and reception of image information by electronic mail via a network such as the Internet.

This Internet facsimile machine is
Control unit 1, reading unit 2, recording unit 3, display unit 4, operation unit 5,
A buzzer 6, a ROM 7, a RAM 8, an image memory 9, a modem 10, an NCU (Network Control Unit) 11, a LAN interface 12 and the like are provided.

The control unit 1 is composed of a CPU, is connected to the above-mentioned hardware of the Internet facsimile machine via a bus 13, and stores a computer program stored in the ROM 7 for operating the Internet facsimile machine. Runs and performs a given function.

The reading unit 2 is composed of a CCD array and reads a document. The recording unit 3 is an electrophotographic printer device, and prints out image information received by facsimile communication or e-mail or image information of a document read by the reading unit 2 on a recording medium.

The display unit 4 is a display device such as a liquid crystal display device or a CRT display, and displays the operating state of the Internet facsimile machine, and displays the image information of the original document read for transmission or the received image information. .
Further, the display unit 4 displays a screen for registering and deleting the destination information of the transmission destination.

The operation unit 5 is equipped with various keys necessary for operating the Internet facsimile machine,
Among these various keys, one-touch dial key 5
1, a speed dial key 52, a destination registration key 53, an execution key 54, a cancel key 55, a ten-key, a character key and the like. It is also possible to directly input the facsimile number or the e-mail address, which is the destination information of the transmission destination, by operating the ten keys or the character keys, but the destination information of the transmission destination that is frequently transmitted by facsimile is the ten key,
It is also possible to operate the character keys to register the one-touch dial or speed dial.

The one-touch dial key 51 is operated to perform facsimile transmission to a destination having the destination information registered in the one-touch dial, and the speed dial key 52 is a destination having the destination information registered in the speed dial. Operated to make a fax transmission to.
The transmission destination registration key 53 is operated to register the destination information of the transmission destination in the one-touch dial and the speed dial. The execution key 54 is used for the display unit 4 when the destination information is registered.
The cancel key 55 is operated to stop the process. It is also possible to substitute some or all of the keys of the operation unit 5 by using the touch panel system for the display unit 4.

The buzzer 6 is means for making a sound to notify the user that the processing cannot be executed. RA
M8 is composed of SRAM or flash memory,
Stores temporary data that occurs during software execution. Further, in the present embodiment, the RAM 8 stores the destination information (facsimile number or e-mail address) of the transmission destination registered for performing the facsimile transmission by operating the one-touch dial key 51 and the speed dial key 52 by the one-touch dial and the abbreviation. It is stored as the destination table 8a in association with the dial.

FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing an example of the storage contents of the destination table 8a. One-touch dials (A, B, and C in the illustrated example) and speed dials (01, 02, and 03 in the illustrated example) are already registered in the destination table 8a by the user. Further, the destination information, the destination name, the last use date and the use frequency are stored in association with each one-touch dial and speed dial.

The date of last use is time information when the one-touch dial or speed dial was last used by the user, and is updated each time it is used. The frequency of use is the number of times the user has used the one-touch dial or speed dial, and is incremented once each time it is used. In the present embodiment, the last use date is stored, but the use date may be stored every time it is used. Although the date is stored as the time information, the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the time may be stored.

The image memory 9 shown in FIG. 1 is composed of a DRAM or the like, and stores image information read by the reading unit 2 or received image information to be transmitted. The modem 10 is composed of a facsimile modem capable of facsimile communication. Further, the modem 10 is directly connected to the NCU 11. The NCU 11 is hardware for connecting and disconnecting the Internet facsimile machine and the line L1 which is a telephone line (PSTN), and connects the modem 10 to the line L1 as necessary. The LAN interface 12 is connected to the Internet N via the LAN by the line L2.

The processing procedure of the control unit 1 when the Internet facsimile apparatus according to the present invention transmits image information will be described below with reference to the flowchart shown in FIG.

The control unit 1 accepts the input of the destination information of the destination in response to the facsimile transmission request from the user (step S1), and NC to the destination having the accepted destination information.
Image information is transmitted by U11 or LAN interface 12 (step S2). The control unit 1 performs step S1.
It is determined whether the one-touch dial key 51 or the speed dial key 52 is operated when the destination information is input in step S3. When it is determined in step S3 that the one-touch dial key 51 or the speed dial key 52 is not operated, for example, the facsimile number is directly input by operating only the numeric keypad (step S3: NO), the control unit 1 executes the process. finish.

When it is determined in step S3 that the one-touch dial key 51 or the speed dial key 52 has been operated (step S3: YES), the control section 1 causes the R
The last date of use corresponding to the used one-touch dial or speed dial stored in the destination table 8a of the AM 8 is updated (step S4). Further, the control unit 1 adds once the usage frequency corresponding to the used one-touch dial or speed dial stored in the destination table 8a of the RAM 8 (step S5), and ends the process.

Next, the processing procedure of the control unit 1 when the destination information of the transmission destination is registered in the Internet facsimile apparatus of the present invention will be described based on the flowcharts shown in FIGS. 4 and 5.

The control unit 1 accepts the operation of the destination registration key 53 (step S11), and the destination table 8a of the RAM 8 has an area for registering the new destination information in association with the one-touch dial or the speed dial. It is determined (step S12). In step S12,
When it is determined that there is an area for registering new destination information (step S12: YES), the new destination information is set to the operation unit 5
In step S13, the new destination information is registered by storing the new destination information in the transmission destination table 8a in association with the one-touch dial or the speed dial, and the processing ends.

When it is determined in step S12 that there is no area for registering new destination information in the destination table 8a (step S12: NO), the control unit 1 causes the buzzer 6 to operate.
Is sounded (step S14), and it is displayed on the display unit 4 that the one-touch dial and the speed dial are all registered (step S15). Then, the control unit 1 causes the display unit 4 to display whether or not to delete the destination information registered in the one-touch dial or the speed dial (step S16). The control unit 1 receives the user's key input to the display of the display unit 4 in step S16 (step S17), and determines whether the key input received in step S17 is the operation of the cancel key 55 (step S18). . When it is determined in step S18 that the cancel key 55 is operated (step S18: YES), the control unit 1 ends the process.

When it is determined in step S18 that the cancel key 55 is not operated (step S18:
NO), the control unit 1 determines whether or not the key input accepted in step S17 is an operation of the execution key 54 (step S19). When it is determined in step S19 that the operation key 54 is not operated (step S1
9: NO), the control unit 1 sounds the buzzer 6 (step S20), and returns the process to step S17.

When it is determined in step S19 that the operation key 54 is operated (step S19: YE
S), the control unit 1 causes the display unit 4 to display whether or not the date of last use and the frequency of use are also displayed in order to accept the selection of the destination information to be deleted (step S21). The user's key input to the display of the display unit 4 is accepted (step S22). Control unit 1
Determines whether the key input accepted in step S22 is an operation of the execution key 54 (step S2).
3).

When it is determined in step S23 that the execution key 54 is not operated (step S23: N
O), the control unit 1 refers to the destination table 8a of the RAM 8, and refers to the one-touch dial and the speed dial in order of the last use date stored in association with the one-touch dial and the speed dial. It is displayed on the display unit 4 in association with the destination name (step S2).
4). FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram showing an example of a screen displayed on the display unit 4 in step S24. This allows the user to recognize that the abbreviation 03 displayed at the top of the display unit 4 has not been used recently and select the abbreviation 03 to delete the corresponding destination information.

When it is determined in step S23 of FIG. 5 that the operation key 54 is operated (step S23: Y
ES), the control unit 1 refers to the destination table 8a of the RAM 8, and refers to the one-touch dial and the speed dial in order of the last use date stored in association with the one-touch dial and the speed dial. Destination name,
The date of last use and the frequency of use are displayed in association with each other on the display unit 4 (step S25). FIG. 7 shows step S2.
5 is a schematic diagram showing an example of a screen displayed on the display unit 4 in FIG. As a result, the user can select to erase the one-touch dial or speed dial displayed on the display unit 4 at a higher level. In FIG. 7, the user can recognize that the last use date of the abbreviated 03 and the one-touch C are almost at the same time, and the use frequency is different. Therefore, based on the use frequency, the user can obtain the corresponding destination information. One-touch C can be selected to erase.

In FIG. 5, the control unit 1 executes step S2.
4 or the operation of the operation unit 5 by the user with respect to the display of the display unit 4 in step S25, the selection of the one-touch dial or the speed dial in which the destination information to be erased is registered is accepted (step S26), and the destination information is erased. To accept the user's key input (step S
27). The control unit 1 determines whether the key input accepted in step S27 is an operation of the execution key 54 (step S28), and when it is determined that the key input is not the operation of the execution key 54 (step S28: NO), the buzzer is activated. 6 is sounded (step S29), and the process is returned to step S26.

When it is determined in step S28 that the accepted key input is an operation of the execution key 54 (step S28: YES), the data is stored in the destination table 8a of the RAM 8 in association with the selected one-touch dial or speed dial. The destination information, the destination name, the date of last use, and the frequency of use are deleted (step S30). After the erasing process in step S30 is completed, the control unit 1 accepts the new destination information at the operation unit 5 and stores the new destination information in the destination table 8a in association with the one-touch dial or the speed dial, thereby creating a new destination information. Destination information is registered (step S31), and the process ends.

In the process of step S21 of FIG. 5, whether or not to display the date of last use and the frequency of use is also displayed on the display unit 4, but the date of last use is previously set by the user. By providing means for setting whether or not to display both the usage frequency and the usage frequency, step S2
In 1, it may be determined which one is set. In this case, when it is determined that it is not set to display the date of last use and the frequency of use,
The process proceeds to step S24. If it is determined that the final use date and the use frequency are also displayed together, the process proceeds to step S25.

Further, in the present embodiment, it is displayed on the display unit 4 in the order of the last use date stored in the destination table 8a of the RAM 8 in association with the one-touch dial and the speed dial (step S24 in FIG. 5). In step S25), as shown in FIG. 6 and FIG. 7, the last used date is displayed in chronological order, but the last used date may be displayed in chronological order. As a result, the user can select the one-touch dial or the speed dial displayed in the lower part of the display unit 4 to erase the corresponding destination information.

Furthermore, in the present embodiment, the last use date and the use frequency stored in the destination table 8a of the RAM 8 in association with the one-touch dial and the speed dial are also displayed on the display unit 4 (FIG. 5). Step S
25), the display is made in the order of the date of last use as shown in FIG. 7. However, the one-touch dial and the speed dial stored in the destination table 8a shown in FIG. It is also possible to make it displayed on the screen No. 4.

[0039]

According to the first aspect of the present invention, by storing the use time information for each registration means, the user can know when each registration means has been used. As a result, when the user registers new destination information, if the destination information is already registered in all the registration means, the user can determine which registration means has not been used recently based on the stored usage time information. Can be recognized, so that the work of selecting the destination information to be deleted can be performed accurately.

According to the second invention, by displaying the registration means in the order of the last use time information of each of the registration means, the user can easily recognize which registration means is the least used recently. Therefore, the work of selecting the destination information to be deleted can be performed accurately and efficiently.

According to the third aspect of the present invention, the frequency of use is stored for each registering means, and the final use time information and the frequency of use of each registering means are displayed together, so that the last use time is the same. When there is a certain registration means, the user may also consider the frequency of use displayed together with the last usage time information and select to delete the destination information registered in the registration means with the lower frequency of use. Therefore, the work of selecting the destination information to be erased can be performed more accurately.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a configuration of an internet facsimile apparatus according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing an example of stored contents of a destination table included in the internet facsimile apparatus according to the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing a processing procedure of a control unit when the internet facsimile apparatus according to the present invention transmits image information.

FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing a processing procedure of a control unit when destination information of a transmission destination is registered in the internet facsimile apparatus according to the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing a processing procedure of a control unit when destination information of a transmission destination is registered in the internet facsimile apparatus according to the present invention.

FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram showing an example of a screen displayed on the display unit of the internet facsimile apparatus according to the present invention.

FIG. 7 is a schematic diagram showing an example of a screen displayed on the display unit of the internet facsimile apparatus according to the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

1 control unit 4 Display 5 Operation part 51 One-touch dial key 52 Speed dial key 8 RAM 8a Destination table

Claims (3)

[Claims] 1. A communication device having a plurality of registration means for registering destination information of a communication destination and used for communicating to the communication destination, wherein time information storage stores use time information for each of the registration means. A communication device comprising means. 2. The communication device according to claim 1, further comprising a unit that displays the registration unit in the order of the last use time information of each of the registration units stored in the time information storage unit. . 3. A frequency storage unit for storing a usage frequency for each of the registration units, the final use time information of each of the registration units stored in the time information storage unit, and the registration stored in the frequency storage unit. 3. The communication device according to claim 1, further comprising: a unit that displays the usage frequency of each unit.