JP2003527766A - Apparatus for transmitting character data as dial tone through public telephone network - Google Patents

Abstract

(57) [Summary] A device (23) for transmitting character data (ZD) capable of representing alphabetic characters to a service device (4, 5) via a telephone network (PSTN1, PSTN2) is a service device ( A numeric keyboard (16) for inputting numeric data (ND) representing phone numbers of (4, 5) and a character keyboard (24) for entering character data (ZD) representing address information and message information. And a dial tone (WT) to the telephone network (PSTN1, PSTN2) as well as to supply numeric data (ND) for establishing a telephone connection with the service device (4, 5). It has dial tone generating means (19). Such a device (23) has an encoding means (26) for encoding character data (ZD) into transmission data (UD) formed by numeric data (ND). The transmission data (UD) can be supplied as a dial tone (WT) to the service device (4, 5) via the telephone network (PSTN1, PSTN2).

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention transmits character data, an electronic mail message, an electronic mail address, or scan data via the device defined in the first part of claim 1 and the service device defined in the first part of claim 10 and a telephone network. Regarding the method and.

[0002]

[Prior art]

A device of the type defined in the opening part of claim 1 is disclosed in International Patent Application Publication WO 97.
No. 106686 and takes the form of a fax machine. Known fax machines are connected to the public telephone network and transmit fax messages in fax mode and email messages in email mode.

Known fax machines have a numeric keyboard (numerical keypad) with which it is possible to enter the telephone numbers of other fax machines and other receiving machines, and also the numbers. The corresponding numeric data is supplied by the keyboard. Numerical data may be provided to a telephone interface having dial tone generation means. The dial tone generation means uses two dial tones (for each digit of the telephone number entered by the numeric keyboard according to the tone dial system).
Duplicate Tone Multi Frequency (DTMF) is generated and a telephone connection is established through the public switched telephone network.

Known fax machines also have a character keyboard with keys for not only letters of the alphabet, but also for special characters and the so-called AT symbol (@) necessary for entering an email address. This character keyboard allows you to enter an email address as address information, and if necessary,
E-mail messages can be entered as message information. The character keyboard can supply such information as character data.

Known fax machines have scanner means. The scanner means can be used to scan the graphic information on the sheet and provide scan data corresponding to the graphic information to the data / fax modem of the fax machine. Data / fax modems include fax modems and data modems. When the fax machine is in fax mode, the scan data forms a fax message and the data / fax modem fax modem transmits the scan data as fax data to another fax machine connected to the public telephone network. You can The fax modem of the known fax machine is described in ITU-T-T Recommendation VT. Send and receive fax data in accordance with 17 or equivalent recommendations. The fax data is ITU-T-T Recommendation V.6. 17 (1 per second
4,400 bits) in a so-called half-duplex data transmission mode, in which fax data are essentially only received or transmitted.

When the e-mail mode is active in the known fax machine, the known fax machine establishes a telephone connection to the service device via the public telephone network. The service device is formed by a computer server connected to the Internet. The computer server uses the SMTP transfer protocol (Simple Ma
il Transfer Protocol) via the Internet to transfer email messages to a receiving device identified by an email address. The computer server also has a POP receiving protocol (Post Office Protocol).
To help you receive email messages from the Internet.

Known fax machines have an email generating means for generating transmission data forming an email relating to an email address entered using a character keyboard. The scan data provided by the scanner means is attached to the email as an email message. The transmission data generated by the electronic mail generating means and forming the electronic mail is transmitted from the data modem to the service device via the telephone connection according to the SMTP transfer protocol, and from the service device to the respective receiving devices via the Internet. It

The data modem is based on ITU-T Recommendation V.6. The transmission data is transmitted and received according to 34.
The transmission data is ITU-T Recommendation V.6. 34 (28.800 bits per second) according to a so-called double transmission mode, in which transmission and reception of transmission data are performed simultaneously.

[0009]

[Problems to be Solved by the Invention]

In order to enable dual data transmission, the data modem must have echo compensation means for filtering out the echo data of the transmitted transmission data. The echo data is a result of reflections at the data modem itself, the telephone network, and the data modem at the receiving device, each exhibiting different delay times. The echo compensation means is usually a digital signal processor DS
P and RAM memory.

Known fax machines for transmitting electronic mail messages have the disadvantage that they are not only expensive because of the provision of a data modem, but also technically very complex.

[0011]

[Means for Solving the Problems]

The object of the invention is to prevent the above problems from occurring, namely to provide a method for transmitting character data, as well as an improved device and an improved service device of the type specified in the opening paragraph. Is. This object is achieved by the measures defined in the characterizing part of claim 1 and by the method defined in claim 14.
As a result, the character data input by the character keyboard is transmitted to the service device defined in claim 10 as a dial tone, and the service device derives the transmitted character data from the received dial tone.

This offers the advantage that the telephone, fax machine, or the device for transmitting character data provided in the user's answering device does not have to have a data modem. As a result, the device described above is substantially cheaper and technically simpler.

The measures defined in claim 2 and the method defined in claim 15 provide the advantage that the address data and message data of the electronic mail entered by the character keyboard can be transmitted to the service device as a dial tone. . The electronic mail generating means provided in the service device generates transmission data according to the SMTP transfer protocol and transmits this data as an electronic mail to the receiving device corresponding to the address data.

This provides an advantage that an electronic mail transmission device that is inexpensive and technically simple can be obtained because it has neither a data modem nor an electronic mail generation means.

A measure in the device defined in claim 3, a service device defined in claim 11,
And according to the method defined in claim 16, a fax machine having the above device,
The scan data representing the graphic information on the sheet can be faxed as fax data to the service device defined in claim 11, and the electronic mail address can be transmitted as transmission data to this service device.
Then, the electronic mail generating means of the service device generates a corresponding electronic mail to which the scan data is added as an attachment, and transfers this electronic mail to each receiving device. This offers the advantage that fax messages can be transmitted as e-mail messages without the need for any additional means in the fax machine.

The measures in the device defined in claim 4 and the service device defined in claim 12 have the advantage that the contents of the Internet site can be retrieved by a fax machine having such a device. For this purpose, the fax machine does not have to have a browser means, for example formed by Internet Explorer, so that it can call Internet sites in a very cheap and technically simple way.

The measures in the device defined in claim 6 and the service device defined in claim 13 transmit a voice signal picked up by a microphone of a telephone having such a device to the service device, and the service device transmits a voice signal. It has an advantage that it can be transmitted to each receiving device as a mail. In this way, it is possible to realize a telephone, for example a telephone answering device, in a very cheap and technically simple way.

The voice mail received by the service device defined in claim 13 can be supplied to the device defined in claim 7 as voice information. This information can advantageously be stored in the device described above and can be played by the user at any time.

The measure defined in claim 8 requires that only two numeric data items are transmitted as dial tones for each character of the character data, so that the character data can be transferred from the above device to the service device very quickly. And can be efficiently transmitted.

The measure as defined in claim 9 has the advantage that the device according to the invention can furthermore receive character data transmitted as a dial tone. The character data may be, for example, message information of an electronic mail message or setup information such as a telephone number of a service device.

The invention has been described in detail with reference to five applications of the embodiments shown in the drawings and given by way of illustration, without being limited to these illustrations.

[0022]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

FIG. 1 is a block diagram schematically showing a multifunction device 1 located in Austria and having a telephone answering means 2 and a fax means 3. The multifunction device 1
It is connected to the Austrian telephone network PSTN1 in Austria. First
The first service device formed by the computer server 4 of the Austrian telephone network is also connected to the Austrian telephone network PSTN1. The first computer server 4 is also connected to the Internet NET.

Further, the second computer server 5 is connected to the Internet NET and forms a second service device located in Japan. The second computer server 5 is connected to the second public telephone network PSTN2 in Japan. Both the telephone 6 and the fax machine 7 are located in Japan, and these are also the Japanese telephone network PSTN.
Connected to 2.

The third computer server 8 is also connected to the Internet NET and has a memory means for storing a plurality of Internet sites identified by the Internet site address IA. The third computer server 8 is located in the United States.

The fourth computer server 9 is also connected to the Internet NET, and the Internet NET is used in accordance with the POP receiving protocol (Post Office Protocol).
Receive an e-mail message from the SMTP transfer protocol (Simple Mail T
Transfer email messages via Internet NET according to the ransfer Protocol). The fourth computer server 9 is located in France and is connected to a personal computer 10 which is also located in France. The personal computer 10 can be used to collect email messages received by the fourth computer server 9 and to send email messages to be forwarded to the fourth computer server 9.

The telephone response unit 2 of the multifunction device 1 has a handset 11 including a speaker 12 and a microphone 13. The microphone 13 outputs the audio signal T
Audio information TI formed by an electrical signal forming an input means for receiving S
To supply. The voice information TI supplied by the microphone 13 can be supplied to the voice processing means 14 of the telephone response means 2.

The audio processing means 14 amplifies and filters the audio information TI and supplies the processed audio information TI. The processed voice information TI is the telephone response means 2
Of the voice storage means 15 and can be stored in this storage means. Voice storage means 1
5 is formed by a mechanical deck that records and reproduces electrical signals on magnetic tape and performs the function of a telephone answering machine.

The voice processing means 14 outputs the processed voice information TI to the Austrian telephone network PTS.
Can be supplied to N1. Similarly, the Austrian telephone network PTSN1 can receive voice information TI, which can be supplied to the speaker 12 of the handset 11 after being processed by the voice processing means 14.

The telephone response means 2 has a numeric keyboard 16 for inputting numeric data ND representing the telephone number of the receiving device. The numeric keyboard 16 has keys for the numbers 0 to 9 and four other keys for special functions. For example, the special function keys are the * key and the # key.

The numerical data ND supplied by the numerical keyboard 16 can be supplied to the data processing means 17 of the telephone response means 2. The data processing means 17 stores the numerical data ND in the data storage means 18, and stores such data in the first dial tone generation means 1
9 can be supplied.

The first dial tone generating means 19 generates two dial tones WT for each digit of the telephone number input by the numeric keyboard according to the tone dial system (dual tone multi-frequency: DTMF). The dial tone generation means 19 sends the generated dial tone WT to the Austrian telephone network PST.
N1 and establishes a telephone connection with a receiving device which is also connected to the Austrian telephone network PSTN1.

The fax unit 3 of the multifunction device 1 has a scanner unit 20. Scanner means 2
0 scans the sheet loaded in the scanner means 20 and supplies scan data SD including graphic information. The graphic information can include information about the text and drawings printed on the sheet.

The fax means 3 further comprises a first fax modem 21. The first fax modem 21 uses ITU-T Recommendation V.6. According to 17, the fax data FD corresponding to the scan data SD is transmitted / received. Fax data FD is ITU-
Recommendation V.T. According to No. 17, it is transmitted over the Austrian telephone network PTSN1 in the so-called half-duplex data transmission mode. In this half-duplex data transmission mode, the fax data FD is essentially only received or transmitted.

The fax unit 3 further has a printing unit 22 for printing the print data DD. The first fax modem 21 can supply the fax data FD received by the first fax modem 21 in the half-duplex data transmission mode to the printing unit 22 as print data DD for printing.

The complex device 1 further transmits, via the Austrian telephone network PSTN 1, to the first service device formed by the first computer server 4, character data ZD capable of representing alphabetic characters. Have 23.

The device 23 uses character data ZD representing address information and message information.
It has a character keyboard 24 for inputting. Character keyboard 2
Reference numeral 4 has a key for each character of the alphabet, a key for a special character, and a key for a so-called AT symbol (@). The character keyboard 24 also has keys for activating the operating modes of the multifunction device.

FIG. 2 shows an encoding table 25 that gives all the character data ZD that can be input by the character keyboard 24. The character data ZD supplied by the character keyboard 24 is encoded by the encoding means 26 of the device 23.
Can be supplied to. The encoding means 26 encodes the character data ZD into the transmission data UD formed by the numerical data ND according to the encoding table 25.

For example, the character data ZD of the character “E” is encoded into the transmission data UD = “37”. The transmission data UD is formed by two consecutive digit data ND each time. When the transmission data UD = “37”, these are numerical data ND =
“3” and ND = “7”.

The transmission data UD determined by the encoding means 26 and formed by the numerical data ND can be supplied to the data processing means 17. The data processing means 17 stores the transmission data UD in the data storage means 18 or supplies the numerical data ND to the first dial tone generation means 19.

As a result, the character data Z input by the character keyboard 24 is input.
It offers the advantage that D can be transferred as a dial tone WT to the receiving device via the public switched telephone network PSTN. Further advantages will be apparent from the application below.

The device 23 described above further comprises a first dial tone detection means 27. The dial tone detecting means 27 receives the dial tone WT from the Austrian telephone network PSTN1 and supplies the numerical data ND corresponding to the received dial tone WT.

The device 23 described above further comprises a decoding means 28. Dial tone detecting means 27
The numerical data ND supplied by the above can be supplied to the decoding means 28. The decoding means 28 forms the transmission data UD and supplies the numerical data N to the decoding means 28.
Decode D and supply character data ZD. The decoding means 28 decodes according to the encoding table 25 shown in FIG. For example, the numerical data ND = “5” and ND = “2” supplied to the decoding means 28 and forming the transmission data UD = “52” are
The character data ZD is decoded as "T". The character data ZD supplied by the decoding means 28 can be supplied to the printing means 22 for printing.

As a result, the character data ZD is sent to the dial tone W via the public telephone network.
It can be transferred to the multifunction device 1 as T, and the multifunction device displays the character data ZD.
It offers the advantage that it is not necessary to have a data modem, which has heretofore been customary to receive. As a result of this, the composite device can be realized in a technically very simple and inexpensive way.

The character data ZD supplied by the decoding means 28 can also be supplied to the data storage means 18. Such character data ZD can be transferred to the multifunction device 1 as a dial tone by any transmission device in order to update the setup information in the multifunction device 1, for example. For example, the new telephone number of the first computer server 4 is transmitted to the multifunction device 1 and the data storage means 18
Memorized in.

This provides an advantage that the setting information in the multifunction device 1 can be changed or updated by a transmitting device located in another country, for example.

The voice processing means 14, the voice storage means 15, the data processing means 17, the data storage means 18, the first dial tone generating means 19, the first fax modem 21, and the first dial tone detecting means 27 are It constitutes the first interface means 29 of the multifunction device 1. The first interface means 29 enable the voice information TI, the fax data FD and the dial tone WT to be transmitted and received via the Austrian telephone network PSTN1.

The first computer server 4 sends and receives voice information TI, fax data FD and dial tone WT via the Austrian telephone network PSTN 1.
The interface means 30 of FIG. The first computer server 4 comprises a first service processing means 31 for processing the data and information received or to be transmitted.

The first computer server 4 further comprises a first data modem 32 which connects this first computer server 4 to the Internet NET. The first data modem 32 is based on ITU-T Recommendation V.6. According to 34, the electronic mail data ED, the content data ID, and the voice data TD are transmitted and received. The data is ITU
-T Recommendation V. 28.800 per second in so-called dual data transmission mode according to 34.
Transmitted in bits. In this dual data transmission mode, data is transmitted and received at the same time.

The second interface unit 30 includes a second dial tone detecting unit 33 and a second dial tone detecting unit 33.
Fax modem 34 and second dial tone generating means 35. The operation of the second dial tone detecting means 33 of the second interface means 30 is the same as that of the first dial tone detecting means 2 of the first interface means 29 described above.
It corresponds to the operation of 7. Furthermore, the operation of the second fax modem 34 of the second interface means 30 corresponds to the operation of the first fax modem 21 of the first interface means 29 described above. Finally, the second interface means 30
The operation of the second dial tone generating means 35 of 1 corresponds to the operation of the first dial tone generating means 19 of the first interface means 29 described above.

The first service processing means 31 has a first electronic mail generating means 36. Second
The numerical data ND supplied by the dial tone detecting means 33 can be supplied to the first electronic mail generating means 36. In addition, the second fax modem 3
The scan data SD supplied by No. 4 can also be supplied to the first electronic mail generating means 36. Furthermore, audio information T from the Austrian telephone network PSTN1
I can also be provided to the first email generating means 36. The first electronic mail generation means 36 is a simple mail transfer protocol (Simple Mail Transfer Protocol).
ol) to generate the email data ED of the email message. The electronic mail generation means 36 further decodes the character data included in the transmission data UD formed by the supplied numerical data ND while generating the electronic mail message. In this way, the electronic mail generation means 36 forms a decryption means. This will be explained by the following application example.

The first electronic mail generating means 36 further supplies the internet site address IA supplied as the numerical data ND to the first electronic mail generating means 36. This will be apparent from the fifth application example below.

The first service processing means 31 further has a first browser means 37. The first browser means 37 is the well-known Internet browser program "In
formed by a personal computer running "ternet Explorer". First
When the browser means 37 receives the internet site address IA from the electronic mail generating means 36, the browser means 37 determines the content data ID representing the content of this internet site. This will be apparent from the fifth application example below.

The first service processing means 31 further has a first electronic mail processing means 38. The first electronic mail processing means 38 uses the POP receiving protocol (Post Office Proto
col) to receive the email message formed by the email data ED.

There are various types of email messages, but they all include address information that identifies the recipient of the email message and message information that forms the actual message content of the email message. The message information can be formed by ASCII text or by the attachment of the actual email message. Such attachments include, for example, audio information and *. It can be formed by the audio data TD stored as a WAV file. However, such attachments include, for example, graphic information and *. It can also be formed by the scan data SD stored as a TIF file.

The first electronic mail processing means 38 supplies the scan data SD to the second fax modem 34 and the second dial tone generation means 35 depending on the type of the received electronic mail message. The data ND is supplied, and the voice information TI is supplied to the multifunction device 1 via the Austrian telephone network PSPN1. This will be apparent from the following application example.

The second computer server 5 has a third interface means 39, a second service processing means 40, and a second data modem 41. The third interface means 39 includes a third dial tone detecting means 42 and a third fax modem 4
3 and a third dial tone generating means 44. The second service processing means 40 has a second electronic mail generating means 45, a second browser means 46, and a second electronic mail processing means 47. The configuration and operation of the second computer server 5 perfectly corresponds to the configuration and operation of the first computer server 4 described in detail above.

FIG. 3 shows a table 48 of an application example. This table gives the character data ZD and the corresponding transmission data UD, which will make the application of the embodiment shown in FIG. 1 clear.

In the first application example, an electronic mail message is input by the character keyboard and transmitted by the multifunction device 1 to the personal computer 10 having the electronic mail address “AB@XY.COM”. For this purpose, the user of the multifunction device 1 operates a given key of the character keyboard 24 to activate the first e-mail mode in the multifunction device 1. Next, the user of the multifunction device 1
The character keyboard 24 is used to input the e-mail address of the personal computer 10. As a result, the character data ZD specified in the second line of the illustrated table 48 is supplied to the encoding means 26.

The encoding means 26 encodes the character data ZD according to the encoding table 25 and supplies the transmission data UD specified in the second line of the illustrated table 48 to the data processing means 17. The data processing means 17 stores this transmission data UD in the data storage means 18 as address information of the electronic mail message.

After entering the entire email address, the user may
The special key 4 is operated, and then the actual message content “Call me, Jim” of the electronic mail message is input by the character keyboard 24. The character data ZD supplied by the character keyboard 24 is designated in the third line of the illustrated table 48. Then, the encoding means 26 supplies the transmission data UD shown in the third row of the table 48 to the data processing means 17. The data processing means 17 stores this transmission data UD in the data storage means 18 as the message content of the electronic mail message.

Next, the user of the multifunction device 1 operates a given key of the character keyboard 24 to send an e-mail message to the personal computer 10.
After that, the data processing means 17 reads out the numerical data ND representing the telephone number of the first computer server 4 from the data storage means 18, and supplies this numerical data ND to the first dial tone generating means 19.

In response to this, the first dial tone generation means 19 establishes a telephone connection with the first computer server 4 via the Austrian telephone network PSTN1. When a telephone connection is established between the multifunction device 1 and the first computer server 4, the data processing means 17 causes the data storage means 18 to retrieve the first data of the multifunction device 1 for the first computer server 4. Numerical data ND for identifying the electronic mail mode is read.
Next, this numerical data ND is supplied to the first dial tone generating means 19, and the first dial tone generating means 19 transmits the corresponding dial tone WT to the first computer server 4. These dial tones WT are detected by the second dial tone detecting means 33, and the corresponding numeral data ND is supplied to the first electronic mail generating means 36. After that, the electronic mail generating means 36 waits for address information and message information corresponding to the first electronic mail mode from the multifunction device.

Next, the data processing means 17 reads the address information of the numerical data ND forming the electronic mail message from the data storage means 18, and the numerical data ND is read.
Is supplied to the first dial tone generating means 19. Then, the first dial tone generation means 19 sends the corresponding dial tone WT to the Austrian telephone network PS.
It is transmitted to the first computer server 4 via the TN1. The second dial tone detecting means 33 detects the received dial tone WT and outputs the corresponding numeric data N.
D is supplied to the first electronic mail generation means 36. First electronic mail generation means 36
Interprets the numerical data ND as transmission data UD representing address information of the electronic mail message.

After the address information is transmitted by the first dial tone generation means 19, the data processing means 17 causes the first computer server 4 to dial the dial tone WT for forming the address information and the dial tone for forming the message information. Monitor the 3 second pause so that it can be distinguished from the tone WT. When the pause time ends, the data processing means 17 reads the transmission data UD stored in the data storage means 18 as the message information of the electronic mail message, and the numerical data ND forming the transmission data UD is used as the first dial tone. It is supplied to the generation means 19. Then, the dial tone WT corresponding to the numerical data ND is transmitted from the first dial tone generating means 19 to the first computer server 4 via the Austrian telephone network PSTN1.

The second dial tone detecting means 33 detects the received dial tone WT and supplies the corresponding numeric data DT to the first electronic mail generating means 36. The first electronic mail generation means 36 interprets this numerical data ND as transmission data UD representing the message information of the electronic mail message.

The first electronic mail generating means 36 decodes the address information of the electronic mail message and the character data ZD of the message information using the encoding table 25,
The e-mail data ED is generated as an e-mail message according to the SMTP transfer protocol. The email message includes message information in the form of ASCII text. The electronic mail generation means 36 supplies the electronic mail data ED of the electronic mail message to the first data modem 32.

The first data modem 32 detects that the electronic mail message is to be transmitted to the fourth computer server 9 based on the address information of the electronic mail message. The first data modem 32 transfers the electronic mail data ED to the fourth computer server 9 via the Internet NET. The fourth computer server 9 stores the electronic mail data ED of the electronic mail message received according to the POP reception protocol. The personal computer 10
Periodically, the inquiry information is transmitted to the fourth computer server 9 to inquire whether an electronic mail message addressed to the personal computer 10 has arrived. Then, the electronic mail data ED is transferred from the fourth computer server 9 to the personal computer 10.

The advantages that emerge from the first application with the multifunction device 1 are that the multifunction device 1 can very easily generate e-mail messages and that the domestic calls over the Austrian telephone network make it considerably less costly. Is to be transferred to the first computer server 4. Transferring e-mail messages from Austria to the personal computer 10 in the United States is via the Internet N
It is done via ET, ie without additional telephone charges.

In the second application example of the multifunction device 1, the personal computer 10 transmits an electronic mail message to the multifunction device 1, and the message is printed by the printing unit 2 of the multifunction device 1.
Printed by 2. The user of the personal computer 10 generates an electronic mail message formed by the electronic mail data ED, and the address information of this message specifies the electronic mail address of the multifunction device 1. The personal computer 10 transfers this e-mail message to the fourth computer server 9. The fourth computer server 9 detects from the address information of the email message that the email message is to be transmitted to the first computer server 4. Then, the electronic mail data of the electronic mail message is supplied from the fourth computer server 9 to the first data modem 32 via the Internet NET.

The received electronic mail data ED is supplied from the first data modem 32 to the first electronic mail processing means 38. The first e-mail processing means 38 comprises a memory for storing the e-mail address and associated telephone number of a device such as the device 23 which sends and receives the character data ZD. The first computer server 4 constitutes a service device for such a device. Then, the first electronic mail processing means 38
Supplies the numerical data ND representing the telephone number of the multifunction device 1 to the second dial tone generating means 35. The second dial tone generation means 35 supplies the corresponding dial tone WT to the Austrian telephone network PSTN1 and thereby establishes a telephone connection with the multifunction device 1.

When the telephone connection from the first computer server 4 to the multifunction device 1 is established,
The first electronic mail processing means 38 supplies the numerical data ND for activating the electronic mail receiving mode in the multifunction device 1 to the second dial tone generating means 35. Next, the first electronic mail processing means 38 uses the encoding table 25 to
Determine the address information of the received email message and the transmission data UD relating to the message information. Numerical data ND forming address information for a while
When the pause interval ends, the transmission data UD of the numerical data ND forming the message information is transmitted to the second dial tone generating means 35.
It is supplied to the second dial tone generating means 35.

The dial tone WT from the second dial tone generating means 35 of the first computer server 4 is received by the multifunction device 1 and detected by the first dial tone detecting means 27. The first dial tone detecting means 27 first supplies the transmission data UD of the address information of the electronic mail message to the decoding means 28 as the numerical data ND, and then the transmission data U of the message information of the electronic mail message.
D is supplied as numerical data ND.

The decoding means 28 decodes the received numeric data ND by the encoding table 25 and supplies the address information of the received electronic mail message and the corresponding character data ZD of the message information to the printing means 22. The printing means 22 prints this e-mail message.

The advantage that emerges from the second application of the multifunction device 1 is that the multifunction device 1 can receive an e-mail message as a fax message and directly without the need for a data modem in the multifunction device 1. It is possible to print.

In the third application example of the multifunction device 1, the multifunction device 1 in Austria sends a fax message as an e-mail message to the fax device 7 in Japan. To this end, the user of compound device 1 operates a given key of character keyboard 24 to activate a second e-mail mode in compound device 1.

Next, the user of the multifunction device 1 uses the numeric keyboard 16 to input the telephone number of the fax device 7. Numerical data ND corresponding to this telephone number is supplied from the numerical keyboard 16 to the data processing means 17. From such a telephone number, the data processing means 17 recognizes that the fax machine 7 is located in Japan and, as described above, via the Austrian telephone network PSTN1, the first computer server. Establish a telephone connection with 4. When a telephone connection is established between the multifunction device 1 and the first computer server 4, the data processing means 17 causes the data storage means 18 via the first dial tone generation means 19 and the Austrian telephone network PSTN1. The numerical data stored in is supplied to the first electronic mail generating means 36 of the first computer server 4, thereby indicating that the multifunction device 1 is in the second electronic mail mode.

Next, the data processing means 17 transmits the numerical data ND of the telephone number of the fax machine 7 to the first dial tone generating means 19 and the Austrian telephone network PSTN 1 to the first computer server 4 via the first telephone tone PSTN 1. 2 to the dial tone detecting means 33. The numerical data ND of the telephone number of the fax machine 7 is supplied from the second dial tone detecting means to the first electronic mail generating means 36. Next, the user of the multifunction device 1 loads one or a plurality of sheets into the scanner 20, and the graphic information on the sheets becomes the message information of the electronic mail message.

Next, the scanner means 20 supplies the scan data SD to the first fax modem 21. The first fax modem 21 is the Austrian telephone network PST
The fax data FD is transmitted to the second fax modem 34 via N1. The second fax modem supplies the corresponding scan data SD to the first electronic mail generating means 36. The first electronic mail generating means 36 generates an electronic mail message according to the SMTP transfer protocol. The message information of the email message is *. It is formed by an attachment having scan data SD stored as a TIF file. The first electronic mail generation means 36 supplies the corresponding electronic mail data ED to the first data modem 32.

The first data modem 32 recognizes from the address information of the e-mail message containing the telephone number of the fax machine 7 that the e-mail data has to be transferred to the second computer server 5 in Japan. . Then, the first data modem 32 transfers the electronic mail data ED of the electronic mail message to the second data modem 41 of the second computer server 5 via the Internet NET. The second data modem 41 supplies the received electronic mail data ED to the electronic mail processing means 47.

The second e-mail processing means 47 derives the telephone number of the fax machine 7 from the address information of the e-mail message and establishes a telephone connection with the fax machine 7 via the Japanese telephone network PSTN2. The numerical data ND of the telephone number is supplied to the third dial tone generating means 44.

When the telephone connection is established between the second computer server 5 and the fax machine 7, the second email processing means 47 attaches the attachment of the received email message to the third fax modem 43. To the scan data SD. The third fax modem 43 supplies the fax data FD corresponding to the received scan data SD to the fax device 7 via the Japanese telephone network PSTN2, and the fax device prints the fax message.

An advantage of the third application of the multifunction device 1 is that fax messages can be transmitted very easily over a long distance with a small telephone charge.

In the fourth application example of the multifunction device 1, the message spoken by the user of the multifunction device 1 is transmitted to the telephone 6 as a voice mail. For this purpose, a compound device 1
The user operates a given key of the character keyboard 24 to activate the voice mail mode in the multifunction device 1. When the multifunction device 1 is in the voice mail mode, the telephone number of the telephone can be entered with the numeric keyboard 16 to specify the receiver of the voice mail, or the character keyboard 24.
Allows you to enter the email address of your personal computer.

In the fourth application example, the user inputs the telephone number of the telephone 6 using the numeric keyboard 16. The numeric data ND of the telephone number is stored in the data storage means 18 by the data processing means 17. The user is then prompted to speak the message to be transmitted to the microphone 13 by means of the standard text stored in the voice processing means 14 and supplied as voice information TI to the speaker 12 of the handset 11.
After that, the user speaks the voice signal TS to the microphone 13, and the voice signal T
S is supplied to the voice processing means 14 as voice information TI. In the voice mail mode of the multifunction device 1, the voice processing means 14 stores the voice information TI in the voice storing means 15.
Remember.

The data processing means 17 then establishes a telephone connection with the first computer server 4 via the Austrian telephone network PSTN 1 as described above. When a telephone connection is established between the multifunction device 1 and the first computer server 4, the data processing means 17 causes the first dial tone generating means to indicate that the multifunction device 1 is in the voicemail mode. The numerical data stored in the data storage means 18 is supplied to the first electronic mail generation means 36 of the first computer server 4 via 19 and the Austrian telephone network PSTN1.

Next, the data processing means 17 reads out the numerical data ND of the telephone number of the telephone 6 from the data storage means 18, and through the first dial tone generating means 19 and the Austrian telephone network PSTN1, the numerical data. The ND is supplied to the electronic mail generating means 36 of the first computer server 4. The first electronic mail generating means 36
The address information of the voice mail is generated from the received numerical data ND.

Next, the voice processing means 14 of the multifunction device 1 reads out the voice information TI of the spoken message stored in the voice storage means 15, and the Austrian telephone network PST.
To the first electronic mail generation means 36 of the first computer server 4 via N1,
This voice information TI is transferred. The first electronic mail generation means 36 stores the voice data TD from the received voice information TI *. Create a WAV file and save this *. Attach the WAV file to the voicemail as an attachment that forms the message information.

Next, the first electronic mail generating means 36 determines that the attachment is voice data TD.
The e-mail data ED of the e-mail message having the following is supplied to the first data modem 32. The first data modem 32 uses the Internet NET to
The electronic mail data ED and the voice data TD are transferred to the second computer server 5 in Japan.

The electronic mail data ED and the voice data TD received by the second data modem 41 are supplied to the second electronic mail processing means 47. The second electronic mail processing means 47 derives the numerical data ND of the telephone number of the telephone 6 from the address information of the voice mail message, and uses this numerical data for the third dial tone generating means 4
Supply to 4. Then, the third dial tone generation means 44 uses the numerical data ND.
The dial tone WT corresponding to is supplied to the Japanese telephone network PSTN2, at which time the telephone 6 will ring.

When the user of the telephone 6 lifts the handset and as a result a telephone connection is established between the second computer server 5 and the telephone 6, the second electronic mail processing means 47 causes the Japanese telephone to The voice information TI derived from the voice data TD of the received voice mail is transmitted to the telephone 6 via the network PSTN2. Thus, the user of the telephone 6 can listen to the message from the user of the multifunction device 1 even if the telephone 6 does not have a response device.

The advantage that becomes apparent from the fourth application example of the multifunction device 1 is that the user of the telephone 6 can hear the message from the user of the multifunction device 1 even if the telephone 6 does not have a response device. That's what it means. The compound device 1 does not need a data modem for this purpose.

In the fifth application example of the multifunction device 1, the user of the multifunction device 1 uses the Internet NE.
Log on to T's Internet site and use the printing means 22 to print the content. For this purpose, the user of the multifunction device 1 operates a special key of the character keyboard 24 to activate the Internet mode. Next, the user uses the character keyboard 24 to search the Internet site address I.
Input A = “WWW.PHILIPS.COM”. This address is specified in the fourth row of the example table 48. The character keyboard 24 supplies the corresponding character data ZD to the encoding means 26. In response to this, the encoding means 26 supplies the transmission data UD specified in the fourth row of the illustrated table 48 to the data processing means 17.

The data processing means 17 uses the numerical data ND of the Internet site address IA.
Is stored in the data storage means 18. Next, the data processing means 17 reads out the numeric data ND of the telephone number of the first computer server 4 from the data storage means,
The first dial tone generation means 19 establishes a telephone connection with the first computer server 4.

When the telephone connection is established, the data processing means 17 makes the first digit data stored in the data storage means 18 via the first dial tone generation means 19 and the Austrian telephone network PSTN1. To the first electronic mail generating means 36 of the computer server 4. This data indicates that the multifunction device 1 is in the Internet mode. Then, the data processing means 17 reads the numerical data ND of the Internet site address IA stored in the data storage means 18, and the data is dialed through the first dial tone generating means 19 and the Austrian telephone network. It is transmitted to the first computer server 4 as a WT.

The second dial tone detection means 33 detects the received dial tone WT and supplies the corresponding numeric data ND to the first electronic mail generation means 36. Based on the information that the multifunction device 1 is in the internet mode, the first e-mail generating means 36 supplies the information designating the internet site address IA to the first browser means 37.

The first browser means 37 fetches the content of the internet site identified by the internet site address IA from the third computer server 8. The content data ID representing the content of the Internet site is supplied to the second fax modem 34 by the first browser means 37 as the scan data SD. The second fax modem 34 then transmits the corresponding fax data FD to the first fax modem 21 via the Austrian telephone network PSTN1, which modem supplies the print data DD to the printing means 22, This prints the content of the Internet site.

The advantage that becomes clear from the fifth application example of the composite device 1 is that the composite device 1 retrieves the contents of the Internet site from the Internet NET without using the data modem in the composite device 1 and saves the contents. It can be printed easily.

The first and second computer servers may not have a data modem,
It should also be noted that the email data ED and the voice data TD can be transmitted alternately via the digital data line.

The dial tone generating means uses the numerical data ND according to the pulse dial system.
Note that it may be replaced by a pulse generating means for supplying the. Similarly, the dial tone detecting means can be replaced with pulse detecting means for receiving a pulse from the public telephone network and supplying the corresponding numeral data ND.

It should be noted that the device according to the invention may further be included in a computer, a video recorder, a kitchen appliance or a television receiver for transmitting character data over the public switched telephone network.

A person skilled in the art is aware of many methods for encoding character data into numeric data (for example, ASCII code) other than the encoding table 25, and such a method can be used by the encoding means according to the present invention. Note that it can be used as well.

It should be further noted that the character keyboard and the numeric keyboard can be combined into a single keyboard that includes the keys of both keyboards.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram schematically showing a character data transmission device included in a compound device having a telephone response means and a fax means and connected to a service device via a public telephone network.

FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an encoding table for encoding character data into transmission data in the form of numeric data according to an encoding table by an encoding unit of a compound device.

FIG. 3 is a diagram showing a table showing an example of character data and corresponding transmission data used for explaining an embodiment of the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

1 Combined device 4, 5, 8, 9 computer server 19,35,44 Dial tone generating means 21,34,43 fax modem 27,33,42 Dial tone detection means 28 Decoding means

─────────────────────────────────────────────────── ─── Continued front page    (81) Designated countries EP (AT, BE, CH, CY, DE, DK, ES, FI, FR, GB, GR, IE, I T, LU, MC, NL, PT, SE), JP, SG F-term (reference) 5C062 AA02 AA30 AB38 AE00 AE08                       AE14 AF02 BA01                 5C075 CA90 CD21 FF90                 5K024 CC01 CC05 CC07 EE01 FF03                       FF04 GG05                 5K101 KK02 KK05 KK20 LL00 MM07                       NN02 NN03 NN07 NN18 UU03                       UU19

Claims (16)

[Claims] 1. A numerical keyboard for inputting numerical data representing a telephone number of a service device, a character keyboard for inputting character data representing address information or message information, and a telephone connection for establishing a telephone connection with the service device,
A device for transmitting character data capable of representing alphabetic characters to the service device via the telephone network, the device having dial tone generation means for supplying the dial data to the telephone network and supplying the dial tone to the telephone network. And further comprising an encoding means for encoding the character data into transmission data formed by numeral data, and the transmission data is supplied to the service device as a dial tone via the telephone network. A device for transmitting character data. 2. The electronic mail address and character data representing the electronic mail message are input by the character keyboard and transferred by the encoding means to transfer an electronic mail message to an electronic mail address included in transmission data. The device for transmitting character data according to claim 1, wherein the transmitted data is supplied to the service device as a dial tone by the dial tone generating means via the telephone network. 3. Character data representing the e-mail address is input by the character keyboard and supplied by the encoding means to transfer fax data as an attachment of an e-mail to an e-mail address included in transmission data. The transmission data according to claim 11 is supplied as dial tone to the service device according to claim 11 by the dial tone generation means via the telephone network, and the device for transmitting the character data reads the sheet loaded in the scanner means. The scanner means for scanning and supplying scan data including graphic information; and a fax modem for transmitting fax data corresponding to the scan data to the service device in a half-duplex data transmission mode via the telephone network. Characterized by having An apparatus for transmitting the character data according to claim 1. 4. In order to determine content data representing the content of the Internet site, character data representing the Internet site address is input by the character keyboard, and transmission data supplied by the encoding means generates the dial tone. 13. By means of said telephone network.
The device for transmitting the character data, which is supplied as a dial tone to the service device described in 1, receives fax data corresponding to the content data in half-duplex data transmission mode from the service device via the telephone network. The apparatus for transmitting character data according to claim 1, further comprising a fax modem. 5. The fax data received by the fax modem is supplied as print data, and the device for transmitting the character data has a printing means for printing the print data. A device for transmitting the character data described in. 6. A device for transmitting the character data, wherein the device for transmitting the character data receives the voice signal and transmits the voice information to the electronic mail address included in the transmission data as voice data of the voice mail via the telephone network. Item 13 has input means for supplying voice information to be transmitted to the service device, character data representing the electronic mail address is inputted by the keyboard, and the transmission data supplied by the encoding means is The device for transmitting character data according to claim 1, wherein the device is supplied as a dial tone to the service device via the telephone network. 7. The apparatus for transmitting character data according to claim 6, further comprising a voice storage means for storing the voice information. 8. The character data according to claim 1, wherein the encoding means encodes two numbers formed by number data as transmission data for each character of the character data. Device for transmitting. 9. A dial tone detecting means for receiving a dial tone from the telephone network and supplying numerical data corresponding to the received dial tone, and decoding the numerical data supplied to the decoding means and forming transmission data. An apparatus for transmitting character data according to claim 1, further comprising: a decoding unit for supplying character data. 10. A service device for receiving transmission data from the device for transmitting character data according to claim 1 via a telephone network, wherein the dial tone is received from the telephone network and is received. The dial tone detection means for supplying the numerical data corresponding to the above, and the decoding means for decoding the character data included in the transmission data formed by the supplied numerical data are provided. 11. An apparatus for transmitting character data according to claim 3,
A fax modem for receiving fax data representing graphic information in a half-duplex data transmission mode via the telephone network; and an e-mail generating means for generating an e-mail. 11. The service device according to claim 10, wherein an email attachment with an email address included in the transmission data is generated from scan data included in the fax data. 12. Content data, which is received from the device transmitting character data according to claim 4 and is decoded by the decoding means, represents an internet site address, and the service device represents content of an internet site. And a fax modem for transmitting fax data corresponding to the content data to the device for transmitting character data according to claim 4 in a half-duplex data transmission mode via the telephone network. The service device according to claim 10, wherein the service device comprises. 13. The electronic mail, wherein the character data received by the device for transmitting character data according to claim 6 and decoded by the decoding means represents an electronic mail address, and the service device generates a voice mail. Voice data is generated from the received voice information, and the voice data is attached as an attachment of a voice email accompanied by the email address represented by character data. Item 10. The service device according to Item 10. 14. A method for transmitting character data via a telephone network, comprising: supplying the character data; converting the character data into transmission data in a dial tone format; Transmitting the transmission data via. 15. A method of sending an electronic mail message to an electronic mail address via a telephone network, comprising: supplying the electronic mail message and the electronic mail address in the form of character data; dialing the character data. Converting to transmission data in the form of tones, and transmitting the transmission data to an internet server via the telephone network to send the email message to the email address. 16. A method of transmitting scan data to an Internet site address via a public telephone network, comprising the step of including the Internet site address in transmission data in the form of a dial tone; Converting the fax data into a format that can be transmitted over a public telephone network, the transmission data and the fax data through the public telephone network to send the scan data to the Internet site address. Transmitting to an Internet server.