JP2004356826A - Image transmitting apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a facsimile machine that does not occupy time and a line much which is required for transmission of an original. <P>SOLUTION: The image transmitting apparatus using a communication line to transmit an image is provided with: an interruption instruction means 71 for a user to instruct interruption of transmission of image data; an interruption means 75 for interrupting the transmission of the image data in response to the interruption instruction from the interruption instruction means 71; an interruption position storage means 74 for storing interruption position specifying information to specify a transmission interruption position of the image data whose transmission is interrupted by the interruption instruction; and a restart means 75 for restarting the transmission of untransmitted parts of the image data on the basis of the interruption position specifying information stored in the interruption position storage means 74. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2005,JPO&NCIPI

Description

[0001]
TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to an image transmitting device that transmits an image using a communication line.
[0002]
[Prior art]
A transmission amount display method for a conventional facsimile apparatus includes a reading line calculation unit that calculates the number of reading lines of image data read from a document, a transmission line calculation unit that calculates the number of transmission lines that transmit image data, and a reading method. It has a display processing unit that displays the number of lines, the number of transmission lines, the number of transmission pages, etc., stores the image data read from the document in the memory, the reading line calculation unit calculates the number of reading lines, and the transmission line calculation unit The number of transmission lines of the transmitted image data is calculated, and the display processing unit displays, in real time, an image of the number of transmission lines, the number of remaining transmission lines, and the amount of transmission within a page, which are further subdivided from the page unit of the document currently being transmitted. In some cases, a portion of a document page that is being transmitted is displayed so as to be easily understood (for example, see Patent Document 1).
[0003]
Further, in a conventional facsimile communication system, a transmitting facsimile apparatus includes a transmitting unit for transmitting advance notice information regarding a document amount of a document to be transmitted using a predetermined non-standard protocol, and a receiving facsimile apparatus including a predetermined non-standard facsimile apparatus. A receiving step of receiving advance notice information on the document amount of the document to be transmitted by using a standard protocol, and storage means for storing advance notice information on the document amount received by the receive procedure and information on the received document amount along with the reception progress Updating means for updating the information on the received document amount stored in the storage means with the reception progress after the start of receiving the document; and receiving the display instruction of the reception progress information from the user, A table for calculating the reception progress information based on the advance notice information and the information on the received document amount and displaying the information on the display unit. Before transmitting the image data of the document to be transmitted to the receiving-side facsimile apparatus, transmitting the total number of transmission pages, the total number of transmitting bytes, and the like of the document to be transmitted as advance notice information, and The apparatus has at least the reception page number ratio, the reception completion rate, and the remaining reception time based on the notice information, the communication line speed indicated by the communication mode, the number of reception pages with the reception progress, and the number of reception bytes. There is one that displays reception progress information on a display unit in response to a user's display instruction (for example, see Patent Document 2).
[0004]
[Patent Document 1]
JP-A-5-327988
[Patent Document 2]
JP-A-10-28216
[0005]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
In the above-described conventional technology, since information about how much image data to be transmitted has been transmitted and how much time is required after the completion of transmission can be obtained, different image data during image data transmission can be obtained. When it is desired to perform transmission, it is possible to determine whether to stop transmission during transmission and transmit another image data in consideration of the importance of the data being transmitted and the time until the completion of transmission. However, even in the above case, if other image data is to be transmitted, the transmission during transmission must be stopped. To restart the transmission in response to the stopped transmission, the transmission destination FAX number is input again. Had to do.
[0006]
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made to solve the above-mentioned problem, and the transmission of image data is interrupted on the way, and the interruption point and the fax number of the transmission destination are stored in the image transmitting apparatus, and the interruption resumption is performed. In this case, the line is automatically connected to the other party's facsimile machine and transmission is resumed from the above interrupted point, thereby preventing one transmission from occupying the line for a long time and preventing transmission of one image data. It is an object of the present invention to be able to interrupt reception of image data transmitted from another or transmission of other image data.
[0007]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
An image transmitting apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the image transmitting apparatus transmits image data using a communication line. The image transmitting apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising: an interrupt instruction unit configured to instruct a user to interrupt the transmission of the image data; Interrupting means for interrupting the transmission of the image data in response to the interrupting instruction, and interrupting position storage means for storing interrupting position specifying information for identifying the interrupting position of the image data interrupted by the interrupting instruction. Resuming means for resuming transmission of a part of the image data not transmitted based on the interruption position specifying information stored in the interruption position storage means. According to this configuration, the transmission can be interrupted by an instruction of the user during the transmission of the image data, and the information for identifying the interrupted page of the interrupted transmission is stored, so the transmission is started from the interrupted page. Can resume. This makes it possible to interrupt the other transmission during transmission of image data while transmitting other image data during transmission of image data, or to receive image data transmitted from another during transmission of image data. . In addition, there is no need to wait for the image transmission device to become empty. Never forget to resume the transmission once it has been interrupted. When the transmission is restarted, there is no need to specify the transmission destination or read the original again.
[0008]
The image transmitting apparatus according to claim 2, further comprising, in addition to the above configuration, a restart instructing unit for instructing the user to restart the transmission, wherein the restart instructing unit performs the restarting when receiving the restart instruction. to start. According to this configuration, the user can determine the restart time by issuing the restart instruction, so that the user can determine the period during which the transmission is interrupted.
[0009]
The image transmitting apparatus according to claim 3, in addition to the above configuration, measures that a transmission interruption time set as a time from the transmission interruption to the transmission resumption has elapsed, and when the transmission interruption time has elapsed. The apparatus further includes an interruption time measuring means for activating the resuming means. According to this configuration, the transmission is automatically resumed when the transmission suspension time elapses, so that there is no need for the user to instruct resumption at the time of resumption.
[0010]
An image transmitting apparatus according to a fourth aspect further includes, in addition to the above configuration, an interruption time setting unit for allowing a user to set the transmission interruption time. According to this configuration, the transmission interruption time can be set by the user, so that a transmission interruption time more suitable for the user's request can be set.
[0011]
According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, in the above configuration, the resuming unit is activated when transmission of image data other than the image data whose transmission has been started after the interruption of the transmission is completed. According to this configuration, the transmission during the interruption is resumed when the transmission started after the interruption of the transmission ends, so that the user does not need to give a transmission instruction when resuming the transmission, and is unnecessary. You can avoid interruptions.
[0012]
7. The image transmitting apparatus according to claim 6, wherein, in addition to the above configuration, when the total number of transmission originals as input media of the image data to be transmitted to the image transmission apparatus is equal to or less than a predetermined number, the transmission is interrupted. Is further provided, and the interruption means determines not to perform the interruption based on the determination of the interruption determination means. According to this configuration, the transmission is not interrupted for the transmission originals of the predetermined number or less, so that the transmission is interrupted even when the transmission is not spent for a long time with a relatively small number of sheets. There is no.
[0013]
An image transmitting apparatus according to a seventh aspect further includes, in addition to the above configuration, a threshold value setting unit for allowing a user to set the predetermined number of sheets. According to this configuration, the predetermined number of sheets can be determined by the user, so that the predetermined number of sheets more suitable for the user's request can be set.
[0014]
The image transmitting apparatus according to claim 8, wherein in the above-mentioned configuration, interruption information adding means for adding interruption information for a recipient of the image data to recognize an interruption state of transmission of the image data to the image data and transmitting the interruption data. Is further provided. According to this configuration, when the transmission is interrupted, the receiver of the image data transmits information for recognizing the interruption, so that the image data is transmitted only halfway due to the interruption of the transmission. It is possible to prevent the receiver from being confused about this.
[0015]
BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION
Hereinafter, a digital multifunction peripheral as an example of a facsimile apparatus which is an image transmission apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a schematic side view mainly showing a mechanical configuration of a digital multifunction peripheral incorporating a facsimile function according to an embodiment of the present invention.
[0016]
The digital multifunction peripheral 1 is a digital copier having a multifunction such as a scanner function, a facsimile function, a printer function, and a copy function. In the digital MFP 1, various functions are realized by combining the above functions.
[0017]
The digital multifunction peripheral 1 includes a main body 200, a paper post-processing unit 300 disposed on the left side of the main body 200, an operation unit 400 for a user to input various operation commands and the like, and an upper part of the main body 200. , And a document feeding unit 600 disposed above the document reading unit 500.
[0018]
The operation unit 400 includes a touch panel 401, a start key 402, a numeric keypad 403, and the like. The touch panel 401 displays various operation screens, and displays various operation buttons and the like for the user to input various operation commands. The start key 402 is used by the user to input a copy execution command and the like, and the numeric keypad 403 is used to input the number of copies and the like.
[0019]
The document feeding section 600 includes a document placement section 601, a document discharge section 602, a paper feed roller 603, a document transport section 604, and the like, and the document reading section 500 includes a scanner 501 and the like. The paper feed roller 603 feeds out the original set on the original placing portion 601, and the original feeder 604 conveys the fed out original one by one onto the scanner 501. The scanner 501 sequentially reads the conveyed documents, and the read documents are discharged to a document discharge unit 602.
[0020]
The main body 200 includes a plurality of paper feed cassettes 201, a plurality of paper feed rollers 202, a transfer roller 203, a photosensitive drum 204, an exposure device 205, a developing device 206, a fixing roller 207, a discharge port 208, a discharge tray 209, and the like. Prepare.
[0021]
The photosensitive drum 204 is uniformly charged by a charging device (not shown) while rotating in the direction of the arrow. The exposure device 205 converts a modulation signal generated based on image data of a document read by the document reading unit 500 into a laser beam and outputs the laser beam, thereby forming an electrostatic latent image on the photosensitive drum 204. The developing device 206 supplies a predetermined developer to the photosensitive drum 204 to form a toner image.
[0022]
On the other hand, the paper feed roller 202 pulls out the paper from the paper feed cassette 201 in which the paper is stored, and feeds the paper to the transfer roller 203. The transfer roller 203 transfers the toner image on the photosensitive drum 204 to the conveyed sheet, and the fixing roller 207 heats the transferred toner image to fix it on the sheet. Thereafter, the sheet is carried into the sheet post-processing unit 300 from the outlet 208 of the main body 200. The paper is also discharged to a discharge tray 209 as necessary.
[0023]
The sheet post-processing section 300 includes a carry-in port 301, a sheet transport section 302, a carry-out port 303, a stack tray 304, and the like. The paper transport unit 302 sequentially transports the paper carried in from the discharge port 209 to the carry-in port 301, and finally discharges the sheet from the carry-out port 303 to the stack tray 304. The stack tray 304 is configured to be able to move up and down in the direction of the arrow in accordance with the number of sheets stacked out of the outlet 303.
[0024]
FIG. 2 is a block diagram mainly showing the electrical configuration of the digital multifunction peripheral 1 shown in FIG. The digital MFP 1 includes a scanner unit 11, an image processing unit 21, a printer unit 31, a control unit 41, an operation panel unit 51, a facsimile communication unit 61, a network I / F (interface) unit 62, a parallel I / F unit 63, A serial I / F unit 64 and a hard disk drive (HDD) 65 are provided.
[0025]
The scanner unit 11, the image processing unit 21, the control unit 41, the operation panel unit 51, and the network I / F unit 62 correspond to the operation unit 400, the document reading unit 500, and the document feeding unit 600 shown in FIG. Each part implements a scanner function. The scanner unit 11, the image processing unit 21, the printer unit 31, the control unit 41, the operation panel unit 51, and the facsimile communication unit 61 include a main body unit 200, an operation unit 400, a document reading unit 500, and a document feeding unit 600 shown in FIG. And a facsimile function is realized by these units. The image processing unit 21, the printer unit 31, the control unit 41, the operation panel unit 51, the network I / F unit 62, and the parallel I / F unit 63 correspond to the main unit 200 and the operation unit 400 shown in FIG. Each part implements a printer function. The scanner unit 11, the image processing unit 21, the printer unit 31, the control unit 41, the operation panel unit 51, and the network I / F unit 62 include a main body unit 200, a paper post-processing unit 300, an operation unit 400, and a document reading unit shown in FIG. A copy function is realized by these units.
[0026]
The operation panel unit 51 includes a touch panel unit 52 including the touch panel 401 and the like illustrated in FIG. 1 and an operation key unit 53 including the start key 402 and the numeric keypad 403 illustrated in FIG. The operation panel unit 51 is used by a user to perform operations related to a scanner function, a facsimile function, a printer function, a copy function, and the like, and gives an operation command or the like from the user to the control unit 41. The touch panel unit 52 is configured by a touch panel unit or the like in which a touch panel and an LCD (Liquid Crystal Display) are combined, and displays various operation screens, for example, information on a document size, a copy size, the number of copies, and the like when a copy function is executed. At the same time, an operation button or the like for the user to input various operation commands by touching the relevant portion is displayed. The operation key unit 53 is used by a user to input a copy execution command and the like.
[0027]
The control unit 41 functions as a scanner controller 42, a facsimile controller 43, a printer controller 44, and a copy controller 45. The control unit 41 includes a microcomputer and a dedicated hardware circuit, and controls the operation of the entire apparatus. The scanner controller 42 controls the operation of each unit used to realize the scanner function. The facsimile controller 43 controls the operation of each unit used to realize the facsimile function. The printer controller 44 controls the operation of each unit used to implement a printer function. The copy controller 45 controls the operation of each unit used to implement the copy function.
[0028]
The scanner unit 11 includes an exposure lamp 12 and a CCD (Charge Coupled Device) 13 constituting the scanner 501 shown in FIG. The scanner unit 11 irradiates the original with the exposure lamp 12 and receives the reflected light by the CCD 13 to read an image from the original and output image data corresponding to the read image to the image processing unit 21.
[0029]
The image processing unit 21 includes a correction unit 22, an image processing unit 23, and an image memory 24. The image processing unit 21 processes the read image data by the correction unit 22 and the image processing unit 23 as necessary, and stores the processed image data in the image memory 24, the printer unit 31, the facsimile communication unit 61 Alternatively, it outputs to the network I / F unit 62 and the like. The correction unit 22 performs predetermined correction processing such as level correction and Y correction on the read image data. The image processing unit 23 performs various processing such as compression or decompression of image data and enlargement or reduction.
[0030]
The printer unit 31 includes a sheet transport unit 32 including a sheet cassette 201 and a sheet feeding roller 202 illustrated in FIG. 1, and an image including a photosensitive drum 204, an exposure device 205, and a developing device 206 illustrated in FIG. 1. The image forming apparatus includes a forming unit 33, a transfer unit 34 including the transfer roller 203 illustrated in FIG. 1, and a fixing unit 35 including the fixing roller 207 illustrated in FIG. The printer unit 31 transmits the original data read by the scanner unit 11, print data transmitted from a client PC (personal computer) or the like via a LAN (Local Area Network) via a network I / F unit 62, and a facsimile communication unit 61. And prints an image on paper using image data such as facsimile data received from an external facsimile machine or the like. Specifically, the paper transport unit 32 transports the paper to the image forming unit 33, the image forming unit 33 forms a toner image corresponding to the image data, the transfer unit 34 transfers the toner image to the paper, The fixing unit 35 forms an image by fixing the toner image on a sheet.
[0031]
The facsimile communication unit 61 includes an encoding / decoding unit (not shown), a modulation / demodulation unit (not shown), and an NCU (Network Control Unit) (not shown). The facsimile communication unit 61 transmits image data of a document read by the scanner unit 11 to a facsimile apparatus or the like via a telephone line, and receives image data transmitted from the facsimile apparatus or the like. The encoding / decoding unit compresses and encodes image data to be transmitted, and decompresses and decodes received image data. The modulation and demodulation unit modulates the compressed and encoded image data into an audio signal, and demodulates a received signal (audio signal) into image data. The NCU controls connection via a telephone line to a facsimile machine or the like as a transmission / reception destination.
[0032]
The network I / F unit 62 controls transmission and reception of various data to and from a client PC or the like connected via a LAN using a network interface (10/100 Base-TX) or the like, and is transmitted from, for example, the client PC or the like. Receive print data and the like. The parallel I / F unit 63 receives print data and the like from an external device or the like by parallel transmission using a high-speed bidirectional parallel interface (compliant with IEEE1284) or the like and transmitting data in units of a plurality of bits using a plurality of signal lines. . The serial I / F unit 64 uses a serial interface (RS-232C) or the like, and receives various data from an external device or the like by serial transmission in which data is sequentially transmitted bit by bit using a single signal line.
[0033]
The HDD 65 stores image data read by the scanner unit 11 and various data such as an output format set in the image data. The image data stored in the HDD 65 is used not only within the digital multi-function peripheral 1 but also, if necessary, confirmed from a client PC or the like via the network I / F unit 62 or specified by the client PC or the like. Folder.
[0034]
As described above, the digital multi-function peripheral 1 is configured to execute various functions such as a scanner function, a facsimile function, a printer function, and a copy function, and can be used as a facsimile machine. In this embodiment, the digital MFP 1 is used particularly as a facsimile machine.
[0035]
FIG. 3 shows an operation panel unit 51, a scanner unit 11, an image processing unit 21, a facsimile communication unit 61, a control unit 41, and a control unit 41 which are particularly related to the facsimile transmission function in the electrical configuration shown in FIG. FIG. 4 is a block diagram illustrating a functional configuration of a facsimile controller 43 in the 41. Hereinafter, each function in the control unit will be described.
[0036]
In the facsimile transmission, the operation panel unit 51 sets the lower limit of the number of originals to be transmitted to enable input of a facsimile number of a transmission destination, input of a facsimile transmission instruction, input of a transmission interruption instruction and transmission resumption instruction, and interruption of transmission. Mainly used for input. The interruption instruction unit 71 receives a transmission interruption instruction input from the operation panel unit 51 by the user from the operation panel unit 51, and outputs an interruption signal to the transmission control unit 75. For example, a transmission interruption button is provided on the operation panel unit 51, and the user issues a transmission interruption instruction by pressing the button.
[0037]
The restart instruction unit 72 receives a transmission restart instruction input by the user from the operation panel unit 51 from the operation panel unit 51, and outputs a restart signal to the transmission control unit 75. For example, a transmission restart button is provided on the operation panel unit 51, and the user issues a transmission restart instruction by pressing the button. The threshold setting unit 73 receives, from the operation panel unit 51, a number representing the number of documents as a threshold value input from the operation panel unit 51 by the user, and transmits the threshold value to the transmission control unit 75 according to an instruction from the transmission control unit 75. In the digital multifunction peripheral 1, a natural number up to, for example, 999 can be input as a threshold.
[0038]
The interruption page storage unit 74 receives information on the interruption page of the image data whose transmission has been interrupted from the transmission control unit 75 and stores the information. In addition, the interruption page information is passed to the transmission control unit 75 according to an instruction from the transmission control unit 75. For example, the interrupted page storage unit 74 is a stack table as shown in FIG. 4, which stores information on the interrupted pages and inserts and outputs the information in a stack format (first in, last out). The FAX number 81 stores the FAX number of the transmission destination of the interrupted image data. In the image data 82, link information to the image data related to the transmission during the interruption stored in the image memory 24 is stored. The interruption page 83 stores the page number of the last page transmitted to the other party due to the interruption of image data transmission.
[0039]
Since the table is a stack, the stored information is taken out in the order opposite to the order in which it is stored. Specifically, for example, when the first transmission is interrupted, the interrupted page storage unit 74 receives the storage information related to the transmission from the transmission control unit 75 and stores it. Next, when the second transmission is interrupted, the storage information related to the second transmission is received from the transmission control unit 75 and stored. When the third transmission ends, the interrupted page storage unit 74 passes the storage information related to the second transmission to the transmission control unit 75, and deletes the storage information related to the second transmission from the stack table. When the second transmission is completed, the storage information relating to the first transmission is transferred to the transmission control unit 75, and the storage information relating to the first transmission is deleted from the stack table.
[0040]
The interruption information adding unit 76 uses the image processing unit 23 to add information to notify the receiver of the image data of the interruption and restart of the transmission to the image data when the transmission is interrupted and when the transmission is restarted. For example, a message as shown in FIG. 5A is added to the lower margin of the last transmission page due to the interruption of transmission. Further, a message as shown in FIG. 5B is added to the upper margin of the first transmission page after the transmission is resumed. Here, the document number is for the user to recognize which image data has been transmitted continuously by giving the same number before transmission interruption and after transmission resumption.
[0041]
In order to perform the above control, the interruption information adding unit 76 receives an instruction to add the interruption information, the page number of the page to which the interruption information should be added, and the link information to the image data of the image to be interrupted from the transmission control unit 75, and And the page number to which the instruction for adding the interruption information is added and the link information of the image data. Thus, the image processing unit 23 performs image processing for adding the interruption information to the specified page. In this case, for example, the page being transmitted has already been transmitted from the image memory 24 to the facsimile communication unit 61, so the next page after the page being transmitted when the transmission control unit 75 receives the interruption signal from the interruption instruction unit 71 May be the last transmission page before the interruption. When the image processing is completed, the image processing unit 23 notifies the transmission control unit 75 that the image processing is completed. The transmission control unit 75 controls transmission of the last transmission page before the interruption. When the transmission is resumed, the interruption information adding unit 76 receives the instruction to add the interruption information from the transmission control unit 75 together with the resumption page and the link information to the image data and transmits the image processing instruction to the image processing unit 23, as in the case of the transmission interruption. When an instruction is issued and the image processing is completed, a notification to the effect that the processing has been completed is transmitted from the image processing unit 23 to the transmission control unit 75.
[0042]
The transmission control unit 75 performs transmission control including interruption and restart of transmission. When the transmission control is divided, it is divided into transmission processing, transmission interruption processing, and transmission resumption processing. The respective processes will be described below. The transmission process performs a process related to new transmission. When a transmission destination FAX number and a transmission instruction are sent from the operation panel unit to the transmission control unit 75 according to an instruction from the user using the operation panel unit 51, the transmission control unit 75 performs transmission control. Start.
[0043]
As transmission control, first, the transmission control unit 75 instructs the scanner unit 11 to read a transmission original. As a result, the transmitted document is stored in the image memory 24 as image data. Further, the page information of the transmission document is also acquired by the scanner unit 11 at the same time. The digital multifunction peripheral 1 has a memory transmission function of transmitting the read image data to the memory and then transmitting the image data. Therefore, the digital multifunction peripheral 1 can acquire information on the number (number of pages) of the read transmission originals. Next, the transmission control unit 75 stores the destination FAX number in association with the link information to the image data of the transmission original. Next, the image data is transmitted to the facsimile apparatus of the FAX number while transferring the image data from the image memory 24 to the facsimile communication unit 61 page by page using the facsimile communication unit 61. Thereby, the transmission control unit 75 can recognize the page of the image data currently being transmitted.
[0044]
The transmission suspension process performs the transmission suspension process for the transmission during transmission when the transmission suspension is instructed by the user. When the transmission control unit 75 receives the interruption signal from the interruption instruction unit 71, the transmission control unit 75 starts transmission interruption processing in response to this. Since the transmission suspension instruction is valid only during the transmission of the image data, if the transmission suspension instruction is issued when the image data is not being transmitted, the instruction is ignored. Here, “during transmission” refers to a period from when a first transmission instruction is issued by a user to when the transmission ends. Therefore, the case where transmission is not being performed refers to a state in which there is no transmission being interrupted and all transmissions have been completed. Also, if the total number of transmitted documents is less than the threshold, no interruption is performed, so if the total number of transmitted documents is less than the threshold and a transmission interruption instruction is issued, the total number of transmitted documents is less than the threshold. A message indicating that the interruption is not to be performed is displayed on the operation panel unit 51, and the transmission during the transmission is continued.
[0045]
To perform this control, the transmission control unit 75 obtains the total number of transmitted documents from the scanner unit 11 and obtains a threshold from the threshold setting unit 73. Next, when the interruption signal is received from the interruption instruction unit 71, the transfer of the next page from the image memory 24 to the facsimile communication unit 61 is temporarily stopped, and the interruption information adding unit 76 is instructed to add the interruption information. When the addition of the interruption information is completed, the image processing unit 23 transmits a message to the effect that the processing has been completed to the transmission control unit 75. When the transmission control unit 75 receives the information, the transmission control unit 75 instructs the facsimile communication unit 61 to transmit the next page and ends this page. Interrupt the transmission to. Next, the transmission control unit 75 disconnects the currently connected line, and stores the FAX number of the disconnected line, link information to the image data whose transmission has been interrupted, and the last page number for which transmission has been completed in the interrupted page storage unit 74. Send and instruct storage.
[0046]
In the transmission resumption processing, when transmission resumption is instructed, transmission resumption processing is performed for the suspended transmission. When receiving the restart signal from the restart instruction unit 72, the transmission control unit 75 starts the transmission restart processing. The transmission restart instruction is valid only when there is interrupted transmission. The transmission to be resumed is the transmission related to the last interruption (transmission last stored in the interrupted page storage unit stack) in the transmission whose transmission has not been completed with reference to the time when the transmission resumption is instructed. If another transmission (transmission not stored in the interrupted page storage unit stack) has been performed when transmission restart is instructed, the interrupted transmission is restarted after the other transmission ends.
[0047]
When resuming the transmission, the transmission control unit 75 acquires the storage information from the interrupted page storage unit 74 (the interrupted page storage unit 74 passes the last stored information), and adds the interrupt information to the interrupt information adding unit. Instruct 76. At this time, the link information of the image data and the interruption page are also passed. When the image processing is completed, a message to the effect that the processing has been completed is transmitted from the image processing unit 23 to the transmission control unit 75. When the transmission control unit 75 receives the notification, the facsimile communication unit 61 uses the FAX number related to the restarted image data to establish a line. The facsimile communication unit 61 connects the image data to the facsimile apparatus connected to the line while transferring the image data from the image memory 24 to the facsimile communication unit 61 for each page from the image data of the next page of the interrupted page. Send
[0048]
Next, in accordance with the flowchart of FIG. 6, for example, a threshold value is set to 50, first, 100 sheets of the transmission document A are transmitted to the transmission destination X, transmission of the transmission document A is interrupted, and 70 transmission documents B And the flow of processing in the digital multi-function peripheral 1 when transmitting 40 originals C to the destination Z will be described.
[0049]
In S10, the threshold setting unit 73 sets the threshold based on information input by the user using the operation panel unit 51. Here, for example, 50 is set as the threshold. Since the process of S10 is the setting of transmission conditions, it may be set any time before transmission. In S12, the operation panel unit 51 temporarily stores the fax number of the transmission destination based on the information input by the user using the operation panel unit 51. Here, for example, the FAX number XX-XXXX-XXXX of the transmission destination X is input. In the case of a frequently-sent destination, a fax number can be registered in advance and selected from a list registered at the time of document transmission. In this case, the input operation of the FAX number is simplified.
[0050]
In S14, the operation panel unit 51 sends the transmission instruction input by the user using the operation panel unit 51 to the transmission control unit 75 together with the FAX number, and the transmission control unit 75 stores the FAX number and transmits the transmission instruction. Start control. In step S16, the scanner unit 11 receives the instruction from the transmission control unit 75, reads the transmission original A, stores the original content in the image memory 24 as image data, and the transmission control unit 75 transmits the link information to the image data to the FAX. It is stored in the transmission control unit 75 in association with the number.
[0051]
In S18, the scanner unit 11 obtains the number of transmission originals (here, for example, 100) read at the same time as the reading of the original and the page number of each page according to the reading order. In S20, the transmission control unit 75 substitutes 1 for the transmission page number n as an initial value. Thus, the transmission of the document is started from the first page. In S22, the facsimile communication unit 61 uses the FAX number to connect a line to a facsimile apparatus or the like having the FAX number according to an instruction from the transmission control unit 75.
[0052]
In S24, the image data of the page of the number substituted for the transmission page number n under the control of the transmission control unit 75 is sent from the image memory 24 to the facsimile communication unit 61, and the facsimile communication unit 61 transmits the image data of the page. Is started. Here, for example, since n = 1, transmission of the first page is started. In S26, the transmission control unit 75 checks whether or not a suspension signal has been received from the suspension instruction unit 71 to the transmission control unit 75 as a suspension request from the user, and if the suspension signal has not been received (NO in S26). , To S28.
[0053]
In S28, the transmission control unit 75 checks whether the transmission of the nth page is completed by checking whether a page transmission completion signal has been received from the facsimile communication unit 61. If the transmission has not been completed (NO in S28), the flow returns to S26, and the above-described interruption request check (S26) and the transmission completion check for the nth page (S28) are repeated. If there is no interruption request before the transmission of the n-th page is completed (YES in S28), the process proceeds to S30. In S30, the transmission control unit 75 compares the transmission page number n with the total number of transmission originals and if they are not the same (NO in S30), it means that transmission of all pages has not been completed yet, so transmission of the next page is not completed. In step S32, n is incremented by one and the process returns to step S24. Hereinafter, the transmission of each page is sequentially performed until the interruption request is received.
[0054]
If the interruption request has been received (YES in S26), the process proceeds to S34. For example, if transmission interruption is instructed during the transmission of the 48th page, it is determined that the interruption request has been received in S26 when n = 48 (YES in S26), and the process proceeds to S34. In S34, the transmission control unit 75 compares the total number of transmitted originals with the threshold. If the total transmitted original number is less than the threshold (NO in S34), the process proceeds to S28 because transmission is not interrupted. The same processing as in the case of NO is performed. If the total number of transmitted documents is equal to or larger than the threshold (YES in S34), the process proceeds to S36. Here, for example, since the total number of transmitted documents is 100 and the threshold value is 50, it is determined that the total number is equal to or larger than the threshold value, and the process proceeds to S36.
[0055]
In S36, the transmission control unit 75 checks the reception of the page transmission completion signal from the facsimile communication unit 61 and waits until the transmission of the nth page is completed (if not completed, S36 is repeated with NO in S36). When the transmission of the n-th page is completed (YES in S36), the process proceeds to S38. In S38, the interruption information adding unit 76 instructs the image processing unit 23 to add the interruption message shown in FIG. 4A to the (n + 1) th page according to the instruction of the transmission control unit 75, and the image processing unit 23 I do.
[0056]
In S40, the transmission control unit 75 transmits the image data of the (n + 1) th page from the image memory 24 to the facsimile communication unit 61, and the facsimile communication unit 61 transmits the image data to the destination facsimile apparatus or the like. In S42, the transmission control unit 75 transmits the FAX number relating to the current transmission, the link information to the image data, and the current value of n + 1 as the interruption page number to the interruption page storage unit 74, and the interruption page storage unit 74 Store the stored data. Here, for example, as shown in (1) of FIG. 4, the interruption page storage unit 74 stores the FAX number XX-XXXX-XXXX, the link information to the image, and the interruption page number “49”. In S44, the facsimile communication unit 61 disconnects the line being connected according to the instruction of the transmission control unit 75.
[0057]
After the line is disconnected, it waits for a signal based on an instruction from the user. In S46, it is checked whether or not there is a transmission destination setting (S12) and a transmission instruction reception (S14) as a new transmission instruction. Here, S46 is the same as the process combining S12 and S14, but S46 is provided here as a separate step for convenience of flow description. If there is no new transmission instruction (NO in S46), the process proceeds to S48. In S48, the transmission control unit 75 checks whether a resumption signal is received from the resumption instruction unit 72 to the transmission control unit 75 as a transmission resumption request from the user, and if the resumption signal is not received (NO in S48). , S46, and the check of the reception of the new transmission instruction (S46) and the reception of the transmission restart instruction (S48) are repeated. When a new transmission instruction is received (YES in S46), the process returns to S12 to perform processing. When the transmission restart instruction is received (YES in S48), the process proceeds to S50.
[0058]
Here, for example, transmission of the transmission original B is newly instructed, and the processing is performed from S12 on this transmission. For example, if the interruption of the transmission of the transmission original B is instructed on the 21st page, basically the same processing as in the case of the transmission original A is performed, and the interrupted page storage unit 74 stores the information as shown in FIG. The fax number YY-YYYY-YYYY, the link information to the image data of the transmission original B, and the interruption page "22" are stored in the storage area. Next, for example, when transmission of the transmission original C is newly started, basically the same processing as in the case of the transmission original A and the transmission original B is performed. However, for example, since the transmission is not interrupted for the transmission original C, the process does not proceed to the YES branch in S34, and the transmission page number n and the total number of transmission originals become the same in S30. That is, the transmission of the transmission original C is completed (YES in S30). In this case as well, S46 and S48 are repeated to wait for reception of a new transmission instruction and reception of a suspended transmission restart instruction. Here, for example, since the transmission of the transmission original A and the transmission original B has been interrupted, if the user issues a transmission resumption instruction, it is determined in S48 that the transmission resumption instruction has been received, and the process proceeds to S50.
[0059]
In S50, the transmission control unit 75 extracts the stored information from the interrupted page storage unit 74 and stores it in the transmission control unit 75. Here, for example, since the storage information of the transmission document B is stored later, the storage information of the transmission document B is passed from the interrupted page storage unit 74 to the transmission control unit 75 and stored in the transmission control unit 75. Since the last page number that has been transmitted before the interruption is stored in the interruption page column 83 of the interruption page storage unit 74, the value of the transmission page number n is a value obtained by adding 1 to the value of the interruption page. Is the number of the transmission resume page. Here, for example, n is 23 for the transmission original B.
[0060]
In S52, the facsimile communication unit 61 connects to the line of the FAX number newly stored in the transmission control unit 75 according to the instruction of the transmission control unit 75. In S54, the interruption information adding unit 76 instructs the image processing unit 23 to add the restart message shown in FIG. 4B to page n according to the instruction of the transmission control unit 75, and the interruption information adding unit 76 Is added. Thereafter, by returning to S24 and performing the processing, the suspended transmission is resumed.
[0061]
If it is determined in S30 that the transmission page number n is equal to the total number of transmitted pages (YES in S30), it is determined in S56 whether the transmission is an interrupt transmission. If the transmission is an interruption transmission (YES in S56), the process proceeds to S48, and waits for reception of a transmission restart instruction (S48) or reception of a new transmission instruction (S46) of the suspended transmission. If it is not an interrupt transmission (NO in S56), the transmission ends.
[0062]
Here, for example, if no interruption instruction is given after the transmission of the transmission original B is resumed, the transmission of the transmission original B is completed (YES in S30), and the process proceeds to S48, whereupon the transmission of the transmission original A is resumed, and S56. Then, the process proceeds to YES and all transmissions are completed.
[0063]
As described above, according to the present embodiment, when there is an instruction from the user during the transmission of the image data, the information of the image data being transmitted is stored, the transmission is interrupted, and the line is disconnected. When an instruction is given from the user, a line is connected using the information of the stored image data, and the transmission of the image data is restarted after the interruption point. For this reason, the image transmission apparatus is not occupied for a long time by the transmission of one image data, and even if it is necessary to perform another transmission during the transmission, another transmission is performed during the previous transmission. Can be done.
[0064]
Next, a second embodiment of the present invention will be described. In the first embodiment, the resumption of the interruption of the transmission of the image data is determined by an instruction from the user. However, in the present embodiment, the transmission started after the interruption of the transmission (hereinafter, referred to as interruption transmission) is completed when the transmission is completed. The suspended transmission is automatically resumed. Since the configuration and the processing flow in this embodiment are the same as those in the first embodiment, many parts are the same, and only the parts different from the first embodiment will be described in detail below.
[0065]
As described above, in the present embodiment, the interrupted transmission is automatically resumed by the completion of the interrupt transmission, but the user wants to cancel the interruption without performing a new transmission after giving the transmission interruption instruction. For the case, the function of the restart instruction in the first embodiment is left as it is. The transmission restart button of the operation panel unit 51 in the first embodiment may be called an interruption cancel button in the present embodiment.
[0066]
Although the functional blocks in the present embodiment are the same as the functional blocks in the first embodiment shown in FIG. 3, the transmission control unit 75 has a slight difference in function as compared with the first embodiment. In the first embodiment, the transmission control unit 75 waits for an input of a transmission restart instruction or a new transmission instruction when there is an interrupted transmission when the transmission of the image data is completed. The transmission control unit 75 automatically restarts the interrupted transmission if there is an interrupted transmission at the time when the transmission of the image data is completed. Other controls of the transmission control unit 75 are the same as those in the first embodiment.
[0067]
Although the flow of processing in the present embodiment is almost the same as the flowchart in FIG. 6, in the present embodiment, if YES in S56, the process proceeds to S50, and only this point differs from that in the first embodiment (FIG. 6). different. Thus, if the interrupted transmission is completed and there is a suspended transmission, the suspended transmission is automatically resumed.
[0068]
As described above, in the present embodiment, when the interrupt transmission is completed, the previous transmission is automatically restarted. For this reason, the user does not need to give an instruction to resume transmission to the digital multifunction peripheral, so that the operation of the digital multifunction peripheral 1 can be completed at the time of starting the transmission after the interruption, and the completion of the interrupt transmission. There is no extra time between the start and the restart of the next transmission.
[0069]
Next, a third embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. In the present embodiment, the transmission interruption time is set by the user before the transmission interruption is instructed, and the transmission is automatically resumed after the transmission interruption time elapses from the transmission interruption. In the present embodiment, if the interruption transmission can be further interrupted, it is considered that the order of the resumed transmission will be confused, so the interruption transmission cannot be interrupted. Since the configuration and the flow of processing in the present embodiment are the same as those in the second embodiment, many parts are the same, and only the parts different from the second embodiment will be described below in detail.
[0070]
FIG. 7 shows an operation panel unit 51, a scanner unit 11, an image processing unit 21, a facsimile communication unit 61, and a control unit 41, which are parts related to the facsimile transmission function in the electrical configuration shown in FIG. FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing a functional configuration of a facsimile controller 43 in the control unit 41. As compared with FIG. 3, a suspension time setting unit 91 and a suspension time measuring unit 92 are added as functional blocks in the control unit 41.
[0071]
The interruption time setting unit 91 receives from the operation panel unit 51 a number indicating the interruption time input by the user from the operation panel unit 51, and transmits the interruption time to the transmission control unit 75 according to an instruction from the transmission control unit 75. In the digital multifunction peripheral 1, a natural number up to, for example, 99 can be input as the interruption time, and the unit of the input number is, for example, minutes. Upon receiving the measurement start instruction from the transmission control unit 75, the interruption time measuring unit 92 measures the time elapsed from the reception of the measurement start instruction. In addition, in response to the inquiry about the elapsed time from the transmission control unit 75, the elapsed time at the time of receiving the inquiry is transmitted to the transmission control unit 75.
[0072]
When the transmission control of the last page of the original before the interruption is completed when the transmission of the image data is interrupted, the transmission control unit 75 instructs the interruption time measuring unit 92 to start the timer count as the elapsed time measurement. In addition, the transmission interruption time is acquired from the interruption time setting unit 91, the timer count is periodically tracked by the interruption time measurement unit 92, and the transmission interruption time is compared with the timer count. If the timer count is equal to or longer than the transmission suspension time, it means that the transmission suspension time has elapsed, and the suspended transmission is restarted. Other controls of the transmission control unit 75 are the same as those in the second embodiment.
[0073]
The flowchart in FIG. 8 is a diagram showing the flow of processing in the present embodiment. The same processes as those in FIG. 6 are denoted by the same step numbers. Hereinafter, a process newly added in this embodiment (a step not shown in FIG. 6) will be mainly described. In S60, the interruption time setting unit 91 sets the transmission interruption time based on the information input by the user using the operation panel unit 51. Since the process of S60 is the setting of the transmission interruption condition, it may be set any time before the transmission interruption request (S26) is issued.
[0074]
In S62, if the interruption request in S26 is issued, it is checked whether or not the transmission being transmitted is an interrupt transmission. If the transmission is an interrupt transmission (YES in S62), no further interruption is performed, so S28 Proceed to. If it is not an interrupt transmission (NO in S62), the process proceeds to S34 and the interruption process is continued. In S64, the transmission control unit 75 issues a timer count start instruction to the interruption time measurement unit 92 when transmission control of the last transmission page before interruption is completed. Upon receiving the timer count start instruction from the transmission control unit 75, the interruption time measuring unit 92 starts timer counting.
[0075]
In S66, the transmission control unit 75 acquires the interruption time from the interruption time setting unit 91 and the timer count from the interruption time measuring unit 92, and compares them. If the timer count is less than the transmission suspension time, the process returns to S46 and repeats the check for a new transmission instruction (S46), transmission resumption instruction (S48), and elapse of the transmission suspension time (S66). If the timer count is equal to or longer than the transmission suspension time, the process proceeds to S50. Accordingly, when the transmission started during the interruption is completed and the transmission interruption time has elapsed, the interrupted transmission is automatically resumed.
[0076]
As described above, in the present embodiment, when the transmission suspension time has elapsed since the transmission was suspended, the previous transmission is automatically restarted. Further, another transmission can be performed during the transmission suspension time. Since the user does not need to give the digital multifunction peripheral an instruction to resume transmission, the operation of the digital multifunction peripheral 1 can be terminated at the time of starting the transmission after the interruption, and a sufficient time for the transmission interruption time can be provided. Since it is possible to specify, it is possible to transmit a plurality of image data during the transmission interruption time.
[0077]
In the first, second, and third embodiments, the interruption message is added to the last page of the original before the transmission is interrupted and the first page after the transmission is resumed. A new interruption message dedicated page may be added before the first page and transmitted. Further, in the present embodiment, the interruption message is added and transmitted before the transmission is interrupted and after the transmission is resumed, but only the interruption message before the transmission interruption may be added and transmitted.
[0078]
In the first and second embodiments, the information of the interrupted transmission is stored in the interrupted page storage unit 74 in the form of a stack, so that the transmission is resumed in the order of the interruption later. The selected transmission may be resumed by selecting a suspended transmission using the operation panel unit 51 as a format table.
[0079]
In the third embodiment, the transmission control unit 75 checks that the transmission interruption time has elapsed by comparing the elapsed time counted by the interruption time measuring unit 92 with the transmission interruption time set in the interruption time setting unit 91. However, the interruption time measuring unit 92 obtains the transmission interruption time from the interruption time setting unit 91 and counts down the transmission interruption time to measure the transmission interruption time, and notifies the transmission control unit 75 that the transmission interruption time has elapsed. You may make it transmit.
[0080]
In the third embodiment, the transmission interruption cannot be interrupted when the transmission is interrupted. However, the transmission interruption may be interrupted. In this case, the transmission suspension time may be set to a different value for each transmission.
[0081]
In the above embodiment, three types of transmission resumption methods, transmission resumption by user's resumption instruction, automatic resumption at the end of interrupt transmission, and automatic resumption at the end of transmission suspension time, have been described as separate embodiments. And a plurality of transmission restart methods may be used in one embodiment.
[0082]
In the second embodiment, the interrupted transmission is automatically resumed when one interrupt transmission is completed. However, when the user designates a plurality of interrupt transmission numbers and the interrupt transmission of the interrupt transmission number is completed, the interrupted transmission is automatically performed. The suspended transmission may be resumed at the beginning.
[0083]
【The invention's effect】
According to the first aspect of the present invention, the transmission can be interrupted by the user's instruction during the transmission of the image data, and the information for identifying the interrupted transmission interruption page is stored. You can resume sending from the page. This makes it possible to interrupt the transmission during the transmission of the image data when another transmission is desired, or to receive the image data transmitted from another during the transmission of the image data. In addition, there is no need to wait for the image transmission device to become empty. Never forget to resume the transmission once it has been interrupted. When the transmission is restarted, there is no need to specify the transmission destination or read the original again.
[0084]
According to the second aspect of the present invention, when the user issues the restart instruction, the timing for resuming can be determined, so that the user can determine the period during which transmission is interrupted.
[0085]
According to the third aspect of the present invention, transmission is automatically resumed when the transmission suspension time has elapsed, so that there is no need for the user to instruct resumption at the time of resumption.
[0086]
According to the fourth aspect of the present invention, the transmission interruption time can be set by the user, so that the transmission interruption time adapted to the user's request can be set.
[0087]
According to the fifth aspect of the present invention, the transmission during the interruption is resumed when the transmission started after the interruption of the transmission ends, so that the user does not need to give a transmission instruction when the transmission is resumed. And unnecessary interruptions can be prevented.
[0088]
According to the sixth aspect of the present invention, the transmission is not interrupted for the transmission original having the predetermined number or less, so that the transmission is interrupted even when the transmission is not spent for a long time with a relatively small number of sheets. Is not done.
[0089]
According to the invention described in claim 7, the predetermined number of sheets can be determined by the user, so that the predetermined number of sheets more suitable for the user can be set.
[0090]
According to the invention described in claim 8, when the transmission is interrupted, the image transmitting apparatus transmits information for the image data receiver to recognize the interruption. It is possible to prevent the receiver from being confused by the fact that the data has been transmitted only halfway.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a schematic side view mainly showing a mechanical configuration of a digital multifunction peripheral using a division transmission function according to an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 2 is a block diagram mainly showing an electrical configuration of the digital multifunction peripheral shown in FIG.
3 is a block diagram showing an electrical configuration and a functional configuration in a control unit of the digital multi-function peripheral related to facsimile transmission in the block diagram shown in FIG. 2;
FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating an example of a stack table in a suspended page storage unit.
5A is a diagram illustrating an example of a message before transmission is interrupted, and FIG. 5B is a diagram illustrating an example of a message after resumption of transmission.
FIG. 6 is a flowchart illustrating a flow of a process performed by the digital multifunction peripheral at the time of facsimile transmission.
FIG. 7 is a block diagram showing an electrical configuration of a digital multifunction peripheral related to facsimile transmission and a functional configuration in a control unit according to a third embodiment, among the block diagrams shown in FIG. 2;
FIG. 8 is a diagram illustrating a flowchart illustrating a flow of a process at the time of facsimile transmission of the digital MFP according to the third embodiment.
[Explanation of symbols]
1 Digital MFP (image transmission device)
11 Scanner section
21 Image processing unit
41 Control unit
51 Operation panel unit (suspension instructing means, resuming instructing means, threshold setting means)
61 Facsimile communication unit
71 Interruption instruction section (interruption instruction means)
72 Resume instructing section (resume instructing means)
73 threshold setting section (threshold setting means)
74 Interruption page storage section (interruption position storage means)
75 Transmission control unit (interruption means, resumption means, interruption determination means)
76 Interruption information addition unit (interruption information addition means)
91 Interruption time setting section (interruption time setting means)
92 Interruption time measurement unit (interruption time measurement means)

Claims (8)

In an image transmission device that transmits image data using a communication line,
Interruption instructing means for instructing a user to interrupt the transmission of the image data,
Interruption means for interrupting the transmission of the image data in response to an interruption instruction from the interruption instruction means,
Interruption position storage means for remembering interruption position identification information for identifying the transmission interruption position of the image data interrupted by the interruption instruction,
An image transmitting apparatus, comprising: a resuming unit that resumes transmission of a portion where the image data has not been transmitted, based on the interrupted position specifying information stored in the interrupted position storage unit. 2. The image transmitting apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising restart instruction means for instructing the transmission restart by a user, wherein said restart instruction means activates said restart means when said restart instruction is received. . The apparatus further comprises an interruption time measuring means for measuring that a transmission interruption time set as a time from the transmission interruption to the transmission resuming has elapsed, and activating the resuming means when the transmission interruption time has elapsed. The image transmission device according to claim 1. The image transmitting apparatus according to claim 3, further comprising an interruption time setting unit for setting a transmission interruption time by a user. 2. The image transmitting apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the resuming unit is activated when transmission of image data other than the image data whose transmission has been started after the interruption of the transmission is completed. The apparatus further comprises interruption determination means for determining not to interrupt the transmission when the total number of transmission originals, which is an input medium of the image data to be transmitted to the image transmission device, is equal to or less than a predetermined number. 6. The image transmitting apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the means determines that the interruption is not performed based on the determination of the interruption determining means. 7. The image transmitting apparatus according to claim 6, further comprising a threshold setting unit for setting the predetermined number of sheets by a user. 8. The image processing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising: interruption information adding means for adding interruption information to a receiver of the image data for identifying an interruption state of transmission of the image data to the image data and transmitting the image data. The image transmission device according to any one of the above.

Images