JP2005191699A - Facsimile apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a facsimile apparatus capable of transmitting data certainly to a predetermined recipient without making a telephone call or the like to the transmitting partner beforehand. <P>SOLUTION: The facsimile apparatus 10 comprises a recipient's whereabouts confirming information storage 14 for storing the facsimile number of the recipient, relating it with whereabouts confirming information such as on-line information of an instant message address of a personal computer of the recipient for example for confirming the whereabouts of the recipient; and a network control unit 16 for confirming the whereabouts of the recipient, referring to the whereabouts confirming information stored in the storage 14. A main control unit 11 confirms the on-line information of the instant message in the personal computer of the recipient via the control unit 16 before transmission to the recipient, and performs whereabouts confirmation of the recipient. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2005,JPO&NCIPI

Description

  The present invention relates to a facsimile apparatus, and more particularly to a facsimile apparatus that can reliably transmit to a specific transmission partner.

In a facsimile machine (hereinafter sometimes referred to as “FAX”), it is a matter of great concern for a sender whether or not the data transmitted by the sender has reached a predetermined recipient. A facsimile apparatus that eliminates the anxiety of the sender in such a facsimile apparatus is disclosed in Patent Document 1 below. According to Patent Document 1, when the destination cannot output the transmitted data for some reason, the facsimile apparatus notifies the destination to that effect.
JP 2001-0669330 A (paragraph number 0019, FIG. 3)

  A conventional facsimile apparatus that eliminates a sender's anxiety is configured as described above. When the transmitted data cannot be output at the receiving destination, the sender is notified to that effect, so the sender knows that the data is not output to the transmitting destination. I didn't know if I was able to get the data. Conventionally, when transmitting highly urgent data to a specific person, it has been necessary to call the receiver in advance and receive it in front of the facsimile machine.

  The present invention has been made to solve the above-described problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide a facsimile apparatus capable of reliably transmitting data to a predetermined recipient without calling the transmission partner in advance. And

  The facsimile apparatus according to the present invention includes a receiver location confirmation information storage means for storing the recipient's facsimile number in association with location confirmation information for confirming the location of the receiver, and the location confirmation information with reference to the receiver. Receiver location confirmation means for confirming the location of the recipient before transmission to the recipient.

  Preferably, the facsimile apparatus transmits to the receiver when the receiver's location can be confirmed by the receiver location confirmation means, and notifies that the location cannot be confirmed when the location cannot be confirmed. And a control means.

  When the location of the receiver can be confirmed, transmission is made to the recipient. When the location cannot be confirmed, notification that the location cannot be confirmed is sent. Can be surely known.

  Preferably, the recipient location confirmation means confirms the online information of the instant message or the location information of the recipient's mobile phone.

The recipient location confirmation means may be activated by user selection. The receiver location confirmation information may be set for each receiver.
More preferably, the facsimile apparatus can set a predetermined time-out time, and the control means can confirm the receiver's location until the time-out time when the receiver's location cannot be confirmed by the receiver's location confirmation means. The location of the recipient is confirmed by means.

  Further, the location confirmation information may include another candidate facsimile number close to the recipient other than the recipient facsimile number, and the receiver location confirmation information storage means confirms the location of the further recipient together with the next candidate facsimile number. The location confirmation information to be performed may be stored in association with each other, and the control unit may further confirm the location of the recipient before transmission to the next candidate facsimile number.

  Since the location of the receiver can be confirmed at the time of transmission by the facsimile apparatus, it is possible to provide a facsimile apparatus capable of reliably transmitting data to a predetermined receiver without calling the transmission partner in advance.

  Preferably, the facsimile apparatus transmits to the receiver when the receiver's location can be confirmed by the receiver location confirmation means, and notifies that the location cannot be confirmed when the location cannot be confirmed. And a control means.

  When the location of the receiver can be confirmed, transmission is made to the recipient. When the location cannot be confirmed, notification that the location cannot be confirmed is sent. Can be surely known.

  Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a connection environment of a facsimile apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. Here, a case will be described as an example where a facsimile apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention is installed in a head office and communicates with a facsimile apparatus installed in a branch office.

  Referring to FIG. 1, a facsimile apparatus 10 according to an embodiment of the present invention is installed in, for example, a head office A, is connected to a telephone line 20, and is, for example, a facsimile apparatus of a branch office B via a telephone line network 21. 40 and a general mobile phone 21. On the other hand, the facsimile machine 10 is connected to the Internet 35 via a network such as an in-house LAN 30 and is connected to the facsimile machine 40 of the branch office B. A server 31 may be connected to the LAN 30 of the head office A. The facsimile machine 40 of the branch office B is connected to the LAN 41 of the branch office B, and a personal computer 42 and a server 43 are connected to the LAN 41.

  Next, the configuration of the facsimile machine 10 will be described. FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the facsimile machine 10.

  Referring to FIG. 2, facsimile apparatus 10 includes an encoding / decoding unit / fax communication control unit 12 for transmitting data to and receiving data from outside via telephone line 10, and a destination telephone. An operation unit 13 for performing operations such as input of numbers, a receiver location confirmation information storage unit 14 for storing receiver location confirmation information, which will be described later, and confirmation of a destination telephone number input by the operation unit 13 A display unit 15 for performing predetermined output, a network control unit 16 for connecting to a network such as an in-house LAN 30, an image memory 17 for temporarily storing data to be transmitted or received, and The communication device 18 for communicating with the cellular phone to be described, image data read by a scanner or the like (not shown), and image data via the encoding / decoding unit / FAX communication control unit 12 An image signal output processing unit 19 for management, and a main controller 11 for controlling the above respective units.

  1 and 2, the facsimile apparatus 10 can perform normal facsimile transmission / reception with the facsimile apparatus 40 of the branch office B through the telephone line network 21 from the encoding / decoding unit / FAX communication control unit 12. .

  Since the facsimile apparatus 10 is connected to the Internet 35 via the in-house LAN 30 via the network control unit 16 as described above, for example, the facsimile apparatus 40 of the branch office B or the facsimile apparatus 40 via the in-house LAN 41 of the branch office B. Are connected to a personal computer 42 and a server 43 that exist in the vicinity of.

  The receiver location confirmation information storage unit 14 of the facsimile apparatus 10 stores, for example, an instant message address of the personal computer 42 of the transmission partner together with the FAX number of the transmission destination (recipient). Using the instant message online status confirmation function, the network control unit 16 can obtain information on whether or not the personal computer 42 of the transmission destination in the vicinity of the facsimile machine 40 of the branch office B is connected to the Internet. . It should be noted that the user can select whether or not to perform receiver location confirmation before facsimile transmission using the receiver location confirmation information storage unit 14.

  That is, in this embodiment, the main control unit 11 operates as a receiver location confirmation unit that confirms the location of the receiver before transmission to the receiver.

  In addition to the above, the receiver location confirmation information storage unit 14 may store the mobile phone number of the transmission partner, for example. For this case, the facsimile apparatus 10 has a communication terminal 18 for a mobile phone. Via this communication terminal 18, the main control unit 11 of the facsimile apparatus 10 obtains location information on the presence of the recipient's mobile phone from the mobile phone switch 25. It is determined whether or not this position information is a normal position of the owner of the mobile phone (if the receiver is a branch office person, the branch office position), and this is stored in the receiver location confirmation information storage unit 14. May be.

  Therefore, the receiver location confirmation information storage unit 14 stores a recipient location confirmation information list in which the recipient FAX number and information for confirming the location of the receiver are set in association with each other. An example of the receiver location confirmation information list is shown in FIG.

  In FIG. 4, the recipient name indicates the FAX transmission partner, and the FAX number is the FAX number of the transmission partner. The instant message address field stores the recipient's instant message address, and the mobile phone field stores the recipient's mobile phone number. In the next candidate column, another FAX number close to the recipient other than the recipient FAX number is stored. Note that these pieces of information may be stored by investigating the location of the recipient at each transmission, as will be described later.

  Next, the operation of the facsimile machine 10 will be described. Here, a case where a at head office A performs facsimile transmission to b at branch office B will be described.

  FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing the contents of facsimile transmission processing performed by the main control unit 11 of the facsimile apparatus 10.

  With reference to FIG. 1 to FIG. 3, first, a function is set in the facsimile machine 10 (step S11, hereinafter, steps are omitted). Specifically, the following items are set in advance.

  (1) The receiver location confirmation information list is stored in the receiver location confirmation information storage unit 14. It is possible to set whether or not to confirm the location of the recipient every time a FAX is transmitted.

  (2) A time-out period necessary for confirming the location of the other party, which will be described later, is set.

  (3) The next candidate transmission destination is set, and when this is set in advance, whether to transmit to the next candidate transmission destination is set.

  Next, the transmission document is set in the reading unit of the facsimile machine 10 (not shown), and the transmission destination telephone number is input by the operation unit 13 (S12).

  Next, the main control unit 11 determines whether or not the receiver location confirmation is set in S11 (S14). If it is determined in S14 that the receiver location confirmation is set (YES in S13), the receiver location confirmation is started using the network control unit 16 or the communication terminal 18 (S14). As described above, the location is confirmed using the instant message address of the recipient's personal computer or the mobile phone number, and it is determined whether or not the other party is near the destination facsimile machine 40 (S15).

  If it is determined that the instant message online determination function of the personal computer 42 of the recipient b is “online” or the location confirmation information of the other party's mobile phone is “normal”, the other party is close to the FAX. It is determined that the user is present (YES in S15), and FAX transmission is performed (S23).

  It should be noted that FAX transmission is also performed when the receiver location confirmation is not set in S13 (S23).

  If it is determined that the instant message address of the personal computer of the recipient b is not “online” or the location confirmation information of the other party's mobile phone is not “normal”, it is determined that the other party is not near the FAX (S15). NO), the time-out count set in S11 is started (S16). The process returns to S14 to S16 until the predetermined time-out time is reached, and the confirmation of the location of the transmission partner is repeated (S17).

  When the set time-out period has elapsed (YES in S17), it is determined whether the next candidate FAX number is registered (S18), and if registered (YES in S18), the location of the partner near the next candidate FAX is determined. Confirmation is performed (S19). It is assumed that personal computer and mobile phone information related to the next candidate FAX is also stored in the same manner as a normal FAX.

  Similarly to the above, the same processing is performed for the next candidate FAX until time-out (S20 to S21), and when time-out occurs (YES in S21), the main control unit 11 indicates that “the partner b is not near the facsimile apparatus 40”. A notification (or warning) such as “I could not be located” or the like is transmitted to the transmission source facsimile machine 10 through the telephone line (S22).

  Even when the next candidate recipient FAX number is not registered in S18 (NO in S18), the process proceeds to S22.

  The sender “a” who has received a notification (or warning) such as “the other party b was not near the facsimile machine 40” or “the location could not be found” retransmits again at a later time, etc. Perform the process.

  In the above embodiment, if the sender b is originally registered at the head office A and is on a business trip to the branch office B on the day, the sender b will use the person's location on the day together with the FAX number in advance. If the instant message address of the personal computer is registered (FIG. 4B), the sender a of the head office A can surely transmit a confidential document or the like to the transmission partner b on the day.

  As described above, in this embodiment, when the main control unit 11 can confirm the location of the receiver, it transmits to the receiver, and when the location cannot be confirmed, the location cannot be confirmed. It operates as a control means for notifying that.

  In the above embodiment, the case where the facsimile apparatus according to one embodiment of the present invention is installed at the head office and communicates with the facsimile apparatus of the branch office has been described. May be.

  In the above-described embodiment, the receiver location confirmation information storage unit 14 has been described with respect to the case of storing the instant message address of the personal computer and the mobile phone information related to the other party's FAX number. In addition to the address, a column for displaying online may be further provided, and information indicating whether or not “online” is also stored there. Also, for the mobile phone, not only the number but also the location of the other party may be stored as, for example, “normal”, “absent”, and the like.

  In the above embodiment, the example in which the location confirmation information is performed for each FAX transmission has been described. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the related information of the recipient FAX number is always updated at a predetermined interval and stored. May be.

  In the above embodiment, the case where the facsimile apparatus 10 is connected to the facsimile apparatus 40 via a network such as the Internet has been described. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the transmission-side facsimile apparatus may be the recipient's facsimile apparatus. It does not have to be connected via a network.

  As mentioned above, although embodiment of this invention was described with reference to drawings, this invention is not limited to the thing of embodiment shown in figure. Various modifications and variations can be made to the illustrated embodiment within the same range or equivalent range as the present invention.

It is a figure which shows the connection environment of the facsimile apparatus which concerns on one embodiment of this invention. 1 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a facsimile apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. 3 is a flowchart showing the operation of the facsimile apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention. It is a figure which shows the example of stored data of a receiver location confirmation information storage part.

Explanation of symbols

10, 40 Facsimile device, 11 Main control unit, 12 Encoding / decoding block / FAX communication control unit, 13 Operation unit, 14 Recipient location confirmation information storage unit, 15 Display unit, 16 Network control unit, 17 Image memory, 18 communication terminals, 19 image signal input / output unit, 21 telephone line network, 35 Internet.

Claims (9)

Receiver location confirmation information storage means for storing the recipient's facsimile number in association with location confirmation information for confirming the location of the recipient;
A facsimile apparatus comprising: a receiver location confirmation unit that refers to the location confirmation information and confirms the location of the recipient before transmission to the recipient. A control means for transmitting to the receiver when the receiver's location can be confirmed by the receiver location confirming means, and notifying that the location cannot be confirmed when the location cannot be confirmed; The facsimile apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising: The facsimile apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the recipient location confirmation unit confirms online information of an instant message. The facsimile apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the receiver location confirmation unit confirms position information of the receiver's mobile phone. The facsimile apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the receiver location confirmation unit is activated by a user's selection. The facsimile apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the receiver location confirmation information is set for each receiver. The facsimile apparatus can set a predetermined time-out time, and the control means, when the receiver's location cannot be confirmed by the receiver-location confirmation means, until the time-out time until the receiver's location. The facsimile apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the location of the recipient is confirmed by a confirmation unit. The facsimile apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the location confirmation information includes another next candidate facsimile number close to a recipient other than the recipient facsimile number. The receiver location confirmation information storage means stores the location confirmation information for performing location confirmation of the further recipient in association with the next candidate facsimile number,
The facsimile apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the control unit confirms the location of the further recipient before transmission to the next candidate facsimile number.

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