JP2005341615A - Transmitter - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a transmitter, e.g. a network scanner, in which a memory capacity for storing encoded information can be saved and transmission efficiency is enhanced when transmission information, e.g. image information, is broadcast to a plurality of receivers of different encoding system. <P>SOLUTION: One encoding system is selected based on predetermined conditions, e.g. an encoding system of highest compression rate, a most frequent encoding system or a predetermined encoding system (S1007), read out image information is encoded by the selected encoding system (S1009), the encoded transmission information is stored in a memory (S1010), and transmitted while converting the encoding system as required (S1017). <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2006,JPO&NCIPI

Description

  The present invention relates to a transmitting apparatus that transmits information to a plurality of receiving apparatuses such as a facsimile using a telephone line network and a personal computer using a data communication network, and in particular, generates image information by reading an image, and generates the generated image information. The present invention relates to a transmission device such as a network scanner device that transmits by broadcast transmission.

A scanner apparatus that has been used as a simple image reading device can be used as a transmission apparatus that transmits image information to a receiving apparatus such as a personal computer connected to the communication network with the recent development of the communication network. Has been developed as.
As a scanner apparatus that can be used as a transmission apparatus, there is a network scanner apparatus that is connected to a data communication network such as the Internet and has a function called Scan to E-mail that transmits image information by electronic mail.

  A function called Scan to E-mail provided in a transmission device such as a network scanner device is to create an attached file for e-mail by encoding the image information generated by scanning a document image into a transmission method. The electronic mail to which the attached file is attached is transmitted to a receiving device such as a personal computer designated by the electronic mail address via the data communication network.

  On the other hand, as a receiving apparatus, not only a personal computer but also a network facsimile apparatus having a printing function and a telephone function has been developed. As a method of transmitting image information to a receiving apparatus used as a network facsimile apparatus, a telephone line is used. In addition to transmitting image information via a network, it is also possible to transmit via a data communication network such as the Internet, and a network facsimile apparatus having these communication functions can also be used as a transmitting apparatus.

  An encoding method for transmitting image information using a network facsimile apparatus has been studied by the Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF), which is an organization that determines Internet standards, and the basic redundancy of G3 facsimile. It stipulates that it has a standard function of encoding with the MH (modified Huffman) method, which is a suppression encoding method. As a result, when image information is transmitted to a plurality of receiving devices based on the standard defined by broadcast transmission, it is possible to cope with each receiving device by encoding and transmitting by the MH method. Become.

  However, since the image information encoded by the MH method has a low compression rate, the compression rate is lower than that of the MH method such as the MR (modified READ) method and the MMR (modified modified READ) method, instead of being fixed to the MH method and transmitted. Transmitting apparatuses that transmit image information encoded by a high encoding method to receiving apparatuses are in widespread use. In such a transmission apparatus, when one image information is broadcast to a plurality of receiving apparatuses, an operator sets an encoding method for each of the plurality of receiving apparatuses, and the transmission apparatus sets each encoding set. The image information encoded by the method is recorded in a memory as a plurality of different files, and the recorded plurality of encoded image information is transmitted to each receiving device.

In Patent Document 1, before transmitting image information, an e-mail for confirming the encoding capability of the transmission destination is transmitted / received in advance, and then the encoding method corresponding to each image information based on the confirmed encoding capability A communication control method is disclosed in which the data is encoded and recorded in step S1 and transmitted to each receiving apparatus.
Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2000-347954

  However, by changing the encoding method for each receiving device, it was possible to reduce the chance of encoding by the MH method having a low compression rate and improve the communication efficiency. Since encoding is performed by the encoding method, it is necessary to record the encoded image information as a plurality of different files in the memory, and thus there is a problem that a large amount of free space in the memory must be secured.

  The present invention has been made in view of such circumstances, and when transmitting image information by broadcast transmission to a plurality of receiving apparatuses having different encoding methods, the compression rate is the highest among the respective encoding methods, Select one encoding method based on the predetermined conditions such as the most encoding methods and preset encoding methods, store the image information encoded by the selected encoding method in the memory, and at the time of transmission An object of the present invention is to provide a transmission device that does not need to secure a large amount of free memory space while maintaining high communication efficiency by converting the encoding method as necessary.

  The transmission device according to the present invention is a transmission device that compresses and encodes information to be transmitted, and transmits the compressed and encoded information to a plurality of reception devices connected via a communication network, and a code for each of the plurality of reception devices. The information is compressed based on the means for accepting the encoding method, the selecting means for selecting the encoding method having the highest compression rate from the accepted encoding methods, and the selected encoding method. It comprises encoding means, means for recording compression-encoded information, and transmission means for transmitting the recorded information to the receiving device.

  In the transmitting apparatus according to the present invention, when information is transmitted by broadcast transmission to a plurality of receiving apparatuses having different encoding systems, the encoding system with the highest compression rate is selected, and the encoding is performed according to the selected encoding system. Recording the information in the memory reduces the chances of encoding by the encoding method with the lowest compression rate, so that it is possible to improve the communication efficiency, and each encoded by a plurality of different methods This information need not be recorded, so that it is not necessary to secure a large amount of free memory space, and the memory capacity can be reduced. Furthermore, in the transmission apparatus according to the present invention, it is possible to further improve communication efficiency by selecting an encoding method with the highest compression rate.

  The transmitting apparatus according to the present invention encodes information to be transmitted, and transmits the encoded information to a plurality of receiving apparatuses connected via a communication network. A means for receiving a method, a selection means for selecting a more accepted encoding method from each of the accepted encoding methods, and a means for encoding information based on the selected encoding method And means for recording the encoded information and a transmission means for transmitting the recorded information to the receiving device.

  In the transmitting apparatus according to the present invention, when information is transmitted by broadcast transmission to a plurality of receiving apparatuses having different encoding systems, a more accepted encoding system is selected, and encoding is performed using the selected encoding system. Recording the information in the memory reduces the chances of encoding by the encoding method with the lowest compression rate, so that it is possible to improve the communication efficiency and each of the encoded by a plurality of different methods Since it is not necessary to record information, it is not necessary to secure a large amount of free memory space, and the memory capacity can be reduced. Furthermore, in the transmission apparatus according to the present invention, it is possible to reduce the processing addition and the processing time for converting the coding method by selecting the most accepted coding method.

  The transmitting apparatus according to the present invention encodes information to be transmitted, and transmits the encoded information to a plurality of receiving apparatuses connected via a data communication network. Regardless of the received encoding method, the selection means for selecting one preset encoding method and the information based on the selected encoding method, regardless of the received encoding method. It comprises: means for encoding, means for recording the encoded information, and transmission means for transmitting the recorded information to the receiving device.

  In the transmitting apparatus according to the present invention, when information is transmitted by broadcast transmission to a plurality of receiving apparatuses having different encoding systems, a preset encoding system is selected and the selected encoding system is selected. By recording the information encoded in the memory in the memory, the chances of encoding by the encoding method with the lowest compression rate can be reduced, so that the communication efficiency can be improved and the encoding is performed by a plurality of different methods. Since it is not necessary to record each information, it is not necessary to secure a large amount of free memory space, and the memory capacity can be reduced. Further, in the transmission device according to the present invention, by selecting one preset encoding method, for example, by setting a standard method for a normal receiving device, conversion of the encoding method is performed. Therefore, the processing load can be reduced and the processing time can be shortened, and the input restriction of the encoding method, that is, the input can be omitted, so that the operability can be improved. Furthermore, in the transmission apparatus according to the present invention, the reception apparatus, which is a general facsimile apparatus that transmits information only through a telephone line network that does not pass through a data communication network, has the encoding capability of the reception apparatus that is a transmission destination at the time of transmission. Since the encoding method is converted accordingly, the codes received by the receivers excluding the receivers which are these facsimile machines, for example, network facsimile machines and personal computers to which information is transmitted via the data communication network By selecting a method based on the conversion method, it is possible to reduce the memory capacity, reduce the addition of the conversion method of the encoding method, and reduce the time.

  The transmission apparatus according to the present invention is characterized in that the encoding is information compression.

  In the transmission apparatus according to the present invention, it is possible to improve communication efficiency by compressing information.

  The transmission device according to the present invention is configured to determine whether or not conversion of the encoding method of the recorded information is necessary based on the encoding method for the receiving device serving as the transmission destination. And a means for converting the encoding method, wherein the transmission means is adapted to transmit information obtained by converting the encoding method.

  In the transmitting apparatus according to the present invention, when transmitting encoded information, the encoding method is converted as necessary, so that information can be transmitted to a receiving apparatus that does not support the recorded encoding method. It becomes possible to transmit.

  The transmission apparatus according to the present invention is characterized in that the information is image information.

  The transmission apparatus according to the present invention can be applied to an apparatus that processes an image, such as a facsimile apparatus, by using image information as transmission information.

  In the transmission apparatus according to the present invention, when transmission information such as image information is transmitted by broadcast transmission to a plurality of reception apparatuses having different encoding systems, the code having the highest compression rate and the highest code among the respective encoding systems. Select one encoding method based on a predetermined condition such as an encoding method and a preset encoding method, store the transmission information encoded by the selected encoding method in a memory, and if necessary during transmission By converting the encoding method and transmitting, the chances of encoding with the encoding method with the lowest compression rate are reduced, so that the communication efficiency can be improved and the encoding is performed with a plurality of different methods. Since it is not necessary to record each of the converted information, it is not necessary to secure a large amount of free space in the memory, and it is possible to reduce the memory capacity.

Hereinafter, the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings illustrating embodiments thereof.
Embodiment 1
FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an internal configuration of a transmission apparatus according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention. In the figure, reference numeral 1 denotes a transmission apparatus using a facsimile apparatus connected to a data communication network such as the Internet and an analog telephone line network (PSTN: Public Switched Telephone Network). The transmission apparatus 1 transmits via a telephone line network. It has not only a function as a facsimile apparatus that transmits information but also a function as a network facsimile apparatus that transmits transmission information via a data communication network and a function that transmits and receives electronic mail (Scan to E-mail).

  The transmission apparatus 1 is a non-volatile recording unit that records various information such as a main control unit 2 such as a CPU that controls the entire apparatus, a control program processed by the main control unit 2, and information about a reception apparatus that is a transmission destination of transmission information. Alternatively, a backup volatile control memory 3 and a control buffer 4 such as a RAM for temporarily storing information such as data generated by the processing of the control program are provided, and communication described later is executed by executing the control program. Control of processing such as image reading and encoding method selection is performed.

  Further, the transmission device 1 encodes and compresses the image information read by the reading unit 5 such as a scanner that reads an image using a CCD by the reading unit 5 by a method such as the MH method, the MR method, or the MMR method as transmission information. Encoding / decoding control unit 6 that performs transmission, image storage unit 7 that stores transmission information that is encoded and compressed by encoding / decoding control unit 6, and transmission information that is encoded and compressed stored in image storage unit 7 as MIME (Multipurpose An e-mail creation unit 8 for converting to an e-mail system such as Internet Mail Extensions) is provided.

  The transmission device 1 also includes a LAN control unit 9 connected to a data communication network such as the Internet via an internal communication network such as a LAN as communication means for transmitting the encoded and compressed transmission information stored in the image storage unit 7. And a network control unit (NCU) for connecting the modem 10 to the telephone line network as necessary by performing operations such as closing and opening the line with the modem 10 for performing modulation / demodulation of transmission information and the telephone line network. : Network Control Unit) 11. A LAN control unit 9 is used for communication via a data communication network such as an electronic mail and a network facsimile, and a modem 10 and a network control unit 11 are used for communication via a telephone line network such as a general facsimile. Is used.

  Further, the transmission apparatus 1 includes an output unit 12 having a function as an electrophotographic printer apparatus, and encodes and compresses information from other apparatuses via a communication network such as a data communication network and a telephone line network. When received by the LAN control unit 9, or the modem 10 and the network control unit 11, the information encoded and compressed by the encoding / decoding control unit 6 is decoded, stored in the image storage unit 7, and output unit 12 Output from.

  Further, in order to cause the transmission apparatus 1 to perform the various controls and processes described above, a panel control unit 14 that controls the operation panel 13 attached to the outer surface of the transmission apparatus 1 as an interface for an operator to operate the transmission apparatus 1 is provided. I have.

  FIG. 2 is an external view showing an operation panel provided in the transmission apparatus according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention. On the left side of the operation panel 13 is provided a touch panel liquid crystal display unit (hereinafter referred to as an LCD display unit) 13a which is an input / output interface having an input function for accepting an operation input by pressing with a finger and an output function for displaying an image. Various images such as an image for performing various processing settings and an image showing a warning display are displayed on the LCD display unit 13a, and the operator presses a location indicated by the displayed image. The transmission device 1 accepts an input.

  On the right side of the LCD display unit 13a, a function button 13b for calling various functions such as printer, facsimile, image (image) transmission, copying, and user setting to the LCD display unit 13a, and the execution status of the called function And a status display unit 13c having an LCD for displaying the job status.

  Further, on the right side of the operation panel 13, a numeric keypad for inputting a numerical value, a sign key having various functions, a clear key for correcting numerical values, an all release key for returning the function to the standard state, and a process are started. Various keys 13d such as a start key are provided.

  Next, transmission processing of the transmission apparatus according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention will be described using the flowcharts shown in FIGS. An operator who desires to transmit image information as transmission information to a plurality of receiving apparatuses operates the transmitting apparatus 1 to call a function for transmitting image information. In the transmission device 1, as processing for transmitting image information, input of information regarding a reception device serving as a transmission destination is requested in an interactive manner, and reception device setting processing for receiving input in response to the request is performed (S1001).

  FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing the receiving device setting process of the transmitting device in the first embodiment of the present invention. As the receiving device setting processing in step S1001, the transmitting device 1 requests input of a desired transmission method from among transmission methods such as facsimile, electronic mail, and network facsimile, and accepts input of the transmission method in response to the request (S1101). . Then, it is determined whether or not the accepted transmission method is facsimile transmission (S1102). If it is determined that the transmission method is facsimile transmission (S1102: Y), the input of the facsimile number of the destination receiving apparatus is requested and the request is received. An input of a facsimile number is accepted (S1103).

  If it is determined that the transmission method accepted in step S1102 is not facsimile transmission (S1102: N), it is determined whether or not the accepted transmission method is electronic mail (S1104), and it is determined that the transmission method is electronic mail ( S1104: Y), requesting the input of the e-mail address of the destination receiving apparatus, accepting the input of the e-mail address in response to the request (S1105), further requesting the input of the encoding method of the image information, encoding the request The input of the method is accepted (S1106).

  If it is determined that the transmission method accepted in step S1104 is not electronic mail (S1104: N), it is determined whether or not the accepted transmission method is network facsimile (S1107), and it is determined that the transmission method is network facsimile ( S1107: Y), requesting input of the e-mail address of the destination receiving apparatus, accepting input of the e-mail address in response to the request (S1108), further requesting input of the encoding method of the image information, encoding for the request The input of the method is accepted (S1109).

  If it is determined that the transmission method accepted in step S1107 is not electronic mail (S1107: N), the process returns to step S1101, and the subsequent processing is repeated.

  As the encoding methods accepted in steps S1106 and S1109, there are an encoding method indicating a compression format and an encoding method indicating a file format. As an encoding method indicating a compression format, an MH method, an MR method, There are encoding methods such as the MMR method and the like. The MH method has the lowest compression rate, and the compression rate increases as the MR method and further the MMR method. If the receiving device is a facsimile device, the encoding method is converted according to the encoding capability of the receiving device that is the transmission destination at the time of transmission, so it is assumed that encoding is performed by the MMR method with the highest compression rate. Therefore, it is not necessary to input an encoding method.

  The encoding method indicating the file format is an encoding method to be selected when transmitting as an e-mail, and includes formats such as a PDF format, a TIFF format, and a TIFF-F format. The PDF format is an image information format that reproduces the document layout between different OSs developed by Adobe Systems based on PostScript technology. The TIFF format is image information developed by Aldus and Microsoft. The TIFF-F format is a multi-page TIFF format, that is, a format of image information for embedding a plurality of pages of a document in one TIFF file.

  The operator inputs a selection item such as a transmission method, and then presses a determination key displayed on the LCD display unit 13a to input the transmission method and the encoding method. A decision input is accepted (S1110), and the presence / absence of a receiving device as the next transmission destination is determined (S1111). The presence / absence of the receiving device as the next transmission destination is determined based on the key input by the operator. When it is determined that there is a receiving device as the next transmission destination (S1111: Y), the process returns to step S1101 and thereafter. The process is repeated, and when it is determined that there is no receiving device as the next transmission destination (S1111: N), the receiving device setting process is terminated. Information relating to the receiving device received in the receiving device setting process is recorded in the control memory 3.

  FIG. 6 is an explanatory diagram showing an image displayed on the transmission apparatus according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention. FIGS. 6A and 6B are images displayed on the LCD display unit 13a when the operator inputs an e-mail address when the transmission method is e-mail. FIG. By pressing the image displayed as the e-mail address, an image imitating the keyboard shown in FIG. 6 (b) is displayed. Enter the address. Note that a list of e-mail addresses is displayed by performing an input of pressing the image displayed as the destination list in the stage of FIG. 6 (a). Select a desired e-mail address from the list. By doing so, it becomes possible to omit the input of the e-mail address. At this time, it is possible to set conditions for image information to be transmitted, such as density, image quality (resolution), and document size. In the example shown in FIG. 6A, the density and the size of the document are set so as to be automatically determined, and the image quality is normally set.

  6B is displayed, the image shown in FIG. 6C is displayed on the LCD display unit 13a. The operator then selects an encoding method and performs input to press the enter key. In the example shown in FIG. 6C, the MR method is selected as the compression format and PDF is selected as the file format.

  The transmission apparatus 1 that has completed the reception apparatus setting process determines whether there is a reception apparatus for which a transmission method other than facsimile is set (S1002), and all the transmission methods for the reception apparatus that have been set are facsimile, and transmission other than facsimile is performed. When it is determined that there is no receiving apparatus for which the method is set (S1002: N), the reading unit 5 reads a reading target such as a placed document as an image (S1003), and image information indicating the read image is obtained. Coding and compression are performed by the MMR method, which is the coding method with the highest compression rate (S1004), and the image information subjected to the coding compression is stored in the image storage unit 7 (S1005). Then, the stored image information is converted into an encoding method corresponding to each encoding capability of each receiving apparatus by a standard function of a facsimile using the modem 10 and the network control unit 11, respectively. Transmission processing by facsimile to the receiving apparatus is performed (S1006).

  If it is determined in step S1002 that there is a receiving apparatus for which a transmission method other than facsimile is set (S1002: Y), an encoding method selection process for selecting an encoding method according to a predetermined condition is executed (S1007).

  FIG. 7 is a flowchart showing the encoding method selection processing of the transmission apparatus according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention. As the encoding method selection processing in step S1007, the transmitting device 1 extracts the encoding method for each receiving device included in the information related to the receiving device recorded in the control memory 3 by the processing of the main control unit 2 (S1201). ), The encoding method with the highest compression rate is selected from the extracted encoding methods (S1202), and the selected encoding method is set as an encoding method for encoding image information (S1203). The method selection process ends. In the first embodiment described here, the encoding method selected in step S1202 is based on the encoding method accepted for a receiving apparatus connected via a data communication network such as e-mail and network facsimile. Therefore, the encoding method accepted for the receiving apparatus selected via the telephone line network such as a facsimile is not considered. This is because, when transmitting via the telephone network, the encoding format can be converted to another encoding format at the time of transmission by a standard facsimile function. This is because it is possible to select a more efficient encoding method when the encoding method is selected except for the encoding method.

  Next, the encoding method selected in step S1202 will be described using an example. Table 1 shows four receivers A, B, C, and D as the transmission destinations of image information, and the transmission methods are facsimile, facsimile, network facsimile, and electronic mail (Scan to E-mail). In some cases, coding schemes selected for four cases are shown.

  Case 1 shows a case where the encoding method of the receiving device A is the MR method and the encoding methods of the receiving devices B, C, and D are the MMR method. In case 1, the MMR method is selected as the encoding method with the highest compression rate.

  Case 2 shows a case where the encoding method of the receiving device A is the MMR method, the encoding methods of the receiving devices B and C are the MR method, and the encoding method of the receiving device D is the MH method. In Case 2, the encoding method with the highest compression rate is the MMR method, but in the first embodiment described here, it is based on the encoding method accepted for the receiving apparatus connected via the data communication network. Therefore, the MR method, which is the encoding method with the highest compression rate among the receiving apparatuses C and D, is selected.

  Case 3 shows a case where the encoding method of the receiving device A is the MMR method, the encoding method of the receiving device B is the MR method, and the encoding methods of the receiving devices C and D are the MH method. In Case 3, the MH method is selected for the same reason as in Case 2.

  Case 4 shows a case where the encoding method of the receiving devices A, B, and C is the MR method, and the encoding method of the receiving device D is the MH method. In Case 4, the MR method is selected as the encoding method with the highest compression rate. By performing such an encoding method selection process, the opportunity for compression encoding with the MH method having the lowest compression rate is reduced, and it is not necessary to perform compression with different compression methods.

  In the transmission apparatus 1 that has completed the encoding method selection process, the reading unit 5 reads a reading target such as a placed document as an image (S1008), and image information indicating the read image is read by the encoding method selection process. Based on the selected and set encoding method, the image information is encoded by the encoding / decoding control unit 6 (S1009), and the encoded image information is stored in the image storage unit 7 (S1010).

  Then, the receiving device that is the transmission destination of the image information is extracted in a predetermined order, it is determined whether or not the transmission method of the extracted receiving device is a facsimile (S1011), and when it is determined that it is a facsimile (S1011: Y ) The encoded image information stored in the image storage unit 7 is converted into an encoding method corresponding to the encoding capability of the receiving apparatus as required by a standard facsimile function using the modem 10 and the network control unit 11. Then, transmission processing by facsimile to the receiving device is performed (S1012).

  Then, it is determined whether or not there is a next receiving device that has not been extracted (S1013). If it is determined that there is a receiving device that has not been extracted (S1013: Y), the process returns to step S1011 to select the next receiving device that follows a predetermined order. The subsequent processing is repeated after extraction. If it is determined in step S1011 that the extracted transmission method of the receiving apparatus is not facsimile (S1011: N), the process proceeds to step S1013 to perform the subsequent processing.

  Next, the receivers that are unsent destinations are extracted in a predetermined order, and the encoding capability of the extracted receivers is compared with the encoding method of the image information stored in the image storage unit 7 to perform encoding. The necessity of system conversion is determined (S1014). If it is determined that the encoding system needs to be converted (S1014: Y), the encoding system is converted (S1015). If it is determined in step S1014 that the encoding method does not need to be converted (S1014: N), the process of step S1015 is not performed. Then, the image information obtained by encoding or encoding method conversion is converted into a transmission file format, for example, a method such as MIME by the e-mail creating unit 8 (S1016).

  FIG. 8 is an explanatory diagram conceptually showing file format conversion performed by the transmission apparatus according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention. The image information read by the reading unit 5 is encoded by the encoding / decoding control unit 6 and stored in the image storage unit 7. The encoded image information is converted in file format by the e-mail creating unit 8 and header information is added as e-mail management information. The header information here is information such as “From: e-mail address related to the transmitting device”, “To: e-mail address related to the receiving device”, “Subject: title”, and the like.

  The encoded image information whose file format has been converted is transmitted from the LAN control unit 9 to the receiving device via a communication network such as the Internet (S1017). Then, it is determined whether or not there is a next receiving device that has not been extracted (S1018). If it is determined that there is a receiving device that has not been extracted (S1018: Y), the process returns to step S1014, and the next receiving device according to a predetermined order is selected. The subsequent processing is repeated after extraction. If it is determined in step S1018 that there is no unextracted receiving device (S1018: N), the transmission processing of the transmitting device 1 is terminated. Note that the transmission processing of image information in step S1017 may be processing by broadcast transmission that simultaneously transmits to a plurality of receiving apparatuses via a data communication network.

  In the first embodiment, in the process of step S1202 for selecting the encoding method, the encoding method is selected based on the encoding method of the receiving device other than the receiving device that transmits by facsimile. The present invention is not limited to this, and the encoding method may be selected in consideration of the encoding method of the receiving apparatus that transmits by facsimile.

  Table 2 shows a situation in which the encoding method is selected in consideration of the encoding methods of the receiving apparatuses A and B in the same case as Table 1. In Table 2, the MMR method is selected for Case 1, Case 2, and Case 3, and the MR method is selected for Case 4.

Embodiment 2
The second embodiment is a form in which the encoding method selection process in the first embodiment is processed by a method different from that in the first embodiment. FIG. 9 is a flowchart showing a coding method selection process of the transmission apparatus according to Embodiment 2 of the present invention. As the encoding method selection processing, the transmission device 1 extracts the encoding method for each receiving device included in the information related to the receiving device recorded in the control memory 3 by the processing of the main control unit 2 (S2001). The most accepted encoding method is selected (S2002), the selected encoding method is set as an encoding method for encoding image information (S2003), and encoding method selection processing is performed. finish.

  Next, the encoding method selected in step S2002 will be described using an example. Table 3 shows the four receivers A, B, C, and D as the transmission destinations of the image information, and the respective transmission methods are facsimile, facsimile, network facsimile, and electronic mail (Scan to E-mail). In some cases, coding schemes selected for four cases are shown.

  Case 1 shows a case where the encoding method of the receiving device A is the MR method and the encoding methods of the receiving devices B, C, and D are the MMR method. In case 1, since the MR method is 1 and the MMR method is 3, the MMR method which is the most accepted encoding method is selected.

  Case 2 shows a case where the encoding method of the receiving device A is the MMR method, the encoding methods of the receiving devices B and C are the MR method, and the encoding method of the receiving device D is the MH method. In case 2, since the MMR method is 1, the MR method is 2, and the MH method is 3, the MR method that is the most accepted coding method is selected.

  Case 3 shows a case where the encoding method of the receiving device A is the MMR method, the encoding method of the receiving device B is the MR method, and the encoding methods of the receiving devices C and D are the MH method. In Case 3, since the MMR scheme is 1, the MR scheme is 1, and the MH scheme is 2, the MH scheme that is the most accepted encoding scheme is selected.

  Case 4 shows a case where the encoding method of the receiving devices A, B, and C is the MR method, and the encoding method of the receiving device D is the MH method. In case 4, since the MR method is 3 and the MH method is 1, the MR method which is the most accepted coding method is selected. By performing such an encoding method selection process, it is possible to reduce the chance of converting the encoding method when transmitting encoded image information. In addition, since there are a plurality of encoding methods, it is necessary to set in advance, for example, to select an encoding method having the highest compression rate among them.

  Since processes and configurations other than the encoding method selection process are the same as those in the first embodiment, the first embodiment will be referred to and the description thereof will be omitted.

Embodiment 3
The third embodiment is a form in which the encoding scheme selection process in the first embodiment is processed by a method different from that in the first embodiment. The transmission process of the transmission apparatus in Embodiment 3 of this invention is demonstrated using the flowchart shown in FIG.10 and FIG.11. In addition, the same step number is attached | subjected about the process similar to the transmission process of the transmitter of Embodiment 1 shown in FIG.3 and FIG.4, and the description is abbreviate | omitted.

  FIG. 12 is a flowchart showing a coding method selection process of the transmission apparatus according to Embodiment 3 of the present invention. As the encoding method selection process, the transmission device 1 extracts the encoding method for each receiving device included in the information related to the receiving device recorded in the control memory 3 by the processing of the main control unit 2 (S3001). The encoding method with the lowest compression rate is selected (S3002), the selected encoding method is set as an encoding method for encoding image information (S3003), and an encoding method selection process is performed. Exit.

  In the third embodiment described here, the encoding method selected in step S1202 is based on the encoding method accepted for a receiving apparatus connected via a data communication network such as electronic mail and network facsimile. Therefore, the encoding method accepted for the receiving apparatus selected via the telephone line network such as a facsimile is not considered.

  Next, the encoding method selected in step S1202 of Embodiment 3 will be described using an example. Table 4 shows the four receivers A, B, C, and D as the transmission destinations of the image information, and the respective transmission methods are facsimile, facsimile, network facsimile, and electronic mail (Scan to E-mail). In some cases, coding schemes selected for four cases are shown.

  Case 1 shows a case where the encoding method of the receiving device A is the MR method and the encoding methods of the receiving devices B, C, and D are the MMR method. In Case 1, the encoding method with the lowest compression rate is the MR method, but in Embodiment 3 described here, the encoding method accepted for the receiving apparatus connected via the data communication network is used. Therefore, the MMR method, which is the encoding method with the lowest compression rate among the receiving apparatuses C and D, is selected.

  Case 2 shows a case where the encoding method of the receiving device A is the MMR method, the encoding methods of the receiving devices B and C are the MR method, and the encoding method of the receiving device D is the MH method. In Case 2, the MH method, which is the encoding method with the lowest compression rate, is selected.

  Case 3 shows a case where the encoding method of the receiving device A is the MMR method, the encoding method of the receiving device B is the MR method, and the encoding methods of the receiving devices C and D are the MH method. In Case 3, the MH method is selected for the same reason as in Case 2.

  Case 4 shows a case where the encoding method of the receiving devices A, B, and C is the MR method, and the encoding method of the receiving device D is the MH method. In Case 4, the MH method is selected for the same reason as in Case 2. By performing such an encoding method selection process, the opportunity for compression encoding with the MH method having the lowest compression rate is reduced, and it is not necessary to perform compression with different compression methods.

  Then, processing is performed according to the flowchart shown in FIG. However, since encoding is performed by a method having the lowest compression rate, it is possible to cope with all the receiving apparatuses that are transmission destinations of image information, so that conversion of the encoding method is unnecessary, and therefore FIG. Processing corresponding to steps S1014 and S1015 is not necessary.

  In the third embodiment, in the processing of step S1202 for selecting an encoding method, an embodiment has been described in which an encoding method is selected based on the encoding method of a receiving device other than the receiving device that transmits by facsimile. The present invention is not limited to this, and the encoding method may be selected in consideration of the encoding method of the receiving apparatus that transmits by facsimile.

  Table 5 shows a situation in which the encoding method is selected in consideration of the encoding methods of the receiving apparatuses A and B in the same case as Table 4. In Table 4, the MMR method is selected for Case 1, Case 2, and Case 3, and the MR method is selected for Case 4.

Embodiment 4
The fourth embodiment is a mode in which the coding method selection process in the first embodiment is processed by a method different from that in the first embodiment. Instead of selecting a coding method from the coding method that has accepted the input, In this embodiment, a preset encoding method is selected as an encoding method according to a predetermined condition. Since the transmission processing of the transmission device in the fourth embodiment is the same as the transmission processing of the transmission device in the first embodiment shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, refer to the first embodiment and FIGS. 3 and 4. The description is omitted.

  FIG. 13 is a flowchart showing the receiving device setting process of the transmitting device according to the fourth embodiment of the present invention. The receiving device setting process corresponding to step S1001 in FIG. 3 in the first embodiment is also executed in the fourth embodiment, but the process is slightly different because the operator does not need to input the encoding method. The transmission apparatus 1 requests input of a desired transmission method from among transmission methods such as facsimile, electronic mail, and network facsimile, and receives input of the transmission method in response to the request (S4001). Then, it is determined whether or not the accepted transmission method is facsimile transmission (S4002). When it is determined that the transmission method is facsimile transmission (S4002: Y), the input of the facsimile number of the receiving apparatus as the destination is requested, and The input of the facsimile number is accepted (S4003).

  When it is determined that the transmission method accepted in step S4002 is not facsimile transmission (S4002: N), it is determined whether or not the accepted transmission method is electronic mail (S4004), and it is determined that the transmission method is electronic mail ( S4004: Y), requesting input of an e-mail address of a receiving device as a destination, accepting input of an e-mail address in response to the request (S4005), further requesting input of a file format of image information, The input is accepted (S4006).

  In the receiving device setting process in the first embodiment, the input of the encoding method indicating the compression format is requested. However, in the fourth embodiment, the input of the encoding method indicating the compression format is not required. Requests and acceptance are limited, and only file formats are required. The file format can also be omitted by setting in advance.

  If it is determined that the transmission method accepted in step S4004 is not electronic mail (S4004: N), it is determined whether or not the accepted transmission method is network facsimile (S4007), and it is determined that the transmission method is network facsimile ( S4007: Y), requesting input of the e-mail address of the destination receiving apparatus, accepting input of the e-mail address in response to the request (S4008), further requesting input of the file format of the image information, The input is accepted (S4009).

  Also in step S4009, since it is not necessary to input the encoding method indicating the compression format, the input request and acceptance are limited, and only the file format is input. If it is determined that the transmission method accepted in step S4007 is not electronic mail (S4007: N), the process returns to step S4001 and the subsequent processing is repeated.

  The operator inputs a selection item such as a transmission method, and then presses a determination key displayed on the LCD display unit 13a to input the transmission method and the encoding method. A decision input is accepted (S4010), and the presence / absence of a receiving device as the next transmission destination is determined (S4011). The presence / absence of a receiving device as the next transmission destination is determined based on an operator's key input, and when it is determined that there is a receiving device as the next transmission destination (S4011: Y), the image information is encoded in a predetermined manner. When a warning to unify the system is displayed on the LCD display unit 13a (S4012), the process returns to step S4001 and the subsequent processing is repeated, and it is determined that there is no receiving device as the next transmission destination (S4011: N) Then, the receiving device setting process is terminated. Information relating to the receiving device received in the receiving device setting process is recorded in the control memory 3.

  FIG. 14 is an explanatory diagram showing an image displayed on the transmission apparatus according to Embodiment 4 of the present invention. FIG. 14A shows an image displayed on the LCD display unit 13a when the input of the file format is requested. Unlike the case of the first embodiment shown in FIG. 6C, the file format is selected. Although input can be performed, input request and reception are restricted so that a compression format cannot be selected. FIG. 14B shows a warning image displayed in step S4012. In the example shown in FIG. 14B, a warning that the MH system is unified is given. .

  FIG. 15 is a flowchart showing a coding method selection process of the transmission apparatus according to Embodiment 4 of the present invention. As the encoding method selection process, the transmission apparatus 1 selects a set encoding method, for example, the MH method, which is recorded in advance in a memory such as the control memory 3 by the process of the main control unit 2 (S4101). The selected encoding method is set as an encoding method for encoding image information (S4102), and the encoding method selection process is terminated.

  In the fourth embodiment, when the encoding method is unified to the MH method having the lowest compression rate, it is possible to cope with all the receiving apparatuses that are the transmission destinations of the image information, so that conversion of the encoding method is unnecessary. Therefore, the processing corresponding to steps S1014 and S1015 in FIG. 4 is not necessary.

  In the above-described embodiment, the image information is transmitted as transmission information. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and various types of information such as music information, moving image information, and document information are transmitted as transmission information. There may be.

  In the above embodiment, the coding method is unified and set. However, the present invention is not limited to this. For example, in the first embodiment, the top two methods having the highest compression rate are selected. However, it may be in a form where it is properly used as necessary.

It is a block diagram which shows the internal structure of the transmitter in Embodiment 1 of this invention. It is an external view which shows the operation panel with which the transmission apparatus in Embodiment 1 of this invention is provided. It is a flowchart which shows the transmission process of the transmitter in Embodiment 1 of this invention. It is a flowchart which shows the transmission process of the transmitter in Embodiment 1 of this invention. It is a flowchart which shows the receiver setting process of the transmitter in Embodiment 1 of this invention. It is explanatory drawing which shows the image displayed on the transmission apparatus in Embodiment 1 of this invention. It is a flowchart which shows the encoding system selection process of the transmitter in Embodiment 1 of this invention. It is explanatory drawing which shows notionally the conversion of the file format performed with the transmitter in Embodiment 1 of this invention. It is a flowchart which shows the encoding system selection process of the transmitter in Embodiment 2 of this invention. It is a flowchart which shows the transmission process of the transmitter in Embodiment 3 of this invention. It is a flowchart which shows the transmission process of the transmitter in Embodiment 3 of this invention. It is a flowchart which shows the encoding system selection process of the transmitter in Embodiment 3 of this invention. It is a flowchart which shows the receiver setting process of the transmitter in Embodiment 4 of this invention. It is explanatory drawing which shows the image displayed on the transmitter in Embodiment 4 of this invention. It is a flowchart which shows the encoding system selection process of the transmitter in Embodiment 4 of this invention.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Transmission apparatus 2 Main control part 3 Control memory 4 Control buffer 5 Reading part 6 Encoding / decoding control part 7 Image storage part 8 E-mail preparation part 9 LAN control part 10 Modem 11 Network control part 12 Output part 13 Operation panel 14 Panel controller

Claims (6)

In a transmission device that compresses and encodes information to be transmitted, and transmits the compressed and encoded information to a plurality of reception devices connected via a communication network.
Means for accepting an encoding method for each of the plurality of receiving devices;
A selection means for selecting an encoding method having the highest compression rate from the accepted encoding methods;
Means for compressing and encoding information based on the selected encoding scheme;
Means for recording compression encoded information;
A transmission device comprising: transmission means for transmitting the recorded information to the reception device. In a transmission device that encodes information to be transmitted and transmits the encoded information to a plurality of reception devices connected via a communication network.
Means for accepting an encoding method for each of the plurality of receiving devices;
A selection means for selecting a more accepted encoding scheme from the received encoding schemes;
Means for encoding information based on the selected encoding scheme;
Means for recording the encoded information;
A transmission device comprising: transmission means for transmitting the recorded information to the reception device. In a transmission device that encodes information to be transmitted and transmits the encoded information to a plurality of reception devices connected via a data communication network.
Means for accepting an encoding method for each of the plurality of receiving devices;
Regardless of each received encoding method, a selection means for selecting one preset encoding method;
Means for encoding information based on the selected encoding scheme;
Means for recording the encoded information;
A transmission device comprising: transmission means for transmitting the recorded information to the reception device.   4. The transmission apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the encoding is information compression. Means for determining the necessity of conversion of the encoding method of the recorded information based on the encoding method for the receiving device as the transmission destination;
Means for converting the encoding method when it is determined that conversion is necessary,
The transmission apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the transmission unit is configured to transmit information obtained by converting an encoding method.   The transmitting apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the information is image information.

Images