JP2006253813A - Facsimile machine and digital camera - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To store image data that have been transmitted by facsimile in a digital camera. <P>SOLUTION: The facsimile machine F is provided with an exclusive interface 1 that connects the facsimile machine F and the digital camera C and transfers the image data transmitted by facsimile, to the digital camera. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2006,JPO&NCIPI

Description

  The present invention relates to a facsimile apparatus capable of transferring image data transmitted by facsimile to a digital camera, and a digital camera corresponding to the facsimile apparatus.

  Recently, a facsimile apparatus can store data in its own storage unit or an external storage device instead of printing out the transmitted image data or in addition to printing out the image data. There is something.

  According to such a configuration, stored data can be used as a backup or for communication data management, and the utility value is extremely high.

It is also possible to set a certain condition and transfer data only when the condition is met. The device described in the following patent document stores image data in a large-capacity storage device when there is a failure in the printer.
JP-A-8-265527

  By the way, in the case of a facsimile machine used in an office or the like, since a plurality of devices are connected by an in-house network, the storage device as described above can be incorporated relatively easily. It is not easy to connect a storage device. Further, since the home facsimile machine has a small memory capacity, it is difficult to store data in the own machine.

  The present invention has been proposed in view of such circumstances, and its purpose is to provide a facsimile apparatus capable of storing image data transmitted by facsimile in a memory of a digital camera connected to the apparatus, The object is to provide a digital camera corresponding to the facsimile apparatus.

  In addition, many home-facing facsimile machines do not support color images or confidential transmissions, and are configured to refuse acceptance of such data. The purpose is to allow data to be received and stored.

  In order to achieve the above object, a facsimile apparatus according to claim 1 is provided with a dedicated interface for connecting a facsimile apparatus and a digital camera and transferring image data transmitted by facsimile to the digital camera.

  According to a second aspect of the present invention, the dedicated interface has a function of converting the image data transmitted by facsimile to the facsimile apparatus into an image format that can be previewed by the digital camera and / or transferring it to the digital camera without conversion. It is characterized by.

  According to a third aspect of the present invention, the dedicated interface has a function of adding communication information including a data format and a communication date and time to image data and transferring it to a digital camera.

  According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, the communication information includes a confidential code for discriminating confidential transmission, and when the dedicated interface is confidentially transmitted to the facsimile apparatus, the confidential code is turned on and transferred to the digital camera. It has a function.

  The digital camera according to claim 5 is used by being connected to the facsimile apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 3, and has been transferred from the facsimile apparatus via a dedicated interface of the facsimile apparatus. The non-converted image data has a function of displaying thumbnails as specific icons together with communication information on the display unit in communication units.

  According to the facsimile apparatus of the first aspect, since a dedicated interface for digital camera transfer is provided, the memory of the digital camera can be used as an external storage device. In particular, even a home facsimile machine with a small memory capacity can store image data as long as a digital camera is connected. Further, if the digital camera can be returned, it can be printed again by the device itself.

  In addition, even low-function facsimile machines that do not support color images or confidential transmission can be transferred and stored without printing themselves if they are connected to a digital camera. Can be saved in digital camera. Even if these data are returned to the device, they cannot be printed because they do not have a corresponding function. However, if they are transferred from the digital camera to another high function model, they can be printed out there.

  According to the second aspect of the present invention, since the transmitted image data has a function of converting the image data into an image format that can be previewed by the digital camera, the facsimile received data is visually recognized on the screen of the digital camera without printing out. be able to. Further, since it has a function of transferring without conversion, the digital camera can also be used as a simple data storage device.

  According to the third aspect, since the communication information such as the data format and the communication date / time is transferred along with the image data, the digital camera can determine whether the data format can be displayed. And can be used for data management.

  According to the fourth aspect of the present invention, when the confidential transmission is made, the confidential code is turned on and the image data is transferred to the digital camera. Therefore, if the confidential code is judged on the transfer destination digital camera side, display is impossible. It can be. Also, confidential data can be transferred to a high-functional model having a confidential function, and can be printed by inputting a password there.

  Since the digital camera according to claim 5 is configured to display the non-converted image data transferred through the dedicated interface of the facsimile apparatus as a specific icon together with communication information on a display unit on a display unit. Even non-converted image data that has not been converted into the image format of the camera can be confirmed as being transferred from the facsimile apparatus and stored, and the date and time of communication.

  It should be noted that the transfer data converted into the image format of the digital camera can be displayed in preview with the image itself mixed with the image captured by the digital camera or individually.

  Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

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

  The facsimile apparatus F includes a main control unit 2, an NCU 3, a modem 4, an image memory 5, a RAM 6, a ROM 7, a display unit 8, an operation unit 9, a reading unit 10, and a recording unit 11 configured by a CPU and the like. The digital camera C is provided with a digital camera interface 1 that is connected to the digital camera C via a USB or the like so that transmitted image data can be transferred to the digital camera C.

  The facsimile apparatus F has normal facsimile transmission and reception functions, and also has a function of transferring transmitted image data to the digital camera C via the digital camera dedicated interface 1.

  In this embodiment, a low-function home facsimile apparatus that does not support color images or confidential transmission is illustrated.

  FIG. 2 is a flowchart showing the basic operation of the digital camera transfer function of the facsimile apparatus F.

  The transfer to the digital camera C is executed when a facsimile is received.

  When an incoming call is received from another facsimile apparatus (not shown), it is first determined whether or not the digital camera C is connected. If not, the original of the facsimile apparatus F is determined according to the communication protocol with the other apparatus. , That is, a declaration that there is no color image or confidential reception capability, and the image data corresponding to that is received and printed out (101 to 104).

  Therefore, the facsimile apparatus F of this embodiment does not accept color images or confidential transmission when the digital camera C is not connected.

  If the digital camera C is connected, the communication protocol declares that it has the ability to receive color images and confidentials, receives commands such as confidential transmissions, receives image data, and meets specified conditions , A conversion process for transferring image data to the digital camera C is executed, and the data is transmitted together with the communication information. For data that does not meet the above conditions, image data is printed out (101, 105 to 113, 104).

  Here, the predetermined conditions are, as in steps 108 to 111, when it is determined that the printer of the recording unit 11 is disabled, when the storage mode is set, when the received data is a color image, When receiving, etc.

  In other words, color images and confidential transmissions are always transferred to the digital camera C. However, when the printer is disabled due to a paper break or failure, or when the save mode is set, all received data is transferred. In this case, even in the case of monochrome data, the data is transferred to the digital camera C.

  The communication information transferred together with the image data includes a communication date / time, a data format, a data amount, a confidential code, and the like. Any data format may be used as long as the digital camera C side can at least determine whether it has been converted to the digital camera image format or not converted. However, JPEG (conversion), JPEG (no conversion), MR (no conversion) ) And the like can be used to classify detailed data formats. The confidential code is turned on when a confidential transmission is received.

  In the conversion process (112), data conversion corresponding to the type of received data is performed under the above conditions.

  In the conversion process, the image is converted into a digital camera image format so that the preview can be displayed on the display unit C1 (see FIG. 5) of the digital camera C as the transfer destination. Those not desired are sent to the digital camera C without conversion.

  Note that the above-described storage mode is to transfer all received image data to the digital camera C when the mode is set, and is positioned as a function such as an answering machine. The storage mode can be set by a mode switch (not shown) of the operation unit 9 or the like. Alternatively, the storage mode may be automatically set when the facsimile apparatus F detects that the printer is disabled.

  FIG. 3 shows details of the conversion process. In this conversion process, the data format and confidential code data set included in the communication information are also executed.

  Reproduction of confidential data is prohibited in the digital camera C in order to realize the original function of printing out the personal data by inputting the password. Therefore, no conversion is performed regardless of color or black and white. In order to determine on the digital camera C side that the transmission is confidential, the confidential code of the communication information is turned on and the data format is set to “no conversion”.

  In the case of non-confidential data, if it is a color image, the received JPEG or TIF format data is converted into a digital camera image format. Although the image format of a digital camera is generally JPEG, since the resolution is specified, even when the received image is JPEG, conversion is performed so that the resolution matches. In this case, the data format of the communication information is set to “conversion”.

  In the case of monochrome data received when the printer is disabled and in the storage mode, data formats such as MH, MR, and MMR are converted into digital camera image formats. Also in this case, the data format of the communication information is set to “conversion”.

  The above operation is an example. For example, when the printer is disabled and the storage mode is set, no conversion may be performed regardless of color / monochrome, or conversion may be performed for confidential transmission. Further, print output may be performed together with data transfer.

  Thus, since the dedicated interface 1 for transferring the digital camera is provided, the memory of the digital camera C can be used as an external storage device. In particular, even a home facsimile apparatus F having a small memory capacity as in this embodiment can store transmitted image data as long as the digital camera C is connected.

  Further, since the image data is transferred in accordance with the image format of the digital camera C, the contents of the received facsimile can be referred to in the preview display of the digital camera C, and the contents can be confirmed without printing. .

  Next, the operation of the digital camera C connected to the facsimile apparatus F will be described.

  FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing the thumbnail image list display operation of the digital camera C. FIG. 5 is a diagram showing an example of a list display in thumbnail format on the display unit C1 of the digital camera C.

  As shown in FIG. 5, the digital camera C displays the image captured by the digital camera C and the transferred facsimile data for each communication unit in a time series on the display unit C1. . At that time, data that is not converted into the digital camera image format such as confidential data displays a specific icon instead of the image.

  For example, a photographed image is displayed at C11 in the figure, an icon of facsimile non-conversion data is displayed at C12, an icon of facsimile confidential data is displayed at C13, and image data that has been converted and sent is displayed at C14.

  FIG. 4 shows the operation flow. The image data is read out sequentially, the image and the shooting date and time are displayed when the image is taken by a digital camera (201 to 205), and the data format is converted when the image is a facsimile image. If the image is not converted, the confidential transmission and other specific icons are displayed, and communication information such as the communication date and time is also displayed simultaneously (201 to 203, 206 to 211).

  If the image data of the communication unit is a plurality of pages, only the first page may be displayed in the list, and subsequent images may be displayed sequentially by manipulating the image.

  In this example, the photographed image and the facsimile image are mixed, but they may be displayed on an individual list screen without mixing them.

  The facsimile image stored in the digital camera C in this way can be output as it is connected to a color printer. Confidential data can be printed by connecting to a device having a confidential reception function such as a multifunction peripheral and inputting a password.

  Further, the facsimile apparatus F may be provided with an input terminal from the digital camera C, and the image data once stored in the digital camera C may be returned and output from the printer in which the apparatus F is restored. Of course, in order to execute such a function, it is needless to say that the digital camera interface 1 or the digital camera C needs to perform reverse conversion.

  In the above embodiment, the reception data transmitted by facsimile is transferred to the digital camera. However, the transmission data may also be transferred. That is, in this case, data stored in the digital camera can be used as a backup of the transmission data.

1 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a facsimile apparatus of the present invention. 3 is a flowchart showing a basic operation of the facsimile apparatus of the present invention. It is the figure which showed the detail of the conversion process. It is a flowchart which shows the image list display operation | movement of the digital camera of this invention. 3 is a list of images displayed by the digital camera of the present invention.

Explanation of symbols

F Facsimile device 1 Digital camera interface C Digital camera C1 Display

Claims (5)

  A facsimile apparatus comprising a dedicated interface for connecting a facsimile apparatus and a digital camera and transferring image data transmitted by facsimile to the digital camera. In claim 1,
The dedicated interface has a function of converting image data transmitted by facsimile to a facsimile apparatus into an image format that can be previewed by a digital camera and / or transferring it to the digital camera without conversion. . In claim 2,
2. The facsimile apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the dedicated interface has a function of adding communication information including a data format and a communication date and time to the image data and transferring it to the digital camera. In claim 3,
The communication information includes a confidential code for determining confidential transmission,
The dedicated apparatus has a function of turning on the confidential code and transferring it to a digital camera when the dedicated interface is transmitted confidentially to the facsimile apparatus. Connected to the facsimile machine according to claim 1,
A digital camera having a function of displaying unconverted image data transferred from the facsimile apparatus via the dedicated interface as a specific icon together with communication information on a display unit in communication units.

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