JP2008118362A - Facsimile machine - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a facsimile machine capable of performing various kinds of processing of a reception facsimile according to the desire of a user. <P>SOLUTION: Specification of the arbitrary number of processing forms input through an input operation unit 170 is stored in a processing storage unit 140, and a processing control unit 150 processes received facsimile data with the stored arbitrary number of processing forms. When the user specifies the arbitrary number of processing forms as he or she desires, the facsimile data can be processed in two or more processing forms in parallel. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2008,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a facsimile apparatus having at least a function of printing received facsimile data, and more particularly to a facsimile apparatus having a function of processing facsimile data in a plurality of processing formats.

Currently, annoying facsimile such as direct mail is a problem in facsimile machines. Annoying facsimile consumes printing paper wastefully. In order to prevent this, a facsimile apparatus that determines whether the facsimile data is a nuisance facsimile from the transmission source and does not print when it is determined as a nuisance facsimile has been proposed (for example, see Patent Documents 1 to 3).
JP 09-31688 A JP 2001-144924 A JP-A-10-276279

  However, a conventional facsimile apparatus usually has a function of printing a proper facsimile and not printing a nuisance facsimile. However, classification other than proper facsimile and junk facsimile may be required as facsimile data.

  In addition, processing of facsimile data may be requested other than the presence or absence of printing. In particular, the current multifunctional facsimile apparatus may have three or more facsimile data processing formats.

  In such a case, it may be desired to process the facsimile data in parallel in two or more processing formats. However, current facsimile machines cannot realize the above-mentioned demand.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above-described problems, and provides a facsimile apparatus that can process facsimile data in parallel in an arbitrary number of processing formats that have been input and stored.

  The facsimile apparatus of the present invention is a facsimile apparatus having a function of printing at least received facsimile data, and a data receiving unit for receiving facsimile data and a data processing having a function of processing facsimile data in a plurality of processing formats. A unit, an input operation unit that accepts an input operation that specifies an arbitrary number of processing formats, a processing storage unit that stores an arbitrary number of specified processing formats, and an arbitrary storage unit that stores received facsimile data A processing control unit that performs processing in the number of processing formats.

  Therefore, in the facsimile apparatus of the present invention, if the user designates an arbitrary number of processing formats as desired, facsimile data is processed in that processing format. For this reason, facsimile data can be processed in parallel in two or more processing formats.

  The various constituent elements referred to in the present invention may be formed so as to realize their functions. For example, dedicated hardware that exhibits a predetermined function, a computer provided with a predetermined function by a computer program It can be realized as a device, a predetermined function realized in a computer device by a computer program, an arbitrary combination thereof, or the like.

  The various components of the present invention do not necessarily have to be independent of each other. A plurality of components are formed as a single member, and a single component is formed of a plurality of members. It may be that a certain component is a part of another component, a part of a certain component overlaps with a part of another component, or the like.

  In the present invention, “stores data” means that the device of the present invention is in a “stores data” state when used. For this reason, when the apparatus of the present invention is shipped, data is not stored, but it is allowed to be set up in a state storing data before being used.

  On the other hand, “store data” in the present invention has a function of storing new data, and also allows storing data at the time of manufacture and not storing new data after shipment.

  In the facsimile apparatus of the present invention, when a user designates an arbitrary number of processing formats as desired, facsimile data is processed in that processing format. Accordingly, facsimile data can be processed in parallel in two or more processing formats. For this reason, the convenience for the user can be improved.

  An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. The facsimile apparatus 100 according to the present embodiment has a function of printing at least received facsimile data.

  Further, as shown in FIG. 1, the facsimile apparatus 100 includes a data receiving unit 110 that receives facsimile data, a data processing unit 120 that has a function of processing facsimile data in a plurality of processing formats, and an arbitrary number of processing formats. An input operation unit 170 that accepts an input operation for designating, a processing storage unit 140 that stores an arbitrary number of specified processing formats, and processing received facsimile data in an arbitrary number of stored processing formats And a processing control unit 150.

  Further, it further includes a classification determination unit 130 that determines the received facsimile data as one of a plurality of facsimile classifications. For this reason, the input operation unit 170 receives an input operation for designating an arbitrary number of processing formats for each facsimile classification.

  The processing storage unit 140 stores an arbitrary number of processing formats that have been input for each facsimile classification. The processing control unit 150 causes the data processing unit 120 to process the facsimile data in an arbitrary number of processing formats stored corresponding to the determined facsimile classification.

  The data processing unit 120 includes a data printing unit 121 that prints facsimile data, a data storage unit 122 that stores facsimile data, and a data transfer unit 123 that transfers facsimile data to the outside. For this reason, there are printing, storage and transfer as a plurality of processing formats.

  The facsimile apparatus 100 according to the present embodiment is a so-called MFP (Multi Function Peripherals), and has a hardware structure similar to that of a conventional product. That is, the data receiving unit 110 includes, for example, a modem or a buffer that receives facsimile data using a telephone line.

  The data printing unit 121 includes a printer unit such as a laser printer. The data storage unit 122 includes a display panel of an operation panel. The data transfer unit 123 includes an I / F (Interface) unit that communicates with an external personal computer via a LAN (Local Area Network).

  The classification determination unit 130 and the processing control unit 150 are, for example, a function realized by a computer program in a computer unit including a CPU (Central Processing Unit), a ROM (Read Only Memory), a RAM (Random Access Memory), and the like. Equivalent to.

  The classification determination unit 130 determines the facsimile classification based on a predetermined determination element detected from the facsimile data. The processing storage unit 140 includes a storage area of a flash memory connected to the computer unit, for example. The input operation unit 170 includes a keyboard unit of an operation panel.

  With the configuration as described above, the operation of the facsimile apparatus 100 according to the present embodiment will be specifically described below together with the functions of the units 110 to 170. The facsimile apparatus 100 according to the present embodiment includes printing, storage, and transfer as a plurality of processing formats for received facsimile data.

  Furthermore, in facsimile apparatus 100 of the present embodiment, default facsimile, junk facsimile, and unknown facsimile are set as facsimile classifications. The classification determination unit 130 is initially set to determine all facsimile data as proper facsimiles.

  In the facsimile apparatus 100 according to the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 2, the user manually operates the input operation unit 170 (step S1), so that a plurality of processing formats can be arbitrarily assigned to each of a plurality of facsimile classifications. Can be specified and registered (step S2).

  For example, specify that a proper facsimile performs all printing, storage, and transfer, a nuisance facsimile performs only storage and does not perform printing and transfer, an unknown facsimile performs storage and transfer, and does not perform only printing. Can do.

  The facsimile apparatus 100 according to the present embodiment receives facsimile data in a state where an arbitrary number of processing formats are registered in each of a plurality of facsimile classifications as desired by the user as described above (step S3). The facsimile classification is determined (step S4).

  Next, the stored processing format corresponding to the determined facsimile classification is read (step S5), and the facsimile data is processed in the read processing format (step S6).

  At this time, if a plurality of processing formats are designated in the facsimile classification as described above, parallel processing in the plurality of processing formats is executed. For example, if printing, storage and transfer are all designated for a proper facsimile, hard copy and facsimile data can be saved, and the facsimile data can be confirmed by a server device or the like by transfer.

  Further, for example, if only storage is specified for a nuisance facsimile, it is possible to select printing or erasing after confirming the stored facsimile data on the display.

  Further, for example, if storage and transfer are specified for an unknown facsimile, the transferred facsimile data can be confirmed by a server device or the like, and printing or erasing by the facsimile device 100 can be selected.

  In the facsimile apparatus 100 of the present embodiment, as described above, when the user designates an arbitrary number of processing formats as desired, facsimile data is processed in the processing format. Accordingly, facsimile data can be processed in parallel in two or more processing formats, and user convenience can be improved.

  The present invention is not limited to the present embodiment, and various modifications are allowed without departing from the scope of the present invention. For example, although the above embodiment assumes that the facsimile apparatus 100 performs facsimile communication using a normal telephone line, a so-called Internet facsimile may be executed.

  In Internet facsimile, facsimile data can be transmitted and received as an attached file of an electronic mail. Therefore, such a facsimile apparatus may detect the data format of the facsimile data consisting of the attached file and determine the facsimile classification from the data format.

1 is a schematic block diagram showing a logical structure of a facsimile apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. 3 is a flowchart showing processing operations of the facsimile apparatus.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 100 Facsimile device 110 Data receiving part 120 Data processing part 121 Data printing part 122 Data storage part 123 Data transfer part 130 Classification determination part 140 Processing storage part 150 Process control part 170 Input operation part

Claims (3)

A facsimile apparatus having a function of printing at least received facsimile data;
A data receiving unit for receiving the facsimile data;
A data processing unit having a function of processing the facsimile data in a plurality of processing formats;
An input operation unit for receiving an input operation for designating an arbitrary number of the processing formats;
A processing storage unit for storing an arbitrary number of the processing types specified;
A processing control unit for processing the received facsimile data in the stored processing format;
A facsimile machine.   The data processing unit includes a data printing unit that prints the facsimile data, a data storage unit that stores the facsimile data, and a data transfer unit that transfers the facsimile data to the outside, and a plurality of the processing formats The facsimile apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the printing, the storage, and the transfer are included. A classification determination unit that determines the received facsimile data as one of a plurality of facsimile classifications;
The input operation unit accepts an input operation for designating an arbitrary number of the processing formats for each facsimile classification,
The processing storage unit stores, for each facsimile classification, an arbitrary number of input-operated processing formats.
The facsimile apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the processing control unit causes the data processing unit to process the facsimile data in an arbitrary number of the processing formats stored in correspondence with the determined facsimile classification.

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