JP2009267497A - Communication device and composite machine - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a technique for prompting a user to confirm the address of a destination of data transmission more in detail. <P>SOLUTION: The device which has a communication function of transmitting data such as a composite machine includes a function of displaying an address that the user specifies as a destination while replacing part of the address with a blank B and requesting the user to perform input to the blank B. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2010,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a communication device that transmits data to an external device and a multi-function peripheral including the communication device.

  How to prevent transmission to an incorrect destination in a communication device has been a long-standing problem. Various techniques for preventing erroneous transmission have been proposed so far.

  For example, Patent Literature 1 includes an image memory that stores thumbnail images of images transmitted in the past, and an HDD (hard disk drive) that stores attribute information (image transmission destination, transmission infrastructure, and the like) of the images. An image forming apparatus is described. When the image forming apparatus creates a new transmission file, the image forming apparatus displays attribute information that matches the transmission destination of the new transmission file and a thumbnail image corresponding to the attribute information on the display unit, so that the user can The destination is confirmed.

Patent Document 2 describes a technique for preventing erroneous transmission of data due to an error in the update contents of the address book. Specifically, an MFP (Multifunction Peripheral) described in Patent Document 2 updates the contents of the address book table in accordance with a user operation. The MFP then displays a warning indicating that the destination is updated when another user selects the updated destination from the address book.
Japanese Patent Laying-Open No. 2005-236689 (published on September 2, 2005) JP 2006-229869 A (published August 31, 2006)

  In the conventional technology, the user's attention cannot be sufficiently directed to the destination confirmation.

  Therefore, in view of the conventional technology, an object of the present invention is to provide a technology that can prompt confirmation by a user.

  In order to solve the above problem, a communication device according to claim 1 includes a transmission unit that transmits data to an external device, a transmission destination reception unit that receives designation of a transmission destination address of data by the transmission unit from a user, and a display A confirmation screen creation unit that creates a destination confirmation screen that is a screen displayed on the apparatus and that is displayed by replacing a part of the designated address with a blank.

  This communication apparatus can prompt the user for more detailed confirmation by replacing a part of the address designated as the transmission destination with a blank and displaying it.

  In addition, as described in claim 2, the communication device of claim 1 controls an input receiving unit that receives a character input from a user, a transmission operation of the transmitting unit, and a receiving capacity of the input receiving unit, A transmission control unit configured not to execute the transmission of the data may be further provided if the characters corresponding to the blank do not match.

  According to this communication device, since data transmission is not executed unless the user inputs a correct character, it is possible to prompt the user for further confirmation and prevent erroneous transmission.

  In addition, as described in claim 3, in the communication device according to claim 1 or 2, the confirmation screen creation unit sets a blank position in the address every time it is designated, even if it is the same address. It may be changeable.

  By changing the blank position in this way, the user can check the address carefully.

  Moreover, as described in claim 4, in the communication device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, the confirmation screen creation unit changes the position and number of blanks in the address according to the type of address. It may be.

  Depending on the address, there is a difference in the likelihood of erroneous transmission, the magnitude of loss when erroneous transmission occurs, and the like. Therefore, according to this communication device, by changing the position or number of blanks, the strictness required of the user in address confirmation can be changed according to the difference in address.

  In addition, as described in claim 5, the communication device according to any one of claims 1 to 4 further includes a display setting receiving unit that receives designation of a blank position and a blank number in the address from a user. May be.

  Since this communication apparatus can accept designation of the position and number of blanks from the user, it can perform blank display according to the user's request.

  In addition, as described in claim 6, the communication device according to any one of claims 1 to 5 further includes an address storage unit that stores a plurality of addresses, and the transmission destination reception unit is stored in the address storage unit. The designated address may be accepted.

  In addition, as described in claim 7, in the communication device according to any one of claims 1 to 6, the transmission unit can transmit the same data to different types of external devices, and the confirmation screen creation The unit may include the addresses of the different types of external devices in the same destination confirmation screen.

  As described in claim 8, in the communication device according to claim 7, the transmission unit may include a facsimile transmission unit, an electronic mail transmission unit, and a data transfer unit to a folder of an external device.

  As described in claim 9, the communication device according to any one of claims 1 to 8 may further include a display device capable of displaying the destination confirmation screen to the user.

According to a tenth aspect of the present invention, the communication device according to any one of the first to ninth aspects further includes a confirmation screen transmitting unit that transmits the destination confirmation screen to a terminal device including the communication device. Good,
A scanner that acquires image data from an image on a document, as described in claim 11;
The communication device according to any one of claims 1 to 10, wherein the transmission unit is capable of transmitting the image data, and a printing unit capable of printing an image on a sheet based on the image data. The above problem can also be solved by a multi-functional machine provided.

  The communication apparatus and the multifunction peripheral of the present invention can prompt the user for detailed confirmation by displaying a part of the address designated as the transmission destination by replacing it with a blank.

  Hereinafter, a communication device according to the present invention will be described in detail with reference to an embodiment. In the following embodiments, the communication apparatus of the present invention is used for an image processing apparatus, but the present invention is not limited to this. The present invention is also applicable to an apparatus that transmits data other than image data, such as a document and sound.

  Hereinafter, as an image processing apparatus, a so-called multi-function peripheral (MFP, Multi Function Peripheral) having functions as a printer, a copier, and a facsimile machine will be described as an example, but the present invention is not limited to this. Various changes are possible.

(1) Overview of MFP 1 With reference to FIG. 1 and FIG. 2, an outline of the configuration of the MFP 1 will be described. FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating a communication system including the multifunction device 1, and FIG.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the multifunction machine 1 is incorporated in an in-house system 100. The in-house system 100 is a communication system provided in a certain company. In the in-house system 100, in addition to the multifunction device 1, a plurality of client PCs (Personal Computers) 201, file servers 202, in-house mail servers 203, and web mail servers 204, which are terminal devices used by each employee, (Local Area Network) 200 is communicably connected to each other. The client PC includes a main body including a control device such as a CPU, an output device such as a display unit 201a, and an input device 201b such as a keyboard and a mouse.

  The in-house system 100 is connected via a web mail server 204 to an outside network 300 to which an outside device such as a PC 301 is connected. The multifunction machine 1 is connected to the line 302 so that facsimile transmission / reception with the facsimile machine 302 outside the company is possible.

  As the external network 200, a communication line such as a telephone line, an ISDN line, a wireless communication line, a dedicated line, or a CATV line, or a communication network such as a LAN, WAN, or the Internet is used. As the line 302, a telephone line, an ISDN line, a wireless communication line, or the like is used.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the multifunction device 1 includes a scanner 2, an image memory 3, an image processing unit 4, a storage device 5, an operation panel 6, a control device 7, a printing unit 8, a communication unit 9, and the like. The functional units are connected by a data bus 10.

  The scanner 2 includes an image sensor such as a CCD and an AD converter that digitizes an analog signal output from the image sensor, and can read an image on a document and acquire image data.

  The image memory 3 is a storage medium, and can store an image acquired by the scanner 2, an image acquired from an external device, and the like. The image memory 3 includes a volatile memory such as a RAM (Read Only Memory) for temporary storage, and a nonvolatile memory such as an HDD for long-term storage.

  The image processing unit 4 converts the image data received from the image memory 3 into transmission image data.

  The storage device 5 stores various data other than images. Like the image memory 3, the storage device 5 uses a volatile memory such as a RAM (Read Only Memory) for temporary storage. A non-volatile memory such as an HDD is provided.

  The operation panel 6 will be described later with reference to FIG.

  The control device 7 can control the operation of each unit in the multifunction machine 1 and perform various data processing. As will be described later with reference to FIG. 4, the control device 7 has various functions such as a blank condition setting unit 71. The control device 7 can be configured by a CPU (Central Processing Unit) and a storage medium such as a ROM (Read Only Memory) and a RAM. The CPU can realize various functions by reading and executing the program in the ROM. The RAM can function as a work area for the CPU.

  The printing unit 8 can print out the image data on paper. As the printing unit 32, an ink jet recording apparatus, an electrophotographic recording apparatus, or the like is preferably used.

  The communication unit 9 can transmit and receive data to and from devices inside and outside the company. Specifically, the communication unit 9 includes a network communication unit 91 and a facsimile communication unit 92.

  The network communication unit 91 is an interface for exchanging electronic data with an external device. Specifically, the network communication unit 91 shares and transfers an electronic file with an in-house device via the in-house LAN 200 by using a file system protocol such as a client-server system, and the in-house LAN 200 and the outside network 300. Through this, it is possible to send and receive e-mails with devices inside and outside the company. That is, the network communication unit 91 functions as an e-mail transmission unit and a data transmission unit to a folder of an external device.

  The facsimile communication unit 92 includes a modem (MODEM / DEModulator) and the like, and can perform facsimile transmission / reception in conformity with the G3 (Group 3) standard, the G4 (Group 4) standard, and the like.

(2) Operation panel 6
An outline of the operation panel 6 will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 3 is a plan view of the operation panel 6.

  As shown in FIG. 3, the operation panel 6 includes a touch panel 61 and a hard key group 62 such as a numeric keypad, a start key, a stop key, and a cancel key. The touch panel 61 includes a display unit 611 (FIG. 4) that is a liquid crystal display panel and a touch sensor. The hard key group 62 and the touch sensor function as an input receiving unit 63 that receives an input from the user (FIG. 4).

(3) Destination Confirmation (i) Configuration of Control System Refer to FIGS. 4 to 9 for processing for confirming the data transmission destination in the multi-function device 1, particularly when a data transmission request is received from the user via the operation panel 6. To explain. 4 is a drawing showing the flow of signals (including data) in the multifunction device 1, FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing the flow of destination confirmation processing, and FIGS. 6 to 9 are displayed in the processing shown in FIG. 6 is a diagram showing an image displayed in a section 611.

  As illustrated in FIG. 4, the storage device 5 includes a blank condition storage unit 51 and an address storage unit 52.

  The blank condition storage unit 51 is provided in a non-volatile area of the storage device 51, and stores various conditions for creating a confirmation screen W2, which will be described later, for example, setting conditions such as the position and number of blanks.

  The address storage unit 52 includes an address book area and a history area provided in a non-volatile area, an input content area provided in a volatile area, and the like. The address book area stores an address input by the user via the input receiving unit 63 in association with the name of the address. The history area is an area for storing a destination to which data has been transmitted in the past, and a restriction such as time or the number of cases is provided, and a history exceeding this restriction is deleted. The input content area temporarily stores an address directly manually input by the user through the input receiving unit 63 instead of from the address book.

  The “address” is information for specifying a destination, and includes, for example, an e-mail address, a facsimile number, and an address indicating the location of a folder as a data transfer destination. The address indicating the location of the folder includes a file path, a URL (Uniform Resource Locator), a URI (Uniform Resource Identifier), and the like.

  As illustrated in FIG. 4, the control device 7 functions as a blank condition setting unit 71, a confirmation screen creation unit 72, a comparison unit 73, a display control unit 74, and a communication control unit 75. The communication control unit 75 functions as a mail control unit 75a that controls the mail function of the communication unit 9, a data transfer control unit 75b that controls the data transfer function, and a facsimile transmission control unit 75c that controls facsimile transmission. Details of the function of each unit will be described with reference to FIG.

(Ii) Address input (steps S101 to S102)
As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, when the multifunction device 1 receives a data transmission request from the user via the operation panel 6, a series of operations is started. When receiving the transmission request, the display control unit 74 first displays the destination input screen W1 shown in FIG. 6 on the display unit 611 (step S101, FIG. 6).

  As shown in FIG. 6, the destination input screen W1 includes a destination display field C1, an address book key K11, a history key K12, a direct input key K13, a correction key K14, a delete key K15, a shortened key group K16, an OK key 17, and the like. including. The destination input screen W1 also displays a message prompting the user to input the destination and press the OK key when the input is completed.

  The destination display column C1 is initially blank, but when an address is specified as a destination from the user by pressing each key, the specified address is displayed. If the address is called from the address book, the name corresponding to the address is also displayed. In the destination display column C1, a cursor Cs indicating one of the displayed addresses is displayed. The cursor Cs is set to move in response to the user's contact by the action of the touch sensor of the touch panel 61.

  The multi-function device 1 allows the user to select a destination from the address book. When the user presses the address book key K11, the display unit 611 switches the display from the destination input screen W1 to the address book screen (not shown) under the control of the display control unit 74. The address book screen displays the address and its name stored in the address book area of the address storage unit 52, and the user can select a destination address from the address book screen.

  When the history key K12 is pressed, the display unit 611 switches the display to a history screen (not shown). The history screen displays the address stored in the history area of the address storage unit 52, and the user can select an address included in the history as a destination.

  When the direct input key is pressed, the display unit 611 displays a soft keyboard screen (not shown). With this soft keyboard screen, the display unit 611 allows the user to manually input an address. The user can also input an address via a numeric keypad included in the hard key group 62. This input content is stored in the above-described input content area of the address storage unit 52.

  The abbreviated key group K16 includes a plurality of abbreviated keys, and each abbreviated key corresponds to an individual address included in the address book. The address associated with the abbreviated key is a part of the address included in the address book. When any one of the shortcut keys is pressed, the address corresponding to the shortcut key is selected as the destination in the same manner as the address is selected on the address book screen.

  Thus, when an address is designated by selection or direct input, the designated address and its name are displayed in the destination display column C1 (FIG. 6). Therefore, the user can confirm the input content on the destination input screen W1. The destination display column C1 can display a plurality of addresses. The destination input screen W1 can also accept different types of addresses. That is, for one data, different data transmissions such as e-mail address transmission, facsimile transmission, and data transfer to a folder can be accepted on one screen.

  When the correction key K14 is pressed, the display control unit 74 causes the display unit 61 to display a correction reception screen (not shown). The correction acceptance screen displays the address indicated by the cursor Cs and the alphabet input soft keyboard together. This correction reception screen has substantially the same configuration as the character input screen W3 described later except that the character string of the entire target address is displayed. Through this correction reception screen, the input reception unit 63 displays the cursor Cs as For the address pointed to, it is possible to accept deletion of a character string, addition and change of a character string such as alphabets and numbers, and the like.

  When the delete key K15 is pressed, the display control unit 74 deletes the address pointed to by the cursor Cs from the destination display column C1.

  In accordance with these corrections and deletions, the destination that the communication control unit 75 instructs the communication unit 9 and the address that the comparison unit 73 uses as a criterion for determination in step S106 described later are also changed.

  When the user presses the OK key K17 with the address displayed in the destination display column C1, it is assumed that the designation of the destination is completed (step S102 in FIG. 5), and the confirmation screen creation unit 72 creates the confirmation screen W2. (Step S103). At this time, the confirmation screen creation unit 72 creates the confirmation screen W2 based on the conditions stored in the blank condition storage unit 51. The confirmation screen W2 created in this way is displayed on the display unit 611 under the control of the display control unit 74 (step S104). A method for setting blank creation conditions on the confirmation screen W2 will be described later.

(Iii) Address confirmation (steps S103 to S106)
As shown in FIG. 7, the confirmation screen W2 includes a destination display field C2, an input key K21, a delete key K22, and a cancel key K23. In addition, the confirmation screen W2 displays a message that prompts the user to input a character corresponding to the blank B and press the start key.

  The destination display column C2 of the confirmation screen W2 has the same configuration as the destination display column C1 of the destination input screen W1 except that some characters of the specified address are replaced with a blank B. A cursor Cs is also displayed in the destination display field C2.

  When the input key K21 on the confirmation screen W2 is pressed, the display control unit 74 causes the display unit 611 to display the input screen W3 (FIG. 8) for the address pointed to by the cursor Cs. When the delete key K22 is pressed, the designation of the address indicated by the cursor Cs is canceled and the address is deleted from the destination display column C2. When the cancel key K23 is pressed, the display control unit 74 switches the display on the display unit 611 from the confirmation screen W2 to the destination input screen W1 (FIG. 6). The display control unit 74 may display both the confirmation screen W2 and the destination input screen W1 when the cancel key K23 is pressed.

  As shown in FIG. 8, the input screen W3 includes an enlarged display field C3, a soft keyboard K31, a cancel key K32, a delete key K33, and an OK key K34. In the enlarged display column C3, the address display (the one with the blank B) pointed to by the cursor Cs on the confirmation screen W2 is enlarged and displayed. Soft keyboard K31 includes keys corresponding to alphabets. When an individual key is pressed, the alphabet corresponding to this key is displayed in blank B. The same applies when a numeric key in the hard key group 62 is pressed.

  When the cancel key K32 is pressed on the input screen W3, the display on the display unit 611 is switched to the confirmation screen W2. When the delete key K33 is pressed, the character input in the blank B is deleted, and the input receiving unit 63 can receive the character input from the user again.

  When a character is input to blank B on input screen W3 and OK key K34 on input screen W3 is pressed, display on display unit 611 returns to confirmation screen W2 (FIG. 7). At this time, on the confirmation screen W2, since the blank B is displayed in a state of being filled with the input characters, the user can confirm the input content and there is no mistake in the input content, and other items in the destination display column C2 can be displayed. If there is an unentered blank B in the address, the input key K21 can be pressed to further input characters. If there is an error in the input content, the user can re-enter the character by moving the cursor Cs to the address where the error is present and pressing the input key K21.

  Thus, when the user confirms that the characters have been input to all the blanks B on the confirmation screen W2 and the user presses the start key by the message display, it is determined that the characters in the blanks B are confirmed (see FIG. 5) (Yes in step S105), the correctness of the input content in the comparison unit 73 is determined (step S106).

(Iv) Availability of transmission execution (steps S106 to S108)
The comparison unit 73 is an address in the address storage unit 52, and among the characters included in the address designated in step S102, the character corresponding to the blank B and the character input by the user via the input screen W3 Compare If they match (Yes in step S106), transmission execution is permitted.

  The communication control unit 75 receives the transmission execution permission from the comparison unit 73, controls the communication unit 9, and transmits data to the external device ("transmission execution" in FIG. 4, step S107 in FIG. 5). The display control unit 74 may cause the display unit 611 to display a screen that notifies the user that data transmission has been performed normally. When transmission is completed in this way, a series of operations ends.

  The data to be transmitted at this time can be image data for transmission created by the image processing unit 4 converting the image data in the image memory 3. In addition, the communication unit 9 can transmit various data such as text data.

  If a plurality of different addresses are accepted as destinations in step S102, data transmission is executed to the plurality of destinations in step S107. The same applies when a different type of address is designated as the destination. That is, the multi-function device 1 can accept a request for e-mail transmission, facsimile transmission, and data transfer to a folder from a user on one screen and execute it.

  On the other hand, if the input character does not match the character in the address storage unit 52, it is determined that the input content is not accurate (No in step S106 in FIG. 5), and the comparison unit 73 does not permit transmission and displays The control unit 74 is instructed to display an error screen on the display unit 611 (step S108).

(V) Re-input and correction of the original address (steps S108 to S109, etc.)
As shown in FIG. 9, the error screen W4 is a screen having substantially the same configuration as the confirmation screen W2. However, unlike the message on the confirmation screen W2, the message displayed on the error screen W4 prompts the user to re-enter characters and press the start key when notifying that the input content is incorrect. is there. Further, in the destination display field C4 of the error screen W4, only the portion where it is determined in step S106 that the input content does not match the stored content is displayed as a blank B. With the error screen W4, the display control unit 74 can make the user further confirm only the addresses that need to be confirmed.

  The error screen W4 has substantially the same key structure as the confirmation screen W2, and includes keys K41 and K42 having the same functions as the input key K21, the delete key K42, and the cancel key K43, respectively. Therefore, the input receiving unit 63 can receive the user's character input again via the error screen W4 in the same manner as received via the confirmation screen W2 (No in step S108 → S109 → S105).

  When a cancel key included in the hard key group 62 is pressed, the communication control unit 75 stops transmission and ends a series of operations (Yes in step S19).

  If the cancel key K43 is pressed when the error screen W4 is displayed in step S18, the display on the display unit 611 is switched from the error screen 4 to the destination input screen W1 (or displayed simultaneously), so that the user The original address can be confirmed on the destination input screen W1.

  Further, as a result of the confirmation, if the user finds that the original address itself has an error, it is possible to accept an instruction to correct the destination address via the destination input screen W1. Furthermore, if the erroneous address is an address input from the address book, the user can call up the address book screen by pressing the address book key K11. Since the address book screen includes a delete key, a soft keyboard, and the like, the input receiving unit 63 can receive an instruction to edit the address in the address book from the user via the address book screen. The control device can rewrite the data in the address book area in the address storage unit 52 in accordance with the content received by the input receiving unit 63.

(4) Blank condition setting Setting blank conditions such as the position and number of blank B on the confirmation screen W2 will be described below with reference to FIGS. 4 and 10 to 11. FIG. 10 is a flowchart showing the operation of the multifunction device 1 in setting blank conditions, and FIG. 11 is a drawing showing a screen displayed in the flow of FIG.

  As shown in FIGS. 2 and 10, when an instruction for setting blank conditions is received from the user via the input receiving unit 63, a condition input screen W10 by the display unit 611 is displayed (step S201).

  As shown in FIG. 11, the condition input screen W10 has a condition reception column C10 including a column for receiving input for each of address type and destination classification, and blank positions and numbers, which are conditions for blank creation targets. And an OK key K101.

  The “address type” is an address classification according to a difference in configuration, such as an e-mail address, a facsimile number, and a folder address, which is caused by a difference in the type of external device or data transmission format. The address type can be selected by a pull-down key.

  The “destination classification” is an address classification based on a difference in the installation position of an external device as a transmission destination or a security level, such as an address in the in-house system 100 or an address of another company outside the in-house system. As the destination classification, in addition to rough selection by a pull-down key, it is possible to accept designation of a part of an address such as a domain name, an area code, or a root directory manually entered by the user, or designation of the entire address.

  The “blank position” is a position where blank B is provided in the address, that is, a position where confirmation is intensively requested from the user within one address. Regardless of the type of address, at the time of creating the confirmation screen W2, the position to be replaced with a blank may be set randomly from the entire address, or the position at which a blank is provided can be limited to a part of the address. On the condition input screen 10, for the “blank position”, a condition corresponding to the input content in the “address type” field can be input from the pull-down key.

  As the “blank position”, if the address type is an e-mail address, for example, it may be a part excluding the top-level domain, and among the addresses whose overall configuration is “local part-at-mark-domain name”, Only the local part may be subject to blank replacement. For example, for an address whose domain name indicates a destination outside the company, the user can request strict confirmation by setting a wide range such as the entire address as a target of blank replacement. In addition, when the domain name indicates an in-house address, it is possible to set a condition that confirmation by blank replacement is not performed.

  Further, if it is a facsimile number, it can be set as a “blank position” by any combination of an area code, a city code, and a subscriber number. For example, only the subscriber number may be set to perform blank substitution within the combination of the area code and subscriber number, or the local area code and subscriber number.

  Similarly, for data transfer, a blank may be provided between upper directories in the file path, for example, the root directory and a predetermined distance from the root directory.

  The “number of blanks” is the number of blanks provided in the designated “blank position”. As the “number of blanks” increases, the user can be requested to confirm more accurately. The number of blanks can be input from the numeric keypad of the operation panel 6.

  In addition, the storage device 5 has initial setting values of “blank position” and “number of blanks” corresponding to the address type or destination classification, and when the destination classification is input on the input screen W10, the destination classification is displayed. The corresponding “blank position” and “number of blanks” may be automatically set.

  For example, for data transfer within the in-house system 100, since the loss due to erroneous transmission is smaller than when transmitting outside the company, the blank condition setting unit 71 is blank when “folder name” is selected as the address type. So that the number is automatically set to “0”. In addition, the storage device 5 stores the internal domain in advance, and the user stores a domain name stored as an external domain or a domain name other than the domain name stored as the internal domain in the “destination classification” column. As the initial setting values of “blank position” and “number of blanks” when “” is input, initial setting values such as “whole” and “2” may be included. Also in this case, the blank condition setting unit 71 can appropriately change the setting value from the initial setting value according to the input content from the user received via the input screen W10.

  As described above, according to the setting of the blank condition setting unit 71, the confirmation screen creation unit 72 can vary the position and / or number of blanks depending on the address. Since the blank condition can be made different depending on the address in this way, the multi function device 1 determines whether priority is given to shortening the time required for address confirmation at the time of data transmission, or priority is given to strict address confirmation. The user can select each address type.

  In this way, when the user inputs the blank condition and presses the OK key K101 (Yes in step S202), the blank condition setting unit 71 performs blank condition storage unit 51 on the basis of the input content on the condition input screen W10. The blank condition is stored in (Step S203).

  As described above, the input reception unit 63 functions as a transmission destination reception unit that receives a transmission destination of data, and also receives a character input from the user. Further, the position of blanks and the number of blanks in the address It is possible to function as a display setting receiving unit that receives the designation.

  In addition, when the confirmation screen creation unit 72 creates the confirmation screen W2 based on the conditions specified in this way, the blank position is changed within a range that matches the set blank conditions for the same address. be able to. For example, when the blank condition is set so that one blank is provided in the local part for the e-mail address, a confirmation screen is created for the e-mail address whose local part character string is “abcd” (FIG. 7). The unit 72 can display “c” in blank when transmitting certain data, and can display “a” in blank when transmitting data to the same address next time.

(5) Screen display and input reception The screen display and the input reception from the user in steps S101, S104, S108, and S201 described above are not performed on the display unit 611 of the multifunction machine 1 but on the display unit of the client PC 201. It may be done.

  That is, the multifunction device 1 transmits data representing various screens to the client PC 201 via the in-house LAN 200 by the communication unit 9, and the client PC 201 receives this by its own communication unit (not shown) and controls the CPU and the like. Under the control of the apparatus, it can be displayed on the display unit 201a. The input content received from the user by the client PC 201 via the input device 201b is transmitted to the multifunction device 1 via the in-house LAN 200, and the multifunction device 1 refers to FIGS. 5 and 10 based on this input content. As described above, destination setting, transmission execution, blank condition setting, and the like can be performed. In this case, it can be said that in the multi-function device 1, the communication unit 9 fulfills the function of accepting the input content from the user, like the input accepting unit 63.

1 is a diagram illustrating a communication system including a multifunction machine 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating a main configuration of the multifunction machine 1. The top view showing the operation panel 6. FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating a signal flow in the multifunction device 1, in particular, a signal flow in processing related to destination confirmation and blank setting. The flowchart which shows the flow of a destination confirmation process. The figure which shows the destination input screen W1. Drawing which shows confirmation screen W2. Drawing which shows input screen W3. Drawing which shows error screen W4. 7 is a flowchart showing the operation of the multifunction machine 1 in setting blank conditions. Drawing which shows condition input screen W10.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Multifunction machine 2 Scanner 5 Memory | storage device 6 Operation panel 7 Control apparatus 8 Printing part 9 Communication part

Claims (11)

A transmission unit for transmitting data to an external device;
A transmission destination accepting unit that accepts designation of a data transmission destination address by the transmission unit from a user;
A confirmation screen creation unit that creates a destination confirmation screen that is displayed on the display device and is displayed by replacing a part of the designated address with a blank;
A communication device comprising: An input receiving unit for receiving character input from the user;
A transmission control unit that controls the transmission operation of the transmission unit, and that does not cause the transmission of the data unless the received content of the input reception unit matches the character that applies to the blank,
The communication apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising: The confirmation screen creation unit can change the blank position in the address every time it is specified, even if it is the same address.
The communication apparatus according to claim 1 or 2. The confirmation screen creation unit can change the position or number of blanks in the address according to the address,
The communication apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 3. A display setting receiving unit that receives designation of a blank position and the number of blanks in the address from a user;
The communication apparatus of any one of Claims 1-4. An address storage unit for storing a plurality of addresses;
The transmission destination accepting unit is capable of accepting designation of an address stored in the address storage unit.
The communication apparatus of any one of Claims 1-5. The transmission unit can transmit the same data to different types of external devices,
The confirmation screen creation unit can include the addresses of the different types of external devices in the same destination confirmation screen.
The communication apparatus of any one of Claims 1-6. The transmission unit includes a facsimile transmission unit, an e-mail transmission unit, a data transfer unit to a folder of an external device,
The communication device according to claim 7. A display device capable of displaying the destination confirmation screen to the user;
The communication apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 8. A confirmation screen transmission unit for transmitting the destination confirmation screen to a terminal device including a display device;
The communication apparatus of any one of Claims 1-9. A scanner that acquires image data from an image on a document;
The communication device according to any one of claims 1 to 10, wherein the transmission unit is capable of transmitting the image data.
A printing unit capable of printing an image on paper based on the image data;
A multifunction machine with

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