JP2506695B2 - Line terminal equipment - Google Patents

Description

Description: BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a line terminal device including image signal receiving means such as a facsimile device.

2. Description of the Related Art A facsimile apparatus will be described below as an example of the above-mentioned line terminal apparatus.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram of a conventional facsimile apparatus.

In FIG. 3, 1 is a line closing means for capturing and releasing a public line, 2 is a calling signal detecting means for detecting a calling signal, and 3 is the number of incoming call detecting signals output from the calling signal detecting means 2. The counter means 4 for counting the number, the comparison means 4 for comparing the value counted by the counter means 3 with the preset value, the reference numeral 5 for the image signal receiving means for receiving the image signal coming from the line, and the reference numeral 6 for the calling signal. Bell means, which is an example of ringing means driven in accordance with the above, 7 is a mode selecting means for switching between a home mode and an absence mode, and 8 is a calling means for enabling a call, which includes a speaker and a microphone. There is. Reference numeral 9 is a control means for controlling the line closing means 1 according to the output from the comparing means 4 and the state of the mode selecting means 7. Note that the answering mode is a mode in which a line is automatically captured when an incoming call comes in from the line and the image signal is received, while the home mode is, for example, one line not used exclusively for facsimile, but for communication. When receiving a call, the operator first judges whether the incoming signal is a voice signal or a facsimile signal, and if it is a facsimile signal, the facsimile reception button is pressed. This is a mode for receiving the data by pressing it.

Regarding the facsimile machine configured as described above,
The operation will be described below.

First, when a calling signal arrives at this facsimile apparatus from a public line, the calling signal detecting means 2 detects it. Then, the counter means 3 counts the number of arrivals of the calling signal, compares the number with a preset value N (where N is a natural number) in the comparison means 4, and sends the comparison result to the control means 9. . On the other hand, the control means 9 judges the state of the mode selection means 7 and, if the answering mode is set, the comparison means 4 determines that the number of incoming bells is N.
When it is detected that the line is closed, the line closing means 1 is controlled to capture the public line, and the image signal receiving means 5 receives the incoming image signal. When the mode selecting means 7 is set to the home mode, the public line is not captured and the bell means 6 is operated to ring the bell in response to the reception of the calling signal. Then, the operator responds to the ringing of the bell, for example, by picking up the handset of the telephone, recognizes that the communication is facsimile communication, and presses a reception button (not shown) to operate the image signal reception means 5. The incoming image signal is received.

In the absence mode, the control means 9 controls so that the bell means 6 does not operate.

Problems to be Solved by the Invention However, in the conventional configuration, if the user accidentally goes out with the mode selecting unit 7 in the home mode, the image signal cannot be received at all.

In order to respond to this, it is possible to switch to the absence mode when the call signal arrives a certain number of times or more even when in the home mode, but once this change occurs, the user enters the absence mode. Despite not setting, subsequent incoming calls will be accepted in the absence mode.

For this reason, the user returning after going out may not notice that the mode has been switched to the absence mode.After that, before the user picks up the handset, the user automatically receives the message by facsimile. There were times when I would move.

Especially, in the case that the bell does not ring in the absence mode, the user cannot recognize that there is an incoming call and cannot answer the incoming call for the purpose of voice call because of this kind of automatic switching. It had become a situation.

In view of the above conventional problems, it is an object of the present invention to provide a line terminal device that can receive an image signal even when going out with the home mode set, and that does not automatically switch to the absence mode. And

Therefore, the present invention sets two reference times to be compared with the number of times of arrival of the calling signal output from the counter means,
In the absence mode, the comparing means compares with the smaller one of the two reference times and in the home mode with the larger one, and the line is captured by the output from the comparing means.

Operation With the above-described configuration, the present invention automatically receives an image signal without switching to the absence mode when a call signal is detected a predetermined number of times when there is an incoming call when the device goes out in the home mode. I do.

In addition, since the standard for closing the line in the home mode is determined by comparing the number of incoming call signals with the one with the larger reference number, the line from the first incoming call signal until the line is closed. The time is longer than in the absence mode.

Embodiment An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the main part of a facsimile apparatus which is an embodiment of the line terminal apparatus of the present invention.

In the figure, 10 is a line connection portion with a public line, 11 is a line closing means for capturing and opening the public line, 12 is a calling signal detecting means for detecting a calling signal, and 13 is output from the calling signal detecting means 12. Counter means for counting the number of incoming call detection signals, 14 is a comparison means for comparing the count value of the number of incoming call detection signals output from the counter means 13 with two preset values, and 15 is a line. An image signal receiving means for receiving an incoming image signal, and 16 is a ringing means driven in response to an incoming call signal on the line. As an example, a bell means is used in this embodiment. Reference numeral 17 is a mode selection means for switching between home mode and absence mode, 18 is a communication means having a microphone and a speaker, and 19 is a comparison means.
Control means for controlling the line closing means 11, the bell means 16 and the like according to the output from 14 and the state of the mode selecting means 17.

In the present embodiment, one of the two predetermined values compared with the number of incoming call detection signals counted by the counter means 13 in the above-mentioned comparing means 14 is "1", The other value is set to "30".

The operation of the facsimile device, which is an example of the line terminal device of the present invention configured as described above, will be described below.
This will be described with reference to the flowchart shown in the figure.

First, the operation when the mode selecting means 17 is set to the absence mode will be described.

In this mode, when a calling signal arrives at this device from the public line, the calling signal detecting means 12 detects the calling signal (step a). Then, the counter means 13 counts the number of arrivals of the calling signal (step b), and the counted value is one of the two kinds of values preset in the comparing means 14, that is, "1" and "30". Of the smaller value, that is, "1" (step c). Then, the comparison result is sent to the control means 19. In this case, when the calling signal detecting means 12 detects the calling signal even once, the value output from the counter means 13 is equal to or more than the value "1" which is the value preset in the comparing means. Therefore, the control means 19 recognizes this and controls the line closing means 11 to capture the line (step d),
First, a protocol signal is sent to the calling side, and then the image signal receiving means 15 receives the image signal coming through the line (step e). Further, in this mode, the control means 19 controls the bell means 16 to put the bell in the non-ringing state. Therefore, in this mode, the bell does not ring from the bell means 16 even when the call signal arrives.

Next, the operation when the home mode is selected by the mode selection means 17 will be described.

In this mode, when a calling signal arrives at the apparatus from the public line, the calling signal detecting means 12 detects the calling signal (step f). Then, the counter means 13 counts the number of incoming calls of the calling signal (step g), and the count value is preset by the comparing means 14 2
The value of the type, that is, the larger value of "1" and "30", that is, "30" is compared (step h). And
The comparison result is sent to the control means 19.

During this time, the control means 19 sets the bell means 16 in the ringing enabled state, and causes the bell means to generate a bell sound each time a call signal arrives to notify the operator that there is an incoming call.
This number of incoming calls is a value “3
When the operator goes off-hook by the time before reaching "0", the control means 19 controls the line closing means 11 to capture the line and controls the call means 18 to establish a callable state with the calling side ( Steps i, j, k). At this time, if the calling side wants to make a call, the call may be made as it is. However, if a signal indicating that the calling side is a facsimile is sent from the calling side, the operator receives the facsimile reception button (Fig. (Not shown)
(Step m). Then, the control means 19 detects this and controls the image signal receiving means 15 to receive the image signal arriving on the line (step e).

In addition, if there is an incoming call in this mode and the bell sound is intermittently generated by the bell means 16, but the operator does not take the telephone off-hook for the reason such as absence, the counter means 13 calls up. Each time a signal arrives and is detected by the calling signal detection means 12, the count value is incremented, and when the value reaches "30", it becomes the same as the value "30" predetermined by the comparison means 14. Then, an output indicating that is sent to the control means 19,
The process moves from step h to step d. And control means
Reference numeral 19 controls the line closing means 11 to capture the line and controls the image signal receiving means 15 to bring the image signal into a receivable state, and first sends a protocol signal to the calling side. When an image signal is sent from the calling side, the image signal is received, and the received information is recorded as visible information on, for example, a recording paper (step e). Also, if the calling party wants to talk, the calling party's operator will hear the protocol signal, so it is conceivable that the operator will take the telephone off-hook to disconnect the line. To be

However, the number of people who make phone calls is generally 20
When I hear the ringback tone again and again, the other party recognizes that they are out and often hangs up, so I rarely hear the protocol signal as described above.

As described above, 2 which is preset in the comparison means 19
The higher value of the seed value is generally considered to be significantly higher than the number of times the caller can tolerate listening to the ringback tone (typically 10 to 15 times). The larger the number, the less likely it is to send an unwanted protocol signal to the caller who wishes to talk.

Considering that in a line terminal device such as a facsimile device, when a ringback tone is returned from the line, there is often a response from the other party, that is, one that automatically waits until the other party performs an off-hook operation. ,
The configuration of this embodiment is extremely effective.

In this embodiment, the smaller value among the values preset in the comparison means is set to "1", but it is compared with the larger value such as "2" or "3". If the value is sufficiently small, it is practically acceptable.

EFFECTS OF THE INVENTION According to the present invention, the reference number of times to be compared with the number of incoming calls of the calling signal output from the counter means is set in two ways, and in the absence mode, the comparing means compares with the smaller one of the two reference times. However, in the home mode, the line is captured by the output from this comparison means compared with the larger one, so when you go out with the device in the home mode, even if there is an incoming call, it will be in the absence mode. Since the image signal is automatically received without switching, the incoming call in the absence mode does not continue after the user returns home and stays at home.

In addition, since the standard for closing the line in the home mode is determined by comparing the number of times the first ringing signal arrives with the one with the larger number of times, the line is closed after the first ringing signal arrives. The time until is longer than in the absence mode, and when the user is at home, he / she can pick up the handset before the line is automatically closed.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the main part of a facsimile apparatus which is an embodiment of the line terminal apparatus of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a flow chart showing the operation flow of the embodiment, and FIG. 3 is a conventional facsimile apparatus. 3 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the main part of FIG. 10 …… line connection means, 11 …… line closing means, 12 …… call signal detection means, 13 …… counter means, 14 …… comparing means, 15 …… image signal receiving means, 16 …… bell means (sounding) Means), 17 ... mode selecting means, 18 ... calling means, 19 ... control means

Claims (2)

(57) [Claims] 1. A ringing signal detecting means for detecting a ringing signal coming through a line, a ringing means driven by the ringing signal, and a counter means for counting the number of times the ringing detection signal output from the ringing signal detecting means is output. Comparing means for comparing the count value of the number of incoming call detection signals output from the counter means with two preset values,
The line closing means for capturing and releasing the line, the image signal receiving means for receiving the image signal arriving on the line, the mode selecting means for switching between the absence mode and the home mode, and the absence mode by the mode selecting means. If selected, when the counted value becomes equal to or larger than the first value of the two types of values, the line closing means is controlled to capture the line and the image signal receiving means is in the operating state. When the home mode is selected, the ringing means is controlled to output a ringing tone in response to an incoming ringing signal, and the count value is set to a second value larger than the first value. A line terminal device, comprising: a control means for controlling the line closing means to capture the line when the value exceeds a value to bring the image signal receiving means into an operating state. 2. The line terminal device according to claim 1, wherein the control means sets the ringing means to a non-ringing state when the reception mode is the absence mode.