JP2507932B2 - Facsimile machine communication method - Google Patents

Description

Description: TECHNICAL FIELD The present invention relates to a communication method of a facsimile apparatus for transmitting image information of the same original created by a facsimile apparatus of a transmission source to one or more destinations.

[Conventional technology]

Conventionally, in such a system, when relay communication or relay broadcast is performed, not only is the operator of the transmission source instructing the other party to receive the image information, but also each relay station that relays the image information is transmitted every time. I had to tell. Therefore, for example, as shown in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 61-148941, a transmission source facsimile apparatus creates a destination table in which the telephone numbers of relay stations are arranged in the order of decreasing distance, and the destination table is transmitted together with image information. In the relay station, there is a broadcast communication method in which the next relay station is detected by referring to the destination table and the destination table and image information can be transmitted to a desired destination terminal station.

[Problems to be solved by the invention]

However, in the above broadcast communication method, the transmission source must instruct all the relay stations of the route to the destination terminal station, and since the protocol includes the information of the relay station, the amount of information becomes very large. However, there was a problem that communication time became long.

The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and provides a facsimile apparatus that can minimize the amount of relay information to be transmitted and can instruct the transmission destination of image information without being aware of the relay station. It is intended to provide a communication method.

[Means and Actions for Solving Problems]

In the present invention, a telephone number list for registering information of a transmission destination terminal station and the next relay station reaching the terminal station is created in the transmitting station, and each terminal station and relay station registered in the telephone number list. If the specified terminal station is in direct communication, the information indicating the terminal station is registered in the destination telephone number table and the image information is transmitted to the terminal station. If the terminal station is a relay communication, the information indicating the next relay station reaching the terminal station is registered in the destination telephone number table, and the information indicating the terminal station is registered in the terminal station information table. However, the terminal station information is transmitted to the next relay station together with the image information, and when there are a plurality of relay stations, only the next relay station up to the destination terminal station is registered in each relay station, New relay destination for each relay station The indicated can perform relay communication image information.

〔Example〕

An embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings of FIGS.

FIG. 1 is a configuration block diagram showing an embodiment of a facsimile apparatus of a transmission source, a relay station, and a transmission destination terminal station for implementing the present invention. In the figure, the reader 1
1. A document is optically read and converted into image information, and the image information is stored in the image memory 12. System data
The RAM 13 is a RAM for storing a telephone number list, which will be described later, created by the operation of the operation instruction device 14, and the central processing unit (hereinafter referred to as CPU) 15 communicates via the DMA bus based on the telephone number list. Controls the control unit 17. By this control, the communication control unit 17 transmits the image information encoded by the encoding / decoding device 16 to a relay station or a destination terminal station (not shown) via a line. Also, the encoding / decoding device 16
When the communication control unit 17 receives the encoded image information from another station, the image control unit 17 decodes the image information.
Reference numeral 18 is a printing device for printing image information, and 19 is a disk device for auxiliary storage of image information.

FIGS. 2A to 2C are diagrams showing the above-mentioned telephone number list, the other party's telephone number table and the terminal station information table. In FIG. 2 (a), the telephone number book is information on the following items.

1) Number of the item itself in this telephone number book 2) Abbreviation of the item itself in this telephone number list 3) Telephone number of the partner station 4) Flag of direct communication or indirect (relay) communication 5) In case of relay communication The next relay station item (the number of the item itself) in its own station, which is the destination terminal station, is a component. 6) The telephone number book item (the abbreviation or number of the item itself) in the next relay station in the case of relay communication.

The destination telephone number table in FIG. 2 (b) has a function of a pointer that associates the own station with the next relay station. 1) Pointer to a telephone number item (registered in the telephone number list of the own station) The item number of the next relay station) 2) The pointer to the terminal station information table described later is a constituent element.

The terminal station information table in FIG. 2 (c) is information transmitted to the next relay station together with image information, and the item number of the transmission destination terminal station registered in the telephone number list of the next relay station is a constituent element. I am trying. The information of the terminal station information table is included in NSS (non-standard function setting number) in the facsimile machine of the document transmission group 3 (G3), and in the document transmission group 4 machine (G4) of the facsimile device. CD
UI (command document user information)
It is included in the block and transmitted.

FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an embodiment of relay communication according to the present invention. In the figure, the image information transmitted by the facsimile machine of the instruction station is transmitted to the facsimile machines of the terminal stations of the A company and the B company via the relay stations of the Y branch office and the Z branch office. The telephone numbers of the instruction station and the relay station are prepared as shown in FIG.

Next, the communication system of the instruction station and the relay station shown in FIG. 3 will be described with reference to the flowcharts of FIGS. 4 and 5. First, in the instruction station, as shown in FIG. 4, the operator operates the keyboard of the operation instruction device to send the image information to the destination A.
Companies and company B are designated by abbreviations or abbreviated numbers (step
101). In response to this designation, the CPU searches the telephone number list for the items of company A and company B designated as terminal stations for each company (step 102), and determines whether or not it is a direct transmission (step 103). In the case of direct transmission, companies A and B registered in the telephone number book of their own station in the destination telephone number table
Register information on company item numbers 1 and 3 (step 10)
Four). Next, the CPU determines whether there is another terminal station to which the image information should be transmitted (step 105), and if there is, returns to step 102 and repeats the above operation. Sets other transmission options, for example, transmission time designation, and stores the image information of the document in the memory (step 106). Then, the CPU searches the telephone number book based on the information of the item numbers 1 and 3 registered in the destination telephone number table, checks the telephone numbers (AAA, BBB) of the facsimile machines of company A and company B, and displays the above image information. Automatically for company A and B
Can be sent to the company (step 107).

Further, in step 103, when the transmission to the transmission destination companies A and B is relay transmission, A in the telephone number list of the own station is transmitted.
It is registered in the information destination telephone number table of the registration number 4 of the next relay station (relay station 1 of the Y branch) registered in the items of company B and company B (step 108). Next, the CPU registers the information of item numbers 2'and 3'of the transmission destination companies A and B registered in the telephone number list of the relay station 1 of the Y branch in the terminal station information table (step 109). Next, in step 105, the CPU determines whether or not there is another terminal station to be transmitted, and if there is no other terminal station, sets another transmission option in step 106 and stores the image information in the memory. accumulate. Then, the telephone number list is searched based on the information of the item number 4 registered in the destination telephone number table, the telephone number (YYY) of the facsimile device of the relay station 1 is checked, and the terminal station information is automatically obtained together with the image information from the company , B company (step 107).

When the relay station 1 receives the communication including the terminal station information as shown in FIG. 5 (step 111), the CPU searches the telephone number list for the items of company A and company B designated as the terminal station ( In step 112), it is determined whether it is direct transmission (step 113). In the case of direct transmission, the information of item numbers 2'and 3'of company A and company B registered in the telephone number list of the own station is registered in the destination telephone number table (step 114). Next, the CPU determines whether or not there is a terminal station to which the image information should be transmitted (step 115), and if there is a terminal station to be transmitted, returns to step 112 and repeats the above operation, and if there is no terminal station to be transmitted. Other transmission options, such as transmission time designation, are set in, and the image information of the document is stored (step 116). Then, the CPU searches the telephone number book based on the information of the item numbers 2'and 3'which are registered in the destination telephone number table, checks the telephone numbers (AAA, BBB) of the facsimile machines of Company A and Company B, and displays the above-mentioned image. Information can be automatically transmitted to the companies A and B. (Step
117).

In step 113, when the transmission to the transmission destination companies A and B is relay transmission, the next relay station (Z) registered in the items A and B in the telephone number list of the relay station 1 is transmitted. The information of the item number 1'of the relay station 2) of the branch office is registered in the destination telephone number table (step 118). Next, the CPU registers the information of the item numbers 2 ″ and 4 ″ of the transmission destination companies A and B registered in the telephone number list of the relay station 2 of the Z branch in the terminal station information table (step 119), Then the CPU proceeds to step 115.
In the same manner as described above, it is determined whether there is another terminal station to be transmitted. If there is no other terminal station, another transmission option is set in step 116 and the image information is stored in memory. Then, the telephone number book is searched based on the information of the item number 1'registered in the destination telephone number table, the telephone number (ZZZ) of the facsimile device of the relay station 2 is checked, and the terminal station information is automatically set to A together with the image information. Can be sent to company B or company B (step 117).

When the relay station 2 receives the communication including the terminal station information, it operates according to the same flowchart as the relay station 1. That is, the CPU searches the telephone number list for the items of company A and company B designated as terminal stations, and determines whether or not they are direct transmissions. Here, since it is direct transmission, the CPU registers information of item numbers 2 "and 4" of company A and company B, which are registered in the telephone number list of the own station, in the destination telephone number table. Next, the CPU determines whether there is another terminal station to which the image information should be transmitted. If there is another terminal station, the CPU searches again for the designated terminal station, repeats the above operation, and transmits the terminal information. If there is not, the telephone number list is searched based on the information of item numbers 2 ″ and 4 ″ registered in the destination telephone number table, and the telephone numbers (BB numbers of the facsimile machines of company B and company A (BB
B, AAA), and the above image information is automatically transmitted to Company A and Company B.

As described above, according to the present invention, a telephone number list in which the information of the destination terminal station and the relay station next to the terminal station is registered in the instruction station and the relay station is created, and the relay communication is performed using the telephone number list. Therefore, the operator of the instruction station can instruct the transmission partner and transmit the image information by simply inputting the abbreviation or the abbreviated number of the destination terminal station without being aware of the intermediary of the relay station. Also, it is not necessary to include information on all relay routes in the protocol, and only the next relay information is required.
The amount of information can be reduced and the transmission time can be shortened.

[Effects of the Invention] As described above, the present invention creates a telephone number list for registering information of a transmission destination terminal station and the next relay station reaching the terminal station in the transmitting station, and at the same time, the telephone number list. To the registered terminal station and relay station, the information for distinguishing direct or relay communication from each other is added, and when the designated terminal station is direct communication, information indicating the terminal station is added to the destination telephone number table. When registering and transmitting image information to the terminal station and the terminal station performing relay communication, information indicating the next relay station reaching the terminal station is registered in the destination telephone number table and the terminal The information indicating the station is registered in the terminal station information table, and the terminal station information is transmitted together with the image information to the next relay station. Therefore, the relay information to be transmitted is reduced to a minimum, and the relay station's intervention is taken into consideration. Without sending the image information You can indicate the destination.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a configuration block diagram showing an embodiment of a facsimile apparatus according to the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a telephone number book, a destination telephone number table and a terminal station information table according to the present invention, and FIG. Is a diagram showing an embodiment of a relay communication system, and FIGS. 4 and 5 are flowcharts of the instruction station and the relay station shown in FIG. 11 …… reading device, 12 …… image memory, 13 …… RAM, 14
...... Investigation instruction device, 15 ...... Central processing unit (CPU), 16 ...
... Encoding / decoding device, 17 ... Communication control unit, 18 ... Printing device, 19 ... Disk device.

Claims (1)

(57) [Claims] 1. At least one image information created by a transmitting station.
In a communication method of a facsimile apparatus for transmitting to one designated destination terminal station, a telephone number list for registering information of the terminal station and the next relay station reaching the terminal station is created in the transmitting station, and Information for distinguishing direct or relay communication from the registered terminal station is added to the telephone number list, and when the designated terminal station is in direct communication, the image information is added based on the information indicating the terminal station. When the terminal station is a relay communication, the information indicating the terminal station and the image information are transmitted to the next relay station based on the information indicating the next relay station reaching the terminal station. A communication method for facsimile communication, characterized by: