JP2526215B2 - Facsimile machine - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [Object of the Invention] (Field of Industrial Application) The present invention relates to an improvement of a facsimile apparatus connectable to a plurality of types of communication networks having different fee systems.

(Prior Art) In recent years, with the promotion of office automation, a facsimile apparatus has been widely used, and among them, there is one that can be selectively connected to a plurality of types of communication networks. Here, there are, for example, a subscriber telephone network and a facsimile network as this communication network, and these communication networks have mutually different charge systems. That is, in the subscriber telephone network, the communication charge changes according to the communication distance, the communication time and the communication time, while in the facsimile network, the communication charge changes according to the number of originals. The charge varies depending on the linear density (image quality). Therefore, the communication cost can be saved by selecting the communication network on the side with the lower charge depending on the number of originals to be transmitted and the amount of image data for each communication.

However, conventional devices of this type generally have only a communication network selection / designation switch.When designating a communication network to be used, the operator determines which communication network is cheaper at each transmission. I had to operate the above selection switch. Therefore, it takes a lot of time and effort to specify the communication network, and the operation is extremely troublesome.

(Problems to be Solved by the Invention) As described above, the conventional apparatus has a problem that the designation operation of the communication network is extremely troublesome and the operator's burden is increased, and the present invention focuses on this point. It is an object of the present invention to provide a facsimile apparatus which enables an operator to always select an optimum communication network without performing a selection operation each time, thereby reducing the burden on the operator and reducing the communication charge.

[Structure of the Invention] (Means for Solving Problems) The present invention enables communication by selectively using one of a subscriber telephone network and at least one communication network having a different charge system from the subscriber telephone network. As shown in FIG. 1, in a facsimile machine capable of performing the communication, the communication partner can selectively use either the subscriber telephone network or a communication network other than the subscriber telephone network for each communication. Determining means for determining whether or not the information is acquired, and information acquiring means 10 for acquiring predetermined information necessary for calculating the communication charge of each communication network.
0, in response to the determination means that the communication partner can selectively use either the subscriber telephone network or the communication network other than the subscriber telephone network, Communication fee calculation means 200 for calculating a communication fee for each of the communication networks based on the obtained information
And communication network selection means 300 are provided, and this communication network selection means 3
If 00 determines that the communication partner can use only the subscribed telephone network by 00, the subscriber selects the subscriber telephone network, and the determiner determines that the communication partner communicates with the subscriber telephone network or other than the subscribed telephone network. When it is determined that any one of the networks can be selectively used, a communication network with a low communication charge is selected from the calculation result of the communication charge calculating means 200.

(Operation) As a result, the operator only needs to set the transmission document at the time of transmission and input the telephone number of the transmission partner, and the communication fee required to transmit the transmission document is obtained for each communication network.
Since this communication network is automatically selected, the operator's operation related to selection and designation of the communication network becomes almost unnecessary, which can significantly reduce the burden on the operator and the time required for one communication. Can be shortened and the use efficiency of the device can be improved. If the communication partner can only use the subscriber telephone network, the subscriber telephone network is selected and communication is started without calculating the communication fee. Therefore, the time required for calculating the communication fee can be saved. The time required for communication can be further shortened.

(Embodiment) FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a facsimile apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. This apparatus has a reading scanning unit 1 including a line sensor including a solid-state image sensor, a document feeding mechanism for moving a transmission document in a sub-scanning direction, a document detector for detecting the presence of the transmission document, and the like. The image signal of the transmission original obtained by the above is encoded by the encoding unit 2 and then introduced into the transmission / reception unit 4 via the control unit 3. The transmitter / receiver 4 includes a modulation / demodulation circuit (MOD) 41 and a network control circuit (NCU).
42, and the coded picture signal is modulated by MOD41 and then N
It is sent to the line 5 as image data via the CU42. Reference numeral 6 is a telephone that is connected to the NCU 42 as an alternative to the line 5. On the other hand, when the image data arrives via the line 5, this device receives the image data through the NCU 42 and the MOD 41, and then introduces the image data into the decoding unit 7 through the control unit 3, and the decoding unit 7 decodes the image data. After the signal is reproduced, it is guided to the recording scanning unit 8 where the recording paper is recorded and scanned. In addition, this device includes a key input unit 9 including dial keys and communication function keys, and an information storage unit 10.
And have. The information storage unit 10 is a destination memory 11 for storing destination information such as the telephone number of the destination input in advance by the key input unit 9 and the type of communication network usable by the terminal and the capability of the terminal. , Table memory that stores the data table required to calculate the communication charge
12 and an image data memory 13 for temporarily storing the decoded image signal of the transmission original read at the time of transmission.

By the way, the control unit 3 includes, for example, a microcomputer as a main control unit, and in addition to various control units related to communication operation, a selection information collecting unit 31 as shown in FIG.
And a communication charge calculation means 32 and a communication network selection means 33. Among them, the selection information collecting means 31 firstly, before transmission, various information necessary for calculating the communication charges of all communication networks that can be used by both the own terminal and the other terminal, for example, a subscriber telephone network and a facsimile network. Is to collect. The communication charge calculation means 32 is the selection information collection means.
The communication charge for each communication network is calculated based on the information obtained in step 31 and the information in the data table stored in the table memory 12. The communication network selecting means 33 selects and connects the communication network with the lowest communication charge from the calculation result of the communication charge calculating means 32.

Next, the control unit 3 controls the operation of the device configured as described above.
The control procedure will be described. The destination memory 11 and the table memory 12 respectively store predetermined destination information such as telephone numbers, terminal capabilities, types of usable communication networks, and distance data tables and frequency tables necessary for charge calculation. The description will be given assuming that the data table is stored.

First, in the standby state, the control unit 3 monitors the presence or absence of a transmission document on the platen in step 4a as shown in FIG. 4 (a). In this state, the operator sets the document on the platen for transmission. When the transmission original is set and the identification number (for example, abbreviated dial number) of the transmission partner is input by the key input unit 9, the control unit 3 detects the setting of the transmission original at step 4a and then the key at the step 4b. The other party identification information input from the input unit 9 is recognized. Then, in step 4c, the destination information corresponding to the identification information of the destination from the destination memory 11, for example, a telephone number or the type of usable communication network,
Information representing the communication mode or the like is read out, and it is determined in step 4d whether or not the communication network can be selected from the communication network type information. Here, if the other terminal can use only the subscribed telephone network, the control unit 3 shifts to the normal transmission mode, unconditionally selects the subscribed telephone network, and transmits the transmission document via this subscribed telephone network. Control.

Now, assuming that the partner terminal is now able to use the subscriber telephone network and the facsimile network, the control section 3 shifts from step 4d to step 4e, where the reading scanning section 1 is first operated to read the transmission original. Start the scan. Then, the encoded image signal obtained by this reading scanning is stored in the image data memory 13 in step 4f, and the number of pages of the transmission original is counted by the output of the original detector in step 4g, and the size of the transmission original is determined. Identify. Then, the above control is repeated until the scanning of the reading of the transmitted document is completed, and step 4h
When the end of the reading scan is detected by the control unit 3, the control unit 3 proceeds to step 4i.
Then, the signal amount (bit number) of the encoded image signal stored in the image data memory 13 is obtained, and this signal amount is stored in the memory in the control unit 3 as the document data together with the page number and size of the transmission document. Store temporarily.

Then, when the collection of the manuscript data is completed, the control unit 3
Next, as shown in FIG. 4 (b), the process proceeds to step 4j and step 4k to calculate the communication charges of the subscriber telephone network and the facsimile network, respectively. First, for the subscriber telephone network, since the communication charge changes depending on the communication time, the communication distance table is searched by the partner telephone number read from the partner memory 11 and the telephone number of the own terminal in step 4c, and both terminals are searched. The communication distance between them is calculated, and the communication time per unit charge according to the communication distance and the communication time is calculated from the data table. At the same time, the communication time required to transmit this signal amount is calculated from the signal amount of the encoded image signal in the original data and the capability information of the partner terminal stored in the destination memory 11, and the communication time is calculated. The communication charge is calculated from the above and the communication time per unit charge. On the other hand, for the facsimile network,
The communication charge varies depending on the number of transmitted originals, and the communication charge for each original is the communication distance (whether less than 100km or more), the original size (A5 or A4), and the image quality (higher than the main scanning line density). Quality or standard quality), the communication distance between both terminals is first obtained from the other party's telephone number and the telephone number of the self-terminal as in the case of the above-mentioned subscriber telephone network, and this communication distance and the original data Then, the communication charge per one transmission original is calculated from the size of the transmission original and the main scanning line density. Then, the communication fee per sheet of the transmitted original document and the step 4g in advance.
The communication fee required for one communication is calculated from the number of pages of the transmitted original document counted in step. Thus, the communication charge of the original document to be transmitted is required for each subscriber telephone network and facsimile network. Then, when the communication charge is obtained, the control unit 3
Next, in step 4l, determine which of the above communication charges is cheaper, and if the subscriber telephone network is cheaper, select the subscriber telephone network side in step 4m, while the facsimile network is less expensive. If so, the facsimile network side is selected in step 4n. Then, after selecting this communication network, the process proceeds to step 4o, where a dial signal corresponding to the other party's telephone number is first transmitted, and if the other party's terminal responds to this call, then it is stored in the image data memory 13 in step 4p. The coded image signal that is stored is read and this signal is transmitted. And step
The transmission is monitored at 4q, and when the transmission is completed, the line is disconnected and the standby state is restored.

As described above, according to this embodiment, the communication charge of each communication network that can be commonly used by the transmission partner terminal and the self terminal is calculated before transmission, and the communication network with the lower communication charge is selected. Therefore, the cheapest communication network can be used according to the number of pages of the transmitted manuscript, the content of the image, etc. for each transmission, so that the communication charge is higher than when one communication network is fixedly selected. Can be cheaper. Further, since the communication network is automatically selected, the operator only has to set the transmission document and designate the transmission partner, and as a result, the operator's operational burden can be greatly reduced. Further, according to the present embodiment, if the transmission destination terminal can use only the subscriber telephone network, the subscriber telephone network is unconditionally selected without calculating the communication charge,
Since the communication is started, the time required for calculating the communication charge can be omitted and the time required for one communication can be further shortened.

The present invention is not limited to the above embodiment,
For example, the type of communication network, the procedure of the communication charge calculation means, etc. can be modified in various ways without departing from the scope of the present invention.

[Effects of the Invention] As described in detail above, according to the present invention, communication is performed by selectively using one of a subscriber telephone network and at least one communication network having a different charge system from the subscriber telephone network. A facsimile apparatus capable of determining whether or not the communication partner can selectively use either the subscribed telephone network or a communication network other than the subscribed telephone network for each communication. Means, information acquisition means for obtaining predetermined information necessary for calculating the communication charge of each of the communication networks, and the communication means other than the subscribed telephone network and the subscribed telephone network by the determining means. In response to the decision that it is possible to selectively use
Communication fee calculating means for calculating a communication fee for each of the communication networks based on the information obtained by the information obtaining means,
A communication network selecting means is provided, and by this communication network selecting means,
When the determining means determines that the communication partner can use only the subscribed telephone network, the subscriber telephone network is selected, and the determiner determines whether the communication partner is the subscriber telephone network or a communication network other than the subscriber telephone network. When it is determined that one of them can be selectively used, the operator performs a selection operation each time by selecting a communication network with a low communication charge from the calculation result of the communication charge calculation means. It is possible to provide a facsimile apparatus which can always select the optimum communication network without reducing the load on the operator and reduce the communication charge.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a functional block diagram showing the configuration of the present invention, FIGS. 2 to 4 are for explaining a facsimile apparatus in one embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a schematic configuration of the apparatus. FIG. 3 is a circuit block diagram, FIG. 3 is a functional block diagram showing the control function of the control unit, and FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing the control procedure and control contents of the control unit. 100: Information acquisition means, 200: Communication charge calculation means, 300
...... Line selection control means, 1 ... reading scanning section, 2 ... encoding section, 3 ... control section, 31 ... selection information collecting means, 32 ...
Communication charge calculation means, 33 ... communication network selection means, 4 ... transmission / reception section, 41 ... modulation / demodulation circuit (MOD), 42 ... network control circuit (N
CU), 5 ... Line, 6 ... Telephone, 7 ... Decoding section, 8
...... Recording scanning unit, 9 ...... Key input unit, 10 ...... Information storage unit, 11 ...... Destination memory, 12 ...... Table memory, 13 ...
… Image data memory.

Claims (1)

(57) [Claims] 1. A facsimile apparatus capable of performing communication by selectively using any one of a subscriber telephone network and at least one communication network having a different charge system from the subscriber telephone network, for each communication, Determination means for determining whether or not the communication partner can selectively use any one of the subscribed telephone network and the communication network other than the subscribed telephone network, and a communication charge of each of the communication networks By the information obtaining means for obtaining the predetermined information necessary for the communication and the judging means, the communication partner can selectively use either the subscriber telephone network or the communication network other than the subscriber telephone network. In response to the determination, the communication charge calculating unit calculates a communication charge for each of the communication networks based on the information acquired by the information acquiring unit, and the communication partner calculates the communication charge by the determining unit. When it is determined that only the talking network can be used, the subscriber telephone network is selected, and the determining means selectively uses either the subscriber telephone network or a communication network other than the subscriber telephone network. A facsimile machine, comprising: a communication network selecting means for selecting a communication network having a low communication charge from the calculation result of the communication charge calculating means when it is determined that the communication is possible.