JP2548518B2 - Image communication device - Google Patents

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an image communication apparatus such as a facsimile machine, and more particularly to an image communication apparatus capable of priority communication.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, as this type of image transmitting apparatus, there is one shown in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 54-82104, or one shown in FIG. 6, for example.

In FIG. 6, an image transmitting apparatus includes a reading unit 1 for reading image information of a document or the like, converting the read image information into an electric signal, and compressing the image information based on a set encoding method. , A storage unit 2 that stores compressed image information, a modem 3 that modulates the image signal stored in the storage unit 2, and the modulated image signal is transmitted to a destination facsimile apparatus via a line 4. Network control unit (NCU)
5, a control unit 6 for controlling the reading unit 1, the storage unit 2, the modem 3, and the network control unit 5, and an operation unit 7 for issuing a transmission instruction when transmitting the document or the like. . Further, the image transmission device is provided with a recording unit 8 that prints a document or the like on recording paper according to the image signal stored in the storage unit 2. That is, the image signal received via the line 4 is received by the network control unit 5. The received image signal is demodulated by the modem 3 and converted into a digital signal. The digital image signal is stored in the storage unit 2, and the received document or the like is printed on the recording paper by the recording unit 8 according to the stored image signal.

In the image transmitting apparatus having such a configuration, the operation of sending the image signal stored in the storage section 2 to the line 4 via the modem 3 and the network control section 5, and the received image signal in the recording section 8 The control unit 5 simultaneously manages the operation of sending the image data to the recording paper and printing it on the recording paper, and the operation of storing the image information of the original read by the reading unit 1 in the storage unit 2. Therefore, it is possible to read the image information of the original document, store the image information, and make a reservation for the next communication even during transmission / reception of the original document or recording of the received original document. it can.

However, in such an image communication apparatus, when it is necessary to carry out emergency communication during communication, the original document of the emergency communication is temporarily stored in the storage unit 2,
When the manuscripts currently being transmitted have been sent (or when the manuscripts being sent have been sent to all the destinations during the broadcast communication), the emergency communication manuscripts etc. will be sent for the first time. Is done. In other words, such an interrupt of emergency communication can be accepted only when the communication currently in progress is completed, and especially when there are many pages of communication manuscripts, etc., the emergency communication will be delayed, and the role of emergency communication will be insufficient. There was a problem that it was not done.

Therefore, conventionally, when the emergency communication is interrupted, it is temporarily performed at the time when the emergency communication is most easily performed, that is, after the page transmission is completed (or in the case of the broadcast communication, after the transmission to one destination is completed). An image communication device that interrupts transmission and performs emergency communication is known. Then, in this device, after the emergency communication was completed, the call was re-issued to the destination whose transmission was once interrupted (or the call was made to the next destination during the broadcast communication), and the remaining manuscripts were transmitted. .

[0007]

However, the above-mentioned image communication device also has the following problems. That is, in the conventional image communication apparatus, when the emergency communication is interrupted, the current transmission process is immediately interrupted and the process is performed as the emergency communication at the time when the emergency communication is most easily performed. Even if all the transmission processes were completed, the device had to wait for the current transmission. Then, as a result, the apparatus does not notify the operator of the completion of the transmission even though the transmission has already been completed, so that the operator is kept waiting until the emergency communication is completed.

If the emergency communication is performed after the page transmission is completed and the call is recalled after the emergency communication is terminated, the call may be recalled even though there is no information to be transmitted. Further, if the configuration is such that an interruption message text is transmitted to the other party when the current transmission is interrupted, the other party is informed that the interruption is suspended even if all the transmissions have been completed.

The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and an object thereof is to provide an image communication apparatus capable of promptly performing emergency communication even during communication and quickly detecting the end of current communication. To provide.

[0010]

In order to achieve the above-mentioned object, the present invention firstly relates to an original reading means, a storage means for storing image information read by the original reading means, and an internal storage means. Means for transmitting image information, an operating means for outputting a signal indicating that there is a document to be preferentially processed during operation of the transmitting means, and a storage means for receiving the output by the operating means. Whether there is untransmitted information in the storage unit, and if there is no untransmitted information in the storage means, the communication end procedure is performed at a predetermined time and then the document to be preferentially processed is transmitted as normal communication. Secondly, a document reading unit, a storage unit for storing the image information read by the document reading unit, and a transmission unit for transmitting the image information in the storage unit. , This An operating means for outputting a signal indicating that there is a document to be preferentially processed during the operation of the transmitting means, and, when receiving the output by the operating means, the storing means after performing a communication termination procedure at a predetermined time. And a control unit for detecting whether or not there is untransmitted information in the storage unit, and transmitting the original document to be preferentially processed as normal communication if there is no untransmitted information in the storage unit. .

[0011]

With the above-described structure, according to the present invention, when a signal indicating that a document to be preferentially processed exists, a communication processing procedure is performed at a predetermined time to end the current transmission. Before or after performing the communication processing procedure, it is detected whether there is untransmitted information related to the transmission, and if there is no untransmitted information, the original document to be preferentially processed is transmitted as normal communication. It is possible to know the completion of the current transmission without waiting for the completion of communication of the document to be preferentially processed.

[0012]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. In the figure, the same parts as those in FIG. 6 are designated by the same reference numerals, and duplicate description will be omitted.

In FIG. 1, the image communication apparatus includes an image storage section 10 for storing image information, and a message storage section 11 for storing an interruption message transmitted to a receiving side apparatus when an original transmission operation is interrupted. , A page management unit 1 for managing pages of image information stored in the image storage unit 10.
2 and the function of the control unit 6 shown in FIG. 6, a control unit 13 as a priority processing control unit that interrupts the transmission operation of the original document and preferentially performs the transmission processing of other original documents is provided. The image storage unit 10 is the same as the storage unit 2 shown in FIG. 6, and the recording unit 8 stores an interruption message or the like that is output by the transmission side device when the original transmission operation is interrupted. Further, the operation unit 7 is provided with an interrupt communication key for issuing a priority communication instruction.

Next, the operation of the image communication apparatus having the above construction will be described with reference to FIG.
Also, description will be given based on the flowchart of FIG. 3 and the control procedure diagrams of FIGS. The message storage unit 11
It is assumed that image information such as a manuscript of interrupt communication (priority communication), a report, and the like have already been stored in.

First, when the interrupt communication key of the operation unit 7 is turned on, the control unit 13 determines whether or not a document or the like is being communicated (step ST1). When communication is in progress, the image signal stored in the image storage unit 10 is a modem,
It is determined whether or not the data is being transmitted to the line 4 via the network control unit 5 (step ST2). That is, in step ST2, when the transmission original or the like has a plurality of pages, the transmission is performed until the image signal for one page currently transmitted is transmitted. At this time, the page management unit 12 detects the page information of the transmission document or the like and stores the page information. Then, when the transmission of the page is completed, the communication termination procedure is immediately executed (step ST3). FIG. 4 shows a series of procedures related to this transmission interruption.

That is, in the transmission operation of the page immediately before the transmission is interrupted, the calling station performs the training for communication with the called station, and then transmits the image signal (here. Then, the processing operation of step ST1 is entered). Then, when the whole image signal for one page is transmitted,
RTC (control return signal) is transmitted, and further EOP (procedure end signal) is transmitted. That is, a message indicating that the communication line 4 is disconnected and the remaining pages will be transmitted again later is transmitted. Then, MCF (message confirmation) is transmitted from the called station, and in response to this, DC is transmitted from the calling station.
N (line disconnection command) is transmitted, and the line 4 between the image communication device (calling station) and the device on the other side (called station) is disconnected.

When the disconnection of the line 4 is completed in this way, it is determined whether or not there is an untransmitted page in the transmitted document or the like (step ST4). That is, when there is an untransmitted page, the page management unit 12 stores data to that effect. Then, an interrupt communication process for transmitting an image signal of a document or the like for emergency communication is executed (step ST
5). When the interrupt communication is completed, the management unit data is read from the page management unit 12, and the image signal transmission processing of the untransmitted page in the communication is executed (step ST
6).

In addition, in step ST1, it is normal when the original or the like is not transmitted (when communication is not being performed), or when the transmission procedure is completed, and when there is no untransmitted page in step ST4. Is performed (step ST7). That is, as shown in FIG. 5, since there is no original or the like to be transmitted thereafter, the original or the like for the interrupt communication is transmitted according to a normal communication procedure. Since the communication procedure shown in FIG. 5 is normally performed, detailed description thereof will be omitted.

FIG. 3 shows another embodiment of the present invention. In the figure, steps ST10 and ST11 are the same as steps ST1 and ST2 in FIG. 2, and therefore the description thereof will be omitted.

First, step S10 following step ST10.
At T11, when one page of the image signal stored in the image storage unit is transmitted, the control unit 13 determines whether or not there is an image signal of an untransmitted page (step S).
T12). When there is an untransmitted page remaining, a message, for example, an image signal for interrupting the transmission of the temporary image is transmitted to the image communication apparatus of the communication destination (step ST1).
3). This message is read from the message storage unit 11. Subsequently, the same communication termination procedure as that of step ST13 shown in FIG. 2 is executed (step ST14).
Further, when the line 4 is disconnected by the communication termination procedure, steps ST15 and ST1 shown in FIG.
The same interrupt communication processing as that of No. 6 and then the transmission processing of the untransmitted page are executed (steps ST15 and ST16). In addition,
At the time of transmitting the interruption message in step ST13, the calling device itself may output the interruption message. This message is read from the recording unit 8.

On the other hand, in step ST10, when the image signal of the original or the like is not transmitted, the normal transmission procedure processing is executed as described in FIG. 2 (step ST1).
8). Further, if there is no untransmitted page in step ST12, communication termination procedure processing is executed similarly to step ST14 (step ST17). And
When the line is disconnected due to the communication termination procedure, the normal transmission procedure processing is executed as described in FIG. 2 (step ST18). That is, the image signal of the original or the like in the interrupt communication is transmitted according to the normal communication procedure.

In the above-mentioned embodiments and modified embodiments, the interrupt communication is carried out at the time when the image signal for one page is sent out. However, for example, it may take time to transmit the image signal for one page. In this case, the line 4 may be disconnected during the transmission of the image signal of the page and the interrupt communication may be performed. In this case, the page information in the middle of the transmission is stored in the page management unit 12, and a message to the effect that the transmission is interrupted is transmitted to the image communication apparatus of the communication destination during the transmission of the page. .

[0023]

As described above, according to the image communication apparatus of the present invention, when a signal indicating that there is a document to be preferentially processed is generated, the communication processing procedure is performed at a predetermined time. Performs the current communication and terminates the current communication, but before or after performing the communication processing procedure, it detects whether there is untransmitted information related to the communication, and if there is no untransmitted information, the document to be preferentially processed. Is transmitted as normal communication. Therefore, it is possible not only to send an urgent manuscript or the like preferentially even during the actual transmission, but also to wait for the completion of the communication of the manuscript to be preferentially processed if the current transmission is completed. Can be notified to the operator.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic block diagram of an image communication apparatus showing an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a flow chart for explaining the operation of the image communication device.

FIG. 3 is a flowchart for explaining the operation of a modified example of the image communication device.

FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating a control procedure by the image communication device.

FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating a control procedure by the image communication device.

FIG. 6 is a schematic block diagram of a conventional image communication device.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1 reading unit 3 modem 4 line 5 network control unit (NCU) 7 operation unit 8 recording unit 10 image storage unit 11 message storage unit 12 page management unit 13 control unit

Claims (2)

(57) [Claims] 1. An original reading unit, a storage unit for storing image information read by the original reading unit, a transmission unit for transmitting the image information in the storage unit, and a priority process during operation of the transmission unit. An operating unit that outputs a signal indicating that a document to be present exists, and after receiving the output from the operating unit, it is detected whether or not there is untransmitted information in the storage unit, and the storage unit stores the untransmitted information. An image communication apparatus comprising: a control unit that transmits a document to be preferentially processed as normal communication after performing a communication termination procedure at a predetermined time if there is no untransmitted information. 2. A document reading unit, a storage unit for storing image information read by the document reading unit, a transmitting unit for transmitting the image information in the storage unit, and a priority process during operation of the transmitting unit. When the operation means for outputting a signal indicating that there is a document to be present and the output by the operation means are received, there is untransmitted information in the storage means after a communication termination procedure is performed at a predetermined time. An image communication apparatus, comprising: a control unit that detects whether or not there is untransmitted information in the storage unit and that transmits the original document to be preferentially processed as normal communication.