JP2587950B2 - Facsimile machine - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [Summary] A facsimile apparatus having a memory for storing image information and transmitting the image information, capable of communicating image information from a remote place at an arbitrary time. Detection means for detecting a start request from a touch-tone telephone, and communication control means for controlling a communication operation of image information with a counterpart when the start request is detected by the detection means. To be configured.

[Industrial applications]

The present invention relates to a facsimile apparatus, and more particularly, to a facsimile apparatus having a memory for storing image information and transmitting the image information.

[Conventional technology]

In a known facsimile apparatus, image information of a document such as a character or a photograph can be transmitted to a remote place using a communication line. At present, image communication can be performed via a public telephone line, and such a facsimile apparatus is generally widely used in OA.

One of the functions of this widely used facsimile machine is a so-called transmission reservation function in which a transmission time is specified in advance and image information is automatically transmitted at the time.

In addition, there is also a function called a fixed-time polling reception in which a polling reception is automatically performed by designating a reception time in advance when the polling reception is performed.

[Problems to be solved by the invention]

By the way, in the conventional method of transmitting and receiving image information by specifying the time as described above, if the destination device of the transmission destination is busy or the recording paper is insufficient, the transmission is performed at the specified time. Can not. In addition, even if a function of automatic retransmission is provided to cope with this, if the above state is continued, there is a problem that transmission is not performed after all.

Furthermore, once the transmission / reception time is set and the user leaves the apparatus by going out, etc., there is another problem that the transmission / reception time cannot be changed or the transmission / reception cannot be stopped.

The present invention has been made in view of such a point, and an object of the present invention is to provide a facsimile apparatus capable of communicating image information at an arbitrary time from a remote place.

[Means for solving the problem]

In order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides a storage means for storing a transmission document and its destination with a predetermined identification code added thereto in advance, a detection means for detecting a code signal input from an external telephone, and the detection means And a transmission control unit that reads out the transmission original from the storage unit and transmits the original to the destination when the code signal detected by the above and the identification signal match.

(Operation)

By adopting such a configuration, the facsimile apparatus can be started under the control of the external telephone, so that facsimile transmission can be executed at an arbitrary time from a remote place. In addition, since the original and its destination are set in the memory in advance, the transmission instruction operation from the outside can be a minimum operation of inputting the identification code.

〔Example〕

Hereinafter, an embodiment in which a password is designated from a touch-tone telephone and a facsimile apparatus is started to transmit image information corresponding to the password will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 2 shows a configuration of a facsimile apparatus according to one embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 3 shows a procedure for setting transmission image information to the facsimile apparatus in the embodiment. FIG.
4 shows a transmission control procedure of the facsimile apparatus in the embodiment. FIG. 5 shows registered contents of image information stored in the facsimile machine.

I. Correspondence Between Embodiment and FIG. 1 Here, the correspondence between the embodiment of the present invention and FIG. 1 will be described.

 The detecting unit 111 corresponds to the main control unit 210.

Communication control means 113 corresponds to main control section 210, line control section 231, network control section 233, and modem 235.

An embodiment of the present invention will be described below assuming that there is the above correspondence.

II. Configuration of Embodiment The configuration of a facsimile apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described.

In FIG. 2, a facsimile apparatus 200 includes a reading unit 211 for reading image information of a transmission original (not shown).
A recording unit 261 for printing image information of a received document, an image processing unit 251 for compressing transmission data and restoring received data, and an image information storage unit 253 including a RAM for storing transmission / reception data. And a modem 235 for modulating and demodulating data, and a network controller 233 for controlling an external line.
A line controller 231 for controlling the network controller 233 and the modem 235 for transmitting and receiving instruction signals and data, a main controller 210 for controlling the entire system, and an operation for inputting instructions and data by an operator. Panel 221 is provided.

The main control unit 210, the line control unit 231, the image processing unit 251, and the image information storage unit 253 are connected by a bus.

Instructions and data from the operation panel 221 are input to the main control unit 210. The data read by the reading unit 211 is input to the image processing unit 251. Data received from the image processing unit 251 is input to the recording unit 261.

The transmission data is output from the network control device 233 via the line control unit 231 and the modem 235. Received data is network controller 2
33, and input to the line control unit 231 via the modem 235. The line control unit 231 and the network control device 233 are connected to each other, and mutually input and output control signals.

The transmitting-side facsimile apparatus 200 and the receiving-side facsimile apparatus 290 are connected via an external public telephone line. The configuration of the facsimile apparatus 290 is the same as the configuration of the facsimile apparatus 200, and a detailed description of the configuration will be omitted.

Further, the facsimile apparatus 200 is a touch-tone telephone 2
Both are connected via an external public telephone line.

III. Operation of Embodiment The operation of the embodiment will be described separately for a transmission image information setting procedure and a transmission operation.

(I) Procedure for Setting Transmission Image Information The procedure for setting transmission image information will be described with reference to FIG.

An operator on the transmitting side sets a document on a document table (not shown) (step 311) and designates a transmission reservation (step 312). The facsimile apparatus 200 reads the image information of the document from the reading unit 211, compresses the image information in the image processing unit 251 and stores the compressed information in the image information storage unit 253 (step 313). The operator inputs a password from operation panel 221 (step 314), and inputs a telephone number of a destination to which the original is to be transmitted from operation panel 221 (step 315).

FIG. 5 shows information on registered contents of image information stored in the image information storage unit 253 by the above operation.

In the figure, the password is input in step 314, and corresponds to the image information input in step 313.
The telephone number is input in step 315, and indicates a transmission destination corresponding to the image information similarly input in step 313. The data address is a head address where the corresponding image information is stored. As described above, the original image information (data) to be sent, the telephone number of the destination to be sent, and the password assigned to each piece of image information are integrally stored in the image information
Stored in 253. Therefore, it is possible to search for image information based on the password.

(Ii) Transmission operation The operator operates the set of transmission image information, then leaves the transmission-side facsimile apparatus 200, and connects to the touch-tone telephone 29 connected via an external public telephone line.
A case will be described in which a password is designated from 5 to start transmission to the receiving-side facsimile apparatus 290.

Here, it is assumed that the operator transmits image information (data) to which the password '0121' in FIG. 5 is assigned. The telephone number '0423-77-4111' at that time is
This is the telephone number of the destination facsimile machine 290.

FIG. 4 shows an operation procedure of the facsimile apparatus 200 when the operator transmits image information of the password '0121' from the touch-tone telephone 295 to the facsimile apparatus 290.

The facsimile apparatus 200 is connected to an external touch-tone telephone 2
When a line connection request signal is received from 95 (step 41
1) In response, a response signal indicating the facsimile machine is transmitted (step 412).

Upon receiving the password '0121' input by the operator from the touch-tone telephone 295 (step 413),
In response, a signal notifying that the password has been received is transmitted (step 414).

Here, the line with the touch-tone telephone 295 is disconnected (step 415), and the image information transmission operation is started (step 41).
6). Thereby, the transmission destination of the telephone number (0423-77-4111) corresponding to the password '0121', that is, the facsimile apparatus
The image information stored with the address of 'A1' at the head is transmitted to the 290 by the auto dial function (step 41).
7).

The operation until the image information is transmitted via the external line in step 417 will be described.

The main control unit 210 reads out the compressed data of the image information stored in the image information storage unit 253 and sends it to the line control unit 231. The compressed data is transmitted to the modem 235 under the control of the line control unit 231.
And transmitted to the facsimile apparatus 290.

IV. Summary of Embodiment As described above, the password from the touch-tone telephone 295 is recognized, the image information with the password is searched, and the image information is transmitted based on the telephone number of the transmission destination.

Therefore, it is possible to transmit image information at an arbitrary time from a place remote from the facsimile machine.

V. Modifications of the Invention In the above-described embodiment of the present invention, a plurality of image information files stored in the transmission-side facsimile apparatus are assumed, but one image information may be used.

Also, the image information does not need to be stored in the memory,
The image information of the document set on the platen may be transmitted.

In the embodiment of the present invention, the image information is transmitted by activating the facsimile apparatus. Conversely, the facsimile apparatus may be activated to perform polling reception. In that case, the received image information is printed by the recording unit 261.

The password sent from the touch-tone telephone is not always necessary, and it is only necessary that the facsimile apparatus be activated to perform the image information communication operation.

Further, in "I. Correspondence between the embodiment and FIG. 1",
Although the correspondence between the present invention and the embodiments has been described, the present invention is not limited to this, and those skilled in the art can easily infer that there are various modifications.

〔The invention's effect〕

As is apparent from the above description, the present invention provides a storage means for storing a transmission document and its destination with a predetermined identification code added thereto in advance, a detection means for detecting a code signal input from an external telephone, When the code signal detected by the detection unit and the identification signal match, the transmission control unit that reads the transmission original from the storage unit and transmits the original to the destination, Since the facsimile apparatus can be activated by control from the external telephone, facsimile transmission can be executed at an arbitrary time from a remote place.Moreover, in order to set the original and its destination in the memory in advance, The transmission instruction operation from the outside has a practically excellent effect that a minimum operation of inputting an identification code is required.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the principle of a facsimile apparatus according to the present invention, FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a facsimile apparatus according to one embodiment of the present invention, FIG. FIG. 5 is an explanatory view of a transmission control procedure of the facsimile apparatus in the embodiment. FIG. 5 is an explanatory view showing registered contents of image information stored in the facsimile apparatus. In the figure, 111 is detection means, 113 is communication control means, 200 and 290 are facsimile machines, 210 is a main control section, 211 is a reading section, 221 is an operation panel, 231 is a line control section, 233 is a network control apparatus, and 235 is a modem. Reference numeral 251 denotes an image processing unit, 253 denotes an image information storage unit, 261 denotes a recording unit, and 295 denotes a touch-tone telephone.

Claims (1)

(57) [Claims] 1. A storage means for storing a transmission document and its destination with a predetermined identification code added thereto, a detection means for detecting a code signal inputted from an external telephone, and a code signal detected by the detection means. A facsimile apparatus comprising: a transmission control unit that reads out the transmission original from the storage unit and transmits the original to the destination when the identification signal matches the identification signal.