JP2624871B2 - Facsimile machine - Google Patents

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a facsimile apparatus, and particularly to a facsimile apparatus having a function of automatically dialing and transmitting to a frequently used party by a so-called one-touch operation. A facsimile machine is provided.

<Prior Art> When making a telephone call, it is necessary to first make a dial call to call the other party. This dial call is performed by dialing a rotary dial device or a push button dial device to generate a dial signal. This is to make the line make a call.

Therefore, even when the original is transmitted by the facsimile machine,
Call the other station by dialing as described above,
After confirming the answer back signal from the partner station, the document is transmitted by operating the transmission button.

Also, in the case of speed dial, the operator has to depress the numeric keypad and the function key to specify the partner station, and then operate the transmission button to instruct transmission.

<Purpose> In view of the above points, the present invention eliminates the need for dial operation, particularly when calling a frequently used partner station, and transmits a dial signal of the partner station to the line simply by operating the direct instruction key. The present invention provides a facsimile apparatus which calls a partner station, detects an answerback signal from the partner station, automatically performs a document transmission operation, and can greatly simplify the document transmission procedure.

<Embodiment> As an embodiment of the present invention, a facsimile apparatus is shown, and its constituent blocks are shown in FIG.

In FIG. 1, reference numeral 1 denotes a facsimile controller (CPU) which controls each component according to a sequence program stored in a ROM 8. 2 is a recording device for recording received image information, 3 is an image reading device for reading a transmitted original,
4 is a transmission control circuit, 5 is a modem, 6 is connected to the line 20
NCU 7 is a line memory for storing several lines of image information to be transmitted and received.

The operation of the transmission / reception control is as follows. At the time of reception, the compressed reception information of the image information is transmitted to the CPU via the NCU 6, the modem 5, and the transmission control circuit 4.
The received information supplied from the CPU 1 to the line memory 7 is temporarily stored in the line memory 7 and decoded into a line-length code to be developed into image information. It is recorded in.

The original to be transmitted at the time of transmission is read by the reading device 3, and this image information is introduced and stored in the line memory 7 by the CPU 1, and the image information in this memory 7 is further converted into a run-length code and further encoded into compressed data. And transmitted to the line 20 via the transmission control circuit 4, the modem 5, and the NCU 6.

Next, the configuration of the automatic dial transmitting device will be described. Reference numeral 9 denotes an operation panel (keyboard) which includes ten keys and other function keys, and performs a dial operation (abbreviated dial operation) using the ten keys. Reference numeral 10 denotes a display device.

11 is a readable / writable memory or RAM,
It has a speed dial conversion table 11a,
When a speed dial operation is performed, the conversion table 11a converts the signal into a signal corresponding to a normal dial number.

Reference numeral 12 denotes a dial pulse generation circuit which, when a normal dial signal converted by the conversion table 11a is input, generates a corresponding dial pulse and outputs it to the line 20.

Up to this point, the configuration of the automatic dial transmission device provided in a general facsimile machine is not particularly different, but the device of the present invention further has the following characteristic configuration.

That is, the RAM 11 is provided with a direct number area 11b for storing a dial number (direct number) of the most frequently used partner station in addition to the speed dial conversion table 11a.

The abbreviated dial conversion table 11a is divided into abbreviated numbers in order to convert the abbreviated numbers into dial numbers corresponding to abbreviated numbers input by the ten keys on the operation panel 9, and respective normal dial numbers are stored by the ten key operation. . That is, in this registration, when the abbreviated number is input from the numeric keypad, a predetermined divided area of the conversion table 11a is selected, and when the dial number is subsequently input by the numeric keypad, the dial number is stored in the area. At this time, the input dial number is displayed on the display device 10.

The direct number area 11b is for introducing and storing the dial number (direct number) of the partner station which is used most frequently than the numeric keypad, similarly to the above, that is, the direct number area 11b is selected by a predetermined key operation on the operation panel 9, Subsequently, when the dial number is input by the ten keys, the input dial number is stored in the area 11b. At this time, the input dial number is displayed on the display device 10.

The RAM 11 has a counter 11c for counting the number of calls.
Timer that counts a predetermined time by counting a predetermined pulse
11d.

The counter 11c counts the number of retries performed at predetermined time intervals when the other station is busy, and in this example, the number of retries is up to three times. Abort.

The timer 11d is a means for measuring a time for retrying at the predetermined time. In this example, a time of 3 minutes is set. When the timer 11d measures 3 minutes, a call is started. .

The RAM 11 is always energized so that data is not destroyed.

Next, the operation of the facsimile apparatus of FIG. 1 will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG.

First, the operator inputs a dial number or abbreviated number of the partner station from the numeric keypad of the operation panel 9 when transmitting a document. Specifically, when a dial number is to be input, the user operates a function key indicating that, and then inputs the dial number from the numeric keypad. If the number is an abbreviated number, a two-digit numerical value is input from the numeric keypad without operating the function keys. The input dial number or abbreviated number is displayed on the display device 10 so that the input number can be confirmed (steps n ₁ and n _{2 in} FIG. ₂ ).

Then, it is determined whether or not the input number is an abbreviated number. If the input number is an abbreviated number, the corresponding area of the abbreviated dial conversion table 11a of the RAM 11 is selected, the previously registered dial number is read, and the dial read by the display device 10 is read. The number is displayed (steps n ₄ and n ₅ ).

When the operator subsequently operates the transmission button, the selected dial number or the directly input dial number is supplied to the dial pulse generation circuit 12,
Then, a dial pulse corresponding to the dial number is transmitted to line 20. Thereafter, it is checked whether there is an answer back signal (CED tone) from the partner station. If the answer back signal has not been received, the timer 11d is turned on assuming that the other station is busy or has no answer (step n ₆ ,
_{n 7, n 9, n 20} ).

Wherein the timer 11d is OFF operation after a predetermined time (three minutes), the value of the counter 11c (initial value is set to "2") to -1, recall operation i.e. step n ₁₁ → n ₁₂ →
Proceed to n ₇ .

This recall operation repeats the same operation as described above, and the recall is repeated until the value of the counter 11c becomes "0", that is, up to three times. Unless the answer back signal is received up to three times, the counter 11c is set to " Set to 2 "to stop this transmission operation. At this time, it is convenient to notify or record the fact.

On the other hand, when the answer back signal is received, the value of the counter 11c is set to "2", followed transmitting process of general facsimile is performed (Step _{n 8 → n 14 → n 15} ).

Next, unlike the general transmission as described above, the other station frequently used, that is, the direct number area 1 of the RAM 11
When transmitting to one fixed station registered in advance in 1b, the direct button on the operation panel 9 is operated (step n).
₂₀ ).

When the direct button is operated, the direct number area 11b of the RAM11 is selected has been dialed number is the dial number with the read is displayed on the display device 10 (Step n ₂₁ → n _22).

Then, step n ₇ or later are performed sequentially as defined above.

That is, in this case, the transmission operation with the partner station is automatically performed only by operating the direct button (so-called one-touch operation) without operating the start key for the transmission instruction. Therefore, the operator can leave the apparatus only by operating the direct button, and does not need to memorize the dial number of the partner station.

As the dial information of the specific partner station stored in the direct number area 11b, the partner station number may be stored in a binary number, or may be stored as other codes, and the storage data may take various forms.

<Effects> In the facsimile apparatus of the present invention, a memory (direct number area 11b) for storing dial information of a partner station which is frequently used is provided, and a specific instruction key (direct instruction key) is operated. In response, the dial information is read from the memory and supplied to the dial signal generating circuit, and the dial signal is output from the circuit to the line, and the transmission process is executed with the answer back signal from the partner station. For a fixed station that is frequently used and registered in the dial information memory in advance, a desired direct instruction key can be assigned to a single station without performing the conventional complicated procedures of key operation for designating the partner station and start key operation. The dial information of the partner station can be read out, dial signals can be transmitted and transmission processing can be performed by one-touch operation just by operating. Transmission procedure having features such is extremely simplified.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a facsimile apparatus according to the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a flowchart showing the operation of the facsimile apparatus. 1: facsimile controller, 2: recording device, 3: reading device, 4: transmission control circuit, 5: modem, 6: NCU, 7: line memory, 9:
Operation panel, 10: display device, 11: RAM, 11a: abbreviated dial conversion table, 11b: direct number area, 12: dial pulse generation circuit, 20: line.

Continued on the front page (72) Inventor Hayashi Gennichi 22-22 Nagaikecho, Abeno-ku, Osaka-shi, Osaka Inside Sharp Corporation (72) Inventor Matapira 22-22 Nagaikecho, Abeno-ku, Osaka-shi, Osaka Sharp Corporation (56) References JP-A-58-181368 (JP, A) JP-A-51-25907 (JP, A)

Claims (1)

(57) [Claims] A recording device for recording received image information, an image reading device for reading a transmission original, a transmission control circuit, a modem,
In a facsimile machine having an NCU, a numeric keypad for inputting a dial number, a speed dial number,
An operation panel having function keys such as a transmission instruction key, and a speed dial memory for storing dial information corresponding to each speed number for transmitting a corresponding dial number in response to the input of the speed dial number. A series of a call and transmission process of the partner station, a direct instruction key for directly executing, a dial number memory for storing a dial number for sending dial information of the partner station in response to the direct instruction key, A dial pulse generating circuit for outputting a dial pulse corresponding to the supplied dial information to a line, and an answer back signal detecting circuit for detecting an answer back signal from a partner station after the dial pulse is generated by the dial pulse generating circuit. When the direct instruction key is input, the transmission instruction key In addition to generating a dial pulse regardless of the operation, when a dial number or abbreviated dial number is input, a dial pulse is generated based on the input of the transmission instruction key, and when an answer back signal is detected, the transmission processing is performed. A facsimile apparatus comprising: a control unit for performing an answerback signal when the answerback signal is not detected and notifying the operator of the fact.