JP2633501B2 - Facsimile transmission equipment - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a facsimile transmission device, and more particularly to a facsimile transmission device having an image information storage device.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Some facsimile apparatuses include an image information storage device, and a transmission device starts transmission when an operator designates a facsimile transmission destination and time in advance. In such a conventional type of image information storage facsimile, when a plurality of pieces of image information are registered in the image information storage unit, a part of the plurality of pieces of image information has the same destination at the same time. However, even when the image information to be transmitted is included in the image information, communication for each image information is required once.

One solution to eliminate such irrationality of the transmission processing procedure is to re-register a plurality of pieces of image information at the same time and the same destination as a new piece of image information, and then perform transmission processing. Although a procedure was considered, as a conventional method for executing this processing, for example, a procedure as shown in FIG. 5 was used. That is, when the transmission reservation operation is started, in the processing step (hereinafter referred to as ST) 1, the image information for the same time and the same destination (hereinafter abbreviated as “same destination”) is already registered on the display unit of the operation panel. An inquiry message is displayed as to whether the request has been made.
In response to this, the operator makes an answer by operating the ten keys, etc.
In step 2, it is determined whether or not image information of the same destination exists. If the image information does not exist, registration processing is immediately performed. If it does exist, an inquiry message is displayed in ST3 as to whether or not to combine with other image information. You. In response to this inquiry message, the operator responds by operating the numeric keypad, and in the facsimile, determines whether or not to combine the image information of the same destination in the facsimile in ST4. Shifts to the registration process, while when it is determined that they are combined, the process shifts to the processing step of ST5. In ST5, an inquiry message as to which image information should be combined with the image information is displayed on the display unit. When the operator designates image information in response to this inquiry, it is determined in the facsimile whether or not there is the image information designated in ST6. If the designated image information does not exist, the process returns to the processing step in ST3. While displaying an inquiry message as to whether or not to combine the image information with other image information, if it is determined in step ST6 that the specified image information is present, the process proceeds to step ST7 to edit the image information in this processing step. To update the registration number for new image information.

[0004]

However, in such a conventional facsimile transmission apparatus, the image information to be newly registered and the image information of the same destination which is generally registered are to be edited. In this case, it is necessary for the operator to memorize the registration and destination of the already registered image information, and for each new image information to be added, the facsimile needs to indicate the registration number of the image information to be edited. was there. For this reason, an error easily occurs in the image information editing process. If the registration number is incorrect despite the instruction of the image information, the image information is transmitted to a different destination or at a different time. There was a problem that it would.

In addition, in the conventional image information editing method, when registering new image information, the facsimile and the operator are performed in an interactive manner, so that the operation is troublesome and the registration number of the already registered image information is increased. If there is no confirmation of the address and the like, an operation error may occur.

Furthermore, when the registration number of the already registered image information is not known, it is necessary to give a new image information registration number each time. In this case, it is necessary to perform communication to the same destination many times. There was also a problem that it did not.

Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. Sho 62-92 discloses a technique for collectively broadcasting each facsimile manuscript to the same destination.
No. 655.

However, in this technique, when calling, a message to the same destination is selected and the message to the same destination is collectively broadcasted. There is a problem that it is not possible to confirm whether messages are distributed in a lump. That is, since the registration number is assigned to each message individually, the destination and the delivery time of each message are checked one by one, and which message and which message are distributed collectively is collated. It is necessary to perform the operation, and there is a problem that the operation is extremely complicated.

The present invention has been made in view of such a conventional problem, and has as its object to automatically transfer a plurality of pieces of image information of the same destination to one image without an operation of editing image information by an operator. An object of the present invention is to provide a facsimile transmission device which can be edited as image information and can easily confirm which message is to be distributed in a batch.

[0010]

In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, the present invention provides a storage means for storing image information, a communication information storage means for storing a transmission destination and a transmission time of the image information, Search means for searching whether image information of the same transmission destination and transmission time exists in the information storage means,
Means for storing management information for associating the storage address of the image information with the transmission destination and transmission time, and when retrieving new image information, the search means searches for registered image information having the same transmission destination and the same transmission time as the new image information. When a search is performed, the registered image information is fetched from the storage unit, one image information is edited together with the new image information, and an editing unit is assigned to assign new management information to the edited image information.

[0011]

With this configuration, when new image information is input from the reading unit and transmission reservation is made, the destination search means searches the image information data file, and the destination and transmission time are set for the already registered image information. Search for data about Then, if there is a destination and a time reserved for transmission of the new image information in the registered image information, the image information of both is edited to create the latest image information, and a new image information is newly created. A registration number is assigned and the latest image information is stored in the image information storage unit. Thus, the image information at the same destination and the same time can be transmitted by one communication without the intervention of the operator.

[0012]

1 to 4 show an embodiment of a facsimile transmitting apparatus according to the present invention and its operation.

A facsimile transmitting apparatus according to this embodiment has a reading section 1 for reading a document, an image information storage section 2 for storing image information input from the reading section 1, and a read section from the image information storage section 2. A transmitting unit 3 for transmitting image information on a line 9;
An image information control unit 4 for editing and managing image information, and a communication control unit 5 for managing various data necessary for facsimile communication
And a panel unit 6 connected to the image information control unit 4 and the communication control unit 5 by a signal line 8 and issuing an operation command to each of these units. The reading unit 1, the image information storage unit, the transmission unit 3, and the image information control unit 4 are connected to each other by a data bus 7.

The image information control unit 4 includes an image information data file 10 for storing various management data such as an image information management number 11 and an image information storage address 12 for each image information stored in the image information storage unit 2. An image information editing unit 13 for editing already registered image information and newly input image information; and an image information data file 10 and an image information editing unit 13 connected to the image information data file And a first CPU 15 for controlling the writing and reading of the data and the operation of the image information editing unit 13.

The communication control unit 5 is required for a second CPU 16 for performing a communication control operation, and for communicating the image information management number 11, destination data 17, and transmission time data 18 processed by the second CPU 16. Data unit 19, which stores various data, and a data file search unit 20 which searches for destination data 17 and transmission time data 18 stored in the communication data file 19. Each of the operation units 16, 19, 20 They are connected by a bus 21. The second CPU 16 is connected to the first CPU 15 by a signal line 8, and a communication operation is performed between the two CPUs 15, 16.

The operation of the facsimile transmission apparatus having the above configuration will be described below. When making a transmission reservation, the operator inputs the destination data 17 and the transmission time data 18 from the panel unit 6 by, for example, operating the ten keys, and sends the original to the reading unit 1 where image information is input. The image information input from the reading unit 1 is temporarily stored in the image information storage unit 2, and the image information management number 11 and the image information storage address 12 for the image information are stored in the image information control unit 4.
And is registered in the image information data file 10.
Then, the image information management number 11 is notified from the first CPU 15 to the second CPU 16 through the signal line 8, and the image information management number 11 is registered in the communication data file 19 by the operation of the second CPU 16, In the file 19, destination data 17 and transmission time data 18 are registered.

On the other hand, with the input of the destination data 17 and the transmission time data 18 in the panel unit 6, the communication control unit 5
Then, in steps (hereinafter referred to as ST) 21 and 22, the second CPU 16 issues an operation command to the data file search unit 20 to determine whether image information of the same destination and the same transmission time already exists in the communication data file 19. Is determined. If there is no image information of the same destination and the same transmission time in the determination processing steps ST21 and ST22, the registration of various data is completed, and the transmission reservation operation ends.

On the other hand, the processing steps ST21, ST21,
If image information of the same destination and the same transmission time exists in ST22, the process proceeds to ST23. In this processing step, the second CPU 1
6 loads, from the communication data file 19, the image information management number 11 having the same destination to be edited and the same transmission time, and notifies the first CPU 15 of the image information control unit 4 of this. In the image information control unit 4, the first CPU 15 loads the corresponding image information from the image information storage unit 2 based on the received data and sends it to the image information editing unit 13, where the image information is edited. On the other hand, a new image information management number 11 is determined, assigned to the edited image information, and registered in the image information data file 10. Then, the first CPU 15 outputs the edited image information to the image information storage unit 2, while notifying the newly allocated image information management number 11 to the second CPU 16, and the second CPU 16 The information management number 11 is registered in the communication data file 19.

As described above, a plurality of pieces of image information registered at the same destination and the same transmission time are edited as one piece of image information, and when the time designated for reservation is reached, the edited new image information is stored in the image information storage unit 2. The image information of the same destination is transmitted in one communication by being read out and sent out onto the line 9 through the transmission unit 3.

When new image information is registered, the new image information is edited together with the already-registered image information having the same transmission destination and the same transmission time as one image information, so that a unique management number is not assigned to the new image information. A new management number is assigned only to edited image information including new image information. for that reason,
It is easy to confirm which image information and which image information are transmitted collectively.

Thus, when there are many pieces of image information for the same transmission destination and the same transmission time, it is possible to determine that new image information should be transmitted at another transmission time.

Further, when the operator changes the destination data 17 or the transmission time data 18 by operating the panel unit 6 for the image information already stored in the image information storage unit 2, the communication control unit 5 The operation of the search unit 20 searches whether or not the image information of the same destination and the same transmission time exists. If the image information does not exist, it returns to the state before the data editing. Perform the editing operation of.

When returning to the state before data editing,
If there is no individual image information management number 11 for the image information to be changed, a new image information management number 11 is determined for the image information to be changed and the registration operation is performed.

When the image information editing process is completed, the process proceeds to ST24. In this processing step, an inquiry message as to whether or not to delete old image information is displayed on the display unit provided on the panel unit 6 by the communication control unit 4. In step ST25, it is determined whether or not the old image information is to be deleted in response to the operator's response operation signal. If the old image information is not to be deleted, the registration process is completed. Be able to address individual needs, such as when they are registered. On the other hand, if it is determined in ST25 to delete, ST2
6, the old image information is deleted, and accordingly, the image information data and the communication data corresponding to the old image information are also deleted.

[0025]

As described above, according to the present invention,
By automatically editing a plurality of pieces of image information registered at the same destination and the same transmission time at the time of transmission reservation into one piece of image information, accurate editing can be performed without the need for an operator. Since the image information of the same destination can be transmitted in one communication, various effects can be obtained, such as improving the work efficiency of the facsimile and reducing the communication fee. Furthermore, since the editing process is performed when registering new image information, management information is added only to the edited image information.
It is easy to confirm which image information and which image information are to be transmitted collectively, so that when there are many image information to the same transmission destination and the same transmission time, the other transmission time In this case, it is possible to obtain an effect that it is possible to determine that it is better to transmit new image information.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an embodiment of a facsimile transmission apparatus according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a configuration example of an information control unit of the embodiment.

FIG. 3 is a diagram showing a configuration example of a communication control unit of the embodiment.

FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing an operation state of the embodiment.

FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing the operation of a conventional facsimile transmitting apparatus.

[Explanation of symbols]

 Reference Signs List 1 reading unit 2 image information storage unit 3 transmission unit 4 image information control unit 5 communication control unit 6 panel unit 10 image information data file 13 image information editing unit 15, 16 CPU 19 communication data file 20 data file search unit.

Claims (1)

(57) [Claims] 1. A storage unit for storing image information, a communication information storage unit for storing a transmission destination and a transmission time of the image information, and image information of the same transmission destination and transmission time stored in the communication information storage unit. A search means for searching whether or not it exists;
Means for storing management information for associating the storage address of the image information with the transmission destination and the transmission time; and when the new image information is registered, the search means searches for the registered image information having the same transmission destination and the same transmission time as the new image information. When the search is performed, the registered image information is fetched from the storage means, and 1
A facsimile transmission device, comprising: editing means for editing two pieces of image information and assigning new management information to the edited image information.