JP2665034B2 - Facsimile machine - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION (Industrial application field) The present invention relates to a push button signal (hereinafter referred to as a PB signal) using an external telephone connected to the external telephone.
The present invention relates to a facsimile apparatus of a remote switching system for switching a telephone line from the external telephone to the facsimile apparatus in response to a remote switching signal such as described above.

(Prior Art) Conventionally, an external telephone (for example, a touch-tone telephone)
In a facsimile apparatus of a remote switching system using a telephone, a transmission signal is once received by the external telephone at the time of manual mode reception, and when the received signal is a facsimile signal, the telephone is operated to operate a remote switching signal composed of a PB signal. Is transmitted to the facsimile apparatus side, and after connecting the facsimile apparatus to the telephone line, the facsimile apparatus receives a facsimile signal.

FIG. 2 shows an example of a flowchart of a conventional remote switching system using such a PB signal.

As shown in FIG. 2, in the manual mode reception operation of the conventional facsimile apparatus using an external telephone, step S1 is performed.
In this case, when a ring signal (ring signal) arrives, the ringing sound of the facsimile apparatus and the external touch-tone telephone ring simultaneously. If the operator lifts the handset of the external telephone and goes off-hook (step S2) before automatic reception by the facsimile apparatus, the operator is connected to the telephone line and is ready to talk to the transmission side (step S3).

Here, when the transmitting side (calling side) performs facsimile transmission, the operator on the receiving side switches the telephone line from the external telephone to the facsimile apparatus, and shifts the facsimile apparatus to facsimile reception signal transmission. There must be. The receiving operator operates the numeric keypad (numerical key) of the external touch-tone telephone, and sends a remote switching signal composed of a PB signal to the facsimile apparatus side, for example, by depressing the key "2" twice (step S).
Four).

Then, the facsimile machine detects the remote switching signal sent from the external telephone, and if it is detected normally, automatically switches the telephone line from the telephone to the facsimile machine (step S6). . afterwards,
In accordance with the transmission control procedure (protocol), the facsimile apparatus transmits a facsimile reception signal to the transmission-side facsimile apparatus via the telephone line (step S7), and shifts to an operation of receiving image data from the transmission-side facsimile apparatus.

(Problems to be solved by the invention) However, the facsimile apparatus having the above configuration has the following problems.

(A) In a conventional facsimile machine, since a remote switching system using a remote switching signal composed of a PB signal is used,
If the same frequency component as the PB signal used as the remote switching signal is included in voice or noise during a call, the operation shifts to the switching operation between the telephone line and the facsimile machine at that time against the intention of the operator. Would. Therefore, only the facsimile reception signal from the facsimile apparatus can be heard to the calling side, and subsequent calls cannot be made.

(B) A remote switching signal is transmitted from the external telephone, and the receiving operator mistakes the remote switching as "OK" even though the receiving facsimile apparatus could not detect the remote switching signal (see FIG. 2). Step S5) If the handset of the external telephone is dropped off and goes on-hook, there is a problem that the telephone line is released and subsequent facsimile reception becomes impossible.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention solves the problem of the prior art as to a problem that a remote switching operation malfunctions due to a pseudo signal of a remote switching signal due to voice or noise or an operation error of a receiving operator. A remote switching facsimile apparatus is provided.

(Means for Solving the Problems) In order to solve the above problems, the present invention provides a remote switching signal detecting means for detecting a remote switching signal from an external telephone, and a telephone line based on an output of the remote switching signal detecting means. And a switching device for switching and connecting the external telephone to the external telephone or the facsimile apparatus. The remote switching facsimile apparatus using the external telephone is provided with the following means.

That is, in the present invention, in a conventional facsimile machine,
After the remote switching signal is detected by the remote switching signal detecting means, a confirmation signal sending means for sending a remote switching establishment confirmation signal to the external telephone in an off-hook state, and detecting that the external telephone in the off-hook state has entered an on-hook state. On-hook detection means for performing the switching operation, and after the transmission of the remote switching establishment confirmation signal (or during the transmission), a switching control means for controlling the switching of the switch to the facsimile apparatus based on the output of the on-hook detection means. .

(Operation) According to the present invention, since the facsimile apparatus of the remote switching system is configured as described above, a calling signal from the calling side arrives, and the operator off-hooks the external telephone and receives the remote switching signal. It is sent to the remote switching signal detecting means in the facsimile machine. When the remote switching signal detecting means detects the remote switching signal from the external telephone, the confirmation signal sending means sends a remote switching establishment confirmation signal to the external telephone, so that the operator can know that the remote switching has been established. Then, when the operator on-hook the external telephone, the on-hook state is detected by the on-hook detecting means, and the switching control means in the receiving facsimile apparatus controls the switching of the switch to the facsimile apparatus side based on the detection result, and And the receiving-side facsimile machine.

As a result, the remote switching operation is reliably performed, and the receiving facsimile apparatus receives the facsimile signal transmitted via the telephone line. Therefore, the above problem can be solved.

(Embodiment) FIG. 1 shows an embodiment of the present invention and is a functional block diagram of a facsimile apparatus to which an external telephone is connected.

This external telephone (for example, a touch-tone telephone) 10
Is connected to the telephone line 11, and the function of switching and connecting the telephone line 11 from the external telephone 10 to the facsimile device 20 based on a remote switching signal composed of a PB signal of the external telephone 10. have.

The facsimile machine 20 has a control unit for controlling the entire facsimile machine and for compressing and decompressing data in addition to having a switching control means 21a for remote switching.
21 are provided. The control unit 21 includes a read-only memory (hereinafter, referred to as ROM) storing a program such as a protocol, a central processing unit (hereinafter, referred to as CPU) that executes a program in the ROM, a timer, and the like. The control unit 21 is connected to data buses 22 to 24 and an address bus 25, and the reading unit 2 is connected via the data bus 22.
6. A recording unit 27 is connected via a data bus 23, a modem (modulator / demodulator) 28 via a data bus 24, and an interface circuit 29 via a data bus 24 and an address bus 25, respectively.

The reading unit 26 has a function of scanning an input document and reading it as a one-dimensional time-series signal (image data), and includes a semiconductor image sensor or the like. The recording unit 27 has a function of printing the received image data on recording paper, and is configured by a thermal recording method or the like. The modem 28 has a function of modulating the image data compressed by the control unit 21 and sending the modulated image data to the telephone line 11, and demodulating the image data transmitted from the telephone line 11. Furthermore, in this modem 28,
A remote switching signal detecting unit 28a for detecting a remote switching signal from the external telephone 10; and a confirmation signal transmitting unit 28b for transmitting a remote switching establishment confirmation signal to the external telephone 10 based on a detection result by the remote switching signal detecting unit 28a. Are provided.

A reading unit is connected to the interface circuit 29 via a control line 30.
26, a recording unit 27, and a modem 28 are connected, and a switch 31 and an on-hook / off-hook detector 32 are connected. The interface circuit 29 has an interface function of exchanging control signals and the like between the control unit 21 and the reading unit 26, the recording unit 27, the modem 28, the switch 31, and the on-hook / off-hook detector 32. I have.

The modem 28 is connected to the external telephone 10 via transmission / reception amplifiers 33a and 33b, a DC blocking transformer 34, and a switch 31, and is connected to the telephone line 11 via an on-hook / off-hook detector 32. Have been. The switch 31 has a function of switching and connecting the telephone line 11 to the external telephone 10 or the modem 28 by a control signal from a switching control unit 21a provided in the control unit 21, and includes a relay and a switching transistor. It is configured. The on-hook / off-hook detector 32 has a function as an on-hook detection unit for detecting the on-hook state of the handset of the external telephone 10 and a function as an off-hook detection unit for detecting the off-hook state, and includes a photocoupler, a switch, and the like.

FIG. 3 shows a PB in the facsimile apparatus shown in FIG.
4 is a flowchart of a remote switching method using a signal, and the operation of the present embodiment will be described with reference to the flowchart.

Note that the control means shown in FIG. 3 is configured to be executed by the CPU according to a program in a ROM provided in the control unit 21.

At the time of reception, when a ring signal (call signal) arrives (step S10), a ringing tone of the external telephone 10 sounds, and the control unit 21 monitors the on-hook / off-hook detector 32 (step S11). Facsimile machine 20
Is set to the manual reception mode, when the receiving operator lifts the handset of the external telephone 10 and goes off-hook, the external telephone 10 uses the telephone line 11
And it becomes possible to communicate with the sender via
S12), the control unit 21 controls the modem 28 and monitors the remote switching signal detecting means 28a (step S13).

When the calling side is a facsimile machine, the receiving side operator operates the external phone 10 to send a remote switching signal composed of a PB signal to switch the telephone line 11 from the external telephone 10 to the facsimile apparatus 20 ( Under the control of the control unit 21, the remote switching signal detecting means 28a detects a remote switching signal from the external telephone 10 (step S14). When the control unit 21 normally detects the remote switching signal, it controls the confirmation signal transmission unit 28b in the modem 28, and transmits a remote switching establishment confirmation signal from the confirmation signal transmission unit 28b (step S15). After sending the remote switching establishment confirmation signal, the control unit 21 starts a timer (not shown) and monitors the time T (for example, about 10 seconds) (step S16).

When the operator receives the remote switching establishment confirmation signal from the confirmation signal sending unit 28b, the operator knows that the remote switching has been established, lowers the handset of the external telephone 10, and goes on-hook. When the on-hook / off-hook detector 32 detects the on-hook of the external telephone 10 under the control of the control unit 21 (step S17), the control unit 21 controls the switch 31 to connect the telephone line 11 to the external telephone 11 by facsimile. Switching to the modem 28 side in the device 20 (step S18). Then, the control unit 21 causes the modem 28 to transmit a facsimile reception signal from the modem 28 to the telephone line 11 via the amplifier 33a, the transformer 34, and the switch 31 (step S19),
The operation shifts to the operation of receiving image data from the transmitting facsimile machine.

In this image data receiving operation, the image data sent via the telephone line 11 is demodulated by the modem 28 via the switch 31, the transformer 34 and the amplifier 33b, and the data bus 24
Is sent to the control unit 21 via the. The control section 21 decompresses the demodulated image data and sends it to the recording section 27 via the data bus 23. Then, the recording unit 27 prints the received image data on recording paper.

In step S17 of FIG. 3, the control unit 21 monitors the on-hook of the external telephone 10 using the on-hook / off-hook detector 32, and continues to monitor the on-hook until the timer counts the time T (step S17a). If the external telephone 10 is not on-hook even after the timer set time T has elapsed and timed out, the control unit 21 proceeds to step S1
Before proceeding to step 8, the process returns to step S12, and the state of communication by the external telephone 10 is maintained.

In the facsimile apparatus shown in FIG. 1, when transmitting image data, the input document is scanned by the reading unit 26, read as a one-dimensional time-series signal (image data), and sent to the control unit 21. The control unit 21 performs one-dimensional or two-dimensional data compression in order to reduce the amount of data to be transmitted, modulates the data with the modem 28, and then converts the amplifier 33a, the transformer 34,
And the image data is transmitted to the telephone line 11 via the switch 31.

In the present embodiment, after the remote switching operation is performed, the confirmation signal transmitting unit 28b transmits a remote switching establishment confirmation signal to notify the operator that the remote switching has been established. Therefore, as in the prior art, the operator mistakenly thinks that the remote switching of the facsimile machine has been established, and then directly hooks up the external telephone 10 and
, The inconvenience that facsimile reception becomes impossible by the release of the information can be accurately prevented. Further, in this embodiment,
After the operator on-hook the external telephone 10, the operation shifts to transmission of a facsimile reception signal.
As in the prior art, the same frequency component as the remote switching signal is included in the voice during the call, and it is possible to prevent the switching operation from the external telephone 10 to the facsimile device 20 from being performed against the operator's will. Thus, the remote switching operation is performed accurately.

Note that the present invention is not limited to the illustrated embodiment, and various modifications are possible. For example, there are the following modifications.

(I) The remote switching signal detecting means 28a and the confirmation signal transmitting means 28b are provided in the modem 28,
8 may be provided outside, or may be provided inside the control unit 21.

(Ii) The on-hook / off-hook detector 32 has a function as an on-hook detecting means and an off-hook detecting means. However, the on-hook detecting means and the off-hook detecting means may be constituted by separate circuits.

(Iii) The control unit 21 has a function of compressing and decompressing data. However, these functions are configured by a separate circuit from the control unit 21, and the circuit is provided outside the control unit 21. May be.

(Effects of the Invention) As described in detail above, according to the present invention, since the confirmation signal sending means, the on-hook detection means, and the switching control means are provided, when the remote switching operation is performed, thereafter, the confirmation signal sending means Sends a remote switching establishment confirmation signal to the external telephone. Therefore, the operator can confirm that the remote switching has been established on the facsimile machine side,
Disconnection of the telephone line due to an operator's operation error can be accurately prevented.

Further, when the operator confirms that the remote switching of the facsimile apparatus has been established and then turns on the external telephone, the on-hook state is detected by the on-hook detecting means, and the switching control means switches the switch from the telephone line to the facsimile machine. Switch to device side. As a result, the switching operation from the external telephone to the facsimile apparatus side is not performed against the operator's will by the pseudo signal of the remote switching signal such as voice or noise as in the related art, and a reliable remote switching operation is performed. Done.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a functional block diagram of a facsimile apparatus showing an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a flowchart for explaining a conventional remote switching method, and FIG. 3 is a view explaining a remote switching method in the facsimile apparatus of FIG. It is a flowchart for performing. 10 external telephone, 11 telephone line, 20 facsimile machine, 21 control unit, 21a switching control means, 28
... modem, 28a ... remote switching signal detection means, 28b ...
Confirmation signal sending means, 31 ... Switch, 32 ... On hook /
Off-hook detector.

Claims (2)

(57) [Claims] 1. A remote switching signal detecting means for detecting a remote switching signal from an external telephone, and a switch for switching and connecting a telephone line to the external telephone or a facsimile apparatus based on an output of the remote switching signal detecting means. In a facsimile apparatus of a remote switching system using an external telephone, after the remote switching signal is detected by the remote switching signal detection unit, a confirmation signal sending unit that sends a remote switching establishment confirmation signal to the external telephone in an off-hook state. An on-hook detecting means for detecting that the off-hook external telephone has entered an on-hook state; and, after transmitting the remote switching establishment confirmation signal, switching the switch to a facsimile apparatus based on an output of the on-hook detecting means. Switching control means for controlling Facsimile device that. 2. The facsimile apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the switching control means controls the switching of the switching unit to the facsimile apparatus based on the output of the on-hook detecting means while transmitting the remote switching establishment confirmation signal. A facsimile machine having a configuration.