JP2680330B2 - Facsimile communication system - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [Object of the Invention] (Industrial application field) The present invention relates to a facsimile communication system in which an optical character reader is combined with a facsimile apparatus.

(Prior Art) A character in an image signal received from a transmission side (or an image signal of a document read by a document reading unit) by combining a facsimile device and an optical character reading device (hereinafter, referred to as OCR) in the past. A system has been developed in which OCR is recognized and the recognition result is returned to the sender. According to this system, the image signal of the form is transmitted from the transmitting side, and the characters in this are recognized by the OCR connected to the facsimile device on the receiving side.
Since the recognition result can be returned to the sending side, a system for centrally processing the character data in the form can be configured.

(Problems to be solved by the invention) However, this type of system that has been practically used in the past accumulates the image signals of the form transmitted from the transmitting side in order and transfers them to the OCR in this accumulated order. Since it is configured to recognize the characters in it, the image signals of multiple types of forms are input to the OCR in a randomly mixed form. Therefore, in OCR, it is necessary to first recognize the type of form and start the processing program according to the recognition result, resulting in dead time such as loading time for switching processing programs and receiving from the sending side. There has been a problem that the character recognition process in the form cannot be efficiently performed.

An object of the present invention is to provide a facsimile communication system capable of efficiently performing character recognition processing on a form or the like.

[Configuration of the Invention] (Means for Solving the Problems) In order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides a storage device that stores an image signal received from a transmission side facsimile device through a line, and a storage device that stores the image signal An optical character reading device for recognizing character information in the image signal by expanding the generated image signal, and returning the recognition result of the optical character reading device to the transmitting side facsimile device. The type of the image signal is discriminated by a control signal transmitted from the transmitting side facsimile device prior to the image signal, and the image signal transmitted from the transmitting side facsimile device is discriminated according to the discriminated image signal type. The image signal of the kind instructed in response to the image signal transfer request from the optical character reading device Characterized by comprising a control device for transferring the serial optical reader by type.

(Operation) In the connection control procedure prior to the transmission of the image signal, the transmission side facsimile device inserts a signal indicating the type of the image signal into the NSS signal (non-standard function setting signal) and transmits it. Therefore, the control device of the receiving side facsimile device
The type of image signal is determined by the NSS signal, and the image signal is stored in an area in the storage device corresponding to the type. And OCR
If there is a transfer request from, the image signal of the requested type is read and transferred.

Therefore, by outputting a transfer request for each type of image signal in OCR and outputting a transfer request of another type after the processing is completed, image signals can be collectively processed by that type, The processing efficiency is improved.

(Embodiment) FIG. 1 is a system configuration diagram showing an embodiment of the present invention. A plurality of facsimile machines 1a to 1n are connected to one facsimile machine 4 via a communication network 2. The facsimile device 4 is composed of a control device 40 and a storage device 41, and an OCR 5 is connected to the control device 40.

The storage device 41 is provided with a plurality of storage areas 41a to 41n (hereinafter referred to as PO boxes) which are divided as shown in FIG. 2, and the image signal of the form is divided into each PO box 41a to 41n according to its type. Accumulated.

FIG. 3 is a flow chart showing the operation of the facsimile apparatus 4 at the time of an incoming call, and FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a sequence of various control signals transmitted / received at the time of an incoming call. Further, FIG. 5 is a flow chart showing a procedure for transferring an image signal to and from the OCR 5.

The operation of the configuration shown in FIG. 1 will be described below with reference to these flowcharts and sequence diagrams.

First, the operator of the facsimile machines 1a to 1n writes necessary characters on the OCR form, causes the respective document reading units to read the form, and sends it to the facsimile device 4 via the communication network 2. At this time, after the type of the form (or the number indicating the post office box 41a to 41n in which the image signal of the form is to be stored) is specified on the operation panel of each of the facsimile devices 1a to 1n, the facsimile device 4 is called. When the facsimile device 4 detects "incoming call" by this calling operation (step 101), the facsimile pre-procedure processing is executed, and the post office box number is transmitted by the NSF signal of the NSF, CSI, DIS signals transmitted therein. Request to the other facsimile machine (eg, 1a) (S1 in FIG. 4). Then NSF, CS
NSS, TSI, and DCS signals are returned in response to the I and DIS signals, but the partner facsimile machine 1a inserts its own telephone number in the TSI signal and returns it (S2 in FIG. 4). . After that, the partner facsimile machine 1a transmits a training signal TCF, and when the training of the modem is completed, the facsimile machine 4 returns a CFR signal. Upon reception of the CFR signal, the partner facsimile machine 1a starts reading the form and transmits the image signal (PIX).
(Fig. 4, S5).

On the other hand, when the facsimile device 4 receives the NSS signal, it discriminates whether or not the post office box number is designated by the NSS signal, and when there is no designated number, the particular post office box number is set and the post office box number is set. Start receiving.

Therefore, for example, if 41a of the post office boxes 41a to 41n is designated, the image signals received from the facsimile apparatus 1a of the other party are sequentially transferred to and stored in the post office box 41a. (Step 107). Then, when the image signal of one sheet is completed and the EOP signal is received from the partner facsimile machine 1a, both facsimile machines 1a and 4 execute the facsimile post-procedure processing (steps 108 and 109), and the machine 4 outputs the MCF signal. After receiving the DCN signal from the device 1a, the DCN
Send back a signal and disconnect the line.

By repeating this operation, the image signal of the form is stored in the storage device 41 in the post office boxes 41a to 41n for each type. On the other hand, OC
The operator of R5 activates OCR5 in anticipation of the time when a certain amount of image signals are accumulated in the accumulation device 41. At this time, the type of the form to be processed is specified, and the processing program corresponding to this type is started. Then, an image signal transfer request for the form to be processed is given to the control device 40 from the started processing program. This transfer request includes information indicating the type of the form.

Therefore, the control device 40 that receives this transfer request is
After executing the connection procedure processing with (, step 201 in FIG. 5,
202), specify a post office box corresponding to the type specified in the transfer request, and transfer all the image signals in it to OCR5 (steps 203 to 205).

When the transfer of the image signal is completed, the disconnection procedure processing with the OCR5 is executed to disconnect the connection with the OCR5 (step 206).

In this way, the operator of OCR5 transfers the image signal of the form according to its type, and recognizes the character in it. Therefore, if there are five types of forms, it is possible to complete the task of recognizing the characters of all types of forms only by starting the five types of processing programs once.

The character recognized in this way is developed as a facsimile image signal in the storage device 41, and then returned to the transmitting side facsimile devices 1a to 1n.

[Effects of the Invention] As described above, according to the present invention, since image signals such as forms are divided and stored according to their types and then transferred one by one to the OCR, a plurality of types are used in the OCR. There is an effect that the image signal of can be efficiently processed.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a system configuration diagram showing one embodiment of the present invention, and FIG.
FIG. 4 is a block diagram showing the structure of the storage device, FIG. 3 is a flow chart showing the operation of the receiving side facsimile device when receiving a call, FIG. 4 is a sequence diagram showing the facsimile procedure, and FIG.
It is a flow chart which shows a picture signal transfer procedure between OCR. 1a to 1n, 4 …… Facsimile machine, 2 …… Communication network, 5 ……
OCR, 40 ... control device, 41 ... storage device, 41a to 41n ...
PO Box.

Claims (1)

(57) [Claims] 1. An accumulating device for accumulating an image signal received from a transmitting side facsimile device via a line, and an optical device for expanding an image signal accumulated in the accumulating device and recognizing character information in the image signal. In a facsimile transmission system including a character reading device, the type of the image signal is discriminated by a control signal transmitted from the transmitting side facsimile device prior to the image signal, and the transmitting side facsimile is classified according to the discriminated image signal type. The image signal transmitted from the device is accumulated in the accumulating device, and the image signal of the kind instructed in response to the image signal transfer request from the optical character reading device is taken out from the accumulating device to perform the optical reading. A facsimile communication system, characterized in that the device is provided with a control device for transferring the data by type.