JP2834398B2 - Facsimile machine - 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 capable of performing data communication with an external information processing apparatus such as a personal computer and transmitting a signal corresponding to information given from the information processing apparatus by facsimile. It concerns the device.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art A function of directly transmitting a document created by a personal computer by facsimile or receiving an image transmitted by facsimile via a telephone line is called PC-FAX. The PC-FAX function connects a fax modem having a facsimile communication function between a personal computer and a telephone line, or connects a personal computer to a facsimile apparatus having a data communication interface such as RS-232C. This is achieved by:

The procedure for creating a document on a personal computer and transmitting it by facsimile is as follows. First, a personal computer creates a document file to be transmitted. Next, a fax modem or a facsimile machine is controlled by a control command called an AT command, and a command to perform facsimile transmission is given together with the telephone number of the communication destination facsimile machine. As a result, the fax modem or the facsimile apparatus makes a call to the communication destination facsimile apparatus and facsimile-transmits data provided from the personal computer via the data communication interface.

[0004]

A facsimile apparatus usually includes a document reading unit for reading a document to be transmitted and a recording unit for printing out an image transmitted via a telephone line. Provided. PC-FA by connecting personal computer to facsimile machine
When the X function is realized, usually, a printer is separately connected to the personal computer. As described above, even though the facsimile apparatus includes the recording unit having the printing function, it is extremely useless to separately connect a printer to the personal computer.

Therefore, it is conceivable to use the recording unit of the facsimile apparatus as a printer of a personal computer to share resources. However, in this case, a command for printing and outputting data from the personal computer is separately required. Since such commands are not included in the AT command system that has been widely used in the past, it is necessary to change the command system.

For these reasons, it has been conventionally difficult to share the recording section of a facsimile apparatus as a printer for a personal computer. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is an object of the present invention to solve the above-mentioned technical problem and to provide a facsimile apparatus in which a recording unit can be shared as a print output unit of an external information processing apparatus.

[0007]

According to the present invention, there is provided a facsimile apparatus, comprising: an information input unit for inputting information from an external information processing apparatus; and an information input unit for inputting information to the information input unit. A facsimile function unit for sending out to a telephone line according to a facsimile communication procedure, a recording unit for printing an image, and an external input printing function for causing the information input to the information input unit to be printed out in the recording unit Number registration means for registering a telephone number for a printing function, which is a telephone number corresponding to a telephone number, and, when information with a telephone number is input to the information input section, the telephone number is registered by the number registration means. Means for determining whether the registered telephone number matches the telephone number for the printing function, and the telephone number input to the information input unit and the printing machine registered by the number registration means. Means for causing the recording unit to print out the information input to the information input unit when the telephone number matches the telephone number, and printing the telephone number input to the information input unit and the printing registered by the number registration unit. When the function telephone number does not match, the control unit controls the facsimile function unit to make a call to the terminal device of the input telephone number and transmit the information input to the information input unit to the telephone line. Means.

[0008]

According to the present invention, a telephone number for a printing function corresponding to an external input printing function can be registered in order to print information from an external information processing apparatus in a recording unit provided in the facsimile apparatus. When the external information processing apparatus specifies the telephone number for the printing function and inputs information to the information input section of the facsimile apparatus, the input information is printed out by the recording section. As a result, desired information can be printed out in the same procedure as when facsimile communication is performed by controlling the facsimile apparatus from the external information processing apparatus.

When information is input from the external information processing apparatus by specifying a telephone number other than the telephone number for the printing function,
The facsimile function unit calls the terminal device of the telephone number. Then, the information provided to the information input unit is transmitted by facsimile.

[0010]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an electrical configuration of a facsimile apparatus according to one embodiment of the present invention.
The facsimile machine 20 has the control unit 1 including a microcomputer and the like. The control unit 1 is provided with image data from an image processing unit 3 that performs predetermined image processing such as halftone processing on an output signal of a reading unit 2 that optically reads a document to be transmitted. In the control unit 1,
Further, a transmission function unit 4 for encoding image data by a predetermined encoding method and generating a control signal necessary for facsimile communication, decodes a received code into image data, and executes a predetermined reception control procedure. A recording unit 6 for recording a received image or the like on a recording sheet, an operation unit 7 having a keyboard or the like, a display unit 18 including a liquid crystal display element, and a telephone number for a printer function to be described later. Is connected. The control unit 1 includes a modem 8 and a network controller (NC).
U) 9 to a public telephone line. In the present embodiment, a facsimile function unit is configured by the control unit 1, the transmission function unit 4, the modem 8, and the like. The operation of each unit of the facsimile function unit is controlled by the control unit 1.

The control unit 1 is provided with an interface unit 10 for data communication such as RS-232C. The interface unit 10 corresponds to an information input unit, and can connect a personal computer 15 as an external information processing device via a communication cable 13. With this configuration, the facsimile machine 20 can be controlled by the personal computer 15 using a so-called AT command.
Facsimile transmission and reception can be performed through That is, when a call command, a telephone number, and transmission information are given to the interface unit 10 via the communication cable 13, the control unit 1 calls the destination terminal device via the telephone line, and after the line connection, the interface unit The transmission information input to the unit 10 is transmitted to a telephone line. Thus, the so-called PC-FA
The X function is realized.

The facsimile apparatus 20 of this embodiment has an external input printing function for printing out information given from the personal computer 15 using the recording unit 6 in addition to the PC-FAX function as described above. I have. That is, the recording unit 6 can be shared as a printer of the personal computer 15. In this sharing, a specific telephone number input to the interface unit 10 is determined as a telephone number for a print function, and when a call request accompanied by the telephone number is made, the recording unit 6 replaces the call operation. Is realized by performing the recording operation.

FIG. 2 is a flowchart for explaining the operation of the facsimile machine 20 in more detail. When the user shares the recording unit 6 of the facsimile machine 20 as a printer of the personal computer 15, the user registers a telephone number for a printer function (step S).
1). That is, when the printer function telephone number is input by operating the operation unit 7, the input telephone number is registered in the memory 19 as the printer function telephone number. As described above, the operation unit 7 and the memory 19 constitute a number registration unit.

When a call command is received via the interface unit 10 (step S2), the control unit 1 matches the telephone number specified in the call command with the printer function telephone number registered in the memory 19. It is determined whether or not to perform (step S3). If the two telephone numbers do not match, facsimile transmission is performed according to the facsimile communication procedure. That is, a call is made to the terminal device having the telephone number specified in the call command. Then, after the information input to the interface unit 10 is subjected to appropriate encoding processing and modulation processing, a signal representing the information is transmitted to the communication destination terminal device via the telephone line (step S4).

On the other hand, when the telephone number specified in the calling command matches the telephone number for the printer function, the control unit 1 controls the recording unit 6 instead of performing the calling operation. That is, print data corresponding to information input from the interface unit 10 is provided to the recording unit 6. As a result, in the recording unit 6, the interface unit 1
Information input from 0 is printed. (Step S5).

The AT command includes an ATD command of the form "ATD ****", and this ATD command is a call command for giving a call request to the facsimile apparatus. For example, "ATD764-335
When the command "1" is given to the facsimile apparatus, the facsimile apparatus performs a calling operation for "765-3351".

In the facsimile apparatus 20 of this embodiment, for example, "123-456" is used as the telephone number for the printer function.
If you register a phone number such as "7,""ATD12
By inputting the ATD command “3-4567” into the interface unit 10, the output information of the personal computer 15 can be printed out in the recording unit 6.

FIG. 3 is a flow chart showing a change in the display contents of the display unit 18 when registering the telephone number for the printer function. When the function key for dial registration is operated in the state where the initial screen P0 for prompting the setting of the original for transmission is displayed, the screen changes to the screen P1. In dial registration, a menu for registering a desired telephone number for a one-touch key or an abbreviated key or a menu for registering a telephone number for a printer function can be selected (screen P).
2).

When the input key is operated in the state of the screen P2 on which the menu corresponding to the registration of the telephone number for the printer function is displayed, the screen changes to a screen P3 for prompting the input of the telephone number for the printer function. When the telephone number used for the printer function is input from this state, the screen changes to screen P4. And
When the input key is operated, a message indicating that the registration of the telephone number for the printer function is completed is displayed (screen P5).
The registration operation ends.

As described above, according to the present embodiment, the facsimile apparatus 20 which realizes the PC-FAX function together with the personal computer 15 by performing an operation for calling the facsimile apparatus from the personal computer 15. Can perform a recording operation. Therefore, there is no need to give a special command from the personal computer 15 to the facsimile machine 20, and the printer function telephone number registered in the facsimile 20 may simply be designated as the telephone number of the destination terminal device. Therefore, the recording unit 6 of the facsimile machine 20 can be shared as the printer of the personal computer 15 without changing the command system of the AT command conventionally used for the PC-FAX function.

Further, when viewed from the personal computer 15, there is no difference from the case of a normal PC-FAX, so that the above-described external input printing function can be used from PC-FAX application software.
For example, in application software that enables facsimile transmission by PC-FAX in a format for selecting a desired telephone number from pre-registered telephone numbers, an operation of selecting a telephone number for a printer function is performed. The external input printing function of the facsimile machine 20 can be used only by the above.

Further, the change in the configuration of the facsimile apparatus is only a software change, so that the cost does not increase. Although the description of the embodiments of the present invention is as described above, the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments, and various design changes can be made without changing the gist of the present invention.

[0023]

As described above, according to the present invention, when a pre-registered telephone number for a printing function is specified and information is input to the information input section, the input information is printed out by the recording section. You. As a result, desired information can be printed out in the same procedure as when facsimile communication is performed by controlling the facsimile apparatus from the external information processing apparatus. As a result, the recording unit of the facsimile apparatus can be shared as the print output unit of the external information processing apparatus without changing the command system.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an electrical configuration when a personal computer is connected to a facsimile apparatus to which an embodiment of the present invention is applied.

FIG. 2 is a flowchart for explaining the operation of the facsimile machine.

FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing a change in a display mode of a display unit when registering a telephone number for a printer function.

[Explanation of symbols]

 REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 1 control unit 4 transmission function unit 6 recording unit 7 operation unit 8 modem 10 interface unit 13 communication cable 15 personal computer 18 display unit 19 memory 20 facsimile machine

──────────────────────────────────────────────────続 き Continuation of the front page (72) Inventor Toshihiro Mori 1-2-2, Tamazo, Chuo-ku, Osaka City, Osaka Prefecture Inside Mita Kogyo Co., Ltd. (56) References JP-A-5-276302 (JP, A) JP 61-292467 (JP, A) JP-A-4-32,749 (JP, A) (58) Fields investigated (Int. Cl. ⁶ , DB name) H04N 1/00 H04N 1/32 H04M 11/00

Claims (1)

(57) [Claims] An information input unit for inputting information from an external information processing apparatus; a facsimile function unit for transmitting information input to the information input unit to a telephone line in accordance with a facsimile communication procedure; A recording unit for printing, and a number registration for registering a telephone number for a printing function, which is a telephone number corresponding to an external input printing function for causing the information input to the information input unit to be printed out in the recording unit. Means for determining whether the telephone number matches a telephone number for a printing function registered by the number registration means when information with a telephone number is input to the information input unit; When the telephone number input to the information input unit matches the telephone number for the printing function registered by the number registration unit, the information input to the information input unit is updated. Means for printing out in a recording unit; and controlling the facsimile function unit when the telephone number input to the information input unit does not match the telephone number for the printing function registered by the number registration unit. Means for making a call to the terminal device having the designated telephone number and transmitting the information input to the information input unit to a telephone line.