JP2911197B2 - Communication device - Google Patents

Description

Description: BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a communication apparatus, and more particularly to a communication apparatus having a function of selecting a communication line according to communication conditions and making a call, and a control method therefor.

[Prior Art] Conventionally, a communication device externally or internally provided with an LCR (Least Cost Routing) device has been known.

When making a call, the LCR device generates a selection signal corresponding to the most cost-effective line from among a plurality of communication lines that can be connected to the partner station based on communication conditions such as communication time and communication time, LCR control is performed by transmitting.

In the communication device with the conventional LCR, the LCR control is invalidated,
Some have an operation mode for making a call using the input telephone number as it is. This operation mode is selected by manual operation from the operation panel or the like.

[Problems to be Solved by the Invention] However, in the conventional mode in which the LCR control is invalidated, the LCR control is entirely invalidated, and even if there is room for selecting a cheaper line, the user knows it. I couldn't even do that.

Therefore, for example, when a mode in which the LCR control is invalidated due to an erroneous operation or the like is selected, the user may unexpectedly pay a high line cost and continue communication.

Also, instead of selecting the most cost-effective line from the telephone number entered by the operator and automatically calling the line as in the LCR control described above, once the line with the advantageous cost is Some devices display one (or a plurality of them), allow the operator to select one, and make a call to the selected line.

However, such a device does not have a function of automatically calling a selected line as in the above-described LCR control, and must always make a call in accordance with an instruction of an operator.

As described above, conventionally, a communication device having an automatic calling function such as the LCR control described above does not select a communication line if this function is disabled.

On the other hand, although a line that is advantageous in terms of cost is selected, a communication device that displays a selected communication line without automatically making a call on that line and makes a call by an operator must be operated by the operator. There was a problem that had to be done.

In order to solve the above problems, the present invention provides a first mode in which a call is automatically made to a communication line selected according to communication conditions, and a notification of a communication line selected without automatically making a call. An object of the present invention is to improve the operability of a communication device by enabling the switching of the second mode, and to easily use the notified communication line selection result in the second mode. And

Means for Solving the Problems In order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides input means for inputting information based on a communication partner, and selecting means for selecting a communication line according to the information input by the input means. A first mode for automatically making a call for performing communication using the selected communication line when a communication line is selected by the selection means; and an automatic call operation in the first mode. Switching means for selectively switching a second mode in which a notification based on the selection result by the selection means is not performed, and when the switching means switches to the first mode, the selection means Automatically make a call for performing communication using the communication line selected by
A control unit configured to perform a notification based on a selection result by the selection unit without performing the automatic call when the switching to the second mode is performed by the switching unit; The means starts calling operation in accordance with the information input by the input means when the input is performed within a predetermined time from the notification in the second mode, and the input is performed within the predetermined time. If the communication is not performed, a call operation is performed based on the information input by the input unit before the notification is performed.

The present invention also relates to a control method of a communication device having input means for inputting information based on a communication partner, wherein a selecting step of selecting a communication line according to the information input by the input means; Is selected, a first mode for automatically making a call for performing communication using the selected communication line, and the automatic call operation in the first mode is not performed, and A switching step of selectively switching a second mode for performing notification based on the selection result; and, if the switching is performed in the first mode in the switching step, using the communication line selected in the selection step. Automatically making a call for performing the communication that has been performed, and if the mode has been switched to the second mode in the switching step, the automatic calling is not performed and the selection step is performed. A control step for performing a notification based on the selection result, the control step comprising: when an input is performed by the input unit within a predetermined time from the notification in the second mode, the input is performed. Starting a call operation according to the information input by the means, and performing the call operation based on the information input by the input means before performing the notification if the input is not performed within the predetermined time; And a method for controlling a communication device.

[Operation] According to the present invention, a first mode for automatically calling a communication line selected according to communication conditions and a second mode for notifying the selected communication line without automatically calling. Can be switched, so that the operability of the communication device can be further improved. In addition, in the second mode, the operator further performs an input operation based on the notification of the communication line selection result according to the communication condition. Can be performed, and a call can be made based on this input operation.

For example, if you want to communicate on the cheapest communication line but the operator wants to leave the communication device immediately, the first
The communication may be performed in the second mode. If it is desired to check an inexpensive communication line, the communication may be performed in the second mode.

Also, for example, if a communication device normally set to the first mode has been switched to the second mode by some operation and the operator is unaware that the communication mode has been set, the conventional communication conditions Although the communication has been performed without selecting the communication line corresponding to the communication line, according to the present invention, the operator can be notified of the result selected according to the communication conditions.

Further, in the second mode, the operator can further perform an input operation using the result of selecting a communication line according to the communication condition to cause a desired call to be made. Can be selected semi-automatically. That is, even in the second mode in which the communication line is not automatically selected, the notified communication line selection result can be easily used, and if no input is performed from the input means for a predetermined time, the notification before the notification is performed. Since the calling operation is performed based on the information input by the input means,
The calling operation can be reliably started.

EXAMPLES Hereinafter, the present invention will be described in detail based on examples shown in the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a facsimile apparatus employing the present invention.

FIG. 1 shows the configuration of a facsimile apparatus employing the present invention. In the figure, reference numeral 1 denotes a CPU for controlling the operation of the entire apparatus, which is composed of a microprocessor element or the like.

Each storage means necessary for control and each part to be controlled described later are connected to the CPU 1 via a data and address bus.

ROM2 is for storing programs and constants necessary for control, and RAM3 is for the work area of CPU1,
Used for temporary storage of transmission / reception image data.

A non-volatile RAM 4 such as an SRAM is used for registering a telephone number, an abbreviation, and the like of a communication partner station. The non-volatile RAM 4 is backed up by a backup power supply (not shown) so that stored data is reliably retained even when the power is turned off. The data in the nonvolatile RAM 4 is used for speed dial control and other controls.

The character generator 5 is for converting information represented by a character code into binary image data. The character generator 5 is actually composed of a ROM that stores characters such as JIS code and ASCII code, and extracts character data corresponding to a predetermined code by 2-byte data as needed under the control of the CPU 1.

Reading of the document image data is performed by a reading unit 7 including a CCD sensor, a document transport system, and the like. The received image data or the image data read by the reading unit 7 at the time of the copy operation is a thermal printer,
Recording is performed by the recording unit 6 including an inkjet printer or the like.

Transmission and reception of image data to and from the line 10 are performed via a modem 8 for modulating and demodulating image signals and procedure signals, and an NCU 9 for controlling line connection or holding a loop with a telephone for line control.

The modem 8 is composed of G3, G2, G1, and FM modems, and a clock generation circuit connected to these modems. The modem 8 modulates transmission data stored in the RAM 3 under the control of the CPU 1, Output to 10. Further, the modem 8 introduces the analog signal of the line 10 via the NCU 9, modulates the analog signal, and stores it in the RAM 3.

Note that the telephone 11 is a telephone integrated with the facsimile machine, and the dial operation part is integrated as the operation unit 12. Specifically, the telephone 11 includes a handset, a speech network, a dialer, a numeric keypad, a one-touch key, and the like.

The communication operation is controlled by the CPU 1 according to the operation input of the operation unit 12. The operation unit 12 includes a key for starting image transmission / reception, a mode selection key for designating operation modes such as fine, standard, and automatic reception during transmission / reception, a numeric keypad for dialing, and the like. CPU1
Detects the pressed state of these keys and controls each of the above sections according to the detected state.

The display unit 13 is a display device such as a liquid crystal panel that displays about 16 digits, and is used to display the current time and the operation state by characters and the like under the control of the CPU 1.

The LCR control unit 14 is a unit that selects the cheapest line, and is built in or external to the facsimile machine. LCR
FIG. 2 shows an internal block diagram of the control unit 14.

The switches 15p and 15q are configured by relays and the like, and connect the telephone line to the LCR control unit 14. The transformer 16 is an insulating transformer for closing a DC loop. Reference numeral 17 denotes a DTMF decoder, and reference numeral 18 denotes a dialer. The DTMF decoder 17 and the dialer 18 can be connected to a line between the NCU 9 and the exchange 20 via a transformer 16. Switches 15p and 15q are connected to CPU1 (Fig. 1) or 1
It is controlled by the chip CPU19.

Reference numeral 19 denotes a one-chip CPU having a built-in ROM and RAM.
Perform control. The built-in ROM of the one-chip CPU 19 previously stores a control table for selecting the cheapest line according to conditions such as the partner station number, communication time, and communication time.

When the switches 15p and 15q are switched to the a side, the transformer 1
6, thus the DTMF decoder 17 and dialer 18 are disconnected. This switching state is selected in a conventional LCR control invalidation mode, that is, a mode in which all functions of the LCR control circuit 14 are invalidated.

Further, in the standby state, the switch 15p is switched to the a side and the switch 15q is switched to the b side, whereby the NCU
DTMF via the transformer 16
Input to the decoder 17, the telephone number of the partner station is 1 chip CPU1
Incorporated in 9. In the present embodiment, in the invalidation mode of the LCR control, the line selection result of the LCR control unit 14 is taken into the CPU 1 by this switching state.

On the other hand, in the mode in which the LCR control is enabled,
The reference numeral 19 refers to the control table in the internal ROM, generates telephone number data corresponding to the route with the lowest cost, and inputs this data to the dialer 18. When the dialer 18 generates a dial signal, the switch 15p is switched to the b side and 15q is switched to the a side, and the replaced dial signal is transmitted to the exchange 20.

Next, the operation in the above configuration will be described. Third
The figure shows an outline of control during communication. In the LCR control valid mode, the calling control is performed as described above.

On the other hand, in the mode in which the LCR control is invalidated, the procedure shown in FIG. 3 is performed. When a call is made, an appropriate signal path is set between the one-chip CPU 19 and the CPU 1 in step S0, and information of communication time is input from the CPU 1 to the one-chip CPU 19 through this path. The communication time is an estimated communication time calculated by the CPU 1 from the amount of data stored in the RAM 3, for example. The data of the estimated communication time may be input from the CPU 1 to the one-chip CPU 19 using the DTMF signal after executing the following step S1.

In step S1, the switch 15p is set to the
Is switched to the b side, and in step S2, the CPU 1 inputs the telephone number input by the user using the numeric keypad, one-touch key or the like of the operation unit 12 to the DTMF decoder 17 via the transformer 16 as it is using a known dialer (not shown). .

In step S3, as in the above-described LCR enable mode, 1
The chip CPU 19 selects a line, and the selected telephone number is converted by the dialer 18 by the DTMF signal, and the switch 15
It is input to the facsimile machine via q.

In step S4, the CPU 1 fetches the selection result of the LCR control unit 14 by a decoder (not shown) similar to the DTMF decoder 17 provided in the facsimile machine.
The telephone number data sent in step 2 and the L taken in step S3
The telephone number data reflecting the line selection result of the CR control unit 14 is compared.

In the comparison in step S4, the telephone number data transmitted in step S2 and the LCR control unit 14
If the telephone number data reflecting the line selection result is not different, the process proceeds to step S7 and switches 15p and q are set to a
Side, and in step S8, the same dialing as in step S2 is performed again.

On the other hand, if the line selection result of the LCR control unit 14 in step S4 is different from the input in step S2, the process proceeds to step S5, and the fact is displayed on the display unit 13 to notify the user.
For example, in this display, use a character string such as "Is there a cheaper line but are you sure?"
The telephone number taken from the LCR control unit 14 is also displayed.

In step S6, the user has an instruction. The user's instruction indicates whether at least the telephone number input in step S2 is used as it is. If there is an instruction to use the telephone number input in step S2 as it is without LCR control, the process proceeds to step S7.

In step S6, if the telephone number input in step S2 is not used, some options are possible. For example, an operation for inputting a new telephone number, or an operation for selecting or editing this number when displaying the telephone number captured from the LCR control unit 14 in step S5, may be considered. Or, all the operations can be accepted. In step S6, if the telephone number input in step S2 is not used, the process proceeds to step S9, and dialing is performed according to the user's instruction.

Note that the process of step S6 may be performed only for a predetermined time, and if there is no instruction for a predetermined time, the process may proceed to step S7. This is because in the case of a facsimile machine, the machine may be unattended.

According to the above embodiment, even in the LCR control invalidation mode as in the related art, only the replacement of the telephone number and dialing of the LCR control unit 14 are prohibited, and the selection result of the LCR control unit 14 is transmitted to the facsimile apparatus side. Since feedback and display can be performed, the user can know the possibility of selecting a cheaper line even in the LCR control invalidation mode, and the LCR control invalidation mode is erroneously selected due to erroneous operation or the like. In such a case, there is an excellent effect that the LCR control can be effectively used and cheaper communication can be performed.

Although the facsimile apparatus has been described above as an example, the same configuration can be implemented in other data communication apparatuses. Also,
Needless to say, the above control can be similarly performed not only for data transmission but also for reception and the like.

In the above description, in the invalidation mode of the LCR control, when an inexpensive line selection is performed in the LCR control unit 14, an example in which the display and the user's instruction wait are performed is shown, but the user's instruction wait is not performed. Only display may be performed.

[Effects of the Invention] According to the present invention, a first mode for automatically calling a communication line selected according to a communication condition, and a second mode for notifying the selected communication line without automatically calling. Mode can be switched, so that the operability of the communication apparatus can be further improved, and in the second mode, the operator can further improve the operability based on the notification of the selection result of the communication line according to the communication condition. An input operation can be performed, and a call can be made based on the input operation.

For example, if you want to communicate on the cheapest communication line but the operator wants to leave the communication device immediately, the first
The communication may be performed in the second mode. If it is desired to check an inexpensive communication line, the communication may be performed in the second mode.

Also, for example, if a communication device normally set to the first mode has been switched to the second mode by some operation and the operator is unaware that the communication mode has been set, the conventional communication conditions Although the communication has been performed without selecting the corresponding communication line, according to the present invention, the operator can be notified of the result selected according to the communication conditions.

Further, in the second mode, the operator can further perform an input operation using the result of selecting a communication line according to the communication condition to cause a desired call to be made. Can be selected semi-automatically. That is, even in the second mode in which the communication line is not automatically selected, the notified communication line selection result can be easily used, and if no input is performed from the input means for a predetermined time, the notification before the notification is performed. Since the calling operation is performed based on the information input by the input means,
The calling operation can be reliably started.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a communication device employing the present invention, FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the LCR of FIG. 1,
FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing a communication control procedure according to the present invention. DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... CPU, 2 ... ROM 3 ... RAM 4, Non-volatile memory 5 ... Character generator 6 ... Recording part 7 ... Reading part, 8 ... Modem 9 ... NCU, 10 ... Line 11 … Phone, 12… Operation unit 13… Display unit, 14… LCR control unit 15… Switch, 16… Transformer 17… DTMF decoder 18… Dialer 19… 1-chip CPU 20… Exchanger

Continuation of front page (56) References JP-A-1-180169 (JP, A) JP-A-62-289026 (JP, A) JP-A-2-58465 (JP, A) JP-A-2-42859 (JP) (A) Special table Hei 1-502871 (JP, A) (58) Fields investigated (Int. Cl. ⁶ , DB name) H04M 11/00 H04N 1 / 00,1 / 32

Claims (14)

(57) [Claims] An input unit for inputting information based on a communication partner; a selection unit for selecting a communication line in accordance with the information input by the input unit; and a selection unit when the communication line is selected by the selection unit. A first mode for automatically performing a call for performing communication using the communication line, and a notification based on a selection result by the selection unit without performing an automatic call operation in the first mode. A switching unit for selectively switching a second mode to be performed; and a switch for performing communication using the communication line selected by the selection unit when the first mode is switched by the switching unit. A call is automatically made, and when the mode is switched to the second mode by the switching means, control is performed so as to perform a notification based on a selection result by the selecting means without performing the automatic calling. Control means, when the input means performs an input within a predetermined time from the notification in the second mode, starts a call operation in accordance with the information input by the input means. A communication device that performs a calling operation based on information input by the input unit before performing the notification if the input is not performed within the predetermined time. 2. The communication device according to claim 1, wherein the notification based on the selection result in the second mode is to perform a display based on the selection result. 3. The communication apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the information based on the communication partner input by the input means includes a dial number of the communication partner. 4. The notification based on the selection result in the second mode notifies that a communication line corresponding to a dial number different from the dial number input by the input means has been selected by the selection means. The communication device according to claim 3, wherein: 5. The communication apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said selection means selects a communication line having the lowest communication fee according to communication conditions. 6. The notification based on the selection result in the second mode is a notification that there is a communication line whose communication fee is lower than the communication line corresponding to the dial number inputted by the input means. The communication device according to claim 3, wherein: 7. The communication device according to claim 1, wherein the notification based on the selection result in the second mode notifies a dial number corresponding to the communication line selected by the selection unit. . 8. A control method for a communication apparatus having input means for inputting information based on a communication partner, wherein: a selecting step of selecting a communication line according to the information input by the input means; Is selected, a first mode for automatically making a call for performing communication using the selected communication line, and the automatic call operation in the first mode is not performed, and A switching step of selectively switching a second mode for performing a notification based on the selection result; and, if the switching is performed in the first mode in the switching step, using the communication line selected in the selection step. Automatically making a call for performing the communication that has been performed, and if the mode has been switched to the second mode in the switching step, the automatic calling is not performed and the selection step is performed. A control step of performing control based on a result of the selection performed by the input unit when the input unit performs input within a predetermined time from the notification in the second mode. Starting a call operation according to the information input by the means, and performing the call operation based on the information input by the input means before performing the notification if the input is not performed within the predetermined time; A method for controlling a communication device, comprising: 9. The method according to claim 8, wherein the notification based on the selection result in the second mode is to perform a display based on the selection result. 10. The method according to claim 8, wherein the information based on the communication partner input by the input unit includes a dial number of the communication partner. 11. The notification based on the selection result in the second mode notifies that a communication line corresponding to a dial number different from the dial number input by the input means has been selected in the selecting step. 11. The method for controlling a communication device according to claim 10, wherein: 12. The method according to claim 8, wherein said selecting step selects a communication line having the lowest communication fee according to communication conditions. 13. The notification based on the selection result in the second mode is a notification that there is a communication line whose communication fee is lower than that of the communication line corresponding to the dial number input by the input means. 11. The method for controlling a communication device according to claim 10, wherein: 14. The communication device according to claim 8, wherein the notification based on the selection result in the second mode notifies a dial number corresponding to the communication line selected in the selection step. Control method.