JP2950151B2 - Facsimile machine with branch telephone - 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 apparatus, and more particularly, to an improvement of a facsimile apparatus having a branch telephone.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art When a branch telephone is connected to a facsimile apparatus, a telephone call can be made at a place remote from the place where the facsimile apparatus is installed. However, when a facsimile transmission comes in from an outside line and a ringing bell rings, When the receiver of the branch telephone was picked up, the telephone line was connected to the branch telephone, and the line could not be switched to the facsimile machine. In consideration of such a situation, there has been developed a type in which a branch telephone picking up the handset transmits a push-tone signal to the facsimile apparatus and connects the telephone line to the facsimile apparatus. Therefore, it is necessary to operate a numeric keypad to send a predetermined command, so the operation is troublesome, and if the operation is mistaken, the telephone line is disconnected,
There were problems such as interrupting facsimile reception.

[0003]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been proposed in view of the above circumstances. Even if a branch telephone is off-hook in response to a call from an outside line, the facsimile apparatus is switched to a telephone line and connected. It is an object of the present invention to provide a facsimile apparatus capable of receiving a facsimile.

[0004]

According to the first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a facsimile apparatus in which a branch telephone is connected to the same telephone line. After receiving the ringing signal, the branch telephone goes off-hook and then connects the telephone line to the facsimile apparatus side. When the facsimile start signal is detected within a predetermined time after the branch telephone is off-hook, the procedure proceeds to the facsimile procedure. Even if the facsimile activation signal is not detected within the time, the procedure shifts to the facsimile procedure when the on-hook of the branch telephone is detected, the facsimile activation signal is not detected within the predetermined time, and if the on-hook of the branch telephone is not detected, The procedure shifts to the procedure of disconnecting the line.

[0005]

According to the facsimile apparatus of the present invention, the telephone line is switched to the facsimile apparatus when the handset of the branch telephone is picked up and off-hook in response to a call from an outside line. Next, when a facsimile activation signal (CNG signal) is transmitted from an external line, the facsimile apparatus detects this and starts a normal facsimile communication procedure, but detects the facsimile activation signal (CNG signal) from the external line. If not, the normal facsimile communication procedure is started when the branch telephone goes on-hook.

[0006] Therefore, even when the receiver is returned to the original state after picking up the handset with the branch telephone, considering the call from the outside line as a call from the telephone,
Facsimile reception is possible by performing handshake with the facsimile machine on the transmission side. Further, if the receiver of the branch telephone is picked up and a facsimile start signal (CNG signal) is received or the receiver is returned to the original state during a predetermined grace period after the telephone line is switched to the facsimile apparatus, If the facsimile communication procedure is started, but the facsimile activation signal (CNG signal) is not received within that time and the handset is not returned to its original state, the telephone line is disconnected.

[0007]

An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 shows a facsimile apparatus F according to the present invention.
FIG. 3 is a block diagram illustrating an example of a hardware configuration of the first embodiment. The facsimile apparatus F is composed of a branch telephone 1 connected to the same telephone line L and a facsimile main body Fa. Off-hook detecting means 1d for detecting off-hook by the hook switch 1c.

On the other hand, the facsimile body Fa comprises an attached telephone 2, a facsimile communication control unit 3, a signal processing unit 4 composed of a CPU and the like, and respective circuit units described later connected to the signal processing unit 4. ing. Here, the facsimile communication control unit 3 includes a modem 3a for image data communication, and a line control unit 3 for controlling line connection switching between the modem 3a and the branch telephone 1 with respect to the telephone line L.
b, and a tone signal detection circuit 3c and a tone signal generation circuit 3d for executing mutual transmission (handshake) of a protocol signal executed prior to transmission / reception of image data.
Etc. are provided.

In addition to the facsimile communication control unit 3, the signal processing unit 4 includes a hook signal notification circuit 5 for notifying the detection of the on-hook / off-hook of the branch telephone 1, an operation unit 6, a timer circuit 7, a liquid crystal display. A display unit 8 composed of a container, a storage unit 9 composed of a ROM or a RAM,
The image reading unit 10 and the print output unit 11 are connected. The signal processing unit 4 controls each unit in order to execute a facsimile communication procedure. However, a call to this facsimile device F is made from another external facsimile device and transmitted from a circuit switch (not shown). After the transmission of the ringing signal of 16 Hz, the following operation control is performed.

That is, a call signal from an outside line is detected,
When the handset 1b of the branch telephone 1 is picked up by the ringing of the ringing bell, the off-hook is detected by the off-hook detecting means 1d by the hook switch 1c, and this detection is notified to the signal processing unit 4 via the hook signal notification circuit 5. . The signal processing unit 4 switches the telephone line L from the branch telephone set 1 to the facsimile main unit Fa by instructing the line control unit 3b to switch the telephone line L.

Next, when a CNG signal is transmitted from an external line, the CNG signal is detected by the tone signal detection circuit 3c and notified to the signal processing unit 4. Further, the on-hook of the branch telephone 1 is notified to the signal processing unit 4 via the off-hook detecting means 1d and the hook signal notification circuit 5 as in the case of the off-hook. When the off-hook of the branch telephone 1 is detected, the signal processing unit 4 waits for reception of a CNG signal after switching the telephone line L.
Is started to start measuring a predetermined time. If the CNG signal is detected within the predetermined time, the operation of the timer circuit 7 is stopped, the tone signal generation circuit 3d is operated, and the facsimile communication procedure is started. When the off-hook of the branch telephone 1 is detected, the timer is stopped and the facsimile communication procedure is started. Further, when the time-out is notified from the timer circuit 7, a request to that effect is made to the line control unit 3b to cut off the line L.

Next, the basic operation of the facsimile machine F of the present invention will be described. Steps 100 to 112 in FIG.
5 is a flowchart showing a schematic procedure of a basic operation.
The handset 1 of the branch telephone 1 is not turned on until the ringing ring rings for a certain number of times set in the facsimile main body Fa.
b (see steps 100 to 103)
The line L is connected to the facsimile main body Fa. Thereafter, when a CNG signal is received from the other party's facsimile or the on-hook of the branch telephone 1 is detected,
Shift to facsimile procedure (steps 110 to 111)
reference). However, if a CNG signal has not been received or the on-hook of the branch telephone 1 has not been detected even after a predetermined time has elapsed after picking up the handset 1b of the branch telephone 1, the line L is cut off (see step 112).

The facsimile communication procedure is the same as when a call bell is sounded a set number of times and a line is connected to a facsimile apparatus. When a CNG signal is received, a CED signal or a DIS signal for executing facsimile communication from the facsimile main body Fa. Is transmitted, and when an appropriate protocol signal is returned from the other party, facsimile reception is performed. However, when an appropriate protocol signal is not returned, a communication error occurs at that point and the line L is cut off ( See steps 104-108).

Steps 200 to 211 in FIG. 3 are performed by the facsimile apparatus F having a function of automatically holding off the telephone line L when the silent state of the branch telephone 1 has been held for a predetermined time or more, while holding the handset of the branch telephone 1 while holding it. Is shown by a flowchart. After the branch telephone 1 is off-hook, the line L is connected to the facsimile main unit Fa, and thereafter, CNG from the other party facsimile is performed.
When the signal is received, the procedure proceeds to the facsimile procedure. If the shift to the facsimile procedure has not been performed within a predetermined time and no audio signal has been received, the line L is cut off (see steps 209 to 211). Other processing is shown in FIG.
Same as

According to such a facsimile apparatus F,
Even if a user who does not understand the above function of the present invention picks up the branch telephone 1 and the silent state continues, the telephone line L is automatically cut off after a predetermined time,
Appropriate responses can be made without being lost in operation. In the present invention,
When the other party transmits a push tone signal (DTMF) during the predetermined time, the line L may be cut off at that time.

[0016]

As will be understood from the above description, according to the facsimile apparatus of the present invention, the switching of the telephone line from the branch telephone to the facsimile apparatus can be automatically performed in the same manner as the accessory telephone or its sub telephone. The operability of the facsimile machine is improved. Further, since the switching of the telephone line to the facsimile device and the start of the facsimile communication procedure are performed in conjunction with the off-hook and on-hook operations of the branch telephone, disconnection of the telephone line due to erroneous operation and retransmission of facsimile data are also reduced. Therefore, costs such as communication charges can be reduced.

Further, even if the branch telephone is picked up and the state is continued, the telephone line is automatically cut off after a predetermined time has elapsed, so that appropriate measures can be taken without being lost in operation.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an example of a hardware configuration of a facsimile apparatus according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a flowchart showing an example of a basic operation procedure of the facsimile apparatus according to the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a basic operation procedure when the facsimile apparatus according to the present invention has an additional function.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Branch telephone 1a Communication circuit 1b Handset 1c Hook switch 1d Off-hook detecting means 2 Attached telephone 3 Facsimile communication control unit 4 Signal processing unit 5 Hook signal notification circuit 7 Timer circuit L Line Fa Facsimile main unit F Facsimile machine

Claims (1)

(57) [Claims] 1. A facsimile apparatus in which a branch telephone is connected to the same telephone line. After receiving a call signal from an outside line, the branch telephone goes off-hook, and then connects the telephone line to the facsimile apparatus side to off-hook the branch telephone. When the facsimile activation signal is detected within a predetermined time after the above, the process proceeds to the facsimile procedure. On the other hand, even when the facsimile activation signal is not detected within the predetermined time, the process proceeds to the facsimile procedure when the on-hook of the branch telephone is detected. A facsimile apparatus including a branch telephone set which does not detect a facsimile activation signal and shifts to a step of disconnecting a line unless an on-hook of the branch telephone is detected.