JP3109450B2 - Computer-readable recording medium recording a data transfer program to a communication terminal device with a printer function - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an improvement in data transfer technology from a computer to a communication terminal device having a printer function.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, a facsimile apparatus, which is one of communication terminal apparatuses with a printer function, is capable of transmitting and receiving arbitrary image data, and thus has been widely used in offices and ordinary homes. Multifunctional devices have been developed and used for various purposes. Recently, a facsimile device has been connected to a computer so that both can be linked.

[0003] In this case, the facsimile apparatus functions as a computer scanner by transmitting the read and scanned image data to the computer side, thereby enabling the computer to process and correct the image data, while the image generated by the computer side. If the data is received and printed out on predetermined recording paper set in advance, it functions as a computer printer. Further, since the facsimile apparatus is connected to a communication line to enable facsimile communication, the facsimile apparatus can also transmit and receive image data by facsimile and function as a computer modem.

[0004]

However, when the facsimile apparatus functions as a computer printer, the data transfer speed from the computer exceeds the print recording speed, so that the data sent from the computer is temporarily stored. In some cases, the capacity of the memory being used may be exceeded.

[0005] In particular, when a large amount of data is transferred from a computer or when a computer is functioning as a printer, facsimile reception is received from another communication terminal device (such as a facsimile device or a computer). When facsimile transmission or copying is performed, a large amount of data will be stored in memory to wait for print processing, so memory overflow will occur and data transfer processing from the computer and facsimile reception processing will be stopped. There was something to do.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been proposed in view of the above circumstances, and by controlling data transfer from a computer, it is possible to prevent memory over in a communication terminal device with a printer function and eliminate interruption of processing. It is an object.

[0007]

In order to achieve the above-mentioned object, the present invention provides a data transfer program to a communication terminal device with a printer function, which causes a computer to realize the following functions, by recording the program on a recording medium. . This recording medium is
Since the computer can read the data, the computer reads the data transfer program recorded on a floppy disk or the like, and in accordance with the instructions of the read program, executes the data transfer program so that the communication terminal device prints the data. I do.

[0008]

[0009]

The recording medium according to the first aspect has a function of transferring data to be printed by a communication terminal device with a printer function to a computer, and a free space of storage means of the communication terminal device for storing the transferred data. The function to judge in block units and the number of blocks of this free space are
Data of the page being transferred when the number of
And a data transfer program for realizing a function of interrupting data transfer after deleting the data.

Here, the determination of the free space in the storage means of the communication terminal device may be made by receiving a notification of the free space from the communication terminal device.

[0012]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 shows a computer PC
FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating an example of a configuration of a communication terminal device with a printer function (eg, a personal computer). Here, the configuration of the facsimile apparatus F is shown as an example of the communication terminal device with a printer function, but the present invention is not limited to this, and a personal computer or the like connected to a printer and having a communication function may be used.

As shown in the figure, the facsimile apparatus F is connected to a communication line L1 (telephone line or the like) to perform facsimile communication, and is connected to a computer PC via a signal line L. It also functions as a scanner. The computer PC and the facsimile machine F employ a parallel transmission system conforming to standards such as Centronics, so that high-speed data transmission (several hundred kilobytes / second) can be performed.

In the figure, 1 in a computer PC is:
A main control unit configured by a CPU or the like and performing signal control of each unit, 2 is a display unit configured by a CRT or the like, 3 is an operation unit configured by a keyboard, a mouse, and the like, and 4 is a recording medium FD (floppy A data reading unit (floppy disk device or the like) for reading program data from a disk or the like), a hard disk for storing image data of facsimile communication or a program read from a recording medium FD, and a RAM for temporarily storing data. , 7 is a ROM in which programs and the like are stored in advance, and 8 is an external device interface for performing data communication with the facsimile machine F via the signal line L according to a predetermined protocol.

In one facsimile machine F, 11
Is a main control unit composed of a CPU, etc., 12 is a display unit composed of a liquid crystal screen or the like, 13 is an operation unit composed of various operation keys such as numeric keys, and 14 is image data from a document for facsimile transmission and the like. A reading unit 15 for printing out image data on recording paper set in advance; 16 an external device interface for performing data communication with a computer PC via a signal line L;
Reference numeral 7 denotes an NCU which performs network control such as transmission of a dial signal to the communication line L1, 18 denotes a modem which modulates and demodulates signals for facsimile communication of image data, 19 denotes storage means, which is transferred from a computer PC. An image memory for temporarily storing the received data and image data of facsimile communication, 20 is a RAM, and 21 is a ROM.

In such a configuration, the computer P
C transfers data (data such as word processing documents, figures, and tables) created by operating the operation unit 3 while displaying it on the display unit 2 to the facsimile apparatus F via the signal line L. The data once transferred to the image memory 19 is accumulated, then sequentially taken out, and printed by the recording unit 15.

In order to realize this processing, the computer PC stores a program for transferring data to the facsimile machine F on the hard disk 5 (or RAM 6), and this program is recorded by the data reading section 4 in advance. It has been read from the medium FD. Recording medium FD
Of course, other than the floppy disk, an optical disk, a ROM, and a hard disk may be used. Further, the recording medium F
The programs recorded in D include, in addition to those generally called a printer manager, printer drivers that are device drivers for controlling a printer.
Other software in general shall be included.

The present invention is characterized by a function realized by the computer PC by the data transfer program. The function will be described below. The data transfer program is
A function of transferring data to be printed by the facsimile machine F to the computer PC;
A function of determining the amount of unprinted data and a function of interrupting the transfer of data when the amount of data exceeds a predetermined amount are realized. When the amount becomes equal to or less than a predetermined amount, a function of restarting data transfer is realized.

As a result, it is possible to prevent the image memory 19 of the facsimile machine F from being out of memory, and since the data transfer is automatically restarted, the data transfer processing can be performed without any operation. Can be continued and terminated. The determination of the amount of data not printed by the facsimile apparatus F may be made by receiving a notification of this data amount from the facsimile apparatus F, a notification of completion of printing for each page from the facsimile apparatus F, The notification of the amount of printed data may be received, and the determination may be made by subtracting the amount of printed data from the transferred amount of data.

FIG. 2 is a flowchart showing the data transfer operation of the computer PC (100 to 10).
6). Here, the data amount is converted into the number of pages, the number of printed pages is received from the facsimile machine F, and the amount of unprinted data (the number of unprinted pages) is calculated based on this.

First, a request for the number of printed pages is sent to the facsimile machine F, and upon receiving this response, the number of printed pages is checked (101). Next, the number of unprinted pages is calculated by subtracting the number of printed pages from the number of transferred pages (102). If the number of unprinted pages is equal to or greater than a predetermined number of pages (for example, three pages), there is a high possibility that the image memory 19 of the facsimile machine F will run out of memory. Wait for it to run out. On the other hand, if the number of unprinted pages is smaller than the predetermined number of pages, one page of data is transferred to the facsimile machine F, and the number of unprinted pages is checked until the transfer of all pages is completed.
Transfer is performed page by page (103 to 106).

Even when the number of unprinted pages exceeds the predetermined number of pages and the data transfer is interrupted, if the number of unprinted pages becomes less than the predetermined number of pages (three pages) (less than two pages), one page at a time. Resume data transfer. Here, the number of references for interrupting data transfer and the number of references for restarting data transfer are set to the same number (three pages), but this is not a limitation, and this number is not the number of pages. In particular, in the case of the number of bytes, in order to prevent the data transfer from being interrupted again immediately, the criterion for resuming may be smaller than the criterion for interrupting.

Next, another function realized by the data transfer program will be described. Here, in addition to the function of transferring data to be printed by the facsimile apparatus F to the computer PC, the data transfer program recorded on the recording medium FD determines the free space of the image memory 19 of the facsimile apparatus F that stores the transferred data. A function of determining and a function of interrupting data transfer when the free space becomes equal to or less than the amount of data to be transferred are realized.

The image memory 1 of the facsimile machine F
The determination of the free space in No. 9 may be made by receiving a notification of the free space from the facsimile machine F. FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing the operation of the computer PC at the time of data transfer in this case. Here, as in the case of FIG. 2, data is transferred one page at a time. However, whether or not to continue (start) the data transfer is determined by the facsimile apparatus F by notifying the free space of the image memory 19. Accordingly, the determination is made based on whether or not the free space exceeds the data amount of the page to be transferred next.

First, a request for a free space is sent to the facsimile machine F, and upon receiving this response, the free space in the image memory 19 is checked. If the free space is smaller than the data amount of the next page to be transferred. For example, when the next page is transferred, there is a high possibility that the memory of the image memory 19 will be over. Therefore, the data transfer is interrupted, and the free space is waited for. On the other hand, if the free space exceeds the data amount of the page to be transferred next, the data of one page is transferred to the facsimile machine F, and the check of the free space is performed until the transfer of all pages is completed. Transfers each time.

Even if the data transfer is interrupted, if the free space exceeds the data amount of the page to be transferred next, the data transfer for each page is restarted (200 to 203 above). Here, the data amount serving as a reference for interrupting data transfer and the data amount serving as a reference for restarting data transfer are the data amount for one page to be transferred next, but are not limited thereto. The data amount may be a predetermined data amount set in advance, and the data amounts serving as both references may be different amounts.

FIG. 4 shows a case where the free space of the image memory 19 becomes smaller than a predetermined data amount (such as the data amount of a page to be transferred next) in the flowchart of FIG.
01) is shown in more detail. Here, when the free space of the image memory 19 of the facsimile apparatus F becomes equal to or less than a predetermined amount, a timer (not shown) is started, and the image memory 19 is transmitted every 10 seconds up to a maximum of 6 times (up to 1 minute). The 19 free spaces are checked to determine whether to perform data transfer (210 to 21).
6).

During this one minute, if the transferred data or facsimile reception data is printed by the recording unit 15 and the free space of the image memory 19 exceeds a predetermined amount, the data transfer is restarted. If it does not exceed the predetermined amount, a message such as "Not enough memory to be allocated. Please wait until the memory is relocated." Is displayed on the display unit 2 such as a CRT.
At the same time, a message prompting the next operation (for example, a function key display) is also displayed. When a retry operation is performed by the operation unit 3, the check of the free space of the image memory 19 at 10-second intervals is started again. When the end operation is performed, the data transfer ends (stops) (21).
7-219).

Even if the data transfer is completed halfway, since the data is transferred to the facsimile machine F in page units, the image printed by the recording unit 15 may be partway through the page. Absent. Next, a communication procedure between the computer PC and the facsimile machine F will be described with reference to a sequence diagram of FIG.

Data is transferred from the computer PC to the facsimile machine F by transmitting a command and its response via the signal line L between the computer PC and the facsimile machine F. This communication procedure causes the computer PC that has read this program to execute the data transfer program recorded on the recording medium FD.

First, a data transfer start command is sent (issued) from the computer PC before starting printing of one job (a plurality of pages of data to be continuously printed), and conditions such as recording density and the number of copies are set. Is set (1). On the other hand, if a response indicating that there is no unprinted job is received, a printer operation status request command is transmitted, and the status of the printer (recording unit 15) is checked.
A printed page number (number of pages) is obtained (2).

At the start of data transfer, the printed page number is naturally "0". However, if data transfer is continued for each page, this number will be incremented. The number of pages that have not been printed (the number of unprinted pages) is calculated from the number of completed pages. If this number of pages is equal to or greater than the predetermined number of pages, the data transfer is interrupted and the printer operation status request command is periodically issued. And waits until the number of unprinted pages becomes equal to or less than the predetermined number of pages. If the number of unprinted pages is equal to or less than the predetermined number of pages, the data transfer process is continued.

To continue the data transfer process,
A print data write open command is sent to notify the page number, data format, and the like, and the response receives the information of the first write area (3).
Here, since data is managed in blocks of 4 Kbytes and divided and transferred four times in frame units of 1 Kbyte, four pieces of area information (addresses and memory numbers of the image memory 19) are written. Receive as block information.

Subsequently, a print data write command designating the write block information is transmitted, and data transfer is performed for each frame (4) and (5). And
When the data transfer of one block is completed, a next write block information acquisition command is sent to obtain write block information for transferring the next block (6). By repeating this operation, when the transfer of data of all the blocks for one page is completed, a one-page print data write end command is sent (7), and then a one-page print data transfer end command is sent to record. The printing operation by the unit 15 is started (8). At this time, if there is a next page in the data to be transferred, a printer operation status request command (2) is sent to perform the operation shown in (* 3) in the figure. When the transfer is completed, a one-job print data transfer end command is sent to enable data transfer of another job.

After the transfer of all data is completed,
A printer operation status request command is sent periodically or at an arbitrary timing, and it is monitored that the printer status changes from printing to printing completion (9), (10). In this figure, a case has been described where each time one page of data is transferred, the number of printed pages is obtained, the number of unprinted pages is calculated, and continuation or interruption of data transfer is determined based on this number of pages. When determining the continuation or interruption of the data transfer based on the free space of the image memory 19 on the facsimile apparatus F side, before and after the (2) transmission of the printer operation status request command, a request for the number of pages that can be stored in the memory is made. A command can be sent and this response can be used.

It is also possible to send a memory storage storable block number request command to check the free space in block units. According to this, more detailed data transfer control can be performed, and effective use of the memory can be achieved. However, when the number of blocks having a capacity smaller than the data amount for one page is set as a reference, the data for one page is used. In the middle of the data transfer, the transfer may be stopped (terminated). In this case, if the transfer is canceled after the transfer page erase command is transmitted, the facsimile machine F prints up to the middle of the page. It is not done.

Although the data transferred from the computer PC has been described above only as data to be printed by the facsimile machine F, the present invention is not limited to this.
The data to be transferred may be data to be processed by the facsimile apparatus F such as facsimile transmission to the outside through the communication line L1. In the case of transferring data to be transmitted by facsimile from the computer PC, the data transfer program recorded on the recording medium FD determines to the computer PC the function of determining the amount of data that has not been transmitted by facsimile, A function of interrupting data transfer when the data amount becomes equal to or more than a predetermined amount and a function of restarting data transfer when the amount of data not transmitted by facsimile becomes equal to or less than a predetermined amount are realized. .

[0038]

As can be understood from the above description, according to the present invention, a computer reads a recording medium, and the computer realizes each of the following functions by a data transfer program recorded on the recording medium. The data can be transferred to a communication terminal device with a printer function such as a device.

[0039]

According to the first aspect , when the free space in the memory of the communication terminal device becomes equal to or less than the predetermined number of blocks , the computer erases the data of the page being transferred,
With the function to interrupt data transfer, even if the total amount of data transferred from the computer is large or if facsimile reception is performed during data transfer, the memory on the communication terminal side can be prevented beforehand. Thus, the data transfer process and the facsimile reception process can be continued. Also, during the data transfer for one page,
Even if the transfer is stopped, the communication terminal device
No prints are made.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a configuration example of a computer and a facsimile apparatus using a recording medium of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a basic operation of a computer.

FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing another example of the basic operation of the computer.

FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing another example of the basic operation of the computer.

FIG. 5 is a sequence diagram showing a communication procedure between the computer and the facsimile machine.

[Explanation of symbols]

FD: Recording medium according to the present invention PC: Computer 1: Main control unit 4: Data reading unit 5: Hard disk F: Facsimile device (communication terminal device with printer function) 11. ..Main control section 15 ... Recording section 19 ... Image memory L ... Signal line

──────────────────────────────────────────────────続 き Continuation of the front page (56) References JP-A-62-143547 (JP, A) JP-A-9-307718 (JP, A) JP-A-8-298564 (JP, A) JP-A-9-1997 65041 (JP, A) JP-A-3-262260 (JP, A) JP-A-9-65042 (JP, A) JP-A-9-153974 (JP, A) (58) Fields investigated (Int. Cl. ⁷ , DB name) H04N 1/00-1/00 108 H04N 1/21 H04N 1/32-1/36 H04N 1/42-1/44

Claims (1)

(57) [Claims] 1. A function of transferring data to be printed by a communication terminal device with a printer function to a computer, a function of determining a free space of a storage means of the communication terminal device for storing the transferred data in block units, of free space
Transfer when the number of blocks falls below the specified number of blocks
A computer-readable recording medium for recording a data transfer program to a communication terminal device with a printer function for realizing a function of interrupting data transfer after erasing data of an intermediate page .