JP3167737B2 - Data communication device and received data management method - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a data communication apparatus having a floppy disk, and more particularly to a method for managing received data stored on a floppy disk.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, in a data communication apparatus, received image data stored in a floppy disk as an external storage medium is unique to the data communication apparatus in which the received image data is stored in a floppy disk. I can't output it. Therefore, when the image data stored in the floppy disk is output by another image output device, the management data relating thereto is stored in the floppy disk by the other image output device, and when the floppy disk is returned to the image receiving device, the management data is stored. It is configured to recognize the fact of image data output,
It is conceivable to enable output in other data communication devices.

[0003]

However, in the above-described apparatus, when the received image data stored on the diskette is output by another image output device, the fact and the image data output by which image output device are output. It cannot be recognized that the ticket is not returned to the image receiving apparatus. Therefore, the receiver cannot determine the output of the received image even if the image is output by another image output device, unless the ticket is returned to the image receiving device. In addition, since the management data stored in the internal memory of the image receiving apparatus cannot be deleted unless the ticket is returned to the image receiving apparatus, there is a concern that the management data in the internal memory may overflow.

An object of the present invention is to provide a data communication device capable of easily grasping the output of received data and the state of the floppy by eliminating the above-mentioned drawbacks of the prior art and managing the floppy for storing the received data in common among a plurality of devices. And a method for managing received data.

[0005]

In order to solve this problem, a data communication device according to the present invention has an external storage device,
What is claimed is: 1. A data communication device capable of storing received data in a removable external storage medium, comprising: storage means for storing, in said external storage medium, information capable of being communicated with the device together with the received data; Notification means for receiving the information on the external storage medium and notifying the information.

A data communication device having an external storage device and capable of outputting data stored in a removable external storage medium, wherein the data communication device outputs data based on communication information already stored in the external storage medium. And transmitting means for transmitting the data output result and the identification information of the own device to the device that has received the data.

A method of managing received data according to the present invention is directed to a receiving system in which received data is stored in a removable external storage medium, and the received data can be output by a device outside the receiving device via the external storage medium. A method for managing received data, wherein the receiving device stores information that can be communicated to the own device together with storing the received data in the external storage medium,
The output device that has output the received data transmits an output result and information that can identify the own device to the receiving device based on information that allows the receiving device to communicate.

[0008] Here, the information capable of identifying the own apparatus is:
It also includes information that enables communication with its own device.

[0009]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS In this embodiment, a case of a facsimile apparatus for communicating an image as a data communication apparatus will be described as an example.

(I) Configuration of the facsimile apparatus of this embodiment FIG. 1 is a block diagram of the facsimile apparatus of this embodiment. The image receiving device and the image output device have the same configuration.

In FIG. 1, reference numeral 1 denotes a document reading unit which reads a transmission document and converts it into image data, 2 denotes a recording unit which outputs a received image, a communication result report and the like, and 3 denotes a network for connecting a telephone line to a facsimile apparatus. A control unit (NCU), 4 is a modulation / demodulation device (modem) for performing communication, and 5 is a modem 4
, A modem control unit for controlling the operation of the facsimile apparatus, a display unit for displaying the status of the facsimile apparatus, a budget, management data in the internal system memory, etc. to the user, and a display unit 8 included in the operation panel 6 for the user to operate the facsimile apparatus. Is a key for instructing various operations, and 9 is a sensor for detecting the state of the facsimile apparatus.

Reference numeral 10 denotes a memory. 11 in memory 10
An image memory for storing received image data and the like also serves as a buffer for the received image data when transferring the received image data and the like stored on the floppy disk to the recording unit 2. Reference numeral 12 denotes a system RAM (or system memory) which stores the diskette management data 12a and the like, and which is backed up by a battery or the like so that the data is not destroyed even when the commercial power supply is cut off due to a power failure, etc., and 13 is a ROM which determines the specifications of the facsimile apparatus. A program indicating a procedure is stored.

Reference numeral 14 denotes a floppy disk controller (F
DC), 15 is a floppy disk drive (FDD),
Reference numeral 16 denotes a floppy disk medium (diskette) for storing the received image data 16b and the disk management data 16a and the like. Reference numeral 17 denotes a clock IC which can be operated by being backed up by a battery or the like even when the commercial power is cut off due to a power failure or the like. 20
Is a central control unit (CPU) for controlling the facsimile apparatus according to a program stored in the ROM 13.

(II) Operation of the Facsimile Apparatus of the Present Embodiment When the facsimile apparatus having the configuration shown in FIG. 1 stores image data in a floppy disk by alternate reception or the like, the facsimile apparatus according to the flowchart shown in FIG. The own phone number is stored in the socket.

That is, when the image is received in step S21, the received image is stored in the floppy in step S22, and the management data including the telephone number of the own device is also stored in the floppy in step S23. FIG. 3 shows the disk management data stored in the disk at this time. Further, similar management data is stored in the diskette management data 12a of the internal memory 12 of FIG.

In FIG. 3, reference numeral 31 denotes a unique number of the image receiving apparatus;
Numeral 32 indicates the identification number of the diskette, numeral 33 indicates the identification number of the received image, numeral 34 indicates the type of the received image, and FIG. A flag 35 indicates whether or not the received image has been output. In the state of step S23, the image has not been output because it has only been received again. 36 is the telephone number of the own device stored in step S23.

Next, when the diskette is extracted and output by another facsimile apparatus having the configuration of FIG. 1, the fact that the received image is output and the processing time are shown in accordance with the flowchart of FIG. 1 is added to the one-diskette management data 12a. In addition, the facsimile apparatus that has output the image additionally updates its own apparatus number and own apparatus telephone number or own apparatus administrator telephone number to the management data on the desk and stores it. After that, the management data is transmitted to the preceding image receiving device by communication.

In FIG. 4, first, when the floppy is inserted in step S41, the diskette 16 is inserted in step S42.
The above disk management data 16a is stored in the system RAM1.
2 is read into the diskette management data 12a. In step S43, the received image data 16b
Start output of In step S44, the output and the processing time are added to the desket management data 12a and 16b, and in step S45, the device number, telephone number, or administrator telephone number of the own device (the facsimile device that has output the image) is added. In step S46, this desk-top management data is transmitted to the facsimile apparatus which has received the image with reference to the image receiving apparatus telephone number 36 in FIG.

FIG. 6 shows the management data on the desk at this time. 6, the presence / absence flag 35 in the received image is changed to output, and the telephone number 36 of the apparatus that has received the image is deleted.
A data processing time 37, a device number 38, a telephone number 39, and an administrator telephone number 40 of the facsimile device that has output the image are added.

When the output is waited for in step S47 and the disk is removed after the image is output, the facsimile apparatus that has output the image determines in step S48 that the removal of the disk is completed in step S48. It branches depending on whether it is before or after. If it is before the end, step S4
In step 9, the fact that the diskette has been released and the time at which the diskette has been released are added to the diskette management data 12a of FIG. 1 and transmitted to the facsimile apparatus that has received the image.

FIG. 7 shows the management data at this time. A flag 41 during the detachment of the diskette and a detachment time 42 are added to the diskette management data of FIG. In step S48, if the detachment of the floppy disk is after the transmission of the management data, the management data in the internal memory and the diskette is deleted in step S51 according to the state of the management data.

On the other hand, the facsimile apparatus which has received the image performs the operation according to FIG. That is, update of management data, display or output to the user, and deletion of management data.

In FIG. 8, first, in step S81, the management data is received, and in step S82, it is checked whether or not the management data of the corresponding image data remains in the internal memory. The management data received is updated in comparison with the received management data, and from the management data received in step S84, the fact output by another device, the telephone number of the device that has output the image, the manager's telephone number, or the information that the diskette has been removed is obtained. The notification is made by printout or display on the display, and in step S85, the management data is erased by the instruction of the user or after a certain period of time.

As described above, the present embodiment has the following various effects. (1) A facsimile device capable of storing a received image in a floppy disk, and storing the telephone number of the own device together with the received image data in a diskette, so that the received image data is output by another facsimile device. The fact that other facsimile devices output the received image data,
It is possible to transmit to the receiving device by communication.

(2) When another facsimile apparatus outputs the received image stored in the diskette, the telephone number is read out, and the fact is stored by communication in the above-described item (1) in which the received image is stored in the diskette. By notifying the data communication device, the receiving device user is made aware of the fact that the received image is output. Further, by making the management data stored in the memory of the receiving device erasable, overflow of the memory is prevented.

(3) The facsimile apparatus which has output the received image in the above (2) notifies the facsimile apparatus which has stored the received image in a diskette of the information notified by communication, and the telephone number or the facsimile apparatus which has output the received image. The telephone number of the administrator of the facsimile machine was included. This allows the receiving device user to know information on where the received image is output. Alternatively, processing such as having the administrator check the destination of the received image or delivering the received image is enabled.

(4) Even if the facsimile apparatus of (3) removes the disk after outputting the received image, the image receiving apparatus of (1) communicates the fact of the image output and the departure and departure time of the disk to the image receiving apparatus of (1). Notification to the image receiving apparatus, the user of the image receiving apparatus can easily search for the output received image and the diskette.

(5) In the image receiving apparatus of the above (1), the management data is stored in a system memory included in the diskette and the disk. Even when the floppy disk is detached from the apparatus, the management data stored in the system memory is not changed. A facsimile device that is backed up without being erased. The communication between the received image output device and the fact that the received image data stored in the diskette of the own device was output by the other device facsimile device and the other device's telephone number or Recognize the other machine administrator's phone number, add it to the management data in its own internal memory,
By displaying or outputting to the user, it is possible to instantly recognize the fact that the received image stored in the desktop of the own apparatus is output by another apparatus and the telephone number of the other apparatus or the telephone number of the administrator of the other apparatus.

(6) In the facsimile apparatus of (3),
After the image data is output, the image data management data information is communicated to another facsimile apparatus which stores the received image in a diskette, and then the image data stored in the diskette or the internal memory and the image data are stored in the internal memory. Deleted management data. This prevented memory overflow.

In this embodiment, a floppy disk is set as a detachable external storage memory. However, the same effect can be expected by setting another external storage memory such as a magneto-optical disk. . Further, the present invention may be applied to a system including a plurality of devices or to an apparatus including a single device. It is needless to say that the present invention can be applied to a case where the present invention is achieved by supplying a program to a system or an apparatus.

[0031]

According to the present invention, a data communication device and a reception data management method which can easily grasp the output of reception data and the state of the floppy by managing the floppy for storing the received data in common among a plurality of devices. Can be provided.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a facsimile apparatus of the present embodiment.

FIG. 2

FIG. 4

FIG. 5

FIG. 8 is a flowchart for explaining the operation procedure of this embodiment.

FIG. 3

FIG. 6

FIG. 7 is an explanatory diagram of the desket management data of the embodiment.

[Explanation of symbols]

4 Modem, 5 Modem control unit, 12 System RA
M, 12a: diskette management data, 16: diskette, 16a: diskette management data, 16b: received image data

Claims (8)

(57) [Claims] 1. A data communication device having an external storage device and capable of storing received data in a removable external storage medium, wherein the data communication device can communicate with the own device together with the received data in the external storage medium. A data communication device comprising: a storage unit for storing information; and a notifying unit for receiving information on the external storage medium from another device and notifying the information. 2. A data communication device having an external storage device and capable of outputting data stored in a removable external storage medium, wherein the data communication device outputs data based on communication information already stored in the external storage medium. A data communication device, comprising: a transmission unit that transmits a data output result and identification information of the own device to a device that has received the data. 3. A storage means for storing a data output result and identification information of its own device in the external storage medium, and when the external storage medium is disconnected before the transmission of the information by the transmission means, the disconnection is performed. 3. The data communication apparatus according to claim 2, further comprising: a second transmission unit configured to transmit information indicating that the communication has been performed based on the already stored communication information. 4. The data communication apparatus according to claim 2, further comprising an erasing means for erasing the data after outputting the data on the external storage medium. 5. A data communication device having an external storage device, capable of storing received data in a removable external storage medium, and capable of outputting data stored in the external storage medium, A storage unit that stores information that can be communicated to the own device together with the received data in the external storage medium, and receives information about the external storage medium from another device,
Notifying means for notifying the information; and outputting data stored in the external storage medium, based on communication information already stored in the external storage medium, outputting the data to a device that has received the data. A data communication device comprising: a transmitting unit that transmits a result and identification information of the device. 6. The data communication device according to claim 1, wherein the information capable of identifying the own device includes information that enables communication with the own device. 7. A method for managing received data in a receiving system in which received data is stored in a removable external storage medium, and the received data can be output by a device outside the receiving device via the external storage medium. The receiving device stores information that can be communicated to the own device together with the storage of the received data in the external storage medium, and the output device that outputs the received data is based on the information that enables the receiving device to communicate. ,
A method of managing received data, comprising transmitting an output result and information capable of identifying itself to the receiving device. 8. The received data management method according to claim 7, wherein the information capable of identifying the own device also includes information enabling communication with the own device.