JP3184255B2 - 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 apparatus, and more particularly, to a facsimile apparatus having a function of performing color coding and black-and-white coding of an image using different algorithms.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art A color facsimile apparatus performs image conversion such as handling only a color image or converting a color image into a black and white image in accordance with a communication partner.

[0003]

However, depending on the image to be transmitted by facsimile, there is a problem that the communication time becomes longer and the communication cost increases.

[0004] The present invention has been made to solve the above-described problem, and has as its object to minimize communication costs.

The present invention has the following configuration as one means for achieving the above object. A facsimile apparatus according to the present invention includes an encoding unit that performs color encoding and black-and-white encoding of an image using different algorithms, a decoding unit that decodes encoded data to reproduce an image, and a communication unit that communicates with a partner terminal. A facsimile apparatus, wherein two types of encoded data obtained by the color encoding and black-and-white encoding are compared, and encoded data having a small code amount is stored in a memory, and the encoded data stored in the memory and Based on the characteristics of the other terminal, the encoding means,
A control unit controls the decoding unit and the communication unit to execute facsimile communication.

Preferably, the control means stores the color-encoded data in the memory, and, when the partner terminal is a black-and-white facsimile apparatus, decodes the encoded data, and After encoding,
The information is transmitted to the partner terminal.

[0007]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS A preferred embodiment according to the present invention will be described below in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a facsimile apparatus according to one embodiment of the present invention. In the figure, 1 is a microprocessor unit (hereinafter referred to as MPU), 2 is a read-only memory (hereinafter referred to as ROM), 3 is a random access memory (hereinafter referred to as RAM), and 4 is a communication control unit (hereinafter referred to as CCU). , 5 is an image input device (hereinafter, referred to as SU), 6 is a black-and-white device (hereinafter, referred to as MTU), 7 is a black-and-white information encoding device (hereinafter, CMM)
RU), 8 is a color information encoding device (hereinafter CEU)
, 9 is a hard disk write buffer (hereinafter referred to as WH).
BUF), 10 is a hard disk control device (hereinafter called HDCU), 11 is a hard disk reading buffer (hereinafter called RHBUF), 12 is a color information decoding device (hereinafter called CDU), and 13 is a black and white information decoding device. (Hereinafter referred to as DMMRU), 14 is a buffer for a printer (hereinafter referred to as PBUF), and 15 is an image output device (hereinafter referred to as PBUF).
U) and 16 are composed of a console device (hereinafter referred to as OU).

The ROM 2 stores programs and the like according to the flowcharts of FIGS. 5 and 8 as programs for operating the MPU 1. The RAM 3 has an area used as a work area for various programs, an image file management table shown in FIGS. 3 and 4 described below, and an image file page management table.

FIG. 2 is a top view showing the structure of the OU in FIG. 1 in detail.

FIG. 3 is a diagram showing the configuration of an image file management table according to the embodiment, and FIG. 4 is a diagram showing the configuration of a page management table of the image file according to the embodiment.

Field 1 (indicated by F1 in FIG. 3) is
A field for storing the name of the image file, and a field 2 (indicated by F2 in FIG. 3) is a field for storing a pointer to the page management table in FIG. Record 1 (indicated by R1 in FIG. 4) stores the encoding information of the first page which is a pointer of the file name “TXDoc030357” shown in FIG. 3, for example. 4) to the last record (Fig. 4)
(Indicated by Rn) in the middle of the page. These pieces of encoded information are stored in the shaded area of F2.

In this way, by providing the image file management table and the page management table, it is possible to manage the image file on a page basis.

FIG. 5 is a flowchart for explaining the control of accumulation of encoded data in this embodiment.

In step 1 (S1), when a document input request from the OU 16 is generated via the MPU 1, the SU 5 is activated. When SU5 is activated, monochrome image data or color image data is sent to MTU6 and CEU8.
In the case of color image data, the MTU 6 converts the data into black-and-white image data and sends it to the CMMRU 7. CMM
The RU 7 encodes black and white image data into black and white (for example, CCIT
Recommendation T. 6 according to MMR coding) and WHBUF9
To store. The CEU 8 color-encodes black-and-white image data or color image data and stores it in the WHBUF 9.

In step 2 (S2), the capacity of the stored color coded data and the capacity of the black and white coded data are calculated. Such a calculation may be performed, for example, by prescanning the document and calculating only the code amount. Step 3
In (S3), the two data capacities calculated in S2 are compared, and if the capacity of the color encoded data is smaller, the process proceeds to step 4 (S4). If the size of the black-and-white encoded data is smaller in S3, step 5 (S5)
Proceed to. In both cases of S4 and S5, the encoded data is stored in the HDCU 10 from the WHBUF 9.

In step 6 (S6), if there is still a document to be input, the process returns to S1, and the process for the number of existing documents is repeated from S1 to S6. When there are no more originals to be input in S6, the process proceeds to step 7 (S7) to start the transmission operation.

FIG. 6 shows a communication protocol (hereinafter, referred to as a communication protocol) in this embodiment.
FIG. 7 is a diagram showing a specific operation example of the protocol. In the operation example of this protocol, the recommendation “T.6
2 "Described as a telematics protocol based on the session protocol.

The operation control program of this protocol is stored in the ROM 2 of FIG. 1 in advance.

The operation procedure of the protocol will be described with reference to FIG. First, when the call setting below the transport is executed in the CCU 4, the calling side transmits a session start command (hereinafter referred to as CSS) in P (protocol) 1, and in P2, the called side for the CSS Of the session start affirmative response (hereinafter referred to as RSSP)
). Then, the calling side transmits a document function list command (hereinafter, referred to as CDCL) at P3, and receives a document function list positive response (hereinafter, referred to as RDCLP) as a response from the called side to the CDCL at P4. .

Next, the calling side transmits a document start command (hereinafter referred to as CDS) at P5.
Then, in P6 from the calling side, image data is transmitted as a protocol higher than the session layer.

When the transmission of the image data of all pages is completed in this way, the process proceeds to P7, where a document end command (hereinafter referred to as CDE) is transmitted. (Hereinafter referred to as RDEP). Then, P9
Then, the calling side sends a session end command (CSE)
And a response from the called party is P1
At 0, session end positive response (hereafter RSEP)
To receive. The protocol below the transport layer lower than the "T.62" session protocol as the session layer is executed by the CCU 4.

FIG. 7 shows an example of the format of non-standard functions (hereinafter referred to as NSC) used in the commands / responses "CSS" and "RSSP", and "CDCL" and "RDCL". That is, this format has an F (field) 11 for displaying a country code, an F12 for displaying a domestic code, an F13 for displaying a supplier code, an F14 for displaying a type code, and an F15 for displaying a model code.

FIG. 8 is a flowchart showing the image conversion algorithm of this embodiment. This control is stored in advance in the ROM 2 as a control program, and is executed by the MPU 1.

In step 10 (S10), the connections below the session are connected in the same manner as in FIG. Step 11 (S1
In 1), “CDCL” is transmitted in which the characteristics of the image to be transmitted are used as parameters. In step 12 (S12), "RDCL" is used with the terminal characteristic of the communication partner as a parameter.
P "is received. In step 13 (S13), S
Then, the characteristics of the partner terminal received in step 12 and the characteristics of the image to be transmitted in the own terminal are compared.

If they do not match, step 14 (S1
Proceeding to 4), it is determined in advance whether an image conversion permission instruction has been given by the operator at the time of, for example, inputting a document. if,
If no instruction has been given in advance, at this point, for example, a message indicating that they do not match is displayed on the display of FIG. Thus, the operator makes a judgment. If the operator wants to convert the image and transmit the image, the process proceeds to step 15 (S15), where the image is converted according to the characteristics of the partner terminal. The image conversion is performed via the RHBUF 11 in FIG.
2 or the DMMRU 13 converts the raw image onto the PBUF 14.

Thereafter, the PBUF 14 functions in the same manner as the SU5 in order to perform the same operation as when a raw image is input from the SUS.

In step S13, if the other party's terminal characteristics match the image characteristics to be transmitted, step 16 is executed.
Proceeding to (S16), "CDS" is transmitted. Step 1
7 (S17), the image data is transferred to the RAM 3 via the RAM 3
CU4 sends out.

When there is no more image data to be transmitted, the flow advances to step 18 (S18) to transmit "CDE". In step 19 (S19), "RDEP" is received, and in step 20 (S20), the process after the session is cut off. In step S14, if the image conversion is not performed, the process directly proceeds to step S20, and cuts the section below the session.

The description of the image processing technology such as the resolution that is usually performed at the time of transmission is omitted because it deviates from the gist of the present invention.

As described above, by providing color coding and black-and-white coding and operating them simultaneously,
Without limiting the communication partner to color facsimile,
In addition, there is an effect that the amount of communication data is reduced between color facsimile machines and the communication cost is reduced.

Further, since the image conversion according to the terminal characteristics of the communication partner can be executed as intended by the operator, there is an effect of reducing the stress of the operator in transmission and reception.

[0032]

[Other Embodiments] In the flow chart of FIG. 5, the embodiment in which the coded data is stored in the HDCU 10 and then transmitted is described. The same applies to data transfer.

Various kinds of coding can be applied as the coding in the present embodiment. For example, in the case of color coding, ADC
A system called a T system or a binary color compression system may be used. 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.

[0034]

As described above, according to the present invention,
By comparing two types of encoded data obtained by color encoding and black-and-white encoding of an image with different algorithms, the encoded data having a small code amount is stored in the memory, and the encoded data stored in the memory and the other terminal are stored. Based on characteristics,
Control facsimile communication. Therefore, encoded data with a small code amount is preferentially used for facsimile communication,
The communication cost can be minimized.

[Brief description of the drawings]

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

FIG. 2 is a top view showing the configuration of the OU in FIG. 1 in detail.

FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating a configuration of an image file management table according to the embodiment.

FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a configuration of a page management table of an image file according to the embodiment.

FIG. 5 is a flowchart for explaining accumulation control of encoded data in the embodiment.

FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating a specific operation example of a protocol in the present embodiment.

FIG. 7 is a diagram showing an example of an NSC format.

FIG. 8 is a flowchart illustrating an image conversion algorithm according to the present embodiment.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1 MPU 2 ROM 3 RAM 4 CCU 5 SU 6 MTU 7 CMMRU 8 CEU 9 WHBUF 10 HDCU 11 RHBUF 12 CDU 13 DMMRU 14 PBUF 15 PU 16 OU

Continuation of front page (56) References JP-A-3-68275 (JP, A) JP-A-3-277068 (JP, A) JP-A-62-1373 (JP, A) JP-A-63-10880 (JP) JP-A-4-306970 (JP, A) JP-A-3-245677 (JP, A) JP-A-63-238765 (JP, A) (58) Fields investigated (Int. Cl. ⁷ , DB Name) H04N 1/41-1/419 H04N 1/46

Claims (2)

(57) [Claims] 1. A facsimile apparatus comprising: coding means for performing color coding and black-and-white coding of an image by different algorithms; decoding means for decoding coded data to reproduce an image; and communication means for communicating with a partner terminal. Comparing two types of encoded data obtained by the color encoding and the black-and-white encoding, storing encoded data having a small code amount in a memory, and encoding the encoded data stored in the memory and the partner terminal. A facsimile apparatus having control means for controlling the encoding means, the decoding means and the communication means to execute facsimile communication based on the characteristics of the facsimile apparatus. 2. The control means, wherein the color-coded data is stored in the memory, and when the other terminal is a black-and-white facsimile apparatus, the control means causes the decoded data to be decoded, and 2. The facsimile apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the facsimile apparatus transmits the facsimile data to the partner terminal after the conversion.