JP3268604B2 - 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 machine, and more particularly, to a facsimile machine having an error countermeasure function. For example, it is applied to a communication function in a facsimile machine.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In a conventional facsimile apparatus, if a transmission error occurs during transmission of a plurality of transmission originals, the transmission terminal cannot determine which transmission original is properly transmitted. The operator is informed of the original to be retransmitted by telephone, and the transmission operation is performed again, which is very troublesome. Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 61-278272 discloses an example of a page retransmission means in facsimile transmission. According to the publication, when the setting of the transmission function is completed in the pre-transmission procedure, the image information is stored in the encoding method set at that time, and the storage processing and the transmission processing of the image information are executed in parallel. By doing so, the time required for transmission is shortened, and when a reception error is returned from the destination terminal, the image information having the error is transmitted again, so that the transmission error can be dealt with.

[0003] However, when the user selects direct transmission in which a document is directly read and transmitted without using a memory, the receiver receives a non-ECM (Error Correction Mode;
The error correction mode) machine has no means for correcting when a transmission error occurs. In order to solve this problem, a method has been proposed that enables retransmission of an error page during direct transmission. This means that even if the other device is a non-ECM device, the transmission data for one page is transmitted and
The data is stored in the M buffer, and the page is stored even when a transmission error occurs, so that the same page can be transmitted again from the ECM buffer.

In this case, an upper limit is set for the number of retransmissions,
If an error response is returned even after retrying one page several times, the next page is usually transmitted. But,
The receiving facsimile cannot determine whether the received page has been retransmitted or is the first transmission. Therefore, as a normal process, an error report is printed on the receiving facsimile. For example, if an attempt is made to transmit the original two pages, but the first page has an error, the first page is retransmitted, but as the receiving side, the retransmitted page is the second page, and the first page remains in error. is there.

[0005] Therefore, if the retransmission is OK once, the transmitting side transmits the second page, and if there is an OK response, the transmitting side intends to transmit the second page.
The receiving side receives three pages and outputs an error report. As described above, it is inevitable that the number of pages transmitted on the transmitting side and the number of pages received on the receiving side are shifted, but the larger the upper limit of retransmission, the larger the difference becomes. There is a disadvantage that the operator may be uneasy. Also, if the next page is not sent in the case of an error even after resending, the operation differs from the conventional facsimile operation (usually, if there is an error page, an error report is printed and the next page is printed). Send). Therefore, there is a drawback that the operator on the receiving side may be uneasy.

FIG. 5 is a diagram showing a signal flow at the time of transmission of a conventional facsimile apparatus. 11 is a scanner, 12a is an encoding unit, 13 is a communication control unit, 14 is a modem, 15 is a network control unit, 16 Is an image information memory. The image read from the scanner 11 is compressed by the encoding unit 12a, sent out to the line via the communication control unit 13, the modem 14, and the network control unit 15, and stored in the image information memory 16.
Since this accumulation is performed in page units, the previous page does not need to be stored when the next page is read, and the memory capacity may be small.

FIG. 6 is a diagram showing a signal flow at the time of retransmission of a conventional facsimile apparatus. In FIG. 6, reference numeral 12b denotes a decoding unit, and other parts having the same functions as those in FIG. The data is taken out from the stored image information memory 16 in FIG. 5 and is once decoded by the decoding unit 12b (when the data is transmitted in the same coding mode as that at the time of storage, the decoding and coding processes can be omitted). ). This is encoded by the encoding unit 12a, and the communication control unit 13, the modem 14,
The data is transmitted to the line via the network control unit 15.

FIGS. 7 (a) and 7 (b) are diagrams showing a communication operation when an error does not disappear even if an error page is retransmitted. FIG. 7 (a) shows a transmission original, and FIG. This shows the print output on the receiving side. Here, since the error page is retransmitted m times and the next page is transmitted, the page is printed on the receiving side as shown in FIG.

[0009]

[Object] The present invention has been made in view of the above situation, and when transmitting a plurality of pages in the case of direct transmission (transmission other than memory transmission), an error page is transmitted by re-calling to the conventional device. The purpose of the present invention is to provide a facsimile apparatus which is designed to improve the operability and the functions of the facsimile machine by making the operations compatible with each other.

[0010]

To achieve the above object, the present invention provides (1)
Image information storage means for storing image information data obtained by reading an original while transmitting the image information; and retransmission means for retransmitting a page in which a transmission error has occurred using the image information data stored in the image information storage means. A suspending means for suspending transmission when the transmission error does not disappear even if retransmission is performed by the number of retransmissions by the retransmitting means; a resuming means for resuming the call when the transmission is suspended with the transmission error and starting transmission from the error page ; When waiting for a recall, the original in memory and the original tray
Notification that the remaining originals are waiting for retransmission
And (2) the above (1).
And an ECM buffer is used as the image information storage means.
Waits for a recall, and at this time the EC
When the mode is changed to M mode, the page waiting for recalling is deleted.
Delete means to delete and notify the sender of the deletion
Notifying means, and (3) the above (1)
When an ECM buffer is used as the image information storage means, a prohibition means for prohibiting ECM reception when waiting for a recall is provided. Hereinafter, a description will be given based on examples of the present invention.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram for explaining an embodiment of a facsimile apparatus according to the present invention. In FIG. 1, 1 is a scanner, 2 is a plotter, 3 is an encoding / decoding section, 4 is a communication control section. 5, a modem; 6, a network control unit; 7, an operation display unit;
Denotes a system control unit, and 9 denotes an image information memory. The image information is read by the scanner 1, and the image information read by the scanner 1 is printed by the plotter 2. The image information read by the scanner 1 is compressed and decompressed by the encoding / decoding unit 3. The communication control unit 4 processes the image information into a mode determined by the communication protocol control or the protocol (adds a fill bit or the like). The modem 5 modulates and demodulates communication data.
The network control unit 6 is connected to a line and detects a ringing signal and makes a call. The operation display unit 7 serves as an interface with the operator. The system control unit 8 performs control according to the present invention and performs a predetermined facsimile operation. The image information memory 9 stores image information.

FIGS. 2A and 2B are diagrams showing a communication operation of the facsimile apparatus according to the present invention. FIG. 2A shows a transmission original, and FIG. 2B shows a print output on the reception side. . If retransmission does not result in OK, transmission of the next page does not cause a recall, and a transmission error report is output up to the last page. However, there is a difference from the number of originals on the transmitting side, which is difficult to understand. On the other hand, when a re-call is made, transmission is temporarily stopped on an error page, so that it is easy to understand.

FIG. 3 is a diagram showing a processing flow of the facsimile apparatus according to the present invention, which will be described in order according to each step (S). When transmission starts after calling (S1, S2), the counter is initialized (S3, S2).
4) reading the original (S5) and encoding (S6)
The end of the page is waited while repeating the accumulation in the image information memory (S7) (S8, S9). When an error response is returned to this transmission (S10), reading and transmission from the image information memory are repeated for retransmission (S13 to S1).
8). If there is an error response in this transmission (S19), the retransmission counter is checked (S20), and retransmission is continued. If there is no error (S19), the process proceeds to transmission of the next page (S19).
11, S12). However, if there is a page that has exceeded the number of retransmissions (S20), the transmission is temporarily interrupted on that page and a recall is performed. At the time of a recall, transmission is performed from the beginning in a retransmission flow (S2). FIG. 4 shows an example of a report for notifying an operator on the transmitting side when a recall call is awaited. This notification may be an LCD or the like instead of a report.

[0014]

As apparent from the above description, the present invention has the following effects. (1) contains the original direct transmission to the memory (in this case the memory can also be in even memory for memory communication in the ECM buffer) transmits, the error page, data retransmission or recalling using in this memory Therefore, operability and functions can be improved. (2 ) When the memory is not an ECD, the function can be improved without increasing the cost because the memory is used as an area for the ECM. (3) when the retransmission of the re-calling, not compromised mutual communication performance is to send to be the same mode as the previous.
That is, since the data in the memory is once decoded and transmitted, it is possible to cope with a change in the encoding mode, so that the mutual communication performance is secured. (4) upon retransmission to re call, thereby improving the efficiency burden on the CPU is reduced by sending remains stored in memory when it is connected in the same mode as before. That is, when the data is already stored in the encoding mode for the actual communication, the decoding and the encoding are not performed again.
The efficiency of U is improved, and the reliability of the entire system is improved. (5) until re-call, by transmitting the reason for the remaining document table of the document to the operator, thereby improving the operability.
That is, when a document waiting for a recall is left on the document table, the reason is notified to the operator, so that the operability is improved. (6 ) By using the memory prepared for ECM for retransmission, ECM communication is performed in reception until the next call, and high-quality communication without errors is possible. That is, reception starts when the ECM memory is used as the retransmission memory, and when the ECM memory is set, the ECM memory is used.
ECM function is not impaired by performing so-called single buffer communication, which uses only one CM buffer for communication.
High quality communication is possible. (7 ) By using the memory prepared for ECM for retransmission, ECM communication is performed in reception until the next call, and high-quality communication without errors is possible. In other words, if ECM is received while the ECM memory is used as the retransmission memory, the pages stored for retransmission are erased and the report is printed, so that operability and image quality are improved. Good communication. (8 ) The memory prepared for the ECM is used for retransmission, so that communication is not performed in the ECM mode until the next call is transmitted, so that retransmission is reliably transmitted, and operability is improved. improves. That is, when ECM reception is performed while using ECM memory as retransmission memory,
By not performing the ECM communication, the re-call is performed reliably, and the operability is improved.

[Brief description of the drawings]

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

FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a communication operation of the facsimile apparatus according to the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a flowchart for explaining the operation of the facsimile apparatus according to the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of a report according to the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a diagram showing a signal flow at the time of transmission of a conventional facsimile machine.

FIG. 6 is a diagram showing a signal flow at the time of retransmission of a conventional facsimile apparatus.

FIG. 7 is a diagram showing a communication operation of a conventional facsimile machine.

[Explanation of symbols]

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Scanner, 2 ... Plotter, 3 ... Encoding / decoding part,
4 Communication control unit, 5 Modem, 6 Network control unit, 7 Operation display unit, 8 System control unit, 9 Image information memory.

──────────────────────────────────────────────────続 き Continued on front page (58) Field surveyed (Int.Cl. ⁷ , DB name) H04N 1/32 H04N 1/21

Claims (3)

(57) [Claims] An image information storage means for storing image information data obtained by reading a document while transmitting the image information, and for a page in which a transmission error has occurred, using image information data stored in the image information storage means. Resending means for resending, interrupting means for interrupting the transmission when the transmission error does not disappear even if retransmission is performed by the number of retransmissions by the resending means, re-calling when the transmission is interrupted with the transmission error, and starting transmission from the error page Resuming means and a document in memory when waiting for a recall
And that the originals remaining in the original tray are
Facsimile apparatus characterized by comprising a notification unit for notifying and. 2. A deletion means for waiting for a recall when the ECM buffer is used as the image information storage means, and for deleting the page waiting for the recall when the ECM mode is set by automatic reception. When, according to claim 1, characterized in that a notification means for notifying the sender that it was removed
Serial mounting of the facsimile apparatus. 3. When an ECM buffer is used as said image information storage means, an ECM buffer is set when waiting for a recall.
Claim 1 Symbol placement of the facsimile apparatus, characterized in that a prohibition means for the reception disabled.