JP3450935B2 - 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 control technique for enabling a telephone call by an attached telephone after a facsimile communication is completed by a conversation reservation.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art As is well known, a general facsimile apparatus has a conversation reservation function which operates as follows. When one of the facsimile devices A inputs a conversation reservation key at the start of the facsimile communication or during communication, the conversation reservation is transmitted to the facsimile device B of the communication partner. When the facsimile communication is completed, the facsimile device B on the side that received the conversation reservation first attaches the attached telephone b.
To ring. When the auxiliary telephone b is off-hook in response to this ringing tone, the fact is transmitted to the facsimile device A on the side that made the conversation reservation. In response to the reception of the off-hook notification, the facsimile machine A makes a ringing tone for the attached telephone a. When the auxiliary telephone set a is hooked off in response to this ringing tone, both telephone sets a and b are connected and a call is possible.

[0003]

In the above-mentioned connection control sequence for conversation reservation, the user of the facsimile device B on the side of the conversation reservation is off-hook in response to the ringing tone of the auxiliary telephone b. At that point, even if you immediately speak to the handset, "Hello, Hello," it will not be transmitted to the other party. The off-hook of the attached telephone b is transmitted to the facsimile apparatus A of the other party, the ringing tone of the attached telephone a sounds, and the call becomes possible only when the other party goes off-hook. During this time, it usually takes 5 to several tens of seconds.

This is different from the operation of a general telephone.
In a general telephone, the calling side first goes off-hook to call the other party, and when the called side goes off-hook, both telephones are connected and a call can be made immediately. Since the user is familiar with such ordinary telephone operation, even in the case of conversation reservation accompanying facsimile communication, the user of the facsimile device B on the side of the conversation reservation responds to the ringing tone and turns off the auxiliary telephone b. However, it is normal to reply immediately, "Hello, Hello, Sato, what are you doing?" However, since there is no reaction from the other party,
While thinking "something is strange", he continues to call in vain, and when there is no sound or no response for a long time, he hangs up, thinking "it may be an abnormal operation." For this reason, there were many cases where a call by conversation reservation was not established. In addition, even if a call is established, there is an unpleasant unanswered period for which the reason cannot be understood, and there is an inconvenience such as causing the user to make a useless and unnecessary call.

The present invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned conventional problems, and an object thereof is a period from a time when a user of a facsimile apparatus on the side of which a conversation reservation is made to an off-hook of an attached telephone to a time when a call becomes possible. The point is to improve so that you don't feel uncomfortable.

[0006]

Therefore, in the first invention,
Reservation means for receiving a conversation reservation during facsimile communication so as to have a conversation with the handset for making a call after the facsimile communication, and an output for outputting a ringing tone after the facsimile communication when the conversation reservation is made by the reservation means And a mute means for setting the sidetone level of the handset to a small level or zero after the output of the output means from the time when the handset goes off-hook until an off-hook notification from the communication partner is received.

[0007] Further, since a conversation is made with the handset for making a call and the handset after the facsimile communication, a reservation means for receiving a conversation reservation during the facsimile communication, and a call after the facsimile communication when the conversation reservation is made by the reservation means A structure comprising an output means for outputting a sound, a time counting means for timing a time from a time point when the handset is off-hook, and a mute means for making a side tone level of the handset small or zero until the time keeping means measures a predetermined time. It is equipped with.

[0008] Further, since a conversation is made with the handset for making a call and the handset after the facsimile communication, a reservation means for receiving a conversation reservation during the facsimile communication, and a call after the facsimile communication when the conversation reservation is made by the reservation means The output means for outputting a sound, the time measuring means for measuring time from the time when the handset is off-hook, and the time until this time measuring means measures a predetermined time, or until receiving an off-hook notification from the communication partner, whichever comes first. At the timing, the muting means for making the sidetone level of the handset very small or zero is provided.

[0009]

[0010]

[Action]

[First invention] As is well known, in a normal telephone, the call current sent from the transmitter to the line enters the receiver means in the own telephone and is heard as a voice from the receiver. This is called sidetone, and it is easier to make a call if there is a certain amount of sidetone with a relatively large level (when talking while listening to your own voice from the handset). It is designed and manufactured so that the sound level falls within the prescribed standard.

Therefore, ordinary people are familiar with telephones having a relatively high sidetone level. Therefore, when the sidetone level of the telephone is extremely low or zero, when you touch the handset to your ears and mouth and speak something (even your own breathing sound), you will hear your own sound (sidetone). Immediately notices that) is unusually small or absent. In other words, I immediately understand that "Areh is not ordinary".

The first invention utilizes this fact. In the connection control by the conversation reservation, the mute means is operated from the time when the handset is off-hook to the time when the communication partner receives the off-hook notification, and the sidetone level is made minute or zero during that period. Therefore, when the user of the facsimile machine on the side that received the conversation reservation goes off-hook from the attached telephone with no ringing tone, the sidetone level is abnormally low or zero, and immediately says "Are's not normal". Obviously, it is useless to repeat the call "Hello, Hello", and it is easy to understand that you should wait a little longer.

Further, the timer means operates the mute means only for a predetermined time. In addition, the mute unit is operated at the earlier timing of receiving the off-hook from the communication partner or measuring the time by the time measuring unit for a predetermined time .

[0014]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS An embodiment of a facsimile machine according to the first invention is shown in FIGS. As shown in FIG. 1, the network control unit 2 of the facsimile apparatus body 1 is connected to the telephone line 3,
The attached telephone 4 is a cordless telephone, and the wireless control unit 5 of the apparatus body 1 and the wireless control unit 6 of the telephone 4 are wirelessly coupled to each other. Well-known function parts for facsimile communication in the apparatus body 1 are collectively referred to as a FAX unit 7.
The description is omitted. Further, the main control unit 8 controls the entire sequence of the facsimile apparatus and various information processing including not only the apparatus main body 1 but also the attached telephone 4.

The radio control unit 6 of the attached telephone 4 is under the control of the main control unit 8 via the radio control unit 5, and performs limited control as a telephone. In the call state, the voice input from the transmitter 9 is sent from the network control unit 2 to the telephone line 3 via the wireless control unit 6 and the wireless control unit 5, and conversely, the voice signal from the telephone line 3 is sent to the network. It is output from the handset 10 via the control unit 2, the wireless control unit 5, and the wireless control unit 6.

A mute circuit 11 is provided in the output path of the transmitter 9.
Is intervening. The mute circuit 11 is normally off (inoperative state), and in the normal state, the side tone of an appropriate level is generated from the transmitter 9 to the receiver 10. The mute circuit 11 is activated by an ON signal from the wireless control unit 6, shuts off the voice output of the transmitter 9, and turns off the receiver 10.
Zero sidetone to. The sidetone may not be set to zero when the mute circuit 11 is activated, but may be set to a minute or sidetone level close to zero.

The flowchart of FIG. 2 shows a control procedure which is an essential part of the present invention related to conversation reservation, and is executed by the main control section 8 of the apparatus main body 1.

At the start of or during the facsimile communication, if a conversation reservation key is input on the facsimile machine of the other party,
The conversation reservation is transmitted to the facsimile device 1 and registered in the main control unit 8. In this case, the process proceeds from step 100 to step 101 and waits until the facsimile communication process is completed.

When the facsimile communication is completed, first, the main control unit 8 is provided in the facsimile apparatus 1 on the side that received the conversation reservation.
From the wireless control unit 5, the output command of the ringing tone is issued to the wireless control unit 6 of the attached telephone 4 (step 10).
2) In response to this, the ringing tone of the attached telephone 4 sounds.
When the attached telephone 4 is off-hook in response to this ringing tone, the ringing tone of the attached telephone 4 stops and
The fact is wirelessly transmitted to the main control unit 8. The main control unit 8 waits for an off-hook response of the attached telephone 4 in step 103, and when the telephone 4 goes off-hook, issues an ON command for the mute circuit 11 to the wireless control unit 6 (step 104). In response to this command, the wireless controller 6 operates the mute circuit 11 to set the side tone to zero as described above. In step 105, the other facsimile machine is notified via the telephone line 3 that it has gone off-hook in accordance with a predetermined command format. Further, in step 106, a predetermined monitoring timer is started.

In the facsimile machine of the other party, in response to the reception of the off-hook notification from the facsimile machine 1, the ring tone of the attached telephone is emitted. When the auxiliary telephone is off-hook in response to the ringing tone, both telephones are connected by the telephone line 3 and the telephone is ready for communication. At the same time, the partner facsimile machine transmits an off-hook notification according to a predetermined command format to the facsimile machine 1 in response to the off-hook of its own attached telephone.

In the facsimile machine 1, step 1
After the timer is started in 06, it is monitored whether an off-hook notification is received from the partner facsimile machine (step 107) or whether the timer expires (step 108). When receiving the off-hook notification from the partner facsimile machine, the process proceeds to step 109, and the main control unit 8 issues an off command for the mute circuit 11 to the auxiliary telephone 4. In response to this command, the wireless controller 6 causes the mute circuit 11 to
Is stopped and the side tone at the normal level is present between the transmitter 9 and the receiver 10. This allows the other telephone and the telephone 4 to be substantially in a callable state (step 1
10). Even if an off-hook notification is not sent from the facsimile machine of the other party, when a certain time set in the timer elapses, the process proceeds to step 109, where the mute is released to enable communication with the other party.

FIG. 3 shows the configuration of an embodiment of the second invention. Here, the mute circuit is not provided, but a holding sound sending circuit 12 for generating a predetermined holding sound signal and outputting it from the handset 10 is provided. The timing for activating / deactivating the hold sound sending circuit 12 is the mute circuit 1 in the embodiment of FIG.
It is the same as the operation / stop timing of 1.

[0023]

According to the first aspect of the present invention, in connection control by conversation reservation, the mute means is operated from the time when the handset is off-hook to the time when the communication partner receives the off-hook notification, and the sidetone level is very small or zero during that period. To
Therefore, when the user of the facsimile machine on the side that received the conversation reservation goes off-hook from the attached telephone with no ringing tone, the sidetone level is abnormally low or zero, and immediately says "Are's not normal". Understand, it is useless to repeat the call "Hello, Hello".
It is easy to understand that you should wait a little longer.

Further, the same effect can be obtained even if the time is controlled by the time measuring means.

Further, if the mute means is controlled at a predetermined time or off-hook from the communication partner, whichever comes first, the mute means can manage the time depending on the time even if the off-hook cannot be received, so that the above effect can be reliably obtained.

[0026]

Therefore, in any of the inventions, the user of the facsimile machine on the side of the conversation reservation does not feel uncomfortable during the period from the off-hook of the attached telephone until the conversation becomes possible. The call after the facsimile communication can be established smoothly.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic configuration diagram of a facsimile apparatus according to an embodiment of the first invention.

FIG. 2 is a flowchart showing a main part of a control operation of the above embodiment.

FIG. 3 is a schematic configuration diagram of a facsimile apparatus according to an embodiment of the second invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

1 Facsimile device body 2 Network control unit 3 telephone lines 4 Attached telephone 5 Wireless controller 6 Wireless controller 7 FAX department 8 Main control section 9 transmitter 10 handset 11 Mute circuit 12 Hold sound sending circuit

Continuation of front page (56) Reference JP-A-63-182952 (JP, A) JP-A-5-268451 (JP, A) JP-A-1-177759 (JP, A) JP-A-1-303857 (JP , A) Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 3-255765 (JP, A) Actual Development Sho 64-42659 (JP, U) (58) Fields investigated (Int.Cl. ⁷ , DB name) H04N 1/00-1/00 108 H04N 1/32-1/36 H04N 1/42-1/44

Claims (3)

(57) [Claims] 1. A receiver for making a call, a reservation unit for receiving a conversation reservation during facsimile communication so as to have a conversation with the receiver after facsimile communication, and a call after the facsimile communication when a conversation reservation is made by the reservation unit. Output means for outputting a sound and, after the output of the output means, a mute means for making the sidetone level of the handset small or zero from the time when the handset goes off-hook until receiving an off-hook notification from the communication partner. Facsimile machine. 2. A receiver for making a call, a reservation means for receiving a conversation reservation during the facsimile communication so as to have a conversation with the receiver after the facsimile communication, and a call after the facsimile communication when the conversation reservation is made by the reservation means. Output means for outputting a sound, time measuring means for measuring time from the time when the handset is off-hook, and mute means for making the side tone level of the handset minute or zero until the time measuring means measures a predetermined time. Facsimile equipment provided. 3. A telephone receiver for making a call, a reservation means for receiving a conversation reservation during the facsimile communication so that a conversation can be made with the receiver after the facsimile communication, and a call after the facsimile communication when the conversation reservation is made by the reservation means. The output means for outputting a sound, the time measuring means for measuring time from the time when the handset is off-hook, and the time until this time measuring means measures a predetermined time, or until receiving an off-hook notification from the communication partner, whichever comes first. And a mute means for adjusting the sidetone level of the handset to a very small or zero level.