JP3508846B2 - Facsimile server device - 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 server device having a copy function, and more particularly to a G3 FAX,
The present invention relates to a facsimile server device having a communication function with Internet FAX, client PC, and the like.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art A facsimile server device having a copy function has a copy function and a communication function with a G3 FAX through a PSTN (public switched telephone network), and also a LAN (local area network) to which a mail server, a router, etc. are connected. By having a connection function to the client PC and a communication function with the client PC, it can be used as a network scanner. Further, it can have a function as an electronic mail (Internet FAX) and a communication function with a mail client via the Internet.

By the way, in the above-mentioned facsimile server device, it is possible to perform so-called broadcast transmission, in which a FAX original is transmitted to a large number of other parties with a single operation. Usually, when transmitting to a plurality of G3 FAX, or when transmitting to a G3 FAX and a plurality of the above-mentioned client PCs, mail clients, etc., this broadcast transmission function is used. According to this broadcast transmission, it is not necessary to repeatedly read the document for each other party, and there is an advantage that the labor of the operation can be saved as compared with the case of individually transmitting the document.

However, in the above-mentioned facsimile server device, the print output (copy) of the original document and the above-mentioned G3FA are performed.
It was not possible to perform broadcast transmission by using X, the Internet FAX or the client PC as the transmission destination, or all of these as the transmission destinations. Therefore, when sending,
It takes time and effort to read the same document a plurality of times, which is troublesome for the user.

[0005]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and an object of the present invention is to cope with a plurality of protocols such as printout of a document and G3 FAX, Internet FAX or client PC. It is an object of the present invention to provide a facsimile server device capable of performing broadcast transmission by using a terminal as a transmission destination or all of these transmission destinations.

[0006]

In order to achieve the above object, a facsimile server device according to a first aspect of the present invention provides a facsimile document reading device, a document reading device, a transmission device corresponding to a plurality of protocols, and a printing process of the read document. Output means, storage means for storing a protocol suitable for each of a plurality of destinations, designating means for designating a plurality of destinations and print output as a broadcast destination, and information regarding the transmission data of the original document is transmitted according to the protocol. As shown in the message, there are provided means for generating transmission data corresponding to the protocol and means for controlling output to the broadcast destination designated by the designating means.

A facsimile server device according to a second aspect is the facsimile server device according to the first aspect.
It is characterized in that the transmission document data includes specifications of the received data of the original document which differ depending on the protocol.

A facsimile server device according to a third aspect is the facsimile server device according to the second aspect.
In the case of electronic mail transmission, the specification of the received data of the original includes an image file format. Further, the facsimile server device according to claim 4,
According to another aspect of the present invention, in the facsimile server device, when the electronic mail is transmitted, the specification of the received data of the original includes the data size of the image file.

[0009]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION A facsimile server device according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 shows a specific configuration example of the facsimile server device 1. The facsimile server device 1 is a CP
U (central processing unit) 2, RAM (random access memory) 3, ROM (read only memory) 4, scanner 5, printer 6, NCU (network control unit) 7, modem 8, operation panel 9, codec 10 and LANI / F1 is provided, and the devices 2 to 11 are communicably connected by a bus 12.

The CPU 2 controls each device constituting the facsimile server device 1 according to a predetermined program.

The RAM 3 functions, for example, as a storage unit for previously storing a table, image data, a telephone number, an address, etc., which will be described later, or a storage unit for temporarily storing various data and the like.

The ROM 4 stores various programs for the CPU 2 to control the operation of each unit of the facsimile server apparatus 1.

The scanner 5 is provided as means for reading an original, and reads image data of the original,
The image data converted into black and white binary is output.

The printer 6 is of an electrophotographic type, for example, and prints the received image data on a recording paper as a printout unit of the image data. For example, the image data of the document 13 read by the scanner 5 is printed out from the printer 6 according to an instruction from the CPU 2.

The NCU 7 is a line network control device for controlling a telephone line to make a telephone call and hang up a telephone, and is connected to a PSTN (public switched telephone network) 15.

The modem 8 is, for example, ITU-T Recommendation V.6. The transmission / reception data is modulated and demodulated according to the 34 standard or the like.

The operation panel 9 is a display (for example, LC) for displaying the state of the facsimile server device 1.
9a, a numeric keypad 9b for inputting a telephone number, and an abbreviated key 9 for designating a destination by an abbreviated number.
c, a one-touch key 9d for designating a destination with one touch, a start key 9e for starting a document reading operation, a transmission key 9f for starting transmission, and a document for printing out a document during broadcast transmission. A broadcast print key 9g is provided.

The codec 10 encodes / decodes corresponding to a plurality of protocols.
To do. That is, the MH, MR, MM for transmitting the image data read by the scanner 5
Encoding is performed by the R method or the like, and the received image data is decoded. In addition, TIFF (Tagged Image) which is a commonly used image format used in computers.
It can also be encoded and decoded according to the File Format) format. The TIFF specifications are based on Adobe S
As published by ystem, as the name implies, data is expressed using tags in the data blocks in the file, and by using tags, multiple image data with different resolutions and color numbers can be stored simultaneously. You can

The LAN I / F 11 has an interface with a LAN (local area network) 14 and connects the LAN 14 and the facsimile server device 1 so that they can communicate with each other.

The operation of the facsimile server device 1 having the above-described configuration in the network environment A shown in FIG. 2 will be described below with reference to a flowchart.

In the network environment A, the facsimile server device 1 is communicatively connected to a G3 FAX 16 and a salutation FAX 17 through a PSTN (public switched telephone network) 15. The salutation FAX 17 is a FAX that handles a salutation protocol. The salutation protocol is a communication protocol for specifying and managing computers and office equipment on the Internet or LAN, and is a salutation consortium (Salutati).
on Consortium).

Further, the facsimile server device 1 is
It is communicatively connected to the LAN 14 via the LAN I / F 11. In this LAN 14, a mail server 18, a router 19, and a client PC 20 that handles a salutation protocol are connected so that they can communicate with each other. Therefore, the facsimile server device 1 is allowed to access the client P through the LAN 14.
It is connected to the Internet FAX 21 and the mail client 22 via the C 20 and further via the mail server 18 and the like so as to be communicable therewith.

In the network environment A, the printer 6 is used by using the facsimile server device 1.
(FIG. 1), a case of performing broadcast transmission to the G3 FAX 16, the salutation FAX 17, the client PC 20, the Internet FAX 21, and the mail client 22 will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 3.

First, the manuscript 13 to be transmitted by the user.
Is set in the scanner 5 of the facsimile server device 1 (S1). Next, in order to specify a plurality of destinations and printouts as the broadcast destination, the user presses, for example, the abbreviated key 9c or the one-touch key 9d of the operation panel 9, and the broadcast except for the printer 6 is performed. A destination is designated, and further, for example, the broadcast print key 9g provided for broadcast transmission is pressed, and the printer 6 is also designated as a broadcast destination (S2).

When the broadcast destination including the printer 6 is designated in this way, the CPU 2 refers to the table 23 shown in FIG. 4 which is stored in advance in the RAM 3 and the destination information (address, telephone number, The protocol (such as the protocol supported by the destination terminal) is obtained. The table 23 is input in advance from the operation panel 9 by a user or the like and stored in the RAM 3. In this table 23, destination information is assigned to each of the numbers of the abbreviated key 9c or the one-touch key 9d. When the destination designation 23a is other than the print output, the destination (telephone number or address) 23b and the protocol 23 suitable for each destination
c is stored, and when the destination designation 23a is the print output, the printer 6 is stored as the destination.

Next, transmission data is generated and attached to the transmission data of the original document 13 to be transmitted to the broadcast destination (S3). In this transmission, information regarding the transmission data of the original 13 is described according to the protocol. For example, in the case of transmitting by G3 transmission or salutation transmission, as in the transmission 24a or the transmission 24b shown in FIG. 5, the destination column 25 indicating the destination telephone number or address and the name, the transmission source A transmission column 26 indicating a telephone number and a name, a date / time column 27 indicating a transmission date and time, a column 28 indicating a greeting, etc., a number column 29 indicating the number of items of a transmission manuscript, and a resolution column of a transmission manuscript are indicated. Resolution column 30
Etc. are provided. In the case of sending by e-mail transmission, in addition to these, in addition to these, an image format column 31 and a file size column 3 that indicate the image file format of the transmission document.
2 etc. are provided.

The transmission data is generated by converting the transmission source data stored in advance in the RAM 3 according to a protocol. For example, the table 23
The transmission source data is generated by obtaining the protocol information about the destination from (FIG. 4) and rewriting the transmission source data based on the protocol information. Therefore, when this transmission data is transmitted to the broadcast destination, the transmission utilizing the characteristics of the protocol is output at the broadcast destination. For example, in the case of G3 transmission or salutation transmission, the transmission document 24 in FIG.
As shown in a or 24b, the telephone number 3
3 or sub-address 34 is written in the resolution column 30.
On the other hand, in the case of electronic mail transmission, the address 35 is written in the destination column 25 and the resolution column 30 is "600 dpi" in the case of electronic mail transmission. And the image file format column 31 and the data size column 32 are also written together with their contents. The person who receives this transmission can know the specification of the received data of the manuscript, which differs depending on the protocol, in addition to knowing the destination, sender, and transmission date and time of the transmitted one.

Next, the broadcast address designated in this way is displayed on the display 9a, and the user confirms this and presses the start key 9e. Simultaneously with the pressing, the CPU 2 issues a broadcast transmission instruction to broadcast destinations including the printer 6 (S4).

When the broadcast transmission instruction is issued, the output to the broadcast destination is controlled by the CPU 2. That is, based on a command issued by the CPU 2 according to a predetermined program, the scanner 5 reads a document to generate image data, and the generated image data is
After being transmitted to the printer 6, the printer 6 prints out a copy 36 of the document 13 (S5).

In parallel with this, the image data is
The codec 10 is encoded according to the MR method to generate the first encoded data, and the T
The second encoded data is generated by being encoded according to the IFF format as well.

Then, the first encoded data is modulated by the modem 8 according to a command issued by the CPU 2 and transmitted to the G3 FAX 16 through the PSTN 15 (S5). Further, before and after the transmission to the G3 FAX 16, the first encoded data is similarly transmitted to the salutation FAX 17 (S5).

On the other hand, the second encoded data is the C
According to the command issued by PU2, it is transmitted to the client PC 20 via the LAN 14 (S
5).

The second encoded data is the C
According to the instruction issued by PU2, the LAN I / F1
1. It is also sent to the Internet FAX 21 via the mail server 18 (S5). Furthermore,
The second encoded data is similarly transmitted to the mail client 22 (S5).

[0034]

Since the present invention is configured as described above, according to the facsimile server device of the first aspect, at the same time when the document is printed out, a plurality of faxes, internet faxes, client PCs, etc. are provided. It is possible to perform broadcast transmission by using a terminal corresponding to the protocol as a transmission destination, or all of these as transmission destinations. Further, it is possible to broadcast a transmission document in which information according to the protocol is written together with the original document. Therefore, the recipient of the broadcast
It is possible to confirm various kinds of information according to each protocol regarding the transmission data of the received document.

A facsimile server device according to a second aspect is the facsimile server device according to the first aspect,
Since the transmission note data includes specifications of received data that differ depending on the protocol, the person who receives the transmission note can also know the specifications.

[0036]

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a configuration example of a facsimile server according to the present embodiment.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a network environment according to the present embodiment.

FIG. 3 is a flowchart of a case where a facsimile server device broadcasts to each destination.

FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of table contents.

FIG. 5 is a diagram showing an example of a transmission form according to each protocol.

[Explanation of symbols]

1 Facsimile server device 2 CPU 3 RAM 4 ROM 5 scanner 6 printer 9 Operation panel 10 codecs 24a, 24b, 24c Send

Claims (4)

(57) [Claims] 1. A document reading unit, a transmitting unit corresponding to a plurality of protocols, a printout unit of the read document, a storage unit storing a protocol suitable for each of a plurality of destinations, and a broadcast. Designation means for designating a plurality of destinations and printouts as destinations, means for generating transmission data in accordance with a protocol so that information relating to the transmission data of the original document is displayed in the transmission in accordance with the protocol, A facsimile server device comprising means for controlling output to a broadcast destination designated by the designating means. 2. The facsimile server apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the transmission document data includes specifications of received data of an original document which differs depending on a protocol. 3. The facsimile server apparatus according to claim 2, wherein in the case of electronic mail transmission, an image file format is included in the specification of the received data of the original. 4. The facsimile server apparatus according to claim 2, wherein in the case of electronic mail transmission, the data size of the image file is included in the specification of the received data of the original.