JP3591232B2 - Communication terminal device with e-mail function - Google Patents

Description

[0001]
TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a communication terminal device such as a facsimile device having a function of connecting to electronic mail.
[0002]
[Prior art]
2. Description of the Related Art In recent years, a computer communication network that connects a local computer communication network with a communication line and distributes e-mail via a networked Internet or the like has become widespread. The computer communication network has an excellent error correction function, and can communicate with computers not only in Japan but also abroad simply by paying the communication cost to the nearest provider (connection company to the computer communication network).
[0003]
Since the communication procedure and communication method of the conventional G3 facsimile apparatus are different from those of the computer communication network, it cannot be directly connected to the computer communication network. However, even image data such as a transmission original can be transmitted to a computer communication network by converting the image data into an electronic mail format.
[0004]
Further, some facsimile apparatuses have an error retransmission function of automatically retransmitting the image even when the image is disturbed due to a line error or the like. In the facsimile apparatus having such a function, the transmission side retransmits the facsimile image data in response to an error retransmission request from the reception side.
For this reason, in the case of a facsimile apparatus which performs facsimile communication by dividing encoded data of image data obtained by reading a one-page document into blocks each having, for example, 64 Kbytes, 64 Kbytes are required until transmission of one block is completed. And a buffer for error retransmission for storing the transmission data.
[0005]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
By the way, when sending an e-mail with a facsimile apparatus with an e-mail function, the image data in the G3 format is converted into a general image format used in a computer, and the binary data in the image format is temporarily converted into text data. Edit email format by adding mail header information.
[0006]
Therefore, when the facsimile machine with the e-mail function receives the mail of the facsimile image data, the received mail is converted to binary data by removing the mail header information from the data in the e-mail format, extracting only the text data, and converting the data into binary data. Since a buffer for temporarily storing data is required, the size of the apparatus is increased and the price is increased.
[0007]
Some facsimile machines with an e-mail function can be set by a user to receive a text mail transmitted from a terminal device such as a personal computer. When receiving such a text mail, if it is restored to image data, compressed and encoded, and stored in the image memory in the same way as facsimile image data, the data can be centrally managed, which is convenient for playback etc. However, such a function was not provided.
In addition, a buffer for temporarily storing the received mail is required to realize the above-described function, which leads to an increase in the size of the apparatus and an increase in the price as in the above-described case.
[0008]
The present invention has been made in order to solve such a problem, and a buffer memory for error retransmission of facsimile communication and a buffer memory for temporarily storing received mail are used, thereby realizing a small size. It is an object of the present invention to provide a communication terminal device with an e-mail function, such as a facsimile device, which is inexpensive.
[0009]
Also, by converting the received text mail into a text image, compressing and encoding the text image, and storing the text image in the image memory in the same manner as facsimile image data, an e-mail such as a facsimile device capable of centrally managing data is provided. It is intended to provide a communication terminal device with a function.
[0010]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
A communication terminal device with an e-mail function according to a first aspect of the present invention is a communication terminal device with an e-mail function including a buffer memory for error retransmission in facsimile communication and a memory for storing encoded image data. It is characterized by comprising means for storing in the buffer memory, means for encoding the mail, and means for storing encoded data in the memory.
[0011]
In the first invention, the received mail is stored in a buffer memory for error retransmission in facsimile communication, the mail is encoded, and the encoded data is stored in a memory for storing encoded data of an image in facsimile communication.
Therefore, it is possible to effectively utilize a buffer memory for error retransmission that is not used during mail communication.
[0016]
BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION
FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a facsimile apparatus as a communication terminal apparatus with an e-mail function according to the present invention. In the embodiment of the present invention, the Internet is used as a computer communication network.
The main control unit 1 not only controls each unit of the hardware of the apparatus through a bus, but also encodes or encodes the image data of the original by an encoding method such as MH, MR, MMR, etc., based on software stored in the ROM 6. Software such as communication procedures including encoding / decoding for decoding, image (TIFF) conversion, binary text conversion, mail editing, modem switching, control of RS232C by AT commands, etc., which will be described later, are executed.
[0017]
In this embodiment, the main control unit 1 stores the received mail in an ECM buffer 81 for error retransmission in facsimile communication, encodes the mail, and stores the encoded data in the image memory 8.
The main control unit 1 stores the received text mail in the ECM buffer 81, converts the mail into a text image by the character generator 13, encodes the text image by MMR, and performs the same processing as the facsimile image data. It is stored in the image memory 8.
[0018]
When converting the mail into a text image, the main control unit 1 converts the mail line by line, and determines whether the converted line has reached the number of lines defined for one page of the recording paper or the last line of the mail. If the number of lines for one page or the last line of the mail has been reached, a page end code RTC is added to the coded data of the text image. Is processed as another page.
[0019]
In image conversion, at the time of transmission, G3 format image data is converted into TIFF (Tagged Image File Format) which is a general image format used in a computer, and at the time of reception, TIFF is converted into G3 format image data. . TIFF is published by Adobe Systems, and defines various classes that handle not only black and white binary, but also black and white multi-valued, full color, and the like. CLASS F, which is one of them, defines G3 format image data, which is image data of a document obtained by encoding image data of a document by an encoding method such as MH, MR, or MMR. Therefore, the image data can be converted to TIFF by adding TIFF header information of CLASS F to the head of the G3 format image data.
[0020]
In binary / text conversion, binary data is converted into text data at the time of transmission, and text data is converted into binary data at the time of reception. There are computers on the Internet that cannot handle binary data e-mail. When transmitting binary data such as TIFF image data, the data is once converted to text data so that the e-mail reaches the destination. Text data handled on the Internet is defined as a 7-bit code in RFC (Request For Comments) 822, which is a document issued by the IETF (Internet Engineering Task Force).
[0021]
Therefore, conversion is performed using base64 or the like of MIME (Multipurpose Internet Mail Extensions). According to this, 6-bit binary data is replaced with one of 64 characters (uppercase and lowercase alphabets, numbers, +, /) and can be converted to text data. MIME is specified in RFC1521, etc.
[0022]
In the mail editing, at the time of transmission, mail header information is added to the TIFF image data converted to text data to edit it into an e-mail format, and at the time of reception, the mail header information is removed from the e-mail format data and converted to text data Only the extracted TIFF image data is taken out. Since it is specified that predetermined header information is added to electronic mail on the Internet as electronic mail management information, at the time of transmission, “From: (user's Internet e-mail address) ) "," To: (Internet e-mail address of the other party) "," Subject: (title) ", etc. are added.
[0023]
The reading unit 2 reads a document by a CCD or the like and outputs image data of a black and white binary document. The recording unit 3 includes a printer of an electrophotographic system or the like, and records image data of a document received from another G3 facsimile apparatus or the Internet.
The display unit 4 includes a display such as a liquid crystal display (abbreviated as LCD), and displays an operation state of the apparatus, image data of a document, and the like.
The operation unit 5 includes various function keys such as a ten-key, a one-touch key, and a program one-touch key necessary for operating the apparatus.
[0024]
The ROM 6 stores software necessary for the operation of the facsimile machine. The RAM 7 is composed of an SRAM, a flash memory, or the like, and stores temporary data generated when executing software. The RAM 7 is provided with a one-line text buffer for storing one line of text, an image buffer for storing data obtained by developing data stored in the one-line text buffer, and the like.
[0025]
The image memory 8 is composed of a DRAM or the like, and stores image data of a document.
The ECM buffer 81 of the image memory 8 is a 64 Kbyte memory used for error retransmission during facsimile communication and for storing received mail during mail communication.
The modem 9 is a modem for performing facsimile communication of image data of a document read by the reading unit 2 and has no data communication function.
[0026]
The data modem 10 is, for example, a modem for data communication for communicating image data of a document converted into an electronic mail via the Internet, and includes, for example, an external telephone terminal provided on a chip of the NCU 11 and a telephone. And a serial port of an external I / F 12 for connection to a personal computer or the like and an RS232C connection.
The NCU 11 closes and opens the analog line.
The character generator 13 converts a character in a code expression into a graphic expression for display.
[0027]
Next, a procedure for receiving a text mail in the communication terminal device with an e-mail function of the present invention will be described based on FIG. 2, and a procedure for receiving a facsimile mail will be described based on a flowchart in FIG.
When the MIME text data transmitted from the personal computer or the like is received by mail, the text data is temporarily stored in the ECM buffer 81, and the image → MMR encoding function is called (CALL) (step S1). At this time, the function determines whether or not the text data has been restarted CALL with 64 Kbytes or more (step S2). At first, since it is not the restart CALL, the receiving TTI is converted to MMR and transferred to the image memory 8 (step S3).
[0028]
Next, one line of the text data stored in the ECM buffer 81 is copied to a one-line text buffer (step S4). For example, a list function for developing a list of registered telephone numbers for one-touch keys into a CALL is called CALL. Then, the character generator 13 develops the text data into an image buffer (step S5).
It is also possible to omit step S4 and develop the image of the text data stored in the ECM buffer 81 as it is.
[0029]
The image-expanded text data is compression-encoded by the MMR and transferred to the image memory 8 (step S6). It is determined whether or not the memory of the image memory 8 is over (step S7). If the memory is over, a warning of the memory over is output and the process is terminated (step S8). When the memory is not over, it is determined whether or not the designated data amount, that is, 64 Kbytes which is the capacity of the ECM buffer 81 is reached (step S9).
If the designated data amount has not been reached, it is determined whether or not the number of lines for one page of the recording paper has been reached, for example, by referring to a counter for counting the number of lines on which the image has been developed (step S10).
[0030]
If the number of lines for one page of the recording paper has not been reached, steps S4 to S9 are repeated. If the number of lines for one page of the recording paper has been reached (YES in step S10), a one-page ending process for setting a page ending code RTC is executed (step S11), and the process returns to step S3 to start from the next line. For the next page, the same processing as described above is repeated.
[0031]
If the designated data amount has been reached without reaching the number of lines for one page of the recording paper (YES in step S9), it is determined whether or not there is continued text data to be received (step S12). If there is no subsequent data, the page end code RTC is set (step S13), and the text reception is completed.
[0032]
If there is more data to be received (YES in step S12), the subsequent text data is set in the ECM buffer 81 (step S14), and the process returns to step S2.
At this time, since the function has been restarted CALL, the process proceeds to step S4 without executing step S3.
[0033]
Next, a procedure when the received mail is facsimile image data will be described.
The MH data, which is facsimile image data, is attached to the ECM buffer 81 (step S21), the MH data is subjected to MMR conversion, compression-encoded, and transferred to the image memory 8 (step S22). It is determined whether or not the memory of the image memory 8 is over (step S23). If the memory is over, the process is terminated.
[0034]
If the memory is not over, it is determined whether or not the page end code RTC has been detected (step S24). If the RTC has been detected, the process is terminated. If no RTC is detected, it is determined whether or not the specified data amount, that is, 64 Kbytes, which is the capacity of the ECM buffer 81, has been reached (step S25). If the specified data amount has been reached, the process ends.
If the memory is not over, the RTC is not detected, and the specified data amount is not reached, the process returns to step S22, where the MH data is subjected to MMR conversion, compression-encoded, and transferred to the image memory 8. Is repeated until memory overflows, RTC is detected, or the specified data amount is reached.
[0035]
【The invention's effect】
A communication terminal device with an electronic mail function according to a first aspect of the present invention stores a received mail in a buffer memory for error retransmission in facsimile communication, encodes the mail, and encodes the encoded data of an image in facsimile communication. Since the data is stored in the storage memory, an excellent effect that an error retransmission buffer memory that is not used at the time of mail communication can be effectively used can be obtained.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a communication terminal device with an e-mail function of the present invention.
FIG. 2 is a flowchart of a procedure at the time of receiving a text mail in the communication terminal device with an electronic mail function of the present invention.
FIG. 3 is a flowchart of a procedure at the time of receiving a facsimile mail in the communication terminal device with an e-mail function of the present invention.
[Explanation of symbols]
1 Main control unit 6 ROM
7 RAM
8 Image memory 81 ECM buffer 10 Data modem 12 External I / F
13 Character Generator

Claims (1)

In a communication terminal device with an e-mail function having a buffer memory for retransmission of an error in facsimile communication and a memory for storing encoded data of an image, means for storing a received mail in the buffer memory; And a means for storing encoded data in the memory.

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