JP3888830B2 - Communication terminal device - Google Patents

Description

[0001]
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
  The present invention relates to a communication terminal device such as a facsimile device.RelatedTo do.
[0002]
[Prior art]
2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, in a communication terminal apparatus that transmits and receives document data via a communication medium such as a network such as the Internet or a public network such as PSTN or ISDN, transmission document data is obtained by its own input means such as a scanner. It is normal.
[0003]
However, even if the transmission document data is not obtained by itself, if it is transferred from another device, the document data transferred from the other device can be transmitted by the document data transmission function that the device itself originally has. In addition, if a notification of the transmission destination is received together with the document data, a function of transmitting the document data requested to be transmitted from another device (transmission request source device) to the notified transmission destination device can be realized.
[0004]
Specifically, a personal computer as a transmission request source apparatus and a facsimile apparatus as a communication terminal apparatus that receives a transmission request through a network such as a LAN, a parallel interface such as a Centronics interface, or a serial interface such as an RS232C interface. And the communication terminal device receives and analyzes the printer description language transmitted from the printer driver, which is software running on the personal computer side, through the interface, so that the facsimile device is as a printer device for the personal computer. It behaves and receives the transmission of the transmission request document, receives the notification of the fax number of the transmission destination, calls the notified facsimile number, and transmits the received transmission request document to the fax machine. There is a system which is adapted to transmit the converted as necessary to conform to the transmission.
[0005]
In addition, the transmission format of the transmission request molecular data from the personal computer to the facsimile machine is not limited to the printer description language that requires a decoding function on the facsimile machine side. Some systems reduce the processing load on the facsimile machine by adapting to the format.
[0006]
Since the transmission request document data transferred from the transmission request source apparatus to the communication terminal apparatus is performed independently by the communication terminal apparatus after the transmission from the transmission request source apparatus, the transmission result obtained for transmission of the transmission request document data is obtained. This information is also obtained in the communication terminal device.
[0007]
Therefore, the user who wants to know the transmission result for the transmission request document data travels to the installation location of the communication terminal device and performs the necessary operation, and displays the transmission result for the document data requested for transmission on the display. It was displayed, or it was recorded and output on recording paper as a transmission result report.
[0008]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
However, in such a transmission request form, a user who exchanges convenient information by exchanging e-mails with another person on his / her personal computer, on the other hand, operates the personal computer to request transmission. There has been a problem that an inconvenient situation arises in which it is necessary to go to the place where the communication terminal device is installed and check the transmission result of the document data.
[0009]
The present invention has been made in view of such circumstances, and an object of the present invention is to provide a communication terminal device that allows a transmission requesting user to know a transmission result of a transmission request document data while sitting in a seat. .
[0010]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
  The communication terminal device according to claim 1,When receiving the image information and the user code, the address registration means for registering the user code for identifying the user in association with the address, and transmitting the image information to the address registered in association with the user code And a transmission result notifying unit for notifying a transmission result notification destination specified based on the received user code.
[0011]
  The communication terminal device according to claim 2,The communication terminal device according to claim 1, wherein user name registration means for registering a user code and a user name in association with each other, and a user name registered in association with the received user code are notified together with the transmission result. And a user name notifying means.
[0012]
  The communication terminal device according to claim 3 is:3. The communication terminal device according to claim 1, wherein the user code is received using a subaddress of facsimile communication.
[0015]
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.
[0016]
First, a connection form of a network facsimile apparatus NF as a communication terminal apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention to a network and a public network will be described with reference to FIG.
[0017]
In the figure, on the local area network LANa side, a workstation device WSA1 (e-mail address: wsa1@abc.co.jp) or WSAn (e-mail address: wsan@abc.co.jp) as a computer device and mail A network facsimile apparatus NFA (e-mail address: ifaxa@abc.co.jp, network address: ifaxa.abc.co.jp) is connected to LANa together with server apparatus MSA (network address: msrva1.abc.co.jp). On the other hand, on the local area network LANb side, the workstation device WSB1 (e-mail address: wsb1@xyz.co.jp) to WSBn (e-mail address: wsbn@xyz.co.jp) and the mail server device MSB (network address) : Msrvb1.xyz.co.jp) and network facsimile machine NFB (e-mail address: ifaxb@xyz.co.jp, network address: ifaxb.xyz.co.jp)) is connected to LANb. LANa and LANb are connected to the Internet via router devices RA and RB, respectively. Network terminals on LANa or LANb, including network facsimile devices NFA and NFB, are in the MIME format according to the SMTP protocol on TCP / IP. Send e-mail. In addition, the reception of the electronic mail at the LANa or LANb terminal is performed by accessing the mail server apparatus MSA or MSB by POP (Post Office Protocol) 3.
[0018]
The network facsimile machines NFA and NFB are also connected to a PSTN or ISDN public network, and can also send and receive facsimile documents via the public network.
[0019]
FIG. 2 shows a block configuration of the network facsimile apparatus NF that is the network facsimile apparatuses NFA and NFB.
[0020]
In the figure, a network facsimile apparatus NF includes a system control unit 2, a ROM 3, a RAM 4, a scanner 5, a plotter 6, a clock circuit 7, an image memory 8, an operation display unit 9, an encoding / decoding unit 10, and a LAN communication control unit 11. , Modem 12, network control unit 13, and system bus 14.
[0021]
The system control unit 2 is a microcomputer that controls each unit of the apparatus while using the RAM 4 as a work area in accordance with a control program written in the ROM 3.
[0022]
As described above, the ROM 3 is a read-only memory in which a control program for the system control unit 2 to control each unit of the apparatus is stored. The RAM 4 is a random access memory used as a work area for the system control unit 2 as described above. The RAM 4 is backed up by a backup circuit (not shown), and the stored contents are retained even when the power is shut off.
[0023]
The scanner 5 is for obtaining image information by reading a document image at a predetermined reading line density such as 3.85 lines / mm, 7.7 lines / mm, and 15.4 lines / mm. The plotter 6 records and outputs the received image information according to its linear density, and records and outputs (copying) the image information read by the scanner 5 according to the linear density.
[0024]
The clock circuit 7 counts the current date and time, and performs a timer operation that counts down the time constant set by the system control unit 2 and notifies the system control unit 2 of the time-out when it times out. is there. The image memory 8 temporarily stores the image information read by the scanner 5 as a file for transmission to the memory, or temporarily stores the received image information as a file until it is recorded by the plotter 6. It is used as a temporary storage area.
[0025]
The image memory 8 temporarily stores the image information read by the scanner 5 as a file for transmission to the memory, or temporarily stores the received image information as a file until it is recorded by the plotter 6. It is used as a temporary storage area.
[0026]
The operation display unit 9 is provided with various keys such as a numeric keypad and an alphabet key for designating a destination telephone number and an e-mail address, a start key for instructing the start of transmission, a one-touch dial key, etc. A display device such as a liquid crystal display device is provided to display an operation state of the device to be notified to the user and various messages.
[0027]
The encoding / decoding unit 10 encodes and compresses transmission image data with a predetermined encoding method such as an MH encoding method, an MR encoding method, or an MMR encoding method that is compatible with G3 facsimile, while receiving image data. Is decoded and expanded by a predetermined decoding method corresponding to the MH encoding method, the MR encoding method, the MMR encoding method, or the like. The encoding / decoding unit 10 performs conversion of the image information into the TIFF format and encoding / decoding processing based on MIME.
[0028]
The LAN communication control unit 11 controls the TCP / IP protocol in the LAN so that the system control unit 2 can send and receive e-mails according to the SMTP, MIME, and POP protocols over TCP / IP. It is. The modem 12 is a G3 facsimile modem that modulates data to be transmitted to the public network via the network control unit 13 and demodulates a signal received from the public network via the network control unit 13. The modem 12 also transmits a DTMF signal corresponding to the destination number.
[0029]
The network control unit 13 is connected to a public line, detects line polarity reversal, closes / releases the DC loop of the line, detects line release, detects dial tone, detects tone signal such as busy tone, Connection control with a line such as signal detection, and transmission of a selection signal corresponding to a destination number by a dial pulse signal corresponding to a 20 PPS or 10 PPS dial line are performed. The system bus 14 is a signal line for the above units to exchange data.
[0030]
The network facsimile apparatus NF having the above configuration stores a font table 3a and a language table group 3b in the ROM 3, as shown in FIG.
[0031]
  The font table 3a is a table in which font data is associated with each character code. The system control unit 2 displays a desired character code as a font image.Turn intoIn the case of conversion, the font table 3a is referred to.
[0032]
Specifically, the language table group 3b has the configuration shown in FIG. 4 and displays various message character strings or the like that are displayed on the display 9h or printed out corresponding to each language such as Japanese and English. A collection of tables storing corresponding character code strings. For example, the message corresponding to the message “transmission result notification” stored in the Japanese table in the English table is “CONMMUNICATION RSULT REPORT”.
[0033]
Further, the network facsimile apparatus NF stores an address conversion table 4a in the RAM 4, as shown in FIG.
[0034]
Specifically, the address conversion table 4a has the configuration shown in FIG. 6 and is configured by associating a 4-digit user code as user identification information with a forwarding mail address. In the address conversion table 4a, user names corresponding to the respective user codes that are substantially user name tables are registered.
[0035]
  The address conversion table 4a is used for ITU-T recommendation T.264 from an external fax via a public network. The fax data received with the subaddress notification by the SUB frame defined in 30 is collated with the address conversion table 4a using the notified subaddress as the user code, and the corresponding forwarding mail address is specified, and the specified Delivery function to send received fax data by e-mail to e-mail addressofIn this embodiment, as will be described later, the document data of the transmission request from each workstation device WS is also referred to for specifying the transmission destination of the transmission result notification after transmission.
[0036]
The registered contents of the address conversion table 4a are registered by a predetermined registration process such as a registration operation from the operation display unit 9 by an administrator or the like, or an online registration from another workstation device WS via the LAN. The user whose user code is registered in the address change table 4a of the network facsimile apparatus NF knows his / her user code by being taught by an administrator or the like.
[0037]
Each workstation device WS, as a transmission request source device, transfers document data for transmission request and necessary supplementary information to the network facsimile device NF.
[0038]
  In this embodiment, the transfer path at this time uses a LAN that is also used for e-mail communication. However, each workstation device WS and the network facsimile device NF are used for data transfer of transmission requests. Dedicated interface, ExampleNeedless to say, connection may be made with a Centronics interface, an RS232C interface, or the like.
[0039]
In the present embodiment, the conversion of the document data of the transmission request from the transmission request source to MH, MR, MMR, etc., which is an encoding method suitable for the network facsimile apparatus NF side, is performed for each work of the transmission request source. It is assumed that this is performed by a printer driver that operates in the station apparatus WS.
[0040]
  As shown in FIG. 7, in each workstation WS that is the transmission request source, the printer driver receives the data passed from the upper application and performs necessary conversion processing, and the document data after the processing is the print spooler. Through,NeNetwork port monitor. The network port monitor transmits the data passed from the print spooler to the network fax NF.
[0041]
FIG. 8 shows the configuration of the transmission request document data transferred via the LAN from the workstation device WS as the transmission request source to the network facsimile device NF. Note that the present invention is not limited by the protocol used when the transmission request document data is transferred from each workstation WS to the network NF.
[0042]
In the figure, the transmission request document data includes a set of resolution information, paper size, compression method, additional information necessary for decoding, and net image information data for each page of document image information. It consists of incidental information necessary for
[0043]
The accompanying information is “destination fax number”, “user code”, and “transmission result language code”.
[0044]
The “destination fax number” is information indicating the transmission destination of the document data of the transmission request. In this embodiment, the transmission destination of the document data of the transmission request is only the public network information facsimile apparatus, but is not limited to this, and a LAN or Internet information network terminal may be the transmission destination. Needless to say. In that case, instead of “transmission destination fax number”, “transmission destination mail address” is notified as supplementary information.
[0045]
The “user code” is collated with the address conversion table 4a in the network facsimile apparatus NF. The “transmission result language code” is used to specify the language in which the transmission result notification mail transmitted by the network facsimile apparatus NF is described in the process described later.
[0046]
Next, a processing procedure of transmission request data from each workstation apparatus WSA as a transmission request source apparatus in the network facsimile apparatus NFa on the transmission request side will be described with reference to FIG. 9 and FIG. In these drawings, the left side shows processing on the network facsimile apparatus NFa side, and the right side shows processing in each workstation apparatus WSA.
[0047]
First, in FIG. 9, the user corresponding to the user name “user A1” (e-mail address: wsa1@abc.co.jp) wants to send the transmission request document data by fax from the application at the workstation device WSA1. Transmission for designating the fax number of the destination device above, the user code assigned to itself (“1234” in this case) for requesting notification of the transmission result by e-mail, and the description language of the transmission result e-mail A result language code is input and a document data file to be transmitted is designated (process 201). In this case, the user code and the transmission result language code may be registered in advance by the user as set values on the application side, and the user's input may be omitted.
[0048]
  As a result, the user can notify the transmission result of the document data to be sent by e-mail to him / her by a simple operation of specifying his / her user code.DoCan be instructed. In addition, the user can specify a language for describing the contents of the transmission result by a simple operation of specifying a language code.
[0049]
Then, it is monitored whether an instruction to start a transmission request is made by the user (No loop of decision 202), and when an instruction to start a transmission request is made (Yes of decision 202), the network facsimile machine NFa via the LAN. (Processing 203), the transmission request document data having the configuration shown in FIG. 8 is created and transmitted based on the information input and designated in processing 201 (processing 204).
[0050]
Thereafter, the workstation device WSA1 periodically accesses the mail server device MSA to monitor whether or not a mail addressed to the user A1 (corresponding mail address) has been received (No loop of decision 205). (Yes in decision 205), the received mail content and attached file are displayed on a display (not shown) (process 206). Note that the mail addressed to the user A1 received by the workstation apparatus WSA1 is not limited to that from the network facsimile apparatus NFa, but also includes normal mail from other network terminals.
[0051]
On the other hand, the network facsimile apparatus NFA monitors whether the transmission request document data is received via the LAN (No loop of determination 101), and the determination 101 is Yes corresponding to the process 204 in the workstation apparatus WSA1. It becomes. Note that the transmission request document data received in the determination 101 is temporarily stored in the image memory 8.
[0052]
Then, a call is made to the fax number designated as supplementary information of the transmission request document data having the configuration shown in FIG. 8 received in the decision 101 (process 102), and the document data of the transmission request received in the decision 101 is transmitted by facsimile. (Process 103). Note that the facsimile transmission in that case may be successful or may fail due to other reasons such as during communication with the other party or because the other party is not a facsimile machine.
[0053]
  Then, it is determined whether or not a user code is notified as incidental information of the transmission request document data received in the determination 101 (determination 104). If no user code is notified (No in determination 104), a transmission request is made. Assuming that there was no request for notification of the transmission result from the original, the process ends, but the user code is notified.WasIn such a case (Yes in decision 104), a transmission result notification request has been received from the transmission request source.ageThen, the processing after the processing 105 is performed.
[0054]
That is, in the process 105, the “user code” notified in the determination 101 is checked against the address conversion table shown in FIG. 6 to obtain a corresponding mail address (process 105).
[0055]
Then, it is determined whether or not the facsimile transmission in the process 103 has been normally completed (decision 106). If the facsimile transmission has been normally completed (Yes in the determination 106), the mail content indicating that the communication result is normal is stored in the language table group 3b. It is described and created based on the language table corresponding to the language code notified in the decision 101 (process 107).
[0056]
If the facsimile transmission does not end normally (No in decision 106), the mail content of the communication result error is determined based on the language table corresponding to the language code notified in decision 101 in the language table group 3b. Describe and create (process 108).
[0057]
Note that the user name corresponding to the notified user code in the address conversion table 4a of FIG. 6 may be described in the content of the transmission result notification mail created in the process 107 or 108.
[0058]
Then, the first page of the transmission request document data received or determined in the determination 101 and transmitted in the process 103 is converted into the TIFF-F format, and further encoded by the Base64 method. Alternatively, a mail in MIME format is created together with the text data of the transmission result notification created in process 108 (process 109).
[0059]
The created mail is transmitted to the mail address corresponding to the notified user code acquired in process 105 (process 110).
[0060]
The transmission result notification mail with the first page of the transmission request document data transmitted in the processing 110 as an attached file is referred to by the transmission requesting user by the determination 205 and the processing 206 in the workstation device WSA1. Become. In this embodiment, the transmission result notification mail is transmitted to the transmission requesting user or the terminal that performed the transmission request operation. However, the transmission requesting user performs the transmission request operation. It goes without saying that the terminal that has performed and the terminal to which the transmission result notification mail is transmitted may be different terminals.
[0061]
Although the display form of the received mail and the attached file in the workstation device WSA1 varies depending on the mail application running on the workstation device WSA1, FIG. 11 shows the mail header part of the transmission result notification mail with the attached file and the transmission result notification. The text part part is shown.
[0062]
In the text part part of the transmission result notification, various information obtained when the transmission request document data is transmitted, specifically, transmission “date”, transmission “time”, “destination name”, “communication mode”, The communication “time”, the transmission “number of sheets”, the transmission “result”, and the “file number” assigned when temporarily storing the transmission request document data in the image memory 8 are described.
[0063]
  The contents of the transmission result notification shown in the figure are those in the case of the transmission result “OK”, the judgment 106 is “Yes”, and the process 107 is created.Remadid. And a message indicating that the transmission was successful.
[0064]
In the case of a transmission result error, illustration is omitted, but the item “transmission“ result ”is described as“ E ”indicating an error, and“ the following communication was not transmitted normally. "A message indicating that the transmission has failed is described.
[0065]
Further, in the content of the transmission result notification shown in FIG. 11, the user name corresponding to the notified user code in the address conversion table 4a of FIG. 6 is described by the description “user A1”. Yes.
[0066]
Thereby, the user who has received and browsed the transmission result notification mail can easily recognize that it is the transmission result notification mail addressed to himself / herself from the network facsimile apparatus NFA.
[0067]
The content of the transmission result notification shown in FIG. 11 indicates the case where the language is “Japanese”, but in actuality, Japanese, English, or according to the language code notified as shown in FIG. , Written in other languages.
[0068]
As a result, the transmission requesting user can be notified of the transmission result in the desired language designated by the language code.
[0069]
Further, the first page of the transmission request document data as an attached file is also displayed by the application on the workstation device WSA1, and the user can easily determine which transmission request document the transmission result notification relates to. Can be. The entire contents of the transmission request document data may be attached as an attached file. However, since the transmission request document data is originally at the user's hand, information for grasping the contents of the transmission request document such as a mailing list is provided. It is preferable to add only the first page, which includes a large amount, since the data amount of the attached file can be minimized.
[0070]
As described above, according to the present embodiment, the transmission result of the transmission request document data is transmitted as a transmission result mail to the designated e-mail address. The transmission result of the document data can be known by the same procedure as that for receiving a normal electronic mail.
[0071]
In the embodiment described above, the present invention is applied to a network facsimile apparatus. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the document data requested to be transmitted from the transmission request source apparatus is specified via the interface. Any communication terminal apparatus that can transmit an e-mail to the transmission request source apparatus via a network while transmitting to a destination can be similarly applied. In addition, the present invention is not limited to the e-mail transmission protocol, and is not limited to the case where the transmission document data is image information, but can be similarly applied to other formats such as text data. However, it is not limited by the transfer format of the transmission request document data.
[0072]
【The invention's effect】
According to the present invention, the transmission source of the image information can not only transmit the image information to the destination but also notify the transmission result notification destination of the transmission result only by transmitting the user code.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a connection form to a network and a public network of a network facsimile apparatus as a communication terminal apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a block configuration of a network facsimile apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 3 is a diagram showing contents stored in a ROM of the network facsimile apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a language table group.
FIG. 5 is a diagram showing contents stored in a RAM of the network facsimile apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 6 is a diagram showing an address conversion table.
FIG. 7 is a diagram showing a software module configuration in the transmission request source apparatus to the network facsimile apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 8 is a diagram showing a structure of transmission request document data from a transmission request source apparatus transferred to the network facsimile apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 9 is a flowchart showing a processing procedure of transmission request data from a transmission request source apparatus in the network facsimile apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 10 is a flowchart showing a processing procedure of transmission request data from a transmission request source apparatus in the network facsimile apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention, together with FIG. 9;
FIG. 11 is a diagram showing an example of a transmission result notification mail.
FIG. 12 is a diagram showing a format of a transmission result notification mail described in each language.
[Explanation of symbols]
NF, NFA, NFB Network facsimile machine
MSA, MSB mail server device
WSA1, ..., WSAn workstation device
WSB1, ..., WSBn Workstation device
RA, RB router equipment
LAN, LANa, LANb Local area network
2 System controller
3 ROM
3a Font table
3b table group
4 RAM
4a Address conversion table
5 Scanner
6 Plotter
7 Clock circuit
8 Image memory
9 Operation display
10 Coding / decoding unit
11 LAN communication controller
12 Modem
13 Network control unit
14 System bus

Claims (3)

  Destination registration means for registering a user code for identifying a user in association with a destination;
  Transmitting means for transmitting the image information to a destination registered in association with the user code when the image information and the user code are received;
  A transmission result notification means for notifying a transmission result notification destination specified based on the received user code of a transmission result by the transmission means;
  A communication terminal device comprising:   The communication terminal device according to claim 1,
  User name registration means for registering a user code and a user name in association with each other;
  User name notifying means for notifying the user name registered in association with the received user code together with the transmission result;
  A communication terminal device comprising:   The communication terminal device according to claim 1, wherein
  A communication terminal apparatus that receives the user code using a subaddress of facsimile communication.

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