JP4077447B2 - Network facsimile machine - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a network facsimile apparatus capable of transmitting and receiving facsimile data and electronic mail data by connecting to a telephone line network, a network such as the Internet or a LAN.

  Recently, a method of reusing facsimile reception data by combining an Internet FAX and a WWW server has been proposed. This uses a function of converting data received from a telephone line by an Internet FAX into an electronic mail.

  FIG. 12 shows a system configuration for transmitting and receiving facsimile data using an Internet FAX and a WWW server.

  First, image data received via the telephone line by the Internet FAX 1101 is converted into an email attachment file format within the Internet FAX and transmitted to the WWW server 1103 as an email attachment file.

  The e-mail transferred from the Internet FAX 1101 is received by the e-mail server 1102 via the network. The e-mail received by the e-mail server 1102 is transferred again to the destination WWW server 1103 via the network.

  The WWW server 1103 accumulates the attached file of the e-mail as image data and links it to the facsimile reception home page. Up to this point, the accumulation of facsimile reception data is completed.

  In order to capture the received data into the client machine 1104, the user starts a WWW browser on the client machine 1104 and accesses the facsimile reception home page of the WWW server 1103. Then, the image data file is read from the WWW server 1103 to the client machine 1104 via the network.

  However, the facsimile communication system has a problem that network traffic increases because a large amount of image data is transferred over the network many times. Incorporating a WWW server into the Internet FAX is an effective means for suppressing an increase in network traffic. In the case of an Internet FAX incorporating a WWW server, both the sender and receiver of image data have access, so that more users than before will use it.

  As described above, when a large number of users use one Internet FAX, a failure may occur in some of the functions of the Internet FAX (facsimile communication function, e-mail communication function, server function, printer function, etc.). Therefore, it is desirable that the user can easily grasp the current situation at any time.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above-described problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide a network facsimile apparatus that allows a client to easily view the status of each part of the apparatus in a homepage format.

A network facsimile apparatus according to the present invention includes a storage unit that stores an HTML file that forms a status screen indicating the states of a plurality of devices therein, a detection unit that detects the states of the plurality of devices, and a device that is provided by the detection unit. When it is detected that the status of the file has changed, an HTML file rewriting unit that rewrites the HTML file stored in the storage unit, and a client that connects the HTML file rewritten by the HTML file rewriting unit to each other via a network. and a WWW server unit to transmit to the machine, the URL for displaying the status screen at the client machine is input, a request for transmission of the HTML file to the WWW server section than the client machine Is, the WWW server unit is viewable the status screen by the WWW browser of the client machine to send the HTML file in response to this request, an update to the viewable the status screen at the client machine An icon for instructing is provided, and when the icon for instructing the update is selected on the client machine , the WWW browser requests the WWW server unit to transmit the HTML file.

According to the network facsimile apparatus of the present invention, when the user wants to know the current state of the network facsimile apparatus, the user can immediately know the updated state by selecting an icon for instructing the update. .

A first aspect of the present invention includes a storage unit that stores an HTML file that configures a status screen indicating the states of a plurality of devices inside, a detection unit that detects the states of the plurality of devices, and the detection unit. When it is detected that the state of the device has changed, the HTML file rewriting means for rewriting the HTML file stored in the storage means and the HTML file rewritten by the HTML file rewriting means are connected via a network. includes a WWW server unit to be transmitted to the client machine, and the URL for displaying the status screen at the client machine is input, a request for transmission of the HTML file to the WWW server section than the client machine And the WWW Over bar section is viewable the status screen by the WWW browser of the client machine to send the HTML file in response to this request, in order to instruct the update is to browsable the status screen at the client machine icons are provided, the icon for instructing the update at the client machine is selected, the network facsimile device characterized by the WWW browser requests the transmission of the HTML file to the WWW server section It is.

According to this configuration, when the user wants to know the current state of the network facsimile apparatus, the user can immediately know the updated state by selecting an icon for instructing the update.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, in the network facsimile apparatus according to the first aspect, the WWW browser requests the HTML file from the WWW server unit by selecting an icon for instructing the update. An update time is written in the file, and the WWW browser requests the HTML file from the WWW server unit every update time.

According to this configuration, in addition to when the user selects an icon for instructing an update, the WWW browser requests an HTML file from the WWW server unit at every update time, so the icon for instructing the user to update is displayed . It is possible to periodically know the automatically updated state without selecting.

  According to a third aspect of the present invention, in the network facsimile apparatus according to the first aspect, an icon indicating a state of each device is displayed on the status screen, and the storage unit displays each of the plurality of states of the devices. An image file of an icon to be stored is stored, and an image file name for each device is written in the HTML file, and the HTML file rewriting means rewrites the HTML file by changing the image file name. Device.

  According to this configuration, since the state of each device is displayed as an icon, it is easy to understand visually. In addition, since the icon is changed only by changing the image file name in the HTML file, the HTML file can be easily rewritten.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

  FIG. 1 shows functional blocks of the network facsimile apparatus according to this embodiment. A ROM 1, a RAM 3, and an external storage unit 4 are connected to the CPU 1 that operates on the operating system so as to be accessible from the CPU 1. Various programs such as a server-side processing program are stored in the ROM 2, and the RAM 3 is used as a work area for programs stored in the ROM 2. The external storage unit 4 stores compressed image data, HTML files, and the like.

  The network facsimile apparatus according to this embodiment includes a scanner 5, a printer unit 6, a panel unit 7, a compression / decompression unit 8, a FAX / voice communication unit 9, and a network control unit 10. It is configured to operate under the control of the CPU 1.

  In this network facsimile apparatus, the scanner unit 5 reads image data such as a document, and the printer unit 6 prints the read image data or the received image data. Also, the panel unit 7 allows the user to perform operations such as an image reading instruction and destination address input, and the compression / decompression unit 8 decompresses the received image data or compresses the read image data. . The FAX / voice communication unit 9 is connected to a telephone line to perform facsimile communication and voice communication, and the network control unit 10 is connected to a network to perform network data communication and data electronic mail communication.

  The programs stored in the ROM 2 include programs for the HTML file generation unit 11, the WWW server unit 12, the e-mail communication unit 13, and the TIFF conversion unit 14. The HTML file generation unit 11, the WWW server unit 12, the e-mail communication unit 13, and the TIFF conversion unit 14 are functions provided by the CPU 1 executing these programs. For convenience of explanation, as shown in FIG. These functions will be described using reference numerals given to the program itself.

  The HTML file generation unit 11 converts the state (idle, operating, error, etc.) of the scanner unit 5, the printer unit 6, the panel unit 7, the FAX / voice communication unit 9 into an HTML file so that it can be viewed in a homepage format. Function block for server registration.

  The WWW server unit 12 provides a server function such as communication with the WWW browser according to the HTTP protocol and delivery of homepage data (HTML file).

  The e-mail communication unit 13 functions as an e-mail server in addition to sending and receiving e-mails via a network. The TIFF conversion unit 14 provides a function for converting encoded facsimile data and document file data into the TIFF format. When the scanner unit 5 or the stored facsimile data is transmitted by e-mail, it is converted into the TIFF format by the TIFF conversion unit 14 and an e-mail including the TIFF file as an attached file is created. That is, the TIFF file is converted into a text code and put in the data part of a complex structured mail such as MIME. On the other hand, when data received by e-mail is transmitted by facsimile, the electronic file portion of the e-mail is binary converted from a text code to a TIFF file. Further, the TIFF conversion unit 14 develops the TIFF file. If uncompressed, the compression / decompression unit 8 further transmits data subjected to compression processing such as MH.

  FIG. 2 shows a system configuration when the network facsimile apparatus according to this embodiment is connected to a telephone line and a network. In FIG. 2, a network facsimile apparatus 201 is connected to a telephone line and to a network via a network interface. By operating a WWW browser on the client machine 202, a homepage provided on the network facsimile apparatus 201 can be browsed.

  FIG. 3 shows functional blocks of the HTML file generation unit 11, the WWW server unit 12, the e-mail communication unit 13, and the FAX / voice communication unit 9, and the flow of data processing between the blocks.

  In the WWW server unit 12, the WWW server communication unit 31 communicates with a WWW browser operating on the client machine 202 in accordance with the HTTP protocol. The command received by the WWW server communication unit 31 from the client machine 202 is analyzed by the CGI string analysis unit 32.

  The CGI string analysis unit 32 analyzes the CGI string included in the received data, passes the analysis result to the CGI application determination unit 33, and activates the corresponding CGI application 34. The CGI application 34 executes predetermined processing using the received data. The CGI application 34 includes applications such as transmission, HTML document deletion, address book generation, and device setting. For example, the transmission CGI application controls the corresponding device so that a document designated by the client machine is transmitted by facsimile or electronic mail to a designated destination.

  The file sending unit 35 receives the file requested by the client machine 202 from the file management unit 36 and passes it to the WWW server communication unit 31. In the case of a file request for which CGI processing is not requested, the file sending unit 35 requests the file management unit 36 for the file.

  The HTML file generation unit 11 includes a document list generation unit 37 that generates an HTML file of a document list, and an address book generation unit 38 that generates an HTML file of an address book.

  The document list generation unit 37 creates an HTML file of the received list displaying the received e-mail and received FAX, and deletes, edits, moves, etc. a part of the HTML file according to a command and received data given from the CGI application 34. .

  The address book generation unit 38 modifies the HTML file of the address book according to the command and received data from the address book CGI application. The address book generation unit 38 also executes processing for incorporating the latest address table data into the HTML file of the address book when the power is turned on or when the contents of the address book are changed.

  The HTML file generation unit 11 includes a communication result list generation unit 39 and a status information generation unit 41. The communication result list generation unit 39 creates and updates an HTML file representing the communication result list by receiving log information indicating the communication result from the FAX / voice communication unit 9 and the e-mail communication unit 13.

  The status information generation unit 41 takes in status signals indicating the states from the scanner unit 5, printer unit 6, panel unit 7, FAX / voice communication unit 9, and creates an HTML file in which the state of each unit is registered. Update. For example, if there are idle, operating, and error (jam, out of toner) as printer status, icons that visually indicate each status are created. Then, an icon in a corresponding state is registered in the HTML file (status html) according to the status signal from the printer unit 6.

  The FAX / voice communication unit 9 receives a transmission processing instruction, a transmission document number, a FAX number of the destination terminal, and the like from the transmission CGI application. When the transmission document number is passed, the transmission data (image) of the corresponding document number is taken out from the external storage unit 4 and stored in the transmission buffer, connected to the telephone line and transmitted to the FAX number of the destination terminal.

  The e-mail communication unit 13 receives a transmission processing instruction, a transmission document number, a mail address of the destination terminal, and the like from the transmission CGI application. When the transmission document number is passed, the transmission data of the corresponding document number is taken out from the external storage unit 4 and stored in the transmission buffer, connected to various networks represented by the Internet by LAN or dial-up, and transmitted to the address of the destination terminal To do.

  Next, the operation of the network facsimile apparatus according to this embodiment will be described. The operation of displaying icons representing the current state of each part of the apparatus on the client machine 202 will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG.

  The network facsimile apparatus is in a standby state until a home page address (URL address) is input.

  The client machine 202 connected to the network activates a WWW browser (browsing software) and inputs the URL of the network facsimile apparatus for access (ST401).

  In the network facsimile apparatus that has received the access, the WWW server unit 12 receives the URL and responds. When receiving the URL from the client machine 202, the WWW server unit 12 sends out an index file (index.html), which is an HTML document for displaying a file on the main screen of the home page (ST402).

  The WWW browser of the client machine 202 is index. A command for analyzing the contents of html and requesting a necessary file is sent to the WWW server unit 12 (ST403).

  As shown in FIG. 5, the index file (index.html) includes a main file (main.html) and a status file (status.html). The client machine 202 makes a file request to the WWW server unit 12 for the main file and the status file. Since the main file includes various files constituting the main screen portion of the home page such as personal icons and bulletin board icons, these file requests are issued. The status file includes a panel status icon (pnlxx.gif) indicating the status of the panel unit 7, a printer status icon (prtxx.gif) indicating the status of the printer unit 6, and a scanner status icon (scxxx.gif) indicating the status of the scanner unit 5. ), Since each file constituting the status screen portion of the communication status icon (faxxx.gif) indicating the status of the FAX / voice communication unit 9 is included, these file requests are issued.

  The client machine 202 acquires a file required by the file request and displays a home page main screen (ST405). As shown in FIG. 6, the main screen displays document folder and setting / tool icons configured based on the main file, and status icons configured based on the status file.

  The panel status icon 61, the printer status icon 62, the scanner status icon 63, and the communication status icon 64 are each a symbol mark having a shape that conceptually represents the form of each portion, and the state of each portion that is described immediately below each symbol mark. And a comment indicating. The symbol mark has a different display color depending on each state. For example, the idle color is gray, the operating color is green, and the error is red. In the present embodiment, the state is expressed by the display color of the symbol mark and the comment. In the example shown in FIG. 6, the printer status icon 62 includes a symbol mark 65 having a shape that conceptually represents the form of the printer, and a comment 66 = “power save” indicating a state written immediately below the symbol mark 65. Consists of

  FIG. 7 shows the source file of the status file. The file name of the status icon is set in the line “IMG SRC =...”. The file name of the panel status icon 61 is “pnl00.gif”, the file name of the printer status icon 62 is “prt00.gif”, the file name of the scanner status icon 63 is “scn00.gif”, and the file name of the communication status icon 64 is “Fax00.gif”. These status icon files are acquired from the network facsimile apparatus and the status screen portion shown in FIG. 6 is displayed.

  In the status file, the time for updating the status icon is set in the row “META HTTP-EQUIIV =...”. The update time is determined by “Refresh CONTENT =“ xx ””.

  Here, the operation of generating a status file in the network facsimile apparatus will be described. The status html is stored in the external storage unit 4, and when the status information generation unit 41 detects a change in state in each unit, the corresponding data in the status html is updated.

  FIG. 9 shows a flowchart of the status html update operation by the status information generation unit 41. The scanner unit 5, printer unit 6, panel unit 7, FAX / voice communication unit 9 manages its own operation state and notifies the CPU 1 of a status signal indicating the current state periodically or in real time. Alternatively, the CPU 1 holds its own operating state in the device, and the CPU 1 obtains the status signal.

  The status information generation unit 41 checks the status signal of the panel unit 7 and determines whether the panel state at the previous check is different from the current panel state (ST901). If a state change is detected, a panel state number corresponding to the current panel state is set, and a flag is turned on (ST902). This flag is a flag indicating that a state change has occurred. The panel state number is assigned to each state scheduled to be displayed by the panel state icon 61 as a panel state. The same applies to the other state numbers. If no state change is detected, the printer unit 6 is checked.

  Next, the status signal of the printer unit 6 is checked to determine whether or not the printer state at the previous check is different from the current printer state (ST903). If the status change is detected, the printer status number corresponding to the current printer status is set, and the flag is turned ON (ST904). If no state change is detected, the process proceeds to checking the scanner unit 5.

  Next, the status signal of the scanner unit 5 is checked to determine whether the scanner state at the previous check is different from the current scanner state (ST905). If a state change is detected, the scanner state number corresponding to the current scanner state is set, and the flag is turned on (ST906). If no state change is detected, the process proceeds to a check of the FAX / voice communication unit 9.

  Next, the status signal of the FAX / voice communication unit 9 is checked to determine whether or not the communication state at the previous check is different from the current communication state (ST907). If a state change is detected, a communication state number corresponding to the current communication state is set, and a flag is turned on (ST908).

  When the status check of each unit is completed in this way, it is checked whether there is a device whose flag is turned on (ST909). If there is a device whose flag is ON, the status html is updated (ST910).

  The update of the status html will be described using a printer as an example. FIG. 8 shows a correspondence table between printer status numbers and file names. A printer status number is assigned to each status generated in the printer unit 6. In the correspondence table, the file name (gif file) of the printer status icon is registered corresponding to each printer status number. The gif file includes a symbol mark and a comment that visually indicate the printer status corresponding to the printer status number. The status icon gif files registered in the correspondence table are stored in the external storage unit 4 as a status icon file group.

  In step ST910, the file name of the status icon corresponding to the status number of the device flagged ON is acquired with reference to the correspondence table of FIG. Then, the status html shown in FIG. Assume that the state of the printer unit 6 has changed from the power save state to the out of paper state. In this case, “prt00.gif” is set as the file name of the printer status icon in the status html before the update. In the update process, the file name of the printer status icon is rewritten from “prt00.gif” to “prt02.gif”. In the file “prt02.gif”, a printer status icon including a symbol mark indicating that a printer symbol is displayed in red and a comment “out of paper” is registered. Therefore, when the client machine 202 reads the updated status html, the printer status icon 62 is changed to an icon indicating out of paper.

  As described above, on the network facsimile apparatus side, the status information generation unit 41 monitors the status of the scanner unit 5, the printer unit 6, the panel unit 7, and the FAX / voice communication unit 9, and changes if the status changes. A status icon corresponding to the later status is reflected in the status html.

  FIG. 10 shows a flowchart of the timing at which the client machine 202 reads the status html. As described above, when the main screen of the home page of FIG. 6 is opened (ST1001), status html is read and status icons related to the status are displayed (ST1002). When the update time elapses with the status icon displayed on the main screen of the home page (ST1003), the status html is read from the network facsimile apparatus, and the status icon is displayed with the newly read status html. The update time is a time designated by “Refresh CONTENT = xx” in the source file (status html) in FIG. If the row of the update time is inserted in the read status html, the WWW browser updates the status html every time the update time elapses. As a result, if there is a change in the state of the device on the network facsimile apparatus side during the designated time, the changed state icon is displayed.

  If there is a read instruction from the user within the update time (ST1004), the status html is read from the network facsimile machine and updated without reaching the update time. In the fifth line (A HREF =...) Of the status html source file shown in FIG. 7, there is a command line that reads “status.html” when “status” on the screen display is selected. Accordingly, in step ST1004, when the icon written “STATUS” is selected in the state where the main screen of FIG. 6 is displayed, the process proceeds to step ST1002 and the status html is reread. The above steps are repeated until the main screen display is completed (ST1005).

  Thus, when the user wants to know the current state of the network facsimile apparatus, the user can see the updated state icon immediately by selecting the icon written as “STATUS”.

  Next, returning to the flowchart of FIG. 4, an operation for setting the status information update time from the client machine 202 will be described. Assume that the update time setting icon 67 in FIG. 6 is selected when the main screen of the home page is displayed in step ST405. When the update time setting icon 67 is selected, the WWW browser issues a request for a setting screen file (ST406).

  FIG. 11 shows a configuration example of a setting screen for setting the update time. An HTML file of this setting screen is stored in the external storage unit 4. Upon receiving the file request, the WWW server unit 12 requests the file management unit 36 for the corresponding file. The HTML file of the setting screen read from the external storage unit 4 is transmitted to the client machine 202 (ST407).

  Receiving the HTML file of the setting screen, the client machine 202 displays the setting screen shown in FIG. 11 (ST408). The setting screen is provided with a box for inputting status information update time. The user presses the enter button after entering the desired update time in this box. When the determination button on the setting screen is pressed, a CGI processing request for requesting processing for updating the specified time of the status html is output (ST409).

  In the WWW server unit 12, the CGI string analysis unit 32 decodes and analyzes the CGI string encoded in the URL of the received data (ST410). The analysis result is given to the CGI application determination unit 33. The CGI application determination unit 33 determines an application for which a CGI process is requested (ST411). If a device setting CGI application is specified (ST412), the device setting CGI application is activated and update time data is passed. When the device setting CGI application is a processing request regarding the update time of the status html, the device setting CGI application passes the update time data to the status information generation unit 41 so as to update the update time data in the status html to the specified update time. Command. As a result, the status information generation unit 41 rewrites the corresponding data in the status html with the data designated from the client side (ST413).

  As a result, the status update time can be instructed from the client machine 202 to the network facsimile apparatus. The instruction for the update time is completed simply by inputting an arbitrary time on the setting screen automatically displayed from the network facsimile apparatus.

  As described above in detail, according to the present invention, it is possible to obtain a network facsimile apparatus in which the status of each part of the apparatus can be easily viewed in a homepage format by using an image file from a terminal apparatus connected via a network.

1 is a functional block diagram of a network facsimile apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. Configuration diagram of a system in which the network facsimile apparatus of the above embodiment and a client machine are connected Functional block diagram showing a part of processing flow in the network facsimile apparatus of the above embodiment Flow chart showing processing from home page display to update time setting in the above embodiment The figure which shows the related table of the HTML file Configuration diagram of the main page of the home page The figure which shows the source file of status html Figure showing the correspondence table between printer status numbers and file names Flow chart showing status html update operation in the network facsimile apparatus of the above embodiment Flow chart of status html read timing in the client machine of the above embodiment Configuration diagram of status information update time setting screen in the above embodiment Configuration diagram of a facsimile communication system using a conventional Internet FAX and a WWW server

Explanation of symbols

1 CPU
2 ROM
3 RAM
4 External storage unit 5 Scanner 6 Printer unit 7 Panel unit 8 Compression / decompression unit 9 FAX / voice communication unit 10 Network control unit 11 HTML file generation unit 12 WWW server unit 13 E-mail communication unit 14 TIFF conversion unit 31 WWW server communication unit 32 CGI string analysis unit 33 CGI application determination unit 34 CGI application 35 File transmission unit 36 File management unit 37 Document list generation unit 38 Address book generation unit 39 Communication result list generation unit 41 Status information generation unit

Claims (15)

Storage means for storing an HTML file constituting a status screen indicating the states of a plurality of internal devices;
Detecting means for detecting a state of the plurality of devices;
An HTML file rewriting means for rewriting the HTML file stored in the storage means when it is detected by the detecting means that the state of a device has changed;
A WWW server unit for transmitting the HTML file rewritten by the HTML file rewriting means to a client machine connected via a network;
With
When a URL for displaying the status screen is input on the client machine, the client machine requests the WWW server unit to transmit the HTML file, and the WWW server unit responds to the request. Sending the HTML file so that the status screen can be viewed by the WWW browser of the client machine,
An icon for instructing update is provided on the status screen that can be browsed on the client machine , and when the icon for instructing update is selected on the client machine , the WWW browser displays the WWW server. A network facsimile apparatus that requests the transmission of the HTML file to a part. While the WWW browser requests the HTML file from the WWW server unit by selecting an icon for instructing the update,
The update time is written in the HTML file,
2. The network facsimile apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the WWW browser requests the HTML file from the WWW server unit at each update time. Icons indicating the status of each device are displayed on the status screen,
The storage means stores an image file of icons indicating each of a plurality of states of the devices,
In the HTML file, an image file name is written for each device,
2. The network facsimile apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the HTML file rewriting means rewrites the HTML file by changing an image file name.   2. The network facsimile apparatus according to claim 1, wherein one of the states is idle.   2. The network facsimile apparatus according to claim 1, wherein one of the states is in operation.   2. The network facsimile apparatus according to claim 1, wherein one of the states is an error.   The network facsimile apparatus according to claim 1, wherein one of the plurality of devices is a scanner unit.   2. The network facsimile apparatus according to claim 1, wherein one of the plurality of devices is a panel unit.   2. The network facsimile apparatus according to claim 1, wherein one of the plurality of devices is a FAX communication unit.   2. The network facsimile apparatus according to claim 1, wherein one of the plurality of devices is a voice communication unit.   The network facsimile apparatus according to claim 1, wherein one of the plurality of devices is a printer unit.   12. The network facsimile apparatus according to claim 11, wherein one of the states is a power save state.   12. The network facsimile apparatus according to claim 11, wherein one of the states is a toner check state.   12. The network facsimile apparatus according to claim 11, wherein one of the states is a paper out state.   12. The network facsimile apparatus according to claim 11, wherein one of the states is a paper jam.

Images