JP4165513B2 - Image communication device - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to an image communication apparatus that performs image communication with other apparatuses, and in particular, image communication capable of registering input destination information (partner name, e-mail address, facsimile number, telephone number, etc.). It relates to the device.

  In an image communication apparatus such as a facsimile apparatus or a multi-function apparatus that performs image communication, information on the communication partner (partner name, e-mail address, facsimile number, telephone number, etc.) is stored as an internal memory or telephone book data. Generally, it has a function of registering in an external database, searching the phone book data, and displaying the information of the other party. In the image communication apparatus having such a function, the user can easily obtain the e-mail address, facsimile number, telephone number, etc. of the desired communication partner when searching by the partner name. Get higher.

A data bank that can register e-mail addresses, facsimile numbers, telephone numbers, etc., which are other information of the other party without registering the other party's name when registering such other party's information as phone book data An apparatus has been proposed (see, for example, Patent Document 1). FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of telephone book data registered in this way. In FIG. 4, a destination name, an e-mail address, a facsimile number, and a telephone number are registered for each serial number that specifies a communication partner as information on the destination. In general, all of this information is registered for each destination, but for a communication partner, other information (e-mail address, facsimile number, Phone number) is registered (see serial number 002).
JP 7-182291 A

  If the other party name is not registered as in the phone book data shown in FIG. 4, when a search process is performed using the other party name, the other party name is not registered. Thus, there is a problem that an e-mail address, a facsimile number, or a telephone number must be individually searched, and the search process takes a long time.

  The present invention has been made in view of such circumstances, and when the other party name is not entered, by registering an e-mail address or the like as the other party name, search processing by the other party name is performed. An object of the present invention is to provide an image communication apparatus that can be reliably performed and that can prevent a delay in search processing.

The image communication apparatus according to the first aspect of the present invention is an image communication apparatus for registering input destination information as telephone directory data, and means for determining whether or not a destination name is input as the destination information; If the destination name is not entered, and a means for registering the information of the destination which is the input of the other party's name as a destination name, information of the destination that is input to the non-destination name the plurality of types exist, if the destination name is not entered, tare Rukoto sets whether priority register which type of information of the destination inputted other than destination name as the destination name It is characterized by.

In the image communication apparatus according to the first aspect of the invention, when the name of the other party is not input as the information of the other party, information on the other party other than the other party name is registered as the other party name. Therefore, it is possible to reliably perform the search process by the name of the other party. When searching, it is checked whether or not the destination name to be searched matches the search condition, but the destination name is not registered and there is no destination name to be checked as shown in FIG. In this case, the search cannot be performed in the search process using the name of the other party, but the search needs to be performed again using the e-mail address or the facsimile number as a search condition, resulting in a slow search speed and a long search process. On the other hand, in the present invention, information on the other party other than the name of the other party is registered as the other party name at the time of registration. Therefore, it is not necessary to repeat the search as in the prior art, the search speed can be prevented from being lowered, and the search processing time can be shortened. Further, there are a plurality of types of destination information other than the destination name, and the order of which destination information among the types is preferentially registered is set.

In the image communication apparatus according to a second aspect of the present invention, in the first aspect, the information on the other party other than the name of the other party is an e-mail address , a facsimile number, and a telephone number. It is characterized by being.

In the image communication apparatus according to the second aspect of the present invention, when no destination name is entered, the destination name is preferentially registered in the order of e-mail address , facsimile number, and telephone number . The reason for registering the e-mail address with the highest priority is that, in many cases, a part of the name is incorporated in the e-mail address, and thus the destination name is often known from the e-mail address.

  The image communication apparatus according to a third aspect is characterized in that, in the first or second aspect, the registration destination registered as telephone directory data is an external database.

  In the image communication apparatus according to the third aspect of the invention, information on the other party is registered in an external database. Since it is not necessary to provide a memory for registering information of the other party inside, the apparatus is downsized, and the external database can be shared by a plurality of image communication apparatuses, so that the use efficiency is high.

In the present invention, when no other party name is input as the other party information, information on the other party other than the other party name is registered as the other party name. The time required for the search process can be shortened. In addition, when no destination name has been entered, the priority of which type of destination information other than the destination name is registered as the destination name is set. In accordance with, it is possible to set which type of information other than the destination name is preferentially registered.

Further, in the present invention, when the destination name is not input, the email address is registered with the highest priority as the destination name among the email address , facsimile number and telephone number. Can be understood.

  Furthermore, in the present invention, since the registration destination of the information of the other party is an external database, the apparatus can be reduced in size, and the external database can be shared with other image communication apparatuses for efficient use. Improvements can be made.

  Hereinafter, the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings showing embodiments thereof. FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a multifunction peripheral (facsimile multifunction peripheral) 20 as an image communication apparatus of the present invention. In addition to the original facsimile function and copy function, the multifunction machine 20 has a function composite type function including a function of receiving an electronic mail from an external terminal device via a network and a printer function of printing out input image data. It is a facsimile machine.

  The multifunction machine 20 includes a control unit 1, a reading unit 2, a recording unit 3, a display unit 4, an operation unit 5, a ROM 6, a RAM 7, an image memory 8, a codec 9, a modem 10, an NCU (Network Control Unit) 11, and an interface unit 12. Etc.

  The control unit 1 is specifically composed of a CPU, and is connected to the above-described hardware units of the multifunction machine 20 via the bus 13 to control them and control stored in the ROM 6. Various software functions are executed according to the program. Further, the control unit 1 performs an operation process to be described later to determine whether or not the partner name is input as the partner information, and when the partner name is not input, It functions as a means for registering information of a partner other than the partner name as the partner name.

  The reading unit 2 reads an original with an optical system using, for example, a CCD, and outputs the read image data. The recording unit 3 is an electrophotographic printer device, and responds to image data of a document read by the reading unit 2, image data received by facsimile communication, image data sent from another multifunction device, and the like. Print out the printed image on paper.

  The display unit 4 is a display device such as a liquid crystal display device or a CRT display, and displays an operation state of the multifunction device 20 or displays a screen for prompting a user to input an operation or a screen for issuing a warning to the user. The operation unit 5 includes character keys, numeric keys, abbreviated dial keys, one-touch dial keys, various function keys, and the like necessary for operating the multifunction machine 20. In addition, it is also possible to substitute a part or all of the various keys of the operation unit 5 by using the display unit 4 as a touch panel system.

  The ROM 6 stores various software control programs necessary for the operation of the multifunction machine 20. The RAM 7 stores temporary data generated when the software is executed. The image memory 8 is composed of a DRAM or the like, and stores image data obtained by reading a document, image data received from an external device such as another facsimile machine, and the like. The codec 9 compresses image data to be transmitted according to a predetermined compression method, and decompresses received image data according to a predetermined compression method.

  The modem 10 is connected to the bus 13 and is composed of a facsimile modem capable of facsimile communication. Similarly, the modem 10 is directly connected to the NCU 11 connected to the bus 13. The NCU 11 is hardware that performs operations of closing and opening a line L1 with a public switched telephone network (PSTN), and connects the modem 10 to the PSTN as necessary. The multi-function device 20 is connected to another facsimile machine by the PSTN so that normal facsimile communication can be performed.

  The interface unit 12 is connected to an external device such as another multifunction peripheral or PC via a communication line L2 such as a LAN (Local Area Network) or the Internet, and exchanges data such as electronic mail with the external device. I do. The interface unit 12 is connected to an interface server 30 as an external database via a communication line L2.

  In the interface server 30, information on the communication partner input to the multi-function device 20 is registered as telephone directory data. FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of phone book data registered in the interface server 30. In FIG. 2, the name of the other party, the e-mail address, the facsimile number, the telephone number, and the address are registered for each serial number that identifies the other party of communication. It is common that all of these information is registered for each communication partner, but for communication partners for which no partner name is entered, the email address of the communication partner is registered as the partner name. (Refer to serial numbers 002 and 004).

  In the multifunction device 20 of the present invention, when information on a communication partner (a partner name, an e-mail address, a facsimile number, a telephone number, and an address) is input, the information is registered in the interface server 30. However, if the destination name is not entered, the e-mail address is registered as the destination name. If no e-mail address is input, the facsimile number is registered as the destination name. If no facsimile number is input, the telephone number is registered as the destination name.

  In this way, the user can register the phone book data without registering the destination name. The reason why the e-mail address is registered as a destination name preferentially over the facsimile number and the telephone number is because the e-mail address is such that the destination name can be known in nature.

  Then, when acquiring the information of the other party, the user accesses the interface server 30 and performs a search process using the other party name as a search condition. In the present invention, since the destination name is not registered in the phone book data and is not blank, the necessary destination information can be reliably acquired by this search process. Therefore, the search process can be completed in a short time.

  Hereinafter, the registration process of the information on the other party will be described. FIG. 3 is a flowchart illustrating an example of an operation procedure of registration processing of information on a partner in the multifunction machine 20 according to the present invention.

  The control unit 1 determines whether or not a partner name has been input (step S1). When the destination name is input (S1: YES), the destination name is registered in the interface server 30 (step S6), and other information (e-mail address, facsimile number, telephone number, address) Is registered in the interface server 30 (step S10), and the operation is terminated.

  When the destination name is not input (S1: NO), the control unit 1 determines whether or not an e-mail address is input (step S2). If an e-mail address has been input (S2: YES), the e-mail address is registered in the interface server 30 as a destination name (step S7), and other information (facsimile number, telephone number, address) Is registered in the interface server 30 (S10), and the operation is terminated.

  When the e-mail address is not input (S2: NO), the control unit 1 determines whether or not the facsimile number is input (step S3). If a facsimile number has been input (S3: YES), the facsimile number is registered in the interface server 30 as a destination name (step S8), and other information (telephone number, address) is stored in the interface server 30. Register (S10), and the operation ends.

  When the facsimile number is not input (S3: NO), the control unit 1 determines whether the telephone number is input (step S4). If a telephone number has been entered (S4: YES), the telephone number is registered in the interface server 30 as the destination name (step S9), and other information (address) is registered in the interface server 30. (S10), the operation is terminated.

  When the telephone number is not input (S4: NO), the control unit 1 determines that the information on the other party cannot be registered, displays on the display unit 4 that it cannot be registered (step S5), and performs the operation. finish.

  In the above-described embodiment, the registration destination of the destination information (phone book data) is the external interface server 30, but it is needless to say that the registration destination may be a memory in the multifunction device 20.

1 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration of a multifunction peripheral as an image communication apparatus of the present invention. It is a figure which shows an example of the telephone directory data in this invention. It is a flowchart which shows an example of the operation | movement procedure of the registration process of the other party information in this invention. It is a figure which shows an example of the telephone directory data in a prior art example.

Explanation of symbols

1 Control unit 6 ROM
12 Interface unit 20 MFP (image communication device)
30 Interface server (database)

Claims (3)

In the image communication apparatus for registering input destination information as telephone directory data, means for determining whether or not a destination name has been input as the destination information, and when the destination name is not input comprises a means for registering the information of the destination which is the input of the other party's name as a destination name, destination information that is input to the non-destination name is a plurality of types exists, the destination name If not entered, the image communication apparatus according to claim Thea Rukoto set of priority registers what type of information of the destination inputted other than destination name as the destination name. 2. The image communication according to claim 1 , wherein the information on the destination other than the name of the destination is an e-mail address , a facsimile number, and a telephone number, and the priority is set higher in this order. apparatus.   3. The image communication apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a registration destination registered as telephone directory data is an external database.

Images