JP4208385B2 - Data communication apparatus and data communication method - Google Patents

Description

[0001]
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a destination management technique for managing a destination of transmission data.
[0002]
[Prior art]
In recent years, data communication devices having a plurality of different data transmission components have been proposed. In such a data communication apparatus, destination information is managed for each transmission component such as an electronic mail transmission component or a facsimile transmission component.
[0003]
Further, a technique has been proposed in which a plurality of destination information used in another data communication apparatus is imported to the data communication apparatus and the destination information imported by the data communication apparatus is used.
[0004]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
However, in the above-described conventional example, if there is a transmission component that cannot be used in the import destination data communication device, such as when the transmission component installed in the import source data communication device and the import destination data communication device are different, it cannot be used. There was a problem that even the destination information was imported.
[0005]
In addition, there is a problem in that a transmission error occurs when the user uses the unusable destination information by mistake.
[0006]
Furthermore, in order to avoid this transmission error, it is difficult for the user to use the destination information that cannot be used manually.
[0007]
The present invention has been made under such a background, and an object thereof is to make it possible to efficiently divert destination information between data communication apparatuses having different communication means.
[0008]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
In order to achieve the above object, a data communication apparatus according to the present invention is a transmission means for transmitting input data, and executes a transmission process using any one of a plurality of communication systems having different communication systems. transmitting a transmission means capable, the destination information for the transmission unit to identify the destination for transmitting data, management means for managing Installing corresponding to one of the plurality of communication paths, the input data Selection means for selecting a destination to be performed based on the destination information managed by the management means, and the communication method associated with the destination for the input data selected by the selection means. and control means for controlling so as to transmit using the management means, in the case of managing import multiple address information recorded in the external device, the plurality of destination information , Import the destination information associated with the communication system sending treatment has become a viable state among the plurality of communication systems, among the plurality of destination information, transmission among the plurality of communication methods It is characterized in that destination information associated with a communication method in which processing can not be executed is not imported.
[0009]
The present invention further includes display means for displaying that the destination information has not been imported when transmission processing using a communication method associated with the destination information is in an inexecutable state .
[0010]
In order to solve the above-mentioned problem, a data communication method according to the present invention is a transmission means for transmitting input data, and performs transmission processing using any one of a plurality of communication methods each having a different communication method. The data of the data communication apparatus, comprising: a transmission unit capable of executing the management; and a management unit that manages destination information for specifying a destination to which the transmission unit transmits data in association with any of the plurality of communication methods In the communication method, a selection step of selecting a destination to which the input data is transmitted based on the destination information managed by the management unit, and the input data to the destination selected in the selection step , and a control step of controlling to transmit using the communication system associated with the destination, manages to import the plurality of address information recorded in the external device In case, among the plurality of destination information, import the destination information associated with the communication system sending treatment has become a viable state among the plurality of communication systems, among the plurality of destination information The destination information associated with a communication method in which transmission processing can not be executed among the plurality of communication methods is not imported.
[0011]
The present invention further includes a display step of displaying that the destination information has not been imported when the transmission process using the communication method associated with the destination information is in an inexecutable state .
[0012]
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.
[0013]
FIG. 1 is a system configuration diagram showing a schematic configuration of a communication system to which the present invention is applied.
[0014]
In FIG. 1, a copier 1001 is configured as a digital multi-function peripheral, and has a function of transmitting image data read by the scanner 2070 to various apparatuses in addition to the scanner 2070 and the printer 2095 (see FIG. 2). Yes.
[0015]
The printer 1002 functions as a remote printer that prints image data read by the scanner 2070 of the copier 1001. The facsimile machine 1003 receives image data read by the scanner 2070 of the copier 1001.
[0016]
The database / mail server 1004 stores data read by the scanner 2070 of the copying machine 1001. Data stored in the database / mail server 1004 is utilized by the client computer 1005.
[0017]
The Ethernet 1006 is used as a network for connecting a copying machine 1001, a printer 1002, a facsimile machine 1003, a database / mail server 1004, and a client computer 1005, and performing data transmission / reception between these apparatuses. Note that, as shown in FIG. 4, copying machines 4001 and 4002 are also connected to the Ethernet 1006.
[0018]
FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a schematic configuration of the copying machines 1001, 4001, and 4002.
[0019]
The controller unit 2000 is connected to a scanner 2070 that is an image input device and a printer 2095 that is an image output device, and on the other hand, is connected to a LAN 2011 including the Ethernet 1006 and a public line (WAN) 2051 so that image information and device information can be obtained. This is a unit that inputs and outputs
[0020]
A CPU 2001 is a controller that controls the entire copying machine 1001. The RAM 2002 functions as a work memory for the operation of the CPU 2001, and also functions as an image memory for temporarily storing image data.
[0021]
The ROM 2003 functions as a boot ROM and stores a boot program. An HDD 2004 is a hard disk drive and stores various software, image data, and the like.
[0022]
An operation unit I / F 2006 is an interface unit with an operation unit (UI) 2012 having a touch panel, and outputs image data to be displayed on the operation unit 2012 to the operation unit 2012. Also, it plays a role of transmitting information input from the operation unit 2012 to the CPU 2001.
[0023]
A network I / F 2010 is connected to the LAN 2011 and inputs / outputs information. The Modem 2050 is connected to the public line 2051 and inputs / outputs information. The above devices are arranged on the system bus 2007.
[0024]
An Image Bu step S I / F 2005 is a bus bridge that connects the system bus 2007 and an image bus 2008 that transfers image data at high speed, and converts the data structure. The image bus 2008 is configured by a PCI bus or IEEE1394.
[0025]
The following devices are arranged on the image bus 2008. A raster image processor (RIP) 2060 expands the PDL code into a bitmap image. A device I / F unit 2020 connects an image input / output device such as a scanner 2070 and a printer 2095 to the controller unit 2000, and performs synchronous / asynchronous conversion of image data.
[0026]
A scanner image processing unit 2080 corrects, processes, and edits input image data. The printer image processing unit performs printer correction, resolution conversion, and the like on the print output image data. The image rotation unit 2030 rotates image data. The image compression unit 2040 performs compression / decompression processing of JPEG for multivalued image data and JBIG, MMR, and MH for binary image data.
[0027]
FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing a configuration of software installed in the copying machines 1001, 4001, and 4002, and these software are stored in the HDD 2004. However, the copying machine 4002 is not equipped with the facsimile transmission component 3006 and the database storage component 3007.
[0028]
The operation unit component 3001 acquires destination information from the destination management component 3002 and displays the destination information. The transmission management component 3003 reads the document image data with the scanner component 3004 and acquires the destination information from the destination management component 3002 in accordance with the processing command issued from the operation unit component 3001.
[0029]
The transmission management component 3003 issues a transmission processing command to the print component 3005, the facsimile transmission component 3006, the database storage component 3007, or the mail / I-fax transmission component 3008, respectively. Original image data is transmitted to the database / mail server 1004.
[0030]
Further, facsimile data and I (Internet) fax image data transmitted from the facsimile machine 1003 and the client computer 1005 are received by a facsimile reception component 3009 and an I-fax reception component 3010, respectively. These received data are supplied to the transmission management component 3003 by the transfer management component 3011 and transferred to the transfer destination managed by the destination management component 3002.
[0031]
The support status of each transmission component is notified from the print component 3005, the facsimile transmission component 3006, the database storage component 3007, and the mail / I fax transmission component 3008 to the transmission management component 3003, and is collectively managed by the transmission management component 3003. The destination management component 3002 refers to the support status managed by the transmission management component 3003.
[0032]
FIG. 4 shows a configuration example when the destination management information recorded in the copying machine 4001 is exported and imported to the copying machine 4002.
[0033]
In this configuration example, destination management information is exported by accessing the copying machine 4001 from the client computer 1005 using the Ethernet 1006, and then imported from the client computer 1005 to the copying machine 4002. A configuration in which the copier 4002 directly acquires destination management information from the copier 4001 without using the computer 1005 may be employed.
[0034]
Any connection medium can be used as long as it can perform two-way communication. The protocol used for data transmission / reception between the copier 4001, the copier 4002 and the client computer 1005 on the connection medium is also HTTP. Any known protocol capable of transferring data such as (Hyper Text Transfer Protocol) or FTP (File Transfer Protocol) may be used.
[0035]
FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing import processing by the destination management component 3002 of the copier 4002 when the destination management information acquired from the copier 4001 by import is imported into the copier 4002.
[0036]
When the client computer 1005 is instructed to import, the destination management component 3002 of the copier 4002 starts the import process with the destination i = 0 in step S5001, and acquires the destination i in step S5002.
[0037]
Next, in step S5003, it is checked whether the type of the destination i is a group. If it is not a group, the process proceeds to step S6001 in FIG. 6, and if it is a group, the process proceeds to step S7001 in FIG. Processing related to i is performed.
[0038]
After performing the processing related to the destination i in the above steps, if the destination i is not a group, the processing proceeds to step S5004 via step S6011 of FIG. 6, and if the destination i is a group, the processing proceeds to step S5004 via step S7015 of FIG. .
[0039]
In step S5004, it is checked whether or not the processing has been completed for all the destinations. If there are unprocessed destinations, the process proceeds to step S5005. After setting the destination i = i + 1, the process returns to step S5002, and the above procedure is performed. continue. On the other hand, if the processing has been completed for all destinations, the process advances to step S5006 to end the import processing.
[0040]
FIG. 6 is a flowchart showing the import processing when the destination i to be imported in FIG. 5 is not a group.
[0041]
If the destination i is not a group, the destination management component 3002 starts import processing related to the destination i in step S6001. Next, in step S6002, it is checked whether or not the type of the destination i is a fax. If it is a fax, the process proceeds to step S6003, and fax support information is acquired from the transmission management component 3003.
[0042]
On the other hand, if the type of the destination i is not a fax, the process proceeds to step S6004, where it is checked whether the type is a database. If the type is a database, the process proceeds to step S6005, and database support information is acquired from the transmission management component 3003. To do.
[0043]
On the other hand, if the type of the destination i is not a database, the process advances to step S6006 to check whether the type is a printer. If the type is a printer, the process advances to step S6010 to acquire printer support information from the transmission management component 3003. To do.
[0044]
On the other hand, if the type of the destination i is not a printer, the process advances to step S6008 to acquire e-mail / I-fax support information from the transmission management component 3003.
[0045]
After acquiring support information corresponding to the type of the destination i in this way, in step S6009 it is checked whether or not the acquired support information is “Yes”. If “Yes”, step S6010 is obtained. After importing the destination i, the process proceeds to step S6011, and in the case of “None”, the process proceeds to step S6011 without importing the destination i, and the import process related to the destination i is terminated.
[0046]
7 and 8 are flowcharts showing the import process when the destination i of the import process in FIG. 5 is a group.
[0047]
If the destination i is a group, the destination management component 3002 starts import processing for the destination i with j = 0 in step S7001, and acquires the member destination j in step S7002.
[0048]
Next, in step S7003, it is checked whether or not the type of the member destination j is a fax. If it is a fax, the process proceeds to step S7004, and fax support information is acquired from the transmission management component 3003.
[0049]
On the other hand, if the type of the member destination j is not fax, the process advances to step S7005 to check whether or not the type is a database. If the type is database, the process advances to step S7006 to send database support information from the transmission management component 3003. get.
[0050]
On the other hand, if the type of the member destination j is not a database, the process advances to step S7007 to check whether the type is a printer. If the type is a printer, the process advances to step S7008 to send printer support information from the transmission management component 3003. get.
[0051]
On the other hand, if the type of the member destination j is not a printer, the process advances to step S7009 to acquire e-mail / I-fax support information from the transmission management component 3003.
[0052]
In this way, after acquiring support information according to the type of the member destination j, the process proceeds to step S7010 to check whether or not the acquired support information is “present”. After importing the member destination j in step S7011, the process proceeds to step S7012, and in the case of “None”, the member destination j is not imported and the process proceeds to step S7012.
[0053]
In step S7012, it is checked whether the processing has been completed for all member destinations. If there are unprocessed member destinations, the process proceeds to step S7013. After j = j + 1, the process returns to step S7002, and the above procedure is performed. continue.
[0054]
If all member destinations have been processed, the process advances to step S7014 to import the group destination i, and then the import process for the destination i ends in step S7015.
[0055]
Preferably, in the determination step of step S6009 of FIG. 6 or step S7010 of FIG. 8, if the transmission component corresponding to the destination to be imported is not installed in the copier 4002, etc., it is invalid. A message may be displayed on the display indicating that the destination was not imported because the corresponding sending component is invalid.
[0056]
The message may be, for example, “The fax component is invalid. The fax destination has been automatically deleted.” The timing for displaying such a message may be when all the destination information is imported (step S5006 in FIG. 5) or when one group destination information is imported (step S7015 in FIG. 8). Also, it may be a point vegetable (step S6009 in FIG. 6 or step S7010 in FIG. 8) in which the component corresponding to each destination is found to be invalid during the import of the destination information.
[0057]
FIG. 9 is a diagram showing a change example of the destination management information when the destination management information acquired from the copying machine 4001 by export is imported to the copying machine 4002 as described above.
[0058]
The destination management information exported from the copier 4001 includes the fax and database destinations. However, since the copier 4002 does not support the fax and database functions, FIG. 5, FIG. 6, and FIG. , 8, the destination management information is reconfigured by removing the fax and database destinations and the fax and database member destinations included in the group destination.
[0059]
As described above, in this embodiment, when importing destination information into the data communication apparatus, the installation state of the transmission component of the data communication apparatus is determined, and reconfigured into the destination information according to the determination result and imported. I am doing so. In particular, when importing group destination information, for each member destination information constituting the group destination information, it is checked whether or not the data communication unit corresponding to the member destination information is installed in the data communication apparatus that performs the import. Thus, only member destination information corresponding to the data communication means installed is selectively imported.
[0060]
Therefore, the destination information to be imported can be optimized according to the components included in the data communication apparatus. Then, when the user uses the imported destination information, it is possible to prevent an error from occurring due to the absence of the corresponding component.
[0061]
Note that the present invention is also applied to various modifications other than the above embodiment.
For example, in the above embodiment, the destination information in which the corresponding transmission component is invalid is not imported. However, as a modified example, the destination information is imported with an unusable status, and the destination information is unusable. The status destination information may be controlled so that the user cannot use it. Thereafter, when the transmission component corresponding to the unusable destination information becomes valid, the unusable status may be canceled. According to this modification, the destination information that cannot be used because the corresponding transmission component is invalid can be used after the transmission component is enabled, so that it is not necessary to re-import the destination information. is there.
[0062]
In the above-described embodiment, a single communication apparatus called a copying machine having a plurality of communication components has been described as an example. However, a host computer and devices such as a modem unit and a LAN unit are connected via a predetermined interface. It can also be applied to the system.
[0063]
Another object of the present invention is to store software program codes for realizing the functions of the above-described embodiments in a computer-readable recording medium, and the computer (or CPU or MPU) of the system or apparatus is stored in the recording medium. It is also achieved by reading and executing the program code. In this case, the program code itself read from the storage medium realizes the functions of the above-described embodiment, and the recording medium storing the program code constitutes the present invention.
[0064]
As a storage medium for supplying the program code, for example, a floppy disk, a hard disk, an optical disk, a magneto-optical disk, a CD-ROM, a CD-R, a magnetic tape, a nonvolatile memory card, a ROM, a DVD, or the like is used. it can.
[0065]
Further, by executing the program code read by the computer, not only the functions of the above-described embodiments are realized, but also an OS (operating system) operating on the computer based on the instruction of the program code. A case where part or all of the actual processing is performed and the functions of the above-described embodiments are realized by the processing is also included.
[0066]
Further, after the program code read from the storage medium is written in a memory provided in a function expansion board inserted into the computer or a function expansion unit connected to the computer, the function expansion board is based on the instruction of the program code. Also included is a case where the CPU or the like provided in the function expansion unit performs part or all of the actual processing, and the functions of the above-described embodiments are realized by the processing.
[0067]
The program code at this time may be CPU native code, may be written in a predetermined interpreter language, and may be converted into CPU native code at runtime, or in a predetermined format. It may be written script data that is interpreted and executed by the operating system.
[0068]
【The invention's effect】
As described above, according to the present invention, only destination information that can be actually used in the data communication apparatus is imported without bothering the user. The problem that an error occurs can be avoided .
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a system configuration diagram showing a schematic configuration of a communication system to which the present invention is applied.
FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating a schematic configuration of a copying machine.
FIG. 3 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration of software installed in a copier.
FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating an apparatus for exporting and importing destination management information.
FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing destination management information import processing;
FIG. 6 is a flowchart showing import processing when destination information to be imported is not a group.
FIG. 7 is a flowchart showing import processing when destination information to be imported is a group.
FIG. 8 is a flowchart continued from FIG. 7;
FIG. 9 is a diagram illustrating a data reconfiguration example of destination management information when the destination management information is imported.
[Explanation of symbols]
1001, 4001, 4002: Copier 1005: Client computer 1006: Ethernet 2000: Controller unit 2001: CPU
2002: RAM
2003: ROM
2004: Hard disk 2011: LAN
2012: Operation unit 2051: WAN
2070: Scanner 2080: Scanner image processing unit 2090: Printer image processing unit 2095: Printer 3001: Operation unit component 3002: Destination management component 3003: Transmission management component 3004: Scanner component 3005: Print component 3006: Facsimile transmission component 3007: Database storage Component 3008: Mail / I-fax transmission component 3009: Facsimile reception component 3010: I-fax reception component 3011: Transfer management component

Claims (4)

A transmission means for transmitting the input data, the transmission means capable of executing a transmission process using any one of a plurality of communication systems each having a different communication system ;
Managing means said transmitting means to address information for specifying a destination for transmitting data, manages Installing corresponding to one of the plurality of communication paths,
Selection means for selecting a destination to which the input data is transmitted based on the destination information managed by the management means;
Control means for controlling the input data to be transmitted to the destination selected by the selection means using the communication method associated with the destination;
It said management means, in the case of managing to import multiple destinations information recorded in the external device, of the plurality of destination information, and status transmission processing can be executed among the plurality of communication methods import destination information associated with the communication method is, among the plurality of destination information associated with the communication system in the state transmission process is not executable within said plurality of communication systems A data communication apparatus characterized by not importing destination information. Claims, characterized in that the transmission processing using the communication method associated with the destination information in the case that has become impossible execution state, and a display means for displaying the effect that the address information was not imported The data communication apparatus according to 1. And viable transmission means a transmission process using any of a plurality of different communication methods of each communication system a transmitting means for transmitting the input data, identify a destination that said transmitting means transmits the data the destination information for, in the data communication method of a data communication apparatus and a managing means for managing Installing corresponding to one of the plurality of communication paths,
A selection step of selecting a destination to which the input data is transmitted based on the destination information managed by the management unit;
A control step of controlling the input data to be transmitted to the destination selected in the selection step using the communication method associated with the destination;
In case of managing import the plurality of address information recorded in the external device, the plurality of address information, communication system transmission process has become a viable state among the plurality of communication methods import destination information associated with, among the plurality of destination information, import destination information associated with the communication system transmission process has become an unworkable state among the plurality of communication methods A data communication method characterized by not. The display step of displaying that the destination information has not been imported when transmission processing using a communication method associated with the destination information is in an inexecutable state. 3. The data communication method according to 3.

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