JP5510083B2 - Communication device - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a communication device, and more particularly to a communication device that automatically calculates a communication fee.

  Conventionally, in-house FAX transmission can be performed via a telephone line from a device having a FAX apparatus. In recent years, with the development of the network environment and the development of computer systems, transmission information can be sent from a computer system without a FAX device to a device with a FAX device to perform FAX transmission. For example, even if there is no fax machine in the vicinity of the company, if there is a computer system, it is possible to send a fax from a fax machine at a remote location.

  Since FAX transmission can be performed from a distant position, it is possible to select from which FAX apparatus to transmit in an environment where there are a plurality of FAX apparatuses. For this reason, there is a technology for automatically determining a device that reduces communication costs in an environment where there are a plurality of FAX apparatuses and performing FAX transmission.

  However, this technology may require a separate server to determine from which device the communication cost will be cheap, and it is necessary to prepare a list in advance which device is cheap to send from . Therefore, it is necessary to update the list when a new device is introduced. You cannot send a fax without updating the list. The problem to be solved by this patent is to calculate communication charges in real time without requiring a server and updating the list.

  As in Patent Document 1, a server computer system in which a FAX transmission device is in a network has a fee table for each device of FAX communication cost, and has a means for transmitting the lowest cost line from the fee table. A PC (Personal Computer) having a server is required in addition to a FAX transmitting device, resulting in a large-scale system configuration. It is always necessary to update the fee system, and fees that are not registered in the device cannot be calculated. Also, if you move to a different location and the equipment configuration changes, you will also have to change the fee structure. Further, a separate table list for FAX transmission is required.

  In FAX transmission by the method of Patent Document 2, information on FAX transmission must be registered in advance, and the information must be stored for security, and security protection to the storage area Is mandatory. Also, server equipment is required, resulting in a large-scale system.

  According to the method of Patent Document 3, the position of the FAX number can be drawn on a map, but a cheap line cannot be selected and the FAX cannot be automatically transmitted.

  In view of the above circumstances, the present invention does not require a large-scale system such as a server, and it is not necessary to register a communication cost data list in advance. An object of the present invention is to provide a communication device capable of automatically selecting a fax machine that can be used.

  In order to achieve the above object, the present invention is a communication device connected to a plurality of cooperation destination FAX apparatuses via a network, and when the FAX number of the FAX transmission destination is input, the FAX transmission destination A linkage module that passes a fax number and executes a map display command; and the map function that searches a location on each map from the fax destination fax number and the fax numbers of the plurality of fax destination fax machines; The map function notifies the link module of the map and the position on the searched map, and the link module searches from the FAX number of the FAX transmission destination on the notified map. Based on the length of the straight line between the position on the map and the position on the map searched from the respective FAX numbers, it is Wherein the communication charge to X transmitted to determine the most cheaper, there is provided a communication device.

  According to the present invention, there is no need for a large-scale system such as a server, and it is not necessary to register a communication cost data list in advance, and a FAX device that can transmit at a low communication cost from a plurality of FAX devices. It is possible to provide a communication device that can be automatically selected.

It is a block diagram which shows the hardware constitutions of embodiment which implemented this invention suitably. It is a block diagram which shows the software structure of this embodiment. It is a block diagram which shows the function structure of this embodiment. 1 is a diagram illustrating a configuration example of an image forming apparatus on a network according to an exemplary embodiment. In this embodiment, it is a display example when registering another image forming apparatus to cooperate in the registration information DB 211. 4 is an example of information of each image forming apparatus stored in a registration information DB 211 in the present embodiment. It is a sequence diagram of a FAX transmission process in the present embodiment. It is an example of a display of the screen which inputs the charge per unit time in this embodiment. It is a map display example in this embodiment. 4 is an example of distance and line information stored in each image forming apparatus on a network in the present embodiment. It is a figure which shows the transmission average time with respect to a line distance for every line system. FIG. 10 is a sequence diagram of FAX transmission processing when there is a malfunctioning image forming apparatus. It is a figure which shows the example of a display when the charge determination in a FAX transmission process is memorize | stored and displayed.

  DESCRIPTION OF EXEMPLARY EMBODIMENTS Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

(Constitution)
FIG. 1 shows a hardware configuration of an image forming apparatus including the IT-BOX of this embodiment.

  The IT-BOX 100 is connected to the image input / output device 110 via a LAN. The IT-BOX 100 and the image input / output device 110 are collectively referred to as an image forming apparatus 1 in this embodiment. Note that the IT-BOX 100 is communicably connected to another IT-BOX (or an image forming apparatus including the same) illustrated in FIG. 4 via a LAN.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the hardware of the IT-BOX 100 includes a CPU 101, a memory 102, an operation input device 103, an external media input / output device 104, a storage device 105, and a LAN control unit 106. The CPU 101 is an arithmetic device, the memory 102 is a primary storage device, and the operation input device 103 is a man-machine interface. The external media input / output device 104 and the storage device 105 are secondary storage devices. The former is a removable recording medium, and the latter is a low-portability recording medium (such as an HDD).

  On the other hand, the image input / output device 110 includes a printing device 111, a FAX device 112, an image reading device 113, and a LAN control unit 114.

  The hardware of the IT-BOX 100 is configured such that a scan image can be acquired from the image reading device 113 of the image input / output device 110 through the LAN control units 106 and 114. Printing can also be performed by the printing device 111 of the image input / output device 110. Further, FAX transmission is possible from the FAX apparatus 112. The FAX apparatus 112 is configured to be removable.

Next, the software configuration and functional configuration of this embodiment will be described.
FIG. 2 shows a software configuration, and FIG. 3 shows a functional configuration.

  A software group 200 shown in FIG. 2 is installed in the IT-BOX 100. Further, a database (hereinafter abbreviated as DB) group 210 shown in FIG. 2 is stored in the secondary storage device of the IT-BOX 100.

  The software group 200 includes an operation system (hereinafter abbreviated as OS) 201, a FAX transmission service application 202, a map application 203, a linkage module 204, and a system management application 205.

  The DB group 210 includes a registration information DB 211, an address DB 212, a telephone number DB 213, and a FAX number DB 214.

  Each software program in the software group 200 performs the information processing described below using the hardware resources of the IT-BOX 100 and the storage contents of the DB group 210 shown in FIG. A function 300 is provided.

  In FIG. 3, the IT function 300 includes a cooperation module (function) 301, a map function 302, a FAX transmission service 303, a system management function 304, and a GUI 305.

  The IT function 300 allows the user to register a FAX destination with the GUI 305 and execute FAX transmission. The FAX destination is stored in the storage area of the registration information DB 211. The FAX transmission service 303 creates FAX data and transmits the data to the image input / output device 210. The image input / output device 210 is connected to the IT-BOX 100 on the LAN, and transmits FAX transmission data from the FAX device 112. The system management function 304 can determine the state of devices connected on the LAN.

  The map function 302 has a map display function and a map search function. The map search function has a function of displaying a map located at an address corresponding to the information when any one of a FAX number, an address, and a telephone number is input. The map display function is a function that causes the GUI 305 to display a map on the screen.

  The cooperation module 301 can calculate a FAX communication fee per unit time for each device. In addition, it is possible to compare the charges when transmitted for each image forming apparatus in each place from the calculated communication charges.

(Network configuration)
FIG. 4 shows a configuration example of each image forming apparatus on the network.
The image forming apparatus A is an image forming apparatus in a Gifu branch that the user wants to use. The image forming apparatus A is an image forming apparatus in which no FAX apparatus exists. The user wants to transmit from the image forming apparatus A to the image forming apparatus G through any one of the image forming apparatuses B to F.

(Registering information of other image forming devices on the network)
A method for registering the image forming apparatuses B to F from the image forming apparatus A will be described below.
The user inputs the IP address of the image forming apparatus having a plurality of FAXes from the GUI 305 and registers the cooperation destination image forming apparatus. Here, image forming apparatuses for the Shiga branch, the Yamagata branch, the Nagano branch, the Hokkaido branch, and the Okinawa branch are set. The image forming apparatus B to the image forming apparatus F become image forming apparatuses connected on a LAN located at a position distant from the user.

  The IP address linked from the image forming apparatus A can be input from the screen of the GUI 305 by pressing the change button as shown in FIG. FIG. 5 is a display example when another image forming apparatus to be linked is registered in the registration information DB 211 in the present embodiment.

  Further, since each of the image forming apparatuses B to F has a FAX apparatus, each apparatus has a FAX number. FIG. 6 shows what information about each image forming apparatus is registered in the registration information DB 211 in this way. FIG. 6 is an example of information on each image forming apparatus stored in the registration information DB 211. As shown in FIG. 6, a FAX number and an IP address are associated with each image forming apparatus.

(FAX transmission processing)
FIG. 7 shows a sequence for actually transmitting a FAX.
From the IT function GUI of the image forming apparatus A, the FAX number of the image system apparatus G to be transmitted is input, and FAX transmission is started. The cooperation module 301 determines from the registered IP address that the registered devices are Shiga, Yamagata, Nagano, Hokkaido, and Okinawa. Since the registered device can be determined, the linkage module 301 passes the related FAX number for each of the five devices from the network to the map function 302 from FIG. 6, and executes a map display command from the linkage module 301 to the map function 302. The map function 302 retrieves the FAX number and displays a map of all positions of the image forming apparatuses A to G.

  The cooperation module 301 that acquired the map display position acquires the length of the straight line on the map drawing (illustrated in FIG. 9), and converts it to the actual distance from the scale of the map. The cooperation module 301 determines from which distance the transmission fee is reduced by using which device the FAX transmission is made. The FAX transmission service 303 transmits a command via the LAN to the FAX apparatus 112 of the image forming apparatus 1 determined to have the lowest communication fee by the cooperation module 301. The FAX apparatus 112 that has received the command executes FAX transmission.

A method for calculating the FAX fee with the map function 302 will be described.
The FAX fee can be calculated by a fee per unit time × (line distance × time with respect to line distance). The charge per unit time is a contracted factor for each line. In a device equipped with the FAX device 112, the unit time line charge of the own device can be input from the GUI 305 as shown in FIG.

  The time for the line distance is the communication speed of the line. The line distance is calculated from the map function. The map function has a search function and can display map position information from a FAX number.

  The map function 302 acquires the position coordinates on the map from the FAX number of the image forming apparatus A as shown in FIG. Then, the coordinates of the point of the image forming apparatus A are displayed on the map. Similarly, the position of the image forming apparatus G to be actually transmitted is displayed on the map. Similarly, the positions from the image forming apparatuses B to F are displayed on the map. A line between the point B and the point G displayed on the map is drawn, and the actual distance between the image forming apparatuses B to G displayed on the scale is calculated from the scale. Since the FAX number is stored in the map function even if the location of the FAX number changes in the middle, the actual transmission distance can be calculated.

  The calculation of the FAX transmission distance is repeated not only for the image forming apparatus B but also for the IP addresses registered in the image forming apparatuses C to F, respectively. The calculated distance is stored in the registration information DB 211 of the image forming apparatus F from the image forming apparatus B for each registered IP address. FIG. 10 shows the contents of the information stored. That is, FIG. 10 is an example of distance and line information stored in each image forming apparatus on the network.

  FIG. 11 shows the transmission time with respect to the line distance. The FAX line includes a G3-1 line using a normal telephone line and a G4 line using an ISDN line. The transmission time for each line distance is as shown in FIG.

In the case illustrated in FIGS. 4 and 7, it can be automatically determined that transmission from the image forming apparatus A to EG has the lowest FAX communication cost than the determination by the cooperation module 301 described above. .
According to the above-described embodiment, it is possible to determine and transmit a process of finding a FAX transmission device with a low communication cost that normally requires a server without requiring a server.
In other words, there is no need for a large-scale system such as a server, and there is no need to register a communication cost data list in advance, and a FAX device that can transmit at a low communication cost is automatically selected from a plurality of FAX devices. It can be said that it is possible.

(System management function 304)
The system management function 304 in the IT-BOX 100 sends a signal on the network when any image input / output device 110 is in a failure state (determined from a failure display of a service center (hereinafter abbreviated as SC)). In addition, the system management function 304 acquires a signal indicating that any one of the image input / output devices 110 is in a failure state (SC is displayed), and determines that the failure has been made automatically.

  Further, the map function 302 automatically removes a malfunctioning device from a target to be searched for a position on the map as a FAX transmission target. The sequence is as shown in FIG. FIG. 12 is a sequence diagram of FAX transmission processing when there is a malfunctioning image forming apparatus.

  According to the information processing, a failed device can be automatically found, and can be transmitted without worrying about the failure when transmitting to a remote device.

(Memorize fee judgment in FAX transmission process)
The cooperation module 301 stores transmission fee information in the storage device 105 in the image forming apparatus device 1. Further, the cooperation module 301 displays a list of communication fee information as to which device of each image forming apparatus generates a transmission fee on the map screen of the image forming apparatus. A GUI 305 is used for list display. The screen is displayed as shown in FIG. The fee displayed on the screen is a FAX fee when attempting to transmit from the device. Before transmission, the user needs a function to check in advance on the screen and prevent erroneous transmission. FIG. 13 shows a confirmation screen for transmission.

  According to the information processing described above, it is possible to display a list of FAX transmission charges at the time of transmission from a remote place on the GUI 305 map of the image forming apparatus 1. By displaying the list, it is possible to confirm from which image forming apparatus and how much communication fee has been generated from the remote image forming apparatus.

Further, the communication fee information used when displaying the list may be automatically transmitted to other image forming apparatuses on the network to share the communication fee information.
According to this configuration, the transmitted FAX fee can be automatically merged and registered for each device on the network. The user can confirm how much the data can be transmitted, and can confirm how much the data can be transmitted at a lower cost than when the FAX apparatus is actually attached.

1 Image forming apparatus 100 IT-BOX
105 Storage Device 110 Image Input / Output Device 200 Software Group 201 OS
202 FAX transmission service application 203 Map application 204 Cooperation module 205 System management application 210 DB group 211 Registration information DB
212 Address DB
214 FAX number DB
300 IT function 301 Cooperation module (function)
302 Map function 303 FAX transmission service 304 System management function

JP 2007-116231 A JP 2002-0447705 A JP 2009-005314 A

Claims (4)

A communication device that is connected to a plurality of linked FAX devices via a network,
When a FAX destination FAX number is input, a linkage module that passes the FAX destination FAX number to the map function and executes a map display command;
The map function for searching the position on each map from the FAX number of the FAX transmission destination and each FAX number of the plurality of FAX machines of the cooperation destination,
The map function
Notifying the cooperation module of the map and the searched position on the map,
The cooperation module
On the notified map,
The position on the map searched from the FAX number of the FAX destination;
Based on the length of the straight line between the position on the map searched from each FAX number,
A communication apparatus, characterized in that it determines which communication fee will be the cheapest when a FAX transmission is performed by any of the cooperation destination FAX apparatuses. If there is a failure among the plurality of FAX machines at the cooperation destination, a signal is sent to the network indicating that the FAX device is in failure, and another communication device on the network is in failure. System management function to receive information on FAX machines
The map function
The communication apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a position on the map is searched for except for the cooperation-destination FAX apparatus in failure. A storage device and a display device;
The cooperation module
The position on the map searched from the FAX number of the FAX destination;
A plurality of communication charges calculated based on the length of a straight line between the FAX number and the position on the map searched from each FAX number are stored in the storage device,
The communication device according to claim 1, wherein the map is displayed on the display device, and the plurality of communication charges are displayed on the map displayed on the display device. .   4. The communication apparatus according to claim 3, wherein information on the plurality of communication charges stored in the storage device is transmitted to another communication apparatus on the network.

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