JP6160408B2 - Facsimile device - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a facsimile (FAX) apparatus. More specifically, the present invention relates to a FAX apparatus having an upload function for uploading received FAX data to another apparatus.

  Conventionally, a FAX apparatus having an upload function for uploading received FAX data to another apparatus is known. As a publicly known document relating to the upload function of the FAX apparatus, for example, there is Patent Document 1. Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2004-151688 describes a case where the upload destination apparatus is a FAX apparatus, and the upload source FAX apparatus has found the reception capability of the upload destination FAX apparatus from the communication history with the upload destination FAX apparatus. As a FAX reception capability, a technology is disclosed that returns capability information based on the reception capability of a FAX device that is a transfer destination determined from a communication history.

JP 2002-305639 A

  However, the conventional technique described above has the following problems. That is, for dynamic capability information such as the memory capacity and communication speed of the upload destination device, which is the upload destination device, if a response is made based on the reception capability acquired in the past as in Patent Document 1, There is concern about the decline in the accuracy of capability information.

  The present invention has been made to solve the above-described problems of the prior art. That is, the problem is to provide a FAX apparatus that communicates with a transmission source apparatus based on highly accurate capability information when using the upload function.

  A FAX apparatus made for the purpose of solving this problem includes a communication unit that communicates with another apparatus, and a control unit. The control unit detects a FAX incoming call, and transmits as a transmission source apparatus. When the FAX data received from the original device is transmitted to the upload destination device, which is the upload destination device, and when the upload processing is executed, the detection processing detects that an incoming call has been detected. In addition, an acquisition process for communicating with the upload destination apparatus to acquire the reception capability of the upload destination apparatus, and a reception capability acquired by the acquisition process before starting reception of FAX data from the transmission source apparatus. Based on this, notification processing for determining the capability information to be notified to the transmission source device as the capability of the reception side device and notifying the determined transmission capability information to the transmission source device It is characterized in that the run.

  The FAX apparatus disclosed in this specification uploads FAX data received from a transmission source apparatus to an upload destination server. Furthermore, when uploading, communication with the upload destination server is triggered by an incoming fax, and the reception capability of the upload destination server is acquired. Further, the capability information of the receiving side device to be notified to the transmission source device is determined based on the acquired reception capability, and the determined capability information is notified to the transmission source device. Note that the reception capability of the upload destination device includes, for example, data format, image size, resolution, communication speed, free space, and usage restrictions. The capability information of the receiving device includes, for example, a data format, an image size, and a resolution. The upload destination device may be a FAX device, a printer, or a server.

  The FAX apparatus disclosed in the present specification communicates with the upload destination apparatus in response to the arrival of the FAX when executing the upload process for uploading the received FAX data to another apparatus, and obtains the current reception capability of the upload destination apparatus. The capability information to be acquired and notified to the transmission source device is determined based on the reception capability. In other words, capability information reflecting the current reception capability of the upload destination device can be returned to the transmission source device. As a result, a highly accurate capability information response can be expected.

  Further, the control unit may acquire the free capacity of the storage area of the upload destination device as the reception capability in the acquisition process. The free space of the upload destination device is likely to change dynamically. If the free space of the upload destination device is small, there is a possibility that the memory becomes full and FAX data cannot be uploaded. Therefore, by acquiring the current available capacity of the upload destination device, if the available capacity is smaller than the threshold, the capability information is determined so that the amount of data transmitted to the upload destination device is reduced. It is possible to cope with this. The free space in the storage area may be a physical free space in the memory or a logical free space in the memory area allocated for storing FAX data.

  Moreover, the said control part is good to acquire the information regarding the connection possibility to the said upload destination apparatus as said receiving capability in the said acquisition process. The possibility of connection with the upload destination device is likely to change dynamically. If the upload destination apparatus cannot be connected, the received FAX data cannot be uploaded to the upload destination apparatus. For this reason, by acquiring information related to whether or not the current connection to the upload destination device is possible, if the connection to the upload destination device is not possible, the local device outputs it, prompts confirmation of the connection to the upload destination device, etc. It becomes possible. Whether or not connection is possible can be determined by, for example, the presence or absence of a communication error, access authority to the upload destination server, or use authority.

  Moreover, the said control part is good to acquire the communication speed with the said upload destination apparatus as the said reception capability by the said acquisition process. The communication speed with the upload destination device is likely to change dynamically. If the communication speed is slow, it can be assumed that the network is overloaded. For this reason, by acquiring the current communication speed with the upload destination device, it is possible to cope with such cases as determining capability information so as to reduce the amount of data and waiting for upload when the communication speed is low.

  The control unit may acquire at least one of an operation load of the upload destination device and a recording capability of the upload destination device as the reception capability in the acquisition process. The operating load and recording capacity of the upload destination device are likely to change dynamically. If the upload destination device can perform data conversion processing, the higher the operating load, the longer it takes to complete the processing. Further, if the upload destination apparatus can perform data recording processing, there is a possibility that recording is not possible due to insufficient colorant or paper jam. Therefore, by acquiring at least one of the current operating load of the upload destination device and the current recording capability of the upload destination device, it is possible to appropriately cope with the above-described problem. The operating load of the upload destination device can be determined by, for example, the number of operating processes, the free capacity of the storage area, and the average operating rate of the CPU within a predetermined period. Further, the recording ability can be judged by, for example, the state of occurrence of errors such as insufficient colorant or paper jam.

  In addition, the control unit may execute a selection process for selecting a type of reception capability of the upload destination apparatus acquired in the acquisition process. The more the types of reception capability, the more suitable capability information can be determined. Therefore, it is preferable that the type of reception capability to be acquired can be selected.

  In addition, the control unit executes a load determination process for determining whether the operating load of the own device is high, and if the operating load of the own device is determined to be higher than a predetermined value in the load determining process, the acquisition unit In the processing, the reception capability of the conversion server that converts FAX data may be acquired, and the acquired reception capability of the conversion server may be regarded as the reception capability of the upload destination apparatus. When the own device is in an overload state, it is preferable to use a conversion server in order to reduce the processing executed by the own device. In that case, the capability information may be determined based on the reception capability of the conversion server. Therefore, when it is determined that the operation load is high, the operation load of the own apparatus can be reduced by acquiring the capability of the conversion server and determining the capability information. The operating load of the own device can be determined by, for example, the number of active processes, the free space in the storage area of the own device, and the average operating rate of the CPU within a predetermined period.

  In addition, the control unit executes a load determination process for determining whether the operating load of the own device is high, and if the operating load of the own device is determined to be higher than a predetermined value in the load determining process, the acquisition unit In the process, the reception capacity of the conversion server that converts FAX data is further acquired. In the notification process, based on the reception capacity of the upload destination device acquired in the acquisition process and the reception capacity of the conversion server, The capability information notified to the transmission source device may be determined as the capability of the receiving side device. When the own device is in an overload state, it is preferable to use a conversion server in order to reduce the processing executed by the own device. Therefore, by obtaining both the receiving capability of the upload destination device and the receiving capability of the conversion server and determining capability information based on them, it is possible to expect a good upload while reducing the operating load of the own device. .

  Further, the FAX apparatus disclosed in this specification includes a storage unit that stores the reception capability of the upload destination device, and the control unit is configured so that the reception capability of the upload destination device is the storage unit in the acquisition process. Detected an incoming call from the transmission source device in the detection process on the condition that the reception capability stored in the storage unit is not stored in the storage unit or stored in the storage unit more than a specified time ago As a result, the receiving capability of the upload destination device may be acquired. If the reception capability of the upload destination device is frequently acquired, a load is imposed on the network. Therefore, by acquiring the reception capability from the upload destination device on condition that the reception capability of the upload destination device is not stored or the stored reception capability is stored more than the specified time, It is possible to suppress frequent access to the upload destination device while updating the reception capability of the upload destination device.

  Further, the FAX apparatus disclosed in the present specification includes a storage unit that stores the reception capability of the upload destination device, and the control unit cannot acquire the reception capability of the upload destination device in the acquisition process. In this case, in the notification process, the capability information may be determined based on the reception capability stored in the storage unit, and the determined capability information may be notified to the transmission source device. By storing the reception capability of the upload destination device, if the reception capability of the upload destination device cannot be acquired, the upload process can be continued based on the past reception capability. The fact that the receiving capability of the upload destination device cannot be acquired can be determined, for example, based on error reception, timeout, and retry count.

  According to the present invention, when the upload function is used, a FAX apparatus that communicates with a transmission source apparatus based on highly accurate capability information is realized.

1 is a block diagram showing an electrical configuration of an MFP according to an embodiment. It is a sequence diagram which shows a FAX reception procedure. It is a flowchart which shows the procedure of a FAX reception process. It is a flowchart which shows the procedure of a DIS determination process. It is explanatory drawing which shows the example of the acquisition limitation of information.

  DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Embodiments embodying a FAX apparatus according to the present invention will be described below in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the present embodiment, the present invention is applied to a multi function peripheral (MFP) having a FAX transmission / reception function and an upload function.

[Electric configuration of MFP]
As shown in FIG. 1, the MFP 100 of this embodiment is connected to various external devices via a network or a telephone network so as to be communicable. Specifically, for example, communication with the conversion server 200 and the cloud server 300 is possible via the network. Further, FAX transmission / reception with the FAX machine 400 is possible via the telephone network.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the MFP 100 includes a controller 30 including a CPU 31, a ROM 32, a RAM 33, an NVRAM (nonvolatile RAM) 34, and an ASIC 35. The MFP 100 includes an image forming unit 10, an image reading unit 20, a network interface 37, a USB interface 38, a telephone line interface 39, and an operation panel 40, which are electrically connected to the controller 30. ing.

  The ROM 32 stores various control programs for controlling the MFP 100, various settings, initial values, and the like. The RAM 33 is used as a work area from which various control programs are read, or as a storage area for temporarily storing data. The NVRAM 34 stores data such as image data and various user settings. The NVRAM 34 is an example of a storage unit.

  The CPU 31 controls each component of the MFP 100 according to the control program read from the ROM 32 while storing the processing result in the RAM 33 or the NVRAM 34. The CPU 31 is an example of a control unit. The controller 30 may be a control unit, and the ASIC 35 may be a control unit. The controller 30 in FIG. 1 is a collective term for hardware used for controlling the MFP 100, such as the CPU 31, and does not necessarily represent a single piece of hardware that actually exists in the MFP 100.

  The network interface 37 is hardware for communicating with a network via a LAN cable or the like. The USB interface 38 is hardware for communicating with a device connected via a USB cable or the like. The telephone line interface 39 is hardware for communicating with other devices connected to the telephone network via a telephone line. The network interface 37, the USB interface 38, and the telephone line interface 39 are examples of a communication unit.

  The image forming unit 10 is configured to print an image on a sheet. The image forming method of the image forming unit 10 may be an electrophotographic method or an ink jet method. Further, even if a color image can be formed, it may be dedicated to a monochrome image. The image reading unit 20 is configured to read an image of a document. The reading mechanism may be a CCD or a CIS. Further, even if color reading is possible, only monochrome reading may be performed.

  The operation panel 40 is configured to display information for the user and accept an instruction input by the user. The operation panel 40 includes, for example, a liquid crystal display and a button group including a start key, a stop key, a numeric keypad, and the like.

  The conversion server 200 is a device that performs image data conversion processing. For example, the conversion server 200 performs a conversion process on the image data received from the MFP 100 and transmits the converted data to the MFP 100. Examples of the image data conversion processing include conversion processing between data formats such as JPEG data, PDF data, PDL data, and BMP data. Note that the conversion server 200 may transmit the converted image data to the cloud server 300.

  The cloud server 300 is a device that stores FAX data uploaded by the MFP 100. The cloud server 300 is an example of an upload destination device. The conversion server 200 and the cloud server 300 are not limited to those realized by a single computer, but may be a plurality of computers, a cloud system, or the like. The FAX machine 400 is a device capable of FAX transmission / reception via a telephone line. The FAX machine 400 is an example of a transmission source device.

[Sending / receiving fax]
Next, a FAX reception procedure executed by MFP 100 will be described with reference to FIG. The MFP 100 has an upload function for receiving FAX data from the FAX machine 400 that is a FAX transmission source apparatus and uploading the received FAX data to the cloud server 300. FIG. 2 shows a procedure that is executed when a FAX is received from the FAX machine 400 in the MFP 100 in which the upload function is valid. That is, in addition to the FAX transmission / reception procedure performed between the MFP 100 and the FAX machine 400, the upload procedure performed between the MFP 100 and the cloud server 300 is illustrated. Note that the procedure of FAX transmission / reception is an international standard, and only an outline will be described here.

  First, the FAX machine 400 calls the MFP 100, and the line is connected when the MFP 100 accepts the call. Next, the FAX machine 400 transmits a CUG signal (a signal indicating that FAX transmission is performed), and the MFP 100 returns a CED signal (a signal indicating that FAX reception is possible) to start FAX communication. Both sides confirm. That is, the MFP 100 detects an incoming fax by receiving a CUG signal.

  Next, information for determining communication settings such as communication speed and resolution is exchanged between the FAX machine 400 and the MFP 100. Specifically, the MFP 100 transmits the maximum receivable capability to the FAX machine 400 as DIS (reception side capability notification). DIS is capability information of the receiving side device for notifying the transmission source device.

  For this purpose, after detecting an incoming fax, the MFP 100 connects to the cloud server 300 and logs in. Also, various information of the cloud server 300 is acquired. Further, DIS is determined based on the acquired information and transmitted to the FAX machine 400. The contents of the DIS transmitted by the MFP 100 will be described later.

  The FAX machine 400 determines the communication setting according to the smaller capability based on the received DIS and the capability of the own device, and notifies the MFP 100 as DCS (transmission source transmission condition). MFP 100 transmits CSI (receiver registered telephone number) after transmitting DIS, and receives TSI (transmitter registered telephone number) after receiving DCS.

  After the transmission and reception between the DIS and the DCS, the FAX machine 400 transmits a TCF (training signal) in order to confirm the establishment of the communication with the communication setting notified by the DCS. The MFP 100 that has received the TCF successfully transmits a CFR (training signal OK notification). If an error occurs during TCF reception, the transmission speed is reduced and transmission / reception of the training signal is executed again.

  After confirming the establishment of the communication, the FAX machine 400 creates transmission data based on the established communication settings, and transmits the created transmission data as PIX (image data transmission). Further, the FAX machine 400 transmits EOP (transmission end notification) when transmission of all data is completed. In response to the EOP, the MFP 100 returns an MFC (normal reception notification). Further, the FAX machine 400 transmits DCN (line disconnection instruction), and the line is disconnected. This is the end of FAX transmission / reception.

  On the other hand, the MFP 100 prepares for upload during the FAX transmission / reception procedure described above. Specifically, after receiving the CUG signal and detecting FAX reception, the user logs in by connecting to the cloud server 300 that is the upload destination device before transmitting the DIS signal. And before transmitting a DIS signal, the information regarding the receiving capability at that time is acquired from the cloud server 300. Further, the acquired information is stored in the NVRAM 34 together with the acquisition time information. Information to be acquired will be described later.

  Then, the MFP 100 uploads the FAX data received from the FAX machine 400 to the cloud server 300. When uploading, if data conversion is necessary, conversion processing is executed. Note that the MFP 100 may request the conversion server 200 to convert FAX data as necessary. In that case, the data after conversion is received from the conversion server 200 and the data is uploaded. Alternatively, the MFP 100 may request the conversion server 200 to directly upload the converted data to the cloud server 300. When the upload is completed, the MFP 100 disconnects the connection with the cloud server 300.

[DIS]
Next, DIS that is notified from the FAX receiving device to the FAX transmitting device prior to transmission / reception of FAX data between the MFP 100 and the FAX machine 400 will be described. DIS is a digital identification signal for notifying the transmission source device of the maximum receiving capability of the receiving side device, and the meaning of each bit of DIS is determined by international standards.

  For example, if the receiving side is a FAX machine, a signal that is set by combining flags such as a paper size that can be printed by the receiving FAX machine and a resolution that can be processed is notified to the sending FAX machine as a DIS. To do. An apparatus having a FAX communication function such as the MFP 100 has DIS information in advance.

  The MFP 100 according to this embodiment has an upload function for uploading received FAX data to the cloud server 300. When uploading, the MFP 100 notifies part of the DIS such as resolution, color mode, and image size based on the reception capability of the cloud server 300. However, the operating status of the cloud server 300 changes from moment to moment, and the receiving capability may be affected by the operating status. Therefore, it is preferable to notify as the capability of the cloud server 300 based on the capability that can be executed in the operation status when uploading.

  Therefore, as illustrated in FIG. 2, the MFP 100 is connected to the cloud server 300 when the FAX reception is detected, and acquires the reception capability of the cloud server 300 including the operation status at that time. The reception capability of the cloud server 300 acquired by the MFP 100 includes, for example, the communication speed between the MFP 100 and the cloud server 300, the free space in the storage area of the cloud server 300, whether login from the MFP 100 to the cloud server 300 is possible, and usage restrictions. Information, data processing capability of the cloud server 300, and the operational load of the cloud server 300 are included. When uploading to a device having a recording capability such as a FAX machine instead of the cloud server 300, the recording capability of the device may be acquired.

  Then, the MFP 100 determines the DIS based on the acquired capabilities of the cloud server 300 and the capabilities of its own device. For example, when the free capacity of the storage area that can be used by the cloud server 300 is small, the DIS is determined so as to receive FAX data in a compressed format. Further, for example, the DIS is determined so as to receive FAX data in a format that can be processed by the cloud server 300 according to the data processing capability of the cloud server 300. Also, for example, if information such as connection failure to the cloud server 300, login failure, upload failure due to usage restrictions, etc. is acquired, the received FAX data cannot be uploaded to the cloud server 300, so based on the capabilities of the own device Determine the DIS.

[FAX reception processing]
Next, a FAX reception process executed when the MFP 100 receives a FAX will be described with reference to a flowchart of FIG. This process is executed by the CPU 31 when the incoming fax function is detected in the MFP 100 in which the upload function is valid.

  In the FAX reception process, first, the operating load of the own apparatus is acquired (S101). The level of the operating load can be determined by, for example, the number of active processes, the free space in the storage area of the own device, and the average operating rate of the CPU within a predetermined period. Then, it is determined whether the operating load is greater than a predetermined threshold (S102). If it is determined that the operating load is not greater than the predetermined threshold (S102: NO), a DIS determination process is performed in which the DIS is determined by taking into account the reception capability of the upload destination cloud server 300 in addition to the reception capability of the own device. (S104).

  Next, the procedure of the DIS determination process executed in S104 will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG. In the DIS determination process, first, it is determined whether or not the information of the cloud server 300 has been acquired within the past predetermined time (S201). Note that the MFP 100 stores information acquired in the past in the NVRAM 34. If it is determined that it has been acquired (S201: YES), DIS is determined based on the information stored in the NVRAM 34 (S202), and this process is terminated. If the information of the cloud server 300 has been recently acquired, it can be estimated that even if the previously acquired information is used, the current status has not changed much. Therefore, the information acquired most recently is used, the access opportunity to the cloud server 300 is reduced, and the network load is reduced.

  On the other hand, when it is determined that it has not been acquired (S201: NO), the user logs in to the cloud server 300 (S204). This login is executed by, for example, an ID set in the MFP 100 itself or an ID for an administrator of the MFP 100. Then, it is determined whether or not the login is successful (S205).

  If it is determined that the user has logged in (S205: YES), it is then determined whether or not information acquisition restrictions are provided (S207). As information acquisition restrictions, for example, as shown in FIG. 5, a plurality of types of settings are prepared in the MFP 100 in advance. Then, one setting is selected in advance by user input or the like and stored in MFP 100. That is, in S207, the MFP 100 reads out the stored settings and determines whether there is an acquisition limitation.

  This figure illustrates three types of settings and the types of information that are permitted to be acquired in each setting. For each setting, information that is permitted to be acquired is indicated by “◯”, and information that is not permitted is indicated by “X”. For example, setting “A” is permitted to acquire all information in the table. In other words, this is a setting with no acquisition restrictions. In addition, for example, the setting “C” is permitted for information on whether or not connection is possible, but is not permitted to acquire other information. That is, this is a setting with an acquisition limit. The acquisition restriction may be set differently for each upload destination cloud server 300.

  If the MFP 100 determines that there is no information acquisition restriction (S207: NO), the MFP 100 communicates with the cloud server 300 to acquire all information that can be acquired (S208). On the other hand, when it is determined that the acquisition restriction is provided (S207: YES), it is determined whether or not the information permitted to be acquired is only connection permission (S210). As shown in the setting “B” shown in FIG. 5, when there is permitted information other than whether connection is possible (S210: NO), the information is communicated to the cloud server 300 and information is not limited. Obtain (S211).

  On the other hand, when there is no permitted information other than the connection permission or not as in the setting “C” shown in FIG. 5 (S210: YES), there is no information that can be acquired any more because it is already logged in. Therefore, it progresses to S217.

  In S208 or S211, after acquiring information, it is determined whether the acquisition is successful (S213). If the information acquisition is successful (S213: YES), the acquired information is stored in the NVRAM 34 together with the acquisition time information (S214). Furthermore, using the acquired information, DIS is determined (S215), and this process is terminated. In S215, in addition to the information acquired this time, information stored in the NVRAM 34 may be used.

  On the other hand, when information acquisition has failed (S213: NO), or when there is no permitted information other than whether connection is possible (S210: YES), or it has been determined in S205 that login to the cloud server 300 has failed. In any case (S205: NO), the process proceeds to S217, and it is determined whether there is information stored in the NVRAM 34 (S217).

  If it is determined in S217 that there is information stored in the NVRAM 34 (S217: YES), DIS is determined using the stored information (S218), and this process is terminated. On the other hand, when it is determined that there is no stored information (S217: NO), DIS is determined based on the information of the own device (S219), and this process is terminated. That is, when information cannot be acquired from the cloud server 300 and there is no stored information, the receiving capability of the cloud server 300 is unknown, so the DIS is determined based on the receiving capability of the MFP 100.

  The information of the cloud server 300 acquired in S208 and S211 includes the free space in the storage area of the cloud server 300, the communication speed between the MFP 100 and the cloud server 300, the operating load of the cloud server 300, and the recording capability of the cloud server 300. Information of at least one of them is included. The MFP 100 determines DIS in S202, S215, and S218 based on the acquired information of the cloud server 300.

  For example, when the free capacity of the cloud server 300 is small, the MFP 100 determines the DIS so as to receive FAX data with a small data amount compared to when the free capacity is large. Further, when the communication speed between MFP 100 and cloud server 300 is low, DIS is determined so as to receive FAX data having a small data amount as compared with the case where the communication speed is high. Further, when the operational load of the cloud server 300 is large, the DIS is determined so as to receive FAX data having a small data amount compared to when the operational load is small. Further, when the storage capacity of the cloud server 300 is small, the DIS is determined so as to receive FAX data with a small data amount compared to when the storage capacity is large.

  Returning to the description of FIG. 3, after the DIS determination process of S104, the determined DIS is transmitted to the FAX machine 400 (S106). Further, FAX data is received from the FAX machine 400 according to the sequence shown in FIG. 2 (S107). Further, when FAX data is received, the connection to the telephone line is disconnected (S108).

  Next, upload data is created based on the received FAX data (S110). That is, the FAX data is converted as necessary so that the image data is suitable for uploading to the cloud server 300. Then, the created upload data is uploaded to the cloud server 300 (S111). When uploading is completed, the user logs off from the cloud server 300, disconnects the MFP 100 from the cloud server 300 (S112), and ends the FAX reception process.

  On the other hand, if it is determined in S102 that the operating load of the own apparatus is larger than the predetermined threshold (S102: YES), the reception capability of the conversion server 200 is acquired (S115). In other words, in a state where the operation load of the own apparatus is large, it is expected that the use of the conversion server 200 will end the process earlier than executing the FAX data conversion process in the own apparatus. When the conversion server 200 is used, it is desirable to receive data that can be easily uploaded to the conversion server 200 as FAX data. Therefore, information such as a data format, image size, and resolution that can be converted by the conversion server 200 is acquired.

  Then, the DIS is determined by adding the capability of the conversion server 200 to the reception capability of the own device (S117). Further, the determined DIS is transmitted to the FAX machine 400 (S118). Further, FAX data is received from the FAX machine 400 according to the sequence shown in FIG. 2 (S119). Further, when the FAX data is received, the connection to the telephone line is disconnected (S120).

  Next, the received FAX data is transmitted to the conversion server 200 (S122). Then, the conversion server 200 is caused to execute FAX data conversion processing to create upload data. Further, the MFP 100 receives the converted upload data from the conversion server 200 (S123). Then, the received upload data is uploaded to the cloud server 300 (S111). When the upload is completed, the cloud server 300 is logged off (S112), and the FAX reception process is ended.

  Even when the operation load of the device itself is large, not only the reception capability of the conversion server 200 but also the reception capability of the cloud server 300 may be acquired, and the DIS may be determined by taking them into consideration. That is, both S104 and S117 may be executed. For example, as much data as possible may be received within a range that can be processed by either the cloud server 300 or the conversion server 200.

  As described above in detail, the MFP 100 according to the present embodiment has an upload function for uploading received FAX data to the cloud server 300. When receiving an incoming fax, the MFP 100 acquires the current reception capability of the cloud server 300 through communication with the cloud server 300 that is the upload destination, determines the DIS based on the acquired reception capability, and transmits the determined DIS. Notify the original device. Thereby, the latest receiving capability including the dynamic information of the cloud server 300 can be notified. Therefore, when using the upload function, it is possible to communicate with the transmission source device based on highly accurate capability information.

  Note that this embodiment is merely an example, and does not limit the present invention. Therefore, the present invention can naturally be improved and modified in various ways without departing from the gist thereof. For example, the present invention is applicable not only to MFPs but also to copying machines, FAX machines, and the like that have a FAX reception function and an upload function.

  Further, for example, the type of information acquired as the reception capability of the cloud server 300 and the type of setting to be selected are not limited to the example shown in FIG. For example, the number of settings may be more or less. Further, it may be set in advance. Further, the types of information to be acquired may be more or less. Information to be acquired may include, for example, processable image data conditions, error rate, and the like.

  For example, in the above embodiment, the conversion server 200 can be used. However, if the conversion server 200 cannot be used, S101 and S102 may be skipped and the process may be started from S104.

  Further, if recent information is stored, it is not necessary to communicate with the cloud server 300, but communication may be performed when an incoming fax is received regardless of whether the information is stored. If you always communicate, you can be sure of the current information. Further, if there is stored information even if login is impossible, the DIS is determined based on the information. However, if login is not possible, the DIS may be determined based on the reception capability of the own apparatus. If login is not possible, uploading may not be possible, so it is preferable to receive FAX data that can be processed by the own apparatus.

  Further, for example, in the above embodiment, the case where the cloud server 300 is the upload destination server is illustrated, but the present invention is not limited to this. The present invention can also be applied when uploading to a FAX machine, a printer, a single PC, or the like. If the upload destination apparatus is a printer, a FAX machine, or the like having a recording function, information indicating whether printing is possible may be acquired as the recording capability. For example, when the upload destination apparatus cannot print due to an error such as a toner error or a paper error, it is possible to perform processing such as printing on the MFP 100 without executing the upload of FAX data.

  The processing disclosed in the embodiments may be executed by a single CPU, a plurality of CPUs, hardware such as an ASIC, or a combination thereof. Further, the processing disclosed in the embodiment can be realized in various modes such as a recording medium or a method recording a program for executing the processing.

31 CPU
34 NVRAM
37 Network interface 38 USB interface 39 Telephone line interface 100 MFP
200 conversion server 300 cloud server 400 FAX machine

Claims (9)

A communication unit that communicates with other devices;
A control unit;
With
The controller is
A detection process for detecting incoming facsimiles;
Upload processing for transmitting facsimile data received from a transmission source device, which is a transmission source device, to an upload destination device, which is an upload destination device;
And when the upload process is executed,
Triggered by detecting an incoming call in the detection process, an acquisition process for communicating with the upload destination apparatus to acquire the reception capability of the upload destination apparatus;
Before starting to receive facsimile data from the transmission source device, based on the reception capability acquired in the acquisition process, the capability information to be notified to the transmission source device as the capability of the reception side device is determined and determined. A notification process for notifying the transmission source device of the capability information;
The execution,
Furthermore, the control unit
Execute load determination processing to determine the operating load level of the local device,
If it is determined in the load determination process that the operating load of the device is higher than a predetermined value,
The facsimile apparatus characterized in that, in the acquisition process, the reception capability of a conversion server that converts facsimile data is acquired, and the acquired reception capability of the conversion server is regarded as the reception capability of the upload destination apparatus. A communication unit that communicates with other devices;
A control unit;
With
The controller is
A detection process for detecting incoming facsimiles;
Upload processing for transmitting facsimile data received from a transmission source device, which is a transmission source device, to an upload destination device, which is an upload destination device;
And when the upload process is executed,
Triggered by detecting an incoming call in the detection process, an acquisition process for communicating with the upload destination apparatus to acquire the reception capability of the upload destination apparatus;
Before starting to receive facsimile data from the transmission source device, based on the reception capability acquired in the acquisition process, the capability information to be notified to the transmission source device as the capability of the reception side device is determined and determined. A notification process for notifying the transmission source device of the capability information;
The execution,
Furthermore, the control unit
Execute load determination processing to determine the operating load level of the local device,
If it is determined in the load determination process that the operating load of the device is higher than a predetermined value,
The acquisition process further acquires the reception capability of a conversion server that converts facsimile data,
In the notification process, based on the reception capability of the upload destination device acquired in the acquisition processing and the reception capability of the conversion server, determine capability information to be notified to the transmission source device as the capability of the reception side device. A facsimile machine characterized by the above. In the facsimile apparatus according to claim 1 or 2 ,
The controller is
The facsimile apparatus characterized in that, in the acquisition process, a free space in a storage area of the upload destination apparatus is acquired as the reception capability. In the facsimile apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 3 ,
The controller is
A facsimile apparatus characterized in that, in the acquisition process, information relating to whether or not connection to the upload destination apparatus is possible is acquired as the reception capability. In the facsimile apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 4 ,
The controller is
A facsimile apparatus characterized in that, in the acquisition process, a communication speed with the upload destination apparatus is acquired as the reception capability. In the facsimile machine according to any one of claims 1 to 5 ,
The controller is
The facsimile apparatus characterized in that, in the acquisition process, at least one of an operating load of the upload destination apparatus and a recording capability of the upload destination apparatus is acquired as the reception capability. In the facsimile apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 6 ,
The controller is
A facsimile apparatus that executes a selection process for selecting a type of reception capability of the upload destination apparatus acquired in the acquisition process. In the facsimile apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 7 ,
A storage unit for storing the reception capability of the upload destination device;
The controller is
In the acquisition process, on the condition that the reception capability of the upload destination device is not stored in the storage unit, or the reception capability stored in the storage unit is stored more than a specified time ago A facsimile apparatus characterized by acquiring the reception capability of the upload destination apparatus when an incoming call from the transmission source apparatus is detected in the detection process. In the facsimile apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 8 ,
A storage unit for storing the reception capability of the upload destination device;
The controller is
When the reception capability of the upload destination device cannot be acquired in the acquisition process, the capability information is determined based on the reception capability stored in the storage unit in the notification process, and the determined A facsimile apparatus that notifies the transmission source apparatus of capability information.

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