JPH01126872A - Facsimile equipment - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To reduce the cost and time of communication by reading plural image files coresponding to a stored telephone number as one image file based on the same telephone number and sending the result. CONSTITUTION:A storage control means 117 stores a picture file in an image file storage means 111 when an image file and a telephone number are given from an input means 115 and stores the telephone number in a telephone number storage means 113. Then a transmission means 119 reads plural image files corresponding to the same telephone number from the picture file storage means 111 as one image file and sends the result. Thus, the communication time is reduced and the communication cost is decreased.

Description

[Detailed Description of the Invention] [Summary] The purpose of the present invention is to provide an image file storage means for storing a plurality of image files, with the aim of shortening communication time and reducing communication costs, especially regarding facsimile devices having an image memory. , a telephone number storage means for storing a telephone number; an input means for inputting an image file and a telephone number corresponding to each of the image files; and when an image file and a telephone number are input from the input means, an image storage control means for storing an image file in a file storage means and a telephone number in a telephone number storage means; and a storage control means for reading out and transmitting a plurality of image files corresponding to the same telephone number from the image file storage means as one image file. and a transmitting means.

[Industrial application field]

TECHNICAL FIELD The present invention relates to a facsimile device, and more particularly to a facsimile device having an image memory.

[Conventional technology]

For example, known facsimile machines are capable of transmitting image information such as graphics and photographs over long distances using communication lines, so facsimile machines have become widely used in the modernization of office automation.

One of the functions of the facsimile machine is to place the original to be sent on the document table in advance or to store the image information of the original to be sent as an image file in the image memory.
There is a so-called transmission reservation function that allows image information to be automatically transmitted at a desired time by setting the desired time for transmission.

However, there are cases where it is not necessary to specify the transmission time strictly. For example, if you have a manuscript that you want to send in the afternoon, but you will be away in the afternoon, you want to store the manuscript as an image file in the morning and have another operator send it in the afternoon. Or, a document may be stored during the day and sent at night when communication charges are lower.

[Problem that the invention seeks to solve]

By the way, with the above-mentioned facsimile machine, if there are multiple image files to be sent to the same destination, even if they are to the same destination, they are sent as independent image files just like sending to other destinations, so the communication time will be shorter. is not shortened,
Additionally, there was a problem in that overall communication costs increased.

The present invention has been created in view of these points, and an object of the present invention is to provide a facsimile device that can shorten communication time and reduce communication costs.

Means for Solving Problem C] FIG. 1 is a block diagram of the principle of the facsimile apparatus of the present invention.

In the figure, image file storage means 111 stores a plurality of image files.

Telephone number storage means 113 stores telephone numbers.

The input means 115 inputs an image file and a telephone number corresponding to each of the image files.

When the image file and telephone number are input from the input means 115, the storage control means 117 stores the image file in the image file storage means 111 and stores the telephone number in the telephone number storage means 113.

The transmitting means 119 reads out a plurality of image files corresponding to the same telephone number from the image file storage means 111 as one image file, and transmits the read image files.

Therefore, as a whole, a plurality of image files corresponding to the same telephone number are transmitted as one image file.

[For production]

When the image file and telephone number are input from the input means 115, the storage control means 117 stores the image file in the image file storage means 111 and stores the telephone number in the telephone number storage means 113.

Next, the transmitting means 119 sends a plurality of image files corresponding to the same telephone number from the image file storing means 111 to one.
Read and send as one image file.

In the present invention, a plurality of image files corresponding to the same telephone number stored by the storage control means 117 are stored in one
By reading and transmitting the image as one image file, it is possible to shorten communication time and reduce communication cost.

〔Example〕

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail based on the drawings.

FIG. 2 shows the configuration of a facsimile machine in one embodiment of the present invention.

(2) Correspondence between the embodiment and FIG. 1 Here, the correspondence between the embodiment of the present invention and FIG. 1 will be shown.

The image file storage means 111 includes an image file section 211
corresponds to

The telephone number storage means 113 corresponds to the telephone number storage section 241.

The input means 115 is the operation panel 203. Reading section 217
．． This corresponds to the compression/decompression unit 213.

The storage control means 117 corresponds to the control section 201.

The transmitting means 119 corresponds to the line control section 231 of the control section 2012 and the network control section 233.

Examples of the present invention will be described below assuming that the correspondence relationship as described above exists.

(2) Configuration of Embodiment In FIG. 2, facsimile machine 200 is connected to facsimile machine 280 via a line.

The facsimile device 200 includes a control section 201 that controls the entire facsimile device 200, a reading section 217 that reads image information of a transmitted document, a recording section 215 that prints image information of a received document, and a reading section 217 that performs overall control of the facsimile device 200. The image processing apparatus includes a compression/decompression section 213 for compressing data read by the computer and decompressing received compressed data, and an image file section 211 for storing transmitted data and received data.

The facsimile device 200 also includes a network control section 233 that controls the external line, and an automatic calling circuit section 235 that automatically makes a call from the facsimile device 200 to the external line.
and an automatic transmission circuit section 23 for transmitting and receiving signals and image information.
5 and the line control unit 23 that controls the network control unit 233.
1, an operation panel 203 for inputting instructions and data by an operator, a telephone number storage section 241 for storing telephone number data of a called party, and a communication information storage section for storing communication results in the facsimile machine 200. 24
3.

The control unit 201 includes an operation panel 203. Telephone number storage section 2
412 communication information storage unit 243. It is connected to the compression/decompression section 213 and the line control section 231. Furthermore, the compression/decompression section 213 includes the image file section 211. Recording section 215.
It is connected to the reading section 217 and the line control section 231.

(2) Operation of the Embodiment Next, the operation of the facsimile machine in the embodiment of the present invention described above will be explained.

FIG. 3 shows a table stored in the telephone number storage section 241. This table consists of the "file number" of the image file stored in the image file section 211, the "telephone number" of the destination, and the "storage address" for indicating the storage location of the image file section 211. ing.

FIG. 4 shows the procedure for storing image information and telephone numbers. Further, FIG. 5 shows the procedure for storing telephone numbers, FIG. 6 shows the transmission operation procedure, and FIG. 7 shows the communication control procedure.

Hereinafter, FIGS. 2 to 7 will be referred to.

(i) Storing operation of image information and telephone number First, the operation of storing image information and telephone number in facsimile machine 200 will be explained.

The operator sets the transmission document on the document table (included in the reading section 217) (step 411), and issues an instruction to read the image information from the operation panel 203.

When the control unit 201 receives an instruction to read image information from the operation panel 203, it sends an instruction to the compression/decompression unit 213. The image information of the original set in the reading section 217 is read in sequence (step 412), and the image information is read in the compression/reconstruction section 213.
compresses the image information and stores it in the image file section 211 (step 413).

Next, the operator inputs a telephone number from the operation panel 203 (step 414).

The control section 201 determines whether the same telephone number as the input telephone number is stored in the telephone number storage section 241 (step 415).

Table stored in telephone number storage section 241 (Fig. 3)
If there is no telephone number that is the same as the input telephone number (negative determination), the input telephone number is stored at the end of the table (step 416).

Furthermore, if the same telephone number as the input telephone number exists in the table of the telephone number storage section 241 (affirmative determination),
It is inserted and stored at the end of the same telephone number (step 417).

FIG. 5 shows an example of storing telephone numbers based on the procedure described above. First, the previously unstored phone number (0423-77-4111) is newly stored, and then the already stored phone number (044-777-1) is stored.
111) is stored.

(ii) Transmission Operation Next, the operation when transmitting a plurality of documents at once from facsimile machine 200 to facsimile machine 280 will be described.

First, the operator operates the operation panel 203 to instruct the facsimile machine 280 to send an image file (step 611).

When the operator gives a transmission instruction from the operation panel 203, the control unit 201 starts the operation of transmitting image information.

The control unit 201 sends an instruction to the compression/restoration unit 213, and the compression/restoration unit 213 reads image information for one page of the original from the image file unit 211 (step 612).

Next, the compression/decompression unit 213 inputs the read image information to the line control unit 231 (step 613). The image information input to line control section 231 is sent to facsimile machine 280 via network control section 233 and an external line (step 614).

Next, the control unit 201 determines whether all pages of the image file have been transmitted (step 615).

If all pages have not been transmitted, a negative determination is made in step 615, and the process returns to step 612 to continue transmitting the next page.

When the transmission of all pages is completed, an affirmative determination is made in step 615, and the control unit 201 then sends the facsimile device W.
It is determined whether all image files to be sent to 280 have been sent (step 616). If the transmission of all image files has not been completed, a negative determination is made in step 616, and the process returns to step 612 to continue transmitting the next image file.

When the transmission of all image files is completed, a negative determination is made in step 616, the line is disconnected, and the operation ends.

FIG. 7 shows the facsimile machine 280 (telephone number 044) based on the stored data in FIG.
-777-1111) shows the communication control procedure when transmitting an image file to 777-1111).

In this case, facsimile machine 280 (phone number 044-
The image file to be sent to 777-1111) is 3
(file numbers “01-1”, “01-2”,
"01-3") Exists.

As shown in the figure, the transmission procedure between image files at this time is that the control signal EOP is activated when the transmission of one image file is completed.
Instead, the control signal MPS is transmitted in the same way as in the normal connection procedure between pages, and the next image file is subsequently transmitted.

(2) Summary of the Embodiment As described above, when a telephone number is input from the operation panel 203, the control section 201 stores the same telephone number in the telephone number storage section 241.

Next, the control section 201 reads out a plurality of image files corresponding to the same telephone number from the image file section 211 as one image file, and transmits it via the line control section 231 and the network control section 233.

Therefore, by reading out and transmitting a plurality of image files corresponding to the same telephone number arranged together as one image file, it is possible to shorten communication time and reduce communication cost.

■0 Modifications of the invention In addition, in ``correspondence between the examples and FIG. 1'',
Although the correspondence between the present invention and the embodiments has been described, those skilled in the art will easily assume that the present invention is not limited to this and that there are various modifications.

〔Effect of the invention〕

As described above, according to the present invention, communication time can be reduced by reading and transmitting a plurality of image files corresponding to a telephone number stored by the storage control means as one image file based on the same telephone number. It is extremely useful in practice because it can shorten the time and reduce communication costs.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a principle block diagram of a facsimile device according to the present invention, FIG. 2 is a configuration diagram of a facsimile device according to an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram of the inside of a telephone number storage section, and FIG. FIG. 5 is an explanatory diagram of the telephone number storage procedure; FIG. 6 is an explanatory diagram of the transmission procedure; FIG. 7 is an explanatory diagram of the communication control procedure. In the figure, 111 is an image file storage means, 113 is a telephone number storage means, 115 is an input means, 117 is a storage control means, 119 is a transmission means, 200.280 is a facsimile device, 201.281 is a control unit, 203.283 is the operation panel, 211.291 is the image file section, 213.293 is the compression/decompression section, 215.295 is the recording section, 217 is the reading section, 231 is the line control section, 233 is the network control section, 235 is the automatic transmission circuit 241 is a telephone number storage section, and 243 is a communication information storage section. Telephone number consideration #j-m Ikunishi r intelligence exit Figure 3 Kenshi Sushine and ゛Electronic 5 horoscope number right Serinai Kan 1 Tozagawa p
Q words old nn 4th figure power S Liu 4 Tsuba 9

Claims (1)

[Claims] An image file storage means (111) in which a plurality of image files are stored; a telephone number storage means (113) in which a telephone number is stored, each corresponding to the image file and the image file. input means (115) for inputting a telephone number; and when the image file and the telephone number are input from the input means (115), storing the image file in the image file storage means (111); , storage control means (117) for storing the telephone number in the telephone number storage means (113), and storing a plurality of image files corresponding to the same telephone number from the image file storage means (111) as one image file. A facsimile device comprising: a transmitting means (119) for reading and transmitting; and a facsimile device.