JPH01280956A - Facsimile adaptor - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To relieve the processing load at a host equipment by providing a mode switching means switching a data into a conversion encoding mode inputting it to a conversion encoding means and into the nonconversion mode sending the data to an opposite facsimile equipment without any modification not through a conversion encoding means. CONSTITUTION:When a mode switching command is detected by a mode switching section 5 after the processing of a print output data (a), a mode switching section 5 switches the signal processing system in the inside of a facsimile adaptor from the conversion encoding mode into the nonconversion mode. Then a print output data (c) of a prescribed length sent succeedingly is regarded as a facsimile encoding signal subject to redundancy suppression encoding according to the G3 type facsimile equipment standards already. The data is sent to a line through a facsimile communication procedure control section 3 and a line control section 4 not through the conversion encoding section 2 and sent to the opposite facsimile equipment. Then the processing to expand the facsimile code in the host device once into a bit image is saved and the processing load in the host device is relieved.

Description

[Detailed Description of the Invention] <Industrial Application Field> The present invention relates to a facsimile adapter used to convert data sent from a host device into facsimile code and send it to a facsimile device at the other end. be.

<Conventional technology> In recent years, as information and communication services have become more sophisticated and diversified, the importance of communication that uses images has rapidly increased, and digital facsimile communication, which is a simple image communication method, has received a lot of attention in particular. On the other hand, with the increasing functionality of information processing devices such as personal computers and word processors, an environment that supports document creation has been created. It is conceivable that a document created by a document processing device such as a computer or a read processor may be sent by a facsimile device.

However, in order to send a document created using the above-mentioned document processing device using a facsimile device, the procedure is usually to first print out the document on paper using a printer device, etc., and then send it using the facsimile device. It will be done. To solve this inconvenience, facsimile adapters have been devised, and these facsimile adapters generally convert data output from the aforementioned personal computers, word processors, etc. into facsimile codes for facsimile communication. This is a processing device that converts the data and sends it to the other party's facsimile machine. Using this device, you can eliminate the trouble of printing out the data on paper and also obtain high-quality facsimile output. .

Next, we replaced the conventional general facsimile adapter with
This will be explained using figures. This figure is a schematic block diagram of a configuration example of a facsimile adapter for converting data from a host device into facsimile codes and transmitting the data to a G3 type facsimile machine at the other end. In the figure, a host interface section 1 controls data transmission and reception between a host device (not shown) and the facsimile adapter, and transfers data sent from the host device to the line. The data is roughly divided into line control data related to the control of the fax machine, and printout data related to facsimile output.

A conversion encoding unit 2, which receives print output data from the host interface unit 1, performs output control for controlling character codes, image data, and output formats such as line spacing and angle lines, which are the facsimile print output data. A facsimile image is formed using each of the data, and further processing is performed to encode the facsimile image into a facsimile code. This conversion encoding unit 2 includes two character font development units that develop character codes into dot patterns, and a font memory 2B that stores character font patterns used in the character font development unit 2A described above.
an image development unit 2C that creates a facsimile image represented by a bit image from the character font in which the character code is developed, the image data, and the output control data; and an image for temporarily storing the facsimile image. It is composed of a memory 2D and a compression encoding section 2E for encoding facsimile images into facsimile codes.

Further, the facsimile communication procedure control unit 3 to which line control data is input from the host interface unit 1 is connected to the G3
The line control section 4 controls the communication procedures of the type facsimile machine, and controls the communication line, such as connection and release of the line.

<Problems to be Solved by the Invention> However, the above-mentioned facsimile adapter is intended to use the other party's facsimile device as a remote printer device, and the format of the data sent from the host device is Since the target is the same format as output data to a general printer device, or a format similar to printer output data,
It is difficult to process a facsimile encoded facsimile image using its facsimile code. Therefore, there are applications in which facsimile images received from the other party's facsimile machine are used, such as incorporating the facsimile image received from the other party's facsimile machine into a part of a document being created on the host device, or easily adding the facsimile image received from the other party's facsimile machine. When performing processing such as sending a document again to the other party's facsimile machine after adding a new document, the facsimile-encoded image received from the other party's facsimile machine is sent to the host device, and the bits that are not facsimile-encoded in the host device are After unpacking it into an image,
This requires complex processing to be transmitted as image data to a facsimile adapter, encoded again in facsimile by this facsimile adapter, and output to the other party's facsimile machine.

However, in reality, rather than performing complex processing to add editing such as enlarging or reducing the facsimile-encoded image itself, a simple process that uses the facsimile-encoded image as is is required. There are overwhelmingly many cases. Therefore, complicated processing such as development into a bit image as described above is performed even though it is not necessary. Furthermore, compared to bit image images, facsimile encoded images have the advantage that redundancy is suppressed and the amount of data is small. Taking advantage of this advantage, facsimile images received from the other party's facsimile machine can be It is desirable to be able to store facsimile codes as they are in a storage device such as a magnetic disk of a host device.

The present invention was made in view of such conventional technical problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide a facsimile adapter that can easily and efficiently handle facsimile encoded images received through facsimile communication. It is.

<Means for Solving the Problems> The present invention constitutes technical means for solving the above problems as follows. That is, it is interposed between a host device such as a personal computer and a communication line, and includes an interface means for controlling data transmission and reception with the host device, and an interface means for transmitting and receiving data output from the host device. comprising a conversion encoding means for converting into a facsimile code, a communication control means for controlling the communication procedure of the other party's facsimile machine, and a line control means for controlling the communication line,
In the facsimile adapter that transmits output data from the host device to the other party's facsimile device, a conversion encoding mode in which the data is input to the conversion encoding means according to a mode switching command included in the data sent from the host device. and a mode switching means for switching to a non-conversion mode in which the data is directly transmitted to the other party's facsimile machine without going through the conversion and encoding means.

Function> In the normal state, the mode switching means operates in a conversion encoding mode in which the print output data sent from the host device is sent to the conversion encoding means, converted into a facsimile image, encoded, and then transmitted.

The printout data from the host device includes character codes,
In addition to image data and output control data, a mode switching command for changing the signal processing method within the facsimile adapter is included, and this mode switching command is sent from the host device and
When the data is received by the adapter, the signal processing method within the facsimile adapter is switched from the conversion encoding mode to the non-conversion mode, and the mode switching means causes the printout data from the host device to remain in its facsimile IJ code. It is sent to the line via the communication control means and the line control means. The mode switching command includes parameters for switching from the no-conversion mode to the conversion encoding mode and returning, such as the data length of print output data to be processed in the no-conversion mode and the number of lines of the encoded facsimile image. ing. Therefore, in the non-conversion mode, the printout data of the length specified by the above parameters is directly transmitted to the other party's facsimile machine without undergoing any processing such as conversion to a facsimile image or facsimile encoding, and then , the signal processing scheme is returned to transform encoding mode.

In this way, the facsimile encoded signal sent from the host device can be sent as is to the other party's facsimile device, which reduces the processing required to expand the facsimile code into a bit image on the host device, reducing the processing load on the host device. It is possible to easily utilize the image input device as a simple remote image input device.

<Embodiments> Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

In FIG. 1 showing an embodiment of the present invention, the same or equivalent parts as in FIG. 4 are given the same reference numerals. Then, the host interface unit 1 and the transform encoding unit 2
The only difference from the configuration shown in FIG. 4 is that a mode switching section 5 is interposed between the two. This mode switching unit 5 constantly detects the presence or absence of a mode switching command sent from the host device via the host interface unit 1 together with the printout data, and depending on the presence or absence of input of this mode switching command, the mode switching command is is not input, the print output data is sent to the conversion encoding section 2 to be converted into a facsimile image and encoded.
When the mode switching command is input, switching control is performed to a non-conversion mode in which print output data is directly sent to the line. Of the data sent from the host device, line control data related to line control is sent from the host interface unit 1 to the facsimile communication procedure control unit 3 and line control unit 4, similar to that in FIG. and according to the line control data,
Control of communication procedures for the other party's G3 type facsimile machine, such as establishing a logical communication path, and physical connection control to the communication line, such as calling operations and line release, are performed.

Next, the operation of the embodiment will be explained with reference to FIGS. 2 and 3. Figure 2 shows a sequence of printout data sent from the host device to the facsimile adapter, and Figure 3 shows an example of a facsimile image output to a G3 type facsimile machine at the other end based on the sequence. facsimile images shown as A, B, and C in FIG. 3 are output corresponding to data shown as a, b, and c in FIG. 2, respectively. First, when the print output data shown by a in FIG. 2 is received from the host device, since no mode switching command has been received at this point, the mode switching unit 5 operates in the conversion encoding mode to print The output data is sent to the conversion encoding section 2, where the print output data is converted into a facsimile encoded image. That is, the print output data consists of a character code, image data, and output control data, and when the print output data is a character code, the character code is converted into the font of the character corresponding to the character code in the character font development section 2A. The pattern is read out from the font memory 2B and developed into a dot pattern. Further, in the image development unit 2C, a facsimile image expressed as a bit image using the character font in which the character code is developed, the image data, and the output control data is created using the image memory 2D. be done. The facsimile image created in this way is subjected to redundancy suppression coding in the compression coding section 2E, and then sent to the line through the facsimile communication procedure control section 3 and line control section 4, and then sent to the other party's facsimile machine. It will be done.

After processing this print output data a, when a mode switching command is detected by the mode switching section 5 as shown in FIG.
The mode switching section 5 switches the signal processing method within the facsimile adapter from the conversion encoding mode to the non-conversion mode, and converts the subsequently sent print output data C of a predetermined length to the G3 type. It is assumed that the signal is a facsimile coded signal that has undergone redundancy suppression coding according to the standard of the facsimile machine, and unlike the above-mentioned conversion coding mode, the facsimile communication procedure control unit 3 does not go through the conversion coding unit 2. The information is then sent to the line through the line control unit 4 and sent to the other party's facsimile machine.

After the print output data C having the length specified by the parameter is processed in the non-conversion mode in this way, the mode switching unit 5 returns the signal processing method from the non-conversion mode to the conversion encoding mode, and then The sent print output data b is processed in the conversion encoding mode in the same manner as in the case of the print output data a described above.

<Effects of the Invention> Since the present invention is configured and operates as described above, it produces the following effects. That is, the facsimile machine of the present invention
According to the adapter, not only character codes and image data, but also
Since even facsimile encoded images can be easily processed, it is possible to reduce the processing required to once develop the facsimile code into a bit image in the host device, and the processing load on the host device can be reduced. Therefore, in addition to the conventional method of using the other party's facsimile device as a remote printer of the host device, it is also possible to easily use it as a simple remote image input device.

In addition, it is possible to add comments, etc. to a received facsimile encoded image using a document creation processing device, or to input a facsimile image received via facsimile communication into a document creation processing device to create a document that has been created in advance by the device. You can easily perform processes such as inserting it as a part,
As a result, by using a document processing device,
A more advanced document creation processing environment can be provided.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of the sequence of data input to the facsimile adapter shown in FIG. 1, and FIG. 3 is a diagram showing the processing of the data shown in FIG. 2. FIG. 4 is a block diagram of a conventional facsimile adapter. 1... Host interface section (interface means) 2... Conversion coding section (conversion coding means) 3... Facsimile communication procedure control section (communication control means) 4... Line control section (line control section) means)

Claims (1)

[Claims] (1) Interface means that is interposed between a host device such as a personal computer and a communication line, and controls the transmission and reception of data with the host device, and output data of the host device. converting and encoding means for converting the data into facsimile code; communication control means for controlling the communication procedure of the other party's facsimile machine; and line control means for controlling the communication line; a conversion encoding mode in which the data is input to the conversion encoding means in accordance with a mode switching command included in the data sent from the host device in the facsimile adapter for transmitting data to the host device;
A facsimile adapter comprising mode switching means for switching to a non-conversion mode in which the data is directly transmitted to the other party's facsimile machine without going through the conversion encoding means.