JPH01294071A - Printer with facsimile function - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To enable reductions in installation space and manufacturing cost, by providing a facsimile function part for coding dot image data and outputting the coded data to a telephone line or for decoding dot image data received over the telephone line and transferring the decoded data to a printing output part. CONSTITUTION:A facsimile function system comprising a communication- controlling part 11, a coding/decoding part 12, a modem 13 and a line terminal device 14 is provided in addition to an existing printer function system comprising a higher-level device interface part 1, a controlling part 2, a reception buffer 3, a character generator 4, a printing/reception buffer 5, an input interface part 6, a printing-controlling part 7, a printing head 8, a mechanism part 9 and a console panel 10. This construction eliminates the need for a large-type expensive optical reading/printing mechanism, which has been required for a conventional facsimile device. Thus, it is possible for markedly reduce the overall installation space and overall manufacturing cost of an OA apparatus.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION (Field of Industrial Application) The present invention relates to a printer with a facsimile function used as one of office equipment.

(Prior Art) Recently, with the automation of office processing, various office automation equipment such as personal computers, printers, and facsimile machines have been installed indoors.

(Problems to be Solved by the Invention) Office automation equipment such as the above-mentioned personal computers, printers, and facsimiles are being miniaturized as much as possible, but there are limits to this. For this reason, there is a problem in that it tends to be difficult to secure installation space for new equipment in a limited indoor space.

(Means for Solving the Problems) A printer with a facsimile function of the present invention includes a control unit that converts coded data received from a host device such as a personal computer into dot image data, and a control unit that prints out the dot image data. A conventional facsimile machine is equipped with a print output section and a facsimile function section that encodes dot image data and sends it to a telephone line, or decodes dot image data received from the telephone line and transfers it to the print output section. By eliminating the need for a large and expensive optical reading/printing mechanism that was required by the previous system, the system is designed to reduce installation space and manufacturing costs.

Hereinafter, the operation of the present invention will be explained in detail together with examples.

(Embodiment) FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a printer with facsimile function according to an embodiment of the present invention.

This printer with facsimile function includes a host device interface section 1, a control section 2, a reception buffer 3, a character generator (CG) 4, a print/transmission buffer 5, an input interface section 6, a print control section 7, a print head 8,
In addition to the existing printer function system consisting of a mechanism section 9 and an operation panel 10, it is equipped with a facsimile function system consisting of a communication control section 11, an encoding/decoding section 12, a modem 13, and a line terminating unit (NCU) 14. ing.

A user of this printer with facsimile function selects a print output mode by operating a changeover switch on the operation panel IO, and then inputs a print command from a personal computer such as the PC9801, which is a host device. When the control section 2 receives a print command from the personal computer via the host device interface section 1, it detects that the print output mode is selected on the operation panel 10, and starts print control processing.

The host device interface unit 1 receives coded data transferred from the personal computer and stores it in the reception buffer 3, and when the buffer becomes full, it notifies the control unit 2 of this fact. The coded data stored in the buffer 3 is read out, converted to corresponding dot image data using the character generator 4, and written to the print/transmission buffer 5. When a predetermined amount of data has been written, the print control section 7 is activated. The activated print control unit 7 reads out a predetermined amount of dot image data stored in the print/transmission buffer 5 and transfers it to the print head 8 composed of a thermal head, etc. It controls the mechanism section 9 such as the paper feeding mechanism.This printout is repeated until the transfer of encoded data from the host device is completed.

When the user wishes to have this printer with facsimile function perform a facsimile transmission operation, the user operates the changeover switch on the operation panel 10 to select the facsimile function.
After selecting a mode and setting a destination telephone number, a print command is input from a personal computer, which is a host device.

When the control section 2 receives a print command from the personal computer via the host device interface section 1, it detects that the facsimile mode is selected on the operation panel 10, and starts a facsimile transmission operation.

That is, when the control section 2 reads the destination telephone number set on the operation panel IO via the input interface section 6, it activates the communication control section 11 and transfers the destination telephone number. Communication system activated? The n section 11 is a line terminating device 1
Make a call via 4.

When a call line is set up in response to the destination terminal device's response to this call, the control section 2 notifies the host device interface section 1 to that effect.

Upon receiving this notification, the higher-level device interface section 1 stores the coded data transferred from the higher-level device in the reception buffer 3, as in the case of the printout operation described above, and when the received buffer 3 becomes full, the controller 1 sends a notification to that effect. Notify 2. As in the case of the printout operation described above, the control unit 2 reads the coded data stored in the reception buffer 3 and converts it into characters and characters.
The data is converted into corresponding dot image data using the generator 4 and written into the print/transmission buffer 5.

When the writing of a predetermined amount of data into the print/transmission buffer 5 is completed, the control section 2 notifies the communication control section 11 of this fact. Upon receiving this notification, the communication control section 11 reads out a predetermined amount of the do-no-do image data stored in the print/transmission buffer 5, and the encoder/decoder 12 converts it into one-dimensional M
The data is encoded using the H method or the like, and sent to the telephone line via the modem 13 and line termination device 14 according to facsimile procedures. This data transmission is repeated until the transfer of coded data from the host device is completed.

When the communication control section 11 detects an incoming call from the telephone line via the line termination device 14, it notifies the control section 2 of this fact.

Upon receiving this notification, the control unit 2 notifies the communication control unit 11 that it is possible to receive the data, unless the print output operation or the facsimile transmission operation is in progress. Upon receiving this notification, the communication control unit 11 causes the line termination device 14 to respond, thereby setting up a call line with the calling terminal device.

The one-dimensional M
The H-encoded received data is decoded in the encoding/decoding section 12, and written into the dot image data/transmission buffer 5. The control unit 2 activates the print control unit 7 when the received data written in the print/transmission buffer 5 exceeds a predetermined amount. The activated print control section 7 reads out a predetermined amount of dot image data stored in the print/transmission buffer 5 and transfers it to the print head 8, and also controls the mechanical section 9 such as the print head and printing paper feeding mechanism. Take control. Receiving this hookjimiri data,
The demodulation, decoding into dot image data, and printout processing via the buffer 5 are repeated until the reception of facsimile data from the telephone line is completed.

Note that if the data transferred from the host device is in the form of image data from the beginning, the writing to the reception buffer 3 and the conversion process to a dot image by the character generator 4 are omitted, and this image data is immediately printed/printed. The data is stored in the transmission buffer 5.

(Effects of the Invention) As described above in detail, the printer with facsimile function of the present invention includes a control unit that converts coded data received from a host device into dot image data, and a control unit that prints out the dot image data. A conventional facsimile machine is equipped with a print output section and a facsimile function section that encodes dot image data and sends it to a telephone line, or decodes dot image data received from the telephone line and transfers it to the print output section. Since the configuration eliminates the need for a large and expensive optical reading/printing mechanism that was required by the previous system, the installation space and manufacturing cost of the entire OA equipment can be reduced significantly.

Another advantage of transmitting a document created on a personal computer over a telephone line is that the time and labor required for intermediate work such as printing, which was conventionally necessary, can be saved.

Furthermore, since the printer with facsimile function of the present invention does not optically read transmitted documents, there is no possibility of image quality deterioration due to dirt on the optical system, and there is an advantage that clear documents can always be sent out. .

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a printer with a facsimile function according to an embodiment of the present invention. 1... Upper device interface section, 2... Control section,
3...Reception buffer, 4...Print/transmission buffer,
7...Print control unit, 8...Print head, 11...
Communication control unit, 12... Encoding/decoding unit, 13...
Modem, 14...Line termination device. Patent applicant: NEC Home Electronics Co., Ltd.

Claims (1)

[Claims] Coded data received from a host device is converted into a dot image.
a control unit that converts the dot image data into data; a print output unit that prints out the dot image data; and a print output unit that encodes the dot image data and sends it to a telephone line or decodes the dot image data received from the telephone line. 1. A printer with a facsimile function, comprising: a facsimile function section that transfers the received information to the print output section.