JPH01302951A - Data communication equipment - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To include information showing the presence or absence of an emergency by providing a means which calls an operator with respect to a data communication request satisfying a prescribed condition. CONSTITUTION:When a CPU 51 judges that a judgement signal showing the emergency is inserted in a prescribed communication process, the call means for the operator is controlled from the CPU 51 through an interface 41. Namely, a control signal transmitted from the CPU 51 is supplied to an alarm light 15, which is flashing-displayed, and it is supplied to a buzzer 16 through an interface 42. Since a called side can be informed in terms of hearing and sight that original information that the operator is in the middle of reception requires emergency, the presence or absence of the emergency of the transmitted original can be securely discriminated.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [Field of Industrial Application] The present invention relates to a data communication device suitable for application to facsimile machines and the like.

[Background of the Invention] Facsimile machines and the like are known as data communication devices that communicate data based on a predetermined communication procedure.

As is well known, this facsimile machine converts image information read from a document into an electrical signal, then transmits it to the other party using a communication line such as a telephone line, and the other party converts the received image information into a visible image. This is a device that can reproduce the image information of a document.

In such facsimile machines, in order to connect a communication line, a line connection request signal is sent from the calling party to the called party, and the called party, upon receiving this signal, rings a bell to confirm the reception status. After that, transmission of image information is started by connecting the line. When the image information ends, the system is configured to ring a bell to indicate the line disconnection status.

[Problem to be Solved by the Invention] By the way, in a data communication device configured as described above, especially a facsimile device that performs data communication based on a predetermined communication procedure, the information to be transmitted is extremely urgent. There is also information.

However, conventional communication procedures cannot convey this urgent information, so a method is needed to easily and reliably distinguish between normal information and urgent information and to notify the operator on the called side. I don't have it.

For this reason, up until now, a method has been adopted in which a facsimile machine is used to transmit information to the other party, and at the same time, a telephone is used to notify the called party of the urgency of the situation.

Therefore, it is inconvenient for the calling party to use a regular telephone in addition to a facsimile machine to convey information and to indicate the presence or absence of an emergency.

Also, in some cases, a message is sent at the same time to inform whether or not the manuscript to be transmitted is urgent.
In this case, unless the operator on the called side is near the facsimile machine, he or she cannot see the message, making it impossible to reliably convey whether or not there is an emergency.

Therefore, the present invention solves these conventional problems and proposes a data communication device that can include information indicating the presence or absence of an emergency in a communication procedure.

[Means for Solving the Problems] In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, in the present invention, in a data communication device that performs data communication based on a predetermined communication procedure, an operator is called in response to a data communication request that satisfies a predetermined condition. This feature is characterized by providing means for carrying out the process.

[Operation] A determination signal indicating whether or not urgency is required is inserted into the non-standard function setting signal (NSS signal).

In other words, if a signal indicating urgency is inserted into the NSS signal on the calling side, the called side can determine whether or not the information to be sent is urgent by determining this NSS signal. can. Then, by receiving and accepting the DCN signal, which is a line disconnection command signal, sent from the calling side, the called side executes emergency processing by referring to the information obtained in the previous emergency determination process. .

The emergency process refers to, for example, a process such as sounding a buzzer provided on the device body, flashing a warning, etc.

This allows the operator on the called side to audibly and visually know that the document information currently being received is urgent, making it possible to confirm whether or not the transmitted document is urgent. can be determined.

[Embodiment] Next, a case in which an example of the data communication device according to the present invention is applied to the above-mentioned facsimile machine will be described in detail with reference to FIG. 1 and subsequent figures.

First, an outline of a facsimile machine used as a transmitter/receiver will be explained with reference to FIG.

FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram showing the overall configuration of the facsimile machine 1. As shown in FIG.

As is well known, the facsimile machine 1 has a rectangular parallelepiped-shaped housing (main body) 2 that houses an optical reading means for a document and a recording means (neither shown) for recording received image data etc. on recording paper. ing.

The image signal read by the optical reading means is transmitted to the other party using a communication line such as a telephone line.

The transmitted original is ejected from the lower front side of the housing 2.

A document placement table 3 is provided at the top of the housing 2, and a display device 10 that functions as an operation display section is provided on the front side of the top.
is provided.

The display device 10 includes an operation section 11 consisting of numeric keys, etc.
A display section 12 for displaying telephone numbers and the like is provided adjacent to the display section 12. As the display section 12, a liquid crystal or the like is normally used.

The display device 10 further includes a plurality of dial keys (direct dial keys) used when using abbreviated numbers, etc.
13 is provided, and an index sheet 14 is attached to a position adjacent to this dial key 13, on which the transmission destination is displayed in correspondence with each of these dial keys 13.

This is because the presence of the index sheet 14 makes it extremely easy to confirm the destination of the transmission. Reference numeral 15 denotes a warning light, and as will be described later, this warning light 15 blinks when the transmitted document is urgent.

Further, reference numeral 16 denotes a buzzer, which also informs the operator that an urgent document is being sent by driving the buzzer 16 when the transmitted document is urgent.

FIG. 1 shows a communication control means 50 in the facsimile machine 1.
An example is shown in which 51 is a CPU that manages communication control. 52 is a ROM in which various control programs are stored;
53 is a RAM that stores various information.

The image information read by the image reading unit 54 is sent to the modem and network control circuit (NCU) via the interface 55.
) 56. Further, the image information input manually through the line is supplied to the recording unit 5 through the modem and NCU 36, and further through the interface 57, and is recorded.

Parameters such as the recipient's destination that are input when reading the image are supplied to the display unit 2 via the interface 59, so that the telephone number, name, etc. of the recipient are displayed.

When there is a data communication request that satisfies a predetermined condition, in other words, when the CPU 51 determines that a determination signal indicating urgency is inserted into a predetermined communication procedure, the interface 41 is sent from the CPU 51. Then, the means for calling the operator is controlled. In this example, a control signal sent from the CPU 51 is supplied to the warning light 15, and this warning light is displayed blinking. It is also supplied to the buzzer 16 via the interface 42.

In this example, when a signal requiring urgency is confirmed, each of the buzzer 16 is driven in addition to the warning light 15, but it is also possible to drive only the buzzer 16. .

There are other ways to call the operator, so
The above is just one example.

Now, FIG. 2 is a drawing showing an example of a communication control procedure in a facsimile machine. When a line connection call is made from the calling side to the called side, in response, the called side sends a digital identification signal (DIS signal), called terminal identification signal (C5I signal) and non-standard functions. Identification signal (N
SF signal) is transmitted towards the calling party.

When the calling side detects the transmitted DIS signal, it sends a digital command signal (DC3 signal) to the called side, and at the same time sends a sending terminal identification signal (TSI signal) and a non-standard function setting signal. (NSS signal) is sent.

If the above-mentioned urgency is required, a signal (coat data or flag hit) is inserted into the NSS signal to determine the urgency. Therefore, on the called side, by determining this NSS signal, it is possible to confirm whether or not there is an emergency.

After the DC3 signal is sent, the calling side further sends a training check signal (TCP signal), and in response to this, the called side sends a CFR signal, which is a reception preparation confirmation signal. The calling side starts transmitting the image signal only after receiving this CFR signal.

When all the image signals have been sent, an EOP signal, which is a procedure end signal, is sent to the called side, and in response, the called side sends an MCF signal, which is a message confirmation signal. Sent to the calling party.

Further, the calling side receives and accepts this MCF signal and sends a DCN signal, which is a command signal for disconnecting the line, thereby disconnecting the line. At this time, after receiving the DCN signal, the called side refers to the contents set in the emergency determination process, and executes the emergency process if it is determined that the call requires urgency.

FIG. 3 shows the procedure of an example of the urgency determination process 60,
It is determined whether a bit indicating urgency exists in the S signal (step 61), and if a bit indicating urgency exists, an urgency flag is set (step 62).

On the other hand, if there is no bit indicating urgency in the NCC signal, the urgency plug is reset (step 63). Therefore, by determining whether the urgency flag is set or reset, it is possible to determine whether or not urgent processing is to be performed.

FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing an example of this emergency processing 70, in which the presence or absence of a flag set is checked (step 71), and if the urgency flag is set, emergency processing is performed (step 72). . Otherwise, the normal control procedure will terminate.

As described above, the emergency process refers to a series of operator call processes that do not sound the buzzer 16 and flash the warning light 15, or do not perform both at the same time.

Here, the signal indicating the urgency can be inserted, for example, by operating the urgency insertion key 17 (see FIG. 5) provided on the operation display section 11, or by placing a special mark to that effect on the manuscript. This can be achieved by attaching

Alternatively, if a facsimile machine has a function that allows automatic identification of the destination, if the destination is coded and recorded on the identification sheet, the contents will be automatically recorded. When it is determined by reading that there is an emergency, a determination signal indicating this is inserted into the NSS signal.

In the above description, a facsimile device is exemplified as a data communication device that communicates data based on a predetermined communication procedure, but the present invention is not limited to this.

[Effects of the Invention] As explained above, the present invention is provided with means for calling an operator in response to a data communication request that satisfies a predetermined condition. This can be reliably informed to the operator on the calling side. Therefore, for information that requires urgency, that fact is always communicated to the called party.

In addition, when the called party receives a signal that requires urgency, it is possible to reliably hear the transmission of the emergency information by sounding a buzzer or other means, so it is not possible to use conventional methods. There is no need to communicate this to the other party using a telephone line or the like.

Therefore, the data communication device according to the present invention is extremely suitable for application to facsimile devices and the like.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an example of communication control means in a data communication device according to the present invention, FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of a communication control procedure, FIG. 3 is a flowchart of emergency determination processing, and FIG. 4 is an emergency determination process. A flowchart showing an example of processing, and FIG. 5 is a schematic configuration diagram showing an example of a facsimile machine. 1...Facsimile device 15...Warning light 16...Buzzer 17...Emergency operation switch 50...Communication control means 51...CPU 54...Image reading section 58...Recording section

Claims (1)

[Claims] (1) A data communication device that performs data communication based on a predetermined communication procedure, characterized in that it is provided with means for calling an operator in response to a data communication request that satisfies a predetermined condition.