JPH01305657A - Picture communication equipment - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To prevent wicked mischief by executing prescribed processing when picture data, which is same as picture data formerly received, are received. CONSTITUTION:A CPU1 uses a ROM4 and a RAM5 for data processing in correspondence to an operating input from an operating part 7 and controls a printer 2, an image scanner 3 and a communication control part 6 according to a control program stored in the ROM4. Then, transmitting and receiving operation is executed. It is decided in each receiving picture data (MR code data) of one page received at the time of automatic reception, whether the data are same as the received picture data of one page formerly received or not. When the data are same, the picture data for one page received at this time operation are canceled and a call is interrupted as needed. Thus, the damage of the wicked mischief to repeatedly transmit the same picture can be suppressed to a minimum.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [Field of Industrial Application] The present invention relates to an image communication device, and particularly to image communication that transmits and receives image data using a data compression method in which the data length of a predetermined unit of image data is variable. It is related to the device.

[Prior art] As this type of device, MH (Modified Huffman)
There are facsimile apparatuses that transmit and receive image data using a data compression method that encodes and compresses image data using variable length codes, such as the MR (Modified Read) method and the MMR (Die Fight Modified Read) method.

Regardless of whether or not such a data compression method is used, the configuration of a conventional facsimile machine with an automatic reception function is generally such that when the user is not in the automatic reception mode and is not involved in the operation of the machine, When you start receiving − degrees,
The reception operation continues until the communication is completed, except when reception becomes impossible (for example, the recording paper runs out or the image memory overflows in the case of memory reception).

[Problem to be solved by the invention] However, recently, facsimile machines have been used to anonymously repeatedly send one to several pages worth of meaningless image information to facsimile machines that have an automatic reception function for the same destination, such as at night. There are people who commit malicious pranks by sending messages continuously. In order to transmit a large amount of meaningless image information, a facsimile machine that has a memory transmission function and a sequential broadcast function to the same destination is used to repeatedly transmit one to several pages worth of image information stored in memory. seems to be doing so.

If this is done, the facsimile machine on the receiving side will continue receiving and recording/outputting operations in automatic reception mode as described above, unless the user is near the device, until the communication ends or reception becomes impossible. In addition, recording paper may be wasted and the recording paper may run out, and since the line is occupied during communication, other normal transmissions cannot be received, and business operations are disrupted.

Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide an image communication device configured to prevent such malicious mischief.

[Means for Solving the Problems] In order to solve the above problems, the present invention provides an image communication device that transmits and receives image data using a data compression method in which the data length of a predetermined unit of image data is variable. At the time of reception, each time the reception of a predetermined unit of compressed image data is completed, the data length of the predetermined unit of data matches the data length of the previously received predetermined unit of data. A configuration is adopted in which a control means is provided for determining whether or not the data is the same as a previously received predetermined unit of data, and performing a predetermined IA process according to the determination result.

[Operation] According to such a configuration, when the same predetermined unit of image data as the predetermined unit of image data received previously is received, the control means performs a predetermined process, for example, the predetermined unit of image data received this time. By discarding image data, disconnecting calls, etc., it is possible to minimize the damage caused by the above-mentioned malicious prank of repeatedly transmitting the same image.

[Embodiments] Hereinafter, details of embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. Here, as an example, a facsimile machine having an automatic reception function conforming to the 03 standard recommended by the CCITT (International Telegraph and Telephone Consultative Committee) will be exemplified.

Before going into the specific explanation of this embodiment, let us introduce MR, which is a data encoding method adopted in 03 standard facsimile machines.
The structure of MR code data based on the encoding method will be explained.

FIGS. 3(A) and 3(B) show examples of the structure of MR code data. FIG. 3(A) shows the code data of the first few scanning lines of one page of images, ) indicates the code data of the last scanning line of one page.

As shown in the figure, the MR code data includes a line synchronization code (EOL code 10 tag bits indicating the division of one scanning line) 11,
Data code 12 and fill bit 13 of image data
It consists of three types of codes. Also, R indicates the end of one page by repeating the line synchronization code 11 six times in a row.
A TC code is constructed.

Among these, the data length of the line synchronization code 11, that is, the number of bits, is fixed at a predetermined value. The data length of the data code 12 for one scanning line is variable depending on the image of one scanning line by one-dimensional encoding or two-dimensional encoding. Further, the fill bit 13 is used to ensure that the total data length for one scanning line is equal to or longer than a predetermined minimum data length in order to guarantee the minimum transmission time for one scanning line, and the data length is undefined.

Here, the data length of data code 12 for one scanning line is 1
Since the length is variable depending on the image of the scanning line, the total data length of the data code 12 for one page, which is the cumulative data length of the data code 12 of a predetermined number of scanning lines, is variable length depending on the image of one page. It is. If the images of multiple pages are the same, the total data length of the data code 12 is also the same. If the total data length of each data code 12 of a plurality of pages is the same, the images of the plurality of pages have an extremely high probability of being the same, and can be considered to be substantially the same. Therefore, it is possible to determine whether or not the received images of multiple pages are the same based on whether or not the total data length of the data code 12 of each page matches the MR code data of the received images of multiple pages.

In this embodiment, by utilizing this fact, each page of received image data received during automatic reception is
Determine whether it is the same as the received image data of the page, and if it is the same, discard the image data for one page received this time,
The call shall be disconnected if necessary. The details of the configuration and operation of this embodiment will be explained below.

FIG. 1 explains the schematic configuration of the facsimile machine of this embodiment.

As shown in the figure, the facsimile machine has the following configurations indicated by reference numerals 1 to 7.

First, reference numeral 1 denotes a CPU which controls the entire device, and is composed of a microprocessor element and the like. The CPUI also performs encoding of transmitted image data and decoding of received image data using the MR encoding method.

Reference numeral 2 denotes a printer for recording and outputting received images and copying transmitted original images, and a thermal printer or the like is used.

Reference numeral 3 denotes an image scanner that reads and photoelectrically converts the image of the transmitted document, and is comprised of a CCD image sensor, a document conveyance system, and the like.

Reference numerals 4.5 are memories ROM and RAM, respectively. The ROM 4 is used to store CPUI control programs and various fixed data necessary for control. The RAM 5 is used to temporarily store decoded image data and is also used as a working area for the CPUI.

Further, the communication control unit 6 performs communication control based on the G3 protocol and modulation/demodulation of transmitted and received signals.
(communication control unit), etc. A telephone line 8 and an attached telephone 9 are connected to the communication control section 6 .

Reference numeral 7 denotes an operation unit provided with a group of manual keys for performing various operation inputs. Through this operation unit 7, manual input of telephone numbers, start commands for sending/receiving operations, and settings of various operation modes can be performed. It is done. Note that the operation unit 7 is provided with a display (not shown) that displays various types of information.

Under such a configuration, the CPUI operates in accordance with the control program stored in the ROM 4 and in response to operation input from the operation unit 7. Printer 2 uses RAM 5 for data processing.
, controls the image scanner 3 and the communication control section 6, and causes them to perform transmission and reception operations. Image scanner 3 when sending
The image of the transmission original is read by the CPU 1, and the image data is encoded by the MR encoding method by the CPU 1, modulated by a predetermined method by the communication control section 6, and sent to the telephone line 8. Further, at the time of reception, the MR code data signal input from the telephone line 8 is demodulated by the communication control unit 6, decoded by the CPUI, and the decoded image data is temporarily stored in the RAM 5. From there, the image data is sequentially output to the printer 2 under the control of the CPUI, and the printer 2 records and outputs the received image.

By the way, in this embodiment, as mentioned earlier, for each page of received image data (MR code data) received during automatic reception, it is determined whether or not it is the same as the previously received one page of received image data. In this case, the currently received image data for one page is discarded, and the call is disconnected if necessary.

This is done in accordance with the control program stored in ROM4.
The PUI is performed by processing the procedure shown in FIG. 2 as follows.

That is, in the standby state of step S1 in FIG. 2 in which the CPU is in automatic reception mode and waits for an incoming call, when the communication control unit 6 notifies the incoming call, the process proceeds to step S2, and the CPU 6 receives a call from the communication control unit 6 for a predetermined number of lines, for example, one scanning line. Read received code data for minutes.

Next, step S3. By repeating the loop in S4, the third
The line synchronization code 11 and fill bit 13 shown in the figure are removed, and only the data code 12 is extracted.

Next, in step S5, the data length of the data code 12 extracted is counted. A counter for performing this counting is configured by software using a predetermined register in the CPUI or the RAM 5.

Next, in step S6, the data code is subjected to MR decoding, and in step S7, it is stored in the image data storage area of the RAM 5.

Next, in step S8, it is checked whether or not an RTC code indicating the end of one page has been detected, and if not detected, step S8 is performed.
Return to step 2 and repeat the following process. By repeating this process, all the data codes 12 for one page are sequentially decoded by a predetermined number of lines and stored in the RAM 5, and the data codes 12 for one page are sequentially decoded and stored in the RAM 5.
The total data length of 1 is counted. It is assumed that this data length count value is stored in a predetermined storage area of the RAM 5.

Next, when the RTC code is detected in step S8, step S9. The SIO compares the count value of the above-mentioned data length at that time with the count value of the total data length of the data code of each page received previously stored in the RAM 5, and adds the current count value to the previous count value. Check to see if there is a match.

If they do not match, it is determined that the currently received one page image data is not the same as the previously received page image data, and in step s11, the one page image data that was currently received, decoded, and stored in the ROM 5 is determined. The image data is output to the printer 2 and printed out, and the process returns to step S2.

On the other hand, if there is a match in the count value of the data length in step SIO, it is determined that the image data of one page received this time is the same as the image of the page received previously, and the image data is stored in the RAM 5 in step S7 in step S12. Clear and discard the stored received image data for the current page. Then, in step S13, the call is disconnected if necessary, and the process returns to step S1.

The reason why the call is not immediately disconnected in step S13 is because the same image data has been received twice or is not necessarily the result of a prank. The determination of whether or not it is a prank may vary depending on, for example, the number of times the same image data is repeatedly received.

As described above, according to this embodiment, when one page of image data that is the same as a previously received page is received, that data is discarded and no printout is performed.
When the same prank image is repeatedly transmitted as described above, the same image is recorded and output only once, thereby minimizing damage. Furthermore, by disconnecting the call as necessary, it is possible to prevent the line from being occupied for a long time by unnecessary transmissions.

Note that if you perform the process shown in Figure 2, the print operation will start after the reception of one page's worth of data is completed, which slows down the overall speed of the reception operation. It may be possible to select whether or not to do so using a switch or the like, and for example, to do so only at night.

Furthermore, countermeasures when the same image data is received are not limited to discarding the data and disconnecting the call.

[Effects of the Invention] As is clear from the above description, the present invention provides an image communication device that transmits and receives image data using a data compression method in which the data length of a predetermined unit of image data is variable. At the time of reception, each time a predetermined unit of compressed image data is received, it is determined whether the data length of the predetermined unit of data matches the data length of the previously received predetermined unit of data. Since the configuration includes a control means that determines whether or not the data is the same as a predetermined unit of data and performs a predetermined process according to the result of the determination, when the same image data as previously received image data is received, By performing predetermined processing, such as discarding data or disconnecting calls, the damage can be minimized even if the same image is repeatedly transmitted due to pranks, and it is an effective protection measure against pranks. You can get the same effect.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the overall schematic configuration of a facsimile machine according to an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a flowchart showing the control processing procedure of the CPU in FIG. 1 at the time of reception, and FIG. 3 (A) , (B) are explanatory diagrams of the structure of MR code data, respectively. 1...CPU 2...Printer 3.
...Image scanner 4...ROM5...RAM
6...Communication control unit 7...Operation unit
8...Telephone line 9...Telephone

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1) In an image communication device that transmits and receives image data using a data compression method in which the data length of a predetermined unit of image data is variable, each time a predetermined unit of compressed image data is received, the predetermined unit of data is It is determined whether the currently received predetermined unit of data is the same as the previously received predetermined unit of data based on whether the data length of the previously received predetermined unit of data matches the data length of the previously received predetermined unit of data. An image communication device characterized in that it is provided with a control means that performs predetermined processing accordingly.