JPH01314468A - Facsimile connecting device - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To correct the error of input data with an operator in a host computer side by providing a means to output the image data of a document, for which reading impossibility or a reading error is generated in character reading, to a facsimile connecting device. CONSTITUTION:When the document is read from a facsimile (FAX) 2 to an image data file 33, an application program 30a for printer output in a main control part 30 is activated. Then, when a field which can not be read, is detected in a character reading part 32 of a facsimile connecting device 3, the image data of the document, which is accumulated in the image data file 33, are outputted to a printer 5. Based on the outputted document, the operator of a host computer 1 corrects an error spot to a correct character code.

Description

[Detailed Description of the Invention] [Summary] Regarding a facsimile connection device that is located between a facsimile machine and a host computer and has a mechanism for using the facsimile machine as an input terminal for the host computer, it is impossible to read forms input from the facsimile machine. When there is a character field, the operator on the host computer side can view and correct the image data of the form to prevent character recognition errors. means for outputting the image data input from the facsimile when a character field that cannot be read by the character reading section of the facsimile is detected, for example, a printer output means for the form output processing section, an output means for the input form output facsimile, a form. The configuration is such that image data is transferred to a host computer and image display output means is provided.

[Industrial application field]

The present invention relates to a facsimile connection device that is located between a facsimile and a host computer and includes a mechanism for using the facsimile as an input terminal for the host computer.

Normally, in order to input characters into a computer system, it is necessary to use an existing keyboard (KB), which is difficult to operate, so an optical character reader (OCR) is used.
However, due to its high price, it has been difficult to introduce it into various industries.

However, with the recent spread of facsimile, it has become possible for the facsimile to capture character data as image data, recognize it as a character code in a facsimile connection device, and transfer it to a host computer, and also to be able to be used as a remote terminal via a telephone line. Since facsimile machines are inexpensive, they have come to be used economically as input/output terminals for host computers.

Normally, in a character reading device, it is impossible to reduce the number of recognition errors to 101, so the operator must keep the document document handy and check for unreadable characters.

Even though the misread characters were checked and corrected manually from the keyboard (KB), etc., when using the facsimile character input method described above, from the perspective of the operator on the host computer side, the entered form Since there is no means for correcting characters that are misrecognized by the operator, an effective means for correcting characters is needed.

[Prior art and problems to be solved by the invention] FIG. 3 is a diagram showing the configuration of a conventional facsimile connection device.

■ Based on instructions from the main control unit 30, the facsimile connection device 3 communicates with the facsimile 2 through the communication control unit 31, and transfers the image data input from the facsimile (FAX) 2 to the image data in the facsimile connection device 3. It is stored in file 33.

(2) The data stored in the image data file 33 is read by the character reading section 32, and character recognition of a predetermined character field is performed based on the definition form information of the form.

When performing character recognition, the current situation is that reading errors or unreadability often occur due to the shape of the characters written on the form, line errors in the communication channel (public telephone Y4), etc. It is.

■ The characters recognized by the character reading section 32 are transferred to the host computer as code data, but the code data in the part (above field) where a reading error or unreadability has occurred is due to a reading error or unreadability. It is extracted as code data indicating.

■ On the host computer 1 side, it is necessary to correct reading errors that occur during the above character recognition and code data in unreadable parts in some way, but facsimile (FAX)
) In the case of input from 2, since the operator of the host computer does not have an input form, he cannot correct errors in the input data by looking at the input form as in the case of a normal character reader. There was a problem.

In view of the above conventional drawbacks, the present invention provides a facsimile connection device that is located between a facsimile and a host computer and is equipped with a mechanism for using the facsimile as an input terminal for the host computer, so that an operator on the host computer side can prevent errors in input data. The purpose is to provide a means to make corrections.

[Means to solve the problem]

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing the basic structure of a facsimile connection device according to the present invention.

The above problems are solved by a facsimile connection device configured as follows.

A facsimile connection device 3 is located between the facsimile 2 and the host computer ml, and is equipped with a mechanism for using the facsimile 2 as an input terminal of the host computer 1. means 31 or 34 for outputting image data input from the facsimile 2 when a field that cannot be read by the character reading section is detected; or ■.

[Effect]

That is, according to the present invention, in a facsimile connection device that is located between a facsimile and a host computer and is equipped with a mechanism for using the facsimile as an input terminal for the host computer, a form input from the facsimile is transmitted as image data to the facsimile. After being stored in the image data file of the connecting device, the image data of the form is sent to the character reading section, and based on the form definition,
Character reading (character recognition) is performed on the image data in the character field.

The image data input from the facsimile cannot be read by the facsimile connection device.

Focusing on the fact that even image data that causes reading errors is highly likely to be readable if an operator can visually see it, the present invention provides the facsimile connection device with a method for reading text by reading characters. Inability or
A means for outputting image data of a form in which a reading error has occurred is provided.

The operator on the host computer side can view the image data of the output form and correct unreadable or erroneous parts.

As an output means for the image data, the contents of the image data file may be output to the printer device of the facsimile connection device via the form output processing section, or the image data imported from the facsimile may be output via the communication control section. The image data can be output to another facsimile machine installed near the operator, or the image data from the facsimile machine can be sucked up by a host computer and output to a printer or image display device (IDP) installed in the host computer. There are other methods.

Therefore, by providing a means for outputting image data of a form according to the present invention, an operator can correct characters to which codes indicating unreadable or misreading are added based on the outputted form data. This has the effect of preventing errors in character recognition and allowing normal operation of input/output processing using the facsimile as a terminal.

〔Example〕

Embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings.

The above-mentioned FIG. 1 is a diagram showing the principle configuration of the facsimile connection device of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an embodiment of the present invention, in which (a) shows an example of output to the printer of the facsimile connection device. , (b) shows an example of outputting to an input form output facsimile (FAX) connected to a facsimile connection device, and (c) shows an example of transferring image data to a host computer and outputting it to the output device of the host computer. (printer, image display device), and in each figure, (a) shows a configuration example, and (b) shows an operation flow. Means for outputting image data of a form using a facsimile connection device 31.34. (2) is the means necessary to carry out the present invention. Note that the same reference numerals indicate the same objects throughout the figures.

The configuration and operation of the facsimile connection device of the present invention will be described below with reference to FIG. 1 and FIG. 2.

Even if the present invention is implemented, the document data is read from the facsimile machine 2, and the character code obtained by character recognition is sent to the host computer.
The operation in the process of transferring the form to the form is not particularly different from the conventional method, so it will be omitted, and here, the explanation will focus on the means for outputting the image data of the form. It is assumed that the following operation is activated only when a field that cannot be read by the character reading section 32 of the facsimile connection device 3 is detected.

(a) When outputting to a printer of a facsimile connection device: As shown in figure (a) (b), the facsimile connection device 3 is provided with a form output processing section 34, and the printer 5 is connected to the end of the form output processing section 34. When the form is read from the facsimile (FAX) 2 into the image data file 33, the printer output application program (printer output application) 30a in the main control unit 30 is started, and (b) the operation flow shown in the figure is started. Based on this, the image data of the form stored in the image data file 33 is output to the printer 5.

Based on the outputted two forms, the operator of the host computer 1 identifies the errors using a keyboard (not shown).
KB) to the correct character code.

(b) When outputting to an input form output facsimile connected to a facsimile connection device = As shown in (a) of (b), the host calculation If Facsimile machine (FAX) for inputting and outputting forms installed near the operator on the side
The communication control unit 31 connects the remote facsimile (FAX) 2 and indicates that the form data has been transferred from the remote facsimile (FAX) 2.
After the input form data is received and input into the image data file (or image file) 33, the input form data is converted into output data as shown in the operation flow in the FAC diagram in the main control unit 30. The input form output facsimile (FA) installed near the above operator
X) Output to 2 ■.

The operator corrects any errors based on the outputted form.

(c) When transferring image data to a host computer and outputting it to an output device (printer, image display device) on the host computer side: As shown in figure (c) (a), use a facsimile connection device. The character reading application program (character reading application) la on the host computer 1 side ensures that the form data received by the communication control unit 31 is transferred to the host computer 1 side without adding any special hardware. ■ It functions so that it can be downloaded as full-page image data.

The downloaded full-page image data is temporarily stored in a file device (not shown) on the side of the host computer 1, and when the operator makes corrections, it is stored in the image display device (IDP) 11 based on instructions from the operator. Display or pre-set 1. The data is output to the printer 12 of the host computer 1, and the operator views the data and corrects the input data.

As described above, the present invention provides a facsimile connection device that is located between a facsimile and a host computer and is equipped with a mechanism for using the facsimile as an input terminal for the host computer, in which a character reading section of the facsimile connection device includes:
Unable to read characters.

If a reading error occurs, a means is provided to output the image data of the form transferred from the facsimile, and an operator on the host computer side can look at the outputted form and identify the unreadable or erroneous parts. The feature is that it can be corrected using the keyboard (KB).

〔Effect of the invention〕

As described above in detail, the facsimile connection device of the present invention is located between a facsimile and a host computer, and is equipped with a mechanism for using the facsimile as an input terminal of the host computer. When a field that cannot be read by the character recognition unit of the facsimile connection device is detected in the form, means for outputting the image data input from the facsimile, for example, form output processing unit → printer output means, input form output facsimile. , an image display device (IDP) when transferring the form image data to the host computer, and an output means to the printer, so that it is impossible to read the form based on the output form data.

For characters with a code indicating a reading error,
By making corrections by the operator, errors in character recognition can be prevented and input/output processing can be performed normally using a facsimile terminal.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a basic configuration diagram of a facsimile connection device of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 3 is a diagram showing the configuration of a conventional facsimile connection device. It is. In the drawing, 1 is the host computer + la is the character reading application. 11 is an image display device (IDP). 12 is a printer. 2 is facsimile (FAX). 3 is a facsimile connection device. 30 is a main control unit. 30a is an application for printer output. 30b is an app for facsimile output. 31 is a communication control unit, and 32 is a character reading unit. 33 is an image data file or image file. 34 is a form output processing unit; 4 is a communication channel (public telephone network); 5 is a printer, and ■ to ■ are processes or means. are shown respectively. (Roff CC) 10A θ gate 1 light 1 row E shows F this national policy 2D (1000 phantoms)

Claims (1)

[Scope of Claims] A facsimile connection device (3) located between a facsimile (2) and a host computer (1) and provided with a mechanism for using the facsimile (2) as an input terminal for the host computer (1). means for outputting the image data input from the facsimile (2) when a character field that cannot be read by the character reading section of the facsimile connection device (3) is detected in the form read by the facsimile (2); 31 or 34 or [7]).