JPH02149038A - Communication equipment - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To obtain confidential communication capability regardless of a transmitting device by receiving memory of received data together with a pass word, controlling the recorded output through pass word reference in the case of the received data from a transmitting station whose identification information is registered beforehand together with the pass word. CONSTITUTION:A confidential table storage part 10 stores the subscriber's number and the pass word of a specified remote party station with which confidential communication (reception) is performed. At the time of incoming from a communication line N, the subscriber's number data of the remote party station is acquired, and it is retrieved whether the same subscriber's number is stored in the storage part 10 or not. If stored, confidential processing is performed, and if not stored, ordinary receiving processing is performed. In the case of the confidential processing, received picture data is stored in a storage device 4 without performing successive record-output. In such a case, the subscriber's number of the remote party station and the pass word copied from the storage part 10 are stored together with a received picture. In the case to record-output the picture data received in the storage device 4, the pass word inputted from an inputting device and the pass word stored in the storage device 4 are compared, and the output is permitted only when the both coincide with each other.

Description

[Detailed Description of the Invention] [Field of Application in Business A] The present invention relates to a communication device, and particularly to a communication device that can receive predetermined data and acquire identification information that can identify a data transmitting station in a pre-communication procedure. be.

[Prior Art] Communication devices that transmit and receive characters, images, and other data via predetermined communication lines have been known. In particular, in facsimile devices, received image data is output unconditionally to recording paper or memory, but from the perspective of protecting the confidentiality of communication information, manually set passwords and passwords are required.
A so-called confidential communication method is known in which output is controlled through inspection.

In confidential communication, the received data is stored in a memory or the like, and output to the recorder or display device is prohibited unless the manually entered password matches the stored password.

[Problems to be Solved by the Invention] However, the conventional confidential communication method as described above cannot be implemented unless both transmitting and receiving devices have a common confidential communication mode.

That is, the sending side declares that the document to be sent is a confidential document, and the receiving side performs confidential processing including output control via password reference only when this declaration is made.

Therefore, even if the receiving device has a confidential communication function, there is a problem in that this function cannot be used unless the transmitting side has a corresponding confidential communication function.

An object of the present invention is to solve the above problems and provide a communication device that can perform a confidential communication function regardless of the transmitting device.

[Means for Solving the Problems] In order to solve the above problems, the present invention provides a communication device that can receive predetermined data and acquire identification information that can identify a data transmitting station in a pre-communication procedure. Transmitting station registration means for storing identification information and password information of a desired data transmitting station in association with each other, and when searching the storage means for the identification information of the transmitting station acquired in the pre-communication procedure and finding corresponding identification information; , reception control means for storing password information associated with the transmitting station stored in at least the transmitting station registration means together with the received data in association with a predetermined storage means, and outputting the received data by a predetermined output device; A configuration comprising an output control means that compares password information input from a predetermined human-powered device and password information associated with received data stored in the storage means, and permits output of the received data only when the two match. It was adopted.

[Operation] According to the above configuration, when data is received from a transmitting station in which identification information has been registered in advance along with a password, the received data is received in the memory along with the password, and the received data received in the memory is Recording output can be controlled via password reference.

[Example] Hereinafter, the present invention will be described in detail based on the example shown in the drawings. In the following, an example of a G4 facsimile device connected to the I5DN system will be described as an example of a communication device.

FIG. 1 shows the configuration of a G4 facsimile employing the present invention. The basic configuration of the illustrated apparatus substantially corresponds to a known facsimile machine, and a main control section 9 configured using a microprocessor or the like controls the operation of each part of the apparatus. Each part of the device is composed of the following members.

The operation panel 1 consists of a keyboard, display, etc.
It is used to input selection numbers, password transmission/reception commands, display the current time, and display the current operating mode. The operation panel 1 is connected to the system bus of the main control section 9 via the operation panel control section 5.

The image reader 2 includes a document transport system, a CCD image sensor, and the like, and is used to read document images.

The image reader 2 is connected to the system bus via the soda control section 6. The printer 3 is composed of a thermal transfer printer, a laser beam printer, or the like, and is used for recording (copying) received images or originals read by the image reader 2. The printer 3 is connected to the system bus via the printer control section 7.

The storage device 4 is composed of a nonvolatile, large-capacity memory device such as a hard disk, and is used as a storage area for programs, transmitted and received image data, etc., which will be described later. The storage device 4 is connected to the system bus via the storage device control section 8.

The confidential table storage unit 10 is unique to the present invention, and is a second
It has a data structure as shown in the figure. As shown in the figure, the confidential table storage unit 10 has storage fields FIO and Fil for the subscriber number of a specific partner station with which confidential communication (reception) is to be performed and the password corresponding to that station. The field FIO can store a subscriber number with a predetermined number of digits.
It is also assumed that the field Fil has a sufficient number of bytes to store a password of several digits to several tens of digits.

Further, the number of fields FIO and Fit is determined according to the number of partner stations with which confidential communication can be set.

This confidential table storage unit 10 does not directly record and output when data is received from a stored subscriber number, and prohibits recording output (or display output) unless the password stored in the confidential table storage unit is input. It is for the purpose of

The buffer memory 11 is capable of storing several pages to several tens of pages of image data, and is used as a buffer for data input/output by the image reader 2, printer 3, storage device 4, or a communication control section to be described later.

The encoding/decoding unit 12 encodes and decodes image data based on an encoding method such as the MMR method, and compresses data redundancy.

The communication control unit 13 is composed of a modem, a call control circuit, and the like, and is for transmitting and receiving data to and from the line N via an NCU (network control unit) 14.

Next, the operation in the above configuration will be explained. 1st
In the device shown in the figure, even when confidential communication is not designated by the sending side, the confidential table storage unit 10 is searched for the other party's subscriber number, and if a corresponding subscriber number is found, the confidential communication mode is entered. The subscriber number of the correspondent station can be recognized by the incoming call command. FIG. 3 shows the data structure of an incoming call command (for example, a set-up message) in the 15DN.

As shown, at the beginning of the incoming command is a field F1 for a command ID that identifies the command, followed by a field F2 for parameters of the command. In the predetermined position of the parameter in this field F2,
A field F2a is provided for the subscriber number of the partner station.

Therefore, the main control section 9 can recognize the subscriber number of the partner station currently communicating from the parameter information of the incoming call command obtained from the communication control section 13 at the time of incoming call.

In the confidential communication mode, the received image is not directly recorded and output by the printer, but is stored in the storage device 4. FIG. 4 shows the structure of the data file of the received image. As shown in the figure, the received image file is composed of a field F22 in which image data itself is stored, and a head information field F21 in which management data corresponding to the image data is stored.

Field F21 contains a field F23 for the subscriber number of the partner station that sent the image data, a field F24 for a flag specifying the confidential communication mode, and a password corresponding to the partner station subscriber number in field F23. It consists of field F25 for.

As the subscriber number of the partner station, the number obtained from the incoming call command shown in FIG. 3 or the subscriber number retrieved from the confidential table storage section 10 when searching the confidential table storage section 10 is stored. The flag in field F24 is turned on in the case of confidential communication. Furthermore, the password read in the field F25 when searching the confidential table storage section 10 is stored.

Next, the communication control procedure of the main control section 9 in the apparatus shown in FIG. 1 will be explained with reference to FIGS. 5 and 6. Fifth
The procedures shown in FIGS. 6 and 6 are stored in the storage device 4 or a ROM (not shown) as a control program for the main control section.

FIG. 5 shows the control procedure at the time of reception. In step S1 of FIG. 5, it is determined whether there is an incoming call from the communication line N by checking the output of the communication control section 13.

If there is an incoming call, the process moves to step S2, where the subscriber number data of the other station is obtained from the field F2a of the incoming call command shown in FIG.
A search is made to see if the same subscriber number is stored in O.

If the subscriber number of the partner station is stored in the confidential table storage unit 10 in step S2, the confidential data is filled in step S3, and if the subscriber number of the partner station is not stored in the confidential table storage unit 10, step S4 is performed. 1. In normal reception processing, the received image data is directly recorded and output by the printer 3, or is received in the memory device 4, and can be freely displayed or recorded according to the input of a predetermined command. It can be output.

In the confidential processing of step S3, the received image data is not sequentially recorded and output, but is stored in the storage device 4. The data format at this time is as shown in FIG. In that case, the subscriber number of the partner station is stored in field F23 of field F21 of the header information, and the password data copied from the confidential table storage section 10 is stored in field F25. The confidential flag of field F24 is
Of course it will be turned on.

On the other hand, the recording output control of the received image data is performed according to the procedure shown in FIG. In step Sll in FIG. 6, a predetermined operation is performed via the operation panel 1 in order to cause the storage device 4 to record and output the image data received in the memory. At this time, when the data file to be recorded and output is specified by inputting a file number, etc., the confidential flag stored in the field F24 of the header information field F21 of the received image file stored in the storage device 4 is checked, and the Determine whether the data file is a confidential image. If it is a confidential image, proceed to step S12;
Accepts input of subscriber number and password of the other station.

In step S13, it is determined whether a confidential document is being received from the subscriber number entered manually. This determination is made by searching the header information in the field F21 of the received data file stored in the storage device 4.

If there is no received data file from the partner station having the manually entered subscriber number, the process moves to step 314, where a message indicating that there is no confidential document is displayed on the display section of the operation panel 1, and the process ends.

In step S13, if there is a confidential data file from the partner station corresponding to the subscriber number entered manually in step S12, the process moves to step S15. In step S15, it is determined whether the input password matches the password stored in field F25 of the data file in FIG.

In step 315, if the passwords match, the process moves to step S17, and the received image data stored in field F22 in FIG. 4 is recorded (or displayed) using the printer 3.

On the other hand, if the passwords do not match, step S1
At step 6, the display of the operation panel 1 is used to display that the password is incorrect and output cannot be performed, and the process ends.

According to the above configuration, even if the other station does not have a confidential communication function, or does not have a compatible confidential communication function due to differences in terminal manufacturers, the other party with which confidential communication should be conducted is determined in advance. A station can be specified by its subscriber number, and the output of received data from its partner station can be controlled via checking a pre-registered password. Therefore, even if the other station does not have a confidential communication function, confidential communication can be performed.

In the above embodiment, a G4 facsimile machine was used as an example, but
Similar techniques can be implemented in other communication devices that can receive not only image data but also document data and the like. Further, even in a different facsimile communication system, for example, the G3 facsimile system, the subscriber number of the communicating party can be recognized by the transmitting station identification signal or the like, so the same technique can be implemented.

Furthermore, in the embodiment described above, the password for controlling the output of confidential data is entered manually from the operation panel, but it may also be entered manually using a medium such as a magnetic card.

Further, in the above embodiment, the subscriber number of the other station is recognized from the incoming call command, but the subscriber number of the other station can also be recognized using other commands, such as the calling terminal identifier of the C8S command. .

[Effects of the Invention] As is clear from the above, according to the present invention, in a communication device that can receive predetermined data and acquire identification information that can identify a data transmitting station in a pre-communication procedure, a desired data transmitting station can be identified. transmitting station registration means that associates and stores identification information and password information of the transmitting station, and searches the storage means for the identification information of the transmitting station acquired in the pre-communication procedure, and if corresponding identification information is found, at least reception control means for storing password information associated with the transmitting station stored in the transmitting station registration means in association with a predetermined storage means; A configuration is adopted that includes an output control means that compares the input password information with the password information associated with the received data stored in the storage means and permits the output of the received data only when the two match. Therefore, when receiving data from a transmitting station for which identification information has been registered in advance along with a password, the received data is received in memory along with the password, and the recording output of the received data received in memory is controlled via password reference. This has the excellent effect that confidential processing of received data is possible regardless of the configuration, declaration, request, etc. of the transmitting station.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

Fig. 1 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a G4 facsimile machine adopting the present invention, Fig. 2 is an explanatory diagram showing the data structure of the confidential table storage section shown in Fig. 1, and Fig. 3 shows the structure of an incoming command. FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram showing the structure of the received data file, and FIGS. 5 and 6 are flowcharts showing the control procedure of the main control section of FIG. 1. 1...Operation panel 2...Image reader 3
...Printer 4...Storage device 5...Operation panel control unit 6...Reader control unit 7...Printer control unit 8...Storage device control unit 9...Main control unit 10... - Confidential table storage unit 11...buffer memory 12...encoding/decoding unit 1
3...Communication control unit 14...NCtJ narrow appearance) Kakaku 11 True flow course - To 2 Figure 5 out f) Elementary □ 1 Dai Kote/Rejime 70 - Now this page] No. Figure 6

Claims (1)

[Scope of Claims] 1) In a communication device capable of receiving predetermined data and acquiring identification information that can identify a data transmitting station in a pre-communication procedure, the identification information of a desired data transmitting station and password information are stored in association with each other. and the transmitting station registration means that searches for the transmitting station identification information acquired in the pre-communication procedure in the storage means, and if corresponding identification information is found, the transmitting station registration means stores at least the corresponding transmitting station registration means along with the received data. reception control means for storing password information associated with a transmitting station in association with a predetermined storage means; and when outputting received data by a predetermined output device, password information input from a predetermined input device and the storage means are stored in association with each other; A communication device comprising an output control means that compares password information associated with stored received data and permits output of the received data only when the two match.