JPH0316368A - Facsimile equipment - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To prevent the occupancy of a picture memory at the specific processing by splitting a storage area of a picture memory into a common area and an exclusive area, storing picture information in various processings to a relevant exclusive area and executing the processing when there is no vacancy in the storage capacity of the common area. CONSTITUTION:A storage area of a picture memory 4 is split into a common area A used in common for various processings and an exclusive area B used as a spare memory, and the exclusive area B is further split into a memory transmission area B1, a deputy reception area B2 and a confidential reception area B3. When no vacancy exists in the storage capacity of the common area A, the absence of the vacant storage capacity is displayed and the picture information in the various processings is stored in the relevant exclusive area B and the processing is continued. Thus, an event of the picture memory 4 occupied by a specific processing and disabling the execution of other processings is avoided.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [Field of Industrial Application] The present invention relates to a facsimile machine equipped with an image memory for storing image information.

[Prior Art] As various processing functions of facsimile machines, there is memory transmission in which the image of the original to be sent is stored once and then sent, proxy reception in which the received image information is stored when image recording is not possible, and received image information is stored once. Confidential reception, which records and outputs data when a predetermined recitation code is input, is well known. Image memory is used in these various types of processing.

Now, for example, if paper B jams in the recording section, recording will become impossible, and image information subsequently received will be received on behalf of the image memory.

In this case, since the image memory has a certain storage capacity, if the image memory runs out of free space due to execution of the proxy reception, other functions such as memory transmission and confidential reception cannot be executed.

Incidentally, in recent years, facsimile machines have frequently received documents such as direct mail that are not needed by the recipient. On the other hand, the transmission process performed by the operator is necessary for the person himself/herself. In particular, the manuscript 1 to be sent confidentially is often a confidential document or other important document.

[Problems to be Solved by the Invention] As described above, in the past, there has been a problem in that the image memory is often used up in one specific process, making it impossible to execute other important processes.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object of the present invention is to provide a facsimile apparatus that can solve the above-mentioned problems and prevent the image memory from being occupied by a specific process, making it impossible to execute other processes.

[Means for Solving the Problem] To this end, the present invention divides the storage area of the image memory into a common area and a dedicated area for each type of processing, and when there is free space in the storage capacity of the common area. , image information for various processes is stored in the shared area and processing is executed, but if there is no free space in the storage capacity of the shared area,
The present invention is characterized in that it displays that there is no free space in the storage capacity, and also displays both pieces of information in various processes in the corresponding dedicated area to execute the process.

[Operation] This can prevent the image memory from being occupied by a specific process and making it impossible to execute other processes.

[Embodiments] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

FIG. 1 shows a block diagram of a facsimile machine according to an embodiment of the present invention. In the figure, a scanner 1 reads an original image and extracts image information of a predetermined resolution, and a plotter 2 records the image information on recording paper. The encoding/decoding unit 3 encodes image information to be transmitted and decodes received image information. The image memory 4 stores image information to be transmitted and received. In addition, as shown in FIG. 2, the storage area is divided into a common area A that is commonly used for various processes and a dedicated area B that is used as a reserve. Memory transmission area 81,
It is divided into area B2 for proxy reception and area 83 for confidential reception. In this embodiment, the size of each area is set to a constant value in advance. The network control device 5 performs predetermined line control such as seizing the line, sending out a selection signal that is the destination FFI phone number, and detecting incoming calls. The modem 6 modulates and demodulates image information and transmits the same, and also transmits various manual Jffl signals in transmission control procedures. The communication control section 7 controls the network control device 5 and modem 6 to execute facsimile transmission according to a predetermined transmission control procedure.

The operation display section 8 includes a display and operation keys, and displays the status of the apparatus, operation guidance, etc., and is used by the operator to perform various operations.

The system memory 9 stores information necessary for preset operations and various information arbitrarily set by the operator.

The system control section 10 is constituted by a microcomputer system, and controls each section mentioned above to execute predetermined operations of the facsimile machine.

With the above configuration, the facsimile apparatus of this embodiment has functions related to reception processing, including a normal reception function that immediately records received image information, and a proxy reception function that stores received image information when image recording is not possible. It is equipped with an R exhibition reception function that temporarily stores the received image information and records and outputs it when a predetermined recitation code is input. Further, as functions related to transmission processing, in addition to a normal transmission function that transmits the set transmission original at the same time as it is read, it also has a memory transmission function that transmits the image of the transmission original after it is stored once.

Among the various functions mentioned above, those related to reception processing start operating when a call arrives, and those related to transmission processing start operating when the operator performs a predetermined activation operation. Figure 3 shows how to execute various processes of this facsimile machine.
This shows III. In other words, the facsimile machine constantly monitors incoming calls or activation operations (processing 1).
01). And if there are none (N of process 101)
, the free capacity of each area in the image memory 4 is checked, and the free space status is displayed on the display of the operation display section 8. This display, for example, displays the presence or absence of vacancies and the percentage of used areas in percentages for each area (process 102).

Then, when a call is received or a startup operation is performed (Y in process 101), the process to be executed is determined (process 103), and whether or not the determined process uses the image memory 4 is determined. (processing 104). In the normal transmission or normal reception process, the image memory 4
Do not use. Now, suppose that such a process that does not use the image memory 4 has started (N in Process 3l104).
, execute a predetermined transmission or reception process (process 105)
．． When the execution is finished, it is determined whether it has ended normally (process 106). Then, if the image information can be transmitted or received normally (y in process 106), the process returns to the beginning (to process 101).

On the other hand, in this embodiment, for example, the plotter 2
If recording becomes impossible due to a paper jam or the like, the image memory 4 has a function of performing alternative processing such as receiving data on behalf of the user.

In this way, if the executed predetermined process cannot be completed normally (N in process 106), it is determined whether or not to execute an alternative process (process 107). Y), return to the process 103.

On the other hand, if the alternative process is not executed (N in process 107),
A predetermined error process is executed, such as notifying the other party of the occurrence of an error and aborting the communication process (process 108), and the process returns to the initial state (to process Lot).

Furthermore, in the case of the alternative process, the process to be executed is determined. For example, in the case of the above-mentioned recording failure, it is determined here whether to execute proxy reception processing (process 103). In this case, next, it is determined that the process uses the image memory 4 (V in process 104), and furthermore, the process uses the image memory 4.
Determine whether or not common area A is vacant (process 109)
. Here, if there is space in the common area A (Y in process 109), a predetermined proxy reception process is executed in which the image information is subsequently received and the received image information is stored in the common area A (process iio ). When the proxy reception ends normally (Y in process 106), the process returns to the beginning (process 10
1). Note that if an error occurs in the above process (N in process 106), since there is no alternative process for it (process 107), error handling is executed to interrupt the process (proceed to process 108).

Next, a case where the memory transmission process is started by the operator and a case where image information is sent by confidential transmission from the other party will be explained. In these cases (Y in process 101), each determination process is executed in the same way as above, and if the common area A is free (Y in process 109), image information is temporarily stored in the common area A and the predetermined image information is stored in the common area A. Processing is executed (processing 110).

By the way, as a result of executing the various processes described above, the common area A may become empty. In this case, a message to that effect is displayed on the display of the operation display section 8 (process 102). Now, if one process is to be executed and there is no free space in the common area A (N in process 109), then it is determined whether the dedicated area B corresponding to the process is free (process 111). Here, if there is space (Y in process 111), a predetermined process is executed using the dedicated area B (process 112). And after that processing,
Process 106 is entered in the same manner as above.

If there is no free space in the dedicated area of dedicated area B (process 111), error processing is performed without executing that process (proceed to process 108).

As described above, in this embodiment, when performing various processes using the image memory 4, the shared area A is first used, and when the space is full, a message to that effect is displayed. ing. If there is no space in common area A, a predetermined dedicated area in dedicated area B is used for processing, but when the dedicated area is no longer available,
I am trying not to perform that process. This makes it possible to prevent the image memory from being occupied by a specific process and making it impossible to execute other processes, as in the prior art.

Next, another embodiment of the present invention will be described.

In this embodiment, as shown in FIG.
1, an area for proxy reception B2, and an area B3 for R exhibition reception. FIG. 5 shows the processing in this embodiment.
The same reference numerals as in the figure indicate the same processing.

In this case, while the facsimile machine is on standby (processing 101
N), as shown in FIG. 6, the percentage of free space is displayed for each area of the image memory 4 (processing 102).

When various processes using the image memory 4 are to be executed (Y in process j1104), the free space in the storage area corresponding to the process to be executed is determined (Y in process 113).

Here, if there is space (Y in process 113), the predetermined process is executed using that area (process 1!4).
), if there is no space (N in process 113), the process is not executed (go to process 108). This makes it possible to prevent the image memory from being occupied by a specific process and making it impossible to execute other processes, similar to the embodiments described above.

Next, another embodiment of the present invention will be described.

In this embodiment, an allocation rate instruction table Ta as shown in FIG. 7 is provided in the system memory 9 in order to set the allocation of storage areas of the image memory 4. In this allocation rate instruction table Ta, allocation rate a indicates the proportion of the common area A, allocation rate b indicates the proportion of the proxy reception area B2, which indicates the proportion of the memory transmission area B1, and allocation rate b indicates the proportion of the proxy reception area B2. When setting the allocation of the storage area of the image memory 4 such that the allocation ratio b, which indicates the ratio of B3, is stored,
As shown in FIG.
201). Next, the allocation rate a of the common area A, the allocation rate b1 of the memory transmission area 81, the allocation rate b2 of the proxy reception area B2, and the allocation rate b7 of the confidential reception area 83 are input in sequence (processes 202 to 205). . After this, the registration mode is canceled (process 206). As a result, each input allocation rate is stored in the allocation rate instruction table Ta (process 20?). FIG. 9(a) shows a state where common area A is set to 70% and each other area is set to 10%,
FIG. 2B shows a state in which the common area A is not provided, the memory transmission area B1 and the proxy reception area 82 are set to 40%, and the confidential reception area B3 is set to 20%.

In this embodiment, the storage area of the image memory 4 is divided in this way, and the communication processing of the facsimile machine is executed in the same way as in the case of FIG. In this case, process 109 and process 1
In step 11, it is determined whether the area designated by each allocation rate of the corresponding process is already in use.

As a result, the storage area of the image memory 4 can be arbitrarily determined as necessary, such as allocating a wide area corresponding to processing important to the operator. Furthermore, in this case, as shown in FIG. 9(b), if the common area A is not allocated, the same operation as the embodiment shown in FIG. 4 can be performed.

In the embodiment shown in FIG. 3, when the common area No. 8 becomes empty, a message to that effect is displayed, but even in this case, the memory transmission process is possible as long as the dedicated area is empty. Therefore, in order to display to the operator whether the memory transmission process is possible, for example, as shown in FIG. If a lamp L is provided to indicate whether or not there is a message, the operator can easily determine whether or not transmission is possible. Furthermore, in each of the above embodiments, examples of memory transmission, proxy reception, and confidential reception have been explained as processing using image memory, but in addition to these, for example, memory reception, relay transmission, There are various types of processing, such as when image information for confidential transmission is temporarily stored in memory.
It goes without saying that the present invention can be similarly applied to various types of processing.

[Effects of the Invention] As described above, according to the present invention, the storage area of the image memory is divided into a common area and a dedicated area, and when there is no free space in the storage capacity of the common area, it is possible to notify that there is no free space. At the same time, the image information for each type of processing is stored in the corresponding dedicated area before processing, which prevents the image memory from being occupied by a specific process and making it impossible to execute other processes. can do.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a block configuration diagram of a facsimile apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram showing the state of allocation of storage areas of an image memory, and FIG. 3 is an operational flowchart of communication processing. 4 is an explanatory diagram showing the allocation state of the storage area of the image memory in another embodiment of the present invention;
FIG. 6 is an operational flowchart of communication processing in this embodiment, FIG. 6 is an explanatory diagram of a method for displaying the image memory free status in this embodiment, and FIG. 7 is an allocation rate instruction table in yet another embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 8 is an operational flowchart of the memory allocation setting process in the embodiment,
FIGS. 9(a) and 9(b) are explanatory diagrams showing examples of memory allocation settings, and FIG. 10 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of a method of displaying whether or not memory transmission processing is possible. l...Scanner, 2...Plotter, 3...Encoder/decoder, 4...Image memory, 5...Network control device,
6... Modem, 7... Communication control section, 8... Operation display section, 9... System memory, 10... System control section.

Claims (3)

[Claims] (1) In a facsimile device that stores image information in an image memory when executing various processes, a memory dividing means that divides the storage area of the image memory into a common area and a dedicated area for each type of processing, and the common area If there is free space in the storage capacity of , there is a means for accumulating image information for various processes in the common area and executing the process, and if there is no free space in the storage capacity of the common area, there is no free space in the storage capacity. 1. A facsimile apparatus comprising: a display means for displaying a message; and a means for accumulating image information for various processes in the corresponding dedicated area and executing the process. (2) In a facsimile machine that stores image information in an image memory when executing various processes, a memory division means that divides the storage area of the image memory into dedicated areas for each type of processing, and image information for each type of processing are supported. and means for accumulating data in the dedicated area and executing processing. 3. The facsimile apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising area size setting means for arbitrarily setting respective area sizes of the common area and the private area divided by the memory dividing means.