JPH0373660A - Facsimile equipment - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To reduce the space and cost of a facsimile equipment as compared with a facsimile equipment independently provided with a reading means for reading a business card or the like by using a transmitted original reading means also for reading a business card or the like in common. CONSTITUTION:A reading part 20 is provided with a setting part 31 for setting up a business card and a facsimile telephone number written in the card set up on the setting part 31 is read out by optical character recognizing(OCR) technique. The same image sensor 26 is used for the reading of a facsimile transmission original and the reading to be used for the business card OCR in common. Since the processing is executed in the order of card reading facsimile telephone number determination (OCR) and original reading, the processing time is not sharply different from a facsimile equipment independently provided with a reading part.

Description

[Detailed description of the invention] (Industrial application field) The present invention relates to a facsimile device.

(Prior Art) When transmitting by facsimile, it is necessary to set the telephone number (hereinafter also referred to as FAX number) of the destination facsimile machine. The facsimile machine connects to the line of that telephone number, reads the document, and sends it.

In order to input the telephone number of the other party's facsimile machine, it is now common practice for an operator to take the other party's business card to the facsimile machine and manually input the telephone number of the other party printed on the business card.

Similarly, a 7-axis phone number is usually printed on letterhead, etc., and the recipient's phone number may be manually entered by looking at the letterhead.

(Problem to be solved by the invention) However, manually inputting the recipient's phone number is more troublesome than so-called one-touch sending to send to a registered recipient, and keystroke errors may occur, leading to incorrect input. You may enter your phone number. Therefore, it is believed that input errors can be reduced if the facsimile IJ telephone number can be automatically read directly from a business card or the like and connected to the destination.

Special Publication No. 56-35389 and Special Publication No. 59-3060
In the destination identification method for facsimiles, etc. disclosed in the publication, a destination identification pattern with a destination mark such as a bar code written in a predetermined position on the document is displayed, the destination mark is read, and the destination 7 axis corresponding to the destination mark is displayed. Automatically send to phone number. In addition, special public service No. 57-41017
In the publication, the mark sheet is read using a facsimile transmitter. Therefore, it is also possible to represent the destination with a mark. To represent the address using a barcode, mark sheet, etc. on a business card, etc., use a barcode, mark sheet, etc.
It is necessary to provide space for mark sheets, etc. However, business cards and the like come in a variety of formats, and providing such a space is not necessarily preferable because it requires a lot of printing effort and also greatly affects the appearance of the business card, giving a sense of strangeness.

Furthermore, a facsimile device disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 56-6560 optically reads characters on a document (such as a slip), transmits the image data to a calculation center, and uses a character recognition device at the calculation center to read the characters. Recognize and input into the calculator. For this reason, the object to be read is cut out with a mark sheet indicating the position of each character line in the document and the individual position within each character line.

However, with these conventional techniques, it was not possible to read a facsimile telephone number printed on a business card or the like using optical character recognition technology and then send a facsimile using the recipient's telephone number.

Incidentally, optical character recognition (OCR) for facsimile telephone numbers on business cards only needs to be performed on print, but the accuracy of print OCR has recently improved. Furthermore, there is a uniformity in that the number of characters to be recognized is small and the size of the characters is within a certain range. Therefore, it has become possible to read telephone numbers on business cards using OCR.

When reading a facsimile telephone number on a business card using optical character recognition technology, it is difficult to share a reading device for the transmitted document due to the difference in paper quality between the transmitted document and the business card. On the other hand, providing a separate reader for reading business cards causes problems such as an increase in installation space and an increase in cost.

An object of the present invention is to provide a 7-axis machine that can directly read a facsimile telephone number from a business card or the like and connect a line to the facsimile telephone number.

(Means for Solving the Problems) A facsimile device according to the present invention includes a reading unit that reads an original image with an image sensor and converts it into digital image data, and a first transport unit that transports the transmitted original to the reading position of the image sensor. , a second conveyance means for conveying a predetermined type of document on which a telephone number for facsimile IJ is written to a reading position of the image sensor; and receiving digital image data read from the document conveyed by the second conveyance means from the reading means. , an identification means for identifying a facsimile telephone number from the digital image data by optical character recognition, and a transmission means for transmitting a transmission document to the 7-axis telephone number identified by the identification means. Features.

(Function) A facsimile telephone number is generally printed on business cards, letterheads, etc. This telephone number is characterized by being printed and consisting of characters of a certain size, making it an easy target for optical character recognition. Therefore, image data of characters printed on a business card or the like is read, and a 7-axis telephone number is identified by optical character recognition.

Reading of this business card, etc. is performed by sharing the image sensor of the reading means for the transmitted document. On the other hand, the original to be transmitted to the image sensor, the business card, etc. are transported separately by the first transport means and the second transport means, respectively, due to the difference in the nature of transport of the originals, etc. Then, connect the line to the identified facsimile phone number and send the message.

(Example) Hereinafter, the present invention will be described in detail in the following order with reference to the accompanying drawings.

(a) Configuration of facsimile device (b) Operation panel (C) Configuration of facsimile control system (d) Reading facsimile telephone numbers (FAX numbers) from business cards (reading and identification using optical character recognition) (multiple facsimiles) (6) One-touch dial function and number print function (f
) Communication control flow (Main routine) Timer interrupt routine Print check routine Read check routine Transmit check routine Receive check routine Business card reading check routine Send routine Receive routine (g) Optical Character Recognition Flow In this example, a facsimile telephone number is extracted from a business card. A case will be described in which identification is performed using optical character recognition, but in the case of a letterhead or the like, similar processing can be performed by reading only that part of the letter.

In the above description, the parts particularly relevant to the present invention are sections (a), (d), and FIG. 1.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Below is a margin (a) 7 Construction of an aximity device FIG. 1 is a sectional view of a facsimile device according to the present invention. This facsimile machine is broadly divided into a printer section 1 and a reading section 20 installed above the printer section 1.

The printer section 1 is a laser beam printer, and its operation will be briefly described below. First, the photoreceptor on the rotationally driven photoreceptor drum 2 is uniformly charged by the charger 3 . Next, a laser beam is irradiated by the optical system 4 according to the image data to form an electrostatic latent image on the photoreceptor. Toner from the developing device 5 adheres to this electrostatic latent image. On the other hand, cut sheets are placed in the paper feed cassette 11, and the cut sheets are fed one by one toward the photosensitive drum 2 by rollers or the like. The toner adhering to the photosensitive drum 2 is transferred onto the cut paper by the transfer charger 6 and fixed by the fixing device 12, after which the cut paper is discharged onto the tray 13. The toner that has not adhered is collected by the cleaner 8, and this completes -th printing.

Next, the operation of the reading section 20 will be explained. Reading of the transmitted original is performed in the same manner as before. That is, the originals placed on the original tray 21 are detected by the sensor 22, and are fed one by one to the position of the sensor 25 by the rollers 23 and 24, which have been lowered to the dotted line position. Next, the original is read by the contact type linear image sensor 26 by synchronizing the rotation of the roller 24 by a motor (not shown) and the reading by the contact type linear image sensor 26, and the original image is converted into digital image data. After the reading is completed, the document is discharged to the discharge section 28 by the discharge roller 27. In this embodiment, the rollers 24 and 27 are driven by the same drive system, and the original is ejected when the next original is read.

A feature of the reading unit 20 according to the present invention is that it includes a setting unit 31 for setting business cards, and the facsimile telephone number (hereinafter also referred to as FAX number) of the business card placed in the setting unit 31.
is read by optical character recognition (OCR) technology. That is, when a business card in the setting section 31 is detected by the sensor 32, the business card is sent to the contact type linear image sensor 26 by rollers 33 and 34, and is read in the same way as a document image and converted into digital image data.

Next, the business card is returned to the setting section 31 by rotating the rollers 33 and 34 in the reverse direction. The reason for carrying out the reverse conveyance is that it is difficult to share the ejection system between the transmission original and the business card due to their different paper properties.

Another feature of this facsimile device is that the same image sensor 26 is used for reading the facsimile transmission document and for reading the business card OCR.

When reading the transmission original and the business card using independent reading sections, the problem arises that the provision of separate reading sections increases space and costs. Therefore, we decided to provide separate conveyance systems for the original to be sent and the business card due to their different properties, but to share the reading linear image sensor 26. Also, business card reading → 7 axis l, l
l Processing is performed in the order of telephone number confirmation (OCR) → document reading, so compared to the case where reading sections are provided separately,
The processing time does not change much.

Note that business card reading cannot be performed at the same time as original reading, so as shown in FIG. 17, the business card reading flag is set only when the transmitted original is not being read (original flag = 0). This is done by executing the business card reading sequences of (a) and (b).

Further, the telephone set 28 is a handset connected to a telephone line. The data received by the telephone 28 is recorded by the printer section 1, while the image information read by the reading section 20 is transmitted to the telephone line through the telephone 28.

Finally, the operation panel 15 sets the operation of the facsimile machine and displays the operation status.

Note that the recording section 1 and the reading section 20 do not have to be integrated.

(b) Operation panel FIG. 2 shows the arrangement of keys, etc. on the operation panel 15. The operation panel 15 includes a numeric keypad 40 and a liquid crystal display panel 4L.
One-touch key 42, send key 43, business card registration key 45
, a number print key 46, a registration key 47, a kana/kanji key 48, an IC card load key 49, and an IC card interface 51.

The numeric keypad 40 is used for setting the destination FAX number, etc.

The liquid crystal display panel 41 is used to display the operating status of the facsimile or to give instructions and warnings to the operator. For example, displays a to zl as shown in FIGS. 3(a) to 3(c) are displayed.

The one-touch key 42 is used to store the corresponding destination fax number in the memory or to input the destination FA,
Used for one-touch sending to X number. The memory stores a destination FAX number and a destination name corresponding to each key. Further, the one-touch key 42 is
One-touch sending operation of the fax number stored in the C card 52 and FA in the business card read by optical character recognition
It is also used to register the X number. In this embodiment, the contents of the touch key 42 are changed by inserting the IC card 52.

The transmission key 43 is a key for starting transmission.

The business card registration key 45 is a key for registering the FAX number in the read business card.

The number print key 46 is a key for printing the destination FAX number corresponding to each key of the one-touch key 42.

The registration key 47 is a key for specifying either registered mode or non-registered mode.

The kana-kanji key 48 is a key for specifying either the kana-kanji mode or the non-kana-kanji mode for the input content at the time of registration.

The IC card load key 49 is used to select which address group in the IC card 52 is to be loaded.

IC card interface 7m 7.51 C. An electrical interface for inserting the IC card 52 and connecting the IC card 52 to the main axis device, and is provided with an arc-shaped entrance for easy insertion.

The IC card 52 includes a memory that stores the name of the other party and the FAX number of the other party.

(c) Facsimile Control System FIG. 4 is a block diagram of the control section of the facsimile apparatus of this embodiment. The control unit mainly includes a communication control CPU 60. It consists of an operation panel section 15 and a printer control section 61, which are connected by a communication path for transmitting mode information and a timing signal line for notifying timing.

Further, an IC card interface 51 is connected to the operation panel section 15.

In addition to this, the communication control CPU 60 also uses the bus 62 to
It is connected to blocks 63 to 78 as shown in the figure. Here, the ROM63 and RAM64 are connected to the communication control CPU6.
This is memory for 0.

Kanji ROM 1.2 (65, 66) stores different kanji fonts and displays them on the liquid crystal display panel 41.
It is used for adding additional information (time, sender) to transmitted/received documents, recording the contents of the touch key 42, etc. The two types of Kanji ROM 1.2 (65, 66) are used corresponding to two types of recording modes when recording the contents of the one-touch key 42ρ, which will be described later. The OCR analysis unit 67 is used to perform optical character recognition (OCR) in reading business cards, and the OCR RAM 68 is a work area for the OCR analysis unit 67.
The 7-ont table 69 stores font data used for analysis in the OCR analysis section 67. In addition, the a sensor section 711 buffer memory 72, pressure! The decompression section 73, page memory section 74, compressed image memory 75, HDLC analysis section top 67, and NCU 78 are all blocks for facsimile functions.

Next, these movements will be described according to the operations of the facsimile.

First, when a document is placed on the document tray 11, the presence of the document is detected by the sensor 22 of the reading sensor section 71, and the information is sent to the communication control CPU 60. Communication control CPU
60 is a FAX on the liquid crystal display panel 41 of the operation panel 15.
Display a request to input a number (Fig. 3 (a) display a),
When the FAX number is input, the motor of the reading sensor section 71 and the contact type linear image sensor 26 are synchronized, and
The image signal is read l lines at a time, and the l line data is sent to the buffer memory 72. At the same time, the image data in the buffer memory 72 is compressed by the compression/expansion section 73 and stored in the compressed image memory 75. When the reading is completed, the communication control CPU 60 uses the modem 77 and NCU 78 to call the receiving facsimile through the telephone line. When the telephone line is connected, the receiving side's capability (G
III, GIV), the compressed data stored in the compressed image memory 75 is transferred to the compression/expansion section 73.
The image data is then decompressed and restored to the original image data and stored in the page memory unit 74. Next, after undergoing automatic reduction processing according to the recording size of the facsimile on the receiving side, it is compressed in the compression/decompression section 73 according to the encoding method of the facsimile on the receiving side, and then again in another area of the compressed image memory 75. is stored in These expansion and compression operations are performed alternately in units of lpronks each consisting of several lines.

At the same time that compression is performed according to the capabilities of the receiving side, the obtained compressed data is processed by the HDLC analysis unit 76.
After being processed according to LC standards, modem 77, NCU
78 to the telephone line. When all images have been transmitted, the telephone line is disconnected according to the disconnection order, and the transmission is completed.

Next, the operation during reception will be described.

When a call is received from the sending facsimile machine through the telephone line, the line is connected according to communication procedures. When the line connection is completed, the image data sent from the sending facsimile passes through the NCU 78 and modem 77, and is transferred to the HDL.
C analysis section analysis section 6, the data is returned to simple compressed data, and then stored in the compressed image memory 75. When all image data has been received, the telephone line is disconnected according to the communication procedure. After the telephone line is disconnected, the image data is sent from the compressed image memory 75 to the compression/expansion section 73 and is sequentially expanded.
Storage as a real image begins in the page memory section 74.

At the same time, the printer control section 61 is activated by the communication control CPU 60, and furthermore, the transfer of image signals from the page memory section 74 to the lifter control section 61 begins. However, once the expansion of one page is completed, the expansion is stopped until the data transfer for one page is completed. This means that the page memory section 74 is 1
This is because since there is only an area for one page, it is necessary to prevent overwriting of decompressed data.

When printing of all compressed image data is completed in this manner, the receiving operation is completed.

Note that the OCR analysis unit 67 extracts and recognizes characters such as a FAX number on a business card using a known optical character recognition technology, as described in section (g).

Further, the operation of the printer control section 61 that controls the printer section 1 is the same as that of a conventional laser beam printer, so a description thereof will be omitted.

(d) Reading the facsimile telephone number (FAX number) from the business card When the business card is inserted, OCR analysis of the business card is executed (see FIGS. 23(a) and (b)). In reading this business card, the business card set in the setting section 31 is detected by the business card detection sensor 32 and then sent to the image sensor 26 . The image data read by the image sensor 26 is stored in the page memory 74 (second
(See Figure 3(a) 51001-31007). At the same time as the image data is stored, the OCR analysis unit 67
AM (working area) 68 and font table 69
The information is subjected to character recognition processing using , and converted into position information and code information (see the flowcharts in FIGS. 26 to 31).

Reading and Identification Using Optical Character Recognition> Generally, a business card has a facsimile telephone number (FAX number) written on it. In this example, optical character recognition (O
When sending a facsimile using the CR), the business card reader 2
0 set section 31 to read the FAX number (second
6 to 31), it can be sent as the recipient's FAX number.

Currently, the literacy rate of alphanumeric type OCR technology is at the stage of practical application, but when reading business cards using OCR, if the characteristics of the business card being read are taken into consideration, wasteful identification processing can be eliminated.

There are two types of business cards: horizontal and vertical writing.

FIGS. 5(a) and 5(b) show general types for horizontal writing and vertical writing, respectively. As in these examples, when writing a FAX number on a business card, it is generally rFAXJ, "7ax", "
To the right (horizontal writing) or below (
Phone number numbers (Arabic numerals, Chinese numerals, etc.) in vertical writing)
is written. In addition, before the phone number, rGII [
In some cases, a symbol representing a group of facsimile standards based on the CCITT standardization recommendations, such as J, rGI [I, GIVJ, etc., may be written. This symbol and phone number are
In the case of horizontal writing, it is always on the right side of the character string such as rFAXJ, and in the case of vertical writing, it is always on the bottom side. Furthermore, the sizes of these character strings, symbols, numbers, etc. are within a substantially constant range.

That is, the following points can be mentioned as characteristics of optical character recognition of a FAX number on a business card. ■It only targets printed characters; handwritten characters do not need to be recognized.

■ Only vertical and horizontal writing is possible, and the positional deviation within the character string is small. ■The telephone number is located below the character string representing the facsimile when written vertically, and to the right when written horizontally. ■The only characters to be recognized are numbers, (,), and -. ■The size of the characters is almost constant, and there is no need to recognize larger characters. Further, symbols representing facsimile groups (rG I[IJ, rG IVJ, etc.) are similarly located around the character string representing facsimile, and G, III.

Only characters and numbers such as ■ need to be recognized.

Therefore, in this example (see FIG. 26), rFA
29th to identify the character string representing the facsimile of XJ
(see figure), examines only the bottom and right side of the character string depending on whether it is vertical or horizontal writing (see figure 27), and extracts facsimile telephone numbers and standard symbols (see figure 30)
.

Extracting a fax number from a business card using optical character recognition (OCR) technology involves identifying the printed character string representing a facsimile (rFAXJ, "Facsimile", etc.), examining only the surrounding area, and then identifying the group symbol. (rG I[[J,
rG, IVJ, etc.) and numbers representing telephone numbers, it can be said to belong to the easy category of optical character recognition. Note that the technology for optical character recognition itself is already well known, and a description of the technique will be omitted here.

Furthermore, business cards generally have company name, affiliation, name, etc. written on them, so by reading these around the character string representing the facsimile, it becomes possible to automatically register the name of the recipient. (Figure 23(b), 26th
(see figure).

Note that it is also possible to extract a character string indicating a telephone, such as R, J, etc., and read a normal telephone number.

<Selection of multiple facsimile telephone numbers (FAX numbers)> A business card may have multiple FAX telephone numbers written on it. For example, in the case of gJ5 diagram (a), the same group (
Two 7-axis devices of GI [[,) (one is G■
dual use) is provided. Therefore, one must choose which facsimile machine to use. This selection is difficult to perform automatically because there is no general standard. Therefore, in this embodiment, when multiple FAX numbers are recognized, the display p(
As shown in FIG. 3(b), the multiple fax numbers are displayed and the operator is asked to make a selection (3643 in FIG. 22(b)). When the operator selects one-touch key 42, the FAX number corresponding to that key is selected.

In addition, in the case of FIG. 5(b), even if the fax numbers of two departments (head office and Osaka branch) are recognized, multiple fax numbers may be displayed on the LCD panel 41 in the same way as shown in FIG. 3(b).
C) display p), decided to ask the operator to make a selection (
Figure 22(b) S 643). In addition, when there is no selection, the upper side or the right side is automatically selected (5635-5641).

In addition, in cases where the head office, branch office, area code, etc. can be identified, these identification data can be displayed to encourage selection.

Selection of multiple 7-axis groups> Furthermore, as in the case of FIG. 5(a), multiple types of groups (CCITT
When a facsimile machine of group GI [I, GIV) that complies with the standardization recommendations of 2009 is identified from a business card, it is necessary to select the facsimile standard of the other party in accordance with the facsimile standard of the sending side. If the group is not displayed,
It may be determined that GI [[] which is generally widespread.

Conventionally, the selection of the destination 7 axis has been left to the judgment of the operator. However, with business card OCR, Group GI
[If I, GIV can be identified, it must be possible to select it automatically. This allows the operator's labor to be reduced.

In addition to G■, which is currently mainly used, it is thought that GIV, which is an even more advanced standard, will become popular in the near future. In general, facsimile machines with QPi functionality are GIII and G
Although communication is possible with both IV and GI, facsimile machines with GI cannot communicate with G■. Since the facsimile apparatus of this embodiment is a GIV apparatus, it selects and transmits the same group of functions corresponding to the facsimile functions (GIII, GIV) of the other party. Therefore, the other party has GI [I and GI
If there are two types of facsimile machines in group V,
The transmission capability is high (dV device is selected and transmitted (FIG. 23(a) S I Ol 9).

Furthermore, if the destination is a G■/GIV shared device, a GIV with a high transmission capability is selected and transmitted.

Note that if the own machine is a Gllr machine, the model of the same group G■ is selected and transmitted.

Registration of facsimile phone number (FAX number) that has been scanned > In addition to the automatic sending M function by reading business cards explained above, if you add a registration function that allows you to register FAX numbers extracted from business cards, one-touch sending is possible. There is no need to read the business card again the next time you send it. Therefore, in this embodiment, the registration mode is entered by pressing the registration key 47 provided on the operation panel 15 after inserting the business card (see FIG. 22(e)).

After that, when the business card reading is completed and the one-touch key 42 is pressed, the fax number, recipient name, group, etc. are registered at the address in the main body memory corresponding to the pressed key (Fig. 25, 31).
217). In addition, when the IC card 52 is inserted, the IC card 52 specified by the one-touch key 42
It is registered at the specified address in the address group within (see 51215 in Figure 25).

(e) One-touch dial function and number printing function This facsimile machine is equipped with a one-touch dial registration function. In the main body memory or IC card 52, a destination name and a FAX number can be registered for each key of the one-touch key 42 for facsimile transmission. When transmitting or registering, the operator presses one of the one-touch keys 42 to make a selection. In this embodiment, registration in the IC card 52 is performed for each of a plurality of address groups divided by the number of keys (12) constituting the one-touch key 42, so in the case of registration or transmission, the registered The address group number must also be specified.

Whether the one-touch key 42 is made to correspond to the main body memory or the IC card 52 is selected depending on whether or not the IC card 52 is inserted into the IC card interface 5i.

That is, as shown in FIG. 22(c), the IC card validity flag is set and reset by inserting and removing the IC card, and as shown in FIG. 22(d), when the one-touch key is pressed, the IC card is valid. Depending on the flag, a FAX number or the like is registered in the main body memory or the IC card 52 and is set as a destination number.

What kind of destination fax each one-touch key 42 actually corresponds to
If the operator does not remember whether the number corresponds to the number, the operator can only send or register after confirming the correspondence. Facsimile transmission becomes easier if the operator can immediately understand the registered contents.

Therefore, in this embodiment, there is a number print key 46 on the operation panel.
is provided, and when this key 46 is pressed, the name of the other party registered in the memory, etc. is automatically printed on paper in a size that can be pasted on the bottom of each key constituting the one-touch key 42 or on the IC card 52. (7 in Figure 24)
0-reference).

FIG. 6(a) shows on the left an example of a print format for pasting below each key of the one-touch key 42. On the right side, one-touch key 4 on the operation panel 15
2 is shown. The size of the printed portion is determined so that it can be pasted on the bottom of each key of the one-touch key 42. Figure 6(b) shows
This is an enlarged view of the printed part. Corresponding to the 12 keys, the recipient's name and phone number are printed above and below within the broken lines. The dashed line is large enough to be pasted under the key. Therefore, it is sufficient to cut out the broken line portion and attach it to the lower part of the one-touch key 42. Alternatively, a portion corresponding to the key may be cut out and pasted. In this embodiment, the print is made in a size that can be pasted on the bottom of each key, but the print may be made in a size suitable for being attached to a facsimile machine.

In addition, the one-touch key 42 is added to the address book in the IC card 52.
Since the content corresponding to the one-touch key 42 changes when the IC card is inserted. Therefore, it is necessary to display the contents somewhere. For example, it may be displayed on the IC card, but it is troublesome for the operator to write it down. Moreover, it is troublesome to rewrite when changing the contents. Therefore, the key contents can be printed in a size suitable for pasting on the IC card 52.

FIG. 7(a) shows the print 7 format for pasting on the IC card 52 on the left, and the IC card 5 on the right.
2 is shown. The print 7 format is set to a size that can be used by pasting it on the IC card 52 (indicated by a broken line). It is preferable that the size is just right when pasted on the IC card 52. FIG. 7(b) shows an example of print contents. This is a printed copy of the registered destination name along with the corresponding number. This printed portion may be cut out and pasted onto the IC card 52. Note that in this embodiment, the IC
Although printing is performed within a size that approximately matches the size of the card 52, the output size is not limited to this.

This saves the trouble of writing on the IC card, and it is also easy to respond to changes in content and is accurate.

In such printing, it is necessary to specify whether the contents of the main body memory or the contents of the IC card 52 are to be printed. However, the one-touch key 42 is connected to the main body memory and IC.
Since the corresponding card 52 has already been selected by inserting the IC card, it is better to select the print content according to this selection. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 24, the selection is automatically made based on the state of the IC card validity flag. That is, when printing is performed by pressing the number print key 46 (see FIG. 22(f)),
Select whether to print the contents of the IC card 52 or the contents of the main body memory in accordance with the IC card valid flag indicating the IC card 52 (see 51105 in Fig. 24).
. Correspondingly, the registered contents are of a size that can be pasted on the operation panel I5 or the IC card 52, and the registered contents are stored in the page memory section S6.
The bitmap is expanded to . At this time, select an appropriate font (
(see Fig. 9 and Fig. 1O). The RAM 64 and IC card 52 store the destination name and FAX number as codes corresponding to letters and numbers. For example, the 8th
The content as shown in FIG. 8(a) is stored as a code string as shown in FIG. 8(b). Therefore, when printing, the codes are sequentially read out from this code string, and the font data corresponding to the code (for example, Fig. 9 (a),
(b) and 7 onts of "2" in FIGS. After bitmap development is performed for all codes, printing is performed as in the case of normal printing.

Note that printing may be performed using a thermal transfer printer or a thermal printer. Furthermore, it may be printed on a sticker. Further, other registered contents of the IC card 52 (for example, transmission mode (broadcast, number of copies, etc.)) may be made printable. Furthermore, in addition to printing the contents of one-touch keys, the registered contents of speed dials and broadcast destinations may also be printed.

(f) Flow of communication control The flow of communication control will be explained below, and in the 70-chart, the terms "on-edge" and "off-edge" are used in the following meanings. That is, when the state of a switch, sensor, signal, etc. changes from an off state to an on state, this state change is defined as "on edge." Furthermore, when the state of a switch, sensor, signal, etc. changes from an on state to an off state, this state change is defined as an "off edge."

<Main Routine> FIG. 11 shows a schematic control 70- of the communication control CPU 60. First, step Sl (hereinafter "step" is abbreviated)
Perform initial settings for registers, various input/output ports, various flags, etc. Next, in S3, a timer interrupt is set for periodically calling the interrupt service routine shown in FIG.

Next, a print check (S5), a read check (S7), a send check (S9), etc. are performed to run each sequence in the interrupt service routine as desired (for example, when reading is desired, reading is performed). Processes various check routines such as reception check (Sll) and business card reading check (S13).

When the processing up to S13 is completed, the process returns to S5 and the same check is repeated.

Details of the check routine will be explained later.

<Timer Interrupt Routine> FIG. 12 shows a service routine called by the timer interrupt (S3) set in the flowchart of FIG. 11. This service routine includes transmission (S21), reception 1 (S21),
23), reading (S25), printing (527), key processing (S29), business card reading (S31), number printing (
It consists of seven sequences: S33) and business card number registration (S35), the details of which will be explained later.

Next, each check routine in the flowchart of FIG. 11 will be explained in sequence.

Print Check Routine> FIG. 13 shows the flow of print check (S5 in FIG. 11). First, in step 561, a check is made to see if there is an image to be recorded (printed) in the page memory 74. If there is a recorded image, it is not being read (reading flag -O" in S63, the flag is represented by F in the figure), is not being transmitted over the line (Line transmission 7 lag "O" in S65),
If printing is not started (print flag - "O" in S67), the print section l is started (power of heaters, etc. is turned on) in S69, and a print start flag indicating the start of the print section is set in S71. In S73, a display d (see FIG. 3(a)) is displayed on the liquid crystal display panel 41 to notify the operator that printing is in progress.

Note that when the reading flag is set in S63 and when the line transmission flag is set in S65, the compression/expansion section 73 cannot be used during reading, so the process returns without entering the printing operation. Furthermore, when the print flag is set in S67, since the print operation has already been performed, the process returns without doing anything.

When there are no more recorded images left in S61, the print unit l is stopped (the heater etc. are turned off) in S75, and the operator is prompted to finish the print operation by displaying e on the liquid crystal display panel 41 (see FIG. 3(a)) in S77. Please let me know and return.

Figure 14 shows the original reading check routine (70 in Figure 11).
- indicates.

First, in step 5101, a check is made to see if there is a document on the document tray 11. If there is a document, the process proceeds to the next step, but if there is no document, the process jumps to 5ill. If there is a document, next, if it is not already being read (reading 7 lag "O" in S103), is not being printed (print flag - "0" in S105), and is not being transmitted over the line (S
5lo only for the line transmission flag - “0” in I O7
The process advances to step 9, and a reading start flag indicating the start of reading is set. However, if any of the 7 lags for reading, printing, or line transmission is set, the process proceeds to 5ill without doing anything.

In other words, when the read flag is set in 5103, reading is already in progress, and when the print 7 lag or line transmission 7 lag is set in 5105 or 5107, the compression/expansion section 73 is used during printing and transmission, so the reading operation is not completed. This is because it cannot be done.

Next, the setting state of the reading start flag is checked in 5ill, and when it is set, the process advances to 5113, where a display a is displayed on the liquid crystal display panel 41 to prompt the operator to input a telephone number. Next, when a telephone number is input in 5l15, or it is determined in 5117 that the fax number of the business card has been read (determined) (business card read 7 lag "1") (see S1021 in Figure 23 (a)) Only then, the process proceeds to step 5119 and subsequent steps to perform a document reading operation.

If the reading start flag is not set in 5ill or if the business card read flag is not set in 5117, the process returns directly.

In step 3119, the first document is sent to the reading section. Next 312
At step 1, the arrival of the document at the reading section is detected by the sensor 25, and if the document has not arrived, the process returns directly, but if it has arrived, the process proceeds to step 5123.

Then, in order to start the reading operation of the image sensor 26 at 5123, a reading flag indicating that reading is in progress is set, at 5125 the business card reading completed flag is reset to indicate that the business card has not been read, and at 5L27 reading is started. After resetting the flag, at 5129, the liquid crystal display panel 41
Display f (see FIG. 3(a)) is displayed to inform the operator that the reading operation has started, and the process returns.

In this embodiment, when an original is set and the business card read flag is set, transmission (original reading) is performed without pressing the send key 43 (YES at Sl17).
). In the case of normal document transmission, it is necessary to press the transmission key (start button) 43 to start transmission after setting the document. However, when the FAX number is read using the business card reading function, the action of pressing the send key 43 overlaps with the action of inserting the business card. Further, pressing the send key 43 also means that the input of the telephone number is completed, and in this sense too, pressing the send key 43 is unnecessary.

Therefore, by setting the transmission operation (original reading) to start when the FAX number is determined by reading the FAX number, the operation of pressing the transmission key 43 can be omitted.

Transmission Check Routine> FIG. 15 shows the flow of the transmission check (FIG. 11, 39). First, in step 5131, a check is made to see if there is data to be transmitted in the compressed image memory 75. If there is no data to be transmitted, the process returns without doing anything, but if there is, the process advances to step 5133. Then, it is not in the process of reading (reading flag - “On” in S133) and is not in the process of printing (printing 7 in 3135).
lag "OH", the line is not being received (line reception flag - 0 in 5137), and the line is not being transmitted (line transmission flag - 0 in S139), proceed to 5141 only. Then, in 5141, set the line transmission flag. 5143
After resetting the image transmission flag in step 5145 and erasing the previously transmitted compressed data in step 5145, the image transmission flag is reset in step 5147.
Display g (see FIG. 3(a)) is performed to notify the operator that transmission has started, and the process returns. but,
If any flag is set, return without doing anything. In other words, when the read flag or print flag is set in 5133 or 5135, the compression/expansion section 73 is in use, and when the line reception flag is set in 5137, the line is not used for reception operation. Therefore, if the line transmission flag is set in 5139, the transmission operation is already in progress, so the process returns. Note that in this embodiment, the original compressed data is held in the compressed image memory 75 as the transmission image data, rather than the compressed data that was expanded during the previous transmission and compressed again.
This can hold either data.

Further, data deletion may be performed at any time, at least after the start of the next document transmission (in this case, reading is included in transmission); for example, when it is detected that a document is set on the document tray 11, It may also be when the destination number is set, when reading of a document starts, etc.

<Reception Check Routine> FIG. 16 shows the flow of the reception check (FIG. 11, 5ll). First, at 5151, a check is made to see if there is a call through the telephone line. When there is a call,
At 5153 and 5155, line transmission 7 lag and line reception 7 lag are checked to determine whether or not the line is in use. If it is determined that there is no call or that the line is in use, the process returns without entering the receiving operation. If it is determined that the line is not in use, then the line reception 7 lag is set in 5157 and the reception operation begins, then the image received 7 lag is reset in 5159, and then the reception connected flag is reset in 5161. Then, in step 5163, the liquid crystal display panel 41 displays h (see FIG. 3(a)), informs the operator that reception is in progress, and returns.

Business card reading check routine> Figure 17 shows the OC for business card OCR (optical character recognition).
A business card reading check (513 in FIG. 11) 70- is shown to check whether the R analysis unit 67 is activated.

First, in step 5171, it is checked whether or not the business card is already being read, and if it is being read (business card reading flag - "1", it returns without doing anything. If it is not being read, the process goes to 5173, where the sensor detects the insertion of the business card. It is determined whether or not there is an ON edge of 32. Only when the ON edge is ON, the process advances to 5175 and it is determined whether the document is being read (reading flag - "1" or not. In this embodiment, the image sensor 26 is shared between the document and the business card. This is because the business card cannot be read while the document is being read.

If the manuscript is not being read, business cards can be read, so enter 517.
Proceed to step 7, reset the multiple number input completed flag, and proceed to the next step. Next, the purpose of reading a business card is to connect a line to the read fax number and to register it as the content of the one-touch key 42. The process branches into two depending on the indicated business card registration flag.

When used for one-touch transmission, proceed to 5181 and below, and only if the compression/expansion section 73 is not used (line transmission flag - 0" in S 181, print flag - "0" in 5183), start reading in 5185 and check for 7 lags. When the reading start flag is preset, the original has already been set (5109 in Fig. 14, s7 in Fig. 22(d)).
25), the business card reading flag indicating that the business card is being read is preset in 5187, and the operator is notified of the business card reading with the display Q on the liquid crystal display panel 41 (see FIG. 3(b)) in 5189, and the process returns. do. When the reading start flag is reset at 5185, the LCD display panel 4 is reset at 5191.
The display m at 1 (see FIG. 3(b)) prompts the operator to set the document, and returns without reading the business card.

In this embodiment, inserting a business card (YES in S173)
Although business card reading is started (S l 87), it may of course be started using a key. In this case, a business card reading key may be provided, and after the business card is inserted, the ON edge of the business card reading key is detected to start reading the business card.

In addition, when using 5179 for business card registration, 51
At step 93, the key registration flag is reset, at step 5195, a business card reading flag indicating that the business card is being read is preset, and at step 5197, the business card is registered on the display W on the liquid crystal display panel 41 (see FIG. 3(c)). Inform the operator and return.

Transmission Routine Below in the Margin> Next, each service routine based on the timer interrupt in S3 of FIG. 11 will be explained.

FIGS. 18(a), (b), and (c) show the flow of transmission (321 in FIG. 12).

The reason why this embodiment first converts compressed data into decompressed data and then returns to compressed data during transmission is because a transmission method called memory transmission is used. That is,
In this method, the image data of the original document is stored in memory during reading before transmission, and then a line is connected to the other party (receiving side) at the time of transmission. However, in this case, when storing data in memory, the recording capacity (recording size, etc.) and compression method of the other party are not known, so the data is encoded using a method convenient for the sending side (for example, a method with high compression efficiency). I do.

Therefore, it is necessary to decompress the data once again during communication to return it to actual image data, and then convert it to compressed data suitable for the receiving side. Therefore, in step 5201, which executes the sequence for alternately repeating compression and expansion shown in FIG. 18(a), an expansion flag that is set when expansion is in progress is checked.

If it is being decompressed (YES in S201), the decompressed data is stored in the page memory 74 in 5203, automatic reduction is performed in 5205 (reduction and expansion of the image data according to the recording size on the receiving side), and image processing is performed in 5207 (transmission). original printing). Then, in step 5209, the decompression flag is reset and the process proceeds to step 5221.

If it is not being decompressed (NO in S201), it is checked in 5211 whether decompression of all data has been completed;
At the end of the process, the process proceeds to 5221 without resetting. If not completed,
After presetting the extension 7 lag with 5213, 52
In step 15, the expansion operation is set, and the process proceeds to step 3221.

At 5221, the compression 7 lag indicating that compression is in progress is checked. If compression is in progress, the compressed data is stored in the compressed image memory 75 in 5223, the compression flag is reset in 5225, and the process proceeds 52411 steps. Also, if compression is not in progress, it is checked in 5227 whether compression of all data has been completed, and when it has been completed, the process proceeds directly to 5241, but if it has not been completed, the compression flag is set in 5229, and
231, the compression operation is set.

Next, proceeding to FIG. 18(b), first in S241, the set state of the line transmission flag set at the time of line transmission is checked,
When resetting, return without doing anything. 5241
When setting, proceed to 5243, and when the line connection with the other party (receiving side) is completed, proceed to 5289 (Fig. 18 (C)
)) Check the status of the transmission connected flag set in ). If the line has been connected, send the image data as follows. First, in step 5245, the image transmission completed flag, which is set upon completion of image data transmission, is checked.
At the end (image transmission flow flag - "1"), the process advances to 5261. At step 3261, it is checked whether or not the transmission disconnection process has been completed using the transmission disconnection completed flag. If it has been completed, the process returns and the transmission process is ended.

If the image transmission is not completed in 5245, the process advances to 5247, where settings are made for the transmitter such as the modem 77, and the image transmission is completed.

- sends data to the telephone line of the data. Then, in 5249, a check is made to see if the transmission of one page has been completed, and in 5251, a check is made to see if the transmission of all pages has been completed. If the transmission of one page has not been completed, the process advances to 5259, sends the transmission image data to the transmission section, and returns. 5257 at the end of one page and if all pages have not been completed
■Update the page and return. When the transmission of all pages is completed, the process advances to step 5253 to set the image transmission completion flag, reset the transmission disconnected flag in step 5255, and then return.

5263-3271 in FIG. 18(C) indicate the transmission disconnection operation. This means that the image transmission ends at 5245 and S
This process is executed when it is determined in H.261 that the transmission disconnection process has not been completed. First, in step 5263, line disconnection processing is performed, and in step 5265, the termination is checked. 526 when finished
At step 7, the line disconnected flag is set, at step 5269, the line transmission 7 lag is reset, and at step 5271, the display i shown in FIG. 3(a) is displayed on the liquid crystal display panel 41 to inform the operator that the transmission has ended. After that, return. If the process is not completed in 5265, the process returns directly.

If it is determined in step 5243 that the transmission connection has not been completed, line connection processing for transmission is performed. That is, operations such as connecting a telephone line to the other party that is managed as a pair with the transmitted image data are performed. First, in step 5281, line connection processing is performed. Next 5
At step 283, it is checked whether the line connection process has been completed, and if the line connection has not been completed, the process returns directly. On the other hand, when finished, proceed to 5285, set the decompression flag, and proceed to 5285.
After resetting the compression flag at 287, initializing both flags, and setting the transmission connected flag at 5289,
Return.

<Receiving Routine> FIG. 19 shows the flow of the receiving sequence (523 in FIG. 12).

First, in S301, the state of the line reception flag set during line reception is checked, and if the line is not being received, the process proceeds to 3331 without doing anything. When receiving line (5157 in Figure 16)
), and then in step 5303 the state of the reception connected flag, which is set when the connection at the time of reception ends, is checked.

If reception is connected (see S325), then the status of the image received 7 lag, which is set when image reception is completed in 5305, is checked (see S343).

If it is determined in 5305 that the image reception completed flag is set, the process advances to 5307 and line disconnection processing is performed. Then, the completion is checked in 5309, and when it is finished, the line reception flag is reset in 5311, and then in 5313, the display j is displayed on the liquid crystal display panel 41 (see Fig. 3 (b)), and the operator is informed that the reception has ended. to complete the reception operation. However, if the line disconnection is not completed in step 5309, the process returns and continues the disconnection process.

When it is determined in 5303 that the reception connection process has not been completed, 53
The process proceeds to step 21, where the line connection process is first performed, and then the completion of the process is checked in step 5323. If it is determined in 5323 that the process is not completed, it returns as is, but if it is determined that it is completed in 3323, the reception connection completed flag is set in 5325, and the image reception start flag is set in 5327, and then
Return.

If it is determined in 5301 that line reception is in progress, or if it is determined in 5305 that image reception is not completed, the process advances to 5331 and the image reception start flag is checked. When set, the receiving section is initialized in 5333, the image reception start flag is reset in 5335, and the process returns. If it is determined in 5331 that image reception has not started, the process advances to 5337 and the received image data is stored.

Next, in 5339, the end of storage for one page is indicated in 5341.
Check that all pages have been stored. If the storage for one page is not completed at 5339, return as is and return to 53
If all pages have not been completed in step 41, the stored page is updated in step 5345, and if all pages have been completed, the image reception completed flag is set in step 5343, and each return is made.

Reading Routine> FIGS. 20(a) and 20(b) show the flow of reading (525 in FIG. 12) for controlling the image sensor 26 and document transport motor during reading. First, in step 3401, the state of the read flag (see 5t23 in FIG. 14) set at the time of reading is checked. If reading is not in progress, do nothing and proceed to 5451. On the other hand, when the reading flag is set, the image sensor 26 and document conveyance pulse motor are being controlled, and the process then proceeds to 3403. At steps 5403 and 5405, checks are made to see if reading for one page is completed and reading for a full page is completed, respectively.

When reading of one page is not completed (No in S403)
Next, in step 5431, the document is sent, in step 5433, the image data read by the image sensor 26 is stored, in step 5435, the next reading stop is set, and the process proceeds to step 5451.

When one page has been read (YES in S403)
Next, in step 5405, it is checked whether all pages have been read. If all pages have not been read (No in S405),
At 5419, the next document is sent to the image sensor 26.

Then advance to 5451 1° When all pages are finished (YES in S405)
S) discharges the original in 5407 and checks its completion in 5409. If not completed (No in S409), proceed directly to 5451, but if completed (YES in S409)
) resets the reading 7 lag in 5411 to indicate that reading is not in progress, registers the scanned image as a transmission image in 5413, and sends the last registered phone number to the destination F in 5415.
Manage the above-mentioned transmission image and bear as AX number, 5417
After displaying the completion of reading to the operator on the liquid crystal display panel 41 (see FIG. 3(b)), the process advances to S451.

Next, the sequence of the compression unit during reading will be explained.

First, it is checked in 5451 whether compression for one page has been completed, and if it has not been completed (No), the compressed data is stored in the compressed image memory 56 in 5459, and the process returns.

When the compression for one page is finished, the next step is 5453 to check whether all pages have been compressed.If it is not finished, the check is made to 5455, and the process waits for the next document to arrive at the reading unit, and then starts compression in 5457. Performs control to start and returns.

Print Routine> FIG. 21 shows the print routine 70- (327 in FIG. 12) for controlling the printer section l. First, in step 5501, the state of the print start flag indicating that the printer unit l has been started is checked, and if it is reset, the process directly proceeds to step 5509. When print start 7 lag is set to “l” (first
(See S71 in Figure 3), presetting the print flag at 5503 or below (S503), starting printing (S505),
Then, the print start flag is reset (S507), and the process advances to 5509. When the print flag is reset with 5509 (when all pages have been printed), it returns without doing anything, but when it is set to 91'', 55
Proceed to 11 and below.

At step 5511, it is determined whether or not expansion for one page has been completed. If not, at step 5513, expansion processing (expansion settings, storage of expanded data in page memory, etc.) is performed. Next, in step 3515, it is checked whether or not printing of one page has started, and in step 5517, only the start of printing of the leading edge of the image is stored in the page memory s74, and the transfer of image data for t;l pages is activated.

After that, it is checked in 5519 whether printing of all pages has been completed, and if not, the printing operation is controlled in 5527, but if it has been completed, printing is started in 5521.
The lag is reset and the printer unit l is stopped in step 5523.

Key Processing Routine> FIGS. 22(a) to 22(f) show the flow of key processing (S29) on the operation panel 15. Processing for reading the IC card 52 is also included.

First, in step 5601, the state of the registration flag set in the registration mode is checked. If it is not the registration mode, the process advances to step 5603, and the contents of the keystrokes made using the numeric keypad 40 are sequentially stored in the numeric keypad cover 7a. Next 5605
Check the ON edge of the send key 43 with 5607, and if it is ON edge, send the contents of the input buffer to the destination FAX with 5607.
Register as a number.

If it is the registration mode in S601, the process advances to 5609 and checks whether the mode is kana-kanji mode or not.

When in kana-kanji mode (kana-kanji flag - “1”),
In step 5611, the input contents of the numeric keypad 40 are converted into kana-kanji codes and subjected to appropriate conversion, and in step 5613, they are registered in the kana-kanji input buffer. If it is determined in 5609 that the mode is not kana-kanji mode, the process proceeds to 5615, and the input contents of the numeric keypad 40 are stored as they are in the numeric keypad cover.

Next, a process is performed when there is a plurality of fax numbers or more at the time of reading a business card with 3621 or less. First, in step 5621, a multiple number flag, which is set when a plurality of FAX numbers with the same transmission capability are read, is checked. If it has not been read, the process advances to 5651.

If it is determined in 5621 that multiple FAX numbers have been read, the process advances to 5623 and checks whether a selection has been made using the numeric keypad 40 or not. If you still don't have a choice,
Proceeding to 5633, it is checked whether one minute or more has passed after the detection of multiple FAX numbers (after the ○N edge of multiple numbers 7 lag "1"). 5633''C: If one minute has not elapsed, the display p on the liquid crystal display panel 41 is displayed at 5643.
The operator is asked which FAX number to select (see FIG. 3(b)), and the process proceeds to step 5651. 5623,
If selected, reset the multiple number flag at 5625, set the multiple number input flag at 5627, 56
29, preset the business card reading groove flag, and proceed to S631.
to register the selected number. Then proceed to 5651. If more than one minute has passed without any selection in 5633, the process advances to 8635 to automatically select one of the options. 5
635, it branches depending on whether the business card is written horizontally or not (vertically),
For horizontal writing, 5637 selects the phone number on the upper side of the phone number coordinates; for vertical writing, 5639 automatically selects the phone number on the right side of the phone number coordinates, then 5641 selects the selected phone number. The number is displayed on the LCD panel (3rd
(see figure (C)).

Then, proceed to 5625.

After 3651 in FIG. 22(c), processing for reading the address book stored in the IC card 52 is performed. First 56
At step 51, it is determined whether or not it is an ON edge for IC card insertion. If it is not an ON edge, the IC card 52 is not inserted, so the process immediately proceeds to 5671. IC with S651
When it is determined that the signal indicating card insertion is ON edge 5
Proceeding to 653, it is checked whether the IC card 52 has passed the verification. If you have not passed, it will be 5667,
The operator is informed of this by the display r on the liquid crystal display panel 41 (see FIG. 3(c)), the IC card validity flag is reset in 5669, and the process proceeds to 5671.

If the verification passes, initial settings are performed. In this embodiment, the address book stored in the IC card 52 is divided into address groups for each number of keys (12) of the one-touch key 42, and first, in 5655, the number of the address group is set to O. . Next, in step 5657, it is checked whether or not there is a number registered in that address group, and if there is, in step 5659, the number of the address group is displayed and the one-touch key is displayed on the display q of the liquid crystal display panel 41 (see FIG. 3(b)). 42 is displayed, the IC card validity flag is set in S, 661, and the process proceeds to 5671. On the other hand, if the number is not registered, the display S (third
(see figure (b)) informs the operator that there is no number registered in the IC card 52 and that the contents of the one-touch key 42 should be left as they were in that case, resets the IC card validity flag in 5665, and resets the IC card validity flag in 5671. Proceed to.

Next, 5671 checks the ON edge of the signal indicating that the IC card 52 has been removed, and if the IC card 52 has been removed, 5673
The IC card validity flag is reset in step 5675. 5675 and the following process the IC card load key 49 for use in selecting the address group described above. First 5
At 675, it is determined whether or not there is a manual ON edge of the IC card load key 49. If it is not ON Edge, it will not be registered, so do nothing and proceed to 3701. If it is an ON edge, the process advances to 5677 to set the number of the next address group, and it is determined whether it is the final address group. If it is not the final address group, the address group number is incremented at 5681, and if it is the final address group, it becomes “0” at 5679.
Return to Next, in S683, the presence or absence of number registration is checked in the address group set above, and the above-mentioned 5657 to 5
The same operations as 665 are performed in steps 5683 to 5691, and only when the number is registered, the IC card validity flag is set, and the process proceeds to step 5701.

Next, key processing of the one-touch key 42 is performed in steps S701 and subsequent steps in FIG. 22(d). First, in step 5701, it is determined whether or not the key of the one-touch key 42 is a manual ON edge, and if it is not an ON edge, the process proceeds to step 3741 without doing anything.

In this embodiment, the one-touch key 42 is used to set the recipient's fax number at the time of transmission and to read the business card in response to resetting (51219 in FIG. 25) and setting (S 749 in FIG. 22(e)) the business card registration 7 lag. It is used to register the FAX number read by the function to the main body memory or IC card 52, and to register it to the one-touch key 42 without using the business card reading function. Therefore, depending on the states of various flags, it is determined and processed. Only when the one-touch key 42 is pressed 5
Proceed to 703, check the state of the registration flag that is set when in registration mode, and if it is in registration mode, 57
Proceeding to step 05, the state of the kana-kanji flag set in the kana-kanji mode is checked. If it is in kana-kanji mode, register the content of kana-kanji hole cover 7a as the destination name in 5707, and if it is not in kana-kanji mode, use the one-touch key pressed to register the content of numeric keypad cover 7a as the destination fax number in 5709. It is registered at the address corresponding to 42. Next, proceed to 5741. Note that the registration mode and kana-kanji mode are controlled by pressing the registration key 4, as explained in FIG. 22(f).
7 and the kana-kanji key 48.

If it is not the registration mode at 5703 (if it is not the registration mode that does not use the business card reading function), the process advances to 5711 and checks the business card registration flag indicating that the business card registration mode is selected.

If the business card registration flag indicating that the business card registration mode is set in 5711 (FIG. 22(e) S7
49) proceeds to 5731, where it is determined whether the business card read 7 lag is set (whether the FAX number has been determined from the business card). If it is set, the key registration 7 lag is set in 5733 and the process proceeds to 5741, but if it is not set, the process proceeds to 5741 without doing anything and the key manual operation is disabled. The key registration flag is business card number registration (25th
used in Figure).

If the business card registration flag has been reset in 5711, proceed to 5713 and later, and contact the other party's F without using the business card reading function.
Set the AX number. At 5713, the IC card valid flag is checked, and if it is "1", the contents of the memory of the IC card 52 are read out at 5715, but when it is "40", the registration number in the main body memory is read out at 5717.Next, 3
719 to check if there is a registration number, and if there is, 57
21, the address corresponding to the pressed one-touch key 42 is registered as the destination FAX number. Next, 5723
Check to see if the original is set, and if it is incorrectly set, press 5.
At 725, the reading start flag is set to "1" to start the reading operation, but if no original is set, the process advances to 5727, where the display m (third
(see figure (c)) prompts the operator to set the original. On the other hand, if it is determined that the number is not registered in 5719,
At 5729, the display t on the liquid crystal display panel 41 (FIG. 3(c)
) prompts the operator to input using the numeric keypad 40. Then proceed to 3741. If it is determined in 5719 that there is no registration number, the process advances to 5729 and displays this on the display t of the liquid crystal display panel 41 (see FIG. 3(c)), prompts the operator to input using the numeric keypad 40, and then proceeds to 5741. move on.

In steps 5741 and below in FIG. 22(e), the business card registration key 45 is processed. At step 3741, it is determined whether or not the business card registration key 45 is turned on manually.

If it is not an ON edge, do nothing and proceed to 5761. O
If it is an N edge, the process advances to 5743 to check whether a business card has been inserted. When inserted, use 5745 to display LCD panel 4.
The display W of 1 (see Figure 3 (c)) informs the operator that the FAX number of the business card is to be registered.
At step 747, the operator is asked to set business cards using the display X on the liquid crystal display panel 41 (see FIG. 3(c)). Thereafter, the business card registration flag is set to "1" in 5749, and the process proceeds to the next step.

At 5761 in FIG. 22(f), the number print key 46 is processed. First, in S761, it is determined whether or not the number print key 46 is turned ON manually, and if not, the process proceeds to 5771 without doing anything. When an ON edge is detected, only if it is determined in 5763 that the received data is not being printed, the process advances to 8765 to set a number print flag and proceed to the next step.

For 5771 and below, registration key 47 and kana-kanji key 48
This is a processing sequence related to Registration key 4 with 5771
It is determined whether or not the key 7 is a human-powered ON edge, and if not, the process proceeds to 3781 without doing anything.

When an ON edge is detected, the registration flag indicating the registration mode is checked at 8773, and if it is the registration mode (registration 7 lag "1"), the registration flag is set to "0" (non-registration mode) at 5775. ), if it is not the registration mode (registration flag - "0"), the registration flag is set to "1" in 5777 and the mode is reversed.

Next, similar processing is performed for the kana-kanji key 48. First, in step 5781, it is determined whether or not the key of the kana-kanji key 48 is turned ON manually, and if not, the process proceeds to step 3791 without doing anything. When an ON edge is detected, the kana-kanji flag indicating that the mode is in kana-kanji mode is checked in 5783, and if it is in kana-kanji mode (kana-kanji flag - "1") S78
Set the kana-kanji flag to 'O' (non-kana-kanji mode) with 5.
If it is not Kana-Kanji mode (Kana-Kanji flag - “O”)
, 5787 sets the kana-kanji flag to 'l' and the mode is reversed.Finally, other keys are processed in 8791, and the key processing on the operation panel 15 is ended.

<Business card reading routine> Figures 23 (a) and (b) show business card reading (Figure 12 531).
) shows 70-. First, in step 51001, it is determined whether or not a business card reading flag indicating an instruction to read a business card is set, and if it is not set, the process returns without doing anything.

When the business card reading flag is set (Fig. 17, 5
187.5195), then check whether the business card is being read in 31003, and if it is in progress, store the read data in 5IO05 in the memory sequentially, set the reading of the next line in 5IO07, and return. do.

When business card reading is completed at 51003, proceed to 51009 and O
A check is made to see if the analysis by the CR analysis section 67 has been completed. When the analysis is not completed, the process advances to 51051 in FIG. 23(b) and the analysis is performed. At the end of the analysis, proceed to 5lO1l and first check whether there are multiple FAX numbers. In the case of multiple numbers, if it is determined in 51013 that the selection has not been made by the operator yet (multiple number input flag - 0),
Proceeding to step 51015, the transmission level is compared with that of the own device, and it is determined whether the transmission capabilities are the same (whether or not they are of the same standard). For example, as shown in Fig. 5(a), GI [[,
If there is a device with two types of GIV (Gl [I, GIV shared equipment can be treated as GIV), proceed to 51019 and select a highly efficient method in the transmission circuit. In other words, if the own machine is a GI [[, GIV shared machine as in this embodiment, the GIV
Since it is more efficient to communicate with GIV, select GIV. After that, 511 to indicate that the fax number has been determined.
At 021, set the business card read 7 lag, at 51023, display the fax number determined on the display Z of the liquid crystal display panel 41 (see Figure 3 (c)), and at 51025, display the recipient's name and FA
Register the X number and proceed to 51041. In this embodiment, the company name is used as the registered name of the other party, but of course it may be used as the registered name of a department or the like, or a means for selecting a registered name may be provided.

Generally, it is better to select the method with the highest transmission efficiency among destination facsimile machines with a plurality of different functions. Therefore, if the other party has a GI [I, GIV shared machine, the GIV
Since the transmission efficiency is higher, the GIV machine shown in Figure 23 (
It can be handled using the flow in a).

For example, in 51015, the transmission capability of the GI[I, GIV shared device is determined as Grl/. In addition, G
I [I, G■ Even if only the cogawa version is identified (6103
1) Select GIV and perform subsequent processing.

Note that if your own aircraft is a GI [[ machine, GIV machines generally also have a Gm function, so you can transmit to both the G ■ machine and the G ■ machine using GI [I. Therefore, the GII[, GIV shared machine can be treated as a GII[ machine.

Returning to the explanation of FIG. 23(a), if it is determined in 51015 that the transmission capabilities are the same, a multiple number flag is set in 51017 indicating that multiple fax numbers with the same transmission capability have been read. , the selection is made on the operation panel 15. For example, as shown in FIG. 7(b), there is a case where two departments are listed. After selection, proceed to 51041.

If 51011 determines that there are not multiple fax numbers, 5lO31 checks whether there is a fax number and sends the fax.
If there is a number, 51035 is the condition for sending, and 5
Proceed to 1021. If transmission is not possible, display n (see FIG. 3(b)) on the liquid crystal display panel 41 is displayed in step 31037 to inform the operator that it is not possible to connect to the other party, and the process proceeds directly to step 51041. If there is no fax number in 51031, the display y (third
(see figure (c)) to inform the operator of the
Proceed to 041.

For 51041 and below, business card ejection processing is performed after the analysis is completed. When it is determined that the business card ejection is completed in 51041, 51
At 043, the business card reading flag is reset to indicate that the business card reading is not in progress, but if it is not yet completed, the business card is reversely conveyed at 51045.

and return.

In addition, if the analysis is not completed at 51009, 5 in Fig. 23 (b)
Proceeding to step 1051, the OCR analysis unit 67 issues commands such as reading the facsimile telephone number on the business card and monitors the completion. That is, in step 51051, the operator is informed that OCR analysis is in progress by displaying ◯ on the liquid crystal display panel 41 (see FIG. 3(b)). Next 5105
3, the FAX number analysis command is sent to the OCR analysis unit 67.
If it is determined that the fax number has not been issued, the process proceeds to 5IO55, issues a FAX number analysis command to the OCR analysis unit 67, starts analyzing the FAX number, and returns.

If the FAX number analysis command has already been issued, 5105
Proceeding to step 7, it is checked whether a FAX number analysis end command has been received from the OCR analysis section 67 or not.

If you have not received it, simply return it.

When the FAX number analysis is completed, the process advances to 51059 and checks whether the mode is business card registration mode (whether the business card registration key 45 has been pressed). If not, the process advances to 51067 and the OCR analysis ends. When in the business card registration mode (Business Card Registration 7 Ragul), the process advances to SI O61 to analyze the company name. 51
At step 061, it is checked whether a company name analysis command has been issued to the OCR analysis unit 67. If it has not been issued, it is issued at step 51063 to start company name analysis and return. If the company name analysis command has been issued, 51
Proceed to 065 and check whether company name analysis has been completed. If not, return as is, but if completed, return to 510.
The process advances to 67 and returns as the end of OCR analysis.

Number Printing Routine> FIG. 24 shows the flow of number printing (533 in FIG. 12) for printing out the destination name and number registered in the IC card 52 and one-touch key 42.

Is the number print flag indicating that the number print mode is set in S l 101 set (see Fig. 22 (f)?
)Refer to S765) is determined, and if it is not standing, returns immediately. If it is, then check 51103 to determine the end of bitmap expansion, and if it is completed, check 5l.
Proceed to 121.

If bitmap expansion is not completed with 5l103, 51105
The process branches according to the contents of the IC card validity flag. In other words, if the target to print is the RAM of the main body, 5110
In 7, select the first kanji ROMl65 and set it to 5110.
At step 9, the font data (see FIG. 9(b)) is read out, and the contents of the one-touch keys are developed into a bitmap as shown in FIG. 9(a). Also, if the target is the IC card 52, select the second Hakuji ROM 266 with 5l111,
At step 51113, the 7-ont data (see FIG. 10(b)) is read out, and a bit map is developed for the set address group ◆ of the IC card 52 as shown in FIG. 10(a). That is, 7 onts are changed depending on the size of the characters to be printed. Then proceed to 51121.

When bitmap development is completed, the end of recording is determined in step 51121. If the print operation has not been completed yet, the print operation is performed at 5it25, and the process returns. If recording is finished, 5l1
Proceed to step 23, reset the number print flag, and return.

Business Card Number Registration Routine> FIG. 25 shows how the FAX number read from the business card is stored in the memory (main body RAM) corresponding to the one-touch key 42.

70- of business card number registration (FIG. 12, 535) for storage in an IC card) is shown.

First, the condition is that the business card reading flow 7 lag indicating that the FAX number has been read from the business card in 51201 and 51203 and the business card registration plug indicating that the business card registration key has been pressed are both set to "l". , proceed to 51205.

In other cases, return. 51205 checks the IC card valid flag, and if 'l#, 5120
7, the display U on the liquid crystal display panel 41 (see FIG. 3(c))
In the case of 4IQH to select the IC card 52, the display V on the 51209 liquid crystal display panel 41 (Fig. 3 (C
) to indicate to the operator that the main body RAM is to be selected.

Next, in step 31211, it is determined whether or not the one-touch key 42 to be registered is pressed (key registration flag - "1"), and if there is no key force, the process returns. If you have key personnel (see Figure 22(d) S 733), then use 31213 to
Branches depending on the contents of the card validity flag, and 51215 and 51217 respectively correspond to the area corresponding to the one-touch key 42 in the address group selected by the IC card load key 48 and the one-touch key 42 in the main body RAM. The destination and FAX number are stored in the area. Now that you have registered the fax number read from the business card,
Next, after storing, the business card registration flag and business card reading flow flag are reset in steps 51219 and 51221, respectively, and the process returns.

In this embodiment, the IC card validity flag (FIG. 22(c)
), the contents of the one-touch key 42 can be switched by
, OFF may be used to select one of the contents, and furthermore, a display means may be provided.

(g) OCR analysis The OCR analysis unit 67 performs business card reading processing (Fig. 23(a)
), (b)), the communication control CPU 60
When an AX number analysis start command or a company name analysis start command is received, OCR analysis is performed as explained below, each analysis is performed, and when the communication control CPU
Information analyzed in 60 (presence of fax number, fax number,
(function, coordinates, etc.) and sends an analysis end command to notify the communication control CPU 60 of the end. Note that character extraction, recognition, etc. are performed using a well-known OCR technique, so explanations thereof will be omitted.

FIG. 26 shows the main OPU 7q- that controls the OCR analysis section 67. First, 52001 is the communication control CPU 60
It is determined whether or not a FAX number analysis start command has been received. If it has not been received, the process advances to 52013. If received, perform OCR analysis of the FAX number. That is,
52003 determines whether it is vertical or horizontal writing (see Figure 27), 52005 performs character segmentation and recognition (see Figure 28), and 32007 identifies a character string representing a facsimile (such as rFAXJ). (see figure 29),
Next, in step 52009, specify the facsimile number (see Figure 30), and in step 52011, send the code of the recognized FAX number and the FAX number analysis end command to the communication control CPU 60.
and proceed to 52013.

Next, 52013 sends the company name analysis start command to the communication control CP.
It is determined whether or not it has been received from U60.

If not, the process returns to 52001. If received, S20
At step 15, it is determined whether the writing is vertical or horizontal, then at step 52017 the characters are cut out, and then at step 52019 they are converted into a character string. Next, in step 52021, the ratio of character parts (dot parts) in the character strings is compared among all character strings, and the one with the highest ratio is extracted as the thickest character. Next, 32023 recognizes the character string, sends the code of the recognized character as the company name to the communication control CPU 60, and then 8202
In step 5, a company name analysis end command is sent to the communication control CPU 60.

Figure 27 shows the 70-width determination (52003 in Figure 26)
shows. First, in step 32301, it is checked whether or not the determination of all areas has not been completed. If not completed, then 1 at 52303
A character is cut out, and then in step 52305 it is determined whether the character has a size within a predetermined suitable range for a FAX number.

If not, the process returns to 52301 and the next character is cut out. For a single character with a compatible size, then 523
At step 07, it is determined whether the character matches a vertical alphanumeric character, and if not, then at 52309, it is determined whether it matches a horizontal alphanumeric character. If it is a vertical character (f1 S2313 issues the determination result that it is vertical to the communication control CPU 60 and returns. If it is a horizontal character, the determination result that it is horizontal is issued to the communication control CPU 60 in 52311 and returns. .If neither, return to 52301.Also, 52
If all areas are completed at 301, an alphanumeric character of an appropriate size was not found, so an unidentifiable command is issued to the communication control CPU 60 at 32315, and the process returns.

Figure 28 shows character segmentation and recognition (Figure 26 S2005
) shows the flow. In step 52101, it is determined whether character extraction and recognition have not been completed in all areas. If it is not completed, one character is cut out at 52103, and it is determined at 52105 whether the character is of a size suitable for a FAX number. If not, return to 52101. For compatible characters, it branches depending on whether it is horizontal at 32107, and if it is horizontal, it is checked at 52109 whether it matches alphanumeric horizontal characters or not using OCR font table 6.
If it matches the font in 9 and matches, store the character code and the coordinates indicating its position in 52111, and change to 52101.
Return to In the case of the vertical direction, 52113 is used to check if the character matches the alphanumeric character in the vertical direction using 7 onts in the 7 ont table 69 for OCR, and if it is compatible, the character code and the coordinates of its position are stored in 52115. Then, return to 52101. If 52113 does not match, the process returns to 52101. If it is determined in step 52101 that processing for all areas is complete, the process returns.

FIG. 29 shows the flow of processing (52007) for extracting a character string indicating facsimile. In this example,
For simplicity, the character string "FAX" or "facsimile" is extracted. Although other similar character strings can be extracted in the same way, the explanation will be omitted.

First, the character string rFAXJ is processed. First 522
01, etc.28 It is searched to see if the character "F" is present among the stored characters in 52111 and 52115. If it exists, search for the next character in 52203 and enter 5220.
5, it is determined whether it is "A" or not. If “A”,
Search for the next character in Sarabanko with 52207 and get 52209
It is determined whether it is "X" or not. If “x”, r
There is a character string FAXJ, so 522
In step 11, the coordinates indicating the position are specified. 52201.5
If 2205 or 52209 is negative, the process advances to S2213, and the character string "Facsimile" is processed.

First, in step 52213, it is checked whether the character "F" is included among the stored characters. If so, 52215~
52233, search for the following characters and search for "a", "ri", "
It is determined whether the characters are "shi", "mi", or "su".

If there is a character string "Facsimile", 52235
Determine the coordinates that indicate the position of a string in .

Then, in step 52237, it is determined whether the identification of all characters has been completed, and if it has not been completed, the process returns to step 52201 to continue character string extraction.

When the identification process has been completed for all characters, the process proceeds to 52239, where it is determined whether or not the identification has been completed.If the identification has not been completed, the display y (Fig. 13 (C)) is displayed on the liquid crystal display panel 41 at 52241, and the operator Inform them that there is no fax number and return.

FIG. 30 shows 70- of specifying the facsimile telephone number (32009 in FIG. 26).

First, in step 52401, it is checked whether there is a character string representing the facsimile specified in the flow of FIG. 29, and if there is not, the process returns directly.

If there is a character string, then in step 52403 it is checked whether the character string is in the horizontal direction. For horizontal writing, 52405
In step s2415, the search is performed to the right of the coordinates of the character string, and in the case of vertical writing, the search is performed in the direction below the coordinates of the character string in s2415. In both horizontal and vertical writing cases, if it is determined that there is a FAX number at 52407° and 52417, respectively, it is identified as a FAX number at 524Q9.2419, and then the function (Gl, GIV indicating the standard) is determined. If it is determined that there is a character string 52413.52423, the function character string and FAX number are identified as a pair and stored. If there are multiple FAX numbers, all are extracted. Furthermore, the above-mentioned right direction and downward direction are actually searches within a range with a certain angle. Then, in 52425, it is determined whether the search around the character string has been completed, and if not, the process returns to 52403 to continue the search.

324 when it is determined that the search around the string has ended at 52425.
In step 27, it is determined whether the search has been completed for all character strings representing facsimile. If no, 5
Returning to 24ol, similar processing is performed for other character strings. When the search for all character strings is completed, next 5242
9, it is checked whether the FAX number has been specified. F
If there is no AX number, enter 52431 to indicate no fax number.

Figure 31 shows 1 in the FAX number analysis processing sequence.
The flow of character search processing is shown. First, it branches at 52501 depending on whether it is horizontal or not. For horizontal writing, add the coordinates of one character in the horizontal direction to the current coordinates with 52503, and for vertical writing, add 52503 to the current coordinates.
At step 2505, the coordinates of one character are added in the current vertical direction. Next, use 32507 as the current coordinates of that a! Check the presence of letters around the mark. If there are characters, 525
09 makes that character code the current character, and if there is none,
At 52511, it is assumed that there is no character and returns.

Blank space below (effects of the invention) A facsimile telephone number on a business card, etc. can be read and identified using optical character recognition technology, and transmission can be sent to that telephone number.

In reading business cards, etc., since the reading means for the transmitted document is shared, space saving and cost reduction can be achieved compared to the case where a separate reading means for reading business cards, etc. is provided.

Further, since the processing proceeds in the order of reading the business card, etc., determining the facsimile telephone number, and reading the transmitted document, the processing is not much delayed in terms of time compared to the case where separate reading means are provided.

Margin below

[Brief explanation of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a sectional view of a facsimile machine. FIG. 2 is a diagram of the operation panel. Figures 3 (Ca'), (b), and (C) are diagrams showing examples of display on a liquid crystal display panel. FIG. 4 is a block diagram of the facsimile control system. FIGS. 5(a) and 5(b) are diagrams showing business cards each having a facsimile telephone number written thereon. FIG. 6(a) is a diagram showing a number print format for one-touch keys, and FIG. 6(b) is an enlarged view of the printed portion. FIG. 7(a) is a diagram showing a number print format for an IC card, and FIG. 7(b) is an enlarged view of the printed portion. FIG. 8(a) shows an example of contents registered in the memory, and FIG. 8(b) shows an example of encoded stored data. FIG. 9(a) is a diagram of an example of a font, and FIG.
b) is a diagram of font data in the first kanji ROM. FIG. 1O(a) is a diagram of another example of the font, and the first
FIG. 0(b) is a diagram of 7 ont data in the second kanji ROM. FIG. 11 is a schematic flowchart of control by the communication control CPU. FIG. 12 is a 70-chart of timer interrupts. FIG. 13 is a flowchart of print check. FIG. 14 is a flowchart of the read check. FIG. 15 is a flowchart of the transmission check. FIG. 16 is a flowchart of reception check. FIG. 17 is a flowchart of the business card reading check. FIGS. 18(a), (b), and (C) are flowcharts of transmission. FIG. 19 is a flowchart of reception. FIGS. 20(a) and 20(b) are flowcharts of reading. FIG. 21 is a 70-chart of print control. Figure 22 (a), (b), (c), (d)
, (e) and (f) are flowcharts of key processing. FIGS. 23(a) and 23(b) are 70-charts for reading business cards. FIG. 24 is a flowchart of number printing. FIG. 25 is a flowchart of business card number registration. FIG. 26 is a flowchart of OCR analysis by the OCR analysis section. FIG. 27 is a flowchart of the vertical/horizontal determination. FIG. 28 is a 70-chart for character segmentation and recognition. FIG. 29 is a flowchart for specifying a character string representing a facsimile. FIG. 30 is a 70-chart for specifying facsimile telephone numbers. FIG. 31 is a flowchart of a single character search. l...Printer section, 15...Operation panel, 20
...Reading unit, 26...Linear eye, -jisensor, 3
1...Set part, 41...Liquid crystal display panel, 4
2...One-touch key, 43...Send key 45...
・Business card registration key 46...Number print key, 47...Registration key 48
...Kana-Kanji key 52...IC card, 60.
...Communication control CPU, 67...OCR analysis section.

Claims (1)

[Claims] (1) A reading device that reads a document image with an image sensor and converts it into digital image data; a first conveyance device that conveys the document to be sent to the reading position of the image sensor; a second conveying means for conveying the document to the reading position of the image sensor; and receiving from the reading means digital image data read from the document conveyed by the second conveying means, and detecting a facsimile telephone number from the digital image data by optical character recognition. What is claimed is: 1. A facsimile apparatus comprising: an identification means for identifying a facsimile; and a transmission means for transmitting a document to be sent to a facsimile telephone number identified by the identification means.