JPH04245858A - Facsimile equipment - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To simplify the operation of facsimile transmission and to immediately resume a call after facsimile transmission without reserving the call by automatically switching a system to a call mode after an original is transmitted. CONSTITUTION:A catalog number and picture data on the catalog are stored in a memory 16. When a catalog is transmitted during the call of a telephone set 20, a caller switches a facsimile equipment 10 from the call mode to a facsimile mode by the operation of an operation part 18. Thus, the stored content of the memory 16 is selected and transmitted. In the case, call reservation is automatically set. When the transmission of the selected catalog is terminated, the facsimile equipment is switched to the call mode and the call is resumed.

Description

[Detailed description of the invention]

0001

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a facsimile machine having an attached telephone and capable of selectively using a telephone and a facsimile.

0002

[Prior Art] Conventionally, as this type of facsimile machine,
There is a known device that can automatically switch to a telephone call mode after sending a document by facsimile, or make a so-called call reservation. For example, for this call reservation,
This is used during business negotiations when continuing a telephone conversation after sending a catalog or the like by facsimile. That is, in this case, after interrupting the call, the user presses the call reservation operation button, sets the catalog on the document tray of the facsimile machine, and sends the catalog by facsimile. After this transmission is completed, the facsimile machine automatically switches to the call mode, and the call is resumed.

0003

[Problems to be Solved by the Invention] However, it is troublesome to set the catalog on the document tray and send it, and if you accidentally forget to set a call reservation, you will have to call the other party again after sending the catalog. Is required. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object of the present invention is to provide a facsimile device that simplifies facsimile transmission operations and allows telephone calls to be continued after facsimile transmission without the need for call reservation operations.

0004

[Means for Solving the Problems] A facsimile apparatus according to the present invention includes a call reservation setting means for automatically switching to a call mode after transmitting a document and for making a call reservation, a memory for storing the contents of the document, and a memory for storing the contents of the document. The present invention is characterized by comprising means for reading and transmitting a predetermined manuscript from the memory, and a control means for operating the call reservation setting means in response to reading of the manuscript from the memory by the transmitting means.

[0005]

EXAMPLES The present invention will be explained below with reference to illustrated examples. FIG. 1 shows a facsimile device 10 according to an embodiment of the present invention.
shows. The configuration itself of this facsimile device 10 is similar to that of a conventional device.

A network control circuit (NCU) 11 is provided at the end of the facsimile machine 10 and is connected to a communication line such as a telephone line 12. An attached telephone 20 is connected to the network control circuit 11 . A modem (MODEM) 13 modulates and demodulates transmitted electrical signals, and is provided between the network control circuit 11 and the encoding/decoding circuit (CODEC) 14. The encoding/decoding circuit 14 consists of a circuit for encoding and a circuit for decoding, and includes a central processing unit (CP).
U) Connected to 15. The central processing unit 15 performs various controls of the facsimile machine 10, and the central processing unit 15 includes a memory (RAM) 16, a reading section 17,
An operation unit 18 and a printer 19 are each connected. The reading unit 17 optically reads a document (catalog, etc.) transmitted by the facsimile machine 10, and includes an image reading mechanism such as a solid-state image sensor. The operation unit 18 is an operation panel including operation buttons, and the printer 19 is, for example, a thermal printer.

The memory 16 is a RAM in this embodiment, and is used to store image data such as a catalog, but a ROM may be used when there is no need to change such image data. Good too. For example, the image data of the catalog stored in the memory 16 is assigned a number for each product listed in the catalog, and as described later, by specifying the catalog number using the operation button of the operation unit 18, the image data of the catalog is stored in the memory 16. A predetermined address is accessed.

FIG. 2 is a flowchart showing control for reading a catalog into memory 16. In step 51, a document, ie, a catalog, is set on a document tray (not shown) of the facsimile machine 10. In step 52, it is determined whether or not to execute facsimile transmission.
If transmission is instructed by pressing the operation button 8, transmission is executed in step 53. Further, in step 54, it is determined whether or not copying is to be performed by the facsimile device 10, and if copying is instructed by pressing the operation button of the operating unit 18, the copying is executed in step 55. If transmission and copying are not performed, then in step 56 it is determined whether the catalog image data is to be stored in memory 16. Storage of this catalog is also performed using the operation buttons of the operation section 18.

If storage of the catalog is not instructed in step 56, the process returns to step 52 and the same process as described above is repeated; however, if storage of the catalog is instructed, the catalog is stored in the reading section in step 57. 17 and stored in memory 16. Next, in step 58, the catalog number is set by pressing the operation button on the operation unit 18, and the memory 1 is
6 is stored.

[0010] The above steps 51 for each catalog
The operations 58 to 58 are executed, and the catalog number and the image data of the catalog are stored in the memory 16.

FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing control when a catalog is sent by facsimile in response to a request from a customer, for example, during a business negotiation using the attached telephone 20 of the facsimile apparatus 10. Step 61
is a telephone conversation state using the telephone 20, and during this telephone conversation, it is determined in step 62 whether or not to transmit a catalog. When sending a catalog, the caller, for example, presses the operation panel 1.
By operating the changeover switch provided at 8, the facsimile device 10 is switched from the call mode to the facsimile mode. Thereby, the process moves from step 62 to step 63, and a desired catalog number is input by pressing the operation button on the operation section 18. This embodiment is configured so that a call reservation is automatically set by pressing this catalog number. Therefore, step 6
After 3, the call reservation is set unless the call reservation is specifically canceled using the operation button.

[0012] In step 64, it is determined whether the call reservation has been cancelled. If the call reservation is still set, steps 65-68 are performed. That is, in step 65, the catalog selected in step 63 is transmitted, and when the completion of transmission is confirmed in step 66, the mode is switched to the telephone call mode in step 67, and the telephone number of the other party is called. The call is then resumed in step 68. On the other hand, if it is determined in step 64 that the call reservation has been canceled, steps 71 and 72 are executed. That is, in step 71, the catalog is transmitted, and in step 72, the end of this transmission is confirmed, and this control ends.

As described above, this embodiment is configured to automatically set a call reservation when transmitting a catalog by facsimile. Therefore, there is no need to set the catalog on the document tray when transmitting the catalog, simplifying the transmitting operation. Furthermore, since the call reservation is automatically set at this time, there is no need to forget to set the call reservation, and the call with the other party can be resumed immediately after transmitting the catalog.

Note that the present invention is not limited to the transmission of catalogs, but can also be applied to, for example, restarting a telephone call after transmitting a map by facsimile, and has a wide range of applications. Further, the present invention does not necessarily need to use the memory 16 built into the facsimile device 10, but may use a memory provided outside the facsimile device 10. By using such an external memory with a large storage capacity, it becomes possible to transmit a large amount of image data such as a catalog.

[0015]

As described above, according to the present invention, it is possible to obtain a facsimile device which allows facsimile transmission to be performed easily and which can resume telephone calls immediately after facsimile transmission without performing a call reservation operation.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a facsimile apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a flowchart showing control for reading a catalog into memory.

FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing control of catalog transmission.

[Explanation of symbols]

10 Facsimile machine 16 Memory 20 Telephone

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A call reservation setting means for automatically switching to a call mode after transmitting a document, a memory for storing the contents of the document, and a means for reading a predetermined document from the memory and transmitting the document. A facsimile apparatus comprising: a control means for operating the call reservation setting means in response to reading of a document from the memory by the transmission means.