JPH04329451A - Data communication equipment and method for managing received data - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To easily grasp the output of received data or the state of a floppy by managing the floppy to store the received data in common between plural devices. CONSTITUTION:The data communication equipment is equipped with an external storage device and can store the received data in an attachable and detachable external storage medium. A storing means is provided to store information, which can be communicated to the own equipment, together with the received data in the external storage medium, and an announcing means is provided to receive information concerning the external storage medium from the other device and to announce the information. Namely, disket management data 16a stored in a disket and management data 12a similar to the data 16a are stored in the inside memory of the own equipment. On the other hand, this data communication equipment is equipped with the external storage device and can output data stored in the attachable and detachable external storage medium, and a transmitting means is provided to transmit the outputted result of the data and the identification information of the own equipment to the device receiving the data based on communication information already stored in the external storage medium.

Description

[Detailed description of the invention]

0001

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a data communication device having a floppy disk, and more particularly to a method for managing received data stored on a floppy disk.

0002

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, in a data communication device, received image data stored on a floppy disk, which is an external storage medium, is unique to the data communication device that stored the received image data on the floppy disk, and cannot be used by other data communication devices. It was not possible to output it. Therefore, when image data stored on a floppy disk is output by another image output device, the other image output device stores the management data related to the image data on the floppy disk, and when the floppy disk is returned to the image receiving device, It is configured to recognize the fact of image data output,
It is conceivable to enable output from other data communication devices as well.

0003

[Problem to be Solved by the Invention] However, in the above method, when the received image data stored on the diskette is outputted by another image output device, the fact that the image data is outputted by which image output device is This cannot be determined until the diskette is returned to the image receiving device. Therefore, even if the image is output from another image output device, the recipient cannot determine which image the received image is output from unless the diskette is returned to the image receiving device. Furthermore, since the management data stored in the internal memory of the image receiving device cannot be erased unless the diskette is returned to the image receiving device, there is a risk of overflow due to the management data in the internal memory.

The present invention eliminates the above-mentioned conventional drawbacks and provides a data communication device in which the output of received data and the status of the floppy disks can be easily grasped by commonly managing the floppy disks that store received data among a plurality of devices. and a method for managing received data.

[0005]

[Means for Solving the Problem] In order to solve this problem, a data communication device of the present invention has an external storage device,
A data communication device capable of storing received data in a removable external storage medium, comprising a storage means for storing information that can be communicated to the device itself together with the received data in the external storage medium; and notification means for receiving information regarding the external storage medium and notifying the information.

[0006] Also, the data communication device has an external storage device and is capable of outputting data stored in a removable external storage medium, the data communication device is capable of outputting data stored in a removable external storage medium, and the data The apparatus includes transmitting means for transmitting the data output result and the identification information of the own apparatus to the apparatus that has received the data.

[0007] The received data management method of the present invention is provided in a receiving system in which received data is stored in a removable external storage medium, and the received data can be output by a device outside the receiving device via the external storage medium. A method for managing received data, wherein the receiving device stores the received data in the external storage medium and also stores information that enables communication to the own device,
The output device that outputs the received data transmits the output result and information that allows identification of the output device to the receiving device, based on information that enables communication with the receiving device.

[0008] Here, the information that can identify the own device is:
It also includes information that enables communication with the own device.

[0009]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS In this embodiment, a facsimile device for transmitting images will be described as a data communication device.

(I) Structure of the facsimile apparatus of this embodiment FIG. 1 is a block diagram of the facsimile apparatus of this embodiment. Both the image receiving device and the image output device have the same configuration.

In FIG. 1, reference numeral 1 denotes a document reading section that reads a transmitted document and converts it into image data, 2 a recording section that outputs received images, communication result reports, etc., and 3 a network for connecting a telephone line to a facsimile machine. A control unit (NCU), 4 a modulation/demodulation device (modem) for communication, 5 a modem 4
6 is an operation panel; 7 is a display for displaying the status of the facsimile device and management data of the diskette and internal system memory to the user; 8 is a display included in the operation panel 6 that allows the user to control the facsimile device. 9 is a sensor for detecting the state of the facsimile machine.

10 is a memory. Memory 11 out of 10
is an image memory for storing received image data, etc., and also serves as a buffer for the received image data when the received image data, etc. stored on the floppy disk is transferred to the recording section 2. 12 is a system RAM (or system memory) that stores the diskette management data 12a, etc., and is backed up by a battery or the like so that the data will not be destroyed even in the event of a power outage or the like; 13 is a ROM that determines the specifications of the facsimile device; Programs and the like showing procedures are stored.

14 is a floppy disk controller (F
DC), 15 is a floppy disk drive (FDD),
Reference numeral 16 denotes a floppy disk medium (diskette) for storing received image data 16b, diskette management data 16a, etc., and 17 denotes a clock IC that can be backed up by a battery or the like and can operate even when commercial power is cut off such as a power outage. 20
is a central control unit (CPU) that controls the facsimile apparatus according to the program in the ROM 13.

(II) Operation of the facsimile device of this embodiment When the facsimile device configured as shown in FIG. Your phone number will be stored in your phone.

That is, when an image is received in step S21, the received image is stored on the floppy disk in step S22, and management data including the telephone number of the device itself is also stored on the floppy disk in step S23. FIG. 3 shows the diskette management data stored in the diskette at this time. Further, similar management data is stored in the diskette management data 12a of the own internal memory 12 in FIG.

In FIG. 3, 31 is the unique number of the image receiving device;
Reference numeral 32 indicates the identification number of the diskette, 33 indicates the identification number of the received image, and 34 indicates the type of the received image, which in FIG. 3 indicates that it is substitute reception. Reference numeral 35 is a flag indicating whether or not the received image has been output, and in the state of step S23, since it has only been received, it is not output. 36 is the telephone number of the own machine stored in step S23.

Next, when the diskette is extracted and outputted by another facsimile machine having the configuration shown in FIG. 1 is added to the diskette management data 12a of No. 1. In addition, the facsimile device that outputs the image additionally updates and stores its own device number, own telephone number, or own machine administrator telephone number in the management data on the diskette. Thereafter, the management data is transmitted to the previous image receiving device through communication.

In FIG. 4, first, when the floppy disk is inserted in step S41, the diskette 16 is inserted in step S42.
The upper diskette management data 16a is stored in the system RAM1.
The data is read into the diskette management data 12a in 2. In step S43, the received image data 16b is processed according to the management data.
Start outputting. In step S44, the output status and processing time are added to the diskette management data 12a, 16b, and in step S45, the device number, telephone number, or administrator telephone number of the own device (the facsimile device that outputs the image) is added, and at the same time, In step S46, this diskette management data is transmitted to the facsimile device that received the image by referring to the image receiving device telephone number 36 in FIG.

FIG. 6 shows the management data on the diskette at this time. In the diskette management data of FIG. 6, the presence/absence flag 35 for the received image is changed to "output completed," and the telephone number 36 of the device that received the image is deleted.
Data processing time 37, device number 38 of the facsimile device that outputted the image, telephone number 39, and administrator telephone number 40 are added.

After waiting for the end of the output in step S47, when the diskette is removed after outputting the image, the facsimile device that outputs the image will proceed to step S48, when the diskette is removed and the transmission of the management data is completed. Branches depending on whether it is before or after, and if it is before the end, go to step S4
At step 9, the fact that the diskette has been removed and the time of removal are added to the diskette management data 12a of FIG. 1, and this is transmitted to the facsimile device that received the image.

FIG. 7 shows the management data at this time. A flag 41 indicating that the diskette is being removed and a removal time 42 are added to the diskette management data shown in FIG. If the floppy disk is removed after the management data has been transmitted in step S48, the management data on the internal memory and the diskette are erased in accordance with the state of the management data in step S51.

On the other hand, when the facsimile device that has received the image receives the diskette management data, it performs the operations shown in FIG. That is, updating the management data, displaying or outputting it to the user, and erasing the management data.

In FIG. 8, first, management data is received in step S81, and it is checked in step S82 whether or not the management data of the corresponding image data remains in the internal memory. If there is, it is checked in step S83. It is compared with the received management data and updated, and from the management data received in step S84, the fact that it was output by another device, the telephone number of the device that outputted the image, the administrator's telephone number, or the information that the diskette was removed is determined. The management data is notified by printout or display on the display, and in step S85, the management data is deleted according to the user's instruction or after a certain period of time.

As described above, this embodiment provides the following various effects. (1) If a facsimile device is capable of storing received images on a floppy disk, the phone number of the device itself is stored on a diskette together with the received image data, and the received image data is output on another facsimile device. The fact that another facsimile device outputs the received image data,
This makes it possible to transmit the information to the receiving device via communication.

(2) When another facsimile device outputs the received image stored on the diskette, the above-mentioned telephone number is read out and this fact is communicated to the facsimile device described in (1) above in which the received image is stored on the diskette. By notifying the data communication device, the user of the receiving device is made aware of the fact that the received image has been output. Furthermore, by making it possible to erase the management data stored in the memory of the receiving device, memory overflow is prevented.

(3) The facsimile device that outputs the received image in (2) above includes the telephone number or telephone number of the facsimile device that outputs the received image in the information notified by communication to the facsimile device that stored the received image on the diskette. Included is the telephone number of the administrator of the facsimile machine. This enabled the receiving device user to know where the received image was output. Alternatively, it is possible to have the administrator check the destination of the received image, or have the administrator deliver the received image.

(4) Even if the facsimile device described in (3) above outputs the received image, even if the diskette is removed,
), the fact that the image has been output, the detachment of the diskette, and the time of detachment are notified to the image receiving device via communication, thereby making it easier for the user of the image receiving device to search for the outputted received image and the diskette. did.

(5) In the image receiving device described in (1) above, management data is stored in the diskette and internal system memory, and even if the floppy disk is removed from the device, the management data stored in the system memory is retained. In a facsimile device that is backed up without being erased, the received image output device communicates the fact that the received image data stored on the diskette by the device itself was output by the other device's facsimile device, and the other device's telephone number or Recognizes the phone number of the other machine's administrator and adds it to the management data in the own machine's internal memory.
By displaying or outputting the user, it is possible to instantly recognize the fact that the received image stored in the diskette of the user's own device has been output by another device, and the telephone number of the other device or the telephone number of the administrator of the other device.

(6) In the facsimile device of (3) above,
After outputting the image data, the image data management data information is transmitted via communication to another facsimile device that has stored the received image on the diskette, and then the image data stored on the diskette or internal memory and the image are transmitted. Management data has been deleted. This prevents memory overflow.

In this embodiment, a floppy disk is used as the removable external storage memory, but the same effect can be expected even if other external storage memory, such as a magneto-optical disk, is used instead. . Furthermore, the present invention may be applied to a system made up of a plurality of devices, or to a device made up of one device. It goes without saying that the present invention can also be applied to cases where the present invention is achieved by supplying a program to a system or device.

[0031]

Effects of the Invention According to the present invention, a data communication device and a method for managing received data can easily grasp the output of received data and the status of a floppy disk by commonly managing a floppy disk that stores received data among a plurality of devices. can be provided.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

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

[Figure 2]

[Figure 4]

[Figure 5]

FIG. 8 is a flowchart illustrating the operating procedure of this embodiment.

[Figure 3]

[Figure 6]

FIG. 7 is an explanatory diagram of diskette management data of this embodiment.

[Explanation of symbols]

4...Modem, 5...Modem control section, 12...System RAM
, 12a... diskette management data, 16... diskette, 16a... diskette management data, 16b... received image data

Claims (8)

[Claims] 1. A data communication device having an external storage device and capable of storing received data in a removable external storage medium, the data communication device being capable of communicating with the received data to the external storage medium to the own device. a storage means for storing information;
A data communication device characterized by comprising: notification means for receiving information regarding the external storage medium from another device and notifying the information. 2. A data communication device having an external storage device and capable of outputting data stored in a removable external storage medium, wherein the data communication device What is claimed is: 1. A data communication device comprising a transmitting means for transmitting a data output result and identification information of the device itself to a device that has received the data. 3. Storage means for storing data output results and identification information of the own device in the external storage medium; 3. The data communication device according to claim 2, further comprising: second transmitting means for transmitting information indicating that the communication has been performed based on the already stored communication information. 4. The data communication device according to claim 2, further comprising erasing means for erasing data on the external storage medium after outputting the data. 5. A data communication device having an external storage device, capable of storing received data in a removable external storage medium, and capable of outputting data stored in the external storage medium, a storage means for storing information that can be communicated to the own device along with the received data in an external storage medium; a notification means for receiving information regarding the external storage medium from another device and notifying the information; and the external storage. Transmission of transmitting the data output result and identification information of the own device to the device that received the data, based on the communication information already stored in the external storage medium, when the data stored in the medium is output. A data communication device comprising: means. 6. The data communication device according to claim 1, wherein the information that allows the device to be identified includes information that enables communication with the device. 7. A method for managing received data in a receiving system, wherein received data is stored in a removable external storage medium, and the received data can be outputted to a device outside the receiving device via the external storage medium. , the receiving device stores the received data in the external storage medium and also stores information that enables communication to the own device, and the output device that outputs the received data outputs the information based on the information that enables the receiving device to communicate. . A method for managing received data, characterized in that the output result and information by which the own device can be identified are transmitted to the receiving device. 8. The method of managing received data according to claim 7, wherein the information that allows the self-device to be identified includes information that enables communication with the self-device.