JPH0468757A - Facsimile equipment - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To surely detect it that an original is set in error while its upside down and to prevent transmission of white level picture information in advance by detecting a black picture element quantity of picture information read from an original and discriminating it that the original is set in mistake when the quantity is a threshold level or below to apply error processing. CONSTITUTION:An original signal read and binarized by a picture read section 6 is inputted to a data compression section 9. Moreover, binary information is fed to a black level count section 10 simultaneously and a black level picture element number is counted for one page of the original. A black picture element count data is inputted from the black level count section 10 at the end of read of one page of the original to a comparator section 12, in which the data is compared with a threshold level and when the data is smaller than the threshold level, a transmission operation stop section 13 recognizes it that the original is white or has no background color to output a signal to stop the transmission of picture information to a network control section 2. Moreover, a display indicating 'original set error' is displayed on a display section 1b.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION (Field of Industrial Application) The present invention relates to a facsimile device, and particularly to a facsimile device that can determine whether a document placed on a document table is front or back.

(Prior Art) It is well known that when reading a document for facsimile transmission, the document must be placed on a document table in accordance with the instructions in an operating manual or the like, making sure that the front and back sides are correct.

However, it is possible to accidentally set the original with the front and back sides opposite to the specified orientation. If this happens, not only will useless blank image information be transmitted, but the transmitting side may not notice that the original has been sent with the front and back sides reversed, and the original that should be sent may not be sent.

Various proposals have been made to solve the second problem.

For example, in the device described in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 61-220557, it is determined whether or not information is written on the document by preliminary reading scanning, and if it is determined that information is not written on the document, the is set in error.

Furthermore, the device described in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 63-208353 detects whether there is a difference in shading between pixels for each line of image information, which could become an image, and ensures that the front and back sides of the document are set correctly. I am trying to determine whether or not it is.

Furthermore, in the apparatus described in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 14566/1983, if it is detected that there is no change point in the image signal based on the decoded facsimile encoded signal for one page, a blank document is The receiving side notifies the sending side that the message has been sent.

(Problems to be Solved by the Invention) However, the device described in the above publication had the following problems.

That is, the above-mentioned apparatus attempts to detect the front and back sides of a document by determining the presence or absence of shading between pixels (that is, the presence or absence of a changing point), the presence or absence of written information, and the like. However, the back side of an actual document is not always pure white or has a uniform color tone. Rather, there is often garbage information called Tsuku Tsuku Ground Spot.

Therefore, if an attempt is made to determine whether a document is front or back based on the presence or absence of a change point as in the conventional apparatus, there is a problem in that an erroneous determination may be made due to the influence of the dust information.

Further, in the above-mentioned apparatus which performs preliminary reading scanning to determine whether the document is front or back, there is a problem in that preliminary reading takes time.

Furthermore, with the device described above that notifies the receiving side of incorrect settings on the original depending on the presence or absence of a change point in the image information, processing can only be done after a blank original has already been sent, so the problem has not been solved in terms of eliminating waste. .

An object of the present invention is to solve the above-mentioned problems, and to provide a facsimile device that can reliably detect when a document is erroneously set with the front and back sides reversed, and prevent blank image information from being sent. Our goal is to provide the following.

(Means and Effects for Solving the Problems) The present invention for solving the above problems and achieving the objects detects the amount of black pixels in image information read from a document, and detects the amount of black pixels in image information read from a document. The feature is that if the value is less than the value, it is determined that the document has been set incorrectly, and the scheduled error processing is performed.

In the present invention having the above configuration, since the front and back sides of the document are determined based on the amount of black pixels, there is no possibility of erroneous determination being influenced by dust information.

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

FIG. 5 is a block diagram showing the hardware configuration of a facsimile machine according to an embodiment of the present invention.

In the figure, an operation panel 1 includes an input key and a display section. Then, inputs such as a startup request to the system control unit 3 and data registration to the system memory 4 are performed from the input key, and status monitoring results and operation instruction information from the system control unit 3 are displayed on the display unit. Is displayed.

The network control unit 2 performs closing/release of various networks, protocol control, and control of transmission and reception of image information. The image reading section 6 reads the original and forms image data. The image data is compressed by the image processing section 7, stored in the image information memory 5, and further transmitted to the line via the network control section 2.

Further, the information taken into the image information memory 5 from the line via the network control unit 2 is transferred to the image processing unit 7 and expanded.
It is printed on recording paper by the printer device 8.

The system control unit 3 is composed of a microcomputer, and controls the entire system by generating execution tasks in response to activation requests from the operation panel 1 or incoming calls, and by monitoring time, status, and the like. The system memory 4 stores information for executing processing in the system control unit 3.

Next, the operation of this embodiment will be explained. FIG. 1 is a block diagram of main functions of a facsimile machine showing this embodiment.
The same symbols as in FIG. 5 indicate the same or equivalent parts. FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing the operation of this embodiment.

In FIG. 1, a document read and binarized by an image reading section 6 is input to a data compression section 9. As shown in FIG.

Furthermore, at the same time, the binary information is also supplied to the fish soup sheeting unit 10, and the number of black pixels on one page of the document is counted.

The threshold determination unit 11 uses the document resolution (pixel density) input from the input unit 1a of the operation panel 1 and the document detection unit 1.
A threshold value for the number of black pixels is determined according to the document size information etc. detected in step 5, and the threshold value is set in the comparison section 12.

The count data of black pixels is inputted to the comparison section 12 from the fish paste section 10 at the end of reading one page of the document, and is compared with the threshold value. A signal indicating whether the comparison result, that is, the number of black pixels is larger or smaller than the threshold value (for example, “1
or "0") is input to the transmission operation stop section 13. When a signal indicating that the number of black pixels is smaller than the threshold value is supplied, the transmission operation stop section 13 detects whether the read document is white or Recognizing that it is a plain color, it outputs a signal to the network control unit 2 to stop image information transmission.

Further, in accordance with the comparison result of the comparison section 12, a display indicating "original setting error" is displayed on the display section 1b.

The threshold value is determined based on statistical properties obtained through experiments. That is, a large number of blank originals or plain originals are read, and a threshold value is determined based on the number of black pixels at that time. A calculation formula for calculating a threshold according to the document size and resolution based on such experimental data is stored in advance as storage data in the threshold setting section 11 at the manufacturing stage of the facsimile machine.

In addition, in FIG. 1, the part surrounded by a chain line is the system control unit 3 composed of a microcomputer (CPU).
It is.

Next, the operation of this embodiment based on the above functions will be explained with reference to a flowchart.

In FIG. 3, in step S1, it is determined based on the output signal of the document detection section 15 whether or not a document has been placed on the document table. If it is determined that the original has been set, the process advances to step S2.

In step S2, a threshold value BS is determined according to the size of the document detected by the document detection section 15 and the resolution input from the input section 1a.

In step S3, the image reading unit 6 is operated to read two copies of the original.
Read value data one by one.

In step S4, it is determined whether the read binary data is data indicating that the pixel is black. If the judgment is affirmative, that is, if the pixel is black, the process proceeds to step s5, and the fish juice layer 1
Increment the count value BN of 0.

On the other hand, if the determination in step S4 is negative, that is, if the pixel is white, the process jumps to step S6, and the read binary data is input to the data compression section 9.

In step S7, it is determined whether the binary data stored in the data compression section 9 is to be compressed and encoded.

That is, depending on the encoding method, several lines of binary data may be captured and then encoded all at once, or encoded line by line. Therefore, the step S7
Then, it is determined whether or not it is the timing to encode depending on whether data corresponding to each encoding method has been imported.

If it is the timing for encoding, the process advances to step s8 and compresses the binary data using the scheduled encoding method; otherwise, the process returns to step S3 to read more binary data.

In step S9, the compressed data is stored in the image information memory 5.
Enter.

In step SIO, it is determined whether reading of one page of the original has been completed.

If the judgment in step SIG is affirmative, the process proceeds to step Sll, where the fish juice numerical value BN and the threshold value BS are compared to the comparison section 1.
2, and it is determined whether the fish juice value BN exceeds the threshold value BS.

If the fish juice value BN exceeds the threshold value BS, it is determined that the document has been correctly set on the document table, and after clearing the fish juice value BN in step S12, the image information in the image information memory 5 is Send (step 513).

On the other hand, if the fish juice value BN does not exceed the threshold value BS, it is determined that the document was not set correctly on the document table, and the process moves to step S14 to stop the transmission operation.

Next, in step S15, "Original setting error 7" is displayed on the display section 1b, and in step S16, the fish juice value BN is cleared'.

Next, another means for determining whether or not the original is set correctly will be explained.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the main functions of a second embodiment of the present invention, and the same reference numerals as in FIG. 1 indicate the same or equivalent parts. FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing the operation of the second embodiment.

In FIG. 2, the threshold determination unit 11 determines whether the amount of compressed encoded data for one page, that is, the amount of code, is equivalent to or greater than the amount when a blank original or plain original is read. A threshold is determined for

The threshold value is determined according to the document size and resolution as well as the encoding method.

The code amount counting section 14 counts the amount of codes supplied from the data compression section 9, and this counted value is supplied to the comparison section 12 and compared with the threshold value.

Then, as in the embodiment described with reference to FIG. 1, it is determined whether the document is a blank document, a plain document, or a document with information written thereon, depending on the magnitude of the count value with respect to the threshold value.

Next, the operation of the second embodiment based on the above functions will be explained with reference to a flowchart.

In FIG. 4, if it is determined in step S21 that a document has been set, the process proceeds to step 5221.

In step S22, a threshold value DS is determined according to the size and resolution of the document and the encoding method.

In step S23, the image reading section 6 is operated to read the binary data of the document one by one, and in step S24, the read binary data is input to the data compression section 9.

In step S25, it is determined whether or not it is the encoding timing, and if the determination in step S25 is affirmative, step 32
In step 6, the data is compressed according to the predetermined encoding method.

In step S27, the code amount obtained by encoding in step 526 is added to the compressed code count DN of the code amount counting section 14 to update the count DN.

In step 52g, the compressed data is input to the image information memory 5.

In step 529, it is determined whether reading of one page of the original has been completed.

If the determination in step S29 is affirmative, the process proceeds to step S30, where the code amount count value DN and the threshold value DS are compared in the comparison section 12, and the code amount count value DN is compared with the threshold value DS.
It is determined whether S has been exceeded.

The code amount count value DN is the threshold! If the DS is exceeded, it is determined that the original was placed correctly on the document table, and
After clearing the code amount count value DN in step 330,
Send the image information in the image information memory 5 (step 532)
.

On the other hand, if the code amount count value DN does not exceed the threshold value DS, it is determined that the document has not been correctly set on the document table, and the process moves to step S33 to stop the transmission operation.

Next, in step S34, "Original setting error°" is displayed on the display section 1b, and in step S35, the code amount count value DN is cleared.

As explained above, in this embodiment, when the number of black pixels counted based on the binary data read by the image reading section 6 or the amount of compressed code of the read binary data is smaller than the threshold value, It was determined that the original was not set correctly, the transmission was stopped, and the error message was displayed.

Note that in this embodiment, it is determined that the original has not been set correctly and the transmission of the image information is stopped. However, in order to not hinder the efficiency of transmission, it is necessary to display only the error in the operation so that it can be done later. It is also possible to send originals that have not been set correctly.

Also, instead of comparing the amount of compressed code or the number of black pixels with a threshold value, it is possible to count the number of change points of black pixels and white pixels detected to convert binary data to compressed data, and calculate the value The front and back sides of the document may be detected by comparing the values with a threshold value.

Furthermore, if it is possible to set an extremely small threshold value from the input section 1a as necessary, it is possible to set an extremely small value as a threshold value from the input section 1a. You can also send.

(Effects of the Invention) As is clear from the above description, according to the present invention, even if a document is accidentally set on the document table with the front and back sides of the document reversed, troublesome procedures such as preliminary reading scanning can be avoided. Furthermore, operational errors can be reliably detected without being influenced by garbage information.

As a result, you can eliminate the waste of sending blank sheets,
If a blank page is sent, the operator of the sending station can recognize this fact, so that the original to be sent can be reliably sent to the other station.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

Fig. 1 is a functional block diagram showing one embodiment of the present invention;
FIG. 5 is a functional block diagram showing a second embodiment of the present invention, FIGS. 3 and 4 are flowcharts showing the operation of the embodiment, and FIG. 5 is a block diagram showing the l\-do structure of the embodiment. 2...Network control unit, 3...System control unit, 5...
Image information memory, 6... Image reading section, 7... Image processing section, 10... Fish soup layering section, 11... Threshold determining section,
12... Comparison section, 13... Transmission operation stop section, 14.
...Code quantity counting department, 15...Manuscript detection department agent
Patent attorney Michito Hiraki and 1 other person

Claims (1)

[Claims] (1) a detection means for detecting an amount of black pixels in image information read from a document; a means for determining a threshold value for the amount of black pixels; and a means for determining a threshold value for the amount of black pixels detected by the detection means; a comparison means for detecting whether or not the threshold value has been exceeded; A facsimile apparatus comprising: means for determining: and means for executing scheduled error processing in response to the output of the determining means.