JPH0530246A - Facsimile equipment and handy scanner - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To enable the facsimile equipment main body to identify and manage plural handy scanners as terminal equipments. CONSTITUTION:A specific identification code to a terminal equipment 1 is set to a transmission command information setting section 21. The code is outputted in terms of an optical signal from a light emitting section 4 together with transmission command information entered from an operation panel 8 and picture information from a picture information memory 10. The light receiving section 14 of the main body 2 detects the optical signal, the picture information is stored in a picture information memory 15 and transmission command information is stored in a storage section 23. The identification code detection section 24 extracts an identification code from transmission command information. A priority decision section 25 decides the priority corresponding to the extracted identification code to add the transmission command information to the code. A queue of the transmission command information storage section 23 deciding the transmission sequence is set based on the priority.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a facsimile machine and a handy scanner, and more particularly to a handy scanner for transmitting read image information to a facsimile machine as an optical signal, and an image input from the handy scanner. The present invention relates to a facsimile machine as a host machine that transmits information.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, in a facsimile machine, a handy scanner for reading image information of a large manuscript such as a drawing or a newspaper or a part of a thick book is transmitted by the facsimile machine. The one equipped is known. The handy scanner includes, for example, a contact type image sensor and rollers and guides for sliding the image sensor on a document. This handy scanner is slid on a document to optically read image information, which is converted into an electrical signal, and then a host machine, that is, a facsimile apparatus main body (hereinafter,
Simply called the main body). Upon receiving the image information from the handy scanner, the main body sends it to the line and sends it to another facsimile apparatus.

By the way, in such a conventional facsimile apparatus, the handy scanner and the main body are connected by a cable, and the power supply from the main body and the handy
Transmission of the signal from the scanner was performed by this cable. Therefore, the processing of this cable is troublesome, and there is a problem that the usability is not good.

An apparatus devised to solve this problem is disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 63-193658. In this device, the battery is built into the handy scanner to eliminate the power cable and
Signals are transmitted and received by an infrared light emitting means as a transmitting means provided in the handy scanner and a light receiving means as a receiving means provided in the main body.

Further, there is proposed a facsimile machine which does not read a document like a handy scanner, but operates the main body by a radio wave of a specific frequency emitted from a remote controller (actually, Kaihei 2).
No. 49264).

[0006]

The above-mentioned conventional device has the following problems. The above-described device may be used, for example, with a plurality of handy scanners placed in a place where the main body is installed at a predetermined position in the workplace and can be seen from the work place but is far away from the work place. . That is, use or management of multiple handy scanners by individual or a small number of personnel (so-called personal use)
However, there is a usage mode in which image information is transmitted via the main body which serves as a common host machine.

By the way, in such a usage pattern,
The main body that received image information from a plurality of handy scanners simply sends the image information to the line in the order of reception from the handy scanners. However, in some cases, it is preferable in terms of efficiency of use to give priority to the transmission order according to the users and the locations of the plurality of handy scanners.

However, in the conventional device, the handy scanner, which is the terminal, can be identified and the individual handy scanner can be used.
Since it is not possible to manage the scanner, there is a problem in that the above-mentioned simple processing is only performed and management for each priority cannot be performed.

The object of the present invention is to solve the above problems,
It is an object of the present invention to provide a facsimile device capable of transmitting image information according to the priority of a plurality of handy scanners and a handy scanner for inputting image information.

[0010]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention for solving the above-mentioned problems and for achieving the object provides a light emitting means for transmitting image information, transmission instruction information and its own identification code to the main body by an optical signal. While being provided in the terminal, the main body has a light receiving means for detecting an optical signal transmitted from the terminal, a means for detecting an identification code of the terminal from the optical signal detected by the light receiving means, and a detected identification code. It is characterized in that means for changing the queue of transmission instruction information from each terminal is provided according to the priority of each corresponding terminal.

[0011]

According to the present invention having the above characteristics, the main body determines the priority transmission order for each terminal based on the identification code transmitted from the light emitting means of the terminal. The queue of the transmission instruction information of each image information is changed according to this order. As a result, the image information transmitted from the terminal to the main body is transmitted to the target partner station in descending order of priority according to this queue.

[0012]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS The present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the hardware configuration of the facsimile apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention. In the figure, a handy scanner 1 as a terminal has an image reading unit 6, an encoding unit 7, an image information memory 10, a light emitting unit 4, and an operation panel 8 for inputting transmission information and the like. Each of these components is controlled by a central processing unit (CPU) 5 including a microcomputer according to a program stored in the ROM 11 in advance.

Further, the light emitting section 4 includes a light emitting diode 40, a light emitting diode driving section 41 for supplying a predetermined current to the light emitting diode 40 to generate light, and a light emitting diode 40 in the light emitting diode driving section 41.
The light emission synchronization control unit 42 controls the timing of energizing the. The light generated by the light emitting diode 40 is reflected by the lens 3
It is projected to the outside through 0.

On the other hand, the main body 2 includes an image information memory 15, an encoding / decoding unit 18, a line control unit 16, a light receiving unit 14, and an RA.
It has an M20, an operation panel 9, and a central processing unit (CPU) 12 for controlling each component. In addition, the CPU 12
A ROM 19 is provided for storing a program and control information for control by. The light receiving unit 14 converts the light signal emitted from the light emitting unit 4 of the terminal 1 and incident through the lens 3 into an electric signal, which is a high-speed PIN photodetector 3.
1, a buffer 32 for accumulating the output signal of the high-speed PIN photodetector 31, and a light reception synchronization control unit 33 for controlling the timing of taking in a signal from the high-speed PIN photodetector 31 to the buffer 32.

The facsimile apparatuses configured as described above are used by arranging them in positions with good visibility. Then, the operation of transmitting the image information from the handy scanner 1 to the main body 2 is performed as follows. The image information of the document read by the image reading unit 6 by sliding the handy scanner 1 on the document is compressed by the encoding unit 7 and stored in the image information memory 10. After reading the image information,
The image information stored in the image information memory 10 is transferred to the light emitting diode drive unit 41 according to an instruction input from the operation panel 8. The light emitting diode drive section 41 outputs an ON / OFF signal corresponding to the image information supplied from the image information memory 10 to activate the light emitting diode 40. The on / off signal is output to the light emitting diode 40 according to the synchronization signal supplied from the light emission synchronization control unit 42.

When image information is transmitted from the handy scanner 1 to the main body 2, transmission instruction information input from the operation panel 8 is also transmitted to the main body 2. This transmission instruction information is sent as an optical signal from the light emitting unit 4 to the main body 2 like the image information.
Is irradiated. At this time, the light-receiving unit 14 is irradiated with an optical signal generated by the light-emitting diode 40,
The scanner 1 is directed toward the main body 2.

In the main body 2, the image information received from the handy scanner 1 by the light receiving unit 14 is temporarily stored in the image information memory 1
5, and the transmission instruction information is stored in the RAM 20. If the transmission instruction information includes the transmission time, the image information is immediately transmitted to the line via the line control unit 16 when the time comes, or when there is no particular time designation. . When the transmission instructions are input from a plurality of handy scanners, the image information received from the handy scanners having a higher priority is transmitted to the line in accordance with the priority order described later.

The execution order of the transmission instructions in the main body 2, that is, the priority order is determined as follows. First, when the main body 2 manages a plurality of handy scanners 1, different identification codes are given to the plurality of handy scanners 1, respectively.

On the other hand, the main body 2 is provided with a table as a management area in which the plurality of identification codes are associated with the priorities. This table is stored in the RAM 20 according to the input from the operation panel 9. Therefore, when the priority of each handy scanner 1 is changed, the contents of the table can be changed by the input from the operation panel 9.

Next, an example of the transmission operation by the main body 2 is shown in FIG.
This will be described with reference to the flowchart in FIG. In the figure,
In step S1, it is determined whether or not a new transmission instruction has been input from the handy scanner 1. If there is a transmission instruction, the process proceeds to step S2 to detect the identification code from the transmission information. In step S3, the detected identification code is supplied to the table, and the priority order corresponding to this identification code is read. In step S4, the queue of the storage unit in which the transmission instruction information is stored is rearranged based on the read priority. That is, the queue pointer is changed according to the priority. When the determination in step S1 is negative, steps S2 to S4 are skipped and the process proceeds to step S5.

In step S5, the stored transmission instruction information is searched for transmission instruction information having a designated transmission time, and it is determined whether or not there is transmission instruction information whose current time has reached the designated time. to decide. If there is transmission instruction information that has reached the designated time, the process proceeds to step S6, and the image information corresponding to the transmission instruction information is read.

On the other hand, if it is determined in step S5 that there is no transmission instruction information that has reached the designated time, the process proceeds to step S8. In step S8, the image information corresponding to the transmission instruction information having the highest priority among the transmission instruction information whose transmission time is not designated is read from the image information memory 15. In step S7, the operation of transmitting the image information read in steps S6 and S8 is executed.

Next, a CPU for performing the above operation
The functions of 5 and 12 will be described. FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the main functions of this embodiment. In the figure, the operation panel 8
The transmission instruction information input from the transmission instruction information setting unit 21
Is set to. An identification code unique to the handy scanner 1 is preset in the transmission instruction information setting section 21. The image information read by the image reading unit 6 is stored in the image information memory 10. Then, in response to the transmission instruction input from the operation panel 8, the image information memory 1
Image information is read from 0, and transmission instruction information is read from the transmission instruction information setting unit 21 and supplied to the light emitting unit 4. The light emitting unit 4 converts the supplied image information and transmission instruction information into an optical signal and outputs it.

In the light receiving portion 14 of the main body 2, the handy
The optical signal output from the light emitting unit 4 of the scanner 1 is received,
Of the optical signal, the image information is stored in the image information memory 15, and the transmission instruction information is stored in the transmission instruction information storage unit 23. The identification code detector 24 detects the identification code from the transmission instruction information. The detected identification code is supplied to the priority determination unit 17, and the priority corresponding to the identification code is added to the transmission instruction information. The queue in the transmission instruction information storage unit 23 is determined by this priority and the designated transmission time. That is, the transmission instruction information is arranged in the order of the time when there is the designated transmission time, and in the order of the priority when the designated time is not transmitted.

The transmission execution unit 22 reads out the transmission instruction information at the head of the queue and the corresponding image information to the line control unit 16. The line control unit 16 calls the partner station according to the transmission instruction information and sends the image information.

As described above, in this embodiment, the main body 2 can identify the handy scanner 1 based on the identification code unique to each of the plurality of handy scanners 1. Then, the main body 2 can send the image information in accordance with the priority order set for each of the identified handy scanners 1.

[0027]

As is apparent from the above description, according to the present invention, a plurality of handy scanners can be identified and managed on the main body side, and image information can be obtained based on the priority order set for each handy scanner. Can be sent. As a result, a plurality of handy scanner users can efficiently operate one main body to transmit image information.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a main function of an embodiment.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a hardware configuration of a facsimile apparatus.

FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing a transmission operation by the main body.

[Explanation of symbols]

1 ... Handy scanner, 2 ... Main body, 4 ... Light emitting part,
8, 9 ... Operation panel, 10, 15 ... Image information memory,
14 ... Light receiving part, 17 ... Priority determining part, 21 ... Transmission instruction information setting part, 22 ... Transmission executing part, 23 ... Transmission instruction information storage part, 24 ... Identification code detecting part

   ─────────────────────────────────────────────────── ─── Continued front page    (72) Inventor Toshitaka Nakagawa             Fujize, 3-7-1, Fuchu, Iwatsuki City, Saitama Prefecture             Rox Co., Ltd. Iwatsuki Office (72) Inventor Yutaka Uehara             Fujize, 3-7-1, Fuchu, Iwatsuki City, Saitama Prefecture             Rox Co., Ltd. Iwatsuki Office

Claims (3)

[Claims] 1. A facsimile comprising a terminal and a main body, which is configured to convert image information read by the terminal into an optical signal and transmit the optical signal to the main body, from which the image information is transmitted to another facsimile apparatus. In the device, the terminal is provided with a light emitting means for transmitting image information, transmission instruction information, and its own identification code as an optical signal to the main body, and the main body has a light receiving unit for detecting the optical signal transmitted from the terminal. Means for detecting the identification code of the terminal from the optical signal detected by the light receiving means, and changing the queue of the transmission instruction information from each terminal according to the priority of each terminal corresponding to the detected identification code And a means for performing the same. 2. A facsimile device for transmitting image information supplied from a terminal, wherein a light receiving means for detecting an optical signal sent from the terminal and an identification code of the terminal are detected from the optical signal detected by the light receiving means. A facsimile apparatus comprising: means and means for changing a queue of transmission instruction information from each terminal according to a priority of each terminal corresponding to the detected identification code. 3. A handy scanner for transmitting image information and transmission instruction information to a main body by an optical signal, comprising a light emitting means for transmitting the image information and transmission instruction information and its own identification code to the main body by an optical signal. A handy scanner characterized by that.