JPH0595455A - Normal paper facsimile equipment provided with batch printing function - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To economize recording paper sheets even when the transmission of small capacity is frequently executed by successively storing data in an image memory each time facsimile reception is executed, and printing the stored data when they exceed the regulated printing capacity of the printing paper sheets. CONSTITUTION:The image data received through a telephone line L or internally generated management information, etc., are successively stored in an image memory 11 by a signal processing part 10. No data are printed out until the amount of the data stored in the memory 11 reaches the printing capacity for one page of the normal scale printing paper sheet and when the amount exceeds this capacity, the data to be printed for one page are read from the memory 11 by the processing part 10 and printed out onto the normal scale recording paper sheets. Therefore, since the plural received image data or the communication management information, etc., are printed to one normal scale recording paper sheet when image data capacity is small, one normal scale recording paper sheet is not wasted for printing a little image information.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a plain paper facsimile apparatus having a batch printing function, and more specifically, it prints out image data such as received image data and internally generated communication management information. The present invention relates to a printing apparatus which is characterized in that, when the printing capacity for one page of the fixed-size recording paper is reached, the printing output is not performed for the first time.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Recently, instead of printing received image data on heat-sensitive roll paper, a predetermined size (A4, B4
Facsimile devices designed to print out fixed-size recording paper (plain paper) of different sizes have been developed and are being used. Such a facsimile device is shown in FIG. 4 (a). As described above, when the transmission document T in which the image information D1 is described is received by facsimile, the receiving side adds the sender display data P to the beginning of the image information D1 and prints it out on the standard length recording paper R. , Image information D1
Even when the sender display data P can be printed on half of the standard-size recording paper R, one standard-size recording paper is consumed each time a facsimile is received.

For this reason, if the same facsimile transmission with a small amount of image information as in the case shown in FIG. 4A (see FIGS. 4B and 4C) is frequently performed, there is a margin. Regardless, one piece of the standard length recording paper R is consumed each time, so the efficiency of use of the recording paper was poor.

Further, as shown in FIG. 4D, when the transmission original T in which the image information D4 is fully described is received by facsimile, the transmission source display data P is added, so that 1 is set.
Printing is no longer possible on one sheet of fixed length recording paper R, and the sender display data P and part of the image data D4 'are printed on the first sheet of fixed length recording paper R, and the remaining image data D4 "is displayed as the sender. Since the data P is added and printed on the second standard-size recording paper R ′, the source display data of less than one line is added, and therefore two standard-size recording papers are required. Two
Since most of the regular recording paper R ′ of the first sheet has a margin, the use efficiency of the recording paper is further reduced.

[0005]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been proposed in view of the above circumstances, and it is possible to perform constant printing without printing out image data such as received image data or internally generated communication management information. When the printing capacity of one page of the standard length recording paper is reached, the image data to be printed as one page is printed out in a batch, whereby wasteful consumption of the standard length recording paper can be suppressed. It is an object of the present invention to provide a plain paper facsimile apparatus having a batch printing function.

[0006]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention, which is proposed to achieve the above object, provides an image memory for temporarily storing image data such as received image data and internally generated communication management information, and Until the data storage amount of the image memory reaches the printing capacity of one page of the standard-size recording paper, it is stored and held without printing output, and when the data storage amount reaches the printing capacity of one page, one page is printed. A signal processing unit for reading out image data to be printed as a minute from the image memory and printing the image data on a fixed-size recording sheet collectively.

Here, the image data to be printed as one page basically refers to the printing capacity for one page of fixed-size recording paper. For example, the data storage amount of the image memory is one page. When the print capacity for one minute is reached, it is determined whether or not the last stored image data continues after the one page of image data. If the result of the determination is that more image data continues, the last image It is also possible to print only the image data before that while accumulating the data, and in this case, the image data to be printed as one page is the printing of one page of fixed-size recording paper. Although it is smaller than the capacity, it is possible to suppress one image data to span a plurality of recording sheets as much as possible.

[0008]

According to the facsimile apparatus of the present invention, image data received from another facsimile apparatus via a telephone line and image data such as internally generated communication management information are sequentially stored in the image memory by the signal processing unit. The accumulated image data is not printed until the accumulated amount of data in the image memory reaches the printing capacity for one page of standard-size recording paper, but the accumulated amount of image data in the image memory corresponds to one page. When the print capacity of the above is exceeded, the signal processing unit reads out the image data to be printed for one page from the image memory and collectively prints out the image data on the standard length recording paper. For this reason,
When the volume of image data is small, it is possible to print multiple pieces of received image data and communication management information on a single standard-size recording paper, and a single fixed-size recording paper is used to print out a small amount of image information. Eliminates the waste of using standard recording paper.

[0009]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 shows a configuration example of a plain paper facsimile apparatus 1 having a batch printing function of the present invention. In the figure, 10 is a signal processing section for performing signal processing of each section, and 11 is a reception from another facsimile apparatus. Image memory for sequentially storing image data such as image data and internally generated communication management information, 12 is a key operation unit having various operation keys such as a mode switching key 12a and a print key 12b described later, and 13 is A mode switching unit for switching and setting a normal mode and a batch printing mode, which will be described later, is a display unit 14 having a storage indicator 14a. Further, 15 is a ROM 15a and a RAM
15b is a system memory, 16 is a transmission / reception control unit to be described later, 17 is a print output unit for printing image data on a receiving recording sheet, and 18 is an image reading unit for reading image information of a transmission document and converting it into image data. is there.

The image memory 11 stores the image data transmitted from another facsimile apparatus via the telephone line separately for each communication and sequentially stores the image data.
The image data of the communication management information for managing the facsimile communication generated in (1) is distinguished and sequentially stored.

The mode switching unit 13 is designed to switch between the batch printing mode and the normal mode alternately each time the mode switching key 12a of the key operating unit 12 is operated. The mode of is displayed on the display unit 14.

The transmission / reception control unit 16 detects the transmission of a ringing signal and automatically connects the telephone line L to the line control unit 16a, and a protocol transmitted from another facsimile apparatus to execute a communication procedure. A protocol signal detection circuit 16b for detecting a signal, a protocol signal generation circuit 16c for generating a protocol signal necessary for executing a communication procedure, a demodulated modulated image data transmitted, and a modulation for the image data. Modem 16 to send
have d.

2 (a) to 2 (d) schematically show the general operation of the facsimile apparatus 1 of the present invention having such a configuration. As shown in FIG. 2 (a), When the transmission document T in which the image D1 is described is received, the image data in which the transmission source display data P is added to the image data D1 is stored in the image memory 11, and subsequently, as shown in FIG. As described above, when the transmission document T in which the image D2 is described is received, the image data in which the transmission source display data P is added to the image data D2 is additionally stored in the image memory 11.

Then, as shown in FIG. 2 (c), when the transmission original T in which the image D3 is described is received, the image with the transmission source display data P already stored in the image memory 11 is added. If the image data D3 is added to the data D1 and D2, the printing capacity for one page of the standard recording paper is exceeded, so that only the image data D1 and D2 to which the source display data P is added are printed on the standard recording paper R. The image data D3 to which the sender display data P is added is directly stored and stored in the image memory 11.

After this, as shown in FIG. 2D, the transmission original T on which the image D4 is written on the full-size recording paper.
, The amount of image data stored in the image memory 11 exceeds the printing capacity for one page of fixed-size recording paper. Therefore, the image data D3 to which the source display data P is added and the source display data P are added. The printed image data D4 ′ (a part of the image data D4) is printed out, and the remaining image data D4
The data obtained by adding the transmission source display data P to 4 "is stored in the image memory 11. Incidentally, as will be described later, in the present embodiment, the remaining image data is operated by operating the print key 12b. It is also possible to forcibly discharge D4 ″.

Next, the operation of the facsimile apparatus 1 of the present invention having such a configuration in the batch printing mode will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG. In order to simplify the description, an operation in the case of printing out image data received via a telephone line will be described as an example. When the mode switching key 12a of the key operation unit 12 is operated, the mode switching unit 13 switches and sets the batch printing mode, and the signal processing unit 10 displays the mode on the display unit 14. When a call signal arrives via the telephone line L and the transmission / reception control unit 16 receives the call signal, the signal processing unit 10 performs mutual transmission of data required for facsimile reception by handshake, and thereafter is transmitted and demodulated by the modem 16d. The image data thus obtained are sequentially stored in the image memory 11. Then, when the reception of the image data is completed, the line is cut off. Subsequently, in the signal processing unit 10, when the image data is stored in the image memory 11 before the image data received by the above processing, the capacity of all the image data stored in the image memory 11 is determined. If the print capacity for one page determined by the standard length recording paper is exceeded, only the image data stored before the image data received in the process of 1 is transmitted to the print output unit 17 and printed on the standard length recording paper. After outputting, the printed image data is output to the image memory 11
Clear from However, if the capacity of all the image data stored in the image memory 11 does not exceed the print capacity for one page, the signal processing unit 10 sends a signal to the display unit 14 indicating that the image data is stored. After transmitting and turning on the accumulation indicator lamp 14a, it returns to the standby state. Further, in the signal processing unit 10, when the image data is not stored in the image memory 11 before the image data received by the above processing, the capacity of all the image data stored in the image memory 11 is one page. If it exceeds the printing capacity for one minute, the image data for one page is printed out, and then the printed image data is stored in the image memory 11
The operation to clear from is repeated. If the capacity of all the image data stored in the image memory 11 becomes smaller than the printing capacity for one page, if the storage capacity of the image memory 11 at that time is 0, the accumulation indicator 14a is turned off. On the other hand, if it is stored, the storage indicator 14a is turned on and then the standby state is returned. (For the above, see steps 100 to 115 in FIG. 3).

In addition to the above basic operation, in the facsimile apparatus of this embodiment, when the print key 12b of the key operation unit 12 is operated in the standby state, the signal processing unit 1
At 0, all the image data stored in the image memory 11 is transmitted to the print output unit 17 to be printed out, after which the image data stored in the image memory 11 is cleared and the accumulation indicator 14a is turned off. Then, the standby state is returned to, and it is possible to deal with the case where the last received image data is to be printed out immediately. (The above is steps 116 to 119 in FIG.
reference).

Thus, the facsimile apparatus 1 of the present invention
According to the above, the image data is sequentially stored in the image memory each time facsimile reception or communication management information is generated, and the capacity of the image data to be printed exceeds the printing capacity of one page determined by the standard length recording paper. Since the printing is performed at this time, it is possible to prevent waste of the standard length recording sheet due to frequent facsimile transmission with a small amount of image data.

In the above description, when the amount of data stored in the image memory reaches the specified print capacity, only when the last stored image data continues after the image data for one page, While accumulating image data,
Although the image data before that is printed, the invention is not limited to such a configuration. For example, when the amount of data stored in the image memory reaches the specified printing capacity, the image data for one page is distinguished for communication. It is also possible to simplify the processing of the signal processing unit by performing the printing without any processing.

In the above description, the operation for printing out the image data received from another facsimile apparatus has been described. However, in addition to this, a transmission certificate, a receipt, a confidential report, etc. Is smaller than the amount of image data for one page, the use efficiency of recording paper is poor.) By performing similar printing processing for communication management information and the like, it is possible to improve the use efficiency of regular-size recording paper. it can.

[0021]

As can be understood from the above description, according to the plain paper facsimile apparatus having the batch printing function of the present invention, the image data is stored in the image memory every time facsimile reception or communication management information is generated. The data is stored sequentially and is printed when the capacity of the image data to be printed exceeds the specified print capacity determined by the standard length recording paper, so even if facsimile transmission with a small amount of image data is frequently performed, It is possible to effectively prevent waste of the standard-size recording paper.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a plain paper facsimile apparatus having a batch printing function according to the present invention.

FIGS. 2A to 2D are schematic diagrams illustrating a schematic operation of the facsimile apparatus shown in FIG.

FIG. 3 is a flowchart illustrating an operation of the facsimile apparatus shown in FIG.

4A to 4D are schematic diagrams for explaining the operation of a conventional facsimile apparatus.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1 ... Plain paper facsimile machine having batch printing function 10 ... Signal processing unit 11 ... Image memory R ... Regular-size recording paper

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. An image memory for temporarily storing image data, communication management information, and the like, and holding and holding until the data storage amount of the image memory reaches the printing capacity of one page of fixed-size recording paper. When the print capacity for a page is reached, the batch print function is provided with a signal processing unit that reads out image data to be printed as one page from the image memory and prints it out on a fixed-size recording sheet in a batch. Plain paper facsimile machine.