JPH06121065A - Facsimile equipment - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To output set conditions in a visible state by converting the set contents of a present mode to image signals corresponding to remote operations from an external equipment and sending the converted image signals to a telephone line. CONSTITUTION:Corresponding to access from an external equipment 3 through telephone lines 2, a facsimile equipment 7 collates whether a personal identification number received from the external equipment 2 by a control means 4 is coincident with a previously set personal identification number or not. When they are coincident, the control means 4 reads the data of set conditions currently stored in a storage part 5 among the setting of various modes utilizing a telephone function or a facsimile function, converts those data to image signals by using an image signal converting means 8 and transmits the data through the telephone lines 2 to the external equipment 3 as image signals. The image signals transmitted from the facsimile equipment 7 are printed by the facsimile function of the external equipment 3 or outputted in the visible state by a display device such as a liquid crystal display and the set conditions can be grasped.

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 a telephone function and a facsimile function.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art A conventional facsimile apparatus converts a setting status of various modes using a telephone function or a facsimile function into a voice signal in response to a remote operation from an external device through a telephone line, and then outputs a voice signal. Was being sent to the telephone line. Here, the external device is a general term for devices having a telephone function and a facsimile function, and is usually called a telephone or a facsimile device.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram for explaining remote operation in a conventional facsimile machine, and FIG. 4 is a flowchart of remote operation in a conventional facsimile machine. In FIG. 3 and FIG. 4, the facsimile device 1 is first accessed by the external device 3 through the telephone line 2 (step 1). First, the recitation number received by the control means 4 from the external device 3 is preset. It is checked whether or not (step 2). The reason why the password is set is to exclude access by a specific user. Next, as a result of the collation, if the code numbers do not match, the access is stopped (step 3), and if they match, the control means 4 stores in the storage unit 5 among various mode settings using the telephone function and the facsimile function. The data of the setting status currently stored, for example, the data of the "answering machine priority mode" is read (step 4), converted into a voice signal by the voice signal conversion means 6 (step 5), and the external device 3 through the telephone line 2. (Step 6). The voice signal transmitted from the facsimile device 1 is converted into voice by the telephone function of the external device 3 and is output, for example, "currently the answering machine priority mode is set."

[0004]

However, in the configuration of the conventional facsimile apparatus as described above, the external device 3 is used.
Since it is assumed that the external device 3 has only the telephone function, even if the external device 3 has the facsimile function, that function cannot be used. If the surroundings of the place where the external device 3 is installed are noisy, the sound output from the external device 3 may be affected by the noise of the surroundings and may be difficult to hear. Therefore, in such a noisy place, it is necessary to be accurate and the facsimile apparatus 1
There is a problem in that the remote controller must be remotely operated to hear the current setting status of the mode.

An object of the present invention is to solve the above problems and to provide a facsimile apparatus which, when an external device has a facsimile function, outputs the current setting status of the mode in a visually recognizable state by utilizing the facsimile function. And

[0006]

In order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides a control means for responding to a remote operation from an external device, which indicates the current mode setting status stored in the storage section of a facsimile apparatus. The image signal converting means converts the image signal into an image signal and sends the converted image signal to a telephone line.

[0007]

With this configuration, the external device that receives the image signal acts to print the current mode setting status or display it on the display device.

[0008]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. However, the same parts as those of the conventional example are designated by the same reference numerals, and a duplicate description will be omitted.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram for explaining a remote operation in one embodiment of the facsimile apparatus of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a flowchart of a remote operation operation in this embodiment.

First, the outline of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. 1 is different from the conventional example shown in FIG.
This means that the audio signal converting means 6 in the conventional example is replaced with the image signal converting means 8 in the present invention. That is, when it is attempted to check the current setting status of the facsimile device 7 from the external device 3 by remote control, the external device 3 transmits the audio signal in the conventional example. In the invention, the image signal can be transmitted by the image signal converting means 8. Therefore, the receiving external device 3 can output it as an image by printing it or displaying it on a display device such as a liquid crystal display.

The operation of the facsimile apparatus of the present invention will be described below with reference to FIGS. 1 and 2.

In FIG. 1 and FIG. 2, the facsimile machine 7
Is accessed by the external device 3 through the telephone line 2 (step 1), and first, the control means 4 checks whether or not the code number received from the external device 3 matches a preset code number (step 1). 2). Next, if the recitation numbers do not match as a result of the collation, the access is stopped (step 3), and if they match, the control means 4 sets the various modes using the telephone function and the facsimile function in the storage section 5 at present. Setting status data stored,
For example, the data of the "answering machine priority mode" is read (step 4), converted into an image signal by the image signal converting means 8 (step 5), and transmitted as an image signal to the external device 3 through the telephone line 2 (step 6). . The image signal transmitted from the facsimile device 7 is converted into a character such as "Currently set to answering machine priority mode" by the facsimile function of the external device 3 and visually confirmed by a printing device or a display device such as a liquid crystal display. It is output in a possible state. If the confirmed current mode setting does not meet the user's request, for example, to change the currently set “answering machine priority mode” to “facsimile priority mode”, the external device 3
The desired mode can be changed by performing a predetermined operation from the side. By visually appealing in this way, it is possible to eliminate the misunderstanding in the conventional example that was output by voice, and to accurately grasp the setting status of the current mode.

As described above, according to the present embodiment, the storage unit setting data is converted into the image signal by the image signal converting means and is transmitted to the external device. Although it has only a reliable transmission capability, it can be visually transmitted reliably by printing or extraction to a display device.

In the above description, it is assumed that the external device has a facsimile function. Although there is almost no problem under the current spread of facsimile devices, as a countermeasure for some external devices having only a telephone function, in addition to image signal conversion means, audio signal conversion means is also available. By arranging them side by side, it is possible to solve the problem by making the control means automatically judge the function provided in the external device and preferentially selecting the facsimile function when both functions are provided.

[0015]

As is apparent from the above description, according to the present invention, the control mode corresponding to the remote operation from the external device displays the setting status of the existing mode stored in the storage section of the facsimile apparatus. The signal conversion means converts the image signal and sends the converted image signal to the telephone line.Therefore, on the external device side that receives the image signal, the setting status of the existing mode is printed or displayed by the display device and visually confirmed. Make it possible.

By thus visually appealing, it is possible to provide a facsimile apparatus capable of eliminating the mistaken hearing in the conventional example which was output by voice and accurately grasping the setting status of the current mode.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram for explaining a remote operation of a facsimile apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a flowchart of a remote operation operation in the same device.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram for explaining remote operation in a conventional facsimile apparatus.

FIG. 4 is a flowchart of a remote control operation in a conventional facsimile device.

[Explanation of symbols]

 4 control means 5 storage section 8 image signal conversion means

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A facsimile device capable of transmitting and receiving a voice signal and an image signal through a telephone line and setting various modes using a telephone function and a facsimile function by a remote operation from an external device, the storage unit The control means in response to the remote operation from the external device converts the current setting status stored in the image signal into an image signal by the image signal converting means, and sends the converted image signal to the telephone line. Facsimile machine.