JPH06217058A - Facsimile connection controller - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To improve management properties, and to prevent the disappearance of an original by not receiving an incoming call whose designation absence is discriminated by a designation discriminating means, or by receiving it and transferring the original data to a designated host. CONSTITUTION:Facsimile equipments 2-4 detect the incoming call, and transmit an information to a facsimile connection controller 1. The facsimile connection controller 1 accepts the information, and checks whether or not address information (host name) is designated. When the incoming call whose address is not clear is not received, the reception processing is ended, and when the incoming call is received, a receiving job is executed, the original data are received from the facsimiles 2-4, and stored in a memory in the facsimile connection controller 1. Next, the transfer destination host is checked, and the stored original data are transferred. Also, even when the instruction of print or delete is transmitted from the host, the processing is executed according to the instruction.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a facsimile connection control device, and more particularly to a facsimile connection control device which is connected to a plurality of hosts via a network and is connected to a plurality of facsimiles. The present invention relates to processing when there is an incoming call.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In recent years, there have been many examples of constructing an original network such as a LAN within a company, and it is expected that the tendency will increase in the future. In many of such networks, a facsimile device is arranged in the network to enable connection with other networks using communication lines such as public lines and leased lines.

As is well known, the facsimile apparatus has scanner, printer, and communication control functions, and reads or receives a document or transmits a document transferred from a host to a facsimile at a remote place or prints. ,
Alternatively, it can be transferred to a host and is very useful as a resource in the network.

As an example of such a system, for example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 62-249560 discloses a personal computer / facsimile apparatus which provides the above-mentioned functions. This device connects a facsimile and a personal computer, and controls the facsimile by the personal computer.

[0005]

In the conventional system as described above, one facsimile is controlled by one host computer, and therefore, it is possible to cope with an increase in the amount of information to be processed and in the network. There was a problem communicating with multiple terminals.

Therefore, a facsimile connection control apparatus is conceivable in which processing requests from a plurality of hosts are accepted, a facsimile to be used is selected from a plurality of facsimiles, and processing is executed. However, in the system having such a configuration, how to handle an incoming call, particularly processing for an incoming call whose destination of the host is unknown becomes a problem.

An object of the present invention is to solve the above-mentioned problems of the prior art and to provide a processing method for an incoming call whose destination is unknown in a facsimile connection control device in which a plurality of hosts are connected. .

[0008]

According to the present invention, in a facsimile connection control device connected to a plurality of hosts and a facsimile, there is no designation by the designation determining means for determining whether or not there is a host designation in an incoming call, and there is no designation by the designation determining means. It is characterized by comprising an incoming call control means having a function of not accepting an incoming call determined to be, receiving it and forwarding it to a designated host, or receiving it and outputting it to an arbitrary facsimile.

[0009]

By such means, it is possible to automatically perform an appropriate process according to a user's request for an incoming call whose host address is unknown, which improves the convenience or manageability of the entire system, and the original It also prevents the disappearance of.

[0010]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an example of a system including a facsimile connection control device to which the present invention is applied. The details of the facsimile connection control device 1 will be described later,
It is connected to the facsimiles 2, 3 and 4 by an individual connection line 9 and also to the network 5 such as a LAN.

The facsimiles 2, 3 and 4 are connected to a telephone network, a switching network such as ISDN by a line 8, and are connected to the facsimile connection control device 1 by an individual connection line 9. This connection line 9 is, for example, RS-232C,
It may be GPIB, SCSI, or the like, or the facsimile connection control device 1 and a plurality of facsimiles 2, 3, 4 may be housed in one housing and connected by an internal bus.

The network 5 is, for example, Ethernet, F
It is a digital data network such as a LAN such as DDI or a switching network such as PBX. The hosts 6 and 7 are composed of general-purpose computers, workstations, personal computers, and the like, and include those that do not have the image data processing function.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the internal structure of the facsimile connection control apparatus 1. CPU10 is ROM11
The entire facsimile connection control device 1 is controlled in accordance with the control program stored in. The RAM 12 stores the input or received image information, or stores various control data and tables.

The network connection unit 13 is an interface circuit of a digital data network such as a LAN such as Ethernet or FDDI, or a switching network such as PBX. The code conversion unit 14 is a circuit that converts code data into image data for facsimile when a document is transmitted as code data from a terminal.

Facsimile connection units 15 and 16 are provided on individual connection lines 9 for facsimiles, such as RS-232C and G.
Interface circuits such as PIB and SCSI. The keyboard control unit 17 and the CRT control unit 18 are interface circuits for a keyboard and a CRT display that form the console of the facsimile connection control apparatus 1. The bus 19 connects each circuit in the device.
In addition to this, an external storage device such as a hard disk or an optical disk may be provided.

Next, the operation will be described. In the system as shown in FIG. 1, for example, when the host 6 communicates, first, an instruction is sent to the facsimile connection control device 1. The facsimile connection control device selects, for example, the fastest available facsimile among the available facsimiles,
Transfer the transmission data from the host to the selected facsimile. The facsimile that has received the transfer executes a transmission process in accordance with an instruction from the facsimile connection control device. The facsimile connection control device always keeps track of the status of each facsimile such as being in use, empty, or out of order.

FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing a receiving operation (receiving data from a facsimile and transferring it to a host or another facsimile) in the facsimile connection control device. When the facsimile device detects an incoming call, it notifies the facsimile connection control device. In step S1, the facsimile connection control device receives this notification. In step S2, destination information (host name)
Is checked if is specified.

This destination information is sent from the facsimile on the sending side, and various transmission methods are conceivable. One example is shown in FIG. FIG. 5 is an explanatory diagram showing a transmission procedure of a normal facsimile. Among them, the NSS signal transmitted from the transmitting station is a non-standard function setting command, and each manufacturer can set the content independently.

Therefore, in advance, in this NSS command,
For example, set the host computer name (number) area to 4
Provide for a part-time job. At the transmitting station, the host name (number) entered from the keyboard or the like at the time of connection is set in this area and transmitted. The facsimile on the receiving side transfers the host name to the facsimile connection control device.

In step S2, if there is a host corresponding to the destination information, the process proceeds to step S4. If there is no designation or the designated host does not exist, the process proceeds to step S3. Step S
In 3, it is checked whether to receive an incoming call with an unknown destination. The operator sets in advance from a panel or the like whether or not to receive.

The facsimile may notify the facsimile connection control device after confirming the presence or absence of the destination information, or may notify the incoming call for the time being and notify the presence or absence of the destination information later. Further, when the destination information cannot be received, the communication may be interrupted and the fact may be notified to the facsimile connection control device in advance.

If no incoming call of unknown destination is received in step S3, the receiving process is ended, but if it is received, the process proceeds to step S4. In step S4, the reception job is executed, original data is received from the facsimile, and stored in the memory in the facsimile connection control device.

When the storage is completed, it is checked in step S6 whether or not to notify the host. Whether or not to notify and how to notify are specified in advance. If no notification is given, the process proceeds to step S9.
In step S9, a facsimile to be printed is selected, the stored document data is transferred, and a print instruction is given. The stored original data is deleted.

The method of selecting the facsimile to be printed is
For example, it may be an empty one or may be designated in advance. Further, the received facsimile may be printed out as it is, so that the transfer of the document is unnecessary. It may be possible to select which of these various selection methods is used.

When the notification is made in step S6, the process proceeds to step S7, and in step S7, the host is notified that there is an incoming call whose destination is unknown. There are various methods to select the hosts to be notified, but all hosts are notified, only specific pre-specified hosts are notified, notification necessity is specified for each host, and only notification-requiring hosts are specified. There are methods such as notification. It may be possible to select which of these various selection methods is used. In step S8, a timer for measuring the storage time of the document is started.

Next, the transfer operation will be described. FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing a transfer process from the facsimile connection control device to the host. This process is activated periodically or when a transfer instruction is received from the host. In step S10, it is checked whether or not there is a transfer instruction from the host, and if there is an instruction, step S11.
Then, the transfer destination host is checked and the stored document data is transferred. Even when a print or erase instruction is given from the host, the processing is performed according to the instruction.
The first transfer instruction is accepted, and the second and subsequent ones are ignored.

If there is no instruction from the host in step S10, the process proceeds to step S12, and it is checked whether or not the timer has timed out. If the timeout has not occurred, the transfer processing is ended, but if the timeout has occurred, the process proceeds to step S13.

In step S13, it is checked whether or not to print the stored document. Whether to print or not is specified in advance. If printing is not to be performed, the process proceeds to step S15, but if printing is to be performed, the process proceeds to step S14, a facsimile to be printed is selected, the stored document data is transferred, and a print instruction is given.

The method of selecting the facsimile to be printed is
Similar to step S9 of the reception processing, for example, any vacant one may be used, or it may be designated in advance. In addition, the received facsimile may be printed out, and it may be possible to select which of these various selection methods is used. In step S15, the stored document data is erased. By such a process, the original of unknown address is automatically processed.

Although the embodiment has been described above, the following modifications are also possible. In the embodiment, the memory is erased from the memory after a predetermined time has passed, but it is also possible not to erase it until the remaining amount of the buffer becomes less than a predetermined value, for example, it becomes less than the predetermined value. If you do, you may erase the oldest ones.

[0031]

According to the facsimile connection control apparatus of the present invention as described above, it is possible to automatically perform an appropriate process according to a user's request for an incoming call whose host address is unknown. The convenience or controllability of the document is improved, and the document is prevented from being lost.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an example of an entire system.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a facsimile connection control device.

FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing a receiving operation.

FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing a transfer operation.

FIG. 5 is an explanatory diagram showing a facsimile transmission procedure.

[Explanation of symbols]

1 ... Facsimile connection control device, 2,3,4 ... Facsimile, 5 ... Network, 6,7 ... Host, 8 ... Line,
9 ... Connection line, 10 ... CPU, 11 ... ROM, 12 ... RA
M, 13 ... Network connection unit, 14 ... Code conversion unit,
15, 16 ... Facsimile connection section, 17 ... Keyboard control section, 18 ... CRT control section, 19 ... Bus

Claims (4)

[Claims] 1. A facsimile connection control device connected to a plurality of hosts and a facsimile, and a designation determination means for determining whether or not there is a host designation in an incoming call, and an incoming call determined by the designation determination means as not being accepted is not accepted. A facsimile connection control device comprising an incoming call control means. 2. A facsimile connection control device connected to a plurality of hosts and facsimiles, and accepts a designation determining means for determining whether or not there is a host designation in an incoming call, and an incoming call determined by the designation determining means as not being designated. In this case, the facsimile connection control device is provided with an incoming call control means for notifying all the hosts. 3. A facsimile connection control device connected to a plurality of hosts and facsimiles, and accepts a designation determination means for determining whether or not there is a host designation in the incoming call, and an incoming call determined by the designation determination means as not designated. In this case, the facsimile connection control device is provided with an incoming call control means for notifying one or more pre-designated hosts. 4. A facsimile connection control device connected to a plurality of hosts and a facsimile, and accepts a designation determining means for determining whether or not there is a host designation in an incoming call, and an incoming call determined by the designation determining means as not being designated. In this case, the facsimile connection control device is provided with an incoming call control means for outputting to an arbitrary facsimile.