JPH0622071A - Communication module selecting system - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To improve the transmission efficiency of a communication equipment by effectively utilizing the communication modules having different functions without increasing the amount of a hardware by detecting communication conditions and selecting the communication module out of plural communication modules matching to the communication conditions. CONSTITUTION:A MODEM is provided with respectively different modes, and one communication module is formed by combining it with a communication control part 6. An original is read from a scanner 2 to a memory 4, and the data amount of the original is written in the memory 4. A system control part 1 extracts this data amount and a threshold value stored in the memory 4 from the memory 4 and compares the data amount with the threshold value. When the amount of data is larger than that of threshold value, the module of the most significant ability order is selected. When the amount of data is smaller than that of the threshold value, the module of the second higher ability order is selected. The system control part 1 controls a switch 8 and connects the selected MODEM 7 to an NCU (line control part) 9.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a communication module selection system, and more particularly to a communication module selection system capable of effectively utilizing a line in a communication module selection system of a communication device having a plurality of communication modules having different functions. .

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, there has been proposed a communication device having a plurality of communication modules and capable of accommodating a plurality of lines, for example, a facsimile device. The communication module is composed of a communication control unit that executes a transmission control procedure and a modem or a digital transmission control unit.
It is a device capable of executing one communication process. In such a facsimile machine, the functions of the communication modules are all the same, and at the start of communication, an empty communication module was selected and used.

Further, in a communication device having a plurality of communication modules, a technology regarding a communication module selection method in the case where the plurality of communication modules have different capabilities is not specified. For example, as disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 3-101452, a circuit switching system and a packet switching system are automatically used according to the amount of image information. However, this technique is only intended to simplify the exchange method selecting operation, and is not for effectively using the communication module.

[0004]

In the conventional facsimile apparatus having a plurality of communication modules, there is a problem that the communication modules have the same function and therefore the amount of hardware increases. Further, in order to solve this, if communication modules with different functions are provided, this time, the problem is how to select and use communication modules with different functions in order to increase the transmission efficiency of the device. Becomes

An object of the present invention is to solve the above-mentioned problems of the prior art, to effectively utilize modules having different functions without increasing the amount of hardware, and to improve the transmission efficiency of a communication device. To obtain a module selection method.

[0006]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the outline of the present invention. In the figure, the communication module 10
0 and 200 have different functions, and the switching means 300
Is connected to the line via. Condition detecting means 400
Outputs communication conditions based on the input information from the panel, scanner, etc., the state of the facsimile device, etc., and the selection means 500
Selects a communication module that meets this communication condition. Then, the selecting means 500 controls the switching means 300 to switch between the modem and the line.

As described above, according to the present invention, a condition for detecting a communication condition in a module selection system of a communication device, which has a plurality of communication modules having different functions and a switching means for switching and connecting the communication module and a line. It is characterized in that a detecting means and a selecting means for selecting a communication module that matches the communication condition output from the condition detecting means from among the plurality of communication modules are provided.

[0008]

By such means, the communication module can be used efficiently and the transmission efficiency of the communication device can be further improved.

[0009]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 2 is a block diagram of an example of a facsimile apparatus to which the present invention is applied. The system control unit 1 controls the entire facsimile apparatus and also controls communication module selection. The scanner 2 is for reading a transmission document, and the panel 3 is a circuit for inputting a telephone number and instructions for various functions, and for displaying the number, the state of the apparatus, and the like.

The memory 4 is for storing document information read by the scanner 2 and messages received from the line, and also stores programs and various data. The printer 5 is for printing the received message.

The communication control unit 6 has a built-in control device for executing a facsimile transmission control procedure, controls the connected modem 7, and can perform message transmission / reception independently of other circuits. .

Each of the modems 7 has, for example, a V.V. 29,
V. It has different modes such as 17, and is combined with the connected communication control unit 6 to form one communication module. The switch 8 is the system controller 1
Is used to connect an arbitrary modem 7 to an arbitrary NCU (line control unit) 9. For example, a switch such as a crossbar switch or a time division bus type switch can be used.

Under control of the system control unit 1, the NCU 9 controls incoming and outgoing lines. The bus 12 connects each circuit in the device. The number of lines is arbitrary, and the communication module and NCU 9 are usually provided in the same number as the number of lines, but a spare device may be provided. 2 in FIG.
An example of a line is shown.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram of a second example of a facsimile apparatus to which the present invention is applied. This example is ISDN
It is a facsimile machine for a line, and has a system control unit 1,
The scanner 2, panel 3, memory 4, printer 5, and communication control unit 6 are the same as in the example of FIG. However, ISDN is a digital network, and since a plurality of lines can be communicated by one subscriber line, other parts are different from those in FIG.

In the G4 module, the communication control unit 6 is directly connected to the ISDN line interface unit 13 via the switch 12. G3 module modem 1
1 is used when communicating with a G3 facsimile machine accommodated in ISDN, for example, and creates a G3 standard modulation / demodulation signal. In the case of a modem having an analog interface, a CODEC is required in the G3 module or in the ISDN line interface unit 13, though not shown.

The switch 12 is composed of, for example, a gate circuit. The ISDN line interface unit 13 is a circuit that interfaces with the ISDN line and performs processing such as synchronization and demultiplexing.

In the case of FIG. 3 as well, the number of lines is arbitrary, and an NCU (line control unit) for telephone lines is added to add ISD.
It is possible to accommodate both the N line and the telephone line and share the G3 module with both lines.

FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of the communication module table stored in the memory 4. This table is used for communication module selection processing, and here is shown an example of an ISDN facsimile machine having six communication modules. The line for each communication module is 1. The module's capability ranking, 2. Functions of the module, 3. The empty (0) and in-use (1) states of the module are recorded.

Next, a communication module selection process in the above-mentioned facsimile apparatus will be described. Figure 5
Is a flowchart showing a first selection process. This processing is performed by the system control unit 1 at the time of starting communication of an outgoing call or an incoming call of the facsimile apparatus.

In step S10, the module having the highest capability rank is retrieved from the communication module table. In step S11, it is checked by looking at the status column whether the taken out module is in use.

If it is in use (1), the process proceeds to step S12, the module having the next highest capability rank is taken out from the communication module table, and step S11 is executed.
Return to. When the taken out module is empty (0) in step S11, the process proceeds to step S13, and in step S13, the status column of the taken out module is rewritten to in use (1), and the module is switched to the switch 12 ISDN line interface section 1
3 and start communication.

FIG. 6 is a flow chart of a modification of the first selection process.

In this example, the capability rank of the communication module is determined by the mounting position, and it is assumed that the capability rank is higher from the left.

In step S20, it is checked whether the leftmost module is in use, for example, by checking the status of the module. If it is in use, the process proceeds to step S21, and it is checked whether or not the module on the right side thereof is in use.

When a vacant module is found in step S20 or 21, the process proceeds to step S22, the status column of the vacant module is rewritten to "in use" (1), and the module is switched to the ISDN line interface section 13 by the switch 12. Connect and start communication.

By such processing, the module having high capability is preferentially used, and the transmission efficiency of the entire apparatus is improved. It is also possible to adopt such a selection method only when making a call, and there is an effect that the line usage fee can be further reduced. Also, in the case of a large amount of received faxes, if such a selection method is adopted only when receiving a call,
The transmission efficiency can be improved.

FIG. 7 is a flow chart showing the second selection processing. This processing is performed by the system control unit 1 when the facsimile machine receives an incoming call.

In step S30, it is checked whether the user is operating a panel or the like, or whether a document is set on the scanner 2. If it is not being operated, the process proceeds to step S31, and it is checked whether or not there is document data waiting to be transmitted in the memory 4 by referring to the transmission reservation table.

If both of the above two conditions are not satisfied, it is determined that there is no calling schedule, and the process proceeds to step S32. The subsequent process is the same as the selection process of FIG. However, if either of the conditions is satisfied, it is determined that the call is scheduled, and the process proceeds to step S33.

In step S32, the module having the highest capability rank is retrieved from the communication module table. Alternatively, in step S33, the module having the second highest capability ranking is retrieved from the communication module table, and the process proceeds to step S34.

In step S34, it is checked by looking at the status column whether the taken-out module is in use. If it is in use (1), the process proceeds to step S35, the module having the next highest capability rank is taken out from the communication module table, and the process returns to step S34.

In step S34, if the taken out module is empty (0), the process proceeds to step S36, and in step S36, the status column of the taken out module is rewritten to in use (1), Is connected to the ISDN line interface unit 13 by the switch 12 and communication is started.

By this processing, when a call is scheduled to be made when a call is received, the communication module having the highest capability rank is reserved for the call, so that the transmission efficiency at the time of call is improved. improves.

In the process of step S33 shown in FIG. 7, it is not necessary to select the second item having the second ability ranking, and it is only necessary to select one having the highest ability ranking. Therefore, for example, the one with the lowest ability rank or the one with the mode with the highest use frequency may be selected.

FIG. 8 is a flow chart showing the third selection process. This processing is performed by the system controller 1 when a call is made by the facsimile machine.

In the facsimile apparatus, when a document is read from the scanner 2 into the memory 4, the usage amount of the memory, that is, the data amount of the document is simultaneously written in the memory. In step S40, the system controller 1
Retrieves the amount of data from the memory 4. Step S
At 41, the threshold value also stored in the memory 4 is extracted. This threshold is set in advance by the manufacturer or the user.

In step S42, the data amount and the threshold value are compared. If the data amount is larger than the threshold value,
If the amount of data is less than the threshold value, the process proceeds to step S44. The subsequent processing is the same as the processing after step S32 of the second selection processing.

In step S43, the module having the highest capability rank is retrieved from the communication module table. Alternatively, in step S43, the module having the second highest capability ranking is retrieved from the communication module table, and the process proceeds to step S34.

In step S45, it is checked by looking at the status column whether the taken-out module is in use. If it is in use (1), the process proceeds to step S46, the module having the next highest capability rank is taken out from the communication module table, and the process returns to step S45.

In step S45, if the taken out module is empty (0), the process proceeds to step S47, and in step S47, the status column of the taken out module is rewritten to in use (1), Is connected to the ISDN line interface unit 13 by the switch 12 and communication is started.

By this processing, when making a call,
A communication module having a high capability rank can be assigned to a large amount of data, and the overall transmission efficiency is improved.

As in the second selection process (step S33 in FIG. 7) described above, in the process in step S44 in FIG. Anything other than expensive is fine. Therefore, for example, the one with the lowest ability rank or the one with the mode with the highest use frequency may be selected.

FIG. 9 is a flow chart showing the fourth selection processing. This processing is performed by the system controller 1 when a call is made by the facsimile machine.

Generally, a facsimile apparatus is constructed so that various transmission functions can be selected, but some communication modules can execute only some transmission functions. In the example of the communication module table in FIG. 4, for example, between the other companies, the super high image quality mode cannot be executed unless the G4 module is used. In this embodiment, a case where the super high image quality mode is selected will be described.

In step S50, when there is a transmission instruction, the system control unit 1 checks whether or not there is an instruction of a special function from the panel 2, in this case, an instruction of the super high image quality mode, and if there is an instruction, If so, step S51
Move to.

In step S51, the communication module having the special function, in this case, the module having the highest capability rank among the communication modules having the super high image quality mode is taken out.

In step S52, it is checked by looking at the status column whether the taken-out module is in use. If it is in use (1), the process proceeds to step S53, the module having the next highest capability rank is taken out of the communication modules having the super high image quality mode from the communication module table, and the process returns to step S52.

If the taken out module is empty (0) in step S52, the process proceeds to step S54.

In step S50, if there is no instruction of a special function from the panel 2, that is, the instruction of the super high image quality mode in this case, the process proceeds to step S55. The subsequent process is the same as the first selection process (FIG. 5).

In step S55, the module with the highest capability ranking is retrieved from the communication module table. In step S56, it is checked by looking at the status column whether the taken out module is in use.

If it is in use (1), the process proceeds to step S57, the module having the next highest capability rank is taken out from the communication module table, and the process returns to step S56. When the taken out module is empty (0) in step S56, the process proceeds to step S54, and in step S54, the status column of the taken out module is rewritten to in use (1), and the module is switched to the switch 12 ISDN line interface section 1
3 and start communication.

With this processing, when a call is made,
When a special function is instructed, it is possible to allocate a communication module having a higher capability rank among those having the function, realize the function, and improve the transmission efficiency.

FIG. 10 is a flow chart showing the fifth selection processing. This processing is performed by the system controller 1 when a call is made by the facsimile machine.

This embodiment, like the fourth selection processing, is an embodiment of the selection processing when there is an instruction of a special function. In this embodiment, the case where the 4800 bps mode is selected will be described. To do.

In step S60, the system control unit 1 checks whether or not there is a special function instruction, in this case, a 4800 bps mode instruction, from the panel 2 when there is a transmission instruction, and if there is an instruction. Then, the process proceeds to step S61.

In step S61, a special function from the communication module table, in this case 4800 bp
Among the communication modules having the s mode, the module having the lowest capability ranking is taken out.

In step S62, the status column is used to check whether the taken-out module is in use. If it is in use (1), the process proceeds to step S63, the module having the next lowest capability rank is taken out of the communication modules having the 4800 bps mode from the communication module table, and the process returns to step S62.

In step S62, if the taken out module is empty (0), the process proceeds to step S64.

In step S60, if there is no special function instruction from the panel 2, that is, the 4800 bps mode instruction in this case, the process proceeds to step S65. The subsequent process is the same as the first selection process (FIG. 5).

In step S65, the module having the highest capability rank is retrieved from the communication module table. In step S66, it is checked by looking at the status column whether the taken out module is in use.

If it is in use (1), the process proceeds to step S67, the module having the next highest capability rank is taken out from the communication module table, and the process returns to step S66. When the taken out module is empty (0) in step S66, the process proceeds to step S64, and in step S64, the status column of the taken out module is rewritten to "in use" (1), and the module is switched to the switch 12 ISDN line interface section 1
3 and start communication.

By this processing, when making a call,
When a special function is instructed, it is not necessary to assign a communication module with a lower capability rank among those having that function, realize the function, and unnecessarily select a communication module with a higher capability. , A communication module having a high capability can be assigned to another communication requiring a high capability, and the transmission efficiency is improved as a whole.

The five embodiments have been described above.
In an actual facsimile apparatus, some of these selection methods are combined to perform comprehensive selection processing.

For example, the second selection method (FIG. 7) is used when receiving a call, and the third selection method (FIG. 8) is used when calling.
The fourth selection method (FIG. 9) is used in combination. Alternatively, the fourth selection method (FIG. 9) and the fifth selection method (FIG. 10) may be selectively used depending on the further instructed function.

Further, the user may be allowed to set and change which selection method is to be used in combination. Then, the selection method most suitable for the user's usage environment can be adopted, and the effect of improving the transmission efficiency can be further enhanced.

[0066]

According to the communication module selection method of the present invention, it is possible to effectively use modules having different functions and increase the transmission efficiency of the communication device as a whole without increasing the amount of hardware. There is.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an outline of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a first facsimile device to which the present invention is applied.
3 is a block diagram of an example of FIG.

FIG. 3 is a second facsimile device to which the present invention is applied.
3 is a block diagram of an example of FIG.

FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of a communication module table.

FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing a first selection process.

FIG. 6 is a flowchart showing a modified example of the first selection process.

FIG. 7 is a flowchart showing a second selection process.

FIG. 8 is a flowchart showing a third selection process.

FIG. 9 is a flowchart showing a fourth selection process.

FIG. 10 is a flowchart showing a fifth selection process.

[Explanation of symbols]

1 ... System control unit, 2 ... Scanner, 3 ... Panel, 4 ...
Memory, 5 ... Printer, 6 ... Communication control unit, 7 ... Modem,
8 ... Switch, 9 ... NCU, 10 ... Bus, 11 ... Modem, 12 ... Switch, 13 ... ISDN line interface section.

 ─────────────────────────────────────────────────── ─── Continuation of the front page (72) Inventor Hideo Kinami 3-7-1 Fuchu, Iwatsuki City, Saitama Fuji Xerox Co., Ltd. Iwatsuki Office

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A communication module having a plurality of different functions,
In a module selection method of a communication device, which has a switching means for switching and connecting the communication module and a line, a condition detecting means for detecting a communication condition and an output from the condition detecting means from the plurality of communication modules. A communication module selection method, comprising: a selection module that selects a communication module that matches the communication conditions.