JPH06225114A - Facsimile equipment - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To easily and properly execute the facsimile transmission at an inexpensive time zone even when the user does not know the inexpensive time zone for a communication charge by eliminating the need for sequential time designation with complicated key operations when the facsimile transmission is desired to be executed in an inexpensive communication charge. CONSTITUTION:The facsimile equipment is provided with a storage section 9 (9c) storing data for an inexpensive time zone for a facsimile communication charge and a key operation section 3 is provided with an inexpensive transmission operation key 3a. When the inexpensive transmission operation key 3a is operated and current time data outputted from a clock timer circuit 7 reaches the inexpensive time zone stored in the storage section 9, the facsimile transmission of prescribed picture data is executed.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a facsimile apparatus which can reduce the communication charge required for facsimile transmission.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, as this type of facsimile machine, a facsimile machine having a time designated transmission function has been proposed.
That is, such a facsimile apparatus temporarily stores the image data of the read and scanned original image in the image memory, and when the current time reaches the designated time designated by the key operation, the image data is read from the image memory at that time. Is configured to perform a facsimile transmission from the other party to a predetermined party. In the facsimile machine configured in this way,
Facsimile transmission can be executed at a time convenient for the other party to receive the facsimile, and by specifying the facsimile communication charge at a specific time such as at night, it is necessary for the facsimile transmission by using the late night discount system. There are advantages such as low communication charges.

[0003]

However, in the above-mentioned prior art, in order to reduce the communication fee required for facsimile transmission, the specific transmission time is complicated by using a numeric keypad or the like each time facsimile transmission is performed. It was necessary to specify every operation, which was troublesome. Moreover, in the case of performing such time designation, the user is not always familiar with the time zone in which the communication fee for facsimile transmission is low. Therefore, in such a case, it becomes more inconvenient because the user needs to spend time and effort to check the time zone. In addition, conventionally, there is a possibility that a user may mistakenly specify a time zone when the communication charge is not low, and may specify a time.

The present invention has been proposed in view of the above points, and when the user wants to execute a facsimile transmission at a low communication charge, the user does not need to specify the time by a complicated key operation, and the user can It is an object of the present invention to provide a facsimile apparatus that can easily and appropriately execute facsimile transmission in a low-priced time zone even when the low-priced time zone is not known.

[0005]

A facsimile apparatus according to the present invention, which has been proposed to achieve the above object, includes a storage unit in which data in a low-priced time zone of a facsimile communication charge is stored, and a key operation unit. A low-priced transmission operation key is provided in the device, and when the low-priced transmission operation key is operated, a predetermined time is output when the current time data output from the clock timer circuit reaches the low-priced time zone stored in the storage section. The image data is transmitted by facsimile.

[0006]

In the facsimile apparatus according to the present invention having the above-mentioned construction, when the inexpensive transmission operation key is operated during the facsimile transmission of the predetermined image data, the image data is transmitted by the facsimile communication fee when the key is operated. If it is within the low-priced time zone, the facsimile is immediately transmitted, but if not, the execution of the facsimile transmission is awaited, and the current time data output from the clock timer circuit reaches the low-price zone of the facsimile communication charge. A facsimile transmission will be made at that point. Therefore, after checking the low-priced time zone of the facsimile communication charge,
Facsimile transmission can be performed at a low communication charge without performing a complicated operation of designating the time period as the transmission time.

[0007]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 shows a facsimile apparatus F according to the present invention.
3 is a block diagram showing an example of the hardware configuration of FIG. The facsimile apparatus F shown in the figure is configured by connecting a signal processing unit 1 including a CPU and the like to a facsimile communication control unit 2 and other circuit devices described later. The facsimile communication control unit 2 performs communication control necessary for executing facsimile communication, and includes a line control unit 2a connected to the telephone line L, a modem 2b for image data transmission / reception, a protocol signal generation circuit 2c, and a protocol signal. The detection circuit 2d and the like are provided.

In addition to the above facsimile communication control unit 2, the signal processing unit 1 includes a key operation unit 3, an image reading unit 4,
A display unit 5 including a liquid crystal display, a print output unit 6, a clock timer circuit 7 for outputting date and current time data, an auto dialer 8, a storage unit 9 and the like are also connected. Among them, the key operation unit 3 is provided with a ten-key, a start key, a stop key, and other general operation keys (all not shown), and an inexpensive transmission operation key 3a. The low-priced transmission operation key 3a is operated when it is desired to send a facsimile transmission which does not need to be hurried at a low communication charge time zone. This operation key 3a
May be composed of a combination of a function key and a numeric keypad, but is preferably structured as a one-touch key type operation key.

The storage unit 9 includes a system memory 9a composed of a ROM and a RAM, an image memory 9b for storing image data of a document read and scanned by the image reading unit 4, and a communication charge low-cost time data memory 9c. I have it. The communication charge low-priced time data memory 9c stores data (for example, "23: 00-8: 00") in the communication charge low-cost time zone using the line L, as shown by the arrow A in the figure. Although it may be provided separately from the system memory 9a as shown in FIG.
M may be replaced with a communication charge low-cost time data memory. Further, the data of the low-priced time zone of the communication charge is configured to be preset at the time of factory shipment according to the manufacturer's specifications of the facsimile apparatus F, and the user can input or change the data by key operation. It may be any one.

The signal processing section 1 has a function of controlling each section so as to execute general facsimile communication and facsimile communication such as time designated transmission, but in addition to that, it also has a cheap transmission control function as follows. There is. That is, the signal processing unit 1 stores the data of the dial call number input in advance in the RAM of the storage unit 9 when the low price transmission operation key 3a is operated instead of the start key or the time designation key during the facsimile transmission operation. The image data of the original is read and scanned, and the image data is controlled to be stored in the image memory 9b. Then, the signal processing unit 1 refers to the current time data output from the clock timer circuit 7, and when the current time reaches the low price time zone of the communication charge stored in the low communication charge time data memory 9c, At this point, the automatic dialer 8 is activated and the previously stored facsimile number is dialed. Next, when the other party receives an incoming call, predetermined image data is read from the image memory 9b and is controlled so as to be transmitted by facsimile.

Next, an example of use and operation of the facsimile apparatus F having the above structure will be described. First of all, there are some kinds of documents that need to be sent by facsimile without any urgent need, and if it is possible to send them as cheaply as possible, there is a kind of such a document. The facsimile number may be input by key operation, and the inexpensive transmission operation key 3a may be operated instead of the start key. According to such a key operation, the document image is read by the image reading unit 4.
The image data is scanned and stored in the image memory 9b, and the facsimile apparatus F shifts to the inexpensive transmission mode. As a result, for example, when the time when the low-priced transmission operation key 3a is operated is the daytime and does not correspond to the low-priced time zone of the communication charge, the facsimile device F enters the transmission standby state. Then, when the data of the current time output from the clock timer circuit 7 thereafter becomes 23:00 in the low-priced time zone (23:00 to 8:00) of the communication fee, at that time, the auto dialing to the predetermined partner is performed. Run
Facsimile transmission will be executed.

In the facsimile transmission executed in this manner, the communication fee can be reduced, but in the facsimile transmission, it is not necessary for the user to purposely specify a low communication fee time. When the facsimile transmission operation by operating the low-price transmission operation key 3a is operated within the low-price time period of the communication charge (for example, 23:30), it is not necessary to wait for the facsimile transmission, and the facsimile transmission is immediately performed. However, in this case, the image data of the original image read and scanned by the image reading unit 4 may be sent as a facsimile without being stored in the image memory 9b.

From step 100 of the flowchart of FIG.
Steps 100 to 109 of 119 show a series of operation procedures of the above-mentioned facsimile transmission. In addition, steps 110 to 116 in FIG.
Further, steps 117 to 119 show a general real-time facsimile transmission operation procedure.

In the above-mentioned embodiment, the time zone from 23:00 to 8:00 is mentioned as an example of the low-priced time zone of the communication charge, but the specific value is not limited to this. That is, the low-priced time zone is not limited to one type, and a plurality of types may be set. For example, the system of communication charges is daytime (8: 00-19: 00), nighttime (1
9:00 to 23:00, and midnight (23:00 to 8:20)
00), and if the communication charges are gradually reduced according to their order, for example, the cheapest late night time zone and the next cheapest night time zone are set by the user. May be arbitrarily selected.

[0015]

As can be understood from the above description, according to the facsimile apparatus of the present invention, when it is desired to perform facsimile transmission at a low communication charge, the time can be designated by a complicated key operation as in the conventional case. You do n’t have to do it one by one,
There is a special effect that the operation is simple and the facsimile transmission can be appropriately executed in the low-priced time zone even when the user does not know the low-priced time zone of the communication charge.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an example of a hardware configuration of a facsimile apparatus according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a flowchart showing an example of an operation procedure of facsimile transmission of the facsimile apparatus shown in FIG.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1 signal processing unit 2 facsimile communication control unit 3 key operation unit 3a inexpensive transmission operation key 4 image reading unit 7 clock timer circuit 8 auto dialer 9 storage unit 9a system memory 9b image memory 9c communication charge low-cost time data memory F facsimile machine

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A low cost transmission operation key is provided in a key operation section, and a storage section for storing data in a low time zone of a facsimile communication charge is provided, and when the low cost transmission operation key is operated. A facsimile machine, characterized in that the facsimile transmission of predetermined image data is executed when the current time data output from the clock timer circuit reaches the low-priced time zone stored in the storage section. apparatus.