JPH06276325A - Picture receiver - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To extend the reception capacity by generating newly a picture information management file when no picture information management file is in existence and arranging the picture information management file relating to picture information received succeedingly into the new picture information management file. CONSTITUTION:File management information registered in a management memory 4 is registered while being classified into a file management table B and a page management table C. A communication control section 2 monitors a page end signal sent for each picture information by one page and detects the page end signal, then the control section 21 informs it to a picture information control section 3 that the reception of the picture information by one page is finished. The control section 3 writes a storage destination address of the picture information to the table C registered as above. Then the control section 3 increments the total page number by one and rewrites it as the content of the table B. When a succeeding page is received successively, the table C is generated till the control section 2 terminates the reception to repeat the storage of the picture information and the revision of the total page number of the table B.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an image receiving apparatus used in, for example, a facsimile apparatus having a substitute receiving function.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art A conventional device of this type includes a communication control means having an automatic incoming call function, a recording section for printing and recording image information received through the communication control means on a recording sheet, and a recording sheet in the recording section. There is a recording paper presence sensor that detects the presence or absence of a recording paper, and an image information memory that stores the image information received when the recording paper presence sensor detects that there is no recording paper in a file When the image information cannot be recorded by the method described above, the image information has been converted into a file and stored in the memory as a substitute (see, for example, Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 61-198958).

In this case, the image information stored in the memory is made into a file each time a new reception is performed. That is, one image information file is created for each reception and stored and registered in the memory. The stored image information is read and recorded one file at a time after the recording paper is loaded on the recording unit.

As described above, when the recording unit cannot record the received image information, instead of the recording unit,
By storing received image information in a memory, so-called proxy reception is performed.

[0005]

However, according to such a configuration, the management of the image information stored in the memory by the proxy reception is complicated, and the storage capacity of the memory is not always fully utilized, so that the proxy can be performed. However, there is a problem that it is easy to run out of sufficient reception capacity.

The above-mentioned problems occur for the following reasons. That is, the storage of image information performed at the time of proxy reception is limited by two factors: the storage capacity of the image information memory and the file management capacity. When either the memory storage capacity or the file management capacity reaches the limit, no more image information can be stored, and thus proxy reception cannot be performed.

As described above, the proxy reception capacity is limited not only by the storage capacity of the image information memory but also by the file management capacity. As a result, the proxy reception of image information having a small average number of pages per case is repeated. However, even if there is still room in the absolute storage capacity of the image information memory, it will not be possible to store newly received image information due to the limited file management capacity. was there.

The present invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned problems, and can simplify management of image information stored in a memory for proxy reception, and make effective use of the memory capacity of the proxy. A first object is to provide an image receiving device capable of expanding the possible receiving capacity.

A second object of the present invention is to provide an image receiving apparatus capable of realizing a memory structure capable of surely printing out the image information received by the memory.

A third object of the present invention is to provide an image receiving device which can surely perform memory reception.

[0011]

In order to achieve the above-mentioned first object of the present invention, an image information memory for storing received image information and an image information management for managing the image information stored in this image information memory. An image information management memory that stores a file, and if there is no image information management file in this image information management memory, a new image information management file is created, and the image information management file relating to the image information received thereafter is created as the image information management file. It is provided with a configuration of control means for incorporating the information management file.

In order to achieve the above-mentioned second object, the present invention stores an image information memory for storing the received image information and an image information management file for managing the image information stored in this image information memory. The image information management memory and the image information management file relating to the image information stored in the image information memory are managed by being incorporated into a specific image information management file, and the stored image information is stored on the image information memory. The image information control means for sequentially storing the position at page 1 for each page is provided.

In order to achieve the above-mentioned third object, the present invention stores an image information memory for storing the received image information and an image information management file for managing the image information stored in this image information memory. The image information management file and the image information control means for starting the reception of the image information after confirming that the image information management file exists in the image information management memory are provided.

[0014]

According to the first aspect of the present invention, when the image information management file does not exist in the image information management memory, a new image information management file is created, and the image information management file relating to the image information received thereafter is stored in the image information management file. It is to be incorporated into the image information management file.

According to the second aspect of the present invention, the image information management file relating to the received image information is incorporated into a specific image information management file, and the position of the stored image information on the image information memory is stored. Are sequentially stored page by page.

According to the third aspect of the present invention, the reception of the image information is started after it is confirmed that the image information management file exists in the image information memory.

[0017]

1 shows a schematic structure of an image receiving apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention, in which 1 is a system control section for controlling the operation of the entire apparatus, and 2 is a communication control section having an automatic incoming call function. Reference numeral 3 is an image information control unit for managing image information, 4 is a management memory unit for providing an image information management area, 5 is an image information memory unit for storing the image information itself, and 6 is for printing the image information on recording paper. A recording unit for recording, 7 is a recording paper presence sensor for detecting the presence or absence of recording paper in the recording unit 6, 8 is a public communication line such as a telephone line, 9 is an in-system data bus, and 10 is an image information transmission path.

In FIG. 1, the system control unit 1 is constructed by using a general-purpose information processing device, which is a microcircuit, called a microcomputer. The management memory unit 4 and the image information memory unit 5 are, for example, large-capacity semiconductor RAs.
It is composed of a rewritable storage device such as M or a magnetic hard disk recording device. The image information control unit 3 causes the image information memory unit 5 to store the image information received when the recording paper presence sensor 7 detects that there is no recording paper, and also the image information stored in the image information memory unit 7. Information is managed by incorporating it into a specific image information file. The specific image information file is a file that is registered to be limited to only one for proxy reception, the image information that is the actual information is stored in the image information memory unit 5, and its management information is stored in the management memory unit 4. be registered.

FIG. 2 shows a registration format of file management information registered in the management memory unit 4.

In the figure, the file management information A is a file descriptor (file management table or file index) created for each file.
B and the page descriptor created for each page (page management table or page index)
Registered separately as C.

The file descriptor B is a file number for identifying a file, the total number of pages of image information forming the file, that is, the total number of pages indicating the number of registrations of the page descriptor C, the first page,
It is composed of an address indicating the descriptor storage destination.

The page descriptor C is a page number, an address indicating the storage location of the previous page descriptor, an address indicating the storage location of the next page descriptor, and image information belonging to the page of the above page number. Is configured by an address indicating the storage destination of.

The operation of the image receiving apparatus configured as described above will be described below. FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing an operation example of the image receiving apparatus shown in FIGS.

In FIGS. 1, 2 and 3, when the communication control section 2 detects an incoming call, the system control section 1 causes the recording section 6 to
Check for the presence of recording paper. The recording unit 6 notifies the system control unit 1 of the presence / absence of the recording paper by the recording paper presence / absence sensor 7 (ST1).

Here, if there is a recording sheet, that is, if it is in a recordable state, the image information received via the communication control section 2 after an incoming call is printed and recorded on the recording sheet by the recording section 6. (ST11).

On the other hand, if the recording paper does not exist, that is, if the recording cannot be performed, the system control unit 1
Asks the image information control section 3 whether or not the interception reception file has already been registered (ST2).

If the interception reception file is not registered, the interception reception file is newly created and registered in the management memory unit 4 (ST3). Registration of the interception reception file is performed by creating a file descriptor B and registering it in the management memory unit 4. The number of files for interception reception is limited to one, and if there is a file for interception reception already registered, new registration is not performed.

When the registration of the substitute reception file is confirmed, the system control unit 1 notifies the communication control unit 2 of the reception preparation completion and the image information control unit 3 of the reception image information. A page that represents management information for each page
Command the creation of descriptor C (ST4).

The created page descriptor C is
According to the registration form shown in FIG. 2, the file is registered as a page descriptor belonging to the file descriptor B of the interception file already created (ST
5).

After that, the image information control unit 3 instructs the communication control unit 2 to start receiving the image information. As a result, the received image information is stored in the image information memory unit 5 (ST6).

The communication controller 3 monitors a page end signal transmitted for each page of image information. When the page end signal is detected, the image information control unit 3 is notified that the reception of the image information for one page is completed. Upon receiving this notification, the image information control unit 3 writes the storage address of the image information in the page descriptor C registered previously (ST7).

At the same time, the communication control unit 3 rewrites the total number of pages of the file descriptor B by one page (ST8).

As described above, the storage of the received image information for one page and the registration of its management information are completed.

After that, if the image information of the next page is continuously received, the above-described page descriptor C is created, the image information is stored, and the file information is stored until the communication control unit 2 finishes the reception. The updating of the total number of pages of descriptor B is repeated (ST4 to ST8).

If a new receiving operation is started after the receiving operation is finished, the file descriptor B
Page that belongs to the interception file that has already been created without newly creating a new file, that is, creating a new file.
By newly creating only Despreter C,
The management information of the image information newly received and stored is created. That is, new file registration is not performed even if the number of received items increases. The image information for each received item is merged and stored and managed in the proxy reception file that has already been registered.

As described above, since the image information received by the proxy is stored in the memory without increasing the number of file management cases, the management of the image information stored in the memory for the proxy reception is greatly simplified. To be done. As a result, the factor that limits the reception capacity that can be substituted is the image information memory unit 5.
It is only the size of the storage capacity of. Image information memory section 5
Is, even if image information with a small number of pages is repeatedly received,
It is possible to store the received image information with the full storage capacity without being limited to the file management capacity. As a result,
The storage capacity of the image information memory unit 5 is effectively utilized and the reception capacity that can be substituted is expanded.

In the above-described embodiment, the number of intercepted files is limited to one, but within a range that does not increase the burden of file management so much, for example, it is limited to two or several. Good.

[0038]

As is apparent from the above description, the first invention creates a new image information management file when there is no image information management file, and creates an image information management file relating to image information received thereafter. By transferring to the newly created image information management file described above, it can be created when there is no image information management file and can be transferred to the already existing image information management file at some time, so when receiving image information Since the management file exists, reliable reception can be performed, and the storage capacity of the memory can be effectively used to expand the reception capacity that can be substituted.

In the second invention, the position of the received image information on the image information memory is stored in the image information management file for each page. Therefore, the image information can be displayed without a mark of page break. Since the information received page can be grasped and is stored in the image information management file, when printing out the stored image information, even if the printing is interrupted for some reason, the page that was interrupted easily Print output can be continued from.

Further, in the third invention, since the reception of the image information is started after confirming that the image information management file is present in the image information management memory, the capacity of the image information management file after the image information is received. It is possible to reliably receive the image information in the memory without being in a state where the image information management file cannot be created due to a shortage, that is, the state in which the image information is received but the memory cannot be received. .

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic configuration diagram of an image receiving apparatus showing an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a diagram showing management information of an interception file.

FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing an operation example of a main part of the image receiving apparatus.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1 system control unit 2 communication control unit 3 image information control unit 4 management memory unit 5 image information memory 6 recording unit 7 recording paper presence sensor 8 public communication circuit 9 system data bus 10 image information transmission path A file management information B file・ Descriptor C Page Descriptor

Claims (3)

[Claims] 1. An image information memory for storing the received image information, an image information management memory for storing an image information management file for managing the image information stored in the image information memory, and an image information management memory for storing the image information in the image information management memory. An image receiving apparatus comprising: a control unit that creates a new image information management file when there is no information management file and incorporates an image information management file relating to image information received thereafter into the image information management file. 2. An image information memory for storing the received image information, an image information management memory for storing an image information management file for managing the image information stored in the image information memory, and an image information memory for storing the image information management file. The image information management file relating to the image information is managed by incorporating it into a specific image information management file, and the position of the stored image information in the image information memory is sequentially stored page by page. An image receiving device comprising an information control means. 3. An image information memory for storing the received image information, an image information management memory for storing an image information management file for managing the image information stored in the image information memory, and an image information management memory in the image information management memory. An image receiving apparatus comprising: an image information control unit that starts receiving image information after confirming that the image information management file exists.