JPH06311270A - Automatic answering copy/facsimile machine - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To manage contents copied or facsimiled during the absence of a person in charge without any permission by providing an 'automatic answering' switch and a recording medium such as a magneto-optical storage device at the copy/facsimile machine. CONSTITUTION:When an 'automatic answering' switch 6 is pressed, an 'automatic answering' state is set. An original is read by a read scanning part 8 in such a state and copied through other processing and a record scanning part 9 or facsimiled through a communication control part 17, MODEM 18, network control part 19 and telephone line 20 and at the same time, the contents of this original are recorded through a data bus 4 and an interface 14 into a magneto-optical storage device 15 together with time information from a clock 16. When the 'automatic answering' switch 6 is canceled, the contents of the original recorded in the magneto-optical storage device 15 are read and copied through the record scanning part 9.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an apparatus capable of managing a copying machine or a facsimile machine when a person in charge leaves the seat or goes out.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventional copying machines and facsimile machines are
Anyone could make a copy and send a facsimile manuscript as long as the power was turned on, and there was no management function.

[0003]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION According to the present invention, an "away" switch (button) is used when a person in charge leaves the seat or goes out.
By pressing the button, a problem that can be managed to control when and what content the manuscript was copied or faxed was raised.

[0004]

According to the present invention, in a copying machine or a facsimile machine as described above, when a person in charge leaves the seat or goes out, the "answer" switch is pushed with a password. When a third party uses a copying machine or a facsimile machine without permission, the time information and the contents of the original document at that time can be stored in a storage device such as a magneto-optical storage device.

[0005]

In order to solve the above-mentioned problem, when the person in charge returns and releases the "Absent" switch, the contents of the original document which is copied or faxed without permission is copied together with the time information.

[0006]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an embodiment of the present invention. In the figure, 1 is a microprocessor (CPU),
Reference numeral 2 is a read-only memory ROM in which a program for controlling the apparatus is built-in, 3 is a random access memory RAM for temporarily storing image data, 4 is a data bus, 5 is a panel unit for operation. It has a liquid crystal display (not shown) for displaying information and various switches (not shown). Reference numeral 6 denotes an "absent" switch (button) provided on the panel section 5.

Reference numeral 7 is an interface, 8 is a reading scanning unit for reading image data from a document (not shown),
Reference numeral 9 is the image data or a magneto-optical storage device 15 described later.
The recording / scanning unit 10 for copying the image data from the image data onto a copy sheet (not shown) is
It is a reading processing unit / recording processing unit that performs D / D conversion, digital processing, and image enlargement / reduction processing.

Reference numeral 11 is a buffer memory for temporarily storing the image data, 12 is a memory control unit for controlling the buffer memory, and 13 is a compression unit when the image data is recorded in the magneto-optical storage device 15. An information compression unit / decompression unit that restores data when reading. Reference numeral 14 is an interface, and 15 is a magneto-optical storage device having a microprocessor (not shown) built therein, which stores image data of a document (not shown) in a compressed state. Reference numeral 16 is a clock, and the time information thereof is stored in the magneto-optical storage device when it is used.

Further, the following 17 to 19 are parts which function exclusively for the facsimile machine. Reference numeral 17 is a communication control unit for formatting the transmission information and transmitting it to the modem 18
Reference numeral 18 is a known modem, 19 is a known network control unit, and 20 is a telephone line.

Next, a specific operation will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG. First, when used as a normal copying machine, when the document is set on the reading / scanning unit 9 and a "copy" switch (not shown) of the panel unit 5 is pressed, the reading / scanning unit 8 image data of the document is read. Is read and stored in the buffer memory via the read processing unit / recording processing unit 10 and the memory control unit, and then a copy sheet (not shown in the drawing) is sent via the data bus 4, the reading processing unit / recording processing unit 10, and the recording scanning unit 9. Be copied).

On the other hand, when the person in charge of the copying machine pushes the "Absent" switch (button) when leaving the seat, the CPU 1 causes the CPU 1 shown in FIG.
Call the subroutine shown in. First, in step 101, a personal identification number is registered. This is to prevent a third party from arbitrarily canceling the above "absence". By the way, in order to cancel this "absence", it is necessary to enter the above PIN. When the "absence" switch is pressed, if a personal identification number, for example, "5432" is input by a switch (not shown) of the panel unit 5, the personal identification number is registered in a part of the memory RAM 3.

In the next step 102, "copy"
Waiting until a switch (not shown) is pressed.

When the original is set and the "copy" switch is pressed, step 102 becomes affirmative, and in step 103, the reading scanning section 8 starts reading the image data of the original. This image data is temporarily stored (step 104) in the buffer memory 11 as described above, and the image data is compressed by the information compression / decompression unit 13, and the compressed data is stored in the RAM.
3 is stored (steps 109 and 110).

When the reading of the image data from the original document is completed, step 105 becomes affirmative, and as described above, the image data compressed in the RAM 3 is started through the data bus 4 and the interface 14 at the same time when the copying is started on the copy paper. The data is transferred to the magneto-optical storage device 15 (steps 106 and 107). Since the magneto-optical storage device 15 has a built-in microprocessor (not shown), all the processing such as image data storage is performed by the magneto-optical storage device 15 by giving only one command in step 107. Do it yourself.

The magneto-optical storage device 15 has a structure in which the built-in disk cannot be taken out by an electromagnetic mechanism when the personal identification number is registered as described above. Immediately before the image data is stored, the time information from the clock 16 is stored in a predetermined position.

When the copying is completed, step 108
Is affirmative and the process returns to step 102. Then, the above operation is repeated as necessary.

Next, the operation when the person in charge returns and releases the above-mentioned "absence" state will be described with reference to the flow chart shown in FIG.

Now, in order to cancel the above "absence",
Although not shown in the flowchart, the "absence" switch 5 is pressed and then the personal identification number is input. And "absence"
When is released, the subroutine shown in FIG. 3 is called.
A disk (not shown) of the magneto-optical storage device 15 has an area corresponding to a table of contents called a directory, and the date is automatically recorded in the area each time the above-mentioned image data is recorded. In addition, there is an area for "file name" in this area, and it is possible to record the file name using the alphabet keys (not shown) of the panel unit 5. However, in the above "absence" state, the file name is recorded. Is programmed not to be recorded.

Therefore, if the directory search is started in step 130 and the file name is not searched in step 131, this step is negative and
In the next step 134, for example, "*" is recorded in the "file name" area. Then, the time information of the corresponding file is copied to the edge of the copy sheet, and then the image data is copied to the copy sheet (steps 135 and 136). Then, the process moves to the next directory through step 132. If the file is not the end. Repeat the above copy.

If the apparatus is both a copying machine and a facsimile machine, the file name may be "COPY" or "FAX", and "*" may be added to the file name. Can be copied to one end of the copy paper together with the above-mentioned time information.

Next, even if the third party faxes the original without the permission of the person in charge, there is a difference in whether the content of the original is copied onto a copy sheet or sent through a telephone line.
The operation of storing the content of the original in the magneto-optical storage device 15 and copying the copy paper when the answer switch 6 is released is the same, so the flow chart showing the operation in the case of this fax is omitted.

Although the apparatus of this embodiment has two functions of copying and facsimile, it may be an apparatus having a single function of copying or facsimile.

[0023]

As described above, when the person in charge is absent, this device can manage copying and faxing by pressing the "Absent" switch. Moreover, when setting "Absent", it is necessary to enter the PIN code. Therefore, a third party cannot arbitrarily cancel the "absence", and further, the structure is such that the disk cannot be taken out from the storage device in the "absence" state, so that the management effect is great.

[Brief description of drawings]

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

FIG. 2 is a flowchart showing the operation of one embodiment in the “absent” state of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing the operation of one embodiment when the “absence” of the present invention is released.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1 CPU 2 ROM 3 RAM 4 Data Bus 5 Panel Section 6 Answering Machine 7 Interface 8 Reading Scanning Section 9 Recording Scanning Section 10 Reading Processing Section / Recording Processing Section 11 Buffer Memory 12 Memory Control Section 13 Information Compressing Section / Restoring Section 14 Interface 15 Magneto-optical storage device 16 Clock 17 Communication control unit 18 Modem 19 Network control unit 20 Telephone line

Claims (4)

[Claims] 1. A device having a function of a general copying machine,
By providing a function button for answering machine, when the person in charge of the copying machine leaves the seat or takes a rest, by pressing the above answering machine button in advance,
After that, when a third person operates the copy, the normal copy operation is performed, and at the same time, the contents of the copy can be stored by the action of the optical disk or the like, and the button is released when the person in charge returns. An answering machine copy / facsimile machine characterized in that the contents stored by the use of another person while he / she is absent are transferred from the disc and can be taken out from the copying machine by paper. 2. In the above answering machine, when the answering machine button is not pressed, the copying machine operates as a normal copying machine, and when the answering machine button is pressed, a normal copying operation is performed, and at the same time, the contents are written to a disc. The answering machine copy and facsimile machine according to claim 1, characterized in that it is stored. 3. A general facsimile function is provided with an answering machine function button, and when a facsimile person leaves the seat or takes a rest, the above answering machine button is pushed in advance so that a third party can perform the facsimile operation thereafter. When the operation is performed, the contents of the facsimile can be stored by the action of an optical disk or the like, and by releasing the button when the person in charge returns, the contents stored by the use of a person other than the person in charge during the absence can be stored. An answering machine / fax machine that has the function of being transferred from a disk and being taken out of the facsimile. 4. The above-mentioned answering machine, the facsimile machine operates as a normal facsimile machine when the answering machine button is not pressed, and when the answering machine button is pressed, the facsimile machine operates normally and at the same time, the contents thereof are displayed. The answering machine copy and facsimile machine according to claim 3, wherein the answering machine copy is stored on a disk.