JPH06315079A - Facsimile equipment - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To efficiently perform transfer by starting the transfer after a file for which transfer standby time elapses is detected. CONSTITUTION:A transfer destination telephone number is read out and the transfer of a transfer standby file is started when a transfer mode is turned on by referring to a RAM 19 and the file for which the transfer start time to the RAM 19 elapses exists. When another transfer standby file exists, all the transfer standby files are transmitted sequentially in serial communication even when no transfer start time elapses. When all the transfer standby files are finished to transmit normally, transfer finished original images are erased from an image accumulation part 13, and a transfer operation is completed. In such a case, the transfer start time of each file set on the RAM 19, etc., is also erased. In such a way, since the transfer is started at the point of time when the file for which the prescribed transfer standby time elapses is detected, it is possible to prevent communication expenses from being consumed wastefully and to perform the transfer efficiently in which occupied time of transfer destination facsimile equipment can be extremely reduced.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a facsimile machine having a transfer function.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, a facsimile apparatus having a memory for accumulating a document image has been known. In such a facsimile device, various communications can be performed by using the memory, and an example thereof is a transfer function.
This transfer function is, for example, as described in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 1-195761, to temporarily store a received original image in a memory and automatically transmit it to a destination registered in advance. When the recipient at the place where the machine is installed goes out to another place, the telephone number of the destination fax machine is registered in the transfer machine in advance so that the original image received while going out can be handled manually. It is possible to transfer the data to the facsimile device at the destination without going out.

[0003]

However, in the conventional transfer, since the original image is transmitted every time it is received, the transfer device must perform the transmission operation to the transfer destination each time, which wastes the communication cost. Had occurred. Moreover, since the transfer destination is one destination registered in advance, there is also a problem that the transfer is repeated to the same destination, and the occupied time of the transfer destination facsimile apparatus for receiving and recording the transferred original image becomes long. there were.

The present invention has been made to solve these drawbacks, and an object of the present invention is to provide a facsimile apparatus capable of efficient transfer.

[0005]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object of the present invention is to have an image storage unit for storing received original images and a transfer information storage unit for storing a transfer destination of a received original image input in advance. In a facsimile apparatus having a transfer mode for temporarily storing an original image in an image storage unit and then transmitting the stored original image to the transfer destination, a mode detecting unit for detecting whether or not the transfer mode is set and a mode detecting unit are provided. When the setting of the transfer mode is detected, the determination means for determining the presence or absence of the received document image whose transfer start time has elapsed, and the determination means, when it is determined that there is no received document image for which the transfer start time has passed, When the received original image is placed in transfer standby, the transfer start time of the received original image is set, and when it is determined that there is a received original image whose transfer start time has elapsed, It is achieved by a facsimile apparatus, characterized in that it comprises a feed forward control means for starting the transfer of all of the received document image and the reception end the document image has been a stand.

Another object of the present invention is to have an image storage unit for storing received original images and a transfer information storage unit for storing a transfer destination of the previously input received original images. In a facsimile apparatus having a transfer mode for storing the original image stored in the image storage unit and then transmitting the stored original image to the transfer destination, the mode detection unit for detecting whether or not the transfer mode is set, and the mode detection unit set the transfer mode. If the count value is detected, the counting means for counting the number of received originals waiting to be transferred and the count value of the counting means after the completion of receiving the original image are checked, and if the count value is less than a predetermined number, the reception is finished. If the count value of the counting means is incremented by one, and all the received original images that have been on standby for transfer and the original images that have been received have been received, Also achieved by a facsimile apparatus characterized by having a transfer control means for starting the transfer.

[0007]

In the facsimile apparatus according to the present invention, even if an original image is received in the transfer mode, the transfer is not started immediately, and a predetermined condition (that is, the transfer start time has elapsed or a predetermined number of standby original images or more) is received. Transfer is started when the accumulation of data is completed. Therefore, waste of communication cost can be prevented, and efficient transfer can be performed with the occupation time of the transfer destination facsimile machine reduced as much as possible.

[0008]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a configuration example of a facsimile apparatus according to the present invention.

In the figure, 10 is a scanner for reading a document at a predetermined linear density, and 11 is a plotter for recording and outputting the received document image on a paper surface by an electrophotographic system, a thermal recording system, an ink transfer system or the like. is there. Reference numeral 12 denotes an operation display unit including various operation keys and a display. The operator inputs ON / OFF setting of the transfer function and the transfer destination telephone number according to the present invention, and also provides various guidance information to the operator. It is for display.
Reference numeral 13 denotes an image storage unit that stores a document image, 14 denotes a coding / decoding unit that compression-codes the document image by a known coding method, and reproduces and decodes the compression-coded document image, Reference numeral 15 is a network control unit having an automatic call-in / out function and having a connection I / F function for connection with a public telephone line network such as detection of a calling signal and closing of a line, and 16 is a low-speed modem function for exchanging transmission procedure signals. , Has a built-in modem having a high-speed modem function mainly for exchanging document images, and has a CCITT recommendation T.264. It is a communication control unit that executes a predetermined transmission procedure such as 30.

Reference numeral 17 is a control unit for controlling the entire facsimile apparatus, 18 is a ROM for storing a control program necessary for the control unit 17 to execute control processing, and 19 is a work area for the control unit 17. Operation display unit 12
This is a RAM for storing various parameters necessary for controlling the facsimile apparatus, including the ON / OFF setting status of the transfer function and the transfer destination telephone number input from Although not shown in FIG. 1, the facsimile apparatus also includes a timekeeping unit for obtaining time information.

Next, the operation of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. FIG. 2 is a flowchart showing the transfer operation of the present invention, and all the judgments and operations in the figure are executed under the control of the control unit 17. First, waiting for an incoming call in the standby state (step S21), the network control unit 15 detects the call signal and closes the line (YES in step S21), and the communication control unit 16 executes a predetermined transmission procedure via the modem. Then, the transmission parameters such as the transmission speed and the encoding method are determined and the reception of the original image is started (step S22). The received document images are sequentially stored in the image storage unit 13 and are managed as one file thereafter.

When the reception is completed (step S23 YE
S), referring to RAM 19 to turn transfer mode ON / OFF
The situation is confirmed (step S24). Transfer mode is OF
If it is F (NO in step S24), the file that has just been received is read from the image storage unit 13 (step S25), and the compression-coded original image is reproduced and decoded by the encoding / decoding unit 14. After plotter 11
Then, it is recorded and output (step S26). When the recording is normally completed, the file is erased from the image storage unit 13 (step S27), and the series of reception and recording operations is ended.
Although not shown in FIG. 2, when the recording / output cannot be normally performed due to paper shortage, paper jam, or the like, the corresponding page is held in the image storage unit 13 and the recording / output is tried again.

On the other hand, when the transfer mode is ON (YES in step S24), the transfer start time of each file set in the RAM 19 is compared with the time information from the clock unit, and the transfer start time is already determined. It is detected whether there is a transfer standby file that has passed (step S28). If there is no file whose transfer start time has passed (NO in step S28), the transfer of the file that has been received in step S23 is awaited, and the time after a predetermined time is stored in the RAM 19 as the transfer start time of this file. After setting (step S29), the process returns to the incoming call waiting flow of step S21. If there is a file whose transfer start time has already passed (YES in step S28), RAM
The transfer destination telephone number is read from 19 and transfer of the transfer standby file is started (step S30).

Next, referring to the RAM 19, it is confirmed whether there is another transfer standby file (step S31). If another transfer standby file exists (step S3).
1 YES), even if the transfer start time of the file has not elapsed, all the transfer standby files are sequentially transmitted in line (step S32). Of course, this string includes the file that has been received in step S23. When the transmission of all the transfer standby files is normally completed (NO in step S31), the transferred document image is erased from the image storage unit 13 (step S27), and the transfer operation is ended. In this case, the transfer start time of each file set in the RAM 19 is also erased. If there is a document image that cannot be transferred normally, the corresponding page is stored in the image storage unit 13, and the file name and the corresponding page number are written in the RAM 19. RA after a predetermined time
Although M19 is tried to retransmit the corresponding page, this retransmitting operation is executed after a predetermined time irrespective of the above-described transfer standby operation, and prevents an unnecessary time interval from the previous transfer.

The transmission in step S32 may be transmitted in order from the file with the oldest transfer start time, that is, the file with the oldest received time, and the change of the transmission condition in the transmission procedure is reduced. As described above, a file having the same conditions (document size, linear density, etc.) as the file transmitted in advance may be preferentially transmitted.

Next, another transfer operation of the present invention is shown in the flowchart of FIG. All the judgments and operations in the figure are executed under the control of the control unit 17, and steps T31 to T
Since 37 is the same as steps S21 to S27 in FIG. 2, description thereof will be omitted here.

If the transfer mode is ON in step T34 (YES in step T34), it is confirmed whether or not there are a predetermined number or more of files already in transfer standby (step T38). If there are a certain number or more of files waiting to be transferred (step T38YE
S), the transfer destination telephone number is read from the RAM 19 to start the transfer (step T39), and it is confirmed by referring to the RAM 19 whether or not there is another transfer standby file (step T40). If another transfer standby file exists (YES in step T40), the transfer standby file is sequentially transmitted in line (step T41). Also in this case, FIG.
In the same manner as in the above case, the file transmission including the file that has been received at step T33 is performed. When the transmission of all the transfer standby files is normally completed (NO in step T40),
The counting counter for the number of files waiting to be transferred provided in the RAM 19 is reset (step T43), and the image storage unit 1
The transferred original image is erased from 3 (step T37), and the transfer operation is ended. Incidentally, regarding the order of the column communication and the handling when there is a document image that cannot be normally transmitted, the same handling as in the case of FIG. 2 can be performed.

On the other hand, if the number of files waiting to be transferred is less than the predetermined number (NO in step T38), the file received in step T33 is put in transfer standby, and the count counter is incremented by 1 (step S38). T4
2) Return to the incoming call waiting flow of step T31 again. still,
In the above embodiment, the number of files waiting to be transferred is counted. In step T38, only the presence or absence of the files waiting to be transferred is checked. If the files waiting to be transferred already exist, the transfer is started. If the file received in step T33 is controlled to be on standby for transfer, more simplified transfer control is possible.

Further, in the above-mentioned two transfer operations, when the transfer mode is ON, recording and outputting are not performed by the self-device, and only the transfer is performed to erase the original image. It is also possible to record and output the original image by itself after completion of reception or transfer of the original image. In this case, it is left to the operator to select whether or not recording / output is necessary, and the recording / output necessity is stored in the RAM according to the input instruction from the operation display unit 12.
By setting this to 19 and referring to this information, it becomes possible to control the recording output by the own device.

[0020]

According to the first aspect of the present invention, even if the original image is received, the transfer is not performed immediately, but the transfer is started when the file whose predetermined transfer standby time has elapsed is detected. It is possible to prevent waste of data, and to efficiently transfer data by reducing the occupation time of the destination facsimile machine as much as possible.

According to the second aspect of the present invention, even if the original image is received, the transfer is not performed immediately, and the transfer is started when the number of files waiting for transfer exceeds a predetermined number. In addition, efficient transfer is possible with the occupation time of the transfer destination facsimile machine reduced as much as possible.

[0022]

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a facsimile apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a flowchart showing a transfer operation of the facsimile device.

FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing another transfer operation of the facsimile device.

[Explanation of symbols]

 10 Scanner 11 Plotter 12 Operation Display Section 13 Image Storage Section 14 Encoding / Decoding Section 15 Network Control Section 16 Communication Control Section 17 Control Section 18 ROM 19 RAM

Claims (3)

[Claims] 1. An image storage unit for storing a received original image, and a transfer information storage unit for storing a transfer destination of a previously input received original image, wherein the received original image is temporarily stored in the image storage unit. A mode detecting means for detecting whether or not the transfer mode is set in a facsimile apparatus having a transfer mode for transmitting the document image accumulated thereafter to the transfer destination,
When the mode detecting means detects the setting of the transfer mode, the judging means judges whether there is a received original image whose transfer start time has elapsed, and the judging means judges that there is no received original image whose transfer start time has elapsed. Is set to standby for transfer of the received original image, the transfer start time of the received original image is set, and when it is determined that there is a received original image for which the transfer start time has elapsed, the transfer standby is set. And a transfer control means for starting the transfer of all the received original images and the received original images. 2. An image storage unit for storing a received original image, and a transfer information storage unit for storing a transfer destination of a previously input received original image. The received original image is temporarily stored in the image storage unit. A mode detecting means for detecting whether or not the transfer mode is set in a facsimile apparatus having a transfer mode for transmitting the document image accumulated thereafter to the transfer destination,
When the mode detection means detects the setting of the transfer mode, the counting means for counting the number of received originals waiting to be transferred and the count value of the counting means after the completion of receiving the original image are checked, and the counted value is less than a predetermined number. In this case, the document image that has been received is put on standby for transfer and the count value of the counting means is incremented by one, and if the count value is equal to or more than a predetermined number, all received original images on standby for transfer. And a transfer control means for starting transfer of the original image which has been received. 3. The method according to claim 1, wherein when the transfer control means starts the transfer, the received original image which has been in the standby state and the original image which has been received are transmitted in line. 2. The facsimile machine according to 2.