JPH0646759B2 - Fax machine - Google Patents

Description

Description: TECHNICAL FIELD The present invention relates to a facsimile apparatus that can be connected to a personal computer or the like.

2. Description of the Related Art In recent years, there has been an increasing need for transmission and editing of image data composed of figures, characters, etc. for various purposes. 2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, a facsimile machine has been used as a device for transmitting image information. However, in this type of apparatus, it is only possible to simply read an original image and send it to another facsimile, and to receive and record image information sent from another facsimile.

A user who uses a facsimile, for example, wants to extract and transmit only a required area of a document, mask a specific area for transmission, or add a specific pattern, character, etc. to an original image for transmission. There is a request. In such a case, generally, the manuscript is edited with glue and scissors, and the manuscript is made into a manuscript that can be copied and transmitted.

In general, a large amount of documents must be stored in an office or the like, and the storage space is very large, and the retrieval work and the work of organizing documents when taking out a part thereof is difficult. If these documents are recorded as image data in various storage media, the space for storing the documents can be reduced, and retrieval and organization can be easily performed by a computer or the like.
However, a device for reading image data from a document or the like with high accuracy and inputting it to a computer, or recording image data stored in the computer on a paper or the like with high quality is generally large and very expensive. Can only read or record.

For example, Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 57-81763 discloses that a facsimile and a computer can be connected to each other and image information from an external facsimile connected through a line can be input to the computer. Further, for example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 57-194661 discloses that a device similar to a facsimile is connected to a computer, information output from the computer is encoded and modulated, and the information is transmitted to a transmission line. .

However, since the fax machine and the computer operate independently of each other, even if they are connected to each other,
The data output by one may not be received by the other.

An object of the present invention is to output data transmitted from another communication terminal connected via a communication line to an information processing device,
An object of the present invention is to provide a facsimile device with a function of transmitting data input from the information processing device to the communication terminal, and to prevent data loss or the like in data transmission between the information processing device and the facsimile device. .

Configuration To achieve the above object, in the present invention, a first mode in which data transmitted from another communication terminal connected via a communication line is output to the information processing device (1) and an input from the information processing device is performed. In a facsimile device (10) having a second mode for transmitting data to be transmitted to the communication terminal, a setting means (OPB) for setting the first mode or the second mode, and the communication terminal Communication control means (INF) for calling a predetermined protocol and executing a predetermined protocol.
1) and a notification unit (SCU) for notifying the information processing device of prohibition of data output, wherein the setting unit is set to the first mode and is connected via a communication line. When there is an incoming call from the communication terminal, the communication control means executes a predetermined protocol with the communication terminal and outputs the transmitted data to the information processing device, while the setting means When the second mode is set, a call is made to another communication terminal connected via a communication line, and the notification means prohibits data output from the information processing device (4k) and a predetermined protocol. Is executed (4l), the prohibition of data output is released after the end of the protocol (4m), and data transmission to another communication terminal is started (4n to 4t).

Note that the symbols shown in the above parentheses are reference elements corresponding to the elements or steps in the examples described later, but each component of the present invention is only a specific element in the examples. It is not limited to.

For example, when using devices that are independent of each other, such as a facsimile machine and a personal computer, each device has its own independent control device, so each device has its own timing unless special measures are taken. Will be operated in, which may hinder the operation.
Specifically, in the second mode, when the information processing apparatus of the own station outputs data to the facsimile,
First, it is necessary to call the facsimile of another station from the facsimile of the own station and execute the connection processing between the two facsimiles, that is, the protocol. However, since very complicated processing is performed during execution of the protocol, the information processing device Even if the data is output to the own station's facsimile, it is highly likely that the data cannot be received or recognized on the side of the facsimile, and a part of the data output by the information processing device to the own station's facsimile is missing. There is a risk of Even if the information processing device detects a failure in data transmission and performs resend processing, it takes a considerably long time to complete the protocol, and therefore the information processing device side must decide that transmission is impossible. It will be a situation where you can not get it.

According to the present invention, however, in the second mode, a predetermined protocol is executed while calling another communication terminal connected via the communication line and prohibiting the data output from the information processing device by the notifying means. After the end, the prohibition of data output is released and data transmission to other communication terminals is started.Therefore, the information processing device does not output data to the facsimile of its own station while the protocol is being executed. The data output by the device will surely reach the facsimile side without being lost.

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

Referring to FIG. 1, in this example, the personal computer 1 is connected to the facsimile apparatus 10 via the interface connection cable CAB. The telephone FTE provided in the facsimile machine 10 is connected to a public telephone line.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the schematic configuration of the system shown in FIG. Referring to FIG. 2, the personal computer 1 includes a central processing unit CPU and an input / output interface I.
An FP, a keyboard KEY, a display device CRT and external storage devices FD1 and FD2.

Facsimile apparatus 10 is functionally divided into a network controller for controlling connection with a communication line, a modulator / demodulator (modem) for converting an image signal and a communication signal, and compression-encoding image data to convert it from compression-encoded data. A data compression / reproduction device for reproducing image data, a read / write buffer for temporarily storing image data, a scanner for reading image data of an original, a plotter for hard copying the image data onto recording paper, and a device for controlling these devices. Has become.
The system control unit SCU controls the operation of the entire facsimile, and each functional block is connected to the system control unit SCU via an interface circuit.

The signal from the telephone line is distributed to each modem by the data switch unit via the network control unit NCU. The image information in the demodulated signal passes through the data compression / reproduction device DCR and the read / write buffer RWB, and drives the write circuit WE to drive the plotter RE during normal facsimile operation.
C reproduces and records the image. Further, at the time of transmission, the image signal processed by the video processor VPU is compressed by DCR via the read / write buffer RWB, and the modulator / demodulator FS
Enter K, HSM, LSM.

A computer interface circuit IFF is connected to the bus line of the system control unit SCU, and a cable CAB connected to this interface circuit is connected to the input / output interface circuit IFP of the personal computer 1.

FIG. 3 shows a part of the computer interface circuit IFF provided on the facsimile side and the input / output interface circuit IFP provided on the personal computer side in detail. It should be noted that, of the signals shown in the drawings, those with overlines indicate that the signals are valid when the signal level is the low level L, but in the specification they are shown with underlines instead.

This will be described with reference to FIG. The interface cable CAB is composed of 13 signal lines and a ground line (not shown) in this example. The signal lines include eight data lines for transferring 8-bit parallel data and five control signal lines L1, L2, L3, L4 and L.
It is 5. First, referring to the input / output interface circuit IFP provided on the personal computer side,
Three-state output bidirectional gate circuits GA3 and GA4 are connected to the three control signal lines L1, L2, L3 and the eight data lines, respectively.

The control signal line L1 is one unidirectional signal ONLINE from the facsimile 10 side to the personal computer 1 side.
The other control signal line L2 is a unidirectional signal FAX / input / output line from the personal computer 1 side to the facsimile 10 side. The remaining control signal lines L3, L4 and L5 are bidirectional lines. The control signal line L3 receives either the signal SEND from the computer 1 side toward the facsimile side or the signal SEND in the opposite direction, and the L4 signal IN from the computer 1 side toward the facsimile side.
Either STB or the signal INSTB going in the opposite direction is carried, and L5 is carried by either the signal TX / RX going from the computer 1 side to the facsimile side or the signal PE going from the facsimile side to the computer 1 side.

Specifically, when the personal computer outputs a high level H as TX / RX, this signal is applied to the gate GA3 via the buffer BF2, among which G7, G9 and G12 are closed and G8, G10 and G11 are opened. ,
Signal SEN from the computer 1 side to the facsimile side
D, signal I from the facsimile side to the computer 1 side
The signal PE going from NSTB and the facsimile side to the computer 1 side can pass through the gate GA3.
At this time, the gate GA4 is passed through the inverter IN1.
A low level L is applied to the control terminal DIEN of 8 to set 8-bit data from the computer 1 side to the facsimile side so that the 8-bit data can pass through the gate GA 4 (transmission possible state from the computer 1 side).

When the personal computer 1 outputs the low level L as the signal TX / RX, the gate GA3 opens G7, G9 and G12 and closes G8, G10 and G11, and the signal SEND from the facsimile side to the computer 1 side,
Signal INST from computer 1 side to facsimile side
B, and signals TX / RX from the computer 1 side to the facsimile side are set in a state where they can pass through the gate GA3. The gate GA4 is set to a state in which a signal from the facsimile side to the computer 1 side can pass (a state in which it can be received from the computer 1 side). In this state, since the control signal line L5 is pulled up to the power supply line via the resistor, it is set to the high level H unless the signal PE is applied from the facsimile side.

Next, the computer interface circuit IFF provided on the facsimile side is referred to. Similar to the interface circuit IFP, the three-state output bidirectional gate GA1 is connected to the control signal lines L3, L4, and L5, and the bidirectional gate GA2 is connected to the eight data lines. Further, an exclusive logic OR gate EXOR is provided, and the control signal line L5 is provided at its input end.
The port P4 of the output port OP1 is connected to the input terminal, and the output terminal thereof is connected to the control signal input terminal of the gate GA1 via the buffer BF1. Gate G
A1 is G when the output level of the buffer BF1 is L
1, G3 and G5 are closed and G2, G4 and G6 are opened, and when the output level of BF1 is H, G1, G3 and G5 are opened and G2, G4 and G6 are closed. The input ends of the control signal line L1, the gates G1, G4 and G5 are connected to the ports P1, P2, P3 and P4 of the output port OP1, respectively, and the control signal line L2 and the gate G are connected.
The output terminals of 2, G3 and G6 are respectively connected to the input port I.
It is connected to each port P5, P6, P7 and P8 of P1.

An 8-bit data latch LA1 is connected to the data input terminal DI of the gate GA2. Data input terminal of OP1,
Data output end of IP1 and data output end D of gate GA2
The data input terminals of O and the data latch LA1 are connected to 8-bit data buses D0 to D7 connected to the system control unit SCU. The 16-bit address information output from the SCU is the decoder DE1.
Are applied to two chip select signals CS1 and C
S2 is generated. CS1 is applied to the output port OP1 and the input port IP1 and CS2 is applied to the data latch LA.
1 and NAND gate NA2.

The signals IOW and IOR are control signals generated from the control signals of the microprocessor of the system control unit SCU, and become low level L when the I / O port is selected and the write strobe pulse and the read strobe pulse are issued. . Therefore, S
When the microprocessor of the CU writes the predetermined data by designating the port address at which CS2 is output,
The data is latched by the data latch LA1 and applied to the gate GA2, and if the low level L is applied to the terminal DIEN, the 8-bit data is output to the connection cable CAB. When the port address is read, if the terminal DIEN of GA2 is at high level H, the information of the data line of the connecting cable is read into the data bus.

When a write operation is performed by designating a port address to which CS1 is output, lower 4-bit data of the data bus is output from the output port OP1 respectively, and when reading is performed at the port address, the upper 4 bits of the data bus are output. Data is input to the bits from the input port IP1.

4a and 4b show a schematic operation of the system control unit SCU of the facsimile 10, FIG. 5 shows a schematic operation of the personal computer 1, and FIG.
An example of the signal timing of the interface circuit is shown in FIG. 6 and FIG. 6b.

First, the operation of the SCU of the facsimile 10 will be described with reference to FIGS. 4a and 4b. After the initial setting is completed, the SCU reads the state of the mode selection switch SW and operates according to the set state. This switch SW
Is connected to the operation unit OPB as shown in FIG. When the SW is designated as the manual side, the SCU controls so as to operate like a normal facsimile.

If the switch SW is set to auto, first ONLINE
Output a signal. That is, the chip select signal CS1
The 8-bit data in which bit 0 is set to "0" (= L) is written by designating the port address to be output. This sets the control signal line L1 of the interface cable to the low level L.

Then, the mode signal on the control signal line L2 is checked. This is performed by designating and reading the port address to which the chip select signal CS1 is output, and determining whether bit 4 of the 8-bit data obtained on the data bus is "1" or "0". In this example, when the control signal is L (= "0"), the facsimile mode FAX is set,
The case of H is the input / output mode. Generally speaking, in this example, the facsimile mode is data transmission performed between another facsimile connected via a telephone line and the personal computer 1, and the input / output mode is between the facsimile 10 and the personal computer 1. The data transmission is performed in.

In the input / output mode, the level of the control signal line L5, that is, the signal TX / RX is further checked. Signal level is TX
In the case of (low level L), the system control unit SCU is set to a mode in which the image data read by the scanner ISA of the facsimile 10 is sent to the personal computer 1 side.

In this operation mode, the image data obtained by the scanner ISA is stored line by line in the read / write buffer RWB and is output to the connection cable CAB via the interface circuit IFF. In order to notify the receiving side (in this case, a personal computer) that data is being output, after outputting 8-bit data, a low-level signal SEND is set (holding this state) on the control signal line L3. Then, the signal level of the control signal line L4 is monitored, and it waits for the low level signal INSTB indicating the completion of reception from the data receiving side to appear. When INSTB appears, clear the SEND signal and prepare for the next data transmission. After reading the image data and data transmission,
Clear ONLINE of control signal line L1.

When the signal level of the control signal line L5 is RX (high level H), the mode in which the data sent from the personal computer 1 is recorded by the plotter REC is set. In this mode, first, the plotter is set to start, data end check and recording paper remaining amount check are performed, and then data reception is started. In data reception, the level of the control signal line L3 is monitored, and when the SEND signal arrives, 8-bit data on the data line is read. The read data is stored in the read / write buffer RWB, and when the storage for one line is completed, it is output to the plotter REC.

The INSTB signal is output to the control signal line L4 for confirmation every time data is received once. When the remaining amount of recording paper has decreased, a low-level signal PE is output to the control signal line L5 to notify the receiving side. When the data end is detected, ONLINE of the control signal line L1 is cleared. In this example, the data end is detected by observing the time from the previous data reception, and when the time is up with respect to the predetermined time, the data end is determined.

Next, the facsimile mode (see FIG. 4b) will be described.
Even in this mode, the level of the control signal line L5, that is, the control signals TX / RX is first checked. In this example,
When the signal level is TX (low level), the mode in which information transmitted from another facsimile connected through a telephone line is transmitted to the personal computer 1, and when the signal level is RX (high level), the personal computer 1 The mode is set to send the data sent from the device to another facsimile connected via the telephone line.

First, in the case of RX, the signal ONLINE of the control signal line L1 is cleared and then preparation for facsimile transmission is started. This is similar to normal facsimile transmission, and is as follows.

a) Calling: The other station is called by dialing the telephone.

b) Called station confirmation: Sends a 2100 Hz tone to indicate that the called station is a facsimile terminal.

c) Function confirmation: The function of the called station is notified using a 300 bps low speed modem (FSK).

d) Command information: A low-speed modem is used to notify transmission parameters (such as the transmission speed of a high-speed modem).

e) Training: Matching to the line of the high speed modem, sending a predetermined data pattern, and checking the data transmission error rate.

f) Post-training response: If the data transmission error rate after training is equal to or lower than a certain value, notify "ready for reception" and proceed to the next step. If it is equal to or higher than a certain value, return a "retraining request".

When transmission preparation is completed, the signal ONLI is sent to the control signal line L1.
Set the NE, and check the data end and arrival of the SEND signal. When the SEND signal arrives, input the 8-bit data on the data line from the computer interface IFF and read it.
Store in B. When the input is completed, the control signal line L4
Output INSTB. When the data storage for one line is completed, the data compression processing is started, and after the processing is completed, the data transmission (to another facsimile) is started. In this example, the data compression process and the data transmission process are performed by an interrupt process so as not to shift the timing, and the computer interface IFF is used during the data transmission.
The control signal ONLINE is cleared to prohibit the data transmission operation on the computer side.

When the data end is detected and the transmission of all the data stored in the memory is completed, the processing for ending the facsimile transmission is performed, the signal ONLINE is cleared, and the process returns to the check of the switch SW.

In the operation mode in which the control signal line L5 is high level TX,
First, it waits until there is a reception request from the facsimile (the partner station) on the transmitting side. When there is a reception request, the reception side connection processing is performed in the same manner as in the facsimile transmission preparation, and data reception is started. Each time one line of data is received, compressed data reproduction processing is performed, and when that is completed, each 8-bit data is output to the computer interface IFF, and at the same time, the signal SEND is set to the control signal line L3 and set to the control signal line L4. Wait for the signal INSTB to appear. I
When NSTB comes, the signal SEND is cleared, and this is repeated until all the data of one line is transmitted. When the reception from the facsimile of the partner station is completed and all the data stored in the memory of the facsimile 10 is transmitted to the personal computer 1, the facsimile transmission end processing is performed and ONLINE is performed.
To clear the switch SW and return to the check.

Next, the general operation of the personal computer 1 will be described with reference to FIG. After the initialization process is completed, the level of the control signal line L1 is checked. If it is set to ONLINE, proceed to operation mode specification. That is, thereafter, the operation set according to the key operation of the operator of the personal computer 1 is performed.

In this example, four operating modes, namely computer 1
Mode of recording the data of the above with the plotter REC, a mode of inputting the data read by the scanner ISA to the computer, a mode of transmitting the data of the computer 1 to another facsimile, and a receiving data from the other facsimile to the computer 1. There are modes. However, as the processing on the computer 1 side, in the input / output mode and the facsimile mode, only the signal level output to the control signal line L2 is different, and the other operations are only two types.

In the mode in which data is sent from the computer 1 side to the plotter REC or other facsimile, first, the level of the control signal line L5 is set to RX, and data transmission is started. During this process, the signal ONLI of the control signal line L1
Check NE and PE on control signal line L5. After the 8-bit data output, set the SEND signal to the control signal line L3, and S when the INSTB of the control signal line L4 arrives.
Clear the END signal and prepare for the next data transmission. After transmitting all the data, return to the ONLINE signal check.

In the mode in which data is input to the computer 1 from the facsimile or scanner ISA of another station, first, the control signal line L5 is set to TX (low level), and ONLINE of the control signal line L1 is checked. If this signal is output, the arrival of the SEND signal on the control signal line L3 is awaited. SE
When the ND signal arrives, 8-bit data of the data line is input, the data is stored in a predetermined address of the memory, the INSTB signal indicating the completion of reception is output to the control signal line L4, and the arrival of the next data is waited for. When the ONLINE signal disappears, wait until it appears again, proceed to the operation mode specification, and repeat these operations.

Therefore, for example, when transmitting data from the computer 1 side to the facsimile 10 side, a signal as shown in FIG. 6a appears on the interface cable CAB. That is, when the facsimile 10 outputs the ONLINE signal, the computer 1 outputs the predetermined 8-bit data to the data line, and then the control signal line L3.
The SEND signal is output to. Facsimile 10 is this SEND
When the signal is confirmed, 8-bit data on the data line is taken in and the INSTB signal is output to notify the reception.
The computer 1 confirms the INSTB signal and then clears the SEND signal to prepare for the next data transmission.

The operation in the case where the remaining amount of the recording paper becomes small while the facsimile 10 is receiving the data from the computer 1, that is, recording by the plotter REC will be described in detail with reference to FIG. 6b. In this mode, the signals TX / RX output from the computer 1 are at the high level H at the beginning, and the gate GA3 has G11 open and G12 closed. The control signal line L5 is at the high level H because it is pulled up by the resistor to the power supply line. As a result, the terminal of the EXOR on the facsimile side becomes H, and normally the terminal is also H, so that the output terminal becomes L and the gate GA1 opens G5 and closes G6. The facsimile 10 normally sets the high level H to the port P4 of the output port OP1, but outputs the low level L to this P4 when the recording paper becomes small. This signal is output to the control signal line L5 via the gate G5, and this becomes the signal PE indicating the recording sheet shortage. Since the gate G11 is open on the computer 1 side, this signal PE is transmitted to the computer 1. When the computer 1 receives this signal, it sends predetermined data, then stops the data transmission and sets the control signal line L5 to the TX level. When the control signal line L5 becomes TX level (L), the output level of the gate EXOR on the facsimile side is inverted to H, and the gate G
Since A5 closes G5 and opens G6, the TX level is applied to the port P8 of the input port IP1. Facsimile 1
0 monitors the level of this port P8,
Know that the X mode has been switched to the TX mode.

Although the facsimile mode and the input / output mode are switched by using the control signal line in the above embodiment, this mode setting may be performed by sending a predetermined control code to the 8-bit data line.
Further, in the embodiment, one special control signal line is prepared to send the signal ONLINE indicating whether or not the facsimile 10 side can communicate with the computer 1, but this signal ONLINE and the recording paper remaining signal PE and PE may be placed on the same line. In this way, the control signal lines L1 and L2 of the embodiment are unnecessary, and the number of signal lines can be further reduced. Further, in the embodiment, the confirmation signal INSTB is used in order to enhance the reliability of signal transmission, but it may be omitted. In that case, the transmission side may be controlled so that the confirmation of INSTB is omitted and the SEND signal is output only for a predetermined time. Therefore, at a minimum, only the 8-bit bidirectional data line and the two bidirectional control signal lines L3 and L5 are required.

In the above embodiment, the data transmission between the facsimile and the computer 1 is normal image data,
The compression-encoded data may be transmitted. In that case, the amount of data is reduced, and the time required for data transmission is shortened. Further, although the personal computer is connected to the facsimile apparatus in the embodiment, a word processor, an office computer, an intelligent terminal device or the like can be connected as long as it has a similar function.

Effects As described above, according to the present invention, a function of outputting data transmitted from another communication terminal connected via a communication line to an information processing apparatus, and data input from the information processing apparatus as the communication terminal It is possible to surely prevent a data loss or the like in the data transmission between the information processing device and the facsimile device by providing the facsimile device with the function of transmitting to the facsimile device.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing an image information processing system according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the system configuration of FIG. FIG. 3 is a detailed block diagram showing a partial configuration of the computer interface IFF and the input / output interface IFP shown in FIG. 4a and 4b are flow charts showing the general operation of the system control unit SCU. FIG. 5 is a flow chart showing a schematic operation of the personal computer 1. 6a and 6b are timing charts showing an example of signal timing of the interface circuit. 1: Personal computer 10: Facsimile ISA: Scanner (image reading device) REC: Plotter (recording device) NCU: Network control device LSM, HSM, FSK: Modulation / demodulation device DCR: Data compression / reproduction device IFF: Computer interface (interface device) SCU : System control unit (electronic control device) SW: Mode changeover switch (switch means) FTE: Telephone, CAB: Connection cable GA1, GA2, GA3, GA4: Bidirectional gate circuit RWB: Read / write buffer (memory) DSU: Data switch

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A first mode in which data transmitted from another communication terminal connected via a communication line is output to an information processing apparatus, and data input from the information processing apparatus is transmitted to the communication terminal. In a facsimile machine having a second mode: setting means for setting the first mode or the second mode, communication control means for making a call to the communication terminal and executing a predetermined protocol, A notification means for notifying the information processing device of prohibition of data output, wherein the setting means is set to the first mode and an incoming call is received from another communication terminal connected via a communication line. If there is, the communication control means executes a predetermined protocol with the communication terminal and outputs the transmitted data to the information processing device, while the setting means outputs the second data. When the mode is set, a call is made to another communication terminal connected via a communication line and a predetermined protocol is executed while the data output from the information processing device is prohibited by the notifying means, and the protocol ends. A facsimile machine characterized in that after the prohibition of data output is released, data transmission to another communication terminal is started.