JPH0669201B2 - Image communication device - Google Patents

Description

Description: TECHNICAL FIELD The present invention relates to an image communication apparatus, and more particularly to an image communication apparatus that eliminates the possibility of reading a blank original document and transmitting it as it is, such as when the original document is set upside down.

[Prior Art] Generally, in this type of apparatus, for example, a facsimile apparatus, a method of setting a transmission original varies depending on a model. That is, depending on the model, there are at least two types, one is set with the surface on which the characters and the like of the manuscript are written facing up, and the other is set with the side facing down. Therefore, in the conventional facsimile apparatus of this type, when a document is read and transmitted, the transmission document is mistakenly set upside down, and the reception recording surface is left blank in many cases. Moreover, when the receiving side performs automatic reception and the operator is absent, the operator on the transmitting side does not notice the error, and eventually the required document transmission is not performed.

[Purpose] An object of the present invention is to eliminate the above-mentioned conventional drawbacks, prevent transmission mistakes such as setting a document inside out, and prevent waste of line usage charges due to such transmission mistakes. In detail, it is to provide a communication device, and more specifically, it has setting means for setting an original, and stores reading means for reading an original image of the original set on the setting means and image data read by the reading means. Storage means, transmission means for transmitting the image data stored in the storage means, and the number of white pixels or the number of black pixels of the image data read by the reading means are detected to detect an abnormality in the original setting state. After the detection means and the storage of the image data read by the reading means in the storage means,
It is an object of the present invention to provide an image communication apparatus having a control unit that stops the image data transmission operation by the transmission unit based on the detection result of the detection unit.

[Outline of the Invention] The image communication apparatus of the present invention detects an error in the method of setting a transmission original and issues an alarm to the operator so that the original can be properly read and transmitted.

[Embodiment] An embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings.

First, FIG. 1 shows the configuration of a facsimile apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. In the configuration shown in the figure, 1 is a reader unit for reading an original and forming analog pixel signals, 2 is an operation unit for performing various operations in a facsimile apparatus, 3 is a display unit for displaying various information to inform an operator, and 4 is a display unit. An alarm unit that issues an alarm report to alert the operator
Is a central control unit that controls the operation of each unit of the facsimile machine,
Reference numeral 6 is an image memory unit for accumulating analog pixel signals obtained by reading an original, 7 is an encoder unit for encoding analog pixel signals for transmission into digital pixel signals, and 8 is sending the encoded digital pixel signals to a communication line. A modem unit 9 that modulates a carrier wave so that the communication line can be controlled, and a line control unit 9 that controls connection and release of a communication line. In the figure, thick arrows indicate the flow of pixel signals, and thin arrows indicate the flow of control signals. An example of the process of reading and transmitting a document in the facsimile apparatus of the present invention having the above-described configuration is shown in the flowchart of FIG. In the flowchart shown in the figure, after the operation of reading and transmitting the original document is started, in step S1, the central control unit 5 repeats whether or not there is an instruction for the original document reading and transmission from the operation unit 2 with the original document set in the reader unit 1. When the determination is made and the instruction is given, in step S2, the central control unit 5 causes the reader unit 1 to perform the document reading operation, and sequentially stores the analog pixel signals of the read document in the image memory unit 6. Next, in step S3, the central control unit 5 sequentially reads the analog pixel signals stored in the image memory 6 and determines the number of consecutive white pixel signals corresponding to the white background of the document or black pixel signals corresponding to characters. Count sequentially, then in step S4,
A predetermined threshold value T for the number of consecutive white pixel signals,
For example, it is determined whether T = 50 or more, or whether the continuous number of black pixel signals does not exceed a similar threshold T ', for example, T' = 10. If No, the set original is not normal. If it is determined that there is, the process proceeds to step S5, the analog pixel signal stored in the image memory unit 6 is sent to the encoder unit 7 to be encoded, the carrier wave is modulated by the modem unit 8, and then the line control unit 9 is used. Then, the transmission operation of transmitting the data to the communication line is performed. On the other hand, it is determined Yes in step S4,
If the continuous number of white pixel signals exceeds the threshold value T and the continuous number of black pixel signals does not exceed the threshold value T ', it is determined that the original is in an abnormal state such as turning over, the process proceeds to step S6, and the display unit 3 A warning to the operator is displayed at the same time, a warning sound of the alarm unit 4 is generated, and then an instruction to confirm the document is displayed on the display unit 3 to request the operator to select whether to send the document as it is or to cancel it. As a result, when the operator inputs any one of them from the operation unit 2, according to the instruction, it is confirmed that the abnormal state is resolved, and then the process proceeds to step S5 to perform the transmission operation or to take the action to stop the transmission as it is.

In the above-described embodiment, the image memory is required for the configuration, but it is also possible to omit this and read the document by the reader unit so that the central control unit sequentially counts the number of continuous pixel signals. The same effect as that of can be obtained. However, in this case, since there is no means for accumulating the sequential pixel signals, a part of the abnormal document has already been transmitted at the time of issuing a warning notifying the operator of the abnormal state. There is a waste of. Further, in the above-described embodiment, the suitability of the original is determined by the continuous number of pixel signals. However, the suitability of the original may be determined by counting the continuous number of lines including the black pixel signal. it can.

[Effect] As is apparent from the above description, according to the present invention, when the abnormality of the set state of the original is detected, the transmission operation is stopped. It is possible to prevent the occurrence of the waste and the waste of sending the useless image signal to the communication line, and it is possible to save the communication line use charge.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an example of the structure of a facsimile apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a flow chart showing an example of the process of reading and transmitting the original. 1 ... reader section, 2 ... operation section, 3 ... display section, 4 ... alarm section, 5 ... central control section, 6 ... image memory section, 7 ... encoder section, 8 ... modem section, 9: Line control unit.

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A reading unit having a setting unit for setting an original, which reads an original image of the original set on the setting unit, a storage unit for storing image data read by the reading unit, and the storage unit. A transmission unit for transmitting the image data stored in the storage unit; a detection unit for detecting the number of white pixels or the number of black pixels of the image data read by the reading unit to detect an abnormality in the original setting state; An image communication apparatus, comprising: a control unit that stops the image data transmission operation by the transmission unit based on the detection result of the detection unit after the storage of the image data read by the storage unit is completed. .