JPH07162627A - Facsimile adaptor - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To attain the simultaneous communication among plural stations by means of a LAN circuit set between facsimile equipments by holding the facsimile information in an adaptor. CONSTITUTION:When 8 circuit interface part 12 detects a call and informs 8 circuit protocol control part 14 of the detected call, a ringing tone is transmitted. The part 14 communicates with a facsimile equipment and at the same time segments various parameters of communication to store them. When the communication is completed, the part 14 reads out the received picture information and its stored parameters of communication and edits them into the facsimile information. This facsimile information is transferred to an accumulating part 15 by a control part 16. The part 15 adds an internal ID to the facsimile information and stores them, and the part 16 supplies these information to a display part 12. Then a LAN protocol control part 13 sends the facsimile information to the address of the opposite party of communication via an interface 11 and based on a LAN protocol.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to communication management using a facsimile adapter for connecting a facsimile communication device to a LAN line.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventional facsimile adapters of this type are
Temporarily retains facsimile information internally, then LAN
It had a function to send to the line, but did not have a function to hold and manage for a long time.

[0003]

In the above-mentioned facsimile adapter, since it is not possible to hold the facsimile information inside, it is necessary to repeat the transmission from the facsimile many times when transmitting to a plurality of stations. there were. Also, when receiving, it was not possible to receive from multiple stations at the same time.

The problem to be solved by the present invention is to enable simultaneous communication of a plurality of stations using a LAN line between facsimile machines.

[0005]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION A facsimile adapter of the present invention comprises a line interface section for transmitting and receiving a facsimile signal through a line and a facsimile communication according to a communication protocol of a facsimile to extract image information and various parameters for communication and to make a pair. Information (hereinafter referred to as "facsimile information"), or an LA that transmits and receives LAN signals through a LAN line, and a facsimile protocol control unit that transmits and receives image information according to facsimile communication based on each parameter of facsimile information.
Address conversion information for associating the facsimile dial number with the address of the connected facsimile adapter on a one-to-one basis And a facsimile information storage unit that stores the above-mentioned facsimile information therein and adds destination information to the facsimile information to create transmission information.

[0006]

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

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of an embodiment of the present invention. The facsimile adapter of this embodiment has a LAN interface section 11 for transmitting and receiving through a LAN line and a line interface section 12 for transmitting and receiving through a telephone line.
, LAN protocol control unit 13, line protocol control unit 14, storage of facsimile information, telephone number and L
Facsimile information storage unit 15 for converting an AN address
A control unit 16 that controls the whole, a display unit 21 that displays the type of facsimile information stored in the facsimile information storage unit 15 so that the user can understand it, and a facsimile stored in the facsimile information storage unit 15. The operation unit 22 detects an operation request from a user for information.

FIG. 2 shows an example of a system using the facsimile adapter shown in FIG. The system of this embodiment includes a facsimile device 31, a facsimile device 32, a facsimile device 33, a facsimile adapter 41, a facsimile adapter 42, a facsimile adapter 43, and a LAN.
It is composed of the line 51. Facsimile adapter 41,
Reference numerals 42 and 43 are connected to the LAN line 51, respectively.

FIG. 3 shows an example of conversion information of dial numbers and LAN addresses. Dial numbers D1 and LA respectively
N address A1, dial number D2 and LAN address A
2. Indicates that the dial number D3 and the LAN address A3 correspond.

The facsimile adapter of this embodiment will be described below with reference to FIGS. 1, 2 and 3.

First, the overall outline will be described with reference to FIG. A case of transmitting from the facsimile device 31 to the facsimile device 32 and the facsimile device 33 will be described. The user designates a certain dial number from the facsimile device 31 and transmits it. (The dial number at this time is not necessarily included in FIG. 3.) The facsimile device 31 calls the facsimile adapter 41. The facsimile adapter 41 detects an incoming call regardless of the dial number and responds to the facsimile device 31. In this way, the facsimile device 31 performs facsimile communication by using the facsimile adapter 41 as if it were a partner facsimile device. The facsimile adapter 41 is a facsimile device 31.
When the reception from the above is completed, it is transmitted to the facsimile adapter 42 via the LAN line 51. Similarly, the facsimile adapter 41 transmits to the facsimile adapter 43. The facsimile adapter 42 transmits the received data to the facsimile device 32 by facsimile communication. The facsimile adapter 43 also transmits the received data to the facsimile device 33 by facsimile communication. As described above, the facsimile machine 31 to the facsimile machine 32
Then, transmission to the facsimile device 33 becomes possible.

Next, the operation of this facsimile adapter will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 and 3. When a call is made from the facsimile machine, the line interface unit 12 detects this and
The line protocol control unit 14 is notified. When the line protocol control unit 14 detects a call, it sends a ringing tone via the line interface 12. In this way, the calling side facsimile device is connected to the line protocol control unit 1
Communication is started with the other party as facsimile 4. The line protocol control unit 14 cuts out various communication parameters and stores them inside while communicating with the facsimile apparatus. When all the facsimile communication is completed, the line protocol control unit 14 reads the received image information and the communication parameters stored therein, edits the facsimile information, and causes the control unit 16 to control the facsimile information storage unit 15. Transfer the edited facsimile information. At this time, the facsimile information storage unit 15 adds the internal ID to the transferred facsimile information and stores it.
The control unit 16 constantly monitors the facsimile information storage unit 15 and sends the type and ID number of the facsimile information existing therein to the display unit 21 for display. The user refers to the contents of the display unit 21 as necessary and uses the ID to operate the operation unit 22.
To change the destination, communication destination, and communication parameters. For example, when the operation unit 22 is operated to designate the transmission destination as the dial numbers D2 and D3 in FIG. 3, the control unit 16 identifies it and outputs the address information (corresponding address in FIG. 3) of the transmission partner in the facsimile information storage unit. The facsimile information storage unit 15 adds the address information of the transmission partner to the designated facsimile information, and the LAN protocol control unit 1
Notify 3. In the LAN protocol control unit 13, the LA
According to the N protocol, the facsimile information is sent out to the address of the transmission partner via the LAN interface unit 11.

On the receiving side, the LAN interface section 11
Constantly monitors the LAN line and if it finds a frame addressed to it, it takes it in internally. The LAN protocol control unit 13 is notified of all frames transmitted from the facsimile adapter on the transmission side. When the LAN protocol control unit 13 receives the facsimile information according to the LAN protocol, the control unit 16 controls the facsimile information to be transferred to the facsimile information storage unit 15. At this time, when the facsimile information storage unit 15 receives the transfer of the facsimile information, the internal ID is added to this and the internal information is stored. The control unit 16 constantly monitors the facsimile information inside the facsimile information storage unit 15 and controls the display unit 21 to display the type and ID of the facsimile information. The user refers to the contents of the display unit 21 as in the transmission and
Use D to select reception or discard. When reception is selected from the operation unit 22, the control unit 16 controls the facsimile information storage unit 15 to transfer the facsimile information to the line protocol control unit 14. The line protocol control unit 14 carries out facsimile communication via the line interface unit 12 based on the facsimile information. If the discard is selected, the facsimile information is deleted.

As described above, it is possible to perform transmission from a one-station facsimile to a multi-station facsimile.

In the present embodiment, the user selects all the destinations, the reception availability, etc., but in the actual operation, all the transmission destinations, the reception availability information, etc. should be automated. Is also possible. Regarding the operation by the operation unit 22, it should be added that various operations other than the above are conceivable only by giving an example.

[0016]

As described above, when the facsimile adapter of the present invention is used, it is possible to perform simultaneous transmission and simultaneous reception with a plurality of stations using the LAN line even if the accommodation line is a facsimile of one station. effective.

Further, by adding a display unit and an operation unit, there is an effect that editing work can be performed at the time of transmission and reception.

[Brief description of drawings]

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

FIG. 2 is a block diagram of a system using the facsimile adapter of FIG.

FIG. 3 is a table showing conversion of LAN addresses for dials.

[Explanation of symbols]

 11 LAN interface unit 12 Line interface unit 13 LAN protocol control unit 14 Line protocol control unit 15 Facsimile information storage unit 16 Control unit 21 Display unit 22 Operation unit 31 Facsimile device 32 Facsimile device 33 Facsimile device 41 Facsimile adapter 42 Facsimile adapter 43 Facsimile adapter 51 LAN line

Claims (2)

[Claims] 1. In a facsimile adapter, a line interface section for transmitting and receiving a facsimile signal through a line, and facsimile communication according to a facsimile communication protocol are performed to extract image information and parameters for communication, and a pair of information (hereinafter referred to as "facsimile information"). And a LAN interface unit for transmitting and receiving a LAN signal through a LAN line, and a LAN according to the LAN communication protocol. An address change that associates one-to-one correspondence between the fax protocol number and the address of the facsimile adapter connected to the LAN protocol control unit that communicates and sends and receives the above-mentioned facsimile information. Has an information internally stores the facsimile information mentioned above therein, a facsimile adapter including a facsimile information storing section for making transmission information by adding destination information to the facsimile information. 2. A facsimile adapter, in which a pair of information (hereinafter referred to as "facsimile information") is obtained by taking out image information and each parameter for communication by performing facsimile communication according to a communication protocol of a facsimile with a line interface section for transmitting and receiving a facsimile signal through a line. And a LAN interface unit for transmitting and receiving a LAN signal through a LAN line, and a LAN according to the LAN communication protocol. An address change that associates one-to-one correspondence between the fax protocol number and the address of the facsimile adapter connected to the LAN protocol control unit that communicates and sends and receives the above-mentioned facsimile information. It has information inside and stores the above-mentioned facsimile information inside, and manages the facsimile information accumulating section for adding the destination information to the facsimile information to make transmission information, and the facsimile information accumulated in the facsimile information accumulating section. A facsimile adapter including a display section for displaying the type of the facsimile.