JPH07221901A - Facsimile equipment - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To exclude the transmission of meaningless facsimile data by comparing an image quantity of received facsimile data with that of a set estimated value and interrupting the line connection depending on the result of comparison. CONSTITUTION:A setting means 14 uses an image read means 17 of a same facsimile equipment to read an original paper sheet and to receive facsimile data of the original paper read by a read means 17 of other equipment to decide an estimated minimum image data quantity represented by the facsimile data and it is set to a management means 13. When the means 13 manages the estimated minimum quantity, a reception means 11 receives facsimile data equivalent to one page sent from a sender facsimile equipment and converts the data into image data, then a detection 12 detects the image data quantity represented by the data equivalent to one page and a comparator means 15 compares the quantity of image data to be detected with the estimated minimum value of the means 13. When the estimated minimum quantity is larger, an interrupt means 16 interrupts forcibly the line with the sender facsimile equipment.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a fax machine having a function of receiving fax data and a function of sending fax data, and more particularly to a fax machine for eliminating meaningless fax data transmission.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art A conventional fax machine has a structure in which image data of a document sheet is read to generate fax data, and the fax data is immediately transmitted to a fax machine on the receiving side.

In the conventional FAX machine, when FAX data is sent from the FAX machine on the transmission side, the F
The image data of the manuscript paper is immediately reproduced using the AX data.

[0004]

However, according to such a conventional technique, there is a problem that meaningless FAX data is transmitted.

That is, if the original surface is set in the opposite format to that required, or if a plurality of originals include those whose front and back are reversed, the reverse original is read as a blank sheet. There was a problem that it was sent and sent. Further, there is a problem that the document is read and sent while being greatly tilted.

[0006] Such problems are particularly problematic when constructing an unmanned system incorporating a FAX machine. For example, when a FAX device is used as an OCR input terminal device, and a host system recognizes the image data sent from the FAX device and executes the data processing, a particular problem occurs. It will be.

The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and an object of the present invention is to provide a new FAX apparatus that eliminates meaningless FAX data transmission.

[0008]

1 (a) and 1 (b) show the principle configuration of the present invention. A fax machine 1 whose principle configuration is shown in FIG. 1 (a) has a function of receiving fax data, and has a line controller 10 for controlling a line connection with a sender fax machine and a sender. Reception means 11 for receiving the FAX data sent from the FAX apparatus and converting it into image data, detection means 12 for detecting the image data amount indicated by the reception FAX data for one page, and reception FAX data for one page. Management means 13 for managing the predicted minimum value of the image data amount, setting means 14 for setting the predicted minimum value in the management means 13, the image data amount detected by the detection means 12, and the prediction value managed by the management means 13. Comparing means 15 for comparing the magnitude relationship with the minimum value and disconnecting means 16 for forcibly disconnecting the line to which the line control means 10 is connected are provided. May comprise an image reading unit 17 reads the image data.

On the other hand, FIG. 1 (b) shows the principle configuration F
The AX apparatus 1 has a function of transmitting FAX data, and has a line control unit 20 for controlling a line connection with a FAX device of a receiving destination, an image reading unit 21 for reading image data of a document sheet, A transmission unit 22 that converts the image data to be transmitted into FAX data and transmits the FAX data to the receiving FAX apparatus, a detection unit 23 that detects the image data amount indicated by the transmission FAX data for one page, and a transmission FAX for one page. The managing means 24 for managing the expected minimum value of the image data amount indicated by the data, the setting means 25 for setting the expected minimum value in the managing means 24, the image data amount detected by the detecting means 23, and the managing means 24 for managing. Comparing means 26 for comparing the magnitude relationship with the predicted minimum value, FA
And a control means 27 for controlling not to transmit the X data.

[0010]

In the present invention whose principle configuration is shown in FIG.
The setting unit 14 actually reads the original sheet to be received by using the image reading unit 17 on the same device,
By receiving the FAX data of the original sheet read by the image reading unit 17 on another apparatus, the management unit 13 determines the expected minimum value of the image data amount indicated by the FAX data of the original sheet to be received. Set to.

For example, in the case of FAX data of image data written on a blank original, what is equivalent to the image data amount of the blank original is set as the predicted minimum value and set in the management means 13, and the standard format is used. When it is FAX data of the image data described in the manuscript, the management means 1 determines as the expected minimum value that corresponds to the image data amount of only the standard format.
Set it to 3.

In this way, when the management means 13 manages the predicted minimum value, the reception means 11 causes the transmission source F
When one page of FAX data sent from the AX device is received and converted into image data, the detection means 12
Detects the image data amount indicated by the received FAX data for one page, and receives the detection result, and the comparison means 1
5 compares the magnitude relationship between the image data amount detected by the detection means 12 and the predicted minimum value managed by the management means 13.

The cutting means 16 is the comparison means 1
When the comparison means 15 determines that the predicted minimum value is larger, the meaningless FA
When it is determined that the X data has been transmitted, the line connection with the transmission source FAX device is forcibly disconnected, and the transmission source FAX device side is notified accordingly.

On the other hand, in the present invention whose principle configuration is shown in FIG. 1B, the setting means 25 actually reads the original sheet to be transmitted by using the image reading means 21,
The predicted minimum value of the image data amount indicated by the FAX data of the original paper to be transmitted is determined and set in the management means 24.

For example, when the FAX data is the image data described on a blank original, the data corresponding to the image data amount of the blank original is determined as the predicted minimum value and set in the management means 24, and the standard format is used. When it is FAX data of the image data described in the manuscript, the management unit 2 determines that the amount corresponding to the image data amount of only the standard format is the expected minimum value.
It is set to 4.

In this way, when the management unit 24 manages the expected minimum value, the transmission unit 22 generates the FAX data of the image data for one page to be transmitted to the destination FAX machine. When transmitting, the detection means 2
3 detects the image data amount indicated by the transmission FAX data for one page, and in response to this detection result, the comparison unit 26 compares the image data amount detected by the detection unit 23 with
The magnitude relationship with the expected minimum value managed by the management means 24 is compared.

Then, the control means 27 controls the comparison means 2
When the comparison means 26 receives the comparison result of No. 6 and the predicted minimum value is larger, the meaningless FA
If it is determined that the X data is transmitted, for example, the destination FA
By forcibly disconnecting the line connection with the X device, the meaningless FAX data is controlled not to be transmitted.

Thus, according to the present invention, it becomes possible to eliminate meaningless transmission of FAX data.

[0019]

EXAMPLES The present invention will be described in detail below with reference to examples applied to an automatic ordering system. FIG. 2 illustrates the system configuration of an automatic ordering system using the present invention. In the figure,
30 is a FAX machine installed in the customer user, 31 is F
A telephone network connected to the AX device 30, 32 is a host computer connected to the telephone network 31, 33 is a character recognition device provided in the host computer 32, and 34 is a terminal provided in the host computer 32.

In the automatic ordering system configured as described above, the customer user creates the order form by writing the model number and the number of the ordered product in the order form in the standard format as shown in FIG. 3, and creates the order form. FAX machine 30
When it is transferred to the host computer 32 by using the, the host computer 32 converts the transferred FAX data into image data and recognizes the image data using the character recognition device 33, so that the customer user writes the data. Recognize the model number and number of units. Then, an order confirmation is created based on the recognition result, and the created confirmation is sent to the FA.
The automatic order processing is realized by transferring to the X device 30.

FIG. 4 shows an embodiment of a processing flow of the host computer 32 which is executed when FAX data is received in order to realize such automatic order processing. Next, the present invention will be described in detail according to this processing flow.

When there is a FAX data reception request, the host computer 32 first executes the designation of the received image data format in step 1 as shown in the processing flow of FIG. Is executed.

That is, it is set which compression format (MH compression format, MR compression format, MMR compression format, non-compression format, etc.) the image data indicated by the received FAX data is compressed and stored, and one page worth of data is set. FAX reception
The expected minimum value of the image data amount indicated by the data is set and stored in the specified storage area. The expected minimum value set at this time is defined by the number of bytes corresponding to the received paper size. For example, when it is FAX data of image data described in a blank document, the blank document of the received paper size is It is determined by slightly increasing the image data amount indicated by the FAX data.

Next, in step 2, a line is connected to the transmission source FAX machine. Then, in step 3, communication negotiation is executed to receive the compression format information of the image data designated by the sender FAX machine. The compression format of the FAX data is determined by the transmission source FAX apparatus, which is the transmission source, and the compression format information is obtained.

Next, in step 4, the FA sent
Receive one page of X data. Then, step 5
Then, the image data indicated by the FAX data received in step 4 is changed from the compression format specified by the transmission FAX apparatus to
The image data amount indicated by the FAX data received in step 4 is counted by converting to the compression format specified in step 1 and counting up the number of bytes to be received.

Then, in step 6, the number of received bytes counted in step 5 is compared with the expected minimum value stored in the specified storage area set in step 1 to determine the expected minimum value. When it is determined that the value is large, the process proceeds to step 8 and immediately disconnects the line connection with the transmission source fax machine. For example, when a value corresponding to a blank original is set as the expected minimum value, it means that meaningless blank original FAX data has been sent. By disconnecting, the fact is notified to the sender FAX device.

On the other hand, when it is determined in step 6 that the number of received bytes is larger, it indicates that the fax data is normal. If it is determined that it is not the final page, the process returns to step 3 to start receiving the next page, and if it is determined that it is the final page, the process proceeds to step 8.
The line connection with the sender FAX machine is disconnected and the processing is terminated.

In this way, as shown in FIG. 5, the host computer 32 shows that the image data amount is smaller than the expected minimum value when receiving the transmitted FAX data page by page. When a page is received, the line connection is disconnected and the sender FAX device is notified of that fact, so that the page is retransmitted.

In the case of handling FAX data of image data written on a blank original, in the setting process of the expected minimum value executed in step 1 of the processing flow of FIG. 4, the value may be decided according to the calculation process. It is possible. However, when handling FAX data of the order form in the standard format as shown in FIG. 3, in order to realize the transfer of the blank order form in which the model number and the number of units are not stated, It is necessary to obtain the expected minimum value by actual measurement.

In such a case, the host computer 32
When the device itself has an image reading function, as shown in the process flow of FIG. 6, first, in step 1, the unordered order form is read according to the image reading function of the device itself to generate FAX data, Next, step 2
Then, the number of bytes of the image data indicated by the generated FAX data is counted, then, in step 3, the expected minimum value is determined from the counted number of bytes, and then,
In step 4, the determined minimum predicted value is expanded into a prescribed storage area for execution.

When the own apparatus does not have the image reading function, the connected FAX apparatus causes the FAX data of the unspecified order to be generated, and the FAX data is received to determine the expected minimum value. It is executed by expanding it to the specified storage area.

In the embodiment described above, each F
Although the configuration is adopted in which the image data amount indicated by the AX data page is monitored and the image data amount is smaller than the expected minimum value, the line connection is disconnected.
The present invention is not limited to this, and each FA on the transmission side is
When the image data amount indicated by the X data page is monitored, and the image data amount is smaller than the expected minimum value, the FAX data transmission is stopped and a message to that effect is output, or the line It is also possible to adopt a configuration of disconnecting the connection. When adopting this configuration, in the case of a blank original or the like, it is preferable to set an expected minimum value corresponding to the size of the original paper.

[0033]

As described above, according to the present invention,
It is possible to eliminate meaningless transmission of fax data such as fax data of a document set face down or fax data of a document set with a large tilt. From this, an unmanned system incorporating a FAX machine can be made practical.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a principle configuration diagram of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a system configuration diagram of an automatic ordering system.

FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram of an order form.

FIG. 4 is an example of a processing flow executed by a host computer.

FIG. 5 is a FAX data reception time chart of the present invention.

FIG. 6 is an example of a processing flow executed by a host computer.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1 FAX Device 10 Line Control Means 11 Receiving Means 12 Detecting Means 13 Managing Means 14 Setting Means 15 Comparing Means 16 Cutting Means 17 Image Reading Means 20 Line Control Means 21 Image Reading Means 22 Sending Means 23 Detecting Means 24 Managing Means 25 Setting Means 26 Comparing means 27 Control means

Claims (4)

[Claims] 1. An FA having a function of receiving FAX data.
In the X device, a management means (13) for managing the expected minimum value of the image data amount indicated by the received FAX data for one page, and the FAX when receiving the FAX data for one page
Comparison means (1) for comparing the magnitude relationship between the image data amount indicated by the data and the expected minimum value managed by the management means (13).
5) and disconnecting means (16) for disconnecting the line with the FAX data transmission source when the comparison means (15) determines that the expected minimum value is larger. FAX machine. 2. An FA having a function of transmitting FAX data.
In the X device, a management means (24) for managing the expected minimum value of the image data amount indicated by the transmission FAX data for one page, and the FAX when transmitting the FAX data for one page
A comparison means (2) for comparing the magnitude relationship between the image data amount indicated by the data and the expected minimum value managed by the management means (24).
6) and a control means (27) for controlling not to transmit the FAX data which is the object of judgment when the comparison means (26) judges that the minimum expected value is larger. A FAX machine characterized by the above. 3. The fax machine according to claim 1, wherein the management means (13, 24) is configured to manage an expected minimum value corresponding to a paper size. 4. The fax machine according to claim 1, 2 or 3, wherein the management means (13, 24) determines an expected minimum value from the image data amount indicated by the fax data of the original document sheet to be actually read. A fax machine characterized by comprising setting means (14, 25) for setting.