JPH07288646A - Data communication equipment - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To receive even image data with fidelity even when the reception capability exceeds the recording available capability by reporting the capability recorded by a connection recording device to a communication opposite party in addition to a recordable capability. CONSTITUTION:Upon the receipt of a call via a communication channel 115, reception capacity of enabled output for a facsimile equipment 102 itself is set to a data memory 109. In the case of connection to an external recording device via an interface section 112, the reception capability stored in the memory 109 and the reception capability of the external recording device are set again to the memory 109. Then the reception capability stored in the memory 109 is converted into a format able to be sent to the communication channel 115 and then the converted data are sent to the communication channel 115.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a data communication device for communicating data, and more particularly to a data communication device capable of connecting a plurality of recording devices.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, in a data communication apparatus, for example, a facsimile apparatus, a recording apparatus (for example, a copying machine or a printer apparatus) is connected through an external interface, but a recording provided in the facsimile apparatus. Only the receiving ability such as the printable paper size and resolution of the copy was notified to the communication partner.

[0003]

However, in the above-mentioned conventional example, since the transmitting side is notified of the receiving capability of the recording section provided in the facsimile apparatus, the image data transmitted by the transmitting side to the receiving side is If the original is larger than the receiving capacity of the receiving side, that is, if the original is larger than the paper size that the receiving side can output, or if it has high resolution data, the transmitting side cannot transmit or reduce it, or lowers the resolution before transmitting. It was Therefore, even if another recording device (copier, printer, etc.) connected via the external interface on the receiving side can faithfully record the image data that the transmitting side wants to send with high precision. However, there is a drawback that only an image suitable for the recording section of the facsimile machine on the side is obtained.

The present invention has been made in order to eliminate the above-mentioned drawbacks, and it is image data such as a printable paper size and resolution which a recording unit provided in a data communication device on the receiving side does not have. It is an object of the present invention to provide a data communication device that enables faithful reception.

[0005]

In order to achieve the above object, the data communication apparatus of the present invention has the following configuration.

A data communication device of the present invention comprises a data communication means for receiving data, a recording means for recording the data received by the data communication means, a connecting means for connecting an external recording device, and the recording means. It has a recording means and recording means, and a transmitting means for transmitting the recordable capacity data by an external recording device connected to the connecting means.

[0007]

With the above construction, in the data communication apparatus of the present invention, the data communication means receives the data, the recording means records the received data, the connecting means connects the recording device, and the sending means records the recording means. Since the capability data recordable by the recording means and the capability data recordable by the external recording device connected to the connecting means are transmitted, in addition to the capability recordable by the recording part of the data communication device, the connected recording device You can receive data including the ability to record in.

[0008]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS An embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a facsimile apparatus showing an example of an embodiment of the present invention.

In FIG. 1, 101 is a control unit for controlling the entire apparatus.

A scanner 102 reads an image.

A scanner control unit 103 controls the scanner 102.

A printer 104 records an image read by the scanner 102 or an image received via a communication line 115 described later.

A printer control unit 105 controls the printer 104.

Reference numeral 106 denotes an operation unit, which allows the operator to perform various operations by pressing a key.

Reference numeral 107 is a display unit for displaying various information such as the state of the apparatus and operation requests.

Reference numeral 108 is a program memory for storing a program for controlling the apparatus.

Reference numeral 109 is a data memory for storing various data such as outputtable paper size, resolution and other receiving ability.

Reference numeral 110 is an encoding / decoding unit for encoding and decoding image data.

Reference numeral 111 is a communication control unit for controlling transmission / reception of data via a communication line.

Reference numeral 112 denotes an interface section for connecting the present facsimile apparatus and an external apparatus, for example, S
CSI (Small Computer System)
Interface), Centronics interface, RS-232C, and the like.

Reference numeral 113 is an interface control unit for controlling the interface unit 112.

Reference numeral 114 denotes a bus, which connects the respective parts.

Reference numeral 115 is a communication line, and the communication line 11
Various types of data are transmitted and received through

FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of a network configuration in which the facsimile machines of this embodiment are connected via the interface section 112.

Reference numeral 201 denotes the facsimile apparatus according to this embodiment, which transmits / receives data via the communication line 115.

Reference numeral 202 denotes a personal computer, which can create documents and figures.

Reference numeral 203 denotes a laser beam printer,
Data received via the interface unit 112 such as a document created by the personal computer 202 is recorded.

Reference numeral 204 denotes a copying machine, which edits a read original or an image received via the interface section 112 as necessary to record the same.

Next, the operation of the configuration of FIG. 2 will be described.
FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing details of reception control of the facsimile apparatus 201 having the configuration of FIG.

First, it is determined whether there is an incoming call through the communication line 115 (S301), and if there is no incoming call, the process waits until there is an incoming call. When there is an incoming call, the receiving capability such as the paper size and resolution that the facsimile apparatus 201 itself can output is set in the data memory 109 (S302).

Next, it is determined whether or not an external recording device is connected via the interface section 112 (S30).
3) If it is determined that the external recording device is not connected, the reception capability of the facsimile device 201 held in the data memory 109 in S302 is converted into a format that can be sent to the communication line 115 (S306). The communication line 115 is transmitted (S307).

Thereafter, the normal reception procedure is executed (S3).
08).

When it is determined in S303 that the external recording device is connected via the interface unit 112, the outputable paper size and resolution of the external recording device (the laser beam printer 203 and the copying machine 204 in FIG. 2) are determined. The reception capability is inquired to each device and acquired (S304), and S3
02, the reception capability and S stored in the data memory 109
The reception capability of the external recording device acquired in 304 is set again in the data memory 109 (S305).

Next, the reception capability held in the data memory 109 in S305 is converted into a format that can be sent to the communication line 115 (S306), and sent to the communication line 115 (S307).

After that, the normal receiving procedure is executed (S3).
08).

Further, the reception capability held in the data memory 109 in S306 shown in FIG.
Has been converted to a format that can be sent to
Alternatively, when the reception capability is set in the data memory 109 in S305, it may be converted into a format that can be transmitted to the communication line 115.

In the above-described embodiment, the case where another recording apparatus is directly connected to the facsimile apparatus via the interface has been described as an example, but the present invention is not limited to this, and it is connected to a personal computer. The recording device may be connected via another device such as an existing printer device. Also, the number and types of connected devices are not limited.

According to the embodiment described above, not only the receiving ability of the facsimile apparatus itself but also the receiving ability of the recording apparatus connected through the interface is notified to the communication partner, so that the desired image can be recorded. It becomes possible to do.

(Other Embodiments) In the above-mentioned embodiment, the receiving ability is set in the data memory 109 after receiving an incoming call. However, according to another embodiment, it is possible to set it in advance. is there.

FIG. 4 is a flow chart showing details of operation control in another embodiment.

First, it is determined whether or not an external recording device is connected via the interface unit 112 (S40).
1) If it is determined that the external recording device is connected, the connected external recording device (the laser beam printer 203 and the copying machine 204 in FIG. 2) can output the paper size and resolution. Is inquired and acquired from each device (S402).

If it is determined in S401 that the external recording device is not connected, only the reception capability of the facsimile apparatus 201 itself is determined. If it is determined that the external recording device is connected, the external recording device acquired in S402. The receiving ability of the apparatus and the receiving ability of the facsimile apparatus 201 itself are set in the data memory 109 (S403).

Next, it is judged whether or not there is an incoming call through the communication line 115 (S404), and if there is no incoming call, the processes of S401 to S403 are repeated until there is an incoming call. When there is an incoming call, the reception capability held in the data memory 109 in S403 is converted into a format that can be sent to the communication line 115 (S405), and sent to the communication line (S).
406).

Thereafter, the normal reception procedure is executed (S4).
07).

Further, the reception capability held in the data memory 109 in S405 shown in FIG.
Has been converted to a format that can be sent to
When the reception capability is set in the data memory 109, it may be converted into a format that can be sent to the communication line 115.

According to the other embodiment described above, it is possible to record a desired image as in the above-mentioned embodiment, and further, the receiving ability is set in advance in the data memory 109 before the incoming call.
Since it is set to, the communication time can be shortened.

[0048]

As described above, according to the present invention, in addition to the capability of recording by the recording unit of the data communication device, the capability of recording by the connected recording device is notified to the communication partner. Therefore, even image data that is not included in the recording capability of the recording unit of the data communication device can be faithfully received.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a data communication device that is an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of a network configuration according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a diagram showing a flow of reception control of the data communication apparatus in the embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a flow of reception control of a data communication device in another embodiment of the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

 101 control unit 102 scanner 103 scanner control unit 104 printer 105 printer control unit 106 operation unit 107 display unit 108 program memory 109 data memory 110 encoding / decoding unit 111 communication control unit 112 interface unit 113 interface control unit 114 bus 115 communication line

Claims (2)

[Claims] 1. Data communication means for receiving data, recording means for recording data received by the data communication means, connection means for connecting an external recording device, and capability data recordable by the recording means. And a sending means for sending the capability data recordable by the external recording device connected to the connecting means. 2. A data communication means for receiving data, a recording means for recording the data received by the data communication means, a connecting means for connecting a plurality of external recording devices, and a recording capability of the recording means. A data communication device, comprising: data and a sending unit that sends output capability data for each of a plurality of external recording devices connected to the connecting unit.