JPH08317163A - Facsimile equipment - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE: To specify a transmitter and a receiver with respect to transmission information by extracting information of a sender and a recipient processed into character codes and displaying the information on an operation panel. CONSTITUTION: An original is set in the case of facsimile transmission and a reader section 1 reads an original after the command by a start key and converts the image into image data, which are stored in an image memory section 9. A function of the memory section 9 segments part of the data describing a sender and a recipient. Then a character recognition function of the memory section 9 converts image data into a character code as information of the sender and the recipient. The result of character recognition is displayed by a display section.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a facsimile machine having a character recognition function.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In a conventional facsimile apparatus, a telephone number or the like is recorded in a communication record at the time of transmission, and a communication management report is output, so that the state of communication performed in the past can be known.

[0003]

However, it is usual that only the telephone number remains in the above-mentioned communication record, and the information such as the name of the sender and the recipient does not remain. The sender and the recipient cannot be identified even by looking.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a facsimile machine which can identify a sender and a receiver regarding transmission information without performing a special operation.

[0005]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention recognizes the contents of sender and receiver of a facsimile manuscript by character recognition so that the information of the sender and the receiver is converted into a character code to be taken out and operated. It is to be displayed on the panel and recorded in the communication record.

[0006]

1 is a block diagram showing the construction of an image forming system showing an embodiment of the present invention.

In FIG. 1, a reader unit 1 is an image input device that reads an image of a document and outputs image data, and a printer unit 2 has a plurality of recording paper cassettes and outputs image data according to a print command. The image output device outputs a visible image on a recording sheet.

The external device 3 is electrically connected to the reader unit 1 and has various functions. That is, the external device 3 has a facsimile unit 4, a file unit 5, an external storage device 6 connected to the file unit 5, a computer interface unit 7 for connecting to a computer, and information from the computer. A formatter unit 8 for forming an image, an image memory unit 9 for accumulating information from the reader unit 1 or temporarily accumulating information sent from a computer, and a core unit 10 for controlling the above-mentioned functions. And so on.

FIG. 2 is a sectional view showing the construction of the reader unit 1 and the printer unit 2.

First, in the reader unit 1, the originals stacked on the original feeding device 101 are sequentially conveyed one by one onto the original table glass surface 102. And, the manuscript is the glass surface 1
When it is transported to the predetermined position 02, the lamp 1 of the scanner section
03 is turned on and the scanner unit 104 is moved to expose and scan the document. The reflected light of the original is reflected by the mirror 105,
It is input to a CCD image sensor unit 109 (hereinafter referred to as CCD) via 106 and 107 and a lens 108.

The reflected light of the original document irradiated on the CCD 109 is photoelectrically converted here. The converted electric signal is subjected to various kinds of image processing in the image processing unit 110,
To the external switching circuit. The external switching circuit is a selector that switches a signal from the reader unit 1 to the printer unit 2 or the external device 3. Further, it also functions to select either the signal from the reader unit 1 or the signal from the external device 3 and connect it to the printer unit 2.

In the external switching circuit of the image processing unit 110, the image signal input to the printer unit 2 is converted into an optical signal modulated by the exposure control unit 201 and the photoconductor 202.
Is irradiated. The latent image formed on the photoconductor 202 by the irradiation light is developed by the developing device 203. The transfer stacking unit 204 in synchronization with the leading edge of the developed image,
Alternatively, the transfer paper is conveyed from 205, and the developed image is transferred at the transfer unit 206.

The transferred image is fixed on the transfer paper by the fixing unit 207 and then discharged from the paper output unit 208 to the outside of the apparatus. The transfer paper output from the paper output unit 208 is the sorter 22.
When the sorting function is 0, the sheets are discharged to each bin, and when the sorting function is not working, the sheets are discharged to the highest bin of the sorter.

When outputting images to be sequentially read on both sides of one output sheet, the output sheet fixed by the fixing section 207 is once conveyed to the sheet discharge section 208, and then the sheet conveyance direction is reversed. Then, the sheet is conveyed to the re-transferred transfer sheet stacking section 210 via the conveyance direction switching member 209. Then, when the next original is prepared, the original image is read in the same manner as the above process, but since the transfer paper is fed from the re-transferred transfer paper stacking unit 210, the same output paper is eventually obtained. It is possible to output two document images on the front and back sides of the document.

Next, the external device 3 is connected to the reader 1 by a cable, and a core portion in the external device 3 controls signals and controls each function.

In the external device 3, a fax unit 4 for performing facsimile transmission / reception, a file unit 5 for converting various document information into electric signals and storing the signals in a magneto-optical disk (external storage device 6), and a computer unit for receiving a file. A formatter unit 8 that develops code information into image information, a computer interface unit 7 that interfaces with a computer, stores information from the reader unit 1, and temporarily stores information sent from the computer. An image memory unit 9 for controlling the above, a core unit 10 for controlling the above-mentioned functions, and the like are provided.

The image memory unit 9 has a CPU and a memory, and has a block selection function of dividing the image data into character blocks and other sections into blocks.
Further, it is possible to perform image processing such as a character recognition function of analyzing a character portion of image data and outputting a character code of the character.

FIG. 3 is a plan view showing the structure of the operation panel in the reader unit 1.

The display unit 301 is an LCD that displays operating states and messages. The surface of the display unit 301 is a touch panel, and touching this surface works as a selection key.

The numeric keypad 302 is a key for inputting numbers and the like, and the start key 303 is for instructing the start of various operations. Operation mode switching key 304
Is a key for switching to an operation desired by the operator.

Next, the procedure of facsimile transmission in this embodiment will be described.

The operator of the apparatus first selects the facsimile mode by the operation mode switching key 304 on the right of the display section 301. Then, the transmission originals are aligned and placed on the original feeding apparatus 101. Then, using the ten-key pad 302, the facsimile number of the recipient is input. Finally, the start key 303 is pressed to start transmission.

Next, the operation will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG.

After the original is set at the time of facsimile transmission and the start of reading the original is instructed by the start key 303, the first original in the reader unit 1 is read, converted into image data and stored in the image memory unit 9 ( S40
1).

After that, the portion describing the sender and the receiver is cut out by the block selection function of the image memory unit 9 (S402). When the portion described by the sender and the receiver is successfully cut out (S403), the image recognition unit of the image memory unit 9 converts the image data cut out in S402 into a character code as information of the sender and the receiver. Convert (S40
4).

When the character is successfully recognized (S405), the result is displayed on the display unit 301 (S).
406). Then, all the remaining manuscripts are read and the image data read through the telephone line is transmitted (S40).
7).

When the transmission operation is performed, the communication record stores the date and time at the start of communication, the telephone number of the recipient, and the information of the sender and the recipient recognized in S404. . If the block selection in S402 or the character recognition in S404 fails, only the telephone number and information obtained by communication are left in the communication record as in the conventional case.

Next, an example of the format of the first original document for facilitating the character recognition in S404 will be described.

In a normal facsimile manuscript, the information such as the name of the sender and the receiver is written on the top of the first manuscript. Therefore, by predetermining that these pieces of information are described within a certain range, it becomes possible to improve the recognition rate of characters and to make sense of what information the recognized information is. .

The format of the first original in this embodiment has a frame for writing the information of the receiver in the upper left half of the original and a frame for writing the information of the sender in the right half. FIG. 5 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of the format of the first original. Reference numeral 501 in FIG. 5 is a sheet of the first facsimile document.
The manuscript creator writes the name, affiliation, etc. of the recipient in the recipient column 502, the sender's name, affiliation, etc. in the sender column 503, and writes a sentence from the body column 504.

In this embodiment, the case where the transmission operation is performed has been described, but this can be applied to the case where the reception operation is performed.

In this case, for example, a manuscript having a format as shown in FIG. 5 is sent from the sending side as the first sheet, and when it is received, it is decoded and then character recognition is performed, and communication is performed in the same manner as at the time of sending. It is stored in the hard disk as a record. Also,
In the case of this receiving operation, the header information (TTI information) recorded on the upper end of the document may be recognized as characters.

[0033]

As described above, according to the present invention,
By recognizing the contents written in the sender and receiver fields of the facsimile manuscript, the sender and receiver information can be converted into a character code, taken out, displayed on the operation panel, and left in the communication record. , It is possible to specify the sender and the receiver regarding the transmission information without performing a special operation.

[Brief description of drawings]

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

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view showing a structure of a reader unit and a printer unit in the above embodiment.

FIG. 3 is a plan view showing an operation panel in the above embodiment.

FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing an operation in the above embodiment.

FIG. 5 is an explanatory diagram showing a format of a first facsimile original in the above embodiment.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Reader unit, 2 ... Printer unit, 3 ... External device, 4 ... Fax unit, 5 ... File unit, 6 ... External storage device, 7 ... Computer interface unit, 8 ... Formatter unit, 9 ... Image memory unit, 10 ... Core part.

Claims (3)

[Claims] 1. A facsimile apparatus having a character recognition function, which has a function of character-recognizing a transmission original at the time of transmission, extracting and displaying information of a sender and a recipient according to the recognition result. apparatus. 2. The facsimile apparatus according to claim 1, having a function of storing information on the sender and the recipient in a communication record. 3. The facsimile apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a format of a facsimile document is designated in advance in order to facilitate the character recognition.