JPH09107202A - Output device and facsimile equipment - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To use a facsimile equipment as a LAN terminal by providing a means which instructs the read of LAN information, a means which reads out LAN information from a server terminal, and a means which outputs read LAN information. SOLUTION: When an inquiry request of LAN information occurs, the facsimile equipment inquires of a LAN server connected on LAN about LAN information. The instruction from a terminal (a LAN server or the like) on LAN inputted through a LAN control part 116, the instruction owing to the operation of single or plural keys from an operation part 112 of the facsimile equipment itself, on the like is the cause of the occurrence of the inquiry request of LAN information at this time. As the result of inquiry, it is judged whether the server normally responds or not. When the inquiry result in normally obtained and inquired LAN information should be printed out, LAN information is outputted from a printer 115 in accordance with a prescribed format.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

The present invention relates to a facsimile machine,
In particular, it relates to an output device and a facsimile device having a LAN interface.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, a local area network (L
The facsimile machine connected to the AN) only performs facsimile communication according to instructions from other terminals on the LAN.

[0003]

However, in the above-mentioned conventional example, the LA is connected even though it is connected to the LAN.
The facsimile device cannot be used as a terminal on N, and the hardware resources originally possessed by the facsimile device have not been efficiently used.

The present invention has been made in view of the above conventional example, and provides an output device or a facsimile device that can be used as a terminal on a LAN and can efficiently use the resources originally possessed by the facsimile device. The purpose is to provide.

[0005]

In order to achieve the above object, an output device according to the present invention has the following structure.
That is, the output device is connected to the local area network, and means for instructing to read the LAN information, and reading means for reading the LAN information from the server terminal connected to the local area network according to the instruction from the instructing means. And output means for outputting the LAN information read by the read means.

Further preferably, the output means includes a printing means for performing print output.

Further preferably, the output means includes a display means for performing display output.

Further preferably, a connection means for connecting to the telephone line is further provided, the image data received from the telephone line by the connection means is output from the output means, and the image data is transmitted to the telephone line by the connection means. To do.

Further, the facsimile apparatus of the present invention has the following configuration. That is, a facsimile machine connected to a local area network, connecting means for connecting to a telephone line, output means for outputting image data received from the telephone line by the connecting means, and a LAN.
The information processing device further comprises: means for instructing the reading of information; and reading means for reading the LAN information from the server terminal connected to the local area network in accordance with the instruction by the instructing means, and the LAN information read by the reading means is output means for outputting the LAN information. To output.

With the above configuration, the output device or the facsimile device can be used as one terminal on the LAN, and the resources originally possessed by the device can be efficiently used, and the function is improved. You can hope for it.

[0011]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a facsimile apparatus according to the present invention. In the figure,
The CPU 101 is a system control unit and controls the entire device. The ROM 102 stores a control program for the CPU. The RAM 103 is configured by an SRAM or the like, and stores program control variables and the like. Further, setting values registered by the operator, device management data, and various work buffers are also stored in the RAM. The storage memory 104 is composed of a DRAM or the like and stores image data. The resolution conversion processing unit 105 performs resolution conversion control such as millimeter-inch conversion of raster data.

The communication coding / decoding processing unit 106 performs coding for communication when the coding system at the time of reading and recording and the coding system at the time of communication are different. Read /
The recording encoding / decoding processing unit 107 performs encoding / decoding processing of image data at the time of reading and recording. MODE
M108 modulates and demodulates a transmission / reception signal of a facsimile, and the NCU 109 transmits a selection signal (dial pulse or tone dialer) to the wired communication line 120 via the wired line i / f117 or to the wireless line i / f1.
It has a function of sending to the wireless communication line 121 via 18, and also performs an automatic incoming call operation by detecting a ringing tone. The wired / wireless line control unit 119 controls the wired line i / f 117 and the wireless line i / f 118.

The scanner 111 is a CS image sensor,
It is composed of a document transport mechanism or the like, which reads a document optically and converts it into electrical image data. The image processing unit 110 performs correction processing on the read image data and outputs high-definition image data. Operation unit 1
Reference numeral 12 is composed of a keyboard or the like and is used by the operator to perform various input operations. External display unit 113
Is for notifying the user of the display using an LCD, an LED, or the like. The print formatter 114 analyzes a facsimile device description language and converts it into image data when printing file data from a workstation or the like. The printer unit 115 records the received image and file data on recording paper.

The wired LAN i / f 122 is a wired LAN 12
5, a wireless LAN i / f123 is an interface for connecting a facsimile device to the wireless LAN 126, and includes a wired LAN i / f122 and a wireless LAN i / f12.
3 is controlled by the wired / wireless LAN control unit 124. The LAN control unit 116 is a wired LAN or a wireless L.
It processes data in order to exchange data with a server or terminal on the AN.

FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing a connection form of the facsimile apparatus having the above-mentioned configuration.

Reference numeral 201 denotes the facsimile machine shown in FIG. 1, which is a facsimile machine which can be directly connected to a wired or wireless LAN.

Reference numeral 202 denotes a LAN server machine to which the facsimile apparatus 201 is connected, and manages the LAN and files on the LAN.

Reference numerals 203 and 204 denote client machines (information processing terminals) connected to the wired LAN.

Reference numeral 205 denotes a printer server which controls a print request from a client machine and outputs the print request to a printer. Reference numeral 206 denotes a printer which outputs print image data.

Reference numeral 207 is a client machine connected to the wireless LAN.

Reference numeral 208 is a facsimile which communicates with the facsimile apparatus 201 through a telephone line.

Reference numeral 209 denotes a wireless base station, which performs facsimile communication with the facsimile apparatus 201 through a wireless line.

Reference numeral 210 is a line network, and 211 is a telephone line connecting the facsimile 201 and the radio base station 209 to the line network.

Reference numeral 212 is a wireless LAN composed of a facsimile machine having a wireless LAN interface and a client machine.

A wireless line 213 connects the facsimile apparatus 201 and the wireless base station 209 via a wireless line interface.

With the above-mentioned configuration, a facsimile apparatus which inquires about information about LAN and prints out or displays the information will be described with reference to the flowcharts of FIGS. 1, 2 and 3. The procedure shown in the flowchart of FIG. 3 can be realized by causing the CPU 101 to execute a program stored in the ROM 102.

When an inquiry request for LAN information is issued to the facsimile apparatus in the communication standby state in step S301 (step S302), the facsimile apparatus inquires the LAN server connected on the LAN for LAN information (step S303). ). The cause of the LAN information inquiry request at this time is
A terminal on the LAN (LA that is input via the control unit 116)
N server, LAN user, etc.), and instructions by operating a single key or a plurality of keys from the operation unit 112 of the facsimile apparatus itself. Also, the LAN information to be inquired is LA
Various information such as the name and address of the terminal connected to N, the type of server / client, the usage status of the external storage used by the server, the status of the print queue, the name of the logged-in user, etc. Is possible.

In step S303, LAN to LAN server LAN
After inquiring information, as a result of the inquiry, it is determined whether or not the server responded normally (step S50).
4).

If the inquiry result in step S304 is negative, the re-inquiry counter for counting the number of LAN information inquiries provided in the RAM 103 is incremented by 1 (step S309), and the predetermined re-inquiry count and re-inquiry counter are set. Are compared (step S31)
0).

If the comparison result in step S310 indicates that the value of the re-inquiry counter has reached the predetermined number of re-inquiries, the LAN information inquiry request source is the LAN control unit 11.
In the case of an instruction from a terminal (LAN server, LAN user, etc.) on the LAN via 6, the LAN information inquiry request source is notified that the LAN information inquiry has failed, and the processing ends abnormally (step S311). When the LAN information inquiry request source is a key operation from the operation unit 112, the fact that the LAN information inquiry has failed is displayed on the external display unit 113, and the processing ends abnormally (step S311).

If the comparison result in step S310 shows that the number of re-inquiries is less than the value of the re-inquiry counter, the process is returned to step S303, and the LA that is the inquiry destination is re-inquired.
Inquires about LAN information to N server.

When the inquiry result in step S304 is normally obtained, it is determined whether or not the inquired LAN information is printed out (step S305).

When the result of determination in step S305 is to print out, the facsimile device 115 outputs the LAN information according to a predetermined format (step S306), and the process ends normally (step S307).

If the result of determination in step S305 is that printout is not performed, the LAN is displayed on the external display unit 113.
The information is displayed (step S308) and the process ends normally (step S307).

The preset number of times of reference referred to in step S310 can be set from the operation unit 112 or a terminal on the LAN.

As described above, the facsimile device connected to the LAN can inquire the LAN information from the server and output it.

The above control procedure is performed by a device having the same hardware resources as a facsimile device, for example, an LA device.
The same can be realized in a printer having a display unit connected to N.

Further, the present invention may be applied to a system composed of a plurality of devices such as a host computer, an interface and a printer, or to an apparatus composed of a single device such as a copying machine. Further, it goes without saying that the present invention can be applied to the case where it is implemented by supplying a program to a system or an apparatus. In this case, the storage medium storing the program according to the present invention constitutes the present invention. Then, by reading the program from the storage medium to the system or device, the system or device operates in a predetermined manner.

[0039]

As described above, the facsimile machine of the present invention can be used as one terminal on a LAN, and the hardware resources originally possessed by the facsimile machine can be efficiently used. Therefore, there is an effect that the function can be improved.

[0040]

[Brief description of the drawings]

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

FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing a connection form of a facsimile device.

FIG. 3 is a flowchart of a procedure for inquiring LAN information in a facsimile device.

 ─────────────────────────────────────────────────── ─── Continuation of front page (72) Inventor Kazutaka Matsueda 3-30-2 Shimomaruko, Ota-ku, Tokyo Canon Inc. (72) Inventor Koichi Matsumoto 3-30-2 Shimomaruko, Ota-ku, Tokyo Canon Incorporated (72) Inventor Ken Saruwatari 3-30-2 Shimomaruko, Ota-ku, Tokyo Canon Inc.

Claims (5)

[Claims] 1. An output device connected to a local area network, said means for instructing reading of LAN information, and reading the LAN information from a server terminal connected to said local area network according to an instruction from said instructing means. An output device comprising: read-out means for outputting; and output means for outputting LAN information read by the read-out means. 2. The output device according to claim 1, wherein the output unit includes a printing unit that prints out. 3. The output device according to claim 1, wherein the output unit includes a display unit that outputs a display. 4. A connection means for connecting to a telephone line is further provided, wherein the image data received from the telephone line by the connection means is output from the output means, and the image data is transmitted to the telephone line by the connection means. The output device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein: 5. A facsimile device connected to a local area network, comprising: connecting means for connecting to a telephone line; output means for outputting image data received from the telephone line by the connecting means; and reading of LAN information. And a reading unit for reading the LAN information from the server terminal connected to the local area network according to the instruction from the instruction unit. The LAN information read by the reading unit is output by the output unit. A facsimile device characterized by the above.