JPH09233245A - Facsimile equipment - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To reduce communication time and a communication charge, to clearly present the distribution destinations of printed and outputted images without transmitting or receiving character information with a transmission side and to surely prevent erroneous distribution in the case that the plural users of its own equipment are included in destinations. SOLUTION: In a RAM 3, the names and telephone numbers of transmission destinations are registered corresponding to group numbers. At the time of receiving the images for which relay broadcasting with the plural users of their own equipment specified as the destinations is specified, a control part 1 makes the images be printed and outputted by a printing part 10 for a copy number equivalent to the number of the users specified as the destinations after adding destination information for indicating the names corresponding to the respective users respectively.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a facsimile apparatus having a relay broadcast function for delivering an image sent from a transmitting station to a plurality of destinations.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In a facsimile machine, a general broadcast function or a relay broadcast function is generally used as a function for delivering one image from one transmitting station to a plurality of destinations.

Of these, the sequential broadcasting function is such that, when the image X is distributed from the transmitting station 91 to the receiving stations 92, 93, 94 as shown in FIG. 9, the transmitting station 91 receives the receiving stations 92, 93, 9 for example.
4 are sequentially designated, and the image X is sequentially transmitted as individual communication.

Further, the relay broadcast function is provided, for example, as shown in FIG. 10, from the transmitting station 91 to the receiving stations 92, 93 and 94 by the image X.
In order to deliver the image, first, the image X is transmitted from the transmitting station 91 to the relay station 95 and stored in the relay station 95, and then the relay station 95 makes a call designating each of the receiving stations 92, 93 and 94. The image X is sequentially transmitted, and the image X is sequentially transmitted as individual communication.

However, in the case of these broadcast functions, when the destinations are users of the same facsimile machine, the same facsimile machines must repeat transmission, image transmission, and line release. And the communication fee is wasted.

Therefore, as a function for reducing the communication time and the communication charge when the destinations are users of the same facsimile machine, for example, as shown in FIG. There is also a facsimile apparatus having a function of designating a corresponding number of print copies and printing out a specified number of copies of the image X sent from the transmitting station 91 at the receiving station 92. According to this function, it is only necessary to transmit the image once, so that communication time and communication charges are not wasted.

However, according to the above function, the plurality of images (received originals) printed out at the receiving station are all the same. For this reason, the sender describes all the destinations on the cover sheet, and the operator of the receiving station distributes the received and printed plural copies of the received document to each destination based on the description on the cover sheet. However, since the cover sheet does not have a one-to-one correspondence between the received document and the destination, there is a possibility that an error may occur in the distribution of the received document. The operator of the receiving station must be careful to prevent this distribution error. The received manuscript must be distributed after paying the cost, which increases the burden on the operator of the receiving station.

Further, as a technique for preventing such a problem, there is a technique disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 3-143364. This is to transmit a plurality of character information from the transmitting side by one transmission operation, and to receive the plurality of character information on the receiving side, and to obtain the same image information by the number of copies of the character information. Each character information is inserted and then copied and output.

Therefore, after a plurality of copies of the same image are output, the distribution destination of each image can be clearly indicated by the character information.

[0010]

However, the above-mentioned Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open
According to the technique disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 3-114364, it is necessary to have a function of transmitting and receiving character information indicating a destination. A general facsimile apparatus does not have such a function at all, and a configuration for realizing the above function must be added.

Even if the receiving side supports the above function,
If the transmitting side does not support the above function, the character information cannot be inserted into the document. As described above, the existing general facsimile apparatus does not have the above function, and therefore, when communicating with these existing general facsimile apparatuses, the character information cannot be inserted into the original.

The present invention has been made in consideration of such circumstances, and an object thereof is to reduce the communication time and the communication charge when the destination includes a plurality of users of the own device. Another object of the present invention is to provide a facsimile apparatus which can clearly indicate the distribution destination of a printed image without transmitting / receiving character information to / from the transmitting side and can reliably prevent erroneous distribution.

[0013]

In order to achieve the above object, the present invention relates to identification information (for example, name) of a transmission destination and calling information (for example, a telephone) in association with predetermined destination information such as a group number. Number) is registered and the image sent from the transmitting station is delivered to the registered transmission destination in association with the destination information designated by the transmitting station, thereby realizing the relay broadcast function. In the facsimile apparatus, if the user of the own apparatus is included in the transmission destinations corresponding to the destination information, the image sent from the transmission station is printed out, for example, from the self-addressed original print processing unit and the printing unit. And a print control unit such as a destination information adding unit. The print control unit includes a plurality of users of the own device among the transmission destinations corresponding to the destination information. Once, the number of copies corresponding to the number of users, and so as to print on the printing unit on which each adding a predetermined image showing the identification information registered in correspondence with each user.

By taking such means, if a plurality of users of the own device are designated as transmission destinations, the image sent from the transmitting station by one-time communication is the same as that of the user designated as the destination. The number of copies is printed out. Then, a predetermined image indicating the identification information registered in association with each of the plurality of users designated as the transmission destinations is added to each image in which a plurality of copies are printed out.

[0015]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a functional block diagram showing the configuration of the facsimile apparatus according to this embodiment. As shown in this figure, the facsimile apparatus according to this embodiment includes a control unit 1, a ROM 2, a RAM 3, a backup power supply 4, a reading unit 5, a signal processing unit 6, a modem 7, an NCU 8, a dial signal generating circuit 9, a printing unit 10, An image memory 11, an operation display unit 12 and a clock unit 13 are provided, and the control unit 1 and RO
M2, RAM3, reading unit 5, signal processing unit 6, modem 7,
The NCU 8, dial signal generation circuit 9, printing unit 10, image memory 11, operation display unit 12, and clock unit 13 are connected to each other via a system bus 14. The backup power source 4 is connected to the RAM 3, and the NCU 8 is connected to the modem 7 and the dial signal generating circuit 9.

The control section 1 controls each section in a comprehensive manner to realize the operation as a facsimile apparatus. The ROM 2 stores the operation program of the control unit 1 and the like.

The RAM 3 is set with a job management area 3a, a dial number registration area 3b, a group number registration area 3c, etc., and is used for storing data necessary for the control unit 1 to perform various processes. It is a thing. The RAM 3 is maintained in operation by the backup power supply 4 even when the main power supply is off, and can hold the stored data. The job management area 3
a is an area for temporarily storing the data newly acquired or generated by the control unit 1. The dial number registration area 3b stores, for example, as shown in FIG. 2, one-touch calling information and speed dial calling information in which a callee name and a telephone number are set in association with one-touch numbers and abbreviated numbers. It is for keeping. As shown in FIG. 3, the group number registration area 3c is used for storing information in which a destination is represented by a one-touch number and an abbreviated number in association with a group number for designating a destination during relay broadcast. is there.

The reading unit 5 is, for example, an image scanner using a contact image sensor and generates image data corresponding to an image formed on a document.

The signal processing unit 6 encodes the image data generated by the reading unit 5 for redundancy compression to generate transmission data. Further, the signal processing unit 6, when operating as a relay station for relay broadcast communication, needs a process for changing the encoding method of transmission data that has already been encoded for redundancy compression. Do accordingly. In addition, the signal processing unit 6
Decodes the transmission data given from the modem 7 and reproduces the image data.

The modem 7 modulates the transmission data supplied from the signal processing unit 6 to generate a facsimile transmission signal, and sends the facsimile transmission signal to the communication line C such as a public telephone line via the NCU 8. Further, the modem 7 demodulates the facsimile transmission signal coming through the communication line C into transmission data.

The NCU 8 performs network control such as incoming call detection, closing of a DC loop, and detection of various control information.

The dial signal generating circuit 9 sends a dial signal to the exchange of the communication network through the communication line C when making a call.

The printing section 10 prints out an image corresponding to the image data given from the signal processing section 6 or the image memory 11 on a recording sheet.

The image memory 11 temporarily holds the transmission data generated by the signal processing unit 6 and the transmission data reproduced by the modem 7 as needed.

The operation display unit 12 is for receiving various user's instruction inputs to the control unit 1 and displaying various information to be notified to the user. The clock section 13 generates time information indicating the current time.

By the way, the control unit 1 has a microprocessor as a main control circuit, and in addition to well-known general control means in a facsimile apparatus, relay broadcast processing means 1
a, self-addressed original document print processing means 1b and destination information addition means 1c. Here, the relay broadcast processing means 1a
Is for controlling each unit in order to realize the operation as a relay station when the execution of the relay broadcast is designated by another facsimile apparatus. The self-addressed document print processing means 1b
When a document whose delivery destination is the own station is received while operating as a relay station for relay broadcast, a process for printing out the document is performed. Also, destination information adding means 1
c is a process for adding destination information to a document printed out by the process of the self-addressed document print processing unit 1b. Note that these processing means are actually the ROM 2
This is achieved by the microprocessor of the control unit 1 executing the operation program stored in.

Next, the operation of the facsimile apparatus configured as described above will be described. The facsimile apparatus according to the present embodiment operates normally with respect to transmission / reception in the same manner as a well-known facsimile apparatus, and therefore a description thereof will be omitted. Here, a case where the facsimile apparatus operates as a relay station for relay broadcast communication will be described in detail.

First, when the operation as a relay station of relay broadcast communication is requested, communication is performed by a well-known procedure as shown in FIG. 4 upon receiving a call from the relay instruction station which is the transmission source. At this time, the NSS signal is used to specify the execution of the relay broadcast and the group number indicating the distribution destination. Therefore, the control unit 1 causes the relay broadcast processing unit 1a to associate various kinds of information that can be acquired here with an arbitrary image file number, and FIG.
As shown in FIG. 3, the transmission data demodulated and reproduced by the modem 7 from the facsimile transmission signal sent from the relay instruction station after being stored in the job management area 3a are stored in the image memory 11 and the image file number is used. to manage.

When the communication with the relay instruction station is completed,
The control unit 1 performs the distribution process by the relay broadcast processing unit 1a in the procedure as shown in FIG. Here, as shown in FIG. 7, the transmitting station 71 becomes the relay instructing station, and this transmitting station 7
1 designates the facsimile apparatus of this embodiment as a relay station 72, and designates three users of the relay station 72 as destinations A1 and A, respectively.
2, A3, and the users of the receiving stations 73, 74, and 75 are designated as destinations B, C, and D, respectively. Then, as shown in FIG. 2, in the dial number registration area 3b, the names and telephone numbers of the destinations B, C and D are one-touch numbers "01", "02",
As "03", the names and telephone numbers of the destinations A1, A2, A3 are shortened numbers "97", "98",
The information set as "99" respectively and the one-touch numbers "01", "02", "03" and the abbreviated numbers "97", "98", "99" set as distribution destinations are shown in FIG. As shown, the group number "050" is set in the group number registration area 3c.

Now, the control unit 1 first starts with the job management area 3
Group number data (here, "050") indicating the delivery destination is input from the information stored in a (step S).
T1). Subsequently, the control unit 1 searches the group number registration area 3c using the input group number data,
The data of the first delivery destination (here, the name and telephone number of the receiving station 73) set to the corresponding group number is input (step ST2). Then, the control unit 1 determines whether or not the delivery destination indicated by the input delivery destination data is its own station (step ST3).

If the delivery destination is the receiving station 73, the delivery destination is not its own station. In this case, therefore, the control unit 1 reads the telephone number of the delivery destination from the dial number registration area 3b and sets the telephone number as the telephone number. The corresponding dial signal is sent to the dial signal generating circuit 9 to call the distribution destination (step ST4). When the delivery destination responds, the transmission data stored in the image memory 11 is sent to the communication line C via the NCU 8. At this time, if the signal form of the transmission data is not suitable for the distribution destination, the signal processing unit 6 processes the signal into a signal form suitable for the distribution destination, and then sends it out.

When the communication with one delivery destination is completed, the control unit 1 inputs the next delivery destination data (step ST6),
It is determined whether or not the distribution is completed (step ST
7). Here, if there is a delivery destination that has not been delivered yet, the control unit 1 inputs the data of the delivery destination in step ST6, and determines in step ST7 that the delivery has not ended. That is, when the communication with the receiving station 73 is completed, since the receiving station 74 exists as the next distribution destination, the control unit 1 inputs the name and the telephone number of the receiving station 74 in step ST6, and the step In ST7, it is determined that the distribution is not completed.

Then, when it is determined in step ST7 that the distribution has not ended, the control section 1 repeats the processing from step ST3. Therefore, communication is sequentially performed with the receiving station 74 and the receiving station 75, and the transmission data stored in the image memory 11 is given to the receiving station 74 and the receiving station 75.

When the communication with the receiving station 75 is completed, the control section 1 inputs the name and telephone number of the destination A1 in step ST6. In this case, the control unit 1 also repeats the processing after step ST3, but since the telephone number of the destination A1 is the telephone number of its own station, the control unit 1 determines in step ST3 that the delivery destination is its own station. It is determined that Then, the control unit 1 causes the destination information adding unit 1c to input the name of the distribution destination (the destination A in this case).
1) is created as the destination name and the destination information is created.
This is combined with the image indicated by the transmission data stored in the image memory 11 (step ST8). Specifically, for example, when the destination A1 is the delivery destination, 81 in FIG.
The destination information as shown by is created, and is combined with the top of the image received from the transmitting station 71 in the state as shown in FIG.

Subsequently, the control section 1 causes the self-addressed original document print processing means 1b to synthesize an image after the destination information is combined.
The printout is set to 0 (step ST9), and then the processing from step ST6 is repeated. Thus, with the delivery destinations of the destinations A2 and A3, the image in which the destination information 82 is combined as shown in FIG. 8B and the image in which the destination information 83 is combined as shown in FIG. 8C are sequentially printed. Is output.

When the processing for all the distribution destinations is completed and the next distribution data cannot be input in step ST6, the control unit 1 determines the distribution is completed in step ST7 and terminates the processing. That is, when the process of setting the delivery destination as the destination A3 ends, the control unit 1 ends the process.

As described above, according to the present embodiment, when a plurality of users of the facsimile apparatus according to the present embodiment are instructed to perform the relay broadcast designated as the distribution destination, the number of users designated as the distribution destination is set. The image of the number of copies corresponding to is printed out, and the destination information in which the name registered for each user is inserted is combined with the images of the plurality of copies to be printed out.

Accordingly, when the facsimile apparatus according to the present embodiment is shared by a plurality of users, if the same image is desired to be sent to a plurality of users among these users, the image for that is sent. It is possible to perform the transmission by one-time communication, reduce the labor of the operator of the transmitting station, minimize the communication time and the communication charge, and effectively perform the image transmission to a plurality of destinations. Moreover, the receiving-side operator can easily specify the destination of each image on a user-by-user basis based on the destination information combined with the image, and can easily and accurately distribute each image.

According to the present embodiment, the relay broadcast procedure that has been generally used in the past is used, the designation of the delivery destination is accepted by the group number, and the designation is made in advance in association with the group number. Since the delivery destination is determined based on the information, and the name included in the information registered in association with this group number is inserted into the destination information, the transmission side has a conventional relay broadcast function that has been used conventionally. Any facsimile machine may be used. Further, the facsimile apparatus according to the present embodiment can also utilize the conventional configuration for realizing the relay broadcast function, and thus can be realized by a slight improvement of the conventional facsimile apparatus.

The present invention is not limited to the above embodiment. For example, in the above-described embodiment, even when there is only one destination that is the distribution destination, the image in which the destination information is combined is printed out, but the distribution destination is the own destination. If there is only one, the image given from the transmitting station may be directly printed out without combining the destination information.

In the above embodiment, the destination information is combined with the image given by the transmitting station. However, an independent destination information image different from the image given by the transmitting station is generated and covered. It may be printed out as a page.

Besides, various modifications can be made without departing from the scope of the present invention.

[0043]

According to the present invention, the identification information of the transmission destination and the calling information are registered in association with the predetermined destination information, and the image sent from the transmission station is designated by the transmission station. In a facsimile apparatus that realizes a relay broadcast function by delivering to a transmission destination registered in association with the destination information, if the user of the own apparatus is included in the transmission destinations corresponding to the destination information. A print control unit that prints out an image sent from the transmission station, and the print control unit includes a plurality of users of the own device among the transmission destinations corresponding to the destination information. If so, the number of copies corresponding to the number of users is added to a predetermined image indicating the identification information registered corresponding to each user, and then the printing means prints it. When multiple device users are included, it is possible to reduce the communication time and communication charge and specify the distribution destination of the printed output image without transmitting and receiving character information with the transmission side. Thus, the facsimile device can surely prevent erroneous delivery.

[Brief description of drawings]

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

FIG. 2 is a diagram schematically showing an example of information registered in a dial number registration area 3b in FIG.

3 is a diagram schematically showing an example of information registered in a group number registration area 3c in FIG.

FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a communication procedure between a relay instruction station and a relay station (facsimile apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention).

FIG. 5 is a diagram schematically showing an example of data stored in a job management area 3a in FIG. 1 when receiving an instruction to perform relay broadcast.

FIG. 6 is a flowchart showing a processing procedure of the control unit 1 at the time of distribution processing during relay broadcast.

FIG. 7 is a diagram showing an example of an implementation form of a relay broadcast function achieved by using the facsimile apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention as a relay station.

FIG. 8 is a diagram showing an example of an image to be printed out when its own station is designated as a relay broadcast distribution destination.

FIG. 9 is a diagram illustrating a conventional technique.

FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating a conventional technique.

FIG. 11 is a diagram illustrating a conventional technique.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Control section 1a ... Relay broadcast processing means 1b ... Self-addressed document print processing means 1c ... Destination information adding means 2 ... ROM 3 ... RAM 3a ... Job management area 3b ... Dial number registration area 3c ... Group number registration area 4 ... Backup power supply 5 ... Reading unit 6 ... Signal processing unit 7 ... Modem 8 ... NCU 9 ... Dial signal generation circuit 10 ... Printing unit 11 ... Image memory 12 ... Operation display unit 13 ... Clock unit 14 ... System bus

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. Identification information of a transmission destination and calling information are registered in association with predetermined destination information, and an image sent from a transmitting station is associated with destination information designated by the transmitting station. In a facsimile device that realizes a relay broadcast function by delivering to a registered transmission destination, if the user of the own device is included in the transmission destinations corresponding to the destination information, the transmission from the transmission station is performed. If a plurality of users of the own device are included in the transmission means corresponding to the destination information and a printing unit that prints out the received image, the number of copies corresponding to the number of users corresponds to each user. And a print control unit that causes the printing unit to print after adding a predetermined image indicating the registered identification information.