JPH09307688A - Facsimile control system - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide the facsimile control system in which high speed print processing of image data is conducted and its memory is effectively utilized. SOLUTION: A monitor program checks whether or not a facsimile equipment has received data (S21), and in the case of the presence of the received data (S22: Yes), the program acts like reading the received data and storing the data to a hard disk (S23). Then a received log (log data) are registered in a log file via a log manager program (S24). After the registration of the log data, a setting state of an automatic print switch is checked (S25), and when the switch is closed (S26: Yes), a new print log (log data) is registered in the log file via the log manager program corresponding to the received image data to print out the received image data (S27).

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

The present invention relates to transmitting image data to a facsimile device connected to a host device,
The present invention relates to a facsimile control system for printing image data using the facsimile device.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In recent years, a facsimile device is connected to a host device such as a personal computer to enable transmission / reception of data from the personal computer to another facsimile device, or a facsimile device connected to the personal computer is connected to the personal computer. Systems have been developed to be used as printers and scanners in. This system has an advantage that not only the facsimile function but also the scanner function and the printer function can be used only by connecting the facsimile device to the personal computer. In this system, a facsimile machine connected to the personal computer is controlled by a control program supplied to the personal computer.

FIG. 4 shows a functional block diagram of such a system. The personal computer 1 is equipped with an RS-232C standard input / output port 2, and is connected to the facsimile apparatus 7 via this input / output port 2. The personal computer 1 is mainly composed of an application program 6, a driver program 5, a hard disk 4, a monitor program 3, and the input / output port 2 described above. The application program 6 is a program that a user directly operates, and is a log that manages a viewer program 6a that displays data contents on the screen and a communication history with the facsimile device 7 connected to the personal computer 1 using a log file 6c. A manager program 6b and the like are provided.

The log manager program 6b creates log data for each communication and registers the created log data in the log file 6c to manage the communication history. The log data includes an address at which image data transmitted / received to / from the facsimile device 7 is stored in the hard disk 4, that is, a file name of the image data, transmission / reception (communication) time, transmission / reception discrimination, and input / output. Format, and whether it has been processed or not are included.

The address referred to here is
It does not indicate a specific sector and track number on the hard disk 4. A known basic OS (operating system) manages all of the files stored in each storage unit on the hard disk 4. Therefore, if at least the file name is referenced from each program, It is possible to confirm in which storage unit on the hard disk 4 the image data with the file name is stored. That is, in that sense, the file name indicates an address on the hard disk.

The distinction between transmission and reception is distinction between transmission and reception mainly by the personal computer 1. When image data is transmitted from the personal computer 1 to the facsimile machine 7, it is transmitted, and conversely, from the facsimile machine 7 to the personal computer 1. When the image data is transmitted to, it is regarded as reception. Therefore, in the case of transmission, the image data transmitted to the facsimile device 7 may be printed by the facsimile device 7 or may be transmitted to another facsimile device. On the other hand, in the case of reception, the image data received by facsimile may be transmitted to the personal computer 1 or the image data read by the scanner of the facsimile device 7 may be transmitted to the personal computer 1. The input / output formats are scanner (SCAN), facsimile (FAX), print (PRIN
There are three). If the input / output format is a scanner (SCAN), the distinction between transmission and reception is always reception, and if it is printing (PRINT), it is transmission. I / O format is facsimile
In the case of (FAX), the distinction between transmission and reception is transmission or reception. Although the log file 6c is shown separately from the hard disk 4 in the functional configuration diagram of FIG. 4, it is actually provided in the hard disk 4.

The driver program 5 is a program that is interposed between the application program 6 and the facsimile apparatus 7 to assist the transmission and reception of data between them. The access method for the facsimile device 7 connected to the personal computer 1 differs depending on the hardware configuration of the facsimile device 7 and the personal computer 1. However, since it is difficult to change the access method of the application program 6 for each of the different environments, the driver program 5 is interposed between the application program 6 and the facsimile apparatus 7 so that the access method from the application program 6 is unified. On the other hand, on the other hand, the different access method for each environment is made to correspond by the driver program 5.

The driver program 5 interposed between the facsimile apparatus 7 includes a scanner driver 5a and a FAX.
There are three drivers, a driver 5b and a printer driver 5c. The scanner driver 5a is a driver program when the facsimile device 7 is used as a scanner device.
The FAX driver 5b is a driver program used when the data stored in the personal computer 1 is transmitted from the facsimile device 7 to another facsimile device through a telephone line. The printer driver 5c is
This is a driver program when the facsimile machine 7 is used as a printer.

The monitor program 3 is a program for managing the input / output port 2 connected to the facsimile apparatus 7 and for converting the format of data transmitted / received to / from the facsimile apparatus 7. 5 is interposed. The monitor program 3 can refer to the auto print switch 3a. When the image data received by facsimile is transmitted from the facsimile device 7 and received by the personal computer 1, the auto print switch 3a determines whether or not the image data is transmitted from the personal computer 1 to the facsimile device 7 for printing. It is a switch on the software to be set.

When the auto print switch 3a is turned on, the personal computer 1, upon receiving the image data received by facsimile, stores the image data in the hard disk 4 and also prints it. That is, the image data received by facsimile and transmitted to the personal computer 1 is transmitted to the facsimile device 7 and printed. On the other hand, when the auto print switch 3a is off, the personal computer 1 only receives the image data received by facsimile and does not print the image data. That is, the image data received by facsimile and transmitted to the personal computer 1 is not transmitted to the facsimile device 7 and is not printed. Although the auto print switch 3a is shown separately from the hard disk 4 in the functional configuration diagram of FIG.
It is provided within.

Now, with reference to FIG. 5 to FIG. 8, an operation in which the image data received by facsimile is temporarily taken into the personal computer 1 and the image data is printed by the facsimile apparatus 7 will be described. Note that FIG. 5 is a diagram showing the flow of instructions (messages) and data. In FIG. 5, dotted arrows indicate the flow of instructions (messages), and solid arrows indicate the flow of data. . In FIG. 5, the flow of data etc. by the received data automatic printing process of FIG. 6 is shown by L1 to L13, and the flow of data etc. by the print data transmitting process of FIG. 7 is M1 to M7.
Indicated by Further, FIG. 8 is a diagram showing a state in which the contents of the log file 6c are displayed on the screen of the personal computer 1.

The monitor program 3 periodically executes the received data automatic printing process shown in FIG. In this process, the monitor program 3 first checks whether or not the facsimile device 7 has received data (L1, S).
61). As a result of the check, if the facsimile device 7 has received data (S62: Yes), the facsimile device 7
The received data is read from (L2) and stored in the hard disk 4 (L3, S63). Facsimile machine 7
Since the received data sent from the device is MMR compressed data to which the AT command is added, the monitor program 3 excludes the AT command and outputs the received data to the MMR system.
It is converted into compressed data of the method and stored in the hard disk 4. The compressed data format is MH (Modified Huf
fman) method, MR (Modified READ (Relative Element A
ddress Designate)) method and MMR (Modified M
There are three methods, R), but in this system MM
The R method shall be used.

After that, the monitor program 3 registers the reception log (log data) in the log file 6c via the log manager program 6b (L4, L5, S6).
4). FIG. 8A shows a state in which this reception log is registered as data of ID number "2". As shown in FIG. 8A, the data received by the facsimile device 7 and stored in the hard disk 4 of the personal computer 1 has a file name of “yyy.btx”.

The monitor program 3 has a log file 6c.
When the reception log (log data) is registered in, the automatic print switch 3a is accessed to check the setting state (L6, L7, S65). If the auto print switch 3a is set to off (S66: No), this process ends. On the other hand, if the automatic print switch 3a is set to ON (S66: Yes), the print log (log data) and the image data to be printed (" zzz.btx ”) is created.

The monitor program 3 reads the received data stored in the hard disk 4 in the process of S63 (L
8, S67), the read compressed data of the MMR method is converted into bit data and drawn on the printer driver 5c (L9, S68). The printer driver 5c converts the drawn data into MMR compressed data which is an input format of the monitor program 3 and stores it in the hard disk 4 (L10, S69), and the address of the stored data is stored in the monitor program 3. Notify (L
11, S70).

The monitor program 3 registers the print log (log data) relating to the image data newly created by the printer driver 5c in the log file 6c via the log manager program 6b (L12, L).
13, S71), and this process ends. As shown in FIG. 8B, the newly registered print log is displayed on the screen as data of ID number “3”. The image data newly created for printing is stored in the hard disk 4 with a file name of "zzz.btx". Since the created image data has not been printed yet, "x" is displayed in the "processed" column to indicate unprocessed.

In the processing of S61, as a result of checking whether or not the facsimile device 7 has received data (L1, S61), if the facsimile device 7 has no received data (S62: No), the monitor program 3
After sleeping for a predetermined time (waiting for a predetermined time) (S72), it again checks whether or not there is received data in the facsimile device 7 (S61).

The print data (“zzz.btx”) created by the above-described reception data automatic printing process of FIG. 6 is transmitted to the facsimile device 7 by the print data transmission process of FIG. 7 and printed by the facsimile device 7. It The print data transmission process of FIG. 7 is periodically executed by the monitor program 3.

In this process, first, the monitor program 3
Checks the presence or absence of image data to be printed by referring to the log file 6c via the log manager program 6b (M1, M2, S81). As a result of the confirmation, if there is image data to be printed (S82: Yes), the log data is read (M3, S83). The monitor program 3 reads the image data to be printed (“zzz.btx”) from the hard disk 4 (M4) based on the read log data, and sends the read image data to the facsimile device 7. It is converted to MMR compressed data with AT command added, which is a possible output format (S84). After that, the monitor program 3 sends the converted data together with a print instruction to the facsimile device 7 (M5, S85).
Upon receiving the data transmitted from the personal computer 1 (via the monitor program 3 via the input / output port 2), the facsimile apparatus 7 receives the received image data ("zzz" based on the print instruction received together with the data). .btx ”) is printed.

After transmitting the image data to the facsimile apparatus 7, the monitor program 3 informs the log manager program 6b that the transmission of the print data is completed (M6, S86). The log manager program 6b that has received the notification updates the print log (log data) and adds the processed attribute to the transmitted log data (M7, S87). As a result, as shown in FIG. 8C, "O" is displayed in the processed column of the log data having the ID number "3" to inform the user that the printing is completed.

In the process of S81, if there is no image data to be printed (S82: No), the monitor program 3 sleeps the process for a predetermined time (waits for a predetermined time) (S88) and then prints. It is confirmed whether or not there is image data to be processed (S81).

[0022]

However, in the reception data automatic printing process (FIG. 6) and the print data transmission process (FIG. 7) described above, the image data to be printed (“yy
y.btx ”) is stored in the hard disk 4, but the same image data (“ zzz.btx ”) is newly created, and the newly created image data (“ zz
z.btx ”) was sent to the facsimile device 7 for printing. Therefore, there is a problem in that the printing process takes a long time. Further, the same image data is redundantly stored in the hard disk 4, and there is a problem that the memory is wasted.

The present invention has been made to solve the above-mentioned problems, and provides a facsimile control system capable of performing printing processing of image data at high speed and effectively using a memory. Is intended.

[0024]

In order to achieve this object, a facsimile control system according to claim 1 is provided in a host device and transmits image data to a facsimile device connected to the host device, The image data is printed by the facsimile device, and the image data transmitted from the facsimile device and received by the host device is stored in correspondence with the storage device and the image data stored in the storage device. , A log file storing the log data such as the attribute of the image data and the address where the image data is stored, and when the host device receives the image data, new log data is created in correspondence with the received image data. To the log file, and the log registration means. A transmission printing unit that transmits the image data stored in the storage unit to the facsimile device and prints the image data stored in the storage unit based on the new log data registered in the log file by the recording unit. There is.

According to the facsimile control system of the present invention, when the image data is transmitted from the facsimile device and received by the host device, the image data is stored in the storage means, and corresponding to the image data, The attribute of the image data and the address where the image data is stored are stored in the log file as the reception log data. Then, the log registration means registers new print log data in the log file in correspondence with the image data, and the transmission print means stores the image data based on the newly registered log data. The print data is transmitted to a facsimile machine and printed by the facsimile machine. That is,
Image data transmitted from the facsimile machine and received by the host machine is newly transmitted to the facsimile machine,
When printing with the facsimile machine, although log data is newly registered for printing, existing data is used as image data to be printed.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, in the facsimile control system according to the first aspect, when the corresponding image data is transmitted to the facsimile apparatus by the transmission printing means, it has been already transmitted. It is provided with an attribute adding means for adding an identifiable attribute to the attribute of the corresponding log data.

According to a third aspect of the present invention, in the facsimile control system according to the first or second aspect, the attribute of the log data newly registered by the log registration means is an image corresponding to the log data. An attribute indicating that the data is to be printed by the facsimile device is included, and the transmission printing unit, when the attribute of the log data is intended for printing by the facsimile device, The image data corresponding to the log data is transmitted to the facsimile machine as print data.

[0028]

Preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the facsimile control system of the present embodiment, a facsimile device 7 is connected to a personal computer 1 as a host device, and its control program, that is, an application program 6, a driver program 5, and a monitor program 3, It is supplied to the personal computer 1. Since the configuration of this system is the same as that already described in the prior art based on FIG. 4, the same parts are designated by the same reference numerals, and the description thereof will be omitted. Note that the contents of the monitor program 3 are improved in this embodiment.

With reference to FIG. 1 to FIG. 3 and FIG. 7, the operation when the image data received by facsimile is temporarily taken into the personal computer 1 and the image data is printed by the facsimile apparatus 7 will be described. Note that FIG. 1 is a diagram showing the flow of instructions (messages) and data. In FIG. 1, dotted arrows indicate the flow of instructions (messages), and solid arrows indicate the flow of data. . In FIG. 1, flows of data and the like by the reception data automatic printing process of FIG. 2 are shown by K1 to K9, and flows of data and the like by the print data transmitting process of FIG. 7 are shown by M1 to M7. Further, FIG. 3 is a diagram showing a state in which the contents of the log file 6c are displayed on the screen of the personal computer 1.

The monitor program 3 periodically executes the received data automatic printing process shown in FIG. In this process, first, the monitor program 3 checks whether or not the facsimile device 7 has received data (K1, S).
21). As a result of the check, if the facsimile device 7 has received data (S22: Yes), the facsimile device 7
The received data is read from (K2) and stored in the hard disk 4 (K3, S23). Facsimile machine 7
Since the received data sent from the device is MMR compressed data to which the AT command is added, the monitor program 3 excludes the AT command and outputs the received data to the MMR system.
It is converted into compressed data of the method and stored in the hard disk 4. The compressed data format is MH (Modified Huf
fman) method, MR (Modified READ (Relative Element A
ddress Designate)) method and MMR (Modified M
There are three methods, R), but in this system MM
The R method shall be used.

After that, the monitor program 3 registers the reception log (log data) in the log file 6c via the log manager program 6b (K4, K5, S2).
4). A state in which this reception log is registered as data of ID number "2" is shown in FIG. 3 (a). As shown in FIG. 3A, the data received by the facsimile device 7 and stored in the hard disk 4 of the personal computer 1 has a file name “yyy.btx”.

The monitor program 3 has a log file 6c.
When the reception log (log data) is registered in, the auto print switch 3a is accessed and the setting state is checked (K6, K7, S25). If the auto print switch 3a is set to OFF (S26: No), this process ends. On the other hand, if the auto print switch 3a is set to ON (S26: Yes), a new print log (log data) is output to the log file via the log manager program 6b in order to print the received image data. Register to 6c (K8, K9, S2
7), this process ends. Since the image data to be printed is the image data already stored in the hard disk 4, only the log data is newly registered in the process of S27, and the existing data is used as the image data to be printed. That is, as shown in FIG. 3B, the newly registered print log (log data) is ID
It is displayed on the screen as the data of number "3",
The file referenced by the log data is the existing `` yyy.
btx ”. Since the processing (printing) of the created print log has not been performed yet, “x” is displayed in the “processed” column to indicate unprocessed.

In the processing of S21, as a result of checking whether or not the facsimile device 7 has received data (K1, S21), if the facsimile device 7 has no received data (S22: No), the monitor program 3
After sleeping for a predetermined time (waiting for the lapse of a predetermined time) (S28), the facsimile machine 7 again checks whether or not there is received data (S21).

Based on the print log (log data) newly created by the received data automatic printing process of FIG.
Corresponding image data (“yyy.btx”) is transmitted to the facsimile device 7 by the print data transmission process of FIG. 7 and printed by the facsimile device 7. The print data transmission process of FIG. 7 is periodically executed by the monitor program 3.

In this process, first, the monitor program 3
Checks the presence or absence of image data to be printed by referring to the log file 6c via the log manager program 6b (M1, M2, S81). As a result of the confirmation, if there is image data to be printed (S82: Yes), the log data is read (M3, S83). The monitor program 3 reads the image data (“yyy.btx”) to be printed from the hard disk 4 (M4) based on the read log data, and the AT is an output format that can be transmitted to the facsimile apparatus 7. Conversion to MMR compressed data with command added (S8)
4). After that, the monitor program 3 transmits the converted image data to the facsimile device 7 together with a print instruction (M5, S85). Facsimile device 7 that receives data transmitted from personal computer 1 (via monitor program 3 via input / output port 2)
Prints the received image data (“yyy.btx”) based on the print instruction received together with the data.

After transmitting the image data to the facsimile device 7, the monitor program 3 informs the log manager program 6b that the transmission of the print data is completed (M6, S86). The log manager program 6b that has received the notification updates the print log (log data) and adds the processed attribute to the transmitted log data (M7, S87). As a result, as shown in FIG. 3C, "O" is displayed in the processed column of the log data with the ID number "3" to inform the user that the printing is completed.

In the process of S81, if there is no image data to be printed (S82: No), the monitor program 3 sleeps the process for a predetermined time (waits for a predetermined time) (S88) and then prints. It is confirmed whether or not there is image data to be processed (S81).

As described above, according to the facsimile control system of the present embodiment, when the image data received by facsimile is temporarily taken into the personal computer 1, and the image data is transmitted to the facsimile device 7 for printing. Automatically creates a print log (log data) and uses the existing received image data as the image data to be printed (since new image data is not created), the received data is automatically printed. The processing (FIG. 2) can be performed at high speed. Moreover, since the same image data is not stored in the hard disk 4 in duplicate, the memory of the hard disk 4 can be effectively used. Further, since log data is newly created without newly creating print data as described above, transmission / reception with the facsimile apparatus 7 can be reliably managed for each transmission / reception.

A personal computer 1 corresponds to the host device according to any one of claims 1 to 3 in this embodiment,
The storage unit corresponds to the hard disk 4, the log registration unit corresponds to the process of S27 (FIG. 2), and the transmission printing unit corresponds to the processes of S83 to S85 (FIG. 7). Further, as an attribute adding means according to claim 2, S87
The process (FIG. 7) corresponds to.

The present invention has been described above based on the embodiments, but the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments, and various improvements and modifications can be made without departing from the spirit of the present invention. Is easily guessed.

For example, in the present embodiment, the present invention is applied when printing is performed using the facsimile device 7, but the present invention is applied when data transmitted to the facsimile device 7 is transmitted to another facsimile device. It is also possible to do so. The present invention can also be applied to a case where the image data once transmitted to the facsimile device 7 and printed is transmitted again to the facsimile device 7 and printed.

[0042]

According to the facsimile control system of the present invention, when the image data transmitted from the facsimile device and received by the host device is newly transmitted to the facsimile device and is printed by the facsimile device, the Therefore, although the log data is newly registered, the existing image data is used as the image data to be printed. Therefore, compared with the conventional case where not only the log data but also the image data is newly created, the printing process of the image data can be performed at high speed and the memory can be effectively used. effective.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a flow of data and instructions of a received data printing process in a facsimile control system according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a flowchart showing a received data automatic printing process.

FIG. 3 is a diagram showing how the contents of a log file are displayed on the screen of a personal computer.

FIG. 4 is a functional configuration diagram of a facsimile control system in the related art.

FIG. 5 is a diagram showing the flow of received data printing processing and instructions in a conventional facsimile control system.

FIG. 6 is a flowchart showing a received data automatic printing process in a conventional technique.

FIG. 7 is a flowchart showing a print data transmission process.

FIG. 8 is a diagram showing a state in which the contents of a log file in the related art are displayed on the screen of a personal computer.

[Explanation of symbols]

1 Personal Computer (Host Device) 2 Input / Output Port 3 Monitor Program 3a Auto Print Switch 4 Hard Disk (Storage Unit) 6b Log Manager Program 6c Log File 7 Facsimile Device

──────────────────────────────────────────────────続 き Continued on the front page (51) Int.Cl. ⁶ Identification code Agency reference number FI Technical display location H04N 1/32 H04N 1/32 Z

Claims (3)

[Claims] 1. A facsimile control system provided in the host device for transmitting image data to a facsimile device connected to a host device and causing the facsimile device to print the image data, wherein the facsimile device transmits the image data. Storage means for storing the image data received by the host device, and log data such as an attribute of the image data and an address at which the image data is stored corresponding to the image data stored in the storage means. A log file, and when the host device receives image data, log registration means for registering new log data in the log file in correspondence with the received image data, and the log file by the log registration means. Registered new log data Zui, the facsimile control system sends image data to the facsimile apparatus, characterized by comprising a transmitting printing unit to perform printing in the facsimile apparatus are stored in the storage means. 2. When the corresponding image data is transmitted to the facsimile apparatus by the transmission printing unit, an attribute adding unit that adds an attribute that can be identified as already transmitted to the attribute of the corresponding log data is provided. The facsimile control system according to claim 1, further comprising: 3. The attribute of the log data newly registered by the log registration means includes an attribute indicating that the image data corresponding to the log data is to be printed by the facsimile device. When the attribute of the log data is intended for printing by the facsimile device, the transmission printing means transmits image data corresponding to the log data to the facsimile device as print data. The facsimile control system according to claim 1 or 2.