JPH09312698A - Facsimile equipment - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To allow the facsimile equipment to effectively use a line. SOLUTION: The facsimile equipment 1 is connected to an automatic answering telephone set 2 mounted externally and having an automatic answering function. A MODEM 7 is connected to a control section 3 (CPU 3) of the facsimile equipment 1 via a data bus 5. The MODEM 7 incorporates a pushbutton(PB) signal detection means 7a. When a ten-key '#2' is depressed from a caller station during recording of a caller message by the telephone set 2 and a PB signal detection means 7 detects it, the CPU 3 makes the facsimile equipment 1 standby without connecting a telephone line 11 to the facsimile equipment 1 after the end of recording.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a facsimile apparatus to which a telephone having an answering machine is connected.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Generally, some facsimile machines can be connected to an external telephone. When a telephone with an answering machine is connected to such a fax machine, when a call comes in, the message of the other party (calling side) is recorded after a message was recorded on the answering machine in advance indicating that the message was recorded. After the recording is completed, when the silent state is detected for a predetermined time and the telephone goes on-hook, the facsimile reception is automatically switched. Therefore, at this time, if the calling side makes a facsimile transmission, it is automatically received.

[0003]

Conventionally, in a facsimile apparatus to which a telephone having an answering machine is connected, the telephone goes on-hook after recording a message on the calling side. The facsimile machine detects the on-hook, automatically connects the line to the facsimile machine side, and shifts to a facsimile reception operation (transmits a facsimile reception procedure signal). However, when the calling side makes a phone call only for the purpose of calling, the calling side puts the handset (puts it on-hook) when it finishes speaking the message. On
The facsimile reception procedure signal is unnecessarily transmitted for a fixed time (about 35 seconds) from the detection of the hook to the timeout, that is, the line is occupied by the facsimile device. Therefore, during this period, the called side cannot perform facsimile transmission / reception, which causes a problem that the facsimile device cannot effectively use the line.

[0004]

In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, a solution means taken by the present invention is to switch a line transmitted from a calling side in a facsimile apparatus to which an external telephone having an answering machine is connected. It is provided with a signal detecting means for detecting a signal, and a control section for judging whether or not to connect the line from the telephone to the facsimile apparatus side based on the detection result of the signal detecting means.

According to the above-mentioned solving means, when the line switching signal is sent from the calling side after the call is ended, the signal detecting means detects this and sends the detection result to the control section. As a result, the control unit keeps the line connected to the telephone side or switches the line from the telephone side to the facsimile side. If the line is still connected to the telephone, the facsimile machine holds the standby state, and if the line is connected from the telephone to the facsimile machine side, the facsimile reception operation starts.

[0006]

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION Embodiments of the present invention will be described below in detail with reference to the drawings. The elements common to the drawings are given the same reference numerals. FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a facsimile apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is an external view showing a facsimile apparatus and a telephone having an answering machine function according to the embodiment.

The facsimile machine 1 has an answering machine 2 (hereinafter referred to as a telephone 2) having an external answering machine function.
Is connected. If the telephone set 2 does not pick up the handset (does not go off-hook) when the call is received, the telephone set 2 sends a prerecorded response message to the calling station and records a message from the calling station. The facsimile apparatus 1 has a control unit 3 (CPU 3), and the CPU 3 has an interface circuit 6 via an address bus 4 and a data bus 5.
Is also connected, and the modem 7 is connected via the data bus 5.

The modem 7 contains a push button (PB) signal detecting means 7a and a call signal (CNG signal) detecting means 7b. In the facsimile device 1, for example, a tone signal generated by pressing the ten key "# 2" of the calling side telephone is registered in advance. Therefore, when the telephone 2 is recording a message on the calling side (the facsimile apparatus 1 is in a standby state), the ten-key "# 2" is pressed from the calling station and the PB signal detecting means 7a detects this. After the recording is completed, the CPU 3 does not switch the telephone line 11 to the facsimile apparatus 1 side (without connecting it) and keeps the standby state. The tone signal of "# 2" registered in the facsimile device 1 is an example, and the tone signal is not limited to this signal.

The interface circuit 6 is connected to the above-mentioned modem 7, switching device 9 and on / off hook detector 10 by a control line 8. The CPU 3 connects the modem 7 and switching device 9 via the interface circuit 6. , And the operation of the on / off hook detector 10. The switch 9 switches the telephone line 11 to the telephone 2 or the facsimile apparatus 1 side, and the on / off hook detector detects the on-hook and the off-hook of the telephone 2. Telephone 2, switch 9,
And the output of the on / off hook detector 10 is the transformer 1
2 is input to the modem.

The telephone 2 of the present embodiment has a function of detecting a silent state (state in which nothing is being spoken), and when a silent period is detected during off-hook and a predetermined time elapses, the telephone 2 is automatically operated. Goes on hook.

Next, the facsimile apparatus 1 of the present embodiment
Will be described with reference to FIGS. 3 to 5. 3 is an explanatory diagram showing a signal sequence when the facsimile communication of the embodiment is not performed, that is, when the calling station makes a call only for the purpose of talking, FIG. 4 is a flowchart in the embodiment, and FIG. 5 is a flowchart of the embodiment. It is explanatory drawing which shows the signal sequence in the case of facsimile communication.

First, the case where the calling station makes a call only for the purpose of talking will be described.

When the telephone 2 detects the ring signal (Ri signal) (step S1), the telephone 2 goes into the off-hook state and starts sending a prerecorded response message (step S2). This response message is, for example, "Yes, XX. I am out of the office right now. Please speak when the signal tone sounds. Please send FAX. If you do not send FAX, please use"# 2 "on the telephone.
Please press. "

Subsequent to the reply message, the telephone set 2 starts recording a message from the calling station. Therefore, when the caller does not carry out facsimile communication, the PB signal "# 2" is transmitted by the ten key of the telephone of the calling station after the message recording is completed. On the other hand, the PB signal detecting means 7a of the facsimile apparatus 1 monitors the CNG signal and the PB signal "# 2" while the telephone 2 is off hook (the telephone 2 is recording a message) (steps S3 to S6). .

The PB signal detecting means 7a causes the PB signal "# 2".
Is detected (step S4), the detection result is the CPU
3 and the CPU 3 shifts to the on-hook detection route of the telephone 2 (step S5). The CPU 3 turns on / off the telephone 2 via the on / off hook detector 10.
When it is detected that the hook has been set, the telephone line 11 is kept connected to the telephone 2 and the facsimile apparatus 1 is put in a standby state in preparation for the next facsimile reception.

Next, the case where the calling station carries out facsimile communication after a call, that is, the case where the PB signal "# 2" is not transmitted from the calling station after the message recording is completed will be described. The operation from the detection of the Ri signal by the telephone 2 to the end of the message recording is the same as described above, and will be omitted.

After the message recording is completed, when the facsimile device 1 detects the silent state and the telephone 2 goes on hook, the process proceeds from step S6 to step S7. That is, CP
Controlled by U3, the switch 9 switches the telephone line 11 from the telephone 2 to the side of the facsimile apparatus 1 and sends out a facsimile signal.

More specifically, the facsimile machine 1 (called station)
Sends a non-standard device signal (NSF signal), a called station identification signal (CSI signal), and a digital identification signal (DIS signal) to notify the calling station of its own function. The calling station receives these signals and specifies the transmission mode by the transmission terminal identification signal (TSI signal) and the digital command signal (DCS signal). Subsequently, the modem training signal and the training check signal (TCF signal) are transmitted. The called station checks the state of the transmission line with the TCF signal, and returns a reception preparation confirmation signal (CFR signal) if there is no bit error.

Upon receipt of the CFR signal, the calling station sends an image signal (step S8). If the procedure end signal (EOP signal) is transmitted and the message confirmation signal (MCF signal) is received from the called station after the transmission of the image signal, if it is the final page,
A disconnection command signal (DCN signal) is sent to restore the telephone line 11. The CPU 3 of the called station controls the switch 9 to open the telephone line 11 from the side of the facsimile apparatus 1 to connect to the telephone 2, and the communication is completed. Therefore, the facsimile machine 1 returns to the standby state (step S10).

When the calling station is only for facsimile communication, when a CNG signal is sent from the calling station, step S
It progresses from 3 to step S7. Since the operation after step S7 is as described above, the description is omitted.

In the present embodiment, when the calling side is making a call only for the purpose of making a call, after the telephone set has finished recording the message, the calling party presses the ten-key pad of the telephone set to cause the calling party to send out a PB signal. It is possible to prevent the facsimile apparatus 1 from unnecessarily sending out a procedure signal for facsimile reception after the end of the response message of the telephone 2 on the calling side.

In the present embodiment, the calling side telephone set is described as a push button type telephone set, but the calling side telephone set may be a rotary dial type telephone set. In this case, since the calling side cannot send out the PB signal, for example, the number of sounds (pulses) generated in the telephone when the caller turns the dial "2" to return the dial to the original side is called. It is also possible to detect that a call is being made only for the purpose of making a call, by counting the time in step 1 or measuring the time until the dial returns to its original state. As a result, the type of telephone set on the calling side is not restricted.

In the present embodiment, the PB signal detecting means 7a
Is built in the modem 7, but may be outside the modem 7.

The present invention is not limited to the above embodiment. For example, after the facsimile machine with a telephone on the called side finishes recording a message from the calling station, the mode in which the telephone line is automatically switched to the facsimile machine side (mode A), and after the message recording from the calling station is finished. An example will be described in which a line switching signal is used in a facsimile machine having two modes, that is, a mode (mode B) in which a line is switched to the facsimile machine side after waiting for an instruction from the calling side.

If the mode A is set in the facsimile apparatus, the line switching signal (for example, the tone signal of "# 2") sent from the calling side is sent in the same manner as in the above-mentioned embodiment.
It is used as a signal to put the facsimile in the standby state without connecting the telephone line to the facsimile machine side. Further, if mode B is set, the line switching signal can be used as a signal for connecting the telephone line from the telephone to the side of the facsimile device, contrary to the above-described embodiment. However, in the case of Mode B, "Please give me a message. Please press"# 2 "and then start sending or press"# 2 "after the message." It is necessary to send a different response message.

As described above, it is possible to switch the telephone line of the called side from the telephone to the side of the facsimile device or not to switch the line by the line switching signal transmitted from the calling side.

[0027]

As described in detail above, the present invention provides
By determining whether or not the line is connected from the telephone to the facsimile, depending on the presence or absence of the line switching signal sent from the calling side. When a telephone call is made at, the facsimile machine side (called side) does not occupy the line by the facsimile machine after the message on the calling side ends. Therefore, the facsimile machine can effectively use the line.

[Brief description of drawings]

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

FIG. 2 is an external view showing a facsimile device and a telephone according to the embodiment.

FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram showing a signal sequence of the embodiment.

FIG. 4 is a flowchart of the embodiment.

FIG. 5 is an explanatory diagram showing a signal sequence of the embodiment.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1 Facsimile device 2 Answering machine 3 CPU 7a PB signal detecting means

Claims (2)

[Claims] 1. In a facsimile apparatus to which a telephone having an answering machine is connected, a signal detecting means for detecting a line switching signal sent from a calling side, and a line from the telephone according to the detection result of the signal detecting means. A facsimile apparatus comprising: a control unit that determines whether or not the facsimile apparatus is connected. 2. The facsimile apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the line switching signal is a signal transmitted by a predetermined key or dial of the calling side telephone.