JPH0936978A - Facsimile equipment - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To immediately return a facsimile mode caused by an erroneous operation to a speech mode by providing a means for forcedly switching the facsimile mode to the speech mode corresponding to the specified hook operation of an external telephone set. SOLUTION: In a manual reception mode, when a ringer signal is received, the ring back tone of an external telephone set 8 is rung and when a hand set is picked up, speech due to the speech mode is performed through a telephone line with the call originating side. When the remote button of the external telephone set 8 or the transmission key of an operation display part 6 is depressed during the speech mode, a communication mode is switched from the speech mode to the facsimile mode. In order to return the communication mode to the speech mode in this case, the hook of the external telephone set 8 is temporarily depressed and immediately detached. When an on-hook/off-hook signal from a hook detector 9 is received and the state change of on-hook and off-hook is detected within the time from 0.1 second to 1 second, a CPU 1 switches the communication mode from the facsimile mode to the speech mode.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a facsimile machine to which an external telephone is connected and a telephone line is switched from the external telephone to a facsimile machine by a remote switching signal from the external telephone.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In a facsimile apparatus having a function of connecting an external telephone, a ringing tone of the external telephone is generated when a call signal from a call destination is received in a manual reception mode.

When the operator lifts the handset of the external telephone to go off-hook, the conversation mode in which the caller can talk is established. When the destination is a facsimile machine, the operator presses the remote button on the external telephone.

When the remote button of the external telephone is pressed, a remote switching signal is sent from the external telephone to the facsimile machine on the receiving side, the telephone line is connected to the facsimile machine on the receiving side, and the facsimile mode is set. As a result, communication is performed between the facsimile machine on the transmitting side and the facsimile machine on the receiving side.

In such a facsimile machine,
When a voice signal or a noise signal containing the same frequency component as the remote switching signal is sent during a call in the conversation mode, the communication mode may be switched to the facsimile mode.

Further, when the call destination is a facsimile machine and the operator presses the remote button of the external telephone, but the facsimile machine does not detect it, the operator drops the handset and goes on hook. Then, the telephone line is opened and facsimile communication cannot be performed.

Therefore, when the facsimile machine on the receiving side detects a remote switching signal from the external telephone, a confirmation signal is sent from the remote switching signal to the external telephone to notify the operator of the detection, and the receiving side receives the confirmation signal. A technique for switching a telephone line from an external telephone to a facsimile machine on the receiving side only when the operator confirms that the facsimile machine has detected a remote switching signal and then goes off-hook within a predetermined time (hereinafter referred to as the first facsimile machine). A conventional example) has already been developed (patent publication: 1992, 10th).
(See 0472 publication).

In order to prevent the communication mode from being mistakenly switched to the facsimile mode during a call in the conversation mode, the operator lifts the handset of the external telephone to go off-hook, and then within a fixed time. When the remote switching signal is not sent from the external telephone to the receiving side facsimile apparatus, the communication mode is switched to the facsimile mode even if the remote switching signal is sent from the external telephone to the receiving side facsimile apparatus thereafter. A technique (hereinafter, referred to as a second conventional example) for prohibiting the above has already been developed (see Japanese Patent Publication No. 121070 of 1994).

In the first conventional example, if the operator mistakenly presses the remote button in the conversation mode, the conversation mode cannot be returned until a certain period of time remains in the off-hook state. That is, when the operator accidentally presses the remote button in the conversation mode, there is a problem that the conversation mode cannot be immediately returned.

In the first conventional example, the remote button is pressed when the communication mode is to be switched from the conversation mode to the facsimile mode. However, when the on-hook operation is not performed within a certain time, the certain time elapses. There is a problem that the communication mode returns to the conversation mode.

In the second conventional example, if the operator mistakenly presses the remote button during a conversation in the conversation mode, there is a problem that the conversation mode cannot be restored.

Further, in the second conventional example, when the remote button is not pressed within a fixed time after the off-hook, there is a problem that the communication mode cannot be switched even if it is desired to switch to the facsimile mode.

[0013]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION According to the present invention, when a communication mode is switched to a facsimile mode by an erroneous operation during a call in a conversation mode,
An object of the present invention is to provide a facsimile device that can quickly return the communication mode to the conversation mode.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a facsimile machine which does not impose the conventional restrictions when switching the communication mode from the conversation mode to the facsimile mode.

[0015]

A facsimile apparatus according to the present invention is a facsimile apparatus in which a communication mode is switched from a conversation mode to a facsimile mode on the basis of a remote switching signal from an external telephone. It is characterized in that a switching means for forcibly switching the mode is provided.

Since the present invention is provided with the switching means for switching the communication mode from the facsimile mode to the conversation mode, when the communication mode is switched to the facsimile mode by an erroneous operation during a call in the conversation mode, The communication mode can be returned from the fax mode to the conversation mode.

As the switching means, for example, one that switches the communication mode from the facsimile mode to the conversation mode based on the change in the state of on-hook and off-hook due to the hook operation of the external telephone by the operator is used. As a more specific example of the switching means, immediately after the communication mode is switched from the conversation mode to the facsimile mode, the hook of the external telephone is set to 1 by the operator.
An example is one that switches the communication mode from the facsimile mode to the conversation mode when a state change between on-hook and off-hook caused by being pushed and released is detected.

[0018]

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 shows a schematic structure of a facsimile apparatus. The facsimile machine is controlled by the CPU 1. The CPU 1 is an RO that stores the program and the like.
M2 and a RAM3 for storing necessary data are provided.

The CPU 1 includes a reading unit 4, a recording unit 5,
Operation display unit 6, NCU 7, external telephone 8, on-hook / off-hook detector 9, remote switching signal detector 1
0, the line switch 11 and the like are connected. A telephone line is connected to the NCU 7.

The reading section 4 reads an image from a document. The recording unit 5 records the received image on recording paper. The operation display unit 6 includes various operation keys, a numeric keypad, and a display. The operation keys include a transmission key for connecting a telephone line to the facsimile device side when performing facsimile transmission.

The external telephone 8 is provided with a remote button for switching the communication mode from the conversation mode to the facsimile mode. The on-hook / off-hook detector 9 detects whether the external telephone 8 is on-hook or off-hook. The remote switching signal detector 10 detects a remote switching signal sent from the external telephone 8. The line switch 11 switches the telephone line between the external telephone 8 side and the facsimile machine side.

FIG. 2 shows a processing procedure by the CPU in the manual reception mode. When the ringing signal (calling signal) is received (step 1), the ringing tone of the external telephone 8 sounds. Then, it waits until the on-hook / off-hook detector 9 detects that the external telephone 8 is in the off-hook state (step 2).

When the handset of the external telephone 8 is lifted by the operator, it goes into an off-hook state, which is detected by the on-hook / off-hook detector 9. When the off-hook state is detected, the communication mode is set to the conversation mode, and the call side can be communicated with via the telephone line (step 3). Therefore, when the calling side is a telephone set, the conversation in the conversation mode is performed thereafter.

When the calling side is a facsimile machine, the operator pushes the remote button of the external telephone 8 and then lowers the handset. When the operator presses the remote button on the external telephone 8, a remote switching signal is sent from the external telephone 8, so that the remote switching signal detector 10 detects the remote switching signal.

When the remote switching signal detector 10 detects the remote switching signal (step 4), the communication mode is switched from the conversation mode to the facsimile mode (step 6). That is, the line switch 11 is controlled, the telephone line is switched from the external telephone 8 side to the facsimile machine side, and facsimile communication is performed.

When the calling side is the telephone and the operator mistakenly presses the remote button of the external telephone 8 during the conversation in the conversation mode, or the operator mistakenly sends the transmission key of the operation display unit 6. The case where is pressed will be described.

If the operator mistakenly presses the remote button of the external telephone 8 during the conversation in the conversation mode (YES in step 4), or the operator mistakenly presses the transmission key of the operation display unit 6. When pressed (Step 5)
If YES, the process proceeds to step 6 and the communication mode is switched from the conversation mode to the facsimile mode as described above.

When the communication mode is switched from the conversation mode to the facsimile mode due to an erroneous operation, the operator pushes the hook of the handset of the external telephone 8 once and immediately releases it without lowering the external telephone 8. When the hook of the handset of the external telephone 8 is pushed once and immediately released, the external telephone 8 once goes from the off-hook state to the on-hook state and then immediately goes to the off-hook state.

When the communication mode is switched from the conversation mode to the facsimile mode in step 6, the facsimile message (image data) is displayed in the facsimile mode.
By the start of the reception operation of, the on-hook / off-hook detector 9 monitors whether the off-hook state is detected (steps 7 and 8).

As described above, when the conversation mode is switched to the facsimile mode by an erroneous operation,
Since the operator does not remove the external telephone 8, the off-hook state is detected by the on-hook / off-hook detector 9 immediately after switching to the facsimile mode. Therefore, YES is obtained in step 8.

If YES in step 8, step 8
It is monitored whether or not the on-hook / off-hook detector 9 detects the on-hook state before a predetermined time elapses from the time point of YES in step 9 (steps 9 and 1).
0). As the predetermined time, for example, a time of 0.1 second to 1 second is set.

As described above, when the conversation mode is switched to the facsimile mode by an erroneous operation,
Since the operator pushes the hook of the handset of the external telephone 8 once without lowering the external telephone 8, the off-hook state is once changed to the on-hook state. Therefore, the on-hook / off-hook detector 9 detects the on-hook state within the predetermined time. Therefore, step 9 is YES.

If YES in step 9, step 9
It is monitored whether or not the off-hook state is detected by the on-hook / off-hook detector 9 before a predetermined time elapses from the time point of YES in step 11 (steps 11 and 1).
2). As the predetermined time, for example, a time of 0.1 second to 1 second is set.

As described above, when the conversation mode is switched to the facsimile mode by an erroneous operation,
Since the operator pushes the hook of the handset of the external telephone 8 once and immediately releases it without lowering the external telephone 8, the operator immediately enters the on-hook state from the off-hook state and then immediately enters the off-hook state. Therefore, the off-hook state is detected by the on-hook / off-hook detector 9 within the predetermined time. Therefore, step 11
Is YES.

If YES in step 11, the process proceeds to step 3, and the call mode is switched from the facsimile mode to the conversation mode. That is, the line switch 11 is controlled to switch the telephone line from the facsimile device side to the external telephone 8 side. As a result, the call in the conversation mode becomes possible.

In the above embodiment, when the communication mode is switched from the conversation mode to the facsimile mode by the operator's erroneous operation during the conversation in the conversation mode, the external telephone 8 is not dropped and the external telephone is not installed. When the operator pushes the hook of the handset of the telephone 8 once, the communication mode can be returned to the conversation mode.

In the above embodiment, when the calling side is a facsimile machine, the operator presses the remote button of the external telephone 8 after the communication mode becomes the conversation mode, and the communication mode is set. Is switched from the conversation mode to the facsimile mode. In the conventional example 1, the operator cannot switch the communication mode from the conversation mode to the facsimile mode unless the operator presses the remote button of the external telephone and goes on-hook within a certain period of time. There are no such restrictions.

Further, in the second conventional example, the communication mode cannot be switched from the conversation mode to the facsimile mode unless the operator presses the remote button of the external telephone within a fixed time. There are no restrictions.

[0040]

According to the present invention, when the communication mode is switched to the facsimile mode by an erroneous operation during a call in the conversation mode, the communication mode can be quickly returned to the conversation mode. become. Further, according to the present invention, when switching the communication mode from the conversation mode to the facsimile mode, the conventional restrictions are not imposed.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an electrical schematic configuration of a facsimile apparatus.

FIG. 2 is a flowchart showing a processing procedure by a CPU in a manual reception mode.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1 CPU 2 ROM 3 RAM 6 Operation display unit 7 NCU 8 External telephone 9 On-hook / off-hook detector 10 Remote switching signal detector 11 Line switch

 ─────────────────────────────────────────────────── ─── Continued front page (72) Masahiro Nishiyama 1-2-2 Tamatsukuri, Chuo-ku, Osaka-shi, Osaka Mita Kogyo Co., Ltd. (72) Masayuki Kyosaki 1-2-2 Tamatsukuri, Chuo-ku, Osaka-shi, Osaka No. 28 Mita Industry Co., Ltd. (72) Inventor Katsuaki Yasui 1-2-2 Tamatsukuri, Chuo-ku, Osaka City, Osaka Prefecture No. 28 Mita Industry Co., Ltd. (72) Inventor Tatsuhiko Furuta 1-2-2 Tamatsukuri, Chuo-ku, Osaka City, Osaka Prefecture No. 28 Inside Mita Industry Co., Ltd.

Claims (3)

[Claims] 1. A facsimile apparatus in which a communication mode is switched from a conversation mode to a facsimile mode based on a remote switching signal from an external telephone, and a switching means for forcibly switching the communication mode from the facsimile mode to the conversation mode is provided. Facsimile machine characterized by being equipped with. 2. The facsimile machine according to claim 1, wherein the switching means switches the communication mode from the facsimile mode to the conversation mode based on a change in state between on-hook and off-hook due to a hook operation of an external telephone by an operator. apparatus. 3. The switching means, immediately after the communication mode is switched from the conversation mode to the facsimile mode,
The communication mode is switched from the facsimile mode to the conversation mode when a state change between on-hook and off-hook caused by the operator pressing and releasing the hook of the external telephone once is detected.
Facsimile apparatus described in 1.