JPH10285368A - Facsimile multi-address system and facsimile server - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To routing-control multi-address destinations with the most inexpensive method and to realize inexpensive facsimile communication by comparing the multi-address destinations with area information of facsimile servers in a routing table, grouping the matched multi-address destinations in a server unit and transferring multi-address transmission requests to the respective facsimile servers. SOLUTION: Facsimile servers FSA, FSB and FSC are arranged in the different remote places A, B and C on an internet network. They respectively have routing tables (TA, TB) and TC and show network servers which can be used in the respective area blocks on the network. The facsimile servers select the facsimile server in the area, which is nearest to the respective destinations by the routing table on the inputted multi-address transmission request, group and transfer them.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a facsimile broadcast system for performing facsimile broadcast communication via a facsimile server distributed on a network such as the Internet or an intranet, and a facsimile broadcast system.
About the server.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, in general facsimile apparatuses and facsimile communication systems, when performing facsimile broadcast communication, image data is directly transmitted to each destination facsimile apparatus using a telephone line or an ISDN line. As a result, the communication cost of facsimile transmission to a remote location has become very large.

[0003]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention is directed to a method for performing broadcast to a destination facsimile apparatus in the least inexpensive manner when performing facsimile broadcast communication between remote facsimile apparatuses connected via the Internet or an intranet network. It is an object of the present invention to provide a facsimile broadcasting system and a facsimile server that can perform low-cost facsimile communication by performing routing control to a destination.

[0004]

In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, a facsimile broadcasting system and a facsimile server of the present invention are configured as follows. (1) In a facsimile broadcast system that performs facsimile broadcast communication via a plurality of facsimile servers distributed on a network, each of the plurality of facsimile servers is located at a location on the network where the respective facsimile server is located. Each of the plurality of facsimile servers is provided with a routing table that is associated with each of the plurality of facsimile servers and the region information, and is provided with an arbitrary facsimile server upon receiving a broadcast transmission request. Comparing each of the broadcast destinations associated with the broadcast transmission request with the regional information of each facsimile server in the routing table, and grouping the broadcast destinations that have obtained a match for each facsimile server, A broadcast transmission request is transferred to a facsimile server. (2) In the preceding paragraph (1), the network is the Internet, the area information for identifying the facsimile server is the telephone area code, and the broadcast destination accompanying the broadcast transmission request is the telephone including the area code. It is characterized by being constituted by numbers. (3) In the preceding paragraphs (1) and (2), the routing table contains a suppression flag, which is set for each facsimile server and instructs the transfer of a broadcast transmission request from its own server to the network, A rejection flag for instructing rejection of reception of a broadcast transmission request from the network to the own server; and when a suppression flag is on, the transfer of the broadcast transmission request from the own server via the network is suppressed and rejected. When the flag is on, the reception of a broadcast transmission request to the server via the network is refused. (4) A facsimile server distributed on the Internet, comprising: a routing table for storing at least one or a plurality of routing data in which a host name of the facsimile server is associated with a telephone number; First transmission request processing means that operates when the transmission request is not via the Internet;
A routing control unit having second transmission request processing means operating when the received facsimile transmission request is transmitted via the Internet, wherein the first transmission request processing means comprises:
Checks whether routing data with the same area code and the same area code as each destination area code included in the received facsimile broadcast request exists in the routing table, and finds the corresponding routing data. Exists and the host name of the routing data is not that of the own server, a facsimile broadcast transmission request in which destinations having the same area code are grouped is created, and the facsimile indicated by the corresponding routing data is created. The second transmission request processing means is configured to perform processing for transferring to the server via the Internet, and the second transmission request processing means is configured to execute the processing if the area code corresponding to the destination included in the received facsimile transmission request does not exist in the routing table; Is configured to perform facsimile transmission processing to the destination using a telephone line. The features. (5) In the preceding paragraph (4), the routing data in the routing table instructs the transfer of a facsimile broadcast transmission request from the own facsimile server via the Internet to the facsimile server corresponding to the routing data. And the first transmission request processing means of the routing control unit stores the routing data having the same area code as the destination area code included in the received facsimile broadcast transmission request in the routing table. And the routing
When the data suppression flag is on, processing for transferring a broadcast transmission request to the facsimile server corresponding to the routing data via the Internet is suppressed. (6) In the above items (4) and (5), the routing data in the routing table includes a rejection flag indicating rejection of accepting a broadcast transmission request, and the second transmission request processing means of the routing control unit is When the local facsimile server receives a facsimile broadcast transmission request via the Internet, it searches the routing table for routing data having the same host name as the local facsimile server, and routes the search result. When the data rejection flag is ON, the reception of the facsimile broadcast transmission request is rejected.

Referring to FIG. 1, the basic configuration of the present invention will be specifically described. It should be noted that the configuration shown is merely an example, and is simplified for convenience of explanation. In the figure, facsimile servers FSA, FSB and FSC are respectively located in different remote areas A, B and C on a network such as the Internet. On the same network, there are facsimile apparatuses A01, A02, and A03 in the area A in proximity to the facsimile server FSA, and in the area B, there are facsimile apparatuses B01 and B02 in proximity to the facsimile server FSA. In C, there are facsimile apparatuses C01, C02, C03, and C04 close to the facsimile server FSC. The facsimile identification information includes one of the area information A, B, and C. Each facsimile device is not limited to a dedicated facsimile device, but may be a computer device having a facsimile function. A facsimile server can also be any one of such facsimile capable computing devices.

Each facsimile server FSA, FSB,
The FSC has routing tables TA, T, respectively.
B, TC. Each routing table contains information about the networks available for each regional block on the network.
Indicates a server. In other words, the facsimile server closest to the facsimile device of the facsimile transmission destination can be known by the routing. This routing
In the data, a pair of a host name for identifying the network server and local information specific to the local block, such as a telephone area code, is set, and, if necessary, a suppression flag and a rejection flag are set. included. The illustrated example is a case where both the inhibition flag and the rejection flag are used. The facsimile servers FSA, FSB, FS
The host names of C are AXY, BXY, and CXY, respectively.

For example, on a network, a region A
The traffic volume between the area A and the area B is large, communication connection and transmission during this time take time, and the facsimile and
Facsimile transmission requests are concentrated on the server FSA,
It is assumed that the load on the host is excessive. In such a case, FSA to F
Facsimile transmission request to SB and FSB to FSA
It is desirable to suppress the facsimile transmission request to the FSA and temporarily stop accepting the facsimile transmission request in the FSA. For this reason, in the FSA routing table TA, the suppression flag of the routing data (second line) for the FSB is turned on (set to 1), and similarly, in the FSB routing table TB, F
The suppression flag of the routing data (first line) for the SA is turned on (set to 1). Further, in the routing table TA of the FSA, the rejection flag of the routing data (first line) of the own facsimile server FSA is turned on (set to 1).

In the setting state of the routing table in each of the facsimile servers, the facsimile apparatuses A01, A02, A0 are stored in, for example, the FSB.
3. It is assumed that a facsimile broadcast transmission request with A04 as each destination has been input. At this time, the FSB searches the routing table TB for routing data having the host name BXY of its own facsimile server, checks the rejection flag of the search result routing data (second line), and turns off the rejection flag. Since it is (0), the broadcast transmission request is accepted. Next, the FSB determines each destination A0 of the broadcast transmission request received by the routing table TB.
Area information A, C included in 1, A03, C02, C04
Of the routing data (the first and third lines) having the area information that matches the above, it is determined that the facsimile server FSA with the host name AXY is the closest to the destination and can be sent at a low charge for the destinations A01 and A03. And then C
For 02 and C04, the facsimile server FSC having the host name CXY is determined as the server closest to the destination. However, since the inhibition flag of the routing data (first line) of the FSA in the routing table TB is on, the broadcast transmission request for the destinations A01 and A03 is not made to the FSA on the network, and the broadcast transmission request is separately sent. Broadcast transmission to A01 and A03 using the telephone line of (1).

On the other hand, for the destinations C02 and C04, the routing table of the FSC in the routing table TB is used.
Since the suppression flag of the data (third line) is off, a broadcast transmission request for destinations C02 and C04 is created and transferred to the FSC via the network.

In the FSC, the broadcast transmission request (C02,
C04), the refusal flag in the routing data (third line) of the own server is checked, and since this is off, this request is accepted. Further, the facsimile server having the area information C of the destinations C02 and C04 is Since the suppression flag is also off, each of the destinations C02 and C0
4 transmits facsimile data from its own server on the network.

As described above, according to the present invention, the facsimile servers distributed on the network select the facsimile servers in the area closest to each destination by the routing table in response to the input broadcast request. And re-group the destinations in the same area and forward the broadcast request, so that optimal routing control is performed and low-cost broadcast communication is possible. Since the service content can be changed, fine-grained operation according to the traffic situation in the network and business convenience becomes possible.

[0012]

FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a configuration example of a facsimile broadcasting system according to the present invention constructed on the Internet. In the figure, 110 is a facsimile server, 111 is a library for HTTP (Hyper Text Transfer Protocol widely used on the Internet), 112 is a routing controller, 113 is a facsimile controller, 114 is a routing table,
115 is a reception processing unit, 120 and 130 are also facsimile servers, 210 to 230 are facsimile machines,
Reference numerals 310 to 330 denote clients, respectively.

[0013] The facsimile server 110 is an HTTP server.
Library 111, routing control unit 112, facsimile control unit 113, routing table 11
4. It has a reception processing unit 115. The HTTP library 111 is an access library for performing communication of a hypertext transfer protocol widely used on the Internet.

The routing control unit 112 routes a facsimile server with the lowest telephone charge.
This is a program for performing a process of transmitting a facsimile transmission request to the facsimile server using the HTTP library 111 on the table 114. Details will be described later. The routing table 114 stores routing information. The facsimile control unit 113 is a control processing unit that controls input and output to and from the facsimile machine.

The reception processing unit 115
The facsimile transmission request (including the broadcast transmission request) from the servers 10, 320, and 330 is received. The facsimile server 110 uses the HTTP protocol in order to implement low-cost FAX via the Internet. In this case, a server (WWW server) that receives the HTTP protocol is required. Although not shown, the WWW server exists in the facsimile server 110, and the routing control unit 112 communicates with the WWW server using the HTTP protocol. When performing FAX transmission, CGI (C
ommon Gateway Interface: WW
An interface between the W server and the external program) starts the program, and the CGI program makes a facsimile transmission request to the facsimile server of the other party.

The facsimile servers 120 and 130 also
Like the facsimile server 110, it has an HTTP library, a routing control unit, a facsimile control unit, a routing table, a reception processing unit, and the like. Further, the contents of the routing table of each facsimile server are the same.

The clients 310 to 330 are connected to the facsimile server 110 via a LAN. Clantants are personal computers and work stations. Further, the facsimile apparatus 230 is also connected to the facsimile server 110 via a telephone line. The Internet includes facsimile servers 110, 120,
130 and the like are connected. The facsimile server 130 also has a facsimile device 21 via a telephone line.
0, 220 are connected.

In the illustrated example, the facsimile server 11
0 exists in Kanazawa, the facsimile server 120 exists in Osaka, and the facsimile server 130 exists in Tokyo. Here, the telephone number of the facsimile apparatus 210 is 04
5-111-2222, the facsimile device 220
Is 03-3333-4444, and the telephone number of the facsimile machine 230 is 0762-55-666.
6 is assumed.

FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an example of the routing table. In the figure, server name: server name of facsimile server (abbreviation) host name: host name of facsimile server (including domain name) telephone number: telephone number connected to facsimile server or routing destination information (city) Inhibit: Definition of whether to suppress forwarding on the Internet line. The facsimile server with this flag turned on uses the Internet line. Reject FAX transmission: Define whether to reject requests accepted on the Internet line. Facsimile servers with this flag turned on reject requests on the Internet line. It is.

The routing information is composed of one or a plurality of pieces of routing data (row data). Each routing data consists of server name, host name,
It has a telephone number, suppression flag, and rejection flag. Note that the server name is not always necessary. In the illustrated example, the server name in the first row of the routing table is Kanazawa, and the host name is kanazawa. abc. co. jp
And the telephone number is 0762-66-1122. The server name in the second line is Tokyo, and the host name is Tokyo. abc. co. jp and the telephone number is 03-3333-1111. The following is as illustrated.

The telephone numbers in the routing table are:
The telephone number of the line connected to the facsimile server and the telephone number as routing destination information.
Therefore, 045- in Tokyo in the figure has an area code of 045.
This means that the request for the telephone number is sent to a facsimile server in Tokyo over the Internet. Also,
The part after-may be a number that does not actually exist.

A facsimile server that does not want to use a low-cost FAX via the Internet by using the above two flags, a suppression flag and a rejection flag, turns on the suppression flag and accepts a low-cost FAX via the Internet. By turning on the rejection flag for facsimile servers that you do not want to use, you can build a system that matches user operations. These flags are provided to reduce traffic on LAN / WAN (Internet), reduce security and server load, and to manage FAX charging in each facsimile server.

In the routing table, routing information is defined in advance by environment setting. The routing table is centrally managed by the management server. The facsimile server reads the routing information at the time of starting the facsimile control unit. Basically, it is more efficient that the facsimile server has the same routing table, but it may be different.

FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of the processing flow of the routing control unit, which is for processing a broadcast FAX transmission request. In step S1, each destination FAX number of the received FAX transmission request is obtained. In addition, broadcast FA
The X transmission request is composed of information necessary for transmission (information necessary for creating a trust sheet, such as a telephone number and a destination name, transmission source URL).
Names and other information set in the user view) and image data to be actually transmitted (for example, TIFF file format of compressed data).

In step S2, it is checked whether the received broadcast FAX transmission request is via the Internet. If YES, it is an incoming call from the Internet and the process proceeds to step S9. If NO, it is a request from the LAN and the process proceeds to step S3.

In step S3, the area code of each destination FAX number of the broadcast is checked against the area code in the routing table. In step S4, the area of the server having the area code that matches the destination FAX number is set as the latest location, and the latest location server name and host are acquired.

In step S5, it is checked whether or not the host name of the latest location server has been obtained, that is, whether or not there is a corresponding facsimile server. If there is, go to step S6; otherwise, go to step S14.

In step S6, it is checked whether or not the inhibition flag of the corresponding facsimile server is ON and indicates that the instruction is to be inhibited. In the case of YES, the process proceeds to step S14, and in the case of NO, the process proceeds to step S7.

In step S7, the corresponding server combines the same destinations into one group and creates HTTP data / content. The HTTP data content is composed of a header part and a body part. In the body part,
Information to be passed to the CGI program is set. In the embodiment of the present invention, when a broadcast FAX transmission request is received, the CGI program is started, and a transmission request is made to the destination facsimile server on the extension thereof (in the case of broadcast, a broadcast transmission request). The host name of the nearest server acquired in step S4 is used when making a FAX transmission request using the HTTP protocol. By setting a URL name (host name) in the header portion of the HTTP data content, a facsimile transmission request is sent to a facsimile server (actually, a WWW server) corresponding to the host name.

In step S8, the created HTTP data content is transferred to the corresponding facsimile server. The IP address of the facsimile server is HT
It can be obtained from the host name written in the header part of the TP data content. That is, the host name (URL
Name), then DNS (Domain Nam
e System: a name / address conversion system), the IP address is known. This process is automatically performed inside HTTP.

In step S9, the host name is obtained from the system information in the server. In step S10, the routing table is searched for routing data having its own host name.

At step S11, it is checked whether or not the rejection flag of the searched routing data indicates rejection (ON). In the case of YES, the process proceeds to step S15, and in the case of NO, the process proceeds to step S12. For example, when “tokyo.abc/co.jp” is acquired as the own host name, a match between the host names is obtained in the second row data and the third row data in FIG. Normally, the value of the rejection flag of the second row data is not different from the value of the rejection flag of the third row data, but if they are different, the rejection of the ON one is effective. Become.

In step S12, the destination FAX number is checked against the telephone number in the routing table. In step S13, it is checked whether the telephone numbers match. In the case of YES, the process proceeds to step S16, and in the case of NO, the process proceeds to step SI4.

Step S14 is a case where there is no matching telephone number, that is, a case where the own server cannot make a request to another server via the Internet. FAX transmission processing is performed for the destination FAX number using the telephone line.

In step S15, an error is notified to the request source. In step S16, the receiving process is performed because the incoming call is addressed to the own server. Next, an example of the facsimile transmission request shown in FIG. 2 will be described.

In FIG. 2, the client 310 determines that the destination facsimile numbers are 045-111-2222 and 0.
When the broadcast facsimile transmission request of 3-3333-4444 is transmitted, when the broadcast facsimile transmission request is received by the reception processing unit 115 of the facsimile server 110, the routing control unit 112 refers to the routing table 114 of FIG. And area code 04
The facsimile server 130 whose 5/3 matches is detected. Thereby, the broadcast facsimile transmission request is transferred to the facsimile server 130, where the facsimile apparatus 210 having the telephone number 045-111-2222 and the telephone number 03-3333-4444 are transmitted via the telephone line.
Is sent to the facsimile machine 220. Also, if the client facsimile number is 0762-55-
When a facsimile transmission request of 6666 is transmitted, the facsimile transmission request is detected by the routing control unit 112 of the facsimile server 110 that there is no transfer destination server, and the telephone number is set to 0762-55- via the telephone line. It is sent to the facsimile machine 210 at 6666.

[0037]

As is apparent from the above description, according to the present invention, in a multi-facsimile server environment connected to the Internet, a broadcast facsimile transmission to a remote facsimile apparatus can be executed at a low cost. Can be. Further, according to the present invention, among the broadcast destinations, destinations in the same area are automatically grouped and optimally routed, so that image data transfer can be performed easily and efficiently.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a basic configuration of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of a facsimile broadcasting system according to the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating an example of a routing table.

FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating an example of a processing flow of a routing control unit.

[Explanation of symbols]

A, B, C: Region FSA FSB FSC: Facsimile server A01-A03, B01, B02, C01-C04:
Facsimile machine TA, TB, TC: Routing table

Claims (6)

[Claims] 1. A facsimile broadcast system for performing facsimile broadcast communication via a plurality of facsimile servers distributed on a network, wherein each of the plurality of facsimile servers is connected to a network on which the respective facsimile servers are located. A routing table is provided that is identifiable by location-specific regional information, and has a routing table that associates each of the plurality of facsimile servers with regional information, and any facsimile server sends a broadcast transmission request. Upon receipt, each of the broadcast destinations associated with the broadcast transmission request is compared with the regional information of each facsimile server in the routing table, and the broadcast destination with a match is determined.
Grouped by server, each facsimile
A facsimile broadcast system, wherein a broadcast transmission request is transferred to a server. 2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the network is the Internet, the area information for identifying the facsimile server is a telephone area code, and the broadcast destination accompanying the broadcast transmission request includes the area code. A facsimile broadcasting system comprising a telephone number. 3. A routing table according to claim 1, wherein the routing table includes a suppression flag, which is set for each facsimile server, for instructing suppression of transfer of a broadcast transmission request from the server to the network. A rejection flag for instructing rejection of the reception of a broadcast transmission request from the network to the own server, wherein when the suppression flag is on, the transfer of the broadcast transmission request from the own server via the network is suppressed; A facsimile broadcasting system, wherein when a refusal flag is on, the reception of a broadcast transmission request to the server via the network is rejected. 4. A facsimile server distributed on the Internet, wherein at least the facsimile server
A routing table for storing one or more routing data in which a host name of a server is associated with a telephone number, a first transmission request processing unit that operates when the received facsimile transmission request is not via the Internet, A routing control unit having a second transmission request processing unit that operates when the received facsimile transmission request is transmitted via the Internet from another server, wherein the first transmission request processing unit receives the received facsimile broadcast transmission request. It is checked whether or not routing data having the same area code and the same area code as each of the included destination area codes is present in the routing table, and if the corresponding routing data exists and the routing data is present. If the host name is not the server's own, a destination with the same area code A facsimile broadcast transmission request in which the received facsimile is transmitted to a facsimile server indicated by the corresponding routing data via the Internet. If the area code matching the destination included in the transmission request does not exist in the routing table, facsimile transmission to the destination is performed using a telephone line. server. 5. The method according to claim 4, wherein the routing data in the routing table is used to inhibit transfer of a facsimile broadcast transmission request from the own facsimile server to the facsimile server corresponding to the routing data via the Internet. Include a deterrence suppression flag,
The first transmission request processing means of the routing control unit is configured such that the routing data having the same area code as the destination area code included in the received facsimile broadcast transmission request exists in the routing table, and A facsimile server which, when a routing data inhibition flag is ON, inhibits a process of transferring a broadcast transmission request via the Internet to a facsimile server corresponding to the routing data. 6. The routing data according to claim 4, wherein the routing data of the routing table includes a rejection flag for instructing rejection of a broadcast transmission request,
The second transmission request processing means of the routing controller, when the own facsimile server receives the facsimile broadcast transmission request via the Internet, routes the routing data having the same host name as the host name of the own facsimile server. A facsimile server that searches from a table and rejects the facsimile broadcast transmission request when the rejection flag of the routing data of the search result is on.