JPH10336373A - Composite function device - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide the composite function device by which substitute reception of a large quantity of data is attained without provision of an image storage means like a hard disk unit. SOLUTION: The device 1 is provided with a facsimile communication control section 17, a plotter 15 outputting an image to recording paper, and a computer interface section 22 to make local communication with an information processing unit (PC) 2. In the case that received image information cannot be outputted to the plotter 15 at facsimile reception, the received image information is stored in an image memory 20 as substitute reception and after the end of substitute reception, the storage of the received image information having been stored in the image memory 20 is requested to the information processing unit 2, the image information is transferred to the PC 2 to release the image memory 20.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a multifunction device having a function as a printer of an information processing apparatus such as a personal computer and a facsimile communication function, and particularly to a multifunction device having no image storage means such as a hard disk device. Also, the present invention relates to a multifunction device capable of receiving a large amount of proxy data.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art A multi-function device having a function as a printer of an information processing apparatus such as a personal computer, a scanner function, a facsimile communication function, and the like is provided. A multi-function device performs facsimile transmission / reception, image reading, print output, and the like. Now you can do it with functional devices. An image communication and image storage device disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 8-289070 is one of the multifunction devices as described above. As shown in FIG. 5, a reader unit 31 for inputting a document image and an image A hard disk device 35 for image storage, an external storage device 3 together with a printer unit 32 for output, a facsimile unit 33 for performing facsimile communication, a computer (information processing device) interface unit 34, and the like.
6 is provided. Therefore, this multifunction device is capable of storing a large amount of images, including image storage during proxy reception.

[0003]

However, the conventional multi-function device disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. Hei 8-289070 has a large-capacity storage device such as a hard disk device for image storage, and accordingly, only that much. There was a problem that it was expensive and large. In addition, there is a problem that a multifunction device having no hard disk device or the like can perform only a small amount of alternate reception. The problem to be solved by the present invention is:
It is an object of the present invention to solve the above-mentioned problems of the conventional technology and to provide a multi-function device capable of receiving a large amount of proxy data without a large-capacity image storage means such as a hard disk device.

[0004]

According to the first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a facsimile communication function, an image output function of outputting an image on a recording sheet, and communication with an external information processing apparatus. A multifunction device having a local communication function for performing reception of the received image information when receiving the facsimile, and receiving the received image information in a memory; And a memory release unit for requesting the information processing device to store the received image information stored therein, transferring the image information to the information processing device, and releasing the memory. According to a second aspect of the present invention, in addition to the configuration of the multifunction device according to the first aspect, a communication management report creating unit for reporting a facsimile communication result is provided, and the information processing apparatus is requested to store the information. As for facsimile reception, the communication management report creating means is configured so that information indicating that storage is requested is described in a corresponding column of the communication management report. According to the third aspect of the present invention, in the first or second aspect,
In the invention described in (1), when the information processing apparatus is requested to store, a display means for displaying a message indicating that the storage request has been made is provided.

[0005] With the above configuration, according to the first aspect of the present invention, if reception image information cannot be output during facsimile reception, alternate reception is performed.
The information processing device is requested to accumulate the received image information stored in the memory, and the received image information is transferred to the information processing device and the memory is released. Also allows a large amount of interception. Also,
According to the second aspect of the present invention, with respect to the facsimile reception requesting the storage of the information processing apparatus, information indicating that the storage is requested is described in a corresponding column of the communication management report.
The usage status of the information processing apparatus at the time of reception can be notified to the user and can be left as a history. Based on the information described in the communication management report, request the information processing apparatus to return the received image information, or operate the information processing apparatus to print out the facsimile received image information stored in the information processing apparatus. Or it is possible. According to the third aspect of the present invention, when a storage request is made to the information processing apparatus, a message indicating that the storage request has been made is displayed on the display means, so that the received image information is stored in the information processing apparatus. It is possible to immediately notify the user of the fact and prompt the user to confirm the received image information or to perform a process such as printout.

[0006]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below in detail with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a configuration block diagram of a multifunction device and a main part of a personal computer showing an example of an embodiment of the present invention. As shown in the figure, a multifunction device 1 according to this embodiment includes a control unit 11 for managing and controlling the entire device according to a built-in program, a keyboard and a multifunction device for a user to give instructions to the multifunction device. An operation display unit 12 including display means for giving a message or the like to a user, a RAM 13 for temporarily storing image information and the like, a scanner 14 for reading an image on a document, and an encoding / decoding unit (DCR) 18 A plotter 15 for outputting received image information decoded by the RAM 13 via a RAM 13, a network control unit (NCU) 1 for setting up a call with a remote facsimile apparatus via a public telephone network
6, a communication control unit 17 for performing facsimile transmission and reception according to the G3 transmission control procedure, a modem 19 composed of a low-speed modem and a high-speed modem, an image memory 20 for storing image information,
A parameter memory 21 which stores control information and is backed up by a battery for power-off, and a computer interface (I / F) for transmitting / receiving information to / from a personal computer 2 directly connected to an information processing device And the like. The control unit 11
Is constituted by a ROM having a CPU and a program therein, and functions as a substitute receiving unit, a memory releasing unit, a communication management report creating unit, and the like described in the claims. The computer interface unit 22 is, for example, an IEEE P
This is a bidirectional parallel interface conforming to 1284.

When facsimile transmission is performed by such a multifunction device 2, first, image information is read by the scanner 14 and written into the RAM 13 under the control of the control unit 11.
The image information is encoded by the DCR 18 and stored in the RAM 13
Alternatively, it is stored in the image memory 20. In addition, call-out designation information such as a destination designated by the operation display unit 12 is acquired by the control unit 11 and passed to the NCU 16. NC
U16 sets a call with a designated destination based on the calling designation information. Subsequently, phase B is executed by the communication control unit 17 via the low-speed modem, and then the process proceeds to phase C. The encoded image information data in the RAM 13 or the image memory 20 is modulated by the high-speed modem in the modem 19. , NCU 16 to the line. At the time of reception, after a call is set up by NCU 16, phase B
And after a certain communication via the low-speed modem,
In the phase C, the coded image information data is received. The image information data is stored in the RAM 13 via the NCU 16 and the communication control unit 17, is further decoded by the DCR 18, and is output to the plotter 15 via the RAM 13 or is stored in the image memory 20.

As shown in the figure, the personal computer 2 has a peripheral interface (1 / F) unit 23 for transmitting and receiving information to and from the multifunction device 1, and a facsimile reception image received through the peripheral interface unit 23. Information can be stored in a hard disk drive (HDD) 25,
The multifunction device 1 reads out the received image information stored in the hard disk device 25 via the peripheral interface unit 23
And a receiving facsimile storage means 24 for sending to the user. Personal computer 2 configured as described above
Normally exchanges information with the multi-function device 2 via the peripheral interface unit 23, and
The print data is output using the plotter 15 and image information is transmitted and received using the facsimile communication function.

The operation of this embodiment will be described below with reference to the operation flow shown in FIG. As shown in FIG.
First, facsimile reception is performed via the NCU 16, the modem 19, the communication control unit 17, and the like of the multifunction device 1 (S1). Then, the control unit 11 determines whether or not output to the plotter 15 is possible (S2). If possible (Yes in S2), the control unit 11 converts the encoded received image information into a DCR.
The decoded image information is output to the plotter 15 (S10). On the other hand, if the output to the plotter 15 is impossible due to a paper jam or a paper empty state (No in S2), the control unit 11 performs proxy reception (S2).
3). That is, the received image information is stored in the image memory 20 without being output to the plotter 15. Note that the image information stored here is information in a state in which it is encoded.

When the alternate reception is completed (Yes in S4),
The controller 11 issues a request for storing received image information to the personal computer (PC) 2 via the computer interface 22 (S5), and subsequently transfers the received image information in the image memory 20 to the personal computer 2 (S6).
When this transfer is completed, the control unit 11 releases the memory area for the transferred image information from the image memory 20 and also returns the corresponding fields (α, α in FIG. 3) of the reception communication management report as shown in FIG. (indicated by β) is described as information indicating that a storage request has been made (two storage requests continue in the illustrated example).
This indicates that the notation “PM” shown in the reception mode column has been stored in the personal computer. In the communication mode column, “EF” indicates that the communication mode is E.
In the CM mode, the linear density is a fine linear density (F), and the notation “ES” indicates that the communication mode is ECM.
Mode and the linear density is the standard linear density (S).

As described above, the storage area for alternate reception in the image memory 20 is released within a short time after storage, so that the storage capacity of the image memory 20 can be reduced. The image information for a plurality of substitute receptions may be stored in the image memory 20 within the range permitted by the storage capacity of the image memory 20, and the personal computer 2 may collectively request the personal computer 2 to accumulate the image information. Good. Thereafter, when the plotter 15 is ready for output (Y in S7).
es) The control unit 11 outputs the communication management report for reception to the plotter 15 and outputs the image information requested to be stored to the personal computer 2 via the computer interface unit 22, that is, the multifunction device 1
Is requested to be returned (S8). When one or more pieces of image information stored in the personal computer 2 are returned in response to the request (S9), the personal computer 2 decrypts the image information with the DCR 18 and outputs the decrypted image information to the plotter 15 (S10).

On the other hand, on the personal computer 2 side,
The processing as shown in FIG. 4 is performed. First, when facsimile image information is received from the multi-function device 1 via the peripheral interface unit 23 following the image information accumulation request (S1).
1) The reception facsimile storage means 24 obtains the first file number obtained from the operating system at the time of receiving the storage request, the second file number shown in FIG. 3 (the reception facsimile storage means 24 treats this as a file name) And stored at a predetermined address in association with
The facsimile image information received via the operating system is stored in the hard disk device 25 (S12). Thereafter, when a request for output (return) of the stored image information is received from the multi-function device 1 (Y in S13)
es), the reception facsimile storing means 24 acquires the stored first file number from the predetermined address,
The file number is given to the operating system to read the corresponding image information from the hard disk device 25 (S14), and the read image information is returned to the multi-function device 1 via the peripheral interface unit 23 (S1).
5). After the return, the image information file is deleted from the hard disk device 25 (S16).

The print output of the image information stored in the personal computer 2 is performed by the personal computer 2.
Can be performed in the same manner as in the case of normal print output. That is, the personal computer 2 is operated to activate the reception facsimile storage means 24, and the file name (the second file number shown in FIG. 3) of the facsimile image information stored in the reception facsimile storage means 24 is displayed. Then, the user sees it and instructs desired image information (the user can know the file name by looking at the output communication management report) and outputs it. As described above, according to this embodiment,
Even if the storage capacity of the image memory 20 of the multifunction device 1 is small, and a large amount of alternate reception is possible without providing an image storage means such as a hard disk device. Instead of stating that the storage request has been made in the communication management report as described above, when requesting the personal computer 2 to store the received image information, a message indicating that the storage request has been made is displayed on the display device in the operation display unit 12. May be displayed.

[0014]

As described above, according to the present invention, the following excellent effects can be exhibited. According to the first aspect of the present invention, if reception image information cannot be output at the time of facsimile reception, alternate reception is performed, and thereafter, a request for storing the received image information stored in the memory is sent to the information processing apparatus. Since the received image information is transferred to the information processing device and the memory is released, a large amount of proxy reception is possible without having a large-capacity memory. According to the second aspect of the present invention, in the facsimile reception requesting the storage of the information processing apparatus, information indicating that the storage is requested is described in a corresponding column of the communication management report. It can notify the user of the situation and leave it as a history. Based on the information described in this communication management report, request the information processing device to return the received image information or operate the information processing device. The facsimile reception image information stored in the information processing device can be printed out. According to the third aspect of the present invention, when a storage request is made to the information processing apparatus, a message indicating that the storage request has been made is displayed, so that it is immediately determined that the received image information has been stored in the information processing apparatus. It is possible to notify the user and prompt the user to confirm received image information or to perform a process such as printout.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a configuration block diagram of a multifunction device and a main part of a personal computer showing an example of an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is an operation flowchart of the multifunction device according to the embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 3 is a data configuration diagram of a main part of a multifunction device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is an operation flowchart of a main part of a personal computer showing an example of an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 5 is a configuration block diagram showing an example of a conventional technique.

[Explanation of symbols]

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Multifunction apparatus, 2 personal computer (information processing apparatus), 11 control part (interception receiving means, memory release means, communication management report creator), 12 operation display part (display means), 13 RAM, 14 scanner, 15
Plotter, 16 network controller, 17 communication controller, 18
Encoding / decoding section, 19 modem, 20 image memory (memory), 22 computer interface section.

Claims (3)

[Claims] 1. A multi-function device having a facsimile communication function, an image output function of outputting an image on a recording sheet, and a local communication function for communicating with an external information processing device, the received image information when receiving a facsimile. When it is not possible to output the received image information, a substitute receiving means for storing the received image information in the memory and an information processing device requesting the information processing device to store the received image information stored in the memory by the substitute receiving means, and A multifunction device, comprising: a memory release unit that transfers the memory to the information processing device to release the memory. 2. A communication management report generating means for generating a communication management report for reporting a facsimile communication result, and for facsimile reception requested to be stored in an information processing apparatus, information indicating that the storage request has been made is transmitted through the communication. 2. The multifunction apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said communication management report creating means is configured to be described in a corresponding column of the management report. 3. The multifunction apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a display unit that displays a message indicating that the storage request has been made when the information processing apparatus is requested to store.