JPH1098569A - Image forming device - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To automatically access to a transmission side and to receive image data by accessing to a remote host device in accordance with the distribution time, the repetition period or the date of acount information stored in an electric writing erasion possible storage part based on the clocked date and the time. SOLUTION: A control part 1 controls a key input part 2, a line control part 3, a host interface part 4, a storage part 5, the electric writing and erasure possible storage part 6 and a printing part 8. Access is made to the remote host 9 in accordance with the distribution time, the repetition period or the date of acount information stored in the electric writing erasion possible storage part 6 based on the date and the time which are clocked by a timer part 7. In this case, acount information(register information) is the one including the distribution times and the repetition periods or the dates of ID information, a password, a telephone number and image information, which are respectively set as against the plural remote hosts connected to the line control part 3.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus, and more particularly, to an image forming apparatus which inputs image information from a remote host device via a telephone line and performs printing.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art FIG. 5 is a timing chart showing a communication procedure of an example of a conventional image forming apparatus.

As a conventional image forming apparatus for performing printing by inputting image information from a remote device via a telephone line, for example, a facsimile apparatus as disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 60-182267 is known. There is.

In this facsimile apparatus, as shown in FIG. 5, a transmitting side 52 first calls a receiving side 51 according to a calling sequence 53, exchanges collect call information 54 and confirms each other. To the receiving side 51
Calls the sender 52 by a calling sequence 55,
The transmission right is transferred 56, and the image signal 57 is transmitted from the transmission side 52 to the reception side 51.

[0005]

In the conventional image forming apparatus as described above, since the transmitting side calls the receiving side at the time of starting communication, there is a problem that a communication fee is charged to the transmitting side. Have. This is particularly problematic when there are many receivers.

Devices capable of transmitting and receiving image signals are not limited to facsimile machines, but include computers having communication means. However, the above image forming apparatus is limited to a facsimile machine as a partner image forming apparatus. ,
There is another problem that the partner device for transmission and reception is limited.

An object of the present invention is to solve the above-mentioned drawbacks of the conventional image forming apparatus. It is another object of the present invention to provide an image forming apparatus in which a receiving side can automatically access a transmitting side at a desired time and receive image data, and can bear a communication fee at that time on the receiving side.

[0008]

A first image forming apparatus according to the present invention has a key for inputting account information of a remote host device including ID information, a password, a telephone number, and a distribution time and a repetition period or date of an image signal. An input unit, a line control unit that communicates with the remote host device via a telephone line, and a storage having a work area and a page buffer area of the control unit and storing an image signal received from the remote host device Unit, an electrically erasable storage unit for storing the account information, a timer unit for measuring the date and time, a printing unit for printing the image signal stored in the storage unit, and the key input. Unit and the line control unit, the storage unit, the electrically erasable erasable storage unit, and the timer for controlling the operation of the printing unit. Controlling the access to the remote host device according to the distribution time and the repetition period or the date of the account information stored in the electrically erasable storage based on the date and time measured Unit. A second image forming apparatus according to the present invention includes a key input unit for inputting account information of a remote host device including a distribution time and a repetition period or a date of ID information, a password, a telephone number, and an image signal, and the remote host device. A line control unit that performs communication via a telephone line between the control unit and a storage unit having a work area and a page buffer area of the control unit;
A large-capacity storage unit that stores the image signal received from the remote host device and retains it even after power is turned off, an electrically erasable storage unit that stores the account information, and a timer unit that counts date and time. A printing unit that prints the image signal stored in the mass storage unit; a key input unit, the line control unit, the storage unit, the mass storage unit, and the electrically erasable storage unit And controlling the operation of the printing unit and based on the date and time counted by the timer unit, the distribution time and the repetition period or the date of the account information stored in the electrically erasable storage unit. And the control unit that accesses the remote host device according to the above.

[0009]

Next, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a first embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a flowchart showing an operation of the embodiment of FIG. 1, (a) is a flowchart showing an operation of an image forming apparatus on a receiving side, 3B is a flowchart illustrating the operation of the remote host device on the transmission side, and FIG. 3 is a format diagram illustrating account information in the embodiment of FIG.

The image forming apparatus shown in FIG.
Line control unit 3, host interface unit 4, storage unit 5, electrically erasable storage unit 6, timer unit 7
, A printing unit 8 and the control unit 1.

The key input unit 2 is a keyboard input device capable of inputting alphanumeric characters, kana, kanji and the like.
The user inputs account information (registration information) relating to the host device (remote host) 9 connected to.

As shown in FIG. 3, the account information (registration information) includes ID information 47, a password 48, a telephone number 46, and an ID set for each of a plurality of host remote hosts connected to the line controller 3. This is information (account information 41 and 42-) including the image information distribution time 44 and the repetition period 45 or date 43.

The line control unit 3 is connected to a remote host device (remote host) 9 such as a computer or a facsimile machine having communication means such as a modem via a telephone line and inputs image information (image signal). And a modulation / demodulation circuit, a digital-analog conversion circuit, an analog-digital conversion circuit, and a dial transmission circuit.

The host interface unit 4 is a part necessary for inputting image information (image signal) by directly connecting the host device (local host) 10 without passing through a telephone line, and includes a Centronics interface circuit, RS23
An interface circuit such as a 2C interface circuit or an IrDA interface circuit is provided, and the host device (local host) 10 is connected by a connection line 36.

The storage section 5 is a section for storing an image signal input from the remote host 9 or the local host 10, and is constituted by a static or dynamic type random access memory (RAM) and has a storage area for the image signal. In addition, a work area of the control unit 1 and a page buffer area are provided.

The electrically writable and erasable storage section 6 is a section for storing account information input from the key input section 2, and is an electrically writable and erasable read-only memory (E).
(EPROM), flash read only memory (flash ROM), and the like.

The timer section 7 is a clock for measuring the date and time.

The printing section 8 is a section for printing an image signal input from the remote host 9 or the local host 10 and stored in the storage section 5.

The control unit 1 controls the operation of the key input unit 2, the line control unit 3, the host interface unit 4, the storage unit 5, the electrically erasable storage unit 6, and the printing unit 8, and controls the timer unit 7. The remote host 9 is accessed according to the distribution time 44 and the repetition period 45 or the date 43 of the account information 41 or 42 stored in the electrically erasable storage unit 6 based on the counted date and time.

Next, the operation of the image forming apparatus configured as described above will be described with reference to FIG.

The control unit 1 includes account information 41 and 42 to
The distribution time 44, the repetition period 45, and the date 43 are read out and compared with the date and time of the timer unit 7 at that time (step 11). Account information 41
When the date 43 is designated in 42 to 42, the distribution time 44 and the date 43 are compared, and when the date 43 is not designated, the distribution time 44 and the repetition period 45 are set.
Is a comparison target. When the values match, the ID information 47, the password 48 and the telephone number 46 of the account information 41 and 42 are read out (step 12), and a point-to-point protocol (Point to Po
The remote host 9 of the corresponding telephone number is accessed via the telephone line 35 using int Protocol (PPP) (steps 13 and 21). When a response is received from the remote host 9 of the corresponding telephone number (step 14), the control unit 1 transmits the ID information 47 and the password 48 (step 15), and the remote host 9 which has received the ID information 47 (step 22). It is checked whether or not they are registered, and if they are registered, the fact is notified to the image forming apparatus (step 2).
3). The control unit 1 receiving the notification from the remote host 9
Determines that the access is successful, and places the image forming apparatus in an image signal reception waiting state (step 16). On the other hand, after transmitting the notification of registration, the remote host 9 sends an image to be printed as an image signal to the image forming apparatus (step 24). The image forming apparatus that has received the image signal temporarily stores the image signal in the storage unit 5 via the line control unit 3, sends the image signal stored in the storage unit 5 to the printing unit 8, and prints out the image signal (step 17). If there is a next image signal, step 2
4 and step 17 are repeated (step 19
And step 25), after all image signals have been transmitted and received, the telephone line 35 is disconnected (steps 20 and 26). When the call is not successful because there is no response from the remote host 9 of the corresponding telephone number in step 14, and when the access is unsuccessful because there is no notification from the remote host 9 in step 16,
The user is prompted to retry, and if no retry is performed, the telephone line 35 is disconnected (step 18).

FIG. 4 is a block diagram showing a second embodiment of the present invention.

In this embodiment, a large-capacity storage unit 32 is added to the embodiment of FIG. 1, and the control unit 31 also controls the operation of the large-capacity storage unit 32.

The large-capacity storage unit 32 is a storage device such as a hard disk device that retains the stored contents even when the power is turned off.

In this embodiment, the remote host 9
The image signal received via the line control unit 3 from the storage unit 5
Is stored in the large-capacity storage unit 32. At this time, the image signals stored in the large-capacity storage unit 32 are not directly sent to the printing unit 8 for printing and output, but all the image signals to be printed and output are continuously received from the remote host 9. Are all stored in the large-capacity storage unit 32. When all the image signals have been received and stored in the large-capacity storage unit 32, the image forming apparatus disconnects the telephone line 35, and then sends the image signals from the large-capacity storage unit 32 to the printing unit 8 to print out. .

With this configuration, the holding time of the telephone line 35 can be shortened as compared with the embodiment shown in FIG. 1, so that the communication fee can be reduced.

[0028]

As described above, according to the image forming apparatus of the present invention, the key for inputting the account information of the remote host device including the ID information, the password, the telephone number, the distribution time of the image signal and the repetition period or date. An input unit, an electrically erasable storage unit that stores account information input from a key input unit, a line control unit that communicates with a remote host device via a telephone line, and clocks a date and time. A timer unit, and a control unit that accesses the remote host device according to the distribution time and the repetition period or date of the account information stored in the electrically erasable storage unit based on the date and time measured by the timer unit. And a work area and a page buffer area of the control unit, and an image received from the remote host device. Or a storage unit having a work area and a page buffer area of the control unit, and a large-capacity storage unit that stores the image signal received from the remote host device and retains it even after the power is turned off. For example, when a computer spreads to ordinary households and newspapers and the like are distributed via a telephone line, a receiving side can automatically access a transmitting side at a desired time and receive image data. There is an effect that the receiving side can bear the communication fee at that time.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a first embodiment of the present invention.

FIGS. 2A and 2B are flowcharts showing the operation of the embodiment of FIG. 1, wherein FIG. 2A is a flowchart showing the operation of a receiving-side image forming apparatus, and FIG. 2B is a flowchart showing the operation of a transmitting-side remote host device.

FIG. 3 is a format diagram showing account information in the embodiment of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a block diagram showing a second embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a timing chart illustrating a communication procedure of an example of a conventional image forming apparatus.

[Explanation of symbols]

 REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 1 control unit 2 key input unit 3 line control unit 4 host interface unit 5 storage unit 6 electrically erasable storage unit 7 timer unit 8 printing unit 9 host device (remote host) 10 host device (local host) 11 to 26 steps 31 control unit 32 large-capacity storage unit 35 telephone line 36 connection line 41 account information 42 account information 43 date 44 distribution time 45 repetition period 46 telephone number 47 ID information 48 password 51 receiving side 52 transmitting side 53 calling sequence 54 collect call information 55 Calling sequence 56 Transmission right transfer 57 Image signal

Claims (7)

[Claims] 1. A key input unit for inputting account information of a remote host device including an ID information, a password, a telephone number, and a distribution time and a repetition period or date of an image signal, and a telephone line between the remote host device and the key input unit. A line control unit that performs communication via the control unit, a storage unit that has a work area and a page buffer area of the control unit, and stores an image signal received from the remote host device, and an electrically erasable storage that stores the account information Unit, a timer unit for measuring the date and time, a printing unit for printing the image signal stored in the storage unit, the key input unit, the line control unit, the storage unit, and the electrical writing. The operation of the erasable storage unit and the printing unit is controlled, and based on the date and time measured by the timer unit, An image forming apparatus comprising: the control unit that accesses the remote host device according to the distribution time and the repetition period or the date of the account information stored in the erasable storage unit. 2. A key input unit for inputting account information of a remote host device including ID information, a password, a telephone number, and a distribution time and a repetition period or a date of an image signal, and a telephone line between the key input unit and the remote host device. And a storage unit having a work area and a page buffer area of the control unit, and a large-capacity storage unit for storing an image signal received from the remote host device and holding it even after power is turned off. An electrical erasable storage unit for storing the account information, a timer unit for measuring date and time, a printing unit for printing the image signal stored in the mass storage unit, and the key The operation of the input unit, the line control unit, the storage unit, the mass storage unit, the electrically erasable storage unit, and the printing unit. The remote host according to the distribution time and the repetition period or the date of the account information stored in the electrically erasable storage unit based on the date and time measured by the timer unit. An image forming apparatus comprising: the control unit configured to access the apparatus. 3. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a host interface unit controlled by the control unit to connect a local host device and exchange information. 4. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a line controller having a modulation / demodulation circuit, a digital / analog conversion circuit, an analog / digital conversion circuit, and a dial transmission circuit. 5. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a storage unit configured by a static type or dynamic type random access memory. 6. An electrically erasable read-only memory or an electrically erasable storage unit comprising a flash read-only memory. The image forming apparatus according to claim 4. 7. The remote control device according to claim 1, further comprising a control unit for accessing the remote host device using a point-to-point protocol. An image forming apparatus according to claim 6.