JPH11127281A - Facsimile equipment - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To enable utilizing a provided function with a high reliability by means of permitting mode change-over not be executed through the use of an unexpected operation by operating an operating part in accordance with plural procedures due to change-over modes. SOLUTION: Facsimile communication or calling mode change-over with an an opposite part is executed in accordance with an input operation from an operation display part 13 by a system control part 11. Concretely speaking, the system control part 11 selectively set one of facsimile(FAX) fixing, telephone(TEL) fixing or automatic change-over corresponding to communication from the opposite party by following the operation of a scrol key while displaying and outputting the English or Japanese setting reception mode information of a center blank to display LCD when a change-over key is depressed and the change-over operation of a reception mode is selected. Thus, plural operation procedures for operation the scrol key is executed together with the depression of the change-over key so that the mode is change-over for the first time.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a facsimile apparatus for performing facsimile communication or telephone conversation by switching modes, and more particularly to a facsimile apparatus in which mode switching is not performed carelessly.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art A facsimile apparatus which is connected to a telephone line and performs facsimile communication for transmitting / receiving image information read from an original to / from a destination via the telephone line has been known. Is generally provided with a handset so that a call can be made via a telephone line.

In this type of facsimile apparatus, a setting mode is switched by operating a switching key to perform facsimile communication or a telephone call, and the switching key is operated by a one-operation (one-touch) key operation of merely pressing down. Some can input a mode switch.

[0004]

However, such a conventional facsimile apparatus is designed so that the set mode can be switched by a simple key operation such as simply pressing a switching key. Therefore, for example, even if a reception mode in which facsimile reception can be performed in advance in order to be absent is set, a mode in which only a call is inadvertently performed only by touching the switching key is fixed, and the facsimile is set. In some cases, the function provided for receiving cannot be used effectively.

To solve this problem, for example, Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. Hei 5-153322 discloses that the setting mode of the receiving side is inadvertently switched by switching the setting mode by remote operation from the transmitting side. There has been proposed a facsimile apparatus for preventing such a situation.
However, in the facsimile apparatus described in this publication, the transmitting side must have a function of switching the setting mode of the receiving side to facsimile reception, and there is also a problem that control is complicated because the mode is switched by communication. .

[0006] Therefore, the present invention restricts the operation of performing mode switching so that the mode switching is not performed by an inadvertent operation, so that the provided functions can be used with high reliability. The purpose is to:

[0007]

In order to achieve the above object, according to the first aspect of the present invention, a mode switch of a facsimile communication or a telephone call to be performed with a destination connected to a communication line is operated by an operation unit. A facsimile apparatus provided with a control unit for switching the mode by operating an operation unit according to a plurality of procedures.

According to the first aspect of the present invention, the setting mode is not switched unless an operation according to a plurality of procedures is performed. Therefore, there is no careless mode switching. According to a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided a facsimile apparatus which is connected to a communication line and performs facsimile communication or mode switching of a call by operating an operation unit. And a control unit for performing the mode switching when the time is maintained for a preset time or more.

According to the second aspect of the present invention, the setting mode does not change unless an operation for maintaining the set time is performed for a set time or more, for example, unless the pressed key operation is continued for the set time or more. Therefore, there is no careless mode switching. According to a third aspect of the present invention, in addition to the configuration of the second aspect of the present invention, the set time for maintaining the operation can be changed.

According to the third aspect of the present invention, the set time for determining whether or not the operation is for switching the setting mode can be changed according to the user's convenience. Therefore, it is possible to make the operation necessary for the mode switching suitable for the user.

[0011]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS The present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. 1 to 3 show a first embodiment of a facsimile apparatus according to the present invention. This embodiment corresponds to the first aspect of the present invention. In FIG. 1, reference numeral 10 denotes a facsimile apparatus capable of performing a call via a handset together with facsimile communication for transmitting and receiving image information. The facsimile apparatus 10 controls the respective units of the apparatus in accordance with a control program stored in an internal memory and controls the present invention. A system control unit 11 that executes various processes; a system memory 12 that is used as a work area for temporarily storing data necessary for operating while storing various information such as driving conditions and management data of each unit of the device; Conditions, equipment status,
Alternatively, an operation display unit that displays various information such as input information and performs input operations such as setting and instructions by a user.
13, a network control unit 14 which is connected to an analog public line and executes predetermined line control at the time of outgoing / incoming to connect or disconnect the line and detect a DTMF signal transmitted from the other party; A modem 15 for modulating and demodulating various procedure signals is provided for transmitting and receiving image information (facsimile communication), while performing internal switching control so as to communicate with a partner via a handset (not shown) connected to the network control unit 14. A facsimile communication control unit 16, a reading unit 17 that reads image information by photoelectrically converting reflected light from an image of a document to be transmitted, and records and outputs an image on a recording medium using a recording medium based on the read / received image information Recording unit 18 for reading / reading
An image information memory 19 for temporarily storing received image information, and an encoding / decoding unit 20 for compressing and encoding image information to be transmitted while expanding and decoding received image information are connected to a bus 21. It is connected. The facsimile apparatus 10 is connected to a data processing terminal such as a personal computer (PC) and transmits / receives / processes data via a digital data I / F 22 (for example, RS232 interface, Centronics, RS422, etc.). Receives data and converts it to image information that can be sent / recorded (analysis / generation)
A computer communication control unit 23 is connected to the bus 21 so that it can be used as a so-called printer by a PC or the like, or can receive created data and transmit it by facsimile.

As shown in FIG. 2, the facsimile apparatus 10 inputs various kinds of information together with a display LCD 31 for displaying and outputting various kinds of information such as a set mode and an LED (for example, an LED 32 which is turned on in a call mode). Numeric keypad
33, a start key 34, a stop key 35, a one-touch dial key 36, a switching key 37 for switching settings such as modes and driving conditions, a scroll key 38 for operating display information on the display LCD 31, and a function key for switching and selecting a function setting to be used (F key) 39 and the like are arranged on the operation display unit 13. The mode switching of the facsimile communication or the call performed with the other party is performed by the system control unit 11 according to the input operation from the operation display unit 13 by the user. Do.

More specifically, when the left end of the switching key 37 is pressed to select the reception mode switching operation, the system control unit 11 sets the English or Japanese setting reception mode information in the center column shown in FIG. Is displayed on the display LCD 31 and the facsimile (FA)
Any of X) fixed, telephone call (TEL) fixed, or automatic switching according to communication from the other party can be selected and set. Note that the reception mode here is one of the modes that can be set among the functions of the facsimile apparatus 10, and in the present embodiment, the switching of the reception mode will be described as an example, but the switching of the setting mode is limited. Not something.

The system control unit 11 displays and outputs on the display LCD 31 during standby, whether or not communication is possible, a magnification at the time of copying, a current time, a message prompting an operation (input of a document set, dial number of a destination, etc.). Switch key
When the reception mode switching operation is selected by pressing 37, a display output indicating the currently set reception mode is indicated by a scroll mark ">", and when the left / right scroll key 38 is operated, reception is performed according to the operation. The mode is set to one of facsimile fixed, call fixed, and automatic switching (held in the system memory 12), and the setting mode at that time is indicated by a scroll mark ">". And the system control unit 11
When the up / down scroll key 38, the stop key 35, or the switching key 38, which is used instead of the input of "Yes" or "No", is pressed thereafter, the reception mode switching operation is terminated and the standby mode is set. Display and output information. The left column of FIG. 3 shows a key input operation, the center column shows information displayed by the key input operation, and the right column shows ON / OFF of the LED 32 indicating fixing / cancellation of the call mode. "Y / <>" in the center column indicates that switching can be performed by "<" and ">" of the scroll key 38.

Therefore, the reception mode can be switched only by performing a plurality of operation procedures of operating the scroll key 38 together with the depression (operation) of the switching key 37. For example, the reception mode can be switched by touching the switching key 37 by mistake. Even if it is, the setting of the reception mode is not switched, and the display on the display LCD 31 allows the user to notice that the user has entered the reception mode switching operation without switching the reception mode.

As described above, in the present embodiment, the reception mode is immediately switched by an inadvertent operation of the switching key 37. For example, the telephone is fixed to a facsimile, but is fixed to a telephone call. No facsimile reception cannot be performed. Therefore, it is possible to receive the facsimile transmission from the other party despite the fact that the reception mode in which only the facsimile communication is performed as in the related art is not used, and the functions provided are effectively used with high reliability. can do.

FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a second embodiment of the facsimile apparatus according to the present invention. This embodiment corresponds to the second aspect of the present invention. In addition, since the present embodiment is configured substantially in the same manner as the above-described first embodiment, the same reference numerals are given to the same configurations using FIGS. . In FIG. 1, the system control unit 11
In the same manner as described in the related art, the reception mode is switched by pressing the left end of the switching key 37.
At this time, the time during which the switching key 37 is continuously pressed is measured by a timer function (not shown), and the pressing is continued (maintained) even when the pressing exceeds a preset threshold value (for example, 1.5 seconds). When the setting is made, the setting is sequentially switched in the order of facsimile fixed, call fixed, and automatic switching.

More specifically, as shown in the flowchart of FIG. 4, the system control unit 11 displays display information such as after processing of functions provided for facsimile transmission / reception and copying and on standby on the display LCD 31 such as whether communication is possible or not. When the switching key 37 is detected to be pressed (step P2) during output processing or the like (step P1), time measurement by the timer function is started (step P3), and the measured time is set in advance. It is checked, for example, every 500 msec from the start, for example, every 500 msec from the start (step P4), and if it has exceeded, the set reception mode is shifted to the next reception mode and the switching setting is performed. And resets the timer (steps P5 and P6), and checks whether the switching key 37 is still pressed (step P7).
If the switching key 37 is continuously pressed to switch the reception mode, the process returns to step P4 and the same processing is continued. If the switching key 37 is released without being pressed, the timer function is performed. Is terminated and reset, and the process returns to step P1 to wait for the next input. At this time, the reception mode switched and set is the first mode described above.
As in the embodiment, the display mode is indicated by a scroll mark ">" shown in FIG. 3 on the display LCD 31, and this reception mode switching operation is performed by operating the vertical scroll key 38 or the like which is substituted for "Yes" or "No" finish. In addition,
The switching setting of the reception mode may be held in the system memory 12 every time the switching (transition) is performed, but it goes without saying that the setting may be held when the switching operation is completed.

Therefore, the receiving mode can be switched only when the pressing (operation) of the switching key 37 is maintained for the set time or more. As in the first embodiment, the receiving mode can be switched.
Even if the switching key 37 is touched and pressed by mistake, the setting is not switched. As described above, in the present embodiment, in addition to the operation and effect of the above-described first embodiment, the switching operation of the reception mode is an operation of only pressing the switching key 37, so that the switching of the reception mode is complicated. It can be performed easily without any problem.

FIG. 5 is a view showing a third embodiment of the facsimile apparatus according to the present invention. This embodiment corresponds to the third aspect of the present invention. In addition, since the present embodiment is configured substantially in the same manner as the above-described second embodiment, the same reference numerals are given to the same configurations using FIGS. . In FIG. 1, the system control unit 11
As in the second embodiment, the reception mode is switched when the time of pressing the switching key 37 exceeds the time of the set threshold value, and the preset threshold value is displayed on the operation display unit. This can be done by pressing the F key 39 of 13 and inputting “80” using the numeric keypad 33 to instruct the change of the value.

More specifically, when the F key 39 is depressed and the change of the threshold value is selected as in the case of the switching operation of the reception mode, the system control unit 11 sets the English or Japanese language in the center column shown in FIG. Displays the set threshold value of the word LC
Any one of 1.0 sec, 1.5 sec, and 2.0 sec is selected and set according to the operation of the scroll key 38 while displaying and outputting to D31. At this time, the currently set threshold time is set in the setting reception mode. In the same manner as in the case of, it is indicated by a scroll mark “>”.

The subsequent operation termination and the reception mode switching operation shown in the flowchart of FIG. 4 are the same as those in the above embodiment. Therefore, the threshold time for successively switching the setting of the reception mode is set to 1.0 sec if the user wants to make the switching as quick as possible and 2.0 sec if the user wants to switch with a margin. Can be set. It is needless to say that the threshold value is not limited to the above three types.
The input setting may be made every 5 seconds.

As described above, in the present embodiment, in addition to the operation and effect of the second embodiment, the threshold value for determining whether to switch the reception mode can be changed according to the user's convenience. However, it is possible to prevent the desired reception mode from being too short because the threshold time is too short to be easily switched, and it is possible to prevent the switching from taking too much time until switching, and from being irritated.

[0024]

According to the first aspect of the present invention, the setting mode is switched only by an operation in accordance with a plurality of procedures, so that the mode switching can be performed immediately by an inadvertent operation and the intended mode can be functioned. The function according to the setting mode can be reliably used without being lost. Therefore, the provided functions can be effectively used with high reliability.

According to the second and third aspects of the present invention, the setting mode is switched for the first time only by pressing the button for a set time or more even if only one operation is performed. The function of the setting mode can be reliably used without making it impossible to function the mode to be performed and without complicating the operation of the mode switching. Furthermore, according to the third aspect of the present invention, the set time can be arbitrarily changed, so that the operation time required for the mode switching according to the user's convenience can be shortened. It is possible to prevent the user from easily switching to the desired setting mode due to too much time, or from taking too much time to be irritated. Therefore, mode switching can be easily performed, and the provided functions can be more easily and effectively used.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating a first embodiment of a facsimile apparatus according to the present invention, and is a block diagram illustrating a schematic overall configuration thereof.

FIG. 2 is a plan view showing the operation display unit.

FIG. 3 is a conceptual diagram showing a display example at the time of a setting mode switching operation.

FIG. 4 is a view showing a second embodiment of the facsimile apparatus according to the present invention, and is a flowchart for explaining a setting mode switching operation.

FIG. 5 is a diagram showing a third embodiment of the facsimile apparatus according to the present invention, and is a conceptual diagram showing a display example when a setting mode is switched.

[Explanation of symbols]

 10 Facsimile machine 11 System control unit (control unit) 12 System memory 13 Operation display unit (operation unit) 14 Network control unit 15 Modem 16 Facsimile communication control unit 17 Reading unit 18 Recording unit 31 Display LCD 37 Switching key 38 Scroll key 39 Function Key

Claims (3)

[Claims] 1. A facsimile apparatus which is connected to a communication line and performs mode switching of facsimile communication or call performed with a destination by operating an operation unit, wherein the operation unit is operated according to a plurality of procedures. A facsimile apparatus provided with a control unit for performing the mode switching according to (1). 2. A facsimile apparatus which is connected to a communication line and performs mode switching of facsimile communication or communication with a destination by operating an operation unit, wherein one operation of the operation unit is set in advance. A facsimile apparatus provided with a control unit for switching the mode when the mode is maintained for more than a predetermined time. 3. The facsimile apparatus according to claim 2, wherein a set time for maintaining the operation is changeable.