JPH11161585A - Communication terminal equipment and storage medium - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a communication terminal equipment capable of automatically printing the data of the file in the case that the form of the file attached to electronic mail is a TIFF(tag image file format). SOLUTION: When the electronic mail is received in a step 10, the received electronic mail is stored in an HDD(hard disk driver) in the step 20. At the time of detecting that the storage is ended in the step 30, whether or not an attached file is present is judged in the step 40, and in the case that it is present, whether or not the form of the file is the TIFF is judged in the step 50. Then, in the case of the TIFF, power start command signals are outputted to a printer in the step 60, printing command signals are outputted to the printer in the step 70, the stored electronic mail and file are read and they are outputted to the printer in the step 90.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a communication terminal capable of receiving image information transmitted via the Internet and printing the received image information.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, there has been known a technique for transmitting image information output from a facsimile apparatus or a scanner via the Internet. For example, the transmitted image information is received by a receiving computer, the computer is operated to display the received image information on a display, and whether or not the displayed content is content to be printed is determined. If the content is to be checked and printed, the printer is activated and the printer prints the displayed content.

[0003]

However, in the above-mentioned conventional communication terminal device, the received image information is displayed on a display, and it is determined whether or not it is necessary to print by looking at the displayed image information. Since a procedure of printing from a printer is required, there is a problem that it takes time and effort. In particular, when facsimile data is frequently transmitted and received between companies, it takes a lot of time and work efficiency for printing the received image data is low. That is, the conventional communication terminal device has a problem that it cannot automatically perform the process from reception to printing as in a normal facsimile device.

Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to realize a communication terminal device capable of automatically printing image information that needs to be printed out of image information received via the Internet by a printer.

[0005]

In order to achieve the above object, according to the first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a receiving means capable of receiving image information via the Internet, and receiving the image information by the receiving means. A printer that prints the image information on a print medium, wherein, when the image information received by the receiving unit is in a predetermined format, the printer sends the image to the printer. Print instruction means for instructing to print information, wherein the printer prints the image information received by the reception means on the print medium based on an instruction from the print instruction means. Is adopted.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, in the communication terminal device according to the first aspect, the image information is read information read by reading means for reading information recorded on a document. Is adopted.

According to the invention described in claim 2, in the communication terminal device according to claim 1 or 2, the receiving means has a function of receiving an electronic mail via the Internet, and Is a TIFF image file attached to the electronic mail.

According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, in the communication terminal device according to any one of the first to third aspects, the printer can be started up when a start-up command signal is input. A power supply, and the print command unit includes a start command signal output unit that outputs the start command signal to the printer when instructing the printer to print the received read information. The technical means that was provided.

According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a communication terminal apparatus having a receiving means capable of receiving image information via the Internet, and a printer for printing the image information received by the receiving means on a print medium. When the image information received by the receiving means is in a predetermined format in the storage medium storing the program for controlling the image processing, the printer instructs the printer to print the image information. A technical means of a storage medium storing a computer program including a print command program is employed.

[0010]

According to the first to fourth aspects of the present invention, in the print command unit, the image information received by the receiving unit capable of receiving the image information via the Internet is in a predetermined format. In this case, the printer instructs the printer to print the image information, and the printer prints the image information received by the receiving unit on a print medium based on a command from the print command unit. . That is, when the received image information is in a predetermined format, the image information can be automatically printed on a printing medium by a printer. Therefore, if the format of the image information to be automatically printed is set in advance, the person who has received the image information displays the content of the received image information on a display as in the related art, and the displayed image is displayed. It is possible to save the trouble of confirming that the image information needs to be printed and then printing it by the printer.

[0011] In particular, the technical means according to the first aspect is that the received image information is read information read by reading means for reading information recorded on a document as in the second aspect of the invention. It is preferably adopted in some cases. That is, for example, as described in an embodiment of the invention described below, facsimile data (read information) read by a facsimile apparatus (reading means) can be transmitted via the Internet. On the other hand, it is required that printing be performed automatically as in a normal facsimile machine. Therefore, by setting the format when facsimile data (read information) is transmitted via the Internet to the above-mentioned predetermined format, it is determined whether or not the received data is facsimile data based on the format. Thus, only facsimile data can be automatically printed in the same manner as a normal facsimile machine.

[0012] Further, the technical means according to the first and second aspects has a function in which the receiving means receives an electronic mail via the Internet, as in the invention according to the third aspect. This is preferably adopted when the predetermined format is a TIFF image file attached to the electronic mail. In other words, the image information can be sent as a file attached to the e-mail,
TIFF is often used as the file format. Therefore, the receiving side determines that the file attached to the received e-mail is TIFF. If the file is TIFF, if the content of the file can be automatically printed by the printer, the file is attached to the e-mail. The received information can be automated from reception to printing.

Further, in the invention according to claim 4, the start command signal output means provided in the print command means, when instructing the printer to print the received read information, A start-up command signal is output to the printer, and a power supply provided in the printer is configured to start up when the start-up command signal is input. In other words, it is not necessary to keep the power of the printer turned on at all times, and the power of the printer is turned on only when the start command signal is input, so that the power consumption of the printer can be reduced. .

According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a receiving means capable of receiving image information via the Internet, and transmitting the image information received by the receiving means to a printing medium. In a storage medium storing a program for controlling a communication terminal device having a printer that prints, if the image information received by the receiving unit is in a predetermined format, The present invention can be realized by a storage medium storing a computer program including a print instruction program for instructing printing of image information. So, for example,
As described in an embodiment of the invention described later, by installing a program stored in the storage medium on a computer, the computer can execute the print instruction unit.

[0015]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS One embodiment of a communication terminal device according to the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. Note that
A communication terminal device installed in each department in a company will be described as a representative of the communication terminal device of the present embodiment. First, the configuration of a communication line to which the communication terminal device of the present embodiment is connected will be described with reference to FIG. Inside the company C, a communication terminal device 1 is installed for each department. The communication terminal device 1 includes a personal computer (hereinafter abbreviated as a PC) 2 and a printer 3 connected to the PC 2 by a connection cable 4.

The PC 2 provided in each communication terminal device 1
HUB 6 is connected via LAN line 5
B6 is connected to a mail server 7 that distributes e-mail. The mail server 7 is connected to a telephone exchange 9 via a telephone line 8, and the telephone exchange 9 is connected to an ISP (Internet) contracted by the mail server 7.
t Service Provider) 10 and connected to the Internet A. Internet A
Is the IS with which the destination facsimile machine 13 is contracted.
ISP11 is connected to the telephone exchange 1
2 is connected to the facsimile machine 13. The telephone exchange 9 and the telephone exchange 12 are connected by a public communication exchange network B. The facsimile apparatus 13 transmits read information read by the built-in image scanner as reading means of the present invention to the Internet A,
Alternatively, it has a function of transmitting data via the public switched telephone network B.

Next, the configurations of the PC 2 and the printer 3 will be described with reference to FIG. PC2
Is provided with a computer main body 21 having a built-in CPU, a keyboard 22, a mouse 23, and a CRT monitor 24. The printer 3 is connected to the computer main body 21 by a connection cable 4. The computer main body 21 has an FD drive 26 for driving a 3.5-inch floppy disk (hereinafter abbreviated as FD) and a CD-RO for driving a CD-ROM.
An M drive 27 is provided.

Next, the electrical configuration of the PC 2 will be described with reference to FIG. A print command to the printer 3 is provided inside the computer main body 21.
A CPU 25 that executes an operating system and various application programs is provided. The CPU 25 includes an FD drive 26 or
A hard disk drive (hereinafter abbreviated as HDD) 21d for storing various programs read by the CD-ROM drive 27 and received e-mails
A LAN board 28 as receiving means of the present invention for receiving the e-mail received by the mail server 7 via the LAN line 5, and a RAM 21 c for temporarily storing the e-mail and the like received by the LAN board 28. ROM
21a and the EEPROM 21b are connected. In the present embodiment, an application program for issuing a print command to the printer 3 (hereinafter, referred to as a print command program) is a CD-ROM or an FD.
The print instruction program stored in a storage medium such as the storage medium is installed by a corresponding drive of the computer main body 21.

Next, the electrical configuration of the printer 3 will be described.
This will be described with reference to FIG. In addition,
In the present embodiment, an ink jet printer will be described as a representative printer. The printer 3 receives print data from the CPU 2 that controls each part of the printer 3 and the PC 2 via an interface (I / F) 31, and develops the print data into image data that can be printed by an inkjet head 3a described later. And a gate array (G / A) 32 for performing control. Between the CPU 30 and the gate array 32, a ROM 33 storing a work program and the like and a gate array 32
A RAM 34 for temporarily storing the print data received from C2 is provided, and necessary data is received therefrom.

The CPU 30 includes a paper sensor 35 for detecting the presence or absence of the printing paper P (see FIG. 2) as the printing medium of the present invention, an origin sensor 36 for detecting that the ink jet head 3a is at the home position, and an ink jet printer. A motor driver 38 for driving a carriage motor 37 for moving a carriage on which the head 3a is mounted, a motor driver 40 for driving a line feed motor 39, and an operation panel 3b for giving various signals to the CPU 30 are connected. . The gate array 32 is connected to an image memory 41 for temporarily storing developed image data. The head driver 42 operates based on print data (image data) output from the gate array 32, a transfer clock, and a print clock, and drives the inkjet head 3a. The gate array 32 has an encoder sensor 44 that measures the moving speed of the carriage and determines the print timing.
Is also connected.

Next, the PC 2 receives the e-mail transmitted from the mail server 7 and executes a print command process executed by the CPU 25 until the printer 3 prints the image information attached to the received e-mail. The contents will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG. First, when the polling time for the ISP 10 comes, the mail server 7 dials the ISP 10, receives the e-mail addressed to the company C stored in the ISP 10, and indicates the received e-mail in the e-mail. To the PC 2 of the e-mail address entered.

Then, the CPU 25 provided in the PC 2
Receives the e-mail (Step 10: Ye
s) The received e-mail is stored in the HDD 21d (step 20). Subsequently, when the storage of the electronic mail is completed (Step 30: Yes), the CPU 25 determines whether or not a file is attached to the stored electronic mail (Step 40). Step 40: Yes), and the file format is TIFF (Tag Image File Format)
t) is determined (step 50). That is, it is determined whether the file is facsimile data transmitted via the Internet.

Subsequently, the CPU 25 determines that the format of the file is TIFF (step 50: Ye).
s), a power supply start command signal is output to the printer 3 (step 60), and a print command signal is output (step 70).
Subsequently, the CPU 25 reads data indicating the contents of the electronic mail and the attached file from the HDD 21d (step 80), converts the read data into print data, and outputs the print data to the printer 3 (step 90). here,
The contents of the printing process executed by the CPU 30 of the printer 3 will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG. When the CPU 30 receives the power-on command signal output from the CPU 25 (step 100: Ye)
s), the power supply 43 is started (step 110), and the CPU 2
5 is input and stored in the RAM 34 (step 120). Subsequently, the CPU 30 takes out the print data stored in the RAM 34 and develops it into image data in the gate array 32. Then, the developed image data is stored in the image memory 4.
1 (step 130), and when the storage of one page is completed (step 140: Yes), the stored image data of one page is read (step 150) and printing is performed (step 160). ). Then, the CPU 30 repeats the processing from step 120 to step 160 until printing of the data for all pages is completed (step 170).

As described above, if the communication terminal device 1 of this embodiment is used, it is determined whether the format of the file attached to the e-mail received from the mail server 7 is TIFF, and the result of the determination is TIFF. , The file can be automatically printed. Therefore,
As before, each time an e-mail is received, its contents are displayed on the display, and the format of the attached file is TIF.
It is possible to save the trouble of making the printer print after confirming that it is F. In particular, in the case where facsimile data read by the reading means between companies is frequently attached to an e-mail as in the present embodiment and communication is frequently performed, the work from receiving the e-mail to printing the attached file is performed. The efficiency can be considerably increased, and the same function as a normal facsimile machine can be provided.
By the way, steps 60 and 70 executed by the CPU 25 function as print command means of the present invention, and step 60 functions as a start command signal output means.

[0025]

As described above, claims 1 to 4 are as described above.
According to the invention described in (1), when the received image information is in a predetermined format, the image information is automatically printed by a printer, so that the image information is received via the Internet. If the format of the image information that needs to be printed out of the image information is set as the predetermined format, the image information can be automatically printed on the printing medium.

According to the second aspect of the present invention, since the image information is read information read by reading means for reading information recorded on a document, the read information is transmitted via the Internet. If the format in which the reading is performed is set in advance, it can be determined based on the format whether the information is read information, and the read information can be automatically printed. Therefore, it can function similarly to a normal facsimile machine.

According to the third aspect of the present invention, the receiving means has a function of receiving an e-mail via the Internet, and sets TIFF as a predetermined format. It is determined whether the format of the attached file is TIFF, and in the case of TIFF,
The content of the file can be printed by a printer. When image information is attached to an e-mail and transmitted, it is often converted in a TIFF file format. Therefore, it is necessary to determine whether or not to print on a printing medium based on whether or not the TIFF is used. Thus, in a normal facsimile apparatus, the process from reception to printing can be automated in the same manner as when image information is received.

Further, according to the invention described in claim 4,
When instructing the printer to print the received read information, the start-up command signal output means outputs a start-up command signal to the printer, and is provided in the printer based on the start-up command signal. Since the power supply is configured to start up, there is no need to keep the printer power supply up at all times, and the printer power supply is started up only when the above startup command signal is input. Power consumption can be reduced.

According to the fifth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a receiving means capable of receiving image information via the Internet, and a printer for printing the image information received by the receiving means on a printing medium. When the image information received by the receiving means is in a predetermined format in a storage medium storing a program for controlling the communication terminal device, the image information is printed on the printer. It is a configuration of a storage medium storing a computer program including a print instruction program for instructing such that, if this storage medium is used, image information that needs to be printed out of image information received via the Internet A communication terminal device that can automatically print with a printer can be realized.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram showing the configuration of a communication line to which a communication terminal device according to an embodiment is connected by a block;

FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram illustrating the appearance of a PC and a printer according to the embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram showing the electrical configuration of the PC shown in FIG. 2 by blocks.

FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram showing the electrical configuration of the printer shown in FIG. 2 by blocks.

FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing the contents of a print command process executed by a CPU 25;

FIG. 6 is a flowchart showing the contents of a printing process executed by a CPU 30.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Communication terminal device 2 PC 3 Printer 5 LAN line 25 CPU 28 LAN board (receiving means) 30 CPU 43 Power supply A Internet C Company P Printing paper (medium to be printed)

Claims (5)

[Claims] 1. A communication terminal device comprising: a receiving unit that can receive image information via the Internet; and a printer that prints the image information received by the receiving unit on a print medium. When the received image information is in a predetermined format, the printer further includes a print instruction unit that instructs the printer to print the image information. A communication terminal device for printing the image information received by the receiving unit on the medium to be printed based on a command from a command unit. 2. The communication terminal device according to claim 1, wherein the image information is read information read by reading means for reading information recorded on a document. 3. The receiving means has a function of receiving an electronic mail via the Internet, and the predetermined format is a TIF attached to the electronic mail.
2. The image file of claim F, wherein:
Or the communication terminal device according to claim 2. 4. The printer is provided with a power supply that can be started up when a start-up command signal is input, and the print command unit prints the received read information to the printer. 4. The communication terminal device according to claim 1, further comprising a start command signal output unit that outputs the start command signal to the printer when the command is issued. . 5. A program for controlling a communication terminal device having a receiving means capable of receiving image information via the Internet, and a printer for printing the image information received by the receiving means on a printing medium. In the storage medium, a computer program including a print command program for instructing the printer to print the image information when the image information received by the receiving unit is in a predetermined format. Is stored.