JPH11164274A - Method for controlling data communication system - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide data images mutually to the opposite terminal during speech communication by converting image data that is read by an image reading function of a data communication device into a dynamic image data, sending the dynamic image data to the opposite terminal with a television telephone communication function and also converting the dynamic image data that is received from the opposite terminal into a still image data to show it on a personal computer. SOLUTION: This system comprises facsimile equipment FX that uses a public network (PSTN) as a communicating means and a personal computer system PC which is connected with a prescribed interface means. The equipment FX is provided with a television telephone communication function, an image reading function and a G3 facsimile function, provides them to the system PC and makes the system PC store plural offered images and to display an optional image. It performs still picture communication and speech communication at the same time, appropriately selects the kind and display form (split, extension, etc.), of image data to be shown and efficiently performs communication, referring to data.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

The present invention relates to a data communication device having at least an image reading function, an image recording function, a telephone call function, a facsimile communication function, and a connection function with a personal computer device, and is connected to the data communication device. The present invention relates to a control method for a data communication system including at least a personal computer having an image display function.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, a data communication device having at least an image reading function, an image recording function, a telephone call function, a facsimile communication function, and a connection function with a personal computer device, and connected to the data communication device to at least display an image. 2. Description of the Related Art A data communication system including a personal computer device having functions has been put to practical use.

When such a data communication system is used, an image reading function, an image recording function, a facsimile communication function, and the like required by a personal computer can be realized by using a single data communication device. The installation area can be reduced, which is convenient.

[0004]

However, in such a data communication system, only a telephone terminal or a facsimile terminal (or a data communication system having equivalent functions) can be applied as a communication partner. For example, when talking while viewing common materials,
It is necessary to send the material to be used in advance to the other terminal by facsimile, and if new material is needed during the call, it is necessary to terminate the call once,
There is a possibility that a situation in which usability is poor may occur.

The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and has as its object to provide a control method for a data communication system capable of providing a material image to a partner terminal during a call.

[0006]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention provides a data communication device having at least an image reading function, an image recording function, a telephone call function, a facsimile communication function, and a connection function with a personal computer, and a connection to the data communication device. And
In a control method of a data communication system including at least a personal computer device having an image display function, the data communication device further includes a videophone communication function, and a call of the videophone communication function is performed by a communication function of the data communication device. While realizing the function, the image data read by the image reading function of the data communication device is converted into moving image data, and the converted moving image data is transmitted to the partner terminal by the videophone communication function. The moving image data received from the terminal is converted into still image data, the still image data is transmitted to the personal computer, and the received image is displayed by the personal computer. Further, the personal computer device may include a reception image storage unit that stores a plurality of reception images, and may display any one of the plurality of reception images or a predetermined number of reception images.

[0007]

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG.
An embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail.

FIG. 1 shows a configuration example of a data communication system according to an embodiment of the present invention.

This data communication system is a public network (PS)
Facsimile machine FX using TN) as communication means
Facsimile machine FX and personal computer PC
Are connected to each other via a predetermined interface means (not shown), and the facsimile machine FX provides an image reading function, a printing function, and a group 3 facsimile communication function to the personal computer PC.

Also, a personal computer PC
Has a configuration in which the functions provided by the facsimile machine FX connected via the interface means can be used appropriately.

Further, the facsimile machine FX also has a video telephone communication function, so that still image communication and telephone conversation can be simultaneously performed with a video telephone or a terminal having an equivalent function.

FIG. 2 shows an example of the configuration of the facsimile machine FX.

In FIG. 1, a system control section 1 performs control processing of each section of the facsimile apparatus FX, facsimile transmission control procedure processing, videophone transmission control processing, and the like. The control processing program executed by the unit 1 and various data required when executing the processing program are stored, and a work area of the system control unit 1 is configured. The clock circuit 4 is for storing various information unique to the FX, and is for outputting current time information.

The scanner 5 is for reading an original image at a predetermined resolution, the plotter 6 is for recording and outputting an image at a predetermined resolution, and the operation display unit 7 is a facsimile apparatus. To operate,
It consists of various operation keys and various indicators.

The encoding / decoding section 8 encodes and compresses the image signal and decodes the encoded and compressed image information into the original image signal.
This is for storing a large number of image information in a coded and compressed state.

The group 3 facsimile modem 10 implements a group 3 facsimile modem function, and exchanges transmission procedure signals (a low-speed modem function (V.21 modem)) and mainly exchanges image information. High-speed modem function (V.17 modem,
V. 34 modem, V.34. 29 modem, V.29. 27ter modem etc.).

The network control device 11 is for connecting the facsimile machine to a public telephone line network and has an automatic transmission / reception function.

The multiplexing / demultiplexing device 12 performs a multiplexing operation and a demultiplexing operation when transmitting and receiving moving image information and audio information on the same line in video telephone communication. And audio information is exchanged with the audio CODEC 14.

The still image / moving image converter 15 converts still image data (image data) read by the scanner 5 into data of one frame in a moving image format.
Moving image codec with the same still image data at a predetermined frame cycle
13 and converts received moving image data input from the moving image CODEC 13 into still image data.

The audio input / output unit 16 includes a microphone, a speaker, and control means for the microphone and the speaker.
The switch 17 controls the network controller 11 or the audio CODE.
The connection is switched to C14.

Therefore, when the network control device 11 is selected by the switch 17, a call operation can be performed with a terminal other than the videophone, and the voice CODEC 14 is selected by the switch 17. If so, a call operation for videophone communication can be performed.

The personal computer interface circuit 19 connects the facsimile machine FX to a personal computer PC and exchanges various data with the personal computer PC.

The system control unit 1, system memory 2, parameter memory 3, clock circuit 4, scanner 5, plotter 6, operation display unit 7, encoding / decoding unit 8, image storage device 9, group 3 facsimile modem 10, a network controller 11, an audio CODEC 14, a still image / moving image converter 15, an audio input / output unit 16, and a personal computer interface circuit 19 are connected to an internal bus 20, and data between these elements are Are mainly performed through the internal bus 20.

FIG. 3 shows a personal computer device PC.
Is shown.

In FIG. 1, a CPU (central processing unit) 2
Reference numeral 1 denotes an operation control of the personal computer PC, and a ROM (Read Only Memory)
Reference numeral 22 denotes a memory for storing a program to be executed by the CPU 21 at the time of startup, necessary data, and the like, and a RAM (random access memory) 23 for configuring a work area and the like of the CPU 21.

The clock circuit 24 is for outputting current date and time information, and the magnetic disk drive 25 is for storing various data such as various application programs, work data, file data and image information data. The screen display device 26 is for displaying a screen for operating the personal computer device PC, and the display control unit 27 is provided with the screen display device 26.
Is used to control the display content of.

The keyboard device 28 is used to perform various key operations on the personal computer device PC. The screen pointing device 29 is used to perform an operation such as pointing an arbitrary point on the screen display device 26. Of
The input control section 30 is for taking in input information of the keyboard device 28 and the screen instruction device 29, and the like. It is for exchanging.

These CPU 21, ROM 22, RAM
Reference numeral 23, a clock circuit 24, a magnetic disk device 25, a display control unit 27, an input control unit 30, and a facsimile interface circuit 31 are connected to a bus 32. This is performed via the bus 32.

Further, the magnetic disk device 25 is provided with a plurality of received image buffers for storing received image data when the facsimile device FX performs videophone communication as shown in FIG.

When the facsimile machine FX is performing videophone communication, still image data obtained by converting the received moving image into a still image from the facsimile machine FX is transmitted via the facsimile interface circuit 31.
The PU 21 stores the still image data in any of the received image buffers, and displays the still image data stored in any of the received image buffers on the screen display device 26.

A still image to be displayed on the screen display device 26 can be appropriately selected by the user, and the user can display a plurality of still images stored in a plurality of received image buffers on the screen display device 26. You can also instruct them to be displayed side by side.

For this purpose, a screen division process and a process of allocating image data (still image data) to divided screens are performed.
Well-known processing can be applied.

With the above configuration, when performing videophone communication, in the facsimile machine FX, the voice codec 14 is selected by the switch 17 and set to a state in which the telephone operation of the videophone communication can be performed. At the same time, the personal computer PC executes an application program for videophone communication.

Then, when the facsimile machine FX makes a call to the partner terminal, a line is established, and a predetermined videophone communication is started, the voice signal input from the voice input / output unit 16 corresponds to the voice codec 14. The transmission audio data is converted into transmission audio data, and the transmission audio data is
Is transmitted to a predetermined voice channel and transmitted to the partner terminal.

The received voice data received from the partner terminal is separated by the multiplexing / demultiplexing device 12, and the voice CO
DEC14. The audio CODEC 14 converts the input received audio data into a corresponding received audio signal, and the received audio signal is sent to the audio input / output unit 16 via the switch 17 and acoustically output as the received audio.

In this way, a call operation is performed.

On the other hand, the image data read by the scanner 5 is converted into the corresponding moving image information by the still image / moving image converter 15 and is added to the moving image CODEC 13 so that the moving image COD
The EC 13 converts the data into transmission moving image data, and the transmission moving image data is transmitted to a predetermined moving image channel by the multiplexing / demultiplexing device 12 and transmitted to the partner terminal.

The received moving image data received from the partner terminal is separated by the multiplexing / separating device 12 and
It is added to DEC13. The moving image CODEC 13 converts the input received moving image data into corresponding received moving image information, and the received moving image information is added to the still image / moving image converter 15.

The still image / moving image converter 15 converts the input received moving image information into corresponding still image data, and converts the still image data as received image data via the personal computer interface circuit 19 to the personal computer PC. Is forwarded to.

In the personal computer PC, the received image data input via the facsimile interface circuit 31 is stored in the received image buffer, so that the user can display the received still image on the screen display device of the personal computer PC. 26.

Thus, the image transmission / reception operation is performed. In addition, the type of received image data to be displayed on the screen display device 26 and the display mode (divided display or the like) can be appropriately designated according to the content of the call, so that the call can be efficiently performed while referring to the materials. It can be performed.

Here, as a characteristic of the moving image CODEC 13, when transmitting still image data, almost no valid data is generated after transmitting the data of the first frame, so that the data amount of the moving image data is greatly reduced. Be reduced.

That is, basically, every time a new document is read by the scanner 5, the data amount of the moving image data increases when the first frame of data is transmitted. Since the transmission capacity is largely reduced, if the transmission capacity allocated to the audio data is changed in accordance with the increase or decrease in the data amount of the moving image data, a call with higher sound quality can be performed.

FIG. 5 shows an example of the facsimile machine FX at the time of function switching.

When the function is switched by the user (decision 1)
01 is YES), it is checked whether or not the mode has been switched to the facsimile function (decision 102). If the result is NO, the setting inside the device is changed to the videophone function mode (process 104).

As described above, the present embodiment is provided with the video telephone communication function, and can perform the still image communication and the telephone call at the same time. Therefore, it is very convenient when the user talks while referring to the material.

Also, the screen display device 2
6, the type of the received image data to be displayed and the display mode (divided display or the like) can be appropriately designated.
A call can be made efficiently while referring to the materials.

The moving image COD in the above-described embodiment
EC, audio CODEC, and multiplexer / demultiplexer functions
A device conforming to the device function when an analog line according to the TU-T recommendation is used may be applied, and a detailed description thereof will be omitted.

In the above-described embodiment, the public network (PSTN) is used as the line, but the ISDN is used as the line.
Can be used. In that case, the video CODE
C, the voice CODEC, and the function of the multiplexing / demultiplexing device are described in ITU-T Recommendation H.264. 261, H .; 200 (/ AV
Series), H. 221 can be used.

[0050]

As described above, according to the present invention,
Since a videophone communication function is provided and still image communication and telephone conversation can be performed at the same time, it is very convenient to make a telephone call while referring to materials.

In addition, the type of the received image data to be displayed and the display mode (split display, etc.) can be appropriately designated according to the contents of the call, so that the call can be made efficiently while referring to the materials. It also has the effect of being able to

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of a data communication system according to one embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of the facsimile machine FX.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing a configuration example of a personal computer device PC.

FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram showing an example of a received image buffer.

FIG. 5 is a flowchart illustrating an example of the facsimile machine FX at the time of function switching.

Claims (2)

[Claims] A data communication device having at least an image reading function, an image recording function, a telephone call function, a facsimile communication function, and a connection function with a personal computer device;
In a control method of a data communication system comprising a personal computer device connected to the data communication device and having at least an image display function, the data communication device further comprises a videophone communication function, The function realizes a call function of a videophone communication function, converts image data obtained by reading by the image reading function of the data communication device into moving image data, and converts the converted moving image data by the videophone communication function. While transmitting to the partner terminal, the moving image data received from the partner terminal is converted into still image data, the still image data is transmitted to the personal computer device, and the received image is displayed by the personal computer device. A control method for a data communication system. 2. The personal computer device includes:
2. The control of the data communication system according to claim 1, further comprising a reception image storage unit for storing a plurality of reception images, and displaying any one of the plurality of reception images or a predetermined number of reception images. Method.