JPH11298699A - Facsimile equipment - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To read following originals without stagnation even when the capacity of an image memory is not enough while the image data of a read original are stored in the image memory. SOLUTION: When the memory 4 is not enough in the case of storing the image data of the read original in the image memory 4 while encoding them, it is judged whether another job to use the image memory 4 is under executing or not and when the job is under executing, storage operation is stopped until the end of the job. When the job is finished, the storage operation is started again.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a facsimile apparatus, and more particularly to a facsimile apparatus in which image data of a read original is stored in an image memory, and even if the free space of the image memory becomes insufficient, the subsequent originals are read without delay. Facsimile machine capable of.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Recently, all originals are read, their image data are encoded, and once stored in an image memory, the stored image data is transmitted to a memory or copied and output, and all the received image data is received. A facsimile apparatus is generally used in which is temporarily stored in an image memory, then decoded, and printed out on a preset recording sheet.

However, in such a facsimile apparatus, when a document is read and stored in an image memory, the document is read line by line and converted into binary data.
Since the operation of encoding and accumulating the read image data of one line is repeatedly performed, the next line cannot be read until the encoding process is completed. It took a very long time to read one page.

In consideration of such circumstances, recently, a page buffer is provided in a part of the image memory, and image data of one page of the read document is temporarily stored in the page buffer in the form of binary data. The image data for one page stored in the page buffer is sequentially encoded,
Facsimile machines have also been used in which the reading speed per document page is increased by storing the data in an image memory.

[0005]

However, since the capacity of the image memory is limited, in such a conventional facsimile apparatus, image data of another document is transmitted to the memory, copied, or received. If a document is read while image data is being printed out, the reading operation is often canceled due to a shortage of free space in the image memory during reading.

In such a case, the reading of the original is
It is necessary to start again from the first page, and it is necessary for the user to set the read document at the reading position again, which is a waste of time.
The present invention is proposed in view of the above circumstances.During accumulation of image data of a read original in an image memory, even if the free space of the image memory becomes insufficient, the previous reading is not canceled. It is an object of the present invention to provide a facsimile apparatus capable of reading a document.

[0007]

To achieve the above object, claim 1 proposes a first invention. here,
In the facsimile apparatus according to the first aspect, when image data of a read original is encoded and stored in the image memory, when a free area of the image memory runs short, another job using the image memory is being executed. It is determined whether or not there is, and if the job is being executed, the accumulation operation is suspended until the job is completed, and the accumulation operation is restarted when the job is completed.

Here, in order to transmit image data of a read original to the facsimile machine or the like, or to copy and output the image data to the facsimile apparatus or the like, the image data of the read original is sequentially stored in the image memory. When the capacity runs out, it is determined whether or not a job using the image memory is being executed. Here, the other job using the image memory means that the image data of the document stored in the image memory is transmitted to the destination facsimile device or the like by memory, or copied and output by the own device, or
This means printing out image data stored in the image memory received from a facsimile machine or the like of the other party on recording paper set in advance.In the present invention, image data of a document stored in the image memory is The operation of copying and outputting the image data from the facsimile apparatus or receiving the image data stored in the image memory on a preset recording paper is called memory printing.

A facsimile apparatus according to a second or third aspect of the present invention proposes the second aspect of the present invention, in which image data of a read original is stored in a page buffer, then encoded and stored in an image memory. The operation is repeated, and when the free space of the image memory becomes insufficient, after transmitting all the image data stored in the image memory at that time, the image data stored in the page buffer is encoded and transmitted. , Sequentially encodes and reads the image data of the read original.

In this case, when image data of a read original is stored in the image memory in order to transmit the data to the facsimile machine or the like of the destination, if the free space of the image memory becomes insufficient, the image data is stored in the image memory at that time. After transmitting all the image data, the image data stored in the page buffer in the form of binary data at that time is encoded and transmitted, and the remaining originals are encoded while being sequentially read by the scanner. I try to send.

Further, in the facsimile apparatus according to the third aspect, the image data of the read original is stored as binary data in the page buffer. Here, the page buffer stores image data of one page of the read document.

[0012]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS A facsimile apparatus according to the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of a facsimile apparatus of the present invention. The facsimile apparatus F includes a CPU 1 and the like, and a main control unit 1 that controls the following units, an NCU 2 that sends a dial signal to the telephone line L and controls connection to the telephone line L, and performs facsimile communication. For this purpose, a modem for modulating and demodulating signals, an image memory for storing image data 4, a ROM for storing various programs necessary for the operation of the facsimile apparatus F, a RAM for storing call dial numbers, a liquid crystal screen, A display unit 7 composed of an LED lamp or the like; an operation unit 8 which constitutes an operation means by various keys; a scanner 9 for reading image data from a set original; a received image data and an image data read by the scanner 9 The image data read by the printer 10 and the scanner 9 for recording on the recording paper set in advance is encoded for each line. Reduction, or coding for decoding for each line image data stored in the image memory 4 /
A decoding unit 11 is provided.

In this facsimile machine F,
The image memory 4 has a line buffer 4 a for storing image data of the original read by the scanner 9 in units of one line.
And a page buffer 9b for accumulating image data of the document read by the scanner 9 in page units. Further, the RAM 6 includes a line counter 6a that counts one line of the image data stored in the page buffer 4b when encoding is completed and storage in the image memory 4 is completed, and an image data stored in the page buffer 4b. And a transmission management memory 6c that stores the count value of the page counter 6b when all are encoded and stored in the image memory 4.

In the present invention, the line buffer 4a and the page buffer 4b are constructed using a part of the image memory 4, but the invention is not limited to this.
And the page buffer 4b may be configured independently of the image memory 4. The same applies to the relationship between the line counter 6a, the page counter 6b, the transmission management memory 6c, and the RAM 6.

In such a configuration, the facsimile machine F performs the following basic operation. The facsimile apparatus F encodes the image data read by the scanner 9 and stores the encoded image data in the image memory 4, and then transmits the image data stored in the image memory 4 to the other party's facsimile apparatus via the modem 3 and the NCU 2. With NCU
2. After the image data received from the other party's facsimile machine or the like via the modem 3 is stored in the image memory 4, the image data stored in the image memory 4 is decoded and printed out by the printer 10.

The facsimile apparatus F encodes the image data read by the scanner 9 and
After that, the image data stored in the image memory 4 is decrypted and copied and output by the printer 10. In the facsimile apparatus F performing the above basic operation, the first embodiment of the present invention relates to an operation when the free space of the image memory 4 becomes small when an original is read by the scanner 9, encoded and stored in the image memory 4. There is a feature.

The first embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the flow (100 to 106) of FIG. First, the operation unit 8
When a facsimile apparatus F issues a document reading instruction by a predetermined key operation, the facsimile apparatus F reads the document set on the scanner 9 line by line, converts it to binary data, and then converts the binary data. , Are accumulated in the line buffer 4a. (100) Thereafter, the facsimile apparatus F encodes the image data stored in the line buffer 4a by the encoding / decoding unit 11. (101).

At this time, the facsimile machine F refers to the image memory 4 to determine whether or not there is a free area in the image memory 4 (102). Image data is sequentially stored in the image memory 4. (105) On the other hand, if there is no free space in the image memory 4 in step 102, the facsimile apparatus F determines whether or not image data of another document is being transmitted to the memory or memory printing is being executed. (103) At this time, if memory transmission or memory printing of image data of another document is being executed, the facsimile apparatus F transmits the image data to the image memory 4 until the memory transmission being executed or memory printing is completed. Waiting for the accumulation, if the ongoing memory transmission or memory printing is completed,
Since an empty area is generated in the image memory 4, the storage in the image memory 4 is executed. (104, 105).

On the other hand, if it is determined in step 103 that the image data of another document is not being transmitted to the memory or is not being printed, the facsimile apparatus F executes a memory over process and displays an error message or the like on the display unit 7. Alternatively, the printing operation is performed by the printer 10 to cancel the reading operation. In the facsimile apparatus F, the above operation is repeated, and if the accumulation of the image data of all pages of the original is completed (106), the original accumulation is completed.

Next, the second invention will be described. In the second aspect of the present invention, the operation is performed when the image memory 4 runs out of free space while the image data of the read original is being stored in the image memory 4 in order to transmit the memory to a facsimile machine or the like of the other party. There is. The flowcharts (200 to 214) in FIGS. 3 and 4 show the basic operation of the second invention.

In the facsimile apparatus F of the second invention,
The image data of the scanned document is converted into binary data,
The data is temporarily stored in the page buffer 4b. First, when an instruction to read a document is issued by a predetermined key operation from the operation unit 8, the facsimile machine F clears the count value of the page counter 6b. (200) Thereafter, the facsimile apparatus F repeats the operation of reading the original set on the scanner 9 line by line and converting it into binary data, and stores the image data for one page of the original in the page buffer 4b. accumulate. (201) If image data for one page of the document is stored in the page buffer 4b, the facsimile apparatus F
Clear the count value of a. (202) Subsequently, the facsimile apparatus F encodes the image data stored in the page buffer 4b by the encoding / decoding unit 11 line by line. (203) At this time, if there is a free area in the image memory 4, the facsimile apparatus F sequentially stores the image data encoded by the encoding / decoding unit 11 in the image memory 4. (20
4, 205) If the image data stored in the page buffer 4b is encoded for one line and stored in the image memory 4, the facsimile machine F increments the line counter 6a. (206) In step 204, if the free space of the image memory 4 becomes insufficient during the storage of the image data as described above, the stored image data of the original is immediately transmitted and the transmission destination is one destination. If so, the facsimile machine F stores the count value incremented by the page counter 6b in the transmission management memory 6c, and executes a memory transmission process (described later). (210, 214) Also, in step 210, if the image data of the stored document is immediately transmitted and the transmission destination is not one,
In the facsimile machine F, it is determined whether or not memory transmission or memory printing of image data of another document is being executed (211). If not, memory over processing is executed and an error message is displayed. The reading operation is canceled by displaying on the unit 7 or printing out by the printer 10.

On the other hand, if it is determined in step 211 that the memory transmission or memory printing of the image data of another document is being executed, the facsimile apparatus F waits until the memory transmission being executed or the memory printing is completed. After the end, if there is a free area in the image memory 4, the image data encoded by the encoding / decoding unit 11 is sequentially stored in the image memory 4, and if there is no free area in the image memory 4, the memory becomes over. Executes the process and displays an error message or the like on the display unit 7 or the printer 1
0 is printed out to cancel the reading operation.
(212 to 213, 205) By repeating the above operation and encoding the image data for one page of the document stored in the page buffer 4b and storing it in the image memory 4, the facsimile apparatus F sets the page counter 6b to Increment (207, 208), and when the accumulation of image data of all pages of the document is completed (20
9), the storage of the document transmitted to the memory is completed.

Next, the memory transmission process will be described with reference to the flow (300 to 314) of FIG. First, the facsimile machine F refers to the transmission management memory 6c to determine whether or not the count value of the page counter 6b is stored. (300) If the transmission management memory 6c does not store the count value of the page counter 6b, the facsimile machine F executes normal memory transmission. (314) That is, the facsimile apparatus F calls the other party and performs a predetermined pre-transmission procedure, and then, at this time, transfers the image data stored in the image memory 4 via the modem 3 and the NCU 2 to The data is transmitted to the destination facsimile machine or the like.

On the other hand, in step 300, if the transmission management memory 6c stores the count value of the page counter 6b, the facsimile machine F calls the other party,
After executing a predetermined pre-transmission procedure (301), a page buffer transmission flag is set. (302) Thereafter, the facsimile machine F re-transmits the transmission management memory 6
With reference to c (303), if the count value of the page counter 6b is not 0, the image data stored in the image memory 4 at that time is transmitted (304) and stored in the transmission management memory 6c. , The count value of the page counter 6b is decremented (305), and the destination
(Multi-page signal) is transmitted (306), and the operation after step 303 is performed again.

On the other hand, in step 303, if the count value of the page counter 6b stored in the transmission management memory 6c is 0, the facsimile machine F determines whether the page buffer transmission flag is set. (307) If the page buffer transmission flag is set, the image data stored in the page buffer 6b in the form of binary data is encoded by the encoding / decoding unit 11
After transmitting the encoded data (308), the page buffer transmission flag is cleared. (309) If the page buffer transmission flag is not set in step 307, the facsimile machine F
Reads the original with the scanner 9 and encodes and transmits the image data of the read original with the encoding / decoding unit 11. (312) Thereafter, if there is a document in the scanner 9, the facsimile apparatus F transmits an MPS (multi-page signal) to the other party (311), and performs the operations after step 303 again. If not, EOP to the other party
(Procedure end signal) is transmitted (313), and the memory transmission process ends.

[0026]

As can be understood from the above description, in the facsimile apparatus according to the first aspect, when the image data of the read document is encoded and stored in the image memory, the free space of the image memory is insufficient. Sometimes, it is determined whether another job that uses the image memory is running, and if the job is running, the accumulation operation is suspended until the job ends, and the job ends. Since the storage operation is restarted, when the free space in the image memory becomes insufficient while reading the original, the reading operation is canceled and the read original is set again. Waste of time can be saved.

Further, in the facsimile apparatus according to the second and third aspects, when the free space of the image memory becomes insufficient,
After transmitting all the image data stored in the image memory at that time, the image data stored in the page buffer is encoded and transmitted, and thereafter, the image data of the read original is sequentially encoded. Since the transmission is performed, when a free space in the image memory becomes insufficient while reading a document, a reading error occurs and the time and effort of re-setting the read document can be saved. In addition to this, even if the capacity of the image memory is small, it is possible to perform memory transmission using available resources, which is very convenient.

The image data of the read original is 1
Since the binarized data is stored in the page buffer in page units, the reading speed per document page can be increased.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a basic configuration of a facsimile apparatus of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a flowchart for explaining a basic operation of the facsimile apparatus of the first invention. (Document storage)

FIG. 3 is a flowchart for explaining a basic operation of the facsimile apparatus of the second invention. (Memory transmission original storage)

FIG. 4 is a flowchart for explaining a basic operation of the facsimile apparatus of the second invention. (Memory transmission processing)

[Explanation of symbols]

 F: facsimile device 4: image memory 4b: page buffer

Claims (3)

[Claims] When encoding an image data of a read original and storing the encoded image data in an image memory, if a free area of the image memory runs short, whether or not another job using the image memory is being executed. Determining that the job is being executed, suspending the accumulation operation until the job is completed, and restarting the accumulation operation when the job is completed. apparatus. 2. An operation of accumulating image data of a read original in a page buffer, encoding and accumulating the image data in an image memory is repeated, and when an empty area of the image memory runs short, the image data is accumulated in the image memory at that time. Facsimile, wherein after transmitting all the image data, the image data stored in the page buffer is encoded and transmitted, and thereafter, the image data of the read document is sequentially encoded and transmitted. apparatus. 3. The facsimile apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the image data of the read original is stored as binary data in the page buffer.