JPS5881376A - Facsimile transmitter - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To store and transmit a large amount of read information by providing an external auxiliary mass-storage device for storing read picture information. CONSTITUTION:Picture information on an original, converted into an electric signal by a reader 5, is stored, line by line, in a buffer memory 6 and then converted into MH codes by a code converter 7, and they are transferred to a floppy disk 9. On the floppy disk 9, the MH codes sent from the code converter 7 are stored in the form of a file of every page. The picture information stored on the floppy disk 9 as mentioned above is reproduced and transmitted through a MODEM device 8.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to a facsimile transmitting apparatus, and more particularly to a facsimile transmitting apparatus that sequentially reads and transmits image information on a binary stack.

A conventional facsimile transmitter is configured as shown in FIG. The image information converted into electrical signals in this way is converted into electrical signals (1).
The signal is stored in the buffer memory 2 line by line or several lines, and then converted by the code conversion device 3 into code portions of a certain system, and then modulated and transmitted by the modem device 4c2.

As described above, the image information read by the reading device 1 is temporarily held in the buffer memory 2, but after being encoded by the code converting device 3, it is immediately modulated and transmitted by the modem device 4. Therefore, the reading speed of image information on a document is greatly influenced by the minimum transmission speed and transmission code length, and it is difficult to keep the driving speed of the reading device 1 constant in the sub-scanning direction. Since the document cannot be removed from the reader 1 until the two transmissions are completed, document management becomes complicated.Also, if an error occurs during transmission and the information is to be retransmitted, the document must be transferred to the reader 1 again. The original must be set again.

One possible way to solve these problems is to add a large-capacity memory to the facsimile transmitter, but the memory capacity required for continuous transmission of documents is
It was difficult to predict, and it was difficult to add more memory as capacity increased.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a facsimile transmitting apparatus that can store and transmit a large amount of read information, which eliminates the above-mentioned conventional drawbacks.

According to the present invention, in order to achieve this object, a configuration is adopted in which a large-capacity external auxiliary storage device such as a floppy disk is provided in the facsimile transmitter.

FIG. 2 shows an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 3 shows the flow of the operation of FIG. 2.

In Fig. 2, 5 is a reading device that reads image information on a document and converts it into an electrical signal.The image signal read by the reading device 5 is temporarily stored in a buffer memory 6 for one line or several lines, and then converted into a code. After being converted into a predetermined code by the device, it is input to the modem device 8 or floppy disk 9 via the changeover switch 11. The modem device 8 modulates the image information code, and the modulated image signal is transmitted via a line (not shown). The floppy disk 9 serves as a large-capacity external auxiliary storage device for storing encoded image information, and a display device 10 is connected to this to display an overflow of the floppy disk 9's capacity. The changeover switch 11 is the floppy disk 9
The data flow from the code conversion device 7 is switched between the floppy disk 9 and the modem device 8 under the control of the code conversion device 7.

In the facsimile transmission device configured as described above, the image information on the document converted into electrical signals by the reading device 5 is stored line by line in the buffer memory 6, and converted into MH (Modified Huffman) code by the code conversion device 7. (The MH codes sent from the code conversion device 7 are stored as one file for each page on the floppy disk 9.

The image information thus stored on the floppy disk 9 is then reproduced and transmitted via a line via a modem device.

In this way, in the present invention, since the image information is temporarily stored in the external storage device, when the image information on the document is read by the reading device 5, the limit on the reading speed due to the transmission speed is taken into account because reading and sending are not performed at the same time. The drive speed in the sub-scanning direction can be kept constant. This allows the sub-scanning direction drive circuit of the reading device 5 to be simplified.

Furthermore, since the reading speed is not limited by the transmission speed, the reading speed can be faster than that of conventional reading devices.

Even if the operator needs the original after it has been sent, there is no longer a need to wait for a long time, and the operator can immediately leave the facsimile machine.

Furthermore, the image information on the document once read by the reading device 5 is stored on a floppy disk 9 (
In order to be stored, image information is semi-permanently retained as an electrical signal. Therefore, even if an error occurs during transmission, retransmission of the original can be carried out immediately without the need to reset the original to the reading device 5C. Furthermore, once the original is read, there is no need to manage the original, and the same original can be sent any number of times without reading the original. At this time, the date and time of transmission, the destination, etc. can also be stored on the floppy disk 9, and a transmission record can be left.

Note that since the information to be stored on the floppy disk 9 is not direct image information but MH encoded information, the storage capacity required for the image information to be stored can be reduced to about 1/10. In other words, approximately 10 times more information can be stored by MH encoding.

Furthermore, since the MH code is used for the transmission information, there is no need to perform new code conversion at the time of transmission, and the transmission speed can be increased accordingly.

Furthermore, when the capacity of the floppy disk 9 overflows, the operator (2) can be notified of the insufficient capacity of the floppy disk 9 via the display device 1o, and can have the operator replace the diskette. If the floppy disk cannot be used for some reason, the
MH from the code conversion device 7 via the changeover switch y-11
It is possible to transfer the code directly to the modem device 8.

Similar effects can be expected by using a hard disk, magnetic tape, magnetic bubble memory, etc. in place of the floppy disk as the external auxiliary storage device in the embodiments described above.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a conventional facsimile transmitting device, FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a facsimile transmitting device according to the present invention, and FIG. 3 is a flow chart diagram explaining the operation of FIG. be. 5...Reading device 6...Buffer memory 7
...Code conversion device 8...Modem device 9...
Floppy disk 10... Display device 11... Changeover switch. No. 3 371-

Claims (1)

[Claims] What is claimed is: 1. A facsimile transmitting device capable of sequentially reading a document and transmitting image information, the facsimile transmitting device being equipped with a large-capacity external auxiliary storage device for storing the read image information.