JPS6118895B2 - - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to a facsimile communication system, and in particular,
The present invention relates to a facsimile communication system in which data of a transmitted document is stored and recorded on a magnetic tape recording device during a specific time period, for example, during the day, and is reproduced and transmitted during a special time period, such as at night.

Most facsimile communications are carried out between facsimile machines installed at head offices, offices, branches, business partners, agencies, and the like. However, since communication lines are expensive to use during the day, they are often used at night. Therefore, both facsimile devices are often activated at 8:00 p.m., when rates are low, and each one calls the destination, potentially causing chaos on the communication line. In other words, even if you try to call the destination, a busy signal will be returned.

Recently, in order to save manpower and increase the efficiency of using facsimile machines, documents to be sent with slips are stored and recorded one after another on a magnetic tape recording device during the daytime (office time), and at night, for example, at 8 o'clock, documents are stored and recorded. It has been proposed to reproduce stored records and automatically transmit them by operator operation or by starting a timer, but if this is done, calls to communication destinations of facsimile devices in various places will be further concentrated at one time.

An object of the present invention is to prevent the concentration of facsimile communications during a specific time period as described above and the resulting disruption of communication lines.

In order to achieve the above object, in the first invention of this application, in a facsimile communication group formed of a plurality of facsimile devices, facsimile communication rights are sequentially transferred between each facsimile device in the group, Only facsimile devices having communication rights are allowed to communicate. For example, in a group of multiple facsimile devices located at the head office, office, branch, business partner, agency, etc. that send and receive data to and from each other or unilaterally, that is, a facsimile communication group, one facsimile device can self-activate. A self-activation circuit is provided to serve as the main facsimile device, and the other facsimile devices are provided with group communication standby circuits for starting the sending operation upon receiving a sending operation command. In the intra-group communication, the main station facsimile device is activated by an operator operation or a timer trigger, and a transmission operation command is given to one slave station facsimile device to cancel its standby state and perform a transmission operation. Then, when the transmission is completed, the slave facsimile device sends a signal indicating the end of the transmission operation to the next designated slave facsimile device to release the group communication standby of the next facsimile device, and so on in the same manner. Causes the slave facsimile device to perform a transmission operation. The transmission operation of the main station facsimile device may be such that upon activation, it first performs its own transmission operation and then gives a transmission operation command to one slave station facsimile device as described above.Also, the slave station facsimile device may transmit Upon receiving a signal indicating the end of the operation, the facsimile device may perform a transmitting operation in the same way as the slave facsimile device. Note that the spontaneous activation of a master facsimile device means that intra-group communication can be activated by operator operation or a timer trigger without receiving a command from a slave facsimile device in the facsimile communication group. On the other hand, each slave facsimile device is held in a standby state in which it cannot call any facsimile devices within the group during the time period determined for that facsimile communication group.

As mentioned above, in this first invention, 1
Since the operation of one facsimile device is used as a starting point to sequentially activate the transmission operation of other facsimile devices, it is no longer possible to call each other at the same time within the facsimile communication group, eliminating confusion in the communication line, and The operating efficiency will be increased.

In one facsimile communication group as described above, each facsimile device may have various transmission documents for a plurality of destinations. Therefore, for example, when one facsimile device makes a call to another facsimile device, it is preferable that the former sends a call to the latter, and that the latter immediately sends a call to the former after completing the call. This is the first point mentioned above.
This invention can also be easily implemented.

In the second invention of this application, in a facsimile communication group formed of a plurality of facsimile devices, the facsimile communication right is sequentially transferred between each facsimile device in the group, and only the facsimile device having the facsimile communication right is transferred. communication, and the facsimile communication right is determined based on the communication management information of each facsimile device. For example, the main station facsimile device sequentially calls each slave station facsimile device to obtain their transmission management information to the main station facsimile device, and then the main station facsimile device sequentially instructs each slave station facsimile device to perform transmission operations in a certain operation order. When the transmission operation is completed, each slave station facsimile device sends a transmission operation completion signal to the main station facsimile device. Transmission by the main station facsimile device can be performed either before calling each slave station and collecting their transmission management information or after collecting the management information. In addition, the master facsimile device may first transmit its own transmission to each slave facsimile device, and obtain management information of the other station before and after the transmission.
Reception from the destination station and collection of management information can also be performed in one call to each slave station. Further, in the slave facsimile device, it is possible to immediately receive data from the other party after performing a transmission operation. In this case, the master facsimile device receives a transmission end signal from the slave facsimile device and, if necessary, a signal indicating that it has received the transmission from the other party, and determines whether the transmission is complete or not based on the collected transmission management information. Remove things. Next, examples of the present invention will be described.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the configuration of an example of a facsimile communication storage, recording, and reproducing device that implements the first invention of this application. FIG. 1 shows the main station facsimile device, and FIG. The equipment is shown below. In FIG. 1, 1 is a facsimile device, 2 is a recording/reproducing circuit, and 3 is a magnetic tape recording device. In this device configuration, the magnetic tape recording device 3 has a magnetic tape 31 as main parts,
Tape drive motor 32, motor drive control circuit 3
3. Recording/reproducing signal processing circuit 34, one of the recording heads H1 to Hn of each track during recording or reproduction.
A changeover switch circuit 35 selects one of the tracks, a recording/playback control circuit 36 switches between recording and playback, a decoder 37 converts a code signal representing a designated track into a track selection signal, and generates pulses in synchronization with the rotation of the tape drive roller. It has a pulse encoder 38. The recording/reproducing control circuit 36 and the drive control circuit 33 are given a signal instructing "record" and a signal instructing reproduction from the recording/reproducing circuit 2, and the control circuit 33 drives the motor 32 in the normal rotation with the recording command signal. , the signal processing circuit 34 enters the recording mode. In response to the reproduction command signal, the control circuit 33 drives the motor 32 in the reverse direction, and the signal processing circuit 34 enters the reproduction mode. Decoder 37 receives a code representing a track number and outputs a switch-on signal to the output line corresponding to that track. As a result, the changeover switch circuit 35 connects the recording head of that track to the signal processing circuit 34. The encoder 38 is installed to monitor the amount of movement of the tape 31, and when recording or recording pulses representing tape movement on the tape 31, the encoder 38 is configured to read out the pulses with the recording head. By doing so, the encoder 38 can be omitted.

The recording/reproducing circuit 2 includes a signal processing circuit 21, a setup data detection circuit 22, a setup data change circuit 23, a destination information detection circuit 24, a random access memory 25, an encoder 26, up/down counters 27 ₁ , 27 ₂ , and pulse shaping. circuit 2
8, central processing circuit 29, random access memory 30, keyboard 31a, display device 32a, management information extraction circuit 33a, management information change circuit 34a,
and a programmed timer 35a.

The signal processing circuit 21 interrupts or modifies the communication signal sent from the facsimile device 1 to the magnetic tape recording device 3 based on the signals from the set-up data change circuit 23 and the management information change circuit 34. If necessary, an A/D converter (for recording analog signals), a D/A converter (for reproducing analog signals), a buffer memory, etc. are provided. The setup data detection circuit 22 detects setup data in the communication signal and provides the detection signal and setup data to the central processing circuit 29 and the setup data modification circuit 23. From the detected setup data, the central processing circuit 29 extracts information about the scanning line density in data compression, the transmission time such as the length of the document, and/or information representing the transmission time, and the central processing circuit 29 outputs a tape speed designation signal. The signal is applied to the drive control circuit 33 of the magnetic tape recording device 3. Modification of the setup data by the modification circuit 23 is performed when it is necessary to modify the setup data of the second and subsequent transmission signals when each set of transmission signals having the same destination is recorded side by side on a magnetic tape. It is something.

The destination information detection circuit 24 detects the destination information of each set of transmission signals and provides it to the central processing circuit 29 . This destination information is sent to the central processing circuit 29
It is used for recording track selection and recording position selection. Random access memory 25
stores the recording track number code of a set of transmission signals represented by the slip number code, the recording address of the track, and the destination number code.
Writing and reading from this random access memory 25 is controlled by a central processing circuit 29. encoder 26
converts the destination information into a destination number code and provides it to the central processing circuit 29.

The counter ₂₇₁ counts the pulses of the encoder 38 of the magnetic tape recording device 3. An addition count signal is applied during recording or reproduction, and a subtraction count signal is applied during rewinding. Therefore, the count value of counter ₂₇₁ is
Indicates the recording address of the magnetic tape currently under heads H1 to Hn. Counter 27 ₂ is counter 27
Each time ₁ exceeds the count by one cycle, one pulse is received from the counter ₂₇₁ , and the count value is given to the central processing circuit 29. This count-over pulse interval becomes one unit recording length of a predetermined length l. The count value of the counter ₂₇₂ represents the address of each unit recording length l.

The pulse shaping circuit 28 pulse-shapes the tape movement indicating pulse (for example, one pulse is generated every time the tape is driven a certain distance) from the encoder 38, and supplies the pulse as a counter pulse to the counter ₂₇₁ .

The central processing circuit 29 is composed of an electronic circuit such as a gate circuit, a flip-flop, a buffer memory, a counter or a semiconductor circuit connection, or a microcomputer, and performs storage recording control and reproduction control operations. The facsimile signals stored on the magnetic tape are reproduced and transmitted by automatic activation or manual activation. When the reproduction operation is completed, a transmission operation command signal is given to one of the plurality of slave stations. This command signal is
For example, it may be configured with a predetermined MF signal (multi-frequency signal).

In the slave station facsimile device, as shown in FIG.
6. The other structures, ie, the structures of the facsimile device 1, the recording/reproducing circuit 2, and the magnetic tape recording device 3, are the same as those of the main station facsimile device shown in FIG. In the slave facsimile device, a reproduction command is given to the central processing circuit 29 of the recording and reproduction circuit 2 from the detection circuit 36a. When a transmission operation command signal arrives at this slave facsimile device, it performs playback and transmission operations in the same way as the master facsimile device described above, and finally calls and sends an operation command to the slave facsimile device that should perform the next transmission operation. is carried out. The next slave station facsimile device called in this manner operates in exactly the same manner.

Next, an embodiment of the second invention of this application will be described. FIG. 3 shows the configuration of the main station facsimile device. The configuration of the slave facsimile device is the same as that shown in FIG.

The main station facsimile device shown in FIG. 3 differs from that shown in FIG. 1 in that it has a random access memory 30 that stores management information for all facsimile signals stored on magnetic tape. Another point is that the read-only memory 37a contains the call numbers of all the slave stations in the facsimile communication group and their call control programs, and furthermore, a control flow is added to the central processing circuit 29. The other configurations are the same. The central processing circuit 29 receives the reproduction command signal, reads the program in the read-only memory 37a, sequentially calls each slave station facsimile device according to the program, reproduces and sends out their management information, and performs random access. According to the control flow written to the memory 30 and the program in the memory 37a, the own station first reproduces and transmits, and in that reproduction and transmission, 1
Immediately upon completion of transmission for one slave station, the transmission is received from the slave station on the other side, and the control flow deletes the transmission management information from the slave station to the master station from the random access memory 30, and writes it to the random access memory 30. The control flow reads the remaining transmission management information, calls the corresponding slave facsimile device, and issues a transmission operation command signal, and receives the transmission operation end signal from the slave facsimile device and processes the transmission management information of that slave facsimile device. This is a control flow for erasing from the memory 30.

Next, the operation of this embodiment will be explained. First, when the programmed timer 35a issues a reproduction command in the main station facsimile device (FIG. 3), the central processing circuit 29 reads the program in the memory 37a and sequentially controls each slave station. The transmission management information is reproduced, transmitted, and written into the random access memory 30. When the execution of that program is finished, the main station facsimile device first reproduces and transmits its own station to each slave station based on the next program, and after transmitting to each slave station during that time, the master station facsimile device immediately reproduces and transmits from that slave station. The reproduction/transmission is received and the corresponding transmission management information is deleted from the memory 30. In this manner, after the transmission from the main station and the reception from the slave station to which it is transmitted are completed, the master station gives a transmission operation command signal to the slave station based on the management information remaining in the memory 30. When receiving a transmission end signal from the slave station, the management information is deleted from the memory 30, the next management information is read, and a transmission operation command signal is given to the next slave station. In this way, the transmission operation command signal is sequentially given to each slave station until all the management information is deleted.

In this embodiment, the transmission operation activation order of the slave stations is determined in such a manner that the management information collected in the random access memory 30 is sequentially deleted. When the apparatus is provided with a discriminating circuit or the like for determining the transmission operation activation order, the transmission operation activation order may be determined in accordance with a certain algorithm by performing a comparison operation on the management information collected in the memory 30.

As explained in detail above, in the present invention,
In a facsimile communication group that communicates with each other, a certain facsimile device is used as the starting point or reference point, and the transmission operation is performed one facsimile at a time, so there is no possibility of communication line confusion or facsimile transmission during low-cost hours or near the end of the day. A decrease in the operating rate of the device is prevented. Particularly, when each facsimile device has a magnetic tape storage/recording device, the storage/recording transmission/reception can be carried out smoothly.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

1 and 3 are block diagrams showing an example of the configuration of a main station facsimile device implementing the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing an example configuration of a slave station facsimile device implementing the present invention. be. 1: Facsimile device, 2: Recording and reproducing circuit,
3: Magnetic tape recording device.

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. In a facsimile communication group in which a plurality of facsimiles form one communication group:
The main station facsimile is equipped with a destination information detection means and a central processing means for controlling transmission to the slave station facsimile designated by the destination information, and it sends calligraphy information and a transmission operation command signal to the slave station facsimile by spontaneous activation. ; The slave station facsimile is equipped with a destination information detection means, a central processing means for controlling transmission to the facsimile specified by the destination information, and a transmission operation command signal detection means. After reception, the calligraphic information and transmission operation command signal are given to the facsimile specified by the destination information; facsimile communication method. 2. In a facsimile communication group in which a plurality of facsimile devices form one communication group: the main station facsimile has a management information holding means that stores communication management information including destination information, a destination information detection means, and a destination information designated by the destination information. comprising a central processing means for controlling transmission to a slave station facsimile by spontaneous activation, and obtaining transmission management information from the slave station facsimile;
When the transmission management information includes transmission required information, it sends a transmission operation command signal to that slave station facsimile, and when it receives a transmission end signal from the slave station facsimile, it sends a transmission operation command signal to another slave station facsimile that provides the transmission required information. The slave station facsimile includes communication management information holding means for holding communication management information including transmission necessity information, transmission operation command signal detection means, and communication management information to the master station in response to transmission from the master station. Equipped with a central control means for controlling transmission, when a transmission operation command signal is detected, the calligraphy information is transmitted to the facsimile specified by the destination information in the communication management information after receiving the calligraphy information, and after the transmission is completed, the main station facsimile Sends a transmission end signal to; facsimile communication method.