JPS62213449A - Facsimile store and forward exchange system - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To facilitate the information collection at the center side by allowing the subcenter to automatically inform the result of multiple address relay when the stop of multiple address relay is instructed from the center of a facsimile system to the subcenter side. CONSTITUTION:The center 1a of a facsimile store and forward exchange having a data storage memory 7a is connected to plural subcenters 1b having a storage memory 7b via an exchange network 8. When a picture signal is sent from the subcenter 1b of the sender to the center 1a, a CPU 2a receives the signal via a facsimile section 3a, gives it in a memory 7a together with destination information, an original managing time is set to start a timer 11 and the data in the memory 7a is sent to the destination subcenter 1b. When the timer 11 measured a prescribed time, a stop instruction means 12 instructs the stop of the multiple address relay, the subcenter 1b returns (13) the result information in response to the stop command. Thus, the center 1a collects the result information at any time and sends surely the information to the sender.

Description

[Detailed Description of the Invention] [Object of the Invention] (Industrial Application Field) This invention has two facsimile storage and forwarding devices,
This invention relates to an improvement in a facsimile store-and-forward system in which one broadcast relays to facsimile machines under the control of the other.

(Prior Art) In a conventional facsimile storage and forwarding system, management of broadcast relay is performed as shown in FIG. There are two facsimile storage and forwarding devices with the same function, and when one (hereinafter referred to as the center) receives an image signal for broadcasting from the facsimile device, a preset original @ management time is sent. Start monitoring A. Further, the center sends an image signal related to the above-mentioned broadcast to the other facsimile storage and forwarding device (hereinafter referred to as a sub-center).

At the subcenter, from the time of receiving this image signal, the relay acoustic time B
Start monitoring (BAA). Further, the sub-center broadcasts and relays the image signal sent from the center to the destination facsimile machine designated by the center. When the subcenter operates normally and relay management time B has elapsed, the subcenter stops broadcast relaying to the facsimile machine,
At this point, information on the results of the broadcast relay (whether the broadcast has been completed or not completed, etc.) is sent to the center. The center receives this and
When the document management time has elapsed, the multicast relay result information sent from the subcenter is transmitted to the corresponding facsimile machine.

In this manner, in the conventional facsimile storage and forwarding system, the center and sub-centers independently monitored the original management time A and the relay management time B.

In this case, A>8. Assuming that Δ=B+α is set, if the subcenter is down for 3 (β>α) hours as shown in Figure 4, the broadcast relay result information will not be sent from the subcenter to the center. The time (broken line in FIG. 4) is after the document management time A has elapsed, making it too late for the center to transmit the broadcast relay result information to the facsimile machine.

<Problems to be Solved by the Invention> As mentioned above, according to the conventional facsimile storage and forwarding system, since the two facsimile storage and forwarding devices operate asynchronously, the image signal of the original is broadcast and relayed to the source. The disadvantage was that the results could not be sent at the proper time or could not be announced at all.

The present invention was devised in view of the shortcomings of the conventional facsimile storage and forwarding system, and its purpose is to transmit the results of broadcast relay at the center side when necessary. It is an object of the present invention to provide a facsimile storage/exchange device that can obtain information on the results and reliably provide the result information to the source of the image signal of the original.

[Structure of the Invention] (Means for Solving the Problems) The present invention has two facsimile storage and forwarding devices,
In a facsimile storage and forwarding system in which one side performs broadcast relay to facsimile devices under the control of the other, a predetermined period of time has elapsed since a timer and an image signal were input to the first facsimile storage and forwarding device on the side performing the control. a stop instruction means for monitoring the timer based on the output of the timer, and giving an instruction to stop the broadcast relay to the controlled second facsimile device when the predetermined time has elapsed, the second facsimile device comprising: A facsimile storage and forwarding system is constructed by providing result information return means for returning result information of broadcast relay after a cancellation instruction is given from the first facsimile storage and forwarding device.

(Function) According to this system, after the cancellation instruction means of the first facsimile storage and forwarding device instructs to cancel, the result information return means of the second facsimile storage and forwarding device returns the result information, With the facsimile storage and forwarding device, it is possible to obtain the returned result information.

(Embodiment) FIG. 1 is a block diagram of an embodiment of the present invention. In the figure, 1a indicates a center (facsimile storage and forwarding device), and 1b indicates a subcenter (facsimile storage and forwarding device).
shows. 8 indicates a switching network.

The center 1a and the sub-center 1b communicate via a switching network 8. The center 1a and the sub-center 1b include a storage memory (magnetic disk device, etc.) 7a for storing image signals;
7b, Cp U 2a, 2b, and facsimile sections (transmission/reception sections) 3a, 3b. The facsimile units 3a and 3b also include interfaces 4a and 4b for transmitting and receiving data with the CPUs 2a and 2b, and a facsimile communication circuit 5a for performing facsimile communication.
5b, and network control circuits 6a and 6b. It is assumed that the network control circuits 6a and 6b are equipped with a dial circuit and an incoming call detection circuit. Also, at least
The network control circuit 6b includes an MF (word detection section and an MF multiplied signal C).
A decoder for processing data of PU2b is included.

Further, the CPU 2a is provided with a timer 11 (314), which is implemented by hardware or software, and an abort instruction means 12. When the cancel instruction means 12 receives an image signal of a document related to broadcast relay from the facsimile machine, the timer 11 monitors the elapse of the document management time, and when the document management time A has elapsed, the cancel instruction means 12 instructs the subcenter 1b to cancel the broadcast relay. give to Specifically, for example, the CPU 2a gives an instruction to the network control circuit 6a to send out a predetermined MF multiplied signal as a stop instruction. On the other hand, CPU 2b of subcenter 1b
is provided with result information return means 13. When receiving a cancellation instruction from the center 1a, the result information return means 13 compiles the result information of the broadcast relay and returns this result information to the center 1a. Specifically, the code data of the result information is converted into a pattern (image signal) by a pattern generator,
The information is given to the facsimile unit 3b and transmitted.

The operation of the facsimile storage and forwarding system configured as described above will be explained with reference to FIGS. 1 to 3.

First, when an image signal related to the original is sent from the sending facsimile device to the center 1a (see Figure 3, "Broadcast Input J"), the CPU 2a receives it via the facsimile unit 3a, and stores it together with the destination information. The image signal is stored in the memory 7a (101).Next, the CPtJ2a sends the image signal in the storage memory 2a together with the destination information to the 102 input subcenter 1b to set the document management time A and the relay packing time B8 (103). Broadcast relay (Figure 3 "Broadcast relay")
After receiving the image signal and the destination information and storing them in the storage memory 7b, the subcenter 1b starts broadcast relaying to the facsimile machine corresponding to the destination information (2).
01), an image signal is transmitted to the destination facsimile machine (202).

On the other hand, the CPU 2a of the center 1a transmits the image signal to the destination (another subcenter or facsimile machine) determined by the center 1a (104).
The cancellation instruction means 12 monitors whether the set relay management time B has arrived based on the output of the timer 11 (105). When the relay management time B arrives, the cancellation instructing means 12 controls the network control circuit 6a to send an MF multiplied signal to the subcenter 1b to instruct the subcenter 1b to cancel the broadcast (106).

The MF signal detecting unit in the network control circuit 6b of the subcenter 1b detects this cancellation instruction (FIG. 3 "Broadcast cancellation") and notifies the CPU 2t) of the instruction to cancel the broadcast. This notification causes the CPU 2b to cancel the broadcast relay.
3) Create the result information of the broadcast relay at this stage.

Specifically, information is created such as to which destination facsimile machine transmission has been completed and to which destination facsimile machine transmission has not been completed (this may include how many times the transmission has been made). Note that the information that is the basis of this result information is created by the CPU 2b for each transmission. Next, the result information return means 13 converts the result information of the code into a pattern and sends it to the facsimile unit 3.
Give to b. As a result, from the facsimile section 3b,
Result information based on the pattern (image signal) is transmitted to the center 1a (204). This transmission is performed in a separate communication from the communication in which the center 1a instructs the sub-center 1b to cancel "broadcasting cancellation." (Figure 3 ``Broadcast result engineering J'').

When the result information is returned by the result information return unit 13 as described above (10B), the CPU 2a stores this result information in the storage memory 7a, and monitors the arrival of the manuscript management time using the timer 11 (109). ).

Note that the center 1a is transmitting a broadcast to the destination (107
) is because there is a time period from "broadcast cancellation" to "broadcast result ■".

When the CPU 2a detects the arrival of the manuscript management time A, it transmits the result information in the storage memory 7a to the corresponding facsimile device of the transmission source via the facsimile unit 3a (110).
). In this way, the result information is reliably provided to the sending facsimile machine (FIG. 3 [Broadcast Result IIJ)].

As described above, in this embodiment, the center 1a side manages both the broadcast relay time B and the document management time A, requests the subcenter 1b8 broadcast relay result information, and sends the obtained result information to the sender. The result information can be reliably provided.

In this embodiment, the MF multiplier signal is used to instruct the cancellation of broadcast relay, but the transmission control signal @ (for example, N
SF, etc.) may be used for notification. Further, the result information may also be transmitted from the sub-center 1b side as an MF multiplied signal transmission control signal, and may be patterned (converted into an image signal) at the centers 1a+, :. Also,
It is also possible to return result information through communication that instructs cancellation. In this case, it is efficient for CPtJ2b to always keep track of result information up to the present time.

Furthermore, since the broadcast relay suspension time B and the original@management time A only need to be managed on the center 1a side, the program creation at this point is unified and simplified, and its maintainability is also improved.

[Effects of the Invention] As explained above, according to the present invention, giving an instruction to cancel broadcast relay from the center side becomes a request to return the result information of broadcast relay, and this result information is returned. Therefore, it becomes possible for the center side to obtain result information when necessary. Therefore, even if the subcenter is down for a certain period of time, it is possible to reliably obtain the result fft information after it is restored and to reliably provide the result information to the source of the original image signal.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

Fig. 1 is a block diagram of an embodiment of the present invention, Fig. 2 is a flowchart for explaining an embodiment of the present invention, and Fig. 3 is a procedure for transmitting and receiving information for explaining an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a procedure for transmitting and receiving information by a conventional facsimile storage and forwarding system. 1a...Center 1b...Subcenter 2a
, 2b...CP LJ 3a, 3b...
Facsimile section 7a, 7b...Storage memory 11...
・Timer 12...Cancellation instruction means 13...Result information return means Agent Patent attorney Book 1) Kyoto Frame Attorney Benkajuta m Cloud 2nd figure

Claims (1)

[Claims] a first facsimile storage and forwarding device comprising a storage memory for storing image signals and a transmitting/receiving section for transmitting and receiving; and a first facsimile storage and forwarding device having the same functions as the first facsimile storage and forwarding device. A second fax machine that broadcasts and relays the image signal sent from the fax machine to a designated facsimile machine.
In the facsimile storage and forwarding system having a facsimile storage and forwarding device, the first facsimile storage and forwarding device includes a timer, and monitors the elapse of a predetermined time from the input of the image signal by the output of the timer, and a cancel instruction means for instructing the second facsimile storage and forwarding device to cancel broadcast relaying when time has elapsed; A facsimile storage and exchange system characterized by comprising a result information return means for returning result information of broadcast relay after an instruction is given.