JPS63202158A - Facsimile store and forward switching system - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To simplify the input/output operation and to prevent a malfunction by executing write/read of picture information to/from a mail box between a facsimile terminal equipment and a nearest store and forward switching device. CONSTITUTION:A central processing section 10 receives information incoming with respect to a write request attended with an input processing from a facsimile equipment 3 to generate a catalog based on the received information. The central processing section 10 of the store and forward switching device 1 discriminates the communication kind by analyzing the catalog. Then whether or not a relay is required is discriminated based on the content of a catalog. In reading picture information from information boxes 110A 110N of the store and forward exchanges 1a-1n, a read request or communication type or the like of the picture information is inputted from the facsimile terminal equipment 3a. The central processing section 10a sends the picture information stored in the information box 110A in the picture data storage section 11a to the facsimile equipment 3a through a communication control section 12a.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention [Objective of the Invention] (Industrial Application Field) The present invention comprises a plurality of storage and forwarding devices each having a mailbox and a plurality of facsimile devices belonging to the storage and forwarding device. The present invention relates to a facsimile storage and exchange system having a mailbox communication service function that allows a destination facsimile device to read out image information written in a mailbox from a facsimile device as needed.

(Prior Art) In this type of conventional facsimile storage and forwarding system, when there are multiple storage and forwarding devices, a mailbox is opened for each storage and forwarding device, and the mailbox is specified from the sending facsimile device. After the image information is written, the destination facsimile machine accesses the mailbox and reads the image information as necessary.

However, in this type of conventional facsimile storage and forwarding system, mailboxes are managed independently for each corresponding storage and forwarding device, and image information is relayed between mailboxes of other storage and forwarding devices. Because no processing had been carried out, there were special operational circumstances.

For example, when a sender's facsimile device attempts to deliver image information to a destination facsimile device, it recognizes in advance which storage and forwarding device's mailbox the destination facsimile device should use, and then sends image information to the destination facsimile device. A call must be made to the store and forward device.

On the other hand, the destination facsimile device also needs to access the mailbox of the storage and forwarding device into which the image information will be written from the source facsimile device and read out the image information.

In this way, in conventional facsimile storage and forwarding systems, when writing and reading image information related to mailbox communication services to and from mailboxes, it is necessary to always make calls with the storage and forwarding device to which the mailbox in use belongs. Therefore, input/output processing of the image information becomes complicated.

Additionally, if image information is accidentally entered into another mailbox from the sender's facsimile device, the image information will be processed completely normally on the facsimile device that was supposed to use this mailbox without affecting the other mailboxes. It was not possible to detect or prevent erroneous operations.

Furthermore, as mentioned above, in connection with the fact that the input/output processing of image information must be performed with consideration of the storage and forwarding device to which the mailbox to be used belongs, when the mailbox is opened in a storage and forwarding device in a remote location. , communication costs have increased due to long-distance communication.

(Problems to be Solved by the Invention) As described above, in the above-mentioned conventional facsimile storage and forwarding system, the mailboxes were operated locally without a network-based mailbox management means, so it was difficult to input image information to the mailbox. There are problems in that output operations become complicated, erroneous operations cannot be prevented, and communication costs inevitably increase.

The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and an object of the present invention is to provide a facsimile storage and exchange system that can simplify the input/output operation of image information related to mailbox communication services, prevent erroneous operations, and contribute to reducing communication costs. With the goal.

[Structure of the invention] (Means for solving the problem) 7 of the present invention? In the facsimile storage and forwarding system, each storage and forwarding device has a mailbox consisting of a storage unit that has a relative address relationship with the storage unit in the mailbox of other storage and forwarding devices, and receives an incoming call from the facsimile machine of the nearest sending source to which it belongs. After analyzing the transmitted information and storing the image information that arrives following the transmitted information in the specified storage section of the mailbox of the own station, the facsimile device of the specified destination of the image information belongs. image information relay control means for transmitting image information to a storage and forwarding device and storing the image information in a storage section having an address corresponding to the storage section of a mailbox of the storage and forwarding device; The destination facsimile machine accesses the nearest storage and forwarding device with the received information, and reads the image information sent to the device from the storage section designated by the received information in the mailbox of the storage and forwarding device. It is characterized by the fact that it is made to come out.

(Function) In the facsimile storage and forwarding system of the present invention, individual mailboxes opened in a plurality of storage and forwarding devices are networked and relatively managed, and writing and reading of image information to and from the mailboxes is carried out between the facsimile terminal and the nearest The above objectives are achieved by enabling implementation between store and forward devices.

(Example) Hereinafter, an example of the present invention will be described in detail based on the accompanying drawings.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an embodiment of the facsimile storage and forwarding system according to the present invention, and is a block diagram showing an embodiment of the facsimile storage and forwarding system according to the present invention.
1n is connected to the communication line network 2 via respective communication lines, and similarly, facsimile machines 3a to 3n are also connected to the communication line network 2 via their respective communication lines.

In FIG. 1, storage and exchange devices 1a to 1n include central processing units 10a to 10n1 and image data storage units 11a to 1, respectively.
It is configured to include 1n1 communication control units 12a to 12n.

In addition, in the image data storage units 11a to 11n, in addition to memory areas for storing image information related to normal facsimile communication, there are memory areas for storing image information related to mailbox communication services, that is, mailboxes. It is set in.

Particularly, in the present invention, the mailboxes in the image data storage units 11a to 11n of the storage and exchange devices 1a to 1n are constituted by a plurality of boxes (storage units) each having a corresponding address.

In the facsimile storage and forwarding system of the present invention having such so-called opposing mailboxes, communication processing regarding the mailbox communication service is realized by the following three phases.

(1) Manuscript manual phase mailbox communication service A line connected from the original facsimile terminal (for example, 3a) to the communication control unit (12a) of the nearest storage and forwarding device (1a) call.

Once the line is connected, the facsimile terminal 3a sends the communication type (information box communication or post office box communication), which will be described later, and secondary address [indicates the destination of the manuscript, the box (storage unit), etc.]
After notifying the storage/exchange device r111a of the above information, the image information (original) is transmitted.

Next, the central processing unit 10a analyzes the above-mentioned secondary address to create a catalog (see FIG. 4), and stores the catalog together with the image information in the image data storage unit 11.
The data is stored in a designated box (storage unit) in the mailbox provided in a.

(II) Original Relay Phase In the storage and exchange device f1a that has received the image information related to the mailbox communication service, the central processing unit 10a analyzes the catalog stored in the image data storage unit 11a, and analyzes the image information managed by the catalog. Performs relay processing of image information.

As a result of the above analysis, if the communication type is information box communication, (A>The central processing unit 10a controls the communication control units 12b to 12b of all other storage and forwarding devices 1b to 1n through the communication control unit 12a.
Call the line connected to 12n.

Once the line is connected, the storage and forwarding device [1a is the bond that has notified all the other storage and forwarding devices 1b to 1n of the catalog information (secondary addresses, etc.) stored in the image data storage section 11a, and then to send image information.

In the storage and forwarding devices 1b to 1n, communication control units 12b to 12
The catalog information and image information received through n are stored in the image data storage unit 11b under the control of the central processing units 10b to 10n.
~11n.

Further, as a result of the above-mentioned analysis, if the communication type is post office box communication, (8) the central processing unit 10a sends the image information to the storage and exchange device (for example, In
> makes a call only to the line connected to the communication control unit 12n.

Once the line is connected, the storage and forwarding device 1a notifies the storage and forwarding device 1n of the catalog information, and subsequently transmits the image information.

In the storage/exchange device 1n, the central processing unit 10n stores the catalog information and image information received through the communication control unit 12n in the image data storage unit 11n.

(1) Manuscript Output Phase A facsimile terminal (for example, 3n) to which the manuscript is to be delivered regarding the mailbox communication service calls the line connected to the nearest storage and forwarding device (for example, 3n) as needed.

Once the line is connected, the facsimile terminal 3n notifies the storage and forwarding device 1n of the communication type and polling request (designation of box number, etc.), and then image information is transmitted from the image data storage section 11n through the communication control section 12n. receive.

In this way, the communication processing related to the mailbox communication service in the facsimile storage and forwarding system of the present invention is realized through the three phases described above, but the flow of information handled in the communication processing differs depending on the type of communication. Become.

As described above, in the facsimile storage and exchange system of the present invention, a networked mailbox [having a plurality of boxes (storage units) arranged relatively to each other] is used as an information box type mailbox as a type of communication related to the mailbox communication service. There are two types of communication: information box communication used as a mailbox, and post office box communication used as a post office box type mailbox.

FIGS. 2(a) and 2(b) conceptually illustrate the flow of information when implementing mailbox communication services through information box communication and private box communication, respectively, in the facsimile storage and exchange system of the present invention. It is.

Hereinafter, communication processing operations in the facsimile storage and forwarding system of the present invention relating to information box communication and post office box communication will be described in detail with reference to the flowchart of FIG.

(a) An information box-type mailbox in which image information is saved even if the image information in the information box communication mailbox is retrieved is used in a network.

In a networked information box type mailbox, the same image information transmitted from the original facsimile device is stored in the opposing information boxes of each of the storage and exchange devices 1a to 1n.

In FIG. 2(a), input processing based on the document manual phase (I) is performed from the facsimile machine 3 that is the source of the document.

In this input process, information box communication is specified as the communication type.

Upon receiving the call associated with the input processing, the JL-side storage/exchange device @1 sequentially determines whether the call is for a large-scale request for image information or for a read request. (Figure 3, steps 100 and 101).

If it is determined in step 101 that the write request is a call, the central processing unit 10
receives the information received in connection with the input processing from the facsimile machine @3, and creates a catalog as shown in FIG. 4 based on the received information (step 102).

In FIG. 4, the catalog includes a record management flag and its own record number as management information of the catalog.
A manuscript flag indicating the manuscript status such as whether the manuscript is in S bacteria or being sent, communication type indicating whether it is an information box communication or a post office box communication, sender information to identify the terminal from which the manuscript was sent, and storage It is composed of the number of manuscripts and page management information for managing the original 1 (image information) that has been printed on a page-by-page basis, box information indicating the used box number, and destination information for identifying the terminal to which the manuscript is to be delivered.

A storage and exchange system by analyzing a catalog with such a configuration! ! ! The central processing unit 10 of No. 1 first determines the type of communication (step 103 of the same).

When it is determined in step 103 that the communication type is information box communication, the central processing unit 10 transmits the image information subsequently received from the facsimile machine [3 to the secondary address etc. to the image data storage unit. The image information that has been stored up to that point is updated and stored in the information box 110 provided in the information box 11 (step 105 in the same example).

Next, the central processing unit 10 determines whether the image information, etc. needs to be relayed based on the contents of the catalog described above (step 106).

When it is determined in step 106 that relaying is necessary, the central processing unit 10 connects the line to the relayed storage and forwarding device (step 107), and then connects the catalog information and image information. Subsequently, the data is transmitted to the relayed storage and forwarding device (steps 108 and 109).

In this communication, when a call is made from the facsimile machine 3, information box communication and delivery destination terminal information of the document corresponding to the information box communication are specified, and destination information corresponding to the delivery destination terminal information is specified in the catalog mentioned above. has been created.

Therefore, in the determination at step 106, the central processing unit 10 analyzes the destination information in the catalog, and after determining that the communication is an information box communication, the central processing unit 10 performs the document relay phase of (II)-(A>) in steps 107 to 109. A document relay process is performed in which all the storage and exchange devices 1a to 1n other than the subordinate storage and exchange device 1 are used as relayed storage and exchange devices.

The storage/exchange devices 1a-1n store the received image information in information boxes 110A-11ON provided in the respective image data storage units 118-11n.

As a result, the same image information can be held in the opposing information boxes 110A to 11ON of each storage/exchange device ff11a to 1n.

Next, information boxes 110A to 11 of each storage and exchange device 1a to 1n
When reading image information from ON, any facsimile device (for example, 3a) that has received the continuous output request will send the request to the nearest storage/exchange device @ (1a) in the document output phase of (If). Perform the original output processing.

At this time, a request to read image information, communication type, etc. are input from the facsimile terminal 3a.

In the storage/exchange device 1a, after determining in step 100 accompanying the output processing described above that the call is for a request to read image information, the storage/exchange device 1a subsequently determines the type of communication. (step 110)
.

When it is determined in step 110 that the communication type is information box communication, the central processing unit 10a transmits the image information stored in the information box 110A in the image data storage unit 11a through the communication control unit 12a. Facsimile machine 1
3a (step 114).

Through such output processing, the facsimile device ff13a can read image information from the information box 110A of the storage/exchange device [1a] any number of times.

Further, this process is similarly executed between the facsimile machines 3b to 3n and the nearest storage and forwarding devices t1b to 1n.

(b) A network of post office box type mailboxes is used in which the picture information is deleted when the picture information in the communication mailbox is extracted.

In a networked post office box type mailbox, the image information sent from the original facsimile device is sent to one location on the nearest storage and forwarding device to which the destination facsimile device belongs, via the nearest storage and forwarding device. They are collected and stored in a post office box.

In FIG. 2(b), input based on the manuscript manual phase of (I) from the plurality of facsimile machines f3a to 3n, which are document sending sources, to the nearest storage/exchange bag [1a to 1n]. B. Implement the science.

The storage and forwarding devices 1a to 1a receive calls associated with such input processing.
1n, each of the central processing units 10a to 10n performs 98 processes similar to information box communication (Fig. 4, steps 100 to 10).
By implementing 2), the facsimile machine [3a~
A catalog as shown in FIG. 4 is created based on the respective received information from 3n.

Next, each central processing unit 10a of the storage/exchange bags Ff1a to 1n
~10n, the communication type is determined by analyzing each catalog information (step 103 of the same).
).

If it is determined in step 103 that the communication type is post office box communication, each central processing unit 10
a to 10n, 2 from each facsimile device 3a to 3n
The image information received following the next address etc. is stored in the post office boxes 110a to 110a provided in each image data storage unit 11a to 11n.
110n, in addition to the image information stored up to that point (step 104).

Next, each of the central processing units 10a to 10a to Ion determines whether relaying of the image information, etc. is necessary for each of them based on the contents of the catalog described above (Step 106), and in this determination, it is determined that relaying is necessary. When this is done, relay processing is carried out and the catalog information and image information are transmitted to the relayed storage/exchange device (steps 107 to 109).

In this communication, when a call is made from each facsimile device 3a to 3n, the post office box communication and the delivery destination terminal information of the document corresponding to the post office box communication (in the case of post office box communication, the secondary side to which the facsimile device that is the delivery destination terminal belongs) (including information on the storage/forwarding device) is specified, and destination information corresponding to the distribution destination terminal information is created in the aforementioned catalog.

Therefore, in each central processing unit 10a to 10n, step 1
In step 06, the destination information in each catalog is analyzed, and after determining that the communication is a post office box communication, steps 107 to 109 follow the document relay phase of (n) to (B) to which the destination terminal belongs. Only the storage and exchange device 1 near R is relayed and stored and exchanged! Performs document relay processing to the device.

The storage/exchange bag W11 stores the received image information in a payout box 110' provided in the image data storage section 11.

As a result, the image information input to the corresponding post office boxes 110a to 110n of each storage/exchange device 1a to 1n is transferred to the designated one.
It can be concentrated in a separate post office box 110'.

Next, when reading image information from the post office box 110' of the storage and exchange device 1, the facsimile device 3 designated as the destination terminal outputs the image information to the storage and exchange bag @1 based on the original output phase (III). Perform processing.

In the storage/exchange device 1, in response to a call from the facsimile device f3 associated with the above-described output processing, after determining that the call is a request to read image information (step 100 of the same).
), the communication type regarding the read request is then determined (step 110).

When it is determined in step 110 that the communication type is post office box communication, the central processing unit 10 sends the image information stored in the post office box 110' in the image data storage unit 11 to the facsimile via the communication control unit 12. The information is transmitted to the device 3 (step 111).

At this time, the central processing unit 10 promptly deletes the returned image information and the catalog information corresponding to the image information (steps 112 and 113).

By performing such output processing, the facsimile device 3
can read all the stored image information from the private mail box 110' of the storage/exchange device 1.

[Effects of the Invention 1 As explained above, according to the facsimile storage and forwarding system of the present invention, individual mailboxes opened in a plurality of storage and forwarding devices are networked and relatively managed,
Since image information is loaded into and read out from the mailbox between the facsimile terminal and the nearest storage/exchange device, it is possible to simplify the input/output operation of image information to and from the mailbox communication service and prevent operational errors. It has the excellent advantage of being able to significantly reduce communication costs.

[BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS] FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an embodiment of the facsimile storage and forwarding system according to the present invention, and FIGS. 2(a) and (b)
3 is a conceptual diagram showing the flow of information when mailbox communication service is implemented by information box communication and post office box communication in the facsimile storage and forwarding device of the present invention, respectively.
The figure is a flowchart showing the operation of the facsimile storage and forwarding system of the present invention corresponding to the information flow shown in Figure 2, and Figure 4 is the catalog structure handled in the mailbox communication service in the facsimile store and forwarding system of the present invention. This is an example. 1.1a to 1n...Storage and forwarding device W (S/F), 2
...Communication line network, 3,3a to 3n...Facsimile machine (FAX), 10a to 10n...Central processing unit (CPLI), 11.11a to 11n-...Image data storage unit (( ) KU) , 12 a ~ 12 n
---Communication control unit (CCE), 110, 110A to 11
ON...Information box, 110', 110a-110n...
・P.O. Box. Figure 1

Claims (5)

[Claims] (1) Consisting of a plurality of storage and forwarding devices each having a mailbox and a plurality of facsimile devices belonging to each of the storage and forwarding devices, image information written from the sender's facsimile device to the mailbox of the storage and forwarding device is In a facsimile storage and forwarding system having a mailbox communication service function that can be read by a destination facsimile device as needed, each of the storage and forwarding devices has a storage section in a mailbox of each other storage and forwarding device. Analyzes the sent information received from the mailbox consisting of the storage unit with address relationship and the facsimile machine of the nearest sending source to which it belongs,
After accumulating the image information that arrives following the transmitted information in a designated storage section of the mailbox of the own station, transmitting the image information to a storage and forwarding device to which the facsimile device of the specified distribution destination belongs; image information relay control means for storing the image information in a storage section having an address opposite to the storage section of the mailbox of the storage and forwarding device, the image information transmitted by the sending facsimile device to the nearest storage and forwarding device; characterized in that the destination facsimile device accesses the nearest storage and forwarding device with the received information and reads it from the storage section designated by the received information in the mailbox of the storage and forwarding device. A facsimile store-and-forward system. (2) The sending information includes at least a request to write image information to a mailbox, a storage unit used for writing, a facsimile device to which the image information is to be delivered, and information regarding the communication type indicating whether the communication is an information box communication or a post office box communication. A facsimile storage and forwarding system according to claim (1). (3) The received information includes at least a request to read the image information from the mailbox, a storage unit used for reading, and information regarding the type of communication indicating whether the communication is an information box communication or a post office box communication. The facsimile storage and exchange system described in section 1). (4) The facsimile storage and forwarding device according to any one of claims (1) to (3), wherein the transmitted information and the received information are notified to the nearest storage and forwarding device by a touch tone. system. (5) The transmission information and the reception information are added to the control information on the facsimile communication procedure and notified to the nearest storage and forwarding device. The facsimile storage and forwarding system described in any of the above.