JPS6338367A - Remote diagnosing method for facsimile answering device - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To ensure the unmanned and centralized maintenance control by acquiring the internal memory information of a microprocessor containing the action control information of a facsimile answering device at a remote position through a telephone circuit. CONSTITUTION:A network control circuit 2 works with an instruction of a personal computer 5 to which a remote diagnosing program is set. Then a flag is set and turned on to show presence of a diagnosis mode in an extended field of an FIF of the signal of a diagnosis information system DIS. The information on presence of the diagnosis mode is sent to a facsimile answering device via a MODEM 3 for facsimile signal. Then the signal of a data collection system DCS is transmitted from the facsimile answering device in response to the DIS signal. The DCS signal is sent to the computer 5 via the MODEM 3 and an FIF extended field of the DCS signal is analyzed. Thus the bit showing the presence or absence of the diagnosis mode is checked. When presence of the diagnosis mode is confirmed, the picture signals received from the facsimile answering device are recognized as the contents of a memory showing the working state of the answering device. Then said contents are fetched by a memory of the computer 5 with no MH decoding.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [Field of Industrial Application] The present invention relates to facsimile communications, and more particularly to a remote diagnosis method for a facsimile response device that converts messages from a host computer into facsimile signals.

[Conventional technology]

The facsimile response device converts the message from the host computer into a facsimile signal and sends it to the terminal receiver, and is connected to the host computer via a high-speed communication line and to the facsimile terminal device via a telephone line. For this reason, facsimile answering devices are often installed at remote locations away from the host computer. Furthermore, since facsimile answering devices require complex internal processing functions, the firmware of a microprocessor is used in the internal circuitry.

In this way, when diagnosing a failure in a facsimile answering device, it is necessary to check the internal memory status of this firmware, and the maintenance person must bring a firmware operation analysis device to the location where the facsimile answering device is installed. was there.

[Problem that the invention seeks to solve]

In this way, conventional diagnostic methods have the problem of requiring a firmware operation analysis device to be brought to a remote site just to investigate the cause of a failure, which takes a lot of time and money. Ta.

[Means for solving problems]

The present invention sets a diagnostic mode flag on in 1 bit of the FIF extension field of the DIS signal to be transmitted,
The presence or absence of the diagnostic mode set in 1 bit of the FIF extension field of the DC8 signal from the facsimile IJ response device is identified, and if the diagnostic mode is present, the received image signal from the facsimile response device determines the operating status of the device. The content of the memo IJKMH of the personal computer is recognized without being decoded.

[Effect]

Information stored in the internal memory of the facsimile answering device can be obtained from a remote location, making maintenance management easier.

〔Example〕

Next, the present invention will be explained with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the configuration of an apparatus for carrying out the remote diagnosis method of the present invention. 1 is an input terminal, 2 is a network control circuit that performs automatic call control for the exchange, and 3 is a V
21 , a facsimile signal modem such as a V27 tar modem, or a v29 modem; and 4 an interface circuit for connecting the network control circuit 2 and the facsimile signal modem 3 to the personal computer 5 . This device performs multiple communications with a facsimile answering device using the control procedure of the binary code signaling system recommended by CCITT T4. FIG. 2 is a flowchart showing how the personal computer 5 operates based on the block configuration shown in FIG.

Next, this operation will be explained. First, a program for remote diagnosis is set in the personal computer 5 in advance, and remote diagnosis is started using the program.

The ha control circuit 2 operates according to instructions from the personal computer 5, and is connected to a facsimile answering device through a telephone line (Sl). Next, the personal computer 5 turns on and sets a diagnostic mode flag in the expanded field of the FIF of the DIS@ number, and the information is sent to the facsimile response device through the facsimile signal modem 3 (S2). Thereafter, a DC8 signal is transmitted from the facsimile response device in response to the DIS signal.

The DO8 signal is sent to the personal computer 5 through the facsimile signal modem 3 (83), where the FIF' extension field of the DO8 signal is cleared (84).
As a result, the presence/absence of the diagnostic mode is checked (S5).

If there is no diagnostic mode, the personal computer 5 displays a comment to that effect on the display (8).
6) Instruct the network control circuit to disconnect the telephone line, and then terminate the communication (S7). If diagnostic mode is available,
The personal computer 5 recognizes that the received image signal coming from the facsimile answering device is the memory content indicating the operating state of the device itself (S8), and the personal computer 5 transmits the training signal from the facsimile answering device until the training signal ends. After that, the CFR signal is sent to the facsimile response device through the facsimile signal modem 3 (S9). In response to the CFR signal, facsimile IJ
A picture signal is transmitted from the response device and sent to the personal computer 5 through the facsimile signal modem 3. Personal computer 5 was damaged by this, and M
The image signal that has not been decoded is taken into the internal memory and its contents are displayed on the display (sio). Next, an EOP signal is transmitted from the facsimile answering device, and when the personal computer 5 receives it through the facsimile signal modem 3, the capture of the image signal is stopped (
811), and the MCF signal is sent to the facsimile answering device through the facsimile signal modem (812).

A DCN signal is transmitted from the facsimile answering device in response to the MCF signal, and when the personal computer 5 receives it through the facsimile signal modem 3 (8
13) After an instruction to disconnect the telephone line is issued to the network control circuit 2, the communication is terminated (814).

In response to the conditions of the personal computer callo DNS signal, the facsimile answering device, 1) DC8
The i number is sent, and the D
By analyzing the C8 signal, the image signal that is not converted into an MH signal is taken into the internal memory of the personal computer in the case of the diagnosis mode, and by displaying the contents, it is possible to know the status of the facsimile answering device.

〔Effect of the invention〕

As described above, the present invention enables the internal memory information of a microprocessor containing operational control information of a facsimile answering device to be obtained from a remote location through a telephone line, thereby making maintenance and management of the facsimile answering device unmanned and centralized. It becomes possible to convert into Therefore, even if a failure should occur, by analyzing the internal memory information, the cause of the failure can be investigated and recovery measures can be taken quickly. Furthermore, there is also the effect that a diagnostic procedure test of the image signal conversion function can be performed using a similar method.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of an apparatus implementing an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a flowchart showing the processing procedure of a remote diagnosis method. 1...O input/output terminal, 2...ψ/network control circuit, 3...
---modem for facsimile signals, 4...interface g, s---personal computer.

Claims (1)

[Claims] It consists of a facsimile signal modem, a network control circuit, a personal computer, and an interface circuit between the facsimile signal modem, the network control circuit, and the personal computer, and communicates according to the control procedure of the binary code signaling system recommended by CCITTT4. DI to be sent in the remote diagnosis device of the facsimile answering device
The diagnosis mode flag is set to ON in bit 1 of the FIF extension field of the S signal, and the existence of the diagnosis mode set in bit 1 of the FIF extension field of the DCS signal from the facsimile answering device is identified, and the diagnosis mode is set. If yes, the received image signal from the facsimile answering device is
A remote diagnostic method for a facsimile answering device, characterized in that the content is recognized as the memory content indicating the operating state of the device and is imported into the memory of a personal computer without MH decoding.