KR20020080845A - Facsimile and communication method thereof - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE: A facsimile and a communication method of the facsimile are provided to transmit and receive data to/from a counterpart's terminal even through a radio mobile communication network. CONSTITUTION: A facsimile includes a radio communication unit(43) for processing a signal received through a mobile communication network and transmitting a signal to the mobile communication network in radio, and a controller(39) for transmitting information read by a scanner of the facsimile to the outside through the radio communication unit. The facsimile further includes a wired communication unit(41) for processing signal received from the outside through input/output ports and transmitting a signal through the input/output ports. The controller selects one of the radio communication unit and the wired communication unit according to a set communication mode to transmit data to the outside.

Description

Facsimile and communication method

The present invention relates to a facsimile and a communication method thereof, and more particularly, to a facsimile and a communication method capable of transmitting information wirelessly.

A facsimile machine is a device capable of printing and outputting information received through a communication network from the outside, scanning the information recorded on a document to be sent, and transmitting the information to a counterpart terminal through the communication network.

Referring to FIG. 1, a conventional facsimile 10 is connected and used through a PSTN 20 which is a wired public telephone network.

Referring to FIG. 2, which shows a configuration of a conventional facsimile, the facsimile 10 includes a key input unit 11, a display unit 12, a scanning unit 13, a control unit 14, a printing unit 15, and a wired modem ( 15).

The key input unit 11 is provided with a plurality of numeric keys for entering a telephone number.

The scanning unit 13 is connected so as to scan the contents recorded on the document attached to the document glass and transmit them to the control unit 14.

In the transmission mode, the control unit 14 transmits the information scanned by the scanning unit 13 to the relative fax address through the wired modem 15, and prints the information received from the outside by the printing unit 15. Control each element to output.

However, such a conventional facsimile 10 has a disadvantage in that the installation and use environment is limited to an environment that can be connected to the wired public telephone network by being used only by the wired public telephone network.

The present invention was devised to improve the above problems, and an object thereof is to provide a facsimile and a communication method thereof that can mitigate the constraints of the use environment.

1 is a view showing that a conventional facsimile is connected to a wired public network,

FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating the facsimile of FIG. 1.

3 is a block diagram showing a facsimile according to the present invention,

4 is a diagram illustrating that the fax of FIG. 3 is connected through a communication network;

5 is a flowchart illustrating a process of transmitting data by the wired / wireless facsimile of FIG. 3.

<Description of the reference numerals for the main parts of the drawings>

31: key input section 31a: communication selection key

33: display unit 35: scanning unit

37: printing unit 39: control unit

41: wired modem 43: wireless communication unit

50: wired terminal 60: wireless terminal

70: wired network 80: mobile network

In order to achieve the above object, the facsimile according to the present invention is a facsimile that is capable of reading out the information recorded on the loaded document by the scanning unit to send out, the signal received wirelessly from the outside through the mobile communication network A wireless communication unit for processing and transmitting and transmitting a transmission target signal wirelessly through the mobile communication network; And a controller configured to transmit and receive information read by the scanning unit to the outside by the wireless communication unit.

Preferably, the apparatus further comprises a wired communication unit configured to process a signal received from the outside through the input / output port, and transmit and output a transmission target signal through the input / output port. One of the wireless communication unit and the wired communication unit is selected to transmit the transmission target data to the outside.

The apparatus may further include a key input unit including a communication selection key for selecting communication of at least one of the wired communication unit and the wireless communication unit.

Preferably, the controller determines signal transmission from one of the wired communication unit and the wireless communication unit from the communication address of the counterpart terminal input through the key input unit provided with a key for inputting the counterpart communication address of the transmission destination.

In addition, the control unit receives and processes the information transmitted to each of the wireless communication unit and the wired communication unit in a reception mode.

In addition, the communication method of the facsimile according to the present invention to achieve the above object comprises the steps of determining the signal input through the key input unit; And when the signal input through the key input unit is determined to be a signal corresponding to a wireless communication mode, transmitting the information scanned by the scanner to a selected communication address through the air.

Preferably, if the counterpart communication address inputted through the key input unit is a mobile communication number, the process is determined as the wireless communication mode.

According to another aspect, the key input unit is provided with a communication selection key for selecting at least one of the wired communication and wireless communication, and if the communication selection key is selected as wireless communication determination processing to the wireless communication mode, the The information scanned by the air is sent to the counterpart communication address inputted through the key input unit.

Hereinafter, a fax and a communication method thereof according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

3 is a block diagram illustrating a facsimile according to the present invention.

Referring to the drawings, the facsimile 30 includes a key input unit 31, a display unit 33, a scanning unit 35, a printing unit 37, a control unit 39, a wired modem 41, and a wireless communication unit 43. Equipped.

The key input unit 31 includes a plurality of numeric keys (not shown) for inputting a phone number of a counterpart terminal, for example, a counterpart fax, and keys corresponding to supported functions, such as a call reservation key (not shown) and a start key. There are a number of keys including (not shown).

The call reservation key is a key selected before inputting a telephone number to input a telephone of the counterpart terminal.

The start key is used to instruct the transmission of information of the original.

Preferably, the key input unit 31 is preferably provided with a communication selection key 31a for setting at least one of the wired communication mode and the wireless communication mode. That is, the communication selection key 31a is preferably configured to select any one of the wired communication mode, the wireless communication mode, and the wired / wireless common communication mode. The communication selection key 31a selects any one of the wired reception mode, the wireless reception mode and the wired / wireless reception mode for the transmission mode, and the wired transmission mode, the wireless transmission mode and the wired / wireless transmission mode for the reception mode. You may be comprised so that one may be set. In the case of supporting a large number of selectable modes, it is preferable to apply a known method, for example, a method using a menu selection key and a setting key for selecting any one of the provided menus in order to reduce the number of selection keys.

The scanning unit 35 is controlled by the control unit 39 to read the information recorded in the document loaded on the document glass.

The scanning unit 35 may be configured by various known scanning methods, and detailed description thereof will be omitted.

The display unit 33 displays the display information transmitted from the control unit 39.

The printing unit 37 is controlled by the control unit 13 to print out the print target information on the paper and output it. The printing unit 37 is composed of elements corresponding to a printing method to be applied among various printing methods such as a thermal transfer printing method and an electrophotographic method. For example, in the case of an electrophotographic method, a photosensitive medium, an optical scanning device, a developing device, and a transfer device are provided. These elements are known elements and detailed descriptions are omitted.

The wired modem 41 is applied as an example of a wired communication unit, and has an input / output port (not shown) that can be connected to a subscriber telephone line connected to a wired public telephone network, and transmits a signal through an input / output port to a wired public telephone network. It processes the signal received through the wired public telephone network.

The wireless communication unit 43 wirelessly transmits / receives a signal through a mobile communication network.

Preferably, the wireless communication unit 43 codes and transmits an antenna and transmission target information in a format required by the mobile communication network so as to transmit and receive a signal through a known mobile communication network, and decodes the information received through the mobile communication network. And a signal processing unit.

The known mobile communication network includes a base station and a switch installed in a mobile communication company so as to relay communication between terminals wirelessly.

According to another aspect of the present invention, the wireless communication unit 43 may be a mobile phone commonly referred to as a mobile phone, in which case the control unit 43 is configured to be connected to a port provided in the mobile phone by a detachable communication interface. do. In addition, the controller 39 is configured to control the mobile phone connected through the communication interface.

The control unit 39 controls each element according to the signal input from the key input unit 31.

Preferably, the control unit 39 maintains the reception mode in the state in which the key input signal is not input from the key input unit 31, and from the wired public telephone network and / or the mobile communication network to the wired modem 41 or the wireless communication unit 43. It operates to receive the transmitted signal.

Alternatively, it is preferable that the controller 39 operates according to a preset method by the communication selection key 31a of the key input unit 31 in the reception mode.

For example, when only wired communication is set by the communication selection key 31a, the controller 39 processes only a signal received through the wired modem 41 in the reception mode.

Alternatively, when only wireless communication is set by the communication selection key 31a, the controller 39 stops the operation of the wired modem 41 in the reception mode and processes only the signal received through the wireless communication unit 43.

Alternatively, when the wired / wireless public reception is set by the communication selection key 31a, the control unit 39 receives the wired and / or wirelessly while operating both the wired modem 41 and the wireless communication unit 43 in the reception mode. Process all the signals.

On the other hand, when a key operation signal, for example, a call reservation key or a start key, to be transmitted to the counterpart terminal, the user loads the document loaded on the document glass, the control unit 39 switches from the reception mode to the transmission mode. do.

The control unit 39 transmits the information read by the scanning unit 35 through the wired modem 41 when the counterpart terminal address inputted through the key input unit 31 in the transmission mode is a wired public network number. If the counterpart terminal address inputted through 31) is a mobile phone number corresponding to the mobile communication network, the information read by the scanning unit 35 is transmitted through the wireless communication unit. The telephone number used in the wired public network and the telephone number used in the mobile communication network can generally be determined by comparing two or more first digits.

Alternatively, when the communication selection key 31a is provided, the control section 39 is set to wired transmission by the communication selection key 31a in the transmission mode, regardless of the number of the counterpart terminal input by the user. Through 41), the transmission target information is transmitted. That is, even when the counterpart terminal number is a mobile phone number, the transmission target information is transmitted through the wired modem 41.

Alternatively, when only wireless transmission is set by the communication selection key 31a, the controller 39 processes the transmission target information to be transmitted through the wireless communication unit 43 regardless of the number of the counterpart terminal input by the user. . That is, even when the counterpart terminal number is a wired telephone number, the transmission target information is processed through the wireless communication unit 43.

Such a facsimile 30 may transmit / receive information with a counterpart terminal using both a conventional wired public telephone network and a mobile communication network, and a usage environment thereof is illustrated in FIG. 4.

Referring to the drawings, a list of the communication paths available by the facsimile 30 and the number of connection vias of the other terminals that can be connected to the wired air network (PSTN) 70 <-> wired terminal 50, wired air network 70 <-> Wireless terminal 60, mobile communication network 80, <-> wired terminal 50, mobile communication network 80, <-> wireless terminal 60 is extended. Here, the wired terminal 50 refers to a fax, a computer having a fax function, and the like connected through a wired public network 70, and the wireless terminal 60 may be applied to another terminal having a fax function or a wireless fax function of the present invention. have. Reference numeral 81 denotes a base station and 82 denotes a switchboard.

Hereinafter, an example of a fax transmission process will be described with reference to FIG. 5.

First, it is determined whether there is a data transmission request (step 110).

The data transmission request is judged as a data transmission request and switches to the transmission mode when any of the keys installed in the key input unit 31 is input so that it can be used for data transmission. For example, if a communication reservation key is inputted to input the telephone number of the counterpart terminal, it is determined that there is a data transmission request.

If it is determined that there is a data transmission request, it is determined whether it is set to wireless transmission (step 120).

As an example of the determination method, as described above, it is determined according to whether the selected method is wired communication or wireless notification through the operation of the communication selection key 31a.

Alternatively, if the communication selection key 31a is not provided or the communication selection key is set to wired / wireless public communication, if the telephone number inputted through the numeric keys after the communication reservation key operation is a mobile phone number, the wired telephone is wirelessly connected. If the number is determined by wired communication.

If it is determined in step 120 that the wireless transmission is set, the control unit 39 establishes a wireless communication path. That is, the transmission signal is transmitted to secure the communication path to the counterpart terminal through the wireless communication unit 43 to the mobile communication network (step 130).

It is determined whether a response signal indicating that data can be received from the counterpart terminal is received through the wireless communication unit 43 (step 140).

When a signal indicating that data can be received from the counterpart terminal is received, negotiation with the counterpart terminal for data transmission without error such as a data transmission rate and an error signal processing method is performed (step 150).

When the connection negotiation is completed, the transmission target document is scanned by the scanning unit 35, and the scanned information is transmitted to the counterpart terminal via the wireless communication unit 43 (steps 160 to 170).

Unlike this, if it is determined in step 120 that the wired transmission is set, the controller 39 sets a wired communication path (step 210). That is, the transmission signal is transmitted to secure the communication path to the counterpart terminal through the wired modem 41.

Then, it is determined whether the other terminal can be received (step 220).

If it is determined that the other terminal can be received, a transmission / reception connection negotiation is performed, the transmission target document is scanned, and the scanned information is transmitted through the wired modem 41 (steps 230 to 250).

On the other hand, in the reception mode, by default, the signal waits to be received through both the wired communication path and the wireless communication path, or as described above, receives the communication path set to either wired or wireless by the communication selection key 31a. It can be set to process the signal.

As described so far, according to the facsimile and the communication method according to the present invention, data can be transmitted and received to the counterpart terminal even through a wireless mobile communication network, so that restrictions on the use environment are alleviated and user convenience is improved. do.

Claims (8)

In the facsimile machine which can read the information recorded on the loaded document by the scanning unit and send it to the outside, A wireless communication unit which processes a signal wirelessly received from the outside through a mobile communication network and transmits and outputs a transmission target signal wirelessly through the mobile communication network; And a controller configured to transmit and receive information read by the scanning unit to the outside by the wireless communication unit. The method of claim 1, And a wired communication unit which processes a signal received from the outside through an input / output port and transmits and outputs a transmission target signal through the input / output port. The control unit selects any one of the wireless communication unit and the wired communication unit according to the set communication method, characterized in that the transmission process for transmitting the transmission data to the outside. The method of claim 2, And a key input unit provided with a communication selection key for selecting communication to at least one of the wired communication unit and the wireless communication unit. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the controller determines a signal transmission from one of the wired communication unit and the wireless communication unit from the communication address of the counterpart terminal input through the key input unit provided with a key for inputting a counterpart communication address of the transmission destination. Facsimile characterized in that. The facsimile of claim 2, wherein the control unit receives and processes information transmitted to each of the wireless communication unit and the wired communication unit in a reception mode. Determining a signal input through a key input unit; If the signal input through the key input unit is determined to be a signal corresponding to a wireless communication mode, transmitting the information scanned by the scanner to the selected communication address through the air; fax communication method comprising a . The fax communication method according to claim 6, wherein if the counterpart communication address inputted through the key input unit is a mobile communication number, a determination process is performed in the wireless communication mode. The communication apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the key input unit is provided with a communication selection key for selecting at least one of wired communication and wireless communication. And when the communication selection key is selected as wireless communication, determine and process a wireless communication mode, and transmit information scanned by air to a counterpart communication address input through the key input unit.