JPH02222367A - Facsimile equipment - Google Patents

Abstract

(57) [Summary] This bulletin contains application data before electronic filing, so abstract data is not recorded.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION (Field of Industrial Application) The present invention relates to a facsimile machine, and more particularly to a facsimile machine equipped with an image memory.

(Prior Art) Recently, as facsimile machines have become more widespread, their functions have been improved, and facsimile machines equipped with large-capacity image memory, especially external memory such as hard disk devices, have appeared. .

Regarding facsimile machines equipped with such an image memory, various proposals have been made to effectively utilize the image memory. For example, JP-A-61-29
In the facsimile machines described in Japanese Patent Laid-open No. 261 and No. 61-29262, even if the recording means is not in a recordable state at the time of reception, the message is received and stored in the image memory.
When the recording means becomes ready for recording, it reads out the image from the image memory and records and outputs it. In this case, the received message read out from the image memory during recording and output is erased from the image memory. Furthermore, in the facsimile machine described in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 60-79862, when receiving, the received message is stored in the image memory, and when the received message accumulated in the image memory is monitored and a record output is selected, the received message is is recorded and output by a recording means. In this case, the received telegram in the image memory is erased when it is recorded and output, and is also erased when it is determined that the recording and output are unnecessary. Furthermore, JP-A-60-1
In the facsimile machine described in Publication No. 12369,
At the time of reception, all received messages are stored in the image memory and the telephone line is opened, after which they are recorded and output by the recording means to shorten the communication time. In this case as well, when the recording means records and outputs, the received telegram in the image memory is erased.

(Problem to be Solved by the Invention) However, in such conventional facsimile devices, when receiving, the received message is stored in the -H image memory, but the message stored in the image memory is recorded and output on recording paper. Then, the message in the image memory was erased. therefore,
Even if the received message is processed into a file and an attempt is made to make effective use of it later, there is a problem in that the received message in the image memory has been erased and cannot be used effectively.

(Purpose of the Invention) Therefore, the present invention allows received telegrams to be managed as files in the image memory by storing the received telegrams in the image memory and storing them without erasing them until a predetermined time even if they are recorded and output. The purpose is to make effective use of received messages.

(Structure of the Invention) In order to achieve the above object, the present invention includes a communication control section that performs facsimile communication according to a predetermined communication control procedure, an image memory that stores received messages, and a recording means that records and outputs the messages on recording paper. In a facsimile machine which stores the received telegram in an image memory and then records and outputs the received telegram in the image memory at the time of reception, when the received telegram in the image memory is read out and recorded and output, the received telegram in the image memory is It is characterized by not erasing the information but storing it until a predetermined time.

Hereinafter, the present invention will be specifically explained based on examples.

1 to 6 are diagrams showing one embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of the facsimile device 1. The facsimile device 111 includes a control section 2, a communication control section 3, an operation port section 4, a memory section 5, and an external storage device (image memory).
6, a scanner section 7, a plotter section (recording means) 8, an image scaling section (image scaling means) 9, a compression/reproduction section 10, a character generator section 11, and the like. Each part of the facsimile machine 1 is connected by a bus 12.

The control unit 2 has a ROM (Re-ad
0nly Memory) and RAM (Random Access Memory) where the work area is formed.
y), etc., and the basic program for the facsimile device 1 and the received message management program of the present invention are stored in the ROM. The control unit 2 controls each part of the facsimile machine 1 according to a program in the ROM, executes the sequence of the facsimile machine 1, and executes the received message management process of the present invention.

A line, for example, a public telephone line, is connected to the communication control unit 3, and the communication control unit 3 performs call processing to the line, processes incoming calls, and exchanges control signals with the other party's facsimile machine l. Execute facsimile communication procedures.

The operation port section 4 includes keys for inputting various commands and a display section for displaying input commands and messages transmitted from the facsimile machine 1 to the operator. There are also keys for setting related commands.

The memory unit 5 is a memory that temporarily stores received messages, transmitted messages, and the like.

As the external storage device 6, for example, a hard disk device,
An optical disk device or the like is used, and the external storage device 6 stores received and transmitted messages.

The external storage device 6 stores messages compressed by a compression/reproduction section 10 described later, and files are managed by the control section 2 for each message. That is, the external storage device 6 has a predetermined memory capacity, for example, 16 Mbytes, for storing messages, and as shown by the arrow in the memory area control image diagram of FIG. Assign an area between and store it. When the data is accumulated to the limit of the memory area of the external storage device 6, the data is returned to the first address and sequentially overwritten as a general rule. Further, the external storage device 6 is provided with a management data area, in which a message management table, a page management table, and an image information storage table as shown in FIG. 3 are stored. The message management table stores the mode type (type of transmitted message or received message), submode type (type of received message from recorded output method or unrecorded output method), address of the page management table for the first page, etc. The page management table stores the address of the page management table of the next page, a display indicating that it is the last page, the address of the image information storage table, and the like. The image information storage table shows the usage status of the table (
Indication of whether the page is unused or in use), Indication of the presence or absence of the next page (NE
XT or END), etc., and an image information storage area (16 bytes) is reserved following the image information storage table.

Although not shown in FIG. 3, the message management table is provided with items such as the destination of the received message and the date and time of reception, and each message is managed based on these items.

As the scanner section 7, for example, COD (Char-
GE Coupled Device) is used, and the scanner section 7 reads the document every one line and outputs it as image data.

As the plotter unit 8, for example, a thermal recording device using a thermal element is used, and the block unit 8 records on normal recording paper directly or indirectly via an ink sheet.

The image scaling unit 9 is for reducing and enlarging the message.

The compression/retransmission unit 10 uses a predetermined encoding method, such as the MH method (Modified Huffaan method), the MR method (Mo-dlfied RBA method), or the M"
The image data is encoded (compressed) using the R method or the like, and the encoded image data is decoded.

The character generator section 11 stores character patterns, displays characters, symbols, etc. on the display section of the operation port section 4, and causes the plotter section 8 to record the date and time of communication, the name of the other party, etc. on the recording paper.

Next, the effect will be explained.

The present invention is configured so that even if the received telegrams stored in the external storage device 6 are recorded and outputted by the plotter section 8, they are not erased until a predetermined time, and can be stored in the external storage device 6 and read out as needed. That's where the characteristics lie. This received message management process will be explained below based on the flowchart of FIG. 4.

The facsimile machine 1 stores messages for time-specified transmission and received messages in an external storage device 6, and reads them out from the external storage device 6 and transmits them as necessary, or records and outputs them using a plotter section 8.

The facsimile machine 1 checks whether a communication message has been generated to be stored in the external storage device 6 depending on whether this sending operation has been performed or whether there has been an incoming call (step PI).
When a communication message to be stored in the external storage device 6 is generated, the message management table in the external storage device 6 is searched to check whether there is an unused table (unused message management table) (steps P*, P3). . If there is an unused table, the process advances to step P7, and if there is no unused table, it is checked whether there is a message management table for the received message and the record output method (step p4).
). If the message is a received message and there is no message management table for the record output method, any message stored in the external storage device 6 cannot be erased, so an error code is generated due to the reason that there is no message management table, and an error code is generated to inform the user that there is no message management table. Display on the display section of the operation port section 4 and return to the initial state (step P, ).In step P4, if there is a message management table for the record output method in the received message, the oldest message (the As shown in the message management table of the first accumulated message in the record output method and in Figure 3,
Initialize the page management table and image information storage table linked to this message management table, that is, make them unused (step P4), and secure the unused message management table for the received message (step P4). P'l).

Next, search the page management table and check whether there is an unused table (unused page management table) (step P,,P,). If there is an unused table, for example, immediately proceed to step P. If initialization processing has been performed, etc., proceed to step PI3 (step P
9) When there is no unused table, that is, there is an unused message management table but no unused page management table, check whether there is a received message and a message management table for the recording output method in step P1.゜)
, when the message is a received message and there is no message management table for the record output method, it is not possible to erase any message stored in the external storage device 6, so an error code is generated because there is no page management table. , displays this on the display section of the operation port section 4 and returns to the initial state (
In step Pa+) and step Pi11, in the received message,
If there is a page management table for the recording output method, initialize the message management table of the oldest message and the page management table and image information storage table linked to the message management table (step P+t).
, secures an unused page management table for the received message (step P+s).

Next, search the image information storage table and check whether there is an unused table (unused image information storage table) (steps P14, Pu5). If there is an unused table, for example, initialization processing is performed at step ptz. In such a case, proceed to step P19 (step P
+s). When there is no unused table, that is, there is an unused message management table and an unused page management table, but there is no unused image information storage table, the received message and the recorded output method's message management table are Please check if there is one (step P4).If the received message is a message and there is no message management table for the recording output method, there is no image information storage table because any message stored in the external storage device 6 cannot be deleted. An error code is generated due to this reason, and the error code is displayed on the display section of the operation port section 4 and the initial state is restored (step PI?).
In step Pl&, if the message is a received message and there is a message management table for the recording output method, initialize the message management table of the oldest message and the page management table and image information storage table linked to the message management table ( Step Pie), an unused image information storage table is reserved for the received message (step P19).

After securing the message management table, page management table, and image information storage table in this manner, the facsimile machine 1 performs the following processing. That is, it performs reception processing or time-specified transmission processing and stores the received message in the external storage device 6, or reads it with the scanner section 7 and stores the message for transmission in the external storage device 6.

In this way, when there is a communication message to be stored, the facsimile device 1 stores the message sequentially from the first address as shown in FIG. When the table or image information storage table runs out, it is checked whether there is a received message for the recording output method among the stored messages, and if there is a received message for the recording output method,
The received message of the oldest recording output method is deleted and a new message is stored. Therefore, the received message recorded and outputted by the plotter unit 8 is also stored in the external storage device 6 until a predetermined time, that is, until it becomes the oldest received message stored in the external storage device 6 and a new stored message is generated. The data can be stored and read out from the external storage device 6 and recorded and outputted by the plotter section 8 when necessary. the result,
Able to effectively and appropriately manage and use received telegrams.

For example, as shown in FIG. 5, if a company consists of a head office and multiple branches, the invoices sent by facsimile from each branch to the head office are stored in the external storage device 6.
It is possible to record and output data for one day, one week, or one month at a time for management. In addition, as shown in Figure 6, if an organization consists of a sales area, a design area, a manufacturing area, a data management area, and a drawing management area, materials and drawings can be managed from each of the sales area, design area, and manufacturing area. The drawings and materials that have been sent to the ward in pieces are stored in the external storage device 6,
You can record and output one week's worth or one month's worth in the data and drawing management area.

In the above embodiment, the received telegrams are stored at the same size without being subjected to scaling processing by the image scaling unit 9; however, the present invention is not limited to this, and the received messages may be scaled down as necessary. It may be processed and stored.

For example, in the external storage device 6, reduction processing is performed by thinning out pixel data in the main scanning direction and thinning out line data in the sub-scanning direction. For example, when reducing A4 size to A5 size, in the main scanning direction, A4 size has 1728 dots and A5 size has 1184 dots, so 15 dots
t is thinned out by 4 dots to make 210 m 14
It is reduced to 8ma+, and in the sub-scanning direction, it is 22871ine for A4 size and 1617ine for A5 size.
Since it is 1ine, it is 51 inches for 1711 inches.
e is thinned out to reduce 297 rm to 210 mm. The reduction magnification of the reduction process in the image scaling section 9 is set in advance by the operation port section 4, and for example, A4 size to A5 size, A6 size, B5 size, etc.
The B4 size can be set to B5 size or B6 size as appropriate.

The setting of the reduction process in the operation port section 4 can be set by, for example, providing a mode setting switch in the operation port section 4 and turning this switch on/off.

Now, it is assumed that the operation port unit 4 is provided with keys SW1 to SW7 as keys for setting the processing mode of the received message, and each switch SWI to SW7 can be set to the mode as follows by turning on/off.

Judging from the contents of ru l'' 51 number (including 1 Fudoriki Suwabetsu Rakugata).

Hereinafter, the operation of the variable magnification process will be explained based on the flowchart shown in FIG.

In the standby state, the facsimile machine 1 performs monitoring processing to detect each mode such as sending operation, incoming call, and system mode processing, and when an incoming call is received (step S
, ), the reception process is started, and the received message is reproduced from the communication control unit 3 via the memory unit 5 in the compression/reproduction unit 10 . compression·
The received telegram reproduced by the reproduction section 10 is transferred to the plotter section 8, and recorded on recording paper by the plotter section 8 (step Sz).

On the other hand, the control unit 2 checks whether or not the received message is to be stored in the external storage device 6 depending on whether the key SWI of the operation port unit 4 is turned on (step S3), and if the received message is not stored, when the reception process is finished, Return to monitor processing. In step S3, when storing the received messages in the external storage device 6, check whether the key SW4 is on or off and store all the received messages in the external storage device 6, or store only the received messages from the specified destination. Check whether to store the data in the external storage device 6 (step S4). If only the specified destination is to be stored, check whether the destination is the specified destination (step S4).
,), when storing the received message, check the on/off of key SW2 and key SW3 to check whether to store it at the same size (Step S6), and when storing the received message at the same size, The compression/reproduction section 10 compresses the data again using a predetermined encoding method, for example, the MzR method, and stores it in the external storage device 6 via the memory section 5 (step S?). Also, when key SW2 and key SW3 are pressed to accumulate from A4 to A5 or from B4 to B5 (step S,
), the received message played back by the compression/playback unit 10 is transferred to the image scaling unit 9 , where the message is reduced, and then compressed again by the compression/playback unit 10 and then stored via the memory unit 5 . It is stored in the external storage device E6 (step S). Furthermore, when checking the key SW2 and key SW3 and accumulating from A4 to A6 or B4 to B6 (step S1),
The received message reproduced by the compression/reproduction unit 10 is transferred to the image scaling unit 9, and the image scaling unit 9 converts it from A4 to A6 or from B4 to B6.
After reduction processing is performed, the data is again compressed by the compression/reproduction unit IO and stored in the external storage device 6 via the memory unit 5 (step 516).

As described above, when the received message is stored in the external storage device 6 as necessary, the external storage device 6 switches the keys SW5 to SW7.
Recording and outputting of stored messages is executed according to the mode set by . Hereinafter, the recording and outputting process of this stored message will be explained based on the flowchart of FIG. 8.

The facsimile machine 1 checks the on/off status of the key SW5 and the key SW6, and determines whether to record and output when there is an instruction from the operation port section 4, or in other words, whether to output a user action. Record and output at a preset time. In other words, check whether to output the unit time (step Ql). If the user action is to be output, wait for an output instruction from the operation port section 4 (step Q,). On the other hand, when outputting for a unit time, check whether to record and output every week or every month, and check whether the output time for each setting mode has elapsed (step Q, ,Q,
). When the output time in each of the above modes is reached (step Q,
, Q3, Q,), Check the on/off of key SW7 to check whether to record and output only according to the date order at the time of reception, or whether to record and output for each destination and in date order.Step QS), in date order When recording and outputting only
The received messages stored in the external storage device 6 are read out in the order of date of reception and transferred to the compression/reproduction section 10 via the memory section 5. After the message is reproduced by the compression/reproduction unit 10, the block unit 8 records and outputs it. In addition, when outputting in date order for each destination, the received messages stored in the external storage device 6 are read out for each destination and in date order, and compressed and compressed via the memory unit 5.
The data is transferred to the reproduction section 10, reproduced by the compression/reproduction section 10, and then recorded and output on recording paper by the plotter section 8.

As described above, according to this embodiment, the received telegrams can be stored in the external storage device 6 according to the operator's selection, and can be recorded and output as necessary, so that the telegrams can be effectively and appropriately managed and used. Can be done.

Further, when storing data in the external storage device 6, it is possible to perform reduction processing and store the data according to selection, so that the external storage device 6 can be used effectively.

Furthermore, when receiving, the received message is stored in the external storage device 6. Since the information is not only stored in the memory but also recorded and output on recording paper in the block section 8, the reliability of the message can be improved.

In each of the above embodiments, a case has been described in which the application is applied to the facsimile machine 1 equipped with an external storage device 6, but the present invention is not limited to this, and the facsimile machine equipped with an image memory capable of storing received messages can be used. Can be generally applied.

(Effects) According to the present invention, received messages can be stored in an image memory, and even if they are recorded and output, they are accumulated without being deleted until a predetermined time, and the received messages can be managed as files in the image memory. can be used effectively.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

1 to 6 are diagrams showing one embodiment of a facsimile device of the present invention, in which FIG. 1 is a block diagram of the facsimile device, FIG. 2 is an image diagram of memory area control of the image memory, and FIG. is the message management table of the image memory,
FIG. 4 is a format diagram of the page management table and image information storage table, FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing the received message management process at the time of reception, and FIG. 5.6 is a diagram for explaining the effects thereof. Fig. 7.8 is a diagram showing another embodiment of the facsimile machine of the present invention, Fig. 7 is a flowchart showing the processing at the time of reception, and Fig. 8 is a flowchart showing the recording output processing of the stored message. be. DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1...Facsimile device, 2...Control unit, 3...Communication control unit, 4...Operation port unit, 5...Memory unit , 6...external storage device (image memory), 7...
... Scanner section, 8 ... Plotter section (recording means), 9 ...
・Image scaling section (image scaling means), 10...Compression/reproduction section, 11...Character generator section, 12.
...Bus, SWI~SW7...Key fee embedded patent attorney Ugagun first cause/' Figure

Claims (1)

[Claims] A communication control unit that performs facsimile communication according to a predetermined communication control procedure, an image memory that stores received messages, and a recording means that records and outputs the messages on recording paper, and when receiving, the received messages are temporarily stored in the image memory. Then, in the facsimile device which records and outputs the data using the recording means, when reading the received message in the image memory and recording and outputting it, the received message in the image memory is not erased but is stored until a predetermined time. facsimile machine.