JPH03214857A - Facsimile storing and distributing device - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To perform efficient facsimile service by executing the processing for abnormal distribution of one of queues, which are stored for each destination, for the other queues also. CONSTITUTION:The above device sends a list to a transmission source to give a primary warning before discriminating a failute of distribution to stop the distribution, and this device outputs the list when the number of failures reaches a prescribed value smaller than a determined value. A distribution abnormality processing device 103 has a character generator and generates the list of 'Distribution is impossible regardless of O-number of trials because the facsimile equipment of OO company may be faulty.' or the like with a picture signal and transmits the list to the transmission source based on the first queue of stored queues. Documents are transmitted to each transmission source as one list with respect to the other queues stored for the abnormal facsimile equipment, thereby efficiently performing the communication service.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [Object of the Invention (Field of Industrial Application) The present invention relates to an improvement in a facsimile storage and distribution device.

(Prior art) Some facsimile storage and distribution devices are called facsimile storage and forwarding devices, and this device stores image signals related to sent originals and transmits them at the required time according to the request of the sender. This is a device that transmits the image signal related to the accumulation to the destination.

In this facsimile storage and forwarding device, the process shown in FIG. 3 is performed for each delivery in order to cope with a failure of the destination facsimile device.

That is, it checks whether there is a distribution request (501), and if there is a distribution request, attempts to distribute the corresponding manuscript (502).

Here, it is detected whether the distribution was performed normally or not (503
), if the process has been performed normally, the process returns to step 501 to check whether there is a next distribution request, but if the distribution is abnormal, it is checked whether the specified number of distribution attempts have been made (504). Here, if the predetermined number of times has not been reached, the process returns to step 502 at a predetermined time and distribution is attempted again. On the other hand, if the predetermined number of times has been reached, a non-delivery list is sent to the sender of this original (505), and the process returns to step 501.

Conventionally, the above-mentioned processing has been performed for each destination of a communication document sent from a sender. For this reason, if there are multiple delivery requests for the same destination, for example, even if the first delivery request is attempted a specified number of times and ends incorrectly, the same process will be repeated when the next delivery request is made. Therefore, there was a problem in that the efficiency of document distribution processing deteriorated.

(Problems to be Solved by the Invention) The present invention has been made to solve the problems of the conventional facsimile storage and distribution device, and its purpose is to:
Facsimile accumulation and processing that can reduce the amount of delivery processing that is considered wasteful and increase the number of more effective delivery processing.
The purpose is to provide a distribution device.

[Structure of the Invention] (Means for Solving the Problems) The present invention provides a facsimile storage/distribution system that accumulates sent image signals and transmits the accumulated image signals to a destination facsimile device according to a request from a sender. The device includes a queue accumulation means for accumulating a transmission queue corresponding to each destination facsimile device, and an unauthorized delivery of one of the transmission queues accumulated in this queue accumulation means corresponding to each destination facsimile device. The above-mentioned problem is solved by providing a delivery abnormality processing means that executes processing for other queues as well.

(Function) According to the above configuration, when one of the transmission queues corresponding to each destination facsimile device becomes incorrectly delivered, the delivery can be stopped, and the sender can be notified that the requested document has not been delivered. Processing such as notification is also performed for other accumulated queues. Therefore, even if it is predicted that the distribution force will continue to be abnormal, it is possible to eliminate the waste of further distribution.

(Example) Hereinafter, an example of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 shows a facsimile system using a facsimile storage and forwarding device according to an embodiment of the present invention. In the figure, 100 indicates a facsimile storage and forwarding device, and the switching network 2
facsimile machine 300 1-300 via 00,
connected to. The facsimile storage and forwarding device 100 is provided with a communication control section 101 connected to a line. The communication control unit 101 has channels equivalent to the number of lines, and performs a predetermined communication control procedure for each channel (for example, CC
It performs facsimile communication (according to the communication control procedure of ITT Recommendation G3), and is equipped with an NCU and modem, as well as an encoding compression and decoding extension unit.

The communication control unit 101 is connected to the distribution processing unit 102. The distribution processing unit 102 is connected to a magnetic disk device 105 that stores image signals and the like. The distribution processing unit 102 is composed of, for example, a CPU, and when it receives an image signal related to reception from the communication control unit 101, it stores it in a predetermined empty area of the magnetic disk device 105, and stores it in a queue storage unit 104 that accumulates distribution requests for each destination. In addition to accumulating queues, a timer is started when a time is specified. Then, the distribution processing unit 102 processes each distribution request according to the program shown in the flowchart of FIG. 2 using an interrupt from a timer or the like. That is, the process starts and detects the presence or absence of a distribution request (601), and if there is no distribution request, the process ends (601).
610). On the other hand, when there is a distribution request, first, an empty channel of the communication control unit 101 is activated based on the first queue in the queue accumulation means 104 related to the distribution request, and a call is made to the destination from the magnetic disk device 105. The image signal is read out and given, and the original is distributed (602).

Then, it waits for notification of the communication result from this channel, and detects whether or not the distribution was performed normally (603). If the delivery is successful, the process returns to step 601 to perform processing based on the second queue for generating the next delivery request, and if the delivery is not successful, it is checked whether the delivery has been attempted a specified number of times. (604). This specified number of times is stored in a register for each queue, and if the delivery becomes abnormal,
Increased by increments. If the predetermined number of times has not been reached, the process advances to step 605, and it is detected whether it is the cycle for transmitting the list of primary report messages (605). That is,
In this embodiment, before discontinuing further distribution as a violation, a list is sent to the sender as a primary warning, and when a predetermined number of times is reached, which is less than a specified number of times, a list is output. When it is detected that it is the list output cycle as described above, the delivery abnormality processing means 103 is activated and the list is output (608). In other words, the delivery abnormality processing means 103 has a character generator, and generates a list such as "We have tried delivery O times, but the QO company's facsimile machine 1 seems to be malfunctioning and cannot be delivered." The list is generated as an image signal, and the list is transmitted to the sender based on the first queue among the accumulated queues. Of course, in this case, a list of other queues accumulated on the abnormal facsimile device should be sent to each sender in the form of a similar message (except for the wording that delivery was attempted). Good too. At this time, if multiple communications from the same sender instruct the document to be sent to the same destination, there will be multiple queues from the same sender in the queue for the same destination, so create a list. Sometimes these items are combined into one list (for example, [0 tickets received at 0 hours, 0 minutes,
It is convenient to specify the manuscript and send it, such as "For X number of manuscripts received in...".

After the list is output as described above, or if it is detected in step 605 that it is not the list output cycle, the process returns to step 602 and attempts to distribute the manuscript again. On the other hand, when it is detected in step 604 that the specified number of distribution attempts has been made, it is detected whether or not a queue of distribution requests has been accumulated for the same destination in the queue accumulation means 104 (607). If there is, other queues are also deleted (608), and if they are not stored, only the queue concerned is deleted and the process proceeds to step 609.

In step 609, the delivery abnormality processing means 103 sends a non-delivery list to the sender. Specifically, the delivery abnormality processing unit 103 causes the character generator to generate a message indicating non-delivery, and causes the communication control unit 101 to transmit it to the sender. In this case, similar messages are sent to each sender based on the accumulated queues in the pond. When transmitting this non-delivery list, if there are multiple queues from the same source in the queues to the same destination, it is efficient to send them together in one non-delivery list.

It should be noted that when the delivery abnormality processing means 103 sends a list or a non-delivery list, the operations performed by the communication control unit 101 are the same as those when delivering a manuscript, so the description thereof will be omitted. In this way, in this embodiment, a primary warning is sent to the sender using a list before the delivery is stopped as non-delivery.
The operator at the source can contact the operator at the destination to urge the facsimile machine to recover, and take countermeasures quickly. In addition, if the delivery ends incorrectly even after a specified number of delivery attempts, all queues of delivery requests to the same destination are deleted as long as they are accumulated, making it convenient to avoid unnecessary delivery operations. It is.

Although this embodiment shows a facsimile storage and forwarding device, the present invention may also be applied to a device connected to a single line and having a facsimile relay function.

[Effects of the Invention] As explained above, according to the present invention, when one of the queues accumulated for each destination is incorrectly distributed, processing (for example, termination of distribution, etc.) is carried out by other queues. Since this is executed for each queue as well, there is no need to perform unnecessary processing when there is an abnormality in one destination, and multiple countermeasures can be taken, which has the effect of providing an efficient facsimile communication service. be.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a facsimile system using an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a flowchart for explaining the operation of an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 3 is a diagram of a conventional facsimile storage/distribution device. It is a flowchart for explaining operation. 100...Facsimile storage and exchange device 101...Communication control section 102...Distribution processing section 103...Delivery abnormality processing means 104...Queue accumulation means 105...Magnetic disk device 200...・Exchange network

Claims (3)

[Claims] (1) In the facsimile storage/distribution device that stores the sent image signals and transmits the stored image signals to the destination facsimile device requested by the sender, a transmission queue corresponding to each destination facsimile device is accumulated. a queue accumulation means for storing transmission queues; and a delivery malfunction means for performing processing for other queues when delivery is abnormally performed for one of the transmission queues stored in the queue accumulation means and corresponding to each destination facsimile device. A facsimile storage/distribution device characterized by comprising: time processing means. (2) If the sending abnormality processing means terminates abnormally even after a predetermined number of transmission attempts for one of the accumulated transmission queues corresponding to each destination facsimile device, the transmission abnormality processing means 2. The facsimile storage/distribution apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the facsimile storage/distribution apparatus transmits a primary warning message of undeliverability to the source of the image signal related to the accumulated queue. (3) The transmission abnormality processing means deletes all queues accumulated in the destination facsimile device if the transmission fails even after attempting to send the specified number of times to the destination facsimile device. A facsimile storage/distribution device according to claim (1) or claim (2).