JPH03224335A - Facsimile store and forward system - 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 storage and forwarding system, and more specifically, a facsimile store and forwarding system in which a host device manages a facsimile storage and forwarding device and determines where to store message data. Regarding.

(Prior Art) Recently, with the spread of facsimile machines, so-called facsimile storage and forwarding systems have been developed, which connect multiple facsimile machines and store message data from each facsimile machine in an image memory and deliver it to a predetermined destination. has appeared.

In such a conventional facsimile storage and forwarding system, a host device such as a computer and a facsimile storage and forwarding device are connected via a line network, and the host device manages the facsimile storage and forwarding device and connects the facsimile storage and forwarding device to the line network or the facsimile storage and forwarding device. There are systems that provide various services such as distributing electronic messages to predetermined destinations in response to service requests from facsimile terminals connected to a facsimile terminal.

In a facsimile storage and forwarding system equipped with this host device, the host device manages the delivery destination data sent when a service request is made from a facsimile device, and the message data received by the facsimile storage and forwarding device is transferred to the host device and stored. In advance, the host device determines the transmission route when transmitting the stored message. In other words, depending on the destination, the message data stored in the host device may be sent back to the facsimile storage and forwarding device before being transmitted, or it may be sent via a facsimile storage and forwarding device on another network via a line network. be done.

(Question B to be solved by the invention) However, in a facsimile storage and forwarding system equipped with such a conventional host device, the message data sent from the facsimile terminal is always stored in the host device and then Depending on the destination of the stored message, the message data was returned to the facsimile storage and forwarding device again, so there was a problem that the exchange of message data between the host device and the facsimile store and forwarding device resulted in wasted communication. . Communication of this telegram data involves sending and receiving image data, which is a major cause of prolonging the data communication time in the facsimile storage and forwarding system.

(Object of the Invention) Therefore, the present invention analyzes delivery destination data sent when a host device receives a service request from a facsimile terminal,
By determining the storage light of the message data based on the analysis result, the unnecessary transmission and reception of message data that occurs between the host device and the facsimile storage and exchange device when the message data is stored is eliminated, and the data in the facsimile storage and exchange system is The purpose is to improve communication speed.

(Structure of the Invention) In order to achieve the above object, the present invention connects a predetermined host device and a facsimile storage and forwarding device via a predetermined line network, and connects a plurality of facsimile terminals to the facsimile storage and forwarding device. and another line network, and performs predetermined data communication between the host device and the facsimile storage and forwarding device according to service requests from each facsimile terminal, and hosts the message data sent from each facsimile terminal. In a facsimile storage and forwarding system that provides various services such as a message distribution service that transmits and stores stored messages to a device and then distributes the stored messages to facsimile terminals connected to the circulation network and other line networks, the host device The delivery destination data transmitted from each facsimile terminal at the time of the service request is analyzed, and based on the analysis result, the storage light of the message data is determined to be the host device or (and) the facsimile storage and forwarding device. It is characterized by this.

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

FIG. 1.2 is a diagram showing a first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing the configuration of a facsimile storage and forwarding system 1, in which a host device 2 and a facsimile storage and forwarding device 3 are connected via a χ,25 packet switching network (line network) 4. In addition, the facsimile storage and forwarding device 3 is connected to the public telephone network (PSTN) (
A facsimile terminal 6 is connected via another line network) 5.

Further, a plurality of facsimile storage and forwarding devices F M 1 to FMN are connected to the X, 25 packet switching network 4 .

As the host device 2, for example, a computer or the like equipped with an X, 25 Packent communication function is used.
5 converts communication control data and message data into packet data and sends and receives the packet data to and from the facsimile storage and forwarding device 3 via the bucket exchange network 4.
Various services such as a message distribution service are provided to the user of the facsimile terminal 6 in response to a service request from the facsimile terminal 6.

Further, the host device 2 executes a process of determining the accumulated light of the message data based on the distribution destination data, which will be described later.

The facsimile storage and forwarding device 3 also has an X, 25 bucket communication function, converts the destination data sent from the facsimile terminal 6 into packet data and transfers it to the host device 2, and also converts the received message data (image data) is transferred to the built-in image memory or to the host device 2 and stored therein according to instructions from the host device 2. Further, the facsimile storage/exchange device 3 sends the accumulated message data to the distribution destination according to instructions from the host device 2.

The facsimile storage and forwarding devices FMI to FMN also have the same functions as the facsimile storage and forwarding device 3, and the facsimile storage and forwarding devices FMI to FMN are connected to other line networks (not shown) and are connected to the host device according to instructions from the host device 2. The message data transmitted from the device 2 is transmitted to the distribution destination.

The X, 25 packet switching network 4 has a function of exchanging packet data between the host device 2, the facsimile storage and forwarding device 3, and the facsimile storage and forwarding devices FMI to FMN based on the X recommendation of the CCITT (International Telegraph and Telephone Consultative Committee). has.

Next, the effect will be explained.

The present embodiment is characterized in that the host device 2 analyzes the distribution destination data and determines the storage destination of the message data based on the analysis result. The storage process of this electronic message data will be described below with reference to the communication sequence diagram in the facsimile storage and exchange system 1 shown in FIG.

First, the user of the facsimile terminal 6 inputs instructions for the telegram distribution service using the PB tone, and
When the destination code is specified and the message data is transmitted to the facsimile storage and forwarding device 3 via the public line network, only this destination code is notified from the facsimile storage and forwarding device 3 to the host device 2 in the form of a packet. Next, the destination code is analyzed by the host device 2, and it is determined whether the destination is within the area covered by the host device. If the area is the one in charge, the host device 2 determines the facsimile storage and forwarding device 3 as the storage destination for the message data received by the facsimile storage and forwarding device 3, and as a result of this determination, the storage destination for the message data received by the facsimile storage and forwarding device 3 is determined by the host device 2. An instruction is sent to store the electronic message data in the image memory in the facsimile storage/exchange device 3 as is. At this time, message number information, which is centrally managed by the host device 2, is also added and transmitted to the facsimile storage and forwarding device 3.

In the facsimile storage/exchange device 3, a message number is attached to the received message data according to instructions from the host device 2, and the message data is stored in a built-in image memory.

Thereafter, the host device 2 transmits telephone number information based on the delivery destination code and a facsimile transmission request to the facsimile storage and forwarding device 3, and the message number specifying the message data currently being stored in the facsimile storage and forwarding device 3 is specified. be done. The facsimile storage and forwarding device 3 transmits the electronic message data stored according to this instruction using a communication control procedure suitable for the facsimile communication function of the destination.

On the other hand, if the destination code analyzed by the host device 2 does not correspond to the area in charge, the host device 2 sends an instruction to the facsimile storage and forwarding device 3 to transfer the message data being received to the host device 2.

In accordance with this instruction, the facsimile storage and forwarding device 3 transfers the message data being received to the host device 2, and
After the transfer is completed, the stored message is deleted. Host device 2
After the message data transferred to is stored in the image memory in the host device 2, the host device 2 transfers the message data to facsimile storage and exchange devices FMI to FMI, which are in charge of distribution destinations in other areas.
The stored message data is distributed using the MN.

Therefore, in the facsimile storage and forwarding system 1, the host device 2 determines the storage destination of the message data received from the facsimile terminal 6 by analyzing the delivery destination code, so that the message data is transferred between the host device 2 and the facsimile storage and forwarding device 3. It is possible to avoid unnecessary communication, and the communication time required for storing message data can be kept to a minimum depending on the delivery destination. As a result, it is possible to improve the transmission speed of message data in the facsimile storage and forwarding system 1.

FIG. 3 is a diagram showing a second embodiment of the present invention, in which in addition to the functions of the first embodiment, the host device 2 receives messages from multiple locations during broadcast transmission to multiple destinations simultaneously. Its distinctive feature lies in the way it stores data. This broadcast transmission process will be explained with reference to the communication sequence diagram shown in the third part.

First, the user of the facsimile terminal 6 inputs instructions for the telegram distribution service using the PB tone, and
When the destination code is specified and the message data is transmitted to the facsimile storage and forwarding device 3 via the public line network, only this destination code is notified from the facsimile storage and forwarding device 3 to the host device 2 in the form of a packet. Next, the destination code is analyzed by the host device 2, and it is determined whether the destination is broadcast transmission within its own area or to another area. In the case of circular transmission, the host device 2 instructs the facsimile storage and forwarding device 3 to continue storing the message data being received, and also instructs the host device 2 to transfer the message data.

In this storage process, the message data is stored in association with the message number information that is centrally managed by the host device 2, as in the first embodiment, and through this storage process, the message data is stored in the host device 2 and the facsimile It is stored in both exchange devices 3.

Next, when the host device 2 starts transmitting the stored message data, the host device 2 transmits the destination telephone number information and a transmission instruction to the facsimile storage and forwarding device 3, and the facsimile storage and forwarding device FMl-
The telephone number information of the delivery destination and the accumulated message data are sent to the FMN.

In accordance with this transmission instruction, the facsimile storage and forwarding device 3 transmits the message data stored in the built-in image memory to the delivery destination, and the facsimile storage and forwarding device FMl-FMN uses the telephone number information sent from the host device 2 to send the message data to the delivery destination. Message data is sent to the delivery destination.

Therefore, the accumulated light of the telegram data received by the host device 2 when transmitting a circular message is transmitted to the host device 2 according to the distribution destination.
By determining multiple locations such as the and facsimile storage and forwarding device 3, the message data can be stored in an efficient location at the delivery destination when performing broadcast transmission, and the broadcast transmission of facsimile storage and forwarding system 1 is possible. It is also possible to improve the transmission speed of message data.

(Effects) According to the present invention, the host device analyzes the delivery destination data sent at the time of a service request from a facsimile terminal, and determines the storage light of the message data based on the analysis result. It is possible to avoid unnecessary transmission and reception of message data that occurs between the host device and the facsimile storage and forwarding device when receiving data, and it is possible to improve the data communication speed in the facsimile storage and forwarding system.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

1.2 are diagrams showing a first embodiment of the facsimile storage and forwarding system according to the present invention, FIG. 1 is an overall configuration diagram thereof, and FIG. 2 is a communication sequence diagram thereof. FIG. 3 is a communication sequence diagram of a second embodiment of the facsimile storage and forwarding system according to the present invention. ■・・・Facsimile storage and exchange system, 2...
...Host device, 3...Facsimile storage and forwarding device 4...
・X, 25 packet exchange N4 (VA network), 5...
...Public line network (other line network), 6...Facsimile terminal, FMl-FMN...Facsimile storage and forwarding device. Embedded Patent Attorney Agagun Part

Claims (1)

[Claims] A predetermined host device and a facsimile storage and forwarding device are connected via a predetermined line network, and another line network to which a plurality of facsimile terminals are connected is connected to the facsimile storage and forwarding device, and services from each facsimile terminal are connected. After predetermined data communication is performed between the host device and the facsimile storage and forwarding device according to the request, and the message data sent from each facsimile terminal is transferred to the host device and stored, the data is transferred to the communication network and other lines. In a facsimile storage and forwarding system that provides various services such as a message distribution service that distributes stored messages to facsimile terminals connected to a network, the host device receives delivery destination data sent from each facsimile terminal when requesting the service. A facsimile storage and forwarding system, characterized in that the facsimile storage and forwarding system is configured to analyze the message data and determine the storage destination of the message data in the host device and/or the facsimile storage and forwarding device based on the analysis result.