JPH0362671A - Image communication device - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To use a received picture data effectively by setting a desired recording page number of the received picture data of one and same page and recording and outputting the picture data of the same page by the set recording page number. CONSTITUTION:A picture data received from a line is inputted to a MODEM 106 via an NCU 107, demodulated and inputted sequentially to a coding/decoding section 111 via a buffer memory 112, converted into a binarizing data and stored in a picture memory 110. A flag deciding whether or not a received picture data is recorded and outputted for plural pages is set to a prescribed area of a RAM 115 by an operation section 103. when the picture data stored in the picture memory 110 is outputted to the recording section 102, the picture data of the same page is recorded by the recording section 102 by the recording page number set in the RAM 115. Thus, the received picture data is used effectively.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [Field of Industrial Application] The present invention relates to an image communication device, and particularly to an image communication device having an image memory for storing received image data and means for recording and outputting the received image data.

[Prior Art 1] A facsimile machine is known which has a larger capacity image memory than before, buffers received data in the image memory, and records and outputs the received image data in the memory after communication is completed. There are known methods in which the recording of image data received in the memory is performed automatically after the end of communication, and a method in which recording is performed on condition that an operator intervenes after receiving the data in the memory.

[Problems to be Solved by the Invention] However, in any of the above methods, the image data received by the memory is cleared on the image memory after being recorded and output. Although this automatic clearing is useful for repeating multiple communications without causing memory overflow, it is not possible to obtain multiple pages of the same received image at the same time, and if there is such a demand, the user It was necessary to copy the recorded and outputted received image using the copy function of the facsimile device or by using a copying machine or the like. Even though the received image itself is temporarily stored in the image memory, it is not efficient to perform such a copying operation. I mean,
This is because when copying an image, it is inevitable that some kind of noise will be mixed in and the image quality will deteriorate.

An object of the present invention is to provide a method that solves the above problems and makes it possible to effectively utilize image data once received and stored in an image memory.

[Means for Solving the Problems] In order to solve the above problems, the present invention provides an image communication device having an image memory for storing received image data and a means for recording and outputting the received image data. means for setting a desired number of recording pages of received image data; and when the image data stored in the image memory is to be recorded and output, the image data of the same page is recorded and outputted by the number of recording pages set in the setting means; A configuration is adopted in which a control means is provided to cause the recording output to be performed by the means.

[Operation] According to the above configuration, by setting a desired page number in the setting means, it is possible to record and output received images of the same page by the number of pages.

[Example] Hereinafter, the present invention will be described in detail based on the example shown in the drawings.

FIG. 1 shows the structure of a facsimile machine adopting the present invention. In the figure, reference numeral 101 is a control unit, which includes a CPU 113 consisting of a microprocessor, etc., and its control program (
A ROM 114 for storing (described later), a RAM 115 used as a work area for the CPU 113, an image memory 110 consisting of a semiconductor memory or a magnetic disk drive, etc.
Encoding/decoding section 111 for decoding, encoding/decoding section 1
11 and a modem 106, and a buffer memory 112 for outputting data between the modem 106 and the modem 106. The following members are connected around the control unit 101.

Reference numeral 100 denotes a reading section comprising an optical detector such as a CCD line sensor, an original conveyance system, and the like. Reading section lO
The binarized image data read by O is stored in the image memory 110.
buffered.

Further, reference numeral 102 is a recording unit for outputting images, which can be constructed from a laser beam printer, a thermal printer, etc.
In this embodiment, a thermal printer that performs recording with a thermal head is used.

A roll of recording paper is loaded in the thermal printer constituting the recording unit 102, and a remaining amount sensor 116 composed of a photo sensor or the like is provided to detect the remaining amount of recording paper. The recording unit 102 is also provided with a cutter that cuts the recording paper into a predetermined size after recording one page.

The user interface includes an operation unit 103 and a display unit 10.
It is done by 4. The operation unit 103 includes a numeric keypad and various function keys, and the display unit 104 includes an LCD.
It consists of panels, etc. times! The interface with IN is provided by modem 106215 and NCU 107.

The modem 106 modulates and demodulates image data and procedural signals using a modulation and demodulation method that complies with CCI TT recommendations and the like. Further, the NCL107 is used for connection exchange with line N, loop maintenance, and the like. Further, a telephone (or handset, etc.) 108 is connected to the NCUI 07 for manual line control or for making calls. The NCU 107 also performs control to connect the line N to either the facsimile device after the modem 106 or the telephone ml08 during communication.

Each part of the entire device is driven by a power supply section 105 composed of a switching power supply circuit and the like.

Power supply to each part of the device is controlled by a control unit lO1.

Next, the operation of the above configuration will be explained with reference to FIG. Figure 2 shows the CPU 1 stored in the ROM 114.
13, which shows the recording output control procedure for one page of received image data that is received according to a known procedure and buffered in the image memory 110.

It is assumed that prior to this procedure, received image data has been stored in the image memory 110 using a communication procedure that is exactly the same as the conventional one. When receiving an image, the image data received from the line is input to the modem 106 via the NCU 107,
The demodulated data is sequentially input to the encoding/decoding unit Ill via the buffer memory 112, converted to binary data, and then stored in the image memory 110.

The procedure shown in Figure 2 allows multiple pages of the same received image data to be recorded and output, and the flag that determines whether to output multiple pages of received image data is RAMI1.
5 is provided in a predetermined area. Also, the second
In the procedure shown in the figure, it is possible to select whether to start recording automatically after image reception or to require operator intervention, and a flag for this selection is also set in a predetermined area of the RAM 115. It will be done.

In steps Sl and S2 in FIG. 2, the state of the flag set in a predetermined area of the RAM 115 is determined. In step Sl, it is determined whether or not multiple pages of the same received image data are to be recorded. In step S2, after receiving the information, it is determined whether or not to start recording output.

It is assumed that the flags that determine these setting states are set or reset in advance by operating the operation unit 103. If both steps S1g and S2 are affirmed, the process proceeds to step S3, if step Sl is negative, the process proceeds to step S4, and if step Sl is affirmed and S2 is negative, the process proceeds to step 517. Note that if step Sl is negative, the initial value of a page number counter, which will be described later, is always set to 1.

If a plurality of pages are not to be recorded, recording is started in step S4 without notifying the user and without any operational intervention. That is, in step S4, the image memory 1
10, the image data is transferred to the thermal head of the recording unit 102, and in step S5, a latch signal is output to the thermal head to latch the data.

Then, in step S6, the recording paper is conveyed by one line, and in step S7, the thermal head is driven to record 1947 worth of image data. In step S8, it is determined whether image data for one page has been recorded, and if recording for one page has not been completed, the process from step S4 is repeated.

When the recording for one page is completed in step S8, the page number counter is decremented by l in step S9. This counter is set in a predetermined area of RAM 115.

If a plurality of pages are not recorded as described above, the initial value is always 1, so this decrement causes the value of the page number' counter to become 0. Step S1
At 0, the recording paper is conveyed by a predetermined amount, cut by a cutter provided in the recording section, and carried out of the machine. In step S12, the edge of the recording paper that has been conveyed to the cutter position is conveyed in the opposite direction, and the recording is reset so that recording of the next page is started from a predetermined position on the paper.

In step 513, it is determined whether the value of the page number counter is 0 or not. If the value of the page number counter is O, the process moves to step 514; if the value of the page number counter is not O, the process moves to step S15.

If you do not record multiple pages, the page number counter will be 0 after recording one page, so
The process moves to step S15.

In step 514, the image memory for one page whose recording has been completed is cleared, and the recording process for one page of image data is completed.

In step S15, the output of the remaining amount sensor 116 of the recording unit 102 is checked to determine whether there is a sufficient amount of recording paper remaining. If there is sufficient remaining amount of recording paper, the process returns to step S4, and if there is not enough remaining amount of recording paper, a message is output to the operator in step S16, and the process proceeds to step S14. This message is sent by outputting a predetermined display character string to the display section 104.

On the other hand, if the automatic start of recording output is not selected in step S2, the display unit 10
4 to display the message. Here, a message notifying the reception of image data and requesting input of the number of pages to be recorded and output is displayed. Step 318 waits for the operator to input the number of pages. This input is performed via the timer counting in step S19.

If the number of output pages of image data has been input within a certain period of time in step S19, the process moves to step S3;
Set the input page number data in the page number counter.

In step 519, if no page number data is input within a certain period of time, the process moves to step S20, a message declaring that the default value (in this case, 1 page) will be used as the output page number data is displayed, and in step S21, the page number data is input. The number counter is set to l and the process moves to step S4.

By performing the processing in steps S17 to S21,
When the operator inputs the desired number of pages within a certain period of time, the number of output pages of the received image data is set in the page number counter, so that the image data of the same page is output by the multiple page recording unit 102 under this control. Ru. Further, if the operator does not input the number of pages, the value of the page number counter is automatically set to 1, and only one copy of the image data is recorded and outputted as in the conventional case.

According to the above configuration, in the mode in which copies of multiple pages are automatically recorded, it is possible to record and output the number of copies of received image data set in advance in the page number counter. Further, in a mode in which the operator intervenes after reception, only when a desired number of pages is input within a certain period of time, that number of copies of the received image data can be recorded and output. In this case, if the number of pages is not entered within a certain period of time, the number of pages per page is selected as the default value,
As before, only one copy of image data is recorded.

Furthermore, since the remaining amount of recording paper is checked in step S15, even if multiple pages of image data are to be recorded and output, recording may be continued depending on the remaining amount of recording paper, or the user may be warned of the remaining amount of recording paper. You can decide whether to interrupt the recording process or not.

Although the example in which a thermal printer is used as the recording unit 102 has been described above, the configuration of the recording unit is not limited to this, and various recording devices can be used. In that case, the detection in step S15 in FIG. 2 can be replaced by a process of detecting whether not only recording paper but also various recording materials such as ink ribbon and toner remain sufficiently. That is, step S15 can be considered as a process for determining whether or not the recording process can be continued.

Furthermore, the above configuration can also be applied to an image communication apparatus that uses communication procedures other than facsimile procedures.

[Effects of the Invention] As is clear from the above, according to the present invention, in an image communication apparatus having an image memory for storing received image data and a means for recording and outputting the received image data, desired received image data of the same page can be means for setting the number of recording pages of the image memory, and when recording and outputting the image data stored in the image memory, causing the recording output means to record and output image data of the same page for the number of recording pages set in the setting means. Since we are using a configuration with a control means,
By setting the desired number of pages in the setting means, received images of the same page can be recorded and output by that number of pages, and the received image data once stored in the image memory can be effectively used. Even when it is necessary to copy a received image, there is an excellent effect that there is no need to perform a copying process that is troublesome and degrades the image quality.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a facsimile machine employing the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a flowchart showing I11 Gohira If of the CPU in FIG. 100...-reading unit 101...control unit 102...
Recording section 103-...Operation section 104...Display section 10
5.--Power supply 106...Modem 107...-NCU
108...-telephone

Claims (1)

[Scope of Claims] 1) In an image communication device having an image memory for storing received image data and means for recording and outputting the received image data, means for setting a desired number of recording pages of received image data of the same page; When the image data stored in the image memory is to be recorded and output, a control means is provided for causing the recording and outputting means to record and output image data of the same page for the number of recording pages set in the setting means. Image communication device. 2) Before starting the recording output, the operator is asked for a certain period of time to input the desired recording page number data of the received image data of the same page, and when the operator inputs the page number data, the input data is 2. The image communication apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the image communication apparatus sets the setting means to start the recording output process. 3) A means for detecting whether or not the recording output means is operable is provided, and if the detection means detects that the recording output means is inoperable during the recording output processing, after giving a predetermined warning to the operator. 3. The image communication apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the recording output process is interrupted.