JPH0410852A - Facsimile equipment - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To receive information for remote diagnosis by processing various information required for remote diagnosis into picture information, storing the information and sending the information on request in terms of polling. CONSTITUTION:The facsimile equipment is provided with a code information conversion means 34 converting information required for remote diagnosis into code information, a picture information generating means 40 generating picture information from an ASCII code, and a transmission means 16 sending file information. Then the information for remote diagnosis is converted into the file information, which is stored. The center connects a line of the facsimile equipment and receives the file information in terms of polling similarly to the case with picture information in the case of an original through a same procedure as the file polling. Various information for remote diagnosis is converted into file information in this way to use the facsimile equipment itself subjected to be remote diagnosis and the facsimile equipment is remotely diagnosed from the center without visiting to the facsimile equipment.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [Field of Industrial Application] The present invention relates to a facsimile device that is capable of storing various information necessary for remote diagnosis as file information.

[Background of the Invention] Maintenance, inspection, and repair work for facsimile machines is performed by service personnel who go to the location where the equipment is installed, but recently it has become possible to diagnose this remotely. A system is being developed.

This remote diagnosis system connects facsimile machines that need to be maintained to a line, extracts information from the facsimile machines, and analyzes the contents at a center.

This remote diagnosis system uses a special facsimile machine and a personal computer for remote diagnosis.

[Problems to be Solved by the Invention] Therefore, in addition to requiring special equipment for remote diagnosis, a special protocol for remote diagnosis is also required in order to use these devices for remote diagnosis.

Therefore, ordinary facsimile machines cannot be used for remote diagnosis.

Therefore, this invention solves these conventional problems with a simple structure, and provides a facsimile machine that converts various information for remote diagnosis into image information and enables remote diagnosis of the device using only an ordinary facsimile machine. This paper proposes a device.

[Means for Solving the Problems] In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, the present invention includes a code information conversion means that converts information necessary for remote diagnosis into code information, and a code information converter that converts the first code report into an A S CII code. image information creation means for creating image information from ASCII code; file information creation means for creating image information as file information; and sending means for transmitting file information. It is characterized by:

[Function 1 Information for remote diagnosis includes a communication journal that allows you to grasp communication results, specified content for one-touch operation, and possibly shortened content (preset content).

Additionally, the contents set by the service personnel (program data list, memory dump list, etc.) are also used as information for remote diagnosis.

This information for remote diagnosis is converted into file information (image information is converted into a file) through the steps shown in Figure 3 or 4.
It is converted to and stored.

Therefore, the service person connects the line of the facsimile machine from the center, and then goes through the same procedure as file polling to poll and receive the file information in the same way as the image information in the case of a manuscript.

By converting various pieces of information for remote diagnosis into file information in this way, the facsimile machine itself to be remotely diagnosed can be used. Service personnel can then remotely diagnose the facsimile machine while staying at the center.

[Embodiment] Next, an example of a facsimile apparatus according to the present invention will be described in detail with reference to FIG. 1 and subsequent figures.

FIG. 1 shows a functional block diagram of the present invention, and 30 is means for inputting various information for remote diagnosis.

This input means 30 may be inputted from the operation unit 21 shown in FIG. 2 or automatically inputted during communication.

Inputs for abbreviated numbers and one-touch operations are all input from the operation unit 21. Since the communication journal requires communication information from both the sender and the receiver, this is a process that is normally included in the communication protocol.

Reference numeral 32 denotes means for detecting information on the other party.

34 is code information conversion means for converting information necessary for remote diagnosis into code information.

36 is a conversion means for converting this code information into an ASCII code.

38 C A character font storage means in which character fonts corresponding to CII codes are stored.

Reference numeral 40 denotes an image information creation means for creating predetermined image information from the character font referenced by the ASCII code.

Reference numeral 42 denotes a file information creation means for creating image information as file information.

16 is a transmitting means for transmitting this file information.

Among the above-mentioned means, the functions of all the means except the input means 30 are achieved by software. Therefore, in order to achieve these functions, the facsimile machine is provided with communication control means 10 as shown in FIG.

In the figure, reference numeral 11 is a CPU that manages transmission control as described above.

12 is a ROM storing a control program for converting remote diagnosis information into file information, and 13 is a RAM memory for storing image data.

The image data read by the image reading unit 14 is stored in the RAM 13 via the interface 15 or directly supplied to a modem and network control circuit (NCυ) 16 functioning as a transmitting/receiving means.

Image data input from the line is sent to this modem and NCU.
After being stored directly or once in the RAM 13 via the interface 16, the data is supplied to the recording unit 18 via the interface 17 and is completely recorded.

The telephone number of the destination party is supplied to the display section 20 via the interface 19, and is displayed thereon.

Reference numeral 21 is an operation unit for inputting a telephone number, etc., and 22 is an interface thereof.

Here, the information for remote diagnosis includes a communication journal that can grasp communication results, specified contents for one-touch operation, and possibly shortened contents (preset contents).

The communication journal records information such as the telephone number of the communication partner, the date and time of the third day of communication, the communication partner, communication start time, communication time, and communication results.

In the one-touch list, the one-touch contents registered to that key (such as the destination telephone number, abbreviated number, communication speed, etc. (g-mode, etc.)) are restored.

The abbreviated list is a list of registered abbreviated numbers and their destinations.

In addition to this information, the contents set by the service engineer (program data list, memory dump list, etc.) can also be used as information for remote diagnosis.

Figures 3 and 4 are processing flows for converting these remote diagnosis information into file information, respectively, and Figure 3 is for converting information other than the information set by the service personnel into file information. .

When the processing flow 50 shown in FIG. 3 starts, it is first checked whether communication is in progress (step 51), and if communication is not in progress, it is determined whether there is registration processing necessary for remote diagnosis such as one-touch keys (step 52). ), numeric keypad, etc., the registered contents are converted into code information (step 53).

Furthermore, during communication, various information necessary as a communication journal is converted into code information (step 54).
).

These code information are first converted into ASCII codes (step 55), and then a character font is referenced by this ASCII code, and corresponding image information (such as characters, symbols, numbers, etc.) is converted based on the referenced character font. image information) (step 56).

The image information thus created is then converted into a file (step 57). A file number for search is attached to each file information.

Next, memory (RAM) is used to store this file information.
13 or a dedicated memory (RAM13 is used in this example)
The upper area is checked, and if there is an area to be stored, the file information is stored in the order of the file number (steps 58 to 60).

If there is no storage area, the oldest file information among the file information that has already been stored is deleted, and then that file information is stored together with the file number after the latest file information (step 59).
60).

The above operations are executed every time information used for remote diagnosis is registered and converted into file information. The same applies to the communication journal, and the contents of the communication journal are stored in the RAM 13 in association with each other.

The information for remote diagnosis converted into file information in this way is stored in the RAM when there is a request for file polling from the other party and when the file numbers match.
The above-mentioned file information stored in 13 is sent by polling (g).In other words, in response to a command from the center station, the line of the facsimile machine to be remotely diagnosed is connected, and
By specifying a file number, files necessary for remote diagnosis can be received in the same way as image information of a powered original is received.

This allows service personnel to remotely diagnose the facsimile machine without having to visit the user's location.

FIG. 4 is an example of a processing flow 70 that allows a program data list input by a service person to be converted into file information when used for remote diagnosis.

This processing flow 70 is executed every time the main body of the device is powered on and every time the service person inputs information. First, when the power is powered on (step 71),
The contents of the remote Shingetsu file information stored in the RAM 13 can be read, and the registered contents are converted into code information (step 72).

The code information is first converted to a standard code, e.g. A S CII code (step 73), and then this A S
The character font is referenced by the CII code, and it is converted into corresponding image information (image information such as characters, symbols, numbers, etc.) based on the referenced character font (step 74).
.

The image information created in this way is converted into file information (step 75). A file number for search is attached to each file information.

Subsequently, the area on the RAM 13 in which this file information is to be stored is checked, and if there is an area to be stored, the file information is stored in the order of the file number (steps 76 and 78). If there is no area to store, the oldest file information among the already stored file information is deleted, and then that file information is stored together with the file number after the latest file information (steps 77 and 78). .

After the file information is stored, the setting work by the service person is checked (step 79), and if it is the setting process of program data, the set content of the program data is the same code information as described above. The conversion is completed (step 80.72). Then, this code information is converted into file information through the same procedure as described above and stored in the RAM 13.

The settings made by the service personnel are saved in a file each time the settings are made.

Since the file information stored in this way can be polled and received by file polling in the same manner as described above, its contents can be used for remote diagnosis.

[Effects of the Invention] As explained above, according to the present invention, various information necessary for remote diagnosis is converted into image information and stored, and when there is a request for file polling, it is converted into image information and stored using the same means as the image information of the manuscript. This allows polling transmission.

According to this, using special facsimile equipment,
Information for remote diagnosis can be received without connecting to a personal computer or preparing a special communication protocol.

Therefore, since a normal facsimile machine itself can be used, it is extremely convenient for practical use.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a functional block diagram of a facsimile device according to the present invention, FIG. 2 is a system diagram of the facsimile device, and FIGS. 3 and 4 are flowcharts showing an example of file processing for remote diagnosis information. be. 11・Enjoyment・CPU 13...RAM 14...Image reading section 16...Transmission means 18...Recording section 20...Display section 21...Operation section 30...Input means 32...・Communication journal content detection means 34...Code information conversion means 36...AS CII code conversion means 38...Character font storage means 4o...Picture information creation means 42...File creation means FIG. 70: Processing flow for creating file information Figure 4

Claims (1)

[Claims] (1) Code information conversion means for converting information necessary for remote diagnosis into code information; conversion means for converting code information into ASCII code; image information creation means for creating image information from the ASCII code; A facsimile device comprising: file information creation means for creating information as file information; and transmission means for transmitting the file information.