JPH0414962A - Facsimile equipment with confidentiality function - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To accept a confidential communication from other company's equipment by receiving a communication content in a memory when a prescribed DTMF signal is detected for a monitor period from the arrival of a call till the execution of procedure and printing out the content when a password is inputted and it is coincident with the stored password. CONSTITUTION:A monitor period is provided till the execution of a procedure from the arrival of a call with a timer 1a built in a control section 1, and a DTMF signal is received for the monitor period and when it is a prescribed DTMF signal, it is discriminated that a caller requests the confidentiality function and the transmission content is stored in a prescribed memory area of a RAM 2 secured in advance corresponding to the confidentiality number. When the operator enters a password and it is coincident with a password registered in advance, the content subject to memory reception is printed out. Thus, even a confidentiality request from other company's equipment with different protocol is accepted.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to a facsimile machine having a so-called confidential function that allows only a specific person to know the contents of a communication sent to a specific person.

Receiving by a facsimile machine is usually done by a printer that records on paper, so even a message addressed to a specific person may be seen by other people who share the facsimile machine.

In order to avoid such a situation, a facsimile machine has been proposed that has a so-called confidential function that allows only that specific person to know the contents of a communication sent to a specific person. In recent years, as facsimile machines have become widespread in homes, there has been a growing desire to prevent family members from seeing the contents of communications addressed to oneself, and the need for a confidential function has become even more important.

Conventional devices of this type request and accept confidential functions using non-standard procedures that are outside the scope of the CCITT recommendations, and when receiving the confidential function, receive the communication content in memory, and then store a passcode known only to a specific person. When input, the content received in the memory is printed out.

However, the above-mentioned conventional facsimile machines with a confidential function
Since the confidential function is requested and accepted when processing non-standard procedures, it may be possible to execute the same non-standard procedures between machines of our company, but the non-standard procedures differ between machines of other companies, so the manufacturer code may differ. The drawback is that in many cases it cannot be carried out, for example, confidential communication will be rejected if it is different.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In view of the above-mentioned conventional circumstances, it is an object of the present invention to provide a facsimile apparatus with a confidential function that can accept confidential requests from other companies' machines with different non-standard procedures.

A facsimile apparatus with a confidential function according to the present invention for use in the present invention includes a means for providing a monitoring period from the receipt of a call to the execution of a procedure, and detecting whether a DTMF signal has been sent during this monitoring period;
means for receiving the communication content into the memory when a predetermined DTMF signal is detected; and means for printing out the content received from the memory when a passcode is input by the operator and matches a pre-registered one. It is characterized by having the following.

According to the above configuration, even a machine of another company with a different non-standard procedure can request the confidential function of the facsimile apparatus of the present invention and send the same. In other words, the facsimile machine of the present invention can accept confidential communications from other companies' machines.

That is, when the calling party, which is another company's machine, makes a dial call and presses a predetermined punch button after receiving the call, the facsimile machine of the present invention, which is the called party, receives the DTMF signal, and the facsimile machine of the present invention receives the DTMF signal. If so, it is determined that the calling party has requested the confidential function. Since this determination is made before the procedure is executed, there is no problem of confidential communications being rejected due to differences in non-standard procedures between facsimile machines.

An embodiment of the present invention, which is integrated between a husband and a ship, will be described below with reference to FIGS. 1 to 4.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a schematic circuit configuration of a facsimile machine, and the facsimile machine includes a control section 1,
It is configured to include a RAM 2, an autodialer 3, an NCU 4, a reading section 6, a modem 7, a recording section 8, a ROM 9, an operation panel 1o, and a display section 11.

The control unit 1 is a control center that controls the entire transmission and reception operation of this facsimile machine based on the control program stored in the ROM 9.The basic transmission operation is roughly as follows. It will be done.

When the operator turns on a communication key or one-touch dial key (not shown), the control unit 1 reads out the telephone number of the other party stored in the RAM 2, and the read telephone number is transmitted via the auto dialer 3 and NCU 4. A dial call is made to the telephone line 5.

After dialing, the image data of the original read by the reading section 6 is sent to the telephone line 5 via the modem 7 and NCtJ4, and a transmission operation is performed.

On the other hand, the reception operation is performed as follows. FIG. 2 is a flowchart showing the receiving operation including the confidential function.

First, it is determined whether there is a call for help (S I
), when a call bell is detected, it is counted (32) and it is determined whether this call bell has been repeated 2 to 6 times (S3). 2 to 6 times is an example and is not limited thereto.

If the number of rings is less than 2, it will process an error and return, but if it is repeated 2 to 6 times,
A call is received and a monitoring period of TI (for example, 20 seconds) is started (S4). Setting of this monitoring period T1 is performed by a timer 1a built in the control section 1. Next, it is determined whether a DTMF signal has been sent from the calling side (S5). The DTMF signal is sent to the called party when the calling party presses a push button on the facsimile machine when the calling party requests confidential communication. Although the DTMF signal can be detected by the modem 7, a separate DTMF signal detection circuit may be provided.

When the DTMF signal is not detected, it is determined whether the monitoring period T1 set in step 4 has counted up (36), and if it has not counted up, the process returns to step 5. That is, the detection of the DTMF signal is continued until the set monitoring period T1 elapses.

When the monitoring period T1 elapses without any DTMF signal being detected, it is determined that it is normal communication, and the CE
Procedures such as sending D (called terminal identification signal) and Dis (digital identification signal) are started, and thereafter, the transmitted contents are recorded on paper in the recording section 8 (S7).

On the other hand, when a DTMF signal is detected during the monitoring period T1, a confidential number is detected from this DTMF signal (S8). When a confidential number is detected, it is determined that it is confidential reception, and at this time, procedures such as sending CED and Dis are started for the first time, and then a predetermined memory area of the RAM 2 that is reserved in advance corresponding to the confidential number is used. The transmitted content is recorded (confidential reception) (S9).

This confidential reception will be explained in detail based on the flowchart of FIG. First, after returning CED and DIS (S
IO), it is determined whether DC3 (digital command signal) has been sent from the calling side (Sll). When DC3 is detected, the process moves to step 14, whereas when it is not detected, this detection process (311) is repeated for 30 seconds (512), and when it is still not detected, error processing is performed and the process returns.

In step 14, the phase adjustment and TCP (training check) are received and it is determined whether communication is possible at the transmission speed of the calling side, and if it is determined that communication is not possible, error processing is performed and the process returns.

On the other hand, when it is determined that communication is possible, a CFR (reception preparation confirmation signal) is sent (318), and the communication content (image data ) is recorded (S15
).

In this image data recording, EOP (procedure end signal)
It is determined whether or not the EO has been sent (S16), and the EO
When P is detected, after sending an MCF (mensage confirmation signal) to the calling side (S17), it returns while E
If no OP is detected, the MCF is sent to the calling party as necessary (519), and the process proceeds to step 18.

On the other hand, even if a DTMF signal is detected in step 5, if the corresponding confidential number is not detected (S8), it is determined that it is not a confidential communication, and the process proceeds to step 7 to perform normal printer reception. . in particular,
On the receiving side, the confidential numbers 0 to 2 are sent as 0 to 2 of the DTMF signal.
DTM indicating numbers 3 to 9 when provided corresponding to the number
When the F signal is sent, normal printer reception is performed.

As mentioned above, if the receiving facsimile machine is set up with confidential numbers 0 to 2, mailboxes will be created for three people, Mr. 8, Mr. 5, and Mr. 0, who share the facsimile machine. functions in the same way as if it were provided. Here, if Mr. 8 is assigned the confidential number 0, Mr. 8 informs the friend who will be the confidential sender in advance that his confidential number is 0, so that he can When sending a confidential communication to Mr. a, 8.
By dialing the area number of Mr. 8's side facsimile machine and pressing the button number 0 on the facsimile machine after receiving the call, Mr. 8's side facsimile machine stores the communication contents in the memory area corresponding to confidential number 0. will be recorded.

Note that the facsimile machine on the calling side is CED, Di
s is returned for 30 seconds, the monitoring period T1 mentioned above is, for example, 25 seconds (taking into account transmission delays, etc., 30 seconds).
It can be set arbitrarily within a range that does not exceed (0 seconds minus 5 seconds) and within a range that takes into account the time margin for the calling party to press the button for a confidential request.

Next, perform the operation to print out the contents of the confidential reception.
This will be explained using the flowchart shown in FIG. In this case, the operator sets the facsimile device to the confidential content print mode by switching the mode.

First, the operator inputs a passcode (S21). The passcode can be input using, for example, a numeric keypad. The facsimile machine determines whether the input passcode matches a pre-registered code (S22), and if it does not match, returns. Therefore, it is impossible for anyone who does not know the passcode to know the contents of the confidential communication. On the other hand, if the passcodes match, the image data is read from the memory area corresponding to the confidential number determined from the passcode, and is recorded on paper in the recording section 8 (323).

According to the above configuration, since a request for confidential communication from the calling party is detected before the procedure is executed, the problem of confidential communication rejection due to differences in non-standard procedures between facsimile machines does not occur.

According to the invention described above, it is possible to accept confidential communications from other companies' machines that are non-standard and different, thereby eliminating the inconvenience of being unable to conduct confidential communications unless the machines are from the same company. be done. Further, it also has the effect that the structure does not become complicated or the price increases.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

1 to 4 show an embodiment of the present invention, in which FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a schematic circuit configuration of a facsimile machine, and FIG. 2 is a flowchart showing reception processing including confidential reception. , FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing the procedure for memory reception, and FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing the process of printing out the memory contents. 1... Control unit, 1a... Timer, 2... RAM,
3... Auto dialer, 4... NCU, 5... Line, 6... Reading section, 7... Modem, 8... Recording section. Patent applicant Embossing Machinery Co., Ltd. (Figure 1 Figure 2 Figure 3 Figure 4 Procedural amendment stamp) June 8, 1990 1990 Patent Application No. 119345 2, Name of the invention Facsimile machine with confidential function 3. Relationship with the case of the person making the amendment Patent Applicant Address: 3 Kisshoin Minami Ochiai-cho, Minami-ku, Kyoto Name: Dejection Machine Co., Ltd. Representative: Village 1) Jun- 7. Contents of the amendment (Page 8 of the 11 specification, "30 seconds" written on the 5th line will be corrected to "35 seconds". (2) "S18" written on the 13th line on page 8 of the statement
will be corrected to '513J. (3) “Step 1” stated on page 9, line 3 of the specification
8" to "Step 15J. (4) Correct Figure 3 of the drawing as shown in the attached sheet. 5. Date of amendment order (all sending dates)

Claims (1)

[Claims] (1) A means for detecting whether a DTMF signal has been sent during a monitoring period by setting a monitoring period between the reception of a call and execution of a procedure, and a means for receiving communication contents into a memory when a predetermined DTMF signal is detected. and means for printing out the contents received in the memory when a passcode is input by the operator and matches a pre-registered one. .