JPH0456470A - Remote monitoring method for recording paper for facsimile terminal - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To eliminate inconvenience for monitoring the lack of recording paper and the generation of communication error by detecting the lacked state of recording paper by a recording paper leak detecting means and oscillating the detection signal of a specified frequency. CONSTITUTION:When recording paper is running out in a facsimile terminal 20, the lacked state of recording paper is detected by a recording paper lack detecting means 24 in the terminal 20, and a detection signal S24 of a specified frequency is transmitted. On the other hand, a monitoring equipment 50 transmits an activation signal through an automatic exchange 40 to the terminal 20 periodically or in an arbitrary period and receives a response signal from the terminal 20. Since the signal S24 is transmitted through the automatic exchange 40 together with the response signal in the case of this reception, the equipment 50 can detect the lacked state of recording paper in the terminal 20 by receiving the signal S24 and thus, exact remote monitor can be enabled to the lack of recording paper by raising an alarm showing the lack of recording paper.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention (Industrial Field of Application) The present invention relates to a facsimile communication system that performs facsimile communication between facsimile terminals via an automatic exchange. The present invention relates to a remote monitoring method for recording paper for facsimile terminals, which remotely monitors the shortage status of recording paper for facsimile terminals.

(Prior Art) Conventionally, in a facsimile communication system, a facsimile terminal that performs facsimile communication via an automatic exchange is
For example, there was a structure as shown in Figure 2.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of a conventional facsimile terminal.

This facsimile terminal includes a reading unit 2 that includes an image sensor that scans an input document 1 and reads it as a one-dimensional time-series signal (image data), and a thermal recording system that prints the received image data on recording paper. and a recording section 3, which are connected to an image processing section 4. The image processing unit 4 performs one-dimensional or two-dimensional data compression on the image data.
A certain 0 has a function of decompressing received image data and is connected to a modem (modulation/demodulation device) 5. The modem 5 has a function of modulating image data to be transmitted and demodulating received image data, and is connected to a switching circuit 6. The switching circuit 6 is constituted by a network control circuit, etc., to which a telephone 7 is connected, and is also connected via a communication line 8 to an automatic exchange (not shown). The network control circuit provided in the switching circuit 6 is a circuit that starts up the central office exchange, sends out a selection signal consisting of a diamond pulse or a pushbutton signal (hereinafter referred to as a PB double signal), and detects an incoming signal.

Furthermore, the facsimile terminal is provided with a control section 9 composed of a central processing unit (hereinafter referred to as CPU) that controls the entire circuit within the terminal. An operation display panel 10 for displaying information is connected.

In this type of facsimile terminal, when transmitting an input document 1, the input document 1 is scanned by the transfer section 2, and -
It is read as a dimensional time-series signal (image data) and sent to the image processing section 4. The image processing section 4 performs -dimensional or two-dimensional data compression in order to reduce the amount of data to be transmitted, and the image data is sent to the communication line 8 via the rice cake 1.5 and the switching circuit 6. Furthermore, when receiving data, the transmission data received through the switching circuit 6 and modem 5 is decompressed by the image processing section 4 and sent to the recording section 3, where the received image data is printed on recording paper. be exposed.

Here, in the recording section 3, recording paper for printing the received image data is stored in the facsimile terminal in the form of a roll having a certain length, for example. Since the recording paper is used to print and output the contents of communication that is being communicated between facsimile terminals each time, a shortage of the recording paper causes interruption of facsimile communication. Therefore, in conventional facsimile terminals, the presence or absence of recording paper is constantly monitored within the facsimile terminal.

As a monitoring method, for example, both ends of the recording paper are colored black at the last position, and when the recording paper is used up to that position, a recording paper detector such as a photocoupler detects the colored part. , converts it into an electrical signal and transmits it to the control section 9. Then, the control unit 9 displays a paper shortage lamp on a part of the operation display panel 10.

(Problems to be Solved by the Invention) However, the conventional facsimile terminal recording paper monitoring method has the following problems.

(a) In general, even in offices and research institutes where each employee or several employees have a telephone, facsimile terminals are not available due to their size, cost, etc. For example, one unit is installed in each room, or they are installed all together in a communication room or the like. Even if the facsimile terminal displays an indication that recording paper is insufficient, only the person who came to use the facsimile terminal can confirm the indication. Therefore, it is actually almost impossible for a facsimile terminal to notify an administrator of the facsimile terminal as an alarm of the shortage of recording paper. Therefore, the administrator and the user have to regularly check the facsimile terminal's lack of recording paper, which requires extra time and effort, which is disadvantageous and inconvenient.

(b) If the facsimile terminal runs out of recording paper, a communication error will occur when a call is received from another facsimile terminal, and a busy tone will be sent to the calling facsimile terminal. As a result, the sender has to attempt communication as many times as possible, which is not only disadvantageous and inconvenient, but also reduces the function of the facsimile terminal as having a rapid image transmission function.

Therefore, the conventional recording paper shortage monitoring method has not been able to provide sufficient technical satisfaction.

The present invention is a method for remote monitoring of recording paper for a facsimile terminal, which solves the problems of the prior art, such as the inconvenience of monitoring the shortage of recording paper and communication errors when receiving calls from other facsimile terminals. It provides:

(Means for Solving the Problems) In order to solve the above problems, the present invention provides a facsimile communication system that performs facsimile communication between facsimile terminals via an automatic exchange, and a recording paper shortage detection means provided in the facsimile terminals. This detects a recording paper shortage state and oscillates a detection signal of a specific frequency. Then, a recording paper shortage monitoring means having a communication function connected to the automatic exchange is used to transmit an activation signal to the facsimile terminal via the automatic exchange, and upon receiving a response signal from the facsimile terminal in response to the activation signal. , the facsimile terminal receives the detection signal and monitors the facsimile terminal for a shortage of self-recorded paper.

(Function) According to the present invention, since the remote monitoring method for recording paper for a facsimile terminal is configured as described above, when there is a shortage of recording paper in the facsimile terminal, the recording paper shortage detection means provided in the facsimile terminal As a result, a shortage of recording paper is detected, and a detection signal of a specific frequency is transmitted.

On the other hand, in the recording paper shortage monitoring means, in order to monitor the shortage of recording paper periodically or at an arbitrary time, an activation signal is sent to the facsimile terminal via an automatic exchange, and the facsimile terminal responds to the activation signal. Receives response signals.

When this call is received, that is, when the call arrives at the facsimile terminal, a detection signal is transmitted along with a response signal from the facsimile terminal via the automatic exchange. It is possible to detect the shortage of recording paper in the printer, and issue a warning of the shortage of recording paper, thereby enabling accurate remote monitoring of the shortage of recording paper. Moreover, since a facsimile terminal that has run out of paper always sends out a detection signal of a specific frequency, when a call is received from another facsimile terminal, after sending and receiving activation and response signals, a communication failure signal is sent to another facsimile terminal. By sending the fax to a facsimile terminal, communication errors with other facsimile terminals can be avoided. Therefore, the above problem can be solved.

(Embodiment) FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram of a facsimile communication system for explaining a method for remotely monitoring recording paper for a facsimile terminal according to an embodiment of the present invention.

In this facsimile communication system 1, a plurality of facsimile terminals 20 are connected to an automatic exchange 40 via a communication line 31-.
, and furthermore, the communication line 3 is connected to the automatic exchange 40.
2, a monitoring bag W50, which is recording paper shortage monitoring means, is connected.

The facsimile terminal 20 has a switching circuit 21 connected to a communication line 31, and the switching circuit 21 includes a telephone 22
, facsimile body 23, and Se recording paper shortage detection means 2
4 is connected. The switching circuit 21 is almost the same as the conventional switching diagram n6 in FIG. It has functions such as switching and connecting, and is composed of network control circuits and the like.

The facsimile body 23 has functions such as transmitting and receiving image data, and includes, for example, a reading section, a recording section, an image processing section, a modem, a control section, an operation display panel, etc. shown in FIG. It has a circuit 23a and a receiving circuit 23b.

The recording paper shortage detection means 24 detects a recording paper shortage state and outputs a detection signal S2 of a single frequency (for example, 1700 Hz>).
This is a circuit that oscillates 4, and is composed of a detection circuit ff824a and an oscillation circuit 24b.

The detection circuit 24a is a circuit that detects, for example, the last position of the recording sheet colored h7' with black or the like and activates the oscillation circuit 24b, and is composed of a photocoupler for photoelectric conversion or the like. The oscillation circuit 24b is a circuit that is activated by the output of the detection circuit 24a and oscillates a single frequency detection signal S24.

The automatic exchange 40 is a device that connects each terminal connected to it via communication lines 34 and 32, and is composed of a network 41, a calling register trunk 42, a communication trunk 43, a control device 44, etc. There is. The transmission register trunk 42 sends a dial tone to the monitoring bag W50,
It has a function of receiving information such as the identification number of the originating facsimile terminal 20 from the monitoring device 50 in the form of a selection signal (dial pulse or PB double signal) and transmitting it to the control unit W44.Communication trunk Reference numeral 43 denotes a trunk that intervenes when the facsimile terminal 20 and the monitoring device 50 are connected, and is a device that performs functions such as supplying communication current and sending signals between the two. It has the function of controlling the exchange connections of 41 and the operation of the originating register trunk 42 and the communication trunk 43 according to a predetermined program and various data including information about subscribers (subscriber data). It is composed of a processing device (hereinafter referred to as a CPU), a memory for storing programs, and the like.

The monitoring device 50 includes a switching circuit 5 connected to the communication line 32.
1, a telephone 52, a starting circuit 53, and a receiving circuit 54 are connected to the switching circuit 51, and an alarm circuit 55 is further connected to the receiving circuit 54.

The switching circuit 51 has a function of switching and connecting the communication line 32 to the telephone 52 and the other activation circuit 53 and reception circuit 54 in the monitoring device. The activation circuit 53 transmits a signal at a frequency of, for example, 1300 Hz when the monitoring device 50 sends a signal to the facsimile terminal 20, that is, when the facsimile terminal 20 receives a call, before communicating to the facsimile terminal 20.
The facsimile terminal 20 has a function of transmitting an activation signal 353 and receiving a response signal 523 of, for example, 2100 Hz from the transmitting circuit 23a in the facsimile terminal 20 in response to the activation signal 553. The receiving circuit 54 is a circuit that receives the detection signal S24 from the oscillation circuit 24b in the facsimile terminal 20 and activates the alarm circuit 55. The alarm circuit 55 is a circuit that detects a shortage of recording paper in the facsimile terminal 20 and issues an alarm, and includes a display that displays a screen according to the incoming facsimile terminal 20, a sound generator that generates an alarm, etc. It consists of

In the facsimile communication system configured as described above, a method for remotely monitoring recording paper for facsimile terminals will be described.

When there is a shortage of recording paper in a certain facsimile terminal 20, the detection circuit 24a detects the shortage of recording paper and activates the transmission circuit 24b. Then, the oscillation circuit 24b oscillates at a single frequency of, for example, 1700Hz, and generates the detection signal S2.
4 is always sent out through the switching circuit 21.

While the oscillation circuit 24b is sending out the detection signal S24,
When receiving a call from another facsimile terminal, after sending and receiving activation and response signals to the facsimile terminal,
Sends a communication disabled signal to prevent communication with other facsimile terminals. This can prevent communication errors with other facsimile terminals.

When the monitoring device 50 monitors the lack of recording paper for a plurality of facsimile terminals 20 periodically or at any time, the subscriber number of the facsimile terminals 20 is dialed manually or automatically using the telephone 52. Then, the selection signal from the telephone 52 is sent to the calling register trunk 42 via the switching circuit 51 and the network 41, and the subscriber number of the facsimile terminal 20 is received by the calling register trunk 42.

In the originating register trunk 42, the result of receiving the counting of subscriber numbers is sent to the control device 44. The control device 44 controls the network 41 and connects the communication trunk 43
and the network 42. This results in
Monitoring device 50 - network 41 - communication trunk 43
A connection route of - network 41 - facsimile terminal 20 is formed.

When such a connection route is formed, the activation signal 35B of, for example, 1300 Hz output from the activation circuit 53 in the monitoring device 50 is transmitted from the switching circuit 51 to the network 41 to the communication trunk 43 to the network 41 to the facsimile terminal 20. It is sent via a route from the switching circuit 21 to the receiving circuit 23b in the facsimile body 23. In the reception cycle '71@23b in the facsimile terminal 20, the activation signal 3
5B, a response signal 523 of, for example, 2100 Hz is outputted from the transmitting circuit 23a. This response signal 823 is sent along the route of switching circuit 21 - network 41 -> communication trunk 43 - network 41 -> switching circuit 51 in monitoring device 50 - startup diagram n53.

At the time of transmitting this response signal 323, the detection signal S24 from the facsimile terminal 20 is also sent to the receiving circuit via the route of network 41 - communication trunk 43 -> network 41 - switching circuit 51 in the monitoring device 50 - receiving circuit 54. 54. Here, the starting circuit 53 and the receiving diagram F@54 receive the response signal 323 and the detection signal S24, respectively, without malfunctioning, since the receiving frequency bands are different.

The receiving circuit 54 in the monitoring device 50 is connected to the facsimile terminal 2.
When the facsimile terminal 20 receives the detection signal S24 from the facsimile terminal 20 and detects that the facsimile terminal 20 is out of recording paper, the alarm circuit 55 is activated. The alarm circuit 55 displays a lamp corresponding to the facsimile terminal 20 or generates a warning sound by voice or the like to notify a maintenance person maintaining the monitoring device 50 that there is a shortage of recording paper.

As described above, according to the recording paper remote monitoring method of this embodiment, the status of recording paper shortage in the facsimile terminal 20 can be automatically monitored remotely on the monitoring device 50 side, periodically or at an arbitrary time. Based on the monitoring results, it is possible to promptly replenish the recording paper in the facsimile terminal 20. Therefore, the user of the facsimile terminal 20
There is no need to conduct periodic patrols to monitor for paper shortages, which eliminates the inconvenience of conventional monitoring for paper shortages, and prevents communication errors when receiving calls from facsimile terminals when paper is insufficient. You can expect smooth facsimile communication. Moreover, if the monitoring device 50 performs centralized management of recording paper shortages for a plurality of facsimile terminals 20, remote monitoring of recording paper shortages becomes possible even more efficiently. Therefore, the service to maintenance personnel is improved, and the usefulness of the facsimile communication service can be improved.

Note that the present invention is not limited to the illustrated embodiment, and various modifications are possible. Examples of such modifications include the following.

(i) The alarm diagram 855 is configured to display a lamp or generate an alarm sound to notify of a shortage of recording paper, but this alarm of a shortage of recording paper may be provided on the monitoring device 50 side or on the facsimile terminal 20 side. Alternatively, the information may be sent to a printer, etc., and the printer, etc. may be notified of a shortage of recording paper.

(ii> In the above embodiment, a recording paper shortage monitoring method using local connection in which the facsimile terminal 20 and the monitoring device 50 are housed in the same station has been described, but the method is not limited to this. For example, the facsimile terminal 20 and the monitoring device 50 are housed in the same station. Even if the automatic switchboard 40 and the monitoring device 50 are installed in the same factory, etc., not only can remote monitoring of recording paper shortages be performed, but also the caller and receiver can be accommodated at different stations (including remote stations). The monitoring method of the above embodiment is applicable even if

(iii > Facsimile terminal 20, automatic exchange A
O and the monitoring device 50 may be constructed of circuits other than those shown in FIG. 1, and the remote monitoring of recording paper shortage in the above embodiment can be applied to these circuit constructions as well.

(Effects of the Invention) As described above in detail, according to the present invention, the recording paper shortage detection means provided in the facsimile terminal detects the recording paper shortage state and oscillates a detection signal of a specific frequency. Therefore, if there is an incoming call from another facsimile terminal while this detection signal is being oscillated, a communication failure signal is sent and communication with other facsimile terminals is prevented, thereby accurately detecting communication errors. can be prevented.

Furthermore, the recording paper shortage monitoring means with communication function enables
When a call arrives at a facsimile terminal, a detection signal is received together with a response signal from the facsimile terminal, so when the recording paper shortage monitoring means receives the detection signal, the recording paper in the facsimile terminal runs out. This allows you to accurately monitor whether there is a shortage of recording paper on a regular or irregular basis, and quickly replenish the recording paper.

Therefore, those who do not use the facsimile end do not need to make regular rounds to monitor the shortage of recording paper, and the disadvantages and inconveniences of monitoring the shortage of recording paper can be eliminated. Furthermore, if the recording paper shortage monitoring means centrally manages the recording paper shortage status of a plurality of facsimile terminals, efficient remote monitoring becomes possible.

Furthermore, since the recording paper shortage monitoring means remotely monitors the recording paper shortage status of facsimile terminals via an automatic exchange, there is no need to provide a dedicated communication line to each facsimile terminal for remote monitoring. It is also expected to be effective in being able to efficiently and remotely monitor the paper shortage status of a large number of facsimile terminals using a single communication line.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram of a facsimile communication system for explaining a method for remotely monitoring recording paper for a facsimile terminal according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a configuration block diagram of a conventional facsimile terminal. 20...Facsimile terminal, 21...
Switching circuit, 22...Telephone, 23...
Facsimile body, 24... recording paper shortage detection means, 24a... detection circuit, 24b...
Oscillation circuit, 40...Automatic switchboard, 41...
・Network, 42...Outgoing register trunk, 43...Communication trunk, 44...
・Control device, 50...Monitoring device, 51...
...Switching circuit, 52... Telephone, 53... Starting circuit, 54...
Receiving circuit, 5... Alarm circuit, 323...
・Response signal, S24・Detection signal, 353...Start signal.

Claims (1)

[Scope of Claims] In a facsimile communication system that performs facsimile communication between facsimile terminals via an automatic exchange, a recording paper shortage detection means provided in the facsimile terminal detects a recording paper shortage state and detects a specific frequency. oscillating a signal, using recording paper shortage monitoring means having a communication function connected to the automatic exchange, transmitting an activation signal to the facsimile terminal via the automatic exchange, and receiving a response signal from the facsimile terminal in response to the activation signal. 1. A method for remotely monitoring recording paper for a facsimile terminal, comprising: receiving the detection signal to monitor a shortage of recording paper in the facsimile terminal when the facsimile terminal receives the detection signal.