JPH053780B2 - - Google Patents

Description

[Detailed description of the invention] (a) Technical field of the invention The present invention converts data held by a data processing device such as a computer into fax output data and sends it to the other party.
Concerning equipment for sending faxes.

(b) Prior art and problems When outputting document data (characters, images, graph data) from a computer to a fax,
Faxes do not have the ability to directly receive these data and convert them into dots, so a computer and a fax
A data converter (CFC) is required between the two.

Figure 1 shows an example of a configuration including a CFC.

Document output from a computer to a fax is performed using the following steps.

When the computer sends the fax phone number to the CCP, the CCP dials the fax via the NCU and establishes a line connection.

When the line is connected, the computer transmits the document data to be output to the fax to the CFC via the CCP.

The CFC converts document data into a dot pattern in its internal bitmap memory, compresses and encodes it, and transmits it to a fax machine.

Figure 2 shows an example of the configuration of a CFC.

CFC is controlled by MPU (microprocessor).

Data is exchanged with the computer via the CCP interface, and in addition to document data output to the fax, fax attribute data,
FAX control data etc. are sent and received.

Control signals between FAX and CFC are carried out via the FAX interface and modem.

FAX output of document data is performed in the following steps.

Document data from the computer is entered into the CFC's memory via the CCP interface.

The document data in the CFC memory is converted into a dot pattern using a character pattern generator, graph pattern generator, and image decompressor according to the data type (character, image, graph), and expanded into dots in the bitmap memory. .

When one page of data is dot-expanded on a bitmap memory, it is compressed and encoded and then transmitted to a fax machine via a modem.

FIG. 3 shows an example of a control procedure when outputting a document from a computer to a fax machine. In this example
I am using a G3 type fax machine. The symbols in the diagram are from CCITT Recommendation T30.

Phase A Dial the fax from the computer (CCP). When the fax is turned on, the DSC signal is
It becomes ON.

CFC turns on the DR signal when both the ER signal and DSC signal are on. Transmit the ER signal as a CML signal,
Instruct line connection.

Phase B When you press the FAX receive button, CED and DIS signals are sent to CFC. On the other hand, the computer sends attribute data of the fax to be output (compression code, paper size, etc.).

If the attributes match, a +RSP signal is returned to the computer and a DCS signal is returned to the fax.

Next, the CFC sends a synchronization phase signal to the fax machine, and when synchronization is achieved, a CFR signal is returned from the fax machine.

Upon receiving +RSP, the computer prepares to send the document data.

Phase C Document data is sent from the computer to the CFC. This document data is converted into a dot pattern on a bitmap memory and then compressed and encoded.
Output to fax.

Phase D When one page of document data is finished and there is no document to be output next, the EOP signal is used to instruct the FAX output end operation. When the fax receives an EOP signal,
Send MCF signal to CFC.

CFC to computer +RSP for MCF signal
is returned to indicate that the fax has completed the page end process.

Phase E The line is disconnected from the CCP.

If one document consists of multiple pages, the third
Phases C and D are repeatedly executed.

FIG. 4 shows the control procedure for multi-page output, limited to phases C and D. The vertical direction shows time relationships.

The amount of document data passed from the computer to the CFC is set to 60KBytes per page, and the image data output from the CFC to the fax is also set per page.
Set to 60KByte. Transmission speed between CCP and CFC
Assuming 9600bps and 9600bps between CFC and FAX,
Document data transmission between CCP and CFC and between CFC and FAX each takes 50 seconds.

The control procedure shown in FIG. 4 will be explained below.

The first page of document data is sent from the CCP to the CFC. CFC converts this into a dot pattern on bitmap memory.

When the dot patterning is completed, the CFC notifies the computer +RSP (data has been correctly dot patterned). Also, at this point, the contents of the bitmap memory are compressed and encoded.
Start printing to fax.

When the computer receives +RSP, it instructs the CFC to perform MPS (multi-page output) if the next page is to be output.

The CFC waits for the completion of FAX output and transmits this MPS instruction to the FAX as an MPS signal.

If there is no error in the image data from the CFC, the FAX will raise the MCF signal in response to the MPS signal.

CFC raises +RSP to computer by MCF signal.

Based on this +RSP, the computer assumes that the first page of document output has been successfully faxed, and transmits the second page of document data to the CFC.

From now on, ~ will be repeated.

In the above control procedure, CCP-CFC and CFC
-While the transmission time for document data between faxes is as long as 50 seconds, the time for forming a dot pattern inside the CFC and the transmission time for +RSP, MPS instructions, MPS signals, MCF signals, etc. are sufficiently short;
After transmitting the document data for the first page, you have to wait for the fax output time (~50 seconds) to start outputting the second page, and both the computer and fax machine can only use about half of their capacity.

(c) Purpose of the invention The purpose of the present invention is to solve the above-mentioned problems and shorten the data transmission time to FAX.

(d) Structure of the invention In order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides a device that converts data held by a data processing device into FAX output data and sends it to a communication partner's FAX.
When a multiple page output instruction signal is received after receiving one page of data from the data processing device, a normal end signal is returned to the data processing device without waiting for the output of the one page of data to be completed, and the next page data is sent to the data processing device. a means for requesting the transfer of the data; a means for holding the next page data sent from the data processing device while outputting data to the fax; and when an error signal is returned from the fax while outputting data to the fax; means for sending a delayed error signal to the data processing device; and upon receiving an output data attribute change instruction signal or a communication termination instruction signal from the data processing device, the data processing waits for the output of the page data currently being output at that time to be completed; means for sending a normal completion signal to the device;
It is characterized by being configured to output continuous page data to FAX.

(E) Examples of the invention The present invention will be explained below using examples.

FIG. 5 is a diagram showing an example of a control procedure in an embodiment according to the present invention. The block configuration of the CFC in this embodiment is the same as that of the conventional example shown in FIG. 2, but a buffer memory section, which will be described later, is newly provided in the memory shown in the figure, and a program for executing the control procedure, which will be described later, is stored. has been done.

The procedure shown in FIG. 5 will be explained below.

The first page of document data is sent from the CCP to the CFC. CFC converts this into a dot pattern on bitmap memory.

When the dot patterning is completed, the CFC notifies the computer of +RSP. Also, at this point, the contents of the bitmap memory are compressed and encoded and output to the fax machine begins.

When the computer receives +RSP, it instructs the CFC to MPS if the next page is to be output.

In response to an MPS instruction, the CFC returns +RSP and requests the next page of data to the computer without waiting for fax output.

The document data of the second page is sent from the computer.
When transmitted to the CFC, the CFC stores it in its internal buffer memory.

When the fax output of the first page image data is completed, the CFC sends an MPS signal to the fax. If an MCF signal (normal output) is returned from the FAX in response to this MPS signal, it means that the output of the first page has been completed normally.

However, this MCF signal is not notified to the computer because the computer is notified that the first page has ended normally with +RSP in response to the MPS instruction from the computer when the first page ends.

The MCF signal is given by FAX, and the document data of the second page is sent to CFC from the computer.
When the transmission is completed, the CFC converts the second page data into a dot pattern.

The end of one document (multiple pages) is instructed by the computer as an EOM/EOP instruction instead of an MPS instruction.

EOM/EOP waits for the next meaning.

EOM: Communication with the fax continues, but the attributes of the output data are changed. This occurs when multiple documents with different attributes are sent in one fax output.

For EOM, after the fax output of the current page is completed, attribute matching is performed again from phase B in FIG.

EOP: End communication with the fax.

When these EOM/EOP are instructed by the computer, the CFC waits for the fax output of the page to be completed, receives the MCF signal for this page, and then returns +RSP to the computer.

Errors when outputting faxes are caused by CFC for faxes.
For MPS/EOM/EOP signals, instead of MCF
Returned by PIN signal (procedure interruption denial, error), etc.

In the conventional example in Figure 4, ER is used instead of +RSP.
(error) returned to the computer.

However, in the example of the present invention shown in FIG. 5, the fax output status for document data from the computer can be changed to
Since RSP (normal completion) is sent, the timing of reporting the error status to the computer becomes a problem.

Regarding this issue, please contact CFC rather than FAX.
When an error signal such as a PIN signal is returned, the CFC then captures the earliest timing of the RSP to be returned to the computer and returns one DRSP (delayed error) to the computer at this timing.

By adopting the above control procedure, it becomes possible to output multiple pages of a document in the same format at high speed without waiting time, as shown in FIG.

In the embodiment, the internal control of the CFC is performed using a microprocessor (MPU), but it is not limited to this, and it is possible to execute the above control procedure by hardware means. Needless to say.

(F) Effects of the Invention As explained above, according to the present invention, by providing a hardwire memory on the CFC side and allowing the CFC to receive the next page of document data from the computer while outputting a document to a fax, It is possible to achieve nearly twice the performance improvement compared to the conventional method, in which the computer enters a waiting state during fax output.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

Figure 1 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of a fax communication system including CFC, Figure 2 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of CFC,
FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an example of a control procedure when outputting a document from a computer to a fax machine, FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a conventional control procedure in the case of multi-page output, and FIG. FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an example of a control procedure.

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. Converting data held by a data processing device into FAX output data and sending it to a communication partner's FAX.
In the FAX output control device, when receiving a multi-page sending instruction signal after receiving one page of data from the data processing device, the FAX output control device transmits the data to the data processing device without waiting for the completion of outputting the one page of data to the FAX. means for returning a normal completion signal and requesting transfer of next page data; means for holding next page data sent from the data processing device during data output to a fax; means for sending a delayed error signal to the data processing device when an error signal is returned from the FAX; and means for sending the signal as a delayed error signal to the data processing device; A fax output control device comprising means for sending a normal end signal to the data processing device upon completion of outputting page data to a fax machine, and configured to continuously output page data to a fax machine.