JPH0654097A - Fax machine - Google Patents

Abstract

(57) [Abstract] [Purpose] To provide a small and easy-to-handle facsimile device when performing facsimile transmission / reception. [Structure] A recording unit 2 for receiving image information received by facsimile is separated from a facsimile apparatus, and is composed of a facsimile reading / communication unit 1, and a small capacity battery 18 enables reception operation of a facsimile signal. At the same time, when performing facsimile reception, the received data is stored in the image memory unit 1.
4 is temporarily stored, and the connection portions 9 and 21 are connected to make a connection with the recording portion 1 when recording is desired, the image signal is restored from the signal of the image memory portion 14, and the recording data is recorded. To enable recording of image signals. The miniaturization of the battery 18 and the separation of the recording unit 1 reduce the size and weight of the facsimile apparatus, and facilitate the handling such as carrying when performing facsimile transmission / reception.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a facsimile apparatus which is small and lightweight and is easy to carry when carrying out facsimile transmission / reception.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, as disclosed in Japanese Examined Patent Publication No. 63-23707, a facsimile apparatus has been widely used, which reads an original and sends it by facsimile, or records the data received by facsimile on a recording paper. .
In a conventional general facsimile apparatus, a scanner section for reading an image of an original document and converting it into a binarized electric signal, a thermal recording section for recording a binarized signal received from a partner facsimile apparatus on a recording sheet or an electrostatic recording section. Image data compression / decompression that performs image recording / decompression by the recording unit, electrophotographic recording unit, or laser beam printer and CCITT-recommended MH (Modified Huffman) or MR (Modified Read) system CCITT Recommendations V21, V27ter, for sending and receiving facsimiles via public telephone lines.
The modem unit that performs modulation and demodulation based on V29, the control unit that controls these, and the like are integrated to form one device.

Further, a facsimile communication device connected to a host computer has been conventionally known, but in this facsimile communication device, a facsimile communication unit including the image data compression / decompression unit, a modem unit and a controller unit is formed into a board. As a result, it was mounted in a host computer having a scanner function and a printer function, and was tightly coupled inseparably in use.

[0004]

Due to the above-mentioned structure, the conventional facsimile apparatus has a problem that it is difficult to make the apparatus small and easy to handle.

That is, in the case of a general facsimile apparatus, the volume of the image recording section is large and the weight thereof is heavy, and more current consumption is required. Therefore, the entire apparatus becomes large and heavy, and a strong power source is required. Had to use. Even if the lightest and smallest thermal recording method is used among the recording methods of the image recording unit described above, a thermal head with a recording paper size width is required, and the thermal recording paper is colored by the Joule heat generated in the heating element. Therefore, a large amount of current has to be passed, and an AC power source having a large capacity or a battery having a large capacity is required. Therefore, it is difficult to make the device small and easy to handle. Further, in the case of a facsimile communication device connected to a host computer, it must function at the same time as the host computer, resulting in a large system as a whole, and it has not been possible to realize a device that is small and easy to handle.

The present invention was devised to solve the above problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide a small-sized and easy-to-handle facsimile apparatus when performing facsimile transmission / reception.

[0007]

The structure of a facsimile apparatus of the present invention for achieving the above object is a facsimile apparatus for restoring an image signal based on a data-compressed facsimile signal received through a telephone line.
Image memory means for storing a signal for restoring the image signal, and a signal to the recording section for recording the signal stored in the image memory section in a recording section provided separately from the facsimile apparatus. It is characterized by having a connection part for supplying.

Further, in the above facsimile machine,
The image memory means preferably stores the received facsimile signal in the form of compressed data.

[0009]

According to the present invention, the recording section of the facsimile device is separated from the facsimile device to enable the reception operation of the facsimile signal by using, for example, a small battery having a small capacity as a power source. The signal for restoring the image signal based on the above is temporarily stored in the image memory means, and when recording is desired, the signal is stored in the image memory means by connecting to the recording section to restore the image signal and record it. It can be sent to the department for recording. By separating the recording unit and reducing the capacity of the power source, the facsimile apparatus can be made smaller and lighter, and can be easily handled when carrying out facsimile transmission and reception. Further, storing signals in the image memory means in a compressed data format contributes to downsizing of the memory capacity and downsizing.

[0010]

Embodiments of the present invention will now be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an embodiment of the present invention. In this embodiment, the facsimile apparatus is mainly configured by a facsimile reading / communication unit 1 having a document reading function and a facsimile communication function, and a recording unit 2 having a function of recording information received by facsimile on a recording sheet. Separate from.

The facsimile reading / communication unit 1 reads a document image and converts it into a binarized electric signal, and a scanner unit 11 which compresses the coded image data of the binarized signal by the MH system or the MR system and encodes it. The image data compression / decompression unit 12 that decompresses compressed image data received by a facsimile from a facsimile machine of the other side or similarly encoded and restores the image data, and a facsimile transmission / reception signal transmitted via a public telephone line to CCITT. Recommendation V2
1, V27ter, V29 for modulating or demodulating the modem portion 13, an image memory portion 14 for temporarily storing the facsimile reception data (compressed image data) demodulated by the modem portion 13, and the modem portion 13 via a handset. Acoustic coupler 15 for connecting to a public telephone line or a network control unit (NCU) 16 for directly connecting to a public telephone line, and each of the above-mentioned parts 11
To send out image data received from the facsimile machine to the recording unit 2 to the recording unit 2; It is composed of the connecting portion 19 of FIG. In the above, the signal received from the partner facsimile machine is demodulated by the modem unit 13, and then stored in the image memory 14 as encoded and compressed data (compressed image data) in order to reduce the memory capacity. Is preferred. Therefore, when sending the compressed image data to the recording unit 2 as image data, the control unit 1
The compressed image data is read from the image memory unit 14 according to the command 7 and is decompressed through the image data compression / decompression unit 12 to be transmitted. It is sufficient for the acoustic coupler 15 or the NCU 16 to include either one.

The recording section 2 is connected to the connection section 19 of the facsimile reading / communication section 1 to receive the image data received by facsimile, and an image recording section for recording an image on a recording sheet with the image data. 22 and a large-capacity battery 23 for supplying the electric power necessary for operating the recording unit 2 or a power supply unit 24 for supplying the electric power as a direct current from a commercial AC (alternating current) power supply. It suffices to have either one of the battery 23 and the power supply unit 24, but it is also possible to provide both of them and supply power from the battery 23 when the AC power supply is not connected. Further, the facsimile reading / communication unit 1 and the recording unit 2
In the case of connecting with the connection units 19 and 21, the battery 23 or the power supply unit 24 may be capable of supplying the power of the facsimile reading / communication unit 1 side. The image recording unit 22
In addition to the heat-sensitive recording method, various known recording methods such as a laser beam recording method, an electrostatic recording method, and an electrophotographic recording method can be used.

2 (a) and 2 (b) are perspective views showing a schematic configuration example of the recording unit separated from the facsimile apparatus in this embodiment. (A) shows a case of using a contact type scanner unit and separating / connecting with a cable,
(B) shows an example of the case where a reduction type scanner unit is used and the cases are separated / joined. In (a) and (b), 1 indicates a facsimile reading / communication unit, and 2 indicates a recording unit.

In FIG. 2 (a), the facsimile reading / communication section 1 has a contact type scanner section 11 and a fixed connector 19a which constitutes a connection section, which are omitted in FIG. It is built in one independent case together with the other parts 12 to 18 shown in FIG. The contact type scanner unit 11 includes a lamp 1 that illuminates a reading line of the original 3.
1a, a line sensor 11b closely arranged over the entire width of the line for reading image information of the line and electronically performing main scanning, and a platen 11c for performing line feeding in the sub-scanning direction. The platen 11c is rotated by an unillustrated motor or the like. The recording unit 2 is separated from the facsimile reading / communication unit 1 and each unit 21 to 24 in FIG. Of these, the connecting portion 21 is the cable 2
1a and a connector 21b at the tip thereof. The connector 21b can be electrically and detachably connected to the connector 19a on the facsimile reading / communication unit 1 side.

In FIG. 2 (b), the facsimile reading / communication unit 1 has a reduction type scanner unit 11 'and a fixed connector 19a which constitutes a connecting portion, and is omitted in the drawing as in (a). However, it is built in one independent case together with the other parts 12 to 18 shown in FIG.
The reduction type scanner unit 11 'includes a lamp 11d that illuminates the reading line of the original 3, a mirror 11e that reflects the image light to reduce the size, and a lens 11f that collects the image light reflected by the mirror 11e. , A line sensor 11g for reading one line of image light condensed by the lens 11f and electronically performing main scanning, and a platen 11c for performing line feeding in the sub-scanning direction. Platen 11c
Is rotated by an unillustrated motor or the like as in (a). The recording unit 2 is separated from the facsimile reading / communication unit 1, but is provided with a joining mechanism on one surface of the case and is integrated with one surface of the case of the facsimile reading / communication unit 1 (the surface having the connector 19a). It is possible to join them physically. In the recording unit 2, the units 21 to 24 shown in FIG. 1 are built in or mounted. Of these, the connecting portion 21 is composed of a connector 21c,
The connector 21c is arranged at a position facing the connector 19a on the joint surface of the facsimile reading / communication unit 1 and at a position fitted to the connector 19a at the time of joint. As described above, the facsimile reading / communication unit 1 and the recording unit 2
Are electrically connected at the time of joining.

The operation and action of the embodiment configured as described above will be described. In this embodiment, a facsimile reading /
If the communication unit 1 and the recording unit 2 are connected via the connection units 19 and 21, the same processing as the conventional facsimile apparatus can be performed. In the present embodiment, the two parts 1 and 2 are connected to the connection parts 19 and 21.
Then, the facsimile reading / communicating unit 1 alone enables facsimile transmission / reception. Fax reading
The communication unit 1 is small in size and small in size because the image recording unit 22 having a large volume, heavy weight, and large current consumption is separated from the large-capacity battery 23 or the power supply unit 24 for supplying power to the image recording unit 22. It can be operated by the battery 18 having a capacity, is small in size and light in weight, can be freely carried and moved, and is easy to handle.

In the case of facsimile transmission, since the recording unit 2 is not required, only the small and lightweight facsimile reading / communication unit 1 satisfies the conventional device function, so that it can be freely carried even in a place without an AC power source. Can be sent by facsimile.

Even in the case of facsimile reception, certain data can be received only by the facsimile reading / communication unit 1. That is, the reception function can be realized by temporarily storing the received compressed image data in the image memory unit 14. The compressed image data received by this means is then recorded on the recording paper when the facsimile reading / communication unit 1 and the recording unit 2 are connected.

The above receiving operation will be described in detail. The signal directly received from the public telephone line through the acoustic coupler 15 or through the NCU 16 is demodulated by the modem unit 13. The digital signal (encoded compressed image data) obtained by the modem unit 13 is used as it is, or after unnecessary information (fill bit etc.) is removed, the image memory unit 1
Hold at 4. After the facsimile reading / communication unit 1 and the recording unit 2 are combined, the compressed image data is read from the image memory unit 14 and restored by the data compression / decompression unit 12. At the same time, the restored image data is transferred to the image recording unit 22 and recorded on recording paper.

The scanner unit 11 shown in FIG.
The contact type shown in (a) is high in cost but advantageous in downsizing, and the reduced type shown in FIG. 2 (b) is slightly large in size but is advantageous in cost. Further, the present invention can be variously applied in accordance with the gist thereof and can naturally take various embodiments.

[0022]

As is apparent from the above description, according to the facsimile apparatus of the present invention, the following effects can be obtained.

(1) Facsimile transmission / reception can be performed only by a portion that is significantly smaller than the conventional facsimile apparatus.

(2) Facsimile transmission / reception is possible only by driving the battery, and facsimile communication is possible even in a place where there is no external power supply such as an AC power supply.

(3) Since the received image information can be held in the image memory means, the required number of copies can be recorded on the recording paper at any time.

(4) When the battery is driven, a small capacity battery can be used for the facsimile machine and a large power supply such as an AC power supply or a large capacity battery can be used for the recording section, so that continuous operation for a long time is possible. Becomes

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an embodiment of the present invention.

2A and 2B are perspective views showing a schematic configuration example of the above embodiment.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1 ... Facsimile reading / communication unit 2 ... Recording unit 14 ... Image memory unit 18 ... Small capacity battery 19 ... Connecting unit 21 ... Connecting unit

 ─────────────────────────────────────────────────── ─── Continuation of the front page (72) Inventor Toshio Narushima 6-735 Kitashinagawa, Shinagawa-ku, Tokyo Sony Corporation

Claims (2)

[Claims] 1. A facsimile apparatus for restoring an image signal based on a data-compressed facsimile signal received through a telephone line, an image memory means for storing a signal for restoring the image signal, and the image memory means. A facsimile apparatus comprising a connection unit for supplying a signal to the recording unit for recording the signal stored in the recording unit separately from the facsimile unit. 2. A facsimile apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the image memory means stores a signal in the form of compressed data of a received facsimile signal.