JPH11355497A - Control method for network facsimile communication system - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To improve operation convenience by reading contents of registration information and transmitting the then to another network facsimile machine when the reception of prescribed registration information is requested from another network facsimile machine. SOLUTION: A network facsimile machine FX inquires whether or not to download one-touch dial information from another network facsimile machine FX or a workstation WS when a user operates for transmission. When the user selects the effect that the user downloads one-touch dial information from another machine FX or another device WS, the device FX performs a transmission operation. That is, when the user selects to download one-touch dial information from another machine FX or another WS at the time of transmitting, a download destination is selected and designated information is downloaded.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention has a function of transmitting data via a local area network and a function of exchanging facsimile data with a facsimile apparatus via a public network using a predetermined facsimile transmission procedure. The present invention relates to a control method for a network facsimile communication system including a plurality of network facsimile apparatuses provided with a plurality of workstations connected to a local area network.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In recent years, a plurality of functions have been provided which have a function of transmitting data via a local area network and a function of exchanging facsimile data with a facsimile apparatus via a public network using a predetermined facsimile transmission procedure. A network facsimile communication system including a network facsimile device and a plurality of workstation devices connected to a local area network has come into practical use.

With such a network facsimile communication system, image information can be exchanged between a plurality of workstations connected to a local area network and a facsimile connected to a public network. It is very convenient.

[0004]

However, such a network facsimile communication system has the following disadvantages.

That is, the network facsimile apparatus has a transmission destination (telephone number and mail address) of 1
There is a speed dial function such as a one-touch dial key function to enable designation with one key operation, and various other user-friendly functions, but usually information registered in the speed dial function Etc. were specific to each network facsimile machine.

Therefore, when a user uses a network facsimile apparatus different from the normally used network facsimile apparatus, the user uses the speed dial registered in the used network facsimile apparatus to obtain
In some cases, it may be difficult to find the telephone number or e-mail address of the intended transmission destination.

The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and has as its object to provide a control method of a network facsimile communication system which can improve the usability when using a plurality of network facsimile apparatuses. .

[0008]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has a function of transmitting data via a local area network and exchanges facsimile data with a facsimile apparatus via a public network using a predetermined facsimile transmission procedure. A plurality of network facsimile apparatuses having a function of performing the above, and a method of controlling a network facsimile communication system including a plurality of workstation apparatuses connected to a local area network, wherein the network facsimile apparatus is While receiving and receiving the predetermined registration information, when the reception of the predetermined registration information is requested by another network facsimile apparatus, the content of the predetermined registration information is read out, and the other network facsimile is read. Facsimile equipment In which it was to be sent to.
Further, the network facsimile device checks the content of the predetermined registration information received from the other network facsimile device, and the registration format of the predetermined registration information does not match the registration format of the registration information used by the own terminal. In such a case, it may be displayed visually to that effect.

A plurality of networks having a function of transmitting data via a local area network and a function of exchanging facsimile data with a facsimile apparatus via a public network using a predetermined facsimile transmission procedure. In a method for controlling a network facsimile communication system including a facsimile device and a plurality of workstation devices connected to a local area network, the network facsimile device includes:
While receiving and receiving the predetermined registration information, the workstation device reads out the content of the predetermined registration information when the network facsimile device requests the reception of the predetermined registration information, and reads the contents of the predetermined registration information. The data is transmitted to a facsimile machine. Further, the network facsimile device checks the content of the predetermined registration information received from the workstation device, and when the registration format of the predetermined registration information does not match the registration format of the registration information used in the own terminal, Should be displayed visually to that effect.

[0010]

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG.
An embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail.

FIG. 1 shows a network system according to an embodiment of the present invention.

In FIG. 1, a local area network LAN includes a plurality of workstations WS1 to WS1.
WSn, a mail server device SM, and three network facsimile devices FX1 to FX3 are connected. Further, the local area network LAN is connected to the Internet via the router device RT, whereby the workstation devices WS1 to WSn, the mail server device SM, and the network facsimile devices FX1 to FX3 are connected to other local area networks. Various data can be exchanged with a host device or the like connected to a network or the like.

Here, the mail server device SM sends e-mail (described later) to users using the workstation devices WS1 to WSn connected to the local area network LAN and to the network facsimile devices FX1 to FX3. It provides collection and distribution services.

The workstation devices WS1 to WSW
Sn includes application software (e-mail transmission / reception processing, point-to-point communication with the network facsimile machines FX1 to FX3) for exchanging various data via the local area network LAN.
Various programs such as point communication processing) and application software for processing image information included in e-mails received from the network facsimile apparatuses FX1 to FX3 are introduced and used by a specific user. Here, the specific user may be one or more users.

Further, a network facsimile machine FX
1 to FX3, an e-mail transmission / reception function in a local area network LAN, a workstation device WS1 connected to the local area network LAN
~ WSn or other network facsimile machine FX
1 to FX3, a predetermined information communication function according to a predetermined point-to-point transmission procedure, and a public network P
It has various transmission (communication) functions such as a transmission function for connecting to an STN and transmitting image information according to a group 4 facsimile transmission procedure using the public network PSTN as a transmission path. Further, the network facsimile machines FX1 to FX
The transmission and reception (distribution) of facsimile image information between X3 and (the user of) the workstation devices WS1 to WSn
Basically, it is performed using an electronic mail by a method specified in RFC (to be described later) 2305.

In this embodiment, basically, data exchange between terminals connected to the local area network LAN is performed by so-called TCP / IP.
This is performed by applying a combination (a so-called protocol suite) of a transmission protocol up to a transport layer called a transport layer and a communication protocol of a higher layer than that. For example, in the exchange of e-mail data, SMTP (Simple) is used as the upper layer communication protocol.
A communication protocol called Mail Transfer Protocol is applied.

A protocol that each terminal applies to the mail server device SM for confirming the receipt of an e-mail addressed to the user and for requesting transmission is a so-called POP.
(Post Office Protocol) or the like can be applied.

Communication protocols such as TCP / IP, SMTP, and POP, and data formats and data structures of e-mails are described in IETF (In).
ternet Engineering Task F
orce), an RFC (Request) issued by an organization that summarizes technical content related to the Internet.
st For Comments) document. For example, TCP is RFC793, IP is RFC
793, SMTP is RFC821, E-mail format is RFC822, RFC1521, RFC1522
(MIME (Multi Purpose Mail
Extension)), the protocol for exchanging facsimile image information using e-mail is RFC
2305 and the like.

Then, the network facsimile apparatus F
X transmits the read document image to another group 3 facsimile apparatus via the public network PSTN, or a local area network LAN (further, the Internet)
To the users of the workstation devices WS1 to WSn via the public network PSTN, and the image information received from another group 3 facsimile device via the public network PSTN to the user corresponding to the sub-address specified at that time. Transfer using e-mail, or workstation WS of local area network LAN
It has a transfer service function for transferring the received image information to a group 3 facsimile apparatus of the public network PSTN corresponding to the designated speed dial.

[0020] With respect to an e-mail received to the terminal itself, image information arranged in the body information is extracted and recorded and output.

Here, the facsimile image information is binary data, and the electronic mail cannot directly include the binary data. Therefore, a predetermined conversion method (for example,
After being converted into readable information (7-bit character code) by applying the Base64 encoding method, it is included in the electronic mail. Such a format of the body information of the electronic mail is called a MIME format.

FIG. 2 shows a network facsimile apparatus F
3 shows a configuration example of X (FX1 to FX3).

In FIG. 1, a system control unit 1 controls each unit of the network facsimile machine FX.
The system memory 2 performs various control processes such as a facsimile transmission control procedure process. The system memory 2 includes a control processing program executed by the system control unit 1, various data necessary for executing the processing program, and an operation manual. Alternatively, it stores a distribution file such as service program data for setting and operating the network facsimile apparatus FX via the local area network LAN, and also constitutes a work area of the system control unit 1. This is for storing various information unique to the network facsimile machine FX (for example, registration information of a one-touch dial function, a terminal connection information table, and the like),
The clock circuit 4 outputs current time information.

The scanner 5 is for reading an original image at a predetermined resolution, the plotter 6 is for recording and outputting an image at a predetermined resolution, and the operation display unit 7 is a network facsimile apparatus. It is used to operate the FX, and includes various operation keys and various display devices.

The encoding / decoding section 8 encodes and compresses the image signal and decodes the encoded and compressed image information into the original image signal.
This is for storing a large number of image information in a coded and compressed state.

The group 3 facsimile modem 10 is for realizing a group 3 facsimile modem function. The group 3 facsimile modem 10 has a low speed modem function (V.21 modem) for exchanging transmission procedure signals, and mainly exchanges image information. High-speed modem function (V.17 modem,
V. 34 modem, V.34. 29 modem, V.29. 27ter modem etc.).

The network control device 11 is for connecting the network facsimile machine FX to a public network (PSTN), and has an automatic transmission / reception function.

The local area network interface circuit 12 is connected to the network facsimile machine F
X is connected to the local area network LAN, and the local area network transmission control unit 13
For executing communication control processing (e-mail transmission / reception processing, point-to-point communication processing, etc.) of various predetermined protocol suites for exchanging various data with other data terminal devices. is there.

The system control unit 1, system memory 2, parameter memory 3, clock circuit 4, scanner 5, plotter 6, operation display unit 7, encoding / decoding unit 8, image storage device 9, group 3 facsimile modem The network controller 10, the network controller 11, and the local area network transmission controller 13 are connected to an internal bus 14. Data exchange between these elements is mainly performed via the internal bus 14. I have.

Data exchange between the network controller 11 and the group 3 facsimile modem 10 is directly performed.

Further, the network facsimile machine FX
Can make a request for receiving a predetermined registration information (for example, a one-touch dial table, etc.) to another network facsimile machine FX or a workstation WS by point-to-point communication, and can identify the terminal of the request. And a terminal connection information table. FIG. 3A shows an example of the terminal connection information table. Each terminal connection information is composed of an IP address allocated to each terminal and a terminal name for identifying the terminal, as shown in FIG.

With the above configuration, the network facsimile machine FX, for example, when a transmission operation is performed by a user, inquires whether to download one-touch dial information from another network facsimile machine FX or the workstation WS. Perform for users.

On the other hand, when the user operates another network facsimile machine FX or the work station machine WS
If the user selects to download the one-touch dial information from the network facsimile machine FX
Executes the processing shown in FIG. 4 and performs the transmission operation in that case.

First, referring to the terminal connection information table,
The terminal facsimile machine FX or the work station WS to which the one-touch dial information is downloaded by displaying a terminal selection screen as shown in FIG.
Is selected (process 101).

Next, a connection request is issued to the terminal selected at that time according to a predetermined point-to-point communication procedure (process 102), and a connection response is received from the connection request destination within a predetermined time. It is checked whether or not to perform (NO loop of judgments 103 and 104).

If a connection response is received from the connection request destination within a predetermined time after issuing the connection request,
If the result is YES, a guidance screen as shown in FIG. 6 is displayed to allow the user to select the information to be obtained (process 105).

When the user selects the acquired information, the user issues a request for acquiring the selected information to the partner terminal (step 106), and receives the designated information from the partner terminal within a predetermined time. Is monitored (NO loop of determinations 107 and 108).

When the information specified by the partner terminal is received within a predetermined time after the request for obtaining the selection information is issued to the partner terminal, and the result of determination 107 is YES, the information is acquired at that time. The consistency of the information is checked (step 109). For example, if the information is one-touch dial information, an error occurs in the consistency check if the attribute information of the partner terminal is different from that of the own terminal (for example, if the group 4 facsimile terminal information is included).

If the result of the consistency check is OK, judgment 11
When the result of 0 is YES, a destination list is displayed to the user based on the information acquired at that time (step 111), and the user is allowed to select a transmission destination (step 11).
2).

Next, a call is made to the selected transmission destination, and a predetermined image information transmission operation is performed (step 113).

On the other hand, if the result of the consistency check in process 109 is N
If it is G, and the result of the determination 110 is NO, an error is displayed to that effect (process 114), and this operation is ended in error. Also, if the information specified by the partner terminal has not been received within a predetermined time after issuing a request to acquire the selection information to the partner terminal, and the result of determination 107 is NO, the process proceeds to step 114. Is displayed as an error, and this operation ends in error. If no connection response is received from the connection request destination within a predetermined time after issuing the connection request, and if the result of determination 103 is NO, the process proceeds to step 114, and an error message to that effect is displayed. Then, this operation ends in an error.

FIG. 7 shows a network facsimile apparatus FX and a work station apparatus WS when a connection request for a point-to-point communication procedure is received.
An example is shown.

When a connection request is received (result of determination 201 is YES), a connection response signal is transmitted to the connection request source (process 202), and an information acquisition request is received from the connection request source within a predetermined time after the transmission. It is monitored whether or not to perform (NO loop of judgments 203 and 204).

If the information acquisition request is received from the connection request source within a predetermined time after the connection response signal is transmitted,
When the result of step 206 is YES, the information requested to be obtained at that time is searched (step 205). When the information requested to be obtained is stored in the own terminal, and when the result of the determination 206 is YES, The information is read, transmitted to the connection request source (process 207), and the process returns to the determination 201.

When the result of the determination 206 is NO when the information requested to be obtained is not stored in the own terminal, or when an information obtaining request is issued from the connection request source within a predetermined time from the transmission of the connection response signal. If not received, judge 2
When the result of step 03 is NO, this operation ends in an error and returns to the judgment 201.

As described above, in this embodiment, when the user selects to download the one-touch dial information from another network facsimile machine FX or the workstation WS at the time of transmission, the download destination is selected. Since the designated information is downloaded, the user can use, as the one-touch dial information, the registered information of another network facsimile machine FX which is normally used. As a result, the user can more easily select a desired transmission destination, which is very convenient.

If the acquired information does not match the function of the terminal itself, an error message is displayed to that effect, so that the user can select whether or not to use the acquired information. The acquired information can be used appropriately.

In the above-described embodiment, the case where one-touch dial information is obtained from another network facsimile machine FX or a workstation WS has been described.
The present invention can be similarly applied to the case where other registration information is obtained from X or the workstation device WS.

[0049]

As described above, according to the present invention,
Since the user can download appropriate registration information such as one-touch dial information from another network facsimile apparatus or a workstation apparatus at the time of transmission, the user can use, for example, another network normally used as one-touch dial information as one-touch dial information. The registration information of the facsimile machine FX or the like can be used, and as a result, the user can easily select a desired transmission destination, which is very convenient.

If the acquired information does not match the function of the terminal itself, an error message is displayed to that effect, so that the user can select whether or not to use the acquired information. There is also an advantage that the acquired information can be used appropriately.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a network system according to one embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 shows a network facsimile machine FX (FX1 to FX1).
FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing a configuration example of FX3).

FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram showing an example of a terminal connection information table and terminal connection information.

FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a case where the user operates another network facsimile apparatus F;
9 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a process executed when the user selects to download one-touch dial information from X or the workstation device WS.

FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram showing an example of a terminal selection screen.

FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram showing an example of a guidance screen when selecting acquisition information.

FIG. 7 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a network facsimile machine FX and a workstation WS when a connection request for a point-to-point communication procedure is received.

[Explanation of symbols]

 FX, FX1 to FX3 Network facsimile machine WS, WS1 to WSn Workstation device

Claims (4)

[Claims] 1. A plurality of networks having a function of transmitting data via a local area network and a function of exchanging facsimile data with a facsimile apparatus via a public network using a predetermined facsimile transmission procedure. In a method for controlling a network facsimile communication system including a facsimile device and a plurality of workstation devices connected to a local area network, the network facsimile device receives predetermined registration information with respect to another network facsimile device. While receiving and receiving the predetermined registration information from another network facsimile apparatus, the content of the predetermined registration information is read and transmitted to the other network facsimile apparatus. When Control method for a network facsimile communication system that. 2. A plurality of networks having a function of transmitting data via a local area network and a function of exchanging facsimile data with a facsimile apparatus via a public network using a predetermined facsimile transmission procedure. A method for controlling a facsimile machine and a network facsimile communication system including a plurality of workstation devices connected to a local area network, wherein the network facsimile device receives predetermined registration information from the workstation device. On the other hand, when receiving and receiving the predetermined registration information from the network facsimile device, the workstation device reads out the content of the predetermined registration information and transmits the content to the network facsimile device. Control method for a network facsimile communication system according to claim Rukoto. 3. The network facsimile machine according to claim 1,
Inspect the content of the predetermined registration information received from the other network facsimile device, and if the registration format of the predetermined registration information does not match the registration format of the registration information used by the own terminal, the fact is visible. 2. The control method for a network facsimile communication system according to claim 1, wherein the display is performed. 4. The network facsimile apparatus,
Inspect the content of the predetermined registration information received from the workstation device, and if the registration format of the predetermined registration information does not match the registration format of the registration information used in the own terminal, visually indicate that fact. 3. The control method for a network facsimile communication system according to claim 2, wherein: