JP4686953B2 - E-mail receiver - Google Patents

Description

[0001]
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to an e-mail receiving apparatus capable of outputting an e-mail received by a parent device at a child device.
[0002]
[Prior art]
Conventionally, various types of information have been widely exchanged by transmitting and receiving electronic mail between personal computers (hereinafter referred to as “personal computers”) via an external network such as the Internet. Particularly in recent years, it has become possible to send and receive e-mails using familiar devices other than personal computers, such as telephone devices and facsimile machines, and e-mail transmission and reception using such familiar devices has rapidly become widespread.
[0003]
In such a telephone apparatus or facsimile apparatus, the received e-mail is output (that is, viewed by the user) by, for example, displaying the contents on an LCD (liquid crystal display device) included in each apparatus, The method of printing the contents on paper is common, but in recent years, a technique for converting the contents (text data) of an e-mail into a voice signal and reading it out by voice has been put into practical use. Can be used to read the received e-mail by voice and listen to it to view the e-mail as a result.
[0004]
On the other hand, an actual facsimile apparatus having an electronic mail transmission / reception function includes not only a function of transmitting / receiving facsimile data (image data) and electronic mail but also a function as a telephone apparatus capable of making a voice call via a telephone line. In many cases, a single device is shared by a plurality of people in a general household.
[0005]
For this reason, for example, in the facsimile apparatus as described above, a facsimile apparatus (parent machine) directly connected to an external telephone line and the parent machine are similar to a conventional parent-child telephone apparatus constituted by a parent machine and a child machine. There are a lot of devices configured as cordless parent-child facsimile apparatuses, which are configured by a slave unit (in some cases) that can wirelessly communicate with each other. In such a cordless parent / child facsimile apparatus, the received facsimile image or e-mail can be browsed by the parent machine. However, even in a child machine remote from the parent machine, the received facsimile image or e-mail can be received. Of course, there is a demand for browsing, and it is considered to display a facsimile image on a slave unit or to output an e-mail by voice.
[0006]
In particular, if the received e-mail is output by voice on the slave unit, for example, a user who is busy and has no time to read the e-mail carefully will be able to output the e-mail as a voice and listen to it for other work. There are various merits such as being able to, and the needs are also high.
[0007]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
By the way, in a cordless parent / child facsimile apparatus that can output an e-mail received by the main unit as a voice from the slave unit, the cordless parent / child facsimile apparatus can output the voice from the arbitrary position away from the main unit by the slave unit. Although the contents can be known, depending on the contents of the e-mail, it may be assumed that the user wants to print and save the contents.
[0008]
However, in the conventional cordless parent / child facsimile apparatus, in order to print out an electronic mail output by voice in the slave unit, the email is opened again in the master unit (displaying the entire contents or from the received mail list). Need to print out).
[0009]
Therefore, there are various merits in being able to know the contents of the e-mail by outputting the voice on the slave unit. However, if you want to print out, go to the installation location of the master unit and then re-send the e-mail. It is very troublesome for the user to open (already heard by voice) and perform a predetermined printing operation.
[0010]
The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and in an e-mail receiving apparatus capable of outputting an e-mail received by the parent device by voice in the child device, a user who has heard the e-mail output by the child device, An object of the present invention is to make it possible to print out the electronic mail efficiently by the master unit.
[0011]
An electronic mail receiving apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the electronic mail receiving apparatus according to claim 1 is configured to receive an electronic mail transmitted via a communication line, and to be capable of wireless communication with the parent apparatus. And a slave unit that can output the email received by the master unit by voice, and the slave unit further receives a print request from outside during voice output of the email. The
When entering a print request Audio output Being the most Provided with a print command transmission means for wirelessly transmitting a print command for printing an e-mail to the parent device, and the parent device is instructed by the print command when the print command is received from the print command transmission means. Print data output means for converting the received electronic mail into print data and outputting the print data to an external print means.
[0012]
In other words, when a user who is listening to an electronic mail by voice output at the slave unit prints out the email by the master unit during voice output, the user inputs a print request to the slave unit (for example, the slave unit). The print command is transmitted from the slave unit to the master unit, and the master unit that receives the command converts the email into print data and outputs the print data to the external printing unit. It is. As a result, an e-mail is printed out by the printing means.
[0013]
Therefore, according to the e-mail receiving apparatus of the present invention, when the user wants to print out an e-mail that is being heard by the slave unit, the user has to bother to go to the location of the master unit and operate the master unit as in the past. It is not necessary to print, and by operating the slave unit that is outputting voice (inputting a print request), the email that is being output by voice can be printed out in real time on the master unit side. Can be printed out efficiently on the master unit side.
[0014]
It should be noted that the printing unit that actually executes the print output may be provided directly by the parent device itself, for example, but is not necessarily provided directly by the parent device itself, for example, it is independent of the parent device. Prepare printing means (for example, an external printer for the master unit), connect the printing means to the master unit by wire or wirelessly, and input the print data from the master unit by the printing means and print it out You may comprise so that it may be possible, and it is not specifically limited how a printing means is installed with respect to a main | base station.
[0015]
By the way, for example, when there are multiple received e-mails, and when listening to them by outputting them sequentially by voice on the slave unit, if a print request is input during audio output of a certain e-mail, There is a case where it is desired to shift to audio output. In particular, if an e-mail that seems to be long (speech output time is likely to be long) is output as a voice, or because it is busy, for the time being, only the main points of each e-mail are grasped and details are printed out The user may want to listen to the next matter as soon as a print request is issued.
[0016]
Therefore, the electronic mail receiving device according to the present invention (Claim 1) further includes, for example, as described in Claim 2, when the print command transmission means transmits a print command while outputting voice by voice in the slave unit. It is preferable that voice output stop means for stopping the voice output of the electronic mail is provided. In this way, if a user who is outputting an e-mail by voice in the slave unit inputs a print request during the voice output, the voice output of the e-mail is stopped. For example, a plurality of e-mails are reproduced sequentially ( It is possible to output the next message as audio immediately. For this reason, in addition to being able to efficiently issue an e-mail print output instruction at the slave unit, it is possible to know the contents of the e-mail more speedily and efficiently when sequentially outputting a plurality of e-mails by voice. it can.
[0017]
Next, in the electronic mail receiving apparatus according to claim 3, the master unit receives the image data transmitted from the external network via the communication line, prints out the image, and converts the read image into the image data. As a facsimile function for transmission to an external network. In other words, it can be said that the electronic mail receiving apparatus of the present invention is incorporated in a facsimile apparatus.
[0018]
As described in the section of the prior art, in recent years, the opportunity to share a facsimile machine (with a built-in telephone function) with a family and to send and receive e-mails using the facsimile machine has been increasing. is there. The facsimile apparatus originally has a printing function for printing out received image data on paper as its basic function.
[0019]
Therefore, if the e-mail receiving apparatus of the present invention is applied to a facsimile apparatus, the printing function originally provided in the facsimile apparatus can be used when the parent machine prints out an e-mail that is being output as voice. The electronic mail receiving device of the present invention can be realized more efficiently. The external network mentioned here is not only a network formed by connecting a plurality of terminals to each other, such as a LAN built in a company or a small LAN in a home, but also connected to a general public line or ISDN. This also includes the case where a terminal capable of transmitting or receiving image data is installed alone, such as a facsimile machine.
[0020]
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
Preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.
FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a schematic configuration of the cordless parent-child facsimile apparatus of the present embodiment. The cordless parent-child facsimile apparatus (hereinafter simply referred to as “facsimile apparatus”) of this embodiment includes a parent machine 1 connected to an external network via a telephone line as shown in FIG. As shown in the figure, it consists of a master unit 1 and a slave unit 30 that can transmit and receive data mutually by wireless communication.
[0021]
In addition to the basic functions (such as image data transmission / reception / printing) as a facsimile apparatus, the facsimile apparatus according to the present embodiment outputs a telephone function, an e-mail transmission / reception function, and also outputs a received e-mail as a voice by a slave unit. It is configured as a multifunctional facsimile machine having functions. First, the master unit 1 will be described with reference to FIG.
[0022]
As shown in FIG. 1A, the master unit 1 includes a controller 2, an operation panel 7, an LCD 8, a call bell 9, a scanner 11, a printer 12, a coder / decoder 13, a modem 15, an NCU 16, a handset 17, a speaker 18, A microphone 19, a wireless communication control circuit 20, a switch 21 and an antenna 22 are provided.
[0023]
The controller 2 is composed mainly of a well-known microcomputer (hereinafter abbreviated as “microcomputer”) 3 having a CPU 3a, a ROM 3b, a RAM 3c, and the like. The CPU 3a receives an email and converts the received email into a voice signal. Various control processes such as a process of transmitting to the slave unit 30 are executed. Note that various control processing programs executed by the CPU 3a are stored in the ROM 3b in advance. The RAM 3c is used as a work area when the CPU 3a executes various control processes, and an area as a so-called mailbox for storing received e-mail or transmitted e-mail is also secured. In the present embodiment, in addition to the operation power supplied from the outside, a battery is also built in the facsimile machine 1, and even if the operation power is cut off, the power in the RAM 3c is supplied by the power supplied from the battery. The stored contents are not erased.
[0024]
The EEPROM 2a provided in the controller 2 is a well-known non-volatile memory that can be electrically rewritten. The EEPROM 2a stores control parameters necessary for the CPU 3a to execute various control processes. Various information such as registered telephone numbers is also stored.
[0025]
Further, the controller 2 is provided with a voice synthesis LSI 4 for converting the received electronic mail into a voice signal. In the present embodiment, the received electronic mail is configured to be browsed by the slave unit 30, and as a specific browsing method, reading by voice is adopted. That is, when the slave unit 30 wants to reproduce the e-mail received by the master unit 1, the slave unit 30 transmits a command to that effect (mail playback command) to the master unit 1, and receives the master unit 1 Then, the e-mail received and stored in the RAM 3 c is converted into a voice signal by the voice synthesis LSI 4 and transmitted to the slave unit 30 via the wireless communication control circuit 20 and the antenna 22. When the handset 30 receives this voice signal, the handset 30 executes voice output of an e-mail.
[0026]
When converting the electronic mail (text data) into a speech signal by the speech synthesis LSI 4, the speech synthesis LSI 4 converts the text data into a speech signal while referring to the speech synthesis dictionary 5. The voice synthesis dictionary 5 stores, for example, standard voice data for each syllable.
[0027]
The operation panel 7 is provided with various keys (such as push buttons) for the user to input a telephone number, a facsimile number, an e-mail address, or the like for communication with an external network. The LCD 8 displays the telephone number and facsimile number input by operating the operation panel 7, displays a menu screen for selecting various functions, displays various messages, and displays images received by facsimile. For displaying the received e-mail. The call bell 9 is for informing the user of an incoming call from an outside line.
[0028]
Note that, in the facsimile apparatus of this embodiment, e-mail transmission / reception is performed by a mail server (not shown) held by a mail connection provider such as an ISP (Internet Service Provider) contracted by the user, similarly to e-mail transmission / reception by a personal computer. Done through. Although the details of the external network are not shown, not only various networks such as a LAN connected via a telephone line (the communication line of the present invention) but also a facsimile machine or a personal computer directly connected via a telephone line. Conceivable.
[0029]
Then, when an e-mail addressed to the facsimile apparatus is received from the outside to the mail server, an automatic mail receiving function for automatically transmitting the e-mail from the mail server to the facsimile apparatus (main unit 1) is provided. It is provided so that the user does not have to inquire of the mail server as to whether or not an e-mail has been received. The e-mail transmitted from the mail server is stored in a predetermined mailbox in the RAM 3c, and the contents thereof are referred to in accordance with the operation from the user thereafter.
[0030]
The scanner 11 is provided for reading a document as image data when performing facsimile transmission or copying. The printer 12 as output means is provided for executing a copy function for printing out facsimile data received from the outside on recording paper or printing out image data of a document read by the scanner 11 on recording paper. In this embodiment, the received electronic mail can be printed out not only according to the operation at the parent device 1 but also from the child device 30 (transmission of a mail print command).
[0031]
The encoder / decoder 13 can encode image data read by the scanner 11 in facsimile transmission into a data format for facsimile transmission such as G3 compression format, or conversely, can output image data in compressed format received by facsimile to a printer. It is provided to decrypt data in the format.
[0032]
A modem 15 and an NCU (network control unit) 16 are provided for performing telephone calls, facsimile transmission / reception (transmission / reception of image data), and electronic mail transmission / reception via a telephone line. The facsimile data (image data) and electronic mail data to be transmitted are modulated and transmitted to the telephone line, and the received facsimile data and electronic mail data are demodulated.
[0033]
The handset 17 is for making a call via the telephone line by performing an off-hook operation when making a call through the telephone line or when receiving an incoming call from the outside. The speaker 18 is provided to output the voice of the other party when performing a conversation in a hands-free state (hands-free talk). Furthermore, the microphone 19 is provided for detecting a voice response for starting the hands-free talk.
[0034]
The wireless communication control circuit 20 is provided to perform wireless communication between the parent device 1 and the child device 30 via the antenna 22 and is controlled by the controller 2 while receiving a known modulation / control signal. It has various functions necessary for wireless communication, such as a demodulation function. The switch 21 is for switching and inputting either voice input from the microphone 19 or voice input from the slave unit 30 received by the antenna 22 to the modem 15 during a call.
[0035]
Next, the subunit | mobile_unit 30 is demonstrated based on FIG.1 (b). As shown in FIG. 1B, the handset 30 includes a controller 31, an operation panel 36, an LCD 37, a call bell 38, a speaker 41, a microphone 42, a wireless communication control circuit 43, and an antenna 44.
[0036]
The controller 31 is configured around a known microcomputer 32 having a CPU 32a, a ROM 32b, a RAM 32c, and the like, similar to the controller 2 of the parent device 1, and the CPU 32a acquires the email received by the parent device 1 in the state of a voice signal. Various control processes such as a process for performing the process and a process for outputting the electronic mail (audio signal) transmitted from the parent device 1 from the speaker 41 are executed. It should be noted that various control processing programs executed by the CPU 32a are stored in the ROM 32b in advance. The RAM 32c is used as a work area when the CPU 32a executes various control processes, and temporarily receives an e-mail received as an analog audio signal from the parent device 1 and converted into digital data by an A / D converter (not shown). An area for saving the file is also secured.
[0037]
The operation panel 36 is used for the user to input a telephone number, a facsimile number, an e-mail address, etc. for communication with an external network, as well as the operation panel 7 of the parent device 1. Even for inputting a mail reproduction request for browsing (sound output) the received e-mail with the child device 30 or a mail print request for printing the sound-output e-mail with the parent device 1. is there.
[0038]
The LCD 37 can display not only the operation contents of the operation panel 36 (display of input telephone number, facsimile number, etc.) but also facsimile image data received by the main unit 1. The call bell 38 has the same function as the call bell 9 of the parent device 1. The speaker 41 is used to output the other party's voice during a call with an external line or an extension call with the master unit 1, and is also received by the master unit 1 and converted into a voice signal and transmitted. It is also for voice output of e-mail. The microphone 42 is provided to detect the voice on the side of the slave unit 30 and transmit it to the external line or the master unit 1 during an external line call or an internal line call. The microphone 42 also has a role of detecting a voice response for starting a hands-free talk when an incoming call is made. Similarly to the wireless communication control circuit 20 of the parent device 1, the wireless communication control circuit 43 is provided for performing wireless communication between the child device 30 and the parent device 1 via the antenna 44.
[0039]
In the facsimile apparatus configured as described above, when an e-mail addressed to the facsimile apparatus arrives at an external mail server, the e-mail is automatically transmitted from the mail server to the parent machine 1 of the facsimile apparatus, and the RAM 3c provided in the parent machine 1 is provided. Stored in. The user can operate the master unit 1 as necessary to display the received mail on the LCD 8 for browsing. In the present embodiment, the slave unit 30 also receives the master unit 1. The stored electronic mail can be acquired from the parent device 1 as a voice signal and output from the speaker 41 as a voice to know the contents of the electronic mail. When listening to the e-mail with the slave unit 30, a mail replay command is transmitted to the master unit 1 by performing a predetermined mail replay request operation (for example, pressing a mail replay button not shown) on the operation panel 36.
[0040]
In the present embodiment, the received facsimile image can be displayed on the LCD 37 of the slave unit 30 as described above, but the operation panel 36 is not shown in order to print out the image on the master unit 1. A facsimile image print button is provided. Therefore, if a facsimile image print button is pressed while a facsimile image is displayed on the LCD 37, the displayed image is printed out by the printer 12 of the parent device 1.
[0041]
Hereinafter, the mail reproduction control process executed by the slave unit 30 will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 2 is a flowchart showing a mail reproduction control process executed by the CPU 32a in the child device 30. In the facsimile apparatus according to the present embodiment, the CPU 32a of the slave unit 30 reads a mail reproduction control processing program from the ROM 32b and executes processing according to this program. This mail reproduction control process is repeatedly executed at a predetermined cycle.
[0042]
When this process is started, it is first determined in step (hereinafter abbreviated as “S”) 110 whether or not a mail reproduction request has been made by the user. At this time, when the user makes a mail reproduction request on the operation panel 36 of the child device 30 (for example, when a mail reproduction button is pressed), the process proceeds to S120, and a mail reproduction command is transmitted to the parent device 1. As a result, the base unit 1 converts the e-mail in the RAM 3c into a voice signal after being converted into a voice signal by the voice synthesis LSI 4, and sends the voice signal to the slave unit 30. The e-mail is acquired by the machine 30. Then, the electronic mail (analog voice signal) transmitted to the slave unit 30 is converted into digital data by an A / D converter (not shown) and then temporarily stored in the RAM 32c. On the other hand, while there is no mail reproduction request by the user, a negative determination is made in S110, and this process ends.
[0043]
In S130, the counter C indicating the number of received mails to be reproduced (voice output) is set to 1, and then the process proceeds to S140, where C received e-mails (e-mails acquired from the parent device 1) Audio output for the first (that is, the first one) is started. That is, the data stored in the RAM 32c is converted again into an audio signal (analog) by a D / A converter (not shown) and output to the speaker 41. In subsequent S150, it is determined whether or not a mail print request has been made by the user. This mail print request is also made by, for example, an operation such as pressing a mail print button (not shown) provided on the operation panel 36 of the slave unit 30 as with the mail reproduction request.
[0044]
If there is no mail print request from the user, the process directly proceeds to S160 to determine whether or not the reproduction of the C-th mail has been completed. In the case, the process proceeds to S210. In S210, it is determined whether or not there is a skip input by the user. This skip input is for stopping the voice output of the e-mail being played and performing the next playback, and is executed by, for example, pressing a playback skip button provided on the operation panel 36 of the slave unit 30. Is done.
[0045]
If there is no skip input, the processes in and after S150 are repeated again. However, if there is a skip input, the counter C is incremented by 1 in S220 and the process returns to S140. As a result, the voice output of the e-mail being reproduced (for example, the first case) is stopped, and the sound output of the next e-mail (for example, the second case) is started.
[0046]
On the other hand, if the user makes a mail print request during the reproduction of the C-th mail, an affirmative determination is made in S150 and the process proceeds to S180, where the parent machine 1 prints out the e-mail currently being reproduced (voice output). The mail print command is transmitted to the main unit 1 so as to do so. Then, in subsequent S190, it is determined whether or not skip setting has been performed.
[0047]
The skip setting is a setting for automatically executing the skip (stopping the voice output of the e-mail during playback) described in S210 when the mail print command is transmitted. By performing a predetermined operation input on the operation panel 36 of the slave unit 30, it is possible to set or cancel it in advance. For this reason, if the skip setting has not been made by the user, the process proceeds to S160, but if the skip setting has been made, the process proceeds to S200 to stop the voice output of the e-mail being reproduced, and the process proceeds to S170.
[0048]
In S170, it is determined whether or not the reproduction of all the e-mails acquired from the main unit 1 in S120 is completed. If not completed, the process proceeds to S220, the counter C is incremented, and the processing after S140 again ( In other words, the next playback start) is executed, but if it is finished, this processing is finished as it is.
[0049]
Next, when a mail reproduction command or a mail printing command is transmitted from the child device 30, the parent device 1 transmits an e-mail to the child device 30 by an audio signal, or an e-mail being reproduced by the child device 30. A mail output control process executed by the master unit 1 for printing out the data by the printer 12 will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing a mail output control process executed by the CPU 3a in the parent device 1. In the facsimile apparatus according to the present embodiment, the CPU 3a of the base unit 1 reads a mail output control processing program from the ROM 3b, and executes processing according to this program. This mail output control process is repeatedly executed at a predetermined cycle.
[0050]
When this process is started, first, in S310, it is determined whether or not a mail reproduction command is transmitted from the child device 30, and if it is not transmitted, the process proceeds to S340, and similarly, a mail print command is transmitted from the child device 30. It is determined whether or not is transmitted. If a negative determination is also made here, this processing is terminated as it is.
[0051]
On the other hand, if an affirmative determination is made in S310, that is, if a mail reproduction command is received from the slave unit 30, the process proceeds to S320, where the voice synthesis LSI 4 is operated, and all e-mails already received and stored in the RAM 3c are Convert to voice signal. Then, in the subsequent S330, the converted audio signal is transmitted to the slave unit 30.
[0052]
If a negative determination is made in S310, but an affirmative determination is made in S340, that is, if a mail print command is received from the handset 30, the process proceeds to S350, and an e-mail (that is, a child) that receives the command is transferred to S350. The electronic mail (text data) currently being output by the machine 30 is converted into print data for printing output by the printer 12 and output to the printer 12. As a result, the printer 12 prints out the received e-mail (the number of copies is 1).
[0053]
As described above in detail, according to the facsimile apparatus of the present embodiment, the e-mail received by the master unit 1 can be reproduced (voice output) by the slave unit 30, and the voice is being output. By making a mail print request at the handset 30, it is possible to print out the e-mail being output by the printer 12 of the base 1. Therefore, when it is desired to print out the e-mail being played back by the slave unit 30, it is not necessary for the user to bother to go to the place where the master unit 1 is installed and operate the master unit 1 to print, as in the past. By operating the slave unit 30 (inputting a mail print request), it is possible to print out the e-mail being reproduced on the master unit 1 in real time, so that the master unit can be efficiently operated without bothering the user. 1 can be printed out.
[0054]
Furthermore, it is possible not only to skip to the next playback during the playback of the e-mail, but also to automatically skip to the next playback when a mail print request is made. Therefore, when a plurality of e-mails are sequentially output by voice, the contents of the e-mail can be known more speedily and efficiently.
[0055]
Here, in the mail reproduction control process (see FIG. 2) executed by the CPU 32a of the slave unit 30, the process of S180 corresponds to the process executed by the print command transmitting means of the present invention, and the process of S200 is the process of the present invention. This corresponds to the processing executed by the audio output stop means. Further, in the mail output control process (see FIG. 3) executed by the CPU 3a of the base unit 1, the process of S350 corresponds to the process executed by the print data output means of the present invention.
[0056]
The embodiment of the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and it goes without saying that various forms can be adopted as long as it belongs to the technical scope of the present invention.
For example, the voice output of the electronic mail in the slave unit 30 in the above embodiment is performed by A / D converting the electronic mail (analog voice signal) transmitted from the base unit 1 and temporarily storing it in the RAM 32c, and from there again This is realized by D / A conversion one by one and sequentially outputting to the speaker 41, but it is not always necessary to store the data in the RAM 32c. An audio signal (analog) may be directly output to the speaker 41 via the wireless communication control circuit 43.
[0057]
In this case, when the user inputs a skip input, for example, to skip to the next audio playback during the audio output by the slave unit 30 (YES in S210 in FIG. 2), a signal to that effect is sent to the main unit 1. By sending the message, it is only necessary to send the next e-mail from the master unit 1, and while the voice is being output from the slave unit 30, the mail is printed to the master unit 1 by the mail print request input from the user. When the command is transmitted (S180 in FIG. 2) and skip setting has been made in advance, the base unit 1 interrupts the reproduction / transmission of the e-mail (voice signal) and reproduces the next item.・ Move to transfer. That is, in this case, the base unit 1 includes the audio output stop means of the present invention.
[0058]
In this way, in addition to obtaining substantially the same operation and effect as the above embodiment, it is not necessary to temporarily store the audio signal in the RAM 32c in the slave unit 30, so that there is a margin in the capacity of the RAM 32c accordingly. You can have it.
Further, for example, in the above embodiment, the number of copies of the e-mail printed on the printer 12 side is one each time an e-mail print request is input while the e-mail is being output by voice in the slave unit 30. A plurality of copies may be printed without being limited to the copies. In this case, for example, when a mail print command is transmitted from the slave unit 30, it is possible to print only the number of copies specified by the user by transmitting a mail print command including information specifying the number of copies to be printed. For example, the same electronic mail can be printed in three copies by pressing the numeric key “3” (not shown) on the slave unit 30 and then pressing the mail print button.
[0059]
Further, in the above embodiment, an example has been shown in which when the mail playback command is transmitted from the handset 30, all the emails stored in the RAM 3c of the base unit 1 are played back by the handset 30. For example, the slave unit 30 may first display a list of e-mails received by the master unit 1, select only desired mail, and allow the master unit 1 to make a playback request.
[0060]
Furthermore, in the above-described embodiment, the switch (mail print button) that is operated when it is desired to print an e-mail that is being played back by the slave unit 30 or the facsimile image that is being displayed on the LCD 37 of the slave unit 30 is operated. Each switch (facsimile image print button) is provided as a dedicated button. However, if the button is pressed during playback of e-mail, for example, the main unit 1 side The mail may be printed, and the facsimile image may be printed by pressing the button while the facsimile image is displayed. Further, the present invention is not limited to this, and various keys provided on the operation panel 36 may be appropriately used as buttons for printing.
[0061]
Furthermore, in the above embodiment, by operating the operation panel 36 (pressing the mail print button) while playing back an e-mail on the slave unit 30, only the e-mail being played is printed on the main unit 1 side. Although an example has been shown, for example, by providing an operation button for printing all received e-mails, all e-mails may be printed in a lump without being limited to replaying e-mails. In this case, after sending a command to print all items at once, the reproduction of the e-mail on the slave unit 30 may be stopped, or the reproduction may be continued as it is.
[0062]
In addition, while playing back e-mails on the slave unit 30, it is now possible to move to the next playback if skip input is entered. In addition to skip input, on the contrary, there is a function for replaying e-mails that have already been played back. You can have it. In this way, if it is determined that printing is not necessary once you have heard it, but should still be printed if you think carefully, it is possible to return to the playback of the email and request mail printing It becomes.
[0063]
Furthermore, the voice synthesis LSI 4 that converts an electronic mail (text data) into a voice signal is not necessarily provided only in the parent device 1, and may be provided in both the parent device 1 and the child device 30. In that case, the e-mail is transmitted as text data from the parent device 1 and converted into an audio signal by the child device 30 that has received the text data.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating a schematic configuration of a cordless parent / child facsimile apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention, in which FIG.
FIG. 2 is a flowchart showing a mail reproduction control process executed by the CPU of the slave unit.
FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing mail output control processing executed by the CPU of the parent device.
[Explanation of symbols]
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Master machine, 2,31 ... Controller, 2a, 33 ... EEPROM, 3, 32 ... Microcomputer, 3a, 32a ... CPU, 3b, 32b ... ROM, 3c, 32c ... RAM, 4 ... Voice synthesis LSI, 5 ... Voice Synthetic dictionary, 7, 36 ... operation panel, 9, 38 ... call bell, 11 ... scanner, 12 ... printer, 13 ... encoder / decoder, 15 ... modem, 16 ... NCU, 17 ... handset, 18, 41 ... speaker, 19, 42 ... Microphone, 20, 43 ... Wireless communication control circuit, 21 ... Switch, 22, 44 ... Antenna, 30 ... Slave unit

Claims (3)

A master unit capable of receiving an electronic mail transmitted via a communication line, and a slave unit configured to be capable of wireless communication with the master unit and capable of outputting the received electronic mail by voice And an e-mail receiving device comprising:
The slave is
During voice output of the electronic mail, when the print request is input from the outside, wirelessly transmits a print instruction to print an e-mail situ that are audio output when the input of the print request to the base unit A printing command transmission means;
The base unit is
When a print command is received from the print command transmission unit, the print command output unit includes a print data output unit that converts an e-mail instructed by the print command into print data and outputs the print data to an external print unit. E-mail receiving device. 2. The electronic mail according to claim 1, further comprising voice output stop means for stopping voice output of the electronic mail when the print command transmission means transmits the print command during voice output of the electronic mail. Receiver device. The base unit is
5. A facsimile function for receiving image data transmitted from an external network via a communication line, printing the image, and transmitting the read image as image data to the external network. 3. The electronic mail receiving device according to 1 or 2.

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