JPH0157545B2 - - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION Technical Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a facsimile signal output control method in a facsimile connection device that connects a computer and a facsimile, and attempts to control page output without increasing the load on the computer side. be.

Prior Art and Problems A system has been developed that connects a computer and a facsimile (FAX) using a facsimile connection device and transmits image data from the former to the latter, but the conventional facsimile connection device does not have the concept of a page. , the information sent from the computer is output as is. Therefore, depending on the amount of information transmitted from the computer, the transmitted information printed out by facsimile may be larger than the size of one page. Therefore, if it is desired to output data in one page size, it is necessary to adjust the data to fit on one page in advance on the computer side, which is a burden on the application program.

Purpose of the Invention The purpose of the present invention is to enable the host application to recognize pages and control cutting of paper in a facsimile connection device, without having to manage pages on the computer side and control the timing of cutting paper in a fax. In addition to reducing the load on
This allows you to obtain easy-to-read fax output results.

Structure of the Invention The present invention provides a facsimile signal output in a facsimile connection device that connects to a computer system and also connects to a partner facsimile through an exchange, converts output information to the facsimile generated by the computer system into a facsimile signal, and outputs the facsimile signal. In the control method, the facsimile connection device includes a memory for storing multiple pages of output information from a computer system, an image memory for holding one page of data converted to image data, and a memory for storing output information for a plurality of pages from the computer system; The computer converts the output information into image data, stores it in the image memory, sends it to the other party's facsimile when one page's worth of data is stored, and repeats this operation for multiple pages stored in the memory. When multiple pages of information are input from the system at once, the facsimile connection device divides the information into pages and sends them to the facsimile.This will be explained in detail below with reference to the illustrated embodiment. Explain.

Embodiment of the Invention FIG. 1 shows the overall configuration of a system to which the present invention is applied, in which a facsimile connection device 12 transmits facsimile output information received from a host computer 11 to an NCU.
(Network control device) 13 plays the role of transferring to the facsimile device 15 via the exchange 14.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing details of this facsimile connection device 12. host computer 1
The output information transmitted from 1 is transferred to memory (MEM) 22 via LC (line controller) 23 under the control of MPU (microprocessor) 21. Thereafter, the content of the output information is investigated under the control of the MPU 21, and if it is character code data, for example, the code data is transferred to the character generator (CGC) 24 and requested to be converted into image data. 2
6 is 1728 x 2286 bits (A4 size) or 2048
It is an image memory (IM) of ×2802 bits (B4 size), and IMC25 is its controller.
The MPU 21 also manages the amount of data for one page while investigating the content of output information, and the image memory 26
When data for one page is ready, a compression circuit (PRESS) 27 is used to convert the image data into a compressed code, and the image data is output to the FAX 15 via the line controller 23. When output to the fax machine is finished, an RTC signal is sent to instruct paper cutting, and then an MPS (multipage) signal is sent.
Send it by fax and let them know that the next page will continue. By managing one page of information under the control of the MPU 21 in this way, the host computer 11 in FIG.
Multiple page output can be controlled as if the host application were aware of the FAX 15.

FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram showing the flow of operation of the entire system. When the host computer dials to call a fax, the fax called via a switched network notifies the facsimile connection device of attributes such as communication speed. In response to this, the host side instructs the attributes to be adopted for the current transmission, and then performs training. Once the training is complete, the fax will send back a ready-to-receive signal. This becomes a positive response (normal response) to the host.

After this, when the host sends output information, it is converted into a compressed code by the facsimile connection device and faxed.
sent to. Since page management is performed by the facsimile connection device, the host may input output information for a plurality of pages to be transmitted at once to the facsimile connection device. This output information is stored in memory 22 as described above. If the output information is a character code, the facsimile connection device converts it into a character pattern, stores it in the image memory 26, and detects page breaks. If it is determined that there is next page data, a next page continuation signal is output to the FAX. Page separation is based on detection of home feed included in host output information or detection of the maximum number of lines included in one page (such as 66 lines in A4 size). In the latter case, line detection is performed by automatic line feed based on the new line code included in the output information or the number of characters included in one line of the specified paper size. Conceptually, a page break occurs when the image memory 26 in FIG. 2 is filled with pattern data. In order to capture one page in this way on the computer side, it is necessary to convert (expand) the character code string into a character pattern, which makes the application program complicated.
It is easy to use a facsimile connection device that originally has this conversion function.

The facsimile connection device repeats conversion on a page-by-page basis, and if it determines that there is no next page data (this is done because there is no unconverted character code in the memory 22, etc.), it returns a + response to the host. After this, the host issues a command to instruct the end of the process, and after a series of processes, the line is disconnected.

Effects of the Invention As described above, according to the present invention, there is no need for the host application to check output data and control pages, so there is an advantage that the load on the host computer can be reduced.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic block diagram of a system using a facsimile connection device, FIG. 2 is a detailed block diagram of the facsimile connection device, and FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram of the operation of the facsimile connection device showing an embodiment of the present invention. In the figure, 11 is a host computer, 12 is a facsimile connection device, 13 is an NCU, 14 is a switch,
15 is a fax machine, 21 is a microprocessor, 22
is a storage device, 23 is a line control adapter, 24 is a character converter, 25 is an image memory controller,
26 is an image memory, and 27 is a compression encoder.

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1 Connected to the computer system 11 and also connected to the exchange 1
In the facsimile signal output control method in the facsimile connection device 12, which connects to the other facsimile 15 through the facsimile connection device 15 and converts output information generated by the computer system to a facsimile signal and outputs the facsimile signal, the computer system Memory 2 that stores multiple pages of output information from
2, an image memory 26 that holds one page's worth of data converted into image data, and an image memory 26 that stores the output information stored in the memory 22 into image data and stores it in the image memory 26, so that the one page's worth of data is stored in the image memory 26. When stored, the opponent's facsimile is 15
Data processing means 21 and 24 are provided to repeat this operation for a plurality of pages stored in the memory 22, and when information for a plurality of pages is input at once from the computer system, it is processed page by page using a facsimile connection device. A facsimile signal output control method characterized in that the facsimile signal is divided and sent to the facsimile.