JPH06291922A - Facsimile equipment with computer interlocking function - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To increase a picture data quantity able to be sent by retrieval polling and to input picture data being an object of retrieval polling transmission simply and in an efficient state. CONSTITUTION:This facsimile equipment is provided with connection means 7a, 7b with a computer C storing picture data file and upon the receipt of a signal for polling execution and data of a transmission designation file from a caller side after the arrival of an incoming call, a command signal to retrieve and to output designated picture data from a data file in the computer C is outputted and picture data outputted from the computer are sent to the caller side.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a facsimile machine with a computer interlocking function, which is configured to interlock with a host computer when performing so-called search polling transmission.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Recently, as a facsimile device, a device having a so-called search polling transmission function has been developed. This search polling transmission function divides and stores a plurality of image data files in the image memory in advance, so that when the signal for polling execution and the data of the file number that specifies transmission are received from the calling side, The image data of the designated file is read from the image memory and transmitted to the calling side. According to such a search polling function, the image information desired by the calling side can be arbitrarily received from the plurality of image data files stored in the image memory by facsimile, which is convenient.

[0003]

However, each of the above-mentioned conventional ones is merely designed to store the image data file in the image memory provided in the facsimile apparatus, and the image data file is stored in the image memory. The amount of image data that could be produced was very small. Therefore, in the past, even if an attempt was made to provide various types of image data to a desired party by search polling, there was a certain limit to the amount of image data that could be provided. As a result, product data that can be stored in the image memory even if a mail-order company or the like of a product targets a large number of customers and tries to construct a system for providing information to the data of the product catalog by searching and polling those customers. Due to the small quantity, the system became half-finished, causing problems such as inability to provide sufficient services to customers.

Further, in the past, for example, when the search polling is executed by using a plurality of facsimile devices, even if the same image data is stored in all of the plurality of facsimile devices, It is necessary to individually input the image data into all the facsimile devices. Therefore, the work of inputting image data is troublesome and there is a problem in terms of work efficiency.

The present invention has been proposed in view of the above points, and the amount of image data that can be transmitted by search polling can be easily increased, and the input operation of image data can be performed easily and without waste. Its purpose is to be able to do.

[0006]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention is intended to achieve the above object by linking a computer storing image data files with a facsimile machine. That is, the configuration of the present invention has a connection means for connecting to a computer that stores the image data file, and when a signal for polling execution and the data of the transmission designated file are received from the calling side after the incoming call, the designated image is designated. A facsimile device with a computer interlocking function, which is configured to output a command signal for retrieving and outputting data from a data file in a computer, and transmitting image data output from the computer to a calling side. .

[0007]

In the facsimile machine with a computer interlocking function according to the present invention having the above-mentioned structure, when a call is made from another facsimile machine and search polling is executed while connected to a computer in which image data is stored. To the computer, a command signal for retrieving and outputting the specified image data file from the image data files stored in the computer is output to the computer. Then, when the computer outputs the specified image data in response to this, the image data is transmitted to the calling side facsimile device. Therefore, the computer can easily output a large amount of information that is difficult to store in the image memory of the facsimile apparatus, and the amount of information that can be transmitted by search polling can be greatly increased. Further, since the image data to be transmitted by the search polling may be stored in the computer, even if a plurality of facsimile machines are used, the image data is individually stored in the image memories of the plurality of facsimile machines. There is no need to store it. The image data in the computer can be shared by a plurality of facsimile devices.

[0008]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an example of a hardware configuration of a facsimile apparatus F with a computer-linked function according to the present invention. The facsimile apparatus F shown in the figure comprises a facsimile communication control section 1 and a signal processing section 2 composed of a CPU, and the signal processing section 2 comprises a key operation section 3, a liquid crystal display and the like. The display unit 4, the storage unit 5, the image reading unit 8, the print output unit 9, the signal transmission unit 6, and the like are connected. In the figure, 7a and 7b are connection terminals used for wiring connection with the host computer C, and correspond to an example of connection means with a computer in the present invention.

The facsimile communication control unit 1 is composed of a line control unit 1a, a protocol signal detection circuit 1b, a protocol signal generation circuit 1c, a modem 1d for transmitting and receiving image data, and the like. The key operation unit 3 is an FI for setting the facsimile apparatus F in the interlocking mode with the host computer C in addition to the ten keys and other general operation keys.
The P mode switching key 3b is provided. This key 3b
It is configured as a dedicated operation key or a combination of a function key and a numeric keypad. The signal transmission unit 6 is for transmitting / receiving a predetermined control command between the host computer C and the signal processing unit 2 of the facsimile apparatus F, which are connected via the connection terminal 7a and a connection cord (not shown). It is a thing. The other connection terminal 7b is connected to the modem 1d so that the image data signal output from the host computer C can be sent to the line L via the modem 1d.

The signal processing unit 2 is called by another facsimile machine in a state of being set to the interlocking mode with the host computer C by the key operation of the key operation unit 3, and executes the search polling after the automatic incoming call. Signal to do
Also, when the protocol signal detection circuit 1b detects a protocol signal as data of the designated file, the signal transmission unit 6 causes the host computer C to retrieve and output the image data of the designated file. Is configured to output. Further, when the execution of the search polling is completed, the signal processing unit 2 executes a predetermined item such as the facsimile number of the communication partner, which is determined during the handshake with the partner facsimile machine,
The signal transmission unit 6 is configured to transmit to the host computer C.

The host computer C is provided with a storage means capable of dividing a large number of image data files into a desired state and storing them with a file bit indicating the file division attached. Transmission unit 6
When the above-mentioned control command is received from, the specified image data is retrieved from a large number of image data files stored in the storage means, and the image data is output to the connection terminal 7b side of the facsimile apparatus F. Is configured to FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram of image data stored in the storage means of the host computer C. The plurality of image data are stored in a state in which each image data file number is assigned to each image data. As the image data stored in the host computer C, for example, the document width is A4 size, MH
It is compressed and encoded by a method or the like and can be transmitted by facsimile as it is via the modem 1d. Further, as the host computer C, a computer having a so-called multitask function is applied, and more preferably a computer having a large storage capacity of image data is applied.

When the facsimile device F is used as a facsimile device dedicated to search polling transmission by being constantly connected to the host computer C,
The image memory (not shown), the image reading unit 8 and the like are not always necessary.

FIG. 3 is a schematic explanatory view showing an example of a system using the facsimile device F and the host computer C. The system shown in the figure comprises, for example, a facsimile machine F and a host computer C installed in a product sales company, a large number of member facsimile machines A1 to An that are customers of the sales company, and their communication networks such as public lines. It was done. It should be noted that the host computer C stores image data such as a catalog of sold products in a filed form. Further, Fa to Fn correspond to a large number of member facsimile machines A1 to Fn in one facsimile machine F.
A facsimile machine installed to cope with the inability to handle a call from An, and is connected to the host computer C in the same manner as the facsimile machine F.

In the system shown in FIG. 3, the facsimile apparatus F is first set to the interlocking mode with the host computer C. Then, in this setting state, for example, a call is made from the member facsimile machine A1, and after the automatic call reception, a signal indicating that the search polling is to be executed from the member facsimile machine A1 and the data of the file designating the polling transmission are protocol signals. When sent by
Upon receiving this, the facsimile device F searches the host computer C for the designated image data and outputs a control command for outputting the image data. It should be noted that each member as a user of the member facsimile machines A1 to An is informed of the outline of the contents of the image data file in advance, and each member must specify the image data file he or she wants to obtain by its file number. Is possible.

Then, the host computer C that has received the predetermined control command from the facsimile apparatus F searches the image data file in the storage means of the host computer C accordingly, and sends the image data to the facsimile apparatus F side. Output. Since this image data is output with the predetermined original width and the compression encoding method, the modem 1d of the facsimile machine F and the line L are connected when the handshake between the facsimile machine F and the member facsimile machine A1 is completed. It is transmitted as it is to the member facsimile apparatus A1 side. When the image data has a plurality of pages, every time the transmission of one page is completed, the facsimile device F performs the handshake necessary for transmitting the image data of the next page, and all the pages of the specified image data file are The image data is repeatedly output from the host computer C until the transmission is completed.

Further, when the facsimile transmission of the search polling is completed, the facsimile apparatus F is operated at that time.
Sends data such as the facsimile number of the member facsimile apparatus A1 and the transmitted image data file number to the host computer C. Therefore, on the sales company side,
By confirming such data input to the host computer C, it becomes possible to accurately grasp customer management such as the inquiry status of products. Steps 100 to 112 of the flowchart of FIG. 4 show a series of operation procedures of the facsimile apparatus F.

As described above, the product sales company can promptly provide the desired image information regarding the product to the member facsimile apparatus A1 by the search polling. Since it is stored in the host computer C having a large storage capacity, it is possible to provide information on a wide variety of products. Further, the information provision by such search polling can be performed by the facsimile devices F1 to Fn other than the facsimile device F. However, in any of the facsimile devices F and F1 to Fn, the image data file is stored in the storage unit. It is not necessary to keep them, and these facsimile devices F, F1 to Fn
In all of the above, it is possible to efficiently use the image data stored in one host computer C.

Further, in the above embodiment, the case has been described in which the MH-coded image information is stored in the host computer and is directly output to the facsimile modem, but other methods can be applied in the present invention. . That is, the image is stored in the computer by an encoding method having a high compression ratio such as MR and MMR, and the encoding is redone according to the encoding method of the partner machine during facsimile transmission. This decoding and encoding work may be carried out on the computer side or the facsimile machine side (however, if it is carried out on the facsimile machine side, the computer cannot directly output to the modem).

[0019]

As can be understood from the above description, according to the facsimile apparatus with a computer interlocking function of the present invention, image data to be transmitted by search polling can be output from a computer having a large storage capacity.
It is convenient because it can significantly increase the amount of image data that is subject to search polling compared to conventional methods, and is extremely convenient when constructing a large-scale communication network system that provides product information and other information. Is. Moreover, the image data to be subjected to the search polling can be stored in one computer and can be shared by a plurality of facsimile devices as appropriate, and even when the plurality of facsimile devices are used for the search polling, This is very convenient because there is no need to input image data one by one to each of these plural facsimile machines.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an example of a hardware configuration of a facsimile device with a computer-linked function according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of an image data file stored in a computer.

FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of a system using a facsimile apparatus with a computer-linked function according to the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing an example of a series of operation procedures of the facsimile device with a computer-linked function according to the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1 Facsimile communication control unit 2 Signal processing unit 3 Key operation unit 3b FIP mode switching key 6 Signal transmission unit 7a, 7b Connection terminal C Host computer F Facsimile device with computer interlocking function

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[Procedure amendment]

[Submission date] May 20, 1993

[Procedure Amendment 1]

[Document name to be amended] Statement

[Name of item to be amended] Claims

[Correction method] Change

[Correction content]

[Claims]

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. When a signal for polling execution and data of a designated transmission file is received from a calling side after receiving a call, the computer has a means for connecting to a computer for storing the designated image data. A facsimile apparatus with a computer interlocking function, which is configured to output a command signal for searching and outputting from a data file in the computer, and transmitting image data output from the computer to a calling side.