JPH07111555A - Facsimile equipment - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To prevent the loss of the received contents in a facsimile reception state by switching automatically a recording part to a facsimile received image recording state if no command is supplied from an external information processor for a prescribed time. CONSTITUTION:A facsimile control part 101 monitors a STROB signal to detect whether a command is received from an external information processor. A timer 111 is controlled by a CPU 104 and counts a set time to reports the CPU 104 a fact that a prescribed time passed. Thus the CPU 104 automatically witches the operation mode of a recording part to a facsimile mode from a printer mode. Therefore it is possible to prevent the operation mode of the recording part from being kept in a printer mode and then to prevent the loss of the receives contents in a facsimile reception state.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a facsimile apparatus having a printer interface and capable of using a recording section as a printing apparatus of an external information processing apparatus such as a computer.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In recent years, a facsimile apparatus having a printer interface and capable of using a recording section as a printing apparatus of an external information processing apparatus such as a computer has been put into practical use. When using this facsimile apparatus, the user has switched the recording section between the facsimile section and the external information processing apparatus as necessary.

[0003]

However, in the above-mentioned conventional example, the user who uses the recording unit of the facsimile device as the printer of the external information processing device does not perform the operation of switching the recording unit for recording the facsimile received image. If left unattended, there is a problem that if a facsimile is received, the received content is lost.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a facsimile apparatus capable of avoiding a state in which a facsimile cannot be received for a long period of time even when the user neglects to switch the mode of the recording section.

[0005]

According to the present invention, means for monitoring whether or not data is being supplied from an external information processing apparatus to a recording unit is provided, and a predetermined time has elapsed since the supply of data to the recording unit was interrupted. Then, the recording unit is automatically switched to the one for recording the facsimile received image.

[0006]

1 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a facsimile apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.

The facsimile control unit 101 is composed of a microprocessor and the like, and comprises a CPU (central processing unit) 104, a ROM 103, a RAM 102, etc.
Controls the entire image input / output and communication processing in this device. The ROM 114 stores a control program described later,
The RAM 113 is used as a work area for the CPU 104, and also stores a buffer for image data and the like.

Image input / output is performed by the reading unit 100 and the recording unit 11.
2 is performed. That is, the reading of the original image data is performed by the reading unit 100 including a CCD (charge storage element) sensor, an original conveying system, and the like. Further, the received image data and the image data read by the reading unit 100 at the time of copying are printed on paper by the recording unit 112 including an inkjet printer.

Further, connection with a communication line such as a telephone line and data input / output are performed by a modem 105 and an NCU (network control unit) 106. The NCU 106 is connected with telephones for telephone calls and manual control.

The recording unit 112 includes an ink jet head,
It is composed of recording paper conveying means and control means. The control means is
CPU 115 and ROM 114 for storing a control program for the CPU 115 and a character generator
And a work area of the CPU 115, a command buffer,
It includes a RAM 113 used as a print buffer.

The switch 110 is for the facsimile controller 1
It is switched by the control of 01. Then, when switched to the side a, the received data of the facsimile is sent to the recording unit 112 and printed. Also, when switching to the b side, the connector 1
Print data from the external information processing device connected to 16 is sent to the recording unit 112 and printed.

When the switch 110 is switched to the b side, c is also connected at the same time. This allows the connector 116
Command from the connector 116 to the recording unit 112 when the switch 110 is switched to the side b. Can be detected as being sent.

Specifically, as shown in FIG. 2, the facsimile controller 101 detects the presence or absence of a command from the external information processing device by monitoring the STROB signal.

The timer 111 is controlled by the CPU 104, sets a predetermined time, measures the time, and notifies the CPU 104 of the time when the predetermined time has elapsed.

The operation panel 107 includes a FAX operation unit 10
8 and a recording unit operation unit 109 are provided. The FAX operation unit 108 includes a numeric keypad for inputting a telephone number, various function keys, an operation mode key for switching the operation mode to a facsimile mode or a printer mode,
A display device or the like used for displaying a telephone number or time is provided. Further, the recording unit operation unit 109 is provided with a display device that displays the current operation mode.

Next, the operations of the facsimile control unit 101 and the recording unit 112 will be described with reference to the flowcharts of FIGS.

The recording section 112 has two operation modes. One is a mode for recording a received image of a facsimile (hereinafter referred to as a facsimile printing mode), and the other is a mode for recording data from an external information processing device (hereinafter referred to as a printer mode).

FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing the operation of the recording unit 112.

First, when a command is sent via the switch 110, the control of the recording unit 112 proceeds to S1.
In S1, if the transmitted command is a command to shift to the facsimile mode, the process proceeds to S2.

In S2, the operation mode of the recording unit 112 is set to the facsimile print mode, and the command receiving operation is completed. If the command is not the facsimile mode transition command in S1, the process proceeds to S3.

If the received command is the printer mode shift command in S3, the process proceeds to S4, the printer mode is set, and the process ends. If the command is not a command to switch to the printer mode in S3, the process proceeds to S5, processes other commands, and ends.

Next, in the operation of the recording unit 112, a procedure for switching the operation mode of the recording unit 112 by the facsimile control unit 101 will be described.

As described above, the facsimile controller 101
Monitors whether a command is input from the connector 116. The presence / absence of a command is detected by an interrupt by the facsimile control unit 101 at a time interval (for example, about 1 ms) at which the command can be sampled. Then, the operation mode of the recording unit 112 is switched as needed. FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing the interrupt routine.

Specifically, in S11, the operation mode of the recording unit 112 is detected, and if it is the printer mode, the process proceeds to S12, and if it is the facsimile mode, the interrupt process is terminated.

In S12, the presence or absence of a command is checked from the connector 116, and if a command is detected, S1
Proceed to step 3 to check whether com_flg is set to 1. Here, com_flg is a flag indicating whether or not a command is detected in the previous interrupt. The com_flg is set to 0 as an initial value when the user manually switches the recording unit operation mode switch on the operation panel 107 from the facsimile mode to the printer mode.

If the com_flg is set to 1 in S13, the command input is continuing, so the interrupt processing is terminated. If com_flg is not 1 in S13, the timer 111 is reset in S14, and
At 15, the com_flg is set to 1.

If no command is detected in S12, the process proceeds to S16. In this S16, co
When m_flg is 0, the process proceeds to S17 and the timer 11
Time measurement of 1 has elapsed for a predetermined time (timeout)
Check whether or not. Then, if the time-out has not occurred, the interrupt process is terminated as it is, but if the time-out has occurred, the operation mode changeover switch 110 of the recording unit 112 is changed over to the side a.

In step S16, com_fl
When g is not 0, the process proceeds to S19 and the timer 111 is activated. Then, in step S20, 0 is set in com_flg.

By executing the above processing, the recording section operation mode can be automatically switched from the printer mode to the facsimile mode.

[0030]

As described above, according to the present invention,
If a command from the external information processing device is not input for a predetermined time, the recording unit is automatically switched for recording a facsimile received image so that the user does not have to bother and the recording unit operation mode is the printer mode. It is possible to prevent the information from being left as it is and to avoid losing the received contents when receiving a facsimile.

When the user uses the facsimile machine as the printer of the external information processing apparatus, the user is not far from the facsimile machine so that it cannot be operated, and the recording section operation mode may be switched according to the convenience of the user. .

[Brief description of drawings]

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

FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating a handshake between a facsimile control unit and an external information processing device in the above embodiment.

FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing the operation of the recording unit in the above embodiment.

FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing an interrupt routine for switching a recording unit operation mode in the above embodiment.

[Explanation of symbols]

 Reference numeral 100 ... Read unit, 101 ... Facsimile control unit, 102, 113 ... RAM, 103, 114 ... ROM, 104, 115 ... CPU, 105 ... Modem, 106 ... NCU, 110 ... Switch, 111 ... Timer, 112 ... Recording unit, 116 ... Connector.

Claims (2)

[Claims] 1. A facsimile apparatus having a printer interface and having a function of switching a recording unit for recording a received image of a facsimile and for a printer of an external information processing device and using the data from the external information processing device to the recording unit. And a control means for automatically switching the recording unit to record a received image of a facsimile after a predetermined time has elapsed since the supply of data was interrupted. Characteristic facsimile machine. 2. The facsimile apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising display means for displaying that the recording unit has switched from recording a received image of a facsimile to a printer of an external information processing apparatus.