JPS61203770A - Connecting device for facsimile - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To properly disconnect the line of a facsimile terminal equipment by so controlling that the physical line-disconnection of a host computer is executed after a lapse of a specified time since the time when an indication for the line-disconnection is transmitted. CONSTITUTION:On receiving a line-disconnection indicating signal D.EOT of the host computer 1 from the same computer, the titled device 2 transmits a line-disconnection signal DCN to the facsimile terminal equipment 4, and transmits a response signal ACK to the computer 1 after a specified time lapses. The program in a ROM 24 is so composed that the signal DCN reaches the equipment 4 prior to the signal ACK reaching the computer 1, therefore, a processor 23 acts in accordance with said program. The computer 1 transmits an indication signal for physical line-disconnection ER.OFF from itself only after receiving the signal ACK from the device 2. A net controlling device 3 executes the line-disconnection by receiving the signal ER.OFF.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [Field of Industrial Application] The present invention relates to a facsimile connection device, and more particularly to a facsimile connection device that controls data transfer between a host computer and a facsimile machine.

[Conventional technology]

In the past, it was common to connect two facsimile machines and transmit image information from one facsimile machine to another according to a predetermined fax procedure, but recently facsimile machines It has been proposed to be used as a distribution terminal for a host computer. Figure 1 is a block diagram showing an example of a general system in which a facsimile machine 1 is used as a delivery terminal for a host computer. The system according to the example of FIG. 1 is a host computer (abbreviated as HO8T)
1. It is composed of a facsimile connection device ml (abbreviated as FCU) 2, a network control device (abbreviated as NCU) 3, and a facsimile device (abbreviated as FAX) 4.

The facsimile connection device 12 connects the host computer 1
It controls data transfer between the facsimile device 4 and the facsimile device 4. Communication between the host computer 1 and the facsimile connection device [i12] is performed according to a predetermined control procedure, and the communication between the facsimile connection device 12 and the facsimile IJ device 1
Communication with F.4 complies with CCITT Recommendation T30.
This is done according to the AX procedure.

The network control device 13 connects/disconnects lines according to instructions from the host computer 1. A line connection is made, host-computer l, facsimile connection &2. After the network control device 3 and the facsimile device 14 are connected, the image information or character information output from the host computer 1 is converted into a facsimile signal by the facsimile connection device 2, and then transmitted as image information to the facsimile device! 114.

The configuration of the 7mm/7mm connection device t2 in the example of FIG. 1 is as follows: FAX (lid face 22, processor 23, facsimile connection device t2? ROM 24 in which a program to control is stored, RAM 25 used for buffers, etc.) Data transfer between facsimile connection device 2 and host computer 1 The data transfer between the facsimile device 2 and the facsimile device 4 is carried out via the FAX interface 22.

In such a system, as a conventional example of termination processing after the transmission of image information is completed, Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 59-12
5170 is disclosed. In this disclosed conventional example, the facsimile connection device 2 sends information indicating that all of the image information has been transmitted to the facsimile device 4 according to instructions from the host computer 1, and then sends the image from the facsimile device (i14 to When a response signal indicating whether the information was correctly received is sent, it sends a signal to the host computer 1 indicating that the transmission signal from the host-comviator 1 has been correctly received, and immediately sends a signal to the facsimile machine 4. The device is configured to send information indicating a line disconnection instruction.

[Problem that the invention seeks to solve]

In the process of the prior art as described above, before the facsimile connection device 2 finishes sending information indicating a line disconnection instruction to the facsimile device 4.

There is a risk that the network control device 13 will completely disconnect the circuit 1W.

In such a case, there is a drawback that the facsimile device 4 detects a communication error and ends the communication abnormally.

[Means for Solving the Problems] 'The facsimile connection device of the present invention instructs the facsimile device to disconnect the line when information indicating a line disconnection instruction is sent from the host-combi service. The host computer is provided with means for sending a response signal back to the host computer after a predetermined period of time has elapsed after supplying the information.

〔Example〕

Next, the present invention will be explained with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a Kanakura system according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram showing termination processing after the transmission of image information is completed in the embodiment of the present invention. The facsimile connection device @2 of this embodiment has the same configuration as that described in the conventional example.

The difference from the conventional example is that the contents of the program stored in R,0M24 are different.

The operation of this embodiment will be explained below with reference to FIGS. 1 and 2. In addition, I! Each piece of control information in FIG. 2 has the following meaning.

PMC (EOP) Signal indicating the end of image information transmission MCF
A response signal indicating that all image information has been received normally S P A signal to the host computer indicating that the transmitted signal has been received normally, EOT A signal indicating a line disconnection instruction for the host combiator L) CN line Signal ER indicating disconnection instruction,
OFF A signal indicating a physical line disconnection instruction from the host/viewer. When the facsimile connection device [12] receives a PMC'i from the host-combiner, the PMC indicates the end of image information transmission. Find out whether or not.

PMC (EOP) if it indicates the end of image information transmission
is sent to the facsimile machine 4 and waits for a response signal from the facsimile machine 4. PM from host computer 1
If C is not EOP, facsimile connection device 12
performs another process.

Here, PMC is a message command sent after the transmission of 1-stroke information is completed, and indicates the attribute of 5-stroke information. The attributes of the image information include the size of the characters in the image information to be transmitted, the size of the recording paper, and the presence or absence of subsequent data.

EOP is a concept included in this attribute, and indicates that all image information to be transmitted has been completed.

Next, facsimile machine 1 corresponds to PMC (EOP).
When a response signal is sent from facsimile connection device 4, facsimile connection device 2 checks whether or not this response signal is an MCF. M
If it is a CF, facsimile connection device 2 sends 10R8P to host computer 1. FMC (EOP)
If the response signal is not MCF, facsimile connection device 2 displays an error message. When host computer 1 receives all +FL8P, it sends D and EOT to facsimile connection device 2, but does not transmit ER,...OFF yet. When the facsimile connection device 2 receives the EOT from the host computer 1, it sends DCNf to the facsimile device 4, and after a predetermined period of time, sends a response signal ACKt- to the host computer 1. Before this ACK reaches host computer 1,
The program R, 0M24 is set so that the DCN has reached the facsimile machine 4, and the processor 23 creates ilJ accordingly. When the host computer 1 receives ACKi from the facsimile connection device 12, it issues ER,0FF-i for the first time. Network control device 3
disconnects one line by receiving this ER, OFF.

〔Effect of the invention〕

As explained above, the present invention controls the host computer to physically disconnect all lines after a predetermined period of time after sending a line disconnection instruction to the facsimile machine. This has the effect of correctly disconnecting the line.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

Figure 1m is a block diagram showing a system including an embodiment of the present invention, and Figure 2 is an explanatory diagram showing termination processing after the transmission of image information in the embodiment of the present invention is completed. 1...Host computer, 2...
Facsimile connection device, 3...Network control device, 4
...Facsimile machine, 21 ... Host interface, 22 ... FAX interface, 23 ... Processor, 24 ...
R, OM, 25...R, AM.

Claims (1)

[Claims] In a facsimile connection device that controls data transfer between a host computer and a facsimile device, when information indicating a line disconnection instruction is sent from the host computer, instructs the facsimile device to disconnect the line. After supplying the information, after a predetermined period of time has elapsed,
A facsimile connection device comprising means for returning a response signal to the host computer.