JPH1169032A - Facsimile equipment - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To preserve transmission images together with a communication history even if there is not provided with a large-capacity storage device. SOLUTION: A main storage part 4 of facsimile equipment 1 incorporates a temporary preserved image storage area 11 for temporarily storing the 1st page of image data for transmission inputted from an image input part 9 and an area communication history storage area 12 for storing a general item (communication history) or compressed image data. Each time the facsimile equipment 1 performs communication, the history of that communication and the compressed image data are stored in the area 12. The communication history and compressed image data stored in the area 12 are printed on a communication managing report by a printing part 10. A reduction processing part 8 reduces the image data stored in the temporary preserved image storage area 11.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a facsimile apparatus for storing history data relating to transmission data and printing the history data upon request.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Generally, a facsimile apparatus has a function of storing a history of communications performed by the facsimile apparatus. The stored communication history can reach a predetermined number of communication, or can be printed by a user operation. In the printed communication history (hereinafter referred to as a communication management report), communication time, communication partner, number of communication, communication result, and the like are generally described as character information for each communication.

[0003]

In the conventional facsimile machine, it is difficult for the operator to know the contents of the communication from the above-mentioned general information printed on the communication management report. Therefore, it is conceivable to store an image to be transmitted in order to know the contents of the communication later, and print the transmitted image together with the communication history on a communication management report. However, in a general facsimile machine,
Few have mass storage devices, thus limiting the number of images that can be stored in the device.

[0004]

Means for Solving the Problems To solve the above-mentioned problems, a solution taken by the present invention is to reduce a data amount of a communication history storage unit for storing history data and a part of transmission data. And a control unit for storing the data in the communication history storage area and printing it together with the corresponding history data in response to a print request.

[0005] According to the above solution, a part of the transmission data is stored in the communication history storage area with the data amount reduced. When there is a print request to the facsimile machine,
A part of the transmission data whose data amount has been reduced is printed together with the corresponding history data.

[0006]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below in detail with reference to the drawings. Elements common to the drawings are denoted by the same reference numerals.

[0007] First Embodiment FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a facsimile apparatus according to the first embodiment of the present invention. The CPU 2 of the facsimile machine 1 shown in FIG.
The PU 2 has a main storage unit 4 and a user operation unit 5, a communication control unit 6, an image encoding / decoding unit 7, a reduction processing unit 8, and an image input unit to which image data for transmission is input via the bus 3. 9,
A printing unit 10 for printing received image data and a communication management report (described in detail later) is connected.

The main storage section 4 has a built-in storage image temporary storage area 11 for temporarily storing the first page of the transmission image data input from the image input section 9 and a communication history storage area 12 described in detail later. I have. In the image encoding / decoding unit 7,
The image data for transmission is subjected to encoding processing such as MH (Modified Huffman) or MR (Modified Read), and image data received from the other party's facsimile machine (not shown) is decoded.

The operation unit 5 for the user includes a dial key (not shown) and a plurality of function keys. Some of the function keys are image storage function keys (not shown)
It is included.

[0010] The reduction processing unit 8 includes a storage image temporary storage area 1.
1 is reduced using a well-known reduction processing method. In the present embodiment, reduction processing is performed by simple thinning, but the present invention is not limited to this processing method. Image input unit 9
Has a reading unit (not shown) for reading an original for transmission and a line memory (not shown) for temporarily storing read image data for transmission.

Here, the configuration of the communication history storage area 12 built in the main storage unit 4 will be described with reference to FIG. FIG.
FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating a communication history storage area provided in the facsimile apparatus according to the first embodiment.

The communication history storage area 12 stores a communication time, a communication partner (a destination telephone number, a destination ID, etc.), the number of communication,
As a result of the communication, general items such as the time required for the communication, compressed image data described later, and an address indicating an area storing the compressed image data are written. As shown in FIG. 2, the communication history storage area 12 has an area A in which general items and addresses are written as a communication history, and an area B in which compressed image data is stored. Each time the facsimile machine 1 performs communication, the communication history and the compressed image data are stored in the areas A and B. The communication history and the compressed image data stored in the areas A and B are printed by the printing unit 10 on the above-described communication management report.

Next, a transmission operation and a communication history saving operation of the facsimile apparatus 1 according to the first embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 3 is a flowchart of the facsimile apparatus according to the first embodiment.

When an original for transmission is set on the facsimile machine 1 by the user, a transmission operation is started, and the image input section 9 reads the set original. The read entire image data is sent to the image encoding / decoding unit 7. Before the start of the transmission operation, if the user selects and presses the image storage function key of the operation unit 5 from the image input unit 9, the CPU 2 displays the first page of the image data for transmission input by the image input unit 9. Before the image data is sent to the image encoding / decoding unit 7, the image data is copied to the temporary image storage area 11 of the main storage unit 4 (step S1).

The entire image data sent to the image encoding / decoding unit 7 is encoded for facsimile transmission and compressed. Then, the compressed image data is sent from the communication control unit 6 to the other party's facsimile machine on the receiving side (step S2).

When the transmission of all image data is completed (step S3), the CPU 2 discards the encoded image data and starts saving the communication history (step S4). If the user has not selected the image storage function key of the operation unit 5 before the start of the transmission operation, the operation of step S 1, that is, the operation of copying the first page of the image data for transmission to the temporary image storage area 11. After the transmission is completed, the process proceeds to the standby state of step S12.

When proceeding to step S4, the CPU 2 writes the above-mentioned general items and address information for storing image data in the area A of the communication history storage area 12. Also, CP
U2 reduces the image data (first one page of the transmission image data) stored in the temporary storage area 11 for the saved image by the reduction processing unit 8
(Step S6). The reduction processing unit 8 reduces (reduces) the data amount of the input image data by simple thinning (step S7), and transfers the reduced image data to the image encoding / decoding unit 7 (step S8).

Normally, a page called a cover sheet is provided on the first page of a transmission document, and a transmission address and transmission contents (such as a subject) are described on this page. In general, relatively large characters are used for the destination and the subject, so that the destination and the subject can be visually recognized even if the size is reduced. In addition, the contents of the communication can be known by looking at the transmission contents (such as the subject) of the first page.

The reduced image data sent to the encoding / decoding section 7 is subjected to an encoding process, and the data amount is further reduced (compressed) (step S9). The compressed image data is
The data is stored in the area B of the communication history storage area 12, that is, the address written in the area A by the CPU 2 (step S10). Thus, the storage of the communication history is completed (step S11). Thereafter, the facsimile machine 1 enters a standby state until the next communication starts (step S1).
2).

Next, the printing operation of the communication management report will be described with reference to FIGS. FIG. 4 is a flowchart of the facsimile apparatus according to the first embodiment, and FIG.
FIG. 11 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of a communication management report output from the facsimile apparatus of the embodiment. In the communication management report 13 shown in FIG. 5, items written in the area A and compressed image data stored in the area B are printed for each communication in the order of communication.

When the user issues an instruction to print a communication management report via the operation unit 5, the communication history printing process is started. First, the CPU 2 secures an area (drawing area) (not shown) for generating an image of the communication management report in the main storage unit 4 (step S15). Next, the CPU 2 sets the drawing area
The value of each item of the communication history for one communication written in the area A of the communication history storage area 12 is drawn as a character (step S16).

The CPU 2 transfers the compressed image data stored in the area B to the image encoding / decoding unit 7, where it is decoded and decompressed. The expanded image data is sent to the drawing area of the main storage unit 4 and drawn together with the corresponding communication history (step S17).

The drawing position of the communication history and image data written in the drawing area of the main storage unit 4 is predetermined, and the drawing position data is stored in the main storage unit 4.

After drawing the communication history and image data for one communication, the CPU 2 determines whether or not one page has been drawn (step S18). If less than one page, the process proceeds to step S19, and it is determined whether or not all communication histories stored in the communication history storage area 12 have been drawn. If there is a communication history not yet drawn in the communication history storage area 12, the process returns to step S16.

When all communication histories are drawn, C
The PU 2 stores the communication history of the drawing area and the image data in the printing unit 10.
Send to The printing unit 10 prints the communication management report 13 shown in FIG. 5 based on the input communication history and image data (step S20). When all the input data is printed, the CPU 2 deletes the communication history and the image data drawn in the drawing area of the main storage unit 4 (step S21), and ends the communication history printing process.

If it is determined in step S18 that one page has been drawn, step S22 and step S22 are executed.
Proceed to 23. Steps S22 and S23 are performed in step S
It is the same as 20 and 21, and the description is omitted. After deleting the communication history and the image data drawn in the drawing area, the CPU 2 determines whether all the histories have been printed (step S2).
4). If it is determined that all the histories have not been printed yet,
Returning to step S16, the above operation is repeated.

If it is determined in step S24 that all histories have been printed, the communication history printing process ends.

In the first embodiment, since the image of the first page of the transmission original is directly added to the communication management report 13, the contents of each communication can be easily known by referring to the communication management report 13 later. be able to. Further, since only the image data of the first page of the transmission original is stored, the load on the main storage unit 4 can be reduced as compared with the case where there are a plurality of transmission originals and all the pages are stored, and more Communication history can be saved.

In the first embodiment, the image data of the first page is reduced to reduce the data amount, and then compressed to further reduce the data amount.
Does not need to be large enough to store the read image data as it is.

In the first embodiment, the communication history storage area 1
2, compressed image data is stored in an area B different from the area A in which the communication history is stored.
The compressed image data may be stored in the area B to eliminate the area B. In this case, there is no need to write the storage destination address of the compressed image data in the area A.

In the first embodiment, the operation unit 5
Is provided with an image storage function key, and the user selects the key press every time communication is performed, but the user sets in advance the function of causing the facsimile apparatus to store the compressed image data, and the storage is not required This function may be canceled only in this case.

Second Embodiment A margin or the like is set in the periphery of a cover page (first page of a transmission original) generally used for facsimile communication, and important information is described. It is rare. Therefore, in the second embodiment, when the image data of the cover page is copied to the area B of the communication history storage area 12, the unnecessary area is deleted to reduce the data amount when the peripheral data of the cover page is set as the unnecessary area. Thus, the area B is made smaller than in the first embodiment.

Hereinafter, the second embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 6, 7 and 8. FIG. 6 is a block diagram of a facsimile apparatus according to the second embodiment, and FIG. 7 is an explanatory diagram showing a coordinate data storage area of the facsimile apparatus according to the second embodiment. FIG. 8 is an explanatory diagram showing a storage target area of original image data of the facsimile apparatus according to the second embodiment.
The original image data shown in (a) indicates a cover page input to the facsimile machine. The direction of the arrow X is the X coordinate, and the direction of the arrow Y is the Y coordinate.

The CPU 2 of the facsimile machine 100 controls the overall operation of the facsimile machine 100. CPU2
Has a built-in peripheral area deletion processing unit 101. The peripheral area deletion processing unit 101 deletes an unnecessary area of the first page of the input image data for transmission.

In this embodiment, the area up to about 2 cm from the top, bottom, left and right edges of the cover page is regarded as an unnecessary area and is deleted from the input image data, and the remaining area (the storage target area) from which the unnecessary area is deleted is reduced. Is transferred to the processing unit 8 (FIG. 8).
reference). The coordinates of the four corners of the original image data shown in FIG. 8A are (0, 0), (X3, 0), (0, Y3), (X3, Y
3) The coordinates of the four corners of the original image data storage target area are (X1, Y1), (X2, Y1), (X1,
Y2) and (X2, Y2), and these coordinates are stored in the coordinate data storage area 102 shown in FIG. The coordinate data storage area 102 is built in the main storage unit 40. FIG.
(B) is a storage target area that remains after the unnecessary area of the original image data is deleted.

The other structure is the same as that of the first embodiment, and the description is omitted.

Next, the operation of storing the communication history of the facsimile apparatus 100 according to the second embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. Note that the transmission operation of the facsimile apparatus 100 is the first operation.
This is the same as the transmission operation of the embodiment (the operation shown in steps S1 to S3 in FIG. 3), and the description is omitted. FIG. 9 is a flowchart of the facsimile apparatus according to the second embodiment.

When the transmission of all the image data is completed, the CPU 2
Discards the encoded image data, and starts saving the communication history if the user has selected the image saving function key of the scanning unit 5. As in the first embodiment, the CPU 2 writes the general item and the storage destination address of the compressed image data in the area A of the communication history storage area 12 (step S30).

Further, the CPU 2 operates in the storage image temporary storage area 1.
1 (the first one of the transmitted image data)
Page). That is, the CPU 2 sets the pixel of interest (coordinates: (Xa, Ya)) and moves it over the image data in the stored image temporary storage area 11, and at the same time, the peripheral area deletion processing unit 101 The position of the data is determined, and it is determined whether or not the data of the target pixel is to be transferred to the reduction processing unit 8.

First, the CPU 2 determines the coordinates (Xa,
For Ya), Xa is set to 0, and Ya is set to 0 (step S31). Then, the coordinates (0,
The scanning is started from 0) (step S32). Every time the target pixel moves on the image data, the peripheral area deletion processing unit 10
1 compares the coordinates stored in the coordinate data storage area 102 with the coordinates of the pixel of interest (step S33).

If Xa is not less than X1 and not more than X2 and Ya is not less than Y1 and not more than Y2, it is determined that the target pixel is in the storage target area, and the target pixel is transferred to the reduction processing unit 8 (step S34). Then, the process returns to step S32 to repeat the above operation. At this time, when either one or both of Xa and Ya do not satisfy the condition shown in step S33, the CPU 2 determines that the target pixel is not in the storage target area, and furthermore, Xa is X3 and Ya is Y
3 is determined (step S25).

If both conditions (the conditions shown in steps S33 and S35) are not satisfied, it is determined that the image data has not been completely scanned yet, and the process returns to step S32. If the condition shown in step S35 is satisfied, it is determined that all the image data has been scanned and all the image data in the storage target area has been transferred to the reduction processing unit 8, and the reduction processing in the reduction processing unit 8 is started ( Step S36). In this way, by comparing the coordinates stored in the coordinate data storage area 102 with the coordinates of the target pixel, and transferring only the target pixel that satisfies the condition to the reduction processing unit 8, even without performing complicated control. Unnecessary areas of the original image data can be deleted.

The reduction processing section 8 reduces (reduces) the data amount of the input image data by simple thinning, as in the first embodiment, and transfers the reduced image data to the image encoding / decoding section 7 ( Step S37).

The reduced image data sent to the encoding / decoding section 7 is subjected to an encoding process, and the data amount is further reduced (compressed) (step S38). The compressed image data is stored in the area B of the communication history storage area 12 by the CPU 2.
That is, it is stored at the address written in the area A (step S39). Thus, the storage of the communication history is completed. Thereafter, the facsimile apparatus 100 enters a standby state until the next communication starts.

The printing operation of the communication management report is the same as that of the first embodiment, and the description is omitted.

In the second embodiment, by deleting unnecessary areas from the image data of the cover sheet, the data amount of the deleted divided data can be reduced, and as a result, the storage capacity required for storing the compressed image data ( The area B) of the communication history storage area 12 can be made smaller than in the first embodiment. Therefore, more communication history and compressed image data can be written (stored) than in the first embodiment.

Alternatively, since the storage capacity required for storing the compressed image data is smaller than that of the first embodiment,
The vacant area can be used for another data storage, writing, or the like. In this case, the number of storage devices such as memories incorporated in the facsimile apparatus 100 can be reduced, and the cost of the facsimile apparatus 100 can be reduced.

In the above-described second embodiment, only the unnecessary area of the cover sheet is deleted. However, if a specific frame is provided in advance on the cover sheet and the inside of this frame is set as a storage target area,
The amount of image data to be stored is further reduced, so that the storage capacity required for storing the image data can be further reduced. Hereinafter, a modified example of the second embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 6, 7, 10, and 11. FIG. 10 shows the second
FIG. 11 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of a cover sheet used in a facsimile apparatus according to a modification of the second embodiment, and FIG. 11 is an explanatory diagram showing a storage target area for original image data according to a modification of the second embodiment.

In this modification, the cover sheet shown in FIG. 10 is used. In this cover sheet, an area D to be stored as a communication history is set in advance, and the user enters necessary items in the area D before transmission.
The items to be entered in the area D are not limited to the destination and the subject, but items required by the user are entered according to the purpose.

The area D is an area to be saved when the cover sheet is input to the facsimile apparatus 100 (FIG. 11).
), The coordinates of the four corners of this storage target area (X1, Y
1), (X2, Y1), (X1, Y2), (X2, Y
2) is stored in advance in the coordinate data storage area 102 instead of the four coordinates shown in FIG.

The transmitting operation and the printing operation of the communication management report are the same as those in the first embodiment, and the storing operation of the communication history is the same as that of the second embodiment shown in FIG. Description is omitted.

In this modification, the items to be stored as the communication history can be reliably stored without omission by setting the area D. Further, the amount of image data stored can be further reduced than in the second embodiment depending on the size of the area D to be set, thereby reducing the storage area B of the compressed image data for each communication. be able to. Therefore, even if the reduction ratio in the reduction processing unit 8 is smaller than the reduction ratio in the second embodiment, the storage capacity is equal to or less than that of the second embodiment, and the compression ratio is further reduced. Thus, the visibility of the printed image data can be improved.

In this modification, the area D is provided in the cover sheet.
Is set, but the area D can be set not only in the cover sheet but also in the manuscript of the second and subsequent pages according to the purpose of the user.

Also in the first and second embodiments,
Although the first page is stored in the main storage unit 4, it is possible to store not only the first page but also a page that the user desires to store in the main storage unit 4.

In the first and second embodiments, transmission using a cover sheet is described as an example, but the above-described embodiment can be applied to transmission without using a cover sheet.

[0056]

As described in detail above, the present invention provides
A part of the transmission data is stored in the communication history storage area with the data amount reduced and printed together with the corresponding history data in response to a print request, so that the facsimile can be transmitted without having a large-capacity storage device. Images can be stored with the communication history.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a facsimile apparatus according to a first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram illustrating a communication history storage area according to the first embodiment.

FIG. 3 is a flowchart of the facsimile apparatus according to the first embodiment.

FIG. 4 is a flowchart of the facsimile apparatus according to the first embodiment.

FIG. 5 is an explanatory diagram illustrating an example of a communication management report according to the first embodiment;

FIG. 6 is a block diagram of a facsimile apparatus according to a second embodiment.

FIG. 7 is an explanatory diagram illustrating a coordinate data storage area according to the second embodiment.

FIG. 8 is an explanatory diagram showing a storage target area of original image data according to the second embodiment.

FIG. 9 is a flowchart of the facsimile apparatus according to the second embodiment.

FIG. 10 is an explanatory diagram of an example of a cover sheet according to a modified example of the second embodiment.

FIG. 11 is an explanatory diagram showing a storage target area of original image data according to a modification of the second embodiment.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1, 100 Facsimile apparatus 2 CPU 7 Image encoding / decoding section 8 Reduction processing section 10 Printing section 11 Saved image temporary storage area 12 Communication history storage area 13 Communication management report 101 Peripheral area deletion processing section

Claims (6)

[Claims] 1. A facsimile apparatus which stores general items related to transmission data as history data and prints the history data in response to a print request, comprising: a communication history storage unit for storing the history data; A facsimile apparatus comprising: a control unit configured to reduce a data amount of the data, store the data in the communication history storage area, and print the data together with the corresponding history data in response to the print request. 2. The facsimile apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said control unit reduces a data amount by a compression process. 3. The facsimile apparatus according to claim 2, wherein said control unit performs a reduction process before said compression process. 4. The facsimile apparatus according to claim 3, wherein a part of the transmission data is data of a first page of all transmission data. 5. The facsimile apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the control unit performs reduction and compression processing after deleting a peripheral area of the data of the first page. 6. The facsimile apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the control unit sets a specific area in the data of the first page, and reduces and compresses the specific area.