JP2531271Y2 - Facsimile machine - Google Patents

Description

[Detailed description of the invention]

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a facsimile machine, and more particularly, to a facsimile machine having a self-management function.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In general, a facsimile apparatus has a self-management function for facilitating maintenance and inspection. That is, the facsimile machine has its own management information,
For example, the number of received sheets, the number of transmitted sheets, the number of paper jams, and the like are managed, stored, and stored. Therefore, the serviceman who has visited the facsimile machine for maintenance and inspection can read out the management information stored in the facsimile machine and perform appropriate maintenance and inspection for maintenance and inspection.

[0003]

However, in such a conventional facsimile apparatus, since the management information is merely stored and stored in the facsimile apparatus, a service person can know the management information. Is after arriving at the place where the facsimile machine is set. Therefore, when the service is performed by changing the maintenance / inspection contents in a cycle based on the management information (for example, the number of received and transmitted sheets), a service person or the like visits the user in advance to check the management information and manage the schedule. In this case, the serviceman must visit again based on this schedule, which requires duplicate efforts. In particular, depending on the user, the frequency of use of the facsimile machine may greatly change depending on the time, the maintenance / inspection cycle fluctuates, and schedule management may be difficult.

Accordingly, the present invention allows an operator to set an optimal management constant suitable for each user, counts the number of communication at a management cycle corresponding to the management constant, and automatically sends the communication number from the facsimile apparatus to the service base. By communicating the messages to each other, the maintenance schedule is managed based on the messages obtained in advance, eliminating redundant labor and facilitating maintenance schedule management. An object of the present invention is to provide a facsimile apparatus that can be implemented.

[0005]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides a facsimile apparatus for counting and storing the number of communications, and a constant storage means for storing a management constant set for a maintenance management cycle. Operating means for setting an arbitrary value as a management constant in the constant storage means based on an operator's input; number storage means for storing a telephone number of a maintenance service base; Comparing means for comparing the management constants stored in the means with each other, and when the comparison results of the comparing means match, read out the telephone number from the number storage means and call a maintenance service base, and change the operation state of the facsimile apparatus. Control means for transmitting a message to be transmitted as facsimile transmission information by a facsimile procedure. That.

[0006]

According to the present invention, the management constant set for the maintenance management cycle is stored in the constant storage means as an arbitrary value based on the operator's input, and the counted communication number and the constant are stored in the constant storage means. Is compared with the management constant,
When the comparison results match, the telephone number is read from the number storage means, a maintenance service base is called, and a message indicating the operating state of the facsimile apparatus is transmitted as facsimile transmission information by the facsimile procedure.

Therefore, taking into account the fact that the frequency of use of the facsimile machine greatly changes depending on the user, an optimal management constant suitable for each user is set by the operator, and a message corresponding to the frequency of use of the facsimile is automatically generated by the operator. Is transmitted to the service base side. Therefore, the service base can schedule maintenance based on the message obtained in advance,
Duplicate labor is omitted, maintenance schedule management is easy, and optimal maintenance and inspection according to the frequency of use are performed.

Further, since the notification of the message to the service base is performed by the facsimile procedure, not only does the operator need not bother to listen to the message at the service base, but also the message can be transmitted in the form of image information. And reception can be assured.

[0009]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Hereinafter, the present invention will be specifically described based on embodiments. FIG. 1 is a view showing one embodiment of a facsimile apparatus according to the present invention. FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a facsimile apparatus.
Is scanned by the scanner 3 to read image information, converted into an electric signal, and stored in the buffer memory 4. The image amount once stored in the buffer memory 4 is reduced by the data compression / reproduction device 5 without losing the original information (data compression).
After that, the data is sent to the modem 7 via the transmission control unit 6 and modulated. The image information modulated by the modem 7 is sent out to the line via the network control unit 8.

On the other hand, at the time of reception, the modulated signal (image information) input from the line is guided to the modem 7 through the network control unit 8,
After being demodulated, it is sent to the data compression / reproduction device 5 via the transmission control unit 6. The image information is reproduced by the data compression / reproduction device 5 and stored in the buffer memory 4. The image information stored in the buffer memory 4 is sent to the plotter 9 and recorded on the recording paper 10. The plotter 9 is controlled by the mechanism control unit 11 and records image information on the recording paper 10 by an electrostatic recording method.

The mechanism control unit 11 controls the driving of the plotter 9 in accordance with an instruction from the system control unit 12,
The drive of the scanner 3 is controlled. System control unit 12
Is an operation unit 1 which is an interface unit with an operator.
3, a buffer memory 4, a data compression / reproduction device 5, a transmission control unit 6, and the mechanism control unit 11 to execute a sequence as a facsimile device. The network control unit 8 is an automatic origination / departure type network control device, and is a so-called AA-NC.
U.

Further, the facsimile apparatus 1 has a RAM (Rand
om Access Memory) 14 and ROM (Read Only Memory) 1
5 is provided. The RAM 14 is operated by the operator to set the maintenance management cycle.
(A management constant indicates the number of communications including the number of transmissions and the number of receptions) input from the storage unit (A
Unit) and, for example, one for each repetition of transmission and reception operations.
And a portion (B portion) that is incremented by one, and is backed up by a battery or the like. This RAM 14
Of the constant storage means.

The RAM 14 stores the telephone number of the facsimile machine at the maintenance service base.
Reference numeral 4 also constitutes a number storage means. A transmission message to be transmitted to the facsimile machine at the service base when the self-management constant reaches a predetermined set value is stored in the ROM 15 in advance as image data in the form of image information. Further, the system control unit 12 compares the set value of the part A of the RAM 14 with the value of the part B.
It constitutes comparison means for comparing the management constant input to the A section of the AM 14. Also, the system control unit 12
Indicates that when the comparison results of the A part and the B part match, the RA
The control means also reads out a telephone number from M14 to call a maintenance service base, reads out a message indicating the operation state of the facsimile apparatus from the ROM 15, and transmits it as facsimile transmission information according to the facsimile procedure. Further, as described above, the operation section 13 constitutes an operation means for setting an arbitrary value as a management constant and storing it in the A section of the RAM 14 based on the input of the operator. As shown in FIG. 2, this facsimile machine 1 can be connected to a facsimile machine 24 at a service base via a line 21 and exchanges 22, 23 and the like.

Next, the operation will be described. First, a management constant is set in the A section of the RAM 14 by the operation section 13 based on the management cycle of maintenance and inspection, and the B section of the RAM 14 is cleared.
Since the management constant is the number of transmissions and receptions, each time the facsimile apparatus 1 performs a transmission operation and a reception operation, that is, each time one page is transmitted or received, the system control unit 12 increments the B part of the RAM 14 by one. Then, the system control unit 12 always checks the set value of the A section and the value of the B section of the RAM 14. When the set value of the management constant of the A section matches the value of the B section, the RAM 14 stores the facsimile apparatus 24 of the service base. Is read, and an instruction is given to the network control unit 8 to call the facsimile machine 24 at the service base. When the line to the facsimile device 24 is connected, the transmission message in the ROM 15 is read out, the data is compressed by the data compression / reproduction device 5, modulated by the modem 7, and then transmitted to the facsimile device 24 via the network control unit 8.

In the facsimile machine 24 at the service base, the transmitted transmission message is recorded on a recording sheet by a plotter, or data is converted and output to an information processing device such as a computer. As described above, in the present embodiment, the management constant set for the maintenance management cycle is stored in the RAM 14 as an arbitrary value based on the input of the operator,
The counted communication number is compared with the management constant stored in the RAM 14, and when the comparison result matches, the RAM 14
Since the telephone number is read out to call the maintenance service base, and the message that conveys the operation state of the facsimile apparatus 1 is transmitted as facsimile transmission information by the facsimile procedure, the frequency of use of the facsimile apparatus 1 is greatly changed by the user. Taking into account, the operator can set an optimal management constant suitable for each user, and can automatically transmit a message corresponding to the frequency of facsimile use of the user to the service base.

For this reason, the service base determines a maintenance / inspection cycle based on the transmitted message content,
Management schedule can be set. As a result, in order to obtain management information as in the related art, the user can visit the facsimile machine 1, check the facsimile machine 1, and eliminate the redundant labor of the service technician going to the maintenance and inspection again.
Schedule management can be facilitated.

Further, since the notification of the message to the service base is performed by the facsimile procedure, not only the operator who listens to the message at the service base is not required, but also the message can be transmitted with the image information. And reception can be assured.

[0018]

According to the present invention, an operator can set an optimal management constant suitable for each user by taking into account that the frequency of use of the facsimile machine greatly changes depending on the user. A message corresponding to the frequency of use can be automatically transmitted to the service base.

For this reason, the service base determines the maintenance / inspection cycle based on the transmitted message content,
Management schedule can be set. As a result, in order to obtain management information as in the related art, the user can visit the facsimile machine 1, check the facsimile machine 1, and eliminate the redundant labor of the service technician going to the maintenance and inspection again.
Schedule management can be facilitated.

Further, since the notification of the message to the service base is performed by the facsimile procedure, not only the operator who listens to the message at the service base is not required, but also the message can be sent with the image information. And reception can be assured.

[Brief description of the drawings]

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

FIG. 2 is a block diagram of a network showing an embodiment of the facsimile apparatus of the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Facsimile machine 8 Network control part 12 System control part (comparison means, control means) 13 Operation part (operation means) 14 RAM (constant storage means, number storage means) 15 ROM 24 Facsimile apparatus

Claims (1)

(57) [Scope of request for utility model registration] 1. A facsimile apparatus for counting and storing the number of communications, comprising: a constant storage means for storing a management constant set for a maintenance management cycle; and a management constant for storing an arbitrary value based on an operator's input. Operating means to be set in the constant storage means, number storage means for storing a telephone number of a maintenance service base, comparison means for comparing the counted number of communications with the management constant stored in the constant storage means, Control means for reading out the telephone number from the number storage means and calling a maintenance service base when the comparison result of the comparing means matches, and transmitting a message notifying the operation state of the facsimile apparatus as facsimile transmission information according to the facsimile procedure; A facsimile apparatus comprising: