JP3018908B2 - 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 technique for printing out a facsimile communication management record when a set fee, a set number of communication sheets, or a set communication time is reached.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, a facsimile apparatus is configured so that a communication management record is automatically printed out when transmission or reception is performed a certain number of times, and the communication management record is arbitrarily output by operating an operation panel. It was also possible. This communication management record includes the start date and time of transmission or reception, the fax number of the destination, the name of the destination, the communication time, the communication result, the number of communication,
Communication charges were recorded.

[0003]

However, there is a case where a budget is determined for each company, business office, department, or the like, or a communication fee is limited in order to reduce costs. In such a case, it is necessary to accumulate the charges every time the communication management record is output or every predetermined period. If the accumulation is delayed, the budget may be exceeded, and the charge management is a very troublesome work. Had become .

The operating rate of a facsimile differs depending on the sales office or department, and the departments with a low operating rate should be integrated to improve the operating efficiency, and the departments with a high operating rate must wait for communication. Therefore, it is desirable to increase the number of facsimile machines since the number of facsimile machines increases and the work is adversely affected. Although this operation rate can be roughly determined by the number of communication cases, there are short communication times and long communication times, and the more accurate judgment is, the more accurate the communication time is. However, the task of totalizing the communication time was very troublesome. Therefore, the present invention is to print out the communication management record when the communication fee, the communication time, and the number of communication sheets reach a certain amount.

[0005]

The problem to be solved by the present invention is as described above. In order to solve the problem, a facsimile apparatus capable of printing out a communication management record is provided. Means for setting the upper limit of the communication charge by means and calculating the communication charge; processing for totalizing the communication charge;
A means for comparing the set fee with the total charge is provided, and the communication management record is printed out when the total charge reaches the set charge.

[0006]

The communication management output condition setting means sets a communication upper limit time and stores a reception time or a transmission time, a process for totalizing the reception time or the transmission time, a process for totalizing the reception time or the transmission time, A means for comparing the time is provided, and when the total time reaches the set time, the communication management record is printed out.

[0008]

By using such means, if the upper limit of the communication charge is set by the communication management output condition setting means, the communication charge is calculated each time the data is transmitted by the facsimile, and the previous communication charge is calculated. When the total is added to the communication set fee, the communication management record is automatically output and printed . Also, by setting the communication limit time, the time that communication is added to the previous communication time, automatically communication management record the aggregated communication time reaches the set time is output printed.

[0009]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a circuit configuration of a facsimile apparatus according to the present invention. In order to control the entire facsimile, the main control unit 1 includes a ROM (Read Only Memory) 2
An AM (random access memory) 3, an operation unit 4, a modem 5, a printer 6, a timer 7, a scanner 13, and the like are connected.

A control program is stored in the ROM 2, and a program for a process of calculating a communication fee, the number of communications, and a communication time, which will be described later, and a process of summing up and comparing these are also stored. Calculated by the control unit 1,
Controlled. The RAM 3 temporarily reads an input signal, a command signal, a signal from a line, and the like from the operation unit 4, and also secures an area for the communication management memory 10 so that the communication time and the number of communication of the communication management record 15 shown in FIG. And communication charges are also stored.

The operation unit 4 is provided on an operation panel on the main body of the apparatus, and is used for dialing, inputting a set fee, a set number of sheets, a set time, and the like. A selection switch 12 serving as a communication management record output condition setting means for selecting whether to make a number, a number of sheets, or a time, operation keys such as a one-touch dial key, a start key, a light and shade key, a dialed number and an input. Display panel 1 that displays the number, operation method, alarm, etc.
1 is provided.

The modem 5 is connected to a telephone line 9 through an NCU (network control unit) 8, modulates and demodulates transmission and reception data, and generates and detects a command signal and the like. The scanner 13 is for reading an original, and the printer 6 is for printing out the transmitted image, the communication management record 15 shown in FIG. 2, and the image at the time of copying. The timer 7 is for measuring a transmission time and a reception time.

In such a configuration, when transmission and reception are performed by facsimile and communication is performed a certain number of times,
Conventionally, the communication management record is printed out. However, the user may want to know the usage amount based on the communication fee, the communication time, the number of communication, and the like. Therefore, according to the present invention, the output condition of the communication management record is selected by the selection switch 12 of the operation unit 4, and the amount or the amount is determined by the ten keys. The time and the number of sheets can be set, and the input state is displayed on the display panel 11 so that they can be confirmed.

For example, if the total communication fee is 100
If the printout is set to exceed 0 yen, the communication management record 15 as shown in FIG. 2 is printed out when the communication charge exceeds 1000 yen. When the output condition of the communication management record is set such that the number of transmissions is set to 50, the number of receptions is set to 60, and the total time is set to 2 hours, the result shown in FIG. Is output.

The format of the communication management record 15 is ROM.
2 and each time a communication is performed, the date and time of the communication, the name of the other party or the fax number, the communication time, the result of whether the communication was successfully performed, the number of communication, and the fee are stored in the communication management memory 10 of the RAM 3 respectively. Then, the communication time, the number of communication, the communication time, and the charge are added (aggregated) for each communication, and when the set value of the set condition is reached, the data of the time, the charge, etc. is taken into a position corresponding to the format. Print out.

The operation of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the flowcharts shown in FIGS. 3 to 5. First, when the selection switch 12 of the operation unit 4 is pressed, the output condition of the communication management record is displayed on the display panel 11. Set the condition as time,
Whether it is a fee, a transmission number, a reception number,
Is switched each time the option switch 12 is pressed,
When it is determined whether the condition is set to time (S1), if the time is set, the total set communication time A is input (S2), and the process proceeds to step S10 described later. If the condition setting predetermined value is not a time, it is determined whether a fee is to be charged (S3). If the condition setting is a fee, a set communication fee B is input (S3).
4), proceed to step S10.

If the condition setting is not a charge, it is determined whether to use the number of transmissions (S5), and if the condition setting is the number of transmissions, the set number of transmissions C is input (S6).
Proceed to 10. If the number is not set as the number of transmissions, it is determined whether or not the number of receptions is set (S7). If the number of receptions is set as the condition, the set number of receptions D is input (S8).
Proceed to 10. If the predetermined value of the condition setting is not the number of received sheets, it is determined that there is no setting (S9), and the process proceeds to step S10.

When the conditions are set and transmission is performed (S10), a dial is transmitted (S11), and when the other party responds (S12), a timer is started (S10).
13), a communication process is performed (S14). At this time, the number of transmissions is counted, and when the communication is completed (S15), the line is released (S16), the timer is stopped, the communication time is stored in the memory (S17), and the charge is calculated from the charge table. (S18), the counted number of communications is also stored (S19), and the number of communications, the communication time, the fee, the other communication start time, the name of the destination, etc. are stored in the communication management memory (S20).

If it is not transmission in step S10, it is determined whether or not it is reception (S21). If it is not reception, it is an error or the like and the process returns to step S10. If it is reception, a response is made (S22). Start the timer (S2
3) A communication process is performed (S24). At this time, the number of received data is counted. When the communication is completed (S25), the line is released (S26), the timer is stopped, and the communication time is stored in the memory (S25). S27), the number of received data is also stored (S2).
8) The communication time, the number of received data, the communication start time, the name of the destination, etc. are also stored in the communication management memory (S20).

Then, the condition set in the condition setting is determined (S29). If the condition is determined to be time, the communication time required for transmission and reception is totaled, and the total time is set as a (S30). The total time a is compared with the set time A (S31). If the total time a is within the set time A, the process returns to step S10.
The data stored in the communication management memory is printed out as a communication management record (S32), and the communication management memory is reset (S33) so that a new input can be made.
Return to 0.

If the condition setting (S29) is a communication charge, the communication charges are totaled and the totaled charge is set to b (S34), and this totaled charge b is compared with the set charge B (S35). ), If within the set fee, step S10
When the set time is exceeded, the data stored in the communication management memory is printed out as a communication management record (S3).
2), reset the communication management memory (S33) and return to step S10.

Similarly, if the condition setting is the number of transmissions, the number of transmissions is totaled and the total number is set to c (S36). If the total number c is within the set number C, the process returns to step S10.
If it exceeds, the process proceeds to step S32. If the set condition is the number of received images, the number of received images is totaled and the value is set as d. If the total number d is within the set number D, the process returns to step S10.
If it exceeds, the flow proceeds to step S32. If there is no setting condition, the flow proceeds to step S32 when the communication management record is printed out by a switch operation when the operator desires, and otherwise returns to step S10.

Although not described in the flowchart, the fee is displayed in the reception record column in FIG. 2 in the case of polling reception, and the reception is performed after dialing the other party. Is calculated in the same manner as the transmission, the management record is recorded in the reception column, the reception time, the number of received sheets, and the like are recorded, and are added to the total time a, the total charge b, and the total number of received sheets d.

[0024]

As described above, the present invention has the following advantages. That is, since the present invention is configured as in claim 1, only by setting the usage fee, when the set usage fee is reached, the management record is automatically output and printed, and the communication management record is output and used. There is no need to calculate the total by calculating the charge, and the output of the management record indicates that the set use charge has been reached, so that the status of the use communication charge can be easily recognized, and the expense management can be facilitated.

[0025]

[0026] Having constructed as claimed in claim 2, you set up a communication time, become communication management record is output and total time of the facsimile reaches the set time,
There is no need to calculate usage time from communication management records,
The operating status of the device can be easily recognized, and the necessity of adding or removing the device can be determined.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a circuit configuration.

FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a communication management record.

FIG. 3 is a partial flowchart showing the operation of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a partial flowchart showing the operation of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a partial flowchart showing the operation of the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Main control part 6 Printer 7 Timer 10 Communication management memory 11 Display panel 12 Selection switch 15 Communication management record

Claims (2)

(57) [Claims] 1. A facsimile apparatus capable of printing out a communication management record, comprising: a communication management output condition setting unit; a process for calculating a communication fee;
A facsimile apparatus comprising means for comparing a set charge with a total charge, and printing and outputting a communication management record when the total charge reaches the set charge. 2. A facsimile apparatus capable of printing out a communication management record, comprising: a communication management output condition setting unit; a process for storing a reception time or a transmission time; and a process for totalizing the total time of the reception time or the transmission time. A facsimile apparatus comprising means for comparing the set time and the total time, and printing out the communication management record when the total time of the communication reaches the set time.