JP4124188B2 - Communication terminal device and communication system - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a communication terminal device and a communication system.

  With the spread of network technology, for example, information devices such as facsimile machines and MFPs (Multi Functional Peripherals) have come to be connected to the network. Such a facsimile apparatus has an e-mail transmission / reception function, an internet fax function for transmitting / receiving document image data, etc. via a network in addition to a general G3 facsimile communication function, and the like. Information can be sent to and received from computers and Internet fax machines.

  Among communication terminal devices connected to a network, a communication terminal device that backs up (archives) data such as FAX and mail received by itself by another FAX or mail transmission to another communication terminal device. Development has been active in recent years.

  As a conventional communication terminal device having such an archiving function, for example, there is an Internet facsimile machine described in Patent Document 1. This Internet facsimile machine has a function of archiving transmission / reception image data by transmitting it to a predetermined archive mail address. The Internet facsimile apparatus includes means for designating archive setting information for each communication type of transmitted / received image data, and means for archiving in accordance with designation by the means. For this reason, according to this Internet facsimile apparatus, it is disclosed in Patent Document 1 that archiving can be performed according to the operator's intention for each communication, and operation and management efficiency of the archived image data can be improved. Are listed.

Moreover, as a conventional communication terminal apparatus connected to such a network, there is also an Internet facsimile apparatus described in Patent Document 2, for example. This Internet facsimile machine is provided with means for sending a broadcast to a designated destination and a predetermined archive mail address in an Internet facsimile machine that transmits image data as an attached file of an electronic mail. For this reason, it is described in Patent Document 2 that the contents of transmitted image data can be confirmed later according to this Internet facsimile apparatus. The image data is stored in a storage unit or the like such as an archive destination terminal. Therefore, it is not necessary to increase the storage capacity of the Internet facsimile machine itself in order to store the image data, and it is possible to secure a storage capacity for storing the image data at a relatively low cost. 2. Further, it is also described in Patent Document 2 that even if a failure or the like occurs in the Internet facsimile apparatus, the image data is stored in the archive destination, so that there is little risk of the image data being lost. .
JP 2003-189051 A JP 2002-344688 A

However, the prior art communication terminal device described in the above document archives the same data as the received data. For this reason, it is difficult for the operator of the communication terminal at the archive transmission destination to determine whether the data is transmitted by general transmission or transmitted for archive purposes.
The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and provides a technique for creating archive data that can be easily identified as archive data by an operator of an archive destination device.

According to the present invention, a composite communication terminal device having a facsimile function and an electronic mail function,
A receiving unit for receiving data from the outside;
An archive data creation unit that processes data into archive data by adding archive information to the data;
A communication method determination unit that is included in the archive data creation unit and determines the communication method to the outside;
When the communication method determination unit determines that the communication method is a facsimile method, the archive data is transferred to the outside. On the other hand, when the communication method determination unit determines that the communication method is an e-mail method, the archive data is transferred to the e-mail. A transfer unit that transfers the file as an attachment to the outside;
With
The archive data creation department
When the communication method determination unit determines that the communication method is a facsimile method, a facsimile document writing unit that writes archive information in a facsimile document region of data;
When the communication method determination unit determines that the communication method is an e-mail method, a property writing unit that writes archive information in the property area of the data,
Including
The facsimile document writing unit includes a transmission source information writing unit that writes archive information in a transmission source information region of the facsimile document region,
The property writing unit includes a file name writing unit that writes archive information in the file name area of the property area,
Provided is a communication terminal device configured to add archive information to data so that the archive information is visually output at a transfer destination of the archive data.

  According to this configuration, in order to add the archive information to the data so that the archive information is visually output at the archive data transfer destination, the operator of the archive data transmission destination device converts the received data into the archive data. It can be easily determined that. Therefore, it is possible to obtain a communication terminal device that creates archive data that can be easily discriminated by the operator of the archive destination device.

Further, according to the present invention, the first communication terminal device with a facsimile function and an electronic mail function, a second communication terminal device comprising either a facsimile function and an e-mail function, a first communication terminal device A communication path that connects the second communication terminal device,
The first communication terminal device is the communication terminal device,
The first communication terminal device is configured to process data received from the outside into archive data and transfer the archive data to the second communication terminal device when the communication route is a facsimile system. Is configured to transfer archive data to a second communication terminal device as an email attachment when
The second communication terminal, while the archive information included archived data received in facsimile mode from the first communication terminal device to the archive data Ru is configured to be displayed in the source information area, the first communication There is provided a communication system configured to display archive data received by electronic mail from a terminal device and display archive information included in the archive data in a file name .

  According to this configuration, since the archive information included in the archive data is output in a visible state at the archive data transfer destination, the operator of the archive data transmission destination device determines that the received data is the archive data. Easy to distinguish. Therefore, it is possible to obtain a communication system that creates archive data that can be easily discriminated by the operator of the archive destination device.

  According to the present invention, since archive information is added to data in a specific format, it is possible to create archive data that can be easily identified as archive data by an operator of an archive destination device.

  In the present invention, the communication terminal device is a composite communication terminal device having a facsimile function and an e-mail function, and the archive data creation unit includes a communication method determination unit for determining an external communication method, and a communication method determination. When the communication unit determines that the communication method is a facsimile method, the facsimile document writing unit that writes archive information in the data facsimile document region and the communication method determination unit determine that the communication method is an e-mail method. In this case, the property writing unit can be configured to write archive information in the data property area.

  According to this configuration, since there is means for switching the method of adding information indicating that the archive is in accordance with the communication method to the archive destination, the communication method to the archive destination is either the facsimile method or the e-mail method. However, the archive information included in the archive data can be output in a visible state at the archive destination.

  In the present invention, the facsimile document writing unit may include a transmission source information writing unit that writes archive information in a transmission source information region in the facsimile document region.

  According to this configuration, since the archive information is written in the sender information area of the facsimile document area, the archive information is visually output to the sender information column when the facsimile data is printed out in the archive destination device. can do.

  In the present invention, the property writing unit may include a file name writing unit that writes archive information in the file name area of the property area.

  According to this configuration, the archive information is written in the file name area of the property area. Therefore, when displaying the archive data file on the LCD monitor or the like on the archive destination device, the archive information is visible in the file name column. Can be output automatically.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. In all the drawings, the same reference numerals are given to the same components, and the description will be omitted as appropriate.

  FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a network configuration of a communication terminal apparatus according to the present embodiment. The communication terminal devices 100 and 200 are, for example, a network facsimile device, an MFP (Multi Functional Peripheral), or the like. Communication terminal apparatuses 100 and 200 are connected to each other via a network 141. Communication terminal devices 100 and 200 are connected to a plurality of servers 143 and 144 via network 141, respectively.

  Each component of the communication terminal devices 100 and 200 includes a CPU of a computer, a memory, a program that realizes the components shown in the figure loaded in the memory, a storage unit such as a hard disk that stores the program, and a network connection interface. It is realized by any combination of hardware and software. It will be understood by those skilled in the art that there are various modifications to the implementation method and apparatus. In other words, each drawing described in this specification shows a functional unit block, not a hardware unit configuration.

  Communication terminal apparatuses 100 and 200 can communicate with other communication terminal apparatuses using a plurality of communication methods. The communication terminals 100 and 200 can communicate with, for example, FAX (fax or facsimile) terminals 131 and 231, E-mail (E-mail or e-mail) terminals 133 and 233, and I-FAX (Internet fax) terminals 135 and 235. It is. The FAX terminals 131 and 231 are other G3 fax terminals that communicate via PSTN (Public Switched Telephone Network). The E-mail terminals 133 and 233 and the I-FAX terminals 135 and 235 are other computers that communicate via a network such as the Internet and other Internet fax terminals.

  More specifically, the communication terminal devices 100 and 200 include communication units 111 and 211, display units 115 and 215, control units 117 and 217, storage devices 119 and 219, operation units 113 and 213, respectively. Interface units 121 and 221 and reading units 123 and 223 are provided. In FIG. 1, the configuration of parts not related to the essence of the present invention is omitted. For example, the image processing unit and the recording unit that are the configuration of the facsimile apparatus are not shown.

  Communication units 111 and 211 (transmission unit or reception unit) communicate with FAX terminals 131 and 231, E-mail terminals 133 and 233, I-FAX terminals 135 and 235 (another communication terminal device), and the like. The operation units 113 and 213 are, for example, operation buttons, switches, levers, keyboards, touch panels, and the like. The display units 115 and 215 are various information displays and operation screen displays, and perform operations and status displays of the communication terminal devices 100 and 200. The display units 115 and 215 are, for example, lamps, LEDs, CRT monitors, liquid crystal displays, and the like.

  The control units 117 and 217 control the entire device together with various elements of the communication terminal devices 100 and 200. The storage devices 119 and 219 may include a storage area for storing information such as a telephone directory. The interface units 121 and 221 (transmitting unit or receiving unit) are connected to each other via the network 141 and communicate with each other. The interface units 121 and 221 also communicate with a plurality of servers 143 and 144 connected via the network 141.

  The network 141 may be a network that performs data communication by any of a facsimile method, an e-mail method, and other methods. Although the Internet facsimile method may be used, the Internet facsimile method that uses a method of transmitting a fax document as image data is included in the facsimile method. That is, the network 141 may be any of PSTN (Public Switched Telephone Network), LAN, WAN, or another communication network.

  FIG. 2 is a functional block diagram showing in detail the control unit 117 of the communication terminal apparatus 100 of FIG. In addition, although the control part 217 of the communication terminal device 200 is provided with the structure similar to the control part 117 of the communication terminal device 100, since it overlaps, description using drawing is abbreviate | omitted. The control unit 117 of the communication terminal device 100 includes an archive setting determination unit 161, an archive data creation unit 151, and an output unit 105.

  When the archive setting determination unit 161 acquires a signal indicating that data has been received from the communication unit 111, the archive setting determination unit 161 accesses the archive setting table stored in the storage device 119, and the archive setting of the communication terminal device 100 is turned ON or OFF. It is judged whether it is either.

  The archive data creation unit 151 is configured to add archive information to received data so that the archive information is visually output (printed out or displayed on a screen) in the communication terminal device 200 that is the transfer destination of the archive data. Has been. That is, the archive data creation unit 151 includes a communication method determination unit 101, an archive TTI writing unit 108, and an archive attached file name writing unit 107. When the archive data creation unit 151 obtains the received data from the communication unit 111, the archive data is processed into archive data by adding archive information to the received data, and the archive data is processed into the interface unit 121, which is a transfer unit, and the network 141 to another communication terminal apparatus 200.

  At this time, the communication method determination unit 101 determines a communication method to another communication terminal device 200. The archive TTI writing unit 108 determines that the communication method determination unit 101 determines that the communication method to another communication terminal apparatus 200 is a facsimile method based on the determination acquired from the communication method determination unit 101. An indication that the transmission data is archive data is written in the TTI area (transmission source information area) of the transmission data. The attached file name writing unit 107 for archive determines that the communication method determination unit 101 acquires from the communication method determination unit 101 when the communication method determination unit 101 determines that the communication method to another communication terminal device 200 is an e-mail method. Based on the above, an indication that the transmission data is archive data is written in the file name area of the transmission data.

  The output unit 105 outputs received data acquired from the communication unit 111. At this time, the output unit 105 acquires the output setting stored in the storage device 119, and receives the received data according to the output setting, for example, a printing unit (not shown), the display unit 115, and the faxes in the servers 143 and 144. Output to a data storage unit (not shown).

  Hereinafter, the operation of the communication terminal apparatus according to the present embodiment will be described in detail. The communication terminal device 200 performs the same operation as that of the communication terminal device 100. However, the communication terminal device 200 is redundant and will not be described with reference to the drawings.

  FIG. 3 is a flowchart for explaining the operation of the communication terminal apparatus according to the present embodiment. When the communication unit 111 of the communication terminal apparatus 100 starts receiving data from the FAX terminal 131, the E-mail terminal 133, and the I-FAX terminal 135 (S101), the communication unit 111 sequentially passes the received data to the control unit 117. When the communication unit 111 of the communication terminal device 100 ends the data reception (S103), the communication unit 111 passes the remaining portion of the received data and a signal indicating that the reception of the data is completed to the control unit 117.

  The control unit 117 that has acquired the reception data and the signal indicating that the reception of the data has been completed passes the reception data to the archive setting determination unit 161 and the output unit 105. The output unit 105 that has acquired the received data prints out the received data in the same manner as normal FAX data or e-mail data, or stores the received data in the storage device 119 according to the data type of the received data. Appropriate data is output such as displaying on the display unit 115 that the message has been received (S105).

  Further, the archive setting determination unit 161 that has acquired the received data accesses the storage device 119 in which the own archive setting is stored, and reads whether the archive setting is ON or OFF (S107). If it is determined that the archive setting is ON, the received data and the determination result are sent to the archive data creation unit 151. On the other hand, if the archive setting determination unit 161 determines that the archive setting is OFF, the archive setting determination unit 161 does not send the received data and the determination result to the communication method determination unit 101 of the archive data creation unit 151, and sends it to the control unit 117. Send a signal to that effect. The control unit 117 that has acquired the signal causes the communication terminal apparatus 100 to end a series of flows.

  The communication method determination unit 101 that has acquired the received data and the determination result reads data on the communication method to the archive destination communication terminal device 200 stored in the storage device 119, and the communication method to the archive destination is the FAX method or Whether the I-FAX method or the E-mail method is determined (S109).

  When the communication method determination unit 101 determines that the communication method to the archive destination is the FAX method or the I-FAX method, the communication method determination unit 101 sends the received data and the determination result to the archive TTI writing unit 108. On the other hand, when the communication method determination unit 101 determines that the communication method to the archive destination is the E-mail method, the communication method determination unit 101 sends the received data and the determination result to the archive attached file name writing unit 107.

  The archive TTI writing unit 108 that has received the received data and the determination result is different from the facsimile control information area in which the communication protocol is written in the received data, and in the TTI area (in the facsimile original data area in which the data body is written). By writing archive information (information including the characters of Archive) into the area where the sender information is written (S115), archive data is created and sent to the interface unit 121.

  On the other hand, the archive attached file name writing unit 107 that has received the received data and the determination result archives the received data in the file name area (file name writing area) of the property area (file property information writing area). By writing information (information including the characters of Archive) (S116), archive data is created and sent to the interface unit 121.

  The interface unit 121 that has acquired the archive data transfers the archive data to the communication terminal device 200 via the network 141 (S117). When the transfer of archive data is completed, the interface unit 121 transmits a signal to that effect to the control unit 117. The control unit 117 that has acquired the signal causes the communication terminal apparatus 100 to end a series of flows.

  Hereinafter, data based on the communication protocol used in the present embodiment will be described. Note that the communication data transmitted / received by the communication terminal device 200 has the same configuration as the communication data transmitted / received by the communication terminal device 100, but since they are duplicated, the description using the drawings is omitted.

  FIG. 4 is a conceptual diagram for explaining the configuration of archive data created by the archive data creation unit 151 of the communication terminal device according to the present embodiment. As shown in FIG. 4A, the archive data created by the archive TTI writing unit 108 included in the archive data creating unit 151 has an Arbithive Tx character (archive information) added to the TTI area of the facsimile original area. Is written.

  That is, in order to clearly indicate that the transmission data to the communication terminal device 200 is intended for archiving, when the archiving destination is a FAX or IFAX terminal at the time of transmission by archiving, it can be determined that the archive is in TTI. A character string is added to the original TTI. In this figure, the TTI area describes archive information and a part of the sender information (2004/07/21 1/5 page) originally written in the received data.

  Also, in this figure, part of the sender information originally written in the received data (sender facsimile number, etc.) has disappeared, but for example, the TTI is outside and it is originally attached at the time of transmission / reception The archive information may be added and displayed together with the TTI. Alternatively, the model manufacturer may be displayed in addition to the archive information (TTI example: Archive: Murata Machine Co., Ltd.). Alternatively, the TTI of the original received data may be eliminated and simply Archive may be used.

  Also, as shown in FIG. 4B, the archive data created by the archive attached file name writing unit 107 included in the archive data creating unit 151 includes ARC characters (archive) in the file name area of the property area. Information) is written in addition. In this figure, the file type is a PDF file, and in the file name area, the archive information, the file name originally written in the received data (2004071113106_1), and a symbol (_) that connects them are shown. And an extension (pdf).

  That is, when the archive destination is other than the facsimile method or the I-FAX method as described above, a transfer method using an electronic file (e-mail method or SMB or FTP such as Scan to Email method) is used. In the case of the transfer method to the shared folder method), a character string that can be determined as an archive is added to the original TTI (another file name example: Archive_Test1.pdf).

Hereinafter, the effect of the communication terminal device according to the present embodiment will be described. Note that the communication terminal device 200 has the same operational effects as the communication terminal device 100, but since it overlaps, detailed description thereof is omitted.
Communication terminal apparatus 100 according to the present embodiment can create archive data that can be easily identified as archive data by an operator of the archive destination device. That is, the communication terminal device 100 is configured to add archive information to data so that the archive information is visually output at the transfer destination of the archive data. For this reason, the operator of the communication terminal apparatus 200 at the archive destination can easily determine that the transferred data is archive data.
More specifically, when the communication method to the archive destination is the facsimile system or the I-FAX system, the communication terminal apparatus 100 is information indicating that the archive is in the TTI area of the transmission data at the time of archive transmission. Is added. For this reason, when the data transmitted from the communication terminal device 100 to the communication terminal device 200 is archive data, the archive information is displayed in the TTI area of the archive data transferred to the archive destination communication terminal device 200. As a result, the operator of the communication terminal apparatus 200 can determine that the transfer data is archive data simply by confirming the TTI area with the printed facsimile document.
In addition, when the communication method to the archive destination is an e-mail method, the communication terminal device 100 adds information indicating the archive to the file name area of the transmission data at the time of archive transmission. For this reason, when the data transmitted from the communication terminal device 100 to the communication terminal device 200 is archive data, the archive information is displayed in the file name of the archive data transferred to the archive destination communication terminal device 200. As a result, in the communication terminal device 200, the operator can determine that the transfer data is archive data.
That is, in the communication terminal apparatus 100, regardless of whether the communication method to the archive destination is the facsimile system, the I-FAX system, or the electronic mail system, the operator uses the archive data in the archive destination communication terminal apparatus 200 to transfer data. Make it possible to determine that it is. For this reason, another company's machine that does not have the same specification can be designated as the archive destination. As a result, it is possible to reduce the influence due to the difference between a plurality of communication methods. Therefore, it can be said that the communication terminal device 100 is a communication terminal device that has low device dependency of the transmission destination (the other party) and has excellent versatility.

  As mentioned above, although embodiment of this invention was described with reference to drawings, these are the illustrations of this invention, Various structures other than the above are also employable.

  For example, in the above embodiment, the communication terminal device 100 determines the communication method to the communication terminal device 200 by acquiring the model information of the communication terminal device 200 stored in the storage device 119, but the method is particularly limited. Not the purpose. For example, the communication terminal device 100 may transmit a signal for acquiring information of the partner model to the communication terminal device 200. In this case, the communication terminal device 200 that has received the signal transmits the model information of the communication terminal device 200 to the communication terminal device 100. And the communication terminal device 100 which received model information can judge the model of the communication terminal device 200 based on this model information.

It is a functional block diagram which shows the network structure of the communication terminal device which concerns on embodiment. It is a functional block diagram which shows the structure of the control part of the communication terminal device which concerns on embodiment in detail. It is a flowchart for demonstrating operation | movement of the communication terminal device which concerns on embodiment. It is a conceptual diagram for demonstrating the structure of the archive data produced by the archive data production part of the communication terminal device which concerns on embodiment.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 100 Communication terminal device 101 Communication system judgment part 105 Output part 107 Archive attached file name writing part 108 Archive TTI writing part 111 Communication part 113 Operation part 115 Display part 117 Control part 119 Storage device 121 Interface part 123 Reading part 131 FAX Terminal 133 E-mail terminal 135 I-FAX terminal 141 Network 143 Server 144 Server 151 Archive data creation unit 161 Archive setting determination unit 200 Communication terminal device 211 Communication unit 213 Operation unit 215 Display unit 217 Control unit 219 Storage unit 221 Interface unit 223 Reading unit 231 FAX terminal 233 E-mail terminal 235 I-FAX terminal

Claims (6)

A composite communication terminal device having a facsimile function and an electronic mail function,
A receiving unit for receiving data from the outside;
An archive data creation unit that processes the data into archive data by adding archive information to the data;
A communication method determination unit that is included in the archive data creation unit and determines a communication method to the outside;
When the communication method determination unit determines that the communication method is a facsimile method, the archive data is transferred to the outside, while when the communication method determination unit determines that the communication method is an e-mail method, A transfer unit that transfers the archive data to the outside as an email attachment ;
With
The archive data creation unit
When the communication method determination unit determines that the communication method is a facsimile method, a facsimile document writing unit that writes the archive information in a facsimile document region of the data;
When the communication method determination unit determines that the communication method is an e-mail method, a property writing unit that writes the archive information in the property area of the data;
Including
The facsimile document writing unit includes a transmission source information writing unit that writes the archive information in a transmission source information region of the facsimile document region,
The property writing unit includes a file name writing unit that writes the archive information in a file name area of the property area,
A communication terminal device configured to add the archive information to the data so that the archive information is visually output at a transfer destination of the archive data. When the communication method determination unit determines that the communication method is a facsimile method, the archive information is visually output to the source information column when the data is printed out at the transfer destination of the data. The communication terminal device according to claim 1, wherein the communication information is configured to add the archive information to the data. When the communication method determination unit determines that the communication method is an e-mail method, the archive information is visually output to the file name column when the data file is displayed at the transfer destination of the data. 3. The communication terminal device according to claim 1, wherein the communication terminal device is configured to add the archive information to the data.   The communication terminal apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the communication method determination unit determines the communication method to the outside by acquiring the external model information.   The communication method determination unit transmits a signal for acquiring the external model information, receives the model information from the outside that has received the signal, and determines the external model based on the received model information. The communication terminal apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the communication terminal apparatus is determined. A first communication terminal apparatus having a facsimile function and an e-mail function; a second communication terminal apparatus having either a facsimile function or an e-mail function ; the first communication terminal apparatus; and the second communication terminal apparatus. A communication path comprising:
The first communication terminal device is the communication terminal device according to any one of claims 1 to 5 ,
The first communication terminal device is configured to process data received from the outside into archive data, and transfer the archive data to the second communication terminal device when the communication path is a facsimile system. on the other hand, when the communication path is an email system is configured to transfer the archived data to the second communication terminal device as an email attachment,
The second communication terminal device is configured so that the archive data received by the facsimile method from the first communication terminal device is displayed in a source information area in the archive information included in the archive data. On the other hand, the archive data received by the electronic mail method from the first communication terminal device is configured to display the archive information included in the archive data in a file name. .

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