JPH0378828B2 - - Google Patents

Description

[Detailed Description of the Invention] [Summary] By providing a function key around a large graphic LCD, displaying the destination on the LCD, and switching the display screen, one-touch communication is easily and semi-infinitely possible. Fax machine.

[Industrial application field]

The present invention relates to a facsimile device equipped with a large graphic LCD (liquid crystal display) and capable of one-touch communication.

[Conventional technology]

A facsimile device calls the other party's facsimile device using a telephone number and sends the image data of the original document, but when there are many destinations, it is necessary to handle a large number of telephone numbers, which is cumbersome and prone to input errors. Therefore, if there are many destinations but they are fixed, register the destination phone number in advance, and if you want to send to the Sapporo branch, Sendai branch, etc.
A one-touch communication method is being considered that allows messages to be sent to the Sapporo branch, Sendai branch, etc. by simply pressing a button labeled with the words Sapporo, Sendai, etc.

FIG. 10 shows an example. This figure shows the operation panel section of the facsimile machine, where 10 is a character display LCD, 12 is a one-touch button, and 1 is a one-touch button.
4 is the name of the other party communicated when the one-touch button 12 on the right side is pressed, and is usually pasted on a sticker or written on with a ballpoint pen. Reference numeral 16 denotes push buttons for instructing functions supported by ordinary facsimile machines (original dark/light, copy, timer transmission, paper set, etc.), and 18 is a so-called numeric keypad. If you want to send the manuscript drawing data to the head office, Osaka branch office, and Omiya branch office, press the push button 12 to the right of each of the head office, Osaka, and Omiya in the destination name column 14.

[Problem that the invention seeks to solve]

However, in this method, when there are many destinations, the field 14 for the destination name requires a large space, and the number of one-touch buttons 12 is also large, which hinders miniaturization of facsimile machines and makes it difficult to select the desired one from among the many destinations. This makes it difficult to search and makes it difficult to use.

On the other hand, some facsimile machines are designed to improve operability by displaying operating instructions, device status, etc. in text on a large graphic LCD. A large portion of the destination name 14 can be displayed.

The present invention focuses on this point, and displays the destination name on a large graphic LCD.
Destinations are specified using function keys placed around the LCD, and the destination name screen on the LCD can be switched, thereby making it possible to specify a semi-infinite number of destinations with a single touch without increasing space. be.

[Means for solving problems]

As shown in FIG. 1, in the present invention, function keys 24 are arranged at the upper and lower parts of the large graphic LCD 22,
The name of the communication partner is displayed as in... The LCD 22 is originally used for instructions such as various guidance, but by pressing the mode switching push button 26, the name of the other party is displayed directly below or above each function key as shown in the figure. This operation panel 20 also has push buttons such as a numeric keypad 18, but these are the same as those of the conventional one.

[Effect]

If you press the function key F1 in the state shown in Figure 1, you will be sent to Sapporo, and if you press the function key F16, you will be sent to Kawasaki. When the selector switch 28, for example, is pressed, the screen on the LCD 22 changes to become as shown in FIG. 2, for example. In this state, pressing function key F1 will send you to Osaka, and pressing function key F16 will send you to Tsu. The same applies below. In this example, there are 16 function keys 24, so 16 destinations can be specified with one touch, and the LCD
By switching between 22 screens, it is possible to specify 32 destinations (switch once), 48 destinations (switch twice), etc. with one touch.

〔Example〕

FIG. 3 mainly shows the electrical configuration of the facsimile apparatus of the present invention. The MPU 1 has a document reading section 32,
The main microprocessor MPU 2 controls the image data recording unit 34 and the like on paper, and is a sub microprocessor that performs line control and the like. The other party's data, i.e. kanji (character) codes such as Sapporo, Hakodate, etc., and their phone numbers are
EEPROM (Electrically Erasable Programmable
ROM) 36. key (push button 2)
6) When switching to one-touch input mode by operation,
The character code and telephone number of the 16 recipients on the screen that is first displayed on the LCD 22 are read from the EEPROM 36, and the character code is converted into font data (dot pattern) by the CGROM (ROM serving as a character generator) 38. is sent to the LCD 22 via the control circuits 40, 42, etc., and the first
It will be displayed as shown in the figure. When the switching button 28 is pressed, the character code and telephone number of the other party for the next screen are read out from the EEPROM 36, and the character code of the other party is converted into font data by the CGROM 38 and displayed on the LCD 22. The same goes for the following, and each time the switching button 28 is pressed, data for the next screen is read out and displayed. Accordingly
It can handle as many destinations as the EEPROM36 capacity allows.

It is preferable to press the switching button 28 repeatedly to switch the LCD display screen, and when the last screen is reached, return to the first screen, and also to return to the first screen when the mode is changed or the power is cut off.
The telephone number read from the EEPROM36 is stored in RAM, and the destination telephone number is output when the function key is pressed. (Telephone number is written).

FIG. 4 shows an example of the data storage state of the EEPROM 36. This consists of a destination name table (a) and a destination telephone number table (b). The latter has m destinations up to the destination name, each of which has a first address consisting of l numeric codes.
It has the telephone numbers of the other party, the second party, and so on. The left side of each table shows the memory address,
OST and TNT are the start addresses of the destination table and telephone number table. Since the Kanji code is 2 bytes, the first address of the second destination name is OST + 2n.
Since the numerical code is 1 byte, the first address of the second destination's telephone number will be TNT+l.
This applies hereafter.

FIG. 5 shows a flowchart of a program for carrying out one-touch dial operations. As mentioned above, the destination is represented by n kanji characters (maximum 4 in this example), the number of destinations that can be communicated with one touch is m, the number of digits of the destination's phone number is l,
The number of destinations (this is the number of function keys) that can be displayed at one time on the LCD 22 is defined as f. The column on the left is the part related to displaying the destination name. First, counter values i and j are set to 0, and i<j+f, i
The start address of the destination table with the condition <m
Set a pointer to OST+2(i-1)n, and
Let be i+1 (therefore, it is now the OST itself), and k<
Read the 2-byte Kanji code from the address OST of the pointer under the condition n. Check whether these 2 bytes are $FFFF (code indicating the end), and if not $FFFF, convert these 2 bytes to CG.
The data is applied to the circuit 40, converted into font data by the CGROM 38, and displayed on the LCD 22 directly below the F(i-j+1) key, in this example, the F1 key. Now, one kanji of the recipient's name will be displayed. Next, add 2 to the pointer, set k (this is the order from the first kanji of the recipient's name) to k+1, read the next 2-byte kanji code under the condition of k<n, and use CGROM38 if it is not $FFFF. Convert to font data,
Displayed next to the above kanji on the LCD. The same goes for the following, and the names of the other parties are displayed one after another directly below or above each function key on the LCD 22.

If the destination name is one screen long, in this example f=16 or more, i<j+f? The judgment result is NO, and the parameter q is set to the corresponding f and a key input is awaited. This is 1
This is the state in which the display for the screen has been completed, and when the changeover switch is operated in this state, j is changed to i (16 in this example) and the process moves on, provided that i<m is not satisfied. The following screen will now be displayed. Similarly, each time the changeover switch is pressed, the screen on the LCD 22 changes to the next screen. In this example, f=16, and the names of the 17th to 32nd destinations are displayed on the second screen, and the names of 33rd to 48th destinations are displayed on the third screen (the same applies hereafter). In this facsimile device, when the power is turned on, the first screen is displayed, and if there is a destination on this screen, one-touch input can be made immediately and the process can proceed to transmission.

When the function key is pressed while a certain screen is being displayed, the column on the right side of FIG. 5 (transmission control) operates. That is, the number of the pressed function key is expressed as the parameter r (the above l
equivalent), move the pointer to TNT+r+j-1 under the condition rq(f), set the parameter k to 0 first, then increase it by +1 up to l, read out the telephone number one digit at a time, and pass it to the communication control. .

The writing of the destination name and telephone number into the EEPROM 38, that is, the creation of the destination table and the telephone number table, is performed by the operator using the ten keys. FIG. 6 shows the processing flow. To create the table, set the facsimile device to registration mode, and enter the recipient's name in JIS Kanji code on the LCD 22.No.01 Recipient's name: - Telephone number: Follow the screen A that will appear. to operate the numeric keypad. Setting input data and switching tables is done using the F8 key.Do not press the F8 key at first, and the JIS Kanji code is 1 Kanji character with 4 numbers,
Since it is expressed in 2 bytes, the operator operates the numeric keypad 18 on the operation panel 20 and inputs a 4-digit code for one Kanji character of the recipient's name. If you enter 4 numbers, i<4? The block becomes NO,
Give the four numbers input so far to the CG circuit 40,
Convert to dot data with CGROM38 and display on LCD2
2 and display the corresponding kanji at the hyphen position in the recipient's name field. The recipient name can be up to 4 kanji,
Finally, put in the $FFFF mentioned above. 4
When a kanji is entered or the F8 key is pressed,
The LCD 22 changes to the next screen B.

Please enter the telephone number No. 01 Name of the party: Sapporo Telephone number: - The operator operates the numeric keypad 18 to input the telephone number of the party's name, in this example Sapporo. According to this input, each digit of the telephone number will be displayed in the telephone number column of screen B one after another, and when the maximum number of digits is entered as the telephone number or when the operator presses the F8 key after completing the telephone number entry, the save will be executed. The name and telephone number of the other party that was previously entered are written into the EEPROM 38, and the next set completion screen C is displayed on the LCD.

Setup completed No.01 Name of party: Sapporo Phone number: 044-777-1111 Table creation can also be done using a computer, and the process flow is shown in Figure 7. Figure 8 shows the entire device, 50 is a facsimile device, 52
is a personal computer. FIG. 9 shows the format of data input from the personal computer.
First is the ASCII code item number (corresponding to the numbers on screens A and B), then the kanji code of the recipient's name expressed in shift JIS code, and then the telephone number expressed in ASCII code. There is no separation between these
In the Shift JIS code, bit 7 is always 1, and in the ASCII code, bit 7 is 0, so the delimiter can be determined by this. Next comes the item number of the next partner, but both of these parts are ASCII and cannot be distinguished, so $0D
Insert an EOT (end of telephone) consisting of an appropriate code such as. Also, at the end of all recipient names and phone numbers, enter an appropriate code such as $0F.
Insert EOL (end of line).

In this registration mode from a computer, check whether the input data is ASCII or not, and if it is ASCII, it is the item number, so save that 2-byte data, and then
Check whether B7 is 1 or not. If it is 1, it is the kanji code of the other party's name, so take in 2 bytes at a time. Eventually
B7 becomes 0, and since this is a telephone number, we import each byte and save the dialing code.
The EOT will come soon, so save the recipient's kanji code and dial code in the table for that item number, and move on to saving the next recipient's name and phone number. Finally, the end code EOL comes, so when this is received, the data that has been saved up to now is written to the EEPROM 36, and the destination table and telephone number table are created or updated.

〔Effect of the invention〕

As explained above, this facsimile device allows one-touch communication to a large number of destinations without arranging many one-touch buttons on the operation panel, and has the advantages of improved operability, smaller device size, and lower cost. I can figure it out. In addition, since it has a function to register the name of the other party and its telephone number, it is possible to easily and easily deal with increases and decreases in the number of one-touch communication parties, and changes in the telephone number.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

Figure 1 is an explanatory diagram showing the outline of the device of the present invention, Figure 2
3 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the main electrical parts of the facsimile device of the present invention. FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram of the contents of the table. Figure 5 is a flowchart of one-touch communication operation, Figure 6 is a flowchart showing how to create a table by key input, Figure 7 is a flowchart showing how to create a table using a microcomputer, Figure 8 is a system diagram of how to create a table using a microcomputer, and Figure 9 The figure is an explanatory diagram of a data format from a microcomputer, and FIG. 10 is an explanatory diagram of conventional one-touch communication. In FIG. 1, 22 is a liquid crystal display, 24 is a function key, and 28 is a switching button.

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A one-touch communication mechanism that transmits manuscript image data to the other party using a pre-registered telephone number of the other party by pressing a button corresponding to the displayed name of the other party. A liquid crystal display 22 for displaying guidance text in a facsimile device having
A plurality of function keys 24 are arranged around the terminal, and in the one-touch communication mode, the name of the other party is displayed near each function key on the liquid crystal display.
A facsimile device characterized in that the key can be used in the same way as the push button, and by pressing a switch button 28, the destination name can be changed and transmission can be made to the changed destination. 2. The means for displaying the name of the other party on the liquid crystal display and storing the telephone number of the other party becomes writable by setting the facsimile device to a registration mode, as set forth in claim 1. fax machine.