JPH11275329A - Communication information storing and forwarding device - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a communication information storing and forwarding device capable of reducing a memory area used for a distribution destination table for distributing facsimile picture information, etc., to a personal computer or the like. SOLUTION: A communication information storing and forwarding device provided with a means for distributing reception information in accordance with a sub-address sent with one of plural data systems is provided with a data system conversion part 21 converting the data system of the received sub-address into a common data system, a distribution destination table 22 storing plural distribution destination addresses in accordance with the plural sub-addresses of the common data system. At the time of obtaining reception information and the sub-address, the data system conversion part 21 converts the sub-address into the sub-address of the common data system and a system control part 11 obtains the distribution destination address made to correspond to the converted sub-address from the distribution destination table 22. A mail communication control part 17 distributes reception information to the distribution destination of the distribution destination address.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a communication information storage and exchange device capable of distributing image information received from a facsimile device or a telephone to a facsimile device or a personal computer. The present invention relates to a communication information storage and exchange device capable of reducing the amount of data stored in a storage unit.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In a facsimile communication system, a storage and switching apparatus has been conventionally used. FIG. 9 shows an example of a system configuration using a conventional storage and exchange device. A storage and exchange device 1a is installed in an office where a plurality (or one) facsimile device 4 is installed. A public telephone line 8 and a facsimile machine 4 in an office are connected via a 1a.
The storage and exchange device 1a is a facsimile device 4 in the office.
The transmission image information is accumulated at the time of transmission from the server, and if the facsimile machine 3 is busy (Busy), a re-call is performed. Or Further, if the facsimile machine 3 in the office is in a reception-disabled state at the time of reception, the storage and exchange apparatus 1a stores the received image information from the other party's facsimile apparatus 3 so that the facsimile machine 4 in the office can receive. When the facsimile apparatus 4 has reached the end, the received image information is transferred to the facsimile apparatus 4. In recent years, as shown in FIG.
9 and transmits a facsimile from the client terminal device (for example, a personal computer) 5 in the LAN 9 via the storage and exchange device 1 and a facsimile received by the storage and exchange device 1 from the public telephone line 8 as described above. It can be distributed to the terminal device 5. In addition to simply distributing a facsimile received in the G3 transmission control procedure, a single multifunctional storage and switching device 1 can distribute a facsimile received in the G4 transmission control procedure, a facsimile received via the ISDN, and the like. Now you can do it. In the transmission-side facsimile apparatus 3 in the line that requests the storage and exchange apparatus 1 to transmit, the image information is transmitted to the storage and exchange apparatus 1 by designating the address (telephone number, terminal number) of the storage and exchange apparatus 1. At the same time, a sub-address for distribution (corresponding to a distribution destination address) is passed to the storage and switching apparatus 1. This sub-address is not only different from the distribution destination address, but the data format of the sub-address also differs depending on the communication method such as the communication according to the G3 transmission control procedure and the communication via the ISDN. It depends on whether you send it by signal. For example, the number of digits in the subaddress field of the signal is different, or * is not added before or after the subaddress value.

[0003]

However, in the conventional storage and switching apparatus 1 as described above, in order to obtain a distribution destination address from a sub address, a distribution destination table in which a distribution destination address is associated with each sub address is provided for each communication method. Alternatively, since it is necessary to prepare for each sub address acquisition method, there is a problem that a large memory area is consumed for the distribution destination table. Therefore, the problem to be solved by the present invention is to solve the above-mentioned problems of the conventional technology, to reduce the memory area consumed for the distribution destination table, and to realize a more convenient function. It is an object of the present invention to provide a communication information storage and exchange device that can obtain such information.

[0004]

In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, according to the first aspect of the present invention, a sub-address sent in one of a plurality of different data formats is obtained and sent together with the sub-address. A communication information storage and exchange device having means for delivering received reception information to the sub-address, a data format conversion means for converting a data format of the received sub-address into a common data format, and a plurality of sub-addresses of the common data format. A destination storage means for storing a plurality of destination addresses attached to the received data, and when receiving information and a subaddress of the destination, the data format conversion means converts the subaddress to a subaddress in a common data format, A delivery destination address associated with the assigned sub-address from the delivery destination storage means, To serial delivery destination address of the delivery destination and a delivery means for delivering the received information. Further, in the invention according to claim 2, in the above, the distribution destination storage means is configured to store the image file format format of the distribution destination in association with the sub-address of the common data format. A format conversion unit is provided for acquiring an image file format corresponding to the distribution destination stored in the storage unit, and converting the received image information into an image file format of the above format. Also,
According to a third aspect of the present invention, in the first aspect of the present invention, the communication speed is stored in the distribution destination storage means in association with the sub-address, and when the sub-address is distributed to the distribution destination, the communication speed is set. The distribution means is configured to distribute the data.

[0005] With the above configuration, when the received information and the sub-address of the distribution destination are obtained, the sub-address is converted into a sub-address in a common data format, and the converted sub-address is converted into the sub-address. The associated distribution destination address is obtained from the distribution destination storage means, and the received information is distributed to the distribution destination of the distribution destination address. According to a second aspect of the present invention, in the first aspect of the present invention, at the time of distribution, an image file format format corresponding to the distribution destination stored in the distribution destination storage unit is acquired, and the received image information is stored in the format format. Converted to image file format. According to the third aspect of the present invention, when the communication speed is stored in association with the sub-address, when the sub-address is delivered to the destination, the communication speed is set to the communication speed and delivered.

[0006]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below in detail with reference to the drawings. FIG. 8 is a system configuration diagram of a network system including a communication information storage and exchange device (hereinafter abbreviated as a storage and exchange device) according to the present invention. As shown in the figure, the network system includes a private branch exchange 2, a private branch exchange 2, a storage and switching device 1 connected to a public telephone line 8 and also connected to a LAN 9, a public telephone line (hereinafter abbreviated as a line) 8. A facsimile machine 3 connected to the private branch exchange 2 and a facsimile machine 4 installed in the office where the storage and exchange apparatus 1 is installed.
It comprises a client terminal device (for example, a personal computer) 5 connected to the LAN 9, a mail server 6, and the like. For example, when the image information is transmitted from the facsimile machine 3 outside the office to any one of the client terminal devices 5 in the office, the facsimile apparatus 3 stores the image information with the information indicating the distribution destination by the facsimile transmission control procedure. The storage device 1 sends the image information to the client terminal device 5 based on the information indicating the distribution destination. FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a storage and switching apparatus according to a first embodiment of the present invention. As shown in FIG.
A ROM, a system control unit 11 for managing and controlling the entire apparatus according to a program stored in the ROM, an operation unit 12 for a user to operate and input data, and temporarily storing image information and the like. 13, a RAM connected to a facsimile machine 4 connected to a line, for setting up a call with a remote facsimile machine via the line, and connecting to a facsimile machine 4 in the same office via the private branch exchange 2. A line / switch interface section 14 for performing control; a facsimile communication control section 15 for performing facsimile transmission and reception in accordance with a G3 transmission control procedure; a modem 16; The mail communication control unit 17 as a distribution means for controlling the mail communication of the A LAN interface unit 18 for executing a middle-level protocol including data communication and a lower-level protocol including a signal transmission / reception process, and facsimile-encoded image information received from the client terminal device 5 via the mail communication control unit 17. It is provided with a format conversion unit 19 as a format conversion unit for converting information into information, converting facsimile coded image information into an image information format of a client terminal device, an image memory 20 for storing image information, and the like. I have. Further, the system control unit 11 includes a data format conversion unit 21 which is a data format conversion unit for converting a sub address received from the facsimile machine 3 or 4 into a common data format.
M13 includes a distribution destination table 22 for storing distribution destination addresses in association with sub-addresses in a common data format.

FIG. 2 shows an operation flow of the first embodiment. Hereinafter, the operation of this embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. First, the line / switch interface unit 14 detects an incoming call from the facsimile machine 3 in the line or the facsimile machine 4 in the premises, whereby the facsimile communication control unit 15 starts to execute, for example, phase B of the G3 transmission control procedure. . And SUB signal and NS
When a sub address (corresponding to a distribution destination address) is sent with the S signal set or the like, the system control unit 11 obtains the signal via the facsimile communication control unit 15 and extracts and obtains the sub address (S1). . Note that the transmitting side facsimile apparatuses 3 and 4 may transmit the subaddress by a push button (PB) signal (DTMF signal). This PB signal is detected by the line / switch interface unit 14, converted into code information (for example, ASCII code), and passed to the system control unit 11. It is also possible to obtain the sub-address by the G4 transmission control procedure. As described above, the sub-address can be obtained by various methods, and thus, the sub-address in various data formats as shown in FIG. 3 is obtained by the method of obtaining the sub-address at that time. Therefore, the data format conversion unit 21 in the system control unit 11 extracts only the numeral part from the acquired sub address of the data format as shown in FIG. 3 and converts it into a common data format as shown in FIG. 4 (S2). . In addition,
In FIGS. 3 and 4, “□” means a space. In other words, in the common data format, for example, the data is represented by 7-digit ASCII code, and the significant figures are right-justified.

Subsequently, a delivery destination table 2 in the RAM 13
A search is made for the acquired sub-address converted into the common data format from among the sub-addresses registered in 2. As shown in FIG. 5, the distribution destination address is registered (set) in advance in the distribution destination table 22 in association with the sub address in the common data format. In FIG. 5, the distribution destination of (1) to (3) is the client terminal device 5, and the distribution destination of (4) is the facsimile device 3, 4 different from the transmission source. The image file format of the distribution destination is also registered in association with each subaddress. In this way, when the system control unit 11 acquires the distribution destination address and the distribution destination image file format format associated with the acquired sub-address (S
3) For example, when the distribution destination is the client terminal device, a command is issued to the format conversion unit 19, and the facsimile coded image information received and stored in the image memory 20 or the like is decoded, and the TIFF format image file format is used. (In the case of the example of FIG. 5) (S4). If the distribution destination is a facsimile machine and the image file format (encoding format) is the same as the received facsimile image information, the image file format is not converted. If the distribution destination is a client terminal device, the system control unit 11 subsequently passes the image information obtained by converting the image file format and the distribution destination address to the mail communication control unit 17. The mail communication control unit 17 as the delivery means sets the received image information and delivery destination address to L
The mail is transmitted to the mail server 6 via the AN interface unit 18 (S5). Then, the mail server 6 acquires the physical address of the client terminal device from the distribution destination address set in the table of the storage unit, and distributes the mail to the client terminal device 5 having the physical address.

If the distribution destination is a facsimile machine, facsimile image information is distributed to the line 8 or the private branch exchange 2 via the line / switch interface unit 14 by a facsimile transmission control procedure executed by the facsimile communication control unit 15. . As described above, according to the first embodiment, a distribution destination address can be obtained without providing a distribution destination table for each subaddress obtaining method, and distribution to a distribution destination is possible. Also, at the time of distribution, an image file format corresponding to the distribution destination stored in the distribution destination storage unit is acquired, and the received image information is converted into the image file format of the above-mentioned format, so that the distribution is performed without trouble. The image information in the image file format adapted earlier can be sent. In the above description, a configuration in which the image file format is not set in the distribution destination table is also possible. In this case, the image file format is always distributed to the client terminal device in the same image file format, Distribute by specifying the format.

FIG. 6 is an operation flow showing a second embodiment of the present invention. In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 7, the distribution destination table has a communication speed column, and when the distribution destination is, for example, a facsimile machine, at the time of distribution, the communication speed is adjusted to the line quality of the line to the facsimile machine. Image information can be transmitted. Hereinafter, the operation of this embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. First, the line / switch interface unit 14 detects an incoming call from the facsimile machine 3 in the line or the facsimile machine 4 in the premises, whereby the facsimile communication control unit 15 starts to execute, for example, phase B of the G3 transmission control procedure. . Then, when a sub address (corresponding to a distribution destination address) is sent with the SUB signal or the NSS signal set, the system control unit 11 sends the facsimile communication control unit 15
, And the sub-address is extracted and acquired (S11). Subsequently, the data format conversion unit 21 extracts only the numeric part from the acquired sub address of the data format as shown in FIG. 3 and converts it into a common data format as shown in FIG. 4 (S12). Then, the sub address registered in the distribution destination table 22 in the RAM 13 is searched for the acquired sub address converted into the common data format.

If the distribution destination is, for example, a facsimile machine, the system control unit 11 acquires the distribution destination address associated with the acquired subdress and the communication speed to the distribution destination (S13), and the encoding format is different. In this case, the format conversion unit 19 converts the encoding format,
The facsimile communication controller 15 sets the communication speed as the maximum transmission capability of the own device (S14). This allows
The facsimile communication control unit 15 delivers the facsimile image information to the other party's facsimile device at the communication speed via the line 8 or the private branch exchange 2 via the line / switch interface unit 14 (S15). According to the second embodiment as described above, for example, in the case of distribution to a facsimile apparatus, transmission is performed at a communication speed according to the line quality status, so that retransmission due to a communication error is reduced, and It will not be sent at a slow speed.

[0012]

As described above, the present invention has the following excellent effects. According to the first aspect of the present invention, when the reception information and the sub address of the distribution destination are obtained, the sub address is converted into a sub address in a common data format, and the distribution destination address associated with the converted sub address is stored in the distribution destination storage. Means, and the received information is distributed to the distribution destination of the distribution destination address. Therefore, the distribution destination address can be obtained without providing a distribution destination table for each sub-address obtaining method, and the distribution is performed to the distribution destination. be able to. According to a second aspect of the present invention, in the first aspect of the present invention, at the time of distribution, an image file format format corresponding to the distribution destination stored in the distribution destination storage unit is acquired, and the received image information is stored in the format format. Since the image information is converted into the image file format, image information in the image file format suitable for the distribution destination can be sent without any trouble. According to the third aspect of the present invention, when the communication speed is stored in association with the sub-address, when the sub-address is delivered to the delivery destination, the communication speed is set to the communication speed and delivered. If the communication speed is registered (stored) according to the quality status, retransmission due to the occurrence of a communication error is reduced, and transmission at an unnecessarily low speed is prevented.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration of a storage and switching apparatus according to a first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is an operation flowchart of the storage and switching apparatus according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

FIGS. 3 (1) to (5) are explanatory diagrams of a main part of the storage and exchange apparatus according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

FIGS. 4 (1) to (3) are other explanatory diagrams of a main part of the storage and exchange apparatus according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a data configuration diagram of a main part of the storage and exchange device according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 6 is an operation flowchart of the storage and exchange apparatus according to the second embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 7 is a data configuration diagram of a main part of a storage and exchange device according to a second embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 8 is a system configuration diagram illustrating a network system including a storage and switching apparatus according to the present invention.

FIG. 9 is a system configuration diagram of a network system including a storage and switching apparatus showing an example of a conventional technique.

[Explanation of symbols]

1 store-and-forward device, 2 private branch exchange, 3 facsimile device, 4 facsimile device, 5 client terminal device, 6 mail server, 8 public telephone line, 11
System control unit, 13 RAM, 14 line / switch interface unit, 15 facsimile communication control unit, 1
7 mail communication control unit, 18 LAN interface unit, 19 format conversion unit, 21 data format conversion unit, 22 distribution destination table.

Claims (3)

[Claims] 1. A communication information storage and exchange device comprising: means for acquiring a subaddress sent in one of a plurality of different data formats and distributing received information sent together with the subaddress to the subaddress.
Data format conversion means for converting the data format of the received sub-address to a common data format, distribution destination storage means for storing a plurality of distribution destination addresses in association with the plurality of sub-addresses of the common data format, When the sub address of the distribution destination is obtained, the sub address is converted into the sub address of the common data format by the data format conversion unit, and the distribution destination address associated with the converted sub address is obtained from the distribution destination storage unit,
A communication unit for distributing the reception information to a distribution destination of the distribution destination address. 2. The communication information storage and exchange device according to claim 1, wherein said distribution destination storage means is configured to store a distribution destination image file format format in association with a common data format subaddress. At the time of distribution, a format conversion unit for acquiring an image file format corresponding to the distribution destination stored in the distribution destination storage unit, and converting received image information into an image file format of the format format. Communication information storage and exchange device. 3. The communication information storage and exchange apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the communication speed is stored in the distribution destination storage means in association with a subaddress, and the distribution is performed when the subaddress is distributed to the distribution destination. A communication information storage and exchange device, wherein the distribution means is configured to distribute at a set speed.