Facsimile and static presentation processing – Facsimile – Specific signal processing circuitry
Reexamination Certificate
1997-01-08
2001-11-27
Lee, Cheukfan (Department: 2622)
Facsimile and static presentation processing
Facsimile
Specific signal processing circuitry
C358S437000, C358S440000, C358S442000, C358S407000, C358S434000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06323962
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a facsimile machine which is connectable to an external computer, and particularly relates to the art of transmitting data to the computer.
2. Related Art Statement
There is known a facsimile machine (“FAX” machine) comprising a first facsimile-data transmitter including a first connector connectable to an external computer via a first communication line, and a second connector connectable to a second facsimile-data transmitter (second “FAX”) via a second communication line. The first facsimile-data transmitter transmits, to the computer via the first communication line, facsimile data (“FAX” data) transmitted from the second FAX via the second communication line. An example of this FAX machine is disclosed in Japanese Patent Application laid open for inspection purposes under Publication No. 60(1985)-48661. This FAX machine transmits, to the computer, the FAX data transmitted from the second FAX, so that a data memory of the computer may be utilized to store the FAX data or so that the computer may be utilized to edit or revise the FAX data.
The above-mentioned second facsimile-data transmitter, i.e., second FAX may be any kind of apparatus which has the function of transmitting FAX data, for example, an apparatus which has the function of transmitting the FAX data supplied from an external data processing device, such as a computer, an apparatus which has the function of reading images from an original and producing FAX data based on image data obtained from the image reading and additionally has the function of transmitting the thus produced FAX data, or an apparatus which has the function of transmitting FAX data and additionally has the function of receiving FAX data and/or the function of recording, on a recording medium, images represented by image data contained in FAX data.
However, in some cases, the FAX machine or the first facsimile-data transmitter thereof is not permitted to transmit, to the computer, the FAX data transmitted from the second FAX. For example, when the computer is not connected to the FAX machine, when the computer is not supplied with electric power, when a facsimile-data memory of the computer is full of FAX data and accordingly has no remaining memory capacity for storing additional FAX data, when the computer is executing a complex and long control program other than a facsimile-data receiving program, or when the computer is not executing a facsimile-data receiving program, the FAX machine is not permitted to transmit the FAX data to the computer.
In addition, in some cases, the FAX machine transmits data other than FAX data to the computer, or transmits FAX data to the computer though the computer cannot receive FAX data. For example, in the case where the FAX machine includes a telephone set, the FAX machine receives FAX data transmitted from the second FAX and additionally receives telephone data (“TEL” data) from a different telephone set which may be a telephone set of the second FAX. However, if the computer does not have the function of receiving TEL data, a communication error occurs when the FAX machine transmits TEL data to the computer. To avoid this error, a user of the FAX machine must see what kind of data the received data are each time the FAX machine receives data and, only when the received data are FAX data, operate the FAX machine to transmit the received FAX data to the computer. The FAX machine is not permitted to transmit any data to the computer unless the user operates and permits the FAX machine to transmit the data. This is very cumbersome for the user.
Moreover, in other cases, the computer fails to receive FAX data transmitted from the FAX machine. For example, in the case where the FAX machine transmits FAX data to the computer when the computer is executing a control program other than a facsimile-data receiving program, the computer cannot execute the facsimile-data receiving program and accordingly cannot receive a portion of the FAX data transmitted from the FAX machine. In other words, the FAX machine is not permitted to transmit the FAX data to the computer. If the FAX data are transmitted to the computer when the computer has just finished a certain cycle of the control program other than the facsimile-data receiving program and is waiting for the next cycle of the same program, the computer can receive the FAX data.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is therefore a first object of the present invention to provide a facsimile machine which does not fail to receive FAX data transmitted from a different facsimile-data transmitter even if the facsimile machine is not permitted to transmit the FAX data to a computer connected to the facsimile machine.
The first object has been achieved according to a first aspect of the present invention, which provides a facsimile machine comprising: a first facsimile-data transmitter including a first connector connectable to an external computer via a first communication line, and a second connector connectable to a second facsimile-data transmitter via a second communication line, the first facsimile-data transmitter transmitting, to the external computer via the first communication line, facsimile data transmitted from the second facsimile-data transmitter via the second communication line; a facsimile-data receiver; and a control device which controls the first facsimile-data transmitter not to transmit the facsimile data to the external computer, and controls the facsimile-data receiver to receive the facsimile data, in place of the external computer.
In the FAX machine in accordance with the first aspect of the invention, the control device controls, when the first facsimile-data transmitter is not permitted to transmit the FAX data to the computer for some reason, the facsimile-data receiver to receive the facsimile data in place of the computer. Thus, the present FAX machine receives FAX data transmitted from a different facsimile-data transmitter, in place of the computer, even if the first facsimile-data transmitter thereof is not permitted to transmit the FAX data to the computer, i.e., even if the computer cannot receive the FAX data. The FAX machine does not fail to receive any portion of FAX data transmitted from other facsimile-data transmitters.
According to a preferred feature of the first aspect of the invention, the control device comprises judging means for judging whether the first facsimile-data transmitter is permitted to transmit the facsimile data to the external computer, based on information indicative of a state of the computer relating to data reception, and the control device controls the facsimile-data receiver to start receiving the facsimile data in place of the computer when the judging means makes a negative judgment and to continue the reception of the facsimile data until the second facsimile-data transmitter ends the transmission of the facsimile data. The information indicative of the state of the computer relating to data reception is typically a facsimile-data-reception-incapability signal indicating that the computer is not capable of receiving FAX data, or a facsimile-data-transmission-inhibiting signal to inhibit the FAX machine from transmitting FAX data to the computer, each signal being produced by the computer. However, this information may be a facsimile-data-reception-capability signal indicating that the computer is capable of receiving FAX data, or a facsimile-data-transmission-permitting signal to permit the FAX machine to transmit FAX data to the computer, each signal being produced by the computer. If the computer does not supply the facsimile-data-reception-capability signal or the facsimile-data-transmission-permitting signal to the FAX machine, then the FAX machine can judge that the first facsimile-data transmitter thereof is not permitted to transmit FAX data to the computer. In this sense, the facsimile-data-reception-incapability signal or the facsimile-data-transmission-inhibiting signal is substantially the same as the facsimile-dat
Asano Yuji
Itoh Shingo
Minamizawa Fumihiro
Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
Lee Cheukfan
Oliff & Berridg,e PLC
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