JP2002032301A - System and method for preparing homepage by utilizing facsimile, computer-readable recording medium with preparation program recorded thereon and transmitting medium for transmitting preparation program to computer - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To easily prepare a homepage in a short time. SOLUTION: A facsimile signal transmitted from a facsimile 20 through a telephone line network 21 is received by the transmission and reception control part 11 of a homepage preparation system 10, a character/image area dividing part 13, an OCR part 14 and an image data converting part 15 convert the facsimile signal into Web data, that can publicly be released on a homepage, and a Web data storing part 19 stores the Web data in the Web data storing part 31 of a Web server 30, so as to be located at a prescribed position on the homepage. Thus, it is possible to prepare the homepage that can be accessed from a personal computer terminal 50 connected to the Internet 40.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a homepage creating system capable of creating a homepage using a facsimile machine.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In order to publish a homepage at the general individual level, a contract is made with an Internet service provider and the Web server owned by the Internet service provider is registered with the Internet server unless the own server has an IP address. You need to rent your own storage area. By storing Web data created by one's personal computer in the borrowed storage area via the Internet, it becomes possible to browse a homepage from a terminal such as another personal computer. Web data is composed of image data and text data. Of these, image data can be imported from a computer using a scanner, such as photos and diagrams, from a digital camera, image editing software and CAD.
It is created by a method such as creating and editing an image using software. Text data is input by keyboard operation using word processing software or the like. When the image data and text data are completed, the image data and text data are converted to a format that can be posted on the homepage using homepage creation software, data such as title and genre information is added, and the file is transferred to a Web server according to the ftp protocol. Then, the HTML data is posted on the Web server, the image data and the text data are respectively stored in the storage areas borrowed by the client, and
L allows access from other terminals.

[0003] Such a procedure requires the operation of word processing software, a scanner, a digital camera, image processing software, homepage creation software, and the like, and is cumbersome and time-consuming for those who are not accustomed to operating a computer. . In addition, preparing these software and hardware required considerable costs.

[0004]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a home page creation system using a facsimile machine capable of creating a home page using a facsimile machine.

[0005]

In order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides a data conversion means for converting a facsimile image signal transmitted from a facsimile apparatus through a telephone line network into Web data which can be disclosed on a homepage, A data arranging means for storing the Web data in a storage area of the Web server so as to be located at a predetermined location on the Web page, to constitute a homepage creating system using a facsimile machine.

In the homepage creating system using a facsimile apparatus according to the present invention, a person who intends to create a homepage reads a manuscript by the facsimile apparatus, converts it into a facsimile image signal, and transmits the image signal to the homepage creating system via a telephone network. I do. The homepage creation system converts the facsimile image signal into Web data that can be disclosed on the homepage, and stores it in a storage area of the Web server so as to be located at a predetermined location on the homepage. Thus, a home page accessible from a terminal such as a personal computer terminal connected to the Internet can be created.

Therefore, according to the homepage creating system using the facsimile apparatus according to the present invention, the homepage can be easily and quickly established only by the facsimile apparatus without using a computer or software and hardware for creating the homepage. Can be created.

Here, the "facsimile apparatus" is an apparatus capable of transmitting a facsimile image signal through a telephone line network, and includes a dedicated facsimile machine, a machine for combined use of a fax, a copy and a printer, and a personal computer with a fax modem. Further, the facsimile image signal includes a color facsimile image signal irrespective of an analog signal or a digital signal.

The data converting means includes a facsimile image signal dividing section for dividing a facsimile image signal into a character area and an image area, a character reading section for converting a facsimile image signal belonging to the character area into text data, An image data conversion unit for converting a facsimile image signal to which the image data belongs to; an image data conversion unit for generating HTML data based on a control signal transmitted from the facsimile apparatus; Thus, the homepage creation system can be configured to include the data registration unit that registers the Web data including the text data and the image data in the storage area.

According to such a configuration, a facsimile image signal is first divided into a character area and an image area by the facsimile image signal division section. Subsequently, the facsimile image signal belonging to the character area is converted into text data by the character reading unit, and the facsimile image signal belonging to the image area is converted into image data by the image data conversion unit. If the facsimile image signal includes a mark signal for distinguishing between a character area and an image area, the division can be performed easily and accurately. The mark signal is included in the facsimile image signal by simply reading a mark printed in advance on a predetermined facsimile transmission sheet scanned by the facsimile machine. The facsimile transmission paper may include an OCR paper on which a mark is printed and an image paper on which a mark is not printed, so that the character area and the image area can be clearly distinguished. The OCR paper and the image paper have a predetermined size such as A4 size,
When Web data is created so that paper and image paper correspond to one page of the home page, a home page in which a character area and an image area are applied to one page can be easily created by operating the facsimile machine. Is done. The image data is preferably in GIF format or JPE
This is the G method. For example, when the facsimile image signal has less than 256 colors, the GIF method is used.
The PEG method is used.

[0011] Also, the HTML data creation unit uses HTML.
Data is created. The HTML data is created with contents determined in advance by a homepage creation system so as to be compatible with Web data, but a facsimile image signal and a control signal transmitted from a facsimile apparatus may be used. The control signal is a signal other than the facsimile image signal among the facsimile signals transmitted from the facsimile device, and corresponds to, for example, a transmission telephone number, a password or a designated page transmitted by key operation, and the like. The client name and mail address are displayed in the text data of the HTML data using the password. In this case, these pieces of information on the client are stored in the homepage creation system in advance as client information. The designated page is operated by a key operation of the facsimile machine, and designates which page of the 10-page homepage is to be newly registered or updated. In order to input a password and a designated page, the homepage creation system may announce that these should be input through the display or voice of the facsimile machine. From the facsimile image signal, the title and genre information of the homepage in the text data, the name of the client, and the like can be cut out and included in the HTML data.
These are identified by respective entry locations such as a title entry field and a genre information entry field arranged on the OCR sheet. The data registration unit registers Web data including text data and image data in the storage area so as to conform to the HTML data created by the HTML data creation unit.

[0012] The homepage creation system can further include an identification means for identifying the facsimile apparatus based on a control signal transmitted from the facsimile apparatus, thereby providing a service limited to only a pre-registered client. You can do so. The identification means identifies the facsimile apparatus by comparing the outgoing telephone number and / or password transmitted from the facsimile apparatus with client information stored in advance.

The present invention also provides a data conversion step of converting a facsimile image signal transmitted from a facsimile apparatus via a telephone line network into Web data that can be made public on a homepage, and a method of converting the Web data to a predetermined location on the homepage. A method of creating a home page using a facsimile apparatus is provided, including a data arranging process for storing the data in a storage area of a Web server. The data conversion step includes a facsimile image signal division step of dividing a facsimile image signal into a character area and an image area, a character reading step of converting the facsimile image signal belonging to the character area into text data, and the character reading step. Before or after or in parallel with the image data conversion step of converting the facsimile image signal belonging to the image area into image data, the data arrangement step, the HTML data based on the control signal transmitted from the facsimile machine And a data registration step of registering the Web data composed of the text data and the image data in the storage area so as to conform to the HTML data.

According to the present invention, there is provided a facsimile image signal dividing function for dividing a facsimile image signal transmitted from a facsimile apparatus through a telephone line network into a character area and an image area, and a facsimile image signal belonging to the character area on a homepage. A character reading function for converting the image data into text data that can be disclosed on the web site, an image data conversion function for converting the facsimile image signal belonging to the image area into image data that can be disclosed on a homepage, and control transmitted from the facsimile apparatus. An HTML data creation function for creating HTML data based on a signal;
Computer-readable recording of a homepage creation program using a facsimile machine for causing a computer to execute a data registration function for registering Web data composed of the text data and the image data in a storage area of a Web server so as to match the data It is a possible recording medium or a transmission medium for transmitting a homepage creation program to a computer.

[0015]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS One embodiment of a homepage creation system using a facsimile apparatus according to the present invention will be described below.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a main configuration of one embodiment of a homepage creation system using a facsimile apparatus according to the present invention.

In FIG. 1, a homepage creation system 10 is connected to a facsimile machine 20 held by a client registered in advance through a telephone network 21 and receives a facsimile signal. Homepage creation system 1
0 is connected to the Web server 30 and is generated based on a facsimile signal transmitted from the facsimile 20.
Send eb data. The Web server stores the Web data in the Web data storage unit 31 and provides a homepage by transmitting the Web data to the personal computer terminal 50 that makes an inquiry via the Internet 40.

In the homepage creation system 10,
The transmission / reception control unit 11 is connected to the telephone line network 21, receives and decodes a facsimile signal transmitted from the facsimile 20, transmits a control signal and an announcement to the facsimile 20 according to a control signal included in the facsimile signal, and , A part of the facsimile signal and the control signal.

The facsimile signal storage section 12 stores the facsimile signal decoded by the transmission / reception control section 11. The character / image area division unit 13 divides a facsimile image signal included in the facsimile signal into a character area and an image area. This division is performed based on the mark signal included in the facsimile signal. In the present embodiment, the paper scanned by the facsimile 20 includes a standard OCR paper distributed to the client in advance. OC
On the R sheet, a mark for indicating that the sheet is an OCR sheet and a blank for writing characters are printed. The mark is printed near the upper edge of the OCR paper, and the character / image area division unit 13 determines whether the page is a character according to whether or not a mark signal formed by scanning the mark immediately after the page feed signal is detected. It is classified as an area or an image area. Image paper is OCR with the mark printed
If it is not paper, blank paper such as copy paper is sufficient. O
On the CR paper, for example, a dedicated blank space for writing each of a client name, a mail address, a user ID, a homepage title, genre information, a designated page, a descriptive text for drawing, etc. is printed. The client describes the contents that fit into the blanks, and the system side mechanically recognizes and processes the characters. Furthermore, from the facsimile 20 to the OC
The page layout is automatically assembled by alternately sending R paper and image paper. That is, first, the OCR paper is sent, and when the second image paper is sent, the illustration on the second image paper is combined with the description of the first OCR paper, and the first page of the home page is automatically set. Is formed. The top page displays title, genre information, client name, and mail address.

The OCR section 14 receives the facsimile image signal belonging to the character area from the character / image area division section 13 and converts it into text data. The OCR unit 14 performs a character recognition process similar to that of a normal OCR device. That is, the facsimile image signal is converted into text data through various processes such as character extraction, skew correction, matching, and calibration. The image data conversion unit 15 receives the facsimile image signal belonging to the image area from the character / image area classification unit 13 and converts the signal into image data. Image data is in GIF format or JPE suitable for publication on a homepage
This is the G method. GIF system when the facsimile image signal is less than 256 colors, JPEG when the facsimile image signal is more than 256 colors
System.

The authentication identification unit 16 authenticates and identifies the facsimile 20 in response to a control signal included in the facsimile signal, so that only a pre-registered client can receive the homepage creation service. When transmission from the facsimile 20 is started, the authentication identification unit 16 receives the calling telephone number included in the control signal from the transmission / reception control unit 11. The client information including the telephone number and password of the client is stored in the client information storage unit 17 in advance.
The authentication identification unit 16 searches for client information based on the outgoing telephone number, and identifies whether the corresponding client is registered. If there is no corresponding client, the result is reported to the transmission / reception control unit 11, and the transmission / reception control unit 11 stops the receiving operation and disconnects the line. If a corresponding client exists, the result is reported to the transmission / reception control unit 11, and the transmission / reception control unit 11 announces that a password is to be input to the facsimile 20.
This announcement is performed by displaying the announcement on the liquid crystal display of the facsimile 20 or outputting the voice through a receiver attached to the facsimile 20. If the facsimile 20 is a personal computer terminal, a facsimile signal can be returned and displayed on the display. The client receives the announcement and types in the password. The password is usually a number of about 4 to 6 digits. The authentication identification unit 16 authenticates whether the calling telephone number and the password match, reports the result to the transmission / reception control unit 11, and upon receiving the result report, the transmission / reception control unit 11 continues or stops operation. Thereafter, reception of the facsimile image signal is started.

The HTML data creation unit 18 creates HTML data based on each data. The data that is the basis of the HTML data is a control signal input from the transmission / reception control unit 11, client information read from the client information storage unit 17, and text data input from the OCR unit 14. HTML data is created by applying according to the format. The control signal includes data for page designation, page break, and client identification. In the present embodiment, one client has 10 of the Web data storage units 31.
Pages are assigned, and it is possible to specify on which of the pages the content transmitted is displayed. this is,
Although it is possible to specify the text data of the facsimile image signal, after the transmission / reception control unit 11 receives the facsimile image signal, the facsimile 20
And the client may operate the keys of the facsimile 20 to input. In addition, the page layout is determined by the page break signal, the number of image data is known, and the client information on the specified client is read from the client information storage unit 17 to be a part of the HTML data. it can. In addition, a command is created by specifying text data such as an explanatory note to be marked up from the text data and image data. By these processes, HT
ML data is created.

The HTML data created by the HTML data creation unit 18 is input to a Web data storage unit 19. Text data from the OCR unit 14 and image data from the image data conversion unit 15 are also input to the Web data storage unit 19, and the Web data storage unit 19 stores Web data including text data and image data so as to conform to HTML data. It is registered in the Web data storage unit 31 of the Web server 30. For this purpose, the web data storage unit 19 processes the HTML data and the web data according to a predetermined protocol, and transmits the processed data to the web server 30.
The Web server 30 stores the data as a file in a predetermined location of the Web data storage unit 31 so that the data can be provided on a homepage.

Each of these functional blocks can be realized by one computer, and can be incorporated in the Web server 30, for example. Further, it may be constituted by a plurality of computers physically connected to each other via a LAN or the Internet. Further, the OS may partially execute each of the functional blocks. However, the present embodiment can be configured as a program that can cause these functions to be executed organically by being read by a computer. is there. The program is executablely installed on the computer via a computer-readable recording medium or a transmission medium for transmitting the program to the computer.

Next, the homepage creation system 10 shown in FIG.
Will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG.

The client holding the facsimile 20 makes a description on predetermined OCR paper and image paper, dials the telephone number of the homepage creation system 10, and calls the homepage creation system 10. The transmission / reception control unit 11 is connected to the facsimile 20 (step S1),
The call signal is received, and identification and authentication of the facsimile 20 are performed based on the calling telephone number and the keyed-in password included in the call signal (step S2). As a result of the identification and authentication, if the facsimile 20 is not registered in the client information storage unit 17 (step S3), the connection is disconnected (step S4). If registered, the transmission / reception control unit 11 starts receiving the facsimile signal, and stores the facsimile signal in the facsimile signal storage unit 12 (step S5).

When the reception of the facsimile image signal is completed, the transmission / reception control unit 11 transmits a page designation announcement to the facsimile 20 (step S6). Upon reception (step S7), the facsimile image signal is classified by the character / image area classification unit 13 (step S9), and the OCR is performed.
The text data is generated and the image data is converted by the unit 14 and the image data conversion unit 15, and the HTML data is generated by the HTML data generation unit 18 (step 9). We consisting of text data and image data
b data and HTML data are stored in the Web data storage 1
9 to the Web server 30.

As described above, in the homepage creation system 10 according to the present embodiment, the client causes the facsimile 20 to read the original, converts the characters and drawings described in the original into facsimile image signals, and transmits the original through the telephone network 21. Upon transmission, the homepage creation system 10 converts the facsimile image signal into Web data that can be disclosed on the homepage, and stores the converted data in the Web data storage unit 31 of the Web server 30 so as to be located at a predetermined location on the homepage. This allows the Internet 40
A home page accessible from the personal computer terminal 50 connected to the PC can be created.

Thus, according to the homepage creation system 10 of the present embodiment, a homepage can be created easily and in a short time only by the facsimile 20 without using a computer or necessary software and hardware.

Although the embodiment of the present invention has been described above, the present invention is not limited to the above embodiment, and it goes without saying that the present invention can be appropriately modified within the scope of the present invention.

[0031]

As described above, according to the homepage creating system using the facsimile apparatus according to the present invention, even if there is no computer or software and hardware for creating the homepage, the facsimile apparatus can easily and quickly be provided. You can create a homepage.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a main configuration of one embodiment of a homepage creation system using a facsimile apparatus according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a flowchart illustrating a flow of a process according to the embodiment of FIG. 1;

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 Homepage creation system 11 Transmission / reception control part 12 Facsimile signal storage part 13 Character and image area division part 14 OCR part 15 Image data conversion part 16 Authentication identification part 17 Client information storage part 18 HTML data creation part 19 Web data storage part 20 Facsimile 21 Telephone line network 30 Web server 31 Web data storage unit 40 Internet 50 PC terminal

Claims (13)

[Claims] 1. A data conversion means for converting a facsimile image signal transmitted from a facsimile apparatus via a telephone line network into Web data which can be made public on a homepage, so that the Web data is located at a predetermined place on the homepage. A homepage creation system using a facsimile machine including a data arranging means for storing data in a storage area of a Web server. 2. A facsimile image signal dividing section for dividing the facsimile image signal into a character area and an image area; and a character reading section for converting the facsimile image signal belonging to the character area into text data. And an image data conversion unit that converts the facsimile image signal belonging to the image area into image data, wherein the data arranging unit includes an HTML data creation unit that creates HTML data; 2. A homepage creating system using a facsimile apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising: a data registration unit for registering the Web data composed of the text data and the image data in the storage area. 3. The system according to claim 2, wherein the facsimile image signal includes a mark signal for distinguishing the character area from the image area. 4. The facsimile apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the mark signal is included in the facsimile image signal by reading a mark printed in advance on a predetermined facsimile transmission sheet scanned by the facsimile apparatus. Homepage creation system. 5. The homepage creating system using a facsimile apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the facsimile transmission paper includes an OCR paper on which the mark is printed and an image paper on which the mark is not printed. 6. The OCR sheet and the image sheet are of a predetermined size, and a Web is set so that one set of the OCR sheet and the image sheet correspond to one page of a home page.
A homepage creation system using a facsimile machine according to claim 5, which creates data. 7. The image data is GIF format or J format.
A homepage creation system using a facsimile machine according to any one of claims 2 to 6, which is a PEG system. 8. The homepage creating system using a facsimile apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising an identification unit for identifying the facsimile apparatus based on a control signal transmitted from the facsimile apparatus. 9. The facsimile apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the identification means identifies the facsimile apparatus by comparing a calling telephone number and / or a password transmitted from the facsimile apparatus with client information stored in advance. A homepage creation system using the described facsimile machine. 10. A data conversion step of converting a facsimile image signal transmitted from a facsimile apparatus via a telephone line network into Web data that can be made public on a homepage, so that the Web data is located at a predetermined location on the homepage. A method of creating a homepage using a facsimile apparatus, including a process of arranging data to be stored in a storage area of a Web server. 11. The data conversion step includes: a facsimile image signal division step of dividing the facsimile image signal into a character area and an image area; and a character reading step of converting the facsimile image signal belonging to the character area into text data. And an image data converting step of converting the facsimile image signal belonging to the image area into image data before or after or in parallel with the character reading step, wherein the data arranging step includes HTML data for creating HTML data. 2. A data registration step of registering the Web data including the text data and the image data in the storage area so as to conform to the HTML data.
0. A homepage creation method using the facsimile apparatus described in 0. 12. A facsimile image signal dividing function for dividing a facsimile image signal transmitted from a facsimile apparatus through a telephone line network into a character area and an image area, and the facsimile image signal belonging to the character area is disclosed on a homepage. A character reading function for converting the data into feasible text data, an image data conversion function for converting the facsimile image signal belonging to the image area into image data that can be disclosed on a homepage, an HTML data generating function for generating HTML data, A homepage creation program using a facsimile apparatus for causing a computer to execute a data registration function for registering Web data including the text data and the image data in a storage area of a Web server so as to conform to the HTML data is recorded. Ko Computer readable recording medium. 13. A facsimile image signal dividing function for dividing a facsimile image signal transmitted from a facsimile apparatus through a telephone network into a character area and an image area, and the facsimile image signal belonging to the character area is disclosed on a homepage. A character reading function for converting the data into feasible text data, an image data conversion function for converting the facsimile image signal belonging to the image area into image data that can be disclosed on a homepage, an HTML data generating function for generating HTML data, A homepage creation program using a facsimile machine for causing a computer to execute a data registration function of registering Web data including the text data and the image data in a storage area of a Web server so as to conform to the HTML data. Transmission medium for transmitting to.