JPH09284332A - FAX gateway device - Google Patents

Abstract

(57) [PROBLEMS] To provide a FAX gateway device capable of knowing the status of FAX reception while staying at one's own seat. SOLUTION: A FAX gateway 20 capable of receiving a FAX, converting a FAX image into a file and transmitting it by mail,
A means for storing the FAX reception record and referencing the FAX reception record from each personal computer 50 connected to the FAX gateway 20 via the LAN 30 is provided. As a result, the fax recorded in the fax gateway 20 from each personal computer 50.
Received records can be retrieved and displayed.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

The present invention relates to receiving a FAX,
The present invention relates to a FAX gateway device that can send a received FAX as an electronic mail.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In the case of a FAX machine, the success or failure of FAX data reception is displayed on an error message or recording paper issued by the FAX machine. Even in the case of the FAX gateway device, only the FAX gateway device could know the status of FAX reception.

[0003]

[Problems to be Solved by the Invention] One FAX for Multiple People
FAX to you if the machine is away from your seat
It is not possible to know whether or not the reception has been successful without going to the FAX machine. Also, when sending a fax by email, when the fax did not arrive, it was not known whether the fax reception failed or the email transmission failed.

The object of the present invention is to provide an F
It is to provide a FAX gateway device capable of knowing the status of AX reception.

[0005]

The above object is to provide a FAX gateway device for receiving a telephone line interface section for recognizing destination information indicating a destination of FAX data, and receiving FAX data for which the destination information is recognized by the telephone line interface section. Storage means for storing the address information, address setting means for converting the recognized destination information into a mail address of an electronic mail system, and mail creating means for adding the mail address to the received FAX data to create an electronic mail, This is accomplished by having a means for storing a record relating to FAX reception and a means for referring to the record from another computer connected to the FAX gateway device.

[0006]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below in detail with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a diagram for explaining the outline of a system according to an embodiment of the present invention. FAX gateway 20
By connecting to the telephone line 10, the FAX sent from the telephone line 10 can be received. Further, the FAX gateway 20 can convert the received FAX image into a file and send it as a mail. The mail server 40 receives the sent mail and controls so that the mail can be viewed from each personal computer. Mail server 40
The recipient can view the mails stored in (1) from the personal computer (personal computer) 50 or 70.
Each personal computer 50 or FAX gateway 20 can print a file or the like using the printer 80. PC 50,
The FAX gateway 20 and the printer 80 are LAN (L
It is assumed that they are connected by the local area network 30.

FIG. 2 is a hardware configuration diagram of the FAX gateway 20. FAX interface 110
Connects to the telephone line 10 and performs FAX reception. The keyboard driver 160 receives an input from the keyboard 200, and the mouse driver 170 receives an input from the mouse 210. The display on the display 220 is controlled by the display controller 180. A program executed by the FAX gateway 20 is read from the disk 150 into the main memory 130 by the disk controller 140 and executed by the CPU 120. The communication network (LAN 30) is connected by a communication interface 190.

FIG. 3 shows F in the FAX gateway 20.
FIG. 4 is a flow chart explaining the processing from AX reception to mail transmission, and FIG. 4 is a correspondence table 4 of recipient numbers and mail addresses.
50, and FIG. 5 is a diagram for explaining the FAX reception record 500. In this embodiment, the correspondence table 450 and the reception record 5
00 is stored in the disk 150 as a file. When the facsimile reception program stored in the disk 150 of FIG.
30 and executed by the CPU 120.
It enters the X reception waiting state (step 310). Telephone line 1
When the FAX interface 110 receives a FAX from 0 (step 320), a guidance such as "Please enter the recipient number" is given and the recipient number is accepted (step 330). This recipient number is used to determine the e-mail address of the destination of the fax using the recipient number / email address correspondence table shown in FIG.
When this recipient number is accepted, the reception date and time and the recipient number are entered in the FAX reception record 500 shown in FIG. Then, a fax image file is created while receiving the fax (step 340). If this FAX reception process fails, "NG" is entered in the reception field of the FAX reception record 500 in FIG. When the FAX reception process is successful (step 350, Yes), "OK" is input in the reception field of the FAX reception record 500 shown in FIG. 5, and the process proceeds to the mail transmission process.

In the mail transmission process, first, the FAX data file name and the recipient number that have not been transmitted yet are acquired from the FAX reception record 500, and the mail address is acquired from the recipient number / mail address correspondence table 450 (step 360). ). FA with the acquired email address as the destination
A mail message with the X image file attached is created (step 370). Then, the created mail is transmitted (step 380). If the recipient is unknown or the email cannot be sent due to email transmission failure, etc., the email is sent again to the email address if the destination is determined. In this embodiment, it is transmitted to the root (see FIG. 4). If the transmission is still not possible, the data may be output to the printer 80 connected to the FAX gateway 20. If the user does not give an instruction to end the program, the process waits for FAX reception in step 310 (step 390, No).

FIG. 6 shows a FAX for transmitting a FAX reception record.
9 is a flowchart illustrating a gateway process 600. When the FAX gateway receives the reception record request from the personal computer (step 610), the content is analyzed (step 620). If the request contents are not all the records of FAX reception (step 630, No), the requested record is searched (step 640). This search is performed from the FAX reception record shown in FIG. For example,
You can search for those with a reception error or for yourself. If all records are searched, FAX reception record is set in step 6
If the search is made at 40, the search result is stored in the memory reserved for transmission (step 650). Finally, the record stored in the memory is transmitted to the personal computer (step 66).
0).

Next, a procedure for obtaining FAX reception information in the personal computer 50 will be described. The hardware configuration of the personal computer 50 is the same as that shown in FIG. 2, except that the FAX interface is omitted. First, the FAX reception record request is sent by FAX.
Send to gateway (step 660). This time,
Certain conditions can be added to the request message. It is possible to specify the FAX reception record addressed to itself, or the one that has recently received a reception error. When a reception record is sent from the FAX gateway in response to this message, it is received and stored in the memory (step 720). Then, the stored information is displayed on the display (step 730).

Further, since the FAX reception record is stored as a file in the FAX gateway, the reception record can be viewed on the personal computer by transferring the file using the communication software.

According to this embodiment, the success or failure of FAX reception can be viewed on the personal computer at the desk. Also, when sending a fax by e-mail, if the e-mail does not arrive, whether the e-mail could not be sent or the fax could not be received.
did not understand. In this embodiment, since the FAX reception status can be obtained from the FAX gateway, the current status can be known.

[0015]

According to the present invention, the success or failure of FAX reception can be known from the user's seat, and it is not necessary to go to the place where the FAX is located.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram of a fax gateway system according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a hardware configuration diagram of a FAX gateway according to one embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a flowchart illustrating a FAX reception process.

FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a correspondence table of recipient numbers and mail addresses.

FIG. 5 is a diagram showing a FAX reception record.

FIG. 6 is a flowchart illustrating a process of transmitting a FAX reception record from a FAX gateway.

FIG. 7 is a flowchart illustrating a process of a personal computer that receives a fax reception record.

[Explanation of symbols]

10 ... Telephone line, 20 ... FAX gateway, 30 ... Communication network (LAN), 40 ... Mail server, 50
... PC, 60 ... FAX reception record, 70 ... PC,
110 ... FAX interface, 120 ... CPU, 13
0 ... Main memory, 140 ... Disk controller, 1
50 ... disk, 160 ... keyboard driver, 170
... mouse driver, 180 ... display controller, 190 ... communication interface, 200 ... keyboard, 210 ... mouse, 220 ... display, 450 ...
Correspondence table of recipient number / email address, 500 ... FAX
Received record.

Continuation of the front page (51) Int.Cl. ⁶ Identification code Office reference number FI technical display location H04N 1/00 107

Claims (3)

[Claims] 1. A FA connected to a communication network for transmitting received FAX data as an electronic mail to its destination.
An X gateway device, a telephone line interface unit that recognizes destination information indicating a destination of FAX data, a storage unit that receives and stores FAX data whose destination information is recognized by the telephone line interface unit, and the recognized destination. Address setting means for converting information into a mail address of an electronic mail system, mail creating means for adding the mail address to the received fax data to create an electronic mail, means for storing a record regarding fax reception, A FAX gateway device, comprising means for referring to a record from another computer connected to the FAX gateway device. 2. The FAX gateway apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising means for outputting FAX data to a printer when the mail cannot be transmitted, or means for transmitting the FAX data to another mail address. 3. The FAX gateway according to claim 1, further comprising means for storing a record regarding the mail transmission, and means for referring to the record regarding the mail transmission from another computer connected to the FAX gateway. apparatus.