Facsimile system

• US 20030202217A1
• Filed: 05/02/2003
• Published: 10/30/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 11/07/1991
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Canon Ayutthaya Limited (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Ayutthaya Limited (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Kitagawa, Eiichiro, Limoto, Keiichi, Kuroda, Ken
• Granted Patent: US 7,110,134 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 358/407
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/324 intermediate the transmitter and receiver terminals, e.g. at an exchange
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/32406 in connection with routing or relaying, e.g. using a fax-server or a store-and-forward facility stored and forward data switching systems H04L12/54
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/32416 Storage of instructions or retrieval of prestored instructions
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/32797 Systems adapted to communicate over more than one channel, e.g. via ISDN changing transmission mode according to type of channel H04N2201/33364; multichannel or multilink communication protocols H04L69/14
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/333 Mode signalling or mode changing; Handshaking therefor
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/33338 adapting to particular facsimile group, e.g. G3
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0067 Converting to still picture data
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0068 Converting from still picture data
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0074 Arrangements for the control of a still picture apparatus by the connected apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3298 Checking or indicating the storage space
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 11/0435 Details
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 11/0471 Terminal access circuits
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/09 Subscriber related equipment; Analog terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/096 Digital subscriber terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13103 Memory
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13106 Microprocessor, CPU
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13179 Fax, still picture
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13204 Protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13209 ISDN
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13299 Bus
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13389 : LAN, internet
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/179 : Facsimile; Fax, e.g. still picture
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/196 : Connection-circuit; Trunk; Junction circuit
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/216 : Code signals; Framing (not synchronizing)
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/38 : Interexchange connections, e.g. connections of different kinds of networks

Abstract

In a facsimile system having a server device connected to a local-area network system, to which a plurality of client terminals are connected, and connected also to an ISDN and a pay-station telephone network, the server device performs communication with the pay-station telephone network and the plurality of client terminals, performs communication with the ISDN and the plurality of client terminals, and changes over communication between the ISDN and the pay-station telephone network in accordance with a command from each of the plurality of client terminals.

Claims

1. A facsimile system having server means connected to a local-area network system, to which a plurality of client terminals are connected, and connected also to an ISDN and a pay-station telephone network, said server means comprising:

first communication means for performing communication between said pay-station telephone network and said plurality of client terminals;

second communication means for performing communication between said ISDN and said plurality of client terminals; and

control means for controlling changeover between said first communication means and said second communication means in accordance with a command from each of said plurality of client terminals.

2. The system according to claim 1, wherein said control means includes:

receiving means for receiving a command from each of said plurality of client terminals;

analyzing means for analyzing a command received by said receiving means; and

changeover means for changing over between said first communication means and said second communication means in accordance with results of analysis performed by said analyzing means.

3. The system according to claim 2, wherein said command is information indicative of G3 or G4 facsimile communication, and said changeover means changes over to said first communication means if said analyzing means outputs results of analysis indicative of G3 facsimile communication, and to said second communication means if said analyzing means outputs results of analysis indicative of G4 facsimile communication.

4. The system according to claim 3, wherein said command includes information indicative of whether facsimile communication is performed or not, and said analyzing means analyzes whether facsimile communication is performed or not.

5. A facsimile system having server means connected to a local-area network system, to which a plurality of client terminals are connected, and connected also to a pay-station telephone network having at least one communication terminal connected thereto, said server means comprising:

receiving means for receiving a command from each of said plurality of client terminals;

analyzing means for analyzing a command received by said receiving means; and

communication means for performing communication between said communication terminal and each of said plurality of client terminals based upon results of analysis performed by said analyzing means.

6. The system according to claim 5, wherein said command includes information indicative of whether facsimile communication is performed or not, said analyzing means analyzes whether facsimile communication is performed or not, and said communication means performs facsimile communication if said analyzing means outputs results of analysis indicative of facsimile communication

7. A facsimile system having server means connected to a local-area network system, to which a plurality of client terminals are connected, and connected also to an ISDN having at least one communication terminal connected thereto, said server means comprising:

receiving means for receiving a command from each of said plurality of client terminals;

analyzing means for analyzing a command received by said receiving means; and

communication means for performing communication between said communication terminal and each of said plurality of client terminals based upon results of analysis performed by said analyzing means.

8. The system according to claim 7, wherein said command includes information indicative of whether facsimile communication is performed or not, said analyzing means analyzes whether facsimile communication is performed or not, and said communication means performs facsimile communication if said analyzing means outputs results of analysis indicative of facsimile communication.

9. A facsimile system having server means connected to a local-area network system, to which a plurality of client terminals are connected, and connected also to an ISDN and a pay-station telephone network, said server means comprising:

first communication means for performing communication between said pay-station telephone network and said plurality of client terminals;

second communication means for performing communication between said ISDN and said plurality of client terminals;

control means for controlling changeover between said first communication means and said second communication means in accordance with a command from each of said plurality of client terminals;

image processing means for performing image processing conforming to whichever of said first and second communication means said control means has changed over to in accordance with said command; and

management control means for performing file management/control conforming to whichever of said first and second communication means said control means has changed over to in accordance with said command.

10. The system according to claim 9 wherein said control means includes:

receiving means for receiving a command from each of said plurality of client terminals;

analyzing means for analyzing a command received by said receiving means; and

changeover means for changing over between said first communication means and said second communication means in accordance with results of analysis performed by said analyzing means.

11. The system according to claim 10, wherein said command is information indicative of G3 or G4 facsimile communication, and said changeover means changes over to said first communication means if said analyzing means outputs results of analysis indicative of G3 facsimile communication, and to said second communication means if said analyzing means outputs results of analysis indicative of G4 facsimile communication.

12. The system according to claim 11, wherein said command includes information indicative of whether facsimile communication is performed or not, and said analyzing means analyzes whether facsimile communication is performed or not.

13. A facsimile system having server means for controlling communication between a local-area network to which a plurality of client terminals are connected and a wide-area network to which a plurality of facsimile terminals are connected, said server means comprising:

memory means for storing information which includes a local-area network address, transmission information and a transmission file name of each client terminal, among the plurality thereof, which requests facsimile communication;

read-out means for reading, in accordance with the information stored in said memory means, the transmission file of each client terminal which has stored the information in said memory means; and

storage means for storing the transmission file read by the read-out means.

14. The system according to claim 13, wherein said read-out means reads out a transmission file, which has not been stored in said storage means, from the information of each client terminal which has stored the information in said memory means.

15. A facsimile system having server means for controlling communication between a local-area network to which a plurality of client terminals are connected, and a wide-area network to which a plurality of facsimile terminals are connected, said server means comprising:

converting means for converting addresses between the local-area network and wide-area network; and

modifying means for modifying content of a conversion performed by said converting means;

each of said plurality of client terminals having;

first display means for displaying the content of the conversion;

requesting means or requesting that said converting means perform a conversion of the content modified by said modifying means; and

second display means for displaying content of conversion modified by said modifying means.

16. The system according to claim 15, the content of the conversion is expressed by a table.

17. A facsimile system having server means for controlling communication between a local-area network to which a plurality of client terminals are connected, and a wide-area network to which a plurality of facsimile terminal are connected, said server means comprising:

a table which represents content for converting addresses between the local-area network and the wide-area network; and

updating means for updating said table;

each of said plurality of client terminals having;

receiving means for receiving said table from said server means;

display means for displaying the received table;

modifying means for modifying said table; and

transmitting means for transmitting said table, which has been modified by said modifying means, to said server means;

said updating means performing updating based upon the table transmitted by said transmitting means.

18. The system according to claim 17, wherein said modifying means has input means for making inputs by keys, and said table is modified by said input means.