System for reporting status data in a facsimile network

• US 4,956,860 A
• Filed: 12/18/1987
• Issued: 09/11/1990
• Est. Priority Date: 12/19/1986
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Inventors: Murata, Tsuneo
• Primary Examiner(s): Ng, Jin F.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Woo, Stella L.
• Application Number:
  US07/134,864
• Time in Patent Office: 998 Days
• Field of Search: 379/96, 379/97, 379/98, 379/100, 379/40, 379/88, 358/257
• US Class Current: 379/100.06
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/32037 Automation of particular transmitter jobs, e.g. multi-address calling, auto-dialing
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/32064 Multi-address calling
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/32101 Display, printing, storage or transmission of additional information, e.g. ID code, date and time or title
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/32122 in a separate device, e.g. in a memory or on a display separate from image data
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3205 of identification information, e.g. name or ID code H04N2201/3209 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3209 of a telephone number
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3219 of a job status, e.g. successful execution
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3261 of multimedia information, e.g. a sound signal
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3274 Storage or retrieval of prestored additional information
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 379/904 Auto-calling

Abstract

A facsimile system with a multi-address calling function of sequentially transmitting identical original document information to a plurality of destination parties, which informs an operator of a communication result or communication status at different times in the form of voice message by use of telephone set.

Claims

1. A facsimile apparatus having a multi-address calling function of sequentially transmitting identical picture data to a plurality of destination parties, wherein an abnormality can occur during the multi-address calling procedure, said apparatus comprising:

instruction issuing means for issuing an instruction to transmit a communication result after completion of communication;

a memory means for registering a telephone number of a telephone set to which said communication result is to be transmitted, data concerning a destination office with which line interconnection could not be made, data on a destination office in which facsimile communication has abnormally terminated, and a content of the abnormality during the multi-address calling operation;

means for controllably performing line interconnection with the telephone set having the telephone number registered in said memory means when there is an instruction issued from said instruction issuing means after the communication is completed;

message information generating means for judging whether or not the communication has performed normally based on the content of said memory means after completion of the multi-address calling operation, and for generating message information indicative of the destination office with which line interconnection could not be made, the destination office of which facsimile communication has abnormally terminated and the content of the abnormality, the message information corresponding to a result of the judgement;

journal outputting means for outputting a journal on which the generated message information is printed; and

message transmitting means for converting the generated message information into a voice corresponding to the generated message information and then transmitting by said line interconnection control means the voice to the telephone set connected with the line.

2. A Facsimile apparatus as set forth in claim 1, wherein the message transmitting means includes a voice generator and a message memory whose contents are applied to the voice generator to convert the message information into a voice.

3. A facsimile apparatus as set forth in claims 1 or 2, wherein during the multi-address calling operation, said multi-address calling means tries the picture data transmission control once for each of said plurality of parties and if one of the parties is busy, once disconnects the line and after a predetermined time elapses, again repetitively executes the line connection to the party which has been busy for a predetermined number of times.

4. A facsimile apparatus as set forth in claims 1 or 2, further including a multi-address calling means for sequentially transmitting identical picture data to a plurality of destination parties, wherein said message information generating means includes means for judging whether the communication has been normally or abnormally terminated, wherein the normality/abnormality judging means judges the termination to be normal when there is not a single party office which could not be connected due to its busy line, when there is no abnormal communication termination and when there are no problems in said originating facsimile equipment, after completion of the multi-address calling operation.

5. A facsimile apparatus as set forth in claims 1 or 2, wherein when a connection party is busy, said interconnection control means once disconnects the line and after a predetermined time elapses, again repetitively executes the line connection for a predetermined number of times.

6. A facsimile apparatus comprising:

a memory for storing a current state of the facsimile apparatus;

incoming call detecting means for detecting an incoming call from a telephone set;

means for identifying predetermined tone information associated with said incoming call;

means for controllably performing line interconnection with the telephone set when said incoming call of the telephone set is detected by said call detection means; and

means for reading out the current state of the facsimile apparatus from said memory and for sending a voice corresponding to the read-out memory contents to said telephone set when said tone information identifying means detects said tone information.

7. A Facsimile apparatus as set forth in claim 6, wherein the means for reading out the current state includes a voice generator and a message memory whose contents are applied to the voice generator to convert the state information into a voice.

8. A facsimile apparatus as set forth in claims 6 or 7, further comprising:

means for determining whether the incoming call detected by said incoming call detection means is transmitted from a facsimile apparatus or from a telephone set;

means for connecting the facsimile apparatus with a line when the determining means outputs a result that the incoming call is sent from the facsimile apparatus; and

means for performing facsimile communication to the facsimile apparatus connected with the line.

9. A facsimile apparatus having a multi-address calling function of sequentially transmitting identical picture data to a plurality of destination parties, the apparatus comprising:

a memory means for renewing and storing communication status information indicative of a communication state with the plurality of parties in response to a change in the communication state;

means for detecting an incoming call from a telephone set;

means for identifying predetermined tone information associated with the incoming call;

means for controllably performing line interconnection with the telephone set when the incoming call from the telephone set is detected by the incoming call detection means; and

means for reading out communication status information from the memory means and for sending a voice corresponding to the read-out memory contents to the telephone set when the tone information identifying means detects the tone information.

10. A Facsimile apparatus as set forth in claim 9, wherein the means for sending a voice includes a voice generator and a message memory whose contents are applied to the voice generator to convert the communication status information into a voice.

11. A facsimile apparatus as set forth in claims 9 or 10, further comprising:

determining means for determining whether the incoming call detected by said incoming call detection means is transmitted from a facsimile apparatus or from a telephone set;

means for connecting the facsimile apparatus with a line when the determining means outputs a result that the incoming call is sent from a facsimile apparatus; and

means for performing facsimile communication with the facsimile apparatus connected with the line facsimile.

12. A facsimile apparatus as set forth in claim 9 or 10, further comprising means for attempting to establish communication, during the multi-address calling operation, once for each of the plurality of parties and if one of the parties is busy, for disconnecting the line and, after a predetermined time lapses, for again repetitively attempting to establish communication with the party which has been busy for a predetermined number of times.

13. A facsimile apparatus as set forth in claim 12, wherein said communication status information includes information indicative of whether or not each of said plurality of parties has been normally terminated, information indicative of a busy line, and information indicative of the parties with which communication could not be established within a predetermined number of times.