Facsimile apparatus

• US 5,210,621 A
• Filed: 09/18/1990
• Issued: 05/11/1993
• Est. Priority Date: 09/22/1989
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Inventors: Kinoshita, Haruki
• Primary Examiner(s): Coles, Sr., Edward L.
• Assistant Examiner(s): LEE, TOMMY D
• Application Number:
  US07/584,129
• Time in Patent Office: 966 Days
• Field of Search: 358/440, 358/400, 358/401, 358/404, 358/434, 358/435, 358/436, 358/437, 358/438, 358/439, 358/442, 379/100, 379/127
• US Class Current: 358/440
• 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 1/32363 at the transmitter or at the receiver
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/32379 Functions of a still picture terminal memory associated with reception
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/327 Initiating, continuing or ending a single-mode communication; Handshaking therefor H04N1/32614 takes precedence
• 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 2201/3205 of identification information, e.g. name or ID code H04N2201/3209 takes precedence
• 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: H04N 2201/3278 Transmission

Abstract

A facsimile apparatus of the type which is connected to a digital line and which has the function of automatically informing a particular destination terminal of the reception of a facsimile signal from a distant terminal. In the apparatus, identification information on a particular facsimile apparatus and a telephone number of a destination terminal are previously stored in a memory unit. During the reception of a facsimile signal, the apparatus detects an identification information of a distant terminal which is transmitted therefrom over a digital line. If it is determined that the detected identification information corresponds to the identification information stored in the memory unit, the facsimile apparatus automatically originates a call on the basis of the telephone number of the destination terminal which is stored in the memory unit and sends to the destination terminal a message stating that a facsimile signal has been received from the particular facsimile apparatus. In another form of facsimile apparatus, a telephone number of a destination terminal is previously stored in the memory unit. This form of facsimile apparatus is arranged to automatically originates, if a facsimile signal is received over a first channel of the digital line, a call on the basis of the telephone number stored in the memory unit and sends a message stating that a facsimile signal has been received to the destination terminal over a second channel of the digital line.

Claims

1. A facsimile apparatus comprising:

network control means connected to a digital line wherein said digital line is an ISDN line having at least two channels;

incoming signal detecting means for detecting an incoming facsimile signal when said facsimile signal is issued to said network control means over said digital line;

identification information detecting means for detecting incoming identification information of a caller facsimile apparatus, said incoming identification information being informed over said digital line when said facsimile signal is received;

memory means for storing identification information of at least one caller facsimile apparatus to communicate with and at least one telephone number of at least one destination terminal associated with said stored identification information;

judging means for comparing said incoming identification information detected by said identification information detecting means with said identification information stored in said memory means and for judging whether or not said incoming identification information corresponds to said stored identification information of at least one caller facsimile apparatus; and

voice sending means, when said judging means judges that said incoming identification information corresponds to identification information stored in said memory means, for automatically calling, by controlling said network control means, the destination terminal on the basis of said telephone number associated with said stored identification information and for sending to said destination terminal a voice message stating that the facsimile signal has been received, wherein said network control means automatically calls said destination terminal through a first channel of said ISDN line, which is different from a second channel through which said facsimile signal is received.

2. A facsimile apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said memory means stores identification information of a plurality of facsimile apparatus to communicate with and one telephone number of one destination terminal associated with said stored identification information of said plurality of facsimile apparatus.

3. A facsimile apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said memory means stores identification information of a plurality of facsimile apparatus divided into a plurality of groups and a plurality of telephone numbers of a plurality of destination terminals each correspondingly associated with each of said plurality of groups.

4. A facsimile apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said memory means stores identification information of a plurality of facsimile apparatus to communicate with and a plurality of telephone numbers of a plurality of destination terminals each correspondingly associated with each of said identification information of said plurality of facsimile apparatus.

5. A facsimile apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said voice sending means automatically calls said destination terminal by controlling said network control means after completion of a facsimile receiving operation for answering to said incoming facsimile signal.

6. A facsimile apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said voice sending means automatically calls said destination terminal by controlling said network control means in response to said incoming facsimile signal through said first channel of said ISDN line, which is different from said second channel through which said facsimile signal is received.

7. A facsimile apparatus comprising:

network control means connected to a digital line wherein said digital line is an ISDN line having at least two channels;

incoming signal detecting means for detecting an incoming facsimile signal when said facsimile signal is issued to said network control means over said digital line;

memory means for registering a telephone number of a destination terminal to which receipt of said facsimile signal is to be informed;

judging means, when said facsimile signal is detected by said incoming signal detecting means, for judging whether or not said telephone number of said destination terminal is registered in said memory means; and

voice sending means, when said judging means judges that said telephone number is registered in said memory means, for automatically calling by controlling said network control means the destination terminal on the basis of said telephone number registered in said memory means and for sending to said destination terminal a voice message stating that the facsimile signal has been received, wherein said network control means automatically calls said destination terminal through a first channel of said ISDN line, which is different from a second channel through which said facsimile signal is received.

8. A facsimile apparatus according to claim 7, wherein said voice sending means automatically calls said destination terminal by controlling said network control means after completion of a facsimile receiving operation for answering to said facsimile signal.

9. A facsimile apparatus according to claim 7, wherein said voice sending means automatically calls said destination terminal by controlling said network control means in response to said facsimile signal through said first channel of said ISDN line, which is different from said second channel through which said facsimile signal is received.

10. A facsimile apparatus comprising:

network control means connected to an ISDN line having at least two channels;

incoming signal detecting means for detecting an incoming facsimile signal when said facsimile signal is issued to said network control means over said ISDN line;

identification information detecting means for detecting incoming identification information of a caller facsimile apparatus, said incoming identification information being informed over said ISDN line when said facsimile signal is received;

memory means for storing identification information of at least one caller facsimile apparatus to communicate with and at least one telephone number of at least one destination terminal associated with said stored identification information;

judging means for comparing said incoming identification information detected by said identification information detecting means with said stored identification information stored in said memory means and for judging whether or not aid incoming identification information corresponds to said stored identification information of at least one caller facsimile apparatus; and

voice sending means, when said judging means judges that said incoming identification information corresponds to identification information stored in said memory means, for automatically calling, by controlling said network control means, the destination terminal through a first channel of said ISDN line which is different from a second channel through which said facsimile signal is received on the basis of said telephone number associated with said stored identification information and for sending to said destination terminal a voice message stating that the facsimile signal has been received.