Data communication apparatus having an auto-dialing function

• US 5,473,674 A
• Filed: 04/20/1993
• Issued: 12/05/1995
• Est. Priority Date: 05/11/1992
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Canon Ayutthaya Limited (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Ayutthaya Limited (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Maeda, Toru
• Primary Examiner(s): Kuntz, Curtis
• Assistant Examiner(s): Woo, Stella L.
• Application Number:
  US08/048,525
• Time in Patent Office: 959 Days
• Field of Search: 379/100, 379/92, 379/97, 379/98, 379/93, 379/216, 379/355, 379/356, 358/440, 358/434, 358/435, 358/436
• US Class Current: 379/93.01
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/32702 using digital control signals H04N1/32704, H04N1/32614, H04N1/32771 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/32791 Arrangements for reducing the handshaking procedure or protocol time

Abstract

A facsimile apparatus which has an auto-dialing function automatically begins a procedure for image communication after making a call to a destination. If the apparatus does not receive a response signal from the destination during predetermined period from the start of the procedure, the procedure is terminated. If a pause period is set into the auto-dialing operation, the apparatus automatically changes the predetermined period according to the set pause period, so that the apparatus with certainty receives the response signal from the destination by setting a long pause period into the auto-dialing operation.

Claims

1. A data communication apparatus having an auto-dialing function, comprising:

initiating means for initiating dialing to a destination called by the auto-dialing function in a dialing operation;

setting means for setting a pause data into a telephone number of the destination called by the auto-dialing function in the dialing operation;

changing means for changing a time which is used for checking whether a response signal has been received from the destination according to the set pause data; and

control means for effecting a procedure for data communication in response to finishing the dialing operation, and discriminating if the response signal is received or not before the checking time from starting to effect the procedure has elapsed.

2. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the auto-dialing function has an abbreviated dial function, and said setting means sets the pause data in a telephone number registered in the abbreviated dial function.

3. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein if the response signal is not received before the checking time has elapsed, said control means terminates the procedure for data communication.

4. A data communication apparatus comprising:

auto-dialing means for making a call to a destination, in accordance with a registered data, in an auto-dialing operation;

setting means for setting a pause data into the registered data; and

control means for discriminating if the pause data is set into the registered data or not, starting to effect a procedure for data communication, having a sequence, in response to finishing the auto-dialing operation by said auto-dialing means, and changing the sequence of the procedure according to the set pause data,

wherein said control means discriminates if a response signal is received from the destination or not before a time from starting to effect data communication has elapsed, and changes the time according to the set pause data.

5. A data communication apparatus comprising:

auto-dialing means for making a call to a destination in accordance with a registered data in an auto-dialing operation;

setting means for setting a pause data into the registered data; and

control means for discriminating if the pause data is set into the registered data or not, starting to effect a procedure for data communication having a sequence in response to finishing the auto-dialing operation by said auto-dialing means, and changing the sequence of the procedure according to the set pause data,

wherein said control means discriminates if a response signal is received from the destination or not before a time from starting to effect data communication has elapsed, and changes the time according to the set pause data, and,

wherein said control means adds a time corresponding to the set pause data into a predetermined time in order to change the time for discriminating.

6. A data communication method using an auto-dialing operation, comprising the steps of:

discriminating if a pause data is set in the auto-dialing operation or not;

starting to immediately effect a procedure for data communication having a sequence in response to finishing the auto-dialing operation; and

changing the sequence of the procedure according to the set pause data,

wherein the procedure for data communication checks if a response signal from a destination is received or not before a predetermined time after the start of the procedure has elapsed, and said changing step changes the time in accordance with the set pause data.

7. A method according to claim 6,

wherein the auto-dialing operation has an abbreviated dial key function, and the auto-dialing operation is started in response to an abbreviated dial key input.

8. A data communication method using an auto-dialing operation, comprising the steps of:

discriminating if a pause data is set in the auto-dialing operation or not;

starting to immediately effect a procedure for data communication having a sequence in response to finishing the auto-dialing operation; and

changing the sequence of the procedure according to the set pause data,

wherein the procedure for data communication checks if a response signal from a destination is received or not before a predetermined time after the start of the procedure has elapsed, and said changing step changes the time in accordance with the set pause data, and,

wherein said changing step adds a pause period corresponding to the set pause data into the predetermined time.

9. A data communication apparatus having an auto-dialing function, comprising:

setting means for setting a pause data into a telephone number of a destination called by the auto-dialing function in a dialing operation;

changing means for changing a time which is used for checking whether a response signal has been received from the destination according to the set pause data; and

control means for effecting a procedure for date communication in response to finishing the dialing operation, and discriminating if the response signal is received or not before the checking time for starting to effect the procedure has elapsed,

wherein said changing means discriminates if the pause data set by said setting means is at an end of the telephone number or not, and changes the checking time according to the discrimination.

10. A data communication apparatus, comprising:

auto-dialing means for making a call to a destination in accordance with a registered data in an auto-dialing operation;

setting means for setting a pause data into the registered data; and

control means for discriminating if the pause data is set into the registered data or not, starting to effect a procedure for data communication having a sequence in response to finishing the auto-dialing operation by said auto-dialing means, and changing the sequence of the procedure according to the set pause data,

wherein said control means discriminates if the pause data is set or not set at an end of a telephone number of the registered data, and said control means changes the sequence of the procedure when the pause data is set at the end of the telephone number.

11. A data communication method using an auto-dialing operation, comprising the steps of:

discriminating if a pause data is set in the auto-dialing operation or not;

starting to immediately effect a procedure for data communication having a sequence in response to finishing the auto-dialing operation; and

changing the sequence of the procedure according to the set pause data,

wherein the auto-dialing operation is effected according to a registered telephone number, said discriminating step discriminates if the pause data is set at an end of the telephone number or not, and when the pause data is set at the end of the telephone number, said changing step changes the sequence of the procedure.

12. A method according to claim 11, wherein the pause data has been registered in a same manner as the telephone number.