Device and method for automatically transmitting documents in a facsimile system

• US 5,663,808 A
• Filed: 11/15/1995
• Issued: 09/02/1997
• Est. Priority Date: 12/27/1994
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Park, Joo-Seung
• Primary Examiner(s): Vu, Kim
• Assistant Examiner(s): Harris, Tia M.
• Application Number:
  US08/555,990
• Time in Patent Office: 657 Days
• Field of Search: 358/440, 358/468, 358/453, 358/407, 358/498, 358/496, 358/474, 358/497, 382/181
• US Class Current: 358/440
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/32042 with reading of job-marks on a page
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/327 Initiating, continuing or ending a single-mode communication; Handshaking therefor H04N1/32614 takes precedence

Abstract

A device for automatically transmitting a document in a facsimile system includes a central processing unit (CPU) that enables automatic transmission of image data from a document by dialing a telephone number recorded on the document in response to entry of a transmission start key. A key input unit includes the transmission start key and a number of function keys and provides key data to the central processing unit (CPU). A scanner scans the image data and the telephone number recorded on the document and converts the scanned image into digital image data. A pattern recognition unit recognizes the pattern of the telephone number scanned by the scanner. A dialing unit transmits a dialing signal through a public telephone network, and a line interface unit (LIU) forms a data transmission path with a receiving facsimile device to enable transmission of the image data.

Claims

1. A facsimile device, comprising:

document detecting means for detecting entry of a document bearing image data into said facsimile device, said image data comprising a telephone number of a receiving party;

scanning means for scanning said document and reading said telephone number from an image bearing surface of said document in direct response to a user input initiating a facsimile transmission operation accommodating transmission of said image data as a telecommunication signal, said user input being provided after said document has been conveyed into said facsimile system; and

means for recognizing said telephone number read from said image bearing surface of said document, and upon recognition of said telephone number, automatically dialing said telephone number to form a data transmission path with said receiving party.

8. The facsimile device as claimed in claim 1, further comprised of said facsimile device terminating operation when said user input is not provided after said document has been fed into said facsimile device.

2. A method for transmitting image data in a facsimile transmission device, said method comprising the steps of:

determining whether a document bearing said image data has been conveyed into said facsimile transmission device, said image data comprising a predetermined pattern corresponding to a facsimile receiving device;

after said document has been conveyed into said facsimile transmission device, determining whether a transmission start key indicating commencement of a facsimile transmission operation has been entered;

after said transmission start key has been entered, scanning a predetermined portion of said document to read said predetermined pattern from said document;

identifying a telephone number corresponding to said predetermined pattern, performing an operation of automatically dialing said telephone number and forming a data transmission path accommodating transmission of said image data as a telecommunications signal between said facsimile transmission device and said facsimile receiving device; and

then

transmitting said image data borne upon said document from said facsimile transmission device to said facsimile receiving device.

3. The method as claimed in claim 2, wherein said predetermined pattern further comprises one of a name, a trademark and a logo for a party corresponding to said facsimile receiving device.

9. The method as claimed in claim 2, further comprised of said facsimile transmission device refraining from performing said facsimile transmission operation for said image data when said transmission start key is not entered after said document has been conveyed into said facsimile transmission device.

4. A method for transmitting image data in a facsimile transmission device, said method comprising the steps of:

determining whether a document borne with said image data has been fed into said facsimile transmission device, said image data comprising a telephone number of a facsimile receiving device;

after said document has been fed into said facsimile transmission device, determining whether a transmission start key indicating commencement of a facsimile transmission operation has been entered;

after said transmission start key has been entered, scanning a predetermined portion of said document to read said telephone number from said document;

automatically dialing said telephone number read from said document and forming a data transmission path between said facsimile transmission device and said facsimile receiving device; and

then

transmitting said image data borne upon said document from said facsimile transmission device to said facsimile receiving device.

10. The method as claimed in claim 4, further comprised of said facsimile transmission device refraining from performing said facsimile transmission operation when said transmission start key is not entered after said document has been fed into said facsimile transmission device.

5. A facsimile transmission device, comprising:

document detecting means for detecting entry of a document bearing image data into said facsimile transmission device, said image data comprising a telephone number of a facsimile receiving device;

means for providing a user input indicating a request to transmit said image data borne upon said document to said facsimile receiving device, said user input being provided after said document has been conveyed into said facsimile transmission device;

scanning means for scanning said image data borne by said document and for reading said telephone number from an image bearing surface of said document in direct response to said user input;

means for performing an operation of recognizing said telephone number read from said image bearing surface of said document; and

means for automatically dialing said telephone number in response to recognition of said telephone number to form a data transmission path accommodating transmission of said image data as a telecommunications signal between said facsimile transmission device and said facsimile receiving device.

6. The facsimile transmission device of claim 5, further comprising interfacing means connected to a telephone network for providing said data transmission path between said facsimile transmission device and said facsimile receiving device.

11. The facsimile transmission device as claimed in claim 5, further comprised of said facsimile transmission device terminating said operation when said user input is not provided after said document has been conveyed into said facsimile transmission device.

7. A facsimile device, comprising:

document detecting means for detecting entry of a document bearing image data into said facsimile device, said image data comprising a predetermined pattern corresponding to a receiving party, said predetermined pattern comprising one of a name, a trademark and a logo corresponding to said receiving party;

scanning means for scanning said document to read said predetermined pattern from an image bearing surface of said document in direct response to user input of a transmission start key provided after said document has been conveyed into said facsimile device; and

means for performing an operation of identifying a telephone number corresponding to said receiving party in response to reading said predetermined pattern from said image bearing surface of said document, and upon identification of said telephone number, automatically dialing said telephone number to form a data transmission path accommodating transmission of said image data as a telecommunications signal to said receiving party.

12. The facsimile device as claimed in claim 7, further comprised of said facsimile device terminating said operation when said user input is not provided after said document has been conveyed into said facsimile device.