Image communication apparatus capable of switching line to external information processing terminal
AssigneeCanon Kabushiki Kaisha
InventorsTakehiro Yoshida, Masatomo Takahashi, Kenji Hashimoto
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Abstract
An image communication apparatus comprises a connection unit for connecting an external terminal, an image communication unit for conducting image communication, a switching unit for selectively connecting a line to said connection unit and said image communication unit, a first detection unit for detecting a calling signal from said line, a second detection unit for detecting a signal relating to the image communication, a third detection unit for detecting a signal relating to data communication, and a control unit for controlling said switching unit in response to the detection by said first, second and third detection units.
Claims28
An image communication apparatus comprising:
- a connection unit for connecting an external terminal;
- a control line connectable to the external terminal;
- image communication means for conducting image communication;
- switching means for selectively connecting a communication line, different from said control line, to one of said connection unit and said image communication means;
- first detection means for detecting a signal relating to the image communication;
- control means for, in response to the detection by said first detection means in a case where the communication line has been connected to said connection unit, causing said switching means to switch the communication line from said connection unit to said image communication means;
- and
- informing means, responsive to the switching operation of the communication line, for informing the external terminal, via said control line connected to the external terminal, that the communication line is switched for image communication.
An image communication method operative in an image communication apparatus comprising a connection unit, a control line and a separate image communication means for conducting image communication, said method comprising:
- a connecting step of connecting an external terminal to the connection unit;
- a switching step of selectively connecting a communication line to one of the connection unit and the image communication means;
- a first detection step of detecting a signal relating to the image communication;
- a control step of, in response to the detection by said first detection step in a case where the communication line has been connected to the connection unit, causing said switching step to switch the communication line from the connection unit to the image communication means;
- and
- an informing step, responsive to the switching operation of the communication line, of informing the external terminal, via the control line connected to the external terminal, that the communication line is switched for image communication.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.