US 6,285,466 B1 · Facsimile communication system

Abstract

Pixel information and control information transmitted by a facsimile machine 1a is received by a procedure controlling circuit 13 having a MODEM 13a for facsimile machines. A facsimile procedure controller 14 decodes the pixel information and the control information. A connection/transfer controller 15 edits the decoded information and produces a control packet and a pixel packet. The control packet and the pixel packet are output to a local area network (LAN) 4 via a LAN controller 17 and a LAN control circuit 18. When receiving a facsimile, the control packet signal transmitted via the LAN 4 is converted into pixel control information by the connection/transfer controller 15, and the pixel control information is supplied to the facsimile procedure controller 14. The connection/transfer controller 15 also converts the received pixel packet signal into pixel information. The pixel information is temporarily stored in a memory 16. When a predetermined amount of pixel information is accumulated in the memory 16, said predetermined amount of pixel information is supplied to the facsimile procedure controller 14, and finally transmitted to the facsimile machine la via the procedure control circuit 13.

Claims16

Dependent claims

A facsimile communication apparatus for receiving image data from a transmission side facsimile machine via a data communication network, for temporarily storing the image data in a memory, and for transmitting the image data to a receiving side facsimile machine, the facsimile communication apparatus comprising:

means for calling the receiving side facsimile machine when it receives a request for connection to the receiving side facsimile machine from the data communication network;
means for receiving the image data from the transmission side facsimile machine via the data communication network and for temporarily storing the received image data in the memory;
means for starting transmission of the image data to the receiving side facsimile machine in response to reception of a data-receiving control signal representing the acceptability of image data from the receiving side facsimile machine, provided that a desirable amount of image data is stored in the memory at the time of receipt of the data-receiving control signal;
and
waiting controller for transmitting a prescribed wait control signal to the receiving side facsimile machine in order to have the receiving side facsimile machine stand by if the desirable amount of image data has not been stored in the memory at the time of receipt of the receiving control signal representing the acceptability of the image data from the receiving side facsimile machine.

2 more elements

A program recording unit storing a program for controlling a facsimile communication apparatus that receives image data from a transmission side facsimile machine via a data communication network, temporarily stores the received image data in a memory, and transmits the image data to a receiving side facsimile machine, said program recording unit comprising:

means for causing the facsimile communication apparatus to call the receiving side facsimile machine based on a request for connection to the receiving side facsimile machine received from the data communication network;
means for causing the facsimile communication apparatus to temporarily store the image data transmitted from the transmission side facsimile machine via the data communication network in the memory;
means for causing the facsimile communication apparatus to start transmitting the image data to the receiving side facsimile machine when the facsimile communication apparatus receives a data-receiving control signal that represents the acceptability of image data of the receiving side facsimile machine, provided that a desirable amount of image data is stored in the memory at the time of receipt of the data-receiving control signal;
and
waiting controller for causing the facsimile communication apparatus to transmit a prescribed wait control signal to the receiving side facsimile machine in order to have the receiving side facsimile machine stand by if the desirable amount of image data has not been stored in the memory at the time of receipt of the receiving control signal representing the acceptability of the image data from the receiving side facsimile machine.

2 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facsimile communication system

Life of this patent

Facsimile communication system

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims16