Communication apparatus for receiving identification information of partner station, and executing communication operation in accordance with received identification information

A communication apparatus comprising:

• a detector for detecting a calling signal from a telephone line;
• an identification information receiver for receiving and detecting identification information of a partner station from the telephone line before connection with the partner station in response to the calling signal, upon detection of the calling signal by said detector;
• a storage unit for registering the identification information of the partner station and a communication process executed in response to reception of the calling signal in a memory thereof, and for providing the identification information and the communication process with a corresponding relationship;
• a setting circuit for selectively setting a mode of said apparatus, the set mode being selected from at least an automatic communication mode for performing data communication in response to the calling signal, a manual communication mode for performing data communication in response to a manual instruction, and an automatic switching mode for selecting data communication or speech communication upon discriminating, based on signals received from the telephone line, whether the partner station is a data communication terminal or a speech communication terminal;
• and
• a controller for executing a control operation,
• wherein, the controller:
• in a case where the received identification information is registered in the memory, the communication process corresponding to the identification information stored in the memory is executed, and
• in a case where the identification information of the partner station is not received by said identification information receiver, or in a case where the received identification information is not registered in the memory, a process corresponding to the mode set by said setting means is selectively executed.

A communication apparatus comprising:

• a detector for detecting a calling signal from the telephone line;
• an identification information receiver for receiving and detecting identification information of a partner station from the telephone line before connection with the partner station in response to the calling signal, upon detection of the calling signal by said detector;
• a controller for discriminating, based on the received identification information, whether the partner station is a data communication terminal or a speech communication terminal, and for causing one of data communication and speech communication to be conducted in accordance with a result of discrimination;
• and
• a result memory for storing result information indicating which of the data communication and the speech communication is conducted by said controller, the result information including the received identification information,
• wherein said controller discriminates whether the partner station is a data communication terminal or a speech communication terminal based on the identification information stored as a part of the result information in said result memory and the identification information received by said identification information receiver,
• wherein the number of pieces of said result information to be stored in said result memory is one or more for one said identification information.

A communication method in a communication apparatus that includes

• a detection step of detecting a calling signal from the telephone line;
• a reception step of receiving identification information of a partner station from the telephone line before connection with the partner station in response to the calling signal, upon detection of the calling signal in said detection step;
• a discrimination step of discriminating whether or not the partner station is a data communication terminal in accordance with predetermined information received after connection of the telephone line to the partner station;
• and
• a control step of allowing execution of a data communication process, execution of a speech communication process, or execution of a discrimination process by said discrimination step, in accordance with the received identification information,
• wherein said control step does not allow a ringer to issue a ring for calling an operator till completion of the discrimination process in said discrimination step, after said detection step.

A communication method in a communication apparatus that includes

• a detection step of detecting a calling signal from a telephone line;
• a reception step of receiving and detecting identification information of a partner station from the telephone line before connection with the partner station in response to the calling signal, upon detection of the calling signal in said detection step;
• a storage step of registering the identification information of the partner station and a communication process executed in response to reception of the calling signal in a memory, and providing the identification information and the communication process with a corresponding relationship;
• a mode setting step of selectively setting a mode of the communication apparatus, the set mode being selected from at least an automatic communication mode for performing data communication in response to the calling signal, a manual communication mode for performing data communication in response to a manual instruction, and an automatic switching mode for selecting data communication or speech communication upon discriminating, based on signals received from the telephone line, whether the partner station is a data communication terminal or a speech communication terminal;
• and
• a control step of executing a control operation,
• wherein, the control step comprises:
• in a case where the received identification information is registered in the memory, executing the communication process corresponding to the identification information stored in the memory, and
• in a case where the identification information of the partner station is not received in said reception step, or in a case where the received identification information is not registered in the memory, selectively executing a process corresponding to the mode set in said mode setting step.

A communication method in a communication apparatus that includes

• a detection step of detecting a calling signal from a telephone line;
• a reception step of receiving identification information of a partner station from the telephone line before connection with the partner station in response to the calling signal, upon detection of the calling signal in said detection step;
• a discrimination step of discriminating, based on the received identification information, whether the partner station is a data communication terminal or a speech communication terminal, and causing one of data communication and speech communication to be conducted in accordance with a discrimination result;
• and
• a result storage step of storing result information indicating which of the data communication and the speech communication is conducted in said control step, the result information including the received identification information,
• wherein said discrimination step discriminates whether the partner station is a data communication terminal or a speech communication terminal based on the identification information stored as a part of the result information in stored in said result storage step and the identification information received in said reception step,
• wherein the number of pieces of said result information to be stored in said result storage step is one or more for one said identification information.