Communication managing data processing device in facsimile machine

A facsimile communication managing data including transmission/reception mode, a telephone number of a called or a calling subscriber, etc. is printed out at a predetermined time interval. Each time a facsimile communication is made, the facsimile communication managing data is stored in a memory. A period of time defining a time interval at which the stored managing data are read out is set through a keyboard. An elapse of the period of time is detected and a detection signal is issued. If the detection signal is output during a non-busy state of the facsimile machine, the managing data are read out of the memory immediately after the occurrence of the detection signal and then printed in a printing station of the facsimile machine, whereas if the detection signal is output during a busy state of the facsimile machine, the managing data are read out after the facsimile machine is turned to the non-busy state and printed in the printing station thereof.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
The present invention relates to a communication managing data processing 
device for use in combination with a facsimile machine. 
For managing facsimile communications, typical facsimile machines have 
storage devices for storing therein communication managing data including 
data regarding year-month-date/time at which the facsimile communication 
was made, transmission/reception mode, name of calling or called 
subscriber, sheet numbers transmitted from or received at the facsimile 
machine, transmission/reception failure data and the like. Such 
communication managing data are stored in the storage device whenever a 
facsimile communication is performed. Reading of the communication 
managing data is typically performed in such a way that with a key switch 
provided in an operation panel or a keyboard of the facsimile, up-to-date 
communication managing data which have been stored in the storage device 
are sequentially read out and printed at a printing station of the 
facsimile in response to the depression of the key switch, thereby 
providing a facsimile communication managing record. Alternatively, the 
communication managing data is automatically read out of the storage 
device and printed out when the storage device is filled with the managing 
data. 
According to the former, the managing record covers the up-to-date 
communication managing data which have been stored after the previous 
readout of the communication managing data. However, since the interval 
between the key switch depressions is not fixed, a large quantity of the 
storage device is required so as to cover a possible largest number of 
facsimile communications which may be performed before the depression of 
the key switch. 
According to the latter, while a lesser quantity of the storage device may 
suffice, there will be variation in time interval at which the 
communication managing records are provided. Specifically, the interval 
between readings of the communication managing data is shortened if a 
large number of facsimile communications are performed within a prescribed 
period of time whereas the interval therebetween is prolonged if a small 
number of facsimile communications are performed within a prescribed 
period of time. Due to a difficulty in predicting the time when the 
communication managing record is printed out, it is inconvenient to manage 
the facsimile communications with the managing record. In the worst 
situation, the managing record may be printed out during the facsimile 
communication, with the result that the managing record is mixed up with 
the sheets received through the facsimile communication. There may a 
possibility that the managing record is inadvertently lost. 
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
The present invention has been made in view of the foregoing, and it is an 
object of the invention to provide a facsimile communication managing data 
processing device for use in combination with a facsimile machine, in 
which the time when the managing data is output is set in advance and 
up-to-date managing data is output at every predetermined interval. 
To achieve the above and other objects, there is provided a communication 
managing data processing device for use in combination with a facsimile 
machine as shown in FIG. 1, which comprises storage means 1 for storing 
facsimile communication managing data whenever a facsimile communication 
is made, setting means 2 for setting a period of time defining a time 
interval at which the facsimile communication managing data having been 
stored in the storage means 1 is output, detection means 3 for detecting 
an elapse of the period of time set by the setting means 2 and outputting 
a detection signal indicative of the elapse of the period of time, and 
readout instructing means 4 for instructing to read the facsimile 
communication managing data out of the storage means 1. If the detection 
signal is output during a non-busy state of the facsimile machine, the 
facsimile communication managing data is read out thereof immediately 
after the occurrence of the detection signal and if the detection signal 
is output during a busy state of the facsimile machine, the facsimile 
communication managing data is read out thereof after the facsimile 
machine is turned to the non-busy state. The facsimile communication 
managing data thus read out is printed out by printing means 5 provided in 
the facsimile machine. 
According to the device thus arranged, the facsimile communication managing 
data are stored in the storage means 1 each time the facsimile 
communication is performed, and read out thereof in response to an 
instruction issued from the readout instruction means 4. When the 
detection signal is received from the detection means 3 during the 
non-busy state of the facsimile machine, the readout instruction means 4 
issues the instruction immediately after the detection signal is received. 
On the other hand, when the detection signal is received from the 
detection means 3 during the busy state of the facsimile machine, the 
readout instruction mean 4 issues the instruction after the facsimile 
machine is turned to the non-busy state. In this manner, the managing data 
are read out at the interval substantially equal to that set through the 
setting means 2 and then printed out in the printing means 5 to provide a 
facsimile communication managing record. 
With the device according to the present invention, prediction can be made 
with respect to the time when the facsimile communication managing record 
is provided, and therefore the management of the facsimile communications 
can be facilitated. 
The above and other objects, features and advantages of the present 
invention will become more apparent from the following description when 
taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which a preferred 
embodiment of the present invention is shown by way of illustrative 
example.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
A facsimile machine according to a preferred embodiment of the present 
invention is arranged as shown in FIG. 2 which includes a control section 
11, a modulator/demodulator (hereinafter referred to as "MODEM") 12, an 
image reader 13, an operation panel 14 and a printer 15. 
The image reader 3 reads an image to be transmitted and sends the binary 
coded image signal to the control section 11 which in turn sends the image 
signal to the MODEM 12 upon storing it in a random access memory (RAM) 
11.sub.2. The MODEM 12 modulates the image signal and sends it to a called 
subscriber at a remote point through a telephone line. In the reception 
mode of the facsimile, the MODEM 12 demodulates incoming image signal 
received through the telephone line from the remote calling subscriber. 
The operation keyboard 14 is provided with a dial key and other keys 
including a time interval specifying key 14.sub.1 for specifying an output 
time interval of communication managing data. The printer 15 used herein 
is of a thermal type. 
A detection coil 16 is provided for detecting data regarding called or 
calling subscriber's telephone number out of signals transmitted from or 
received at the facsimile through the telephone line. 
The control section 11 includes a controller 11.sub.1 and the RAM 11.sub.2. 
The controller 11.sub.1 controls both transmission of the outgoing signals 
and reception of the incoming signals in accordance with a predetermined 
transmission/reception sequence complying with a CCITT (Consultative 
Committee in International Telegraphy and Telephony) recommendation. The 
RAM 11.sub.2 stores the binary coded image data output from the image 
reader 3 at the time of data transmission, and also stores the incoming 
data being demodulated in the MODEM 12 at the time of data reception. 
At the time of data transmission, the image data is read out of the RAM 
11.sub.2 and is subjected to data compression, and is then modulated in 
the MODEM 12. On the other hand, at the time of data reception, the 
incoming image data is demodulated in the MODEM 12 and is stored in the 
RAM 11.sub.2. One line image data is sequentially read out of the RAM 
11.sub.2 and is supplied to the printer 15. 
A communication managing data producing section 20 includes a central 
processing unit (CPU) 21, a read-only memory (ROM) 22 storing a program 
for executing the CPU 21, a random access memory (RAM) 23 storing 
communication managing data and other necessary data, a calendar/clock 
circuit 24 for outputting year-month-date/time data, a timer/counter 25 in 
which is set a time interval specified by the key 14.sub.1 on the 
operational keyboard 14, and a character generator (CG) 26. In response to 
depression of the time interval specifying key 14.sub.1 and a time 
interval specified by the ten-key on the operational keyboard 14, the CPU 
21 sets the output time interval in the timer/counter 25. The CPU 21 
receives telephone number data and transmission/reception mode both 
detected and fed from the detection coil 16, and year-month-date/time data 
fed from the calendar/clock circuit 24, and stores such data in the RAM 
23. 
Transmitting/receiving sheet number data, transmission/reception failure 
data are further stored in the RAM 23 by the CPU 11. In response to end of 
transmission/reception data, the CPU 11 reads the recorded data out of the 
RAM 23 and develops the recorded data into dot data while interacting with 
the character generator 26 to allow the printer 15 to print the 
communication managing data. 
Operation of the apparatus thus constructed will be described with 
reference to the flow chart illustrated in FIG. 3. 
Upon start of a communication managing data program, it is firstly checked 
whether a change of the time interval has been effected based on whether 
the time interval specifying key 14.sub.1 is depressed and the input of a 
new time interval is effected through the ten-key (step S1). If YES, the 
new time interval as input is set to the timer/counter 25, and the time 
interval data which has been stored in a time interval data storage area 
of RAM 23 is updated (step S21). When the decision made in step S1 is NO, 
the time interval data which has been stored in the storage area of the 
RAM 25 is set as it is to the timer/counter 25 (step S22). After the 
processings in steps S21 and S22 are completed, the timer/counter 25 
starts down-counting (step S3). 
In step S4, it is checked whether a calling or called subscriber's 
telephone number has been detected through the detection coil 16. If NO, 
it is checked whether the time interval set in the timer/counter 25 has 
expired (step 11). If NO, the routine returns to step S4 and the 
processing therein is repeatedly carried out until the telephone number is 
detected. When either the calling or called subscriber's telephone number 
is detected in step S4, this subscriber's telephone number data is stored 
in a telephone number storage area of the RAM 23, and 
transmission/reception data supplied to the CPU 21 from the controller 11 
is stored in a transmission/reception data storage area of the RAM 25 
(step S5). Year-month-date/time data is next stored in a time data storage 
area of the RAM 25 (step S6). 
A count area formed in the RAM 25 is cleared in step S7 and a count number 
is incrementally written therein in response to a document-number 
identifying signal outputted whenever a sheet of a document is read out in 
a transmission mode or received whenever one page data is received in a 
reception mode. In step S9, failure indicative data indicating failure of 
transmission/reception is stored in a failure data storage area of the RAM 
25 in the event that a failure of data transmission or reception has 
occurred. Following step S9, it is checked whether or not an 
end-of-transmission/reception signal is output (step 10). Until the 
end-of-transmission/reception signal is output, the processings in steps 
S8 and S9 are repeatedly carried out. Accordingly, the data stored in the 
count area indicates the number of sheets transmitted in the transmission 
mode or received in the reception mode. When there is a failure during 
transmission or reception, failure indicative data is stored in the 
failure data storage area. Both the sheet number data and the failure 
indicative data are supplied from the control section 11 to the CPU 21. 
When a decision is made in step S10 so that the 
end-of-transmission/reception signal has been output, it is further 
checked in step S11 whether or not the time interval has been expired. If 
NO, the routine returns to S4 and the processing therein is again 
executed. 
When a decision made in step S11 indicates that the time interval has 
expired, the telephone number data, transmission/reception mode data, 
year-month-date/time data, sheet-number data, and failure indicative data 
are read out of the corresponding storage areas of the RAM 23. In response 
to the data thus read out, characters in the character generator 26 are 
specified. First dot line of the dots forming a specified character string 
is sequentially developed in the RAM 11.sub.2 on dot line basis and is 
supplied to the printer 15 with which the character strings corresponding 
to the data read out of the RAM 23 are printed. 
In printing data, character-to-character spacing, columnar spacing between 
different kinds of data, and line spacing between adjacent character lines 
are filled with space dots as is well known in the art. 
Although the present invention has been described with reference to a 
specific embodiment of the present invention, it should be understood for 
a person skilled in the art that a variety of changes and modifications 
may be made without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention. 
For example, in lieu of the failure indicative data representative of an 
error occurring during the facsimile communication, no-error data 
representing that no error has been occurred may be employed.