Abstract:
A communicating apparatus having a redial function comprises: an input unit to supply a destination and a communicating mode; a redial memory to sequentially store the destination and the communicating mode supplied by the input unit, in which a plurality of sets of destinations and communicating modes are stored into the redial memory; a communication unit to perform a communication to the destination supplied by the input unit in accordance with the supplied communicating mode; and a search key to search desired one of a plurality of sets of destinations and communicating modes which have sequentially been stored in the redial memory, wherein the communication unit executes the communication in accordance with the destination and the communicating mode according to the operation of the search key.

Description:
This application is a continuation of application Ser. No. 07/876,044 filed Apr. 30, 1992 now abandoned. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The invention relates to a communicating apparatus having a redial function. 
     2. Related Background Art 
     Among conventional facsimile apparatuses or telephones, there is an apparatus such that when a call is generated, its destination is stored into a memory and, after that, when a redial key is depressed, the destination is read out from the memory and a call is again generated to the destination. 
     In the above conventional apparatus, however, since only one destination which can be redialed can be stored, when another person executes a transmission, the redial information is rewritten. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     It is an object of the invention to improve the redial function. 
     Another object of the invention is to reduce a troublesomeness in setting of a communicating mode in the redialing operation. 
     Still another object of the invention is to provide a communicating apparatus in which each time a call is generated, the call generated telephone number and communicating mode are sequentially stored and the redial is performed by the telephone number according to the operation of a search key and a communication is executed in the communicating mode from a plurality of sets of telephone numbers and communicating modes stored. 
     The above and other objects and features of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description and the appended claims with reference to the accompanying drawings. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a facsimile apparatus embodying the present invention; 
     FIG. 2 is a plan view showing an operation panel of the facsimile apparatus shown in FIG. 1; 
     FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing processes in the transmitting mode of the facsimile apparatus shown in FIG. 1; and 
     FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram showing a storing table of transmission information of the facsimile apparatus shown in FIG.  1 . 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a schematic construction of a facsimile apparatus embodying the present invention. 
     The facsimile apparatus has: a key input unit  1  having input keys to give various kinds of operation instructions and a facsimile number by the operation of an operator, a redial key, and the like; and a display unit  2  to display various messages or the like. The key input unit  1  and the display unit  2  are provided on an operation panel shown in FIG.  2  and are controlled by a panel control unit  3 . 
     A DMA controller (DMAC)  4  controls a DMA transfer of image data or the like between, for example, an image input/output control unit  7  and an image memory  14 . 
     An image information output unit  5  forms an image onto a recording medium on the basis of image information which is supplied through the image I/O control unit  7  and is constructed by, e.g., a laser beam printer or the like. 
     An image information input unit  6  gives image information of a digital signal by photoelectrically reading an original image and is constructed by, for instance, an image scanner or the like. 
     The image I/O control unit  7  performs an interface control among the image information output unit  5 , the image information input unit  6 , and a system bus  16  and controls the image information output unit  5  and the image information input unit  6 . 
     Communication units  8  and  9  respectively perform communications through an analog line and a digital line. A communication control unit  10  controls the two communication units  8  and  9 . 
     An auxiliary memory unit  11  is a large capacity memory unit such as a hard disk or the like to store compressed image information. An MPU  12  generates various data signals and control signals onto the system bus  16  in accordance with a control program stored in an ROM  13 - 1  or the like, thereby controlling the whole apparatus. 
     As mentioned above, the control program and various data are stored in the ROM  13 - 1 . Various kinds of data are preserved in an RAM  13 - 2  and the RAM  13 - 2  is used as a work area of the MPU  12 . 
     The image memory  14  stores the image data. A compression/expansion unit  15  compresses/expands the image information which is transmitted or received through the communication units  8  and  9 . 
     In the embodiment, each time the image data is transmitted, the MPU  12  sequentially stores history information including the destination of the image data and the transmitting mode information into the RAM  13 - 2 . In the redial transmitting operation, the MPU  12  reads out the history information selected by the operator from the history information stored in the RMA  13 - 2  in accordance with the operation of the key input unit  1  and executes the redial transmitting operation on the basis of the selected history information. 
     FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing processes in the transmitting mode of the embodiment. 
     First, the operator sets an original to the image information input unit  6  (step S 1 ). The MPU  12  waits for the key input process from the key input unit  1 . When there is a key input, a check is made to see if the input key is a dial key  21  or not (S 2 ). In the case of the dial key  21 , the information indicative of the input key is stored into a destination area in the RAM  13 - 2  (S 3 ). 
     In the case of a key other than the dial key  21 , the MPU  12  checks to see if the input key is a redial key  22  or not (S 4 ). When it is the redial key  22 , the information such as destination, paper size, resolution, and the like which have been transmitted in the past and have been held in the RAM  13 - 2  is displayed on the display unit  2  (S 5 ). The MPU  12  subsequently checks to see if the input key is a set key  23  or not (S 6 ). In the case of the set key  23 , it is regarded that the selection of the information displayed in step S 5  has been determined, so that the transmission information such as destination and the like is transferred to the communication control unit  10  (S 10 ). 
     When the selection of the information displayed in step S 5  is not determined, the MPU  12  searches a table in the RAM  13 - 2  in the case where a “▴” key  24  or a “▾” key  25  in the key input unit  1  is depressed (S 7 ). The MPU  12  displays the content by the display unit  2  (S 8 ) and waits for the input of the set key  23  (S 6 ). 
     When the input key is not the redial key  22  in step S 4 , another key process, for instance, a process to set the resolution or the like by a resolution change key  26  is executed and the information indicative of the depressed key is stored into a predetermined area in the RAM  13 - 2  (S 9 ). 
     The MPU  12  sets the transmission information such as destination and the like into a predetermined area in the RAM  13 - 2  (S 10 ) and, thereafter, starts to read the original (S 11 ). Thus, the image data is stored into the auxiliary memory unit  11  from the image information input unit  6  through the image I/O control unit  7 . 
     A transmission processing routine follows and the original image in the auxiliary memory unit  11  is sent to the communication unit  8  or  9  through the communication control unit  10 . The communication control unit  10  transmits the original image to the input destination in accordance with the communicating mode such as set resolution or the like (S 12 ). The MPU  12  waits for the notification indicative of the end of communication from the communication control unit  10  (S 13 ). When the MPU  12  receives the communication end notification, the MPU  12  writes the transmission information of the completed communication into a predetermined area in the RAM  13 - 2  and finishes the processing routine (S 14 ). 
     FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram showing a stored table in the RAM  13 - 2  regarding the transmission information. 
     In the embodiment, the transmission information includes the transmission destination, line classification, paper size, resolution, density, and other information (for example, confidential transmission information, et.). Those communicating modes are given by the key input unit  1 . The latest transmission information is stored in a state in which an end mark is added. The preceding transmission information is stored in a state in which a next pointer is added. The searching operation in step S 7  is executed on the basis of the next pointer. 
     When the memory area of the transmission information is filled, the MPU  12  erases the stored transmission information from the oldest information. 
     In the embodiment, the information regarding the transmission is stored and searched by the redial key. However, it is also possible to construct in a manner such that the information about all of the operations is stored in addition to the transmission information and a desired operation is accessed by, for example, a dedicated history key and is executed. A series of processes can be also continuously executed. Further, the present history information can be also generated as a report. 
     Although the example in which the invention is applied to the facsimile apparatus has been described, the invention can be also applied to an ISDN data terminal. The ISDN data terminal embodying the invention stores a communicating speed and a data format as communicating modes into a predetermined area. 
     Although a preferred embodiment of the invention has been described above, the invention is not limited to the foregoing embodiment but many modifications and variations are possible within the spirit and scope of the appended claims of the invention.