Information processing device, information processing method, and program

Abstract

To provide an information processing device, an information processing method, and a program that improve the accuracy of preventing unwanted faxes by allowing a parent device and a child device to share information about faxes received by each device without providing a separate server.SOLUTION: In an information processing system consisting of multiple information processing devices 1 and a communication network connecting the information processing devices 1, the information processing device includes a device registration unit that registers devices that share information, an information transmission unit that transmits information, an information receiving unit that receives information, a memory unit that stores information, and an input unit that inputs information about unsolicited faxes.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an information processing device, an information processing method, and a program. [Background technology]

[0002] 2. Description of the Related Art In recent years, multi-function peripherals (MFPs) capable of utilizing multiple functions such as a printer, a scanner, and a fax machine for transmitting and receiving image data have become widespread.

[0003] Patent Document 1 discloses a technique for suggesting a rejected fax number that is used in a system including a server and an MFP. Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] However, with conventional technology, it was necessary to install a separate server for information sharing in addition to the MFP. Also, in a system including a parent unit and a child unit, there was no means for sharing information for determining whether a received fax is a spam fax, which resulted in the problem of being unable to improve the accuracy of spam fax prevention.

[0005] The present invention has been made in consideration of the above, and aims to improve the accuracy of preventing spam faxes by allowing the parent unit and child unit to share information about faxes received by each unit without the need to set up a separate server. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] In order to solve the above-mentioned problems and achieve the objectives, the present invention is characterized by comprising a device registration unit that registers devices that share information, a transmitting unit that transmits information, a receiving unit that receives information, a memory unit that stores information, and an input unit that inputs information about unsolicited faxes. [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] According to the present invention, it is possible to improve the accuracy of blocking unwanted faxes by allowing the parent unit and the child unit to share information about faxes received by each other without providing a separate server. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating an example of a system configuration of an information processing system including a plurality of information processing devices according to the first embodiment. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of a hardware configuration of an information processing apparatus realized by an MFP. [Figure 3] FIG. 3 is a block diagram illustrating an example of a functional configuration of the information processing device according to the first embodiment. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of a screen for registering a device that shares information among a plurality of information processing devices. [Figure 5] FIG. 5 is a diagram showing an example of a screen for inputting spam fax information. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a procedure for registering junk fax information according to the first embodiment. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is a diagram showing how spam fax information is shared between information processing devices (a parent device and a child device). [Figure 8] FIG. 8 is a diagram showing an example of spam fax information in which information from the master unit and the slave unit is integrated and stored. [Figure 9] FIG. 9 is a block diagram illustrating an example of a functional configuration of an information processing device according to the second embodiment. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing how FAX information is integrated in the information processing device (parent device) according to the second embodiment. [Figure 11] FIG. 11 is a diagram showing an example of FAX information stored in each information processing device and FAX information integrated and stored in a parent information processing device. [Figure 12] FIG. 12 is a diagram showing an example of a setting screen for setting parameters used to determine whether a fax is a spam fax. [Figure 13] FIG. 13 is a flowchart showing an example of a procedure for determining whether a fax is a nuisance fax. [Figure 14] FIG. 14 is a flowchart showing another example of the procedure for determining whether a fax is a nuisance fax. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0009] Hereinafter, embodiments of an information processing device, an information processing method, and a program will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0010] (First embodiment) 1 is a diagram showing an example of the system configuration of an information processing system 3 including a plurality of information processing devices 1 according to the first embodiment. The information processing system 3 of this embodiment is configured with a plurality of information processing devices 1 and a communication network 2 connecting the information processing devices 1. Furthermore, it is assumed that one of the plurality of information processing devices 1 is set as a parent device and the rest are set as child devices. In the example of this figure, the information processing system 3 includes three information processing devices 1, but the number of information processing devices 1 may be two or four or more.

[0011] The information processing device 1 is, for example, an MFP (Multi-Function Peripheral / Printer) or a facsimile machine that can perform functions such as printing, scanning, and fax transmission. Each information processing device 1 can send and receive faxes via a telephone line network or the like. The communication network 2 is a communication line such as the Internet or an in-house LAN (Local Area Network), and each information processing device 1 can be identified by identification information such as a global IP (Internet Protocol) address or a local IP address.

[0012] 2 is a diagram showing an example of the hardware configuration of an information processing device 1 realized by an MFP. As shown in FIG. 2, the information processing device 1 includes a controller 1010, a short-range communication circuit 1020, an engine control unit 1030, an operation panel 1040, and a network I / F 1050.

[0013] Of these, the controller 1010 has a CPU (Central Processing Unit) 1001, which is the main part of the computer, a system memory (MEM-P) 1002, a north bridge (NB) 1003, a south bridge (SB) 1004, an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit) 1006, a local memory (MEM-C) 1007, which is a storage unit, an HDD (Hard Disk Drive) controller 1008, and an HD 1009, which is also a storage unit, and is configured such that the NB 1003 and the ASIC 1006 are connected by an AGP (Accelerated Graphics Port) bus 1021.

[0014] Of these, the CPU 1001 is a control unit that performs overall control of the information processing device 1. The NB 1003 is a bridge for connecting the CPU 1001 with the MEM-P 1002, the SB 1004, and the AGP bus 1021, and includes a memory controller that controls reading and writing to the MEM-P 1002, a PCI (Peripheral Component Interconnect) master, and an AGP target.

[0015] The MEM-P 1002 comprises a ROM (Read Only Memory) 1002a, which is memory for storing programs and data that realize the functions of the controller 1010, and a RAM (Random Access Memory) 1002b, which is used for expanding programs and data, and as a drawing memory during memory printing. The programs stored in the RAM 1002b may be provided by being recorded in an installable or executable format on a computer-readable recording medium such as a CD-ROM, CD-R, or DVD.

[0016] The SB 1004 is a bridge for connecting the NB 1003 with PCI devices and peripheral devices. The ASIC 1006 is an integrated circuit (IC) for image processing applications that has hardware elements for image processing and functions as a bridge connecting the AGP bus 1021, PCI bus 1022, HDD controller 1008, and MEM-C 1007. The ASIC 1006 includes a PCI target and AGP master, an arbiter (ARB) that forms the core of the ASIC 1006, a memory controller that controls the MEM-C 1007, multiple direct memory access controllers (DMACs) that perform image data rotation using hardware logic, and a PCI unit that transfers data between the scanner unit 1031 and printer unit 1032 via the PCI bus 1022. A USB (Universal Serial Bus) interface or an IEEE 1394 (Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers) interface may also be connected to the ASIC 1006.

[0017] The MEM-C 1007 is a local memory used as an image buffer for copying and a code buffer. The HD 1009 is a storage (memory unit) for storing image data, font data used during printing, and forms. The HD 1009 controls the reading and writing of data from and to the HD 1009 under the control of the CPU 1001. The AGP bus 1021 is a bus interface for a graphics accelerator card proposed to speed up graphics processing, and by directly accessing the MEM-P 1002 at high throughput, the graphics accelerator card can be made faster.

[0018] Further, the short-distance communication circuit 1020 includes a short-distance communication circuit 1020a. The short-distance communication circuit 1020 is a communication circuit such as NFC (Near Field Communication) or Bluetooth (registered trademark).

[0019] Furthermore, the engine control unit 1030 is made up of a scanner unit 1031 and a printer unit 1032. The operation panel 1040 is equipped with a panel display unit 1040a such as a touch panel that displays current setting values ​​and selection screens and receives inputs from the user, and an operation panel 1040b that includes a numeric keypad that receives setting values ​​for conditions related to image reading and image formation, such as density setting conditions, and a start key that receives a copy start instruction. The controller 1010 controls the entire information processing device 1, and controls, for example, drawing, communication, and input from the operation panel 1040. The scanner unit 1031 or the printer unit 1032 includes an image processing unit that performs error diffusion, gamma conversion, etc.

[0020] The information processing device 1 can sequentially switch among the document box function, copy function, printer function, and facsimile function using the application switching key on the operation panel 1040. When the document box function is selected, the device enters document box mode, when the copy function is selected, the device enters copy mode, when the printer function is selected, the device enters printer mode, and when the facsimile mode is selected, the device enters facsimile mode.

[0021] The network I / F 1050 is an interface for performing data communication using the communication network 2. The short-range communication circuit 1020 and the network I / F 1050 are electrically connected to the ASIC 1006 via a PCI bus 1022.

[0022] FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing an example of the functional configuration of the information processing device 1 according to this embodiment.

[0023] The information processing device 1 includes a control unit 10 including a FAX service control unit 11, a network control unit 12, and an HDD control unit 13, and an FCU (Facsimile Control Unit) 20 including a FAX receiving unit 21 and a FAX transmitting unit 22. The FAX service control unit 11 includes a device registration unit 111 and an input unit 112, the network control unit 12 includes an information transmitting unit 121 and an information receiving unit 122, and the HDD control unit 13 includes a storage unit 131. Each of these functional units is configured by cooperation between hardware and software (programs, etc.) that configure the information processing device 1 as illustrated in FIG. 2. At least one of the functional units may be configured by dedicated hardware (circuits, etc.). Note that the functional configuration of the information processing device 1 is not limited to this.

[0024] The device registration unit 111 registers the identification information of the slave unit that shares information (such as information about spam faxes) when the information processing device 1 is a master unit, and registers the identification information of the master unit that shares information when the information processing device 1 is a slave unit. The input unit 112 inputs the identification information and spam fax information (spam fax information) that the user inputs using the operation panel 1040 or the like. The spam fax information includes information such as the sender's name and fax number.

[0025] The information transmitting unit 121 transmits nuisance fax information to a slave unit when the information processing device 1 is a master unit, and transmits nuisance fax information to the master unit when the information processing device 1 is a slave unit. The information receiving unit 122 receives nuisance fax information from a slave unit when the information processing device 1 is a master unit, and receives nuisance fax information from the master unit when the information processing device 1 is a slave unit.

[0026] The memory unit 131 stores the identification information and spam fax information input by the input unit 112. When the information processing device 1 is a parent device, the memory unit stores information that integrates spam fax information sent from a child device and spam fax information input to the parent device by a user. When the information processing device 1 is a child device, the parent device integrates and stores the spam fax information sent to each child device. The memory unit 131 also stores images of received faxes and images of faxes to be sent.

[0027] The FAX receiving unit 21 receives FAXes via a telephone network or the like using a modem, and the FAX transmitting unit 22 transmits FAXes via a telephone network or the like using a modem.

[0028] FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of a screen for registering devices that share information among multiple information processing devices 1. FIG. 4(a) shows an example of a setting screen displayed on the operation panel 1040 when the information processing device 1 is a parent device, and FIG. 4(b) shows an example of a setting screen displayed on the operation panel 1040 when the information processing device 1 is a child device. A user can register the identification information of a child device with which to share spam fax information, etc. from the parent device by entering identification information into the operation panel 1040 and pressing a registration button, and can register the identification information of a parent device with which to share spam fax information, etc. from a child device. In the example of FIG. 4, an IP address is used as the identification information, but this is not limited to this, and any information that can identify each information processing device 1 can be used. Note that if the user presses the cancel button, the registration process is canceled and the screen displayed on the operation panel 1040 is closed.

[0029] When the identification information of the child device is registered in the parent device, memory unit 131 of the parent device stores the identification information of the registered child device. Next, when the identification information of the parent device is registered in the child device, memory unit 131 of the child device stores the identification information of the registered parent device, and information transmission unit 121 of the child device transmits its own identification information to information reception unit 122 of the parent device. Then, the parent device compares the received identification information of the child device with the identification information of the child device stored in memory unit 131, and if they match, registers the received identification information of the child device as a child device that shares information with the parent device.

[0030] 5 is a diagram showing an example of a screen for inputting spam fax information. The user can input and register spam fax information from either the parent or child information processing device 1 by inputting the spam fax information into operation panel 1040 and pressing the register button. If the user presses the cancel button, the input process is canceled and the screen displayed on operation panel 1040 is closed.

[0031] 6 is a flowchart showing an example of a procedure for registering junk fax information according to this embodiment. First, the input unit 112 displays a screen for inputting junk fax information on the operation panel 1040 (step S201), and waits for input from the user (step S202).

[0032] Next, when the user inputs nuisance fax information using operation panel 1040 and presses the registration button (step S202: Yes), the process proceeds to step S203. If information processing device 1 is a parent device (step S203: Yes), the parent device performs a registration process for the nuisance fax information (step S204). If information processing device 1 is a slave device (step S203: No), the slave device inputs the nuisance fax information and sends it to the parent device (step S205), and the parent device performs a registration process for the nuisance fax information (step S204).

[0033] On the other hand, if the user presses the cancel button on the operation panel 1040 (step S202: No), the input process is canceled.

[0034] 7 is a diagram showing how spam fax information is shared between the information processing device 1 (the parent device and the child device) according to this embodiment. First, when a user inputs spam fax information to the parent device, the input unit 112 of the parent device inputs the spam fax information, and the memory unit 131 stores the input spam fax information in the HD 1009 or the like (step S11).

[0035] On the other hand, when a user inputs nuisance fax information into the handset, input unit 112 in the handset inputs the nuisance fax information, and memory unit 131 stores the input nuisance fax information in HD 1009 or the like (step S12). The nuisance fax information stored in the handset is then transmitted to information receiving unit 122 of the parent machine via information transmitting unit 121 of the child machine, and stored by memory unit 131 of the parent machine (steps S13 to S15). At this time, memory unit 131 of the parent machine stores the nuisance fax information input into the parent machine and the nuisance fax information received from the handset together.

[0036] 8 is a diagram showing an example of spam fax information stored by integrating information from the parent device and the child devices. Here, spam fax information from the parent device and three child devices (child devices 1, 2, and 3) is stored. The spam fax information includes the sender's name and fax number, but may also include other information such as the date and time the spam fax information was registered, and the name and ID of the user who registered it.

[0037] Subsequently, the unsolicited FAX information integrated in the parent machine is transmitted to the information receiving unit 122 of the child machine via the information transmitting unit 121 of the parent machine, and is stored in the memory unit 131 of the child machine (steps S16 to S18).

[0038] By sharing the integrated nuisance fax information, for example, when a fax is received by the fax receiving unit 21 of the parent machine, the fax service control unit 11 of the parent machine refers to the integrated nuisance fax information stored in the memory unit 131 of the parent machine when determining whether to treat the fax as a nuisance fax, thereby preventing nuisance faxes. Similarly, when a fax is received by the fax receiving unit 21 of the child machine, the fax service control unit 11 of the child machine refers to the integrated nuisance fax information sent from the parent machine and stored in the memory unit 131 of the child machine, thereby preventing nuisance faxes.

[0039] In this way, according to this embodiment, the spam fax information entered in the parent unit and the child unit is integrated in the parent unit, and the integrated spam fax information is shared with the child unit, so that the parent unit and the child unit can share information about the faxes they each receive without having to set up a separate server, thereby improving the accuracy of spam fax prevention.

[0040] (Second embodiment) Next, a second embodiment will be described. In this embodiment, the FAX information received by the parent device and the child device is integrated, and based on the integrated FAX information, it is determined whether the sender is a spammer or not.

[0041] 9 is a block diagram showing an example of the functional configuration of an information processing device 1 according to the second embodiment. The difference from the first embodiment is that the FAX service control unit 11 includes a spam FAX determination unit 113. This makes it possible to determine whether a sender is a spam FAX sender, as will be described later. In the following description of this embodiment, the same parts as in the first embodiment will be omitted, and only the differences from the first embodiment will be described.

[0042] 10 is a diagram showing how fax information is integrated in the information processing device 1 (parent device) according to this embodiment. The fax information includes the date and time of receipt of the fax, the fax number of the sender, the name of the device that received the fax, etc. First, in the parent device, when the parent device receives a fax, the storage unit 131 stores the fax information of the received fax in the HD 1009 or the like (step S21).

[0043] Meanwhile, in the handset, when the handset receives a FAX, storage unit 131 stores the FAX information of the received FAX in HD 1009 or the like (step S22). Then, the FAX information stored in the handset is transmitted to information receiving unit 122 of the parent machine via information transmitting unit 121 of the handset, and is stored in storage unit 131 of the parent machine (steps S23 to S25). At this time, storage unit 131 of the parent machine stores the FAX information received by the parent machine and the FAX information received from the handset together.

[0044] Fig. 11 shows an example of fax information stored in each information processing device 1 and fax information integrated and stored in the parent information processing device 1. Fig. 11(a) shows fax information stored in the parent device, Figs. 11(b), (c), and (d) show fax information stored in handset 1, handset 2, and handset 3, respectively, and Fig. 11(e) shows an example of fax information integrated and stored in the parent device. Here, the "document number" in Figs. 11(a) to (d) is an administrative number assigned when a fax is received and stored in each information processing device 1, and the "document number" in Fig. 11(e) is an administrative number assigned to the fax information integrated and stored in the parent device when the information is integrated.

[0045] Next, a method for determining whether a fax is a nuisance fax in this embodiment will be described. The nuisance fax determination unit 113 of the parent machine refers to the integrated fax information, and, for example, when the number of parent machines and child machines that have received faxes from the same sender within a predetermined time period is equal to or greater than a predetermined value, determines that the sender is a nuisance fax sender (hereinafter referred to as determination example A). Alternatively, the nuisance fax determination unit 113 may determine that the sender is a nuisance fax sender when the number of faxes received from the same sender within a predetermined time period is equal to or greater than a predetermined value (hereinafter referred to as determination example B).

[0046] 12 is a diagram showing an example of a setting screen for setting parameters used to determine whether a fax is a spam fax. The user can set these parameters using a setting screen displayed on the operation panel 1040 or the like.

[0047] Fig. 12(a) is a screen for setting the reception period (predetermined time: hereinafter referred to as the set time) and the number of receivers (number of parent and child devices: hereinafter referred to as the set number) for determining a fax as a spam fax as parameters used in judgment example A. Fig. 12(b) is a screen for setting the reception period (predetermined time) and the number of times of reception (number of received faxes: hereinafter referred to as the set number) for determining a fax as a spam fax as parameters used in judgment example B.

[0048] 13 and 14 are flowcharts showing examples of a procedure for determining whether a fax is spam. In either procedure, the spam fax determination unit 113 generates extracted data by extracting data from the integrated fax information with the same sender as a preprocessing step, and it is assumed that the date and time of reception and the name of the receiver can be obtained by referring to each line of the extracted data.

[0049] FIG. 13 is a flowchart showing the procedure for judgment according to judgment example A. First, the spam fax judgment unit 113 sets the initial values ​​of variables i, j, k, and num to 1, 2, 1, and 1, respectively (step S301). Here, i and j indicate the row number of the extracted data, and in this example, judgment is made using fax information with row number 1 and onward. Note that if judgment is made using fax information with row number n (n is a natural number) and onward, the initial values ​​of i and j are set to n and n+1, respectively. Also, k is the row number of the list used for judgment, and num is the number of master and slave units that received faxes from the same sender within a predetermined time period. Here, the list is used to store receiver names in the judgment process, and is initially empty (no receiver names are stored).

[0050] Next, if the fax information of row number i of the extracted data is stored (step S302: Yes), the reception time of row number i is stored in the variable time, and the receiver name of row number i is stored in the kth row of the list (step S303).On the other hand, if the fax information of row number i is not stored (step S302: No), the determination process ends.

[0051] Next, if the fax information of row number j is stored (step S304: Yes), the difference between the reception time of row number j and time is within the set time (step S305: Yes), and the receiver name of row number j is not stored in the list (step S306: Yes), the values ​​of k and num are incremented by 1 each, and the receiver name of row number j is stored in the kth row of the list (step S307). Then, the spam fax determination unit 113 increments the value of j by 1 and returns the process to step S304 (step S308). Note that the symbol "++" in the flowchart represents an operation that increments the value of a variable by 1. Also, if the receiver name of row number j is stored in the list (step S306: No), the spam fax determination unit 113 increments the value of j by 1 and returns the process to step S304.

[0052] On the other hand, if the FAX information of line number j is not stored (step S304: No) or the difference between the reception time of line number j and time exceeds the set time (step S305: No), and num is equal to or greater than the set number (step S309: Yes), the spam FAX determination unit 113 determines the sender as a spam FAX sender, and the storage unit 131 stores the sender information (step S310). Also, if num is not equal to or greater than the set number (step S309: No), the determination process ends.

[0053] 14 is a flowchart showing the procedure for judgment according to judgment example B. First, the spam fax judgment unit 113 sets the initial values ​​of variables i, j, and num to 1, 2, and 1, respectively (step S401). In this example, judgment is made using fax information with line number 1 of the extracted data and onwards, but if judgment is made using fax information with line number n (n is a natural number) and onwards, the initial values ​​of i and j are set to n and n+1, respectively. Also, num is the number of times faxes have been received from the same sender within a specified period of time.

[0054] Next, if the fax information of row number i of the extracted data is stored (step S402: Yes), the reception time of row number i is stored in the variable time (step S403).On the other hand, if the fax information of row number i is not stored (step S402: No), the determination process ends.

[0055] Next, if the FAX information of line number j is stored (step S404: Yes) and the difference between the reception time of line number j and time is within the set time (step S405: Yes), the values ​​of j and num are incremented by 1 (step S406), and the process returns to step S404.

[0056] On the other hand, if the FAX information of line number j is not stored (step S404: No) or the difference between the reception time of line number j and time exceeds the set time (step S405: No), and num is equal to or greater than the set number of times (step S407: Yes), the spam FAX determination unit 113 determines the sender as a spam FAX sender, and the storage unit 131 stores the sender information (step S408). Also, if num is not equal to or greater than the set number of times (step S407: No), the determination process ends.

[0057] The spam fax determination unit 113 generates extracted data for each sender by extracting data for the same sender from the integrated fax information, and by performing the above-mentioned procedure, it is possible to determine and register the sender of the spam fax.

[0058] Thus, according to this embodiment, if the number of information processing devices that have received a fax from the same sender within a set time or the number of times it has been received is greater than or equal to a predetermined value, the sender is determined to be the sender of a spam fax.Therefore, without setting up a separate server, the parent and child devices can share information regarding the faxes they have received, thereby improving the accuracy of spam fax prevention.

[0059] Although various embodiments of the present invention have been described above, the above-described embodiments are presented as examples and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention. These novel embodiments can be embodied in various other forms, and various omissions, substitutions, and modifications can be made without departing from the spirit of the invention. These novel embodiments and modifications thereof are included within the scope and spirit of the invention, as well as within the scope of the invention and its equivalents as set forth in the claims. Furthermore, components from different embodiments and modifications may be combined as appropriate.

[0060] For example, in the second embodiment, the information processing device 1, which is the parent device, may transmit information about a sender determined to be a spam fax sender and stored to a slave device registered as an information sharing device, and each slave device may use the spam fax sender information. This may improve the accuracy of spam fax prevention in each slave device.

[0061] Furthermore, each function of the above-described embodiments can be realized by one or more processing circuits. Here, the term "processing circuit" in this specification includes a processor programmed to execute each function by software, such as a processor implemented by an electronic circuit, as well as devices such as an ASIC, a DSP (Digital Signal Processor), an FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array), and conventional circuit modules designed to execute each of the above-described functions.

[0062] Each apparatus described in each embodiment represents only one of multiple computing environments for implementing the embodiments disclosed herein. In some embodiments, each apparatus may include multiple computing devices, such as a server cluster, configured to communicate with each other via any type of communication link, including a network, shared memory, etc., and to perform the processes disclosed herein.

[0063] For example, aspects of the present invention are as follows. <1> An information processing device comprising a device registration unit that registers devices that share information, a transmission unit that transmits information, a reception unit that receives information, a memory unit that stores information, and an input unit that inputs spam fax information, wherein the input unit inputs spam fax information, and when the information processing device is a parent device, the reception unit receives spam fax information from a device registered by the device registration unit, the memory unit integrates and stores the spam fax information received from the device and the spam fax information input by the input unit, and the transmission unit transmits the spam fax information stored in the memory unit to the device registered by the device registration unit. <2> When the information processing device is a slave device, the transmitting unit transmits information about the spam fax input by the input unit to a master device among the devices registered by the device registration unit, and the receiving unit receives information about the spam fax stored in the memory unit of the device from a device set as a master device among the devices registered by the device registration unit. <1> The information processing device is described in <3> The information processing device further includes a spam fax determination unit, and when the information processing device is a parent device, the receiving unit receives fax reception information from a device registered by the device registration unit, and the memory unit stores the fax reception information received from the device and the fax reception information received by the information processing device in an integrated manner, and the spam fax determination unit refers to the fax reception information stored in the memory unit, and determines that the sender is a spam fax sender when the number of parent devices and handset devices that have received faxes from the same sender within a predetermined time period is equal to or greater than a predetermined value. <1> or <2> The information processing device is described in <4> The information processing device further includes a spam fax determination unit, and when the information processing device is a parent device, the receiving unit receives fax reception information from a device registered by the device registration unit, and the storage unit stores the fax reception information received from the device and the fax reception information received by the information processing device in an integrated manner, and the spam fax determination unit refers to the fax reception information stored in the storage unit, and determines that the sender is a spam fax sender when the number of faxes received from the same sender within a predetermined time is equal to or greater than a predetermined value. <1> or <2> The information processing device is described in <5> When the information processing device is a slave device, the receiving unit receives information on a sender that the master device has determined to be a sender of a spam fax, and the storage unit stores the information on the sender of the spam fax received from the master device. <3> or <4> The information processing device described in <6> An information processing method executed in an information processing device, comprising: a device registration step for registering devices to share information; a transmission step for transmitting information; a reception step for receiving information; a storage step for storing information; and an input step for inputting spam fax information; wherein the input step inputs spam fax information; when the information processing device is a parent device, the receiving step receives the spam fax information from a device registered in the device registration step; the storage step integrates and stores the spam fax information received from the device and the spam fax information input in the input step; and the transmission step transmits the spam fax information stored in the storage step to a device registered in the device registration step. <7> This program causes a computer to function as an information processing device, including a device registration means for registering devices that share information, a transmission means for transmitting information, a receiving means for receiving information, a storage means for storing information, and an input means for inputting spam fax information, wherein the input means inputs spam fax information, and when the information processing device is a parent device, the receiving means receives the spam fax information from a device registered by the device registration means, the storage means integrates and stores the spam fax information received from the device and the spam fax information input by the input means, and the transmission means transmits the spam fax information stored by the storage means to a device registered by the device registration means. [Explanation of symbols]

[0064] 1. Information processing equipment 2. Communication Network 3. Information Processing Systems 10 Control Unit 11 FAX service control section 12 Network control section 13 HDD control unit 20 FCU 21 Fax Receiving Unit 22 FAX transmission section 111 Device Registration Department 112 Input section 121 Information Transmission Department 122 Information Receiving Unit 131 Storage section [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0065] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2022-80268

Claims

1. a device registration unit that registers devices for sharing information; a transmitting unit that transmits information; a receiving unit that receives information; a storage unit that stores information; an input unit for inputting information about unsolicited faxes, The input unit inputs information about the spam fax, When the information processing device is a parent device, The receiving unit receives information about unsolicited faxes from a device registered by the device registration unit, The storage unit stores information on unsolicited faxes received from the device and information on unsolicited faxes input by the input unit in an integrated manner; The transmitting unit transmits the information on the spam fax stored in the storage unit to the device registered by the device registration unit. Information processing device.

2. When the information processing device is a slave device, The transmitting unit transmits the information of the spam fax input by the input unit to a parent device among the devices registered by the device registration unit, The receiving unit receives, from a device set as a master device among the devices registered by the device registration unit, information on unsolicited faxes stored in the memory unit of the device. The information processing device according to claim 1 .

3. The device further includes a spam fax determination unit, When the information processing device is a parent device, the receiving unit receives FAX reception information from the device registered by the device registration unit; the storage unit stores the fax reception information received from the device and the fax reception information received by the information processing device in an integrated manner; The spam fax determination unit refers to the fax reception information stored in the storage unit, and determines that the sender is a spam fax sender when the number of master units and slave units that have received faxes from the same sender within a predetermined time period is equal to or greater than a predetermined value. The information processing device according to claim 1 .

4. The device further includes a spam fax determination unit, When the information processing device is a parent device, the receiving unit receives FAX reception information from the device registered by the device registration unit; the storage unit stores the fax reception information received from the device and the fax reception information received by the information processing device in an integrated manner; The spam fax determination unit refers to the fax reception information stored in the storage unit, and determines that the sender is a spam fax sender when the number of faxes received from the same sender within a predetermined time period is equal to or greater than a predetermined value. The information processing device according to claim 1 .

5. When the information processing device is a slave device, The receiving unit receives information about a sender that the parent machine has determined to be a sender of a spam fax; The storage unit stores information about the sender of the spam fax received from the base unit.

5. The information processing device according to claim 3 or 4.

6. An information processing method executed in an information processing device, a device registration step of registering devices for sharing information; a transmitting step of transmitting the information; a receiving step of receiving information; a storing step of storing information; an input step of inputting information about the spam fax; The input step includes inputting information about the unsolicited fax, When the information processing device is a parent device, The receiving step receives information about unsolicited faxes from the device registered in the device registration step, The storage step integrates and stores the information on the spam fax received from the device and the information on the spam fax input in the input step, The transmitting step transmits the information on the unsolicited fax stored in the storing step to the device registered in the device registering step. Information processing methods.

7. Computer, In the information processing device, a device registration means for registering devices for sharing information; transmitting means for transmitting information; receiving means for receiving information; a storage means for storing information; an input means for inputting information about unsolicited faxes; It functions as The input means inputs information about the spam fax, When the information processing device is a parent device, The receiving means receives information about unsolicited faxes from the device registered by the device registration means, The storage means stores the information on the unsolicited fax received from the device and the information on the unsolicited fax input by the input means in an integrated manner; The transmitting means transmits the information on the unsolicited faxes stored in the storage means to the device registered by the device registration means. program.

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