Fax machine, method for controlling a fax machine, and program

Abstract

To display the content of an operation to execute when receiving a fax at a designated date.SOLUTION: A facsimile apparatus comprises: a storage unit which stores setting information on an operation to execute in accordance with a condition at the time of reception of a fax; a manipulation receiving unit which receives input of information on the condition; a retrieval unit which retrieves the setting information which sets the operation to execute under a condition identified with the information; and a display control unit which on the basis of a result of the retrieval, displays the content of the operation to execute on the identified condition.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a facsimile apparatus, a control method for the facsimile apparatus, and a program.

Background Art

[0002] It is possible to perform printing of a facsimile received via a circuit-switching network or the Internet using an apparatus such as a facsimile apparatus or a multifunction device having a facsimile function, storage in a storage device, transfer to another facsimile apparatus, etc. Patent Document 1 discloses a technique for storing facsimiles received during a period from a preset start date and time to an end date and time in a memory within the apparatus without printing.

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0003] However, in the conventional technology, it has been impossible to display the content of an operation to be executed when a facsimile is received at a specified date and time. Therefore, particularly when there are a plurality of settings for executing operations such as printing, storage, transfer, etc. according to the date and time when a facsimile is received, it has been difficult to grasp the content of the operation for a facsimile received at a specific date and time.

[0004] An embodiment of the present invention aims to display the content of an operation to be executed when a facsimile is received at a specified date and time in view of the above problems.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0005] In order to solve the above-described problems, the present invention provides a facsimile The date, time, and day of the week on which the fax is received, or relating to the sender of the fax. a storage unit that stores setting information regarding an operation to be executed according to a condition, the condition Specific an operation reception unit that receives an input of information, and specified by the information TaThe system is characterized by having a search unit that searches for setting information that sets an action to be performed under a given condition, and a display control unit that displays the details of the action to be performed under the specified condition based on the search results. [Effects of the Invention]

[0006] According to an embodiment of the present invention, it is possible to display the content of the action to be performed when a fax is received at a specified date and time. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0007] [Figure 1] This figure shows an example of a schematic diagram including a fax machine according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] This figure shows an example of the hardware configuration of a fax machine according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 3] This figure shows an example of a configuration diagram of a functional block in a fax machine according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 4] This figure shows an example of setting information related to the receiving operation in a fax machine according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 5] This figure shows an example of a setting screen for the basic receiving operation in a fax machine according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 6] This figure shows an example of setting information related to reception operation by specifying a period in a fax machine according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 7] This figure shows an example of a setting screen for specifying the reception operation by period in a fax machine according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 8] This figure shows an example of setting information related to the receiving operation by specifying the sender in a fax machine according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 9] This figure shows an example of a setting screen for receiving operation settings by specifying the sender in a fax machine according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 10]This figure shows an example of a flowchart relating to the process for determining the date and time of reception according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 11] This figure shows an example of a flowchart relating to the update process for receiving operation settings according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 12] This figure shows an example of a flowchart relating to the selection process for receiving operation settings according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 13] This figure shows an example of a display screen for the reception operation in relation to a specified reception date and time according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 14] This figure shows an example of a display screen for the receiving operation for a designated sender according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 15] This figure shows an example of a flowchart relating to the display process of the receiving operation according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 16] This figure shows an example of a display screen for receiving operations that can be accessed through a screen for setting receiving operations according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0008] Hereinafter, embodiments of the fax machine, the control method for the fax machine, and the program according to the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the attached drawings.

[0009] [First Embodiment] <System Overview> Figure 1 is a diagram showing an example of a schematic diagram including a fax machine according to an embodiment of the present invention. The fax machines 9 (9a, 9b, 9c) in Figure 1 have the function of sending and receiving faxes via a communication network 2 such as a circuit-switched network or the Internet. That is, the fax machine 9 has the function of sending and receiving faxes using standards such as G3 in a circuit-switched network or IP (Internet Protocol) in the Internet. The fax machine 9 may also have the function of printing received faxes or storing received faxes in a storage device such as a hard disk within the device. In Figure 1, the fax machine 9a can receive a fax from the fax machine 9b, which is the fax sender, via the communication network 2, and forward the received fax to the fax machine 9c, which is the forwarding destination.

[0010] In embodiments of the present invention, the fax machine 9 can set the operation to be performed when a fax is received, such as printing, storing, and forwarding, according to the date and time the fax was received (reception date and time) or conditions related to the fax sender. Furthermore, the fax machine 9 can accept input from the user regarding the date and time the fax was received or information about the sender, and can display information regarding the operation to be performed when a fax is received at the input reception date and time or sender (printing, storing, forwarding). That is, the fax machine 9 can display the content of the operation for a fax received at a specified date and time. Here, the reception date and time may include at least one of the date, time, and day of the week in which the fax was received. In addition, the setting of the operation to be performed and the display of the content of the operation to be performed in the fax machine 9 may be performed separately for the circuit-switched network (G3) and the IP network (IP fax), which are functions in fax transmission and reception.

[0011] Note that the schematic diagram shown in FIG. 1 is an example. For example, there is one fax device 9 each for the source and the destination, but any number may be used. Further, the communication network 2 may include a connection section by wireless communication such as mobile communication or wireless LAN, for example.

[0012] <Hardware Configuration Example> FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of the hardware configuration of the fax device 9 according to an embodiment of the present invention. As shown in FIG. 2, the fax device 9 includes a controller 910, a short-range communication circuit 920, an engine control unit 930, an operation panel 940, and a network I / F 950. Here, the fax device 9 may be an image forming device, an MFP, or a Multifunction Peripheral / Product / Printer having a fax function.

[0013] Among these, the controller 910 includes a CPU 901, which is the main part of a computer, a system memory (MEM-P) 902, a north bridge (NB) 903, a south bridge (SB) 904, an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit) 906, a local memory (MEM-C) 907, an HDD controller 908, and an HD 909, and is configured to connect between the NB 903 and the ASIC 906 by an AGP (Accelerated Graphics Port) bus 921.

[0014] Among these, the CPU 901 controls the entire fax device 9. The NB 903 is a bridge for connecting the CPU 901, the MEM-P 902, the SB 904, and the AGP bus 921, and has a memory controller for controlling reading and writing to the MEM-P 902, a PCI (Peripheral Component Interconnect) master, and an AGP target.

[0015] MEM-P902 consists of ROM902a, which is a memory for storing programs and data that realize the various functions of the controller 910, and RAM902b, which is used for program and data deployment and drawing during memory printing. The programs stored in RAM902b may be configured to be provided as installable or executable files recorded on a computer-readable recording medium such as a CD-ROM, CD-R, or DVD.

[0016] SB904 is a bridge for connecting NB903 to PCI devices and peripheral devices. ASIC906 is an integrated circuit (IC) for image processing applications that has hardware elements for image processing and acts as a bridge connecting the AGP bus 921, PCI bus 922, HDD908, and MEM-C907, respectively. This ASIC906 consists of a PCI target and AGP master, an arbiter (ARB) that forms the core of the ASIC906, a memory controller that controls the MEM-C907, multiple DMACs (Direct Memory Access Controllers) that perform image data rotation using hardware logic, and a PCI unit that performs data transfer via PCI bus 922 between the scanner unit 931, printer unit 932, and fax unit 933. Note that the ASIC906 may also be connected to a USB (Universal Serial Bus) interface or an IEEE1394 (Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers 1394) interface.

[0017] The short-range communication circuit 920 includes a card reader 920a for reading user authentication information stored on an IC card or the like.

[0018] The control panel 940 has a touch panel 940a and a numeric keypad 940b that accept input from the user. The touch panel 940a also displays the settings screen of the fax machine 9.

[0019] <About the features> Figure 3 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of a functional block in a fax machine 9 according to an embodiment of the present invention. The fax machine 9 has a determination unit 10, a control unit 11, a search unit 12, a display control unit 13, an operation reception unit 14, and a communication unit 15. Each of these units is a function or means realized by the CPU 901 executing instructions contained in one or more programs installed in the fax machine 9. The storage unit 16 can be realized by a storage device such as the HD 909 of the fax machine 9.

[0020] The determination unit 10 determines whether the date and time of receiving the fax falls within the period specified in the period-specified reception operation setting. To this end, the determination unit 10 determines whether the numerical value of the start date and time is less than the numerical value of the end date and time. The determination unit 10 also determines whether the date and time of receiving the fax satisfies the conditional expression indicating that it falls between the start date and time and the end date and time in the period-specified reception operation setting.

[0021] The control unit 11 controls the transitions of processes performed by the fax machine 9. The control unit 11 also sets the receiving operation setting or basic receiving operation setting retrieved by the search unit 12 as the current receiving operation setting.

[0022] The search unit 12 searches for receiving operation settings that include conditions that match the specified conditions (regarding the date and time of fax reception or the sender). For example, the search unit 12 searches for receiving operation settings in which the specified date and time falls within the period set in the receiving operation settings. The search unit 12 also searches for receiving operation settings in which the specified sender matches the sender set in the receiving operation settings.

[0023] The display control unit 13 displays the reception operation for specified conditions (regarding the date and time of fax reception or the sender) on the touch panel 940a of the fax machine 9. The display control unit 13 also displays the details of the operation (printing, storage, forwarding, etc.) performed when a fax is received under the specified conditions (regarding the date and time of fax reception or the sender).

[0024] The operation reception unit 14 receives user input such as text input and button presses via the touch panel 940a or keypad 940b of the fax machine 9. For example, the operation reception unit 14 receives input from the user regarding the date and time of reception or information about the sender, which are conditions for displaying the details of the fax machine 9's receiving operation (printing, storage, forwarding, etc.). The operation reception unit 14 also receives operations from the user to set the receiving operation settings on the fax machine 9.

[0025] The communication unit 15 is a communication function of the fax machine 9, and it receives faxes from another fax machine 9 via the communication network 2. The communication unit 15 also forwards the received faxes to another fax machine 9.

[0026] The storage unit 16 stores or saves the received fax or setting information such as the configured receiving operation settings in a storage device such as the HD909 of the fax machine 9.

[0027] <Settings information regarding receiving operations> The fax machine 9 can set the actions to be performed upon receiving a fax (reception actions), such as printing, storing, and forwarding, depending on the date and time the fax was received (reception date and time) or the fax sender. The fax machine 9 also has setting information for the "current reception action settings," which are the reception action settings at the time, and the "basic reception action settings," which are used when the reception date and time and sender are not set.

[0028] Figure 4 shows an example of setting information related to the receiving operation in a fax machine 9 according to an embodiment of the present invention. The receiving operation setting 60 in Figure 4 has the items of print 61, store 62, forward 63, and forward destination 64. The items print 61, store 62, and forward 63 are set to "on" if they are to be performed as an operation when a fax is received, and to "off" if they are not to be performed. Also, if the item forward 63 is "on", the forward destination 64 is set as information that specifies the fax machine 9 to which the fax will be forwarded. In the case of a circuit-switched network setting (referred to as G3), the fax number is set, and in the case of a setting on an IP network such as the Internet (referred to as IP fax), the IP address is set, etc. Here, the receiving operation setting 60 is set as setting information for the "current receiving operation setting" and "basic receiving operation setting" mentioned above. Furthermore, the receiving operation setting 60 is set for each case of G3 and IP fax.

[0029] Figure 5 shows an example of a basic receiving operation setting screen in a fax machine 9 according to an embodiment of the present invention. The setting screen 95 in Figure 5 has setting items for printing 96, storage 97, and forwarding 98. For each setting item, "Do" is selected if the action should be performed when a fax is received, and "Do not do" if it should not be performed. If "Do" is selected for the forwarding 98 setting item, the fax number is entered in the forwarding destination 99 setting item in the case of a circuit-switched network setting (G3), or the IP address is entered in the case of an IP network setting (IP fax). After all setting items on the setting screen 95 have been set, the confirmed button 200 is pressed, and the set contents are saved to the fax machine 9 as the basic receiving operation settings.

[0030] Figure 6 shows an example of setting information related to period-specific receiving operation in a fax machine 9 according to an embodiment of the present invention. The period-specific receiving operation setting 70 in Figure 6 has the following items: setting number 71, setting activation 72, start date and time 73, end date and time 74, and receiving operation 75.

[0031] Setting number 71 is a number used to identify the setting in the period-specified reception operation setting 70, and the fax machine 9 can have, for example, five different settings.

[0032] In setting activation 72, you can set "on" to enable each setting, or "off" to disable it. If a setting is not enabled, the receiving operation will not be performed even if the conditions set for receiving a fax are met.

[0033] The start date and time 73 and end date and time 74 are fields for setting the start and end dates and times, respectively, when specifying the period for receiving a fax. Each field also has fields for setting the day of the week and time. For setting the day of the week, numbers are assigned in ascending order, for example, with Sunday being "0", Monday being "1", and Saturday being "6". Here, the periods set for each setting with different setting numbers 71 should not overlap. However, the start date and time 73 of one setting number 71 and the end date and time 74 of another setting number 71 may overlap.

[0034] The receiving operation 75 includes the same items as the receiving operation setting 60 shown in Figure 4, which are set as the receiving operation to be performed when a fax is received during the specified period.

[0035] Figure 7 shows an example of a setting screen for period-specific receiving operation settings in a fax machine 9 according to an embodiment of the present invention. The setting screen 100 in Figure 7 has items in the setting selection field 101. The setting selection field 101 corresponds to each setting specified by setting number 71 in the period-specific receiving operation setting 70 in Figure 6. For example, "First setting" corresponds to the setting value of setting number 71 being "1", and the set period is displayed on the right. Also, if the setting enable 72 in the period-specific receiving operation setting 70 in Figure 6 is set to disabled ("off"), "Do not set" is displayed. Here, if "First setting" is pressed in the setting selection field 101, the setting screen 102 is displayed, and it is possible to display the setting contents set in "First setting", and to input or update the setting contents.

[0036] The settings screen 102 includes a confirmation button 103, a setting activation selection button 104, a start date and time setting button 105, an end date and time setting button 106, and a receive operation setting button 107.

[0037] The confirmation button 103 is used to confirm the settings made on the settings screen 102 and return to the settings screen 100.

[0038] When selecting the setting activation button 104, selecting "Enable" enables "Primary Setting," and selecting "Do not enable" disables "Primary Setting." In Figure 7, "Enable" is selected.

[0039] The start date and time setting button 105 is pressed when setting the start date and time 73 in the period-specified reception operation setting 70 in Figure 6. When the button is pressed, the setting screen 108 is displayed. The setting screen 108 has a confirmation button 109, a day of the week selection button 110, and a time setting field 111. The confirmation button 109 is used to confirm the settings on the setting screen 108 and return to the setting screen 102. The day of the week selection button 110 and the time setting field 111 are used to set the day of the week and time for the start date and time 73 in the period-specified reception operation setting 70 in Figure 6, respectively.

[0040] By pressing the end date and time setting button 106, it is possible to set the end date and time 74 in the period-specified reception operation setting 70 in Figure 6 using the same procedure as the start date and time setting button 105.

[0041] The receiving operation setting button 107 is pressed when setting the receiving operation 75 in the period-specified receiving operation setting 70 in Figure 6. When the button is pressed, the setting screen 112 is displayed. The setting screen 112 has items for printing 114, storage 115, and transfer 116, and it is possible to set the printing, storage, and transfer items of the receiving operation 75 in the period-specified receiving operation setting 70 in Figure 6 to "on" or "off", respectively. In addition, if transfer 116 is set to "on", an input field for setting the transfer destination will be displayed at the bottom.

[0042] Figure 8 shows an example of setting information related to the receiving operation by specifying the sender in a fax machine 9 according to an embodiment of the present invention. The sender-specified receiving operation setting 85 in Figure 8 has the items of setting number 86, setting activation 87, sender number 88, and receiving operation 89.

[0043] Setting number 86 is a number used to identify the setting in the sender-specified reception operation setting 85, and the fax machine 9 can, for example, set up to five different settings.

[0044] Setting Activation 87 can be set to "on" to activate each setting, or to "off" to disable it. If a setting is not activated, the receiving operation will not be performed even if the conditions set for receiving a fax are met.

[0045] The sender number 88 is an item for setting the number of the sending fax machine 9. In the case of a circuit-switched network (G3) setting, the fax number is set, and in the case of an IP network (IP fax) setting, the IP address is set, etc.

[0046] The receiving operation 89 includes the same items as the receiving operation setting 60 shown in Figure 4, which are set as the receiving operation to be performed when a fax is received from the fax machine 9 specified by the sender number 88.

[0047] Figure 9 shows an example of a setting screen for receiving operation settings by specifying the sender in a fax machine 9 according to an embodiment of the present invention. The setting screen 120 in Figure 9 has items in the setting selection field 121. The setting selection field 121 corresponds to each setting specified by setting number 86 in the sender-specified receiving operation setting 85 in Figure 8. For example, "First setting" corresponds to the setting value of setting number 86, "1", and the information of the set sender (fax number) is displayed on the right. Also, if the setting enable 87 in the sender-specified receiving operation setting 85 in Figure 8 is set to disabled ("off"), "Do not set" is displayed. Here, if "First setting" is pressed in the setting selection field 121, the setting screen 122 is displayed, and it is possible to display the setting contents set in "First setting", and to set or update the setting contents.

[0048] The settings screen 122 includes a confirmation button 123, a setting activation selection button 124, a sender input field 125, and a receive operation setting button 126.

[0049] The confirmation button 123 is used to confirm the settings made on the settings screen 122 and return to the settings screen 120.

[0050] When selecting the setting activation button 124, selecting "Enable" enables "Primary Setting," and selecting "Do not enable" disables "Primary Setting." In Figure 9, "Enable" is selected.

[0051] The source input field 125 is the input field used to set the source number 88 in the source-specified reception operation setting 85 in Figure 8.

[0052] The reception operation setting button 126 is a button to be pressed when setting the reception operation 89 in the transmission source specified reception operation setting 85 of FIG. 8. When the button is pressed, the setting screen 127 is displayed. The setting screen 127 has items of printing 129, storage 130, transfer 131, and transfer destination input field 132, and it is possible to set the items of printing, storage, and transfer of the reception operation 89 in the transmission source specified reception operation setting 85 of FIG. 8 to "on" or "off" respectively. Also, when transfer 131 is set to "on", in the case of setting in the circuit switched network (G3), the fax number is input as information for specifying the fax device 9 of the transfer destination in the transfer destination input field 132, and in the case of setting in the IP network (IP fax), the IP address or the like is input.

[0053] Hereinafter, various processes executed by the fax device 9 regarding the set reception operation setting will be described.

[0054] <Reception operation process (reception date and time determination process)> FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of a flowchart regarding the reception date and time determination process according to an embodiment of the present invention. In this sequence, a process in which the fax device 9 determines whether the date and time when the fax is received (fax reception date and time) is within the period specified in the reception operation setting (the period specified reception operation setting 70 shown in FIG. 6) will be described. First, the fax device 9 numerically converts the start date and time (S) and the end date and time (E) based on the day of the week and time set in the reception operation setting, and performs the determination by comparing the numerically converted fax reception date and time (t) with the magnitude of the numerical value. The method of numerical conversion is such that the day of the week has a larger digit value than the time. For example, in the case of 23:45 on Saturday, it is numerically converted to "62345". Here, the determination process is executed by dividing into whether the set period straddles the maximum value of the numerically converted date and time, that is, the case of S < E (condition 23 in FIG. 10) and the case of S > E (condition 24 in FIG. 10). Hereinafter, the processes of each step in FIG. 10 will be described.

[0055] Step S20: The determination unit 10 of the fax device 9 determines whether the value of the start date and time (S) is smaller than the value of the end date and time (E). The control unit 11 of the fax device 9 causes the process to transition to step S21 if S is smaller than E, and causes the process to transition to step S22 otherwise.

[0056] Step S21: The determination unit 10 of the fax device 9 determines that it is within the set period if the value of the fax reception date and time (t) satisfies the condition S ≤ t < E, and determines that it is not within the period otherwise.

[0057] Step S22: The determination unit 10 of the fax device 9 determines that it is within the set period if the value of the fax reception date and time (t) satisfies the condition t < S or t ≥ E, and determines that it is not within the period otherwise.

[0058] <Reception operation process (reception operation setting update process)> FIG. 11 is a diagram showing an example of a flowchart regarding the update process of the reception operation setting in the fax device 9 according to an embodiment of the present invention. In this sequence, the process of updating the current reception operation setting (current reception operation setting) based on the reception operation setting (period-specified reception operation setting 70 in FIG. 6) will be described. That is, the fax device 9 periodically (for example, every minute) determines whether the current date and time is within the period of any of the settings of the period-specified reception operation setting 70, thereby updating the current reception operation setting. Hereinafter, the processing of each step in FIG. 10 will be described.

[0059] Step S30: The search unit 12 of the fax device 9 searches for a setting (one setting existing in the reception operation setting) in which the current date and time matches the start date and time (start date and time 73 in FIG. 6) with respect to the reception operation setting (period-specified reception operation setting 70 in FIG. 6).

[0060] Step S31: The control unit 11 of the fax machine 9 proceeds to step S32 if a matching setting exists in the search results of step S30, and to step S33 otherwise.

[0061] Step S32: The control unit 11 of the fax machine 9 sets the setting retrieved in step S30 as the current receiving operation setting.

[0062] Step S33: The search unit 12 of the fax machine 9 searches for a receiving operation setting (period-specified receiving operation setting 70 in Figure 6) in which the current date and time match the end date and time (end date and time 74 in Figure 6).

[0063] Step S34: The control unit 11 of the fax machine 9 proceeds to step S35 if a matching setting exists in the search results of step S33, otherwise terminates the process.

[0064] Step S35: The control unit 11 of the fax machine 9 sets the basic receiving operation setting, which is used when the receiving date and time and sender are not specified, as the current receiving operation setting because there is no receiving operation setting that includes the current date and time within the specified period.

[0065] <Receiving operation processing (receiving operation setting selection processing)> Figure 12 is a diagram showing an example of a flowchart relating to the selection process of the receiving operation setting according to an embodiment of the present invention. This sequence describes the process of selecting the receiving operation setting to be used when the fax machine 9 receives a fax. Here, the sender-specified receiving operation setting 85 in Figure 8 takes precedence over the period-specified receiving operation setting 70 in Figure 6; that is, if both settings satisfy the conditions, the former setting is used. The processing of each step in Figure 10 will be described below.

[0066] Step S40: The search unit 12 of the fax machine 9 searches for a setting in the sender-specified reception operation setting 85 in Figure 8 in which the sender number 88 matches the sender number of the received fax.

[0067] Step S41: The control unit 11 of the fax machine 9 proceeds to step S42 if a matching setting exists in the search results of step S40, and to step S43 otherwise.

[0068] Step S42: The control unit 11 of the fax machine 9 uses the settings found in the search results of step S40 as the receiving operation settings to be used when performing a receiving operation on the received fax.

[0069] Step S43: The control unit 11 of the fax machine 9 sets the current receiving operation setting to be used when performing a receiving operation on a received fax. Here, the current receiving operation setting reflects the period-specified receiving operation setting 70 in Figure 6, due to the periodic execution of the update process shown in Figure 11.

[0070] The following section will explain the process by which the fax machine 9 displays the receiving operation settings.

[0071] <Display processing for reception operation at specified reception date and time> This section describes the process for displaying the reception operation when the fax machine 9 receives a fax at a reception date and time specified by the user. Figure 13 shows an example of a display screen for the reception operation for a specified reception date and time according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0072] The display control unit 13 of the fax machine 9 displays a reception operation display screen 140 that shows the reception operation under specified conditions (reception date and time and sender). For example, the display control unit 13 may display the reception operation display screen 140 when the operation reception unit 14 of the fax machine 9 receives a press of a button on the numeric keypad 940b that is assigned to display the reception operation display screen 140. The reception operation display screen 140 has reception operation (G3) 141 and reception operation (IP fax) 142, which indicate the reception operation settings for circuit-switched network (G3) and IP network (IP fax), respectively. The reception operation display screen 140 also has a reception date and time specification button 143 and a sender specification button 144, which are pressed when specifying the reception date and time and the sender, respectively. In Figure 13, the reception operation display screen 140 does not show "Not specified" to the right of the reception date and time specification button 143 and the sender specification button 144, as the reception date and time and the sender have not been specified. Furthermore, to the right of Receiving Operation (G3) 141 and Receiving Operation (IP Fax) 142, "Print" and "Store + Forward" are displayed, respectively, as receiving operations in the "Basic Receiving Operation Settings" used when the reception date and time and sender are not set.

[0073] On the reception operation display screen 140, when the operation reception unit 14 of the fax machine 9 receives a press of the reception date and time specification button 143 by the user, the display control unit 13 of the fax machine 9 displays the reception date and time specification screen 145. The reception date and time specification screen 145 has the following items: a reception date and time specification selection button 147 for selecting whether or not to specify a reception date and time, a day of the week selection field 148 for selecting the day of the week for the reception date and time, and a time input field 149 for entering the time of the reception date and time. After the operation reception unit 14 of the fax machine 9 receives the user's operation to specify a reception date and time in the items displayed on the reception date and time specification screen 145, it receives a press of the confirmation button 146 to confirm the set items. After the confirmation button 146 is pressed, the search unit 12 of the fax machine 9 searches for the corresponding reception operation based on the specified item (reception date and time), and based on the search result, the display control unit 13 of the fax machine 9 displays the reception operation display screen 150. The reception operation display screen 150, like the reception operation display screen 140, has a reception operation (G3) 151, a reception operation (IP fax) 152, a reception date and time specification button 153, and a sender specification button 154. Here, the specified date and time "Fri 21:00" specified on the reception date and time specification screen 145 is displayed to the right of the reception date and time specification button 153. In addition, as reception operations for the specified date and time, "Store" and "Store + Transfer" are displayed to the right of reception operation (G3) 151 and reception operation (IP fax) 152, respectively.

[0074] <Receiving operation display processing for specified sender> This section describes the process for displaying the reception operation when the fax machine 9 receives a fax from a sender specified by the user. Figure 14 shows an example of a display screen for the reception operation for a specified sender according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0075] Similar to the case in Figure 13, the display control unit 13 of the fax machine 9 displays a reception operation display screen 140 that displays the reception operation under the specified conditions (reception date and time and sender). When the operation reception unit 14 of the fax machine 9 receives a press of the sender specification button 144 by the user on the reception operation display screen 140, the display control unit 13 of the fax machine 9 displays the sender specification screen 165. The sender specification screen 165 has a sender specification selection button 167 for selecting whether or not to specify a sender and a sender information input field 168 for entering sender information (fax number, etc.). After the operation reception unit 14 of the fax machine 9 receives the user's operation to specify the fax sender in the items displayed on the sender specification screen 165, it receives a press of the confirmation button 166 to confirm the set items. After the confirmation button 166 is pressed, the search unit 12 of the fax machine 9 searches for the corresponding reception operation based on the specified items (sender), and based on the search results, the display control unit 13 of the fax machine 9 displays the reception operation display screen 170. The receiving operation display screen 170, like the receiving operation display screen 140, has a receiving operation (G3) 171, a receiving operation (IP fax) 172, a receiving date and time specification button 173, and a sender specification button 174. Here, the fax number of the sender specified on the sender specification screen 165 (0312345678) is displayed to the right of the sender specification button 174. In addition, as a receiving operation for the specified sender, "Forward" is displayed to the right of both the receiving operation (G3) 171 and the receiving operation (IP fax) 172.

[0076] <Flowchart related to receiving operation display processing> This section describes the process by which the fax machine 9 displays the reception operation when both the reception date and time and the sender can be specified. Figure 15 is a diagram showing an example of a flowchart relating to the display process of the reception operation according to an embodiment of the present invention. Here, as in the case of the reception operation setting selection process shown in Figure 12, the specification of the sender takes precedence over the specification of the reception date and time. That is, when both the sender and the reception date and time are specified, the reception operation corresponding to the specified sender is displayed. The process of each step in Figure 15 will be described below.

[0077] Step S50: The control unit 11 of the fax machine 9 proceeds to step S51 if the sender is specified by the user on the receiving operation display screen 140 shown in Figure 13 or Figure 14, otherwise proceeds to step S53.

[0078] Step S51: The search unit 12 of the fax machine 9 searches for a setting that contains sender information that matches the specified sender information (fax number, etc.) against the sender-specified reception operation setting 85 shown in Figure 8.

[0079] Step S52: The control unit 11 of the fax machine 9 proceeds to step S56 if a matching setting exists in the search results of step S51, and otherwise proceeds to step S53.

[0080] Step S53: The control unit 11 of the fax machine 9 proceeds to step S54 if the user has specified a reception date and time on the reception operation display screen 140 shown in Figure 13 or Figure 14, otherwise proceeds to step S58.

[0081] Step S54: The search unit 12 of the fax machine 9 searches for a setting in the period-specified reception operation setting 70 shown in Figure 6 in which the specified reception date and time falls between the start date and time and the end date and time.

[0082] Step S55: The control unit 11 of the fax machine 9 proceeds to step S57 if a matching setting exists in the search results of step S54, and to step S58 otherwise.

[0083] Step S56: The display control unit 13 of the fax machine 9 displays the receiving operation in the source-specified receiving operation setting retrieved in step S52 on the receiving operation display screen.

[0084] Step S57: The display control unit 13 of the fax machine 9 displays the reception operation in the period-specified reception operation setting retrieved in step S55 on the reception operation display screen.

[0085] Step S58: The display control unit 13 of the fax machine 9 displays the receiving operation in the basic receiving operation setting on the receiving operation display screen.

[0086] Through the above process, the fax machine 9 can display the receiving actions (printing, storing, forwarding, etc.) to be performed when it receives a fax at a date and time specified by the user, or when it receives a fax from a sender specified by the user.

[0087] <Variation> As a modified example, a display screen for receiving operations that allows transition to a receiving operation settings screen will be described. Figure 16 is a diagram showing an example of a display screen for receiving operations that allows transition to a receiving operation settings screen according to an embodiment of the present invention. Compared to the receiving operation display screen 140 shown in Figure 13 or Figure 14, the receiving operation display screen 180 in Figure 16 further includes a receiving period setting button 181 and a sender setting button 182.

[0088] The reception period setting button 181, when pressed, displays a setting screen (the setting screen 100 shown in Figure 7) for changing the period-specified reception operation setting 70 shown in Figure 6. That is, when the operation reception unit 14 receives confirmation that the user has pressed the reception period setting button 181, the display control unit 13 displays the setting screen 100 shown in Figure 7.

[0089] The source setting button 182, when pressed, displays a setting screen (the setting screen 120 shown in Figure 9) for changing the source-specified receiving operation setting 85 shown in Figure 8. That is, when the operation reception unit 14 receives a press of the source setting button 182 by the user, the display control unit 13 displays the setting screen 120 shown in Figure 9.

[0090] Through the above process, users can immediately change the settings related to receiving actions (printing, storage, forwarding, etc.) after confirming the receiving actions (fax receiving period or sender) under the specified conditions (fax receiving period or sender).

[0091] Although several embodiments for carrying out the present invention have been described above, the present invention is not limited in any way to these embodiments, and various modifications and substitutions can be made without departing from the spirit of the present invention.

[0092] For example, the operation reception unit 14 may consist of an information terminal connected by wire or wirelessly to a fax device 9 such as a PC (Personal Computer) or smartphone.

[0093] Furthermore, the example of the functional block configuration diagram in Figure 3 is divided according to the main functions in order to facilitate understanding of the processing performed by the fax machine 9. The present invention is not limited by the way the processing units are divided or the names of those units. The processing in the fax machine 9 can be further divided into many more processing units depending on the processing content. Also, one processing unit can be divided to include even more processing.

[0094] Furthermore, each function of the embodiments described above can be realized by one or more processing circuits. Hereinafter, "processing circuit" as used herein includes processors programmed to execute each function by software, such as processors implemented by electronic circuits, as well as devices such as ASICs (Application Specific Integrated Circuits), DSPs (digital signal processors), FPGAs (field programmable gate arrays), and conventional circuit modules designed to execute each of the functions described above.

[0095] Furthermore, the described apparatus represents only one of several computing environments for carrying out the embodiments disclosed herein. In one embodiment, the fax machine 9 includes several computing devices, such as a server cluster. The several computing devices are configured to communicate with each other via any type of communication link, including a network or shared memory, and perform the processing disclosed herein. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0096] 2. Communication Network 9. Fax machine 10 Judgment section 11 Control Unit 12 Search Section 13 Display Control Unit 14. Operation Reception Section 15 Communications Department 16 Memory section [Prior art documents] [Patent Documents]

[0097] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Publication No. 11-220564

Claims

1. A storage unit that stores setting information regarding an action to be performed according to at least one of the date, time, and day of the week on which a fax is received, or conditions relating to the sender of the fax, An operation reception unit that receives input of information that specifies the aforementioned conditions, A search unit searches for the setting information which sets the actions to be performed under the conditions identified by the aforementioned information, A display control unit that displays the details of the operation to be performed under the specified conditions based on the results of the search, A fax machine having a fax function.

2. The fax machine according to claim 1, wherein the operation reception unit receives an operation to transition to a screen for updating the setting information on the screen displaying the operation details.

3. A step of saving setting information relating to an action to be performed depending on at least one of the date, time, and day of the week on which the fax is received or on the source of the fax; A step of receiving input of information that identifies the aforementioned conditions, A step of searching for the setting information that sets the action to be performed under the conditions identified by the aforementioned information, Based on the results of the search, the steps include displaying the details of the operation to be performed under the identified conditions, A control method for a fax machine having the following features.

4. A step of saving setting information relating to an action to be performed depending on at least one of the date, time, and day of the week on which the fax is received, or a condition relating to the sender of the fax, A step of receiving input of information that identifies the aforementioned conditions, A step of searching for the setting information that sets the actions to be performed under the conditions identified by the aforementioned information, A step of displaying the details of the operation to be performed under the identified conditions based on the results of the search, A program that causes a fax machine to execute a command.

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