Claims
- 1. A facsimile machine capable of interfacing with an external computer apparatus, which is external to the facsimile machine and connectable thereto, and interfacing with an another facsimile machine, the facsimile machine comprising:
- data processing means for transmitting and receiving communications command data to and from the external computer apparatus and executing data processing in an external computer communications mode in accordance with a command entered from the external computer apparatus to effect printing of communications data;
- facsimile data processing means for sending and receiving facsimile data over a telephone line when said facsimile is in a facsimile mode to effect printing of said facsimile data;
- mode select means for switching said facsimile machine from said facsimile mode for image data transmission and reception to said external computer communications mode for communications data transmission and reception in accordance with an operator input;
- operation judgment means for judging whether said data processing means has accomplished a printing job, in which data received from said external computer apparatus is printed on paper, after said mode select means has switched said facsimile machine from said facsimile mode to said external computer communications mode; and
- mode reset means, responsive to said operation judgment means, for resetting said facsimile machine to said facsimile mode in response to completion of the printing job as confirmed by said operation judgment means.
- 2. A facsimile machine according to claim 1 further comprising mode resetting inhibit means for inhibiting automatic resetting from said external computer communications mode to said facsimile mode by said mode reset means.
- 3. A facsimile machine according to claim 2, further comprising inhibition override means for disabling said resetting inhibit means wherein inhibition of mode resetting by said mode resetting inhibit means is cancelled and said facsimile machine is placed into said facsimile mode in response to said mode resetting command signal being transmitted by said external computer apparatus.
- 4. A facsimile machine according to claim 2 further comprising operator override control means for overriding said resetting inhibit means to set said facsimile machine back to said ordinary facsimile mode using said mode reset means in response to an operator operating said operator override control means.
- 5. A facsimile machine according to claim 1 further comprising interface check means for detecting anomalies in communications between said external computer apparatus and said facsimile machine, and warning means for producing a warning when said interface check means has detected an anomaly in interfacing.
- 6. A facsimile machine according to claim 5, wherein said interface check means is enabled when said mode select means switches said facsimile machine from said facsimile mode to said external computer communications mode.
- 7. A facsimile machine according to claim 5, wherein said interface check means is enabled to periodically check for an interfacing anomaly when said mode select means switches said facsimile machine from said facsimile mode to said external computer communications mode.
- 8. A facsimile machine capable of being connected to and interfacing with an external computer apparatus, which is external to said facsimile machine, and another facsimile machine, said facsimile machine comprising:
- data processing means for transmitting and receiving communications command data to and from said external computer apparatus and executing data processing in accordance with a command entered from said external computer apparatus when the facsimile machine is in an external computer communications mode to effect printing of said communications data;
- facsimile data processing means for sending and receiving facsimile data over a telephone line when said facsimile is in a facsimile mode to effect printing of said facsimile data;
- mode select means for switching said facsimile machine between said facsimile mode for facsimile image data transmission and reception between the facsimile machine and an externally connected facsimile machine through a telephone line and said external computer communications mode for communications data transmission and reception in accordance with an operator input;
- a printer means for printing the communications data on paper in response to a print command received from said external computer apparatus when said facsimile machine is in said external computer communications mode and printing the facsimile image data received from said externally connected facsimile machine via said telephone line when said facsimile machine is in said facsimile mode;
- operation judgment means for judging whether said data processing means has completed a printing job after said mode select means has switched said facsimile machine to said external computer communications mode; and
- mode reset means, responsive to said operation judgment means, for resetting said facsimile machine to said facsimile mode when completion of the printing job is confirmed by said operation judgment means.
Priority Claims (1)
Number |
Date |
Country |
Kind |
6-044396 |
Mar 1994 |
JPX |
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Parent Case Info
This application is a continuation of application Ser. No. 08/400,944 filed Mar. 8, 1995, now abandoned.
US Referenced Citations (11)
Non-Patent Literature Citations (1)
Entry |
Bit Software, BitFax for Windows, 1992, pp. (3-1)-(3-10) & (7-4). |
Continuations (1)
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Number |
Date |
Country |
Parent |
400944 |
Mar 1995 |
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