Facsimile and static presentation processing – Static presentation processing – Communication
Reexamination Certificate
1998-05-13
2001-04-17
Coles, Edward (Department: 2622)
Facsimile and static presentation processing
Static presentation processing
Communication
C358S001140, C709S232000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06219150
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. TECHNICAL FIELD
The present invention relates to a communications terminal device having an electronic mail function, and more particularly to such a communications terminal device equipped with a function of receiving electronic mails of which a message is composed of image data and a function of outputting these images on recording sheets.
2. BACKGROUND ART
A large (or maybe global) computer communications network delivers electronic mails via an internet etc. in which smaller or local computer communications networks are connected to each other via communications lines, and such a large computer communications network has been lately spread. The computer communications networks are excellent in error correction functions. In addition, by only bearing communications expenses required until the nearest provider (a connection dealer for the computer communications network), a user can communicate with not only terminals in Japan but also overseas computers.
As a communications algorithm and a communication system of a conventional G
3
facsimile device differ from those of the computer communications network, the conventional facsimile device cannot directly be connected to the computer communications network. However, it becomes feasible if the data is converted to an electronic mail form. Even image data can be transmitted through the computer communications network as long as it has an electronic mail form.
In order to access the internet, a user may contract with a provider or utilize a connection service provided by commercial BBS for personal computer communications. Some of the commercial BBS connection services have limitations on the volume of data to be transmitted as one mail, such as the number of data and the number of lines of text data. This is because line congestion would occur if a great quantity of data were allowed to flow in the internet at one time.
In the case of facsimile image data transmission which generally requires transmission of great quantity of data, the amount of data on one page of document to be transmitted may exceed the one mail limitation. The commercial BBS connection service refuses mail delivery if the mail contains data exceeding the predetermined amount. In such a case, the facsimile device cannot transmit image data to a desired destination by means of electronic mail.
Then, the image data having such a great quantity may be divided into a plurality of pieces of smaller data and a plurality of mails may correspondingly be transmitted in order to cancel the above mentioned inconveniences.
One way of dividing image data on one page of original document into a plurality of smaller pieces of image data and transmitting them to a destination in the form of a plurality of electronic mails via a single communications channel is disclosed in Japanese Patent Application No. 9-130170 filed May 20, 1997 in Japan and in a corresponding U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/078,345 filed May 13, 1998 claiming priority of this Japanese application, both owned by the present assignee and the entire disclosures thereof are incorporated herein by reference.
However, when a plurality of electronic mails are transmitted via the internet, it is not promised that all the electronic mails are transferred to a destination via a specified route of the internet. Accordingly, a communications terminal device on the reception side may not receive a plurality of mails in due order of transmission and some of the mails may delay from others. There is another possibility that some of the mails may even disappear midways and may not arrive.
Further, the communications terminal device on the receiving side cannot determine whether the received mail is one of the mails corresponding to one of the plurality of pieces of single image data divided on the sending side before transmission or a mail transmitted without dividing (each mail corresponding to one page of original document). The receiving communications terminal device cannot also determine which mails have not arrived yet and whether there are any missing mails or not.
Moreover, if the communications terminal device on the receiving side prints the received electronic mails on different sheets of recording paper but each of these electronic mails is one of a plurality of mails which should be combined to a single image data, each of the printed images only shows a part of the original image. In this case, it should be said that information transmission is incomplete and insufficient.
Japanese Patent Application, Laid-Open Publication No. 8-314821 discloses a communications method employed when a single file is divided into a plurality of segments before transmission. These file segments are transmitted to a destination via a plurality of communications channels respectively, and are combined to a single file on the receiving side. This method, however, requires a plurality of communications channels. In addition, this does not teach how to identify an undelivered segment (undelivered mail).
Japanese Patent Application, Laid-Open Publication No. 8-317167 discloses a facsimile communications system and method for reporting a communications error to a data sending machine if the total number of pages received is without a predetermined range. However, this does not teach how to determine which page is not undelivered.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
A first object of the present invention is to provide a communications terminal device having an electronic mail function which is capable of receiving a plurality of electronic mails via a single communications channel, synthesizing a plurality of segmented image data delivered by the plurality of electronic mails to single and complete image data and printing a collective single image on a single recording sheet for perfect reproduction of an original image based on the synthesized image data when a remote communications terminal device divides an original image presented on one page of document into a plurality of pieces of image and transmits them in the form of plurality of electronic mails.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a communications terminal device having an electronic mail function which is particularly advantageous in image data management when the communications terminal device receives a plurality of electronic mails and each of the mails corresponds to one page of original document. The communications terminal device of the invention detects missing electronic mails and outputs data relating to these mails (which pages of original document are missing). In addition, when the communications terminal device receives the missing electronic mails later, it outputs data indicating that the just arrived data are the missing mails. Otherwise, the already received mails would then be declared as missing mails. Furthermore, the information about the missing mails is printed after printing of all the delivered electronic mails so that a user on the receiving side can easily handle the plurality of image data received.
According to the first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a communications terminal device having an electronic mail function and capable of receiving an electronic mail of image data from a remote facsimile machine via a single communications channel and outputting (printing) an image, comprising: first determination means for determining whether a received electronic mail is one of a plurality of electronic mails which are prepared by a remote communication machine by dividing an original image presented on one page of document into a plurality of smaller pieces (blocks) of image before transmission to the communications terminal device or the received electronic mail is an electronic mail corresponding to one page of original document; first output means for synthesizing image data of the plurality of electronic mails to a collective single image and outputting the collective single image on one sheet of recording paper if the first determination means determines that the received e
Coles Edward
Hogan & Hartson LLP.
Murata Kikai Kabushiki Kaisha
Pokrzywa Joseph R.
LandOfFree
Communications terminal device having electronic mail function does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.
If you have personal experience with Communications terminal device having electronic mail function, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Communications terminal device having electronic mail function will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-2492434