Facsimile and static presentation processing – Static presentation processing – Communication
Reexamination Certificate
1998-08-21
2001-07-10
Coles, Edward (Department: 2622)
Facsimile and static presentation processing
Static presentation processing
Communication
C358S403000, C358S407000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06259533
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a facsimile apparatus and an electronic mail transmitting method in which facsimile data prepared in a facsimile is transmitted to an electronic mail apparatus as an electronic mail.
2. Description of the Related Art
An apparatus installed in an office has been recently connected with a local area network (LAN) to efficiently conduct business. For example, a facsimile apparatus in which a facsimile is connected with the LAN and image data transmitted from the facsimile is transmitted to a destination by an electronic mail through the LAN is proposed. As an example, a facsimile apparatus connecting an integrated services digital network (ISDN) and an LAN is proposed in a Published Unexamined Japanese Patent Application No. H6-164645 (1994), and image data transmitted through the ISDN is transmitted to an address of an electronic mail indicated by a sub-address of the ISDN.
2.1. Previously Proposed Art
FIG. 1
is a block diagram of a conventional facsimile apparatus in which facsimile data received through a telephone line is transmitted to an address of an electronic mail.
As shown in
FIG. 1
, a facsimile apparatus
120
is composed of a CPU
121
for controlling the facsimile apparatus
120
, a ROM
122
for storing a program, a RAM
123
for storing data used for the program, a facsimile data receiving and transmitting unit
124
for receiving facsimile data transmitted through a telephone line or transmitting facsimile data to the telephone line, a format converting unit
125
for converting a format in the facsimile data received by the facsimile data receiving and transmitting unit
124
to a format of an electronic mail to obtain electronic mail data, and an LAN controlling unit
126
for receiving an electronic mail transmitted through an LAN or transmitting the electronic mail data obtained in the format converting unit
125
.
In the above configuration of the facsimile apparatus
120
, when facsimile data transmitted from a transmitting side through the telephone line is received in the facsimile data receiving and transmitting unit
124
, an address of an electronic mail is retrieved according to a number of a sub-address of the ISDN by using a corresponding table of registered numbers and mail addresses, the facsimile data is converted to electronic mail data by the format converting unit
125
, and the electronic mail data is transmitted to a receiving side placed at the address of the electronic mail through the LAN controlling unit
126
.
2.2. Problems to be Solved by the Invention
However, in the facsimile apparatus
120
, in cases where a transmission error of the electronic mail occurs, the facsimile apparatus
120
cannot inform the facsimile of the transmitting side that the transmission error occurs. Therefore, a sender cannot know whether or not a manuscript read by the facsimile is correctly transmitted to the receiving side.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
An object of the present invention is to provide, with due consideration to the drawbacks of such a conventional facsimile apparatus, a facsimile apparatus which informs a transmitting side of the occurrence of a transmitting error in cases where the transmitting error of an electronic mail occurs.
The object is achieved by the provision of a facsimile apparatus, comprising:
facsimile receiving means for receiving facsimile data;
recognizing means for recognizing a transmitter's address and a receiver's electronic mail address which are included in the facsimile data received by the facsimile receiving means;
storing means for storing the transmitter's address and the receiver's electronic mail address recognized by the recognizing means and an electronic mail address specified in the facsimile apparatus in correspondence to each other;
changing means for changing the facsimile data received by the facsimile receiving means to electronic mail data;
electronic mail transmitting means for transmitting the electronic mail data changed by the changing means; and
control means for adding the specified electronic mail address stored in the storing means to the electronic mail data as transmitter's information and controlling the electronic mail transmitting means to transmit the electronic mail data changed by the changing means with the specified electronic mail address.
The object is also achieved by the provision of an electronic mail transmitting method, comprising the steps of:
receiving facsimile data;
recognizing a transmitter's address of the facsimile data;
storing the transmitter's address, a receiver's electronic mail address and an electronic mail address specified in the facsimile apparatus in correspondence to each other;
changing the facsimile data to electronic mail data;
setting the specified electronic mail address as a transmitter address of the electronic mail data; and
transmitting the electronic mail data with the specified electronic mail address as a first electronic mail.
In the above configuration and steps, when facsimile data transmitted from a transmitter is received by the facsimile receiving means, a transmitter's address and a receiver's electronic mail address included in the facsimile data are recognized by the recognizing means. Thereafter, an electronic mail address indicating transmitter's information is prepared in the facsimile apparatus to specify the transmitter, and the transmitter's address and the receiver's electronic mail address are stored in the storing means in correspondence to the electronic mail address. Thereafter, the facsimile data is changed to electronic mail data by the changing means, the specified electronic mail address is added to the electronic mail data as the transmitter's information under the control of the control means, and the electronic mail data with the specified electronic mail address is transmitted to a receiver by the electronic mail transmitting means under the control of the control means.
Accordingly, even though an error occurs in the transmission of the electronic mail data and error information informing of the occurrence of the error is sent with the specified electronic mail address to the facsimile apparatus, because the transmitter's information indicated by the specified electronic mail address is analyzed in the facsimile apparatus to specify the transmitter, the error information can be reliably sent from the facsimile apparatus to the transmitter. Therefore, the transmitter can reliably know the occurrence of the error in the transmission of the electronic mail data.
Also, any user other than the transmitter cannot specify the transmitter of the electronic mail data even though the user analyzes the specified electronic mail address transmitted with the electronic mail data.
The object is also achieved by the provision of a facsimile apparatus, comprising:
facsimile receiving means for receiving facsimile data;
recognizing means for recognizing a receiver's electronic mail address of the facsimile data received by the facsimile receiving means;
storing means for storing the receiver's electronic mail address recognized by the recognizing means and an electronic mail address specified in the facsimile apparatus in correspondence to each other;
changing means for changing the facsimile data received by the facsimile receiving means to electronic mail data; and
electronic mail transmitting means for setting the specified electronic mail address stored in the storing means as a transmitter's address of the electronic mail data changed by the changing means and transmitting the electronic mail data with the specified electronic mail address.
In the above configuration, even though an error occurs in the transmission of the electronic mail data performed by the electronic mail transmitting means and error information informing of the occurrence of the error in the transmission of the electronic mail data is sent to the facsimile apparatus, because the speci
Bando Tatsuo
Toyoda Kiyoshi
Coles Edward
Gopstein Israel
Matsushita Graphic Communication Systems Inc.
Pokrzywa Joseph R.
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