Mail printing system with print confirming function

Details Mail printing system with print confirming function Mail printing system with print confirming function

1998-05-13

2001-12-25

Coles, Edward (Department: 2722)

Facsimile and static presentation processing

Static presentation processing

Detail of image placement or content

C358S001160, C358S001170, C358S435000, C358S438000, C358S440000

Reexamination Certificate

active

06333791

ABSTRACT:

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a mail printing system provided to a computer system capable of receiving mail from another computer system via a communication line.
2. Description of the Related Art
Data in the form of electronic mail is transferred between personal computers via a communication network system such as the Internet.
When mail sent from one computer is received by another computer, the received data is temporarily stored as mail data in a storage device, such as a hard disk drive, provided to the receiving end computer. The user on the receiving end can extract the contents of the received mail. In some cases, the user starts an application program on the computer in order to read data attached to the received mail and then to print the contents of the received mail and the attached file using a printer connected to the computer.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
A user located at one computer can therefore supply printed material to another user at a remote computer through transmitting electronic mail to the remote computer through the communication network and then let the user at the remote computer to control his/her own computer to print out the received mail data.
However, this method of supplying printed material to a remote user via the communication network system is time-consuming. At the receiving end, the user has to start an application program, such as a word processor program, on his/her own personal computer. The user controls the application program to first read data from the electronic mail message and then to print the data by a printer connected to the computer.
According to one conceivable solution, the computer at the transmitting end creates the electronic mail so that the electronic mail includes print data which is prepared by a printer driver or the like. The computer on the receiving end can directly extract the print data from the mail and then output that data directly to the printer. It is possible to eliminate any intermediate processes such as starting an application program or controlling the application program to read in data. By allowing the receiver to directly obtain printed material of the received mail data from the printer, the sender can more effectively provide printed material to the receiver.
However, the printer is ordinary shared by more than one personal computer at the receiving end. Hence, if unscheduled mail containing a large number of pages that must be printed is received, the printer on the receiving end might be occupied for a long time. As a result, important data which must be printed urgently cannot be printed right away.
In view of the foregoing, it is an object of the present invention to provide a mail reception system capable of adjusting printing of received mail according to circumstances on the receiving end.
In order to attain the above and other objects, the present invention provides a mail printing device comprising: a printer; a display device; an input device; receiving means for receiving mail transmitted via a communication line; predetermined condition judging means for judging whether or not the received mail includes data in a predetermined condition; print execution confirmation means for, when the predetermined condition judging means determines that the received mail includes the data in the predetermined condition, controlling the display device to display a message urging an operator to input confirmation via the input device whether the mail should be printed; and print data processing means for controlling the printer to print the mail when the operator inputs confirmation via the input device that the mail should be printed and for controlling the printer not to print the mail when the operator inputs no confirmation via the input device that the mail should be printed.
According to another aspect, the present invention provides a mail printing system provided in a computer system capable of receiving mail via a communication line, the mail printing system comprising: a printer connected to a computer system for communicating by signals with the computer system; a display device; an input device; predetermined condition judging means for judging whether or not mail, received via a communication line, includes data in a predetermined condition; print execution confirmation means for, when the predetermined condition judging means determines that the received mail includes the data in the predetermined condition, controlling the display device to display a message urging an operator of the mail printing system to input confirmation via the input device whether the mail should be printed; and print data processing means for controlling the printer to print the mail when the operator inputs confirmation via the input device that the mail should be printed and for controlling the printer not to print the mail when the operator inputs no confirmation via the input device that the mail should be printed.
According to still another aspect, the present invention provides a program storage medium capable of being read by a computer capable of receiving mail via a communication line, the program comprising: a program of judging whether or not mail, received via a communication line, includes data in a predetermined condition; a program of controlling, when the received mail includes the data in the predetermined condition, a display device, connected to a computer system, to display a message urging an operator of the mail printing system to input confirmation via an input device, connected to the computer system, whether the mail should be printed; and a program of controlling the printer to print the mail when the operator inputs confirmation via the input device that the mail should be printed and of controlling the printer not to print the mail when the operator inputs no confirmation via the input device that the mail should be printed.


REFERENCES:
patent: 5133048 (1992-07-01), Parsons et al.
patent: 5521719 (1996-05-01), Yamada
patent: 5828465 (1998-10-01), Muramatsu et al.
patent: A-63-237640 (1988-10-01), None
patent: A-4-172043 (1992-06-01), None
patent: A-5-2541 (1993-01-01), None
patent: A-6-149505 (1994-05-01), None
patent: A-7-175603 (1995-07-01), None
patent: A-8-130554 (1996-05-01), None

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