Facsimile and static presentation processing – Static presentation processing – Communication
Reexamination Certificate
1998-05-13
2001-07-31
Coles, Edward (Department: 2722)
Facsimile and static presentation processing
Static presentation processing
Communication
C358S001160, C358S400000, C358S402000, C358S403000, C358S450000, C382S284000, C382S286000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06268926
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a mail transmission/reception system. More specifically, the present invention relates to a mail reception system provided to a computer system capable of receiving mail from another computer system via a communication line. The present invention also relates to a mail transmission system provided to a computer system capable of transmitting mail to another computer system via a communication line.
2. Description of 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 ordinarily 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 the number of pages to be printed in received mail to suit the needs of the receiving user without deleting any of the data. It is another object of the present invention to provide a mail transmission system capable of adjusting on the transmitting end the number of mail pages to be printed without deleting any of the data.
In order to attain the above and other objects, the present invention provides a mail reception device capable of receiving mail from remote mail transmission device via a communication line, the mail reception device comprising: a printer capable of printing print data on a sheet of paper; mail receiving means capable of receiving mail, including print data at an original state, from remote mail transmission devices via a communication line; sheet number determining means for determining a number of sheets required to print the print data of the received mail at the original state and for determining whether the determined number of the required sheets is equal to or greater than a predetermined number; and print data processing means for, when the sheet number determining means determines that the number of sheets is equal to or greater than the predetermined number, converting the print data from the original state into a reduced state, the number of pages of the print data to be printed in each sheet of paper at the reduced state being greater than the number of page of the print data to be printed in each sheet of paper at the original state, the print data processing means supplying the processed data to the printer, thereby allowing the printer to print the print data on the reduced number of sheets, the print data processing means supplying the print data to the printer without processing the print data when the sheet number determining means determines that the number of sheets is smaller than the predetermined number.
According to another aspect, the present invention provides a mail transmission device capable of transmitting mail to remote mail reception device via a communication line, the mail transmission device comprising: sheet number determining means for determining whether a number of sheets required to print, at an original state, print data to be transmitted with mail is equal to or greater than a predetermined number; and transmission processing means for, when the sheet number determining means determines that the number of sheets is equal to or greater than the predetermined number, converting the print mail into the reduced state so as to increase the number of pages of the print data to be printed on each sheet of paper and transmitting mail including the converted print data, the transmission processing means transmitting mail with the print data of the original state without converting the print data when the sheet number determining means determines that the number of sheets is smaller than the predetermined number.
According to another aspect, the present invention provides a mail reception system provided in a computer system capable of receiving mail from another computer system via a communication line, the mail reception system comprising: a printer capable of printing print data on a sheet of paper and being connected to a computer system for communicating by signals with the computer system; receiving means for receiving mail, including print data, from another computer system via a communication line; sheet number determining means for determining a number of sheets required to print the print data of the received mail at a normal state and determining whether the determined number of the required sheets is equal to or greater than a predetermined number; and print data processing means for controlling the printer to print the print data in the normal state when the sheet number determining means determines that the number of sheets is smaller than the predetermined number, the print data processing means controlling the printer to print the print data in a reduced state when the sheet number determining means determines that the number of sheets is equal to or greater than the predetermined number, the number of pages of the print data to be printed in each sheet of paper at the reduced state being greater than the number of pages of the print data to be printed in each sheet of paper at the normal state, thereby reducing the total number of sheets to print the print data.
According to another aspect, the present invention provides a mail transmission system provided in a computer system capable of transmitting mail to another computer system via a communication line, the mail transmission system comprising: sheet number determining means for determining whether a number of sheets required to print, at a normal state, print data to be transmitted with mail is equal to or greater than a predetermined number; and transmission processing means for transmitting mail including the print data after performing a reducing process onto the print data from the normal state into a reduced state to increase t
Funahashi Hiroyuki
Okimoto Satoshi
Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
Coles Edward
Lamb Twyler
Oliff & Berridg,e PLC
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