Multiplex communications – Communication techniques for information carried in plural... – Combining or distributing information via frequency channels
Reexamination Certificate
1998-12-22
2004-10-05
Nguyen, Hanh (Department: 2662)
Multiplex communications
Communication techniques for information carried in plural...
Combining or distributing information via frequency channels
C370S352000, C370S400000, C379S100080, C379S100090, C358S402000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06801546
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method for setting a destination in a communication apparatus such as a facsimile that can communicate with other communication apparatuses via a computer network including a public network such as the ISDN or the PSTN, and the Internet. The present invention also relates to a communication apparatus and a network system using the method.
2. Description of the Related Art
Network environments have been maintained well these days, so that communication such as an electronic mail connecting LANs with each other via the Internet has become popular. This communication via the Internet has an advantage in low cost. Therefore, even in facsimile or other communications, it is expected to utilize the communication via the Internet.
For example, there was a method of facsimile communication that aimed at reduction of cost required for broadcast communication from a source to plural destinations by sending an image to a relay station, which sends the received image to plural destinations.
However, the above-mentioned technique requires double communication cost for facsimile between the source and the relay station as well as between the relay station and broadcast destinations. This method cannot contribute reduction of the communication cost by a single relay station.
In addition, when using the Internet for the facsimile communication, facsimile machines having totally different configurations have to be prepared. Conventional facsimile machines cannot be used for the communication using the Internet.
The above-mentioned data communication via the Internet is available for a subscriber's terminal when a service provider that is connected to the public telephone network (or the ISDN) performs a service of connecting the subscriber's terminal with the Internet. Therefore, the facsimile communication via the Internet can be realized by connecting a facsimile machine as a subscriber's terminal to the Internet via the service provider when the facsimile machine is connected to the public telephone network. However, a typical facsimile machine does not have a function to send address information for the electronic mail to the service provider. Therefore, there was a problem that the service provider cannot send the image data properly to the destination terminal when using the conventional facsimile machine as a subscriber's terminal.
In addition, when the service provider that is connected to the receiving facsimile machine (receiver) receives image data for the receiver (image data that were sent from the source terminal via facsimile communication), the image data are stored in a memory device of the service provider, and the stored image data are sent to the receiver when the receiver as a subscriber requests to send the image data. Therefore, the image data does not reach the receiver before the receiver requests the image data. This means that the image data reaches with a substantial delay compared with conventional facsimile communication between terminals via the public telephone network, and that the source terminal cannot know when the image data reached the receiver.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
An object of the present invention is to reduce the cost of the facsimile communication between a source facsimile machine and a destination facsimile machine by using a network such as the Internet even if there is only one destination. Another object of the present invention is to facilitate communication between communication apparatuses that are connected to a network including the public circuit and a network circuit.
It is also another object to enable source machine to set easily of destinations of a first relay station, a second relay station and a receive side facsimile machine, when sending image data from the source facsimile machine to the first relay station that is connected to the Internet via the public circuit, sending the image data from the first relay station to the second relay station via the Internet, and sending the image data from the second relay station to the receive side facsimile machine that is connected to the public circuit.
It is still another object to communicate widely with facsimile machines having the standard communication functions without designing new non-standard protocol.
In order to attain the above-mentioned objects, a communication apparatus of the present invention comprises first relay destination assignment means for assigning a first relay destination that relays transmission data, second relay destination assignment means for assigning a second relay destination that transfers the transmission data from the first relay destination to the second relay destination, and final destination assignment means for assigning a final destination to which the transmission data are transferred from the second relay destination.
Preferably, the first relay destination is assigned by data indicating a telephone number, the second relay destination is assigned by data indicating an electronic mail address, and the final destination is assigned by data indicating a telephone number. The apparatus preferably comprises transmission means for sending data indicating the second relay destination and the final destination to the first relay destination by a facsimile procedure. The transmission means send the data indicating the second relay destination and the final destination by a sub-address defined in ITU-T T30. Furthermore, the apparatus comprises first registration means for registering the first and/or second relay destinations in connection with the final destination. The apparatus also comprises second registration means for registering the first and/or second relay destinations in connection with the final destination when the first and/or second relay destinations are not registered in the first registration means. Furthermore, the apparatus comprises first selection means for selecting to activate the first and the second relay destination assignment means or not. In addition, the apparatus comprises second selection means for selecting to activate the final destination assignment means or not. Preferably, the communication apparatus is a facsimile machine.
A communication apparatus having a relay function according to the present invention comprises reception means for receiving at least a sub-address and transmission data, extracting means for extracting a relay destination for transferring the transmission data to a next relay destination and/or a final destination for transferring the transmission data from the next relay destination to the final destination, from the sub-address, and transmission means for making an electronic mail including the transmission data and the final destination, and sending the electronic mail to the relay destination. Preferably, the sub-address is defined by ITU-T T30 and the final destination is stored in a command region of a file described in MIME.
A communication apparatus having a relay function according to the present invention comprises reception means for receiving an electronic mail including at least a final destination and transmission data, extracting means for extracting a final destination to which the transmission data is transferred, from a received electronic mail data, and transmission means for sending the transmission data to the final destination. Preferably, the final destination is stored in a command region of a file described in MIME.
A communication apparatus having a relay function according to the present invention comprises first reception means for receiving at least a sub-address and transmission data, first extracting means for extracting a relay destination for transferring the transmission data to a next relay destination and/or a final destination for transferring the transmission data from the next relay destination to the final destination, from the sub-address, first transmission means for making an electronic mail including the transmission data and the final destin
Ikeda Toru
Nishimaki Akemi
Yoshida Takehiro
Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
Nguyen Hanh
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