Network facsimile apparatus

Facsimile and static presentation processing – Facsimile – Facsimile system interface

Reexamination Certificate

Rate now

  [ 0.00 ] – not rated yet Voters 0   Comments 0

Details

C358S001150, C398S008000

Reexamination Certificate

active

06785023

ABSTRACT:

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a network facsimile apparatus capable of performing transmission and reception of facsimile data and e-mail data connecting to a PSTN and a network such as the internet or LAN.
2. Description of the Related Art
Recently, a method of reusing facsimile received data by combining an internet FAX and a WWW server has been proposed. The method utilizes the function of the internet FAX which converts data received from the PSTN into an e-mail.
FIG. 1
illustrates a system structure of the case of performing facsimile transmission and reception using an internet FAX and a WWW server.
Image data received at internet FAX
1101
via the PSTN is converted into an attached file format to an e-mail at internet FAX
1101
and is transmitted to WWW server
1103
as an attached file of e-mail.
The e-mail with the attached file transferred from internet FAX
1101
is received at e-mail server
1102
via a network. The e-mail with the attached file received at e-mail server
1102
is transferred to WWW server
1103
that is a destination again via the network.
WWW server
1103
stores the attached file of e-mail as image data to link to a homepage for facsimile reception. The storage of facsimile received data is finished at this point.
In order to fetch received data into client machine
1104
, a user starts a WWW browser at client machine
1104
and accesses to the homepage for facsimile reception at WWW server
1103
. The user reads out an image data file at client machine
1104
via the network from WWW server
1103
.
The above facsimile communication system remains the problem that the network traffic is increased because the image data with large capacity is transferred over a network many times. Incorporating a WWW server to an internet facsimile is an effective way to suppress increases of network traffic. In this case, a larger number of users use the internet facsimile incorporated with a WWW server than a traditional facsimile because a sender and a recipient both access to the internet facsimile.
In the case where a large number of users use a single internet facsimile as described above, many users are affected by even a minor trouble occurred in the internet facsimile function such as facsimile communication function, e-mail communication function, server function and printer function. Therefore, it is desired that a user is always able to easily know a current status of the internet facsimile.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
An object of the present invention is to provide a network facsimile apparatus for enabling a client to easily observe a status of each section of the network facsimile apparatus in homepage format.
The present invention provides a network facsimile apparatus for enabling a client to observe the latest status icon in homepage format, by switching a status icon registered in a structured document for displaying status icons, corresponding to a status change, while transmitting the structured document corresponding to a request from the client.
The present invention provides a network facsimile apparatus having a storage for storing a structured document for displaying a status icon of each section of the network facsimile apparatus, an icon switching function for switching a status icon in the structured document corresponding to a status change of respective device, and a WWW server for enabling a structured document stored in the storage to be browsed.
The network facsimile configured described above enables a structured document stored in the storage to be browsed, while switches a status icon in the structured document corresponding to a status change of respective device, thereby making it possible to present a status icon in which the latest status is reflected to a client.
In addition, the present invention provides a network facsimile which refers to a table used in relating a plurality of divided device statuses to a plurality of icons and selects a changed status icon of a device whose status change is detected.
According to the above processing, since a plurality of divided device statuses are related to a plurality of status icons in the table, it is possible to determine a corresponding status icon promptly among from divided device statuses to rewrite a status icon name in the structured document, thereby making it possible to change a status icon readily.
In addition, the present invention provides a network facsimile which has a structured document in which update time and an instruction for instructing a client fetching the structured document while displaying an icon to request a file of the structured document again to the WWW server section when a predetermined time duration passes.
According to the above processing, since a structured document in which the latest status is always reflected by the icon switching section is transmitted to a client periodically, it is possible to automatically update a status icon to be displayed to the client.


REFERENCES:
patent: 5675507 (1997-10-01), Bobo, II
patent: 5724555 (1998-03-01), Wadsworth
patent: 5881233 (1999-03-01), Toyoda et al.
patent: 5901286 (1999-05-01), Danknick et al.
patent: 5937151 (1999-08-01), Kadota
patent: 5946458 (1999-08-01), Austin et al.
patent: 6209048 (2001-03-01), Wolff
patent: 2001/0043339 (2001-11-01), Saruwatari et al.
patent: 0845894 (1998-06-01), None
patent: 0867817 (1998-09-01), None
patent: 7-79307 (1995-03-01), None
patent: 09307690 (1996-11-01), None
patent: 9-18639 (1997-01-01), None
patent: 09128207 (1997-05-01), None
patent: 9-128207 (1997-05-01), None
patent: 09181723 (1997-07-01), None
patent: 09244860 (1997-09-01), None
patent: 9-244860 (1997-09-01), None
patent: 9307690 (1997-11-01), None
patent: 090307690 (1997-11-01), None
patent: 9-325925 (1997-12-01), None
patent: 10107836 (1998-04-01), None
patent: 10164115 (1998-06-01), None
patent: 10173890 (1998-06-01), None
patent: 10191010 (1998-07-01), None
patent: 10269039 (1998-09-01), None
patent: 10269039 (1998-10-01), None
patent: 10301731 (1998-11-01), None
patent: 97/09682 (1997-03-01), None
English Language Abstract for JP Appl. No. 09-181723.
Takayuki Hourin, “RT80i/C&C-NET IP45/007 Type 1/MUCHO-TL-DSU, DOS/V Power Report,”DOS/V Power Report, Feb. 98, pp. 219-221, with an English translation.
English language abstract of JP 9-244860.
English language abstract of JP 9-128207.
English Language Abstract of JP 10-164115.
English Language Abstract of JP 10-173890.
English Language Abstract of JP 7-79307.
English Language Abstract of JP 10-191010.
English Language Abstract of JP 9-18639.
English Language Abstract of JP 9-325925.

LandOfFree

Say what you really think

Search LandOfFree.com for the USA inventors and patents. Rate them and share your experience with other people.

Rating

Network facsimile apparatus does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.

If you have personal experience with Network facsimile apparatus, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Network facsimile apparatus will most certainly appreciate the feedback.

Rate now

     

Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-3282649

  Search
All data on this website is collected from public sources. Our data reflects the most accurate information available at the time of publication.