Facsimile and static presentation processing – Static presentation processing – Communication
Reexamination Certificate
1999-02-26
2004-02-10
Coles, Edward (Department: 2622)
Facsimile and static presentation processing
Static presentation processing
Communication
C358S402000, C358S434000, C379S100010, C709S206000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06690480
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an Internet facsimile apparatus for performing transmission and reception by a facsimile via a telephone network and also transmitting and receiving an image by Internet facsimile via the Internet.
2. Description of the Related Art
Recently, it has become possible to perform transmission and reception by a G3 facsimile via a telephone network and also transmit and receive a message with an image file by using an Internet facsimile (to be also referred to as Internet FAX hereinafter) system requiring no communication charge by connecting to a LAN.
Unfortunately, the conventional system has its limits, e.g., (1) whether a communication partner has an Internet FAX function cannot be known during G3 facsimile communication, and (2) the Internet address of a communication partner cannot be known during G3 facsimile communication. For example, even when a communication partner has the Internet FAX function, the system cannot switch from a G3 facsimile mode to an Internet FAX mode requiring no communication charge by connecting to a LAN. Also, the modes can be switched only when an operator designates mode switching and sets an Internet address.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention has been made to solve the above conventional problems, and has as its object to provide an Internet FAX apparatus having a G3 facsimile function and an Internet FAX function and capable of (1) detecting in a G3 facsimile mode whether a communication partner has the Internet FAX function and (2) exchanging Internet addresses with a communication partner in the G3 facsimile mode and, after receiving the Internet address, communicating with the same destination by connecting to a LAN and switching to an Internet FAX mode requiring no communication charge in the middle of communication or in later transmission to the destination.
It is another object of the present invention to provide an Internet FAX apparatus having a G3 facsimile function and an Internet FAX function and capable of receiving an Internet address in a G3 facsimile mode and managing the received Internet address.
To achieve the above objects, an Internet facsimile apparatus of the present invention is characterized by comprising destination data storage means for storing destination data containing at least presence/absence of an Internet facsimile function, and Internet address of each transmission destination, first transmitting/receiving means for transmitting and receiving an image by an Internet facsimile transmitting/receiving function, second transmitting/receiving means for transmitting and receiving an image by an ordinary facsimile transmitting/receiving function, Internet function informing means for transmitting an Internet facsimile function and Internet address of the Internet facsimile apparatus while the second transmitting/receiving means is performing ordinary facsimile reception, and Internet function detecting means for detecting and registering an Internet facsimile function and Internet address of a partner apparatus in corresponding destination data in the destination data storage means while the second transmitting/receiving means is performing ordinary facsimile transmission, wherein when transmission is to be performed for the partner apparatus after the Internet facsimile function and Internet address of the partner apparatus are registered in the corresponding destination data in the destination data storage means, the first transmitting/receiving means communicates with the partner apparatus by using the Internet address in the destination data.
An Internet facsimile apparatus of the present invention is characterized by comprising destination data storage means for storing destination data containing at least presence/absence of an Internet facsimile function, and Internet address of each transmission destination, first transmitting/receiving means for transmitting and receiving an image by an Internet facsimile transmitting/receiving function, second transmitting/receiving means for transmitting and receiving an image by an ordinary facsimile transmitting/receiving function, Internet function detecting means for detecting and registering an Internet facsimile function and Internet address of a partner apparatus in corresponding destination data in the destination data storage means while the second transmitting/receiving means is performing ordinary facsimile transmission, wherein when transmission is to be performed for the partner apparatus after the Internet facsimile function and Internet address of the partner apparatus are registered in the corresponding destination data in the destination data storage means, the first transmitting/receiving means communicates with the partner apparatus by using the Internet address in the destination data.
An Internet facsimile apparatus of the present invention is characterized by comprising first transmitting/receiving means for transmitting and receiving an image by an Internet facsimile transmitting/receiving function, second transmitting/receiving means for transmitting and receiving an image by an ordinary facsimile transmitting/receiving function, and Internet function informing means for transmitting an Internet facsimile function and Internet address of the Internet facsimile apparatus while the second transmitting/receiving means is performing ordinary facsimile reception.
The Internet function informing means or the Internet function detecting means transmits or receives the Internet facsimile function and Internet address by using a predetermined signal in a standard protocol of ordinary facsimile transmission by the second transmitting/receiving means. The ordinary facsimile is a G3 facsimile, and the Internet function informing means or the Internet function detecting means transmits the Internet facsimile function and Internet address by using an NSF signal in the standard protocol. The destination data contains at least presence/absence of an Internet facsimile function and an Internet address of a corresponding one-touch dial. The first transmitting/receiving means comprises means for transmitting e-mail, means for attaching an image file to e-mail, means for receiving e-mail, means for extracting an attached file from e-mail, means for checking whether the attached file is an image file, and means for performing Internet facsimile reception if the attached file is found to be an image file. The Internet address is an e-mail address.
An Internet address informing method using an Internet facsimile apparatus of the present invention is an Internet address informing method using an Internet facsimile apparatus for transmitting and receiving an image by an Internet facsimile transmitting/receiving function and an ordinary facsimile transmitting/receiving function, characterized in that an Internet facsimile apparatus on a receiving side transmits an Internet facsimile function and Internet address thereof on a predetermined signal in a standard protocol of ordinary facsimile communication, and an Internet facsimile apparatus on a transmitting side detects and registers the Internet facsimile function and Internet address of the Internet facsimile apparatus on the receiving side, carried on the predetermined signal in the standard protocol of ordinary facsimile communication, as destination data, and, when transmission is to be performed for the Internet facsimile apparatus on the receiving side thereafter, communicates with the Internet facsimile apparatus on the receiving side by using the Internet address in the destination data.
The ordinary facsimile communication is G3 facsimile communication, and the predetermined signal is an NSF signal and carries the Internet facsimile function and Internet address of the Internet facsimile apparatus on the receiving side. The Internet facsimile function is stored in a fourth octet of the NSF signal and transmitted, and the Internet address is stored in fifth to twenty-fifth octets of the NSF signal and transmitted. The
Coles Edward
Fitzpatrick ,Cella, Harper & Scinto
Pokrzywa Joseph R.
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