Electric device capabel of being controlled based on data transmitted from cellular phone

• US 20010019953A1
• Filed: 01/30/2001
• Published: 09/06/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 02/01/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
• Original Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
• Inventors: Furukawa, Akihiro, Hibino, Masaaki, Nogawa, Hideki, Fukazawa, Koshi, Ohara, Kiyotaka
• Granted Patent: US 7,239,868 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/420
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 17/00 Arrangements for transmitting signals characterised by the use of a wireless electrical link
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 2201/41 Remote control of gateways
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 2201/42 Transmitting or receiving remote control signals via a network
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 2201/61 Password, biometric
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 2201/93 Remote control using other portable devices, e.g. mobile phone, PDA, laptop
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/00 User-to-user messaging in packet-switching networks, transmitted according to store-and-forward or real-time protocols, e.g. e-mail
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/26 Network addressing or numbering for mobility support
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/042 Public Land Mobile systems, e.g. cellular systems

Abstract

An electric device includes a read only memory (ROM) storing a condition setting program which sets operation conditions and the like of the electric device in accordance with data. When a user changes the operation conditions and the like of the electric device, the user access a homepage of the electric device from his or her own cellular phone, inputs necessary information and command through the cellular phone. When the electric device receives the command, the condition setting program sets the operation conditions in accordance with the received command.

Claims

1. An electric device communicable with a cellular phone, comprising:

a control unit that executes operations based on control data transmitted from the cellular phone.

2. The electric device according to

claim 1

, further comprising an interface that receives the control data, the interface being connectable to a local area network which includes one of a server or a gateway, the control data is transmitted from the cellular phone to the interface via one of the server and the gateway.

3. The electric device according to

claim 1

, further comprising a communication unit that receives the control data from the cellular phone.

4. The electric device according to

claim 3

, wherein the communication unit transmits an audio guidance to the cellular phone, and the control data is transmitted from the cellular phone in response to the audio guidance.

5. The electric device according to

claim 3

, wherein the communication unit receives the control data via a Web service.

6. The electric device according to

claim 3

, wherein the communication unit transmits and receives e-mail messages to and from the cellular phone, and the communication unit receives the control data on the e-mail.

7. The electric device according to

claim 6

, wherein the control unit appends an identification code to the e-mail message, and the communication unit transmits the e-mail message appended with the identification code.

8. The electric device according to

claim 1

, wherein the communication unit receives the control data via a telephone line.

9. The electric device according to

claim 1

, wherein the control unit includes a condition setting unit that sets an operation condition based on the control data received from the cellular phone.

10. The electric device according to

claim 1

, further comprising an image forming unit for forming images, wherein the control unit controls the image forming unit based on the control data receive from the cellular phone.

11. The electric device according to

claim 10

, further comprising:

a connection unit that is connected to a plurality of image information generating devices that generate image information, the connection unit receiving the image information from the image information generating devices; and

a judging unit that judges whether or not the image information is confidential information, wherein

the communication unit further receives a predetermined code transmitted from the cellular phone;

the control unit controls the image forming unit to form images based on the image information; and

when the judging unit judges that the image information is confidential information, the control unit controls the image forming unit to form the images based on the image information after the communication unit receives the predetermined code.

12. The electric device according to

claim 2

, further comprising a detecting unit, wherein the interface further receives another data from an external device by means other than e-mail, and a detecting unit that detects an e-mail address from the another data.

13. The electric device according to

claim 12

, wherein the interface outputs an e-mail message containing a predetermined information to the e-mail address detected by the detecting unit.

14. The electric device according to

claim 12

, wherein the another data including the e-mail address and request information, and the detecting unit detects the e-mail address and the request information from the another data, and the interface outputs the e-mail message including information corresponding to the request information to the e-mail address.

15. An image forming device comprising:

a receiving unit that receives data from an external device by means other than e-mail, the data including an e-mail address;

a detecting unit that detects an e-mail address from the data; and

an output unit that outputs an e-mail message to the e-mail address.

16. The image forming device according to

claim 15

, wherein the data received from the external device includes both the e-mail address and specified information, and detecting unit further detects the specified information from the data, and the output unit outputs the e-mail message containing information corresponding to the specified information.

17. A system comprising:

a print data generating unit including;

a generating unit that generates print data including document data and command data, the command data including an e-mail address; and

a communication unit that transmits the print data by means other than e-mail; and

an image forming unit including;

a receiving unit that receives the print data from the print data generating unit; and

a detecting unit that detects the e-mail address from the command data.

18. The system according to

claim 17

, wherein the image forming unit further includes an e-mail unit that prepares e-mail message including a predetermined information, and a transmit unit that transmits the e-mail message to the e-mail address detected by the detecting unit.

19. The system according to

claim 18

, wherein the generating unit generates the print data including the command data including both the e-mail address and specified information, and detecting unit further specifies the specify information from the command data, and the e-mail unit generates the e-mail message including information corresponding to the detected specify information.

20. The system according to

claim 18

, wherein the generating unit automatically includes the specified information into the command data.

21. A control method of controlling an electric device, comprising the steps of:

receiving data transmitted from a cellular phone; and

controlling a control unit of the electric device in accordance with the received data.

22. The method according to

claim 21

, wherein the control unit changes a mode in accordance with the received data in the controlling step.

23. The method according to

claim 21

, wherein the control unit executes an image output operation in accordance with the received data in the controlling step.

24. A control method of controlling an image forming device, comprising the steps of:

a) receiving print data from an external device;

b) storing the print data in a memory; and

c) executing printing of the print data when a predetermined password is received from a cellular phone.

25. The control method according to

claim 24

, further comprising the step of d) detecting a telephone number from the print data, e) making a telephone call to the detected telephone number, and f) outputting a predetermined audio guidance urging a user of the cellular phone to input the predetermined password.

26. The control method according to

claim 24

, further comprising the step of g) detecting an e-mail address from the print data, and h) sending an e-mail message to the detected address, the e-mail message urging a user of the cellular phone to input the predetermined password.