Internet facsimile apparatus and internet facsimile communication method

• US 20020051221A1
• Filed: 02/05/2001
• Published: 05/02/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 06/22/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Panasonic Communications Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Matsushita Graphic Communication Systems, Inc. (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Wakabayashi, Takefumi
• Granted Patent: US 6,965,446 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 358/402
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00209 Transmitting or receiving image data, e.g. facsimile data, via a computer, e.g. using e-mail, a computer network, the internet, I-fax
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/32619 with retransmission retransmission after changing the mode H04N1/3333
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/002 Selecting or switching between an image communication channel and a non-image communication channel
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0086 Image transceiver H04N2201/0093 and H04N2201/0094 take precedence

Abstract

When an IFAX processing section transmits image information using e-mail, a timer monitoring section starts the count of a timer. After starting the count, a received mail determining section determines whether or not a timeout occurs. Also, the received mail determining section determined whether an error mail of a current job or a DSN of the current job is received. In the case of the timeout, when the notification content of the error mail or the DSN is an abnormal end, a transmission selecting section instructs a FAX control section to transmit an image information file of the current job to a telephone number. Thereafter, the transmission selecting section instructs an image information managing section to erase an image information file corresponding to a file name of the current job. This makes it possible to insure a real-time property as making use of advantages of e-mail.

Claims

1. An internet facsimile apparatus comprising:

mail transmitter transmits image information on a computer network in accordance with an e-mail transfer protocol; and

facsimile transmitter transmits said image information in accordance with a facsimile communication protocol, wherein when said mail transmitter transmits said image information to a receiver and then said receiver normally receives no corresponding image information within a predetermined time period, said facsimile transmitter retransmits said image information to the same person as said receiver.

7. The Internet facsimile apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 6, further comprising a memory for storing image information transmitted by said mail transmitter, wherein said image information is erased from said memory after a lapse of a predetermined time period after said mail transmitter transmits said image information to the receiver.

9. The Internet facsimile apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 8, further comprising a memory for storing a receiver information table, which holds a mail address of the receiver and identification information, indicative of the presence or absence of a delivery confirmation mail transmission function in a receiver terminal apparatus, to be associated with each other, wherein when said mail receiver receives a delivery confirmation mail from the receiver, said identification information corresponding to the corresponding receiver is set to indicate the presence of the delivery confirmation mail transmission function.

2. An Internet facsimile apparatus comprising:

mail transmitter transmits image information on a computer network in accordance with an e-mail transfer protocol;

mail receiver receives an e-mail message on said computer network in accordance with the e-mail transfer protocol; and

facsimile transmitter transmits said image information in accordance with a facsimile communication protocol, wherein when said mail transmitter transmits said image information to a receiver and then said receiver receives an error mail, said facsimile transmitter retransmits said image information to the same person as said receiver.

3. The Internet facsimile apparatus according to claim 2, wherein a message ID is extracted from the error mail and image information corresponding to said message ID is transmitted by the facsimile transmitter.

4. An Internet facsimile apparatus comprising:

mail transmitter transmits image information on a computer network in accordance with an e-mail transfer protocol;

mail receiver receives an e-mail message on said computer network in accordance with the e-mail transfer protocol; and

facsimile transmitter transmits said image information in accordance with a facsimile communication protocol, wherein when said mail transmitter transmits said image information to a receiver and then said receiver receives no a DSN from said receiver within a predetermined time period, said facsimile transmitter retransmits said image information to the same person as said receiver.

5. The Internet facsimile apparatus according to claim 4, wherein when said mail receiver receives a delivery confirmation mail indicative of a normal reception, transmission data stored in a memory is erased.

6. The Internet facsimile apparatus according to claim 4 or 5, wherein when said mail receiver receives a delivery confirmation mail indicative of an abnormal reception, said facsimile transmitter retransmits said image information to the same person as said receiver.

8. An Internet facsimile apparatus comprising:

mail transmitter transmits image information on a computer network in accordance with an e-mail transfer protocol;

a memory for storing said image information transmitted by said mail transmitter; and

facsimile transmitter transmits said image information in accordance with a facsimile communication protocol, wherein said image information is erased from said memory after a lapse of a predetermined time period after said mail transmitter transmits said image information to the receiver.

10. An Internet facsimile communication method comprising:

transmitting image information on a computer network in accordance with an e-mail transfer protocol; and

retransmitting said image information to the same person as a receiver in accordance with a facsimile communication protocol when said image information is transmitted to said receiver and then said receiver normally receives no corresponding image information within a predetermined time period.

16. The Internet facsimile communication method according to any one of claims 10 to 5, wherein said image information is erased from the memory after a lapse of a predetermined time period after said image information is transmitted to the receiver in accordance with the e-mail transfer protocol.

18. The Internet facsimile communication method according to any one of claims 10 to 18, further comprising:

storing a receiver information table, which holds a mail address of the receiver and identification information, indicative of the presence or absence of a delivery confirmation mail transmission function in a receiver terminal apparatus, to be associated with each other; and

setting said identification information corresponding to the corresponding receiver to indicate the presence of said delivery confirmation mail transmission function when a delivery confirmation mail is received from the receiver.

11. An Internet facsimile communication method comprising:

transmitting image information on a computer network in accordance with an e-mail transfer protocol; and

retransmitting said image information to the same person as a receiver in accordance with a facsimile communication protocol when said image information is transmitted to said receiver and then said receiver receives an error mail.

12. The Internet facsimile communication method according to claim 11, wherein, in the step of retransmitting the image information, a message ID is extracted from the error mail and image information corresponding to said message ID is transmitted.

14. The Internet facsimile communication method according to claim 13, when a delivery confirmation mail, indicative of a normal reception, is received, transmission data stored in a memory is erased.

15. The Internet facsimile communication method according to claim 13 or 14, wherein when a delivery confirmation mail, indicative of an abnormal reception, is received, said image information is retransmitted to the same person as said receiver in accordance with the facsimile communication protocol.

13. An Internet facsimile communication method comprising:

transmitting image information on a computer network in accordance with an e-mail transfer protocol; and

retransmitting said image information to the same person as a receiver in accordance with an e-mail transfer protocol when said image information is transmitted to said receiver and then no delivery confirmation mail is received from said receiver within a predetermined time period.

17. An Internet facsimile communication method comprising:

transmitting image information on a computer network in accordance with an e-mail transfer protocol;

storing said transmitted image information to a memory; and

erasing said image information from said memory after a lapse of a predetermined time period after said image information is transmitted to a receiver in accordance with a facsimile communication protocol.