Image communicating apparatus

• US 20020051223A1
• Filed: 06/27/2001
• Published: 05/02/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 07/06/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Canon Ayutthaya Limited (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Ayutthaya Limited (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Izumi, Michihiro, Yoshitani, Akihiro
• Granted Patent: US 6,972,874 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 358/402
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00204 with a digital computer or a digital computer system, e.g. an internet server programmed control between transmitter and receiver or between image input and image output device H04N1/32561
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/33307 prior to start of transmission, input or output of the picture signal only
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0015 Control of image communication with the connected apparatus, e.g. signalling capability
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/33357 Compression mode

Abstract

An image communicating apparatus determines whether or not the amount of compressed image data is a predetermined amount or greater when transmitting a scanned color image as attached data in an e-mail message. If the amount of data is the predetermined amount or greater, the compressed image data is decompressed, and the image data is again compressed with a lower resolution, thereby reducing the amount of data to less than the predetermined amount. The image data is then attached to an e-mail message, and the e-mail message is transmitted.

Claims

1. An image communicating apparatus for transmitting image data to another apparatus through a public communication network, comprising:

input means for inputting image data;

compression means for compressing the image data input by said input means;

first transmission means for transmitting by facsimile the image data compressed by said compression means;

second transmission means for transmitting the image data compressed by said compression means as attached data in an e-mail message;

selection means for selecting said first transmission means or said second transmission means;

determination means for determining, when said second transmission means is selected by said selection means, whether or not the amount of image data compressed by said compression means is a predetermined amount or greater; and

reduction means for reducing the amount of image data to less than the predetermined amount when said determination means determines that the amount of image data is the predetermined amount or greater.

2. An image communicating apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said reduction means decompresses the compressed image data and causes said compression means to again compress the image data with a lower resolution.

3. An image communicating apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said reduction means decompresses the compressed image data and causes said compression means to again compress the image data at a higher compression ratio.

4. An image communicating apparatus according to claim 3, wherein said compression means perform JPEG compression;

and

said reduction means changes values in a quantization table used to perform JPEG compression.

5. An image communicating apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said input means includes a scanner for scanning a document image;

and

said image communicating apparatus further comprises converting means for converting the color space of an image scanned by said scanner to YCbCr.

6. An image communicating apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising display means for displaying that it is determined, by said determination means, that the amount of data is the predetermined amount or greater.

7. An image communicating apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said reduction means includes dividing means for dividing, when said input means inputs image data of a plurality of pages, the image data of the plurality of pages so that the amount of image data in an e-mail message is less than the predetermined amount.

8. An image communicating apparatus for transmitting image data to another apparatus through a public communication network, comprising:

scanning means for scanning a document image;

compression means for compressing image data scanned by said scanning means;

first transmission means for transmitting by facsimile the image data compressed by said compression means;

second transmission means for transmitting the image data compressed by said compression means as attached data in an e-mail message;

selection means for selecting said first transmission means or said second transmission means; and

setting means for setting a scanning resolution employed by said scanning means, when said second transmission means is selected by said selection means, to be lower than a scanning resolution employed by said scanning means when said first transmission means is selected.

9. An image communicating apparatus according to claim 8, further comprising:

determination means for determining, when said second transmission means is selected by said selection means, whether or not the amount of image data compressed by said compression means is a predetermined amount or greater; and

reduction means for reducing the amount of image data to less than the predetermined amount when said determination means determines that the amount of image data is the predetermined amount or greater.

10. An image communicating apparatus according to claim 9, wherein said reduction means decompresses the compressed image data and causes said compression means to again compress the image data with a lower resolution.

11. An image communicating apparatus according to claim 9, wherein said reduction means decompresses the compressed image data and causes said compression means to again compress the image data at a higher compression ratio.

12. An image communicating apparatus according to claim 11, wherein said compression means performs JPEG compression;

and

said reduction means changes values in a quantization table used to perform JPEG compression.

15. A control method according to claim 14, wherein, in said reduction step, the compressed image data is decompressed, and the image data is again compressed with a lower resolution.

16. A control method according to claim 14, wherein, in said reduction step, the compressed image data is decompressed, and the image data is again compressed at a higher compression ratio.

17. A control method according to claim 16, wherein, in said compression step, JPEG compression is performed;

and

in said reduction step, values in a quantization table, which is used to perform JPEG compression, are changed.

18. A control method according to claim 14, wherein, in said input step, a document image is input from a scanner;

said control method further comprising a conversion step of converting the color space of an image scanned by the scanner to YCbCr.

19. A control method according to claim 14, further comprising a display step of displaying that it is determined in said determination step that the amount of image data is the predetermined amount or greater.

13. An image communicating apparatus for transmitting image data to another apparatus through a public communication network, comprising:

input means for inputting image data of a plurality of pages;

compression means for compressing the image data input by said input means;

first transmission means for transmitting by facsimile the image data compressed by said compression means;

second transmission means for transmitting the image data compressed by said compression means as attached data in an e-mail message;

selection means for selecting said first transmission means or said second transmission means; and

dividing means for dividing, when said second transmission means is selected by said selection means, the image data of the plurality of pages so that the amount of image data in an e-mail message is less than a predetermined amount;

wherein said second transmission means creates an e-mail message for each portion of image data divided by said dividing means.

14. A control method for an image communicating apparatus for transmitting image data to another apparatus through a public communication network, comprising:

an input step of inputting image data;

a compression step of compressing the image data input in said input step;

a selection step of selecting a first transmission mode, in which the image data compressed in said compression step is transmitted by facsimile, or a second transmission mode, in which the image data compressed in said compression step is transmitted as attached data in an e-mail message;

a determination step of determining, when the second transmission mode is selected in said selection step, whether or not the amount of image data compressed in said compression step is a predetermined amount or greater; and

a reduction step of reducing the amount of image data to less than the predetermined amount when it is determined in said determination step that the amount of image data is the predetermined amount or greater.

20. A control method for an image communicating apparatus for transmitting image data to another apparatus through a public communication network, comprising:

a scanning step of scanning a document image;

a compression step of compressing image data scanned in said scanning step;

a selection step of selecting a first transmission mode, in which the image data compressed in said compression step is transmitted by facsimile, or a second transmission mode, in which the image data compressed in said compression step is transmitted as attached data in an e-mail message; and

a setting step of setting a scanning resolution employed in said scanning step, when the second transmission mode is selected in said selection step, to be lower than a scanning resolution employed in said scanning step when the first transmission mode is selected.

21. A control method for an image communicating apparatus for transmitting image data to another apparatus through a public communication network, comprising:

an input step of inputting image data of a plurality of pages;

a compression step of compressing the image data input in said input step;

a selection step of selecting a first transmission mode, in which the image data compressed in said compression step is transmitted by facsimile, or a second transmission mode, in which the image data compressed in said compression step is transmitted as attached data in an e-mail message;

a dividing step of dividing, when the second transmission mode is selected in said selection step, the image data of the plurality of pages so that the amount of image data in an e-mail message is less than a predetermined amount; and

a creating step of creating an e-mail message for each portion of image data divided in said dividing step.

22. A computer-readable storage medium storing a program for causing an image communication apparatus for transmitting image data to another apparatus through a public communication network to execute the following steps, said program comprising:

an input step of inputting image data;

a compression step of compressing the image data input in said input step;

a selection step of selecting a first transmission mode, in which the image data compressed in said compression step is transmitted by facsimile, or a second transmission mode, in which the image data compressed in said compression mode is transmitted as attached data in an e-mail message;

a determination step of determining, when the second transmission mode is selected in said selection step, whether or not the amount of image data compressed in said compression step is a predetermined amount or greater; and

a reduction step of reducing, when it is determined in said determination step that the amount of image data is the predetermined amount or greater, the amount of image data to less than the predetermined amount.

23. A computer-readable storage medium storing a program for causing an image communicating apparatus for transmitting image data to another apparatus through a public communication network to execute the following steps, said program comprising:

a scanning step of scanning a document image;

a compression step of compressing image data scanned in said scanning step;

a selection step of selecting a first transmission mode, in which the image data compressed in said compression step is transmitted by facsimile, or a second transmission mode, in which the image data compressed in said compression step is transmitted as attached data in an e-mail message; and

a setting step of setting a scanning resolution employed in said scanning step, when the second transmission mode is selected in said selection step, to be lower than a scanning resolution employed in said scanning step when the first transmission mode is selected.

24. A computer-readable storage medium storing a program for causing an image communicating apparatus for transmitting image data to another apparatus through a public communication network to execute the following steps, said program comprising:

an input step of inputting image data of a plurality of pages;

a compression step of compressing the image data input in said input step;

a selection step of selecting a first transmission mode, in which the image data compressed in said compression step is transmitted by facsimile, or a second transmission mode, in which the image data compressed in said compression step is transmitted as attached data in an e-mail message;

a dividing step of dividing, when the second transmission mode is selected in said selection step, the image data of the plurality of pages so that the amount of image data in an e-mail message is less than a predetermined amount; and

a creating step of creating an e-mail message for each portion of image data divided in said dividing step.

25. An image communicating apparatus for transmitting image data to another apparatus through a public communication network, comprising:

input means for inputting image data;

confirming means for confirming a destination;

compression means for compressing the image data input by said input means;

transmission means for transmitting the image data compressed by said compression means as attached data in an e-mail message;

determination means for determining whether or not the amount of image data compressed by said compression means is a predetermined amount or greater; and

reduction means for reducing the amount of image data to less than the predetermined amount when said determination means determines that the amount of image data is the predetermined amount or greater.