Relay server, communication system and facsimile system

• US 20020095506A1
• Filed: 01/10/2002
• Published: 07/18/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 01/15/2001
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Murata Machinery Limited (Muratec)
• Original Assignee: Murata Machinery Limited (Muratec)
• Inventors: Tanimoto, Yoshifumi
• Application Number:
  US10/045,698
• Publication Number:
  US 20020095506A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/227
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/14 Session management for real-time applications in data packet communications networks H04L65/1066
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/51 Discovery or management thereof, e.g. service location protocol [SLP] or web services
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/563 Data redirection of data network streams
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/24 Negotiation of communication capabilities
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• 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 1/324 intermediate the transmitter and receiver terminals, e.g. at an exchange
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/32406 in connection with routing or relaying, e.g. using a fax-server or a store-and-forward facility stored and forward data switching systems H04L12/54

Abstract

A facsimile system capable of carrying out a real time facsimile communication by using the Internet even when connecting a facsimile machine is connected to the local system. After connection to a relay server, certification of a first facsimile machine is performed by identifying information, and the connection is maintained. A second facsimile machine makes connection to the relay server in the same manner, and maintains the connection. After allowing communication between the facsimile machines by transmitting, from the first facsimile machine to the relay server, a connection demand with the second facsimile machine, when transmitting the image from the first facsimile machine to the relay server, the relay server relays an image, and the image is transmitted to the second facsimile machine. Since the second facsimile machine is connected to the relay server in advance, the second facsimile machine can receive the image from the relay server.

Claims

1. A relay server comprising:

communicating means capable of communicating with a plurality of network devices; and

connection information holding means for holding connection information of the network devices capable of communicating by the communicating means,

wherein the communicating means carries out communication with the network devices in accordance with the connection information, and relays data forwarding between the specified network devices in accordance with connection demand information generated from one of the network devices.

2. A communication system comprising:

a plurality of network devices; and

a relay server connected to the plurality of network devices by a network,

wherein the first network device establishes a communication path with the relay server, and generates a connection demand for communication with the second network device to the relay server when communicating with the second network device, and

the relay server relays the communication between the first and second network devices by using the communication path established in advance in accordance with the connection demand from the first network device.

3. A communication system according to claim 2 wherein the first network device is located in a local system, and connection to the first network device from an outside of the local system is limited.

4. A communication system according to claim 2 wherein the first network device is connected to the relay server via a gateway device having an address converting function.

5. A facsimile system comprising:

a facsimile machine connected to an inner network;

a gateway device for connecting the inner network to an outer network; and

a relay server connected to the outer network for relaying communication between the gateway device and another gateway device,

wherein the facsimile machine transmits and receives image data by being connected to the relay server via the gateway device in advance.

6. A facsimile system according to claim 5 wherein the relay server manages the facsimile machine to be connected in accordance with identifying information specific to the facsimile machine.

7. A facsimile system according to claim 5 wherein a plurality of facsimile machines within the inner network and another inner network can be connected to the relay server via the gateway device and the another gateway device, and the relay server manages each of the plurality of facsimile machines to be connected in accordance with identifying information specific to each of the plurality of facsimile machines.