Communication apparatus and control method of the same

• US 20020103872A1
• Filed: 01/28/2002
• Published: 08/01/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 01/30/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Watanabe, Naoya
• Granted Patent: US 7,113,976 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/206
• 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: H04L 61/4555 Directories for electronic mail or instant messaging
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/4536 Voicemail combined with text-based messaging
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/4931 Directory assistance systems
• 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 1/32058 Abbreviated dialing, e.g. one-touch dialing
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/32122 in a separate device, e.g. in a memory or on a display separate from image data
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0086 Image transceiver H04N2201/0093 and H04N2201/0094 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3205 of identification information, e.g. name or ID code H04N2201/3209 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3207 of an address
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3208 of an e-mail or network address
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3209 of a telephone number
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3274 Storage or retrieval of prestored additional information
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3278 Transmission

Abstract

Disclosed are a communication apparatus capable of registering telephone directory data at once from e-mail containing the telephone directory data into a telephone directory of a communication apparatus. A communication apparatus according to this invention is a communication apparatus having a function of transmitting/receiving e-mail, and characterized by including a communication partner information storage unit for storing communication partner information having predetermined registration items, an identifier detecting unit for detecting a predetermined identifier from received e-mail, and a registering unit for registering information described in the e-mail in accordance with the detected identifier into that registration item of the communication partner information which corresponds to the identifier.

Claims

1. A communication apparatus having a function of transmitting/receiving e-mail, comprising:

communication partner information storage means for storing communication partner information having predetermined registration items;

identifier detecting means for detecting a predetermined identifier from received e-mail; and

registering means for registering information described in the e-mail in accordance with the detected identifier into that registration item of the communication partner information which corresponds to the identifier.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising identifier determining means for determining whether the identifier is valid,

wherein if the identifier is found to be invalid, said registering means does not register information described in the e-mail in accordance with the identifier.

3. The apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising registration designating means by which a user designates registration by said registering means,

wherein said registering means registers only information whose registration is designated by said registration designating means.

4. The apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

extracting means for extracting the communication partner information stored in said communication partner information storage means; and

mail generating means for generating e-mail data having a body in which pieces of information constituting the extracted communication partner information are described in one-to-one correspondence with identifiers corresponding the registration items in which these pieces of information are registered.

5. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the information described in the e-mail in accordance with the detected identifier is described subsequently to the detected identifier.

6. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the registration items include at least two of the name, name reading, telephone number, and e-mail address of a communication partner.

7. A control method of a communication apparatus which comprises communication partner information storage means for storing communication partner information having predetermined registration items, and which has a function of transmitting/receiving e-mail, comprising:

the identifier detection step of detecting a predetermined identifier from received e-mail; and

the registration step of registering information described in the e-mail in accordance with the detected identifier into that registration item of the communication partner information which corresponds to the identifier.

8. The method according to claim 7, further comprising the identifier determination step of determining whether the identifier is valid,

wherein if the identifier is found to be invalid, the registration step does not register information described in the e-mail in accordance with the identifier.

9. The method according to claim 7, wherein the registration step comprises registering only information whose registration is designated by the user of said communication apparatus.

10. The method according to claim 7, further comprising:

the extraction step of extracting the communication partner information stored in said communication partner information storage means; and

the mail generation step of generating e-mail data having a body in which pieces of information constituting the extracted communication partner information are described in one-to-one correspondence with identifiers corresponding the registration items in which these pieces of information are registered.

11. The method according to claim 7, wherein the information described in the e-mail in accordance with the detected identifier is described subsequently to the detected identifier.

12. The method according to claim 7, wherein the registration items include at least two of the name, name reading, telephone number, and e-mail address of a communication partner.

13. A control program of a communication apparatus which comprises communication partner information storage means for storing communication partner information having predetermined registration items, and which has a function of transmitting/receiving e-mail, comprising:

a program of the identifier detection step of detecting a predetermined identifier from received e-mail; and

a program of the registration step of registering information described in the e-mail in accordance with the detected identifier into that registration item of the communication partner information which corresponds to the identifier.

14. A computer-readable storage medium storing the control program of a communication apparatus according to claim 13.