Image forming device capable of acquiring data from web server

• US 20030164988A1
• Filed: 02/21/2003
• Published: 09/04/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 03/01/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha (Brother Industries Limited)
• Original Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha (Brother Industries Limited)
• Inventors: Kondo, Yoshiyuki, Kokubo, Masatoshi, Aoki, Kazuma, Enomoto, Katsunori
• Granted Patent: US 7,528,973 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 358/400
• 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 1/00206 Transmitting or receiving computer data via an image communication device, e.g. a facsimile transceiver H04N1/00236 takes precedence
• 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 1/00244 with a server, e.g. an internet server fax-servers or the like for store and forward H04N1/324
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/32379 Functions of a still picture terminal memory associated with reception
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/32432 in a particular memory file for retrieval by the user, e.g. in a facsimile mailbox
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/32496 Changing the task performed, e.g. reading and transmitting, receiving and reproducing, copying facsimile mode changing H04N1/333
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0082 Image hardcopy reproducer H04N2201/0091 - H04N2201/0094 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0086 Image transceiver H04N2201/0093 and H04N2201/0094 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3287 Storage of at least one complete document page or image frame

Abstract

A facsimile device includes an outer case accommodating a circuit controller and a communication module. The communication module has a router function and can be directly connected to a broadband-capable modem, such as an ADSL modem, by a cable. The communication module can perform bi-directional communications with a web server on the Internet via the broadband-capable modem. The communication module also has a web printing function for printing images of data received from a web server on a recording unit. Hence, by connecting a broadband-capable modem to the communication module, the facsimile device can print data from web servers onto paper to facilitate viewing.

Claims

1. An image forming device comprising:

an image forming unit that forms images on a recording medium;

a communicating unit that is connectable directly to a broadband-capable modem so as to perform bi-directional communications with a web server that is provided on a wide area network via the broadband-capable modem;

a data outputting unit that has a web printing function for controlling the image forming unit to form images on a recording medium based on data that the communicating unit receives from the web server; and

a main case accommodating the image forming unit, the communicating unit, and the data outputting unit.

2. The image forming device according to claim 1, wherein the communicating unit is connectable to a local area network and transmits data received from the web server to a LAN terminal on the local area network.

3. The image forming device according to claim 2, further comprising:

a transferring unit that transfers data that the communicating unit receives from the web server to a predetermined LAN terminal on the local area network; and

an output switching unit that selectively controls, based on predetermined conditions, one of the data outputting unit and the transferring unit to operate.

4. The image forming device according to claim 2, wherein the communicating unit has a routing function for connecting the LAN terminal on the local area network to the wide area network to perform bi-directional communications.

5. The image forming device according to claim 2, wherein, the data outputting unit further has a printing function for controlling the image forming unit to form images on a recording medium based on data that the communicating unit receives from the LAN terminal on the local area network.

6. The image forming device according to claim 5, wherein the data outputting unit gives priority to operating the web printing function over the printing function.

7. The image forming device according to claim 5, wherein the data outputting unit gives priority to operating the web printing function over the printing function when the amount of data received from the LAN terminal is equal to or greater than a predetermined amount, and gives priority to operating the printing function over the web printing function when the amount of data received from the LAN terminal is less than the predetermined amount.

8. The image forming device according to claim 1, further comprising a line connecting unit that is connectable to an external facsimile device via a public network, wherein the data outputting unit further has a facsimile function for controlling the image forming unit to form images on a recording medium based on facsimile data that the line connecting unit receives from the external facsimile device.

9. The image forming device according to claim 8, wherein the data outputting unit gives top priority to the facsimile function.

10. The image forming device according to claim 1, further comprising a communication module detachably accommodated in the main case, the communication module including the communicating unit.

11. The image forming device according to claim 1, wherein the communicating unit is connectable directly to a DSL modem as the broadband-capable modem.

12. The image forming device according to claim 1, wherein the communicating unit is connectable directly to a cable modem as the broadband-capable modem.

13. A communication system comprising:

the image forming device of claim 2;

a broadband-capable modem that is connected to and performs bi-directional communications with the communicating unit of the image forming device, the broadband-capable modem relaying communications between a web server provided on a wide area network and the image forming device; and

a LAN terminal that is connected to and performs bi-directional communications with the communicating unit of the image forming device, the LAN terminal being capable of receiving data that the communicating unit of the image forming device receives from the web server.

14. The communication system according to claim 13, wherein the image forming device further comprises:

a transferring unit that transfers data that the communicating unit receives from the web server to a predetermined LAN terminal on the local area network; and

an output switching unit that selectively controls, based on predetermined conditions, one of the data outputting unit and the transferring unit to operate.

15. The communication system according to claim 13, wherein the communicating unit of the image forming device has a routing function for connecting the LAN terminal on the local area network to the wide area network to perform bi-directional communications.

16. The communication system according to claim 13, wherein, the data outputting unit of the image forming device further has a printing function for controlling the image forming unit to form images on a recording medium based on data that the communicating unit receives from the LAN terminal on the local area network.

17. The communication system according to claim 16, wherein the data outputting unit of the image forming device gives priority to operating the web printing function over the printing function.

18. The communication system according to claim 16, wherein the data outputting unit of the image forming device gives priority to operating the web printing function over the printing function when the amount of data received from the LAN terminal is equal to or greater than a predetermined amount, and gives priority to operating the printing function over the web printing function when the amount of data received from the LAN terminal is less than the predetermined amount.