Information processing apparatus and control method therefor

• US 20040215349A1
• Filed: 06/19/2002
• Published: 10/28/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 06/25/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Canon Ayutthaya Limited (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Ayutthaya Limited (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Inoue, Yutaka, Kogure, Shinya
• Granted Patent: US 7,003,552 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 700/1
• 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

Abstract

To easily change the specifications of a subsidiary device without changing a system unit, an information processing apparatus includes a slave control unit for controlling a slave device and a system control unit for receiving email from an external line and storing and managing the email. In transmitting email information to the slave device, email information stored in the system control unit is temporarily stored in the slave control unit and then transmitted to the slave device, improving information transmission efficiency.

Claims

1. An information processing apparatus having a system control unit that receives email through a line and stores and manages the email and a slave control unit that controls communication with a slave device, the information processing apparatus comprising:

storage means for storing, in the slave control unit, email information stored in the system control unit in accordance with a request from the slave device; and

transmission means for transmitting the email information stored in said storage means to the slave device.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein in transmitting the email information stored in the slave control unit to the slave device, the slave control unit transmits the email information independently of the system control unit.

3. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein if a next request from the slave device is received after the email information is stored in the slave control unit, corresponding email information is stored in the slave control unit from pieces of email information stored in the system control unit, when email information corresponding to a subsequent request is not stored in the slave control unit.

4. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a status of corresponding email information is updated when storing in the slave control unit the email information stored in the system control unit.

5. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein in transmitting the email information by said transmission means, the email information is processed in accordance with a display capability of the slave device.

6. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said transmission means transmits partial information of the email information stored in the slave control unit, and when the slave device requests subsequent information following the partial information, transmits the subsequent email information already stored in the slave control unit to the slave device.

7. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the email information is mail list information.

8. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the email information is a mail text.

9. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein when the slave device requests a mail list, list information of mail titles stored in the system control unit is stored in the slave control unit, the stored list information is transmitted to the slave device, and then, when the slave device requests contents of a specific mail text, corresponding mail text information stored in the system control unit is stored in the slave control unit.

10. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein when the slave device requests a mail list, the system control unit transmits, to the slave control unit, list information of all mail messages stored in the system control unit, and when a mail text is requested, transmits a corresponding mail text to the slave control unit.

11. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein every time the slave device requests a mail list, mail list information stored in the system control unit is read out and re-stored in the slave control unit.

12. A control method for an information processing apparatus having a system control unit which receives email through a line and stores and manages the email, and a slave control unit which controls communication with a slave device, comprising:

a storage step of storing, in the slave control unit, email information stored in the system control unit in accordance with a request from the slave device; and

a transmission step of transmitting the email information stored in the storage step to the slave device.