System for browsing communication details for facsimile communications with user restricting capability

• US 20040246532A1
• Filed: 03/26/2004
• Published: 12/09/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 03/28/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
• Original Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
• Inventors: Inada, Hajime
• Granted Patent: US 7,557,945 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 1/32112 in a separate computer file, document page or paper sheet, e.g. a fax cover sheet H04N1/32122 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/001 Sharing resources, e.g. processing power or memory, with a connected apparatus or enhancing the capability of the still picture apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3202 of communication or activity log or report
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3249 data relating to a linked page or object, e.g. hyperlink

Abstract

When log data is stored in a shared area of RAM provided in a multifunction device, a personal computer generates and transmits a log page having links to image data. These links are links to files (image data) registered in a log table. The log table includes a list of content identified by the log data stored in the RAM of the multifunction device. This log data can identify a file only when the multifunction device determines that the image data may be recorded. Accordingly, the personal computer can generate log pages having links to files for which image data can be recorded, that is, files that can be made public via a communication network.

Claims

1. A communication system comprising:

an image storing unit that stores image data transmitted or received through facsimile communications;

a page generating unit that generates a list page, the list page being a web page displaying a list of communication details associated with the image data transmitted or received through the facsimile communications, the list of communication details including hyperlinks to the associated image data stored in the image storing unit;

a page distributing unit that distributes via a network the list page generated by the page generating unit; and

an access determining unit that determines whether to allow access to the image data associated with the communication details of the facsimile communication based on contents of the communication details,

wherein the page generating unit generates the list page having the hyperlinks only to the image data for which the access determining unit allows access.

2. The communication system according to claim 1, wherein the communication details include at least a transmission source and transmission destination of the image data, and the access determining unit determines not to allow access to the image data when the transmission source or the transmission destination of the image data indicated by the communication details is a preselected transmission source or a preselected transmission destination.

3. The communication system according to claim 1, further comprising a first storage commanding unit that stores image data transmitted or received through facsimile communications and communication details associated with the image data in the image storing unit,

wherein the access determining unit determines whether to allow access to the image data when the image data is transmitted or received through facsimile communications, and the first storage commanding unit stores only the communication details in the image storing unit when the access determining unit determines not to allow access based on the communication details and stores the communication details and the associated image data in the image storing unit when the access determining unit determines to allow access based on the communication details.

4. The communication system according to claim 1, further comprising a second storage commanding unit that stores image data and communication details associated with the image data in the image storing unit when the image data is transmitted or received through facsimile communications, wherein the access determining unit determines whether to allow access to the image data associated with the communication details based on the communication details stored in the image storing unit.

5. The communication system according to claim 4, wherein the second storage commanding unit stores the communication details associated with the image data for which the access determining unit determines to allow access in the image storing unit in a state capable of identifying that access is allowed, and stores the communication details associated with the image data for which the access determining unit determines not to allow access in the image storing unit in a state capable of identifying that access is not allowed.

6. The communication system according to claim 4, wherein the page generating unit generates a first list page in which is displayed a list of communication details associated with image data for which the access determining unit determined to allow access and hyperlinks to the communication details, and a second list page in which is displayed a list of communication details associated with image data for which the access determining unit determined not to allow access and hyperlinks to the communication details, and wherein the page distributing unit distributes the first list page unconditionally and distributes the second list page only when specific distribution conditions have been met.

7. A communication system comprising a communication device and a terminal device connected to each other to be capable of performing data communications therebetween, wherein the communication device comprises:

an image storing unit that stores image data transmitted or received through facsimile communications;

a page generating unit that generates a list page, the list page being a web page displaying a list of communication details associated with the image data transmitted or received through the facsimile communications, the list of communication details including hyperlinks to the associated image data stored in the image storing unit; and

an access determining unit that determines whether to allow access to the image data associated with the communication details of the facsimile communication based on contents of the communication details, wherein the page generating unit generates the list page having the hyperlinks only to the image data for which the access determining unit allows access, and

wherein the terminal device comprises a page distributing unit that distributes via a network the list page generated by the page generating unit.

8. The communication system according to claim 7, wherein the communication details include at least a transmission source and transmission destination of the image data, and the access determining unit determines not to allow access to the image data when the transmission source or the transmission destination of the image data indicated by the communication details is a preselected transmission source or a preselected transmission destination.

9. A communication system comprising a communication device and a terminal device connected to each other to be capable of performing data communications therebetween, wherein the communication device comprises:

an image storing unit that stores image data transmitted or received through facsimile communications;

a first storage commanding unit that stores image data transmitted or received through facsimile communications and communication details associated with the image data in the image storing unit; and

an access determining unit that determines whether to allow access to the image data associated with the communication details of the facsimile communication based on contents of the communication details, wherein the access determining unit determines whether to allow access to the image data when the image data is transmitted or received through facsimile communications, wherein the first storage commanding unit stores only the communication details in the image storing unit when the access determining unit determines not to allow access based on the communication details and stores the communication details and the associated image data in the image storing unit when the access determining unit determines to allow access based on the communication details,

wherein the terminal device comprises;

a page generating unit that generates a list page, the list page being a web page displaying a list of communication details associated with the image data transmitted or received through the facsimile communications, the list of communication details including hyperlinks to the associated image data stored in the image storing unit, wherein the page generating unit generates the list page having the hyperlinks only to the image data for which the access determining unit allows access; and

a page distributing unit that distributes via a network the list page generated by the page generating unit.

10. The communication system according to claim 9, wherein the communication device further comprises a second storage commanding unit that stores image data and communication details associated with the image data in the image storing unit when the image data is transmitted or received through facsimile communications, wherein the access determining unit determines whether to allow access to the image data associated with the communication details based on the communication details stored in the image storing unit.

11. The communication system according to claim 10, wherein the second storage commanding unit stores the communication details associated with the image data for which the access determining unit determines to allow access in the image storing unit in a state capable of identifying that access is allowed, and stores the communication details associated with the image data for which the access determining unit determines not to allow access in the image storing unit in a state capable of identifying that access is not allowed.

12. The communication system according to claim 10, wherein the page generating unit generates a first list page in which is displayed a list of communication details associated with image data for which the access determining unit determined to allow access and hyperlinks to the communication details, and a second list page in which is displayed a list of communication details associated with image data for which the access determining unit determined not to allow access and hyperlinks to the communication details, and wherein the page distributing unit distributes the first list page unconditionally and distributes the second list page only when specific distribution conditions have been met.

13. The communication system according to claim 10, wherein the image storing unit can be recognized by the terminal device as an external storage device of the terminal device, the terminal device further comprising:

a data storing unit that stores various data;

a third storage commanding unit that stores, when data is stored in the image storing unit, the data stored in the image storing unit in the data storing unit; and

a deletion commanding unit that deletes the data from the image storing unit after the data has been stored in the data storing unit by the third storage commanding unit.

14. A communication device connected to and capable of performing data communications with a terminal device, the communication device comprising:

an image storing unit that stores image data transmitted or received through facsimile communications;

a page generating unit that generates a list page, the list page being a web page displaying a list of communication details associated with the image data transmitted or received through the facsimile communications, the list of communication details including hyperlinks to the associated image data stored in the image storing unit; and

an access determining unit that determines whether to allow access to the image data associated with the communication details of the facsimile communication based on contents of the communication details, wherein the page generating unit generates the list page having the hyperlinks only to the image data for which the access determining unit allows access.

15. The communication device according to claim 14, wherein the communication details include at least a transmission source and transmission destination of the image data, and the access determining unit determines not to allow access to the image data when the transmission source or the transmission destination of the image data indicated by the communication details is a preselected transmission source or a preselected transmission destination.

16. A communication device connected to and capable of data communications with a terminal device, the communication device comprising:

an image storing unit that stores image data transmitted or received through facsimile communications;

a first storage commanding unit that stores image data transmitted or received through facsimile communications and communication details associated with the image data in the image storing unit; and

an access determining unit that determines whether to allow access to the image data associated with the communication details of the facsimile communication based on contents of the communication details, wherein the access determining unit determines whether to allow acccess to the image data when the image data is transmitted or received through facsimile communications, wherein the first storage commanding unit stores only the communication details in the image storing unit when the access determining unit determines not to allow access based on the communication details and stores the communication details and the associated image data in the image storing unit when the access determining unit determines to allow access based on the communication details.

17. The communication device according to claim 16, further comprising a second storage commanding unit that stores image data and communication details associated with the image data in the image storing unit when the image data is transmitted or received through facsimile communications, wherein the access determining unit determines whether to allow access to the image data associated with the communication details based on the communication details stored in the image storing unit.

18. The communication device according to claim 17, wherein the second storage commanding unit stores the communication details associated with the image data for which the access determining unit determines to allow access in the image storing unit in a state capable of identifying that access is allowed, and stores the communication details associated with the image data for which the access determining unit determines not to allow access in the image storing unit in a state capable of identifying that access is not allowed.

19. A terminal device connected to and capable of performing data communications with a communication device, the terminal device comprising:

a page generating unit that generates a list page, the list page being a web page displaying a list of communication details associated with image data transmitted or received through facsimile communications, the list of communication details including hyperlinks to the associated image data, wherein the page generating unit generates the list page having the hyperlinks only to the image data for which access is allowed; and

a page distributing unit that distributes via a network the list page generated by the page generating unit.

20. The terminal device according to claim 19, wherein the page generating unit generates a first list page in which is displayed a list of communication details associated with image data for which access is allowed and hyperlinks to the communication details, and a second list page in which is displayed a list of communication details associated with image data for which access is not allowed and hyperlinks to the communication details, and wherein the page distributing unit distributes the first list page unconditionally and distributes the second list page only when specific distribution conditions have been met.

21. The terminal device according to claim 20, further comprising:

a data storing unit that stores various data;

a storage commanding unit that stores, when data is stored in a communication-end storing unit, the data stored in the communication-end storing unit in the data storing unit; and

a deletion commanding unit that deletes the data from the communication-end storing unit after the data has been stored in the data storing unit by the storage commanding unit.

22. A storage medium that stores a program for controlling a cormunication device connected to and capable of performing data communications with a terminal device, the program comprising:

a program of storing image data transmitted or received through facsimile communications in an image storing unit;

a program of generating a list page, the list page being a web page displaying a list of communication details associated with the image data transmitted or received through the facsimile communications, the list of communication details including hyperlinks to the associated image data stored in the image storing unit; and

a program of determining whether to allow access to the image data associated with the communication details of the facsimile communication based on contents of the communication details; and

a program of generating a list page having the hyperlinks only to the image data for which the access determining unit allows access.

23. A storage medium that stores a program for controlling a communication device connected to and capable of performing data communications with a terminal device, the program comprising:

a program of storing image data transmitted or received through facsimile communications;

a program of storing image data transmitted or received through facsimile communications and communication details associated with the image data in an image storing unit provided in the communication device;

a program of determining whether to allow access to the image data associated with the communication details of the facsimile communication based on contents of the communication details;

a program of storing only the communication details in the image storing unit when access is not allowed based on the contents of the communication details; and

a program of storing the communication details and the associated image data in the image storing unit when access is allowed based on the contents of the communication details.

24. A storage medium that stores a program for controlling a terminal device connected to and capable of performing data communications with a communication device, the program comprising:

a program of generating a first list page, the first list page being a web page displaying a list of communication details associated with image data transmitted or received through facsimile communications, the list of communication details including hyperlinks to the associated image data;

a program of generating a second list page having the hyperlinks only to the image data for which access is allowed; and

a program of distributing via a network the second list page.