Fax data transmission device and fax data transmission system

• US 20050036167A1
• Filed: 09/24/2003
• Published: 02/17/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 09/27/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Konica Minolta Business Technologies Incorporated (Konica Minolta Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Minolta Co., Ltd. (Konica Minolta Inc.)
• Inventors: Atsumi, Tomoyuki
• Granted Patent: US 8,208,151 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 358/1.150
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/32363 at the transmitter or at the receiver
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/3239 Forwarding image data, e.g. to an absent recipient
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0018 via a non-image communication channel, e.g. via a computer network
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0094 Multifunctional device, i.e. a device capable of all of reading, reproducing, copying, facsimile transception, file transception

Abstract

A fax data transmission device receives fax data, and stores it together with an identifier for identifying the fax data. The fax data transmission device sends receipt information which includes the identifier and a notification that the fax data identified by the identifier has been received, to an external device. The fax data transmission device receives destination information relating to a destination to which the fax data should be forwarded, as a reply to the receipt information. The fax data transmission device sends the fax data to the destination specified based on the destination information.

Claims

1. A fax data transmission device comprising:

a first receiving unit operable to receive fax data;

a storing unit operable to store the received fax data and an identifier for identifying the fax data, in correspondence with each other;

a notifying unit operable to send receipt information to outside of the fax data transmission device, the receipt information including the identifier and a notification that the fax data identified by the identifier has been received;

a second receiving unit operable to receive destination information for specifying a destination to which the fax data should be forwarded, as a reply to the receipt information; and

a sending unit operable to send the fax data to the destination specified by the destination information.

2. The fax data transmission device of claim 1,

wherein the notifying unit sends the receipt information via an Internet mail, and

the second receiving unit receives the destination information via a mail replying to the Internet mail.

3. The fax data transmission device of claim 2,

wherein the notifying unit places the identifier in a message body of the Internet mail.

4. The fax data transmission device of claim 1,

wherein the destination information includes location information showing a location of an external device, and

the destination to which the fax data should be sent is determined based on the location information.

5. The fax data transmission device of claim 1 further comprising:

a judging unit operable to judge whether the fax data received by the first receiving unit is sent over the Internet.

6. The fax data transmission device of claim 1 further comprising:

an operation panel operable to receive a user input of information showing a destination of the receipt information; and

a table operable to hold the information received by the operation panel,

wherein the notifying unit sends the receipt information to the destination shown by the information held in the table.

7. The fax data transmission device of claim 1, being a multi-functional image forming device which has a copy function of reading a document and forming an image on a recording sheet based on data obtained by reading the document, and a print function of forming an image on a recording sheet based on incoming data.

8. A fax data transmission device comprising:

a storing unit operable to store fax data and an identifier for identifying the fax data, in correspondence with each other;

a notifying unit operable to send send information to outside of the fax data transmission device, the send information including the identifier and a notification that the fax data identified by the identifier is going to be sent;

a receiving unit operable to receive destination information for specifying a destination to which the fax data should be sent, as a reply to the send information; and

a sending unit operable to send the fax data to the destination specified by the destination information.

9. The fax data transmission device of claim 8,

wherein the notifying unit sends the send information via an Internet mail, and

the receiving unit receives the destination information via a mail replying to the Internet mail.

10. The fax data transmission device of claim 9,

wherein the notifying unit places the identifier in a message body of the Internet mail.

11. The fax data transmission device of claim 8,

wherein the destination information includes location information showing a location of an external device, and

the destination to which the fax data should be sent is determined based on the location information.

12. The fax data transmission device of claim 8 further comprising:

an operation panel operable to receive a user input of information showing a destination of the send information; and

a table operable to hold the information received by the operation panel,

wherein the notifying unit sends the send information to the destination shown by the information held in the table.

13. The fax data transmission device of claim 8, being a multi-functional image forming device which has a copy function of reading a document and forming an image on a recording sheet based on data obtained by reading the document, and a print function of forming an image on a recording sheet based on incoming data.

14. A fax data transmission device comprising:

a first storing unit operable to store fax data and an identifier for identifying the fax data, in correspondence with each other;

a second storing unit operable to store information showing a correspondence between an original destination of the fax data and a send information destination, the send information destination being a destination of send information which includes the identifier and a notification that the fax data identified by the identifier is going to be sent;

a notifying unit operable to send the send information to the send information destination corresponding to the original destination of the fax data, with reference to the information stored in the second storing unit;

a receiving unit operable to receive destination information for specifying a destination to which the fax data should actually be sent, as a reply to the send information; and

a sending unit operable to send the fax data to the destination specified by the destination information.

15. The fax data transmission device of claim 14,

wherein the notifying unit sends the send information via an Internet mail, and

the receiving unit receives the destination information via a mail replying to the Internet mail.

16. The fax data transmission device of claim 15,

wherein the notifying unit places the identifier in a message body of the Internet mail.

17. The fax data transmission device of claim 14,

wherein the destination information includes location information showing a location of an external device, and

the destination to which the fax data should actually be sent is determined based on the location information.

18. The fax data transmission device of claim 14, being a multi-functional image forming device which has a copy function of reading a document and forming an image on a recording sheet based on data obtained by reading the document, and a print function of forming an image on a recording sheet based on incoming data.

19. The fax data transmission device of claim 14 further comprising:

a notification destination information receiving unit operable to receive the information showing the correspondence between the original destination of the fax data and the send information destination, from outside of the fax data transmission device,

wherein the second storing unit stores the information received by the notification destination information receiving unit.

20. A fax data transmission system comprising a fax data transmission device, an information communication device, and a portable communication device,

the information communication device including:

a first sending unit operable to send fax data to the fax data transmission device,

the fax data transmission device including;

a first receiving unit operable to receive the fax data from the first sending unit in the information communication device;

a storing unit operable to store the received fax data and an identifier for identifying the fax data, in correspondence with each other;

a notifying unit operable to send receipt information to the portable communication device, the receipt information including the identifier and a notification that the fax data identified by the identifier has been received;

a second receiving unit operable to receive destination information for specifying a destination to which the fax data should be forwarded, from the portable communication device as a reply to the receipt information; and

a second sending unit operable to send the fax data to the destination specified by the specifying unit, and

the portable communication device including;

a third receiving unit operable to receive the receipt information from the notifying unit in the fax data transmission device; and

a replying unit operable to send the destination information to the fax data transmission device as the reply to the receipt information.

21. A fax data transmission system comprising a fax data transmission device, an information communication device, and a portable communication device,

the fax data transmission device including:

a storing unit operable to store fax data and an identifier for identifying the fax data, in correspondence with each other;

a notifying unit operable to send send information to the information communication device, the send information including the identifier and a notification that the fax data identified by the identifier is going to be sent;

a first receiving unit operable to receive destination information for specifying a destination to which the fax data should be sent, from the portable communication device; and

a first sending unit operable to send the fax data to the destination specified by the destination information,

the information communication device including;

a second receiving unit operable to receive the send information from the notifying unit in the fax data transmission device; and

a forwarding unit operable to forward the send information received by the second receiving unit, to the portable communication device, and

the portable communication device including;

a third receiving unit operable to receive the send information forwarded by the forwarding unit in the information communication device; and

a replying unit operable to send the destination information to the fax data transmission device.

22. A fax data transmission system comprising a fax data transmission device, an information communication device, and a portable communication device,

the information communication device including:

a first sending unit operable to send information showing a correspondence between an original destination of fax data and a send information destination, to the fax data transmission device,

the fax data transmission device including;

a first receiving unit operable to receive the information form the first sending unit in the information communication device;

a first storing unit operable to store the fax data and an identifier for identifying the fax data, in correspondence with each other;

a second storing unit operable to store the information received by the first receiving unit;

a notifying unit operable to send send information to the send information destination corresponding to the original destination of the fax data with reference to the information stored in the second storing unit, the send information including the identifier and a notification that the fax data identified by the identifier is going to be sent;

a second receiving unit operable to receive destination information for specifying a destination to which the fax data should actually be sent, as a reply to the send information; and

a second sending unit operable to send the fax data to the destination specified by the destination information, and

the portable communication device including;

a third receiving unit operable to receive the send information from the notifying unit in the fax data transmission device, when designated as the send information destination; and

a replying unit operable to send the destination information to the fax data transmission device.