DATA TRANSMISSION SYSTEM, DATA TRANSMISSION METHOD, DATA TRANSMISSION APPARATUS, AND COMPUTER USABLE MEDIUM THEREFOR

• US 20070086580A1
• Filed: 09/27/2006
• Published: 04/19/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 09/28/2005
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha (Brother Industries Limited)
• Original Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha (Brother Industries Limited)
• Inventors: Wakazono, Tomomi
• Application Number:
  US11/535,911
• Publication Number:
  US 20070086580A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 379/88.170
• 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 1/32 Circuits or arrangements for control or supervision between transmitter and receiver or between image input and image output device, e.g. between a still-image camera and its memory or between a still-image camera and a printer device H04N1/38, H04N1/387 take precedence

Abstract

A communication system, comprising a communication apparatus, an external memory unit, which stores a search criterion for destination information indicating a destination of communication that is designated under a predetermined criterion, a reader system, which reads the search criterion stored in the memory unit, a destination information obtaining system, which obtains the destination information that meets the search criterion read by the reader system from a destination information database, and a destination setting system, which designates the destination of communication based on the destination information obtained by the destination information obtaining system is provided.

Claims

1. A communication system, comprising:

a communication apparatus;

an external memory unit, which stores a search criterion for destination information indicating a destination of communication that is designated under a predetermined criterion and is detachably attached to the communication apparatus;

wherein the communication apparatus comprising;

a reader system, which reads the search criterion stored in the memory unit;

a destination information obtaining system, which obtains the destination information that meets the search criterion read by the reader system from a destination information database; and

a destination setting system, which designates the destination of communication based on the destination information obtained by the destination information obtaining system.

2. The communication system according to claim 1,

wherein the external memory unit stores authentication information that is used for accessing the destination information database, and

wherein the communication apparatus is provided with:

an authentication information reader system which reads the authentication information from the detachable device; and

an accessing system which accesses the destination information database using the authentication information read by the authentication information reader system.

3. The communication system according to claim 1,

wherein the communication apparatus further comprises a plurality of communication units to communicate with the destination of communication,

wherein the external memory unit stores a first search criterion for designating information that designates the destination of communication and a second search criterion for communication method to communicate with the destination of communication while the designating information and the communication method of the destination of communication are associated with each other to be stored in the destination information database,

wherein the destination information obtaining system obtains the communication method that meets the second search criterion to communicate with the designation of communication that meets the first search criterion from the destination information database, and

wherein communication between the communication apparatus and the destination is established by using one of the plurality of communication units to which the communication method obtained by the destination information obtaining system is applicable.

4. The communication system according to claim 1,

wherein the communication apparatus further comprises an operation inputting system, in which an operation from a user is inputted, and

wherein the reader system reads the search criterion from the memory unit according to the operation inputted through the operation inputting system.

5. The communication system according to claim 1,

wherein the communication apparatus is capable of obtaining the destination information from a plurality of destination information databases and further comprises a judging system, which judges as to whether the destination information has been obtained from one of the plurality of destination information databases by the destination information obtaining system, and

wherein the destination information obtaining system obtains the destination information that meets the search criterion from another destination information database when the judging system judges no destination information has been obtained from the one of the plurality of destination information databases.

6. A communication apparatus, comprising:

a communication system, capable of communicating with an external memory unit that stores a search criterion for destination information indicating a destination of communication that is designated under a predetermined criterion;

a reader system, which reads the search criterion obtained from the external memory unit by using the communication system;

a destination information obtaining system, which obtains the destination information designated based on the search criterion read by the reader system from a destination information database; and

a destination setting system, which designates the destination of communication based on the destination information obtained by the destination information obtaining system.

7. A communication system, comprising:

a communication apparatus;

a destination information database wherein destination information indicating a destination of communication with the communication apparatus is stored; and

a memory unit, which stores a search criterion for the destination information that is designated under a predetermined criterion,

wherein the communication apparatus comprises;

a reader system, which reads the search criterion stored in the memory unit;

a destination information obtaining system, which obtains the destination information designated based on the search criterion read by the reader system from the destination information database; and

a destination setting system, which designates the destination of communication based on the destination information obtained by the destination information obtaining system.

8. A method of controlling a communication system, comprising:

reading a search criterion for destination information indicating a destination of communication that is designated under a predetermined criterion stored in a memory unit;

obtaining the destination information which is designated based on the search criterion read from a destination information database storing the destination information; and

designating the destination of communication based on the obtained destination information.

9. A computer usable medium comprising computer readable instructions for controlling a computer to execute steps of:

a reading step to read a search criterion for destination information indicating a destination of communication that is designated under a predetermined criterion stored in a memory unit;

a destination information obtaining step to obtain the destination information which is designated based on the search criterion read from a destination information database storing the destination information; and

a destination setting step to designate the destination of communication based on the destination information obtained in the destination information obtaining step.