Apparatus and method for transmitting image

• US 20070229913A1
• Filed: 02/09/2007
• Published: 10/04/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 02/10/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation (Seiko Group)
• Original Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation (Seiko Group)
• Inventors: Ozawa, Takao, Aiso, Seiji, Matsunaga, Kosuke, Sakai, Toshifumi
• Granted Patent: US 7,864,355 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 358/471
• 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 1/00212 Attaching image data to computer messages, e.g. to e-mails
• 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 1/00278 with a printing apparatus, e.g. a laser beam printer
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00307 with a mobile telephone apparatus constructional features of portable telephone sets H04M1/0202; mobile radio systems H04W84/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00347 with another still picture apparatus, e.g. hybrid still picture apparatus circuits or arrangements for control or supervision between image input and image output device H04N1/32
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/0036 Alphanumeric symbols
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00366 Marks in boxes or the like, e.g. crosses or blacking out H04N1/0036 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/2158 using a detachable storage unit

Abstract

A printing apparatus creates and prints an order sheet on which a list of image data is placed. By filling in marking fields on the order sheet a user can select image data for transmission. Once the order sheet has been scanned by the scanner, the printing apparatus creates an e-mail having attached to it the image data selected by the user, and sends this to a computer or the like via a mail server. It is possible in this way to easily select image data for transmission through a prescribed communications network.

Claims

1. An image transmission apparatus for transmitting image data through a prescribed communications network, comprising:

an input unit that inputs image data;

a printing unit that prints an order sheet that has an image designation field for designation of image data for the transmission, from among the input image data;

a scanning unit that scans the order sheet that has been filled in by user;

an analyzing unit that analyzes the scanned order sheet and identifies the image data designated by the image designation field on the order sheet; and

a transmitting unit that transmits the identified image data to a prescribed recipient.

2. The image transmission apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the printing unit prints a recipient designation field for designating a recipient, in addition to the image designation field on the order sheet;

the analyzing unit identifies the recipient designated by the recipient designation field in the scanned order sheet; and

the transmitting unit transmits the identified image data to the identified recipient.

3. The image transmission apparatus according to claim 2, wherein

the recipient is indicated by an e-mail address;

and

the transmitting unit transmits the identified image data as an e-mail attachment to the recipient indicated by the e-mail address.

4. The image transmission apparatus according to claim 3, wherein

the recipient designation field of the order sheet is a field for entering the e-mail address as handwritten text;

the scanning unit scans as an image the e-mail address that was entered as handwritten text in the recipient designation field of the order sheet; and

the analyzing unit analyzes the e-mail address scanned as an image, and performs conversion to text format.

5. The image transmission apparatus according to claim 3, wherein

the printing unit additionally prints on the order sheet a field for entering a message to be included in the e-mail;

the analyzing unit analyzes the scanned order sheet and acquires the message from the order sheet; and

the transmitting unit performs the transmission while including the message in the e-mail.

6. The image transmission apparatus according to claim 3, wherein

the printing unit additionally prints on the order sheet a field for specifying the address of a server for transmitting the e-mail;

the analyzing unit analyzes the scanned order sheet and identifies the address of the server specified by the order sheet; and

the transmitting unit performs transmission of the e-mail through the server having the identified address.

7. The image transmission apparatus according to claim 3, further comprising:

an address acquiring unit for acquiring the e-mail address via a prescribed communication path from another apparatus that stores the e-mail address; and

the printing unit prints the acquired e-mail address into the recipient designation field.

8. The image transmission apparatus according to claim 2, wherein

the printing unit prints on the order sheet a marking field for specifying the recipient of each item of the image data;

the analyzing unit analyzes the scanned order sheet and classifies the image data for transmission according to the individual specified recipient; and

the transmitting unit transmits the classified image data to the individual recipient.

9. The image transmission apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the printing unit prints on the order sheet a field for specifying the size of image data for transmission;

the analyzing unit analyzes the scanned order sheet and identifies the size specified by the order sheet; and

the transmitting unit adjusts the size of the image data for transmission to the identified size.

10. The image transmission apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the printing unit prints on the order sheet a comment input field for input of a comment;

and

the analyzing unit analyzes the scanned order sheet and acquires the comment; and

the apparatus further comprises;

a thumbnail image creating unit that creates a thumbnail image in which the acquired comment is superimposed on a reduced image of prescribed image data; and

a writing unit that writes the created thumbnail image to a portion of the identified image data.

11. The image transmission apparatus according to claim 10, wherein

the comment field of the order sheet is a field for entering the comment as handwritten text.

12. The image transmission apparatus according to claim 10, wherein

the reduced image of prescribed image data having the comment superimposed thereon is a reduced image of the identified image data.

13. The image transmission apparatus according to claim 10, wherein

the comment input to the comment field is a comment relating to an output mode which is used when the recipient of the image data outputs the image data.

14. A method of transmitting image data by an image transmission apparatus comprising a printing apparatus and a scanner, the method comprising:

inputting image data;

printing by the printing apparatus an order sheet that has an image designation field for designation of image data for the transmission, from among the input image data;

scanning by the scanner the order sheet that has been filled in by the user;

analyzing the scanned order sheet and identifying image data designated by the image designation field on the order sheet; and

transmitting the identified image data to a prescribed recipient.

15. A computer program product for transmitting image data by a computer using a printing apparatus and a scanner, the computer program product comprising:

first program code for input of image data;

second program code for printing by the printing apparatus an order sheet that has an image designation field for designation of image data for the transmission, from among the input image data;

third program code for scanning by the scanner the order sheet that has been filled in by the user;

fourth program code for analyzing the scanned order sheet and identifying image data designated by the image designation field on the order sheet;

fifth program code for transmitting the identified image data to a prescribed recipient; and

a computer-readable medium having the program code stored thereon.