ELECTRONIC MAIL COMMUNICATION DEVICE

• US 20080046523A1
• Filed: 08/17/2007
• Published: 02/21/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 08/18/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha (Brother Industries Limited)
• Original Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha (Brother Industries Limited)
• Inventors: Tsujimoto, Shohei, Izaki, Takeshi, Kudo, Yasuhiro, Yanagi, Satoru, Hibino, Masaaki
• Granted Patent: US 8,386,570 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/206
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/23 Reliability checks, e.g. acknowledgments or fault reporting
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00214 details of transmission
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00217 only involving computer data transmission protocols, e.g. SMTP, WAP or HTTP communication protocol aspects and techniques in packet data networks H04L69/00; network-specific arrangements or communication protocols supporting networked applications H04L67/00
• 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 1/00925 Inhibiting an operation
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/32771 in response to a request, e.g. for a particular document
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/32776 using an interactive, user-operated device, e.g. a computer terminal, mobile telephone H04N1/32782, H04N1/32784 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0094 Multifunctional device, i.e. a device capable of all of reading, reproducing, copying, facsimile transception, file transception

Abstract

An electronic mail communication device is used in connection with a server for communicating an electronic mail. The electronic mail communication device is provided with an input device that inputs an electronic mail communication command, a storage that stores information indicating whether or not an electronic mail communication through the server is enabled, and a communication control device. The communication control device outputs a signal to the server to establish connection with the server in a case where the electronic mail communication command is input to the input device while the information indicating the communication enable state is stored in the storage. The communication control device inhibits from outputting the signal to the server in a case where the electronic mail communication command is input to the input device while the information indicating the communication disable state is stored in the storage.

Claims

1. An electronic mail communication device used in connection with a server for communicating an electronic mail, the electronic mail communication device comprising:

an input device that inputs an electronic mail communication command;

a storage that stores information indicating whether or not an electronic mail communication through the server is enabled; and

a communication control device that outputs a signal to the server to establish connection with the server in a case where the electronic mail communication command is input to the input device while the information indicating the communication enable state is stored in the storage, wherein the communication control device inhibits from outputting the signal to the server in a case where the electronic mail communication command is input to the input device while the information indicating the communication disable state is stored in the storage.

2. The electronic mail communication device as in claim 1, wherein

the electronic mail communication device is to be connected to at least one terminal device, and

the input device inputs the electronic mail communication command output from the terminal device.

3. The electronic mail communication device as in claim 2, wherein

in the case where the electronic mail communication command is input to the input device while the information indicating the communication disable state is stored in the storage, the communication control device outputs the information indicating the communication disable state to the terminal device.

4. The electronic mail communication device as in claim 3, wherein

the storage stores a cause of the communication disabled state, and

in the case where the electronic mail communication command is input to the input device while the information indicating the communication disable state is stored in the storage, the communication control device outputs information indicating the cause stored in the storage to the terminal device.

5. The electronic mail communication device as in claim 3, wherein

in a case where the electronic mail communication command is input to the input device while the information indicating the communication disable state is stored in the storage, and then the communication disabled state is released, the communication control device outputs information indicating that the communication disabled state is released to the terminal device.

6. The electronic mail communication device as in claim 1, wherein

in a case where the electronic mail communication command is input to the input device while the information indicating the communication disable state is stored in the storage, and then the communication disabled state is released, the communication control device automatically executes a communication process in accordance with the electronic mail communication command.

7. The electronic mail communication device as in claim 6, wherein

the electronic mail communication device is to be connected to at least one terminal device, and

in a case where the electronic mail communication command output from the terminal device is input to the input device while the information indicating the communication disable state is stored in the storage, then the communication disabled state is released, and then the communication process is automatically executed, the communication control device outputs information indicating that the communication process has been executed to the terminal device.

8. The electronic mail communication device as claim 1, wherein

the communication control device tests, at a predetermined timing, whether or not the electronic mail communication through the server is enabled, and

the storage stores a test result obtained by the communication control device.

9. The electronic mail communication device as claim 8, wherein

the communication control device tests by outputting a signal to the server and checking a response from the server.

10. The electronic mail communication device as in claim 8, further comprising:

a user authentication storage that stores a user identification and a password,

wherein the communication control device tests by determining whether the user identification and the password stored in the user authentication storage are registered by the server.

11. The electronic mail communication device as in claim 8, further comprising:

a user authentication storage that stores a user authentication method,

wherein the communication control device tests by determining whether the user authentication method stored in the user authentication storage is identical to a user authentication method that the server is capable of executing.

12. The electronic mail communication device as in claim 8, further comprising:

a user authentication storage that stores a user authentication method,

wherein the server is an electronic mail sending server, and

in a case where the user authentication method stored in the user authentication storage is SMTP-AUTH, the communication control device obtains a list of SMTP-AUTH authentication mechanisms that can be executed by the electronic mail sending server, and tests by making the electronic mail sending server execute a user authentication with priority the authentication mechanism having the highest security level out of the authentication mechanisms included in the list.

13. The electronic mail communication device as in claim 8, wherein

the server is an electronic mail sending server, and

the communication control device tests by attempting to send an electronic mail to a predetermined electronic mail address through the electronic mail sending server.

14. The electronic mail communication device as in claim 8, wherein

the communication control device does not test while the information indicating the communication enable state is stored in the storage.

15. The electronic mail communication device as in claim 1, wherein

the input device inputs an electronic mail sending command and an electronic mail receiving command,

the storage stores information indicating whether or not an electronic mail sending through an electronic sending server is enabled, and information indicating whether or not an electronic mail receiving through an electronic receiving server is enabled,

the communication control device outputs a signal to the electronic sending server to establish connection with the electronic sending server in a case where the electronic mail sending command is input to the input device while the information indicating the sending enable state is stored in the storage,

the communication control device inhibits from outputting the signal to the electronic sending server in a case where the electronic mail sending command is input to the input device while the information indicating the sending disable state is stored in the storage,

the communication control device outputs a signal to the electronic receiving server to establish connection with the electronic receiving server in a case where the electronic mail receiving command is input to the input device while the information indicating the receiving enable state is stored in the storage, and

the communication control device inhibits from outputting the signal to the electronic receiving server in a case where the electronic mail receiving command is input to the input device while the information indicating the receiving disable state is stored in the storage.

16. A computer readable medium for an electronic mail communication device used in connection with a server for communicating an electronic mail, the computer readable medium including instructions for ordering a computer mounted on the electronic mail communication device to perform:

storing information indicating whether or not an electronic mail communication through the server is enabled;

outputting a signal to the server to establish connection with the server in a case where the electronic mail communication command is input while the information indicating the communication enable state is stored; and

inhibiting from outputting the signal to the server in a case where the electronic mail communication command is input while the information indicating the communication disable state is stored.

17. A system comprising:

at least one terminal device; and

an electronic mail communication device used in connection with a server for communicating an electronic mail,

wherein the terminal device comprises an output device that outputs an electronic mail communication command,

wherein the electronic mail communication device comprises;

an input device that inputs the electronic mail communication command output from the terminal device;

a storage that stores information indicating whether or not an electronic mail communication through the server is enabled; and

a communication control device that outputs a signal to the server to establish connection with the server in a case where the electronic mail communication command is input to the input device while the information indicating the communication enable state is stored in the storage, wherein the communication control device inhibits from outputting the signal to the server in a case where the electronic mail communication command is input to the input device while the information indicating the communication disable state is stored in the storage.