Communication Terminal Apparatus and Facsimile Communication Method

• US 20080074705A1
• Filed: 09/24/2007
• Published: 03/27/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 09/25/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: NEC Platforms, Ltd. (NEC Corporation)
• Original Assignee: NEC Access Technica Limited (NEC Corporation)
• Inventors: Shimoyama, Atsushi
• Granted Patent: US 8,416,434 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 358/400
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 11/066 Telephone sets adapted for data transmision
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00214 details of transmission
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/0022 involving facsimile protocols or a combination of facsimile protocols and computer data transmission protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/333 Mode signalling or mode changing; Handshaking therefor
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/33346 adapting to a particular standardised protocol
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/33392 Details of handshaking
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/33364 Type of modulation; Type of channel, e.g. digital or analog; Type of communication, e.g. half-duplex or full-duplex

Abstract

A communication terminal apparatus includes a network facsimile device having network functions, and an SIP adapter device connected to the network facsimile device to enable communication based on Session Initiation Protocol SIP for communication control. The SIP adapter device has a first IP telephone number for use in first communication defined as communication performed between a plurality of communication terminal apparatuses and a second IP telephone number for use in second communication defined as communication performed by deeming a transmission signal as a voice signal. The SIP adapter device comprises a controller for causing the network facsimile device, according to a result of selection by the network facsimile device, to implement either the first communication by using the first IP telephone number or the second communication by means of a voice coder/decoder by using the second IP telephone number.

Claims

1. A communication terminal apparatus including a network facsimile device having network functions, and an SIP adapter device connected to the network facsimile device via an analog port to enable communication based on Session Initiation Protocol SIP for communication control,

the SIP adapter device comprising:

a circuit unit including a voice coder/decoder for converting an analog facsimile signal received from the network facsimile device via the analog port into a packet;

a memory unit in which there are preliminarily registered a first IP telephone number for use in first communication defined as communication performed between a plurality of communication terminal apparatuses and a second IP telephone number for use in second communication defined as communication performed by deeming a transmission signal as a voice signal; and

a controller for causing the network facsimile device, according to a result of selection by the network facsimile device, to implement either the first communication by using the first IP telephone number or the second communication by means of the voice coder/decoder by using the second IP telephone number.

2. The communication terminal apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the communication terminal apparatus can be connected to a destination communication terminal apparatus through a network connected to an SIP server based on Session Initiation Protocol SIP, and the SIP adapter device further comprises a network interface unit for connecting the SIP adapter device to the network.

3. The communication terminal apparatus according to claim 2, wherein when the network facsimile device selects the first communication, the controller implements direct SMTP communication with Simple Mail Transfer Protocol SMTP as the first communication after identifying the IP addresses of the communication terminal apparatus and the destination communication terminal apparatus according to Session Initiation Protocol SIP, whereas when the network facsimile device selects the second communication, the controller implements the second communication by converting the analog facsimile signal into a packet after identifying the IP addresses of the communication terminal apparatus and the destination communication terminal apparatus according to Session Initiation Protocol SIP.

4. The communication terminal apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the controller comprises:

an SIP communication control portion for controlling IP network communication according to Session initiation Protocol SIP;

a first communication control portion for causing the SIP communication control portion to implement the first communication;

a device communication control portion for performing communication with the network facsimile device during the first communication; and

a second communication control portion for causing the SIP communication control portion to implement the second communication.

5. The communication terminal apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the first communication is Peer-to-Peer communication, and the second communication is Fax over IP communication.

6. A facsimile communication method in which a network facsimile device having network functions performs communication under the control of an SIP adapter device connected to the network facsimile device via an analog port to enable communication based on Session Initiation Protocol SIP for communication control, wherein:

the SIP adapter device is caused to hold a first own IP telephone number for use in first communication defined as communication performed between a plurality of communication terminal apparatuses and a second IP telephone number for use in second communication defined as communication performed by deeming a transmission signal as a voice signal; and

the SIP adapter device causes the network facsimile device, according to a result of selection by the network facsimile device, to implement either the first communication by using the first IP telephone number or the second communication by means of a voice coder/decoder by using the second IP telephone number.

7. The facsimile communication method according to claim 6, wherein when the network facsimile device selects the first communication, the controller implements direct SMTP communication with Simple Mail Transfer Protocol SMTP as the first communication after identifying the IP addresses of the communication terminal apparatus and the destination communication terminal apparatus according to Session Initiation Protocol SIP, whereas when the network facsimile device selects the second communication, the controller implements the second communication by converting an analog facsimile signal into a packet after identifying the IP addresses of the communication terminal apparatus and the destination communication terminal apparatus according to Session Initiation Protocol SIP.

8. The facsimile communication method according to claim 6, wherein the first communication is Peer-to-Peer communication, and the second communication is Fax over IP communication.

9. The facsimile communication method according to claim 7, wherein the network facsimile device and the SIP adapter device on the transmitting end are connected to the network facsimile device and the SIP adapter device on the receiving end through a network connected to an SIP server based on Session Initiation Protocol SIP, and

the direct SMTP communication comprises:

a step in which when facsimile transmission is initiated by the network facsimile device on the transmitting end after an operation of selecting direct SMTP communication including input of a destination IP telephone number is performed, the SIP adapter device on the transmitting end receives a transmission request and the destination IP telephone number from the network facsimile device on the transmitting end through the network;

a step in which upon receiving the transmission request, the SIP adapter device on the transmitting end selects the first IP telephone number and issues a connection request to the SIP server;

a step in which upon receiving the connection request from the SIP adapter device on the transmitting end, the SIP server extracts the destination IP telephone number and issues a connection request to the SIP adapter device on the receiving end corresponding to the extracted destination IP telephone number; and

a step in which upon receiving the connection request from the SIP server, the SIP adapter device on the receiving end extracts the destination IP telephone number to check the same against a preliminarily registered IP telephone number, and if the check confirms that the destination IP telephone number matches the preliminarily registered IP telephone number, the SIP adapter device on the receiving end returns a signal representing a response to the SIP server, and

wherein a communication session is established on the network when the SIP adapter device on the transmitting end and the SIP adapter device on the receiving end recognize each other as the communication partner, and direct SMTP communication is performed between the SIP adapter device on the transmitting end and the SIP adapter device on the receiving end.

10. The facsimile communication method according to claim 7, wherein the Fax over IP communication comprises:

a step in which when facsimile transmission is initiated by the network facsimile device on the transmitting end after an operation of selecting Fax over IP communication including input of a destination IP telephone number is performed, the SIP adapter device on the transmitting end receives a transmission request and the destination IP telephone number through an analog port;

a step in which upon receiving the transmission request, the SIP adapter device on the transmitting end selects the second IP telephone number and issues a connection request to the SIP server;

a step in which upon receiving the connection request from the transmitting SIP adapter device, the SIP server extracts the destination IP telephone number and issues a connection request to the SIP adapter device on the receiving end corresponding to the extracted destination IP telephone number; and

a step in which upon receiving the connection request from the SIP server the SIP adapter device on the receiving end checks the destination IP telephone number against a preliminarily registered IP telephone number, and if the check confirms that the destination IP telephone number matches the preliminarily registered IP telephone number, the SIP adapter device on the receiving end returns a signal representing a response to the SIP server, and

wherein a communication session is established on the network when the SIP adapter device on the transmitting end and the SIP adapter device on the receiving end recognize each other as the communication partner, and Fax over IP communication is performed between the SIP adapter device on the transmitting end and the SIP adapter device on the receiving end.

11. A program for causing a Central Processing Unit CPU in an SIP adapter device to execute facsimile communication control, the SIP adapter device being connected, via an analog port, to a network facsimile device having network functions of a first communication function to perform communication between a plurality of facsimile devices and a second communication function to perform communication by deeming a transmission signal as a voice signal to enable communication based on Session Initiation Protocol SIP for communication control,

wherein a first IP telephone number for the first communication function and a second IP telephone number for the second communication function are preliminarily registered in the SIP adapter device, and

wherein the program causes the Central Processing Unit CPU to execute:

a first communication control to execute, when the first communication function is selected by the network facsimile device, Simple Mail Transfer Protocol SMTP communication with Simple Mail Transfer Protocol SMTP as the first communication function using the first IP telephone number, after the IP addresses of the SIP adapter device and the destination SIP adapter device are identified based on Session Initiation Protocol SIP; and

a second communication control to execute, when the second communication is selected by the network facsimile device, the second communication function using the second IP telephone number, by converting an analog facsimile signal from the network facsimile device into a packet, after the IP addresses of the SIP adapter device and the destination SIP adapter device are identified based on Session initiation Protocol SIP.

12. The program according claim 11, wherein the first communication function is Peer to Peer communication function, and the second communication function is Fax over IP communication function.

13. A communication terminal apparatus including a network facsimile device having network functions, and an SIP adapter device connected to the network facsimile device via an analog port to enable communication based on Session Initiation Protocol SIP for communication control,

the SIP adapter device comprising:

circuit means including a voice coder/decoder for converting an analog facsimile signal received from the network facsimile device via the analog port into a packet;

memory means in which there are preliminarily registered a first IP telephone number for use in first communication defined as communication performed between a plurality of communication terminal apparatuses and a second IP telephone number for use in second communication defined as communication performed by deeming a transmission signal as a voice signal; and

control means for causing the network facsimile device, according to a result of selection by the network facsimile device, to implement either the first communication by using the first IP telephone number or the second communication by means of the voice coder/decoder by using the second IP telephone number.