Image data transmitting apparatus, server apparatus, image data transmitting system, and program

• US 20090201557A1
• Filed: 03/27/2008
• Published: 08/13/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 04/04/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha (Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha (Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Honma, Tomoyuki
• Granted Patent: US 8,130,390 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 358/402
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/066 Format adaptation, e.g. format conversion or compression
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/08 Annexed information, e.g. attachments
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/48 Message addressing, e.g. address format or anonymous messages, aliases
• 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 1/00973 from a remote device, e.g. receiving via the internet instructions input to a computer terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/32112 in a separate computer file, document page or paper sheet, e.g. a fax cover sheet H04N1/32122 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/4433 to an apparatus, part of an apparatus or an apparatus function
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0039 Connection via a network
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0093 Facsimile machine H04N2201/0094 takes precedence

Abstract

The image data transmitting apparatus acquires the address book data corresponding to the user or such data and the transmittal cover letter data from the server apparatus, selects, out of the acquired information on destinations, the destination according to selecting operation by the user, generates transmittal cover letter image data based on the transmittal cover letter data related to the selected destination and attaches the image data to be transmitted as second and subsequent pages, thereby generating the image data with the transmittal cover letter attached thereto. While thus generated image data with the transmittal cover letter attached thereto is transmitted to the destination, transmission is prohibited of image data other than thus generated image data with the transmittal cover letter attached thereto.

Claims

1. An image data transmitting apparatus connected to a server apparatus by way of a network, the server apparatus having stored thereon address book data in which information on destinations, information on users who use the image data transmitting apparatus, and transmission setting information indicative of transmittal cover letter data to be used are related to each other, the image data transmitting apparatus or the server apparatus having the transmittal cover letter data stored thereon,

the image data transmitting apparatus comprising:

a data acquiring portion that acquires the address book data corresponding to the user or such address book data and the transmittal cover letter data from the server apparatus;

a destination selecting portion that, out of the information on destinations as acquired by the data acquiring portion, selects the destination according to selecting operation by the user;

an image data generating portion that generates image data of the transmittal cover letter based on the transmittal cover letter data related to the destination selected by the destination selecting portion and attaches image data to be transmitted as second and subsequent pages, thereby generating the image data with the transmittal cover letter attached thereto; and

an image data transmitting portion that transmits the image data with the transmittal cover letter attached thereto generated by the image data generating portion to the destination, wherein

the image data transmitting portion prohibits transmission of image data other than the image data with the transmittal cover letter attached thereto generated by the image data generating portion.

2. The image data transmitting apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein

the transmission setting information contains transmission permit/non-permit information indicating permit or non-permit of the transmission to the destination, and wherein

the destination selecting portion is designed to be capable of selecting only the destination for which the transmission permit/non-permit information indicates the transmission permit.

3. The image data transmitting apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein

the transmission setting information contains image limiting information indicative of the size and/or the resolution of the image data to be transmitted, and wherein

the image data generating portion is designed to be capable of attaching only the image data to be transmitted that matches the size and/or the resolution indicated by the image limiting information.

4. The image data transmitting apparatus as defined in claim 2, wherein

the transmission setting information contains image limiting information indicative of the size and/or the resolution of the image data to be transmitted, and wherein

the image data generating portion is designed to be capable of attaching only the image data to be transmitted that matches the size and/or the resolution indicated by the image limiting information.

5. The image data transmitting apparatus as defined in any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein

the data acquiring portion, only when confidence information received from the user is determined to be correct by the server apparatus, is designed to be capable of acquiring the address book data corresponding to the user or such address book data and the transmittal cover letter data.

6. A server apparatus connected to an image data transmitting apparatus by way of a network, comprising:

a memory portion that stores address book data in which information on destinations, information on users who use the image data transmitting apparatus, and transmission setting information indicative of transmittal cover letter data to be used are related to each other or such address book data and the transmittal cover letter data; and

a data transmitting portion that, in response to a request to acquire from the image data transmitting apparatus, reads out the requested address book data corresponding to the user of the image data transmitting apparatus or such address book data and the transmittal cover letter data from the memory portion and transmits such data.

7. An image data transmitting system including a server apparatus and an image data transmitting apparatus connected to the server apparatus by way of a network, the server apparatus having stored thereon address book data in which information on destinations, information on users who use the image data transmitting apparatus, and transmission setting information indicative of transmittal cover letter data to be used are related to each other, the image data transmitting apparatus or the server apparatus having the transmittal cover letter data stored thereon,

the image data transmitting apparatus comprising:

a data acquiring portion that acquires the address book data corresponding to the user or such address book data and the transmittal cover letter data from the server apparatus;

a destination selecting portion that, out of the information on destinations acquired by the data acquiring portion, selects the destination according to selecting operation by the user;

an image data generating portion that generates image data of the transmittal cover letter based on the transmittal cover letter data related to the destination selected by the destination selecting portion and attaches the image data to be transmitted as second and subsequent pages, thereby generating the image data with the transmittal cover letter attached thereto; and

an image data transmitting portion that transmits the image data with the transmittal cover letter attached thereto generated by the image data generating portion to the destination, wherein

the image data transmitting portion prohibits transmission of image data other than the image data with the transmittal cover letter attached thereto generated by the image data generating portion.

8. A program to be installed in a control portion of an image data transmitting apparatus connected to a server apparatus by way of a network, the server apparatus having stored thereon address book data in which information on destinations, information on users who use the image data transmitting apparatus, and transmission setting information indicative of transmittal cover letter data to be used are related to each other, the image data transmitting apparatus or the server apparatus having the transmittal cover letter data stored thereon,

the program operable to drive the control portion of the image data transmitting apparatus to execute:

a data acquiring step of acquiring the address book data corresponding to the user or such address book data and the transmittal cover letter data from the server apparatus;

a destination selecting step of selecting, out of the information on destinations acquired by the data acquiring step, the destination according to selecting operation by the user;

an image data generating step of generating image data of the transmittal cover letter based on the transmittal cover letter data related to the destination selected by the destination selecting step and attaching the image data to be transmitted as second and subsequent pages, thereby generating the image data with the transmittal cover letter attached thereto; and

an image data transmitting step of transmitting the image data with the transmittal cover letter attached thereto generated by the image data generating step to the destination, wherein

the image data transmitting step includes prohibiting transmission of image data other than the image data with the transmittal cover letter attached thereto generated by the image data generating step.