Data communication apparatus and method

• US 5,857,073 A
• Filed: 09/20/1996
• Issued: 01/05/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 09/22/1995
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Kumagai, Takekazu, Ejiri, Seishi, Tsukamoto, Takeshi, Toyama, Masaki, Yamamuro, Soichi, Kondo, Masaya, Saruwatari, Masaru, Oishi, Kazuomi
• Primary Examiner(s): Ramirez, Ellis B.
• Application Number:
  US08/717,544
• Time in Patent Office: 837 Days
• Field of Search: 395/200.38, 358/402
• US Class Current: 709/208
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/107 Computer-aided management of electronic mailing [e-mailing]

Abstract

A data communication apparatus having a connection unit for connecting an information processing terminal, a memory for storing predetermined registration data, a detector for detecting a change in the registration data stored in the memory, and a transfer unit for, if the detector detects a change in the registration data, transferring the changed registration data to change registration data in the information processing terminal connected by the connection unit.

Claims

1. A data communication apparatus comprising:

connection means for connecting an information proceeding terminal;

storage means for storing predetermined registration data;

detecting means for detecting a change in the registration data stored in said storage means;

determining means for determining whether the registration data the change of which was detected by said detecting means is to be transferred or not; and

transfer means for, if said detecting means detects the change in the registration data determined by said determining means to be transferred, transferring the changed registration data to change registration data in the information processing terminal connected by said connection means.

2. A data communication apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the registration data stored in said storage means is registration data representative of setting contents of a mail box.

3. A data communication apparatus according to claim 2, wherein a plurality of mail boxes are provided, and management of a reception message is conducted selectively by a mail box designated by a transmission side.

4. A data communication apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said connection means connects an information processing terminal capable of controlling the operation of the data communication apparatus.

5. A data communication apparatus comprising:

connection means for connecting another apparatus;

reception means for receiving a message sent from a transmission side;

management means for managing the message received by said reception means; and

means for, if setting contents of said management means are changed, changing in a similar changing manner the other apparatus connected by said connection means.

6. A data communication apparatus according to claim 5, wherein said connection means connects an information processing terminal capable of controlling the operation of the data communication apparatus.

7. A data communication apparatus according to claim 5, wherein a plurality of management means are provided, and management of the message received by said reception means is conducted selectively by said management means designated by the transmission side.

8. A data communication method used for at least between two apparatuses comprising the steps of:

detecting a change in data registered in one apparatus;

notifying another apparatus of a change in the data detected in said detecting step;

judging whether a notification at said notifying step is to be performed;

transmitting the changed data detected at said detecting step to the other apparatus if said judging step judges that the notification is issued.

9. A data communication method according to claim 8, further comprising the step of identifying another apparatus requiring the changed data detected at said detecting step, wherein said notifying step issues a notification to the apparatus identified by said identifying step.

10. A data communication method according to claim 8, wherein if the changed data detected by said detecting means is specific to the one apparatus, said judging step judges that a notification is not issued at said notifying step.

11. A data communication method according to claim 8, wherein if the changed data detected by said detecting means is common data to be shared by the other apparatus, said judging step judges that a notification is issued at said notifying step.

12. A data communication apparatus comprising:

connection means for connecting an information processing terminal;

storage means for storing predetermined registration data;

detecting means for detecting a change in the registration data stored in said storage means;

notifying means for notifying, in a case where said detecting means detects that the registration data was changed, to an another apparatus connected by said connection means that the registration data was changed; and

transfer means for transferring the changed registration data to the apparatus notified by said notifying means.

13. An apparatus according to claim 12, wherein said notifying means performs the notifying in a case where, from among the registration data detected by said detecting means to have been changed, the data to be transferred by said transfer means was changed.

14. An apparatus according to claim 12, wherein the apparatus at a destination to which the registration data is transferred by said transfer means is an apparatus performing data management in the same manner as in said communication apparatus.

15. An apparatus according to claim 12, wherein the registration data transferred by said transfer means is data which is set for each of plural users.

16. A data communication method used at least between two apparatuses, comprising the steps of:

detecting a change in data registered in the one apparatus;

determining whether or not the data detected to have been changed in said detecting step represents setting contents concerning management of a communication message; and

in a case where it is determined in said determining step that the data represents the setting contents concerning the management of the communication message, changing the setting contents of the other apparatus performing the same management.

17. A method according to claim 16, wherein the data to be changed is data to be set for each of plural users.

18. A method according to claim 16, wherein the communication message is data to be managed in facsimile communication.

19. A data communication method used at least between two apparatuses, comprising the steps of:

detecting a change in data registered in the one apparatus;

in a case where it is detected in said detecting step that the data was changed, notifying to the other apparatus in which data same as the changed data has been registered, that the data was changed.

20. A method according to claim 19, wherein the data to be changed is data to be set for each of plural users.

21. A computer readable program, stored in a storage medium, for executing a data communication method used for at least between two apparatuses, said method comprising the steps of:

detecting a change in a data registered in the one apparatus;

notifying another apparatus of a change in the data detected in said detecting step;

judging whether a notification in said notifying step is to be performed; and

transmitting the changed data detected in said detecting step to the other apparatus if said judging step judges that the notification is issued.

22. A computer readable program, stored in a storage medium, for executing a data communication method used at least between two apparatuses, comprising the steps of:

detecting a change in data registered in the one apparatus;

determining whether or not the data detected to have been changed in said detecting step represents setting contents concerning management of a communication message; and

in a case where it is determined in said determining step that the data represents the setting contents concerning the management of the communication message, changing the setting contents of the other apparatus performing the same management.

23. A computer readable program, stored in a storage medium, for executing a data communication method used at least between two apparatuses, comprising the steps of:

detecting a change in data registered in the one apparatus;

in a case where it is detected in said detecting step that the data was changed, notifying to the other apparatus in which data same as the changed data has been registered, that the data was changed.