System having facsimile devices receiving E-mails from terminal computers by monitoring mail boxes associated with the devices in predetermined intervals to detect arrival of mail

• US 5,896,504 A
• Filed: 05/08/1997
• Issued: 04/20/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 05/08/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: AD Skut, Inc., Shiraki Printing Incorporated
• Original Assignee: AD Skut, Inc., Shiraki Printing Incorporated
• Inventors: Shiraki, Ichiji
• Primary Examiner(s): Meky, Moustafa M.
• Application Number:
  US08/852,907
• Time in Patent Office: 712 Days
• Field of Search: 395/200.33, 395/200.36, 395/200.47, 395/200.48, 395/200.49, 395/200.55, 395/200.57, 395/200.75, 395/200.76, 395/200.54, 358/400, 358/401, 358/402, 358/403, 358/404, 379/201, 379/112, 379/118, 379/93.14, 379/93.24, 379/88.22
• US Class Current: 709/206
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/107 Computer-aided management of electronic mailing [e-mailing]

Abstract

An information processing system includes a computer network connecting a number of terminal computers to a host computer, an administrative computer connected to the computer network, and a plurality of facsimile devices connected to the administrative computer. A plurality of mail boxes associated with the facsimile devices are set in the host computer to receive e-mails. The administrative computer periodically monitors the mail boxes to find arrival of any e-mails, then detects the facsimile number of a particular facsimile device to which the e-mail, if any, is addressed, and transfers the content of the e-mail to the particular facsimile device.

Claims

1. An information processing system comprising a plurality of consumer terminals, a transfer device connected to the consumer terminals via a transmission line for processing information from each consumer terminal and for transferring the information to an address, and a plurality of receiver devices connected to the transfer device via a transmission line for receiving information from the consumer terminals via the transfer device,

each said consumer terminal including read/record means for reading and recording image information sent in form of an electric signal through the communication line, means for reproducing and displaying images corresponding to the electric signal read out or recorded by said read/record means, output means for converting image data on information selected from said image information into an electric signal and for outputting it onto the transmission line, and control means for controlling all means of said consumer terminal,

said transfer device including read/record means for reading and recording the electric signal from said output means of said consumer terminal, time counter means for counting a predetermined period of time, detector means for monitoring said read/record means in predetermined intervals to detect image information stored therein, means for identifying one of said receiver devices to which said image information detected by said detector means should be transferred, transfer counter means for counting how often said image information is transferred to the identified receiver device, output means for converting the image information detected by said detector means into an electric signal and for outputting it to the identified receiver device, and control means for controlling all means of said transfer device,

each said receiver device including read/record means for reading and recording said electric signal sent from said transfer device, means for reproducing the electric signal read or recorded by the read/record means into image information and for outputting it onto a recording medium, and control means for controlling all means of said receiver device.

2. The information processing system according to claim 1 wherein said consumer terminals and said transfer device are computers, and said receiver devices are facsimile devices.

3. An information processing system comprising:

a computer network connecting a plurality of terminal computers to a host computer;

an administrative computer connected to said computer network; and

a plurality of facsimile devices connected to said administrative computer,

said host computer being provided with a plurality of mail boxes associated with said facsimile devices to receive e-mails from said terminal computers,

said administrative computer monitoring said mail boxes in predetermined intervals to detect arrival of any e-mail, then detecting the facsimile number of a particular facsimile device among said facsimile devices to which the e-mail, if any, is addressed, and transmitting the content of said e-mail to said particular facsimile device.