Data communication apparatus for combining data with the same identification information

• US 6,433,893 B1
• Filed: 04/24/1996
• Issued: 08/13/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 04/25/1995
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Canon Ayutthaya Limited (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Ayutthaya Limited (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Murayama, Masahiro
• Primary Examiner(s): Lee, Thomas D.
• Assistant Examiner(s): BRINICH, STEPHEN M
• Application Number:
  US08/637,179
• Time in Patent Office: 2,302 Days
• Field of Search: 358/400, 358/402-404, 358/407, 358/434, 358/468, 358/448, 358/453, 358/401, 395/117, 395/616
• US Class Current: 358/434
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/32101 Display, printing, storage or transmission of additional information, e.g. ID code, date and time or title
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/32122 in a separate device, e.g. in a memory or on a display separate from image data
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/32379 Functions of a still picture terminal memory associated with reception
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/3239 Forwarding image data, e.g. to an absent recipient
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/32619 with retransmission retransmission after changing the mode H04N1/3333
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3207 of an address
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3226 of identification information or the like, e.g. ID code, index, title, part of an image, reduced-size image
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3274 Storage or retrieval of prestored additional information
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3278 Transmission

Abstract

A document terminated by error due to communication error during the reception is retransmitted starting from the error page to complete the document. The received document is stored in a memory. Each document is assigned with a sending station ID and a document ID which are stored in a RAM. When the reception is terminated by error, the data received so far is stored for a predetermined time and if the retransmission is made within the predetermined time, it is linked to the previously stored received data.

Claims

1. A data communication apparatus on a local area network, said apparatus comprising:

an input circuit adapted to input data that includes identification (ID) information and, if a destination address is included in the data, the address of a destination on the local area network, wherein said input circuit is a receiver that receives the data from a sender apparatus via a communication line,

wherein, if the destination address is included in the data, said apparatus does not print out the data by itself but rather maintains the security of the data with the address of a destination from the transmitting station;

an identifier circuit adapted to identify the ID information and the address of the data received through the receiver, if the address has been received;

a combiner circuit adapted to combine, as composite data, data received through the receiver having a same ID information and a same address in accordance with a result of identification by said identifier circuit, wherein said combiner circuit compares the ID information of data newly inputted through said input circuit with the ID information of data stored in a memory, and, in the case of a match, combines the data newly inputted through the input circuit with the data stored in the memory whose ID information matches that of the newly-inputted data to form the composite data;

a controller adapted to determine whether or not an address has been received in accordance with the result of identification; and

a transmitter adapted to, if the address has been received, send the composite data to another apparatus on the local area network having the address of the data forming the composite data, and, if no address has been received, to print the composite data.

2. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the local area network is a wireless local area network.

3. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the ID information includes sender station information for indicating a station sending the data.

4. An apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the sender station information includes a telephone number of a sending station.

5. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the ID information includes document ID information for identifying a document.

6. An apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the document ID information includes a document number.

7. An apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a memory adapted to store the data inputted through said input circuit with the respective ID information.

8. An apparatus according to claim 7, wherein said combiner circuit stores the composite data in said memory, and said transmitter reads out the composite data from said memory and sends the read-out composite data.

9. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the receiver receives the data in accordance with a facsimile procedure.

10. A data communication apparatus on a local area network, said apparatus comprising:

a receiver adapted to receive data that includes identification (ID) information and, if a destination address is included in the data, the address of a destination on the local area network,

wherein, if a destination address is included in the data, said apparatus does not print out the data by itself but rather maintains the security of the data with the address of a destination from the transmitting station;

an identifier circuit adapted to identify the ID information and the address of the data received through said receiver, if the address has been received;

a control circuit adapted to determine whether or not an address has been received in accordance with an identification result; and

a transmitter adapted to, if the address has been received, send the data to another apparatus on the local area network having the address of the data, and to, if no address has been received, print the data.

11. An apparatus according to claim 10, wherein said receiver receives the data in accordance with a facsimile procedure.

12. A communication method for a data communication apparatus on a local area network, said method comprising the steps of:

receiving data that includes identification (ID) information and, if a destination address is included in the data, the address of a destination on the local area network, wherein the data is received from a sender apparatus via a communication line,

wherein, if the destination address is included in the data, said method does not print out the data by itself but rather maintains the security of the data with the address of a destination from the transmitting station;

identifying the ID information and the address of the data received in said receiving step, if the address has been received;

combining, as composite data, data received in said receiving step having a same ID information and a same address in accordance with a result of identification in said identifying step, wherein said combining step includes comparing the ID information of data newly inputted through said input circuit with the ID information of data stored in a memory, and, in the case of a match, combines the data newly inputted through the input circuit with the data stored in the memory whose ID information matches that of the newly-inputted data to form the composite data;

determining whether or not an address has been received in accordance with the result of identification; and

if the address has been received, sending the composite data to another apparatus on the local area network having the address of the data forming the composite data, and, if no address has been received, printing the composite date.

13. A method according to claim 12, wherein the local area network is a wireless local area network.

14. A method according to claim 12, wherein the ID information includes sender station information for indicating a station sending the data.

15. A method according to claim 14, wherein the sender station information includes a telephone number of a sending station.

16. A method according to claim 12, wherein the ID information includes document ID information for identifying a document.

17. A method according to claim 16, wherein the document ID information includes a document number.

18. A method according to claim 12, further comprising the step of storing in a memory the data received in said receiving step with the respective ID information.

19. A method according to claim 18, wherein said combining step includes storing the composite data in the memory, and said sending step includes reading out the composite data from the memory and sending the read-out composite data.

20. A method according to claim 12, wherein said receiving step receives the data in accordance with a facsimile procedure.

21. A communication method for a data communication apparatus on a local area network, said method comprising the steps of:

receiving data that includes identification (ID) information and, if a destination address is included in the data, the address of a destination on the local area network, wherein, if a destination address is included in the data, said method does not print out the data by itself but rather maintains the security of the data with the address of a destination from the transmitting station;

identifying the ID information and the address of the data received in said receiving step, if the address has been received;

determining whether or not an address has been received in accordance with an identification result; and

,

if the address has been received, sending the data to another apparatus on the local area network having the address of the data, and, if no address has been received, printing the data.

22. A method according to claim 21, wherein said receiving step receives the data in accordance with a facsimile procedure.