System for automatically distributing received documents

• US 6,441,924 B1
• Filed: 06/07/1995
• Issued: 08/27/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 11/02/1990
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Fuji Xerox Company Limited (Xerox Holdings Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Fuji Xerox Company Limited (Xerox Holdings Corp.)
• Inventors: Matsui, Tsunehiro
• Primary Examiner(s): LEE, TOMMY D
• Application Number:
  US08/477,770
• Time in Patent Office: 2,638 Days
• Field of Search: 358/400, 358/402, 358/403, 358/407, 358/434, 358/435, 358/436, 358/438, 358/439, 358/440, 358/442, 358/444, 379/100
• US Class Current: 358/403
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00209 Transmitting or receiving image data, e.g. facsimile data, via a computer, e.g. using e-mail, a computer network, the internet, I-fax
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/32363 at the transmitter or at the receiver
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/3239 Forwarding image data, e.g. to an absent recipient

Abstract

System for automatically distributing a received document in which a plurality of computers, each of which having at least one mail box, are connected to a facsimile apparatus via a network so that a document received through the facsimile apparatus is outputted to a specific mail box within the plurality of computers in accordance with protocol commands received together with the document.

Claims

1. A facsimile apparatus connected to at least one personal computer, comprising:

receiving means for receiving, through a public line, a communication procedure signal and a document from a transmitting station;

mail box information storage means for storing first mail box information corresponding to a mail box of said facsimile apparatus and second mail box information corresponding to a mail box of said personal computer;

storage means for storing a document destined for the mail box information storage means; and

control means including

(a) first determining means for determining whether or not a document to be received is destined for the mail box of said facsimile apparatus or said personal computer based on the communication procedure signal received by said receiving means,

(b) second determining means for comparing designation information in the communication procedure signal with the first and second mail box information stored in said mail box information storage means to determine whether or not the document to be received is the document destined for a mail box of said personal computer,

(c) receive control means for controlling said receiving means to receive the document when said second determining means determines that the document to be received is the document destined for a mail box of said personal computer,

(d) storage control means for storing the document received by said receiving means into said storage means,

(e) transfer means for transferring the document stored in said storage means to said personal computer via a network, and

(f) erasing means for erasing the document, which is transferred by said transfer means, in said storage means.

2. The facsimile apparatus according to claim 1, in which the designating information includes at least a mail box number and the mail box information stored in said mail box information storage means includes at least a mail box number,

wherein said second determining means of said control means compares the mail box number of the designating information contained in the predetermined communication procedure signal with the mail box number of the mail box information stored in said mail box information storage means, to thereby determine whether or not the received document is the document destined for the mail box of said personal computer.

3. The facsimile apparatus according to claim 2, in which said storage control means of said control means adds information for referring to the mail box number of the document to the document received by said receiving means under control of said receive control means, and stores the resultant document in said storage means, and

said transfer means sends the mail box number of said document to said personal computer by way of said network, and transfers the document of said storage means to said personal computer by way of said network.

4. A facsimile apparatus connected to at least one personal computer, the facsimile apparatus and the personal computer each having at least one mail box, the facsimile apparatus comprising:

receiving means for receiving, through a public line, a communication procedure signal and a document from a transmitting station;

mail box information storage means for storing mail box information and indicating information indicative of whether the mail box information belongs to said facsimile apparatus or said personal computer;

storage means having a memory area for storing a general document destined for said facsimile apparatus and a mail document destined for the mail box of the facsimile apparatus or the personal computer; and

control means including

(a) first determining means for determining whether or not a document to be received is a general document destined for said facsimile apparatus or a mail document destined for the mail box of the facsimile apparatus or the personal computer based on the communication procedure signal received by said receiving means,

(b) second determining means for determining whether or not the document to be received is a mail document destined for the mail box of said facsimile apparatus or a mail document destined for the mail box of said personal computer on the basis of the indicating information stored in said mail box information storage means

(c) receive control means for controlling said receiving means to receive the document destined for the mail box of said personal computer when said second determining means determines that the document to be received is the document destined for the mail box of said personal computer,

(d) storage control means for storing the document destined for the mail box of the personal computer into the memory area of,

(e) transfer means for transferring the document destined for the mail box of said personal computer from the memory area to said personal computer via a network, and

(f) erasing means for erasing the document in said storage means, previously transferred by said transfer means.

5. The facsimile apparatus according to claim 4, in which the predetermined communication procedure signal includes information indicative of a mail box function and at least a mail box number and the mail box information stored in said mail box information storage means includes at least a mail box number, and the indicating information includes a network address of said personal computer, and

said second determining means determines on the basis of a presence or absence of a network address of said personal computer for the mail box number of the mail box information stored in said mail box storage means, which corresponds to the mail box number of the mail box designating information contained in the predetermined communication procedure.

6. The facsimile apparatus according to claim 5, in which said storage control means of said control means adds information for referring to the mail box number of the document to the document destined for the mail box of said personal computer, received by said receiving means under control of said receive control means, and stores the resultant document in said storage means, and

said transfer means sends the mail box number of said document to said personal computer by way of said network, and transfers the document of said storage means to said personal computer by way of said network.