Electronic-mail apparatus

• US 6,477,244 B2
• Filed: 11/08/2001
• Issued: 11/05/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 03/06/1995
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Toyoda, Kiyoshi, Bando, Tatsuo, Sawada, Toshihisa
• Primary Examiner(s): Kuntz, Curtis
• Assistant Examiner(s): Eng, George
• Application Number:
  US09/986,246
• Publication Number:
  US 20020027979A1
• Time in Patent Office: 362 Days
• Field of Search: 358/400, 358/402, 358/442-443, 358/1.15, 379/100-1-1, 379/100.06, 379/100-8-1, 379/93.24, 379/100-2-1, 379/100-6-1, 379/93.08, 379/93.15, 709/206
• US Class Current: 379/100.08
• 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 1/00212 Attaching image data to computer messages, e.g. to e-mails
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00214 details of transmission
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00217 only involving computer data transmission protocols, e.g. SMTP, WAP or HTTP communication protocol aspects and techniques in packet data networks H04L69/00; network-specific arrangements or communication protocols supporting networked applications H04L67/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/32128 attached to the image data, e.g. file header, transmitted message header, information on the same page or in the same computer file as the image for information embedded in the image H04N1/32144
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/32358 using picture signal storage, e.g. at transmitter H04N1/17 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/32411 Handling instructions for routing or relaying
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/32614 related to a single-mode communication, e.g. at the transmitter or at the receiver
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/32641 of transmission or transmitted data, e.g. interruption or wrong number of pages
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/32662 remotely, e.g. to the transmitter from the receiver
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0018 via a non-image communication channel, e.g. via a computer network
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/002 Selecting or switching between an image communication channel and a non-image communication channel
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0067 Converting to still picture data
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0068 Converting from still picture data
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0086 Image transceiver H04N2201/0093 and H04N2201/0094 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0094 Multifunctional device, i.e. a device capable of all of reading, reproducing, copying, facsimile transception, file transception
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3264 of sound signals
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3267 of motion picture signals, e.g. video clip
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3283 Compression

Abstract

An electronic-mail reception apparatus has a body and includes a facsimile receiver that negotiates with a sender before receiving image data, to receive image data in facsimile format from the sender via a telephone network. An electronic-mail receiver receives image data in an electronic mail format from a mail sender via a communication network, a converter converts the image data in the electronic mail format into image data in the facsimile format, and an output section outputs the converted image data. An error transmission section, when the data format that the electronic-mail receiver receives is different from a predetermined data format of the image data in an electronic-mail format, transmits an error message to the mail sender. The facsimile receiver, the electronic-mail receiver, the converter, the output section and the error transmission section are integrated in the body of the apparatus.

Claims

1. An electronic-mail reception apparatus having a body, said apparatus comprising:

a facsimile receiver that negotiates with a sender before receiving image data, to receive image data in facsimile format from the sender via a telephone network;

an electronic-mail receiver that receives image data in an electronic mail format from a mail sender via a communication network;

a converter that converts the image data in the electronic mail format into image data in the facsimile format;

an output section that outputs the converted image data; and

an error transmission section that, when the data format that the electronic-mail receiver receives is different from a predetermined data format of the image data in an electronic-mail format, transmits an error message to the mail sender,

wherein the facsimile receiver, the electronic-mail receiver, the converter, the output section and the error transmission section are integrated in the body of the apparatus.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the output section is a printing mechanism.

3. The apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

an operational panel that designates one of an electronic mail destination address and a facsimile destination address;

an accepter that converts document data into image data;

a compressor that compresses the image data;

a facsimile transmitter that transmits the compressed image data to the designated facsimile destination via a telephone network; and

an electronic-mail transmitter that transmits the compressed image data converted into an electronic-mail format to the designated electronic mail destination address via the communication network.

4. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the error transmission section transmits the error message to the mail sender when the data received by the electronic-mail receiver is not a Tiff file.

5. The electronic-mail reception apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the error transmission section send the error message in accordance with data in a header of the received data.

6. An electronic-mail reception apparatus having a body, said apparatus comprising:

a facsimile receiver that negotiates with a sender before receiving image data, to receive image data in facsimile format from the sender via a telephone network;

an electronic-mail receiver that receives compressed image data in an electronic mail format from a mail sender via a communication network;

a converter that converts the compressed image data in the electronic mail format into compressed image data in the facsimile format;

an expander that expands the compressed image data;

an output section that outputs the expanded image data; and

an error transmission section that, data format that the electronic-mail receiver receives is different from a predetermined data format of the image data in an electronic-mail format, transmits error message to the mail sender,

wherein the facsimile receiver, the electronic-mail receiver, the converter, the expander the output section and the error transmission section are integrated in the body of the apparatus.

7. The apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the error transmission section transmits the error message to the mail sender when the data received by the electronic-mail receiver is not a Tiff file.

8. The electronic-mail reception apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the error transmission section send the error message in accordance with data in a header of the received data.

9. A method for receiving image data using an electronic-mail reception apparatus having a body, comprising:

negotiating with a sender before receiving image data, to receive image data in facsimile format from the sender via a telephone network;

receiving image data in an electronic mail format from a mail sender via a communication network;

converting the image data in the electronic mail format into image data in the facsimile format;

outputting the converted image data; and

transmitting an error message to the mail sender, when the electronic-mail receiver receives data different from the image data in an electronic-mail format,

wherein the negotiating with the sender, the receiving image data in an electronic mail format, the converting image data in the electronic mail format into image data in the facsimile format, the outputting and the transmitting of the error message are performed in the body of the electronic-mail reception apparatus.

10. The method according to claim 9, wherein the error message is transmitted to the mail sender when the received data is not a Tiff file.