Internet facsimile apparatus

• US 6,587,219 B1
• Filed: 02/18/2000
• Issued: 07/01/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 06/02/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Panasonic Communications Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Matsushita Graphic Communication Systems, Inc. (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Toyoda, Kiyoshi, Saito, Kyoji
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Madeleine
• Assistant Examiner(s): Pokrzywa, Joseph R.
• Application Number:
  US09/506,336
• Time in Patent Office: 1,229 Days
• Field of Search: 358/402, 358/403, 358/407, 358/408, 358/434, 358/435, 358/436, 358/440, 358/442, 358/1.15, 379/93.24, 379/100.09, 709/203, 709/238, 709/239, 709/240, 709/242, 709/245
• US Class Current: 358/1.15
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/066 Format adaptation, e.g. format conversion or compression
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/08 Annexed information, e.g. attachments
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/48 Message addressing, e.g. address format or anonymous messages, aliases
• 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 1/324 intermediate the transmitter and receiver terminals, e.g. at an exchange
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/32411 Handling instructions for routing or relaying
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0015 Control of image communication with the connected apparatus, e.g. signalling capability
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0024 Converting image communication control signals, e.g. group 3 facsimile protocol signals, to non-image communication control signals or vice versa
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0067 Converting to still picture data
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0086 Image transceiver H04N2201/0093 and H04N2201/0094 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0093 Facsimile machine H04N2201/0094 takes precedence

Abstract

Internet facsimile apparatus 1 notifies a facsimile number of the final destination to server 3 and acquires an e-mail address of a relay apparatus from server 3. And it transmits an e-mail attached image information to Internet facsimile apparatus 2 corresponding to the acquired e-mail address. At this time, it inserts a relay transfer instruction command to a part of a header of the e-mail to order a relay transfer. Internet facsimile apparatus 2 functioning as a relay apparatus converts a specific predetermined information among the header information of the e-mail to be relay transferred into the same format as that of the image information, and transmits the converted specific information with the image information to facsimile apparatus 4 of the final destination.

Claims

1. An Internet facsimile apparatus connected to the Internet in which e-mail data is transmitted to another Internet facsimile apparatus via the Internet, the other Internet facsimile apparatus serving as a relay apparatus capable of relaying the received e-mail data to a final destination not connected to the Internet, and a server apparatus having a table storing e-mail addresses and an image processing capability of one or a plurality of the relay apparatuses which is associated with at least a facsimile number of the final destination, at least one of the relay apparatuses being in charge of the final destination, the server apparatus being connected to the Internet, the Internet facsimile apparatus comprising:

a scanner that scans an original to generate image information;

a mail processor that receives and transmits the e-mail data via the Internet;

a controller that controls said scanner and said mail processor; and

an operation section, having a plurality of operation buttons, for sending an instruction to said controller to transmit the image information and to receive an input of an e-mail address of the final destination from the server apparatus via the Internet;

wherein, when said controller receives an instruction for transmitting the image information sent by said operation section, said controller obtains an e-mail address and the image processing capability of a relay apparatus in charge of the final destination from the server apparatus via the Internet, the image information is converted to e-mail data, and the mail processor transmits the e-mail data to the final destination via the relay apparatus.

2. The Internet facsimile apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said controller generates a notification including the facsimile number of the final destination input by said operation section, and transmits said notification to the server apparatus via the Internet.

3. The Internet facsimile apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the image processing capability comprises a data format and a resolution of an image supportable by the relay apparatus.

4. A communication apparatus connected to the Internet in which e-mail data is transmitted to an other communication apparatus via the Internet, the other communication apparatus serving as a relay apparatus capable of relaying the received e-mail data to a final destination not connected to the Internet, and a server apparatus having table storing e-mail addresses and an image processing capability of one or a plurality of relay apparatuses which is associated with at least a facsimile number of a final destination, at least one of the relay apparatuses being in charge of the final destination, the server apparatus being connected to the Internet, the communication apparatus comprising:

an acceptor that accepts image information;

a mail processor that transmits e-mail data via the Internet;

a controller that controls said acceptor and said mail processor; and

an operation section, having a plurality of operation buttons, for sending an instruction to said controller to transmit the image information and to receive an input of an e-mail address of the final destination from the server apparatus via the Internet;

wherein, when said controller receives an instruction for transmitting the image information sent by said operation section, said controller obtains an e-mail address and the image processing capability of a relay apparatus in charge of the final destination from the server apparatus via the Internet, the image information is converted to e-mail data, and the mail processor transmits the e-mail to the final destination via the relay apparatus.

5. The Internet facsimile apparatus according to claim 4, wherein said controller generates a notification including the facsimile number of the final destination input by said operation section, and transmits said notification to the server apparatus via the Internet.

6. The Internet facsimile apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the image processing capability comprises a data format and a resolution of an image supportable by the relay apparatus.

7. A communication apparatus connected to the Internet by which e-mail is transmittable to another communication apparatus via the Internet, the other communication apparatus serving as a relay apparatus capable of relaying the received e-mail data to a final destination not connected to the Internet, a server apparatus connected to the Internet and containing a table storing e-mail addresses and an image processing capability of at least one relay apparatus which is associated with at least a facsimile number of the final destination, the at least one relay apparatus being in charge of the final destination, the communication apparatus comprising:

an acceptor that accepts image information;

a mail processor that transmits e-mail data via the Internet;

a controller that controls said acceptor and said mail processor; and

an operation section configured to send an instruction to said controller to transmit the image information and receive input of an e-mail address of the final destination from the server apparatus via the Internet;

wherein, when said controller receives the instruction from the operation section to transmit the image information, said controller obtains an e-mail address and the image processing capability of a relay apparatus in charge of the final destination from the server apparatus via the Internet, converts the image information to e-mail data and controls the mail processor to transmit the e-mail data to the final destination via the relay apparatus.

8. The Internet facsimile apparatus according to claim 7, wherein said controller generates a notification including the facsimile number of the final destination input by said operation section, and transmits said notification to the server apparatus via the Internet.

9. The Internet facsimile apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the image processing capability comprises a data format and a resolution of an image supportable by the relay apparatus.