Internet facsimile and e-mail reception method

• US 6,618,749 B1
• Filed: 06/18/1998
• Issued: 09/09/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 06/20/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Panasonic Communications Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Panasonic Communications Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Toyoda, Kiyoshi, Saito, Kyoji
• Primary Examiner(s): Powell, Mark R.
• Assistant Examiner(s): VU, THONG H
• Application Number:
  US09/099,528
• Time in Patent Office: 1,909 Days
• Field of Search: 709/206, 709/207, 709/218, 709/219, 709/236, 709/242, 709/246, 709/203, 709/201, 358/442, 358/407, 358/405, 358/402, 358/434, 358/400, 358/1-2-, 358/437, 358/449, 358/452, 358/453, 358/462, 358/468, 358/448, 358/447, 379/10, 379/100.08, 379/100, 379/88.25, 379/88.13, 379/88.17, 707/3, 714/755, 345/115, 345/127, 370/242, 370/216, 370/313, 717/1, 717/4, 360/825, 360/44, 704/260, 348/17, 399/42, 710/15, 382/108, 395/109
• US Class Current: 709/207
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/107 Computer-aided management of electronic mailing [e-mailing]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/00 User-to-user messaging in packet-switching networks, transmitted according to store-and-forward or real-time protocols, e.g. e-mail
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/066 Format adaptation, e.g. format conversion or compression
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/23 Reliability checks, e.g. acknowledgments or fault reporting
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00206 Transmitting or receiving computer data via an image communication device, e.g. a facsimile transceiver H04N1/00236 takes precedence
• 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 1/00214 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 1/00485 providing a hardcopy output to the user, e.g. print out
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/32641 of transmission or transmitted data, e.g. interruption or wrong number of pages
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/32657 locally
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0017 Notifying a communication result
• 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 2201/0086 Image transceiver H04N2201/0093 and H04N2201/0094 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3219 of a job status, e.g. successful execution
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3271 Printing or stamping

Abstract

The failure mail identification section and delivery status notification mail identification section identify whether or not the received E-mail data is failure mail and delivery status notification mail, respectively. Based on the identification result, the specific information extraction section extracts information necessary for output from the E-mail data. The format conversion section converts the extracted data to facsimile data. The data edit section edits the converted data. The edited data is transmitted by the facsimile communication unit to the G3 facsimile via PSTN. This allows failure mail and delivery status notification mail to be distinguished from normal E-mail, saving recording paper.

Claims

1. An Internet transmission apparatus connected to a computer network, comprising:

a transmitter that transmits a message in e-mail format to a designated destination via the computer network;

a receiver that receives e-mail data transmitted via the computer network;

a determiner that determines whether or not the received e-mail data is an error message indicating that the e-mail data transmitted from said transmitter has not been successfully transmitted;

an extractor that, when said determiner determines that the received e-mail is the error message, extracts a specific data from the received e-mail data, the specific data containing at least information regarding an error and a predetermined portion of the transmitted message from said transmitter;

an editor that edits the extracted specific data so that the specific data fits on one page of recording paper having a predetermined size, the editor not changing a resolution of the specific data, and

a printer that prints the edited specific data on one page of recording paper having the predetermined size, said editor being configured to edit the specific data when the transmitted message and at least the information regarding an error cannot fit on the one page of recording paper such that another portion of the transmitted message is not printed.

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

a memory that stores the transmitted message;

wherein said determiner determines the error message by comparing the received e-mail data with the transmitted message in said memory.

3. An Internet facsimile apparatus connected to a computer network, comprising:

a scanner that scans an original to obtain image data;

a transmitter that transmits image data in e-mail format to a designated destination via the computer network;

a receiver that receives e-mail data transmitted via the computer network;

a determiner that determines whether or not the received e-mail data is an error message indicating that the image data in e-mail format transmitted from said transmitter has not been successfully transmitted; and

an extractor that, when said determiner determines the received e-mail data is the error message, extracts a specific data from the received e-mail data, the specific data containing at least information regarding an error and a predetermined portion of the image data obtained from the original by the scanner;

a converter that converts the extracted specific data into facsimile data;

an editor that edits the converted facsimile data so that the facsimile data fits on one page of recording paper having a predetermined size, the editor not changing a resolution of the specific data and

a printer that prints the edited specific data on one page of recording paper having the predetermined size, said editor being configured to edit the specific data when the image data and at least the information regarding an error cannot fit on the one page of recording paper such that another portion of the image data is not printed.

4. The Internet facsimile apparatus connected to a computer network according to claim 3, said editor editing the converted facsimile data so that the entire error message and a portion of the image data fit on one page of the recording paper having the predetermined size.

5. A method for receiving image data in e-mail format via a computer network, comprising:

transmitting a message in e-mail format to a designated destination via the computer network;

receiving e-mail data transmitted via the computer network;

determining whether or not the received e-mail data is an error message indicating that the e-mail data has not been successfully transmitted;

extracting, when the determining determines that the received e-mail is the error message, a specific data from the received e-mail data, the specific data containing at least information regarding an error and a predetermined portion of the transmitted message;

editing the extracted specific data so that the specific data fits on one page having a predetermined size, the editing not changing a resolution of the specific data and

printing the edited specific data on one page having the predetermined size, the specific data being edited, when the transmitted message and at least the information regarding an error cannot fit on the one page of recording paper, such that another portion of the transmitted message is not printed.

6. An Internet transmission apparatus connected to a computer network, comprising:

a transmitter that transmits a message in e-mail format to a designated destination via the computer network;

a receiver that receives e-mail data transmitted via the computer network;

a determiner that determines whether or not the received e-mail data is a confirmation massage indicating that the e-mail data transmitted from said transmitter has been successfully transmitted;

an extractor that, when said determiner determines that the received e-mail is the confirmation message, extracts a specific data from the received e-mail data, the specific data containing at least information regarding a successful delivery and a predetermined portion of the transmitted message from said transmitter;

an editor that edits the extracted specific data so that the specific data fits on one page having a predetermined size, the editor not changing a resolution of the specific data and

a printer that prints the edited specific data on one page of recording paper having the predetermined size, said editor being configured to edit the specific data when the transmitted message and at least the information regarding a successful delivery cannot fit on the one page of recording paper such that another portion of the transmitted message is not printed.

7. An Internet facsimile apparatus connected to a computer network, comprising:

a scanner that scans an original to obtain image data;

a transmitter that transmits image data in e-mail format to a designated destination via the computer network;

a receiver that receives e-mail data transmitted via the computer network;

a determiner that determines whether or not the received e-mail data is a confirmation message indicating that the image data in e-mail format transmitted from said transmitter has been successfully transmitted; and

an extractor that, when said determiner determines the received e-mail data is the confirmation message, extracts specific data from the received e-mail data, the specific data containing at least information regarding a successful delivery and a predetermined portion of the image data obtained from the original by the scanner;

a converter that converts the extracted specific data into facsimile data;

an editor that edits the converted facsimile data so that the facsimile data fits on one page of recording paper having a predetermined size;

the editor not changing a resolution of the specific data and

a printer that prints the edited specific data on one page of the recording paper having the predetermined size, said editor being configured to edit the specific data when the transmitted message and at least the information regarding a successful delivery cannot fit on the one page of recording paper such that another portion of the transmitted message is not printed.

8. The Internet facsimile apparatus connected to a computer network according to claim 7, said editor editing the converted facsimile data so that the entire confirmation message and a portion of the image data fit on one page of the recording paper having the predetermined size.

9. A method for receiving image data in e-mail format via a computer network, comprising:

transmitting a message in e-mail format to a designated destination via the computer network;

receiving e-mail data transmitted via the computer network;

determining whether or not the received e-mail data is a confirmation message indicating that the e-mail data has been successfully transmitted;

extracting, when the determining determines that the received e-mail is the confirmation message, a specific data from the received e-mail data, the specific data containing at least information regarding a successful delivery and a predetermined portion of the transmitted message;

editing the extracted specific data so that the specific data fits on one page having a predetermined size, the editing not changing a resolution of the specific data and

printing the edited specific data onto the page having the predetermined size, the specific data being edited, when the transmitted message and at least the information regarding a successful delivery cannot fit on the one page of recording paper, such that another portion of the transmitted message is not printed.