Electronic mail system

• US 6,778,287 B1
• Filed: 10/26/1999
• Issued: 08/17/2004
• 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): WALLERSON, MARK E
• Application Number:
  US09/427,192
• Time in Patent Office: 1,757 Days
• Field of Search: 358/1.15, 358/442, 358/444, 358/402, 358/400, 358/404, 358/468, 358/405, 358/407
• US Class Current: 358/1.15
• 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 system connected to a network includes a section for converting an image of a document surface into corresponding document image data, and a section for compressing the document image data into compression-resultant image data. The electronic mail system also includes a section for converting the compression-resultant image data into corresponding image data of a given electronic-mail format, a section for receiving information of an electronic-mail destination address, and a section for transmitting the image data of the electronic-mail format toward the electronic-mail destination address via the network. The electronic mail system may further include a section for receiving image data in an electronic mail, a section for converting the received image data into corresponding received image data of a given facsimile format, a section for expanding the received image data of the facsimile format into expansion-resultant image data, and a section for printing the expansion-resultant image data.

Claims

1. A communication apparatus, comprising:

a receiver that receives e-mail data from a transmission terminal in an e-mail format;

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

a transformer that transforms the image data in the facsimile format into image data in a printable format;

a printer that prints the image data in the printable format; and

an electronic-mail transmitter that transmits a confirmation e-mail, representing successful reception of the image data, to a detected address of the transmission terminal when the image data in the printable format was successfully printed out by said printer.

2. The communication apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising an acceptor that accepts image data, and a facsimile transmitter that transmits the image data to a facsimile destination.

3. The communication apparatus according to claim 2, wherein said acceptor comprises a scanner that scans a paper document and converts the document into the image data.

4. The communication apparatus according to claim 2, wherein said facsimile transmitter comprises an operation panel having a start-key to start a transmitting operation and an input key to designate an electronic mail destination address.

5. A communication apparatus, comprising:

a receiver that receives e-mail data from a transmission terminal in an e-mail format;

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

a transformer that transforms the image data in the facsimile format into image data in a printable format;

a printer that prints the image data in the printable format; and

an electronic-mail transmitter that transmits a confirmation e-mail, representing successful reception of the image data, to a detected address of the transmission terminal when the image data in the printable format was successfully printed out by said printer,

wherein said receiver, said converter, said printer and said electronic-mail transmitter are integrated into a body of the communication apparatus.

6. A method for communicating e-mail data, comprising:

receiving the e-mail data from a transmission terminal in e-mail format;

converting the e-mail data in the e-mail format into image data in a facsimile format;

transforming the image data in the facsimile format into image data in a printable format;

printing the image data in the printable format; and

transmitting a confirmation e-mail, representing successful reception of the image data, to a detected address of the transmission terminal when the image data in the printable format was successfully printed out.