Electronic mail system

• US 6,885,470 B1
• Filed: 12/04/1998
• Issued: 04/26/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 03/06/1995
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Sawada, Toshihisa, Bandou, Tatsuo, Toyoda, Kiyoshi
• Primary Examiner(s): Coles, Edward
• Assistant Examiner(s): Pokrzywa, Joseph R.
• Application Number:
  US09/205,684
• Time in Patent Office: 2,335 Days
• Field of Search: 358/1.15, 358/402, 358/442, 358/444, 358/468, 358/405, 358/404, 707/104.1, 707/523, 707/10, 370/537, 370/493, 370/490, 370/487, 379/100.01, 379/93.24, 379/100.13, 379/100.15
• 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 scanner that scans a document to obtain binary image data;

a converter that converts the binary image data into seven-bit text-encoded image data, the converter adding a header to the seven-bit text-encoded image data to obtain an e-mail format image data, the header including information of a destination, information of a source address, information of a data format and information of a manner of conversion from the binary image data into the seven-bit text-encoded image data;

a transmitter that transmits the e-mail format image data to the destination over a computer network; and

an operational panel that inputs a destination address, wherein said transmitter transmits the e-mail format image data to the input destination address,

wherein said scanner, said converter, said transmitter and said operational panel are integrated in the communication apparatus.

2. The communication apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a compressor that compresses the binary image data obtained by the scanner to produce compressed binary image data,

wherein the converter converts the compressed binary image data into the seven-bit text-encoded image data.

3. The communication apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said operational panel includes a start key to activate said scanner.

4. The communication apparatus according to claim 1, wherein, for each scanned binary image data, said converter converts the binary image data into seven-bit text encoded image data utilizing a uniform conversion format.

5. The communication apparatus according to claim 1, the header format information and the manner of converting information being in accordance with an e-mail standard.

6. The communication apparatus according to claim 1, the e-mail format image data including an e-mail header.

7. A communication method, comprising:

scanning a document to obtain binary image data;

converting the binary image data into seven-bit text-encoded image data;

adding a header to the seven-bit text-encoded image data to obtain an e-mail format image data, the header including information of a destination, information of a source address, information of a data format and information of a manner of conversion from the binary image data into the seven-bit text-encoded image data;

inputting a destination address via an operation panel; and

transmitting the e-mail format image data to the destination over a computer network,

wherein the scanning of binary image data, the converting of the binary image data into seven-bit text-encoded image data, the adding of a header to the text-encoded image data, the inputting of the destination address, and the transmitting of the e-mail format image data are performed in a communication apparatus.

8. The communication method according to claim 7, further comprising compressing the scanned binary image data to produce compressed binary image data,

wherein the converting converts the compressed binary image data into the seven-bit text-encoded image data.

9. The communication method according to claim 7, wherein the converting converts each scanned binary image data into the seven-bit text encoded image data utilizing a uniform conversion format.

10. The communication method according to claim 7, the header format information and the manner of conversion information being in accordance with an e-mail standard.

11. The communication method according to claim 7, the e-mail format image data including an e-mail header.