Communication system and method

• US 6,963,418 B1
• Filed: 06/26/2000
• Issued: 11/08/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 07/12/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Murata Machinery Limited (Muratec)
• Original Assignee: Murata Machinery Limited (Muratec)
• Inventors: Tanimoto, Yoshifumi
• Primary Examiner(s): Williams, Kimberly
• Assistant Examiner(s): Lett, Thomas J
• Application Number:
  US09/603,219
• Time in Patent Office: 1,961 Days
• Field of Search: 358/1.15, 358/1.16, 358/404, 358/440, 358/444, 358/409, 358/425, 708/174, 702/188, 717/173, 379/100.01, 379/88.13, 379/355.02, 370/216, 455/557, 365/185.11, 709/203, 709/216, 375/240.12, 710/4, 710/20, 710/33, 369/13.16, 369/13.25
• US Class Current: 358/1.15
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00204 with a digital computer or a digital computer system, e.g. an internet server programmed control between transmitter and receiver or between image input and image output device H04N1/32561
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00344 with a management, maintenance, service or repair apparatus monitoring H04N1/00002
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/0097 Storage of instructions or parameters, e.g. customised instructions or different parameters for different user IDs
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00973 from a remote device, e.g. receiving via the internet instructions input to a computer terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/32058 Abbreviated dialing, e.g. one-touch dialing
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0039 Connection via a network
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0093 Facsimile machine H04N2201/0094 takes precedence

Abstract

Administering client computer (3) is connected to a plurality of facsimile machines (1) over a LAN (2). The facsimile machines (1) store quick-dial telephone numbers in RAM (11), and operating programs in flash memory (13). The computer (3) sends replacement data for the quick-dial telephone numbers and the operating programs of the facsimile machines (1) to the facsimile machines (1) over the LAN (2). The facsimile machines that receive the replacement data then overwrite the telephone numbers and operating programs with the replacement data.

Claims

1. A communication system including at least one communication device, each of which stores a first set of data and generates a response upon receiving data or instructions, and a second device connected to each of the at least one communication device over a computer network, wherein the second device includes a transmission unit that transmits replacement data to at least one of the at least one communication device via the computer network, and wherein the second device transmits an overwrite instruction to the at least one communication device via the computer network, and wherein the second device re-transmits the same overwrite instruction to the at least one communication device via the computer network if the response is not received by the second device, and

each of the at least one communication device includes a storage unit capable of storing the first set of data, a reception unit that receives said replacement data, and an overwriting unit that writes the replacement data over the first set of data.

2. The communication system of claim 1 wherein the at least one communication device includes a plurality of communication devices, and the replacement data is received from the second device simultaneously by at least two of the plurality of communication devices.

21. The communication system of claim 1 wherein the second device transmits the replacement data to the at least one communication device via the computer network upon receiving the response from the at least one communication device.

3. A communication system including at least one communication device, each of which stores a first set of data and generates a response upon receiving data or instructions, and a second device connected to each of the at least one communication device over a computer network, wherein the second device includes a transmission unit that transmits replacement data to at least one of the at least one communication device via the computer network, and wherein the second device transmits an overwrite instruction to the at least one communication device via the computer network, and wherein the second device re-transmits the overwrite instruction to the at least one communication device via the computer network if the response is not received by the second device, and

each of the at least one communication device includes a storage unit capable of storing the first set of data, a reception unit that receives said replacement data, and an overwriting unit that writes the replacement data over the first set of data, wherein the second device further includes a timer that detects time, and the replacement data is sent to the communication device when the timer detects a predetermined time.

5. The communication system of claim 3 wherein the replacement data includes at least one of one-touch and quick-dial telephone numbers.

7. The communication system of claim 3 wherein the replacement data includes operating programs.

4. A communication system including at least one communication device, each of which stores a first set of data and generates a response upon receiving data or instructions, and a second device connected to each of the at least one communication device over a computer network, wherein the second device includes a transmission unit that transmits replacement data to at least one of the at least one communication device via the computer network, and wherein the second device transmits an overwrite instruction to the at least one communication device via the computer network, and wherein the second devices re-transmits the overwrite instruction to the at least one communication device via the computer network if the response is not received by the second device, and

each of the at least one communication device includes a storage unit capable of storing the first set of data, a reception unit that receives said replacement data, and an overwriting unit that writes the replacement data over the first set of data, wherein the at least one communication device includes a plurality of communication devices, and the replacement data is received from the second device simultaneously by at least two of the plurality of communication devices, and wherein the second device further includes a timer that detects time, and the replacement data is sent to the communication device when the timer detects a predetermined time.

6. The communication system of claim 4 wherein the replacement data includes at least one of one-touch and quick-dial telephone numbers.

8. The communication system of claim 4 wherein the replacement data includes operating programs.

9. A communication system including a client computer, a local area network, and a plurality of facsimile machines connected to the client computer over the local area network, wherein at least two of the plurality of facsimile machines store at least either quick-dial telephone numbers or operating programs and generate a response upon receiving data or instructions from the client computer, and wherein the client computer transmits an overwrite instruction to at least one of the two facsimile machines, and wherein the client computer re-transmits the same overwrite instruction to at least one of the two facsimile machines if the response is not received by the client computer, and wherein the client computer simultaneously transmits replacement data to at least one of the two facsimile machines over the Local Area Network if the response is received by the client computer.

10. A communication system including a client computer, a local area network, and a plurality of facsimile machines connected to the client computer over the local area network, wherein at least two of the plurality of facsimile machines store at least either quick-dial telephone numbers or operating programs and generate a response upon receiving data or instructions from the client computer, and wherein the client computer transmits an overwrite instruction to at least one of the two facsimile machines, and wherein the client computer re-transmits the overwrite instruction to at least one of the two facsimile machines if the response is not received by the client computer, and wherein the client computer simultaneously transmits replacement data to at least one of the two facsimile machines over the Local Area Network if the response is received by the client computer, wherein the client computer is provided with a timer that detects time, and the replacement data is sent to the facsimile machines when the timer detects a predetermined time.

11. A communication system including a client computer, a local area network, and a plurality of facsimile machines connected to the client computer over the local area network, wherein at least two of the plurality of facsimile machines store at least either quick-dial telephone numbers or operating programs and generate a response upon receiving data or instructions from the client computer, and wherein the client computer transmits an overwrite instruction to at least one of the two facsimile machines, and wherein the client computer re-transmits the overwrite instruction to at least one of the two facsimile machines if the response is not received by the client computer, and wherein the client computer simultaneously transmits replacement data to at least one of the two facsimile machines over the Local Area Network if the response is received by the client computer, wherein the client computer transmits a data overwriting instruction to said facsimile machines, and said facsimile machines reply to the client computer indicating whether or not they are capable of overwriting the data.

12. A data overwriting method for a communication system that includes at least one communication device each of which stores a first set of data and generates a response upon receiving data or instructions, and a second device connected to the at least one communication device over a computer network, the data overwriting method comprising the steps of:

transmitting an overwrite instruction from the second device to the at least one communication device via the computer network;

re-transmitting the same overwrite instruction from the second device to the at least one communication device via the computer network if the response is not received by the second device;

transmitting replacement data from the second device to the at least one communication device over the computer network if the response is received by the second device; and

replacing the first set of data with the replacement data at the at least one communication device.

13. The data overwriting method of claim 12 wherein the at least one communication device includes at least two communication devices, and the replacement data is transmitted from the second device to the two or more of the at least two communication devices simultaneously.

16. The data overwriting method of claim 12 wherein the replacement data includes at least either quick-dial telephone numbers or operating programs.

17. The data overwriting method of claim 13 wherein the replacement data includes quick-dial telephone numbers.

20. The data replacement method of claim 12 wherein the communication device is a facsimile machine.

14. A data overwriting method for a communication system that includes at least one communication device each of which stores a first set of data and generates a response upon receiving data or instructions, and a second device connected to the at least one communication device over a computer network, the data overwriting method comprising the steps of:

transmitting an overwrite instruction from the second device to the at least one communication device via the computer network;

re-transmitting the overwrite instruction from the second device to the at least one communication device via the computer network if the response is not received by the second device;

transmitting replacement data from the second device to the at least one communication device over the computer network if the response is received by the second device; and

replacing the first set of data with the replacement data at the at least one communication device, wherein the second device is provided with a timer that detects time, and the step of transmitting the replacement data is performed when the timer detects a specified time.

18. The data overwriting method of claim 14 wherein the replacement data includes quick-dial telephone numbers.

15. A data overwriting method for a communication system that includes at least one communication device each of which stores a first set of data and generates a response upon receiving data or instructions, and a second device connected to the at least one communication device over a computer network, the data overwriting method comprising the steps of:

transmitting an overwrite instruction from the second device to the at least one communication device via the computer network;

re-transmitting the overwrite instruction from the second device to the at least one communication device via the computer network if the response is not received by the second device;

transmitting replacement data from the second device to the at least one communication device over the computer network if the response is received by the second device; and

replacing the first set of data with the replacement data at the at least one communication device, wherein the at least one communication device includes at least two communication devices, and the replacement data is transmitted from the second device to the two or more of the at least two communication devices simultaneously, and wherein the second device is provided with a timer that detects time, and the step of transmitting the replacement data is performed when the timer detects a specified time.

19. The data overwriting method of claim 15 wherein the replacement data includes quick-dial telephone numbers.

22. A communication system including at least one communication device, each of which stores a first set of data and generates a response upon receiving data or instructions, and a second device connected to each of the at least one communication device over a computer network, wherein the second device includes a transmission unit that transmits replacement data to at least one of the at least one communication device via the computer network, and wherein the second device transmits an overwrite instruction to the at least one communication device via the computer network, and wherein the second device re-transmits the overwrite instruction to the at least one communication device via the computer network if the response is not received by the second device, and

each of the at least one communication device includes a storage unit capable of storing the first set of data, a reception unit that receives said replacement data, and an overwriting unit that writes the replacement data over the first set of data, wherein the replacement data or data specifying the at least one communication device is stored at the second device if the response from the at least one communication device indicates that the overwrite instruction is not executable due to a power failure or to a disabled overwriting unit.

23. A communication system including at least one communication device, each of which stores a first set of data and generates a response upon receiving data or instructions, and a second device connected to each of the at least one communication device over a computer network, wherein the second device includes a transmission unit that transmits replacement data to at least one of the at least one communication device via the computer network, and wherein the second device transmits an overwrite instruction to the at least one communication device via the computer network, and wherein the second device re-transmits the overwrite instruction to the at least one communication device via the computer network if the response is not received by the second device, and

each of the at least one communication device includes a storage unit capable of storing the first set of data, a reception unit that receives said replacement data, and an overwriting unit that writes the replacement data over the first set of data, wherein the replacement data or data specifying the at least one communication device is stored at the second device is the response from the at least one communication device is not received by the second device.