Communication control apparatus and a communication control method

• US 7,111,068 B2
• Filed: 08/02/2001
• Issued: 09/19/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 08/04/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Panasonic Communications Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Panasonic Communications Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Akimoto, Masao, Murata, Matsutoshi
• Primary Examiner(s): Jean, Frantz B.
• Application Number:
  US09/919,953
• Publication Number:
  US 20020019876A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,874 Days
• Field of Search: 709/206, 709/230, 709/217, 709/219, 709/203, 358/1.13, 358/1.15, 358/400, 358/402, 713/150, 717/101
• US Class Current: 709/230
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/066 Format adaptation, e.g. format conversion or compression
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/08 Protocols for interworking; Protocol conversion
• 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 2201/0015 Control of image communication with the connected apparatus, e.g. signalling capability
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0086 Image transceiver H04N2201/0093 and H04N2201/0094 take precedence

Abstract

A communication control apparatus detects a predetermined signal type in accordance with SMTP protocol from a first interface section connected to an IFAX. The communication control apparatus controls communication with the IFAX in accordance with the SMTP protocol when the predetermined signal type is detected. On the other hand, the communication control apparatus controls communication with a server via a second interface section connected to a network, to which the IFAX is connected. The network is managed by the server. The communication control apparatus receives email data from the IFAX, converts it into HTML data, and transmits the HTML data to the server. Accordingly, the communication control apparatus is capable of enabling the IFAX to operate on the network managed by a HTTP protocol.

Claims

1. A communication control apparatus, comprising:

a first interface connected to a network that is controlled by a server in accordance with a HTTP protocol;

a second interface connected to an Internet facsimile apparatus that transmits e-mail data in accordance with a SMTP protocol;

a SMTP processor that controls communication with the Internet facsimile apparatus in accordance with the SMTP protocol;

a HTTP processor that controls communication with the server in accordance with the HTTP protocol;

an e-mail communicator that receives the e-mail data from the Internet facsimile apparatus under the control of the SMTP processor;

a processor that produces command data for the server based upon the e-mail data received from the Internet facsimile apparatus; and

a communicator that transmits the command data produced by the processor and the e-mail data received from the Internet facsimile apparatus to the server under the control of the HTTP processor.

2. The communication control apparatus according to claim 1, the server being configured to manage a network by a groupware software and the communication control apparatus being connected with the server via the network.

3. The communication control apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the command data comprises information regarding a destination of the e-mail and is in HTML format.

4. The communication control apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the e-mail data is stored in a mailbox of the server, when the destination for the e-mail data is a terminal managed by the server, and, when the destination is a terminal not managed by the server, the e-mail data is transferred to a mail server connected with the server via the Internet.

5. The communication control apparatus according to claim 4, further comprising:

a signal-type detector that detects a type of a signal transmitted via the first interface, wherein, when said signal-type detector detects reception of a predetermined signal type from the Internet facsimile apparatus, said HTTP processor starts controlling communications with the server in accordance with the HTTP protocol and said SMTP processor controls communication with the Internet facsimile apparatus in accordance with the SMTP protocol.

6. The communication control apparatus according to claim 5, wherein said HTTP processor starts controlling a communication with the server in accordance with the HTTP protocol when a HELO signal, which is a command signal in accordance with the SMTP protocol, is received from the Internet facsimile apparatus.

7. The communication control apparatus according to claim 6, further comprising:

an encryption processor that encrypts the e-mail data received by said e-mail communicator;

wherein said communicator transmits the command data produced by said processor and the e-mail data encrypted by said encryption processor to the server under the control of said HTTP processor.

8. The communication control apparatus according to claim 7, further comprising:

an IC card that stores information to perform an encryption process by said encryption processor, and a slot into which said IC card is insertable;

wherein said encryption processor encrypts the e-mail data in accordance with the information stored in said IC card, when said IC card is inserted into said slot.

9. The communication control apparatus according to claim 1, said processor being configured to produce the command data by extracting addressee, subject, and file name data from the e-mail data received from the Internet facsimile apparatus.

10. A communication control apparatus comprising:

a first interface connected to a network that is controlled by a server in accordance with a HTTP protocol;

a second interface connected to an Internet facsimile apparatus that receives e-mail data in accordance with a POP3 protocol;

a POP3 processor that controls communication with the Internet facsimile apparatus in accordance with the POP3 protocol;

a HTTP processor that controls communication with the server in accordance with the HTTP protocol;

a HTML communicator that receives HTML data including image data from the server under the control of said HTTP processor;

a HTML processor that extracts the image data from the HTML data received from the server;

an e-mail communicator that transmits the image data to the Internet facsimile apparatus under the control of said POP 3 processor;

a processor that produces command data for the server based upon the e-mail data received from the Internet facsimile apparatus; and

a communicator that transmits the command data produced by the processor and the e-mail data received from the Internet facsimile apparatus to the server under the control of the HTTP processor.

11. The communication control apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the image data is a TIFF file.

12. The communication control apparatus according to claim 10, further comprising:

a signal-type detector that detects a type of signal transmitted by said first interface;

wherein said HTTP processor starts communication with the server in accordance with the HTTP protocol and said POP3 processor controls communication with the Internet facsimile apparatus in accordance with the POP3 protocol when said signal-type detector detects transmission of a predetermined type of signal from the Internet facsimile apparatus.

13. The communication control apparatus according to claim 12, wherein said HTTP processor starts controlling communication with the server in accordance with the HTTP protocol when said signal-type detector receives a USER signal, which comprises a command signal in accordance with the POP3 protocol, from the Internet facsimile apparatus.

14. The communication control apparatus according to claim 10, further comprising:

a decryption processor that decrypts the image data when the image data extracted from the HTML data by said HTML processor is encrypted e-mail data;

wherein said e-mail communicator transmits the image data decrypted by said decryption processor to the Internet facsimile apparatus.

15. The communication control apparatus according to claim 14, further comprising:

an IC card that stores information necessary for decryption by said decryption processor; and

a slot into which said IC card is insertable;

wherein said decryption processor decrypts the encrypted image data in accordance with the information stored in said IC card when said IC card is inserted into said slot.

16. The communication control apparatus according to claim 14, wherein said IC card stores e-mail address information and said HTML communicator transmits the HTML data corresponding to the e-mail address information stored in said IC card when said IC card is inserted into said slot.

17. A communication control method comprising:

controlling communication with a server in accordance with a HTTP protocol via a first interface connected to a network managed by a server in accordance with a HTTP protocol;

controlling a communication with an Internet facsimile apparatus in accordance with a SMTP protocol when a predetermined signal-type is detected;

detecting the predetermined signal-type in accordance with the SMTP protocol from a second interface connected to an Internet facsimile apparatus;

receiving e-mail data from the Internet facsimile apparatus in accordance with the SMTP protocol;

producing command data for the server based on the e-mail data received from the Internet facsimile apparatus; and

transmitting HTML data to the server in accordance with the HTTP protocol.

18. The communication control method according to claim 17, wherein producing command data comprises extracting addressee, subject, and file name data from the e-mail data received from the Internet.

19. A communication control method comprising:

controlling communication with a server in accordance with a HTTP protocol via a first interface connected to a network managed by the server in accordance with the HTTP protocol;

controlling communication with an Internet facsimile apparatus in accordance with a POP3 protocol when a predetermined signal-type is detected;

detecting the predetermined signal-type in accordance with the POP3 protocol from a second interface connected to an Internet facsimile apparatus;

receiving HTML data including image data from the server in accordance with the HTTP protocol;

extracting the image data from the HTML data;

transmitting the extracted image data to the Internet facsimile apparatus in accordance with the POP 3 protocol;

producing command data for the server based on the e-mail data received from the Internet; and

transmitting HTML data to the server in accordance with the HTTP protocol.