Communication apparatus and control method of the same

• US 7,113,976 B2
• Filed: 01/28/2002
• Issued: 09/26/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 01/30/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Watanabe, Naoya
• Primary Examiner(s): Wiley, David
• Assistant Examiner(s): Nguyen, Phuoc H.
• Application Number:
  US10/056,031
• Publication Number:
  US 20020103872A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,702 Days
• Field of Search: 709204-206
• US Class Current: 709/206
• 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 61/4555 Directories for electronic mail or instant messaging
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/4536 Voicemail combined with text-based messaging
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/4931 Directory assistance systems
• 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 1/32058 Abbreviated dialing, e.g. one-touch dialing
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/32122 in a separate device, e.g. in a memory or on a display separate from image data
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0086 Image transceiver H04N2201/0093 and H04N2201/0094 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3205 of identification information, e.g. name or ID code H04N2201/3209 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3207 of an address
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3208 of an e-mail or network address
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3209 of a telephone number
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3274 Storage or retrieval of prestored additional information
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3278 Transmission

Abstract

Disclosed are a communication apparatus capable of registering telephone directory data at once from e-mail containing the telephone directory data into a telephone directory of a communication apparatus. A communication apparatus according to this invention is a communication apparatus having a function of transmitting/receiving e-mail, and characterized by including a communication partner information storage unit for storing communication partner information having predetermined registration items, an identifier detecting unit for detecting a predetermined identifier from received e-mail, and a registering unit for registering information described in the e-mail in accordance with the detected identifier into that registration item of the communication partner information which corresponds to the identifier.

Claims

1. A communication apparatus having a function of transmitting/receiving e-mail, comprising:

receiving means for receiving an e-mail;

storage means for storing a plurality of kinds of communication partner information including an e-mail address or a telephone number for each communication partner;

first detecting means for detecting, from the received e-mail, a plurality of identifiers in a body part of the received e-mail, where each of the plurality of identifiers is represented by a first character string and symbols bracketing the first character string;

specifying means for specifying kinds of identifiers detected by said first detecting means;

second detecting means for detecting a plurality of second character strings, each of which follows each of the respective identifiers specified by said specifying means;

registering means for registering the plurality of second character strings detected by said second detecting means into areas in said storage means, each of which corresponds to the kind of the identifier followed by the second character string; and

control means for controlling said registering means to perform the registration only if the detected identifier followed by the second character string is one of a predetermined kind of identifier,

wherein if a plurality of identifiers, each of which indicates the name of a communication partner, are specified by said specifying means, said control means controls said registering means to repeatedly perform the registration for every identifier indicating the name of the communication;

sending means for sending an e-mail;

extracting means for extracting the communication partner information stored in said storage means;

adding means for adding, to every communication partner information extracted by said extracting means, an identifier corresponding to the kind of the communication partner information; and

generating means for generating an e-mail including, in its body part, all of the extracted communication partner information with the identifier;

wherein said sending means sends the e-mail generated by said generating means to a new communication apparatus in order to enable the new communication apparatus to register the communication partner information into a storage means by receiving the e-mail.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising registration designating means by which a user designates registration by said registering means,

wherein said registering means registers only information whose registration is designated by said registration designating means.

3. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the second character string indicated by the detected identifier is text information subsequent to the detected identifier.

4. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein if a length of the second character string detected by said second detecting means is longer than a predetermined length, said control means controls said registering means not to perform the registration.

5. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein if the specified identifier is a name of a communication partner, said specifying means further specifies a telephone number or an e-mail address corresponding to the name.

6. A control method of a communication apparatus which comprises storage means for storing a plurality of kinds of communication partner information including an e-mail address or a telephone number for each communication partner, and which has a function of transmitting/receiving e-mail, comprising:

a receiving step of receiving an e-mail;

a storing step of storing the plurality of kinds of communication partner information in a storage means, including the e-mail address or the telephone number for each communication partner;

a first detection step of detecting, from the received e-mail, a plurality of identifiers in a body part of the received e-mail, where each of the plurality of identifiers is represented by a first character string and symbols bracketing the first character string

a specifying step for specifying kinds of identifiers detected by the first detection step;

a second detecting step for detecting a plurality of second character strings, each of which follows each of the respective identifiers specified by the specifying step;

a registration step of registering the plurality of second character strings detected by the second detecting step into areas in the storage means, each of which corresponds to the kind of the identifier followed by the second character string;

a controlling step of controlling the registering step to perform the registration only if the detected identifier followed by the second character string is one of a predetermined kind of identifier, wherein if a plurality of identifiers, each of which indicates the name of a communication partner, are specified by the specifying step, said controlling step controls the registering step to repeatedly perform the registration for every identifier indicating the name of the communication partner;

a sending step of sending an e-mail;

an extraction step of extracting the communication partner information stored in said storage means;

an addition step of adding, to every communication partner information extracted by the extracting step, an identifier corresponding to the kind of the communication partner information; and

a generating step of generating an e-mail including, in its body part, all of the extracted communication partner information with the identifier, wherein the sending step sends the e-mail generated in the generating step to a new communication apparatus in order to enable the new communication apparatus to register the communication partner information into a storage means by receiving the e-mail.

7. The method according to claim 6, wherein the registration step comprises registering only information whose registration is designated by the user of said communication apparatus.

8. The method according to claim 6, wherein the second character string indicated by the detected identifier is text information subsequent to the detected identifier.

9. The method according to claim 6, wherein if a length of the second character string detected by said second detecting step is longer than a predetermined length, said controlling step controls said registering step not to perform the registration.

10. The method according to claim 6, wherein if the specified identifier is a name of a communication partner, said specifying step further specifies a telephone number or an e-mail address corresponding to the name.

11. A control program of a communication apparatus, said control program being executable by said communication apparatus and being stored on a storage medium which is readable by said communication apparatus, wherein said communication apparatus comprises storage means for storing a plurality of kinds of communication partner information including an e-mail address or a telephone number for each communication partner, and which has a function of transmitting/receiving e-mail, said control program comprising:

code for a receiving step of receiving an e-mail;

code for a storing step of storing the plurality of kinds of communication partner information in a storage means, including the e-mail address or the telephone number for each communication partner;

code for a first detection step of detecting, from the received e-mail, a plurality of identifiers in a body part of the received e-mail, where each of the plurality of identifiers is represented by a first character string and symbols bracketing the first character string;

code for a specifying step for specifying kinds of identifier detected by the first detection step;

code for a second detection step for detecting a plurality of second character strings, each of which follows each of the respective identifiers specified by the specifying step;

code for a registration step of registering the plurality of second character strings detected by the second detecting step into areas in the storage means, each of which corresponds to the kind of the identifier followed by the second character string;

code for a controlling step of controlling the registering step to perform the registration only if the detected identifier followed by the second character string is one of a predetermined kind of identifier, wherein if a plurality of identifiers, each of which indicates the name of a communication partner, are specified by the specifying step, the controlling step controls the registering step to repeatedly perform the registration for every identifier indicating the name of the communication partner;

code for a sending step of sending an e-mail;

code for an extraction step of extracting the communication partner information stored in said storage means;

code for an addition step of adding, to every communication partner information extracted by the extracting step, an identifier correspondinig to the kind of the communication partner informatiom; and

code for a generating step of generating an e-mail including, in its body part, all of the extracted communication partner information with the identifier, wherein the sending step sends the e-mail generated in the generating step to a new communication apparatus in order to enable the new communication apparatus to register the communication partner information into a storage means by receiving the e-mail.