Facsimile apparatus and repeater

• US 7,199,892 B2
• Filed: 07/16/2001
• Issued: 04/03/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 07/17/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Panasonic Communications Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Panasonic Communications Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Tsuchiya, Suguru
• Primary Examiner(s): NGUYEN, MADELEINE ANH VINH
• Application Number:
  US09/905,073
• Publication Number:
  US 20020054367A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,087 Days
• Field of Search: 358/1.15, 358/442, 358/402, 358/444, 358/468, 358/434, 358/440, 358/407, 358/1.1, 379/100.01
• US Class Current: 358/1.15
• 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 1/32037 Automation of particular transmitter jobs, e.g. multi-address calling, auto-dialing
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/32058 Abbreviated dialing, e.g. one-touch dialing
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/32069 simultaneously to a plurality of destinations, e.g. multi-casting
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/33392 Details of handshaking
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0086 Image transceiver H04N2201/0093 and H04N2201/0094 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0093 Facsimile machine H04N2201/0094 takes precedence

Abstract

When a multicast instruction is input, a facsimile apparatus transmits an input plurality of sub-addresses together with image data to a repeater in a single communication transaction. Thus, effective communication can be performed.

Claims

1. A facsimile apparatus transmitting image data to a relay Internet facsimile apparatus via PSTN (Public Switched Telephone Networks), the relay Internet facsimile apparatus transmitting the image data to a plurality of receiving Internet facsimile apparatuses via the Internet, each of the plurality of receiving Internet facsimile apparatuses having a sub-address and an IP address, the facsimile apparatus comprising:

an input configured to input the image data;

a panel configured to input predetermined information identifying the relay Internet facsimile apparatus and sub-addresses of the plurality of receiving Internet facsimile apparatuses, the relay Internet facsimile apparatus having a memory that stores IP addresses of the plurality of receiving Internet facsimile apparatuses corresponding to the sub-addresses of the plurality of receiving Internet facsimile apparatuses; and

a controller that, when the predetermined information and the sub-addresses of the plurality of receiving Internet facsimile apparatuses are input by the panel, transmits, to the relay Internet facsimile apparatus via the PSTN, the input image data and the input sub-addresses of the plurality of receiving Internet facsimile apparatuses, based on the input predetermined information identifying the relay Internet facsimile apparatus, the relay Internet facsimile apparatus determining whether the sub-addresses of the plurality of receiving Internet facsimile apparatuses are received from the facsimile apparatus, the relay Internet facsimile apparatus converting the transmitted image data into data for Internet transmission and relaying the converted data to the plurality of the receiving Internet facsimile apparatuses via the Internet, based on the IP addresses of the plurality of receiving Internet facsimile apparatuses corresponding to the sub-addresses of the plurality of receiving Internet facsimile apparatuses stored in the memory of the relay Internet facsimile apparatus, when it is determined that the sub-addresses of the plurality of receiving Internet facsimile apparatuses are received from the facsimile apparatus, the relay Internet facsimile apparatus printing out the transmitted image data when it is determined that the sub-addresses of the plurality of receiving Internet facsimile apparatuses are not received from the facsimile apparatus.

2. The facsimile apparatus according to claim 1, wherein, when the panel inputs a plurality of the predetermined information identifying a plurality of the relay Internet facsimile apparatuses and when the plurality of the sub-addresses corresponding to each of the plurality of the predetermined information are input, the controller transmits, to the plurality of the relay Internet facsimile apparatuses, the input image data and the plurality of the sub-addresses of the receiving Internet facsimile apparatuses, based on each of the plurality of the predetermined information identifying the plurality of the relay Internet facsimile apparatuses.

3. The facsimile apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the panel includes a plurality of one-touch buttons, the predetermined information identifying the relay Internet facsimile apparatus and the plurality of the sub-addresses of the receiving Internet facsimile apparatuses being input by the plurality of the one-touch buttons.

4. The facsimile apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the controller transmits, to the relay Internet facsimile apparatus via the PSTN, the plurality of the sub-addresses of the receiving Internet facsimile apparatus using a NSS signal.

5. The facsimile apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the controller transmits, in a single transmission, the plurality of sub-addresses of the receiving Internet facsimile apparatus using an NSS, in response to the relay Internet facsimile apparatus transmitting, to the facsimile apparatus, a signal that the relay Internet facsimile apparatus is configured to receive plural sub-addresses in a single communication.

6. The facsimile apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the predetermined information comprises a telephone number of the relay Internet facsimile apparatus.

7. The facsimile apparatus according to claim 1, the memory being configured to store groups of IP addresses in association with groups of sub-addresses of the plurality of receiving Internet facsimile apparatuses, whereby converted image data can be transmitted, in a single transmission, to the group plurality of receiving Internet facsimile apparatuses based upon the group of IP addresses.

8. The facsimile apparatus according to claim 1, wherein, in response to receipt of a signal from the relay Internet facsimile apparatus that the relay Internet facsimile apparatus can receive a plurality of sub-addresses in a single communication, the controller transmits, to the relay Internet facsimile apparatus, a plurality of sub-addresses of the receiving Internet facsimile apparatuses in a single communication.

9. The facsimile apparatus according to claim 1, the controller being further configured to transmit the input sub-addresses of the plurality of receiving Internet facsimile apparatuses in a single facsimile transmission.

10. A relay Internet facsimile apparatus, comprising:

a memory configured to store a plurality of IP addresses of receiving Internet facsimile apparatuses corresponding to a plurality of sub-addresses of the receiving Internet facsimile apparatuses;

a communicator configured to receive, from a transmitting facsimile apparatus, via PSTN (Public Switched Telephone Networks), image data and the plurality of the sub-addresses of the receiving Internet facsimile apparatuses in a single facsimile transmission; and

a controller configured to determine whether the sub-addresses of the plurality of receiving Internet facsimile apparatuses are received from the transmitting facsimile apparatus,

the controller, when it is determine that the sub-addresses of the plurality of receiving Internet facsimile apparatuses are received from the transmitting facsimile apparatus, being further configured to convert the received image data into data for Internet transmission, and to relay the converted data to the plurality of the receiving Internet facsimile apparatuses via the Internet, based on the plurality of the IP addresses of the receiving Internet facsimile apparatuses corresponding to the sub-addresses of the plurality of receiving Internet facsimile apparatuses stored in the memory,

the controller, when it is determined that the sub-addresses of the plurality of receiving Internet facsimile apparatuses are not received from the transmitting facsimile apparatus, being further configured to print out the received image data.

11. The relay Internet facsimile apparatus according to claim 10, the memory being configured to store at least one group of at least two IP addresses in association with at least one group of at least two sub-addresses, whereby converted image data can be transmitted, in a single transmission, to each of the receiving internet facsimile apparatuses of a group, based upon the IP addresses of the group.

12. The relay Internet facsimile apparatus according to claim 10, said communicator being further configured to transmit, to the transmitting facsimile apparatus, a signal indicating that the relay Internet facsimile apparatus is configured to receive a plurality of sub-addresses to which image data is to be transmitted in a single communication.

13. The relay Internet facsimile apparatus according to claim 10, the communicator further being configured to transmit, to the facsimile apparatus, an indication that the relay Internet facsimile apparatus is configured to receive plural sub-addresses in a single communication.

14. A communication method for transmitting image data via a relay Internet facsimile apparatus to a plurality of receiving Internet facsimile apparatuses using a facsimile apparatus, each of the plurality of the receiving Internet facsimile apparatuses having a sub-address and an IP address, the facsimile apparatus transmitting the image data to the relay Internet facsimile apparatus via PSTN (Public Switched Telephone Networks), the communication method comprising:

inputting predetermined information identifying the relay Internet facsimile apparatus and sub-addresses of the plurality of receiving Internet facsimile apparatuses, the relay Internet facsimile apparatus having a memory that stores a plurality of IP addresses of the receiving Internet facsimile apparatuses corresponding to the plurality of the sub-addresses of the receiving Internet facsimile apparatuses;

scanning the image data;

transmitting, when the predetermined information and the sub-addresses of the plurality of receiving Internet facsimile apparatuses are input, to the relay Internet facsimile apparatus via the PSTN, the scanned image data and the plurality of the input sub-addresses of the receiving Internet facsimile apparatuses, based on the input predetermined information identifying the relay Internet facsimile apparatus, the relay Internet facsimile apparatus determining whether the sub-addresses of the plurality of receiving Internet facsimile apparatuses are received from the facsimile apparatus, the relay Internet facsimile apparatus converting the transmitted image data into data for Internet transmission and relaying the converted data to the plurality of the receiving Internet facsimile apparatuses via the Internet, based on the plurality of the IP addresses of the receiving Internet facsimile apparatuses corresponding to the sub-addresses of the plurality of receiving Internet facsimile apparatuses stored in the memory of the relay Internet facsimile apparatus, when it is determined that the sub-addresses of the plurality of receiving Internet facsimile apparatuses are received from the facsimile apparatus, the relay Internet facsimile apparatus printing out the transmitted image data when it is determined that the sub-addresses of the plurality of receiving Internet facsimile apparatuses are not received from the Internet facsimile apparatus.

15. The communication method according to claim 14, wherein the inputting further includes inputting at least two sub-addresses as a group, whereby scanned image data can be transmitted, in a single transmission, to each of the receiving Internet facsimile apparatuses identified by the plurality of IP addresses corresponding to each of the sub-addresses in the group.

16. The communication method according to claim 14, further comprising transmitting, to the relay Internet facsimile apparatus, the plurality of addresses of the receiving Internet facsimile apparatuses in response to the relay Internet facsimile apparatus transmitting, to the facsimile apparatus, an indication that the relay Internet facsimile apparatus is configured to receive plural sub-addresses in a single communication.

17. The communication method according to claim 14, the transmitting comprising, transmitting the plurality of input sub-addresses of the receiving Internet facsimile apparatuses, in a single facsimile transmission.