Communication apparatus, communication method, communication system, and storage medium

• US 7,366,757 B1
• Filed: 06/07/2000
• Issued: 04/29/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 06/11/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Ushida, Katsutoshi
• Primary Examiner(s): Jaroenchonwanit; Bunjob
• Assistant Examiner(s): ENGLAND, DAVID E
• Application Number:
  US09/588,683
• Time in Patent Office: 2,883 Days
• Field of Search: 370/401, 379 9324-10015, 709201-207, 358/402, 358/442
• US Class Current: 709/206
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00214 details of transmission
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/0022 involving facsimile protocols or a combination of facsimile protocols and computer data transmission protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/32106 separate from the image data, e.g. in a different computer file
• 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 2201/3214 of a date
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3215 of a time or duration
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3218 of a confirmation, acknowledgement or receipt
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3219 of a job status, e.g. successful execution
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3223 of type information, e.g. reception or copy job
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3273 Display

Abstract

Image data communication equivalent to facsimile communication using a public network is realized on e-mail communication. When a communication apparatus for transmitting/receiving e-mail data by connecting to the Internet is to communicate e-mail data having facsimile-format image data attached, communication concerning functional information is performed in addition to the communication of the e-mail data. The functional information can be exchanged by an optimum method matching the form of connection to the Internet. This allows maximum utilization of the capability of each apparatus function in facsimile image communication using e-mail.

Claims

1. A communication apparatus for transmitting electronic mail data by connecting to the Internet, the apparatus comprising:

designation means for designating a destination address for transmission of the electronic mail;

determination means for determining a format of image data in correspondence with the designated destination address by referring to a database for storing functional information of destination devices, in a case where transmission of the electronic mail data with the image data attached thereto is performed;

communication means for, before the transmission of the electronic mail data is performed, and in a case where the determination means determines that the functional information of the format of the image data for the destination device corresponding to the designated destination address is not stored in the database, initiating communication with a destination device corresponding to the designated destination address to obtain functional information of the format of the image data for the destination device;

converting means for i) converting the image data into the format determined by said determination means in a case where the functional information of the format of the image data for the destination device corresponding to the designated destination address is stored in the database, ii) in a case where the determination means determines that the functional information of the format of the image data for the destination device corresponding to the designated destination address is not stored in the database and where said communication means obtains the functional information of the format of the image data in the communication initiated with the destination device, converting the image data into the format of the image data based on the functional information obtained from the destination device by said communication means, and iii) in a case where the determination means determines that the functional information of the format of the image data for the destination device corresponding to the destination address is not stored in the database, and where said communication means does not obtain the functional information of the format of the image data in the communication initiated with the destination device, converting the image data into a predetermined standard image format; and

transmission means for transmitting the electronic mail data with the image data which is converted by said converting means to the destination device corresponding to the designated destination address.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the functional information is information indicating at least one of a coding system, resolution, and original length.

3. A communication apparatus comprising:

designation means for designating a destination address for transmission of electronic mail;

first connecting means for connecting to a local area network and second connecting means for connecting to a wide area network;

first communicating means for communicating electronic mail data by connecting to the Internet by one of said first and second connecting means;

second communicating means for performing facsimile communication by connecting to the wide area network by said second connecting means;

determination means for determining a format of image data in correspondence with the designated destination address by referring to a database for storing functional information of destination devices, in a case where transmission of the electronic mail data with the image data attached thereto is performed;

control means for controlling said first communication means so as to, before the transmission of the electronic mail data is performed, and in a case where the determination means determines that the functional information of the format of the image data for a destination device corresponding to the designated destination address is not stored in the database, initiating communication with the destination device corresponding to the designated destination address to obtain functional information of the format of the image data for the destination device;

converting means for i) converting the image data into the format determined by said determination means in a case where the functional information of the format of the image data for the destination device corresponding to the designated destination address is stored in the database, ii) in a case where the determination means determines that the functional information of the format of the image data for the destination device corresponding to the designated destination address is not stored in the database and where said first communication means obtains the functional information of the format of the image data in the communication initiated with the destination device, converting the image data into the format of the image data for the destination device based on the functional information obtained from the destination device by said first communication means, and iii) in a case where the determination means determines that the functional information of the format of the image data for the destination device corresponding to the destination address is not stored in the database and where said first communication means does not obtain the function information of the format of the image data in the communication initiated with the destination device, converting the image data into a predetermined standard image format; and

transmission means for transmitting the electronic mail data with the image data which is converted by said converting means to the destination device corresponding to the designated destination address.

4. The apparatus according to claim 3, wherein if an error occurs in the transmission of image data by said transmission means, retransmission is performed by selecting a number of times of retransmission from a plurality of individually preset number of times of retransmission including zero, in accordance with contents of the error.

5. The apparatus according to claim 4, wherein no retransmission is performed if the contents of the error indicate that there is no destination address.

6. The apparatus according to claim 3, wherein if an error occurs in the transmission of image data by said transmission means, electronic mail data describing information concerning error information is transmitted to said destination device or a previously designated electronic mail address.

7. The apparatus according to claim 6, wherein if an error occurs in the transmission of the image data by said transmission means, electronic mail data having the image data attached is transmitted to a previously designated electronic mail address.

8. The apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the predetermined standard format is an MH coding system considered to be essential of functional information defined by ITU-T T.30, by which a resolution in a main scan direction is 8 pels/mm, a resolution in a sub-scan direction is 3.85 lines/mm, and an original width is 208 mm of A4 size.

9. The apparatus according to claim 3, wherein if connection to said first communicating means is a dial-up connection, communication of the functional information and the transmission of image data are successively performed by a single call.

10. The apparatus according to claim 9, wherein if connection to said first communicating means is a dial-up connection, a line is once disconnected to wait for timeout processing in communication.

11. The apparatus according to claim 9, wherein if connection to said first communicating means is a dial-up connection, a line is once disconnected to wait for timeout processing in communication, and timeout is selectively verified by recall.

12. The apparatus according to claim 3, wherein if connection to said first communicating means is a dial-up connection, communication of the functional information and the transmission of image data are separately performed by at least two calls.

13. The apparatus according to claim 3, wherein if connection to said first communicating means is a dial-up connection, communication of the functional information and the transmission of image data are successively performed by a single call or separately performed by different calls.

14. The apparatus according to claim 3, wherein functional information of a destination apparatus is acquired by communication using one of said first and second communicating means, a database for holding a maximum capability supported by each function is registered or updated, and, if said first communicating means is to communicate data, the data is converted into a standard registered in said database and communicated.

15. The apparatus according to claim 14, wherein whether image data pertaining to said database is to be converted is set for each function item registered in said database.

16. The apparatus according to claim 14, wherein if an address of another party with respect to said first communicating means is input, display information related to functional information is switched on an operation panel based on information in said database.

17. The apparatus according to claim 3, wherein if a communication error occurs in said first communicating means, said second communicating means communicates the image data if communication by said second communicating means is designated and a telephone number of another party is set.

18. The apparatus according to claim 3, further comprising means for acquiring function identification information of a transmission destination by looking up a database stored in connection with functional information in an electronic mail server connected by a dial-up connection.

19. The apparatus according to claim 3, wherein when said first communicating means is to perform communication of the functional information, of pieces of functional information defined by ITU-T T.30, functional information pertaining to communication such as a handshake rate, a modem rate, a minimum transmission time, the presence/absence of error correction mode, and the presence/absence of G4 function need not be exchanged.

20. The apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the functional information is information indicating at least one of a coding system, resolution, and original length.

21. A computer-readable storage medium storing a program for causing a computer to execute a program comprising the steps of:

a designation procedure of designating a destination address for transmission of the electronic mail;

a first connecting procedure of connecting to a local area network and a second connecting procedure of connecting to a wide area network;

a first communication procedure of communicating electronic mail data to the destination address by connecting to the Internet by one of the first or second connecting procedures;

a second communication procedure of performing facsimile communication by connecting to the wide area network by the second connecting procedure;

a determination procedure of determining a format of image data corresponding to the designated destination address by referring to a database for storing functional information of destination devices, in a case where transmission of the electronic mail data with the image data attached thereto is performed;

a control procedure of controlling the first communication procedure so as to, before the transmission of the electronic mail data is performed, and in a case where the determination procedure determines that the functional information of the format of the image data for a destination device corresponding to the designated destination address is not stored in the database, initiating communication with the destination device corresponding to the designated destination address to obtain functional information of the format of the image for the destination device;

a converting procedure of i) converting the image data into the format determined by said determination procedure in a case where the functional information of the format of the image data for the destination device corresponding to the designated destination address is stored in the database, ii) in a case where the determination procedure determines that the functional information of the format of the image data for the destination device corresponding to the designated destination address is not stored in the database and where said first communication procedure obtains the functional information of the format of the image data in the communication initiated with the destination device, converting the image data into the format of the image data for the destination device based on the functional information obtained from the destination device by said first communication procedure, and iii) in a case where the determination procedure determines that the functional information of the format of the image data for the destination device corresponding to the destination address is not stored in the database, and where said first communication procedure does not obtain the functional information of the format of the image data in the communication initiated with the destination device, converting the image data into a predetermined standard image format; and

a transmission procedure of transmitting the electronic mail data with the image data which is converted by the converting procedure to the destination device corresponding to the designated destination address.

22. The storage medium according to claim 21, further comprising performing retransmission, if an error occurs in the transmission of image data by said transmission procedure, by selecting a number of times of retransmission from a plurality of numbers of times of retransmission including zero, which are individually set in advance, in accordance with the contents of the error.

23. The storage medium according to claim 22, further comprising performing no retransmission if the contents of the error indicate that there is no destination address.

24. The storage medium according to claim 21, further comprising transmitting, if an error occurs in the transmission of image data by said transmission procedure, electronic mail data describing information concerning error information to said destination device or to a previously designated electronic mail address.

25. The storage medium according to claim 24, further comprising transmitting, if an error occurs in the transmission of the image data by said transmission procedure, electronic mail data having the image data attached to a previously designated electronic mail address.

26. The storage medium according to claim 21, further comprising performing communication such that the predetermined standard format is an MH coding system considered to be essential of functional information defined by ITU-T T.30, by which a resolution in a main scan direction is 8 gels/mm, a resolution in a sub-scan direction is 3.85 lines/mm, and an original width is 208 mm of A4 size.

27. The storage medium according to claim 21, further comprising successively performing communication of the functional information and the transmission of image data by a single call, if connection by said first communication procedure is a dial-up connection.

28. The storage medium according to claim 27, further comprising once disconnecting a line to wait for timeout processing in communication, if connection by said first communication procedure is a dial-up connection.

29. The storage medium according to claim 27, further comprising once disconnecting a line to wait for timeout processing in communication and selectively verifying the timeout by recall, if connection by said first communication procedure is a dial-up connection.

30. The storage medium according to claim 21, further comprising separately performing communication of the functional information and the transmission of image data by at least two calls, if connection by said first communication procedure is a dial-up connection.

31. The storage medium according to claim 21, further comprising successively performing or separately performing communication of the functional information and the transmission of image data by a single call or by different calls, if connection by said first communication procedure is a dial-up connection.

32. The storage medium according to claim 21, further comprising acquiring functional information of a destination apparatus by communication using one of said first and second communication procedures, registering or updating a database for holding a maximum capability supported by each function, and, if communication is to be performed by said first communication procedure, converting an image standard designated by a user into a standard registered in said database on the basis of information of said database, and communicating the image.

33. The storage medium according to claim 32, further comprising setting whether image data pertaining to said database is to be converted for each function item registered in said database.

34. The storage medium according to claim 32, further comprising switching a display on an operation panel related to functional information based on information in said database, if an address of another party is input in said first communication procedure.

35. The storage medium according to claim 21, communicating image data by said second communication procedure, if a communication error occurs in said first communication procedure and if communication by said second communication procedure is designated and a telephone number of another party is set.

36. The storage medium according to claim 21, further comprising acquiring function identification information of a transmission destination by looking up a database stored in connection with functional information in an electronic mail server connected by a dial-up connection.

37. The storage medium according to claim 21, wherein, when communication of the functional information is to be performed by said first communication procedure, not exchanging, of pieces of functional information defined by ITU-T T.30, functional information pertaining to communication such as a handshake rate, a modem rate, a minimum transmission time, the presence/absence of error correction mode, and the presence/absence of G4 function.

38. The storage medium according to claim 21, wherein the functional information is information indicating at least one of a coding system, resolution, and original length.

39. A communication method of communicating electronic mail data to a destination address by connecting to the Internet, the method comprising:

a designation step of designating a destination address for transmission of the electronic mail;

a determination step of determining a format of image data corresponding to the designated destination address by referring to a database for storing functional information of destination devices, in a case where transmission of the electronic mail data with image data attached thereto is to be performed;

a communication step of, before the transmission of the electronic mail data is performed, and in a case where the determination step determines that the functional information of the format of the image data for the destination device corresponding to the designated destination address is not stored in the database, initiating communication with a destination device corresponding to the designated destination address to obtain functional information of the format of image data for the destination device;

a converting step of i) converting the image data into the format determined by said determination step in a case where the functional information of the format of the image data for the destination device corresponding to the designated destination address is stored in the database, ii) in a case where the determination step determines that the functional information of the format of the image data for the destination device corresponding to the designated destination address is not stored in the database and where said communication step obtains the functional information of the format of the image data in the communication initiated with the destination device, converting the image data into the format of the image data for the destination device based on the functional information obtained from the destination device by said communication step, and iii) in a case where the determination step determines that the functional information of the format of the image data for the destination device corresponding to the destination address is not stored in the database, and where said communication step does not obtain the functional information of the format of the image data in the communication initiated with the destination device, converting the image data into a predetermined standard image format; and

a transmission step of transmitting the electronic mail data with the image data which is converted by the converting step to the destination device corresponding to the designated destination address.

40. The method according to claim 39, wherein the functional information is information indicating at least one of a coding system, resolution, and original length.

41. A communication system for communication of electronic mail data by a plurality of communication apparatuses connected to the Internet, comprising:

designating means for designating a destination apparatus for transmission of electronic mail;

determination means for determining a format of image data corresponding to the designated destination apparatus by referring to a database for storing functional information of destination apparatuses in a case where transmission of the electronic mail data with image data attached thereto is to be performed between the plurality of communication apparatuses;

communication means for, before the transmission of the electronic mail data is performed, and in a case where the determination means determines that the functional information of the format of the image data for the destination apparatus corresponding to the destination address is not stored in the database, initiating communication with the destination apparatus corresponding to the destination address to obtain functional information of the format of image data for the destination apparatus;

converting means for i) converting the image data into the format determined by said determination means in a case where the functional information of the format of the image data for the destination apparatus corresponding to the designated destination address is stored in the database, ii) in a case where the determination means determines that the functional information of the format of the image data for the destination apparatus corresponding to the designated destination address is not stored in the database and where said communication means obtains the functional information of the format of the image data in the communication initiated with the destination apparatus, converting the image data into the format of the image data for the destination apparatus based on the functional information obtained from the destination device by said communication means, and iii) in a case where the determination means determines that the functional information of the format of the image data for the destination apparatus corresponding to the destination address is not stored in the database and where said communication means does not obtain the function information of the format of the image data in the communication initiated with the destination apparatus, converting the image data into a predetermined standard image format; and

transmitting means for transmitting the electronic mail data with the image data which is converted by the converting means to the destination apparatus corresponding to the designated destination address.

42. The system according to claim 41, wherein the functional information is information indicating at least one of a coding system, resolution, and original length.