Data transmission device and method for controlling the same and image reading apparatus using the same

• US 7,689,596 B2
• Filed: 02/21/2006
• Issued: 03/30/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 02/21/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Tsunoda, Masami
• Primary Examiner(s): Vital; Pierre M
• Assistant Examiner(s): Nguyen; Loan T
• Application Number:
  US11/357,163
• Publication Number:
  US 20060190496A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,498 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 358/1.15
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/40 for recovering from a failure of a protocol instance or entity, e.g. service redundancy protocols, protocol state redundancy or protocol service redirection management of faults, events, alarms or notifications in data switching networks H04L41/06
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00477 Indicating status, e.g. of a job for control or supervision between transmitter and receiver or between image input and image output device H04N2201/3219
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/32037 Automation of particular transmitter jobs, e.g. multi-address calling, auto-dialing
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/32048 Auto-dialling or Auto-calling H04N1/32053 - H04N1/32074 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/4413 involving the use of passwords, ID codes or the like, e.g. PIN
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/4433 to an apparatus, part of an apparatus or an apparatus function

Abstract

According to the present invention, a data transmission device that can transmit data to a destination contained in pre-stored destination information, the data transmission device comprises a determining section that, when the device is instructed to transmit data, determines whether or not destination information contained in the transmission instruction was updated after the last data transmission carried out with reference to the destination information; and a notifying section that, if the determining section determines that the destination information was updated after the last data transmission to the destination, notifies a user having given the transmission instruction that the destination information has been updated.

Claims

1. A data transmission device for transmitting data to a destination identified by prestored destination information, the data transmission device comprising:

a processor;

a memory coupled to said processor;

a destination designation section configured to accept a designation of a destination identifier corresponding to a destination, from among the destination information;

a transmission section configured to transmit data to the destination designated by said destination designation section;

a first determining section configured to determine whether the destination information was updated after a last data transmission carried out with reference to the destination information corresponding to the destination designated by said destination designation section;

a notifying section configured to determine whether the destination information was updated after the last data transmission to the destination corresponding to the destination identifier designated by said destination designation section, issue a warning indicating the destination information has been updated;

an authenticating section configured to authenticate ID information; and

a second determining section configured to determine whether the destination information was updated after the last data transmission to the destination, determine whether ID information associated with an issuance of the transmission instruction is the same as ID information associated with the update of the destination information,

wherein, if said first determining section determines that the destination information was updated after the last data transmission to the destination and if said second determining section determines that the ID information associated with the issuance of the transmission instruction is different from the ID information associated with the update of the destination information, said notifying section issues the warning indicating the destination information has been updated,

wherein said notifying section issues the warning before said transmission section transmits the data to the designated destination, if the destination identifier is designated by said destination designation section, and

wherein the warning includes a message encouraging confirmation of an update of the destination information.

2. The data transmission device according to claim 1, wherein the destination information is stored in association with update time information indicating a last time when the destination information was updated and transmission time information indicating the last time when data was transmitted to the destination identified in the destination information, and

wherein the data transmission device further comprises:

a transmission time updating section configured to, if data has been transmitted in accordance with the transmission instruction, update the transmission time information of the destination based on a time of the update; and

an update time updating section configured to, if the destination information has been updated, update the update time information on the destination on the basis of the time of the update; and

wherein, if the time indicated in the update time information is newer than the time indicated in the transmission time information, the determining section determines the destination information was updated after the last data transmission to the destination.

3. The data transmission device according to claim 1, wherein an upper limit is set on a number of times the notifying section issues the warning indicating the destination information has been updated, and if the number of times the notifying section issues the warning indicating the destination information has been updated reaches the upper limit, the notifying section no longer issues the warning.

4. The data transmission device according to claim 1, further comprising a non-notification instructing section configured to input an instruction on avoidance of notifications by the notifying section, and if the non-notification instructing section has input the instruction, the notifying section does not issue the warning indicating the destination information has been updated.

5. The data transmission device according to claim 1, wherein data is transmitted by facsimile transmission, e-mail, file sharing, or file transfer.

6. A data transmission device according to claim 1, wherein the device is incorporated in an image reading apparatus including:

an image reading section configured to read image data; and

a transmission instructing section configured to input the transmission instruction on transmission of read image data to a destination identified in the prestored destination information.

7. A method for controlling data transmission performed by a data transmission device configured to store, in a memory, destination information indicating a data destination, update time information indicating a last time when the destination information was updated, and transmission time information indicating a last time when data was transmitted to the destination, the information being associated, the method comprising:

accepting a designation of a destination identifier corresponding to a destination, from among the destination information;

transmitting data to the destination designated in said destination designation step;

referring to the transmission time information and the update time information to determine whether the destination information has been updated after the last data transmission carried out with reference to the destination information corresponding to the destination designated in said designation step;

if the destination information is determined to have been updated after the last data transmission to the destination corresponding to the destination identifier designated in said destination designation, issues a warning indicating the destination information has been updated;

authenticating ID information; and

if a determination is made in said first determining step that the destination information was updated after the last data transmission to the destination, determining whether ID information associated with an issuance of the transmission instruction is the same as ID information associated with the update of the destination information,

wherein, if the determination is made in said first determining step that the destination information was updated after the last data transmission to the destination and if a determination is made in said second determining step that the ID information associated with the issuance of the transmission instruction is different from the ID information associated with the update of the destination information, the warning indicating that the destination information has been updated is issued,

wherein the warning is issued before the data is transmitted to the destination, if the destination identifier is designated in said destination designation, and

wherein the warning includes a message encouraging confirmation of an update of the destination information.

8. The method for controlling data transmission according to claim 7, the method further comprising:

a transmission time updating step of, if data has been transmitted in accordance with the transmission instruction, updating the transmission time information of the destination based on a time of the update; and

an update time updating step of, if the destination information has been updated, updating the update time information on the destination based on the time of the update,

wherein, if the time indicated in the update time information is newer than the time indicated in the transmission time information, the first determining step determines the destination information was updated after the last data transmission to the destination.

9. A data transmission device comprising:

a processor;

a memory coupled to said processor;

an address book database configured to store destination information in association with destination identifiers;

a destination designation section configured to accept a designation of a destination identifier corresponding to a destination from among the destination identifiers;

a transmission section configured to transmit data to a destination corresponding to the destination identifier;

if destination identifier is specified as a destination for data, determine whether destination information associated with the destination identifier was updated after a last data transmission with the specified destination identifier;

a notifying section configured to determine whether the destination information was updated after the last data transmission to the destination corresponding to the specified destination identifier, issues a warning indicating the destination information has been updated;

an authenticating section configured to authenticate ID information; and

a second determining section configured to determine whether the destination information was updated after the last data transmission to the destination, determine whether ID information associated with an issuance of the transmission instruction is the same as ID information associated with the update of the destination information,

wherein, if said first determining section determines that the destination information was updated after the last data transmission to the destination and if said second determining section determines that the ID information associated with the issuance of the transmission instruction is different from the ID information associated with the update of the destination information, said notifying section issues the warning indicating the destination information has been updated,

wherein said notifying section issues the warning before said transmission section transmits the data to the destination, if the destination identifier is designated by said destination designation section, and

wherein the warning includes a message encouraging confirmation of an update of the destination information.

10. A computer readable storage medium having computer program instructions embedded therein, said computer program instructions, when executed by a processor, causing a computer to perform a data transmitting method, wherein the computer stores, in a memory, destination information indicating a data destination, update time information indicating a last time when the destination information was updated, and transmission time information indicating a last time when data was transmitted to the destination, the pieces of information being associated with one another, the method comprising:

accepting a designation of a destination identifier corresponding to a destination from among the destination information;

transmitting data to the destination designated in said destination designation;

if a transmission instruction to transmit data is input, referring to the transmission time information and the update time information to determine whether the destination information has been updated after the last data transmission carried out with reference to the destination information corresponding to the destination designated in said designation;

if the destination information is determined to have been updated after the last data transmission to the destination corresponding to the destination identifier designated in said destination designation step, issuing a warning indicating the destination information has been updated;

authenticating ID information; and

if a determination is made that the destination information was updated after the last data transmission to the destination, determining whether ID information associated with an issuance of the transmission instruction is the same as ID information associated with the update of the destination information,

if the determination is made that the destination information was updated after the last data transmission to the destination and if a determination is made in said second determining step that the ID information associated with the issuance of the transmission instruction is different from the ID information associated with the update of the destination information, the warning indicating that the destination information has been updated is issued,

wherein the warning is issued before the data is transmitted to the destination, if the destination identifier is designated in said destination designation step, and

wherein the warning includes a message encouraging confirmation of an update of the destination information.

11. The computer readable storage medium according to claim 10, wherein the method further comprises:

a transmission time updating step of, if data has been transmitted in accordance with the transmission instruction, updating the transmission time information on the destination based on the time of the update; and

an update time updating step of, if the destination information has been updated, updating the update time information on the destination based on the time of the update, and

if the time indicated in the update time information is newer than the time indicated in the transmission time information, the first determining step determines the destination information was updated after the last data transmission to the destination.