Data communication system

• US 8,031,379 B2
• Filed: 01/28/2011
• Issued: 10/04/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 12/26/1996
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Ejiri, Seishi
• Primary Examiner(s): Safaipour; Houshang
• Application Number:
  US13/016,296
• Publication Number:
  US 20110134488A1
• Time in Patent Office: 249 Days
• Field of Search: 358/434, 358/1.15, 358/1.16, 358/400, 358/402, 358/403
• US Class Current: 358/434
• 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

Abstract

In a system in which a facsimile apparatus is connected to a LAN (Local Area Network) to which a plurality of computer terminals are connected, image data obtained by reading an original image by the scanner of the facsimile apparatus under the control of the operation unit of the facsimile apparatus is transmitted to a destination designated by the operation unit. In this operation, if a user ID is designated, transmitted image data and information (destination, transmission time/date, or the like) related to transmission is transferred to the LAN to notify the information to a user corresponding to the user ID. In this manner, data communication performed by a local operation of the facsimile apparatus and data communication performed by a remote designation from the computer terminal can be managed together.

Claims

1. A data communication apparatus comprising:

an input unit configured to input image data;

a designating unit configured to designate a destination;

a transmitting unit configured to transmit the image data input by said input unit to the destination designated by said designating unit; and

a setting unit configured to set whether the transmitting unit transmits the image data with a transmission log of the transmission of the image data,

wherein the transmitting unit transmits the image data transmitted to the designated destination and the transmission log of the transmission of the image data to the designated destination, to a predetermined destination different from the destination designated by said designating unit, in a case where the setting unit sets that the transmitting unit transmits the image data with the transmission log of the transmission of the image data, and

wherein the transmitting unit transmits the transmission log of the transmission of the image data to the designated destination, to the predetermined destination different from the destination designated by said designating unit, without transmitting the image data transmitted to the designated destination to the predetermined destination different from the destination designated by said designating unit in a case where the setting unit sets that the transmitting unit does not transmit the image data with the transmission log of the transmission of the image data.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a reader configured to read an image on a document and to generate image data representing the image, wherein said input unit inputs the image data generated by said reader.

3. The apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

an obtaining unit configured to obtain an indication for specifying a user who manipulates said data communication apparatus; and

a first network interface and a second network interface, wherein said transmitting unit transmits the image data input by said input unit to the destination designated by said designating unit via said first network interface and to a destination specified by an indication obtained by said obtaining unit via said second network interface.

4. The apparatus according to claim 3, wherein said transmitting unit transmits the image data input by said input unit to the destination designated by said designating unit via said first network interface, and then transmits, to the destination specified by the indication obtained by said obtaining unit via said second network interface, the image data transmitted to the designated destination and the transmission log of the transmitted image data via said first network interface.

5. The apparatus according to claim 4, wherein said first network interface is a telephone network, and said transmitting unit transmits the image data input by said input unit by a facsimile communication to the destination designated by said designating unit via the telephone network.

6. The apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the transmission log contains the destination designated by said designating unit and a transmission date when said transmitting unit transmits the image data to the destination designated by said designating unit.

7. The apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising

an obtaining unit configured to obtain an indication for specifying a user who manipulates said data communication apparatus;

and

wherein the image data transmitted to the designated destination, the transmission log of the transmission of the image data to the designated destination, and the indication obtained by said obtaining unit are transmitted to the predetermined destination different from the destination designated by said designating unit in a case where the setting unit sets that the transmitting unit transmits the image data with the transmission log of the transmission of the image data,

wherein the transmitting unit transmits the transmission log of the transmission of the image data to the designated destination and the indication obtained by said obtaining unit, to the predetermined destination different from the destination designated by said designating unit, without transmitting the image data transmitted to the designated destination to the predetermined destination different from the destination designated by said designating unit in a case where the setting unit sets that the transmitting unit does not transmit the image data with the transmission log of the transmission of the image data.

8. The apparatus according to claim 3, wherein said obtaining unit obtains the indication input via a console equipped with said data communication apparatus.

9. An image processing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

a first receiving unit configured to receive a first instruction for transmitting image data via a console equipped with said image processing apparatus,

wherein the transmitting unit transmits the image data input by said input unit to the destination designated by said designating unit in accordance with the first instruction received by said first receiving unit.

10. An image processing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

a second receiving unit configured to receive a second transmission of image data instruction via a network from an external information processing apparatus.

11. An image processing apparatus comprising:

a reader configured to read an image on a document and to generate image data representing the image;

a network interface configured to connect said image processing apparatus to a network;

a setting unit configured to set to transfer the image data to a server on the network with log information of a job; and

a control unit configured to perform a job corresponding to the image data generated by said reader, and to transfer the image data corresponding to the job and the log information of the job to the server on the network via said network interface in a case where the setting unit sets to transfer the image data to the server on the network with log information of the job,

wherein the control unit performs the job corresponding to the image data generated by said reader, and transfers the image data corresponding to the job and the log information of the job to the server on the network via said network interface without transferring the image data corresponding to the job to the server on the network via said network in a case where the setting unit does not set to transfer the image data to the server on the network with log information of the job.

12. The apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the log information includes a date when the job is performed by said control unit.

13. The apparatus according to claim 11, wherein said control unit transfers the image data generated by said reader to a destination designated by an operator as a transmission job and transfers the image data transferred to the designated destination, the log information including the destination designated by the operator and a transferring date when said transfer unit transfers the image data to the destination designated by the operator in a case where the setting unit sets to transfer the image data to the server on the network with log information of the job.

14. A data communication method comprising:

inputting image data;

designating a destination;

transmitting the image data from the data communication apparatus to the designated destination;

setting whether to transmit the image data with a transmission log of the transmission of the image data;

transmitting the image data and the transmission log of the transmission of the image data to the designated destination, from the data communication apparatus to a predetermined destination different from the designated destination, in a case where it is set to transmit the image data with the transmission log of the transmission of the image data; and

transmitting the transmission log of the transmission of the image data to the designated destination, from the data communication apparatus to the predetermined destination different from the designated destination, without transmitting the image data transmitted to the designated destination to the predetermined destination different from the designated destination in a case where it is not set to transmit the image data with the transmission log of the transmission of the image data.

15. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing computer-executable program code for performing a data communication method, the method comprising:

inputting image data;

designating a destination;

transmitting the image data from the data communication apparatus to the designated destination;

setting whether to transmit the image data with a transmission log of the transmission of the image data;

transmitting the image data and the transmission log of the transmission of the image data to the designated destination, from the data communication apparatus to a predetermined destination different from the designated destination, in a case where it is set to transmit the image data with the transmission log of the transmission of the image data; and

transmitting the transmission log of the transmission of the image data to the designated destination from the data communication apparatus to the predetermined destination different from the designated destination without transmitting the image data transmitted to the designated destination to the predetermined destination different from the designated destination in a case where it is not set to transmit the image data with the transmission log of the transmission of the image data.

16. An image processing method comprising:

reading an image on a document and generating image data representing the image;

setting to transfer the image data to a server on a network with log information of a job;

performing a job corresponding to the generated image data and transferring, by the image processing apparatus, the image data corresponding to the job and the log information of the job to the server on the network via a network interface in a case where it is set to transfer the image data to the server on the network with the log information of the job; and

performing a job corresponding to the generated image data and transferring, by the image processing apparatus, the image data corresponding to the job and the log information of the job to the server on the network via said network interface without transferring the image data corresponding to the job to the server on the network via said network in a case where it is not set to transfer the image data to the server on the network with the log information of the job.

17. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing computer-executable code for performing an image processing method, the method comprising:

reading an image on a document and generating image data representing the image;

setting to transfer the image data to a server on a network with log information of a job;

performing a job corresponding to the generated image data and transferring, by the image processing apparatus, the image data corresponding to the job and the log information of the job to the server on the network via a network interface in a case where it is set to transfer the image data to the server on the network with the log information of the job; and

performing a job corresponding to the generated image data and transferring, by the image processing apparatus, the output image data corresponding to the job and the log information of the job to the server on the network via said network interface without transferring the image data corresponding to the job to the server on the network via said network in a case where it is not set to transfer the image data to the server on the network with the log information of the job.