Multifunctional input/output device

• US 8,051,137 B2
• Filed: 11/07/2008
• Issued: 11/01/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 11/12/2007
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Ricoh Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Ricoh Company Limited
• Inventors: Koide, Yasuhisa
• Primary Examiner(s): Dinh; Khanh
• Application Number:
  US12/267,217
• Publication Number:
  US 20090125599A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,089 Days
• Field of Search: 709/206, 709/224, 709/228, 709/223, 707/7, 713/154
• 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: 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 1/00212 Attaching image data to computer messages, e.g. to e-mails
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00355 Mark-sheet input sensing record carriers G06K7/00; character recognition G06V30/10; document-oriented image-based pattern recognition G06V30/40
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00363 Bar codes or the like
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00374 on the same page as at least a part of the image

Abstract

A disclosed multifunctional input/output device has an e-mail client function for sending/receiving e-mails to/from a mail server. The multifunctional input/output device includes a storing unit configured to store a first e-mail acquired from the mail server; a printing unit configured to print the first e-mail stored by the storing unit onto a print medium and to add code information to the print medium, wherein the code information is obtained by encoding a source e-mail address of the first e-mail; a reading unit configured to read the code information printed onto the print medium by the printing unit; and an e-mail sending unit configured to send a second e-mail to the source e-mail address acquired from the code information read by the reading unit.

Claims

1. A multifunctional input/output device having an e-mail client function for sending/receiving e-mails to/from a mail server, the multifunctional input/output device comprising:

an e-mail acquiring unit configured to acquire a first e-mail from the mail server;

a storing unit configured to store, at a database storage location identified by an ID, the first e-mail acquired from the mail server by the e-mail acquiring unit;

a printing unit configured to print code information onto a print medium and then print the first e-mail stored by the storing unit onto the print medium having the printed code information, the code information having been generated by encoding the ID identifying the database storage location of the first e-mail, and the code information encoding the ID identifying the database storage location of the first e-mail being printed in its entirety onto the print medium;

a reading unit configured to read the code information printed onto the print medium by the printing unit to obtain said ID, and access the database storage location identified by the ID to determine a source e-mail address of the first e-mail stored at the database storage location; and

an e-mail sending unit configured to send a second e-mail to the source e-mail address acquired from the code information read by the reading unit.

3. The multifunctional input/output device according to claim 1, wherein:

the code information comprises a two dimensional code.

6. The device according to claim 1, wherein the printing unit obtains the code information by encoding the source e-mail address of the first e-mail, after the e-mail acquiring unit acquires the first e-mail from the mail server.

7. The device according to claim 1, wherein the printing unit prints the code information onto the print medium, after the e-mail acquiring unit acquires the first e-mail from the mail server.

8. The device according to claim 1, wherein the reading unit includes a scanner configured to scan the code information printed on the print medium by the printing unit.

9. The device according to claim 1, wherein the reading unit determines the source e-mail address of the first e-mail, based on the code information printed onto the print medium by the printing unit.

10. The device according to claim 1, wherein the e-mail acquiring unit acquires the first email from the mail server, and the storing unit stores the first email acquired from the mail server by the e-mail acquiring unit, without regard to the characteristics of the first email.

11. The multifunctional input/output device according to claim 1, wherein the print medium is a sheet of paper.

12. The multifunctional input/output device according to claim 1, wherein the code information printed in its entirety onto the print medium is constituted by a two dimensional code.

13. The multifunctional input/output device according to claim 1, wherein the reading unit determines the source e-mail address of the first e-mail by determining the database storage location of the first e-mail based on the ID encoded in the code information, and accessing the first e-mail at the database storage location.

14. The multifunctional input/output device according to claim 1, wherein content of the first e-mail is printed in an un-encoded and uncompressed format together with the print code information onto the print medium.

15. The multifunctional input/output device according to claim 1, wherein content of the first e-mail is printed in a user-readable format together with the print code information onto the print medium.

2. A multifunctional input/output device having an e-mail client function for sending/receiving e-mails to/from a mail server, the multifunctional input/output device comprising:

an e-mail acquiring unit configured to acquire an e-mail from the mail server;

a first storing unit configured to store, at a database storage location identified by an ID, the e-mail acquired from the mail server by the e-mail acquiring unit;

a second storing unit configured to store a mail list in which e-mail addresses of specific senders are registered;

a printing unit configured to print code information onto a print medium and then print the e-mail stored by the first storing unit onto the print medium having the printed code information˜

in the event that a source e-mail address of the e-mail stored by the first storing unit is not included in the mail list, the code information having been generated by encoding the ID identifying the database storage location of the e-mail, and the code information encoding ID identifying the database storage location of the e-mail being printed in its entirety onto the print medium;

a reading unit configured to read the code information printed onto the print medium by the printing unit to obtain said ID, and access the database storage location identified by the ID to determine the source e-mail address of the e-mail stored at the database storage location; and

a mail list adding unit configured to add, to the mail list, the source e-mail address acquired from the code information read by the reading unit.

4. The multifunctional input/output device according to claim 2, wherein:

the code information comprises a two dimensional code.

5. An e-mail sending method performed by a multifunctional input/output device having an e-mail client function for sending/receiving e-mails to/from a mail server, the e-mail sending method comprising:

an e-mail acquiring step of acquiring a first e-mail from the mail server;

a storing step of storing, at a database storage location identified by an ID, the first e-mail acquired from the mail server;

a printing step of printing code information onto a print medium and then printing the first e-mail stored at the storing step onto the print medium having the printed code information,

the code information having been generated by encoding the ID identifying the database storage location of the first e-mail, and the code information encoding the ID identifying the database storage location of the first e-mail being printed in its entirety onto the print medium;

a reading step of reading the code information printed onto the print medium at the printing step to obtain said ID, and access the database storage location identified by the ID to determine a source e-mail address of the first e-mail stored at the database storage location; and

an e-mail sending step of sending a second e-mail to the source e-mail address acquired from the code information read at the reading step.