Electronic mail communication device

• US 8,386,570 B2
• Filed: 08/17/2007
• Issued: 02/26/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 08/18/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
• Original Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
• Inventors: Yanagi, Satoru, Kudo, Yasuhiro, Hibino, Masaaki, Tsujimoto, Shohei, Izaki, Takeshi
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Thu
• Assistant Examiner(s): Widhalm, Angela
• Application Number:
  US11/840,865
• Publication Number:
  US 20080046523A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,020 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 709/206
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/23 Reliability checks, e.g. acknowledgments or fault reporting
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00214 details of transmission
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00217 only involving computer data transmission protocols, e.g. SMTP, WAP or HTTP communication protocol aspects and techniques in packet data networks H04L69/00; network-specific arrangements or communication protocols supporting networked applications H04L67/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00244 with a server, e.g. an internet server fax-servers or the like for store and forward H04N1/324
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00925 Inhibiting an operation
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/32771 in response to a request, e.g. for a particular document
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/32776 using an interactive, user-operated device, e.g. a computer terminal, mobile telephone H04N1/32782, H04N1/32784 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0094 Multifunctional device, i.e. a device capable of all of reading, reproducing, copying, facsimile transception, file transception

Abstract

An electronic mail communication device is used in connection with a server for communicating an electronic mail. The electronic mail communication device is provided with an input device that inputs an electronic mail communication command, a storage that stores information indicating whether or not an electronic mail communication through the server is enabled, and a communication control device. The communication control device outputs a signal to the server to establish connection with the server in a case where the electronic mail communication command is input to the input device while the information indicating the communication enable state is stored in the storage. The communication control device inhibits from outputting the signal to the server in a case where the electronic mail communication command is input to the input device while the information indicating the communication disable state is stored in the storage.

Claims

1. An electronic mail communication device used in connection with an electronic mail sending server for sending an electronic mail and an electronic mail receiving server for receiving an electronic mail, the electronic mail communication device configured to be connected to at least one terminal device, the electronic mail communication device comprising:

an input device that inputs an electronic mail communication command output from the terminal device;

a storage that stores either a first value indicating that an electronic mail sending through the electronic mail sending server is enabled or a second value indicating that the electronic mail sending through the electronic mail sending server is disabled, and stores either a third value indicating that an electronic mail receiving through the electronic mail receiving server is enabled or a fourth value indicating that the electronic mail receiving through the electronic mail receiving server is disabled; and

a communication control device that outputs a signal to the electronic mail sending server to establish connection with the electronic mail sending server in a case where an electronic mail sending command is input to the input device while the first value is stored in the storage, wherein the communication control device inhibits from outputting the signal to the electronic mail sending server in a case where the electronic mail sending command is input to the input device while the second value is stored in the storage,

wherein the communication control device outputs a signal to the electronic mail receiving server to establish connection with the electronic mail receiving server in a case where an electronic mail receiving command is input to the input device while the third value is stored in the storage, the communication control device inhibits from outputting the signal to the electronic mail receiving server in a case where the electronic mail receiving command is input to the input device while the fourth value is stored in the storage,

wherein the communication control device tests whether or not the electronic mail sending through the electronic mail sending server is enabled when the second value is stored in the storage, and stores the first value in place of the second value in a case where the test shows that the electronic mail sending through the electronic mail sending server is enabled,

in a case where the electronic mail sending command is input to the input device while the second value is stored in the storage, and then the first value is stored in place of the second value, the communication control device automatically executes an electronic mail sending process in accordance with the electronic mail sending command,

wherein the communication control device tests whether or not the electronic mail receiving through the electronic mail receiving server is enabled when the fourth value is stored in the storage, and stores the third value in place of the fourth value in a case where the test shows that the electronic mail receiving through the electronic mail receiving server is enabled,

in a case where the electronic mail receiving command is input to the input device while the fourth value is stored in the storage, and then the third value is stored in place of the fourth value, the communication control device automatically executes an electronic mail receiving process in accordance with the electronic mail receiving command.

2. The electronic mail communication device as in claim 1, wherein

in a case where the electronic mail sending command output from the terminal device is input to the input device while the second value is stored in the storage, then the first value is stored in place of the second value, and then the electronic mail sending process is automatically executed, the communication control device outputs information indicating that the electronic mail sending process has been executed to the terminal device, and

in a case where the electronic mail receiving command output from the terminal device is input to the input device while the fourth value is stored in the storage, then the third value is stored in place of the fourth value, and then the electronic mail receiving process is automatically executed, the communication control device outputs information indicating that the electronic mail receiving process has been executed to the terminal device.

3. The electronic mail communication device as claim 1, wherein

the communication control device tests by outputting a signal to the electronic mail sending server and checking a response from the electronic mail sending server.

4. The electronic mail communication device as in claim 1, further comprising:

a user authentication storage that stores a user identification and a password,

wherein the communication control device tests by determining whether the user identification and the password stored in the user authentication storage are registered by the electronic mail receiving server.

5. The electronic mail communication device as in claim 1, further comprising:

a user authentication storage that stores a user authentication method,

wherein the communication control device tests by determining whether the user authentication method stored in the user authentication storage is identical to a user authentication method that the electronic mail sending server is capable of executing.

6. The electronic mail communication device as in claim 1, further comprising:

a user authentication storage that stores a user authentication method,

wherein

in a case where the user authentication method stored in the user authentication storage is SMTP-AUTH, the communication control device obtains a list of SMTP-AUTH authentication mechanisms that can be executed by the electronic mail sending server, and tests by making the electronic mail sending server execute a user authentication with priority the authentication mechanism having the highest security level out of the authentication mechanisms included in the list.

7. The electronic mail communication device as in claim 1, wherein

the communication control device tests by attempting to send an electronic mail to a predetermined electronic mail address through the electronic mail sending server.

8. The electronic mail communication device as in claim 1, wherein

the communication control device does not test whether or not the electronic mail sending through the electronic mail sending server is enabled while the first value is stored in the storage, and

the communication control device does not test whether or not the electronic mail receiving through electronic mail receiving server is enabled while the third value is stored in the storage.

9. A computer readable medium for an electronic mail communication device used in connection with an electronic mail sending server for sending an electronic mail and an electronic mail receiving server for receiving an electronic mail, the electronic mail communication device configured to be connected to at least one terminal device, the computer readable medium including instructions for ordering a computer mounted on the electronic mail communication device to perform:

storing either a first value indicating that an electronic mail sending through the electronic mail sending server is enabled or a second value indicating that the electronic mail sending through the electronic mail sending server is disabled, and storing either a third value indicating that an electronic mail receiving through the electronic mail receiving server is enabled or a fourth value indicating that the electronic mail receiving through the electronic mail receiving server is disabled;

outputting a signal to the electronic mail sending server to establish connection with the electronic mail sending server in a case where an electronic mail sending command output from the terminal device is input while the first value is stored; and

inhibiting from outputting the signal to the electronic mail sending server in a case where the electronic mail sending command is input while the second value is stored,

outputting a signal to the electronic mail receiving server to establish connection with the electronic mail receiving server in a case where an electronic mail receiving command is input while the third value is stored in the storage, inhibiting from outputting the signal to the electronic mail receiving server in a case where the electronic mail receiving command is input while the fourth value is stored in the storage,

testing whether or not the electronic mail sending through the electronic mail sending server is enabled when the second value is stored in the storage, and storing the first value in place of the second value in a case where the test shows that the electronic mail sending through the electronic mail sending server is enabled,

in a case where the electronic mail sending command is input while the second value is stored in the storage, and then the first value is stored in place of the second value, the communication control device automatically executes an electronic mail sending process in accordance with the electronic mail sending command,

testing whether or not the electronic mail receiving through the electronic mail receiving server is enabled when the fourth value is stored in the storage, and storing the third value in place of the fourth value in a case where the test shows that the electronic mail receiving through the electronic mail receiving server is enabled,

in a case where the electronic mail receiving command is input while the fourth value is stored in the storage, and then the third value is stored in place of the fourth value, the communication control device automatically executes an electronic mail receiving process in accordance with the electronic mail receiving command.

10. A system comprising:

at least one terminal device; and

an electronic mail communication device used in connection with an electronic mail sending server for sending an electronic mail and an electronic mail receiving server for receiving an electronic mail,

wherein the terminal device comprises an output device that outputs an electronic mail communication command,

wherein the electronic mail communication device comprises;

an input device that inputs the electronic mail communication command output from the terminal device;

a storage that stores either a first value indicating that an electronic mail sending through the electronic mail sending server is enabled or a second value indicating that the electronic mail sending through the electronic mail sending server is disabled, and stores either a third value indicating that an electronic mail receiving through the electronic mail receiving server is enabled or a fourth value indicating that the electronic mail receiving through the electronic mail receiving server is disabled; and

a communication control device that outputs a signal to the electronic mail sending server to establish connection with the electronic mail sending server in a case where an electronic mail sending command is input to the input device while the first value is stored in the storage, wherein the communication control device inhibits from outputting the signal to the electronic mail sending server in a case where the electronic mail sending command is input to the input device while the second value is stored in the storage,

wherein the communication control device outputs a signal to the electronic mail receiving server to establish connection with the electronic mail receiving server in a case where an electronic mail receiving command is input to the input device while the third value is stored in the storage, the communication control device inhibits from outputting the signal to the electronic receiving server in a case where the electronic mail receiving command is input to the input device while the fourth value is stored in the storage,

wherein the communication control device tests whether or not the electronic mail sending through the electronic mail sending server is enabled when the second value is stored in the storage, and stores the first value of the second value in a case where the test shows that the electronic mail sending through the electronic mail sending server is enabled,

in a case where the electronic mail sending command is input to the input device while the second value is stored in the storage, and then the first value is stored in place of the second value, the communication control device automatically executes an electronic mail sending process in accordance with the electronic mail sending command,

wherein the communication control device tests whether or not the electronic mail receiving through the electronic receiving server is enabled when the fourth value is stored in the storage, and stores the third value in place of the fourth value in a case where the test shows that the electronic mail receiving through the electronic mail receiving server is enabled,

in a case where the electronic mail receiving command is input to the input device while the fourth value is stored in the storage, and then the third value is stored in place of the fourth value, the communication control device automatically executes an electronic mail receiving process in accordance with the electronic mail receiving command.