Communication apparatus, control method thereof, and program

• US 8,826,012 B2
• Filed: 01/19/2007
• Issued: 09/02/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 01/31/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ricoh Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Ricoh Company Limited
• Inventors: Kuroyanagi, Tomohiro, Katsumata, Motoyuki
• Primary Examiner(s): SIMITOSKI, MICHAEL J
• Application Number:
  US11/625,018
• Publication Number:
  US 20070180236A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,783 Days
• Field of Search: 713/162, 380/243
• US Class Current: 713/162
• 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: H04L 63/0428 wherein the data content is protected, e.g. by encrypting or encapsulating the payload
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3222 of processing required or performed, e.g. forwarding, urgent or confidential handling

Abstract

A communication apparatus transmits data to a plurality of destinations. The apparatus includes a first input unit that inputs an individual setting as to whether the data is encrypted for each of the plurality of destinations for an encryption transmission. The apparatus also includes a second input unit that inputs an individual setting as to whether the data is encrypted for each transmission job. Further, the apparatus includes a transmission control unit that, when the transmission job includes at least two sets of the destinations, if the transmission job is set to be encrypted, performs the encryption transmission for each of the destinations, and, if the transmission job is set to be not encrypted, performs the encryption transmission for each of the destinations to be encrypted and performs a transmission without an encryption for each of the destinations not to be encrypted.

Claims

1. A communication apparatus that transmits data to a plurality of destinations, the communication apparatus comprising:

a first input device that inputs an individual setting as to whether the data is encrypted for each of the plurality of destinations for an encryption transmission;

a second input device that inputs an individual setting as to whether the data is encrypted for each transmission job; and

transmission control circuitry that, when the transmission job includes at least two sets of the destinations, if the transmission job is set to be encrypted, performs the encryption transmission for each of the destinations, and, if the transmission job is set to be not encrypted, performs the encryption transmission for each of the destinations to be encrypted and performs a transmission without an encryption for each of the destinations not to be encrypted, wherein

when the encryption transmission is set to be performed for at least one of the destinations and when the encryption fails, the transmission is not performed for any of the destinations.

2. The communication apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the communication apparatus is configured to generate a common key and encrypt the data to be communicated by the common key, the common key encrypted by a public key provided by a recipient of the data, the communication apparatus configured to set an encryption failure flag when the common key has not been encrypted, and the encryption transmission are not conducted when the encryption failure flag has been set for at least one of the plurality of destinations.

3. The communication apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein, when the transmission job includes the at least two sets of the destinations and the transmissions are performed for the destinations in a plurality of transmission methods, the transmission control circuitry performs the encryption according to each of the plurality of transmission methods when the encryption transmission is set to be performed.

4. The communication apparatus as claimed in claim 1, further comprising:

a warning display device that displays a warning that the plurality of destinations includes at least one destination for the encryption transmission and at least one destination for the transmission without the encryption, wherein, when a command to continue the transmission job is input in response to the warning, the encryption transmission is performed for the at least one destination to be encrypted, and a transmission is performed without the encryption for the at least one destination not to be encrypted.

5. A method for controlling a communication apparatus that transmits data using a plurality of transmission methods, the method comprising:

inputting an individual setting as to whether the data is encrypted for each of a plurality of destinations for an encryption transmission;

inputting an individual setting as to whether the data is encrypted for each transmission job; and

,

when at least two sets of the destinations are input for the transmission job, if the transmission job is set to be encrypted, performing the encryption transmission for each of the destinations, and, if the transmission job is set to be not encrypted, performing the encryption transmission for each of the destinations to be encrypted and performing a transmission without an encryption for each of the destinations not to be encrypted, wherein

when the encryption transmission is set to be performed for at least one of the destinations and when the encryption fails, the transmission is not performed for any of the destinations.

6. The method as claimed in claim 5, further comprising:

when the transmission job includes the at least two sets of the destinations and when the transmissions are performed for the destinations in the plurality of transmission methods, performing the encryption according to each of the plurality of transmission methods when the encryption transmission is set to be performed.

7. The method as claimed in claim 5, further comprising:

displaying a warning that the plurality of destinations includes at least one destination for the encryption transmission and at least one destination for the transmission without the encryption, wherein, when a command to continue the transmission job is input in response to the warning, the encryption transmission is performed for the at least one destination to be encrypted, and a transmission is performed without the encryption for the at least one destination not to be encrypted.

8. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium encoded with a program that is run on a computer to function as a communication apparatus that transmits data, the program being executed by the computer to perform a method comprising:

inputting an individual setting as to whether the data is encrypted for each of a plurality of destinations for an encryption transmission;

inputting an individual setting as to whether the data is encrypted for each transmission job; and

,

when at least two sets of the destinations are input for the transmission job, if the transmission job is set to be encrypted, performing the encryption transmission for each of the destinations, and, if the transmission job is set to be not encrypted, performing the encryption transmission for each of the destinations to be encrypted and performing a transmission without an encryption for each of the destinations not to be encrypted, wherein

when the encryption transmission is set to be performed for at least one of the destinations and when the encryption fails, the transmission is not performed for any of the destinations.