Network facsimile apparatus

• US RE40,892 E1
• Filed: 01/09/2007
• Issued: 09/01/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 09/29/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Panasonic Communications Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Panasonic Communications Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Iida, Junichi
• Primary Examiner(s): Coles; Edward L
• Assistant Examiner(s): Park; Chan S
• Application Number:
  US11/651,087
• Time in Patent Office: 966 Days
• Field of Search: 358/1.15, 358/402, 358/403, 709/206, 709/239, 37910001-10015
• US Class Current: 358/1.15
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00204 with a digital computer or a digital computer system, e.g. an internet server programmed control between transmitter and receiver or between image input and image output device H04N1/32561
• 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 1/32358 using picture signal storage, e.g. at transmitter H04N1/17 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/32432 in a particular memory file for retrieval by the user, e.g. in a facsimile mailbox

Abstract

The network facsimile apparatus is able to communicate using both a public switched telephone network and a computer network, and has a facsimile section which transmits and receives an image via the public switched telephone network, a network communication section which transmits and receives data via the computer network, a storage which is to store received data and a structured document, a web server which transmits received data or a structured document to the computer network, and a reception list generating section which generates a structured document of reception list indicative of document information of received data.

Claims

1. A communication apparatus including a printer and a scanner connected to a terminal apparatus via a network, the communication apparatus comprising:

a receiver that receives e-mail via the network;

a memory that stores the e-mail data received by said receiver;

a generator that generates a HTML file including management data corresponding to the stored e-mail data, the management data including sender data of the e-mail data;

a communicator that performs a HTTP protocol communication with the terminal apparatus to transmit the HTML file to the terminal apparatus when a request for the management data is received from the terminal apparatus, the management data in the HTML file being displayable at the terminal apparatus; and

a controller that, in response to receipt of a designation of management data by the terminal apparatus, and in response to receipt of a command output by the terminal apparatus, controls a transmission of the stored e-mail data corresponding to the designated management data, to a destination, in accordance with the command, the destination being distinct from the terminal apparatus and from the printer.

2. The communication apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said memory stores a plurality of e-mail data, and said generator generates a list of management data.

3. The communication apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said memory stores a TIFF file attached to the e-mail data.

4. The communication apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the management data includes at least a time at which the e-mail data corresponding to the management data is stored in said memory.

5. The communication apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the sender data comprises an origination address.

6. The communication apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the terminal apparatus comprises a personal computer with a display.

7. The communication apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the scanner scans a document to obtain image data, said apparatus further comprising:

a compressor that compresses the image data; and

a facsimile transmitter that transmits the compressed image data to a destination via a telephone network.

8. The communication apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

a facsimile receiver that receives facsimile data via a telephone network; and

a converter that converts the received facsimile data into a TIFF file;

wherein said memory stores the TIFF file, and said generator generates management data corresponding to the TIFF file as a structured document.

9. The communication apparatus according to claim 8, further comprising a determining section that determines whether the data was received via the network or the telephone network.

10. The communication apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said generator assigns a specific number to each management data, the specific number being utilized to identify each management data.

11. The communication apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

a converter that converts the stored e-mail data into image data;

wherein the printer prints the converted image data; and

wherein said controller controls printing of the converted e-mail data in accordance with the command from the terminal apparatus.

12. The communication apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the terminal apparatus displays command menu together with the management data.

13. The communication apparatus according to claim 12, wherein the terminal apparatus displays a plurality of commands including at least a transmission command and a printing command, the stored e-mail being controlled by selection of one of the commands.

14. The communication apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said memory is configured to store a plurality of e-mail data, the HTML file including management data for each of the plurality of stored e-mail data, and said communicator transmitting a selected one of said plurality of e-mail data to the terminal apparatus, in response to a designation of a corresponding management data.

15. The communication apparatus according to claim 1, the management data associating the HTML file with the stored e-mail data.

16. A communication method using a communication apparatus including a printer and a scanner connected to a terminal apparatus via a network, the method comprising:

receiving e-mail data via the network;

storing the received e-mail data into a memory;

generating a HTML file including management data corresponding to the stored e-mail data, the management data including sender data of the e-mail data;

performing a HTTP protocol communication with the terminal apparatus to transmit the HTML file to the terminal apparatus when a request for the management data is received from the terminal apparatus, the management data in the HTML file being displayable at the terminal apparatus;

controlling, in response to receipt of a designation of management data by the terminal apparatus and in response to receipt of a command output by the terminal apparatus, transmission of the stored e-mail data corresponding to the designated management data to a destination in accordance with the command, the destination being distinct from the terminal apparatus and from the printer.

17. The communication method according to claim 16, wherein the storage stores a plurality of e-mail data into the memory, and the generating generates a list of management data.

18. The communication method according to claim 16, wherein the storing stores a TIFF file attached to the e-mail data.

19. The communication method according to claim 16, wherein generating the HTML file including the management data includes generating at least a time at which the e-mail data corresponding to the management data is stored in the memory.

20. The communication method according to claim 16, wherein the sender data comprises an origination address.

21. The communication method according to claim 16, wherein the terminal apparatus comprises a personal computer with a display.

22. The communication method according to claim 16, further comprising:

scanning a document to obtain image data;

compressing the image data; and

transmitting the compressed image data to a destination via a telephone network.

23. The communication method according to claim 16, further comprising:

receiving facsimile data via a telephone network; and

converting the received facsimile data into a TIFF file;

wherein the TIFF file is stored into the memory, and management data corresponding to the TIFF file is generated as a structured document.

24. The communication method according to claim 23, further comprising determining whether the data is received via the network or via a telephone network.

25. The communication method according to claim 16, further comprising assigning a specific number to each management data, the specific number being utilized to identify each management data, the destination being distinct from the terminal apparatus and from the printer.

26. The communication method according to claim 16, further comprising:

converting the stored e-mail data into image data; and

printing the converted image data;

wherein the converted e-mail data is printed in accordance with the command from the terminal apparatus.

27. The communication method according to claim 16, the management data associating the HTML file with the stored e-mail data.

28. A communication apparatus including a printer and a scanner connected to a terminal apparatus via a network, the communication apparatus comprising:

a receiver that receives e-mail data via the network;

a memory that stores the e-mail data received by said receiver;

a generator that generates a HTML file including management data corresponding to the stored e-mail data;

a communicator that performs a HTTP protocol communication with the terminal apparatus to transmit the HTML file to the terminal apparatus when a request for the management data is received from the terminal apparatus, the management data in the HTML file being displayable at the terminal apparatus; and

a controller that, in response to receipt of a designation of management data by the terminal apparatus, and in response to receipt of a command output by the terminal apparatus, controls a transmission of the stored e-mail data corresponding to the designated management data, to a destination, in accordance with the command, the destination being distinct from the terminal apparatus and from the printer.

29. A communication method using a communication apparatus including a printer and a scanner connected to a terminal apparatus via a network, the method comprising:

receiving e-mail data via the network;

storing the received e-mail data into a memory;

generating a HTML file including management data corresponding to the stored e-mail data;

performing a HTTP protocol communication with the terminal apparatus to transmit the HTML file to the terminal apparatus when a request for the management data is received from the terminal apparatus, the management data in the HTML file being displayable at the terminal apparatus;

controlling, in response to receipt of a designation of management data by the terminal apparatus and in response to receipt of a command output by the terminal apparatus, transmission of the stored e-mail data corresponding to the designated management data to a destination in accordance with the command, the destination being distinct from the terminal apparatus and from the printer.

30. A communication apparatus including a printing functionality, the communication apparatus being connected to a terminal apparatus via a network, the communication apparatus comprising:

a receiver configured to receive e-mail data via the network;

a memory configured to store the e-mail data received by said receiver;

a generator configured to generate a HTML file including management data related to the stored e-mail data, the management data including data regarding a sender of the e-mail data;

a communicator configured to perform a HTTP protocol communication with a terminal apparatus to transmit the HTML file to the terminal apparatus when a request for the management data is received from the terminal apparatus, the management data in the HTML file being displayable at the terminal apparatus;

a controller that, in response to receipt of a designation of management data and a command output by the terminal apparatus, being configured to control a transmission of the stored e-mail data corresponding to the designated management data, to a destination designated by a facsimile number or an e-mail address, in accordance with the command, the destination being distinct from the terminal apparatus and from the communication apparatus.

31. The communication apparatus according to claim 30, the HTML file comprising a predetermined page including a plurality of commands including at least a transmission command, a printing command, an editing command, and a deletion command.

32. The communication apparatus according to claim 30, the communicator being further configured to perform the HTTP protocol communication upon entry of a URL of the communication apparatus by the terminal apparatus.

33. The communication apparatus according to claim 30, the management data including time and date data for the stored e-mail data.

34. A communication method involving communication apparatus including a printing functionality, the communication apparatus being connected to a terminal apparatus via a network, the communication method comprising:

receiving e-mail data via the network;

storing the received e-mail data;

generating a HTML file including management data related to the stored e-mail data, the management data including data regarding a sender for the e-mail data;

performing a HTTP protocol communication with a terminal apparatus to transmit the HTML file to the terminal apparatus when a request for the management data is received from the terminal apparatus, the management data in the HTML file being displayable at the terminal apparatus;

controlling, in response to receipt of a designation of management data and a command output by the terminal apparatus, a transmission of the stored e-mail data corresponding to the designated management data, to a destination designated by a facsimile number or an e-mail address, in accordance with the command, the destination being distinct from the terminal apparatus and from the communication apparatus.

35. The communication method according to claim 34, the HTML file comprising a predetermined page including a plurality of commands including at least a transmission command, a printing command, an editing command, and a deletion command.

36. The communication method according to claim 34, the HTTP protocol communication being performed upon entry of a URL of the communication apparatus by the terminal apparatus.

37. The communication method according to claim 34, the management data including time and date data for the stored e-mail data.