Internet Facsimile terminal apparatus and communication method using the same

• US 20010055127A1
• Filed: 12/28/2000
• Published: 12/27/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 06/22/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Panasonic Communications Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Matsushita Graphic Communication Systems Incorporated Tokyo Japan
• Inventors: Wakabayashi, Takefumi
• Granted Patent: US 6,785,018 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 358/305
• 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 2201/0086 Image transceiver H04N2201/0093 and H04N2201/0094 take precedence

Abstract

A POP access section accesses a POP3 server using a first user ID/password registered in a user ID registration table, fetches message information from a mailbox of the user ID, and stores it to RAM. A message information extracting section extracts necessary information from the message information, and stores it to be associated with the user ID. Thereafter, a reception list generating section reads message information of all user IDs from RAM, and generates a reception list. Sequentially, the reception list generating section outputs the generated reception list. A user, who has seen the reception list, instructs the POP access section to fetch an e-mail message from a panel control section. This improves communication concealment.

Claims

1. An Internet facsimile terminal apparatus, which receives an e-mail message from a mail server in accordance with an e-mail transfer protocol over a computer network, the Internet facsimile terminal apparatus comprising:

a user ID storage memory for storing mail user IDs and passwords of a plurality of users sharing the Internet facsimile terminal apparatus;

an acquiring processor for reading the mail user IDs and the passwords from the user ID storage memory sequentially to acquire message information from the mail server using the read mail user IDs and the passwords;

an output device for outputting the message information acquired by the acquiring processor automatically;

an e-mail manual receiver for receiving an e-mail message directing to the corresponding user from the mail server in accordance with the user'"'"'s instruction based on the message information outputted by the output device; and

printing means for printing the received e-mail message.

2. The Internet facsimile terminal apparatus according to

claim 1

, further comprising a panel controller, which is used when the user inputs the mail user ID and password, wherein the e-mail manual receiver receives the e-mail message from the mail server using the mail user ID and password inputted from the panel controller.

3. The Internet facsimile terminal apparatus according to

claim 1

, further comprising an e-mail auto receiver for sequentially reading the user IDs and passwords from the user ID storage memory to receive an e-mail message directing to all user IDs from the mail server using the read user IDs and passwords.

4. The Internet facsimile terminal apparatus according to

claim 1

, further comprising a reception mode selector for selecting a first mode in which message information is acquired by the acquiring means and outputted by the output device, and a second mode in which the e-mail message is automatically received by the e-mail auto receiver and printed.

5. The Internet facsimile terminal apparatus according to

claim 1

, wherein the output device outputs message information on a user-by-user basis.

6. The Internet facsimile terminal apparatus according to

claim 1

, wherein message information includes at least the number of e-mail messages directing to the respective IDs arrived at the mail server.

7. The Internet facsimile terminal apparatus according to

claim 2

, wherein the panel controller is configured such that the mail user ID and password are allowed to be inputted by a one-touch button or an abbreviated number.

8. The Internet facsimile terminal apparatus according to

claim 1

, wherein an e-mail transfer protocol is a POP protocol, and the acquiring processing is a POP access processor, which executes the POP protocol between the mail server and the POP access processor.

9. The Internet facsimile terminal apparatus according to

claim 1

, wherein the output device is a printer or a display.

10. A communication method by an Internet facsimile terminal apparatus, which receives an e-mail message from a mail server in accordance with an e-mail transfer protocol over a computer network, the communication method comprising the steps of:

acquiring message information from the mail server using mail user IDs and passwords of a plurality of users sharing the Internet facsimile terminal apparatus;

outputting the acquired message information;

receiving an e-mail message directing to the corresponding user in accordance with the user'"'"'s instruction based on the outputted message information; and

printing the received e-mail message.