Communication device and storage medium

• US 20020033962A1
• Filed: 09/05/2001
• Published: 03/21/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 10/09/1996
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
• Original Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
• Inventors: Yasui, Kunihiro, Otsuka, Shuji
• Granted Patent: US 6,816,278 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 358/1.15
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/652 Means for playing back the recorded messages by remote control over a telephone line H04M1/658 takes precedence
• 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 2201/0093 Facsimile machine H04N2201/0094 takes precedence

Abstract

A communication device is provided wherein a message stored in a message box for a specific individual and a message stored in a general mail box and not addressed to a specific individual can be retrieved sequentially without releasing a line. The communication device includes a personal information output control device that reads personal information stored in a personal information storing device and outputs the personal information via a telecommunication line and a general information output device that reads general information stored in a general information storing device and not addressed to the specific individual and outputs the information via the telecommunication line. The information is output by operating the personal information output control device and the general information output control device according to a request, which is input via the telecommunication line.

Claims

1. A communication device capable of communicating with an external communication device via a communication line, comprising:

personal information storing means for storing personal information which can be inputted/outputted for a specific individual, said personal information storing means having a password which is previously registered for the specific individual; and

personal information input/output control means for inputting said personal information into said personal information storing means from said external communication device via said communication line, and for outputting said personal information stored in said personal information storing means to said external communication device via said communication line,

wherein said personal information input/output control means outputs said personal information from said personal information storing means to said external communication device only when said password is inputted from said external communication device.

2. The communication device according to claim 1, wherein said personal information input/output control means inputs said personal information into said personal information storing means from said external communication device without said password.

3. A facsimile device, with a telephone function, capable of communicating with an external communication device via a communication line, the facsimile device having an automatic message recording mode and at least one of a facsimile/telephone mode, a manual receiving mode and a line monitoring mode, the facsimile device comprising:

a personal information memory for storing personal information which can be inputted/outputted for a specific individual;

an access control means for controlling access to said personal information memory from said external communication device via said communication line,

wherein said access control means allows the external communication device to access to said personal information memory when a predetermined signal is transmitted from the external communication device regardless of each mode condition of the facsimile device.

4. The facsimile device according to claim 3, wherein the personal information memory has a password for the specific individual, and wherein the predetermined signal is different from the password.

5. The facsimile device according to claim 3, wherein the access control means allows the external communication device to access said personal information memory in accordance with the operation of the facsimile device by a user even when the user closes the communication line, the facsimile device being in the manual receiving mode.

6. The facsimile device according to claim 3, further comprising an accessory handset, wherein the access control means allows the external communication device to access said personal information memory in accordance with the operation of the accessory handset by a user even when the user closes the communication line, the facsimile device being in the line monitoring mode.

7. The facsimile device according to claim 3, wherein the facsimile device further has a standby mode and wherein the access control means allows a user to access said personal information memory in accordance with the operation of the facsimile device by a user, with the facsimile device being in the standby mode.

12. The facsimile device of claim 3 wherein;

the external communication device can access the personal information memory to store the personal information from the external communication device to the personal information memory or to retrieve the personal information from the personal information memory.

13. The facsimile device of claim 3 wherein;

the facsimile device outputs the personal information stored in the personal information memory to the external communication device when a password different from the predetermined signal is transmitted from the external communication device, and the facsimile device inputs the personal information from the external communication device to the personal information memory when the password is not transmitted from the external communication device.

14. The facsimile device of claim 3 further comprising a general information memory, wherein the external communication device can access the personal information memory when the external communication device inputs a first predetermined signal, and can access the general information memory when the external communication device inputs a second predetermined signal different from the first predetermined signal.

8. A communication device capable of communicating with an external communication device via communication line, comprising:

personal information storing means for storing personal information which can be inputted/outputted for a specific individual via said communication line;

password reception detecting means for detecting whether a password, previously registered in the communication device, for the specific individual is inputted from said external communication device via said communication line;

personal information input/output control means for inputting said personal information into said personal information storing means from said external communication device via said communication line, and for outputting said personal information stored in said personal information storing means to said external communication device via said communication line,

wherein said personal information input/output control means inputs said personal information into said personal information storing means when said password reception detecting means does not detect the password from said external communication device, and said personal information input/output control means outputs said personal information when said password reception detecting means detects the password from said external communication device.

9. A communication device capable of communicating with external communication device via communication line, comprising:

personal information storing means for storing personal information for a specific individual;

first input means for inputting personal information into the personal information storing means only under a first condition;

second input means for inputting personal information into the personal information storing means only under a second condition different from said first condition.

10. The communication device according to claim 9, wherein the first input means comprises the communication device and wherein the first condition comprises an input of a password from the communication device by a user.

11. The communication device according to claim 10, wherein the second input means comprises the external communication device via the communication line, and wherein the second condition needs no password from the communication device.

15. The communication device according to claim 9, further comprising personal information output means for outputting the personal information stored in the personal information storing means, wherein the personal information output means needs a password for outputting the personal information.