Information providing system and apparatus and methods therefor

• US 20020044294A1
• Filed: 07/19/2001
• Published: 04/18/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 07/24/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Inoue, Atsushi, Satomi, Hiroshi, Ito, Kosuke, Matsuura, Kenichiro, Igeta, Satoshi
• Granted Patent: US 7,133,142 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 358/1.13
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/066 Format adaptation, e.g. format conversion or compression
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/214 using selective forwarding
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/58 Message adaptation for wireless communication
• 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 1/00408 Display of information to the user, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00416 Multi-level menus
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00472 using a pop-up window
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0065 Converting image data to a format usable by the connected apparatus or vice versa
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0098 User intervention not otherwise provided for, e.g. placing documents, responding to an alarm
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3205 of identification information, e.g. name or ID code H04N2201/3209 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3207 of an address
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3208 of an e-mail or network address
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3209 of a telephone number

Abstract

A net database retains a user conversion setting table for designating the destination of electronic mail for each user. Based on the contents of the user conversion setting table of the user, a determination module determines the destination of electronic mail received via a mail server. The determination module uses an appropriate conversion module to convert the data of the electronic mail so as to match the output format of the destination. The determination module provides the converted data to the designated destination. Since the contents of the transmission information are converted into a data format corresponding to the capacity of a receiving-side terminal, appropriate information can be provided to the receiving-side terminal.

Claims

1. An information providing apparatus comprising:

reception means for receiving transmission information to a user;

decision means for deciding, on the basis of user information of the user, a destination of the transmission information received by said reception means;

designation means for designating conversion such that data contained in the transmission information matches a format of the destination; and

providing means for providing to the destination data whose format is converted by the designation of said designation means.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the apparatus further comprises division means for dividing the data contained in the transmission information in accordance with types of contents of the data,

said designation means designates the data divided by said division means so as to match the format of the destination, and

said providing means integrates the data whose formats are converted on the basis of the designation of said designation means and provides the integrated data to the destination.

3. The apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the transmission information is electronic mail, and the data divided in accordance with the types are attached files contained in the electronic mail.

4. The apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising user information retention means for retaining user information including designation of a destination of the transmission information for each user.

5. The apparatus according to claim 4, further comprising setting means for setting the user information.

6. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said designation means selects a conversion module on the basis of a data format of the data contained in the transmission information and a data format of the destination and makes the selected conversion module convert the data.

7. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said providing means integrates the converted data in accordance with a data order of the transmission information.

8. The apparatus according to claim 6, wherein when the destination is a World Wide Web information providing apparatus, said conversion module converts image data contained in the transmission information into JPEG data and converts wordprocessor document data into HTML format data.

9. The apparatus according to claim 6, wherein when the destination is a portable terminal, said conversion module converts image data contained in the transmission information into a format displayable on the portable terminal and converts wordprocessor document data into text string data representing a subject of the document.

10. The apparatus according to claim 6, wherein when the destination is a facsimile machine, said conversion module converts text data, image data, and wordprocessor document data contained in the transmission information into facsimile data by CCITT FAX encoding.

11. The apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the apparatus further comprises cover page generation means for generating cover page data describing an address of a data destination, on the basis of the user information, and

said providing means attaches the cover page data to the facsimile data obtained by said conversion module to form the output data.

12. The apparatus according to claim 6, further comprising charging means for, when said conversion module executes conversion which accrues charge, executing charge processing.

13. The apparatus according to claim 12, further comprising inhibiting means for, when a user sets to inhibit charge, inhibiting conversion which accrues charge.

14. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the apparatus further comprises acquisition means for acquiring a capacity of the destination decided by said decision means, and

said designation means designates to convert the transmission information into a format matching an output capacity of the destination.

15. The apparatus according to claim 14, wherein

the apparatus further comprises apparatus type information retention means for retaining apparatus type information representing a capacity of each apparatus type for apparatuses serving as destinations, and

said acquisition means acquires a capacity of the destination on the basis of the registration contents of said apparatus type retention means.

16. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein when the destination is a World Wide Web information providing apparatus, said providing means retains the output data accessible by a URL.

17. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein when the destination is a portable terminal, said providing means transmits the output data to the portable terminal.

18. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein when the destination is a facsimile machine, said providing means transmits the output data to the facsimile machine.

20. The system according to claim 19, wherein

the system further comprises division means for dividing the data contained in the transmission information in accordance with types of contents of the data,

said designation means designates the data divided by said division means so as to match the format of the destination, and

said providing means integrates the data whose formats are converted on the basis of the designation of said designation means and provides the integrated data to the destination.

19. An information providing system comprising:

user information retention means for retaining user information including designation of a destination of transmission information for each user;

reception means for receiving transmission information to a user;

decision means for acquiring user information of the user from said user information retention means and deciding the destination of the received transmission information on the basis of the user information;

conversion means for converting data contained in the transmission information so as to match a format of the destination; and

providing means for providing the format-converted data to the destination.

21. An information providing method comprising:

the reception step of receiving transmission information to a user;

the decision step of deciding, on the basis of user information of the user, a destination of the transmission information received in the reception step;

the designation step of designating conversion such that data contained in the transmission information matches a format of the destination; and

the providing step of providing to the destination data whose format is converted by the designation in the designation step.

22. The method according to claim 21, wherein

the method further comprises the division step of dividing the data contained in the transmission information in accordance with types of contents of the data,

in the designation step, the data divided by said division means is so designated as to match the format of the destination, and

in the providing step, the data whose formats are converted on the basis of the designation in the designation step are integrated, and the integrated data is provided to the destination.

23. The method according to claim 21, wherein the transmission information is electronic mail, and the data divided in accordance with the types are attached files contained in the electronic mail.

24. The method according to claim 21, wherein in the decision step, user information including designation of a destination of the transmission information is acquired from user information retention means for retaining the user information including the designation of the destination of the transmission information for each user, and the destination of the transmission information is decided on the basis of the user information.

25. The method according to claim 24, further comprising the setting step of setting the user information.

26. The method according to claim 21, wherein in the designation step, a conversion module is selected on the basis of a data format of the data contained in the transmission information and a data format of the destination, and the selected conversion module is made to convert the data.

27. The method according to claim 21, wherein in the providing step, the converted data are integrated in accordance with a data order of the transmission information.

28. The method according to claim 26, wherein when the destination is a World Wide Web information providing apparatus, the conversion module converts image data contained in the transmission information into JPEG data and converts wordprocessor document data into HTML format data.

29. The method according to claim 26, wherein when the destination is a portable terminal, the conversion module converts image data contained in the transmission information into a format displayable on the portable terminal and converts wordprocessor document data into text string data representing a subject of the document.

30. The method according to claim 26, wherein when the destination is a facsimile machine, the conversion module converts text data, image data, and wordprocessor document data contained in the transmission information into facsimile data by CCITT FAX encoding.

31. The method according to claim 30, wherein

the method further comprises the cover page generation step of generating cover page data describing an address of a data destination, on the basis of the user information, and

in the providing step, the cover page data is attached to the facsimile data obtained in the conversion step to form the output data.

32. The method according to claim 26, further comprising the charging step of, when the conversion module executes conversion which accrues charge, executing charge processing.

33. The method according to claim 32, further comprising the inhibiting step of, when a user sets to inhibit charge, inhibiting conversion which accrues charge.

34. The method according to claim 21, wherein

the method further comprises the acquisition step of acquiring a capacity of the destination decided in the decision step, and

in the designation step, the transmission information is designated and converted into a format matching an output capacity of the destination.

35. The method according to claim 34, wherein

in the acquisition step, a capacity of an apparatus as the destination is acquired on the basis of registration contents of apparatus type information retention means for retaining apparatus type information representing a capacity of each apparatus type for apparatuses serving as destinations.

36. The method according to claim 21, wherein when the destination is a World Wide Web information providing apparatus, in the providing step, the output data accessible by a URL is retained.

37. The method according to claim 21, wherein when the destination is a portable terminal, in the providing step, the output data is transmitted to the portable terminal.

38. The method according to claim 21, wherein when the destination is a facsimile machine, in the providing step, the output data is transmitted to the facsimile machine.

40. The method according to claim 39, wherein

the method further comprises the division step of dividing the data contained in the transmission information in accordance with types of contents of the data,

in the designation step, the data divided by said division means is so designated as to match the format of the destination, and

in the providing means, the data whose formats are converted are integrated and the integrated data is provided to the destination.

39. An information providing method comprising:

the user information retention step of retaining user information including designation of a destination of transmission information for each user;

the reception step of receiving transmission information to a user;

the decision step of acquiring user information of the user from the user information retention step and deciding the destination of the received transmission information on the basis of the user information;

the conversion step of converting data contained in the transmission information so as to match a format of the destination; and

the providing step of providing the format-converted data to the destination.

41. A computer-readable storage medium which stores a control program for causing a computer to execute an information providing method comprising:

the reception step of receiving transmission information to a user;

the decision step of deciding, on the basis of user information of the user, a destination of the transmission information received in the reception step;

the designation step of designating conversion such that data contained in the transmission information matches a format of the destination; and

the providing step of providing to the destination data whose format is converted by the designation in the designation step.

42. A computer-readable storage medium which stores a control program for causing a computer to execute an information providing method comprising:

the user information retention step of retaining user information including designation of a destination of transmission information for each user;

the reception step of receiving transmission information to a user;

the decision step of acquiring user information of the user from the user information retention step and deciding the destination of the received transmission information on the basis of the user information;

the conversion step of converting data contained in the transmission information so as to match a format of the destination; and

the providing step of providing the format-converted data to the destination.