Communication apparatus provided with electronic address book

• US 20030058478A1
• Filed: 09/26/2002
• Published: 03/27/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 09/27/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
• Original Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
• Inventors: Aoki, Kazuma
• Granted Patent: US 7,463,377 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 358/402
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/27453 Directories allowing storage of additional subscriber data, e.g. metadata
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/2747 Scrolling on a display
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/32122 in a separate device, e.g. in a memory or on a display separate from image data
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0093 Facsimile machine H04N2201/0094 takes precedence
• 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 2201/3209 of a telephone number
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3273 Display
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3274 Storage or retrieval of prestored additional information
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3276 of a customised additional information profile, e.g. a profile specific to a user ID

Abstract

A communication apparatus that executes communication in a desired communication mode determined upon the detection of a predetermined operation done by a user to the communication apparatus prior to communication. Recipient information corresponding to the desired communication mode, that is, a telephone, facsimile, or e-mail mode, is retrieved from an electronic address book in which various kinds of recipient information corresponding to the various communication modes are registered and managed together on a recipient-by-recipient basis, in association with names of recipients. A display unit displays thereon a list of names of recipients associated with the retrieved recipient information to allow the user to designate a recipient from the list.

Claims

1. A communication apparatus that executes communication with recipients in various communication modes, the communication apparatus comprising:

an electronic address book in which various kinds of recipient information corresponding to the various communication modes are registered and managed together on a recipient-by-recipient basis, in association with recipient identifying information;

a detection unit that detects a predetermined operation done by a user prior to communication;

a mode determination unit that determines a desired communication mode used for communication based on the predetermined operation detected by the detection unit, the desired communication mode being one of the various communication modes;

a retrieving unit that checks the electronic address book to see if recipient information corresponding to the desired communication mode is actually registered or null for each recipient and retrieves recipient information actually registered corresponding to the desired communication mode from the various kinds of recipient information registered in the electronic address book;

a display unit; and

a display control unit that controls the display unit to display thereon the recipient information retrieved by the retrieving unit.

2. The communication apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the display control unit controls the display unit to display thereon only the recipient identifying information associated with the recipient information retrieved by the retrieving unit.

3. The communication apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the retrieving unit retrieves the recipient information corresponding to the desired communication mode automatically upon determination by the mode determination unit of the desired communication mode, and the display control unit controls the display unit automatically upon retrieval by the retrieving unit of the recipient information corresponding to the desired communication mode.

4. The communication apparatus according to claim 2, wherein when a desired piece of recipient identifying information is selected from among the recipient identifying information displayed on the display unit, the communication apparatus executes communication with a recipient identified by the desired piece of recipient identifying information.

5. The communication apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the various communication modes are at least two kinds of communication modes selected from a telephone mode, a facsimile mode, and an e-mail mode.

6. The communication apparatus according to claim 5, further comprising at least one of a handset and a hook button, wherein when the detection unit detects a lifting of the handset or pressing of the hook button by the user, the mode determination unit determines that the telephone mode is used for communication.

7. The communication apparatus according to claim 5, wherein when the detection unit detects insertion of a document by the user into a predetermined portion of the communication apparatus, the mode determination mode determines that the facsimile mode is used for communication.

8. The communication apparatus according to claim 5, wherein when the detection unit detects a completion of a creation of an e-mail message by the user, the mode determination unit determines that the e-mail mode is used for communication.

9. The communication apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a registration unit that newly registers and modifies the various kinds of recipient information corresponding to the various communication modes in the electronic address book.

10. The communication apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the various kinds of recipient information registered in the electronic address book are at least two kinds of information selected from telephone numbers, facsimile numbers, and e-mail addresses.

11. The communication apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the recipient identifying information includes names of the recipients.

12. A communication apparatus that executes communication with recipients in various communication modes, the communication apparatus comprising:

an electronic address book in which various kinds of recipient information corresponding to the various communication modes are registered and managed together on a recipient-by-recipient basis, in association with recipient identifying information;

a detection unit that detects a predetermined operation done by a user prior to communication;

a mode determination unit that determines a desired communication mode used for communication based on the predetermined operation detected by the detection unit, the desired communication mode being one of the various communication modes;

a retrieving unit that retrieves recipient information corresponding to the desired communication mode from the various kinds of recipient information registered in the electronic address book automatically upon determination by the mode determination unit of the desired communication mode;

a display unit; and

a display control unit that controls the display unit to display thereon recipient information retrieved by the retrieving unit automatically upon retrieval by the retrieving unit of the recipient information corresponding to the desired communication mode.

13. The communication apparatus according to claim 12, wherein a retrieving unit checks the electronic address book to see if the recipient information corresponding to the desired communication mode is actually registered or null for each recipient and retrieves the recipient information actually registered corresponding to the desired communication mode from the various kinds of recipient information registered in the electronic address book.

14. The communication apparatus according to claim 13, wherein the display control unit controls the display unit to display thereon only the recipient identifying information associated with the recipient information retrieved by the retrieving unit.

15. The communication apparatus according to claim 14, wherein when a desired piece of recipient identifying information is selected from among the recipient identifying information displayed on the display unit, the communication apparatus executes communication with a recipient identified by the desired piece of recipient identifying information.

16. A computer program, used in a communication apparatus, including a display unit and an electronic address book, to execute communication with recipients in various communication modes, the program comprising:

a program for detecting a predetermined operation done by a user prior to communication;

a program for determining a desired communication mode used for communication based on the detected predetermined operation, the desired communication mode being one of the various communication modes;

a program for checking the electronic address book in which various kinds of recipient information corresponding to the various communication modes are registered and managed together on a recipient-by-recipient basis, in association with recipient identifying information, to see if recipient information corresponding to the desired communication mode is actually registered or null for each recipient;

a program for retrieving the recipient information actually registered corresponding to the desired communication mode from the various kinds of recipient information registered in the electronic address book; and

a program for controlling the display unit to display thereon the retrieved recipient information.

17. The computer program according to claim 16, wherein the display unit is controlled to display thereon only the recipient identifying information associated with the retrieved recipient information.

18. The computer program according to claim 17, further comprising a program for executing communication with a recipient identified by a desired piece of recipient identifying information, when the desired piece of recipient identifying information is selected from among the recipient identifying information displayed on the display unit.

19. The computer program according to claim 16, wherein the electronic address book is checked automatically upon determination of the desired communication mode, and the display unit is controlled automatically upon retrieval of the recipient information corresponding the desired communication mode.

20. The computer program according to claim 16, wherein when the detected predetermined operation done by the user is lifting of a handset or pressing a hook button, the desired communication mode determined is a telephone mode.

21. The computer program according to claim 16, wherein when the detected predetermined operation done by the user is insertion of a document into a predetermined portion of the communication apparatus, the desired communication mode determined is a facsimile mode.

22. The computer program according to claim 16, wherein when the detected predetermined operation done by the user is completion of creation of an e-mail message, the desired communication mode determined is an e-mail mode.

23. A method of controlling a communication apparatus, including a display unit and an electronic address book, to execute communication with recipients in various communication modes, comprising:

detecting a predetermined operation done by a user prior to communication;

determining a desired communication mode used for communication based on the detected predetermined operation, the desired communication mode being one of the various communication modes;

checking the electronic address book, in which various kinds of recipient information corresponding to the various communication modes are registered and managed together on a recipient-by-recipient basis, in association with recipient identifying information, to see if recipient information corresponding to the desired communication mode is actually registered or null for each recipient;

retrieving the recipient information actually registered corresponding to the desired communication mode from the various kinds of recipient information registered in the electronic address book; and

controlling the display unit to display thereon the retrieved recipient information.

24. The method of claim 23, wherein the display unit is controlled to display thereon only the recipient identifying information associated with the retrieved recipient information.

25. The method of claim 24, further comprising executing communication with a recipient identified by a desired piece of recipient identifying information, when the desired piece of recipient identifying information is selected from among the recipient identifying information displayed on the display unit.

26. The method of claim 23, wherein the electronic address book is controlled automatically upon determination of the desired communication mode, and the display unit is controlled automatically upon retrieval of the recipient information corresponding the desired communication mode.

27. The method of claim 23, wherein when the detected predetermined operation done by the user is lifting of a handset or pressing a hook button, the desired communication mode determined is a telephone mode.

28. The method of claim 23, wherein when the detected predetermined operation done by the user is insertion of a document into a predetermined portion of the communication apparatus, the desired communication mode determined is a facsimile mode.

29. The method of claim 23, wherein when the detected predetermined operation done by the user is completion of creation of an e-mail message, the desired communication mode determined is an e-mail mode.