Method and system to access address books

• US 20030065786A1
• Filed: 10/03/2001
• Published: 04/03/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 10/03/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Toshiba Tec Corporation (Toshiba Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Toshiba Tec Corporation (Toshiba Corporation)
• Inventors: Park, David, Nguyen, Truc D.
• Granted Patent: US 7,265,858 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/227
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/00 Network arrangements, protocols or services for addressing or naming
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/45 Network directories; Name-to-address mapping
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1095 Replication or mirroring of data, e.g. scheduling or transport for data synchronisation between network nodes
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99938 Concurrency, e.g. lock management in shared database
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99953 Recoverability

Abstract

There is provided a method and system for initiating an information transmission, such as with faxing, e-mail, data streaming, or the like from a personal computer on a network having at least one networked multifunction machine. The method comprises the steps of invoking a fax command from a software program on a personal computer and then viewing a list of machines residing on the network which contain local address book information. Upon viewing the list, a machine is selected from the list and a search is conducted through the personal computer for a local copy of the selected machine'"'"'s address book information. If no local copy exists, a local copy of the selected machine'"'"'s address book information is created on the personal computer. The local copy of the selected machine'"'"'s address book is then used to retrieve address book information for selecting a recipient of an information transmission.

Claims

1. A method for commencing an targeted information transfer from a personal computer on a network having at least one networked multifunction machine, comprising the steps of:

a) generating a communication command from a computer work station residing on a network;

b) outputting data representative of a list of at least one additional network machine residing on the network that contains individual local address book information, which local address book includes information relative to addressing targeted information transfers;

c) receiving data representative of selected network machine from the list;

d) searching through data associated with the computer work station for an associated copy of at least a selected portion of the selected machine'"'"'s address book information;

e) comparing the local copy of the computer workstation'"'"'s address book information with the selected machine'"'"'s address book information; and

f) updating the local copy of the computer workstation'"'"'s address book information with the selected machine'"'"'s address book information by transferring at least a portion of the address book information from the selected machine to the computer workstation.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein step a) includes the step of generating a communication specified as a facsimile transmission.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein step b) includes the step of receiving data representative of selected network machines from the list, which selected network machines are copier machines.

4. The method of claim 2 wherein step b) includes the step of receiving data representative of selected network machines from the list, which selected network machines are multifunction machines.

5. The method of claim 2 wherein step b) includes the step of receiving data representative of selected network machines from the list, which selected network machines are facsimile servers.

6. The method of claim 3 further comprising the step of sending a facsimile transmission to at least one recipient in accordance with information provided on an updated local copy of the computer workstation'"'"'s address book.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the data associated with the computer work station in step d) is located on a computer work station hard disk.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the data associated with the computer work station in step d) is stored on a computer work station hard disk.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein the data associated with the computer work station in step d) is stored on a server.

10. The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of requesting user input as to whether an associated copy the selected machine'"'"'s address book information should be created upon finding no associated copy of at least a selected portion of the selected machine'"'"'s address book information in step d).

11. The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of requesting user input as to whether the local copy of the computer workstation'"'"'s address book information should be updated upon determining in step e) that the selected machine'"'"'s address book information differs from workstation'"'"'s address book information.

12. The method of claim 1 wherein comparing the local copy of the computer workstation'"'"'s address book information and the selected machine'"'"'s address book information in step e) comprises analyzing checksum information.

13. The method of claim 1 wherein updating the local copy of the computer workstation'"'"'s address book information in step f) comprises overwriting the local copy of the computer workstation'"'"'s address book information with the selected machine'"'"'s address book information.

14. A system for faxing from a personal computer on a network having at least one networked multifunction machine, comprising the steps of:

a) a means for invoking a facsimile command from software program on a networked computer workstation;

b) a means for viewing a list of at least one network machine residing on a network which contain local address book information representative of facsimile addressing information;

c) a means for receiving selection information corresponding to a selected network machine from the list;

d) a means for searching through the computer workstation for an associated copy of the selected machine'"'"'s associated address book information;

e) a means for comparing the associated copy of the selected machine'"'"'s address book information with the selected network machine'"'"'s address book information; and

f) a means for updating at least a portion of the local copy of the computer workstation'"'"'s address book information with the selected machine'"'"'s address book information by transferring at least a portion of the address book information from the selected machine to the personal computer.

15. The system of claim 14 further comprising the step of generating a graphical depiction of the list of at least one network machine so as to facilitate user selection thereof, which user selection information provides the selection information.