Internet facsimile apparatus, communication processing method and communication processing program

• US 20070177199A1
• Filed: 01/11/2007
• Published: 08/02/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 02/02/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Konica Minolta Business Technologies Incorporated (Konica Minolta Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Konica Minolta Business Technologies Incorporated (Konica Minolta Inc.)
• Inventors: Okamoto, Tomoyuki
• Granted Patent: US 8,184,317 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 358/1.150
• 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 1/00217 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 1/333 Mode signalling or mode changing; Handshaking therefor
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0018 via a non-image communication channel, e.g. via a computer network
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/33342 of transmission mode

Abstract

An Internet facsimile apparatus, comprising: a network communication unit for communicating with an external apparatus in direct SMTP via a network, a printing unit for printing image data received through the network communication unit from the external apparatus, and a response mode selecting unit for selecting/setting either “Quick Response mode” to send a response right after image data reception or “Post-processing Response mode” to send a response after image data printing is completed when image data sent by direct SMTP communication is received through said network communication unit.

Claims

1. An Internet facsimile apparatus, comprising:

a network communication unit for communicating with an external apparatus in direct SMTP via a network;

a printing unit for printing image data received through said network communication unit from the external apparatus; and

a response mode selecting unit for selecting/setting either “

Quick Response mode”

to send a response right after image data reception or “

Post-processing Response mode”

to send a response after image data printing is completed when image data sent by direct SMTP communication is received through said network communication unit.

2. The Internet facsimile apparatus as recited in claim 1, further comprising an operation unit for allowing the user to input either “

Quick Response mode”

or “

Post-processing Response mode”

, wherein said response mode selecting unit selects/sets either “

Quick Response mode”

or “

Post-processing Response mode”

according to the input operation by the user in said operation unit.

3. The Internet facsimile apparatus as recited in claim 1, wherein the response mode selecting unit selects/sets a response mode according to the information contained in the received data.

4. The Internet facsimile apparatus as recited in claim 3, wherein the information contained in the received data indicates either “

Quick Response mode”

or 37 Post-processing Response mode”

.

5. The Internet facsimile apparatus as recited in claim 3, wherein the information contained in the received data indicates that the received data is important.

6. The Internet facsimile apparatus as recited in claim 1, wherein image data is transmitted from the external apparatus after a DATA command.

7. A communication processing method, comprising the steps of:

communicating with an external apparatus in direct SMTP via a network;

printing image data received from the external apparatus by the direct SMTP communication; and

selecting/setting either “

Quick Response mode”

to send a response right after image data reception or “

Post-processing Response mode”

to send a response after image data printing is completed when image data sent by direct SMTP communication is received.

8. The communication processing method as recited in claim 7, wherein “

Quick Response mode”

or “

Post-processing Response mode”

is selected/set according to the input operation by the user in an operation unit in the step of response mode selection.

9. The communication processing method as recited in claim 7, wherein a response mode is selected/set according to the information contained in the received data in the step of response mode selection.

10. The communication processing method as recited in claim 9, wherein the information contained in the received data indicates either “

Quick Response mode”

or “

Post-processing Response mode”

.

11. The communication processing method as recited in claim 9, wherein the information contained in the received data indicates that the received data is important.

12. The communication processing method as recited in claim 7, wherein image data is transmitted from the external apparatus after a DATA command.

13. A communication processing program stored on a computer readable medium for making a computer execute the steps of:

communicating with an external apparatus in direct SMTP via a network;

printing image data received from the external apparatus by the direct SMTP communication; and

selecting/setting either “

Quick Response mode”

to send a response right after image data reception or “

Post-processing Response mode”

to send a response after image data printing is completed when image data sent by direct SMTP communication is received.

14. The communication processing program as recited in claim 13, for making a computer select/set either “

Quick Response mode”

or “

Post-processing Response mode”

according to the input operation by the user in an operation unit in the step of response mode selection.

15. The communication processing program as recited in claim 13, for making a computer select/set a response mode according to the information contained in the received data in the step of response mode selection.

16. The communication processing program as recited in claim 15, wherein the information contained in the received data indicates either “

Quick Response mode”

or “

Post-processing Response mode”

.

17. The communication processing program as recited in claim 13, wherein the information contained in the received data indicates that the received data is important.

18. The communication processing program as recited in claim 13, wherein image data is transmitted from the external apparatus after a DATA command.