Internet facsimile apparatus

• US 6,266,160 B1
• Filed: 05/28/1998
• Issued: 07/24/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 06/02/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Panasonic Communications Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Matsushita Graphic Communication Systems, Inc. (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Toyoda, Kiyoshi, Saito, Kyoji
• Primary Examiner(s): Coles, Edward
• Assistant Examiner(s): Pokrzywa, Joseph R.
• Application Number:
  US09/084,938
• Time in Patent Office: 1,153 Days
• Field of Search: 358/402, 358/403, 358/407, 358/408, 358/434, 358/435, 358/436, 358/440, 358/442, 358/1.15, 379/93.24, 379/100.09, 379/130, 370/352, 370/428, 370/474, 395/200.3, 395/200.47, 709/203, 709/217, 709/218, 709/219, 709/238, 709/245, 709/239, 709/240, 709/242
• US Class Current: 358/407
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/066 Format adaptation, e.g. format conversion or compression
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/08 Annexed information, e.g. attachments
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/48 Message addressing, e.g. address format or anonymous messages, aliases
• 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 1/00212 Attaching image data to computer messages, e.g. to e-mails
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/324 intermediate the transmitter and receiver terminals, e.g. at an exchange
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/32411 Handling instructions for routing or relaying
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0015 Control of image communication with the connected apparatus, e.g. signalling capability
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0024 Converting image communication control signals, e.g. group 3 facsimile protocol signals, to non-image communication control signals or vice versa
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0067 Converting to still picture data
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0086 Image transceiver H04N2201/0093 and H04N2201/0094 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0093 Facsimile machine H04N2201/0094 takes precedence

Abstract

Internet facsimile apparatus 1 notifies a facsimile number of the final destination to server 3 and acquires an e-mail address of a relay apparatus from server 3. And it transmits an e-mail attached image information to Internet facsimile apparatus 2 corresponding to the acquired e-mail address. At this time, it inserts a relay transfer instruction command to a part of a header of the e-mail to order a relay transfer. Internet facsimile apparatus 2 functioning as a relay apparatus converts a specific predetermined information among the header information of the e-mail to be relay transferred into the same format as that of the image information, and transmits the converted specific information with the image information to facsimile apparatus 4 of the final destination.

Claims

1. A communication system for receiving image data by facsimile via the Internet and a publicly switched telephone network, said communication system comprising:

a transmission apparatus configured to be connected to the Internet and the publicly switched telephone network;

a plurality of relay apparatuses configured to be connected between the Internet and to the publicly switched telephone network;

a plurality of final destination apparatuses configured to be connected to the publicly switched telephone network, each of said final destination apparatuses having a corresponding facsimile number and a controlling relay apparatus, wherein the controlling relay apparatus is one of said plurality of relay apparatuses; and

a server apparatus configured to be connected to the Internet and accessible by said transmission apparatus, said server apparatus comprising a table listing for each of said plurality of final destination apparatuses, the corresponding facsimile number and an address of the controlling relay apparatus;

wherein said transmission apparatus transmits the corresponding facsimile number of one of said plurality of final destination apparatuses to said server apparatus via the Internet to send image data to said one of said plurality of final destination apparatuses,

wherein said server apparatus retrieves, from said table, the address of the controlling relay apparatus, associated with said one of said plurality of the final destination apparatuses, and notifies said transmission apparatus of the address of the controlling relay apparatus via the Internet;

wherein said transmission apparatus transmits, via the Internet, the image data contained in an e-mail and the facsimile number corresponding to said one of said plurality of final destination apparatuses to the address of said controlling relay apparatus; and

wherein said controlling relay apparatus transmits the image data contained in the e-mail to said one of said plurality of final destination apparatuses by a facsimile procedure, via the publicly switched telephone network, so that the image data is sequentially transmitted through a communication path via the Internet and the publicly switched telephone network.

2. The system according to claim 1, wherein said table of said server apparatus further lists, for each of said plurality of final destination apparatuses, image processing capability information corresponding to said controlling relay apparatus.

3. The system according to claim 2, wherein said image processing capability information comprises a data format and a resolution of an image supportable by said controlling relay apparatus.

4. The system according to claim 2, wherein said server apparatus further notifies said transmission apparatus of said image processing capability information of said controlling relay apparatus, and said transmission apparatus adapts the image data to the image processing capability information and transmits the adapted image data to said controlling relay apparatus.

5. The system according to claim 1, wherein said plurality of final destination apparatuses are configured to be connected only to the publicly switched telephone network.

6. A communication system for receiving image data by facsimile via the Internet and a publicly switched telephone network, said communication system comprising:

a transmission apparatus configured to be connected to the Internet and to the publicly switched telephone network;

a plurality of final destination apparatuses configured to be connected to the publicly switched telephone network, each of said plurality of final destination apparatuses having a corresponding facsimile number;

a plurality of relay apparatuses configured to be connected to the Internet and to the publicly switched telephone network, each of said plurality of relay apparatuses having a relay apparatus address and controlling at least one of said plurality of final destination apparatuses; and

a server apparatus connected to the Internet and accessible by said transmission apparatus and said plurality of relay apparatuses, said server apparatus comprising a table listing, for each of said plurality of final destination apparatuses, the corresponding facsimile number and the relay apparatus address of said controlling relay apparatus;

wherein each of said plurality of relay apparatuses registers record data in said table of said server apparatus, said record data comprising a relay apparatus address and a corresponding facsimile number of said at least one of said plurality of final destination apparatuses controlled by said one of said plurality of relay apparatuses;

wherein said transmission apparatus transmits the corresponding facsimile number to said server apparatus via the Internet to send image data to said one of said plurality of final destination apparatuses;

wherein said server apparatus retrieves, from said table, the address of said controlling relay apparatus, associated with said one of said plurality of the final destination apparatuses, and transmits the address of said controlling relay apparatus to said transmission apparatus via the Internet;

wherein said transmission apparatus transmits the image data contained in an e-mail and the facsimile number corresponding to said one of said plurality of final destination apparatuses to the address of said controlling relay apparatus via the Internet; and

wherein said controlling relay apparatus transmits the image data contained in the e-mail to said one of said plurality of final destination apparatuses by a facsimile procedure via the publicly switched telephone network, so that the image data is sequentially transmitted through a communication path via the Internet and the publicly switched telephone network.

7. The system according to claim 6, wherein said server apparatus further lists image processing capability information corresponding to each of said plurality of relay apparatuses.

8. The system according to claim 7, wherein said image processing capability information comprises a data format and a resolution of an image supportable by said each of said plurality of relay apparatuses.

9. The system according to claim 7, wherein said each of said plurality of relay apparatuses further notifies said server apparatus of its respective image processing capability information.

10. The system according to claim 9, wherein said server apparatus notifies said transmission apparatus of the image processing capability information of said controlling relay apparatus, and said transmission apparatus adapts the image data to said image processing capability information of said controlling relay apparatus, and then transmits the adapted image data to said controlling relay apparatus.

11. The system according to claim 6, wherein said plurality of final destination apparatuses are configured to be connected only to the publicly switched telephone network.

16. The method according to claim 11, wherein said plurality of final destination apparatuses are configured to be connected only to the publicly switched telephone network.

12. A communication method for receiving image data by facsimile via the Internet and a publicly switched telephone network, said communication method comprising:

transmitting from a transmission apparatus to a server apparatus, via the Internet, a facsimile number corresponding to one of a plurality of final destination apparatuses, said server apparatus comprising a table listing for each of said plurality of final destination apparatuses a corresponding facsimile number and address of a controlling relay apparatus;

retrieving from said table of said server apparatus the address of said controlling relay apparatus associated with said one of said plurality of the final destination apparatuses;

transmitting from said server apparatus to said transmission apparatus, via the Internet, the address of said controlling relay apparatus;

transmitting from said transmission apparatus to said controlling relay apparatus, via the Internet, the image data contained in an e-mail and the facsimile number corresponding to said one of said plurality of final destination apparatuses; and

transmitting from said controlling relay apparatus to said one of said plurality of final destination apparatuses, via the publicly switched telephone network by a facsimile procedure, the image data contained in the e-mail, so that the image data is sequentially transmitted through a communication path via the Internet and the publicly switched telephone network;

whereas said transmission apparatus is configured to be connected to the Internet and to the publicly switched telephone network;

the server apparatus is configured to be connected to the Internet and accessible by said transmission apparatus;

said controlling relay apparatus is one of a plurality of relay apparatuses which is configured to be connected between the Internet and the publicly switched telephone network; and

said plurality of final destination apparatuses is configured to be connected to the publicly switched telephone network.

13. The method according to claim 12, wherein said table of said server apparatus further lists image processing capability information corresponding to each of said plurality of relay apparatuses.

14. The method according to claim 13, wherein said image processing capability information comprises a data format and a resolution of an image supportable by each of said plurality of relay apparatuses.

15. The method according to claim 13, further comprising:

transmitting from said server apparatus to said transmission apparatus, via the Internet, said image processing capability information of said controlling relay apparatus;

adapting the image data to the image processing capability information; and

transmitting from said transmission apparatus to said controlling relay apparatus, via the Internet, the adapted image data.

17. A method for receiving image data by facsimile via the Internet and a publicly switched telephone network, said communication method comprising:

assigning, from a plurality of relay apparatuses, a controlling relay apparatus to control at least one of a plurality of final destination apparatuses;

transmitting from said controlling relay apparatus to a server apparatus, via the Internet, record data corresponding to said controlling relay apparatus, said record data comprising an address of said controlling relay apparatus and a facsimile number corresponding to each of said plurality of final destination apparatuses controlled by said controlling relay apparatus;

registering said record data in a table contained in said server apparatus;

transmitting, from a transmission apparatus to said server apparatus, via the Internet, a facsimile number corresponding to one of a plurality of final destination apparatuses;

retrieving, from said table of said server apparatus, the address of said controlling relay apparatus associated with said one of said plurality of the final destination apparatuses;

transmitting from said server apparatus to said transmission apparatus, via the Internet, the address of said controlling relay apparatus;

transmitting from said transmission apparatus to said controlling relay apparatus, via the Internet, the image data contained in an e-mail and the facsimile number corresponding to said one of said plurality of final destination apparatuses; and

transmitting from said controlling relay apparatus to said one of said plurality of final destination apparatuses, via the publicly switched telephone network by a facsimile procedure, the image data contained in the e-mail, so that the image data is sequentially transmitted through a communication path via the Internet and the publicly switched telephone network;

wherein said transmission apparatus is configured to be connected to the Internet and to the publicly switched telephone network, said plurality of relay apparatuses are being configured to be connected to the Internet and to the publicly switched telephone network;

said server apparatus is configured to be connected to the Internet and accessible by said transmission apparatus and said plurality of relay apparatuses, and said plurality of final destination apparatuses are being configured to be connected to the publicly switched telephone network.

18. The method according to claim 17, further comprising listing, on the server apparatus, image processing capability information corresponding to each of said plurality of relay apparatuses.

19. The method according to claim 18, wherein said image processing capability information comprises a data format and a resolution of an image supportable by said each of said plurality of relay apparatuses.

20. The method according to claim 18, wherein said each of said plurality of relay apparatuses further notifies said server apparatus of its respective image processing capability information.

21. The method according to claim 20, further comprising:

transmitting from said server apparatus to said transmission apparatus, via the Internet, said image processing capability information of said controlling relay apparatus;

adapting the image data to the image processing capability information; and

transmitting, from said transmission apparatus to said controlling relay apparatus, via the Internet, the adapted image data.

22. The method according to claim 17, further comprising configuring each of said plurality of final destination apparatuses to be connected only to the publicly switched telephone network.