Internet facsimile apparatus and E-mail communication method

• US 6,441,916 B1
• Filed: 02/01/2000
• Issued: 08/27/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 05/15/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Matsushita Graphic Communication Systems, Inc. (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Matsushita Graphic Communication Systems, Inc. (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Toyoda, Kiyoshi
• Primary Examiner(s): Coles, Edward
• Assistant Examiner(s): Pokrzywa, Joseph R.
• Application Number:
  US09/495,516
• Time in Patent Office: 938 Days
• Field of Search: 358/1.15, 358/402, 358/403, 358/405, 358/407, 358/434, 358/440, 358/468, 379/93.24, 379/93.03, 379/100.08, 379/100.09, 709/200, 709/201, 709/205, 709/206, 709/217, 709/219, 709/223, 709/224, 709/226, 709/230
• US Class Current: 358/1.15
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/00 User-to-user messaging in packet-switching networks, transmitted according to store-and-forward or real-time protocols, e.g. e-mail
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/23 Reliability checks, e.g. acknowledgments or fault reporting
• 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 1/00214 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 2201/0018 via a non-image communication channel, e.g. via a computer network
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0082 Image hardcopy reproducer H04N2201/0091 - H04N2201/0094 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0086 Image transceiver H04N2201/0093 and H04N2201/0094 take precedence

Abstract

E-mail transmitting/receiving means for a network are provided. Identification data are created from the received mail and reply mail including the identification data is notified to the sender of the received mail. In the case that a file attached to the received mail cannot be opened, the message ID of the received mail is included in the identification data. This makes it possible to accurately and simply notify the sender of the data that resulted in an error or data that have been received successfully even in the case that a large capacity memory or hard disk is not available.

Claims

1. An Internet facsimile apparatus for notifying a sender of whether an e-mail sent by the sender was successfully received, comprising:

a receiver that receives e-mail from the sender over a network;

a first detector that detects whether a TIFF file is attached to the received e-mail;

a first generator that generates a first reply e-mail including message ID which identifies the e-mail sent by the sender when said first detector detects that the TIFF file is not attached to the received e-mail, and sends the first reply e-mail to the sender;

a second detector that detects whether the TIFF file can be opened, when said first detector detects that the TIFF file is attached to the received e-mail;

a second generator that generates a second reply e-mail including at least a part of a first page of the TIFF file when said second detector detects that the TIFF file cannot be opened, and sends the second reply e-mail to the sender.

2. The Internet facsimile apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said second detector detects whether data of the TIFF file is made by minimum set.

3. The Internet facsimile apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

a third detector that detects whether there is text data in the received e-mail when said first detector detects that the TIFF file is not attached to the received e-mail;

wherein, when said third detector detects that there is text data in the received e-mail, said first generator generates the first reply e-mail including the message ID and the text data extracted from the e-mail, and sends the first reply e-mail to the sender.

4. The Internet facsimile apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising, a printer that prints the received e-mail.

5. An e-mail communication apparatus for notifying a sender of whether an e-mail sent by the sender was successfully received, comprising:

a receiver that receives e-mail from the sender over a network;

a first detector that detects whether a TIFF file is attached to the received e-mail;

a first generator that generates a first reply e-mail including a message ID which identifies the e-mail sent by the sender, when said first detector detects that the TIFF file is not attached to the received e-mail, and sends the first reply e-mail to the sender;

a second detector that detects whether the TIFF file can be opened, when said first detector detects that the TIFF file is attached to the received e-mail;

a second generator that generates a second reply e-mail including at least a part of a first page of the TIFF file when said second detector detects that the TIFF file cannot be opened, and sends the second reply e-mail to the sender.

6. The e-mail communication apparatus according to claim 5, further comprising, a facsimile device connected to a telephone network, said facsimile device receiving and transmitting facsimile data over the telephone network.

7. An Internet facsimile apparatus for notifying a sender of whether an e-mail sent by the sender was successfully received, comprising:

an interface connected to a computer network;

a scanner that scans documents to be transmitted;

a printer that prints the e-mail received from the sender through said interface;

a facsimile device connected to a telephone network to receive and transmit facsimile data over the telephone network; and

a processor controllably connected to said interface, to said scanner, to said printer and to said facsimile device, said processor being configured to generate a first reply e-mail including message ID which identifies the e-mail sent by the sender when a TIFF file is not attached to the received e-mail, and sends the first reply e-mail to the sender, said processor being configured to generate a second reply e-mail including at least a part of a first page of the TIFF file, when the TIFF file is attached to the received e-mail and when the TIFF file cannot be opened, and sends the second reply e-mail to the sender.

8. The Internet facsimile apparatus according to claim 7, wherein said interface, said scanner, said printer, said facsimile device and said processor are integrated in the Internet facsimile apparatus.

9. An e-mail communication method for notifying a sender of whether an e-mail sent by the sender was successfully received, comprising:

receiving e-mail from the sender over a network;

detecting whether a TIFF file is attached to the received e-mail;

generating a first reply e-mail including message ID which designates the e-mail sent by the sender, when the TIFF file is not attached in the received e-mail, and sending the first reply e-mail to the sender;

detecting whether the TIFF file can be opened, when the TIFF file is attached to the received e-mail; and

generating a second reply e-mail including at least a part of first page of the TIFF file when the TIFF file can not be opened, and sending the second reply e-mail to the sender.

10. The e-mail communication method according to claim 9, further comprising,

detecting whether there is text data in the received e-mail, when the TIFF file is not attached to the received e-mail;

generating the first reply e-mail including the message ID and the text data extracted from the e-mail, and sending the first reply e-mail to the sender, when there is text data in the received e-mail.