Internet facsimile terminal apparatus and communication method using the same

• US 6,785,018 B2
• Filed: 12/28/2000
• Issued: 08/31/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 06/22/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Panasonic Communications Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Panasonic Communications Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Wakabayashi, Takefumi
• Primary Examiner(s): Coles, Edward
• Assistant Examiner(s): Safaipour, Houshang
• Application Number:
  US09/749,672
• Publication Number:
  US 20010055127A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,342 Days
• Field of Search: 358/305, 358/1.15, 358/1.17, 358/1.4, 358/440, 358/444, 709/200, 709/207, 709/206
• US Class Current: 358/1.15
• 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 2201/0086 Image transceiver H04N2201/0093 and H04N2201/0094 take precedence

Abstract

A POP access section accesses a POP3 server using a first user ID/password registered in a user ID registration table, fetches message information from a mailbox of the user ID, and stores it to RAM. A message information extracting section extracts necessary information from the message information, and stores it to be associated with the user ID. Thereafter, a reception list generating section reads message information of all user IDs from RAM, and generates a reception list. Sequentially, the reception list generating section outputs the generated reception list. A user, who has seen the reception list, instructs the POP access section to fetch an e-mail message from a panel control section. This improves communication concealment.

Claims

1. An Internet facsimile terminal apparatus connectable to a server via an Internet, the Internet facsimile terminal apparatus comprising:

a mode setting device that selectively sets said Internet facsimile terminal apparatus to a reception list generation mode, in which said Internet facsimile terminal apparatus generates a reception list without receiving an e-mail stored on the server, said reception list containing message information regarding the stored e-mail;

a storage configured to store a user ID of a user; and

a controller configured to access the server using the user ID to extract message information of the e-mail associated with the user ID, the controller being further configured to generate the reception list on a user-by-user basis, based on the extracted message information when said reception list generation mode is set by said mode setting device.

2. The Internet facsimile terminal apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said message information includes at least one of a sender, a subject, volume of data, a portion of a main body of a message, destination information, a sending information, and a sending time.

3. The Internet facsimile terminal apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a display that displays said generated reception list, said generated reception list being arranged to display said message information of all users on a same page.

4. The Internet facsimile terminal apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a display that displays said generated reception list, said generated reception list being arranged to display said message information of each user on a separate page.

5. The Internet facsimile terminal apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a printer that prints said generated reception list, said generated reception list being arranged to display said message information of all users on a same page.

6. The Internet facsimile terminal apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a printer that prints said generated reception list, said generated reception list being arranged to display said message information of each user on a separate page.

7. A method for an Internet facsimile terminal apparatus to communicate with a server via an Internet, the method comprising:

storing a user ID of a user;

accessing a server using the stored user ID;

extracting message information from an e-mail stored on the server associated with the user ID; and

generating a reception list based on the extracted message information, without receiving the stored e-mail from the server associated with user ID, the reception list representing message information regarding the e-mail stored on the server on a user-by-user basis.

8. The method according to claim 7, wherein the message information includes at least one of a sender, a subject, volume of data, a portion of a main body of a message, destination information, a sending information, and a sending time.

9. The method according to claim 7, further comprising displaying the reception list, the reception list being arranged to display the message information of all users on a same page.

10. The method according to claim 7, further comprising displaying the reception list, the reception list being arranged to display said message information of each user on a separate page.

11. The method according to claim 7, further comprising printing the reception list, the reception list being arranged to display said message information of all users on a same page.

12. The method according to claim 7, further comprising printing the reception list, the reception list being arranged to display said message information of each user on a separate page.

13. A method for an Internet facsimile terminal apparatus to communicate with a server via an Internet, the method comprising:

storing at least one user ID associated with a password in a storage device;

accessing a server at predetermined time intervals to acquire image data contained in a mail box of the server that is associated with the stored at least one user ID and associated password; and

producing a reception list for each of the at least one user ID.

14. The method according to claim 13, wherein accessing a server comprises:

examining message information from the server;

extracting necessary information from the examined message information; and

storing message information to a predetermined storage area associated with each of the at least one user ID and associated password.

15. The method according to claim 14, further comprising producing the reception list after the message information is stored.

16. The method according to claim 13, wherein the image data represents e-mail received by the server.

17. The method according to claim 16, wherein accessing a server comprises:

examining the e-mail on the server;

extracting necessary information from the examined e-mail; and

storing the e-mail to a predetermined storage area on the server associated with each of the at least one user ID and associated password.

18. The method according to claim 17, further comprising producing the reception list from the extracted necessary information without receiving the e-mail from the server.

19. The method according to claim 13, wherein the reception list is produced from the extracted necessary information.