Communication device and storage medium

• US 6,816,278 B2
• Filed: 09/05/2001
• Issued: 11/09/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 10/09/1996
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
• Original Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
• Inventors: Yasui, Kunihiro, Otsuka, Shuji
• Primary Examiner(s): Mehta, Bhavesh M.
• Assistant Examiner(s): DESIRE, GREGORY M
• Application Number:
  US09/945,804
• Publication Number:
  US 20020033962A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,161 Days
• Field of Search: 358/400, 358/402, 358/403, 358/434, 358/440, 358/468, 358/1.15, 379/88-2-, 379/93-1-, 379/100.08, 379/100.15, 382/115, 382/305
• US Class Current: 358/1.15
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/652 Means for playing back the recorded messages by remote control over a telephone line H04M1/658 takes precedence
• 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 1/32358 using picture signal storage, e.g. at transmitter H04N1/17 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0093 Facsimile machine H04N2201/0094 takes precedence

Abstract

A communication device is provided wherein a message stored in a message box for a specific individual and a message stored in a general mail box and not addressed to a specific individual can be retrieved sequentially without releasing a line. The communication device includes a personal information output control device that reads personal information stored in a personal information storing device and outputs the personal information via a telecommunication line and a general information output device that reads general information stored in a general information storing device and not addressed to the specific individual and outputs the information via the telecommunication line. The information is output by operating the personal information output control device and the general information output control device according to a request, which is input via the telecommunication line.

Claims

1. A communication device capable of communicating with at least one of other communication devices, comprising:

personal information storing means for storing personal information which can be inputted/outputted for a specific individual, said personal information storing means having a password and identification information of a predetermined communication device which are previously registered for the specific individual;

personal information input/output control means for inputting said personal information transmitted from at least one of other communication devices, into said personal information storing means and for outputting said personal information stored in said personal information storing means to at least one of other communication devices; and

notifying means for notifying the predetermined communication device specified by said identification information that said personal information input/output control means has inputted said personal information into said personal information storing means,

wherein said personal information input/output control means outputs said personal information from said personal information storing means to at least one of other communication devices only when said password is inputted from said at least one of other communication devices.

2. The communication device according to claim 1, wherein said personal information input/output means inputs said personal information into said personal information storing means when said password is not inputted via said communication line.

3. The communication device according to claim 1, wherein the predetermined communication device is a mobile communication device.

4. The communication device according to claim 3, wherein the predetermined communication device is a pager and notifying means calls the pager number.

10. The facsimile device of claim 3 wherein;

the at least one external communication device can access the personal information memory to store the personal information from the at least one external communication device to the personal information memory or to retrieve the personal information, transmitted via communication line, from the personal information memory.

5. A facsimile device, with a telephone function, capable of communicating with at least one external communication device via a communication line, the facsimile device having an automatic message recording mode and at least one of a facsimile/telephone mode, a manual receiving mode and a line monitoring mode, the facsimile device comprising:

a personal information memory for storing personal information which can be inputted/outputted for a specific individual;

an access control means for controlling access to said personal information memory from said at least one external communication device via said communication line,

wherein said access control means allows the at least one external communication device to access to said personal information memory when a predetermined signal is transmitted from the at least one external communication device regardless of each mode condition of the facsimile device and wherein said control means allows the at least one external communication device to access to said personal information memory in accordance with an input of a predetermined signal by a user from the facsimile device even when the user closes the communication line.

6. The facsimile device according to claim 5, wherein the personal information memory has a password for the specific individual, and wherein the predetermined signal is different from the password.

7. The facsimile device according to claim 5, wherein the access control means allows the at least one external communication device to access said personal information memory in accordance with the input of the predetermined signal from the facsimile device by a user even when the user closes the communication line, the facsimile device being in the manual receiving mode.

8. The facsimile device according to claim 5, further comprising an accessory handset, wherein the access control means allows the at least one external communication device to access said personal information memory in accordance with the input of the predetermined signal from the accessory handset by a user even when the user closes the communication line, the facsimile device being in the line monitoring mode.

9. The facsimile device according to claim 5, wherein the facsimile device further has a standby mode and wherein the access control means allows a user to access said personal information memory in accordance with the input of the predetermined signal from the facsimile device by a user, with the facsimile device being in the standby mode.

11. The facsimile device of claim 5 wherein;

the facsimile device inputs the personal information, transmitted via said communication line, to the personal information memory when a password different from the predetermined signal is not transmitted via said communication line, and the facsimile device outputs the personal information stored in the personal information memory to the at least one external communication device when the password is transmitted from the at least one external communication device.

12. The facsimile device of claim 5 further comprising a general information memory, wherein the at least one external communication device can access the personal information memory when the at least one external communication device inputs a first predetermined signal, and can access the general information memory when the at least one external communication device inputs a second predetermined signal different from the first predetermined signal.

13. A communication device capable of communicating with at least one external communication device via communication line, comprising:

personal information storing means for storing personal information which can be inputted/outputted for a specific individual via said communication line;

password reception detecting means for detecting whether a password, previously registered in the communication device, for the specific individual is inputted from said at least one external communication device via said communication line;

personal information input/output control means for inputting said personal information, transmitted via said communication line, into said personal information storing means, and for outputting said personal information stored in said personal information storing means to said at least one external communication device via said communication

wherein said personal information input/output control means inputs said personal information into said personal information storing means when said password reception detecting means does not detect the password inputted via said communication line, and said personal information input/output control means outputs said personal information when said password reception detecting means detects the password from said at least one external communication device.

14. A communication device capable of communicating with at least one external communication device via a communication line, comprising:

personal information storing means for storing personal information for a specific individual;

first input means for inputting personal information into the personal information storing means only under a first condition, the first condition comprising an input of a password from the communication device by a user, wherein the personal information is inputted from the communication device or from the communication device and at least one external communication device via the communication line;

second input means for inputting personal information into the personal information storing means only under a second condition different from said first condition, the second condition needs no password from the communication device.

15. A communication device capable of communicating with an external communication device via a communication line, comprising:

personal information storing means for storing personal information for a specific individual;

first input means for inputting personal information into the personal information storing means only under a first condition;

second input means for inputting personal information into the personal information storing means only under a second condition different from said first condition;

personal information output means for outputting the personal information stored in the personal information storing means to at least one external communication device via the communication line, wherein the personal information output means needs a password for outputting the personal information to at least one external communication device via the communication line.