Automatically creating mailing address directory in an image communication apparatus

• US 7,051,076 B2
• Filed: 01/16/2002
• Issued: 05/23/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 01/16/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Toshiba Tec Corporation (Toshiba Corporation)
• Inventors: Tsuchiya, Hiroteru
• Primary Examiner(s): LIN, WEN TAI
• Application Number:
  US10/051,540
• Publication Number:
  US 20030135564A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,588 Days
• Field of Search: 709/207, 709/206, 709/217, 709/219, 358/1.15
• US Class Current: 709/206
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2101/37 E-mail addresses
• 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 51/10 Multimedia information
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/00 Network arrangements, protocols or services for addressing or naming
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/30 Managing network names, e.g. use of aliases or nicknames name-to-address mapping H04L61/45
• 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 1/32005 Automation of particular receiver jobs, e.g. rejecting unwanted calls requesting a communication from a transmitter H04N1/32771; with picture signal storage for forwarding messages H04N1/32358
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4786 e-mailing message switching systems, e.g. electronic mail systems H04L51/00
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99952 Coherency, e.g. same view to multiple users

Abstract

There is provided an address storage which stores a mail address. A destination specification acceptance section accepts specification of any of mail addresses stored in the address storage and determines a specified mail address to be a transmission destination address. An address registration section includes specified registration specification information, responds to reception of electronic mail having a body embedded with separate electronic mail, and stores, in the address storage, a sender'"'"'s mail address indicated in a header of the separate electronic mail.

Claims

1. An image communication apparatus which transmits image data to a transmission destination address, said apparatus comprising:

an address storage which stores at least one mail address;

a destination specification acceptance section which accepts a specification of any said stored mail address and determines the specified mail address to be the transmission destination address;

an address registration section which, upon receipt of electronic mail including specified registration specification information and a body embedded with separate electronic mail, stores in the address storage a mail address of a sender indicated in a header of the separate electronic mail;

a specific information storage which stores specific information;

a specific information generation section which generates the specific information based on specified information included in the separate electronic mail, upon receipt of the electronic mail including the specified registration specification information and the body embedded with the separate electronic mail;

a registration inhibition section which inhibits the address registration section from storing the mail address in the address storage when the specific information storage already contains the specific information generated by the specific information generation section; and

a specific information registration section which stores the specific information generated by the specific information generation section in the specific information storage only when the specific information storage does not already contain the generated specific information;

wherein the specific information generation section generates the specific information by combining a character string included in a subject of the separate electronic mail with a character string indicating a time of creating the separate electronic mail and wherein the registration specification information corresponds to a specified character string included in a subject of the electronic mail.

2. The image communication apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

a received mail processing section which, when electronic mail is received, performs a specified process for the electronic mail; and

a deletion section which deletes electronic mail containing the registration specification information without allowing the received mail processing section to perform the specified process.

3. An image communication apparatus which transmits image data to a transmission destination address, said apparatus comprising:

an address storage which stores at least one group name and a plurality of mail addresses corresponding to each said group name;

a destination specification acceptance section which accepts specification of any said stored group name and determines the transmission destination address based on the plurality of mail addresses stored in the address storage in correspondence with the specified group name; and

an address registration section which, upon receipt of electronic mail including specified registration specification information and a body embedded with separate electronic mail, determines an unused group name and stores, in the address storage in correspondence with the determined group name, a plurality of specified mail addresses indicated in a header of the separate electronic mail;

a specific information storage which stores specific information;

a specific information generation section which generates the specific information based on specified information included in the separate electronic mail, upon receipt of the electronic mail including the specified registration specification information and the body embedded with the separate electronic mail;

a registration inhibition section which inhibits the address registration section from storing the mail address in the address storage when the specific information storage already contains the specific information generated by the specific information generation section; and

a specific information registration section which stores the specific information generated by the specific information generation section in the specific information storage only when the specific information storage does not already contain the generated specific information;

wherein the specific information generation section generates the specific information by combining a specified character string included in a subject of the separate electronic mail with a character string indicating a time of creating the separate electronic mail and wherein the registration specification information corresponds to a specified character string included in a subject of the electronic mail.

4. The image communication apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the address registration section determines the group name to include at least part of a character string indicating a subject of the electronic mail.

5. The image communication apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the address registration section stores, in the address storage, all mail addresses indicated in the header of the separate electronic mail.

6. The image communication apparatus according to claim 3, further comprising:

a received mail, processing section which, when electronic mail is received, performs a specified process concerning the electronic mail; and

a deletion section which deletes electronic mail containing the registration specification information without allowing the received mail processing section to perform the specified process.