Apparatus and method for receiving image

• US 7,305,440 B1
• Filed: 07/18/2000
• Issued: 12/04/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 11/11/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Panasonic System Networks Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Panasonic Communications Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Saito, Kyoji
• Primary Examiner(s): LIN, KENNY S
• Application Number:
  US09/618,716
• Time in Patent Office: 2,695 Days
• Field of Search: 709/206, 709/223, 709/224, 709/225, 709/229, 709/203, 358/402, 358/407, 358/403, 358/401
• US Class Current: 709/206
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/107 Computer-aided management of electronic mailing [e-mailing]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/066 Format adaptation, e.g. format conversion or compression
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/23 Reliability checks, e.g. acknowledgments or fault reporting
• 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 1/32641 of transmission or transmitted data, e.g. interruption or wrong number of pages
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/32662 remotely, e.g. to the transmitter from the receiver
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0015 Control of image communication with the connected apparatus, e.g. signalling capability
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/002 Selecting or switching between an image communication channel and a non-image communication channel
• 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

Abstract

An [X-mailer:] field analyzing section checks whether or not [X-mailer:] field is included in a header of received mail data. If [X-mailer:] field is included in the header, there is a possibility that received mail data will be error mail. Then, a [From:] field analyzing section extracts [From:] Field from the header. Next, the [From:] field analyzing section compares [From:] field with a character string registered in a character string list table. If both agree, received mail data is determined as error mail. If both disagree, received mail data is not determined as error mail. This makes it possible to recognize error mail more accurately.

Claims

1. An image communication apparatus receiving an e-mail, the e-mail including a header and a body, the body including a message, the message including an image data part, the image communication apparatus comprising:

a transmitter configured to transmit an e-mail with data attached, via a computer network;

a receiver configured to receive an e-mail with data attached, via the computer network; and

a controller configured to convert the attached data to image data; and

the controller further being configured to search for a predetermined image data fixed code in the image data part of the body of the e-mail when the received e-mail is a multi-part structure, and to judge that the received e-mail is an error mail, the error mail being related to the e-mail transmitted by the image communication apparatus, when the predetermined image data fixed code is detected, the predetermined image data fixed code being set into the image data part of the body of the e-mail by the image communication apparatus.

2. The image communication apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the controller searches for the predetermined image data fixed code in the whole received e-mail when the received e-mail is a single-part structure, and judges that the received e-mail is an error mail when the predetermined image data fixed code is detected.

3. The image communication apparatus according to claim 2 further comprising a printer configured to print image data, wherein the controller, when an error mail is detected, abstracts predetermined information from the e-mail, and converts the abstracted predetermined information into image data, and the printer prints the converted image data.

4. The image communication apparatus according to claim 2 further comprising a printer configured to print image data, wherein the controller, when an error mail is detected, abstracts predetermined information from the e-mail, edits the abstracted predetermined information, and converts the edited information into image data, and the printer prints the converted predetermined image data.

5. The image communication apparatus according to claim 1, the controller being configured to compare an image data fixed code in the image data part of the body of the e-mail with a stored list of image data fixed codes to determine whether the image data fixed code in the image data part is the predetermined image data code.

6. An image communication method for receiving, by an image communication apparatus, an e-mail, the e-mail including a header and a body, the body including a message, the message including an image data part, the method comprising:

transmitting an e-mail with data attached, via a computer network;

receiving an e-mail with data attached, via the computer network;

converting the attached data into image data;

searching for a predetermined image data fixed code in the image data part of the body of the e-mail when the received e-mail is a multi-part structure; and

judging that the received e-mail is an error mail, the error mail being related to the e-mail transmitted by the image communication apparatus, when the predetermined image data fixed code is detected, the predetermined image data fixed code being set into the image data part of the body of the e-mail by the image communication apparatus.

7. The image communication method according to claim 6, further comprising:

searching for the predetermined image data fixed code in the whole received e-mail when the received e-mail is a single-part structure; and

judging that the received e-mail is an error mail when the predetermined image data fixed code is detected.

8. The image communication method according to claim 7, further comprising:

abstracting predetermined information from the e-mail when an error mail is detected;

converting the abstracted predetermined information to image data; and

printing the converted image data.

9. The image communication method according to claim 7, further comprising:

abstracting predetermined information from the e-mail when an error mail is detected;

editing the abstracted predetermined information;

converting the edited predetermined information into image data; and

printing the converted image data.

10. An image communication apparatus connected to a server and receiving an e-mail, the e-mail including a header and a body, the body including a message, the message including an image data part, the image communication apparatus comprising:

a transmitter configured to transmit an e-mail to which data is attached, via the server;

a receiver configured to receive an e-mail to which data is attached, via the server;

a converter configured to convert the attached data into image data;

a memory configured to store a predetermined image data fixed code, an image data fixed code being contained in the image data part; and

a controller configured to search for a predetermined header fixed message in the header of the received e-mail, to search for an image data fixed code in the image data part of the message of the body of the received e-mail when the predetermined header fixed message is not found in the header of the received e-mail, and to judge that the received e-mail is an error mail, the error mail being related to the e-mail transmitted by the image communication apparatus, when the image data fixed code in the received e-mail matches the predetermined image data fixed code stored in the memory, the predetermined image data fixed code being set into the image data part of the body of the e-mail by the image communication apparatus.

11. The image communication apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the predetermined header fixed message comprises [X-mailer:

] field.

12. The image communication apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the predetermined image data fixed code comprises SUkq.

13. An image communication apparatus connected to a server and receiving an e-mail, the e-mail including a header and a body, the body including a message, the message including an image data part, the image communication apparatus comprising:

a transmitter configured to transmit an e-mail with data attached, via the server;

a receiver configured to receive an e-mail with data attached, via the server;

a converter configured to convert the attached data into image data;

a first memory configured to store at least one predetermined character string;

a second memory configured to store a predetermined image data fixed code, an image data fixed code being contained in the image data part; and

a controller configured to search for character string in a [From;

] field of the header of the received e-mail, to compare the character string in the [From;

] field of the header with the at least one predetermined character string stored in the first memory, to search for an image data fixed code contained in the image data part of the message of the body of the received e-mail when the character string in the [From;

] field of a header matches the at least one predetermined character string stored in the first memory, and to judge that the received e-mail is an error mail, the error mail being related to the e-mail transmitted by the image communication apparatus, when the image data fixed code in the received e-mail matches the predetermined image data fixed code stored in the second memory.

14. The image communication apparatus according to claim 13, wherein the predetermined image data fixed code comprises SUkq.

15. An communication method for receiving, by a communication apparatus, an e-mail, the e-mail including a header and a body, the body including a message, the message including an image data part, a memory storing a predetermined image data fixed code, an image data fixed code being contained in the image data part, the method comprising:

transmitting an e-mail with data attached, via a server;

receiving an e-mail with data attached, via the server;

converting the attached data into image data;

searching for a predetermined header fixed message in the header of the received e-mail;

searching for an image data fixed code in the image data part of the message of the body of the received e-mail when the predetermined header fixed message is not found in the header of the received e-mail; and

judging that the received e-mail is an error mail, the error mail being related to an e-mail transmitted by the communication apparatus, when the image data fixed code in the received e-mail matches the predetermined image data fixed code stored in the memory, the predetermined image data fixed code being set in the image data part of the body of the e-mail by the image communication apparatus.

16. The image communication method according to claim 15, wherein the predetermined header fixed message comprises [X-mailer:

] field.

17. The image communication method according to claim 15, wherein the predetermined image data fixed code comprises SUkq.

18. An image communication method for receiving, from a communication apparatus, an e-mail, the e-mail including a header and a body, the body including a message, the message including an image data part, a first memory storing at least one predetermined character string, a second memory storing a predetermined image data fixed code, an image data fixed code being contained in the image data part, the method comprising:

transmitting an e-mail with data attached, via a server;

receiving an e-mail with data attached, via the server;

converting the attached data into image data;

searching for character string in a [From;

] field of the header of the received e-mail;

comparing the character string in the [From;

] field of the header with the at least one predetermined character string stored in the first memory;

searching for an image data fixed code contained in the image data part of the message of the body of the received e-mail when the character string in the [From;

] field of a header matches the at least one predetermined character string stored in the first memory; and

judging that the received e-mail is an error mail, wherein the error mail is related to the e-mail transmitted by the communication apparatus, when the image data fixed code in the received e-mail matches the predetermined image data fixed code stored in the second memory.

19. The image communication method according to claim 18, wherein the predetermined image data fixed code comprises SUkq.