EP0893897A2
Expired / Lapsed
EP
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Communication device for information exchange between a facsimile machine and an electronic information system such as an e-mail system
Assignee: Canon Inc
•
Filing: 1998-07-16
•
Granted: —
•
Expires: 2018-07-16
Abstract
Abstract A communication device (1-11) allows a user to get access from the outside via an external public line (1-12) to obtain e-mail data stored in a device connected to an internal system via a computer network such as a LAN without causing a reduction in security. More specifically, the communication device (1-11) is connected to a LAN (1-7) via a LAN I/F and also connected to the public line (1-16) via a line I/F. If the communication device receives a remote operation command via the public line, a CPU of the communication device gets access to a post office of an e-mail server (1-10) so as to get e-mail data in accordance with the remote operation command. The obtained e-mail data is converted to facsimile image data and transmitted by means of facsimile to a specified destination.
Inventors
- 👤 Kenzou Sekiguchi
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
EP
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-04 05:45
CPC Classifications
H; H04; H04N; H04N1/00; H04N1/00127; H04N1/00281; H04N1/00312; H04L; H04L51/00; H04L51/06; H04L51/066; H04N1/00204; H04N1/00206; H04N1/00209; H04N1/00212; H04N1/00214; H04N1/0022; H04L51/21; H04L51/214; H04N2201/00; H04N2201/0008; H04N2201/0034; H04N2201/0037; H04N2201/0039; H04N2201/0065; H04N2201/0067
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 28
Claim 1
Independent Claim
106 words
A communication device comprising: first connection means for making a connection to a
computer network; second connection means for making a connection to a
public switched telephone network; post office designation means for designating a post
office from a plurality of post offices provided for
respective e-mail users, the plurality of post offices
being provided in an e-mail server connected to the
computer network; e-mail reception means for receiving, from the
e-mail server, e-mail data stored in the designated post
office; conversion means for converting the received e-mail
data into facsimile image data; and transmission means for transmitting the facsimile
image data to a desired destination.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
46 words
A communication device according to Claim 1,
further comprising means for receiving a remote operation
command via the public switched network, wherein the
command identifies a post office in the e-mail server and
commands said communication device to transfer e-mail
stored in the identified post office.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
63 words
A communication device according to Claim 2,
wherein the command includes user identification data and
password data, and wherein, if the e-mail server includes
a post office corresponding to the user identification
data and if the password data is coincident with password
data assigned to the corresponding post office, then e-mail
stored in the corresponding post office is received
from the corresponding post-office.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
17 words
A communication device according to Claim 2,
wherein the command includes destination data indicating
the desired destination.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
27 words
A communication device according to Claim 2,
wherein when the command does not include destination
data indicating the desired destination, the desired
destination is a predetermined destination.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
82 words
A communication device according to Claim 2,
wherein when the facsimile image data is ready for
transmission, if the connection to the public switched
telephone network is currently maintained without being
disconnected, said transmission means transmit via the
public switched telephone network using the connection,
and if the connection to the public switched telephone
network is not currently maintained, said transmission
means transmits the facsimile image data via the public
switched telephone network by automatically making a call
to the desired destination.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
53 words
A communication device according to Claim 2,
further comprising means for receiving information
identifying a caller from the public switched telephone
network, wherein if the command does not include
destination data indicating the desired destination, said
transmission means transmits the facsimile image data to
a destination indicated by the information identifying
the caller.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
44 words
A communication device according to Claim 2,
wherein if the command includes information specifying a
mode in which the e-mail data is to be received from the
designated post office, the e-mail data is received from
the designated post office in the specified mode.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
46 words
A communication device according to Claim 8,
wherein if the command does not include information
specifying a mode in which the e-mail data is to be
received from the designated post office, the e-mail data
is received from the designated post office in a
predetermined mode.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
45 words
A communication device according to Claim 1,
further comprising informing means for, when access is
made to the designated post office and there is no new e-mail
in the designated post office, sending a message to
the desired destination that there is no new e-mail.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
107 words
A communication method for a communication
device connected to both a computer network and a public
switched telephone network, said method comprising the
steps of: receiving a remote operation command via the public
switched telephone network; in response to the command, designating a post
office from a plurality of post offices provided for
respective e-mail users, the plurality of post offices
being provided in an e-mail server connected to the
computer network; receiving, from the e-mail server, e-mail data
stored in the designated post office; converting the received e-mail data into facsimile
image data; and transmitting the facsimile image data to a desired
destination by facsimile communication.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
63 words
A communication method according to Claim 11,
wherein the command includes user identification data and
password data, and wherein, if the e-mail server includes
a post office corresponding to the user identification
data and if the password data is coincident with password
data assigned to the corresponding post office, then e-mail
stored in the corresponding post office is received
from the corresponding post-office.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
17 words
A communication method according to Claim 11,
wherein the command includes destination data indicating
the desired destination.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
27 words
A communication method according to Claim 11,
wherein when the command does not include destination
data indicating the desired destination, the desired
destination is a predetermined destination.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
90 words
A communication method according to Claim 11,
wherein when the facsimile image data is ready for
transmission, if a connection to the public switched
telephone network is currently maintained without being
disconnected, said transmission step transmits the
facsimile image data to the desired destination via the
public switched telephone network using the connection,
and if the connection to the public switched telephone
network is not currently maintained, said transmission
step transmits the facsimile image data via the public
switched telephone network by automatically making a call
to the desired destination.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
54 words
A communication method according to Claim 11,
further comprising the step of receiving information
identifying a caller from the public switched telephone
network, wherein if the command does not include
destination data indicating the desired destination, said
transmission step transmits the facsimile image data to a
destination indicated by the information identifying the
caller.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
44 words
A communication method according to Claim 11,
wherein if the command includes information specifying a
mode in which the e-mail data is to be received from the
designated post office, the e-mail data is received from
the designated post office in the specified mode.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
46 words
A communication method according to Claim 17,
wherein if the command does not include information
specifying a mode in which the e-mail data is to be
received from the designated post office, the e-mail data
is received from the designated post office in a
predetermined mode.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
46 words
A communication method according to Claim 11,
further comprising an informing step of, when access is
made to the designated post office and there is no new e-mail
in the designated post office, sending a message to
the desired destination that there is no new e-mail.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
121 words
A computer-readable storage medium storing a
computer program containing routines executable as a
method by a computer in a communication device connected
to both a computer network and a public switched
telephone network, said method comprising the steps of: receiving a remote operation command via the public
switched telephone network; in response to the command, designating a post
office from a plurality of post offices provided for
respective e-mail users, the plurality of post offices
being provided in an e-mail server connected to the
computer network; receiving, from the e-mail server, e-mail data
stored in the designated post office; converting the received e-mail data into facsimile
image data; and transmitting the facsimile image data to a desired
destination by facsimile communication.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
63 words
A storage medium according to Claim 20,
wherein the command includes user identification data and
password data, and wherein, if the e-mail server includes
a post office corresponding to the user identification
data and if the password data is coincident with password
data assigned to the corresponding post office, then e-mail
stored in the corresponding post office is received
from the corresponding post-office.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
17 words
A storage medium according to Claim 20,
wherein the command includes destination data indicating
the desired destination.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
27 words
A storage medium according to Claim 20,
wherein when the command does not include destination
data indicating the desired destination, the desired
destination is a predetermined destination.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
90 words
A storage medium according to Claim 20,
wherein when the facsimile image data is ready for
transmission, if a connection to the public switched
telephone network is currently maintained without being
disconnected, said transmission step transmits the
facsimile image data to the desired destination via the
public switched telephone network using the connection,
and if the connection to the public switched telephone
network is not currently maintained, said transmission
step transmits the facsimile image data via the public
switched telephone network by automatically making a call
to the desired destination.
Claim 25
Dependent Claim
57 words
A storage medium according to Claim 20,
wherein said method further comprises the step of
receiving information identifying a caller from the
public switched telephone network, wherein if the command
does not include destination data indicating the desired
destination, said transmission step transmits the
facsimile image data to a destination indicated by the
information identifying the caller.
Claim 26
Dependent Claim
44 words
A storage medium according to Claim 20,
wherein if the command includes information specifying a
mode in which the e-mail data is to be received from the
designated post office, the e-mail data is received from
the designated post office in the specified mode.
Claim 27
Dependent Claim
46 words
A storage medium according to Claim 26,
wherein if the command does not include information
specifying a mode in which the e-mail data is to be
received from the designated post office, the e-mail data
is received from the designated post office in a
predetermined mode.
Claim 28
Dependent Claim
49 words
A storage medium according to Claim 20,
wherein said method further comprises an informing step
of, when access is made to the designated post office and
there is no new e-mail in the designated post office,
sending a message to the desired destination that there
is no new e-mail.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
No citation records indexed.
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