JPH047943A - Electronic mail device - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To send a mail to lots of recipients by processing a data in response to kind of a terminal equipment of a mail recipient. CONSTITUTION:A caller of an electronic mail sends an electronic mail regardless of a terminal equipment of a recipient. Then an ID retrieval processing section 15 indexes the kind of a terminal equipment based on an ID number in the electronic mail device. Based on the result of retrieval, when the terminal equipment is a facsimile equipment, a system control section 11 operates a FAX data conversion processing section 19 and stores it to a memory 21 and sends it to a recipient facsimile equipment. On the other hand, when the terminal equipment is other equipment, the received data is stored as it is into a character data memory 17. In response to a request from a mail recipient, the data is sent to the terminal equipment. Thus, the mail is utilized regardless of the kind of the terminal equipment of the mail recipient.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an e-mail device, and particularly to an e-mail device that can process and store or transmit data according to the type of terminal device of a mail recipient. It is.

Conventional technology In communications using personal computers (hereinafter referred to as PC communications), e-mail services are provided for the convenience of users. There is something like the one shown in the back of JP-A No. 63-46843 or in Fig. 5.

In FIG. 5, reference numeral 1 is a system control unit that has a built-in CPU and controls the operation of the entire device, 2 is a line connected to the other party's terminal device, and 3 is a system control unit for receiving and receiving data between line 2. a communication control unit that controls transmission operations;
4 is an ID search processing unit that searches whether the member ID input from the terminal device is registered; 5 is a character mail storage control unit that is used to store received character mail; and 6 is a character mail storage control unit that is used to store received character mail. A character mail memory stores character mail, and 7 is a character mail readout control section that controls character mail readout operations.

In an e-mail device having such a configuration, when data (character mail data) is received through the communication line 2 and the communication control section 3, this received data is stored in the character mail memory under the control of the character mail storage control section 5. 6 and stored here. The mail recipient then searches the mailbox for incoming e-mail by sending an ID number to the e-mail device. Then, if the mail has arrived, a request is sent to the e-mail device to receive the mail, and the system control unit 1 accesses the ID search processing unit 4 to search.
If the e-mail has arrived, the data is read from the character mail memory 7 under the control operation of the character mail reading control section 70 and sent onto the communication line 2.

Problems to be Solved by the Invention However, in such conventional e-mail devices, it is assumed that both the device on the sender side and the device on the receiver side are personal computers, and the recipient There was a problem in that it was not possible to receive or receive mail unless a request was made to the device.

The present invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide an electronic mail system that allows a recipient to send mail to a large number of recipients, regardless of the type of terminal device of the recipient. The purpose is to provide equipment.

Means for Solving the Problems In order to achieve the above-mentioned object, the present invention provides an e-mail system that sends character data from a terminal device such as a personal computer through a communication line, based on the ID number designated as a mail recipient, and the type of the terminal device. a terminal search means for determining the terminal device of the mail recipient, a data conversion means for converting the received data into 7-axis data when the mail recipient's terminal device is a facsimile, a memory means for storing the facsimile data, and a terminal device of the mail recipient. The gist of the present invention is to provide a control means for controlling conversion and storage operations of received data depending on the type.

Effects According to the above configuration, the e-mail service for personal computer communication can be used in a mixed form of personal computer and facsimile communication. That is, the sender of the e-mail sends the e-mail regardless of whether the recipient's terminal is a personal computer or a facsimile. Then, within the e-mail device, a terminal search means determines the type of terminal device from the ID number designated as the mail recipient. Based on this search result, if the mail recipient's terminal device is a facsimile, the control unit operates the facsimile data conversion means to convert the received data into 7-axis data, stores it in the memory means, and then controls the communication. through means to the recipient's facsimile. On the other hand, the control section
As a result of the search, if the mail recipient's terminal device is a device other than a facsimile, the received data is stored as is in the character data memory means, as in the conventional case. Then, in response to a request from the mail recipient, the information is transmitted to the mail recipient's terminal device through the communication control means.

Embodiment FIGS. 1 to 4 are diagrams showing an embodiment of an e-mail device according to the present invention.

In FIG. 1, reference numeral 11 is a system control unit that has a built-in CPU and controls the operation of the entire device, 12 is a communication line connected to the other party's terminal device, and 13 is a data reception unit with the line 12. and a communication control unit that controls the transmission operation; 14 is a terminal registration memory that registers the type of terminal device corresponding to the destination ID sent from the terminal device; 15 is a memory in which the member ID input from the terminal device is registered; an ID search processing unit that searches for the presence or absence of a registered ID and the type of terminal device corresponding to the registered ID; 16 is a character mail storage control unit used to store received character mail; 17 is a character mail storage unit; Character mail memory 18 is a character mail readout control section that controls the galactor mail readout operation. 19 is a facsimile data conversion processing unit that converts character data into facsimile data, ■ is a facsimile mail storage control unit that performs control to temporarily store mail that has been converted to facsimile data, and 21 is a facsimile mail storage control unit. Second to do
A facsimile memory 22 is a facsimile mail reading control section for controlling the reading of facsimile mail.

The operation of the e-mail device having such a configuration will be described below.

FIGS. 2 and 3 are flowcharts showing the mail receiving operation in this embodiment. When the e-mail device according to this embodiment is connected to a terminal device such as a sender's personal computer through the communication line 12, the system control unit 11 enters a logon procedure and inputs the member ID to the sender's terminal.
Send a message asking them to enter. and step S
When a member ID is received by input from the terminal device at T301, the ID search processing section 15 searches whether the received ID has been registered or not, and notifies the system control section 11 of the result. The system control unit 11 performs step 5T.
In 302, if the search result is already registered, the terminal device is prompted to input the ID of the mail destination, and the destination ID is received (step ST303).

The ID search processing section 15 searches whether the destination ID has been registered or not, and notifies the system control section 11 of the result.

If the result is not registered in step ST 304, the system control unit 11 transmits a message to that effect to the terminal device (step ST 320).
, return to reception of destination ID (step ST303)
.

In step ST 304, if the result is registered, a search operation for the registered terminal (step ST 305) is performed.
). To search for a registered terminal, based on the destination ID, search for the type of terminal used by the destination registered in the terminal registration memo 'J14 in accordance with the member ID, and the ID search processing unit 5 is the system control unit. Notify 11. The system control unit 11 checks whether the terminal device is a facsimile IJ or not. 5T306) If the terminal device is a facsimile, the system control unit 11 instructs the facsimile mail storage control unit to store facsimile mail by adding a destination ID (step S
T307). If the terminal device is a device other than a facsimile machine in step ST 306, the character mail storage control unit 16 is instructed to store the mail by adding a destination ID (step ST 308).
). Next, the system control unit 11 checks whether or not the reception of the destination ID has been completed (step 5T309), and continues in step ST until it detects that the reception of the destination ID has been completed.
The processing operations from step S 303 to step S T 309 are repeated. During this time, the sender does not need to be aware of the fact that the destinations include facsimiles and computers.

After receiving the destination ID, this e-mail device will
The operation of receiving e-mail data (step 5T310) begins. The data being received is temporarily stored in a buffer memory built into the system control unit 11. If the destination terminal device contains a facsimile after reception is complete (
In step ST312), the system control section 11 sends the data stored in the buffer memory to the facsimile data conversion processing section 19, and converts it into facsimile data (step ST313).

The converted facsimile data is sent to the facsimile mail storage control unit, and the destination ID for which communication was previously instructed is
In response to this, control is performed to accumulate data in the mailbox for each ID in the facsimile mail memory 21 (step S).
T 314). In step 5T312, it is determined that there is no facsimile transmission, or in step S
If it is determined in T315 that there is a character mail, the system control unit 11 sends the data in the buffer memory to the character mail storage control unit 16, and stores the ID in the character mail memory 17 corresponding to the destination ID.
Control is performed so that the information is stored in the mailbox every time (step ST319).

Note that error handling in this receiving operation will be explained.

The system control unit 11 identifies the ID of step S T 302.
In the registered check operation, if the result is not registered, it is checked in step ST311 whether the number of errors has reached a predetermined value N, and if it has not reached N, the caller ID is accepted (step ST311). T 301.
) to return to operation. On the other hand, if it is determined in step ST311 that the number of errors has reached N, step S
The process moves to T318, error handling is performed, and the reception operation is then terminated.

Next, the e-mail sending operation will be explained. A flowchart representing the processing procedure of this calling operation is shown in FIG.

First of all, regarding character mail, member ID
reception (step ST401), ID search processing (
Step ST402) and error processing (Step ST409 and Step ST410) are the same as the operations in the above-mentioned mail reception. Member I
If D is registered, then the process moves to email search processing (step ST403). The system control unit 11 inputs the member ID to the character mail reading control unit n.
The character mail reading control unit 18 searches the mailbox of the sent member ID to check whether there is an e-mail (step 5T404), and if there is an e-mail, sends the sender's member ID, sending date and time, The email summary including the title is read out and sent to the system control unit 11 (step 5T405). Then step ST40
At step 6, it is checked whether or not there is a request to send mail, and if there is no request to send mail, the sending operation is terminated. On the other hand, if there is a request to send an e-mail here, the system control unit 11 reads out the e-mail corresponding to the identification number of the requested e-mail and stores the data in the backup memory installed in the system control unit 11. (Step ST
407). At the same time, the system control unit 11 transmits the data to the terminal device while receiving these data in the buffer memory (step ST408).

Facsimile mail is activated in a timed manner by specifying immediate transmission, timer transmission, etc., and all mails in the target mailbox are transmitted using the facsimile mail reading control unit.

As described in detail, according to the present invention, even if the data is transmitted via PC communication, if the terminal device of the mail recipient is a facsimile, this can be detected and automatically converted into facsimile data. Since the destination terminal is a facsimile machine, there is no need to be aware of whether the destination terminal is a facsimile machine or not. Therefore, the advantage of receiving e-mail by facsimile, that is, the instant transmission of e-mail, can be enjoyed through PC communication. In particular, this can provide various effects such as being effective in broadcast communication.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an embodiment of an e-mail device according to the present invention, FIG. 2 is a flowchart showing an example of the processing procedure of a receiving operation in the embodiment, and FIG. 3 is the process shown in FIG. 2. FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing the second half of the procedure, FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing an example of the sending operation in the above embodiment, and FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing an example of a conventional e-mail device. 11... System control unit, 12... Communication line, I4
...Terminal registration memory, 15...ID search processing unit, 16
...Character mail storage control m, 17..Character mail memory, 18..Character mail readout control section, 19..Facsimile data conversion processing section, m..
Facsimile 7mm mail storage control section, 21...Facsimile mail memory, n...Facsimile mail reading control section. Name of agent: Patent attorney Shigetaka Awano (1 person)

Claims (1)

[Scope of Claims] End unregistered means for registering the type of terminal device of a mail recipient; terminal search means for determining the type of terminal device from an ID number designated as the mail recipient; and terminal device of the mail recipient. a first memory means for storing the received data in an unconverted state when the mail recipient's terminal device is a facsimile; and a data conversion means for converting the received data into facsimile data when the mail recipient's terminal device is a facsimile. , a second memory means for storing facsimile data, a communication control means for transmitting the data stored in the first and second memory means to the terminal device of the mail recipient, and the type of the terminal device of the mail recipient. and control means for controlling the conversion and storage operations of received data.