JP2001154949A - Electronic mail system and electronic mail device - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To transmit and receive electronic mail by an operation similar to the one for utilizing a facsimile function by using a normal telephone network. SOLUTION: Terminals 28 and 29 are connected to the normal telephone network, a ROM 23 stores the control program of a microprocessor 21 and a display part 25, an operation part 27 and a floppy disk drive 26 are operated as the peripheral equipment of the microprocessor 21. The floppy disk drive 26 drives a floppy disk for storing a text file to be transmitted or a received text file. The microprocessor 21 converts the text file into the transmission data of 7-bit characters at the time of transmission and transmits them to a communicating party connected by a normal facsimile connection procedure. At the time of reception, reception data are converted into text data and stored in the floppy disk.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

The present invention relates to an electronic mail system and an electronic mail apparatus, and more particularly, to an electronic mail system and an electronic mail apparatus using a facsimile communication function.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, an e-mail system uses a communication network via the Internet. Therefore, a general user of the conventional e-mail system contracts with a specific provider to connect to the Internet, and an e-mail address is used. Had to get.

A technique in the field related to the present invention is disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 11-88417, which performs facsimile communication via the Internet.

[0004]

However, in the prior art, as described above, it is necessary to contract with a specific provider to obtain an e-mail address in order to connect to the Internet. There was a problem that costs were incurred.

[0005] In addition, it is natural that mail cannot be exchanged unless the e-mail address of the person to whom the e-mail is sent is known. However, Internet e-mail addresses are not widely used like facsimile numbers. It was a problem.

[0006] Further, since the communication is via the Internet,
When security was required, the introduction of complicated and sophisticated encryption technology was a necessary condition.

[0007] In addition, there is another problem that requires a certain improvement in that a communication charge for one call is reliably generated even with a short message.

[0008] That is, the above drawbacks are a major obstacle to the spread of e-mail among people who do not have knowledge of the Internet, and a simpler e-mail system is required. In addition, savings on communication fees for short emails are expected.

In order to meet this demand, the present invention provides, for example, a conventional facsimile machine,
It is an object of the present invention to provide a simple and economical e-mail system which can be transmitted and received only by knowing the telephone number of the other party, and which can be used as if calling a telephone.

The technique disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 11-88417 is a technique for additionally providing a facsimile function using the Internet, so that only the ordinary telephone network is used and the Internet is not used. This is a technique that is clearly different from the technique according to the present invention.

The present invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned problems in the conventional electronic mail system,
It is an object of the present invention to provide a simple and economical e-mail system and e-mail apparatus that can transmit and receive data using the same operation as using a facsimile function using a normal telephone network.

[0012]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, the present invention is directed to an e-mail system having a plurality of e-mail devices for transmitting and receiving e-mails in accordance with a facsimile communication procedure via a telephone network. The e-mail device, when it becomes the transmission side, selects a means for inputting a facsimile number, a text file in a floppy disk loaded in a floppy disk drive, and reads the data of the selected text file. Means for converting the data into transmission data, means for transmitting the transmission data to the communication partner called by the input facsimile number, and when the receiver becomes the receiver, converts the received data into text data to convert the data into the floppy disk. Means for storing the information in the device, thereby achieving the above object. That.

Further, the present invention for solving the above-mentioned problem is an electronic mail apparatus for transmitting and receiving an electronic mail in accordance with a facsimile communication procedure via a telephone network. Means for selecting a text file in the floppy disk loaded in the floppy disk drive, converting the data of the selected text file into transmission data, and converting the transmission data into the input facsimile number. Means for transmitting to the communication partner called in step 1, and means for converting the received data received to text data and storing it in the floppy disk when becoming the receiving side, thereby achieving the above object. Can be achieved.

Here, it is possible to have an attached input means for inputting data of a text file in the floppy disk.

The number display area for storing the input facsimile number has a fixed margin area in addition to the area for storing the facsimile number, and the data to be stored in the margin area is stored in a text in the floppy disk. It is possible to have means for taking in data from file data and / or means for inputting with an attached input means, and means for sending out data in the margin area to the communication partner when calling the communication partner of the facsimile number. is there.

[0016] Further, it is possible to have means for displaying data in the blank area of the number display area sent from the communication partner together with the facsimile number of the communication partner when the receiving side is used.

Further, it is possible to have means for displaying the facsimile number, the data of the margin area, and the transmitted / received text data.

Further, it is possible to have means for converting the data of the text file into 7-bit character data before converting the data into transmission data.

That is, in the present invention, the electronic mail system does not employ a general electronic mail system such as via a mail server connected to the Internet, and is compatible with a facsimile machine which has been widely used in homes. A conventional communication device having a communication protocol having a certain communication protocol and a modem device, a microprocessor, a ROM, a RAM, a display unit, an operation unit, a floppy disk drive, and a power supply unit housed in one box. An e-mail function using a communication procedure over a telephone network is realized.

Also, a fixed amount of data storage area is provided following the other party's facsimile number data, and character data is added to this area for transmission. By making it possible to take in character data together with facsimile number data without establishing a connection, a mail system free of call charges is realized.

[0021]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an overall configuration of an electronic mail system according to an embodiment of the present invention.

The e-mail system according to the present embodiment includes a direct e-mail box 1A as an e-mail device, a floppy disk 11A to be loaded in the direct e-mail box 1A, and a direct e-mail box 1A and the telephone network 10. And a floppy disk 11B to be loaded into the direct electronic mailbox 1B.

In the above configuration, two direct e-mail boxes are connected to the telephone network 10. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and two or more direct e-mail boxes may be included as system components. Is possible.

The floppy disks 11A and 11B include:
When sending, character information to be sent (text file)
Is stored, and when it becomes the receiving side, the received data is stored.

Direct e-mail boxes 1A, 1B
Executes the control necessary for transmitting and receiving the character information.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a configuration of an electronic mail device of the electronic mail system according to the embodiment of the present invention.

The e-mail device (direct e-mail box) of the e-mail system according to the present embodiment
A power supply unit 20 for supplying power to the whole, a microprocessor 21 for controlling the whole, a modem 22 connected to the telephone network 10 via terminals 28 and 29, a ROM 23 storing a control program for the microprocessor 21, RAM 24 having transmission information area, microprocessor 2
Display unit 25 and operation unit 27 that operate as peripheral devices
And a floppy disk drive 26 that drives a floppy disk that stores a text file to be transmitted and a received text file, and a system bus 211 that connects the components other than the power supply unit to each other.

The above direct electronic mailbox modem device uses a communication procedure compatible with a normal facsimile device stored in a program stored in the ROM 23 to communicate with the other party dialed via the telephone network and the text. The microprocessor 21 takes control of transmitting and receiving the character information of the file.

A display unit 25, an operation unit 27, and a floppy disk drive 26 are used as peripheral devices of the microprocessor 21 necessary for controlling the transmission and reception.

The transmission data at the time of transmission is stored in a floppy disk filled in the floppy disk drive 26.

When the receiving side is established, the received data is stored in a floppy disk filled in the floppy disk drive 26.

Hereinafter, an operation of the direct electronic mailbox modem device according to the present embodiment will be described.

When sending an electronic mail, first, a floppy disk containing character data (text file), which is the body of the electronic mail, is prepared. Here, the character data stored on the floppy disk can be easily created by a word processor or a personal computer that is widely used in homes, but an input button (not shown) provided on the operation unit 27. It is also possible to create by inputting from.

When a file name of a file to be transmitted is selected by the input button of the operation unit 27 from the text file group stored in the floppy disk, the file data of the selected file name is converted into 7-bit character data. After that, it is stored in the transmission information area in the RAM 24. The data in the transmission information area is displayed on the display unit 2.
5 can also be displayed.

Next, when the facsimile number of the communication partner is input with the input button of the operation unit 27, the microprocessor 21
Calls a communication partner via the modem 22 by a normal facsimile connection procedure, and connects to the own station. At this time,
It is also possible to display the facsimile number of the communication partner on the display unit 2.

Here, attention is paid to a fixed data area (hereinafter referred to as a "margin area") existing behind the facsimile number area of the number display area, and the data in the margin area is also referred to as facsimile number data. By changing the switching systems of the local station and the partner station in advance so that they can be handled in the same manner, short mail messages that can be accommodated in the margin area can be stored and transmitted in the area. it can.

The data in the margin area can be fetched from the file data in the floppy disk, and can also be input from an input button provided on the operation unit 27.

On the other hand, on the receiving side, the data in the blank area is treated in the same manner as the telephone number data handled by the number display system, so that before the line connection is established (that is, before the receiving user picks up the receiver). Since the receiving side can acquire the data in the area (that is, the short mail message) as the receiving data, in this case, the telephone charge can be eliminated. In addition, the data of the obtained margin area can be displayed on the display unit 25.

The control program stored in the ROM 23 is supplied to the microprocessor 21. Under the control of the control program, the microprocessor 21 executes the conventional facsimile connection procedure and, after the telephone has been connected to the other party, By the normal facsimile connection procedure, the modem 22
A communication channel is established via the modem 22 and the telephone network 1 via the modem 22 and the terminals 28 and 29.
Send to 0.

On the receiving side, when a call is received, the modem 22 is activated. Thereby, the microprocessor 2
1 establishes a communication channel with the other party in accordance with a normal facsimile communication connection procedure. Thereafter, the microprocessor 21 converts the character data received via the modem 22 into text file data, and transfers the data to the floppy disk drive 26, thereby writing the data as a received file in the loaded floppy disk. .

According to the above series of operations, the character information of the text file can be exchanged through a normal telephone network by a communication procedure compatible with a normal facsimile machine. That is, an e-mail exchange with a communication partner having the same function as the e-mail function can be performed by the ordinary telephone network.

[0043]

According to the present invention described above, a call is made to a communication partner who wants to send an e-mail, and the same operation as that for transmitting and receiving a chart is performed by a conventional facsimile machine.
Character information (text file) stored on a floppy disk can be transmitted as an e-mail.

Therefore, a communication partner is specified by a general telephone number which is widely used, and direct e-mail can be exchanged with a communication partner having a direct electronic mailbox similar to that of the transmission side. Therefore, unlike the conventional Internet e-mail, there is no need to obtain an Internet e-mail address after contracting with the provider in advance.

In addition, the telephone number of the other party is stored (or recorded).
By doing so, substantial exchange of e-mails becomes possible.

Further, direct communication with the communication partner is ensured,
Since no one enters the communication network, there is no need to use complicated and sophisticated encryption means, and security is ensured.

Furthermore, character data that is handled in the same manner as telephone number data displayed to the other party can be transmitted and received using the margin of the number display area, so that short mail can be transmitted and received without a communication fee.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an overall configuration of an electronic mail system according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a configuration of an electronic mail device of the electronic mail system according to the embodiment of the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1A, 1B Direct e-mail box 10 Telephone network 11A, 11B Floppy disk 20 Power supply unit 21 Microprocessor 22 Modem 23 ROM 24 RAM 25 Display unit 26 Floppy disk drive 27 Operation unit 211 System bus

Continued on the front page F term (reference) 5B089 GA23 HA02 HA03 JA31 JB01 KA01 KA16 KG01 KH02 LA06 LA14 LB02 LB14 LB25 5C062 AA02 AB12 AB17 AB20 AB23 AB42 AC22 AC29 AC51 AE08 AF02 AF03 BA01 BA04 BD09 5K101 KK01 NN01 PP03

Claims (7)

[Claims] 1. An e-mail system comprising a plurality of e-mail devices for transmitting and receiving e-mails in accordance with a facsimile communication procedure via a telephone network, wherein the e-mail device becomes Means for inputting a facsimile number; means for selecting a text file in a floppy disk loaded in a floppy disk drive; means for converting the data of the selected text file into transmission data; An e-mail comprising: means for transmitting to a communication partner called by a facsimile number; and means for converting received data to text data and storing the text data in the floppy disk when becoming a receiving side. system. 2. An electronic mail apparatus for transmitting and receiving an electronic mail in accordance with a facsimile communication procedure via a telephone network, comprising: a means for inputting a facsimile number when becoming a transmission side; and a floppy disk drive. Means for selecting a text file in the floppy disk and converting the data of the selected text file into transmission data; means for transmitting the transmission data to a communication partner called by the input facsimile number; Means for converting the received data into text data and storing the text data in the floppy disk when the device becomes the side. 3. An electronic mail apparatus according to claim 2, further comprising an attached input means for inputting data of a text file in said floppy disk. 4. A number display area for storing the input facsimile number has a fixed margin area in addition to an area for storing the facsimile number, and data stored in the margin area is stored in a text in the floppy disk. Means for taking in from file data and / or means for inputting with the attached input means, and means for sending out the data in the blank area to the communication partner when calling the communication partner of the facsimile number. The electronic mail device according to claim 3, wherein 5. The communication apparatus according to claim 4, further comprising means for displaying data in a blank area of the number display area sent from the communication partner together with a facsimile number of the communication partner when the receiver becomes a receiver. E-mail device. 6. The electronic mail apparatus according to claim 3, further comprising means for displaying the facsimile number, the data in the margin area, and the transmitted / received text data. 7. The e-mail apparatus according to claim 2, further comprising means for converting the data of the text file into 7-bit character data before converting the data into transmission data. .