JP2002185694A - Internet facsimile equipment - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To allow FAX equipment at the destination of the facsimile transfer of an electronic mail received from a network to accurately grasp the information of the origin of the transmission of received data. SOLUTION: The electronic mail address of terminal equipment 23 at the origin of the transmission of an electronic mail to be transferred as facsimile data is transmitted to facsimile equipment 41 at the destination of transfer instead of the address of Internet FAX equipment 21 as the information of the transmission side of the facsimile communication.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an Internet facsimile apparatus, and more particularly to an Internet facsimile apparatus capable of grasping detailed communication management information in a facsimile apparatus to which an electronic mail is transmitted.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In recent years, with the rapid expansion of the Internet, Internet facsimile (Internet FAX) apparatuses have come to be seen from the viewpoint of reducing communication costs.

[0003] Among the functions of Internet FAX machines, there is a function (Email to FAX Gateway function) of facsimile transfer of a document such as an electronic mail received from the Internet.

The Email to FAX Gateway function originally allows data suitable for facsimile communication to be communicated over the Internet. According to this function, (1)
It is possible to realize an economical and efficient system network such that FAX and e-mail can be centrally processed, and (2) a significant reduction in communication costs can be achieved.

[0005]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION However, the conventional
With the Email to FAX Gateway function, when an e-mail is forwarded by facsimile, the destination facsimile machine is only notified of the address information (mainly telephone number) of the Internet FAX as the source of the facsimile communication. There has been a problem that the email address of the sender of the electronic mail is not notified.

Accordingly, the present invention provides an e-mail to FAX Gatew
In an Internet facsimile machine having an ay function, when facsimile-transferring an e-mail, the user of the transfer-destination facsimile apparatus transmits the e-mail to the transfer-destination facsimile apparatus by notifying the mail address of the source of the e-mail. It is an object of the present invention to provide an Internet facsimile machine whose source can be grasped.

[0007]

In order to achieve the above-mentioned object, the present invention relates to an Internet facsimile apparatus for transmitting and receiving data via a network and transmitting and receiving facsimile data via a public switched telephone network. Means for converting image data and document data in the e-mail received from the network into facsimile data, and transmitting the facsimile data to the destination facsimile apparatus via the public telephone line network; Communication information notifying means for notifying information about

Here, the communication information notifying means includes: (1) transmitting the electronic mail address of the transmission source of the electronic mail to the destination facsimile apparatus as transmission source information of facsimile communication; and (2) transmitting the electronic mail. Transmitting the original e-mail address to the destination facsimile machine together with the information on the Internet facsimile machine; It is characterized by transmitting.

Further, the destination facsimile machine has a display means for selectively displaying the received information described in the above (1) to (3).

[0010] As the display means, means such as panel display and report printing can be applied.

The Internet facsimile apparatus may include (1) means for displaying the electronic mail address of the transmission source together with information on the destination facsimile apparatus; or (2) relaying the received electronic mail. A display unit for displaying information is further provided.

Further, the Internet facsimile apparatus further has a batch transmission function of accumulating a plurality of e-mails and transmitting the stored e-mails to the destination facsimile apparatus at a time.

Here, the communication information notifying means includes:
For all the e-mails transmitted by the batch transmission function, the sender's e-mail address is transmitted to the destination facsimile machine as the transmission source information of the facsimile communication. For all e-mails to be transmitted, the source e-mail address is transmitted to the destination facsimile device together with the information on the Internet facsimile device, or (3) the facsimile data is relayed and transferred by the Internet facsimile device. The information is transmitted to the destination facsimile machine with the information indicating that the information is to be transmitted and the information indicating that the information is to be collectively transmitted by the collective transmission function.

Further, the destination facsimile apparatus has a display means for selectively displaying the received information described in the above (1) to (3).

Further, the Internet facsimile apparatus further comprises: (1) means for displaying, with respect to all facsimile data to be collectively transmitted by the collective transmission function, a source electronic mail address together with information on the destination facsimile apparatus. Or (2)
A display unit for displaying information indicating that the electronic mail is to be relayed and transmitted and information indicating that the electronic mail is to be collectively transmitted by the collective transmission function is further provided.

The information on the Internet facsimile and the destination facsimile machine is, for example, the telephone number of the Internet facsimile machine and the destination facsimile machine.

[0017]

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an embodiment of an Internet facsimile apparatus according to the present invention.

As an example of an Internet facsimile apparatus according to the present invention, an Internet facsimile (Internet FAX) apparatus having an Emailto FAX Gateway function will be described.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an example of the overall configuration of an Internet facsimile apparatus according to the present invention.

In FIG. 1, a CPU 1 performs various control processes for the entire Internet facsimile apparatus.
AM2 is used as a work area of CPU1.

The control processing program to be executed by the CPU 1 and various data necessary for executing the control processing program are stored in the system control unit 8.

The operation display device 3 is connected to the Internet F
It is used to operate the AX device, and includes various operation keys and various display devices. The reading device 4 is for reading a transmission original image at a predetermined resolution, and the printing device 5 is for recording and outputting an image at a predetermined resolution.

The image processing device 6 encodes and compresses the image signal, and decodes and expands the encoded and compressed image information into the original image signal.
Stores a large number of image information in a coded and compressed state.

The communication control unit 9 is a public telephone exchange network (PST).
N: a part for controlling communication suitable for Public Switched Telephone Network, and a network control unit 1
0 is a part for controlling communication connected to the network.

The modem 12 is provided with a low-speed mode function and a high-speed mode function so as to be compatible with various transmission speeds, and has an Ethernet (registered trademark) I / F1.
Reference numeral 3 denotes an interface for connection to Ethernet (registered trademark), and the line switching control device 15 connects a plurality of external line interfaces and a plurality of internal communication circuits.

The components of the facsimile apparatus described above are connected to a system bus 14, and data is exchanged between the components mainly through the system bus 14.

FIG. 2 is a system configuration diagram showing an example of the configuration of a communication system including an Internet facsimile apparatus according to the present invention.

In FIG. 2, a LAN (Local Area Network)
rk) 20 is configured by connecting an Internet FAX device 21, a mail server 22, and terminal devices 23 and 24,
It is connected to the Internet 30 via a router 25.

Further, the Internet FAX machine 21
By connecting to the PSTN 40, normal FAX communication with another FAX device, for example, the FAX device 41, connected to the PSTN 40 can be performed.

Further, the Internet FAX device 21
Has an Email to FAX Gateway function and can transmit an e-mail received from the LAN 20 to the PSTN as facsimile data.

The Internet FAX device 21 of the present invention is a source mail address of an electronic mail received from the Ethernet I / F 13 via the network control unit 10, and the fact that the electronic mail is to be relayed and transferred. Is selectively notified to the FAX device 41 of the transfer destination or is displayed on the Internet FAX device 21.

Here, the mail address of the source of the received e-mail can be obtained from the "from" information in the header information of the e-mail.

Hereinafter, taking the case where the terminal device 23 transmits an e-mail to the FAX device 41 as an example, the FAX of the E-mail by the Internet FAX device 21 according to the present invention will be described.
The transfer method will be described with reference to FIG.

The electronic mail transmitted by the terminal device 23 is first transmitted to the Internet FAX device 21 via the mail server 22.

The Internet FAX device 21 is an Ethernet FAX device.
An e-mail from the terminal device 23 is received via the etI / F 13 and the network control unit 10, the storage device 2 is used as a buffer under the control of the system control unit 8, and the image processing device 6 is used as needed. The image and document data in the e-mail are converted into a data format suitable for facsimile communication, and the communication control unit 9 and the modem 12,
The data is transmitted as facsimile data to the PSTN 40 via the network control device 11.

At this time, the Internet FAX device 21
Refers to the header information of the electronic mail, and uses the mail address of the terminal device 23 that is the transmission source of the electronic mail as the sender information of the facsimile communication.

The FAX device 41 is an Internet FAX
The user of the facsimile device 41 is notified that the transmission source of the received facsimile data is the terminal device 23 by displaying the transmission side information of the facsimile data received from the device 21 on a panel or printing a report.

In the Internet facsimile apparatus 21, the address (IP address, telephone number, etc.) of the Internet facsimile apparatus 21 is used as the transmission side information as in the normal facsimile communication. May be transmitted to the FAX device 41.

In this case, the facsimile device 41 relays the source of the received facsimile data and the facsimile data by displaying the address of the Internet facsimile device 21 and the mail address of the terminal device 23 on a panel or printing a report. The user can be notified of the repeater.

Note that the facsimile device 41 can
Internet FAX device 21 address and terminal device 2
Alternatively, both or either of the three addresses may be selectively displayed.

As shown in FIG. 4, the Internet FAX machine 21 transmits at least information indicating that the facsimile data to be transmitted is to be relayed to the FAX machine 41 together with the facsimile data. good. In this case, the facsimile apparatus 41 notifies the user that the received data has been relayed and transferred by panel display or report printing.

Further, as shown in FIG. 5, in the Internet FAX device 21 itself, the address of the terminal device 23 that is the source of the received e-mail, or at least that the received e-mail is to be relayed and transferred. Is displayed, it can be monitored whether or not the Internet FAX device 21 is used for illegal use of the Internet.

Further, the Internet FAX machine 21
E-mail received from the LAN 20 and data such as facsimile data directly taken in by the Internet FAX device 21 are stored, and the stored data is collectively faxed when a plurality of data are stored or at a preset time. If you have a batch sending function to send,
For all the data to be transmitted collectively, the transmission source mail address and the address of the Internet FAX device 21 or information indicating that the data is to be transmitted collectively are selectively notified to the transfer destination FAX device. Alternatively, by displaying the information on the Internet FAX device, the user of the FAX device of the transfer destination and the user of the Internet FAX device 21 can grasp detailed information on the communication.

[0044]

As described above, according to the present invention, (1) the user of the destination FAX apparatus can accurately grasp the information of the source of the received data (2) the destination FAX The user of the apparatus can accurately grasp the information on the source of the received data and the repeater. (3) Internet F such as illegal use of the Internet
It is possible to monitor the unauthorized use of the AX device.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an example of the overall configuration of an Internet facsimile apparatus according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a system configuration diagram showing an example of a configuration of a communication system including an Internet facsimile apparatus according to the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an embodiment of communication control by the Internet FAX apparatus according to the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an embodiment of communication control by the Internet FAX apparatus according to the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a diagram showing an embodiment of communication control by the Internet FAX device according to the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

 Reference Signs List 1 CPU 2 storage device 3 operation display device 4 reading device 5 printing device 6 image processing device 7 image storage device 8 system control unit 9 communication control unit 10 network control unit 11 network control device 12 modem 13 Ethernet I / F 14 system bus 15 Control device 21 Internet FAX device 22 Mail server 23, 24 Terminal device 25 Router 30 Internet 40 PSTN 41 Facsimile device

Claims (12)

[Claims] 1. An Internet facsimile apparatus for transmitting and receiving data via a network and transmitting and receiving facsimile data via a public switched telephone network, wherein image data and document data in an electronic mail received from the network are transmitted by facsimile data. And a communication information notifying unit for notifying the destination facsimile device of information on the source of the e-mail to the destination facsimile device via the public telephone line network. Internet facsimile machine. 2. The communication apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the communication information notifying unit transmits the electronic mail address of the transmission source of the electronic mail to the destination facsimile apparatus as transmission source information of facsimile communication. Internet facsimile machine. 3. The facsimile machine according to claim 1, wherein said communication information notifying means transmits an e-mail address of a transmission source of said e-mail to said destination facsimile apparatus together with information on said Internet facsimile apparatus. Internet facsimile machine. 4. The communication information notifying means transmits information to the effect that the facsimile data has been relayed and transferred by the Internet facsimile apparatus to the destination facsimile apparatus, and the destination facsimile apparatus receives the information. 2. The Internet facsimile apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising display means for displaying information indicating that the facsimile data has been relayed and transferred. 5. The Internet facsimile machine according to claim 1, wherein said Internet facsimile machine further comprises means for displaying the electronic mail address of the transmission source together with information on the destination facsimile machine. 6. The Internet facsimile machine further comprising display means for displaying information indicating that the received e-mail is to be relayed and forwarded.
The described Internet facsimile machine. 7. The Internet facsimile machine according to claim 1, further comprising a batch transmission function of accumulating a plurality of electronic mails and transmitting the stored electronic mails to the destination facsimile machine at a time. The described Internet facsimile machine. 8. The communication information notifying means, for all the electronic mails which are collectively transmitted by the collective transmission function, transmits an electronic mail address of a transmission source to the destination facsimile apparatus as transmission source information of facsimile communication. The Internet facsimile apparatus according to claim 7, wherein: 9. The communication information notifying means transmits, to all the e-mails which are collectively transmitted by the collective transmission function, an e-mail address of a transmission source to the destination facsimile apparatus together with information on the Internet facsimile apparatus. The Internet facsimile apparatus according to claim 7, wherein 10. The communication information notifying means, wherein the information that the facsimile data is to be relayed and transferred by the Internet facsimile apparatus and the information that the facsimile data is to be collectively transmitted by the collective transmission function are The destination facsimile machine has display means for displaying information indicating that the received facsimile data has been relayed and transferred and information indicating that the received facsimile data has been batch-transmitted. 8. The method according to claim 7, wherein
The described Internet facsimile machine. 11. The Internet facsimile apparatus further comprises means for displaying a source e-mail address together with information on the destination facsimile apparatus for all facsimile data to be transmitted collectively by the collective transmission function. The Internet facsimile apparatus according to claim 7, wherein 12. The Internet facsimile apparatus further comprising display means for displaying information indicating that the electronic mail is to be relayed and transferred and information indicating that the electronic mail is to be transmitted collectively by the collective transmission function. The described Internet facsimile machine.