JP2002215544A - Communication device and storage medium - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a communication device that saves the trouble to select the mail address of a local station and can output new unread mail through operation which is as less in frequency as possible. SOLUTION: This is a facsimile equipment which has multiple mail addresses registered as the address of the local station and is equipped with a function of outputting electronic mail by the mail addresses and a CPU 10 when displaying a list of the mail addresses as choices preferentially displays information regarding a mail address including mail which is not outputted or unread.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a communication apparatus such as a facsimile apparatus capable of displaying and printing electronic mail data received for each mail address.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art For example, in a facsimile apparatus capable of sending and receiving e-mails, a plurality of users can register a plurality of e-mail addresses used by each user, and display e-mail data received for each e-mail address. And those with functions for printing. In such a facsimile machine, one of the e-mail addresses is selected,
The e-mail data received to the e-mail address can be confirmed. At this time, the order in which the e-mail addresses are displayed as options is always the e-mail address registration order.

[0003]

As described above, in a facsimile apparatus which displays mail addresses in the order of registration, for example, the last registered mail address is always displayed at the end of options. In such a case, even if there is new e-mail data at the last registered e-mail address, the operation of selecting the e-mail address must be performed before displaying this e-mail data. Was inferior to

[0004] The present invention has been proposed in view of the above points, and it is possible to save time and effort for an operation for selecting an address of a local station and to output newly received data with a minimum number of operations. It is an object of the present invention to provide a communication device capable of performing the above operation and a storage medium storing a program for realizing the operation of the communication device.

[0005]

According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a communication apparatus in which a plurality of self-station addresses are registered and receive data is output for each of the plurality of self-station addresses. A communication device having a function of displaying a plurality of own-station addresses as options, the first-party address display control means for preferentially displaying information on the own-station address including unoutput received data. It is characterized by the following.

According to such a communication apparatus, when selecting the own station address for outputting the received data, the information on the own station address including the received data which has not been output is preferentially displayed. In addition, it is possible to select the own station address including the non-output received data with a minimum number of operations without taking time for the selection operation, and to output the non-output received data quickly.

A communication device according to a second aspect of the present invention is the communication device according to the first aspect, wherein the local station address display control means relates to a local station address including the unoutputted received data. After the information is displayed before the other addresses of the own station, the addresses are displayed in the order of the recently selected own station address.

According to such a communication device, in addition to the effect of the communication device according to the first aspect, the information on the own station address including the unoutput received data is displayed before the other own station addresses. In addition, since the addresses are displayed in the order of the recently selected own-station addresses, it is possible to select an own-station address that is frequently selected practically with as few operations as possible.

The communication device according to a third aspect of the present invention is the communication device according to the first aspect, wherein the local station address display control means relates to a local station address including the unoutputted received data. The information is displayed before the other addresses of the own station, and then displayed in the order of the own station address including the reception data with the oldest reception date and time.

According to such a communication device, in addition to the effect of the communication device according to the first aspect, the information on the own station address including the unoutput received data is displayed before the other own station addresses. In addition, since the addresses are displayed in the order of the own station address including the received data with the oldest reception date and time, it is practically possible to sequentially select the address from the own station address including the old received data.

A communication device according to a fourth aspect of the present invention is the communication device according to any one of the first to third aspects, wherein the own station address is a mail address, and the received data is Email data.

According to such a communication device, in addition to the effects of the communication device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, for example, transmission and reception of e-mail are enabled, and a plurality of mail addresses are registered. It is possible to improve the usability of a facsimile machine and the like that can be used.

Further, a storage medium according to the invention described in claim 5 is for controlling a communication apparatus having a plurality of self-station addresses registered therein and having a function of outputting received data for each of the plurality of self-station addresses. A storage medium storing a program, wherein when displaying the plurality of local station addresses as options, a local station address display control program for preferentially displaying information on the local station address including unoutput received data is provided. The program is characterized in that a program including the program is stored.

According to such a storage medium, by operating the CPU based on the stored program,
The operation of the communication device according to claim 1 can be realized.

[0015]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram for explaining the external appearance of a facsimile apparatus as one embodiment of a communication apparatus according to the present invention. To briefly explain with reference to this figure, the display unit 24 of the facsimile apparatus according to the present invention is provided with a liquid crystal display having 320 × 240 dots as an example. A list of e-mail addresses as the own station address and e-mail data as received data can be displayed. The operation unit 23 is provided with numeric keys and various function buttons. The function buttons include a scroll button 23 </ b> A used mainly for selection operation and a programmable function button 2 used according to the display contents of the display unit 24.
3B and the like. There is also an e-mail key 23C used when handling information related to e-mail.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a circuit configuration of the facsimile apparatus. As shown in this figure, the facsimile apparatus includes a CPU 10, an NCU 11, a RAM 12, a modem 13, a ROM 14, an NVRAM (non-volatile RAM:
It comprises a non-volatile RAM 15, a gate array 16, a codec 17, a DMAC 18, a reading unit 21, a printing unit 22, an operation unit 23, a display unit 24, and the like. CPU 10, NCU 11, RAM 12, modem 13, ROM 14, NVRAM 15, gate array 1
6, codec 17, and DMAC 18
7 are interconnected. The bus line 27 includes an address bus, a data bus, and a control signal line.
The reading unit 21, the printing unit 22, the operation unit 23, and the display unit 24 are connected to the gate array 16. NCU1
1 is connected to a public telephone line 28.

The CPU 10 controls the operation of the entire facsimile machine. The NCU 11 is connected to the public telephone line 28 and performs network control. The RAM 12 provides a work area for the CPU 10 and a development area for various data. Modem 1
Reference numeral 3 performs modulation and demodulation of transmission / reception data. ROM1
Reference numeral 4 stores programs to be executed by the CPU 10 and the like. The NVRAM 15 stores various information and data. The gate array 16 includes the CPU 10 and each unit 21 to 2
4 functions as an interface with Codec 1
Reference numeral 7 performs encoding and decoding of transmission / reception data and the like. DM
The AC 18 mainly writes and reads data to and from the RAM 12.

The reading section 21 includes an image sensor, an LED light source, and the like, and reads an image such as a character or a figure from a document. The printing unit 22 prints images such as characters and figures on paper by, for example, an inkjet method. The operation unit 23 includes a numeric keypad and various function buttons as described above, and outputs an input signal corresponding to a user operation to the CPU 10.
Tell The display unit 24 includes a liquid crystal display as described above, and displays various information.

The facsimile apparatus has a function of transmitting and receiving electronic mail, and can register a plurality of mail addresses in the NVRAM 15 as its own address when transmitting and receiving electronic mail. . The e-mail data received to each e-mail address is stored in a mailbox area of the RAM 12 allocated to each e-mail address, and the e-mail data is read out from this mailbox area and displayed on the display unit 24 or printed. Printing can be performed on paper via the unit 22. The electronic mail data is not directly received by the facsimile machine, but is once taken into a mail server on the Internet and then automatically downloaded to be taken into the facsimile machine.

When displaying or printing e-mail data, first select a reception history from the e-mail function selection menu, then select a desired e-mail address, and finally select an e-mail address. Desired e-mail data must be selected from the reception history list. In the reception history list, in addition to the e-mail stored in the RAM 12 and already displayed or printed (hereinafter, referred to as “read mail”), it is still displayed or printed only by downloading from the mail server. Received information on an unfamiliar e-mail (hereinafter referred to as “unread e-mail”) is shown. The reception information is information on the title and source of the e-mail, the reception date and time, and the like, and includes information indicating whether the e-mail is a read mail or an unread mail.

As a general processing procedure of the e-mail, after the unread mail is taken into the RAM 12 by downloading from the mail server, the unread mail is selected before the read mail, and the mail is accordingly selected. The display and printing of the text are performed. Here, before selecting an unread mail, it is necessary to select a mail address including the unread mail. At this time, in this embodiment, the mail address including the unread mail is controlled only by the read mail by the control of the CPU 10. Are displayed before the e-mail address including "", and the intended e-mail address can be selected immediately.

More specifically, in a state where a plurality of mail addresses are displayed in a list on the display unit 24, if the programmable function button 23B as the enter button is pressed without operating the scroll button 23A, the head mail address is displayed. Is selected. When there is at least one unread mail, the first mail address includes the unread mail, and in the reception history list regarding the first mail address presented from the mail address selection screen to the next display screen, The reception information such as the title, source, and reception date and time of the unread mail is indicated. Then, an unread mail is selected, and for example, a programmable function button 2 as a display button is selected.
When 3B is pressed, the text of the unread mail is displayed on the screen of the display unit 24. In short, when selecting an e-mail address including an unread e-mail, the user can select the e-mail address including the unread e-mail with as few operations as possible without performing a scroll operation. You can choose.

Also, in the present embodiment, the mail address including the unread mail is displayed so as to be always at the head,
The e-mail addresses are arranged so as to be displayed in order from the e-mail address having the shortest elapsed time from the point of selection in the past. In such a case, an email address with a high selection frequency is displayed more frequently than an email address with a low selection frequency in actual use, and a frequently-used email address is selected with the minimum number of operations. You can do it.

That is, when displaying a plurality of own station addresses as options, the CPU 10 realizes own station address display control means for preferentially displaying information on the own station address including unoutput received data.

The ROM 14 stores the NVRAM 15 in advance.
Is a storage medium storing a program for controlling a communication device having a function of outputting received data for each of a plurality of own station addresses registered in the A storage medium storing a program including a local address display control program for preferentially displaying information on the local station address including output received data is realized.

Next, the operation of the facsimile machine will be described.

FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing the procedure of the e-mail output process, and FIGS. 4 to 6 are explanatory diagrams for explaining display examples accompanying the e-mail output process. In the present embodiment, it is assumed that e-mail data addressed to each e-mail address has already been loaded into the RAM 12 by downloading from the mail server.

First, as shown in FIG. 3, the CPU 10
An e-mail function selection menu is displayed on the display unit 24 in response to the operation of the e-mail key 23C (S1). In this function selection menu, as shown in FIG. 4, selection items such as transmission history, new creation, setting, reception, and address book are displayed in addition to the reception history of the e-mail, and the user can select a desired item. Can be.

When the reception history is selected from the function selection menu (S2: YES), CPU 10 determines whether or not an unread mail exists in RAM 12 (S3).

When there is an unread mail (S3: YES),
The CPU 10 causes the display unit 24 to display a list of mail addresses starting with the mail address including the unread mail (S4). At this time, as shown in FIG. 4, the head mail address is already in focus by the reverse display, and if the head mail address is determined as it is, the head mail address is selected. When there are a plurality of e-mail addresses including unread e-mails, the e-mail addresses with the shortest elapsed time from the time of selection in the past to the present time are displayed in a predetermined order, Also for the mail address including only the mail address, the mail address having the shortest elapsed time from the time of the selection in the past to the present time is displayed in the order of priority.

When a desired mail address is selected from the list of mail addresses (S5: YES), the CPU 1
0 causes the display unit 24 to display the reception history list relating to the mail address (S6). At this time, as shown in FIG. 6, the reception history list includes, for each e-mail, a title, a sender, a reception date and time, and reception information including a mark indicating “unread” indicating that the e-mail has not been read. It is. Note that an e-mail whose received information does not include the mark of “not yet” indicates a read mail. Also, it means that an attached file exists in an e-mail in which the received information includes a mark of “attached”. The mark “added” is not initially displayed in the display screen, but can be confirmed by operating the scroll button 23B to move the display screen left and right.

When a desired e-mail is selected from the reception history list by reverse display and a predetermined operation for displaying the e-mail is performed (S7: YES), the CPU 1 executes the operation.
0 displays the text of the selected e-mail on the display unit 24 (S8).

Then, when the text of the unread mail is displayed, the CPU 10 rewrites the content of the received information so as to change the unread mail into a read mail (S9), and thereafter ends the e-mail output process. When the text of the read mail is displayed, the content of the reception information regarding the read mail is left as it is without being rewritten.

In S7, when a predetermined operation for printing the e-mail selected by reverse display is performed instead of displaying the e-mail (S7: NO) (S10: YE)
S), the CPU 10 causes the printing unit 22 to print the text of the selected e-mail (S11), and then proceeds to S9. In S9 in this case, if the body of the unread mail is printed, the content of the received information is rewritten to change the unread mail to a read mail, while the body of the read mail is printed. , The content of the received information regarding the read mail is left as it is without being rewritten.

In step S10, if the electronic mail is not printed (S10: NO), the CPU 10 returns to step S6 and continues to display the reception history list.

In S5, if no desired mail address is selected from the mail address list (S5)
5: NO), the CPU 10 returns to S3 and continues displaying the mail address list.

In S3, if there is no unread mail (S
3: NO), the CPU 10 causes the display unit 24 to display a list of e-mail addresses so that the e-mail addresses with the shorter elapsed time from the time of selection in the past to the current time are first in order (S12), and then proceeds to S5. .

In S2, if an item other than the reception history is selected from the function selection menu (S2: NO), the CPU
10 terminates the e-mail output process to perform a process according to the selected item.

Therefore, according to the facsimile apparatus, when selecting the mail address of the own station in order to display and print the e-mail data, the mail address including the new unread mail which has not been displayed or printed yet is first. , It is possible to select an e-mail address including a newly arrived unread e-mail with a minimum number of operations of the scroll button 23B without troublesome selection operation.
It is possible to promptly display or print a newly arrived unread mail.

The present invention is not limited to the above embodiment.

As another embodiment, as shown in FIG. 7, a relatively small display section 24 for displaying, for example, one or two lines of character information may be provided. In particular, the display unit 2
In the case where the number 4 is limited, the display unit 24 can be effectively used by preferentially displaying an e-mail address including an unread e-mail that is likely to be selected.

In still another embodiment, an e-mail address including an unread e-mail may be displayed such that the e-mail address includes an e-mail with the oldest reception date and time. Alternatively, it is possible to select whether to display the mail addresses in order from the shortest elapsed time from the time of selection in the past to the current time, and to change the display order of the mail addresses according to the user's convenience.

The own station address is not limited to a mail address, but may be, for example, a telephone number or an extension telephone number provided by a plurality of telephone companies, and voice data recorded for each telephone number or extension telephone number. Or output facsimile data.

It is assumed that the electronic mail data is once taken into the mail server on the Internet and then automatically downloaded to be taken into the facsimile apparatus. The user may access the mail server each time the user inputs a password or the like after the selection, and the mail server may be loaded into the facsimile apparatus. In addition, information that only indicates that an e-mail has been received from the mail server to any one of the e-mail addresses is acquired, and the e-mail data itself does not necessarily need to exist in the facsimile machine. In this case, it is desirable to apply the present invention to a case where a user owns a plurality of e-mail addresses and the user sequentially specifies each e-mail address and downloads e-mail data.

[0046]

As described above, according to the communication apparatus of the first aspect of the present invention, when selecting the own station address for outputting the received data, the received data includes the data which has not been output yet. Since the information on the own station address is displayed preferentially, it is possible to select the own station address including the unoutput received data with the minimum number of operations without having to perform a selection operation, and promptly select the unoutput received data. Can be output.

According to the communication apparatus of the second aspect of the invention, in addition to the effect of the communication apparatus of the first aspect, in addition to the information of the own station address including the unoutput received data, the information of the other own station can be obtained. While the address is displayed before the address, it is displayed in the order of the recently selected own-station address, so that the own-station address that is frequently selected practically can be selected with as few operations as possible.

Further, according to the communication device of the invention described in claim 3, in addition to the effect of the communication device described in claim 1, in addition to the information on the own station address including the unoutputted reception data, the information of the other own station is provided. Since the address is displayed before the address, and is displayed in the order of the own station address including the received data with the oldest reception date and time, it is practically possible to sequentially select from the own address including the old received data.

According to the communication device of the fourth aspect of the present invention, in addition to the effects of the communication device of any one of the first to third aspects, for example, transmission and reception of e-mail can be performed, and a plurality of electronic mails can be transmitted and received. It is possible to improve the usability of a facsimile apparatus or the like in which a mail address can be registered.

Further, according to the storage medium of the invention described in claim 5, the operation of the communication device described in claim 1 can be realized by operating the CPU based on the stored program.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram illustrating an external appearance of a facsimile apparatus as one embodiment of a communication device according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a circuit configuration of the facsimile apparatus.

FIG. 3 is a flowchart illustrating a procedure of an e-mail output process.

FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram for describing a display example accompanying an electronic mail output process.

FIG. 5 is an explanatory diagram for describing a display example associated with an e-mail output process.

FIG. 6 is an explanatory diagram for explaining a display example associated with an e-mail output process.

FIG. 7 is an explanatory diagram for explaining an appearance of a facsimile apparatus as another embodiment.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 CPU 11 NCU 12 RAM 13 Modem 14 ROM 15 NVRAM 16 Gate array 17 Codec 18 DMAC 21 Reading unit 22 Printing unit 23 Operation unit 24 Display unit 28 Public telephone line

Claims (5)

[Claims] 1. A communication apparatus in which a plurality of self-station addresses are registered and provided with a function of outputting received data for each of the plurality of self-station addresses, wherein the plurality of self-station addresses are displayed as options. A communication device comprising a local station address display control means for preferentially displaying information relating to a local station address including unoutput received data. 2. The self-station address display control means displays information on the self-station address including the unoutputted reception data before other self-station addresses, and then selects a self-station selected recently. The communication device according to claim 1, wherein the communication device is displayed in an address order. 3. The local station address display control means displays information relating to a local station address including the unoutputted received data before other local station addresses, and then displays received data with an old reception date and time. The communication device according to claim 1, wherein the communication device is displayed in the order of the own station address. 4. The communication device according to claim 1, wherein said own station address is a mail address, and said received data is electronic mail data. 5. A storage medium storing a program for controlling a communication device in which a plurality of self-station addresses are registered and provided with a function of outputting received data for each of the plurality of self-station addresses, A storage medium storing a program including a local address display control program for preferentially displaying information on the local address including unoutput received data when displaying the local address as an option. .