JP2003108474A - Data distribution system, transmission terminal, reception terminal, control server, and program - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To distribute an image by a simple and efficient data format processable surely in a reception terminal, in a data distribution system. SOLUTION: A user in the reception terminal 5 requires transmission of an image group for confirmation to a transmission terminal 3 (S1). The transmission terminal 3 bundles a plurality of sample images generated by image formats processable in an own device, and transmits them to the reception terminal 5 (S2). The user tries to peruse the bundled images on the reception terminal 5, and selects one or a plurality of the image format(s) out of the perusable image formats (S3). The reception terminal 5 informs the transmission terminal 3 of data format information indicating the selected image format(s) (S4). The transmission terminal 3 registers the data format information in a control table (S5). The transmission terminal 3 converts the image format by a data converting part 48 when necessary, referring to the control table, and distributes the image to the reception terminal 5 by the image format proecessable in the reception terminal 5.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a program for realizing transmission / reception of electronic data using a data distribution system, a transmission / reception terminal, a management server, and a computer.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Format of electronic data such as music data, image data or document data (data format)
There are various kinds of things. Therefore, when these electronic data are exchanged between a plurality of devices, information cannot be correctly transmitted unless the formats of the electronic data are compatible with each other. It is not realistic to make a device that can handle all data formats or to incorporate an application program, which is costly and requires a new data format to be developed one after another.

[0003]

Therefore, for example, a personal computer (personal computer), P, which receives data and browses the image format sent by the data distribution server, is used.
DA (Personal Digital Assistant) or mobile phone (including PHS (Personal Handy-phone System))
It may happen that the receiving terminal cannot interpret.

As a method of solving such a problem, for example, a method of registering a data format that a receiving terminal can handle with a transmitting terminal which transmits data in advance can be considered. However, in this method, the user must know the data format that the terminal used by the user can handle. For example, viewing software for PCs can expand the image format that can be handled by adding an auxiliary program called a plug-in, and it is essential to have knowledge of the plug-ins that can be implemented or added and the data formats that each plug-in can support. is there. However, it is impossible to request all users to acquire such knowledge.

Further, Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2000-354128 proposes a method for solving the above-mentioned problem by pre-negotiating an image data format that can be handled between devices. However, this method is based on the premise that the rules regarding negotiation are implemented between the devices, and cannot be applied to devices that do not know the rules of negotiation, and is not general-purpose.

Further, in Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2000-13544, the above problem is solved by preparing in advance a plurality of data formats for one image data and selecting only one at the receiving terminal. The method of doing is proposed. However, this method results in a large amount of unselected data, and a large amount of unnecessary conversion work and data communication are performed, resulting in poor system efficiency. Furthermore, it is unknown how to determine a plurality of image formats to be converted in advance.

The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and makes it possible to easily, efficiently, and reliably deliver electronic data in a data format that can be handled by a receiving terminal. An object of the present invention is to provide a distribution system, a transmission terminal suitable for this system, a reception terminal, a management server, and a program for realizing electronic data transmission / reception by software using a computer.

[0008]

That is, a data distribution system according to the present invention is a data distribution system for distributing electronic data from a transmission terminal to a reception terminal, and the reception terminal can be handled by the transmission terminal first. The sample data for specifying the data format according to at least one of the data formats is received, the received sample data is referenced, and the data format that can be handled by itself (reception terminal) is specified, Data format information indicating the specified data format is transmitted. The sending terminal receives the data format information indicating the data format that the receiving terminal can handle,
By referring to the received data format information, the electronic data according to the data format information is transmitted to the receiving terminal.

Further, a transmitting terminal, a receiving terminal according to the present invention,
The management server and the management server are suitable for realizing the data distribution system according to the present invention. The invention described in the dependent claims defines further advantageous specific examples of the transmitting terminal, the receiving terminal, or the management server according to the present invention. Furthermore, the program according to the present invention is suitable for realizing the transmission terminal, the reception terminal, or the management server according to the present invention by software using an electronic computer (computer). The program may be provided by being stored in a computer-readable storage medium,
It may be distributed via wired or wireless communication means.

[0010]

In the above structure, the receiving terminal receives the sample data in a data format that can be handled by the transmitting terminal, either directly from the transmitting terminal or via the management server. Then, the receiving terminal refers to this sample data, specifies a data format that can be handled by itself, and transmits the data format information indicating the specified data format to the transmitting terminal directly or via the management server. . Next, the transmitting terminal refers to this data format information and transmits the electronic data according to the data format information to the receiving terminal.

[0011]

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION Embodiments of the present invention will be described below in detail with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a first embodiment of an electronic data distribution system according to the present invention. This first
The electronic data distribution system 1 according to the embodiment includes each transmission terminal 3
In the above, the sample data for specifying the data format and the data format information for each receiving terminal 5 are managed.

The electronic data distribution system 1 includes a transmission terminal 3 that is a terminal that receives electronic data and distributes it to the receiving terminal 5, and a terminal that receives electronic data from the transmission terminal 3 and displays or prints the electronic data. Receiving terminal 5
Are connected via a network 9 such as the Internet or a LAN, which is an example of a public communication network. The transmitting terminal 3
For example, it is a digital multi-function peripheral having a scanner function and a FAX transmission / reception function. The receiving terminal 5 is, for example, a personal computer, a PDA, a mobile phone (including PHS), or the like.

The network 9 includes a mail server 7 and W
The eb server 8 is connected. The network 9 may be either a wired communication network or a wireless communication network. The network 9 performs image communication by FAX (facsimile) in addition to voice data, for example. As the communication protocol in the network 9, for example, various ones such as SMTP (Simple Mail Transfer Protocol) which is a protocol for electronic mail transmission defined by IETF (Internet Engineering Task Force). Can be used.

The transmitting terminal 3 transmits the sample data for specifying the data format to the receiving terminal 5 according to at least one of the data formats that the transmitting terminal 3 can handle. And the receiving terminal 5
A data format information receiving section 20 for receiving from the receiving terminal 5 the data format information indicating the data format that can be handled by the receiving terminal 5, which is specified based on the sample data.
An electronic data transmission unit 30 that refers to the data format information received by the data format information receiving unit 20 and transmits electronic data according to the data format information to the receiving terminal. Further, the transmission terminal 3 includes a transmission / reception I / F unit 18 that is an interface for transmitting / receiving data, and an identification information acquisition unit 22 that acquires identification information for specifying the reception terminal 5.
And a data format information storage unit 24 for storing the data format information acquired by the data format information receiving unit 20 from the receiving terminal 5 in association with the receiving terminal 5, and data for acquiring electronic data distributed to the receiving terminal 5. And an acquisition unit 31.
That is, the transmission terminal 3 in the data distribution system 1 of the first embodiment also has the function of the management server in the data distribution system 1 of the second or third embodiment described later.

The data format information storage section 24 prepares a management table in which the identification information acquired by the identification information acquisition section 22 is associated with the data format information, so that the receiving terminal 5 and the receiving terminal 5 can be handled. Corresponds to the data format. The data format information storage unit 24 stores this management table in a storage medium (not shown).

The transmission / reception I / F unit 18 has, for example, an antenna or a transmission / reception amplifier as an interface for wireless communication, or a telephone modem or a cable modem as an interface for wired communication. The data acquisition unit 31 includes, for example, a FAX unit 32 that acquires a facsimile image and a scanner unit 34 that reads an image from a print medium. The data acquisition unit 31 may acquire, for example, document data or table data generated by a dedicated application program for creating documents or tables. Alternatively, the data acquisition unit 31 may acquire music data. The electronic data transmission unit 30 acquires the data acquisition unit 31,
Electronic data such as images, documents, tables, or music is transmitted to the receiving terminal 5.

The sample data transmission unit 10 stores a reference data generation unit 12 for generating reference data representing a part of electronic data requested to be delivered from the receiving terminal 5 and sample data for specifying a data format. It has a sample data storage unit 14 and an output unit 16 for outputting the sample data to the receiving terminal 5. When the transmission terminal 3 receives a distribution request for electronic data, the reference data generation unit 12 generates reference data in various data formats that represent a part of the electronic data for which the distribution request is received, as necessary. This reference data may be an image (for example, a thumbnail image) with a reduced image size (resolution) when the electronic data is image data, and may be audio data for a few seconds at the beginning when it is audio data. As a result, the sample data has a smaller capacity than the officially transmitted electronic data, and the load on communication is not increased.

The reference data generated by the reference data generation unit 12 is immediately input to the output unit 16 or temporarily stored in the sample data storage unit 14. The sample data storage unit 14 stores the reference data generated by the reference data generation unit 12 as sample data, or takes in appropriate data generated by each unit in the transmission terminal 3 or further from an external device (not shown). Save appropriate data as sample data. It is desirable to prepare these sample data (including reference data, of course) in almost all data formats that can be handled by the transmitting terminal 3.

This sample data may be transmitted to the receiving terminal 5 as attached data of e-mail (E-Mail), for example. Alternatively, for example, HTML (Hypertext Mark), which is a language used for creating Web pages, is used.
up language) and other electronic documents (We
It may be transmitted to the receiving terminal 5 in the form of page b). At this time, the transmission is not limited to the form incorporated in the Web page, and may be transmitted by a protocol (data format) that is reproduced by a plug-in. Further, it is preferable that the information indicating the data format of the sample data is also transmitted in association with the sample data. For example, a text indicating the data format of the sample data is displayed near the sample data.

In order to identify the data format that can be handled by the receiving terminal 5, the receiving terminal 5 confirms whether or not the image can be reproduced and output or the sound can be reproduced and output based on the sample data. Used for. If reproduction and output are possible, it indicates that the receiving terminal 5 can handle the format (data format) of the sample data. When the output unit 16 receives a sample data transmission request from the receiving terminal 5, the output unit 16 transmits the sample data to the receiving terminal 5 in order to obtain information in a data format that the receiving terminal 5 can handle in advance. Alternatively, the sample data may be transmitted each time the electronic data distribution request is received from the receiving terminal 5.

The electronic data transmission unit 30 includes a distribution control unit 40 that controls distribution of sample data and electronic data, and a transfer unit 42 that transfers the electronic data acquired by the FAX unit 32 and the scanner unit 34 to the receiving terminal 5. , A data conversion unit 48 for converting the data format of electronic data. The data conversion unit 48 refers to the data format information received by the data format information reception unit 20 and converts the acquired electronic data into electronic data according to the data format information. Therefore, it is preferable that the data conversion unit 48 includes, for example, an application program for converting the format of image data or music data, or an application program for converting the format of document data or table data.

On the other hand, the receiving terminal 5 includes a sample data receiving section 50 for receiving the sample data transmitted from the transmitting terminal 3,
A data format specifying unit 60 that specifies a data format that can be handled by the receiving terminal 5 with reference to the sample data received by the sample data receiving unit 50, and a data format specifying unit 60.
The data format information transmitting unit 70 for transmitting the data format information indicating the data format specified by the transmitting terminal 3 to the transmitting terminal 3. The receiving terminal 5 also includes a sample data requesting unit 52 that requests the transmitting terminal 3 to transmit sample data, an electronic data requesting unit 80 that requests the transmitting terminal 3 to distribute electronic data, and a transmitting terminal 3
The electronic data receiving unit 82 that receives the electronic data distributed from the electronic data receiving unit 82, and the data output unit 84 that presents the image and the sound to the operator of the receiving terminal 5 based on the electronic data received by the electronic data receiving unit 82. Further, the receiving terminal 5 has a transmission / reception I / F unit 72 which is an interface for data transmission / reception.
And an input / output I / F unit 90 that functions as an interface with the input / output device. Transmission / reception I / F unit 72
May be the same as the transmission / reception I / F unit 18 on the transmission terminal 3 side.

The receiving terminal 5 incorporates various application programs for performing desired processing based on the electronic data distributed from the transmitting terminal 3. For example, W
Incorporate an eb browser, or incorporate a plug-in for the browser.

The data format specifying unit 60 presents information for selecting a data format (for example, images and music) to the operator of the receiving terminal 5 based on the sample data received by the sample data receiving unit 50. It has a section 62 and a data format selection section 64 for acquiring information on the data format selected by the operator based on the presented information for data format selection.

In the case where the data format specifying unit 60 does not include the selection information presenting unit 62 or the data format selecting unit 64, for example, when sample data is acquired from the transmitting terminal 3, the data format confirming program is activated. The data format that can be handled by itself (reception terminal 5) may be automatically determined.

On the receiving terminal 5, an input unit 92 having an input device such as a keyboard, a mouse or a patch panel for receiving an input from an operator, and an image based on the received image data or document data are displayed and output. An image display unit 93 such as a CRT or an LCD (liquid crystal) is connected to an audio output unit 94 such as a speaker or a sounder that outputs information such as music based on the received audio data. Further, the receiving terminal 5 includes a hard disk device 95 for storing electronic data received from the transmitting terminal 3, an FD
A drive device 96 for storing the electronic data in a portable storage medium such as a (flexible disc) or an MO (magneto-optical disc), or a printer 97 for printing out on a print medium 98 such as paper is also connected. Receiving terminal 5
Reproduces and outputs the sample data received from the transmission terminal 3 by the image display unit 93 and the audio output unit 94, and allows the operator to select the data format of the electronic data, or a desired process based on the electronic data. To output a document image or the like to a CRT or print out with the printer 97,
Information such as a document, an image, or music is stored in a portable storage medium such as an FD, MO, or flash memory, and output processing such as transmission to another terminal via the Internet is performed.

FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of a management table managed by the data format information storage unit 24. In the management table, the user name (User name), information about the receiving terminal 5 (Terminal), and the data format (image format in this example) that the receiving terminal 5 can handle are selected by the receiving terminal 5 side. Information (Image) and electronic data destination (Destination) are registered in association with each other.
The destination is information about the transfer destination in the scan transfer service or the facsimile reception transfer service. Here, the scan transfer service means a service (Scan To E-Mail) of transferring an image read by the scanner unit 34 to a destination designated by an electronic mail. Facsimile reception and transfer service is F
A service (Fax To E-M) that transfers the facsimile image received by the AX unit 32 to the destination specified by e-mail.
ail) is meant. For the user registered in advance in this management table, the transmission terminal 3 refers to the image format and the transmission destination to scan and transfer the data read by the scanner unit 34, or the FAX image received by the FAX unit 32. To transfer.

FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an example of an electronic mail to which the sample data transmitted from the transmitting terminal 3 to the receiving terminal 5 is attached. The selection information presenting unit 62 uses the sample data receiving unit 5
E-mail received by 0 also displays a message in the image display portion 93.
By displaying the sample image on the receiving terminal 5
To the operator of. In the present example, GIF (Graphics Inter
change Format), JPEG (Joint Photographic Exp)
erts Group), TIFF (Tagged Image FileFormat)
The mail message indicates that the confirmation image groups of the three image formats are attached to the electronic mail. The operator of the receiving terminal 5 sees this message,
Specify whichever you like. Data format selection unit 64
Accepts this designation operation. Then, if the data format can be handled by the receiving terminal 5, the receiving terminal 5 opens the sample data in the specified data format and displays the image based on the sample data. On the other hand, if the data format is unhandled by the receiving terminal 5, the receiving terminal 5 presents various unacceptable messages to the operator indicating that it cannot be handled. The operation of presenting the file open or the impossibility message is performed by the OS (Op
erating Systems) function. The operator of the receiving terminal 5 may select a favorite one from the files that can be opened. The data format selection unit 64
This selection operation is accepted. As a result, the data format identification unit 60 can identify the data format that the user prefers among the data formats that the receiving terminal 5 can handle. The data format identification unit 60 informs the data format information transmission unit 70 of the identified data format.

FIG. 4 is a Web for confirming the image format displayed on the receiving terminal 5 when the HTML data including the sample data is transmitted from the transmitting terminal 3 to the receiving terminal 5.
It is a figure which shows an example of a screen. Based on the HTML data received by the sample data receiving section 50, the selection information presenting section 62 displays a selection page screen for data format selection on the image display section 93, so that the operator of the receiving terminal 5 receives the sample image. To present. In this example, when the receiving terminal 5 attempts to display a Web screen, three types of sample data GIF, J
GIF and JPEG among PEG and TIFF-FX
Since the two formats of No. 2 can be handled by the receiving terminal 5, a sample image based on the sample data is displayed, but the TIFF-FX format cannot be handled by the receiving terminal 5, so a mark indicating that fact is displayed. Is displayed. The operator of the receiving terminal 5 may look at the Web screen and select a favorite one from the sample images displayed. The data format selection unit 64 receives this selection operation. As a result, the data format identification unit 60
Can specify the data format preferred by the user among the data formats that the receiving terminal 5 can handle. The data format identification unit 60 informs the data format information transmission unit 70 of the identified data format.

FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing a first example of a processing procedure in the electronic data distribution system 1 of the first embodiment. In this first example, data format information indicating a data format that can be handled by the receiving terminal 5 is pre-registered in the transmitting terminal 3, and then electronic data of a format compatible with the registered data format (image in this example) Is a form of transmitting and receiving.

In the receiving terminal 5, the sample data requesting unit 5
2 transmits a confirmation image group transmission request message, which is an example of sample data, to the transmission terminal 3 by e-mail (S2).
00). When the sending terminal 3 receives the e-mail message from the receiving terminal 5 on the client side (S10
0), the type of the message is determined (S102).
Then, if the email is a confirmation image group transmission request email, the sender of the email is confirmed (S102).
-YES, S104). At this time, if it is not a registered user, an error reply mail may be sent.

Next, in the sample data transmitting unit 10 of the transmitting terminal 3, the reference data generating unit 12 generates a confirmation image group in a plurality of image formats that the terminal can handle, and outputs it as sample data, if necessary. Input to the section 16 (S10
6). For example, when other data such as data already taken in from the outside or reference data generated for another receiving terminal 5 can be used as the sample data, it is not necessary to generate the sample data. The output unit 16 creates an e-mail addressed to the e-mail address (transmission source) that has transmitted the confirmation image group transmission request mail (S108). The output unit 16
Attaches a plurality of confirmation images generated by the reference data generation unit 12 according to different data formats to the e-mail (S110). Then, the output unit 16
The e-mail with the confirmation image attached is transmitted using a mail transfer protocol such as SMTP (S11).
2).

The sample data receiving section 50 of the receiving terminal 5 receives the confirmation image-attached e-mail transmitted from the transmitting terminal 3, and sends the received confirmation image to the selection information presenting section 62 of the data format specifying section 60. Input (S210). The data format identifying unit 60 identifies a data format that can be handled by the receiving terminal 5 based on the confirmation image received from the transmitting terminal 3, and allows the operator to select a favorite format from the possible formats. Get (S212). For example, the selection information presentation unit 62 causes the image display unit 93 to display the confirmation image via the input / output I / F unit 90, and asks the input unit 92 to selectively input the image number of a displayable and favorite image. . When the data format selection unit 64 detects the image selected by the operator, the information is transmitted to the data format information transmission unit 70. The data format information transmission unit 70 attaches the data format information indicating the image format selected by the operator to the e-mail (S214).
The transmission / reception I / F unit 72 transmits the image format selection notification e-mail to the transmission terminal 3 (S200).

When the data format information receiving unit 20 receives the e-mail of the image format selection notification, the transmission terminal 3 confirms the sender of the e-mail as in step S104 (S102-NO, S120). And
The identification information acquisition unit 22 extracts (acquires) the identification information regarding the receiving terminal 5 that has transmitted the electronic mail from the mail header or the like, and inputs the extracted identification information into the data format information storage unit 24 (S122). In addition, the data format information receiving unit 20 uses the receiving terminal 5 described in the electronic mail.
The image format information selected by the user is extracted, and the extracted data format information is input to the data format information storage unit 24 (S124). The data format information storage unit 24 registers or updates the data format information as information on the corresponding user in the management table (S126).

By the above processing, the information about the image format that can be handled by the receiving terminal 5 necessary for transferring the image data by mail is registered in advance in the management table. After this, the electronic data request unit 80 of the receiving terminal 5
Request image transmission to the transmission terminal 3 at an appropriate time (S
220). In the transmission terminal 3, when the image distribution request is received (S130), the distribution control unit 40 first confirms the image format information of the user registered in the management table (S132). When the format of the image data to be distributed is different from the registered image format, the data conversion unit 48 is requested to perform data conversion so that the data format is compatible. Then, the image in the compatible data format is delivered to the receiving terminal 5 via the transfer unit 42 and the transmission / reception I / F unit 18 (S134).

As a result, the user on the receiving terminal 5 side surely receives the image in a data format that the receiving terminal 5 can handle (S222), and by displaying the image on the image display unit 93, the requested image is displayed. Can be viewed (S2
24). Further, in the processing for identifying the data format that the receiving terminal 5 can handle, was the confirmation image transmitted from the transmitting terminal 3 to the receiving terminal 5 as sample data, and was this confirmation image displayed on the image display unit 93? Since it suffices to input into the input unit 92 whether or not or which format is preferred, the user on the receiving terminal 5 side does not need to have any knowledge of the data format that the receiving terminal 5 can handle, Can be reliably identified and selected, and the work is extremely easy. Further, since the data format specifying process is performed by using the electronic mail, it has versatility.

Further, since the data format information about the receiving terminal 5 can be acquired by a reliable method, it is possible to prevent useless conversion work and data transfer even in the formal distribution of electronic data thereafter. Further, if the data acquired in advance is used as the sample data, the labor of generating the sample data can be saved. Further, even if the sample data is generated after receiving the request from the receiving terminal 5, wasteful work does not occur, resulting in good system efficiency. Further, the sample data may have a smaller capacity than the original data, and the communication will not be wasted. As described above, according to the data distribution system 1 of the above-described embodiment, it is possible to construct a system that can be generally applied to a device that can be connected to a network.

FIG. 6 is a flow chart showing a processing procedure when a facsimile image (FAX image) is received by the transmitting terminal 3 and transferred to the receiving terminal 5. By the pre-registration process shown in FIG. 5, information about the data format that can be handled by the receiving terminal 5 has been registered in the management table. First, when the FAX unit 32 of the transmission terminal 3 receives a facsimile image via the public line, the facsimile image is delivered to the distribution control unit 40 (S300). Upon receiving the facsimile image from the FAX unit 32, the distribution control unit 40 searches the management table for the user who is the facsimile receiver (S302). And the delivery control unit 4
0 determines whether the user has set the transfer service by e-mail for facsimile reception (S304).

When the mail transfer service is set (YES in S304), the distribution control unit 40 acquires information about the image format selected by the user from the management table, and the received facsimile image in the acquired image format. The data conversion unit 48 is requested to convert to (S30
6). Then, the delivery control unit 40 creates an electronic mail addressed to the transfer destination with the image data converted by the data conversion unit 48 as an attached file, and transmits the electronic mail to the transfer destination using a mail transfer protocol such as SMTP (S308). . On the other hand, when the mail transfer service is not set (S304-NO), the distribution control unit 40 performs print processing on paper with a printer (not shown) (S310).

FIG. 7 is a flowchart showing a second example of the processing procedure in the electronic data distribution system 1 of the first embodiment. In the second example, when the transmitting terminal 3 receives the image distribution request from the receiving terminal 5, if the data format information indicating the data format that the receiving terminal 5 can handle is not registered in the management table, the request is made. This is a form in which sample data for specifying a data format is transmitted to the receiving terminal 5 before the image is distributed to confirm the data format, and then an image having a format compatible with the selected data format is transmitted. In other words, this second example does not specify the data format that can be handled by the receiving terminal 5 after receiving the message for sending the confirmation image group, but does not specify the data format that is available for each formal image (data format information). Is registered in the management table), the data format that can be handled by the receiving terminal 5 is specified.

The electronic data requesting unit 80 of the receiving terminal 5 requests the transmitting terminal 3 for image distribution (S240). When the transmission terminal 3 receives the image distribution request from the reception terminal 5 (S
150) and determine the request content (S152). If it is not a response to the image format selection page, the requester of the image distribution is confirmed (S152-NO,
S154), and it is confirmed whether the user is a registered user (S156). If the user is not a registered user, the reference data generation unit 12 generates a confirmation image group in a plurality of image formats that the terminal can handle as necessary, and inputs it to the output unit 16 as sample data (S156-NO). , S15
8). Each confirmation image generated at this time is preferably an image related to the image requested to be delivered, for example, an image having a reduced image size (for example, a thumbnail image).
Of course, for example, data that has already been fetched from the outside or reference data that has already been generated for another receiving terminal 5 may be used as sample data.

The output unit 16 generates a Web page for image format selection as shown in FIG. 5 (S16).
0). Then, the confirmation image created by the reference data generation unit 12 is incorporated into this Web page (a link is attached) (S162). Then, the output unit 16 is completed W
The eb page is transmitted to the receiving terminal 5 that has requested the image distribution using the HTTP protocol or the like (S164).

The sample data receiving section 50 of the receiving terminal 5 uses the We for selecting the image format transmitted from the transmitting terminal 3.
First, page b is received, and the received web page is input to the selection information presenting section 62 of the data format specifying section 60 (S2).
50). The data format identifying unit 60 identifies a data format that can be handled by the receiving terminal 5 based on the Web page received from the transmitting terminal 3 and asks the operator to select a favorite one from the available ones. (S252). For example, the selection information presentation unit 62 displays the image format selection Web page on the image display unit 9 via the input / output I / F unit 90.
Display it on 3 and ask the user to click the confirmation image that can be displayed and is favorite. When the data format selection unit 64 detects the image selected by the operator, the information is transmitted to the data format information transmission unit 70. The data format information transmission unit 70 transmits / receives data format information indicating the image format selected by the operator I
A response is made to the receiving terminal 5 via the / F unit 72 (S25
4). For this response processing, CGI (Common Gateway Int
erface) should be used.

The transmission terminal 3 uses the W for image format selection.
When a reply to the eb page is received, step S1
Similar to 54, the image request source is reconfirmed (S152).
-YES, S170). Then, the identification information acquisition unit 22
Extracts (acquires) the identification information regarding the receiving terminal 5 that requested the image distribution from, for example, a CGI response, and inputs the extracted identification information into the data format information storage unit 24 (S172). In addition, the data format information receiving unit 20 uses the CG
Information on the image format selected by the user of the receiving terminal 5 is extracted from the I response or the like, and the extracted data format information is input to the data format information storage unit 24 (S154). The data format information storage unit 24 registers or updates the data format information as information about the corresponding user in the management table (S156).

After this, or when the user requesting image distribution is already registered (S156-YES), the distribution control unit 40 confirms the image format information of the user registered in the management table (S180). ). When the image data to be distributed is different from the registered image format, the data conversion unit 48 is requested to perform data conversion so that the image data has a compatible data format. Then, an image in a compatible data format is delivered to the receiving terminal 5 via the transfer unit 42 and the transmission / reception I / F unit 18 (S182).

By the processing of this second example as well, the receiving terminal 5
The user on the side can securely receive the image in a data format that the receiving terminal 5 can handle (S256), and display the image on the image display unit 93 to browse the requested image (S258). . Further, the processing for identifying the data format that the receiving terminal 5 can handle is the same as in the first example in that the confirmation image is transmitted from the transmitting terminal 3 to the receiving terminal 5 as sample data, and the confirmation image is displayed as an image. Display unit 93
Since it is only necessary to input whether or not it has been displayed on the screen, or which format is preferred, the user at the receiving terminal 5 side
Even if the receiving terminal 5 has no knowledge of a data format that can be handled, the data format can be surely specified and selected, and the work is extremely simple. Also,
When the image related to the image requested to be distributed is generated as the confirmation image, the receiving terminal 5 side can confirm not only the data format but also the formal image in advance.

FIG. 8 is a block diagram showing a second embodiment of the electronic data distribution system according to the present invention. This second
The electronic data distribution system 1 according to the embodiment includes each transmission terminal 3
In the above, while managing the sample data for specifying the data format, the management server 6 manages the data format information about each receiving terminal 5. The transmission terminal 3 does not include the data format information storage unit 24. Management server 6
Includes an identification information acquisition unit 22 and a data format information storage unit 24, which are included in the transmission terminal 3 of the first embodiment. Further, the management server 6 includes a data format information transmitting / receiving unit 21 instead of the data format information receiving unit 20. The data format information transmitting / receiving unit 21 receives the data format information from the receiving terminal 5 and delivers it to the data format information storing unit 24, or when receiving a request from the receiving terminal 5, receives the corresponding data receiving unit from the data format information storing unit 24. The data format information 5 is read from the data format information storage unit 24 and transmitted to 3.

FIG. 9 is a flow chart showing an example of the processing procedure in the electronic data distribution system 1 of the second embodiment. In the electronic data distribution system 1 according to the second embodiment, the confirmation image-attached e-mail transmitted from the transmission terminal 3 is received, and the data format that can be handled by the reception terminal 5 is determined based on the received confirmation image. Process until identification (S100 to S112, S200 to S214)
Is almost the same as the process of the first example of the first embodiment. Note that the determination process (S102 in the first example) for determining whether the email message from the receiving terminal 5 is an email for a confirmation image group transmission request is basically unnecessary.

The data format information transmission section 70 transmits / receives I / O data.
Data format information indicating the image format selected by the operator is attached to the e-mail via the F unit 72 (S214), and is transmitted (transferred) to the management server 6 instead of the transmission terminal 3 (S).
200). In order to automate the setting of the transfer destination, the "registration" display is provided in the data format specifying email transmitted by the transmission terminal 3, and the "registration" display and the mail address are linked. Good. In this case, the receiving terminal 5
When the user confirms the image format and then clicks "Register", the data format information transmission unit 70 automatically attaches the data format information indicating the image format selected by the operator to the reply mail and automatically. It returns with the management server 6 as the destination.

When the management server 6 receives the image format selection notification e-mail by the data format information transmission / reception section 21 (S118), it confirms the sender of the e-mail as in step S104 (S120). Then, the identification information acquisition unit 22 extracts (acquires) the identification information regarding the receiving terminal 5 that has transmitted the electronic mail from the mail header or the like, and inputs the extracted identification information into the data format information storage unit 24 (S122). . Further, the data format information transmission / reception unit 21 extracts the information of the image format selected by the user of the receiving terminal 5 described in the electronic mail, and inputs the extracted data format information into the data format information storage unit 24 ( S124). The data format information storage unit 24 registers or updates the data format information as information on the corresponding user in the management table (S126). In other words, the management server 6 performs S1 performed by the transmission terminal 3 of the first example.
The same processing as 20 to S126 is performed.

By the above processing, the information about the image format that can be handled by the receiving terminal 5, which is necessary when the image data is transferred by mail, is registered in advance in the management table managed by the management server 6.

After this, the electronic data requesting unit 80 of the receiving terminal 5
Request image transmission to the transmission terminal 3 at an appropriate time (S
220). In the transmission terminal 3, when the image distribution request is received (S130), the distribution control unit 40 first transmits / receives I / O.
The management server 6 is accessed via the F unit 18 to confirm the data format that the receiving terminal 5 requesting image distribution can handle (S132). At the time of this confirmation access, the identification information regarding the receiving terminal 5 extracted by the identification information acquisition unit 22 is transmitted.

When the management server 6 receives the confirmation access from the transmission terminal 3, the identification information acquisition section 22 acquires the identification information regarding the reception terminal 5 and inputs it to the data format information storage section 24. The data format information storage unit 24 extracts the data format information corresponding to the input identification information from the management table, and responds the extracted data format information to the transmitting terminal 3 via the data format information transmitting / receiving unit 21 (S1).
33). The data format information reception unit 20 of the transmission terminal 3 receives the data format information transmitted from the management server 6 and inputs it to the distribution control unit 40. As a result, the distribution control unit 40
Can confirm the image format information of the user registered in the management table on the management server 6 side.

When the format of the image data to be distributed is different from the image format returned from the management server 6, the distribution control unit 40 requests the data conversion unit 48 to convert the data so that the data format is compatible. Then, the image in the compatible data format is delivered to the receiving terminal 5 via the transfer unit 42 and the transmission / reception I / F unit 18 (S134).

Thus, also in the mode of the second embodiment, the user on the receiving terminal 5 side surely receives the image in the data format that the receiving terminal 5 can handle (S222), and displays the image on the image display unit 93. By displaying it, the requested image can be browsed (S224). Further, in the processing for identifying the data format that the receiving terminal 5 can handle, was the confirmation image transmitted from the transmitting terminal 3 to the receiving terminal 5 as sample data, and was this confirmation image displayed on the image display unit 93? Since it is only necessary to input into the input unit 92 whether or not or which format is preferred, the user on the receiving terminal 5 side has knowledge of the data format that the receiving terminal 5 can handle, as in the first embodiment. It is possible to specify and select the data format without any need, and the work is extremely easy. Further, since the information of the data format that each receiving terminal 5 can handle can be centrally managed by the management server 6, the individual transmitting terminals 3 do not have to manage the data format information of each receiving terminal 5. System efficiency is improved as compared with the configuration of the first embodiment.

FIG. 10 is a block diagram showing a third embodiment of the electronic data distribution system according to the present invention. The electronic data distribution system 1 of the third embodiment is a mode in which the management server 6 manages sample data for specifying a data format and also manages data format information for each receiving terminal 5. In other words, in addition to the configuration of the second embodiment, the function of managing sample data is transferred from the transmission terminal 3 to the management server 6. Therefore, the transmitting terminal 3
Does not include the sample data transmission unit 10, the reference data generation unit 12, and the sample data storage unit 14. To that extent, the management server 6 includes the sample data transmission unit 10, the reference data generation unit 12, and the sample data storage unit 14, which are included in the transmission terminal 3 of the first embodiment. The data format information transmission / reception unit 21 provided in the transmission terminal 3 not only receives from the management server 6 information in a data format that the reception terminal 5 can handle, but also a data format that can be handled by itself (the transmission terminal 3). Information of the above is transmitted to the management server 6. The data format information transmission / reception unit 21 provided in the management server 6 not only transmits and receives information in a data format that the receiving terminal 5 can handle, but also transmits information in a data format that the transmitting terminal 3 can handle from the transmitting terminal 3. To receive. The identification information acquisition unit 23 acquires not only the identification information about the receiving terminal 5 but also the identification information about the transmitting terminal 3. The sample data storage unit 14 stores the sample data for specifying the data format according to the data format that the transmission terminal 3 can handle,
It is stored in a storage medium (not shown) in association with the identification information regarding the transmission terminal 3 acquired by the identification information acquisition unit 23.

FIG. 11 is a flow chart showing an example of the processing procedure in the electronic data distribution system 1 of the third embodiment. The receiving terminal 5 accesses the management server 6 and preregisters a data format that the receiving terminal 5 can handle. Steps S100 to S126, S200 to S
The processing up to 214 is the same as the processing performed by the transmitting terminal 3 of the first example in the first embodiment. The processing when the image distribution is requested from the receiving terminal 5 to the transmitting terminal 3 after the completion of the pre-registration is performed in steps S130 to 1 of the second embodiment.
34, S220 to S224.

The management server 6 executes step S106.
When the confirmation image is generated in, the information regarding the data format that the transmitting terminal 3 can handle is acquired by the data format information transmitting / receiving unit 21. Then, the identification information acquisition unit 23 uses the generated confirmation image as a sample image.
It is recorded in the management table in association with the identification information regarding the transmission terminal 3 acquired by. Thus, when the pre-registered access is received from the receiving terminal 5, the receiving terminal 5
If the image format of the transmission terminal 3 desiring data distribution is registered in the sample data storage unit 14, it is not necessary to inquire the transmission terminal 3 for data format information each time. Further, when the image format of the transmitting terminal 3 which the receiving terminal 5 desires to deliver data to is the same as the data format of the other transmitting terminals 3, the sample image registered in the sample data transmitting section 10 can be used. Therefore, it is not necessary to generate the confirmation image again.

As a result, also in the aspect of the third embodiment, the user on the receiving terminal 5 side certainly receives the image in the data format that the receiving terminal 5 can handle (S222), and displays the image on the image display unit 93. By displaying it, the requested image can be browsed (S224). Also, the first
Similarly to the second embodiment, the user on the receiving terminal 5 side can surely specify and select the data format even if the receiving terminal 5 has no knowledge of the data format that the receiving terminal 5 can handle. It's very easy.

Further, not only the information of the data format that each receiving terminal 5 can handle, but also the information of the data format that each transmitting terminal 3 can handle can be centrally managed by the management server 6, so that the data sharing is possible. The degree of improvement is higher than that of the second embodiment, and the system can be made slim.

FIG. 12 is a diagram showing an example of a hardware configuration in the case of configuring the transmitting terminal 3 by software using the CPU and the memory, that is, in the case of using an electronic computer (computer). Illustrated sending terminal 3
The digital decoding device, which is an example of
0, FAX unit 32, scanner unit 34, and printer 9
28 is provided.

The computer section 920 includes a CPU 902,
A ROM (Read Only Memory) 904, a RAM 906, and a communication I / F (interface) 908 are provided.
The computer unit 920 includes, for example, a hard disk device 914 and a flexible disk (FD) drive 9
16 or a recording / reading device such as a CD-ROM (Compact Disk ROM) drive 918 for reading or recording data from a storage medium. Hard disk device 914, FD drive 916, or C
The D-ROM drive 918 is used, for example, for registering program data for causing the CPU 902 to perform software processing. Communication I / F 908
It mediates the transfer of communication data with the network 9 such as the Internet. The RAM 906 is used as a temporary storage of data, a work memory for arithmetic processing, a buffer memory of the communication I / F unit 908, and the like. ROM
A program code and constants that the CPU 902 complies with are stored in 904. Generally, a non-rewritable program is used, and the contents are not erased even when the power is turned off. The hard disk device 914 is used to store various data, messages, and information, and generally has a larger capacity than the RAM 906, and a functional portion as the data format information storage unit 24 stores user attribute information and selected image format information. Also used to store. The UI-I / F unit 925 accepts various settings, destination designation, etc. on an operation panel (not shown), and transfers the facsimile image received by the FAX unit 32 and the image data read by the scanner unit 34 via the network 9. Settings for services to be performed are also performed here.

The printer 928 is used to print the content of messages sent from other devices. The scanner unit 34 reads a document drawn on a medium such as paper and converts it into a data format that can be processed inside the transmission terminal 3.

Such a configuration can be similar to the basic configuration and operation shown in the above embodiment. A program that causes a computer to execute the above-described processing procedure is distributed through a recording medium such as a CD-ROM 922. Alternatively, the program is C
It may be stored in the FD 920 instead of the D-ROM 922. Further, an MO drive may be provided to store the program in the MO, or the program may be stored in another recording medium such as a nonvolatile semiconductor memory card 924 such as a flash memory. Further, the program may be downloaded from another server or the like via a communication network such as the Internet and acquired or updated. As the recording medium, in addition to the FD 920 and the CD-ROM 922, an optical recording medium such as a DVD, a magnetic recording medium such as an MD, a magneto-optical recording medium such as a PD, a tape medium, a magnetic recording medium, an IC card, and the like. A semiconductor memory such as a miniature card can be used.

FD920 or CD as an example of a recording medium
The ROM 922 and the like can store some or all of the functions of the flowcharts showing the processing procedures in the transmitting terminal 3 and the receiving terminal 5 described in the above embodiments. Therefore, it is possible to provide the following program and a storage medium storing the program. For example,
The program for the transmission terminal, that is, the software installed in the RAM 906 or the like, is the same as the transmission terminal 3 shown in the above embodiment, the sample data transmission unit 10, the reference data generation unit 12, the data format information reception unit 20, and the identification. Each functional unit such as the information acquisition unit 22, the electronic data transmission unit 30, and the data conversion unit 48 is provided as software.

The receiving terminal 5 and the management server 6 can also be configured by software using the CPU and the memory. For the receiving terminal 5,
The program for the receiving terminal, that is, the software installed in the RAM 906 or the like, is the same as the receiving terminal 5 shown in the above embodiment, the sample data receiving unit 50, the data format specifying unit 60, the selection information presenting unit 62, the data format. Each functional unit such as the selection unit 64 and the data format information transmission unit 70 is provided as software.

When the transmitting terminal 3 is composed of a computer, for example, the CD-ROM drive 918 is
The data or control program is read from the ROM 904 or the CD-ROM 922 and passed to the CPU 902. Then, the software is installed in the hard disk device 914 from the CD-ROM 922 or the like. The hard disk device 914 is an FD drive 916 or a CD-ROM.
The data or program read by the drive 918 or the data created by the CPU 902 executing the program is stored, and the stored data or program is read and passed to the CPU 902. The software stored in the hard disk device 914 is read by the RAM 906 and then executed by the CPU 902. For example, the CPU 902 executes the above-described processing procedure based on the programs stored in the ROM 904 and the RAM 906, which are an example of a recording medium, thereby generating and transmitting sample data in the above-described processing procedure, and receiving the electronic data based on the sample data. It is possible to realize the function for distribution to the software.

FIG. 13 shows the digital multi-function device as the transmitting terminal 3.
FIG. 3 is a diagram showing a specific configuration example of a data distribution system 1 that includes a PDA or a personal computer as a receiving terminal 5 as a receiving terminal 5. Here, a state of an electronic data transfer service between the transmitting terminal 3 (digital multifunctional device) and the receiving terminal 5 (PDA or personal computer) is illustrated. The digital multi-function device, PDA, or personal computer is shown in FIG.
As shown in FIG. 3, the CPU and the memory are used to configure the software.

The user of the receiving terminal 5 (PDA or personal computer) who intends to use the facsimile image transfer service or the scan transfer service provided in the receiving terminal 5 requests the sending terminal 3 to send the confirmation image group. (Step S1). This request can be configured to be made by sending an empty mail to a specific mail address of the sending terminal 3. The transmission terminal 3 that has received the confirmation image group transmission request from the reception terminal 5 attaches a plurality of sample image data generated in an image format that can be handled by the own device to an e-mail and transmits it to the reception terminal 5. (Step S2).

The e-mail at this time may have a content in which a method of notifying the confirmation image and the selected image format is written as shown in FIG. The user of the receiving terminal 5 that receives the e-mail tries to browse the attached image.
Since it is possible to determine that the image format that cannot be browsed is not supported by the receiving terminal 5, one or more of the image formats that can be browsed are selected (step S3). The receiving terminal 5 notifies the transmitting terminal 3 of the data format information indicating the selected image format (step S4). This notification method can be performed by entering the number of the selected image format as the reply mail of the electronic mail shown in FIG. 3 or by attaching the sample image data of the image format that could be browsed and replying. Good. The transmitting terminal 3 that has received the image format selection notification mail, which is an example of the data format information, from the receiving terminal 5.
Then, the management table (for example, FIG. 2) held by the data format information storage unit 24 stores the user name, the information about the receiving terminal 5, and the information about the image format selected by the receiving terminal 5.
Registered or updated to the one shown in (step S)
5). After that, the user remotely operates the scanner unit 34 provided in the transmission terminal 3 by using the reception terminal 5 (PDA or personal computer), and instructs to transmit the read image to the reception terminal 5 by e-mail. The transmitting terminal 3 can be handled by the receiving terminal 5 by referring to the management table shown in FIG. 2 and converting the image format into a selected image format as needed by the data converting unit 48 and attaching it to the transfer mail. The image in the image format is delivered to the receiving terminal 5. Similarly, when the FAX unit 32 of the transmission terminal 3 receives a facsimile image addressed to the user, the data conversion unit 48 also converts the FAX image into a designated data format and attaches it to a transfer mail addressed to the reception terminal 5. (Steps S6a and S6b).

In the above description, the case of the data transfer service using e-mail was illustrated, but the image read by the scanner unit 34 or the image received by the facsimile by the FAX unit 32 is stored in the storage area inside the transmission terminal 3. The service may be stored and accessed from the receiving terminal 5 using HTTP to the transmitting terminal 3 configured as a Web server to browse the image. In this case, the receiving terminal 5 uses a general web browser to browse the images stored in the transmitting terminal 3, and thus transmits a home page for selecting an image format as shown in FIG. 4, for example. Prepared by the terminal 3 side, the receiving terminal 5
From the URL (Unified Resource Locator) of the page
It is also possible to configure so that the processing corresponding to the above-mentioned steps S1 to S4 is performed by accessing the.

Although the present invention has been described using the embodiments, the technical scope of the present invention is not limited to the scope described in the above embodiments. Various changes or improvements can be added to the above-described embodiment, and a mode in which such changes or improvements are added is also included in the technical scope of the present invention. Also,
The above embodiments do not limit the claimed invention, and all combinations of the features described in the embodiments are not necessarily essential to the solution of the invention.

For example, in each of the above-described embodiments, the image is distributed from the transmitting terminal 3 to the receiving terminal 5 as an example of electronic data, but the electronic data to be distributed is not limited to the image. For example, it may be music data, or document data or table data. Further, for example, when handling document data in which an image or a table is embedded in a document, the sample data may include not only a part of the text portion in the document but also a sample of the image or the table.

[0075]

As described above, according to the present invention, the receiving terminal receives the sample data for specifying the data format, and by referring to the received sample data, the data format that the receiving terminal can handle. Since the user does not need to know the data format that the device can handle, the sample data for confirmation can be used to determine the data format that the device can handle depending on whether or not the image can be viewed. Since it can be specified, it can be determined easily and reliably.

Further, since the exchange between the transmitting terminal and the receiving terminal can be performed by using a general mechanism such as an electronic mail or an exchange by HTTP and HTML, a special negotiation rule is not required, so that a wide range is possible. It can be applied to devices. Further, since the data format information about the receiving terminal can be acquired with a reliable method, it is possible to prevent useless conversion work and data transfer even in the formal distribution of electronic data thereafter.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a first electronic data distribution system according to the present invention.
It is a block diagram showing an embodiment.

FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of a management table managed by a data format information storage unit.

FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an example of an electronic mail to which sample data transmitted from a transmitting terminal to a receiving terminal is attached.

FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of a Web screen for confirming an image format.

FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing a first example of a processing procedure in the electronic data distribution system of the first embodiment.

FIG. 6 is a flowchart showing a processing procedure when a facsimile image is received by a transmitting terminal and transferred to the receiving terminal.

FIG. 7 is a flowchart showing a second example of a processing procedure in the electronic data distribution system of the first embodiment.

FIG. 8 is a second electronic data distribution system according to the present invention.
It is a block diagram showing an embodiment.

FIG. 9 is a flowchart showing an example of a processing procedure in the electronic data distribution system of the second embodiment.

FIG. 10 is a block diagram showing a third embodiment of an electronic data distribution system according to the present invention.

FIG. 11 is a flowchart showing an example of a processing procedure in the electronic data distribution system of the third embodiment.

FIG. 12 is a diagram showing an example of a hardware configuration when a transmitting terminal is configured by software using a CPU and a memory.

FIG. 13 includes a digital multifunction device as a transmission terminal,
It is a figure which shows the structural example of the data delivery system provided with PDA and a personal computer as a receiving terminal.

[Explanation of symbols]

1 ... Data distribution system, 3 ... Transmission terminal, 5 ... Reception terminal, 6 ... Management server, 9 ... Network, 10 ... Sample data transmission section, 12 ... Reference data generation section, 14 ... Sample data storage section, 20 ... Data format Information receiving unit, 21 ... Data format information transmitting / receiving unit, 22, 23 ... Identification information acquiring unit, 24
... data format information storage unit, 30 ... electronic data transmission unit, 3
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Data acquisition part, 32 ... FAX part, 34 ... Scanner part, 40 ... Delivery control part, 42 ... Transfer part, 48 ... Data conversion part, 50 ... Sample data receiving part, 52 ... Sample data request part, 60 ... Data Format specification part, 62 ... Selection information presentation part,
64 ... Data format selection section, 70 ... Data format information transmission section, 80 ... Electronic data request section, 82 ... Electronic data reception section, 84 ... Data output section, 93 ... Image display section, 94 ... Audio output section

Claims (14)

[Claims] 1. A data distribution system for distributing electronic data from a transmission terminal to a reception terminal, wherein the reception terminal is data in accordance with at least one data format that can be handled by the transmission terminal. Receiving sample data for format specification, referring to the received sample data, specifying a data format that can be handled by the receiving terminal, and transmitting data format information indicating the specified data format, The transmitting terminal receives the data format information indicating a data format that can be handled by the receiving terminal, refers to the received data format information, and receives the electronic data according to the data format information as the receiving terminal. A data distribution system characterized by transmitting to. 2. A transmission terminal that distributes electronic data to a reception terminal, the data format information indicating a data format that can be handled by the reception terminal, which is specified by the reception terminal based on the sample data. A data format information receiving unit for receiving from the receiving terminal, and an electronic data transmitting unit for transmitting electronic data according to the data format information with reference to the data format information received by the data format information receiving unit. A transmitting terminal characterized in that. 3. A sample data transmitting unit for transmitting sample data for specifying a data format to the receiving terminal according to at least one data format that can be handled by the transmitting terminal. The transmitting terminal according to claim 2, wherein 4. The sample data transmission unit includes a reference data generation unit that generates reference data representing a part of electronic data requested to be delivered from the reception terminal, and is generated by the reference data generation unit. The transmission terminal according to claim 2, wherein reference data is transmitted as the sample data. 5. A data format information storage unit for storing the data format information received by the data format information reception unit in association with the reception terminal, wherein the electronic data transmission unit is an electronic device from the reception terminal. 5. When the data distribution request is received, the electronic data is transmitted by referring to the data format information corresponding to the receiving terminal stored in the data format information storage unit. The transmitting terminal according to any one of 1. 6. The electronic device further comprises a data format conversion unit that refers to the data format information received by the data format information receiving unit and converts the acquired electronic data into electronic data according to the data format information. The transmission terminal according to any one of claims 2 to 5, wherein the data transmission section delivers the electronic data converted by the data format conversion section to the reception terminal. 7. A receiving terminal for receiving electronic data from a transmitting terminal, wherein a sample data receiving section for receiving sample data for specifying a data format, and the sample data received by the sample data receiving section are referred to. A data format identifying unit that identifies a data format that can be handled by the receiving terminal, and a data format information transmitting unit that transmits data format information indicating the data format identified by the data format identifying unit. And the receiving terminal. 8. A selection information presenting unit that presents information for data format selection to an operator of the receiving terminal based on the sample data received by the sample data receiving unit, 8. The receiving terminal according to claim 7, further comprising a data format selection unit that acquires information on the data format selected by the operator based on the selected information for data format selection. 9. A management server used in a data distribution system for distributing electronic data from a transmission terminal to a reception terminal, according to at least one data format that can be handled by the transmission terminal. A sample data storage unit that stores sample data for specifying the data format in association with the transmitting terminal, and sample data for transmitting the sample data for specifying the data format stored in the sample data storage unit to the receiving terminal. A management server comprising: a transmission unit. 10. A management server used in a data distribution system for distributing electronic data from a transmission terminal to a reception terminal, the data format information receiving data format information indicating a data format that can be handled by the reception terminal. A receiver, a data format information storage unit that stores the data format information received by the data format information receiver in association with the receiving terminal, and the data format information stored in the data format information storage unit And a data format information transmission unit for transmitting the data to the transmission terminal. 11. A program for distributing electronic data to a receiving terminal, the computer showing a data format specified by the receiving terminal based on the sample data and which can be handled by the receiving terminal. A data format information receiving unit that receives data format information from the receiving terminal, and an electronic data transmission that transmits electronic data according to the data format information with reference to the data format information received by the data format information receiving unit A program characterized by causing it to function as a section. 12. A program for receiving electronic data from a transmission terminal, the computer including a sample data receiving unit for receiving sample data for specifying a data format, and the sample data received by the sample data receiving unit. , A data format identifying unit that identifies a data format that can be handled by itself, and a data format information transmitting unit that transmits data format information indicating the data format identified by the data format identifying unit. Characteristic program. 13. A program for distributing electronic data from a transmitting terminal to a receiving terminal, the data format specifying according to at least one of the data formats that can be handled by the transmitting terminal. As a sample data storage unit for storing sample data for use in association with the transmission terminal, and as a sample data transmission unit for transmitting the sample data for specifying the data format stored in the sample data storage unit to the receiving terminal A program characterized by making it function. 14. A program for distributing electronic data from a transmitting terminal to a receiving terminal, comprising: a computer, a data format information receiving section for receiving data format information indicating a data format that can be handled by the receiving terminal. A data format information storage unit for storing the data format information received by the data format information receiving unit in association with the receiving terminal; and transmitting the data format information stored in the data format information storage unit. A program characterized by causing it to function as a data format information transmission unit for transmitting to a terminal.