JP2005184673A - Network fax machine - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide network fax machine in which convenience and security can be made compatible by adding a password-based user limitation to file access based an Internet fax system using an HTML scheme. <P>SOLUTION: The network fax machine comprises a means for transmitting an image read from a reading section while attached to an E mail and for storing the image on a server, a means for creating a thumbnail of the read image, attaching the thumbnail to a file of the HTML scheme for linking to the image stored on the server, a means for setting a password for accessing the file to the server, a means for creating a mail with the link of the file and the password described therein, and a means for transmitting the mail to a reception destination of an instructed address. The reception destination clicks the thumbnail image of the received link destination file and inputs the requested password from the server to browse the image on the server. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2005,JPO&NCIPI

Description

  BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a network FAX apparatus connected on a network connected to a server for transmitting an image read from a reading unit as an image attached to an e-mail, and in particular, a file by an Internet FAX system using an HTML system. The present invention relates to a network FAX apparatus that can achieve both convenience and security by adding a user restriction by a password to access.

Conventionally, a facsimile with an e-mail transmission / reception function (hereinafter referred to as a network FAX) has been used for the purpose of being simply used as a network (LAN) scanner. The file format to be attached at that time is generally PDF, TIFF, JPG or the like.
As a prior art, Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2000-105740 discloses that a data transmission control unit performs transmission / reception control of a plurality of types of data through a telephone line, a LAN I / F unit, and a communication cable, and a data analysis unit performs a data transmission control unit. Are analyzed for determining the storage method based on the initial setting or the received data based on the format of each received data. Based on the analysis result, the data conversion unit converts the data into an HTML document or TIFF format data handled by the HTML document. The data processed here is stored in the memory unit in association with the URL information. Also disclosed is a technique for controlling transmission and reception when a client retrieves and uses data stored in the memory unit by the memory control unit through the data transmission control unit. Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 10-65853 discloses a technique for greatly improving the usability of the group 3 facsimile apparatus by receiving the HTML file stored on the Internet using the group 3 facsimile apparatus. Yes.
JP 2000-105740 A Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 10-65853

However, for scanner purposes, there is no usability problem in the case of transmission to self, but in the case of an unspecified number of destinations, it is not easy to use. There are drawbacks such as only the icon indicating the attached file being visible and the mail size being large.
Also, in Internet FAX, the image is registered as an HTML format with an image link on the server, and the link of the page is transmitted to the destination Internet FAX method (the image read from the FAX scanner is sent to the e-mail as an image) Even if it is a method of attaching and transmitting), there was a risk that a third party inadvertently accessed the file.
Therefore, the present invention has been made to solve the above-described conventional drawbacks, and its purpose is to add convenience and security by adding a user restriction by a password to file access by the Internet FAX method using the HTML method. It is to provide a network FAX apparatus that can satisfy both of the above.

In order to achieve the above object, the invention described in claim 1 is a network FAX apparatus connected on a network to which a server is connected in order to transmit an image read from a reading unit as an image attached to an e-mail. Saving means for saving the read image on the server, thumbnail creation means for creating a thumbnail of the read image, HTML creation means for creating an HTML file, and the thumbnail in the HTML file. Thumbnail attachment means for attaching an image, link attachment means for attaching a link to an image previously stored on the server to the thumbnail image of the HTML file, and registration of the HTML file on the server File registration means and a password for accessing the HTML file. Password setting means for setting a password in the server, mail creating means for creating a mail in which the link of the HTML file and the password are described, and sending means for sending the mail to the designated recipient And the recipient can click on the thumbnail image of the received link destination file and enter the password requested by the server to enable browsing of the image on the server.
According to a second aspect of the present invention, in the network FAX apparatus according to the first aspect, the storage location of the image and the HTML format file is a FAX memory connected to the network.
The invention described in claim 3 is the network FAX apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the link destination of the thumbnail is another network FAX apparatus connected to the network.

According to the present invention, since an image file can be viewed through a thumbnail, it is easy to identify the image file, and the convenience of the receiving user is increased. The HTML format Web can be browsed, file operations can be performed without any special operation by simply clicking the thumbnail, and file access is not possible without a password, so that it is possible to prevent unspecified number of file browsing. There is.
Furthermore, since the file registration location is FAX local, the system can be easily constructed when the FAX is moved.
Furthermore, it can be used simply by connecting to a LAN port to which a normal server is connected.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.
FIG. 1 is a schematic configuration diagram of an embodiment of a network FAX apparatus according to the present invention.
As shown in FIG. 1, the network FAX apparatus includes an operation display unit 1 of a facsimile machine, a reading unit 2 for image information (original), a writing unit 3 for performing writing and printing operations for received originals and various reports, An intermediate buffer 4 used when image information is exchanged between peripherals, a compression / decompression unit 6 that performs compression / decompression of image information, a central control unit 7 that includes a CPU and a main memory to control the entire facsimile, An image information storage unit 8 that stores image information as a file, a communication control unit 9 that performs facsimile communication control, and a LAN port 10 that is controlled by the communication control unit 9 and serves as a port through the network 13 with the server 12. However, the internal buses 11a and 11b are connected.
The operation display unit 1 is provided with an LCD for displaying operations such as e-mail destination and server address registration. Further, the compression / decompression unit 6 performs encoding (JPEG, TIFF, etc.) processing when an image is attached to an e-mail, and the central control unit 7 determines input operation information and the like, and displays an LCD (guidance, Instruct display information such as (address display). The central control unit 7 also has a system memory for registering an e-mail address, a destination name, and a one-touch dial. The network 13 is connected to a server 12, a FAX memory 14, a mail server 15, a personal computer 16, another network FAX device 17, and the like.

Next, the operation of the network FAX apparatus will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 2 is an operation flowchart of the network FAX apparatus shown in FIG.
In step 101 of FIG. 2, an image set by the user is read by the reading unit 2 of the network FAX apparatus, and the read image data is compressed by the compression / decompression unit 6 using the intermediate buffer 4 or the like. Is compressed.
Next, in step 102, the image data read at the address on the server 12 registered in advance from the operation display unit 1 is stored with a unique name, or alternatively, on the network 13 instead of the server 12. Each of the image data is stored with a unique name in the FAX memory 14 that has been released, and in step 103, the read image is thinned out to create thumbnail image data. Here, the thinning-out process (reduction method) may be performed by the central control unit 7 or the compression decoding unit 6.
Next, in step 104, a Web file is created in the HTML format. At this time, the thumbnail image created in step 103 is pasted. Each thumbnail image is described with a link made up of the server address or FAX memory address of the image used in step 102 and a file name. In step 105, the Web file created in step 104 is registered in the server 12 via the network 13 using the LAN port 10. At this time, it is assumed that the directory for registration in the server 12 is designated in advance at the time of initial setting of the Internet FAX.
Next, in step 106, a password for accessing the Web file of the server 12 by the user is set in the server 12. The password is automatically generated by FAX and registered in the server 12, but the password generated by the server 12 may be acquired. In step 107, an e-mail in which the address (link destination) of the page of the web file registered in step 105 is described and the password for accessing the web file set earlier is created. In step 108, the mail created in step 107 is transmitted via the mail server 15 to the recipient of the address designated by the operation display unit 1 (such as the personal computer 16).

By the above processing, the recipient (the personal computer 16 or the like) can view the image on the server by clicking the thumbnail image of the received link destination file and inputting the password requested from the server. .
In the above step, the image data and the Web file may be registered in the FAX memory 14 instead of the server 12 and read out from the FAX memory 14 for browsing. In this case, the thumbnail link destination may be another network FAX device 17 on the network 13.

It is a schematic block diagram of one Embodiment of the network FAX apparatus by this invention. 4 is an operation flowchart of the network FAX apparatus shown in FIG. 1.

Explanation of symbols

  DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Operation display part, 2 ... Reading part, 3 ... Writing part, 4 ... Intermediate buffer, 6 ... Compression decoding part, 7 ... Central control part, 8 ... Memory part, 9 ... Communication control part, 10 ... LAN port, 11a, 11b ... internal bus, 12 ... server, 13 ... network, 14 ... FAX memory, 15 ... mail server, 16 ... personal computer, 17 ... other network FAX devices

Claims (3)

A network FAX apparatus connected on a network to which a server is connected in order to attach an image read from a reading unit to an e-mail and transmit the image;
Storage means for storing the read image on a server;
Thumbnail creation means for creating a thumbnail of the read image;
HTML creation means for creating a file in HTML format;
Thumbnail attachment means for attaching the thumbnail image to the HTML file;
Link attachment means for attaching a link to the image previously stored on the server to the thumbnail image of the HTML file;
File registration means for registering the HTML file on the server;
Password setting means for setting a password for accessing the HTML file in the server;
A mail creating means for creating a mail with the link of the HTML file and the password;
Transmitting means for transmitting the mail to the recipient of the designated address;
The network FAX apparatus, wherein the receiving destination clicks a thumbnail image of the received link destination file and inputs the password requested from the server, thereby enabling browsing of the image on the server.   2. The network FAX apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a storage location of the image and the HTML format file is a FAX memory connected to the network.   3. The network FAX apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the link destination of the thumbnail is another network FAX apparatus connected to the network.

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