JP2006080812A - Network facsimile machine - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a technology of facilitating the management after data acquired via a network such as the Internet are printed. <P>SOLUTION: The network facsimile machine 100 includes: a transmission/reception section 116 for receiving electronic mail including its attached file; a two-dimensional code information generating section 114 for converting at least part of character information other than that of the attached file of the electronic mail into two-dimensional code information of a prescribed form; and a print section 120 for printing at least part of the attached file together with the two-dimensional code information converted by the two-dimensional code information generating section 114. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2006,JPO&NCIPI

Description

  The present invention relates to a network facsimile apparatus, and more particularly to a network facsimile apparatus that handles two-dimensional code information.

  In recent years, two-dimensional code information having information in the two-dimensional direction of the horizontal direction and the vertical direction has become widespread. Since the two-dimensional code can handle a larger amount of information than the one-dimensional code, the code itself can have various information.

Patent Document 1 includes information for identifying print data and information for identifying the print state at the upper end and the lower end of the paper when the printer device prints print data requested from the terminal device, respectively. A system is disclosed that prints a printed barcode together with print data, identifies the printing state by reading the barcode at a paper discharge port, and manages it as a printing history. Here, a barcode reader is provided at the paper discharge port, and by reading the barcode at the paper discharge port, it is possible to identify the printing state and notify the user that the paper discharge is completed. ing.
JP 2004-90235 A

  Incidentally, a network facsimile apparatus generally has a facsimile transmission function, a printing function, a document reading function, and the like. In such a facsimile apparatus, it is possible to print two-dimensional code information on a paper medium or the like using a printing function. It is also possible to read two-dimensional code information printed on a paper medium or the like by using a document reading function. Therefore, in such a facsimile apparatus, it is easy to handle two-dimensional code information without adding a special apparatus.

  The present invention has been made in view of these points, and an object thereof is to provide a technique that facilitates management after printing data acquired via a network such as the Internet.

  According to the present invention, receiving means for receiving an e-mail including an attached file, conversion means for converting at least a part of character information other than the attached file of the e-mail into two-dimensional code information in a predetermined format, There is provided a network facsimile apparatus comprising: a printing unit that prints at least a part of the attached file together with the two-dimensional code information converted by the conversion unit.

  The two-dimensional code information in a predetermined format can be a QR code, for example. Here, the attached file can be image data such as Tiff or PDF format.

  In this way, since the character information related to the attached file can be printed as the two-dimensional code information together with the attached file, the two-dimensional code information portion of the document printed later is decoded and converted into character information. Even after the attached file is printed, the attached file can be associated with the character information. Thereby, management of data acquired by the network facsimile apparatus can be facilitated.

  In the network facsimile apparatus of the present invention, the conversion means can convert the header information of the electronic mail into the two-dimensional code information of the predetermined format.

  Here, the header information can include, for example, a sender email address, a recipient email address, a transmission date and time, a broadcaster email address, and the like. By converting such header information into two-dimensional code information, a two-dimensional code information portion printed on a paper medium can be decoded and converted into character information later, and the header information is acquired as character information. Therefore, the manuscript can be easily managed even after the attached file is printed.

  In this way, after the attached file is printed, the attached file can be associated with the header information of the e-mail. Since the two-dimensional code information can include a large amount of information in a small area, it can be printed in the margin when the attached file is printed. Thus, the attached file and the header information can be printed on the same paper without using extra paper for printing the header information.

  In the network facsimile apparatus of the present invention, the conversion means can convert the text information of the electronic mail into the two-dimensional code information of the predetermined format.

  Here, the text information is text data described in e-mail, for example. In general, in a network facsimile apparatus, the main part of facsimile data is transmitted and received as an attached file, and a fixed sentence and a simple comment are only described in the body of an electronic mail. When such e-mail body information is printed alone, paper for that purpose is required, and paper resources are wasted. According to the present invention, since the text information of the electronic mail is converted into two-dimensional code information and printed together with the attached file, it is possible to reduce the waste of paper and to easily manage the attached file.

  The network facsimile apparatus of the present invention may further include image data generation means for generating image data including at least a part of the attached file and the two-dimensional code information converted by the conversion means, and the printing means The image data can be printed.

  The image data generation means can embed two-dimensional code information in the margin of the attached file. The image data generation means can also reduce the attached file on the first page and embed two-dimensional code information in the margin. In this way, the information of the attached file can be printed, and the two-dimensional code information is also printed on the same paper, so that paper resources can be saved.

  The network facsimile apparatus according to the present invention may further include a determination unit that determines whether or not the attachment file can be printed by the printing unit. The conversion unit includes the determination unit, and the printing unit includes the attachment file. If it is determined that the file cannot be printed, information indicating that the attached file cannot be printed together with at least a part of the character information other than the attached file of the e-mail is converted into the two-dimensional code information in the predetermined format. The printing means can print the two-dimensional code information.

  According to the present invention, when the format of the received attached file is unknown or the attached file cannot be opened and cannot be printed, or when the attached file cannot be printed for other reasons, error message information, etc. Can be added as two-dimensional code information. As a result, the user can grasp that the network facsimile apparatus has received the electronic mail, and can process the received electronic mail.

  It should be noted that any combination of the above-described constituent elements and a conversion of the expression of the present invention between a method, an apparatus, a system, a recording medium, a computer program, etc. are also effective as an aspect of the present invention.

  ADVANTAGE OF THE INVENTION According to this invention, the management after printing the data acquired via networks, such as the internet, can be made easy.

  Network facsimile apparatus 100 in the present embodiment has a function of converting data indicated by character information into two-dimensional code information. Here, various information generally known as two-dimensional code information can be used as the two-dimensional code information. For example, a QR code can be used.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a configuration of network facsimile apparatus 100 in the present embodiment.
The network facsimile apparatus 100 includes a data recording unit 106, a data storage unit 108, a control unit 110, a data reading unit 112, a two-dimensional code information generation unit 114, a transmission / reception unit 116, an image data generation unit 118, a printing unit 120, and an error detection unit. 122 and a setting storage unit 124.

  In the present embodiment, the network facsimile apparatus 100 can be a network complex machine that integrates facsimile, printer, copy, scanner functions, and the like. Here, the network multifunction peripheral is, for example, a network facsimile apparatus or an MFP (Multi Functional Peripheral).

  Each component of the network facsimile apparatus 100 is centered on an arbitrary computer CPU, memory, a program that implements the components shown in the figure loaded in the memory, a storage unit such as a hard disk for storing the program, and a network connection interface. It is realized by any combination of hardware and software. It will be understood by those skilled in the art that there are various modifications to the implementation method and apparatus. Each drawing described in the embodiment shows a block of functional units, not a configuration of hardware units. In FIG. 1, the configuration of parts not related to the essence of the present invention is omitted.

  The transmission / reception unit 116 receives an e-mail from another terminal or transmits an e-mail to the other terminal via the network 150, for example, based on Simple Mail Transfer Protocol (SMTP) or Post Office Protocol (POP). In the present embodiment, the network 150 is a public network such as the Internet. The network facsimile apparatus 100 transmits / receives data to / from other network facsimile apparatuses and e-mail terminals via the Internet or the like. In network facsimile apparatus 100, facsimile data is usually attached to an e-mail as an attached file. Here, the attached file can be image data such as Tiff or PDF format.

  The data recording unit 106 stores the electronic mail received by the transmission / reception unit 116 in the data storage unit 108. The data recording unit 106 stores the body information and header information of the email received by the transmission / reception unit 116 in the data storage unit 108 in association with the attached file.

  The data reading unit 112 reads the attachment file and the text information and header information of the e-mail from the data storage unit 108.

  The two-dimensional code information generation unit 114 converts character information into two-dimensional code information. In the present embodiment, the two-dimensional code information generation unit 114 converts character information such as body information and header information of an electronic mail into two-dimensional code information.

  The image data generation unit 118 generates image data including at least a part of the attached file and the two-dimensional code information converted by the two-dimensional code information generation unit 114. The printing unit 120 prints the image data generated by the printing unit 120.

  Here, the image data generation unit 118 can include the two-dimensional code information on the same page as at least one page of the attached file. The image data generation unit 118 can place the two-dimensional code information in the margin of the attached file, or reduce the attached file to generate the margin and place it in the margin. Thus, by including the two-dimensional code information and a part of the attached file on the same page, it is possible to prevent waste of paper when printing the image data.

  The error detection unit 122 detects whether the attached file of the email read by the data reading unit 112 can be opened, whether the printing unit 120 has printed the image data, or the like. For example, if the error detection unit 122 detects that the attached file of the email read by the data reading unit 112 cannot be opened, the error detection unit 122 cannot open the attached file together with the header information and body information of the email. The character information shown can be converted into two-dimensional code information by the two-dimensional code information generation unit 114. In this case, the image data generation unit 118 generates image data including only two-dimensional code information, and the printing unit 120 outputs the image data.

  Further, when the error detecting unit 122 detects that the image data cannot be printed by the printing unit 120, the error information 122 includes character information indicating that the attached file cannot be printed together with the header information and body information of the e-mail. The generation unit 114 can convert the information into two-dimensional code information. In this case, the image data generation unit 118 generates image data including only two-dimensional code information, and the printing unit 120 outputs the image data.

  The control unit 110 controls each component of the network facsimile apparatus 100. The setting storage unit 124 determines whether to print an email received by the network facsimile apparatus 100, whether the network facsimile apparatus 100 prints two-dimensional code information such as header information and body information of the email, and the like. Memorize the settings.

  FIG. 2 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a processing procedure of the network facsimile apparatus 100 according to the present embodiment.

  When the transmission / reception unit 116 receives an email (YES in S10), the control unit 110 determines whether to print the received email (S12). The control unit 110 refers to the setting storage unit 124 and determines whether to print the email received by the transmission / reception unit 116. Here, the data recording unit 106 temporarily stores the e-mail received by the transmission / reception unit 116 in the data storage unit 108 based on an instruction from the control unit 110. In step S12, when the electronic mail is not printed (NO in S12), the network facsimile apparatus 100 performs a process of transferring the electronic mail to another terminal or storing it in a predetermined storage unit according to the setting.

  When printing an e-mail (YES in S12), the data reading unit 112 reads the attached file of the e-mail from the data storage unit 108 based on an instruction from the control unit 110. The error detection unit 122 detects whether the attached file read by the data reading unit 112 can be expanded (S14). If the attached file can be expanded (YES in S14), the control unit 110 determines whether to print the two-dimensional code information together with the attached file (S16). Here, the two-dimensional code information can include e-mail header information and text information. The control unit 110 refers to the setting storage unit 124 and determines whether to print the two-dimensional code information together with the attached file of the e-mail.

  When printing the two-dimensional code information together with the attached file of the e-mail (YES in S16), the control unit 110 first determines whether or not the e-mail header information is included in the two-dimensional code information (S18). When the header information of the email is included in the two-dimensional code information (YES in S18), the data reading unit 112 extracts the header information of the email based on the instruction from the control unit 110 (S20). Subsequently, the control unit 110 determines whether or not to include the text information of the electronic mail in the two-dimensional code information (S22). When the e-mail text information is included in the two-dimensional code information (YES in S22), the data reading unit 112 extracts the e-mail text information based on an instruction from the control unit 110 (S24). If the header information of the e-mail is not included in step S18 (NO in S18), the process proceeds to step S22 and the same process is performed.

  Subsequently, the data reading unit 112 sends the header information and body information of the e-mail extracted in steps S20 and S24 to the two-dimensional code information generation unit 114. The two-dimensional code information generation unit 114 converts the header information and text information sent from the data reading unit 112 into two-dimensional code information (S26).

  The image data generation unit 118 generates the image data by arranging the 2D code information generated by the 2D code information generation unit 114 in, for example, the margin of the first page of the attached file of the email read by the data reading unit 112. (S28).

  The printing unit 120 prints the image data generated by the image data generation unit 118 (S30).

  The error detection unit 122 detects whether or not the printing of the image data by the printing unit 120 is completed (S32), and when the printing is completed (YES in S32), the process ends.

  On the other hand, when the attached file read by the data reading unit 112 cannot be expanded in step S14 (NO in S14), the error detecting unit 122 displays character information of an error message indicating that the attached file could not be opened. The information is added (S34), and converted into two-dimensional code information by the two-dimensional code information generation unit 114 together with the header information and body information of the electronic mail as necessary (S18 to S26). Here, the image data generation unit 118 generates image data including only two-dimensional code information (S28), and the printing unit 120 prints the image data (S30).

  In step S32, if the printing of the image data is not completed for some reason (NO in S32), the process returns to step S34, and the error detection unit 122 displays the error message character indicating that the image data could not be printed. Information is added (S34), and is converted into two-dimensional code information by the two-dimensional code information generation unit 114 together with the header information and body information of the electronic mail as necessary (S18 to S26). Thereafter, the image data generation unit 118 generates image data including only two-dimensional code information (S28), and the printing unit 120 prints the image data (S30).

  In this way, information obtained by converting character information other than the attached file into two-dimensional code information is printed together with the attached file of the electronic mail received by the transmission / reception unit 116. Therefore, the two-dimensional code information portion of the printed document can be read and decoded later, and converted into character information, and header information and text information included in the e-mail can be acquired as character information. Thereby, management after printing the data acquired by the network facsimile apparatus 100 can be facilitated.

  Since the two-dimensional code information can include a large amount of information in a small area, when printing the attached file, the information obtained by converting the header information and the body information into the two-dimensional code information is used as the margin of the attached file. Printing can be performed, and paper resources can be saved.

  FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating a state in which a document including an attached file and two-dimensional code information is printed in the processing procedure of the network facsimile apparatus 100 described with reference to FIG.

  Here, the original 301 includes an attached file image 300 and two-dimensional code information 304 printed in the margin. Here, the two-dimensional code information 304 is obtained by converting the header information 306 and the body information 308 of the e-mail indicated by the character information into two-dimensional code information. For example, the header information 306 includes a transmission source address, a transmission date and time, a transmission destination address, and a subject. Further, the text information 308 includes a comment “I will send a meeting minutes. Please contact me after confirming the contents”.

  In this way, by attaching the header information and body information of the email to the attached file of the email and printing it, it becomes easier to manage the attached file later. By converting the header information and body information of e-mail into 2D code information and printing, the area for printing the 2D code information can be reduced, so the header information and body information of the e-mail can be attached. There is no need to print on different paper, and paper is not wasted. In addition, since the attached file and the header information and text information of the e-mail are printed on the same paper, management can be further facilitated. Further, by reading the two-dimensional code information and decoding it, the header information and text information of the e-mail can be reacquired as character information, and the document can be easily organized.

  The present invention has been described based on the embodiments. The embodiments are exemplifications, and it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various modifications can be made to combinations of the respective constituent elements and processing processes, and such modifications are within the scope of the present invention. .

  Although not shown in the above embodiment, the network facsimile apparatus 100 can further include a two-dimensional code information decoding unit that decodes the two-dimensional code information and converts it into character information. With this function, the two-dimensional code information included in the document printed from the printing unit 120 can be decoded and converted into character information.

1 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration of a facsimile apparatus according to an embodiment. 4 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a processing procedure of the facsimile apparatus according to the embodiment. FIG. 3 is a diagram showing a state where a document including an attached file and two-dimensional code information is printed in the processing procedure of the network facsimile apparatus described with reference to FIG. 2.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 100 Network facsimile apparatus 106 Data recording part 108 Data storage part 110 Control part 112 Data reading part 114 Two-dimensional code information generation part 116 Transmission / reception part 118 Image data generation part 120 Printing part 122 Error detection part 124 Setting storage part 150 Network

Claims (5)

Receiving means for receiving an e-mail including an attached file;
Conversion means for converting at least a part of character information other than the attached file of the e-mail into two-dimensional code information in a predetermined format;
Printing means for printing at least a part of the attached file together with the two-dimensional code information converted by the conversion means;
A network facsimile apparatus comprising: The network facsimile apparatus according to claim 1,
The network facsimile apparatus, wherein the converting means converts the header information of the electronic mail into two-dimensional code information of the predetermined format. The network facsimile apparatus according to claim 1 or 2,
The network facsimile apparatus, wherein the converting means converts the text information of the electronic mail into two-dimensional code information of the predetermined format. The network facsimile apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 3,
Image data generating means for generating image data including at least a part of the attached file and the two-dimensional code information converted by the converting means;
The network facsimile apparatus, wherein the printing unit prints the image data. The network facsimile apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 4,
A judgment means for judging whether or not the attached file can be printed by the printing means;
The converting means, when the determining means determines that the printing means cannot print the attached file, the conversion means cannot print the attached file together with at least a part of character information other than the attached file of the e-mail. Converting the indicated information into two-dimensional code information of the predetermined format,
The network facsimile apparatus, wherein the printing unit prints the two-dimensional code information.

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