JP3622737B2 - Internet facsimile machine - Google Patents

Description

[0001]
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to an improvement in an Internet facsimile machine capable of downloading an electronic mail from an electronic mail server connected to a communication network.
[0002]
[Prior art]
The Internet facsimile machine receives a new e-mail addressed to itself from an e-mail server on the Internet according to a predetermined protocol (Post Office Protocol (POP)). The received e-mail file is automatically printed out, transferred, or stored in the apparatus in accordance with the processing contents instructed by the e-mail.
[0003]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
By the way, e-mail reception by POP is executed by making a request (polling) from the Internet facsimile apparatus to the e-mail server. As a method of the reception request, manual reception in which a person operates the facsimile apparatus to send out a request. There is a mode and an automatic reception mode in which a request is transmitted periodically (for example, every 20 minutes).
[0004]
In the automatic reception mode, the device itself automatically issues a request periodically, receives the response, and automatically processes it. For example, in the case of print processing, the file contents automatically Is printed out on recording paper, so there is no difference from ordinary facsimile machines that do not use e-mail. In the case of transfer processing, automatic transfer is performed without knowing it.
[0005]
On the other hand, in the manual reception mode, a person operates in front of the apparatus to receive an e-mail, and in the case of printing processing, the recording paper can be taken out immediately after the operation.
[0006]
However, as described above, in the Internet facsimile apparatus, depending on the processing contents, there is also processing such as transfer that does not print out on the recording paper, and therefore the operator cannot determine the presence or absence of new mail on the spot. It was. Also, for example, when an error occurs such as when a transfer file is attached in spite of a print instruction, the operator does not output for transfer or does not output for error Could not be determined.
[0007]
The present invention has been proposed to solve such a problem under the manual reception mode, and an Internet facsimile apparatus is provided which informs an operator of received mail information such as processing contents of received new mail. The purpose is to provide.
[0008]
Further, even in the automatic reception mode, there is a desire to know the result of determining whether or not there is a new mail for periodic polling reception even at a location away from the apparatus, and conversely, there is a desire not to know. A second object is to provide an Internet facsimile machine that can satisfy such a demand.
[0009]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
In order to achieve the above object, the Internet facsimile apparatus according to claim 1 can set an automatic reception mode and a manual reception mode of an electronic mail, and selects a necessary electronic mail after receiving a new mail list from an electronic mail server. It has a function to download and receive automatically, and has the following characteristics.
[0010]
That is, when the Internet facsimile apparatus is set to the manual reception mode when receiving an e-mail, it downloads a new e-mail and determines the contents of the next process to be included in the downloaded e-mail. Then, before executing the determined processing, information indicating the processing content is displayed on the display unit .
[0011]
As a result, a person operating manual reception in front of the apparatus can easily confirm what processing is scheduled to be executed. Since it is not necessary to confirm the reception by seeing the printed output, this is particularly effective when there is no print command in the new mail.
[0012]
Here, the received mail information includes processing contents such as printing, storing, and forwarding, a forwarding telephone number in the case of a forwarding command, information on the sender of the mail, and the like.
[0013]
In claim 2, the presence or absence of a new mail to be downloaded is notified by a buzzer sound.
[0014]
According to a third aspect of the present invention, when the automatic reception mode is set, the display of received mail information can be set to be permitted or prohibited.
[0015]
According to the fourth aspect of the present invention, the received mail information includes, in addition to the processing contents, a transfer processing operation of the downloaded file, a reception error indicating that the downloaded file cannot be opened, and a print indicating that the file having received the print command cannot be printed Contains an error.
[0016]
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings.
[0017]
FIG. 1 is a system diagram of a network system in which an Internet facsimile machine 1 can be used.
[0018]
In this system, an Internet facsimile machine 1 is connected to a communication network L such as the Internet, and an electronic mail that has been received in a mailbox of the electronic mail server 3 can be downloaded to the Internet facsimile machine 1 from an electronic mail server 3 on the network. It is like that.
[0019]
In addition, a communication terminal 2 is connected to the Internet facsimile machine 1 via a LAN, and it is possible to send a fax from the communication terminal 2 such as a personal computer to another facsimile machine 1 via the Internet facsimile machine 1. It has become.
[0020]
FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a main configuration of the Internet facsimile machine 1 according to the present invention.
[0021]
The Internet facsimile machine 1 can receive an electronic mail attached with image data or the like from the electronic mail server 3 through the Internet L according to the POP.
[0022]
As shown in FIG. 2, the Internet facsimile machine 1 includes a CPU 10 for controlling the following units, a RAM 11 for storing various settings such as abbreviated dials and received data, a ROM 12 for storing control programs in advance, and an image from a document. A scanner 13 for reading data, a printer 14 for recording data on recording paper, an NCU 15 for controlling connection to a telephone line, a modem 16 for modulating / demodulating various signals necessary for facsimile communication, a display unit 17a such as a liquid crystal screen, An operation panel 17 composed of various operation keys, a CODEC 18 that encodes and decodes data for facsimile communication, a LAN interface 19 that can be connected to the local area network N, and an error to peripheral users. And a buzzer sounding unit 20 for notifying There.
[0023]
The Internet facsimile machine 1 receives an e-mail based on the POP, outputs a print of image data attached to the downloaded e-mail to the printer 14, transfers the received e-mail to another apparatus (not shown), a scanner 13 Basic functions such as FAX transmission of a document image fetched from.
[0024]
In the present invention, when an e-mail is received in the manual reception mode, the processing contents (printing, forwarding, etc.) of the received e-mail can be notified to the user of the apparatus through the display unit 17a prior to the execution of the process. It has a simple configuration.
[0025]
FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing the basic operation when receiving an e-mail.
[0026]
The Internet facsimile machine 1 transmits a new mail download request to the electronic mail server 3 by operating the operation panel 17 when the automatic reception mode is set, and when the manual reception mode is set. . In response to the request, the electronic mail server 3 transmits a new mail of the corresponding user. Further, in order to selectively receive new mail, the Internet facsimile machine 1 receives a list of e-mails with the “LIST” command, and executes subsequent e-mail downloads based on this list (refer to above). Not shown).
[0027]
Next, the e-mail receiving process will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG.
[0028]
First, the reception mode is determined, and in the manual reception mode, display ON for notification and buzzer ON are forcibly set. When the display is ON, a display indicating the start of reception is performed on the display unit 17a (101 to 104).
[0029]
Next, the list is checked to determine whether there is a new mail. If there is a new mail, if the display is set to ON, “Receiving” is displayed and the mail is received. Then, it is determined whether to print or forward from the processing contents of the received e-mail, and when the display is set to ON, the processing contents are displayed and processing corresponding to the contents is performed (105 to 113). When the reception process is completed, the next new mail is processed according to the list (105).
[0030]
As information display showing processing contents, for example, message display such as “Print received mail from Mr. XX”, “Transfer received mail from Mr. XX to number XXX” is there.
[0031]
Also, a message such as a reception error is displayed when the received file cannot be opened, and a print error is displayed when the file that has received the print command cannot be printed. As a result, the operator can take some measures against the printing not being performed.
[0032]
When there is no new mail or when all mails have been downloaded, “no mail” is displayed if the display is set to ON, and the completion buzzer is sounded if the buzzer is set (106, 114 to 117). ).
[0033]
When the manual reception mode is set as described above, the incoming mail information such as the processing contents of the received mail is notified when a new mail is received, so what kind of processing is scheduled for the operator to execute. Can be easily confirmed. In this way, since there is no need to check whether or not there is printing on the recording paper, the operator can obtain error-free information even when the new mail does not include a print command. Further, since the buzzer is sounded when the reception is completed, the reception completion can be easily known.
[0034]
Further, in the automatic reception mode, if the display is set to OFF and the buzzer is set to OFF, unnecessary notification is not required.
[0035]
Further, when there is no new mail, the buzzer may not be sounded. On the contrary, it may be made to ring only when there is a new mail and all the downloads are completed. In either case, in the automatic reception mode, the presence or absence of the received mail can be confirmed only by the buzzer sound, so there is no need to go to the facsimile machine.
[0036]
【The invention's effect】
As can be understood from the above description, in the Internet facsimile apparatus according to claim 1, when the manual reception mode is set, the received mail information of the new mail to be downloaded is displayed on the display unit. Therefore, the operator can easily confirm what processing is executed by appropriate display information.
[0037]
In Claim 2, since the presence or absence of the new mail is informed by the buzzer sounding, the operator can perform the reception confirmation more easily. Further, if the buzzer is sounded when the reception is completed, the reception completion can be easily known.
[0038]
In claim 3, when the automatic reception mode is set, it is possible to set the allowance / prohibition of the display of the received mail information, so that it is optimal for the workplace such as no notification, display only, buzzer only, etc. A notification method of FAX reception processing can be set.
[0039]
In claim 4, since the received mail information includes processing contents, file transfer processing operation, reception error, and printing error, the operator should take some action quickly for not printing or the like. Can do.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a system diagram of a network system that can use an Internet facsimile machine.
FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a main configuration of an Internet facsimile apparatus according to the present invention.
FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing the basic operation of the Internet facsimile apparatus according to the present invention when an e-mail is received.
[Explanation of symbols]
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Internet facsimile machine 17a ... Display part 20 ... Buzzer ringing part 3 ... E-mail server

Claims (4)

In an Internet facsimile apparatus having a function for selectively downloading and receiving necessary e-mail after receiving a new mail list from an e-mail server, automatic e-mail reception and manual reception modes can be set.
When receiving an email, if the manual reception mode is set , download the new email, determine the content of the next processing to be included in the downloaded email, and execute the determined processing An Internet facsimile machine configured to display information indicating the processing contents on a display unit before. In claim 1,
An Internet facsimile machine configured to notify the presence of new mail to be downloaded by a buzzer. In claim 1 or 2,
An Internet facsimile machine configured to allow setting whether to permit or prohibit display of the received mail information when the automatic reception mode is set. In any one of Claims 1-3,
The Internet facsimile apparatus, wherein the received mail information includes a transfer processing operation of the downloaded file, a reception error indicating that the downloaded file cannot be opened, and a print error indicating that the file having received the print command cannot be printed.

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