JP3979411B2 - E-mail transmission device, e-mail transmission method, program, and recording medium - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a security technique when sending an e-mail, and more particularly to a technique for discovering “spoofing” when sending an e-mail.

  Conventionally, various techniques have been proposed for confirming a communication partner when data is transmitted / received via a network. For example, in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 11-27489, in communication in a facsimile apparatus, a receiving facsimile mail apparatus reads a mail address included in the received facsimile mail, identifies a transmitting facsimile apparatus, and receives A technique for returning a notification is disclosed. According to such an apparatus, by receiving the reception notification, it is possible to confirm to which facsimile mail apparatus the transmission side facsimile apparatus has transmitted, and at the same time, when the mail address is falsely transmitted Since the receipt notification is replied to the person who borrowed the address without permission (hereinafter referred to as the “righteous holder”), it is possible to discover so-called “spoofing” by sending an e-mail with another person's e-mail address. It is.

  In addition, a technique called “POP Before SMTP” is known, which allows a user to access his / her account whose password is managed and enables transmission after the user is actually confirmed as the user of the account. According to such a technique, even in communication such as SMTP that does not have a function of authenticating a sender, data cannot be transmitted using the address of another person, so that “spoofing” can be prevented.

JP-A-11-27489

  However, when viewed as a technique for preventing or discovering “spoofing”, the technique in the facsimile apparatus described in the above publication requires that the receiving-side facsimile apparatus also has a function corresponding to the technique. There was a problem. In addition, there is a problem that the load on the network increases because there is always a reception confirmation reply when a facsimile mail is transmitted. In addition, there is a problem that it is impossible to respond to the desire to confirm the contents of the email that has been “spoofed”.

  In addition, the technique called “POP Before SMTP” has a problem that it is necessary to access its own account at the time of transmission, and an operation such as password entry is required.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and a first object of the present invention is to provide a technique capable of preventing or detecting “spoofing” without depending on the function of a receiving-side apparatus. . A second object of the present invention is to provide a technique that can prevent or detect “spoofing” without requiring a special operation from a user. The third object of the present invention is to provide a technique capable of preventing or detecting “spoofing” while minimizing the load on the network. Furthermore, a fourth object of the present invention is to provide a technique capable of not only discovering the fact of “spoofing” but also confirming the contents thereof.

  The invention according to claim 1 is an electronic mail transmitting device, wherein a transmission source input unit that receives an input of a transmission source address by a user, a transmission destination input unit that receives an input of a transmission destination address by a user, and at least the transmission A destination list creating means for creating a destination list including the destination address inputted by the destination input means; and when the source address is inputted by the source input means, the source address is changed to the destination list. Address adding means for adding to the destination list in a form that cannot be deleted from the destination list, display means for displaying the destination address and the source address in the destination list as an email destination, and the transmission Transmitting means for transmitting an e-mail based on the destination list.

  The invention according to claim 2 is the electronic mail transmission device according to claim 1, wherein the transmission means is configured to transmit the electronic mail to the transmission destination address in the transmission destination list in parallel with the transmission of the electronic mail. The electronic mail is transmitted to the transmission source address in the transmission destination list.

  A third aspect of the present invention is the electronic mail transmitting device according to the first aspect, wherein the transmission unit is independent of the transmission of the electronic mail to the transmission destination address in the transmission destination list. The electronic mail is transmitted to the transmission source address in the transmission destination list.

  A fourth aspect of the present invention is the electronic mail transmitting device according to the first aspect, wherein the transmission unit transmits the electronic mail to the transmission source address in the transmission destination list, and transmits the electronic mail. The electronic mail is transmitted to the transmission destination address in the transmission destination list only when there is a reply to the electronic mail.

  The invention according to claim 5 is the electronic mail transmission device according to claim 1, wherein the transmission unit transmits the electronic mail to the transmission source address in the transmission destination list. Only a part of the data constituting the e-mail is transmitted.

  The invention according to claim 6 is an e-mail transmission method, wherein a transmission source input step for receiving input of a transmission source address by a user, a transmission destination input step for receiving input of a transmission destination address by a user, and at least the transmission A destination list creation step of creating a destination list including the destination address input in the destination input step; and when the source address is input in the source input step, the source address is changed to the destination An address adding step for adding to the destination list in a format that cannot be deleted from the list, and a display for displaying the destination address and the source address in the destination list on the display screen as an email destination And a transmission step of transmitting an e-mail based on the transmission destination list.

  According to the seventh aspect of the present invention, the computer is input by a transmission source input unit that receives an input of a transmission source address by a user, a transmission destination input unit that receives an input of a transmission destination address by a user, and at least the transmission destination input unit A destination list creating means for creating a destination list including a destination address, in a format in which the source address cannot be deleted from the destination list when the source address is input by the source input means; Based on the transmission destination list, address adding means for adding to the transmission destination list, display means for displaying the transmission destination address and the transmission source address in the transmission destination list on the display screen as a transmission destination of an e-mail, and Function as a transmission means for transmitting e-mail.

  The invention according to claim 8 is a computer-readable recording medium in which the program according to claim 7 is recorded.

  In the first to eighth aspects of the invention, when the input of the transmission source address by the user is accepted, the transmission source address is added to the transmission destination list. On the other hand, “spoofing” can be prevented or detected without requiring a special operation. In addition, since the transmission destination address and the transmission source address in the transmission destination list are displayed as the transmission destination of the electronic mail, it is assumed that the electronic mail is transmitted not only to the original transmission destination address but also to the transmission source address. Can be recognized by the user who wants to perform “impersonation” in advance. In addition, because the sender address is added to the recipient list in a format that cannot be deleted from the recipient list, the user attempting to “spoof” from the recipient list before sending an email. It is possible to prevent the “spoofing” prevention measure of the present invention from being invalidated by deleting the transmission source address or the like. Furthermore, if you send an e-mail with the same content as that sent to the destination address to the source address, check not only the fact that "spoofing" was performed, but also the content You can also

  In particular, in the invention according to claim 4, the transmission destination in the transmission destination list is sent only when an electronic mail is transmitted to the transmission source address in the transmission destination list and a reply is made to the transmitted electronic mail. Since the e-mail is transmitted to the address, the load on the network can be minimized.

  In particular, in the invention according to claim 5, when an e-mail is transmitted to the source address in the destination list, only a part of the data constituting the e-mail is transmitted, so the load on the network is reduced. Further reduction can be achieved.

  DESCRIPTION OF EXEMPLARY EMBODIMENTS Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

<1. First Embodiment>
In the electronic mail transmitting apparatus according to the first embodiment of the present invention, when an electronic mail is transmitted, the electronic mail is also transmitted to the transmission source mail address included in the electronic mail.

  FIG. 1 is an external view showing a multi-function peripheral (hereinafter abbreviated as “MFP”) 1 as an electronic mail transmitting apparatus according to the present embodiment. The MFP 1 is a multifunction device having functions such as a scanner, a copier, a printer, and a fax machine, and can transmit and receive data via a network.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the MFP 1 includes a plurality of keys 11 a, an operation unit 11 that receives various instructions by the user's operation to the keys, and input of data such as characters and numbers, an instruction menu for the user, and the acquired It includes a display 12 that displays information related to an image, a scanner unit 13 that photoelectrically reads an original to obtain image data, and a printer unit 14 that prints an image on a recording sheet based on the image data.

  Further, the MFP 1 has a feeder unit 17 for sending a document to the scanner unit 13 on the upper surface of the main body, a sheet feeding unit 18 for supplying a recording sheet to the printer unit 14 at a lower part, and a recording in which an image is printed by the printer unit 14 at a central part The tray 19 from which the sheets are discharged includes a communication unit 16 that transmits / receives e-mail and the like to / from an external device via a network, and a storage unit 23 that stores data. Although not shown, the MFP 1 has a network interface, and the communication unit 16 is connected to the network via the network interface so that various data can be transmitted to and received from an external device.

  The display 12 is used for various displays including a list display of data transmission destinations, while the operation unit 11 is used for various inputs including selection of transmission destinations by the user. It functions as a part.

  The scanner unit 13 acquires image data by photoelectrically reading image information such as photographs, characters, and pictures from a document. The acquired image data (density data) is converted into digital data by an image processing unit (not shown), subjected to various kinds of known image processing, and then sent to the printer unit 14 and the communication unit 16 for image printing and data. Or is stored in the storage unit 23 for later use.

  The printer unit 14 prints an image on a recording sheet based on image data acquired by the scanner unit 13, image data received from an external device by the communication unit 16, or image data stored in the storage unit 23.

  The communication unit 16 transmits / receives facsimile data via a public telephone line, and transmits / receives data to / from an external device connected to the network via a network such as a LAN or the Internet. I do. Thus, the MFP 1 has not only a function as a facsimile apparatus that performs normal facsimile communication but also a function as an electronic mail transmission apparatus. Therefore, various image data can be transmitted and received as an attached file of an e-mail. The network communication performed by the MFP 1 may be wired or wireless, but a wired communication method is employed in the illustrated example.

  FIG. 2 is a block diagram mainly showing a portion according to the present embodiment in the configuration provided in MFP 1. The MFP 1 includes a CPU 20 that performs various arithmetic processes and controls the overall operation of the MFP 1, and a RAM 21 that stores various data and a ROM 22 that stores a program 221 are connected to the CPU 20. Further, the operation unit 11, the display 12, the scanner unit 13, and the storage unit 23 are connected to the CPU 20. The storage unit 23 includes a hard disk 231 that stores various data such as a unique mail address assigned to the MFP 1 and a card slot 232 that reads information from the memory card 91. The RAM 21 is a non-volatile memory.

  As a result, various data can be transferred between the RAM 21, the scanner unit 13, the hard disk 231, and the memory card 91 loaded in the card slot 232 under the control of the CPU 20. Under the control, information stored in the RAM 21, the hard disk 231, and the memory card 91 is displayed.

  Further, the CPU 20 is also connected to a communication unit 16 including a transmission unit 161 and a reception unit 162 for transmitting and receiving e-mails and the like with an external device connected via a network.

  FIG. 3 is a diagram showing a functional configuration realized by the CPU 20 operating according to the program 221 in the ROM 22 together with other configurations. In the configuration illustrated in FIG. 3, the data generation unit 201, the destination addition unit 202, and the display control unit 203 indicate functions realized by the CPU 20 and the like.

  The data generation unit 201 is a self-address 100 that is unique mail address data assigned to the MFP 1 upon receiving a user instruction from the operation unit 11, and transmission source address data when the MFP 1 transmits an email. A transmission destination list 102 including a transmission source address 101 and transmission destination address data is generated and stored in the RAM 21 or the storage unit 23.

  The destination adding unit 202 has a function of adding the source address 101 to the destination list 102 as necessary by comparing the self address 100 and the source address 101.

  The display control unit 203 displays the email address of the email destination on the display 12 based on the destination list 102.

  4 to 6 are flowcharts showing operations when the MFP 1 transmits an e-mail. 7 is a diagram illustrating an example in which MFP 1 (the self address is set to 1 111.co.jp) is connected to another terminal via a network. The terminal 2 (address is 2 222.co.jp) and the terminal 3 (address is 3 333.co.jp) shown in FIG. 7 are terminals that can communicate with the MFP 1 by e-mail, respectively. It is. The operation when the MFP 1 transmits an e-mail will be described with reference to these drawings. When the user performs “spoofing” using the MFP 1, how is the right holder named “spoofing”? Explain what can be found.

  First, the data generation unit 201 acquires the self-address 100 stored in advance in the storage unit 23 from the storage unit 23, and generates the transmission source address 101 based on the self-address 100 (step S11). Further, the display control unit 203 displays an instruction selection screen 500 shown in FIG. 8 on the display 12 (step S12). At this time, the transmission source (“From”) on the instruction selection screen 500 displays the same address (1 111.co.jp) as the self-address 100 as the default transmission source address 101. While viewing the instruction selection screen 500, the user can operate the plurality of keys 11a included in the operation unit 11 to select an item for inputting transmission conditions.

  Here, the transmission conditions include a transmission destination, a title (subject), a transmission source, an attached file name, and, when the attached file includes an image, various image formats and resolutions necessary for sending an e-mail. Say conditions.

  Next, the data generation unit 201 accepts selection or input of a transmission condition input item by the user (step S13). This is an item for inputting the destination text (“To” and “Bcc”), the sender (“From”), the title (“Subject”), the body text, and the attached file name (both are optional). Is a choice. Then, when any of these items is selected, it is determined whether or not the item selected as the item is a transmission destination (“To” or “Bcc”) (step S14). When the transmission destination is selected, input of the transmission destination address by the user is accepted (step S15), and steps S15 and S16 are repeated until the input is completed (step S16). When the input is completed, the data generation unit 201 generates the transmission destination list 102 including all the input transmission destination addresses (step S17), and the display control unit 203 displays the instruction selection screen 500 in the state shown in FIG. Is displayed (step S18). FIG. 9 shows the case where the input of the title and attached file name has already been completed.

  If the selection of the item is not related to the transmission destination, the display control unit 203 determines whether or not the transmission source (“From”) is selected as the item (step S21 in FIG. 5), and the transmission source is selected. In this case, the transmission source change screen 501 including the display of the soft key arrangement as shown in FIG. 10 is displayed (step S22). Subsequently, the data generation unit 201 accepts input of a transmission source address by the user by operating this soft key array using the plurality of keys 11a (step S23), and steps until the input of the transmission source address is completed. S23 and S24 are repeated (step S24), and when the transmission source address has been input, the input transmission source address is set as the transmission source address 101 of FIG. 3 (step S25). If step S25 is not executed, the source address generated from the self address 100 in step S11 is used as the current source address 101 as it is.

  If the transmission source change is not selected, another transmission condition input process is performed (step S26). The display control unit 203 determines whether or not the end of the transmission condition input is instructed based on a user instruction from the operation unit 11 (step S27), and performs the processing of steps S11 to S27 until the end is instructed. repeat.

  When the end of transmission condition input is instructed by the user, the destination adding unit 202 determines whether or not the transmission source address 101 has been changed from the self address 100 (FIG. 6: Step S31). The source address 101 is added to the destination list 102 (step S32).

  FIG. 11 shows a transmission instruction screen 502 when the transmission source address 101 is added to the Bcc (Blind carbon copy: secret transmission destination not specified in the e-mail) column in the transmission destination list 102 by the destination addition unit 202. FIG. When step S32 is executed, the display control unit 203 displays the transmission instruction screen 502 shown in FIG. 11 (step S33). That is, when an address different from the self-address of MFP 1 is set as the transmission source address, display control unit 203 adds the address of terminal 3 to Bcc and transmits an e-mail to terminal 3 as shown in FIG. To be displayed.

  As described above, since the user who performs “spoofing” can recognize that the e-mail is transmitted not only to the original destination address but also to the source address, the “spoofing” action can be suppressed.

  Here, when the transmission instruction screen 502 is displayed, an instruction to delete the transmission source address added to the transmission destination list 102 (including substantial deletion by change) unless the transmission source address is returned to the MFP 1's own address. .) Is not accepted. Note that the attribute of the added source address is not limited to Bcc as shown in FIG. 11, but may be added and displayed in To as a normal destination, and although not shown, Cc (Carbon copy) : Explicitly specified as a destination in the e-mail). However, in these cases as well, it is preferable that the automatically added source address cannot be deleted unless the source address is returned to the self-address of the MFP 1.

  As described above, the transmission source address 101 is automatically added to the transmission destination list 102 in a format that cannot be deleted from the transmission destination list 102, so that the user who wants to “spoof” transmits before transmission starts. It is possible to prevent the transmission source address 101 from being deleted from the destination list 102.

  When the transmission source address 101 is the self address 100, it is regarded that “spoofing” has not been performed, and the transmission source address 101 is not automatically added to the transmission destination list 102, and an e-mail is not transmitted to the transmission source address. In this case, the display control unit 203 displays a transmission instruction screen 502 in which the transmission source address is not additionally displayed at the transmission destination (“Bcc”) as shown in FIG. 12 (step S33).

  As a result, the transmission source address does not match the self address, and the transmission source address is changed (that is, the transmission source address is input by the operation unit 11). Only when there is a possibility that “spoofing” may have been performed, an e-mail is also sent to the transmission source to check “spoofing”, thereby reducing the load on the network. be able to.

  Furthermore, it is determined whether or not the transmission start is instructed by the user (step S34). If the transmission start is instructed, all addresses registered in the transmission destination list 102 (not only the transmission destination addresses but also the transmission are transmitted). When the original address is added, the transmission of the e-mail is started in parallel with the transmission source address (including the transmission source address) (step S35). Here, “transmission in parallel” means that transmission of an electronic mail to a plurality of transmission destinations is performed substantially simultaneously or continuously in a series of transmission processes.

  As described above, when the MFP 1 transmits an e-mail, the e-mail address input by the user as the source address is automatically added to the destination list 102, and the destination list 102 is based on the destination list 102. In parallel with the transmission of the e-mail to the transmission destination address, the e-mail having the same content is transmitted to the transmission source address in the transmission destination list 102. For this reason, if the user who actually sent the e-mail is not the right holder of the address entered as the sender, the right holder will receive an e-mail that he / she does not remember sending to his / her terminal 3. It is possible to confirm the fact that the sender's address was used as the sender, and "spoofing" was performed, and the content sent by looking at the content of the email, and the right holder should take appropriate measures Can do.

<2. Second Embodiment>
In the first embodiment, additional transmission to the input source address is performed in parallel with transmission to the destination address, but transmission to the source address and transmission to the destination address are independent. It is also possible to do this. In this case, since the e-mail transmitted to the transmission source is for finding “spoofing”, only the body of the e-mail excluding the attached file may be transmitted. In some cases, the user's own unique address different from the MFP 1's own address may be used as the source address for legitimate circumstances. Only in such a case, the MFP 1 can send an email to the original destination. , Send a confirmation e-mail in advance to the input source address, and start sending e-mail to the original destination only when a reply e-mail is returned in response to this confirmation e-mail It is also possible to configure as described above.

  FIG. 13 is a block diagram showing a configuration of MFP 1 in the second embodiment configured in accordance with such a concept. Of the configurations shown in FIG. 13, configurations similar to those of the MFP 1 in the first embodiment are appropriately denoted by the same reference numerals, and description of similar functions is omitted.

  The MFP 1 in the second embodiment is further provided with a confirmation unit 204 that is a function realized by the CPU 20 or the like as the configuration shown in FIG. 13, and the communication unit 16 can be electronically transmitted from other terminals via a network. A receiving unit 162 that receives mail is included.

  When the transmission source address is added to the transmission destination list 102, the data generation unit 201 determines whether there is an attachment file in the e-mail based on an instruction from the destination addition unit 202, and there is an attachment file. In this case, the body data 103 is generated by removing the attached file from the e-mail.

  Upon receiving a user transmission start instruction from the operation unit 11, the destination addition unit 202 determines whether or not to automatically add the source address 101 to the destination list 102 as in the first embodiment, In the case of the automatic addition, the data generation unit 201 is instructed to generate the text data 103, and the text data is independent of the transmission source address automatically added to the transmission destination list 102 to the transmission unit 161. If an instruction to send only 103 is given and automatic addition is not performed, the attached file is attached only to the original transmission destination (the mail address input by the user as the transmission destination) based on the transmission destination list 102 to the transmission unit 161. Instruct to send a normal transmission including.

  The confirmation unit 204 confirms whether or not a reply mail is received with respect to the electronic mail transmitted to the transmission source address by the reception unit 162, and only when the reply mail is received, the transmission unit 161 starts transmission of the electronic mail. It has a function to give instructions.

  FIG. 14 and FIG. 15 are flowcharts showing an operation in which the MFP 1 in the second embodiment transmits an e-mail. Among these, FIG. 14 shows processing performed subsequent to the processing shown in FIG. 4 and FIG. 5 in the first embodiment. An operation when the MFP 1 according to the second embodiment transmits an e-mail will be described with reference to these drawings.

  First, when the transmission condition input is completed by the same processing as the processing shown in FIGS. 4 and 5 (FIG. 5: step S27), the destination adding unit 202 instructs the user to start sending e-mail via the operation unit 11. It is determined whether or not it has been done (step S41). When an instruction to start transmission is given, it is determined whether or not the source address 101 has been changed from the self address 100 as in step S31 shown in FIG. 6 (step S42). Is automatically added to the transmission destination list 102 (step S43), and a signal indicating that the transmission source address 101 is automatically added to the transmission destination list 102 to the data generation unit 201 and the transmission unit 161 (hereinafter referred to as an additional signal). )give. If no instruction to start transmission is given in step S41, the transmission process ends.

  Next, based on the addition signal from the destination addition unit 202, the data generation unit 201 determines whether there is an attached file in the email selected by the user (step S51). If there is an attached file, the attached file is excluded (step S52) and text data is generated (step S53). If there is no attached file, text data 103 is generated as it is (step S53).

  Similarly, based on the addition signal from the destination addition unit 202, the transmission unit 161 refers to the transmission source address automatically added to the transmission destination list 102, and transmits an email containing only the body data 103 to the transmission source address. (Step S54).

  As a result, a confirmation e-mail can be transmitted to the source address in the destination list 102 independently of the transmission of the e-mail to the original destination address in the destination list 102. By transmitting only the text data 103 that is a part of the data constituting the electronic mail, the amount of data transmitted on the network can be reduced, and the load on the network can be reduced. As a simpler method, in step S54, an e-mail composed only of header information including a transmission source address, a transmission destination address, and a title may be transmitted as the confirmation e-mail. In this case, the load on the network is further reduced.

  Further, the confirmation unit 204 determines whether or not there is a reply mail from the transmission source address in the reception unit 162 (step S55), and when there is such a reply mail, the transmission destination list 102 is sent to the transmission unit 161. Based on the above, an e-mail including an attached file is transmitted to all transmission destination addresses (step S56). However, since there is no need to send an e-mail to the automatically added source address, no e-mail is sent to the source address. On the other hand, when there is no reply mail, the electronic mail is not transmitted to the transmission destination address.

  As a result, a confirmation e-mail is transmitted in advance only to the transmission source address, and only when there is a reply mail from the transmission source address to the confirmation e-mail, the transmission destination address in the transmission destination list 102 is transmitted. Thus, since the electronic mail can be transmitted, and authentication by the user of the transmission source address is performed prior to transmission to the transmission destination address, “spoofing” can be prevented.

  When the destination adding unit 202 does not automatically add the transmission source address 101 to the transmission destination list 102, a signal indicating that normal transmission should be performed is given to the transmission unit 161. In that case, the transmission unit 161 transmits an e-mail including an attached file at the transmission destination address based on the transmission destination list 102 (step S56).

  As described above, in the second embodiment, when the transmission source address is changed, a confirmation e-mail including only body data is first transmitted only to the transmission source address. On the other hand, since the transmission of the electronic mail to the transmission destination address is permitted only when the reply mail is received, the load on the network can be further reduced as compared with the first embodiment.

  Note that transmission to the original transmission destination may be permitted only when a reply mail is received before a predetermined time elapses after the confirmation e-mail is transmitted.

<3. Modification>
Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described above, the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments, and various modifications can be made.

  For example, the operation unit 11 is not limited to key input as in the above-described embodiment, and any other unit can be used as long as it can input instructions and data such as characters and numbers by user operation. May be. For example, it may be integrated with a display such as a touch panel display or a tablet.

  Further, in the MFP 1 according to the first embodiment, when the transmission source address is changed, the address is displayed in the Bcc column on the display screen so that an e-mail is transmitted to the address. I was trying to inform the user. However, even when the transmission source address is changed, an e-mail may be transmitted to the address without displaying the address on the display screen. In this case, the fact that “spoofing” has been performed can be known without being noticed by the user who has performed “spoofing”.

  In MFP 1 in the first and second embodiments, all the processing is executed by software processing by CPU 20, but part or all of the processing may be realized by a dedicated hard logic circuit. Is possible.

  In the first and second embodiments, the MFP 1 is described as an example of the e-mail transmission apparatus. However, the e-mail transmission apparatus is not limited to such an apparatus, and may be a general personal computer. It may be realized. FIG. 16 is a front view of an electronic mail transmitting apparatus 4 in which the hardware configuration of the electronic mail transmitting apparatus according to the present invention is configured by a general personal computer. As shown in FIG. 16, the e-mail transmission device 4 includes a keyboard 411 and a mouse 412 for receiving an instruction from the user, and a display 42 that displays an instruction menu for the user, an acquired image, and the like. In addition, it has a hard disk 431 for storing e-mail data, programs, and the like, and a recording medium 92 on which various data are recorded can be loaded into the media reader 432.

  FIG. 17 is a rear view of the e-mail transmission device 4. The e-mail transmission device 4 includes a communication unit 44 for transmitting and receiving data via a network, and is connected to a network such as a public telephone line, a LAN, and the Internet by a network interface 441.

  FIG. 18 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the e-mail transmission device 4. The hardware configuration of the electronic mail transmitting device 4 is a general computer system configuration in which a CPU 45, a RAM 47, and a ROM 46 are connected to a bus line. However, as communication software, a new electronic mail transmission processing program part corresponding to the feature of the present invention is installed. The bus line further includes a display 42, a keyboard 411 and a mouse 412 that accept input from the user as the operation unit 41, a hard disk 431 that stores data, programs 431a, and the like as the storage unit 43, an optical disk, a magnetic disk, a magneto-optical disk, and the like. A media reader 432 that reads information from a recording medium 92 that is a recording medium, and a communication unit 44 that transmits and receives e-mail to and from an external device via a network are appropriately connected via a connection interface (I / F), etc. Connected. The e-mail transmission device 4 is configured to perform the same operation as that of the MFP 1 in the first or second embodiment by appropriately executing the program 431 a stored in the hard disk 431 by the CPU 20. . However, in the MFP 1 of the first and second embodiments, the self-address 100 is acquired as the default transmission source address 101 in step S11 of FIG. 4, and when the self-address 100 is changed, the changed transmission is sent. Although an e-mail is transmitted to the original address, the e-mail transmitting apparatus 4 configured by the personal computer does not have a self-address assigned uniquely to the apparatus. For this reason, in the default state, the item of the transmission source is blank, and when a mail address is input to the item of the transmission source, an e-mail is always transmitted to the address. Note that, in the MFP 1 of the first and second embodiments as well, similarly, the state in which the transmission source item is blank may be set as the default state. In this case, when the mail address input to the transmission source is an address other than the self-address 100 unique to the MFP 1, an electronic mail is transmitted to the address.

1 is a front view of an MFP according to a first embodiment of the present invention. 2 is a diagram illustrating a configuration of an MFP. FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration provided in the MFP. FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing an operation when an MFP transmits an e-mail. 5 is a flowchart showing an operation when an MFP transmits an e-mail. 5 is a flowchart showing an operation when an MFP transmits an e-mail. FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating a state in which the MFP is connected to another terminal via a network. It is a figure which shows the example of an instruction | indication selection screen. It is a figure which shows the example of an instruction | indication selection screen. It is a figure which shows the example of a transmission origin change screen. It is a figure which shows the example of a transmission instruction | indication screen. It is a figure which shows the example of a transmission instruction | indication screen. 6 is a diagram illustrating a configuration of an MFP according to a second embodiment. FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing an operation when an MFP transmits an e-mail. 5 is a flowchart showing an operation when an MFP transmits an e-mail. It is a front view of the electronic mail transmission apparatus in this invention. It is a rear view of an electronic mail transmitter. It is a figure which shows the structure of an electronic mail transmitter.

Explanation of symbols

1 MFP
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 11 Operation part 16 Communication part 161 Transmission part 162 Reception part 221 Program 23 Storage part 100 Self address 101 Source data 102 Transmission destination list 103 Body text data 201 Data generation part 202 Destination addition part 203 Display control part 204 Confirmation part 4 E-mail transmission Device 43 Storage unit 431 Hard disk 431a Program 44 Communication unit

Claims (8)

An email sending device,
A source input means for accepting input of a source address by a user;
A destination input means for accepting input of a destination address by the user;
A destination list creating means for creating a destination list including at least a destination address input by the destination input means;
An address adding unit for adding the source address to the destination list in a format that cannot be deleted from the destination list when a source address is input by the source input unit;
Display means for displaying the transmission destination address and the transmission source address in the transmission destination list as an electronic mail transmission destination;
Transmitting means for transmitting an e-mail based on the destination list;
An electronic mail transmitting device comprising: The electronic mail transmitting device according to claim 1,
The transmission means transmits the electronic mail to the transmission source address in the transmission destination list in parallel with the transmission of the electronic mail to the transmission destination address in the transmission destination list. E-mail transmission device. The electronic mail transmitting device according to claim 1,
The transmission means transmits the email to the transmission source address in the transmission destination list independently of transmission of the electronic mail to the transmission destination address in the transmission destination list. E-mail transmission device. The electronic mail transmitting device according to claim 1,
The transmission means transmits the electronic mail to the transmission source address in the transmission destination list, and only when there is a reply to the transmitted electronic mail, the transmission destination address in the transmission destination list An e-mail transmission device that transmits the e-mail to the e-mail. The electronic mail transmitting device according to claim 1,
The transmission means transmits only a part of data constituting the electronic mail when transmitting the electronic mail to the transmission source address in the transmission destination list. apparatus. An email sending method,
A source input step for accepting input of a source address by a user;
A destination input step for accepting input of a destination address by the user;
A destination list creation step of creating a destination list including at least the destination address input by the destination input step;
In the transmission source input step, when a transmission source address is input, an address addition step of adding the transmission source address to the transmission destination list in a format that cannot be deleted from the transmission destination list;
A display step of displaying the transmission destination address and the transmission source address in the transmission destination list on a display screen as a transmission destination of an e-mail;
A transmission step of transmitting an e-mail based on the destination list;
An e-mail transmission method comprising: Computer
Source input means for accepting input of a source address by the user,
A destination input means for accepting input of a destination address by the user,
A destination list creation means for creating a destination list including at least a destination address input by the destination input means;
Address adding means for adding the source address to the destination list in a format that cannot be deleted from the destination list when a source address is input by the source input means;
Display means for displaying the transmission destination address and the transmission source address in the transmission destination list on a display screen as a transmission destination of an e-mail; and
Transmitting means for transmitting an e-mail based on the destination list;
A program characterized by functioning as A computer-readable recording medium on which the program according to claim 7 is recorded.

Images