JPH11353262A - Printing method and device of electronic mail and storage medium recorded with program of electronic mail print procedure - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an electronic mail printing method by which an electronic mail can be properly printed without giving any load to a printer while minimiz ing its influence to a mail system, to provide an electronic printer and also to provide a storage medium with a program of the electronic mail print proce dure recorded. SOLUTION: In regard to a device which is connected to a network having a function to read an electronic mail according to an electronic mail reading procedure, a printer 1 is connected to an electronic mail server 2 based on a mail processing program 11 that is previously set according to the electronic mail reading procedure (S1). Then an electronic mail is read (S2) and the contents of the mail are printed with a printer engine 12 by set form and method (S3). Thus, it's possible to automatically print an electronic mail addressed to a specific user according to the set form and method without increasing the load to the printer 1 to accumulate the data on the electronic mail in the printer 1 and to transfer the mail and with the influence minimized to an electronic mail system.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an e-mail printing method, an e-mail printing apparatus, and a recording medium on which a program for an e-mail printing procedure is recorded, which method is applied to an image forming apparatus for printing e-mail, which is connected to a network. .

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In general, a recording medium on which a program for a conventional e-mail printing method, an e-mail printing apparatus and an e-mail printing procedure is recorded is connected to a network.

In recent years, electronic mail systems on computer networks have become widespread. In particular, the form of a standard mail system on the Internet often includes a server computer that stores and stores mail as a mail server, and a client computer that reads mail as a client. In this configuration, the reading of the mail from the client is performed by a certain fixed procedure on the network.

FIG. 4 is a conceptual diagram showing an example of a processing procedure for explaining Conventional Example 1. FIG. 4 shows an example of a mail system as shown in the above conventional example. In the conventional example 1 of FIG. 4, the sent e-mail is received by the mail server and stored in the mail server. The mail reading application on the client computer makes a reading request to the mail server (S31), and processes the data of the e-mail sent from the mail server (S32).

FIG. 5 shows a conventional example 2 of Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 8-305.
518 is a conceptual diagram for describing a processing procedure example disclosed in Japanese Patent Publication No. 518. In the second conventional example shown in FIG. 5, as a printer device for printing an electronic mail in a timely manner, there is a method of printing a mail addressed to a specific user sent to the printer device in a set format and method.

In this method, a printer receives an e-mail, prints a specific e-mail from the received e-mail (S41), and transfers another e-mail to another device (S41). (S42), it is stored in the printer (S43).

For this reason, it is necessary to provide a printer device that prints all e-mail destinations for a particular group of users who use this system. That is, since the printer operates as an e-mail server in a certain range, the load on the printer is increased, and the performance of the original printer is affected. In addition, since a device other than the dedicated mail server controls the mail system, the reliability of the mail system is reduced.

[0008]

However, in the above-mentioned conventional example, storing and transferring mail in the printer imposes a load on the printer, and the intervention of storing and transferring mail by the printer reduces the reliability of the mail system. There is a problem of lowering.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made to solve the above-described problems of the prior art, and minimizes the influence on an existing mail system to efficiently load an e-mail without imposing a load on a printer. It is an object of the present invention to provide an e-mail printing method, an e-mail printing apparatus, and a recording medium on which a program for an e-mail printing procedure is recorded, which enables realization of timely printing.

[0010]

According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided an electronic mail printing method for an apparatus connected to a network having an electronic mail reading function based on an electronic mail reading procedure. A connection step of connecting to an e-mail server according to preset conditions, a read step of reading e-mail from the server connected by the connection step, and an electronic readout in a format and method preset in the readout step. And a printing step for printing the contents of the mail.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided an e-mail printing method for an apparatus connected to a network having an e-mail reading function based on an e-mail reading procedure and an e-mail server function including storage and provision of the e-mail. A connection step of connecting to an e-mail server according to set conditions, a reading step of reading e-mail from the server connected by the connection step, and a storage step of storing the e-mail read by the reading step in the device And a read providing step of providing readout of the e-mail stored in the storage step from the client, and a printing step of printing the contents of the e-mail in a preset format and method by reading the status from the client. It is characterized by.

According to a third aspect of the present invention, there is provided an e-mail printing method for an apparatus connected to a network having an e-mail reading function based on an e-mail reading procedure and an e-mail server function including storage and provision of the e-mail. A connecting step of connecting to the server of the e-mail via the e-mail, a reading step of reading the e-mail from the server connected by the connecting step, and a storing step of storing the e-mail read by the reading step in the device. The apparatus has a function of connecting to the server, reading the e-mail from the server, and printing the contents of the e-mail in the set format and method according to the e-mail accumulated in the accumulation step and the preset conditions. It is characterized by having a process.

According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, in any one of the first to third aspects, a plurality of electronic mail printing methods are used.

According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, there is provided an electronic mail printing method according to any one of the first to fourth aspects.

According to a sixth aspect of the present invention, a program for causing a computer to execute the electronic mail printing method according to any one of the first to fourth aspects is recorded.

[0016]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Next, an embodiment of an electronic mail printing method, an electronic mail printing apparatus, and a recording medium on which a program for an electronic mail printing procedure is recorded according to the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. 1 to 3 show an embodiment of an e-mail printing method, an e-mail printing apparatus, and a recording medium on which a program for an e-mail printing procedure is recorded according to the present invention.

In this embodiment, an apparatus for controlling printing is:
By accessing the mail server as required by the setting, only the necessary mail is obtained and printed. In addition, necessary e-mail can be printed based on the storage and state of only necessary e-mail and the state of reading e-mail via the device. Hereinafter, a case where the present embodiment is applied to a printer will be described.

FIG. 1 is a conceptual diagram for explaining a configuration example of the first embodiment of the present invention. In FIG. 1, an e-mail sent from a printer 1 is received by a mail server 2 and stored in a mail storage hard disk 21 in the mail server 2. The mail processing program 11 on the printer 1 issues a read request to the mail server 2 at a certain timing set for the set user (S1). The printer 1 acquires the data of the e-mail sent from the mail server 2 (S
2) The data is printed by the printer engine 12 in accordance with the set print format and method for each user (S3).

The printing is performed in such a manner that a format such as a plurality of columns, double-sided printing, and a sheet and a discharge bin can be designated. The check of the e-mail on the mail server is performed at a set interval or at a set time.

For example, if the destination of an e-mail periodically sent by the mailing list service is registered as a specific user, the e-mail sent to that user is always printed within a certain period of time. The contents distributed by regular e-mail can be automatically obtained as printed matter.

The present invention is effective for an e-mail including contents suitable to be read as a printed matter, and for an e-mail that needs to save a printed matter.

FIG. 2 is a conceptual diagram for explaining a configuration example of a second embodiment of the present invention. In FIG. 2, the sent e-mail is received by a mail server and initially stored in the mail server. The mail processing program on the printer issues a read request to the mail server at a certain timing set for the set user (S11), and acquires the data of the e-mail sent from the mail server (S11). S12), and save it on the hard disk in the printer. The e-mail of the user set at this point is stored in the printer.

The user accesses the printer using a normal electronic mail application (S13, S1).
4) Read out the mail and delete the e-mail data stored on the printer.

The storage status of the e-mail in the printer is checked at another set timing, and the print format for each user is set according to the set conditions such as designation of the storage period. Then, the data is printed according to the method (S15).

The contents of e-mails that have not been read for a certain period or that have been difficult to read online can be automatically printed at a certain time. Depending on the mail application, it is possible not to receive a long mail, and when such a mail application is used, it is possible to print only a long mail.

Further, finer control can be achieved by changing the operation for saving, printing, and reading requests from the client based on attributes such as the data size, title, and origin of the mail in the printer by setting on the printer. It is possible.

FIG. 3 is a conceptual diagram for explaining a configuration example of the third embodiment of the present invention. In FIG. 3, the user accesses the printer using a normal ordinary e-mail application (S21, S24), reads out e-mails, and deletes stored e-mail data. However, this access is performed via the printer, and the request from the user's mail application is (S21).
Actually, it is sent to the mail server (S22), the printer obtains the result from the mail server (S23), and returns the result to the user's mail application (S2).
4) and so on.

At this time, the access information is stored as a mail access record in the printer that passes through.
In this mail access record, information such as reading and deletion of mail is recorded. Also, the mail access record is checked at another set timing, and the corresponding mail data is obtained from the mail server according to the set conditions such as the specification of the storage period (S25, S26). The data is printed in accordance with the printing format and method for each user (S2).
7). With this method, the same e-mail printing as in the second embodiment of the present invention can be realized without storing the mail data on the printer.

A processing example according to the fourth embodiment of the present invention will be described. In order to properly use the methods of the first to third embodiments of the present invention depending on the environment, setting, and the like, e-mail printing is performed by a plurality of methods of the first to third embodiments, and finer designation and more appropriate e-mail depending on the situation are performed. Mail printing becomes possible.

An example of processing according to the fifth embodiment of the present invention will be described. In a printer, e-mail printing according to the first to fourth embodiments of the present invention is performed. Further, an e-mail printing apparatus for performing e-mail printing according to the first to fourth embodiments is realized by a computer or an apparatus capable of controlling a printer or a printing apparatus.

A processing example according to the sixth embodiment of the present invention will be described. A program for printing an e-mail, particularly a program for an apparatus operating in a network environment, uses the e-mail printing method according to the first to fourth embodiments of the present invention.

[0032]

As is clear from the above description, claim 1
According to the invention described above, there is no increase in the load on the printer such as accumulation of e-mail data inside the printer and transfer of e-mail, and the influence on the e-mail system is minimized to minimize the address to a specific user. The e-mail can be automatically printed according to the setting.

According to the second aspect of the present invention, it is possible to print an e-mail according to conditions such as reading and operation of the e-mail by the user.

According to the third aspect of the present invention, the use of resources on the printer device can be realized in a smaller state.

According to the invention described in claim 4, by selectively using or using each of the processes described in claims 1 to 3, an appropriate process corresponding to the process in the apparatus can be selected. Settings suitable for actual use conditions, such as effective use of printer device resources and more appropriate and reliable selection corresponding to the above process.

According to the sixth aspect of the present invention, it is possible to perform more efficient and realistic e-mail printing than before.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a conceptual diagram illustrating a configuration example of a first embodiment of an e-mail printing method, an e-mail printing apparatus, and a recording medium on which an e-mail printing procedure is recorded according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a conceptual diagram illustrating a configuration example according to a second embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a conceptual diagram illustrating a configuration example according to a third embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a conceptual diagram showing an example of a processing procedure for explaining Conventional Example 1.

FIG. 5 is a conceptual diagram showing an example of a processing procedure for explaining Conventional Example 2;

[Description of Signs] 1 printer 2 mail server 11 mail processing program 12 printer engine 21 hard disk for storing mail S1 read request processing S2 e-mail data acquisition processing S3 data printing processing

──────────────────────────────────────────────────続 き Continued on the front page (51) Int.Cl. ⁶ Identification code FI H04L 12/58

Claims (6)

[Claims] 1. An electronic mail printing method for an apparatus connected to a network having an electronic mail reading function according to an electronic mail reading procedure, comprising: a connecting step of connecting to an electronic mail server according to preset conditions; A reading step of reading an e-mail from the server connected by the method, and a printing step of printing the contents of the e-mail read in a format and a method set in advance by the reading step. Email printing method. 2. An e-mail printing method for an apparatus connected to a network having an e-mail reading function according to an e-mail reading procedure and an e-mail server function including storage and provision of e-mail, wherein an e-mail is read according to a preset condition. A connection step of connecting to a mail server, a reading step of reading an e-mail from the server connected in the connection step, and a storage step of storing the e-mail read in the reading step in the device. A reading providing step of providing reading from the client of the e-mail accumulated by the accumulating step; a printing step of printing the contents of the e-mail according to a reading situation from the client and a preset format and method; An e-mail printing method comprising: 3. An e-mail printing method for an apparatus connected to a network having an e-mail reading function according to an e-mail reading procedure and an e-mail server function including storage and provision of an e-mail, the method comprising: A connection step of connecting the mail to a server, a reading step of reading an electronic mail from the server connected in the connection step, and a storing step of storing the electronic mail read in the reading step in the device. The apparatus connects to the server according to the e-mail accumulated in the accumulation step and a preset condition,
An e-mail printing method, comprising the steps of: reading an e-mail from the server; and printing the contents of the e-mail in a set format and method. 4. The e-mail printing method according to claim 1, wherein a plurality of e-mail printing methods are used. 5. An e-mail printing apparatus configured by using the e-mail printing method according to claim 1. Description: 6. A recording medium on which a program for an e-mail printing procedure is recorded, wherein the program causes a computer to execute the e-mail printing method according to claim 1.