Internet facsimile apparatus and internet facsimile communication method
View Patent ↗An IFAX on a transmitting end gains access to an ISP on the transmitting end by dialup. The IFAX on the transmitting end transmits mail transmission notice to an IFAX on a receiving end via a PSTN after transmitting e-mail to the ISP on the transmitting end. Thereafter, the IFAX on the receiving end gains access to an ISP on the receiving end by dialup in accordance with mail transmission notice and receives e-mail stored in its own postbox. The mail transmission notice is performed using a facsimile communication protocol. The mail transmission notice includes at least one of transmission finished notice information, sent data information, and receiving information. This eliminates the unavailing mail check connection and reduces access charge at a dialup IFAX of the Internet facsimile.
1. A transmitting Internet facsimile apparatus transmitting data to a receiving Internet facsimile apparatus via a telephone network and being connected to the Internet, the receiving Internet facsimile apparatus being connected to a mail server via the Internet, the mail server storing an e-mail directed to the receiving Internet facsimile apparatus, the receiving Internet facsimile apparatus accessing the mail server to obtain the e-mail directed to the receiving Internet facsimile apparatus, the transmitting Internet facsimile apparatus comprising:
a controller configured to transmit, to the mail server via the Internet, the e-mail directed to the receiving Internet facsimile apparatus,
the controller being further configured to transmit a predetermined notice to the receiving Internet facsimile apparatus via the telephone network, the predetermined notice indicating that the transmitting Internet facsimile apparatus has transmitted the e-mail directed to the receiving Internet facsimile apparatus, the predetermined notice further including information regarding a time period that the e-mail is obtainable from the mail server.
2. The transmitting Internet facsimile apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the information regarding the time period that the e-mail is obtainable from the mail server comprises one of a time designated for obtaining the e-mail from the mail server, a time interval between a transmission of the predetermined notice and a time that the e-mail is obtainable from the mail server, or an indication that the e-mail should be obtained from the mail server after the predetermined notice of the last e-mail is received, when a plurality of e-mails are transmitted for a plurality of documents.
3. A receiving Internet facsimile apparatus connected to a mail server via the Internet and receiving data from a transmitting Internet facsimile apparatus via a telephone network, the transmitting Internet facsimile apparatus transmitting, to the mail server via the Internet, an e-mail directed to the receiving Internet facsimile apparatus, the receiving Internet facsimile apparatus comprising:
a receiver configured to receive a predetermined notice from the transmitting Internet facsimile apparatus via a telephone work, the predetermined notice indicating that the transmitting Internet facsimile apparatus has transmitted, to the mail server via the Internet, the e-mail directed to the receiving Internet facsimile apparatus, the predetermined notice further including information regarding a time period that the e-mail is obtainable from the mail server; and
a controller configured to access the mail server and to obtain the e-mail from the mail server, based on the information regarding the time period included in the predetermined notice, when the predetermined notice is received from the transmitting Internet facsimile apparatus.
4. The receiving Internet facsimile apparatus according to claim 3 , wherein the controller accesses the mail server, when it is determined that the receiving Internet facsimile apparatus can receive the e-mail, based on the information regarding the time period included in the predetermined notice.
5. An Internet facsimile communication method for transmitting an e-mail directed to a receiving Internet facsimile apparatus, the receiving Internet facsimile apparatus being connected to a mail server via the Internet, the mail server storing an e-mail directed to the receiving Internet facsimile apparatus, the receiving Internet facsimile apparatus accessing the mail server to obtain the e-mail directed to the receiving Internet facsimile apparatus, the Internet facsimile communication method comprising:
transmitting, to the mail server via the Internet, the e-mail directed to the receiving Internet facsimile apparatus;
transmitting a predetermined notice to the receiving Internet facsimile apparatus via a telephone network, the predetermined notice indicating a notice that the e-mail has been transmitted to the receiving Internet facsimile apparatus, the predetermined notice further including information regarding a time period that the e-mail is obtainable from the mail server.
6. An Internet facsimile communication method for receiving an e-mail directed to a receiving Internet facsimile apparatus from a transmitting Internet facsimile apparatus, the transmitting Internet facsimile apparatus transmitting, to a mail server via the Internet, the e-mail directed to the receiving Internet facsimile apparatus, the Internet facsimile communication method comprising:
receiving a predetermined notice from the transmitting Internet facsimile apparatus via a telephone work, the predetermined notice indicating that the transmitting Internet facsimile apparatus has transmitted, to the mail server via the Internet, the e-mail directed to the mail server, the predetermined notice further including information regarding a time period that the e-mail is obtainable from the mail server; and
accessing the mail server to obtain the e-mail, based on the information regarding the time period included in the predetermined notice, when the predetermined notice is received from the transmitting Internet facsimile apparatus.