JP4854165B2 - COMMUNICATION DEVICE AND COMMUNICATION METHOD IN COMMUNICATION DEVICE - Google Patents

Description

[0001]
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
  The present invention, ElectricCommunication device that can send child mailas well asThe present invention relates to a communication method in the communication apparatus.
[0002]
[Prior art]
In recent years, with the spread of computers and the networking of information, electronic mail that transmits and receives character information over a network has become widespread. Various types of files can be attached to e-mails in addition to the text body of text information, and images are sent and received by attaching an image TIFF (Tag Image File Format) file specified in the attached file. Internet FAX has been proposed.
[0003]
In RFC 2532 (Expanded Facsimili Using Internet Mail) issued by the Internet Standardization Organization IETF (Internet Engineering Task Force), when the receiver receives the image TIFF file mail sent by the transmitter, the receiver receives it normally. An Internet FAX Full Mode has been proposed that informs the transmitter side by e-mail.
[0004]
Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 11-252164 has a table storing a plurality of delivery confirmation mail destinations, and when receiving the delivery confirmation mail, if the sender of the mail corresponds to the table, the delivery confirmation is sent to the sender. The technology to notify is described.
[0005]
Furthermore, JP-A-2000-183949 describes a technique for storing a delivery confirmation delivery address and transmitting a delivery confirmation mail to the delivery confirmation delivery address when it is recognized as a delivery confirmation mail when an e-mail is received. Has been.
[0006]
If the transmitter sends the receiver with the image data and information necessary to notify the delivery, and if the receiver is able to process normally, a delivery confirmation email is sent from the receiver to the transmitter. The On the other hand, when the transmitter receives the delivery confirmation mail, it operates to notify the sender by displaying and printing it as a transmission log or transmission management report.
[0007]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
However, there is no guarantee of immediacy in e-mail because mail is transferred through several mail servers on the way, and it may take time until the sender receives the delivery confirmation mail after sending the mail. .
[0008]
In this case, there is a problem that the sender does not know whether the destination has been reached unless he / she frequently checks whether the transmission log and the transmission management report are printed.
[0009]
In addition, when the transmission operation is continuously performed, a plurality of communication waiting for delivery confirmation occurs, and it is difficult to determine which communication is the delivery confirmation mail when the delivery confirmation mail is received.
[0010]
  The present invention has been made to solve the above problems, and when transmitting an e-mail, addresses other than the own device and the own device are set as transmission destination information of the delivery confirmation mail, and the own device and other than the own device are set. A delivery confirmation email is sent back to the desired reply destination.The given description isincludedIf it is determined whether or not the predetermined description is included, the description is continued after the predetermined description.From the header information of the original mail sent by itselfGet the transmission ID,The purpose is to update the transmission log based on the acquired transmission ID.
[0012]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
  In order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides a communication device capable of transmitting an electronic mail, wherein the electronic mail is transmitted according to a transmission instruction, destination information of the electronic mail to be transmitted by the transmission means, and Input means for inputting an address other than the communication device as reply destination information of a delivery confirmation mail to be replied at the destination corresponding to the destination information, and identifying the e-mail as an e-mail to be sent by the sending means Possible transmission ID, destination information input by the input means and reply destination information are set, and the address other than the communication device input by the input means as the transmission ID, destination information and reply destination information and the own apparatus Is generated every time the transmission instruction is received, and the control means for sending the e-mail set with the e-mail address for receiving e-mail by the sending means. Managing means for managing transmission log of e-mail by the transmission unit based on the transmission reception ID that the transmissionReply fromReceiving means for receiving a delivery confirmation mail, and the receiving means includes the received delivery confirmation mail.The given description isincludedIf it is determined whether or not the predetermined description is included, the description is continued after the predetermined description.The transmission means acquires the transmission ID from the header information of the original mail transmitted by the transmission means, the management means specifies the transmission reception ID by the acquired transmission ID, and updates the transmission log corresponding to the delivery confirmation mail It is characterized by doing.
[0014]
  Furthermore, in order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides a communication method in a communication apparatus capable of transmitting an e-mail, wherein the destination information of the e-mail to be transmitted is input and the destination corresponding to the destination information is input. The address other than the communication device is input as the reply destination information of the delivery confirmation mail to be replied in, the transmission ID that can identify the electronic mail, the input destination information and the reply destination information to the electronic mail to be transmitted Set an address other than the input communication device and a mail address for receiving an e-mail by the own device, and send an e-mail in which the transmission ID, destination information and reply destination information are set, Manages the transmission log of e-mails that are sent based on the transmission reception ID that is generated each time a transmission instruction is received, and the received delivery confirmation mailThe given description isincludedIf it is determined whether or not the predetermined description is included, the description is continued after the predetermined description.The transmission ID is acquired from the header information of the transmitted original mail, the transmission acceptance ID is specified by the acquired transmission ID, and the transmission log corresponding to the delivery confirmation mail is updated.
[0015]
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
Hereinafter, embodiments according to the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.
[0016]
FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a configuration of an embodiment of a communication apparatus according to the present invention.
As shown in FIG. 1, the communication apparatus includes a reader unit 1, a printer unit 2, and an image input / output control unit 3. Here, the reader unit 1 reads an image of a document and outputs image data corresponding to the document image to the printer unit 2 and the image input / output control unit 3. The printer unit 2 records an image corresponding to the image data from the reader unit 1 and the image input / output control unit 3 on a recording sheet. The image input / output control unit 3 connects the reader unit 1 and includes a facsimile unit (fax unit) 4, a file unit 5, a network interface (I / F) unit 7, a formatter unit 9, an image memory unit 10, and a core unit 11. Have.
[0017]
The facsimile unit 4 decompresses the compressed image data received via the telephone line, transfers the decompressed image data to the core unit 11, compresses the image data transferred from the core unit 11, and compresses the compressed image data. A circuit for transmitting data to a telephone line.
[0018]
A magneto-optical disk drive 6 is connected to the file unit 5, and the file unit 5 compresses the image data transferred from the core unit 11, and is set in the magneto-optical disk drive 6 together with a keyword for retrieving the image data. Write to magneto-optical disk. Further, the file unit 5 searches the compressed image data stored in the magneto-optical disk based on the keyword transferred via the core unit 11, reads and decompresses the searched compressed image data, and decompresses the decompressed image data. Transfer to the core unit 11.
[0019]
The network I / F unit 7 has a network interface for connecting the image input / output control unit 3 to the network, and is assigned an address of ifax@figaro.xyz.co.jp as an e-mail address. This network is connected to a mail server and a POP server 13 (pulser.xyz.co.jp), and is further connected to an internet network 14 spread all over the world. A hard disk 8 is connected to the network I / F unit 7, and data received by mail can be stored in the hard disk 8.
[0020]
The Internet 14 has a plurality of mail servers such as a Mail server POP server 13 (pulser.xyz.co.jp) and a Mail server POP server 15 (panther.abc.co.jp). Send and receive e-mail between them.
[0021]
The formatter unit 9 is a circuit that develops code data representing an image transferred from a computer connected to the network I / F unit 7 into image data that can be printed by the printer unit 2. The image memory unit 10 is a circuit that temporarily stores image data. Although the core unit 11 will be described later, the core unit 11 controls the flow of data in each unit of the reader unit 1, the facsimile unit 4, the file unit 5, the network I / F unit 7, the formatter unit 9, and the image memory unit 10.
[0022]
Next, an operation of attaching an image read by the reader unit 1 from the communication device to an e-mail and transmitting it to the Mail client 16 (pcmail@abc.co.jp) will be described.
[0023]
An image read by the reader unit 1 is converted to an e-mail format to the mail client 16 (pcmail@abc.co.jp), and an e-mail with the image attached is sent to the mail server 13 by SMTP (Simple Mail Transfer Protocol). . In this case, the From email address is ifax@figaro.xyz.co.jp.
[0024]
The mail server 13 transfers the mail with the image attached to the Mail server 15 via the Internet network 14 from the mail address information of the designated Mail client 16. The mail server 15 that has received this mail recognizes the address of the user that it manages from the address information, and stores the received mail in the mailbox of the mail client 16.
[0025]
The mail client 16 is installed with e-mail software capable of sending and receiving e-mail, and new mail arrives in the mailbox of the POP server 15 according to POP3 (Post Office Protocol-Version 3) at regular intervals. Find out. If it has arrived, the mail can be downloaded and an image read by the reader unit 1 of the transmitter can be obtained.
[0026]
Similarly, when data is transmitted to the Internet FAX 18 (ifax@abc.co.jp), the data can be transmitted via the Mail server 13, the Internet network 14, and the mail server 15, and the Internet FAX 18 that has received this image. The received image is printed.
[0027]
Similarly, an image read by the Internet FAX 18 can receive data via the mail server 15, the Internet network 14, and the Mail server 13 and can be printed by the printer unit 2.
[0028]
Next, detailed configurations and operations of the reader unit 1 and the printer unit 2 will be described.
[0029]
FIG. 2 is a side sectional view showing the structure of the image input / output device in which the reader unit 1 and the printer unit 2 are integrally provided. As shown in FIG. 2, a document feeder 101 is mounted on the reader unit 1, and the document feeder 101 feeds documents one by one on the platen glass 102 sequentially from the last page. After the reading operation is finished, the document on the platen glass 102 is discharged. When the document is conveyed onto the platen glass 102, the lamp 103 is turned on and the movement of the scanner unit 104 is started. Due to the movement of the scanner unit 104, the original is exposed and scanned, and the reflected light from the original during the exposure scanning is guided to a CCD image sensor (hereinafter referred to as a CCD) 109 via mirrors 105, 106 and 107 and a lens 108. It is burned.
[0030]
The document image scanned in this way is read by the CCD 109, and the image optically read by the CCD 109 is converted into image data by photoelectric conversion and output. Image data output from the CCD 109 is subjected to a predetermined correction process and then transferred to the printer unit 2 and the core unit 11 of the image input / output control unit 3 via a video bus (not shown).
[0031]
On the other hand, the printer unit 2 inputs the image data output from the reader unit 1 to the laser driver 201. The laser driver 201 drives the laser emission unit 221 based on the input image data. That is, the laser emission unit 221 is driven so as to emit laser light corresponding to the image data output from the reader unit 1. The laser beam is irradiated while being scanned on the photosensitive drum 202, and an electrostatic latent image corresponding to the laser beam is formed on the photosensitive drum 202.
[0032]
The electrostatic latent image on the photosensitive drum 202 is visualized as a developer image by the developer supplied from the developing device 203. Further, at a timing synchronized with the start of laser beam irradiation, a recording sheet is fed from one of the cassettes 204 and 205, and the recording sheet is conveyed between the photosensitive drum 202 and the transfer unit 206. The developer image formed on the photosensitive drum 202 is transferred onto the recording paper fed by the transfer unit 206.
[0033]
The recording paper onto which the developer image has been transferred is conveyed to the fixing unit 207, and the fixing unit 207 fixes the developer image on the recording paper by heat-pressing the recording paper. Then, the recording paper that has passed through the fixing unit 207 is discharged by the discharge roller 208, and the sorter 220 stores the discharged recording paper in each bin and sorts the recording paper. Note that the sorter 220 operates so as to store the recording paper in the uppermost bin when the sorting is not set.
[0034]
When double-sided recording is set, the recording paper is conveyed to the position of the discharge roller 208, and then the rotation direction of the discharge roller 208 is reversed and guided to the refeed conveyance path by the flapper 209. ing. Further, when multiple recording is set, the flapper 209 is switched so as not to convey the recording paper to the discharge roller 208 and is set to be guided to the refeed conveyance path. The recording paper guided to the refeed conveyance path is again fed between the photosensitive drum 202 and the transfer unit 206 at the timing described above.
[0035]
Next, the configuration and operation of the reader unit 1 of the communication device according to the present embodiment will be described in detail.
[0036]
FIG. 3 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration of the reader unit 1 of the communication device. As shown in FIG. 3, the image data output from the CCD 109 is converted into digital data by analog / digital conversion by the A / D / SH unit 110, and shading correction is performed on the digital data. The image data processed by the A / D / SH unit 110 is transferred to the printer unit 2 through the image processing unit 111 and at the same time, the core unit of the image input / output control unit 3 through the interface (I / F) unit 113. 11 is transferred. The image processing unit 111 performs various types of image processing such as trimming processing, and the I / F unit 113 controls an interface with the core unit 11 such as capturing data including image data transferred from the core unit 11.
[0037]
The image processing unit 111 and the I / F unit 113 are controlled according to the setting content set by the operation unit 115 by the CPU 114. For example, when a copy mode for performing copying by performing trimming processing on the operation unit 115 is set, the CPU 114 executes trimming processing in the image processing unit 111, and the image data on which the trimming processing has been performed is performed on the printer unit 2. Control to transfer to.
[0038]
When the facsimile transmission mode is set on the operation unit 115, the CPU 114 performs control so that image data and a control command corresponding to the set mode are transferred from the I / F unit 113 to the core unit 11.
[0039]
Such control by the CPU 114 is executed according to a control program stored in the memory 116. The memory 116 is also used as a work area for the CPU 114.
[0040]
Next, the configuration and operation of the core unit 11 of the communication device according to the present embodiment will be described in detail.
[0041]
FIG. 4 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration of the core unit 11 of the communication apparatus. The core unit 11 includes an I / F unit 122 with the reader unit 1, and image data transferred from the reader unit 1 is transferred to the image data processing unit 121 via the I / F unit 122 and the reader unit The control command from 1 is transferred to the CPU 123. The image data processing unit 121 performs image processing such as image rotation processing and scaling processing on the input image data as necessary. The image data subjected to the image processing by the image data processing unit 121 is a reader. In response to the control command transferred from the unit 1, the data is transferred to the facsimile unit 4, the file unit 5, or the network I / F unit 7 via the I / F unit 120.
[0042]
Further, printer data representing an image input via the network I / F unit 7 is transferred to the image data processing unit 121 and then transferred to the formatter unit 9 to be developed into image data. After being transferred to the data processing unit 121, it is also transferred to the printer unit 2 via the facsimile unit 4 or the I / F unit 122. The image data received by the facsimile unit 4 is transferred to the image data processing unit 121, and then transferred to the printer unit 2, the file unit 5, or the network I / F unit 7. Further, the image data output from the file unit 5 is transferred to the image data processing unit 121 and then transferred to the printer unit 2, facsimile unit 4, or network I / F unit 7.
[0043]
The CPU 123 performs data transfer control between the units in accordance with the control program stored in the memory 124 and the control command transferred from the reader unit 1, and controls the execution of image processing by the image data processing unit 121. The memory 124 is also used as a work area for the CPU 123.
[0044]
As described above, with the core unit 11 as the center, it is possible to perform processing that combines functions such as reading of a document image, printing of an image, transmission / reception of an image, storage of an image, and input / output of data from a computer. is there.
[0045]
FIG. 5 is a diagram for explaining the configuration and operation of the formatter unit 9. Data generated by an application such as a word processor of the PC client 12 shown in FIG. 1 is converted into PDL (Page Description Language) data that can be interpreted by a printer such as PS (PostScript) by a printer driver. The converted data is transferred to the formatter unit 9 via the network I / F unit 7, the core unit 11, and the core I / F unit 220.
[0046]
This data is interpreted by the CPU 222 and an image is formed using the FontROM 223 and DRAM 225. This image is subjected to image processing by the image processing circuit 226, and the image is transferred from the video I / F circuit 227 to the core unit 11 in synchronization with the synchronization signal generated by the video clock 228. The transferred image data is printed by the printer unit 2. The program ROM 224 is a ROM that stores a program for controlling the above-described operation. In this way, the printer unit 2 can print PDL data such as PS.
[0047]
The formatter unit 9 can be changed for each PDL. The ROM 224 is different for each PDL and its version, and the user can select a PDL and a version according to the purpose.
[0048]
FIG. 6 is a diagram for explaining the configuration and operation of the facsimile unit 4. An NCU (Network Control Unit) 230 is a circuit that connects a FAX to a telephone, and is a circuit that switches between telephones and FAX, detects a call signal when receiving, and holds a DC loop signal from the telephone switch during a call. A MODEM (MOdulator / DEModulator) 231 is a modulation / demodulation circuit that converts an analog signal into a digital signal and conversely converts the analog signal into a digital signal.
[0049]
Data transmitted from another FAX is received by the NCU 230 and converted into a digital signal by the MODEM 213. This data is data obtained by encoding an image with MH, MR, MMR, JBIG or the like. This data is decoded by the code decoding circuit 236, and the image data is developed in the DRAM 235. The resolution of the developed image data is converted by the resolution conversion unit 234 and image processing is performed by the image processing circuit 237. This image data is transferred to the core unit 11 by the video I / F circuit 238 in synchronization with the clock from the video clock 239 and printed by the printer unit 2.
[0050]
At the time of transmission, the image data read by the reader unit 1 is developed in the DRAM 235 by the video I / F circuit 238, the video clock 239, and the image processing circuit 237 via the core unit 11. The resolution of the developed data is converted by a resolution converter 234 and encoded by an encoding / decoding circuit 236 into MH, MR, MMR, or JBIG. The encoded data is converted into an analog signal by MODEM 231 and transmitted by NCU 230.
[0051]
The CPU 232 is a circuit that controls the above-described control, and the program ROM 233 stores a program for operating the CPU 232. The facsimile unit 4 is detachable and can be mounted according to the user's application.
[0052]
Next, a program (protocol) hierarchy in the network I / F unit 7 of the communication apparatus will be described.
[0053]
FIG. 7 is a diagram showing a program hierarchy in the network I / F unit of the communication apparatus. As shown in FIG. 7, the program in the network I / F unit 7 includes an IP (Internet Protocol) 250, a TCP (Transmission Control Protocol) / UDP (User Datagram Protocol) 251, and a program 252 that operates an application layer protocol. It is configured.
[0054]
The IP 250 is an Internet protocol layer that provides a service for sending a message in cooperation with a relay node such as a router from a source host to a destination host. The most important information for delivering a message is the address of the origination and destination, and the address of the origination and destination is managed by the IP 250. The IP 250 performs routing as to which route the message is sent to the destination host in the network according to the address information.
[0055]
The TCP / UDP 251 is a transport layer that provides a service for delivering a message from a transmission application process to a reception application process. This TCP is a connection-type service and guarantees high communication reliability. However, UPD is a connectionless service and does not guarantee reliability.
[0056]
The application layer protocol 252 defines a plurality of protocols, including FTP (File Transfer Protocol) as a file transfer service, SNMP (simple network management protocol) as a network management protocol, and a server protocol for printer printing. There are certain LPDs, HTTPd, which is a WWW (World Wide Web) server protocol, email transmission / reception protocol SMTP (Simple Mail Transfer Protocol), mail download protocol POP3 (Post Office Protocol-Version 3), and the like.
[0057]
Next, a display screen of the operation unit 115 when performing transmission setting from the operation unit 115 provided in the reader unit 1 will be described.
[0058]
FIG. 8 is a diagram illustrating a display screen of the operation unit 115 when an image is transmitted. A reading size 300 shown in FIG. 8 is an area for designating the paper size of an image read by the scanner unit 104. Here, “A5, A4, A3, B5, B4, automatic” can be designated, and “automatic” is set as a default. A resolution 301 is an area where the resolution of an image read by the scanner unit 104 can be designated. Here, a resolution of “200 × 100, 200 × 200, 200 × 400, 300 × 300, 400 × 400, 600 × 600 dpi” can be selected, and “200 × 200 dpi” is set as a default.
[0059]
When the detailed setting 302 button is pressed, a window (not shown) is displayed in which scanning settings such as density setting during scanning, document type specification, double-sided reading, page continuous shooting specification, and image quality adjustment can be performed. Each value can be set. A destination 303 is a button for inputting an e-mail transmission destination. When this button is pressed, the address book shown in FIG. 9 is displayed. This detailed description will be described with reference to FIG. 9, but the address ifax@abc.co.jp of the Internet FAX 18 is selected as the destination.
[0060]
A subject 304 is a column in which the subject of the e-mail can be input. In the example shown in FIG. 8, TEST is input. A text 305 is a field in which the text of the e-mail can be input. When a mail is transmitted from the Internet FAX 18, the reply destination 306 is set not to the Internet FAX 18 but to an e-mail address that is normally used by the user on the receiving side instead of the Internet FAX 18. Used for.
[0061]
The reply destination e-mail address can be input using an address book. Similarly, a delivery confirmation email that informs you that an email has arrived normally can be sent to the email address you normally use. I can confirm. Since this address is basically the same as the reply destination email address, when the reply destination 306 is set, both the reply destination email address and the delivery confirmation destination email address are set as the set address. Operate. In this example, the address of client@xyz.co.jp of the mail client 12 is set.
[0062]
FIG. 9 is a diagram showing a screen for selecting a destination from the address book. The address book is a database that can store many Internet FAXes that can be input in a user mode (not shown) and e-mail destinations. The address book is composed of an address book ID 350, a selection mark 351, and a destination e-mail address 352, and can be scrolled using keys 353 and 354.
[0063]
In this embodiment, at the time of transmission, a plurality of destinations can be selected from this address book, and a selection mark is displayed for the selected address. In the example shown in FIG. 9, ifax @ abc.co.jp is selected as the destination.
[0064]
Next, an operation of reading an image from the reader unit 1 of the communication apparatus and transmitting a mail with the image attached to the mail server 13 from the network I / F unit 7 using the ESMTP transmission protocol will be described.
[0065]
FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an ESMTP transmission protocol according to the present embodiment. When a TCP / IP connection is executed from the network I / F unit 7 of the communication apparatus to the Mail server 13, a message starting from the number 220 as shown in 400 in FIG. It is transmitted to the I / F unit 7. Upon receiving this message, the network I / F unit 7 as a client transmits a message starting from EHL0 as indicated by 401. As a result, the server responds with the names of the DSN, EXPN, and SIZE functions owned by the mail server function, starting with a numeral 250 such as 402 to 405. At this point, the network I / F unit 7 that is the client knows that the server possesses the DSN function.
[0066]
In 406, the address of the email sent from the client (ifax@figaro.xyz.co.jp) is described, and the transmission receipt number (0580) described in the transmission log and the destination address book ID (006) are combined. Enter 0580.006 as the Envelope-ID (ENVID). By entering the send receipt number and address book ID in this ENVID, TxNo.0580.006 entered as ENVID is set in the Original-Envelope-ID of the error mail that is returned when an error occurs in the mail server on the way. Since an error mail is received, the error mail can be easily found from the transmission reception number and the address book ID. The contents of the error mail will be further described later with reference to FIG.
[0067]
When the above message is received by the server, a message starting from the number 250 is returned from the server (407). For 408, since the server supports the DSN function, set ifax@abc.co.jp, which is the email address of the RCPT TO, and return the DSN error email to the sender when an error occurs next time. Write NOTIFY = FAIRURE, ORCPT = rfc822; ifax@abc.co.jp. A character string starting from 250 is returned from the mail server 13 that accepted this message (409).
[0068]
In 410, a DATA command is transmitted from the client side in order to notify the mail server 13 that mail data will be transmitted. Here, the Mail server 13 that has received the DATA command returns a character string starting from 354 (411), and informs the client that the data can be received. Reference numerals 412 to 415 denote mail data from the client, which will be described later with reference to FIG.
[0069]
“.” In 416 is a code indicating the end of the mail data, and the mail server 13 which has received this code normally returns a character string starting from 250 (417). Since the transmission of data is completed, when QUIT is transmitted at 418 to declare the end of the connection, the server returns a character string starting from 221 and the connection is disconnected (419).
[0070]
Here, an example of electronic mail data sent from the communication device via the mail server will be described.
[0071]
FIG. 11 is a diagram showing an example of e-mail data in the present embodiment. X-Priority: 1 (Highest) of 500 shown in FIG. 11 indicates the priority of this mail. Internet FAX data that is sent and received with an image attached to an e-mail is given a higher priority in order to prevent the amount of data from increasing and depending on the mail server to operate in such a way that delivery is delayed. 501 of 501 is a transmission start time, From of 502 is an e-mail address of this apparatus, and is an address set by the user in a user mode (not shown). A subject 503 is the title of the mail, and a character string (TEST in this example) input by the user in the subject setting 304 is substituted.
[0072]
To in 504 is a mail destination, and an electronic mail address (ifax@xyz.co.jp) designated by the user in the destination 303 of the transmission setting is substituted. Reply-To 505 is the mail address (client@xyz.co.jp) of the mail client 12 input to the reply destination 306 of the transmission setting, and when the user performs a reply operation after the mail arrives at the destination, Mail is replied to this mail address instead of the address. The Message-Id of 506 is a unique number of mail, and it is recommended to enter the date, time, and HOST name so that the same number is not used. In addition, the transmission reception number (TxNo.0580), Substitute the address book information (006).
[0073]
In other words, the Message-Id character string entered at the transmitter is assigned to the Original-Message-ID of the delivery confirmation email sent from the receiver, so the sender assigns it to the Original-Message-ID of the delivery confirmation email. Based on the received transmission reception number and the address book ID, it is possible to easily determine when and to whom the transmitted mail has arrived. The contents of the delivery confirmation mail will be further described later with reference to FIG.
[0074]
507 Disposition-Notification-To designates the mail address for sending the delivery confirmation result sent by the receiver. The sender's mail address (ifax@figaro.xyz.co.jp) and the mail client 12 mail Two addresses (client@xyz.co.jp) are specified. The mail address of the mail client 12 is the e-mail address entered in the reply setting 306 of the transmission setting, and the sender confirms from the mail client 12 that he / she normally uses without confirming the result of the delivery confirmation with the transmitter. it can.
[0075]
The Content-Type field 509 declares multipart / mixed to indicate that this mail is composed of a mail body and an attached file part, and indicates that it is delimited by the character string “AHMO”. 511--AHMO indicates the start of the break, and 516--AHMO is one break, and 529--AHMO-- indicates that the break is complete. Therefore, it is divided into a first block from 509 to 511 and a second block from 511 to 529.
[0076]
The first block is a mail text represented by 512 Content-Type: text / plane, and the character code is a Japanese JIS code of ISO-2022-JP. The second block is a TIFF image file expressed by 517 Content-Type: image / tiff, and the file name is image.tif. This TIFF image file has 518 Content-Transfer-Encording: base64 for encoding in BASE64, and a character string of 520 to 529 is data obtained by BASE64 encoding the TIFF image file.
[0077]
Next, when data is transmitted from the network I / F unit 7 to the Internet FAX 18, an operation that is performed when an error occurs when a non-existent destination is detected by the Mail server 13 will be described.
[0078]
FIG. 12 is a diagram illustrating a data flow when a transmission error occurs. Data is transmitted from the network I / F unit 7 to the mail server 13 (600). The mail server 13 that has received the data transmits the received data to the mail server 15 from the address information of RCPT TO 408 (601). If the mail server 15 determines that the destination does not exist from the destination information, an error mail is transmitted to the destination (mail address) described in MAIL FROM of 406 (602). The Mail server 13 that has received the error mail transmits the received data to the network I / F unit 7 that is the destination of the error mail (603). The contents of this error mail will be further described later with reference to FIG.
[0079]
Next, an operation when data can be normally transmitted from the network I / F unit 7 to the Internet FAX 18 will be described.
[0080]
FIG. 13 is a diagram illustrating the flow of data during normal transmission. Data is transmitted from the network I / F unit 7 to the mail server 13 (650). The mail server 13 that has received the data transmits the received data to the mail server 15 from the destination information of RCPT TO 408 (651). The mail server 15 transfers the data received from the destination information to the Internet FAX 18 (652). The Internet FAX 18 that has received the data forms an image from the received data and prints the image.
[0081]
Since the received data includes 507 Disposition-Notification-To :, the Internet FAX 18 has two email addresses (ifax@figaro.xyz.co.jp, client @ xyz.co.jp) is sent a delivery confirmation mail indicating that it has been successfully received (653). The delivery confirmation mail is sent to the Mail server 13 via the Mail server 15 (654). The Mail server 13 confirms the delivery to the network I / F unit 7 (655) and the mail client 12 (656). An email is sent. The contents of this delivery confirmation mail will be further described later with reference to FIG.
[0082]
FIG. 14 is a diagram showing the contents of the error mail (602) transmitted by the Mail server 15. Reference numeral 700 denotes a date and time when the mail server 15 transmits an error mail, and reference numeral 701 denotes an error mail sender. Reference numeral 707 denotes the MIME type of the error mail, and it can be understood that the mail is divided into a plurality of blocks in the report format from Content-Type: multipart / report; report-type = delivery-status ;.
[0083]
This e-mail is divided into multiple blocks. Since this delimiter is RAA03423 of 708, it is divided into three blocks: a text part of 714 to 717, a part describing delivery-status of 720 to 733, and an rfc822-headers part of 736 to 746. Goodbye The text portions 714 to 717 are written so that the sender of the original mail (600) knows why the error occurred, and it can be seen that there is no user iifax@abc.co.jp in 717. In the part where delivery-status of 720 to 733 is described, Original-Envelope-Id: TxNo.0579.007 in 722 is the same as 406 in FIG. 10 when sending the original mail (600) on the ESMTP protocol MAIL FROM command. The attached ENVID (406). It can be seen that the communication result is a failure from 729 Action: failed. The rfc822-headers part 736 to 746 is the mail header part of the original mail (600). From 744, the Message-Id of the original mail (600) is <20010614172000.TxNo.0579.007@figaro.xyz.co.jp>. I understand that.
[0084]
FIG. 15 is a diagram showing the contents of the delivery confirmation mail. 800 indicates the date and time of the delivery confirmation (653) mail, and 801 describes ifax@abc.co.jp as the sender. Reference numeral 802 defines 20010614174140.12345@ifax.abc.co.jp, which is a message-Id unique to this delivery confirmation mail, and 803 is a subject, in which Disposition notification is described. 804 is a recipient of delivery confirmation, and two email addresses of ifax@figaro.xyz.co.jp and client@xyz.co.jp specified in Disposition-Notification-To (507) of the original email (650) Is specified. Reference numeral 806 denotes the MIME type of the delivery confirmation mail, and it is understood that the mail is divided into a plurality of blocks in the report format from Content-Type: multipart / report; report-type = disposition-notification ;.
[0085]
This mail is divided into a plurality of blocks. Since this delimiter is RAA14128 of 807, the text part of 811 to 812, the part describing disposition-notification of 815 to 821, and the rfc822-headers part of 824 to 834 Break up into blocks. The text portions 811 to 812 describe the mail transmission time, the recipient, and the like to indicate which mail the sender has confirmed delivery.
[0086]
The disposition-notification part of 815 to 821 indicates which mail has been confirmed to be delivered and its result, and the Original-Message-ID of 820 indicates the Message-ID (506) of the original mail (650). Since “displayed” is described in the Disposition of 821, it can be seen that the image is formed normally. The rfc822-headers part of 824 to 834 is the mail header part of the original mail (650), and the Message-Id of the original mail (650) from 832 is <20010614172140.TxNo.0580.006@figaro.xyz.co.jp>. I understand that.
[0087]
FIG. 16 is a diagram illustrating a transmission log in which transmission contents and states are recorded. As shown in FIG. 16, the transmission log 850 is composed of a number, a transmission reception number, address book information, and a state. When the transmission log is shown to the user, such as a transmission result report, an actual destination (ifax @ xyz.co.jp) is expanded and displayed or printed.
[0088]
The number 1 shown in the transmission log 850 is the transmission acceptance number “0577” and the address book information “004”, and it can be seen that the state has been completed normally. In addition, the numbers 2 to 4 have the transmission reception number “0578”, and broadcast transmission is simultaneously performed to the three destinations of the address book information “001”, “002”, and “003”, and the transmission ends normally. is doing.
[0089]
The number 6 is the communication described with reference to FIGS. 12 and 14, and ends with an error. Further, the number 7 is the communication described with reference to FIGS. 13 and 15, and is the transmission acceptance number “0580” and the address book information “006”, and has been normally completed. The numbers 8 and 9 are broadcast to two destinations, the transmission acceptance number is “0581”, and the address book information is “002” and “004”, respectively, and the delivery is being confirmed. The number 10 is a communication of the reception number “0582” and the address book information “005”, which is a state in which data is currently being transmitted.
[0090]
Next, a mail reception process when the network I / F unit 7 of the communication apparatus receives an error mail or a delivery confirmation mail from the Mail server 13 will be described.
[0091]
FIG. 17 is a flowchart showing mail reception processing in the present embodiment. When the network I / F unit 7 receives mail data from the Mail server 13 using POP3 or SMTP protocol, the process proceeds to step S901, and the MIME type of the delivery confirmation mail is a report format mail (Content-Type is multipart / report). Find out. If it is not a report-format mail, the process advances to step S902 to execute a normal reception print process, and this mail reception process is terminated. If the received data is a report-type mail, the process advances to step S903 to set the output destination to the printer, and prohibit the received data transfer process and box storage process.
[0092]
In step S904, it is checked whether the report-type is delivery-status. If the report-type is delivery-status, it is found that the received mail is an error mail. If it is an error mail, the process proceeds to step S905, where it is checked whether Original-Envelope-Id exists. If Original-Envelope-Id does not exist, the process proceeds to step S911, and it cannot be determined which of the transmitted mails has an error. Therefore, the text printing process is performed.
[0093]
If Original-Envelope-Id exists, the process proceeds to step S906, a transmission reception number is acquired from Original-Envelope-Id, and address book information is acquired in step S907. In the case of the error mail data shown in FIG. 14, the transmission acceptance number “0579” and the address book information “007” are acquired from the Original-Envelope-Id 722. From the acquired information, the transmission log to be written is number 6.
[0094]
Next, in step S908, it is checked whether the action 729 of the communication result is Failed, that is, if it is unsuccessful. If it has not failed, the process proceeds to step S910, where “-” is written in the state, and text printing processing is performed in step S911.
[0095]
On the other hand, if the report-type is not delivery-status in step S904, the process advances to step S912 to check whether the report-type is disposition-notification. If it is not disposition-notification, the process proceeds to step S921 to perform text printing processing. If it is disposition-notification, it is found that it is a delivery confirmation mail, and the process proceeds to step S913 to check whether Original-Message-Id (820) exists. Here, if Original-Message-Id does not exist, the process proceeds to step S921, and the text printing process is performed. If Original-Message-Id exists, the process proceeds to step S914, and the transmission reception number is obtained from Original-Message-Id. In step S915, address book information is acquired. When the received delivery confirmation mail is FIG. 15, the transmission acceptance number “0580” and the address book information “006” can be acquired from the Original-Message-Id 820. From the acquired information, the transmission log to be written is number 7.
[0096]
Next, in step S916, it is checked whether there is a subsequent disposition-modifier depending on whether the Disposition is displayed or processed. If they match, the process advances to step S917 to write the normal end in the transmission log number 7, and in step S921, the text printing process is executed. If the above condition is not met, the process proceeds to step S918 to check whether Disposition-modifier is error or warning. If the conditions are met, the process proceeds to step S919, an error is written in the state, and text printing processing is performed in step S921. If they do not match, the process proceeds to step S920, "-" is written in the state, and text printing processing is performed in step S921.
[0097]
According to the present embodiment, it is possible to easily determine whether or not the receiver has been reached by substituting the transmission reception number of the transmitter and the management information of the receiver in the address book of the transmitter at the time of transmission on the email data. Can do.
[0098]
In addition, because the delivery confirmation result for confirming the arrival of the email is sent from the receiver to not only the transmitter but also to other specified email addresses, even the mail client normally used knows the delivery confirmation. Can do.
[0099]
[Modification]
Next, a modified example of the mail receiving process described above will be described. In this modification, the Message-ID of the original mail is acquired, and the transmission reception number and address book information are acquired from the Message-Id.
[0100]
FIG. 18 is a flowchart showing mail reception processing in the modification. When the network I / F unit 7 receives mail data from the Mail server 13 using POP3 or SMTP protocol, the process proceeds to step S901, and the MIME type of the delivery confirmation mail is a report format mail (Content-Type is multipart / report). Find out. If it is not a report-format mail, the process advances to step S902 to execute a normal reception print process, and this mail reception process is terminated. If the received data is a report-type mail, the process advances to step S903 to set the output destination to the printer, and prohibit the received data transfer process and box storage process.
[0101]
In step S904, it is checked whether the report-type is delivery-status. If the report-type is delivery-status, it is found that the received mail is an error mail. If it is an error mail, the process proceeds to step S950, where it is checked whether rfc822-headers exists. If rfc822-headers does not exist, the process proceeds to step S911, and text printing processing is performed.
[0102]
If rfc822-headers exists, the process proceeds to step S951, where this part is header information of the original mail, and the Message-Id of the original mail is acquired from the header information of the original mail. In step S906, a transmission reception number is acquired. In subsequent step S907, address book information is acquired. In the case of the error mail data in FIG. 14, the rfc822-headers 736 are recognized, and the transmission reception number “0579” and the address book information “007” are acquired from the Message-Id 744. From the acquired information, the transmission log to be written is number 6.
[0103]
Next, in step S908, it is checked whether the action 729 of the communication result is Failed, that is, if it is unsuccessful. If it has not failed, the process proceeds to step S910, where “-” is written in the state, and text printing processing is performed in step S911.
[0104]
On the other hand, if the report-type is not delivery-status in step S904, the process advances to step S912 to check whether the report-type is disposition-notification. If it is not disposition-notification, the process proceeds to step S921 to perform text printing processing. If it is disposition-notification, it is determined that the message is a delivery confirmation mail, and the process proceeds to step S952 to check whether message / rfc822 (824) exists. If message / rfc822 does not exist, the process proceeds to step S921, and text printing is performed. If message / rfc822 exists, the process proceeds to step S953, and this part is header information of the original mail. Get Message-Id of original mail from header information. In step S914, a transmission acceptance number is acquired, and in step S915, address book information is acquired. When the received delivery confirmation mail is shown in FIG. 15, the Message-Id of the original mail 832 is acquired by detecting the message / rfc822 of 824, from which the transmission reception number “0580” and the address book information “006” are acquired. Can be acquired. From the acquired information, it can be seen that the transmission log to be written is number 856 of 856.
[0105]
Next, in step S916, it is checked whether there is a subsequent disposition-modifier depending on whether the Disposition is displayed or processed. If they match, the process advances to step S917 to write the normal end in the transmission log number 7, and in step S921, the text printing process is executed. If the above condition is not met, the process proceeds to step S918 to check whether Disposition-modifier is error or warning. If the conditions are met, the process proceeds to step S919, an error is written in the state, and text printing processing is performed in step S921. If they do not match, the process proceeds to step S920, "-" is written in the state, and text printing processing is performed in step S921.
[0106]
According to this modification, it is possible to easily determine whether the receiver has been reached, as in the above-described embodiment.
[0107]
Even if the present invention is applied to a system composed of a plurality of devices (for example, a host computer, an interface device, a reader, a printer, etc.), it is applied to an apparatus (for example, a copier, a facsimile machine, etc.) composed of a single device. It may be applied.
[0108]
Another object of the present invention is to supply a recording medium in which a program code of software realizing the functions of the above-described embodiments is recorded to a system or apparatus, and the computer (CPU or MPU) of the system or apparatus stores the recording medium in the recording medium. Needless to say, this can also be achieved by reading and executing the programmed program code.
[0109]
In this case, the program code itself read from the recording medium realizes the functions of the above-described embodiment, and the recording medium storing the program code constitutes the present invention.
[0110]
As a recording medium for supplying the program code, for example, a floppy disk, a hard disk, an optical disk, a magneto-optical disk, a CD-ROM, a CD-R, a magnetic tape, a nonvolatile memory card, a ROM, or the like can be used.
[0111]
Further, by executing the program code read by the computer, not only the functions of the above-described embodiments are realized, but also an OS (operating system) operating on the computer based on the instruction of the program code. It goes without saying that a case where the function of the above-described embodiment is realized by performing part or all of the actual processing and the processing is included.
[0112]
Further, after the program code read from the recording medium is written into a memory provided in a function expansion board inserted into the computer or a function expansion unit connected to the computer, the function expansion is performed based on the instruction of the program code. It goes without saying that the CPU or the like provided in the board or the function expansion unit performs part or all of the actual processing and the functions of the above-described embodiments are realized by the processing.
[0114]
【The invention's effect】
  As described above, according to the present invention, when an e-mail is transmitted, addresses other than the own apparatus and the own apparatus are set as reply destination information of the delivery confirmation mail. A delivery confirmation email can be sent back to the reply destination, and the received delivery confirmation emailThe given description isincludedIf it is determined whether or not the predetermined description is included, the description is continued after the predetermined description.From the header information of the original mail sent by itselfGet the transmission ID,The transmission log can be updated based on the acquired transmission ID.In particular, it is determined whether or not a predetermined description is included in the received delivery confirmation mail, and the transmission ID is updated from the header information of the original mail, so that the transmission log is updated to an incorrect content. This can be prevented.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a configuration of an embodiment of a communication apparatus according to the present invention.
FIG. 2 is a side sectional view showing a structure of an image input / output device in which a reader unit 1 and a printer unit 2 are integrally provided.
FIG. 3 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration of a reader unit 1 of the communication device.
FIG. 4 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration of a core unit 11 of the communication device.
FIG. 5 is a diagram for explaining the configuration and operation of a formatter unit 9;
FIG. 6 is a diagram for explaining the configuration and operation of the facsimile unit 4;
FIG. 7 is a diagram illustrating a program hierarchy in a network I / F unit of a communication apparatus.
FIG. 8 is a diagram showing a display screen of the operation unit 115 when an image is transmitted.
FIG. 9 is a diagram showing a screen for selecting a destination from an address book.
FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating an ESMTP transmission protocol according to the present embodiment.
FIG. 11 is a diagram showing an example of e-mail data in the present embodiment.
FIG. 12 is a diagram illustrating a data flow when a transmission error occurs.
FIG. 13 is a diagram illustrating a data flow at the time of normal transmission.
FIG. 14 is a diagram showing the contents of an error mail (602) transmitted by the Mail server 15.
FIG. 15 is a diagram showing the contents of a delivery confirmation mail.
FIG. 16 is a diagram illustrating a transmission log in which transmission contents, states, and the like are recorded.
FIG. 17 is a flowchart showing mail reception processing in the present embodiment.
FIG. 18 is a flowchart showing mail reception processing in a modified example.
[Explanation of symbols]
1 Reader section
2 Printer section
3 Image input / output controller
4 Facsimile Department
5 File part
6 Magneto-optical disk drive
7 Network I / F section
8 Hard disk
9 Formatter section
10 Image memory section
11 Core part
12 Mail client
13 Mail server
14 Internet network
15 Mail server
16 Mail client
17 Printer
18 Internet FAX

Claims (7)

A communication device capable of sending e-mail,
A transmission means for transmitting an e-mail according to a transmission instruction;
Input means for inputting an address other than the communication device as reply information of the destination information of the electronic mail to be sent by the sending means and a delivery confirmation mail to be sent back at the destination corresponding to the destination information;
In the electronic mail to be transmitted by the transmission means, a transmission ID capable of specifying the electronic mail, destination information and reply destination information input by the input means are set, and the transmission ID, destination information and reply destination information are set. Control means for sending an e-mail in which an address other than the communication apparatus inputted by the input means and a mail address for receiving an e-mail by the own apparatus are set by the sending means,
A management unit that manages an email transmission log by the transmission unit based on a transmission reception ID that is generated each time the transmission instruction is received;
Receiving means for receiving a delivery confirmation mail returned from the destination ,
The receiving means determines whether or not a predetermined description is included in the received delivery confirmation mail, and when it is determined that the predetermined description is included, the transmitting means that is subsequently described in the predetermined description Acquires the transmission ID from the header information of the original mail sent by
The communication unit is characterized in that the transmission acceptance ID is specified by the acquired transmission ID, and a transmission log corresponding to the delivery confirmation mail is updated.   The management means, when receiving a delivery confirmation mail indicating an error by the receiving means, describes that fact in a transmission log corresponding to the delivery confirmation mail based on a transmission ID included in the delivery confirmation mail. The communication device according to claim 1.   The communication apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the control unit further sets the reply destination information input by the input unit in an e-mail as a reply-to address. It has a registration means to register multiple email addresses,
4. The communication apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the input unit selects and inputs destination information and the reply destination information from mail addresses registered in the registration unit. 5. Having reading means for reading an image of a document;
The control unit sets the transmission ID, destination information, and reply destination information based on an input from the input unit, and causes the transmission unit to transmit an e-mail having image data read by the reading unit as an attached file. The communication apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein A communication method in a communication device capable of transmitting an e-mail,
Enter the address information other than the communication device as the reply destination information of the delivery confirmation mail to be sent back at the destination corresponding to the destination information while inputting the destination information of the email to be sent,
In order to receive an e-mail on the e-mail to be transmitted, a transmission ID that can identify the e-mail, an address other than the input communication device as the input destination information and reply destination information, and the own device Set your email address and
Send an email in which the transmission ID, destination information and reply destination information are set;
Managing a transmission log of an email transmitted based on a transmission reception ID generated every time the transmission instruction is received;
It is determined whether or not the received delivery confirmation mail includes a predetermined description, and when it is determined that the predetermined description is included , the header information of the transmitted original mail that is continuously described in the predetermined description A communication method in a communication device, wherein the transmission ID is acquired from the transmission ID, the transmission reception ID is specified by the acquired transmission ID, and a transmission log corresponding to the delivery confirmation mail is updated.   The program for functioning a computer as a means as described in any one of Claims 1 thru | or 5.

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