JP3723355B2 - Communication device - Google Patents

Description

[0001]
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to an image data transmission method using an electronic mail and a facsimile type electronic mail apparatus that can transmit and receive image data with a simple operation similar to a facsimile.
[0002]
[Prior art]
In recent years, there has been a tendency to connect office devices to a LAN (local network) to improve business efficiency. One of them is to use a facsimile connected to a LAN as a printer, or to send a document created on a personal computer to a destination facsimile via the LAN. Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 7-143309 proposes an apparatus for sending a text document created by electronic mail on a personal computer to a destination facsimile apparatus via a LAN.
[0003]
FIG. 19 is a schematic block diagram of a conventional facsimile apparatus using electronic mail. Reference numeral 101 denotes a CPU which controls the apparatus. A ROM 102 stores a program. Reference numeral 103 denotes a RAM which is used for program data. Reference numeral 107 denotes a panel unit that instructs transmission. A compression / decompression unit 108 compresses or decompresses image data. Reference numeral 109 denotes a LAN control unit which controls transmission of data to the LAN or reception of data from the LAN. A printer unit 110 prints data. A scanner unit 111 reads an original. A FAX communication unit 113 transmits or receives compressed image data to or from the telephone line. A character / image conversion unit 120 converts the text of the e-mail received from the LAN into image data.
[0004]
Hereinafter, an operation from receiving an e-mail to transmitting it to a facsimile will be described. When an e-mail is received from the LAN unit 109, the text of the e-mail is converted into image data by the character / image conversion unit 120, and the image data is further compressed by the compression / decompression unit 108. The compressed image data is transmitted from the FAX communication unit 113 to the FAX number written in the destination part of the e-mail.
[0005]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
However, in the above-described conventional configuration, anyone can use this apparatus as a repeater and transmit it to a facsimile, and the owner of this apparatus must bear the communication cost for the facsimile, which is disadvantageous. It will be.
[0006]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
The present invention has the following configuration in order to solve the above-described problems.
[0007]
The communication device according to the first aspect of the present invention is a receiving means for receiving an e-mail comprising text-coded image data and a header, and a binary code for the text-coded image data of the e-mail received by the receiving means. Conversion means for converting into image data, detection means for detecting character information instructing facsimile transfer, password, and destination facsimile number from within the header of the e-mail received by the receiving means, and facsimile transfer by this detection means detecting character information for instructing, and when it is determined that the detected password is correct, a transfer means for facsimile transfer destination facsimile number to binary image data converted by said converting means, it is encrypted Based on a predetermined part of the received information. And a decoding means for reduction, if password decoding is judged to be correct, performs facsimile transmission processing.
[0016]
With these configurations, when a received electronic mail is forwarded by facsimile, a third party cannot use the password without permission by providing a password. Further, by encrypting the password using a part of the transmission image data, the password is not leaked to others, and more confidential communication can be performed.
[0017]
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
In the present invention, when the read image data is converted into an e-mail format before being transmitted and received, the e-mail format is converted into a facsimile format and then printed by a printer. Furthermore, on the transmission side, attribute information including the size and resolution of the image data is added to the read image data, converted into an e-mail format, and this is transmitted by e-mail. Based on the attribute information of the image data received by mail, the image data is converted so that it can be handled by the machine, and printing processing is performed. With this configuration, communication between communication devices having different paper sizes and resolutions becomes possible.
[0018]
Hereinafter, a first embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a system conceptual diagram showing an environment in which this apparatus operates. This apparatus operates in an environment where electronic mail on the Internet can be used. That is, the mail gateway is connected to the Internet, and all e-mails in the LAN communicate with the Internet via this mail gateway. The e-mail protocol is exchanged by SMTP (Simple Mail Transfer Protocol), but POP (Post Office Protocol) can also be used. This device can send and receive e-mails with both PCs (computers) and devices with the same configuration as this device. However, in the following embodiments, except for the seventh embodiment, communication between these devices is assumed. Yes.
[0019]
FIG. 2 is a schematic block diagram for reducing the image size on the receiving side. Reference numeral 1 denotes a CPU which controls the apparatus. A ROM 2 stores a program. A RAM 3 is used for program data. A format conversion unit 4 converts the image data into an e-mail format. Reference numeral 5 denotes a format reverse conversion unit that converts e-mail data into image data handled by a facsimile. Reference numeral 7 denotes a panel unit that instructs transmission. A compression / decompression unit 8 compresses or decompresses image data. A LAN control unit 9 controls data transmission to the LAN or data reception from the LAN. A printer unit 10 prints data. A scanner unit 11 reads an original.
[0020]
FIG. 3 shows a flowchart for image reduction on the receiving side.
In step s1, the electronic mail is received. The received e-mail is transmitted by e-mail with the size and resolution of the image data added to the image data read by the transmitting apparatus as will be described later.
[0021]
In s2, the e-mail format is reversely converted into image data. Format conversion and reverse conversion will be described later. The paper size and resolution are obtained from the image data (data consisting of an attribute area and binary data, which will be described later), which has undergone format reverse conversion in s3. Needless to say, this data is generated and transmitted on the transmission side. This transmission data generation procedure will be described in detail later with reference to FIG.
[0022]
The image data compressed in s4 is expanded. In s5, the paper size and resolution of the image data are compared with the paper size and resolution that can be handled by this apparatus. If it is determined in s6 that the capability of the apparatus is lower, the image data is reduced to a paper size that can be handled by the apparatus in s7 and printed in s8. Here, by obtaining both pieces of information by associating the paper size with the resolution, the image can be processed more easily. For example, when the resolution is high, such as 200 DPI, and the paper size is small, the paper size can be adjusted by thinning.
[0023]
FIG. 4 shows the flow of conversion to the e-mail format and the reverse conversion and its concept.
[0024]
Format conversion refers to converting image data read by a scanner or the like and having attribute information added thereto into a text code, adding a header, and converting the data into e-mail data.
[0025]
Inverse format conversion refers to conversion of text-coded image data in e-mail data into the original image data.
[0026]
This image data is a pair of attribute information such as paper size, resolution, number of bytes for one page, pointer to the next page (address on memory) and the compressed binary image data of the page, which is a plurality of pages. Are lined up. The e-mail has a format in which a binary image data is converted into a text code and a header is added. Since SMTP, which is an e-mail protocol, cannot handle binary data, image data (attribute area and binary data area) is converted into a text code according to a predetermined algorithm. In FIG. 4, the e-mail format is drawn smaller. However, since the amount of information is actually larger when converted into a text code, the e-mail format is larger as information.
[0027]
The transmission apparatus converts the image data read by the scanner or the like and added with attribute information into e-mail data by converting the format.
[0028]
The receiving device can convert the received e-mail into image data by performing reverse format conversion to obtain attribute information.
[0029]
FIG. 5 shows an example of a mail header. MIME on the first line stands for Multipurpose Internet Mail Extensions, an e-mail standard, and indicates that this mail can handle not only text but also images and sounds. The first part is the text part and the second part is the image part with ‐‐‐ as a boundary. Image data is appended at the end.
[0030]
Specifically, as can be seen from “Content-Type: Text / plain: charset = ISO-2022-jp” shown in FIG. 5, the transmission data includes text data. Further, as can be seen from “Content-Transfer-Encoding: base64”, image data is converted to text data using base64. Further, as can be seen from “Content-Type: Image / tiff”, the transmission data includes image data, and the image data is in the form of a tiff file. The MIME header information is the same as that conventionally used for e-mail on a personal computer or the like.
[0031]
As described above, according to the first embodiment, the difference in paper size capability that can be handled by the transmission side and the reception side when image data is transmitted and received as an e-mail is solved by reducing the image data on the reception side. are doing.
[0032]
Next, a second embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. 6 which is a schematic block diagram for reducing the image size on the transmission side. In this embodiment, the reduction unit 6 is added to the configuration of the first embodiment shown in FIG. 2, and an optical reduction unit 12 that optically reduces when reading an image from the scanner is added. Since the original is optically reduced, there is a possibility that the quality as a result of the reduction is improved as compared with the first embodiment.
[0033]
FIG. 7 shows a flowchart for performing image reduction on the transmission side by communicating with the destination before transmission. In s11, the paper is set in the scanner unit 11, and the destination is designated on the panel unit 7. In s12, the apparatus communicates with the destination apparatus on the Internet, and obtains a paper size and resolution that can be handled by the destination apparatus. For this communication, it is only necessary that the apparatus can establish a one-to-one connection. However, when there is a firewall between the apparatuses and the connection cannot be established, an electronic mail using the TCP protocol may be used. However, it takes time to acquire the ability of the other party by e-mail. If the partner apparatus has a lower capability than the present apparatus in s13, the document is reduced in accordance with the partner apparatus by the optical reduction unit 12 when the document is read from the scanner unit 11. In s14, the image is compressed by the compression / expansion unit 8 and converted into an e-mail format by the format conversion unit 4. In step s15, an email is transmitted from the LAN control unit 9.
[0034]
As described above, according to the second embodiment, since the destination paper size can be known before transmission, the original can be optically reduced, and the result of reduction compared to the first embodiment can be obtained. Quality may be improved.
[0035]
Next, a third embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG. 8 for registering the destination paper size and resolution in the abbreviated registration. The block diagram is similar to FIG. In this embodiment, since it takes time to acquire the capability of the destination device by e-mail, the capability of the destination is acquired when performing abbreviated registration, and the time for communication with the destination by e-mail is saved when actually transmitting. It was.
[0036]
In s21, the destination registration is designated from the panel unit 7. In step s22, communication is performed with the destination by e-mail to obtain a paper size and resolution that can be handled by the destination apparatus. In s33, the paper size, resolution, and other capabilities that can be handled by the destination are registered in the destination abbreviated number. This data is stored in the RAM 3 and backed up by a battery. The transmission is performed according to a flowchart for reducing the image according to the paper size registered in the abbreviated number in FIG. In s31, a document is set on the scanner unit 11, and a destination abbreviated number is designated from the panel unit 7. In step s31, the paper size and resolution that can be handled by the destination device registered in the abbreviated number are acquired, and if it is smaller than the original to be read, it is optically reduced when the original is read from the scanner in s33. The image is converted into an e-mail format in s34, and the e-mail is transmitted from the LAN control unit 9 in s35.
[0037]
As described above, according to the third embodiment, the capability of the destination is acquired when performing short registration, so that it is possible to save time for communicating with the destination by e-mail when actually transmitting.
[0038]
Next, a fourth embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to a schematic block diagram for relaying to a facsimile in FIG. The present invention is provided with a relay function for receiving an electronic mail having image data and transmitting it to a facsimile. At this time, a password was provided in the relay device so that an unspecified third party would not use the device to cause a disadvantage to the device owner. In this embodiment, a FAX communication unit 13 that controls communication with a facsimile and an encryption / decryption unit 14 that encrypts and decrypts a password of a relay machine are added to the configuration of the first embodiment shown in FIG. Is.
[0039]
FIG. 11 shows a flowchart for transmission to the relay apparatus. In s41, a document is set on the scanner unit 11, and a relay device and a destination are designated from the panel unit 7. In s42, a character string instructing facsimile transmission is added to the electronic mail. In s43, the password corresponding to the relay device is retrieved from the relay machine list in FIG. 12, encrypted, and added to the e-mail. The owner of the present apparatus registers the repeater list in FIG. 12 in advance. The character string for instructing facsimile transmission and the encrypted password are added to the 5th and 6th lines from the top of the mail header of FIG. An electronic mail is transmitted in s44.
[0040]
FIG. 13 shows a flowchart for analyzing a character string by the relay device. In step s51, an electronic mail to which a character string instructing facsimile transmission is added is received. When the character string added to the e-mail is analyzed in s52 and the character string “relay” on the fifth line in FIG. 5 is found, the e-mail is interpreted as instructing transmission to the facsimile. If it is determined that the facsimile transmission is instructed in s53, the encrypted password in the sixth line in FIG. 5 is decrypted in s55. If the password decrypted in s56 matches the password registered in advance by the owner of the apparatus in s56, the format of the e-mail is reverse-converted to the facsimile number following the relay in the fifth line of FIG. 5 in s57. And transmitted from the FAX communication unit 13. If it is determined in s53 that the transmission is not facsimile transmission, the electronic mail is reversely converted in s54 and printed from the printer unit 10. If the passwords do not match at s56, an error message is transmitted to the e-mail transmission source by e-mail at s58.
[0041]
As described above, according to the fourth embodiment, since the relay function is provided in the first embodiment, the communication cost can be saved as compared with the normal facsimile communication (if the Internet is used with a fixed monthly fee). If) In addition, since the password of the repeater is encrypted and added to the e-mail, an unspecified third party can use the device to cause a disadvantage to the device owner while using the conventional e-mail mechanism. Will not bring.
[0042]
Next, a fifth embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. 14 encryption using image data as a key. When the password is encrypted and added to the e-mail as a character string, the character string can be read by a third party. This encrypted password can be abused by adding it to an e-mail using a personal computer or the like. Therefore, the present invention encrypts a password by using image data that is a part of transmission information of an e-mail, and even if the encrypted password is read by another person, the encrypted password for each document to be transmitted As this changes, this device can no longer be used as a repeater. The block diagram is the same as FIG.
[0043]
In FIG. 14, as an example, the fifth, 50th, and 100th byte data from the end of the image data is used as an encryption key. Which data to select is determined when setting the device. If the password is “123ABC”, the code (ASCII code) is “313233414243”. If the encryption keys are 01, 7E, and 10, respectively, this data is repeated to match the length of the password (repeated twice in the figure). Next, the password data where the bit of the encryption key is 1 is bit-inverted. The result is “304C23403C53”. When decrypting, the original password is obtained by inverting the bits based on the encryption key. Details of the inversion processing are shown in FIG. In the figure, when the encryption key is expanded to a binary number, “01” becomes “00000001”. Similarly, “31” of the password becomes “00110001”. Here, if the encryption key of the digit represented by “1” in the password is reversed (0 → 1, 1 → 0), it becomes “00110000”, and becomes 30 when converted into the ASCII code. When such inversion processing is performed, the above-described result is obtained.
[0044]
As an encryption key, variable information may be used among information to be transmitted such as date and time added to an electronic mail instead of image data.
[0045]
As described above, according to the fifth embodiment, by encrypting the password using the image data that is a part of the e-mail transmission information, even if the encrypted password is read by another person, Since the encrypted password changes for each document to be transmitted, a third party who does not know the password cannot use the apparatus as a relay machine.
[0046]
Next, a sixth embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the flowchart in FIG. 16 when the facsimile transmission is in error. The block diagram of the apparatus is the same as FIG. The present invention enables an e-mail sender to know a transmission error when an e-mail of image data is received and transmitted to a facsimile.
[0047]
The process until the e-mail is received from the LAN controller 9 in s51 of FIG. 16 and is transmitted to the destination facsimile in s57 is the same as that of the fourth embodiment. When a facsimile transmission error occurs in s61, a notification of the error is sent to the transmission source described in the e-mail header in s62.
[0048]
As described above, according to the sixth embodiment, an e-mail sender can know by e-mail that the relay machine has failed in facsimile transmission.
[0049]
Next, a seventh embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. 17 which is a schematic block diagram for receiving a print instruction and performing facsimile transmission. FIG. 17 is a diagram in which a print data analysis unit 20 for analyzing print data received from the LAN control unit 9 is added except for the format conversion unit 5 and the format reverse conversion unit 6 in the schematic block diagram for relaying to the facsimile in FIG. is there.
[0050]
A program for inserting a destination for facsimile transmission and an e-mail address of an error notification destination is installed in advance in a terminal (personal computer) that outputs print data. When the user of the personal computer gives an instruction to print from an application such as a word processor, this program is activated to prompt the user to input a destination for facsimile transmission. When a destination is input, print data obtained by converting data of an application such as a word processor into image data is transmitted to the apparatus through the LAN. The e-mail address of the error notification destination is registered in advance by starting this program.
[0051]
FIG. 18 shows a flowchart for accepting a print instruction and performing facsimile transmission. In s71, print data is received by the LPD protocol (LAN print protocol). Next, the print data received in s72 is analyzed by the print data analysis unit 20, and the destination facsimile number is extracted. If an error in facsimile transmission occurs in s73, the e-mail address of the error notification destination is taken out from the print data by the print data analysis unit 20, and the e-mail address is notified of the error.
[0052]
As described above, according to the seventh embodiment, data can be transmitted to a destination facsimile in response to a print instruction from a personal computer, and when a facsimile transmission error occurs, the user who has instructed printing prints this error electronically. You can know through email.
[0053]
【The invention's effect】
In the present invention, since the relay function is provided, the communication cost can be saved compared with the normal facsimile communication, and the password of the relay machine is encrypted and added to the e-mail. While in use, an unspecified third party does not use the device to cause a disadvantage to the device owner.
[0054]
Furthermore, by encrypting the password using image data that is part of the email transmission information, even if the encrypted password can be read by others, the encrypted password for each document to be sent Changes, so that a third party who does not know the password cannot use the apparatus as a relay.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a system conceptual diagram showing the environment in which this apparatus operates. FIG. 2 is a schematic block diagram of image size reduction on the receiving side. FIG. 3 is a flowchart of image reduction on the receiving side. Explanatory diagram showing conversion to and from reverse transformation [Fig. 5] Explanatory diagram showing e-mail header [Fig. 6] Schematic block diagram for reducing the image size on the transmission side [Fig. Flowchart for image reduction on transmission side [FIG. 8] Flowchart for registering destination paper size and resolution in abbreviated registration [FIG. 9] Flowchart for image reduction according to paper size registered in abbreviated number [FIG. Schematic block diagram for relaying to a facsimile [FIG. 11] Flow chart for transmission to a relay device [FIG. 12] Explanatory diagram of a relay machine list [FIG. 13] At the relay device Flowchart for analyzing character string [FIG. 14] Explanatory diagram of encryption using image data as a key [FIG. 15] Explanatory diagram explaining reversal of encryption using image data as a key [FIG. 16] When facsimile transmission is in error FIG. 17 is a schematic block diagram for receiving a print instruction and transmitting a facsimile. FIG. 18 is a flowchart for receiving a print instruction and transmitting a facsimile. FIG. 19 is a schematic block diagram of a facsimile apparatus using conventional electronic mail. Explanation of]
4 Format conversion unit 5 Format reverse conversion unit 6 Reduction unit 9 LAN control unit 20 Print data analysis unit

Claims (1)

Receiving means for receiving an e-mail comprising text-encoded image data and a header; conversion means for converting text-encoded image data of the e-mail received by the receiving means into binary image data; and the receiving Detecting the character information instructing facsimile transfer from the header of the e-mail received by the means, the detecting means for detecting the facsimile number of the transfer destination, the character information instructing facsimile transfer by this detecting means, and Transfer means for facsimile-transferring the binary image data converted by the conversion means to a transfer destination facsimile number when it is determined that the detected password is correct ;
A communication apparatus comprising : decrypting means for decrypting an encrypted password based on a predetermined part of received information, and performing a facsimile transfer process when it is determined that the decrypted password is correct .

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