Communication apparatus and e-mail communication method
AssigneeMurata Kikai Kabushiki Kaisha
InventorMasashi Eguchi
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A facsimile server connected to a mail server and a client over a network, and capable of sending and receiving an e-mail via the mail server. Certain data in a header of an e-mail to be sent to a recipient is used as identification data indicative of an origin of the e-mail. A controller identifies the origin of the e-mail based on the identification data upon receiving reception acknowledgement from the recipient. The facsimile server sends the reception acknowledgement to the client if it determines that the e-mail origin is the client. On the other hand, the facsimile server causes a printer to print the reception acknowledgement if it determines that the e-mail is originated from the facsimile server itself.
Claims17
A communication apparatus capable of sending and receiving an e-mail comprising:
- a first unit for sending a first e-mail to a recipient, the first e-mail being originated from the communication apparatus itself;
- a second unit for receiving a second e-mail and transferring it to a recipient, the second e-mail being originated from a client outside of the communication apparatus;
- and
- a controller for appending first identification data, which indicates the client as the origin of the second e-mail, to the second e-mail before sending the second e-mail to the recipient, identifying the client as the origin of the second e-mail based on the first identification data appended to a reception acknowledgement e-mail returned to the communication apparatus, and identifying the communication apparatus as the origin of the first e-mail based on second identification data included in the first e-mail and associated with the reception acknowledgement e-mail,
- wherein the controller causes the communication apparatus to send the reception acknowledgement e-mail to the client if it determines that the origin of the e-mail is the client, and causes a printer to print the reception acknowledgement e-mail if it determines that the origin of the e-mail is the communication apparatus.
A method suitable for a communication apparatus capable of sending and receiving an e-mail, comprising the step of:
- A) (a-1) sending a first e-mail to a recipient, the first e-mail being originated from the communication apparatus itself, or (a-2) receiving a second e-mail and transferring it to a recipient, the second e-mail being originated from a client outside of the communication apparatus;
- B) appending first identification data, which indicates the client as the origin of the second e-mail, to the second e-mail before sending the second e-mail to the recipient;
- C) (c-1) identifying the client as the origin of the second e-mail based on the first identification data appended to a reception acknowledgement e-mail returned to the communication apparatus, or (c-2) identifying the communication apparatus as the origin of the first e-mail based on second identification data included in the first e-mail and associated with the reception acknowledgement;
- and
- D) causing a printer to print the reception acknowledgement e-mail if it determines that the origin of the e-mail is the communication apparatus.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.