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AssigneeBrother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
InventorTokunori Kato
Estimating the term…
A digital multifunction device is provided with RAM having a virtual drive area. The digital multifunction device enables a personal computer connected to and capable of communicating with the digital multifunction device via a USB interface to recognize this virtual drive area as an external storage device. When the personal computer writes image data to the virtual drive area, the digital multifunction device selectively executes one of an image forming process, fax transmitting process, and mail transmitting process based on the type of folder in which the image data is written. Accordingly, image data in a first folder is printed on recording paper, or image data in a second folder is transmitted to an external facsimile machine.
A data processing device connected to and in communication with a terminal device, comprising:
A facsimile machine comprising:
A computer-readable storage medium that stores a computer-executable program for permitting a facsimile machine to function as a data processing device, the facsimile machine including a communication unit connected to a terminal device through a network, and a storing unit including a storage area that stores therein image data, the program comprising:
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.
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From the US filing history. Foreign family members aren’t listed.
Using an image reading or reproducing device, e.g. a facsimile reader or printer, as a local input to or local output from a computer: using an…
Connection or combination of a still picture apparatus with another apparatus, e.g. for storage, processing or transmission of still picture…:…
With a digital computer or a digital computer system, e.g. an internet server: transmitting or receiving computer data via an image communication…
With a digital computer or a digital computer system, e.g. an internet server: transmitting or receiving image data, e.g. facsimile data, via a…
About 2 years 2 months of term left · ends 18 Dec 2028 (estimated)
The present invention relates to a data processing device for handling image data, a facsimile machine having data processing function, and a computer program employed by the data processing device and the facsimile machine.
Data processing devices well known in the art for performing prescribed processes on image data supplied from a terminal device include an image forming device such as a printer, and a facsimile machine for transmitting facsimile data to another facsimile machine specified by the terminal device.
For example, in the technology described in Japanese patent application publication No. 2001-282694, a personal computer is enabled to exchange various data with a facsimile machine by installing a driver program on the personal computer as a terminal device. The facsimile machine is enabled to accept image data from the personal computer by displaying a folder icon on the monitor of the personal computer.
In the drawings:
FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing structures of a digital multifunction device and a personal computer to which the present invention is applied;
FIG. 2(a) is an explanatory diagram showing a structure of a RAM 12 when virtual drive function is on;
Next, a preferred embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 shows the constructions of a digital multifunction device (MFC) 1 serving as the facsimile machine to which the present invention is applied and a personal computer (PC) 50 serving as the terminal device.
The digital multifunction device 1 includes a CPU 10 for performing comprehensive control of the device, and memory (a ROM 11 and a RAM 12) for storing programs, data, and the like required for operations by the CPU 10. The CPU 10 controls various components of the device, such as a scanning unit 21, a printing unit 23, and a line-controlling unit 25, via a bus 13 in order to implement a facsimile function, a printer function, a copier function, and the like.
The scanning unit 21 scans image content from an original document for fax transmissions (that is, the transmission of facsimile data), copying, and the like. The scanning unit 21 acquires an original document on which an image of text, graphics, or the like is formed from a paper supply tray (not shown) of the digital multifunction device 1. The scanning unit 21 then optically scans the image from the original and generates image data as the scanning results.