JP2005117319A - Communication terminal device - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To solve the problem that there is the possibility of file erasure caused by unexpected overwriting storage because there is the same file name as that of a file that is past transmitted among file names of attached files when the attached files are transmitted to the same destination. <P>SOLUTION: A composite machine 1 which is provided with a scanner 5 and can attach read image data to e-mail as an attached file to transmit the attached file to a prescribed transmission destination is provided with a counting means 19 for counting the number of transmitting times in all of mail transmission for each destination, and a file name preparing means 20 for automatically preparing a file name of an attached file so as to correspond one-to-one with the number of transmitting times in all. The file name preparing means 20 takes the address of a transmission destination into consideration in addition to the number of transmitting times in all so as to automatically prepare a file name of an attached file. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2005,JPO&NCIPI

Description

  The present invention relates to a technology of a communication terminal device that includes an image reading device and is capable of e-mailing read image data as an attached file to a predetermined transmission destination.

In recent years, for example, a communication terminal device such as a multifunction peripheral (a device having a copy function and a facsimile function) has an Internet FAX function for transmitting scanned image data as an attached file of an e-mail. It has become.
In such a communication terminal device, the file name attached to the e-mail is not particularly considered, and usually the same file name is automatically created. Although it is possible for the user to create a file name manually, in this case, the user is forced to perform complicated work.

On the other hand, a technique for facilitating identification for each file in automatic creation of a file name attached to an e-mail is well known.
For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a technique in which a date, a page number, and a sender name are automatically added to a file name.
Patent Document 2 discloses a technique for automatically creating a file name of an attached file by combining a file name with a page number and a mail subject name.

JP 2003-114790 A JP 2002-140273 A

On the receiving side of the attached file, the transmitted attached file (image file) may be stored in a batch on an HDD or the like designated for data storage. Here, if the same file name is included in the attached file, a problem such as being overwritten at the time of saving and erasing the file occurs.
In the technologies disclosed in the two patent documents, automatic creation of file names is not intended so as to exclude the same file names. Therefore, even in these techniques, there is a possibility that problems such as erroneous file deletion may occur.

  In other words, the problem to be solved is that when the attachment destination is the same, the file name of the attached file is the same as the file name sent in the past, and the file is unexpectedly overwritten. There is a risk of erasing the file.

  The problems to be solved by the present invention are as described above. Next, means for solving the problems will be described.

That is, in claim 1,
A communication terminal device comprising an image reading device, capable of attaching the read image data as an attached file to an e-mail and transmitting it to a predetermined destination,
A counting means for counting the total number of email transmissions for each destination,
A file name creation means for automatically creating the file name of the attached file so as to correspond one-to-one with the total number of transmissions;
It is provided.

In claim 2,
The file name creation means automatically creates the file name of the attached file in consideration of the transmission destination address in addition to the total number of transmissions.

In claim 3,
The file name creation means automatically creates the file name of the attached file in consideration of the transmission source address in addition to the total number of transmissions.

In claim 4,
The count means increments the total number of transmissions for each attached file and counts when a plurality of attached files are sent simultaneously by e-mail.

  As effects of the present invention, the following effects can be obtained.

According to the first aspect of the present invention, the file names of the attached files are always created to be independent file names.
Therefore, even if the attachment destination is the same, the file name of the attached file is the same as the file name sent in the past, and an unexpected overwrite save occurs. There are no defects.

  According to the second aspect, the user can recognize the destination from the file name of the attached file.

  According to the third aspect, the user can recognize the destination from the file name of the attached file.

  According to the fourth aspect of the present invention, attachment files having the same file name are not created.

An MFP 1 as an embodiment of a communication terminal device according to the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.
The multifunction device 1 is a device having a copy function and a facsimile function, and the copy function includes a scanner function and a printer function. That is, the multifunction device 1 includes an image reading device that is a scanner.
The multifunction device 1 is configured as a so-called Internet FAX capable of transmitting the read image data as an attached file to an e-mail to a predetermined destination.

A communication system to which the multifunction machine 1 is applied will be described with reference to FIG.
The multifunction device 1 is connected to a transmission destination FAX 3 and a transmission destination PC (personal computer) 4 via the Internet 2 as a network. Then, it is possible to send an e-mail to the transmission destination FAX 3 and the transmission destination PC 4 from the multifunction machine 1 having the Internet FAX function.
Note that the modifier “transmission destination” is attached to the transmission destination FAX 3 and the transmission destination PC 4 only for convenience of explanation based on the multifunction device 1, and transmission from these devices to the multifunction device 1 is performed. Of course, it is possible.

The configuration of the multifunction machine 1 will be described with reference to FIG.
The multifunction machine 1 includes a scanner 5 that is an image reading apparatus, a printer 6 that is an image forming apparatus, and a facsimile machine 7. The facsimile apparatus 7 is provided with an Internet FAX function in addition to a normal FAX function so that an electronic mail can be transmitted.

The multi-function device 1 can attach the image data read by the scanner 5 to an e-mail and transmit it to a predetermined transmission destination.
As will be described in detail later, the series of processes related to this transmission is executed in each device constituting the multi-function device 1 according to the “attached file transmission flow” shown in FIG.
In the following, the apparatus configuration related to the “attached file transmission flow” will be described first, and then each process along the “attached file transmission flow” will be described.

The scanner 5 includes an optical system device 8 for optically reading a document, a CCD (photoelectric conversion element) 9, an electronic data conversion unit 10, an encoder (code decoder) 11, an image memory 12, and operations thereof. A control mechanism or the like for controlling the above is provided.
A document image read by the optical system device 8 is photoelectrically converted by a CCD (photoelectric conversion element) 8 and output as a video signal. The output video signal is subjected to processing such as A / D conversion and shading correction in the conversion unit 10, encoded by the encoder 11 using a default encoding method, and temporarily stored in the image memory 12 as compressed image data. Saved.
The scanner 5 may be either a monochrome reading machine or a color reading machine. When a color image is read by the color reader, it is converted into a JPEG file by the processing in the conversion unit 10, then encoded by the encoder 11, and stored in the image memory 12.

In addition to the functions related to FAX transmission, the facsimile machine 7 is provided with a function related to E-mail transmission, a function of converting image data to be transmitted attached to the E-mail, etc. as an Internet FAX function.
The e-mail is transmitted to an external line (network) via the network I / F board 23 provided in the facsimile apparatus 7. The image memory 18 of the facsimile apparatus 7 is a place where image data for attached files is stored. The image data in the image memory 18 is attached to an electronic mail via the network I / F board 23. The configuration for transmitting to an external line is a known technique and will not be described.
In FAX communication, data is transmitted / received via a FAX modem 23.

When sending an e-mail, it is necessary to specify a mail address as a destination. The e-mail address can be specified by operating the operation unit 13 provided in the facsimile apparatus 7. The user can directly input the address using the keys (manual input of all addresses) or can be input by one touch (automatically with one key operation). Input).
The one-touch input for specifying the mail address is performed by selecting from a list of destinations displayed on the display unit 14 provided in the facsimile apparatus 7, and the selection cursor is moved on the display unit 14 or a number key corresponding to the mail address. By one-touch operation.
Data relating to the destination list (destination table 15) is stored in a memory 16 provided in the facsimile apparatus 7.

The image file (image data) attached to the e-mail is subjected to an encoding process so that it can be used on a general PC.
The image data stored in the image memory 12 of the scanner 5 is transmitted to the facsimile apparatus 7 and encoded by the encoder 15 is decoded by an encoder (encoder / decoder) 17, and TIFF, PDF, etc. It is converted into a general-purpose file format and stored in the image memory 18 of the facsimile apparatus 7.
When the image data in the image memory 12 is decoded from color image data (the JPEG file), the image data is converted into a JPEG file by the encoder (encoder / decoder) 17 and stored in the image memory 18. Stored.

Next, a mechanism for automatically creating the file name of the attached file will be described.
As described above, in the multi function device 1, image data is transmitted by attaching it to an e-mail.
Here, when image data is extracted from the image memory 18 and attached to an e-mail as an attached file, a file name is automatically created. In the automatic creation of the file name, creation based on the criteria described later is a characteristic part of the multifunction device 1.
In the file name, an extension portion such as TIFF is automatically created by the encoder 17 or the like.

The file name of the attached file is created based on the total number of mail transmissions for each destination.
As a configuration that makes this possible, the multifunction device 1 automatically counts the total number of mail transmissions for each destination, and automatically assigns the file name of the attached file so as to correspond one-to-one with the total number of transmissions. A file name creation means 20 to be created is provided.
The total number of transmissions to a destination means the total number of times an e-mail has been sent when the image data read by the scanner 5 is an attached file, and is attached (read by the scanner 5). It is not included when a telegram is sent without a file.

  The counting means 19 includes a total transmission number table 21 in which the total number of transmissions for each destination is listed, and a transmission number increment means 22.

  As shown in FIG. 3, the total transmission count table 21 is data including the correspondence between the destination and the total transmission count, and is stored in the memory 16.

The increment means 22 is configured to increase the total number of times of transmission to the destination by one when an electronic mail with an attached file is transmitted to a destination. More specifically, the increment means 22 updates the recorded contents of the total transmission count table 21 to a state where the total transmission count of the corresponding destination is increased by one every time an electronic mail with an attached file is transmitted.
The increment means 22 includes an electronic circuit and a program for controlling the electronic circuit.
When the electronic mail with an attached file is transmitted to a new destination, the new destination is registered in the total transmission number table 21 by the counting means 19.

In addition, the total number of transmissions for each destination recorded in the total number of transmissions table 21 can be reset, for example, by a user operation using the operation unit 13. Alternatively, it may be reset every certain period (days, weeks, months, etc.).
As long as there is no reset as described above, the recorded contents in the total transmission count table 21 are not changed except for the update by the increment means 22.

The file name creation means 20 will be described.
In the present embodiment, the file name creation means 20 is configured to be able to create a file name by adding the total number of transmissions itself to a part of the file name, and an electronic circuit, a program for controlling the electronic circuit, etc. Consists of.

(1) When creating by default + total number of transmissions When the total number of transmissions is 40, a file name is created, for example, “meeting material 40.tif”.
In this file name, the part other than “40” that is the total number of transmissions, that is, the part that is “conference material” in the above example, is set as a default. The default part for creating a file name can be changed as appropriate by a user operation input using the operation unit 13.

(2) When creating with the transmission destination address + the total number of transmissions The file name creation means 20 is configured so that the file name of the attached file can be automatically created in consideration of the transmission destination address in addition to the total number of transmissions. Has been.
For example, when the destination “sakura@kyoto.co.jp” shown in FIG. 3 is set as the destination, the created file name is “sakura@kyoto_co_jp56.tif”. The number “56” on the front side of the extension portion indicates that the total number of transmissions corresponding to the destination “sakura@kyoto.co.jp” in FIG.
In addition, when creating a file name, it is not possible to use multiple dot symbols “.” For extension recognition, so the part is appropriately changed to an approximate symbol such as “_” or “-”. doing.

  Therefore, the user can recognize the destination from the file name of the attached file.

(3) When creating with transmission source address + total number of transmissions In addition, the file name creation means 20 is configured to automatically create the file name of the attached file in consideration of the transmission source address in addition to the total number of transmissions. Has been.
For example, when the destination “ume@osaka.co.jp” illustrated in FIG. 3 is the transmission destination and the destination “tree@washington.com” is the transmission source, the created file name is “tree@washington_com17.tif”. Become. The number “17” on the front side of the extension portion indicates that the total number of transmissions corresponding to the destination “ume@osaka.co.jp” in FIG.
The conversion of the dot symbol “.” Is the same as described above.

  Therefore, the user can recognize the destination from the file name of the attached file.

The above description assumes that only one attached file is attached to one e-mail. Actually, there may be a case where a plurality of attached files are attached to one electronic mail and transmitted from the multifunction device 1.
Therefore, the counting means 19 is configured to increment the total number of transmissions for each attached file and count when a plurality of attached files are sent simultaneously by e-mail.

That is, more accurately, the increment means 22 increases the total number of transmissions to the destination by the number of the attached file when the electronic mail with the attached file is transmitted to the destination (to the above). It is configured to let you.
Therefore, every time an e-mail with an attached file is transmitted by the increment means 22, the recorded content of the total transmission count table 21 is updated to a state where the total transmission count of the corresponding destination is increased by the number of the attached files. .

  For this reason, an attached file with the same file name is not created.

In the present embodiment, the counting means 19 is configured so that the total number of transmissions for each destination is incremented by the number of attached files, and a file name corresponding to that is created in the file name creating means 21. However, the following configuration may be used.
First, the counting means 19 performs two types of counting. In the first count, regardless of the number of attached files, only the number of transmissions of the attached file-attached email is counted as the total number of transmissions. In the second count, the number of attached files is counted.
In response to this, the file name creation means 21 gives these two types of count numbers to the file name of the attached file.

For example, in the case of (2) creating with the transmission destination address + total number of transmissions, it is assumed that an e-mail with 10 attached files is transmitted to the destination “sakura@kyoto.co.jp”.
At this time, file names up to “sakuura@kyoto_co_jp56-1.tif”, “sakura@kyoto_co_jp56-2.tif”... “Sakuura@kyoto_co_jp56-10.tif” are created for each attached file.
Here, two numbers separated by a hyphen symbol “-” are written on the front side of the extension portion, and each is “56-2” or the like. Of these two numbers, the number on the front side is the total number of transmissions (the number of total transmissions of the e-mail with attached file) corresponding to the destination “sakura@kyoto.co.jp”, and the number on the back side is the electronic number. The attachment order of the attached file in the mail is shown. This attachment order is naturally a serial number from 1 to 10 if 10 attachment files are attached.

  Even with the above configuration, a problem that the same file name is created between the attached files is prevented. In addition, the actual total number of transmissions can be recorded in the memory 16.

In addition, the method for creating an attached file that has a one-to-one correspondence with the total number of communications in the file name creating unit 20 is not limited to the method of adding the total number of transmissions.
For example, according to the total number of transmissions, there may be a method of replacing numeric notation with English numeric display, or a method of lowering the number of digits by using higher-order numeric notation such as hexadecimal.
In other words, symbols (including characters) that are not the same may be given to each attached file according to the total number of transmissions.

  As described above, the multifunction device 1 includes a counting unit 19 that counts the total number of mail transmissions for each destination, and a file that automatically creates a file name of an attached file so as to correspond one-to-one with the total number of transmissions. Name creating means 20.

For this reason, the file name of each attached file is always created to be an independent file name.
Therefore, even if the attachment destination is the same, the file name of the attached file is the same as the file name sent in the past, and an unexpected overwrite save occurs. There are no defects.

Next, the “attached file transmission flow” will be described with reference to FIG.
First, the user instructs the multifunction device 1 to shift to the Internet FAX mode via the operation unit 13 to start transmission processing of an attached file-attached e-mail (step 101).
Next, based on an instruction from the multifunction device 1 in the Internet FAX mode (display on the display unit 14 or the like), a destination mail address is input. This input is performed by direct input (manual input of all addresses) or one-touch input (automatic input by one key operation) (step 102).

When the multifunction device 1 confirms the end of the input of the mail address, the scanner 5 reads the document, and the encoder 11 encodes the image data by the default encoding method and stores it in the image memory 12 (step 103). ).
Next, the multi function device 1 reads out the image data from the image memory 12, and the encoder 17 converts the image data according to the attached file encoding method (TIFF, PDF, etc.) and stores it in the image memory 18 (step 104). ).

In the “attached file transmission flow”, in the description here, the processing in steps 103 and 104, that is, the document reading processing, is performed after steps 101 (Internet FAX mode start) and step 102 (mail address input). It is processing.
Prior to the processing of steps 101 and 102, a document reading process (steps 103 and 104) may be performed.

  Next, the counting means 19 retrieves the total transmission count of the destination address by referring to the total transmission count table in the memory 16 (step 105).

Then, the counting means 19 calculates a number “total number of transmissions + 1” as a number to be assigned to the attached file. The number and the transmission destination address are added to the attached file as a file name in the file name creating means 21 and the attached file-attached e-mail is transmitted (step 106).
Here, a case is described where (2) only one attachment file is attached to the transmitted e-mail in the case of creating with (destination address + total number of transmissions). When a plurality of attached files are attached to an e-mail at the same time, a number “total number of transmissions + attachment order” is given to the attached file as a file name.

When the above processing is completed, the recording content in the total transmission number table increments the total transmission number by one in the counting means 19. When a plurality of attachment files are attached to the electronic mail at the same time, the total number of transmissions is increased by that number (step 107).
When the processing in step 107 is completed, the operation mode of the multifunction device 1 is released from the Internet FAX mode, and the “attached file transmission flow” is completed (step 108).

1 is a block diagram illustrating a schematic configuration of a communication system to which a multifunction machine 1 is applied. 1 is a block diagram illustrating a schematic configuration of a multifunction machine 1. It is a figure which shows the total transmission frequency table 21 as an example. It is a flowchart which shows an "attached file transmission flow."

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Multifunction machine 5 Scanner 19 Count means 20 File name preparation means 21 Total transmission frequency table 22 Increment means

Claims (4)

A communication terminal device comprising an image reading device, capable of attaching the read image data as an attached file to an e-mail and transmitting it to a predetermined destination,
A counting means for counting the total number of email transmissions for each destination,
A file name creation means for automatically creating the file name of the attached file so as to correspond one-to-one with the total number of transmissions;
Comprising
A communication terminal device. The file name creation means automatically creates the file name of the attached file in consideration of the address of the transmission destination in addition to the total number of transmissions.
The communication terminal device according to claim 1. The file name creation means automatically creates the file name of the attached file in consideration of the address of the transmission source in addition to the total number of transmissions.
The communication terminal device according to claim 1. The counting means, when a plurality of attached files are simultaneously sent by e-mail, increments the total number of transmissions for each attached file and counts.
The communication terminal device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein

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