Communication apparatus, electronic mail transmitting method, and electronic mail transmitting program

Abstract

A communication apparatus which is capable of enhancing security in transmitting an electronic mail to a destination mail address, using a transmission protocol, without degrading operability. A MFP 100 is connected to an authentication server 102 and a mail server 120 via a network, for transmitting an E-mail via the mail server according to SMTP. A user name and a password are entered in a user name entry screen. The MFP 100 requests the authentication server 102 to authenticate the entered user name and password. When the user name and the password are authenticated, the MFP 100 is operable to acquire an E-mail address 232 , a SMTP authentication user name 233 , and a SMTP authentication password 234 according to SMTP associated with the authenticated user name and password from the authentication server 102 . The MFP 100 requests the mail server 103 to authenticate the acquired SMTP authentication user name 233 and SMTP authentication password 234 according to SMTP. When the SMTP authentication user name 233 and the SMTP authentication password 234 are authenticated, the MFP is operable to transmit an E-mail to the mail server 103 according to SMTP.

1 . A communication apparatus connected to an authentication apparatus and a mail distributing apparatus via a network, for transmitting an electronic mail via the mail distributing apparatus according to a predetermined transmission protocol, comprising: 
 an input device via which user information is input;    a user authentication requesting device that requests the authentication apparatus to authenticate the input user information;    an authentication information acquisition device that is operable when the user information is authenticated, to acquire information for authentication according to the transmission protocol associated with the authenticated user information from the authentication apparatus;    a transmission authentication requesting device that requests the mail distributing apparatus to authenticate the acquired information for authentication, according to the transmission protocol; and    a transmission device that is operable when the acquired information for authentication is authenticated, to transmit an electronic mail to the mail distributing apparatus according to the transmission protocol.    
   
   
       2 . A communication apparatus as claimed in claim  1 , wherein the authentication apparatus comprises a storage device that stores an electronic mail address associated with the user information and the information for authentication according to the transmission protocol associated with the user information, and said authentication information acquisition device acquires the electronic mail address and the information for authentication stored in said storage device.  
   
   
       3 . A communication apparatus as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the information for authentication comprises a user name and a password for SMTP authentication, the user name and the password being associated with the user information.  
   
   
       4 . A communication apparatus connected to a mail distributing apparatus via a network, for transmitting an electronic mail via the mail distributing apparatus according to a predetermined transmission protocol, comprising: 
 an authentication information storage device that stores information for authentication according to the transmission protocol;    an input device via which user information is input;    a user authentication requesting device that requests authentication of the input user information;    an authentication information acquisition device that is operable when the user information is authenticated, to acquire information for authentication according to the transmission protocol associated with the authenticated user information from said authentication information storage device;    a transmission authentication requesting device that requests the mail distributing apparatus to authenticate the acquired information for authentication, according to the transmission protocol; and    a transmission device that is operable when the acquired information for authentication is authenticated, to transmit an electronic mail to the mail distributing apparatus according to the transmission protocol.    
   
   
       5 . A communication apparatus as claimed in  claim 4 , wherein said authentication information storage device stores an electronic mail address associated with the user information and the information for authentication according to the transmission protocol associated with the user information, and said authentication information acquisition device acquires the electronic mail address and the authentication information stored in said authentication information storage device.  
   
   
       6 . A communication apparatus as claimed in  claim 4 , wherein the information for authentication comprises a user name and a password for SMTP authentication, the user name and the password being associated with the user information.  
   
   
       7 . An electronic mail transmitting method executed by a communication apparatus connected to an authentication apparatus and a mail distributing apparatus via a network, for transmitting an electronic mail via the mail distributing apparatus according to a predetermined transmission protocol, comprising: 
 an input step of inputting user information;    a user authentication requesting step of requesting the authentication apparatus to authenticate the input user information;    an authentication information acquisition step of acquiring information for authentication according to the transmission protocol associated with the authenticated user information from the authentication apparatus, when the user information is authenticated;    a transmission authentication requesting step of requesting the mail distributing apparatus to authenticate the acquired information for authentication, according to the transmission protocol; and    a transmission step of transmitting an electronic mail to the mail distributing apparatus according to the transmission protocol, when the acquired information for authentication is authenticated.    
   
   
       8 . An electronic mail transmitting method executed by a communication apparatus connected to a mail distributing apparatus via a network, for transmitting an electronic mail via the mail distributing apparatus according to a predetermined transmission protocol, comprising: 
 an input step of inputting user information;    a user authentication requesting step of requesting authentication of the input user information;    a retaining step of retaining information for authentication according to the transmission protocol on a user-by-user basis;    an authentication information acquisition step of acquiring information for authentication according to the transmission protocol associated with the authenticated user information, from the authentication information retained in said retaining step;    a transmission authentication requesting step of requesting the mail distributing apparatus to authenticate the acquired information for authentication, according to the transmission protocol; and    a transmission step of transmitting an electronic mail to the mail distributing apparatus according to the transmission protocol, when the information for authentication is authenticated.    
   
   
       9 . An electronic mail transmitting program executed by a communication apparatus connected to an authentication apparatus and a mail distributing apparatus via a network, for transmitting an electronic mail via the mail distributing apparatus according to a predetermined transmission protocol, comprising: 
 an input module for inputting user information;    a user authentication requesting module for requesting the authentication apparatus to authenticate the input user information;    an authentication information acquisition module for acquiring information for authentication according to the transmission protocol associated with the authenticated user information from the authentication apparatus, when the user information is authenticated;    a transmission authentication requesting module for requesting the mail distributing apparatus to authenticate the acquired information for authentication, according to the transmission protocol; and    a transmission module for transmitting an electronic mail to the mail distributing apparatus according to the transmission protocol, when the acquired information for authentication is authenticated.    
   
   
       10 . An electronic mail transmitting program executed by a communication apparatus connected to a mail distributing apparatus via a network, for transmitting an electronic mail via the mail distributing apparatus according to a predetermined transmission protocol, comprising: 
 an input module for inputting user information;    a user authentication requesting module for requesting authentication of the input user information;    a retaining module for retaining information for authentication according to the transmission protocol on a user-by-user basis;    an authentication information acquisition module for acquiring information for authentication according to the transmission protocol associated with the authenticated user information, from the authentication information retained by said retaining module;    a transmission authentication requesting module for requesting the mail distributing apparatus to authenticate the acquired information for authentication, according to the transmission protocol; and    a transmission module for transmitting an electronic mail to the mail distributing apparatus according to the transmission protocol, when the information for authentication is authenticated.