Data transmission/reception system that informs a user that image data has been transmitted

Abstract

A data transmission/reception system provides the recipient of image data with flexible options for handling the image data. The system transmits notification mail to a cellular phone owned by the recipient when transmitting facsimile data from a transmitting facsimile machine to a receiving facsimile machine. The recipient transmits a command from the cellular phone indicating how the facsimile data received by the receiving facsimile machine should be handled. In response to the command received from the cellular phone, the receiving facsimile machine either forms an image based on the facsimile data on paper or forwards the facsimile data to another facsimile machine near the recipient. Accordingly, the recipient can transmit a forwarding command instructing the receiving facsimile machine to transmit the facsimile data to a facsimile machine nearby when the recipient is in a remote location, thereby enabling the recipient to view an image based on the facsimile data at any time.

1 . A data transmission/reception system comprising:
 a first image-forming device that forms images on a recording medium based on image data;   a data transmitter that transmits the image data to the first image-forming device via a data transmission network; and   a communication terminal configured to communicate with the first image-forming device and the data transmitter, the communication terminal providing a plurality of optional processes to be selected, the plurality of optional processes including at least two of an image-forming process that forms an image based on the image data at the first image-forming device, a data deletion process that deletes the image data from the data transmitter, and a data forwarding process that forwards the image data to a second image-forming device, wherein   when the data transmitter transmits a request to the first image-forming device prior to transmitting the image data to the first image-forming device, the request indicating that the image data will be transmitted from the data transmitter to the first image-forming device, the first image-forming device transmits a notification message to the communication terminal without going through the data transmitter, the notification message indicating that the first image-forming device has received the request and requesting the communication terminal to select one of the plurality of optional processes,   the communication terminal, in response to the notification message, issues instructions whether to form an image based on the image data by selecting one of the provided plurality of optional processes for the first image-forming device, the communication terminal transmits the instructions to the data transmitter, and   the data transmitter, in response to the instructions, transmits the image data to the first image-forming device if the image-forming process is selected, deletes the image data from the data transmitter if the data deletion process is selected, or forwards the image data to the second image-forming device if the data forwarding process is selected.   
   
   
       2 . The data transmission/reception system according to  claim 1 , wherein the data transmitter comprises:
 an image data transmission device that transmits image data to the first image-forming device via the data transmission network.   
   
   
       3 . The data transmission/reception system according to  claim 1 , wherein the first image-forming device comprises:
 an image data receiving device that receives image data transmitted from the data transmitter via the data transmission network.   
   
   
       4 . The data transmission/reception system according to  claim 1 , wherein the first image-forming device comprises:
 a notification message transmitting device that transmits the notification mail.   
   
   
       5 . The data transmission/reception system according to  claim 1 , wherein the data transmitter comprises:
 a communication line establishing device that establishes a communication line with the first image-forming device via the data transmission network to send the request to the first image-forming device;   a command receiving device that receives the instructions transmitted from the communication terminal.   
   
   
       6 . A method for processing image data, comprising:
 transmitting a request from a data transmitter to a first image-forming device via a data communication network prior to transmitting image data from the data transmitter to the first image-forming device, the request indicating that the image data will be transmitted from the data transmitter from the data transmitter to the first image-forming device;   transmitting a notification message from the first image-forming device to a communication terminal via a mail communication network without going through the data transmitter, the notification message indicating that the first image-forming device has received the request;   providing a plurality of optional processes to be selected, the plurality of optional processes including at least two of an image-forming process that forms an image based on the image data at the first image-forming device, a data deletion process that deletes the image data from the data transmitter, and a data forwarding process that forwards the image data to a second image-forming device;   providing the instructions whether to form an image based in the image data by selecting one of the provided plurality of optional processes for the first image-forming device in response to the notification message at the communication terminal, and   transmitting the instructions to the data transmitter via a command communication network; and   in response to the instructions, transmitting the image data to the first image-forming device if the image-forming process is selected, deleting the image data from the data transmitter if the data deletion process is selected, or forwarding the image data to the second image-forming device if the data forwarding process is selected.