Communication system and communication apparatus building the system

Abstract

Facsimile image data received from a normal facsimile apparatus connected to a general telephone network can be transmitted as an e-mail to the e-mail address of a computer network, such as a LAN or the like designated by the source facsimile apparatus. An apparatus has a LAN I/F ( 6 - 14 ) for connecting to the LAN, and a line I/F ( 6 - 6 ) for connecting to the public telephone network. Upon reception of a remote instruction from the public telephone network, a CPU ( 6 - 3 ) converts received facsimile image data into e-mail data, and transmits the converted e-mail data to the e-mail address designated by the received remote instruction.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A facsimile apparatus comprising:
 a receiving unit configured to receive image data according to a facsimile procedure through a telephone network from a sender apparatus;   a generating unit configured to generate e-mail data in which an image file based on the received image data is inserted in one part and text data indicating reception information of the received image data is inserted in another part under MIME format, both of the parts being other than a mail header section; and   a transmitting unit configured to transmit the generated e-mail data to a receiver apparatus that is other than the sender apparatus through a computer network.   
     
     
         2 . The apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the reception information includes a reception time of the received image data. 
     
     
         3 . The apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the reception information includes a telephone number that corresponds to the sender apparatus. 
     
     
         4 . A method for a facsimile apparatus, comprising steps of:
 receiving image data according to a facsimile procedure through a telephone network, from a sender apparatus;   generating e-mail data in which an image file based on the received image data is inserted in one part and text data indicating reception information of the received image data is inserted in another part under MIME format, both of the parts being other than a mail header section; and   transmitting the generated e-mail data to a receiver apparatus that is other than the sender apparatus through a computer network.   
     
     
         5 . The method according to  claim 4 , wherein the reception information includes a reception time of the received image data. 
     
     
         6 . The method according to  claim 4 , wherein the reception information includes a telephone number that corresponds to the sender apparatus. 
     
     
         7 . A non-transitory computer-readable medium encoded with a computer program configured to be executed at least by a computer in a facsimile apparatus, the computer program comprising:
 program code for receiving image data according to a facsimile procedure through a telephone network from a sender apparatus;   program code for generating e-mail data in which an image file based on the received image data is inserted in one part and text data indicating reception information of the received image data is inserted in another part under MIME format, both of the parts being other than a mail header section; and   program code for transmitting the generated e-mail data to a receiver apparatus that is other than the sender apparatus through a computer network.