Communication apparatus, control method, and computer-usable medium for selcting a network for data transmission

Abstract

In a communication apparatus corresponding to a voice-band analog communication path and a network communication path, high-speed and high-reliability data communication is achieved by selecting the appropriate communication path without any complicated user operation. The communication apparatus which performs IP communication and analog communication through an ADSL gateway obtains a communication partner IP address from an SIP proxy when a communication partner telephone number corresponds to a VoIP network, and transmits/receives communication data to/from the communication partner on an IP network based on a file transmission/reception protocol such as FTP, HTTP, or the like. The communication apparatus performs analog facsimile communication on a line switching network when the communication partner telephone number does not correspond to the VoIP network, and performs the analog facsimile communication when the communication partner corresponds to the VoIP network but does not have any digital communication means.

1 .- 33 . (canceled) 
     
     
         34 . A image communication apparatus comprising:
 a facsimile communication unit configured to communicate image data using a facsimile protocol;   a Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) unit configured to convert a facsimile protocol signal and the image data communicated by said facsimile communication unit to VoIP data encoded for communicating through an Internet Protocol (IP) network;   a Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) unit configured to obtain an IP address of a communication partner station from an SIP proxy server, based on a telephone number of the communication partner station, and to communicate an SIP signal; and   a control unit configured to, if the SIP unit has received a response indicating that the communication partner station is responding to a call, cause the facsimile communication unit to communicate the image data to the communication partner station using the facsimile protocol through the IP network via the VoIP unit.   
     
     
         35 . The communication apparatus according to  claim 34 ,
 wherein said VoIP unit communicates the VoIP data to a gateway apparatus of the communication partner station side,   the gateway apparatus is able to convert the VoIP data to the facsimile protocol signal and the image data by decoding, and the gateway apparatus is able to communicate the facsimile protocol signal and the image data to the communication partner station.   
     
     
         36 . A image communication method comprising:
 communicating, by a facsimile communication unit, image data using a facsimile protocol;   converting, by a Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) unit, a facsimile protocol signal and the image data communicated by the facsimile communication unit to VoIP data encoded for communicating through an Internet Protocol (IP) network;   obtaining, by a Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) unit, an IP address of a communication partner station from an SIP proxy server, based on a telephone number of the communication partner station, and communicating an SIP signal; and   if the SIP unit has received a response indicating that the communication partner station is responding to a call, causing, by a control unit, the facsimile communication unit to communicate the image data to the communication partner station using the facsimile protocol through the IP network via the VoIP unit.   
     
     
         37 . The communication method according to  claim 36 ,
 wherein the VoIP unit communicates the VoIP data to a gateway apparatus of the communication partner station side,   the gateway apparatus is able to convert the VoIP data to the facsimile protocol signal and the image data by decoding, and the gateway apparatus is able to communicate the facsimile protocol signal and the image data to the communication partner station.   
     
     
         38 . A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium which stores a computer-executable program to cause a computer to perform an image communication method comprising:
 communicating, by a facsimile communication unit, image data using a facsimile protocol;   converting, by a Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) unit, a facsimile protocol signal and the image data communicated by the facsimile communication unit to VoIP data encoded for communicating through an Internet Protocol (IP) network;   obtaining, by a Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) unit, an IP address of a communication partner station from an SIP proxy server, based on a telephone number of the communication partner station, and communicating an SIP signal; and   if the SIP unit has received a response indicating that the communication partner station is responding to a call, causing, by a control unit, the facsimile communication unit to communicate the image data to the communication partner station using the facsimile protocol through the IP network via the VoIP unit.   
     
     
         39 . The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium according to  claim 38 , wherein the VoIP unit communicates the VoIP data to a gateway apparatus of the communication partner station side, the gateway apparatus is able to convert the VoIP data to the facsimile protocol signal and the image data by decoding, and the gateway apparatus is able to communicate the facsimile protocol signal and the image data to the communication partner station.