COMMUNICATION APPARATUS

Abstract

A communication apparatus includes an obtaining unit, an image data receiving unit, an extracting unit and a first display control unit. The obtaining unit is configured to obtain a caller identification information through a caller identification via a communication line when an incoming call is received from a caller. The image data receiving unit is configured to receive an image data transmitted from the caller via the communication line. The extracting unit is configured to extract caller information from the image data to specify the caller. The first display control unit is configured to display the caller information on a display screen when the obtaining unit does not obtain the caller identification information at the incoming call.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view illustrating an outer configuration of a multi function device of the embodiments;

FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating an electric configuration of the multi function device;

FIG. 3 is a view explaining content stored in a flash memory;

FIG. 4 shows a memory map of a telephone directory list;

FIG. 5 shows a memory map of a preview list;

FIG. 6 shows an example of a facsimile data (image data);

FIG. 7 is a flowchart showing a display process during a reception operation of a first example;

FIG. 8 is a flowchart showing display process during a reception operation of a second example;

FIG. 9 is a flowchart showing a process for obtaining the caller information according to a first embodiment;

FIG. 10 is a flowchart showing details of a flowchart of FIG. 9 according to the first embodiment;

FIG. 11 is a flowchart showing a process for determining a region to obtain the caller information according to the first embodiment;

FIGS. 12A to 12E show examples of the information displayed on a display screen during reception according to the first embodiment;

FIG. 13 is a flowchart showing a process for displaying a preview list;

FIG. 14 is a view showing an example of the list displayed on the display screen according to the first embodiment;

FIG. 15 is a flowchart showing a process for obtaining the caller information according to a second embodiment;

FIG. 16 is a flowchart showing a process for extracting the caller information according to the second embodiment;

FIG. 17 is a view showing an example of information displayed on the display screen during the reception operation according to the second embodiment;

FIG. 18 is a view showing an example of the list displayed on the display screen according to the second embodiment;

FIG. 19 is a flowchart showing a process for obtaining the caller information according to a third embodiment;

FIG. 20 is a view showing an example of information displayed on the display screen during the reception operation according to the third embodiment; and

FIG. 21 is a view showing an example of a list displayed on the display screen according to the third embodiment.

Claims

1. A communication apparatus comprising: an obtaining unit configured to obtain a caller identification information through a caller identification via a communication line when an incoming call is received from a caller;an image data receiving unit configured to receive an image data transmitted from the caller via the communication line;an extracting unit configured to extract caller information from the image data to specify the caller; anda first display control unit configured to display the caller information on a display screen when the obtaining unit does not obtain the caller identification information at the incoming call.

2. The communication apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the extracting unit extracts the caller information from the image data, if the obtaining unit does not obtain the caller identification information at the incoming call.

3. The communication apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising: a storage unit capable of storing registered caller identification information for at least one caller and correspondence information that is correlated to the registered caller identification information for each registered caller; anda second display control unit configured to, if the obtaining unit obtains the caller identification information at the incoming call and the registered caller identification information contains the caller identification information obtained by the obtaining unit, display the correspondence information associated with the registered caller identification information that corresponds to the caller identification information obtained by the obtaining unit,wherein the first information display control unit displays the caller information, even if the correspondence information corresponding to the caller identification information obtained by the obtaining unit is not stored in the storage unit.

4. The communication apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the extracting unit extracts the caller information from the image data, if the obtaining unit obtains the caller identification information and the correspondence information corresponding the caller identification information obtained by the obtaining unit is not stored in the storage unit.

5. The communication apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the first display control unit displays the caller identification information together with the caller information, on the display screen.

6. The communication apparatus according to claim 1, wherein: the extracting unit extracts the caller information from the image data during a reception of the image data, andthe first display control unit displays the caller information during the reception of the image data and after extracting the caller information.

7. The communication apparatus according to claim 1, wherein: the caller information is embedded in a head region of each page data contained in the image data;the extracting unit extracts the caller information from the head region, during a reception of the page data on a first page among the image data; andthe first display control unit displays the caller information after extracting the caller information and before completing the reception of the page data on the first page.

8. The communication apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the first display control unit adjusts and displays the caller information within a size of a region to be displayed on the display screen.

9. The communication apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the first display control unit displays the page data on the first page in the image data on the display screen, if the extracting unit fails to extract the caller information.

10. The communication apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a display limiting unit configured to switch whether or not the first display control unit is allowed to display the caller information.

11. The communication apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the extracting unit extracts the caller information from the image data, if a signal received together with the image data from the caller includes the caller information to specify the caller.

12. The communication apparatus according to claim 1, wherein; the caller information is embedded in a head region of each page data contained in the image data;the extracting unit includes: a judging unit configured to read data from a head of the page data and judge whether a non-blank portion exists from the head to a first predetermined length in a read direction; and a cutting unit configured to, if the non-blank portion exists, cut a region of a second predetermined length in the read direction from a position of the non-blank portion; andpicture data related to the region of the predetermined length that is cut from the page data by the cutting unit is defined as the caller information.

13. The communication apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the extracting unit comprises a character reading unit configured to identify a character from the image data and convert the character in the image data into character data, and the extracting unit extracts the caller information as the character data converted by the character reading unit.

14. The communication apparatus according to claim 13, wherein: the extracting unit includes the cutting unit configured to cut a predetermined region from the image data, andthe character reading unit identifies the character from the predetermined region cut by the cutting unit and converts the character in the predetermined region into the character data, and comprises a character extracting unit configured to extracting a string as the caller information, the string includes a character that is neither a numeral nor a symbol, from the character data converted by the character reading unit.

15. The communication apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the extracting unit includes: a judging unit configured to judge whether a signal received together with the image data from the caller includes a position specification information that can specify a position where the caller information is embedded in the image data; anda cutting unit configured to cut the caller information from the position that is specified in accordance with the position specification information in the image data, if the position specification information is included in the signal received together with the image data from the caller.

16. A communication apparatus comprising: an obtaining unit configured to obtain a caller identification information through a caller identification via a communication line when an incoming call is received from a caller;an image data receiving unit configured to receive an image data transmitted from the caller via the communication line;an extracting unit configured to extract caller information from the image data to specify the caller;a first storage unit that stores the caller information and the image data that is correlated to the caller information;an input unit that accepts an input signal to refer to a storage content of the first storage unit; anda first output unit configured to output the caller information stored in the first storage unit in response to the input from the input unit, if the caller identification information is not obtained by the obtaining unit.

17. The communication apparatus according to claim 16, wherein the extracting unit extracts the caller information from the image data, if the caller identification information is not obtained at the incoming call.

18. The communication apparatus according to claim 16, including: a second storage unit that stores registered caller identification information for at least one caller and correspondence information that is correlated to the registered caller identification information for each registered caller; anda second output unit configured to, if the obtaining unit obtains the caller identification information at the incoming call and the registered caller identification information contains the caller identification information obtained by the obtaining unit, display the correspondence information associated with the registered caller identification information that corresponds to the caller identification information obtained by the obtaining unit,wherein the first output unit outputs the caller information, even if the correspondence information corresponding to the caller identification information obtained by the obtaining unit is not stored in the second storage unit.

19. The communication apparatus according to claim 18, wherein the extracting unit extracts the caller information from the image data, if the obtaining unit obtains the caller identification information and the correspondence information corresponding to the caller identification information obtained by the obtaining unit is not stored in the second storage unit.

20. The communication apparatus according to claim 16, wherein: the first storage unit stores a reception time of the image data to be correlated to the caller information; andthe first output unit outputs the reception time together with the caller information.

21. The communication apparatus according to claim 16, wherein the first output unit outputs to a list of an array of information regarding the image data, the list includes the caller information stored in the first storage unit.

22. The communication apparatus according to claim 16, wherein the first output unit performs a display operation on a display screen to display the caller information to allow a user to call the corresponding image data.

23. The communication apparatus according to claim 16, wherein the first output unit performs the display operation on the display screen to adjust and display the caller information within a size of a region to be displayed on the display screen.

24. The communication apparatus according to claim 16, wherein the extracting unit extracts the caller information from the image data, if a signal received together with the image data from the caller includes the caller information to specify the caller.

25. The communication apparatus according to claim 16, wherein: the caller information is embedded in a head region of each page data contained in the image data;the extracting unit includes: a judging unit configured to read data from a head of the page data and judge whether a non-blank portion exists from the head to a first predetermined length in a read direction; and a cutting unit configured to, it the non-blank portion exists, cut a region of a second predetermined length in the read direction from a position of the non-blank portion; andpicture data related to the region of the predetermined length that is cut from the page data by the cutting unit is defined as the caller information.

26. The communication apparatus according to claim 16, wherein the extracting unit comprises a character reading unit configured to identify a character from the image data and convert the character in the image data into character data, and the extracting unit extracts the caller information as the character data converted by the character reading unit.

27. The communication apparatus according to claim 26, wherein: the extracting unit includes the cutting unit configured to cut a predetermined region from the image data, andthe character reading unit identifies the character from the predetermined region cut by the cutting unit and converts the character in the predetermined region into the character data, and comprises a character extracting unit configured to extracting a string as the caller information, the string includes a character that is neither a numeral nor a symbol, from the character data converted by the character reading unit.

28. The communication apparatus according to claim 16, wherein the extracting unit includes: a judging unit configured to judge whether a signal received together with the image data from the caller includes a position specification information that can specify a position where the caller information is embedded in the image data; anda cutting unit configured to cut the caller information from the position that is specified in accordance with the position specification information in the image data, if the position specification information is included in the signal received together with the image data from the caller.