Information processing device and data transmission method

Abstract

To improve user convenience regarding data sending and receiving by utilizing email filtering functions. [Solution] The information processing device includes: a receiving means for receiving a rule file that describes one or more sorting rules used in the sorting function of an email application; a registration means for registering a record in an address book that includes an email address and a specific string based on the sorting rule described in the rule file; a data acquisition means for acquiring data to be sent by email; and a transmission means for sending the data by email. When a destination corresponding to the record is selected from the address book, the transmission means sends the data to the destination in an email containing the specific string.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to an information processing apparatus and a data transmission method.

Background Art

[0002] Many email applications have a sorting function that automatically sorts received emails or their attached files into a predetermined folder according to preset rules. Each sorting rule consists of conditions for filtering the target email and actions to be applied to emails that meet the conditions. The conditions of the sorting rules are typically based on pattern matching for attributes such as the subject line of the email, the name of the sender, or the sender address. The actions can be, for example, storing the email or attached file in a predetermined folder, transferring it to a predetermined destination address, or sending a reception notice to the user. As an example, a sorting rule can be considered where when an email containing the string "invoice" in the subject line is received, the attached file of the email is stored in a folder for invoice data. If this sorting rule is set in the email application, the invoice data sent by email from a large number of correspondents will be automatically stored in the appropriate folder, thus improving the efficiency of the work of the accounting staff.

[0003] Patent Document 1 discloses a technique for registering information such as the names and email addresses of a plurality of destination candidates in a destination management table in an apparatus capable of sorting invoice data to a plurality of destinations and transmitting it by email. The registration of information in the destination management table is performed using a dedicated table creation tool.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0004]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

[0005] However, the table creation tool in Patent Document 1 requires users to manually input information for each record, thus imposing a significant workload on the user performing the registration work. In particular, when a user attempts to register information in a way that satisfies the conditions of the email recipient's sorting rules, manual input is prone to errors, and these errors result in the email recipient not being able to perform the intended automatic sorting.

[0006] In view of the above-mentioned points, the present invention aims to improve user convenience regarding the sending and receiving of data utilizing email filtering functions. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] From one perspective, the information processing device includes: a receiving means for receiving a rule file describing one or more sorting rules used in the sorting function of an email application; a registration means for registering a record in an address book that includes an email address and a specific string based on the sorting rule described in the rule file; a data acquisition means for acquiring data to be sent by email; and a transmission means for sending the data by email. The transmission means sends the data to the recipient in an email containing the specific string when a recipient corresponding to the record is selected from the address book. A corresponding data transmission method is also provided. [Effects of the Invention]

[0008] According to the present invention, it is possible to improve user convenience regarding the sending and receiving of data using the email sorting function. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0009] [Figure 1]A schematic diagram showing an example of the configuration of a data communication system according to the first embodiment. [Figure 2] A block diagram showing an example of the hardware configuration of a controller for an image processing device. [Figure 3] A block diagram showing an example of the software configuration of an image processing device controller. [Figure 4] An explanatory diagram showing an example of the configuration of the registration screen for registering sorting rules. [Figure 5] An explanatory diagram showing an example of the configuration of a list screen that displays a list of registered sorting rules. [Figure 6] An explanatory diagram showing an example of the contents of a rule file. [Figure 7] An explanatory diagram showing an example of the configuration of the email sending settings screen related to sending emails. [Figure 8] An explanatory diagram showing an example of the configuration of the address book management screen. [Figure 9] An explanatory diagram showing an example of the configuration of the import screen for importing destination records based on a rule file. [Figure 10] A flowchart showing an example of the import process flow that may be executed in the first embodiment. [Figure 11] A schematic diagram showing an example of the configuration of a data communication system according to the second embodiment. [Figure 12] This diagram illustrates an example of the application screen configuration for a conversion application that converts rule files into address book files. [Figure 13] An explanatory diagram showing an example of the contents of an address book file. [Figure 14] A flowchart showing an example of the flow of a conversion process that may be performed in the second embodiment. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0010] Hereinafter, embodiments will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. Note that the following embodiments do not limit the invention according to the claims. Although a plurality of features are described in the embodiments, not all of these plurality of features are essential for the invention, and the plurality of features may be arbitrarily combined. Further, in the accompanying drawings, the same or similar configurations are denoted by the same reference numerals, and duplicate descriptions are omitted.

[0011] <1. First Embodiment> In this section, as a first embodiment of the technology according to the present disclosure, an example in which electronic data of a document scanned by an image processing apparatus is transmitted by e-mail to a destination selected from an address book will be described. Note that the technology according to the present disclosure is not limited to such an example, and is applicable to various information processing apparatuses that transmit data by e-mail to a destination selected from an address book.

[0012] <1-1. System Overview> FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing an example of the configuration of a data communication system #1 according to the first embodiment. Referring to FIG. 1, the data communication system #1 includes a mail server #10, a client terminal #20, a setting terminal #30, and an image processing apparatus #100. The mail server #10, the client terminal #20, the setting terminal #30, and the image processing apparatus #100 can communicate with each other via a network #5. The network #5 may be a wireless network, a wired network, or any combination thereof.

[0013] The mail server #10 is a server apparatus that manages the reception and transfer of e-mails. The mail server #10 includes an e-mail service #11 and a mailbox #12. The e-mail service #11 is a set of server modules for an e-mail application. The mailbox #12 is a storage area in a storage device for temporarily storing e-mails sent to the mail server #10.

[0014] The email service 11 functions as, for example, an SMTP (Simple Mail Transfer Protocol) server and an IMAP (Internet Message Access Protocol) server. The SMTP server receives emails sent from an email client and transfers emails to other SMTP servers. The IMAP server delivers the emails stored in the mailbox 12 to the email software in response to requests from the email software described later. The email service 11 may function as a POP (Post Office Protocol) server instead of the IMAP server. The details of the functions of SMTP, IMAP, and POP are defined by their respective RFCs (Request for Comments) formulated by the IETF (Internet Engineering Task Force).

[0015] The client terminal 20 may be any type of terminal device such as, for example, a PC (Personal Computer), a tablet terminal, or a smartphone. The client terminal 20 includes email software (hereinafter simply referred to as mail SW) 21 and storage 22. Although not shown in FIG. 1, the client terminal 20 may further include devices for a user interface (UI) of a general terminal device such as an input device, a display, and a speaker.

[0016] The mail SW 21 communicates with the mail server 10 to send and receive emails. For example, when the user instructs the mail SW 21 to send an email, the mail SW 21 sends the email (along with any attached electronic data, if applicable) to the mail server 10. Also, the mail SW 21 queries the mail server 10 to determine whether there are emails to be received in the mailbox 12, and if there are emails to be received, the mail SW 21 accesses the mail server 10 to download the emails from the mailbox 12 to the storage 22.

[0017] Storage 22 is a storage device that stores emails downloaded from mailbox 12. Storage 22 includes multiple storage areas (hereinafter referred to as folders) 23. Emails downloaded by email SW21 are stored in one of the folders 23. If electronic data is attached to the email, that electronic data is also stored in one of the folders 23.

[0018] Users on client terminal 20 can select each folder 23 on the UI screen of mail SW21 and view the emails within the selected folder 23. Typically, multiple folders 23 form a hierarchical structure, with a specific folder (for example, the top-level folder, sometimes called the inbox) being the default folder where emails are stored. Users can move emails from one folder 23 to another. Furthermore, if the sorting function, which will be explained in detail later, is used, mail SW21 automatically sorts (moves or copies) emails received from mail server 10 to folders 23 different from the default folder according to one or more sorting rules.

[0019] As can be understood from the above description, this embodiment assumes a configuration in which the mail SW21 is used as a dedicated client for the email application. In this case, the mail SW21 on the client terminal 20 provides a variety of email-related functions, including a sorting function. In other embodiments, the email application may be implemented in the form of so-called webmail. In this case, a general-purpose web browser is mainly used for viewing emails, and an application module running on the mail server 10 can provide a variety of functions, including a sorting function.

[0020] The configuration terminal 30 may also be any type of terminal device, such as a PC, tablet, or smartphone. The configuration terminal 30 may be the same device as the client terminal 20 or a different device. The configuration terminal 30 includes a web browser 31 and a file system 32. Although not shown in Figure 1, the configuration terminal 30 may also further include devices for the UI, such as an input device, a display, and a speaker.

[0021] The web browser 31 communicates with a web server reachable via the network 5 using protocols such as HTTP (Hypertext Transfer Protocol) or HTTPS (HTTP Secure). In this embodiment, the user of the configuration terminal 30 is able to access the configuration screen provided by the web server 105 of the image processing device 100 using the web browser 31. An example of settings related to the email sending function of the image processing device 100 will be described in detail later. The file system 32 is a storage area within the storage device for storing various data, including files used for configuring the image processing device 100.

[0022] The image processing device 100 is a so-called multifunction printer (MFP), an example of an information processing device that has the function of sending email. Referring to Figure 1, the image processing device 100 includes an operation unit 102, a printer 103, a scanner 104, a web server 105, and a controller 110. The operation unit 102 includes input devices such as a touch sensor, keypad, buttons, switches, and a microphone, and output devices such as a display and a speaker. The printer 103 is an image forming means that forms an image on a sheet (also called a recording medium) based on input image data. The scanner 104 is a scanning means that scans a document and generates electronic data. The web server 105 is a server module that provides a setting screen for user settings related to various functions of the image processing device 100 in response to requests from web clients such as a web browser 31 on a setting terminal 30. The controller 110 is a control means that controls the above-described functions of the image processing device 100 overall. For example, the controller 110 controls the transmission of electronic data generated by the scanner 104 to other devices via the network 5, as will be explained in detail later.

[0023] Although Figure 1 shows an example in which the data communication system 1 includes one client terminal 20, the data communication system 1 may include more client terminals 20 as candidates for recipients of emails sent from the image processing device 100. Similarly, the data communication system 1 may include more mail servers 10, configuration terminals 30, and image processing devices 100. Each device may include additional components not explicitly shown in Figure 1. Furthermore, the connection relationships between the mail server 10, client terminals 20, configuration terminals 30, and image processing device 100 are not limited to the illustrated example. For example, the configuration terminal 30 may be connected to the image processing device 100 via a communication line separate from the network 5.

[0024] <1-2. Example of controller configuration for image processing device> Figure 2 is a block diagram showing an example of the hardware configuration of the controller 110 of the image processing device 100. Referring to Figure 2, the controller 110 includes a CPU 111, DRAM 112, input / output (I / O) controller 113, network interface (I / F) 114, SATA I / F 115, panel I / F 116, printer I / F 117, scanner I / F 118, and flash ROM 119.

[0025] The CPU (Central Processing Unit) 111 performs calculations for the operation of the controller 110, which is described below. The DRAM (Dynamic Random Access Memory) 112 is connected to the CPU 111 via a bus. The DRAM 112 is a memory (so-called working memory) that provides the CPU 111 with a storage area for temporarily storing programs and data for calculations.

[0026] The I / O controller 113 is connected to the CPU 111 via a bus. The I / O controller 113 mediates the input and output of data and signals between the CPU 111 and various units of the image processing unit 100. The I / O controller 113 is connected to the network interface 114, SATA interface 115, panel interface 116, printer interface 117, and scanner interface 118.

[0027] The network interface 114 outputs communication signals received from other devices via network 5 to the CPU 111. The network interface 114 also transmits communication signals received from the CPU 111 to other devices via network 5.

[0028] The SATA (Serial Advanced Technology Attachment) interface 115 is connected to the flash ROM (Read-Only Memory) 119. The flash ROM 119 is a non-volatile storage medium on which data can be written. The flash ROM 119 permanently stores, for example, a computer program to be executed by the CPU 111. The flash ROM 119 may also store electronic data of documents scanned by the scanner 104. Alternatively, instead of (or in addition to) the flash ROM 119, the controller 110 may be connected to a high-capacity storage device such as an HDD (Hard Disk Drive).

[0029] The panel interface 116 outputs operation signals input from the operation unit 102 to the CPU 111 in response to user operations. The panel interface 116 also outputs output signals generated by the CPU 111 to the operation unit 102. This enables interaction between the image processing device 100 and the user via the operation unit 102.

[0030] The printer interface 117 is connected to the printer 103 shown in Figure 1. When a job involving the printer 103 is executed, the CPU 111 acquires sensor signals from the printer 103 via the printer interface 117 and outputs control signals to the printer 103 via the printer interface 117. The scanner interface 118 is connected to the scanner 104 shown in Figure 1. When a job involving the scanner 104 is executed, the CPU 111 acquires sensor signals from the scanner 104 via the scanner interface 118 and outputs control signals to the scanner 104 via the scanner interface 118.

[0031] In Figure 1, the web server 105 is shown as a separate block from the controller 110, but the functions of the web server 105 may also be realized by the CPU 111 executing a computer program. Also, in Figure 2, an example is shown where the controller 110 includes one CPU 111, but the control functions of the controller 110 described below may also be realized by multiple processing circuits coordinating with each other.

[0032] Figure 3 is a block diagram showing an example of the software configuration of the controller 110. Referring to Figure 3, the controller 110 includes an operation control unit 121, a communication control unit 122, a print control unit 123, a read control unit 124, a job control unit 125, an image processing unit 126, a storage unit 127, and a setting unit 128. In particular, the operation control unit 121, the communication control unit 122, the print control unit 123, the read control unit 124, the job control unit 125, the image processing unit 126, and the setting unit 128 may be software modules that are realized by at least one processing circuit executing a program. For example, the program may be pre-stored in a flash ROM 119 or another non-temporary computer-readable medium and loaded into the DRAM 112 by the CPU 111 for execution.

[0033] The operation control unit 121 displays a screen (for example, an image for the UI) on the display of the operation unit 102, detects user operations via an input device, and executes processing according to the detected user operations. The communication control unit 122 performs communication control such as packetization, address resolution, addition of a communication header, and transmission and reception of packets for data communicated by the image processing device 100 over the network 5, according to a predetermined communication protocol. The print control unit 123, read control unit 124, job control unit 125, and image processing unit 126 cooperate with each other to execute jobs instructed by the user. The storage unit 127 stores data related to job execution using the DRAM 112 or other storage device shown in Figure 2.

[0034] When a scan job is executed, the reading control unit 124 causes the scanner 104 to scan the document (also called the original). The reading control unit 124 stores the electronic data (scanned image data) of the document generated by the scanner 104 in the storage unit 127. When a print job is executed, the print control unit 123 controls the printer 103 to form an image on a sheet based on the print image data received from an external device. When a copy job is executed, the print control unit 123 controls the printer 103 to form an image on a sheet based on the read image data generated by the scanner 104. The image processing unit 126 performs image processing on these read image data and print image data. The image processing performed by the image processing unit 126 may include one or more of the following: noise reduction, rasterization, resolution conversion, gradation correction, color conversion, and binarization. The job control unit 125 comprehensively controls the execution of these jobs by the print control unit 123, the reading control unit 124, and the image processing unit 126.

[0035] When a transmission job is executed, the job control unit 125 accepts the specification of parameters such as the transmission method, destination, and data format via the operation unit 102. Candidate transmission methods may include, for example, file sharing via SMB (Server Message Block), file transfer via FTP (File Transfer Protocol), and sending email via SMTP. The format of the destination will differ depending on which transmission method is specified. Candidate data formats may include, for example, JPEG and PDF. The reading control unit 124 causes the scanner 104 to scan the document, acquires the electronic data of the document via the scanner I / F 118, and stores the acquired electronic data in the storage unit 127. Next, the image processing unit 126 formats the electronic data stored in the storage unit 127 according to the specified data format. Then, the communication control unit 122 sends the formatted electronic data to the specified destination using the specified transmission method, in response to instructions from the job control unit 125. If email is specified as the transmission method, the communication control unit 122 may send the scanned document's electronic data as an email attachment. Figure 3 shows the electronic data 130 that may be transmitted in such a transmission job.

[0036] Therefore, in the example of a transmission job, the communication control unit 122 functions as the email transmission unit 141. The email transmission unit 141 corresponds to a data acquisition means that acquires data to be sent by email, and a transmission means that sends the acquired electronic data 130 by email. Specifically, the email transmission unit 141 sends the electronic data 130 generated by the scanner 104 by email to the recipient email address specified in the transmission job.

[0037] The storage unit 127 stores an address book 131, which is a collection of records (hereinafter also referred to as destination records) that indicate each of the candidate destinations in a transmission job. The destination for the transmission job described above is specified, for example, by having the user select one of the destination records in the address book on a screen displayed on the operation unit 102's display. Each destination record may contain at least two information items: Record name · Recipient email address The record name is a name or identifier used to distinguish the record from other destination records. The destination email address is the email address used as the recipient of the email. Each destination record may include one or more additional information fields (e.g., subject, recipient display name, and sender display name) to hold attribute values ​​to be set in the email.

[0038] The setting unit 128 is a setting means that holds various settings for executing the above-described jobs in the image processing device 100. For example, the setting unit 128 holds the sender's email address of the email sent from the email sending unit 141 in a sending job. Furthermore, the setting unit 128 may hold one or more of the following setting items for a sending job: • Data size limit • Default subject line • Whether or not certificate verification is required. Whether or not to automatically set the record name as the subject. These settings will be explained later with reference to an example of the settings screen. The settings unit 128 also registers, edits, and deletes destination records in the address book 131. The settings unit 128 provides the user with a settings screen via the web server 105 to allow the user to manage these settings.

[0039] <1-3. Utilizing the sorting function> In the data communication system 1, the email SW21 of the client terminal 20 has a sorting function that automatically sorts received emails or their attachments into predetermined folders according to pre-registered sorting rules. Each sorting rule consists, for example, conditions for filtering target emails and actions to be applied to emails that meet the conditions.

[0040] Figure 4 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of the configuration of the registration screen for registering a sorting rule for email SW21. The registration screen 40 shown in Figure 4 includes a rule name input field 41, objects 42a to 44b for setting filtering conditions, objects 45 to 47c for setting actions, a cancel button 48, and an OK button 49.

[0041] The rule name input field 41 is a field for accepting input of a name to be assigned to each sorting rule. The checkbox 42a and the string input field 42b are objects for accepting the setting of filtering conditions related to the sender. For example, if a user checks checkbox 42a and enters a specific string in the string input field 42b, emails containing that specific string in the sender's name or email address will be subject to the newly registered sorting rule. The checkbox 43a and the string input field 43b are objects for accepting the setting of filtering conditions related to the subject. For example, if a user checks checkbox 43a and enters a specific string in the string input field 43b, emails containing that specific string in the subject will be subject to the newly registered sorting rule. The checkbox 44a and the string input field 44b are objects for accepting the setting of filtering conditions related to the recipient. For example, if a user checks checkbox 44a and enters a specific string in the string input field 44b, emails containing that specific string in the recipient's name or email address will be subject to the newly registered sorting rule. If two or more of checkboxes 42a, 43a, and 44a are checked, the filtering conditions of the sorting rule will be a composite condition relating to two or more corresponding attributes.

[0042] Checkboxes 45 and 46 are objects that accept settings for whether or not to enable email notification to the user as an action for newly registered sorting rules. For example, if checkbox 45 is checked, a notification message will be displayed on the screen when an email that satisfies the filtering conditions is received. If checkbox 46 is checked, a notification sound will be output from the speaker when an email that satisfies the filtering conditions is received.

[0043] The checkbox 47a, folder input field 47b, and selection button 47c are objects that accept settings for the distribution of data to a specified folder as an action of a newly registered distribution rule. For example, suppose a user wants to distribute data to a folder identified by the path "\Branch\Invoices". This user checks checkbox 47a, enters the desired path in folder input field 47b, or selects the desired path through a file dialog box displayed by operating the selection button 47c.

[0044] The Cancel button 48 is used to close the registration screen 40 without registering a new sorting rule. The OK button 49 is used to register a new sorting rule in the email SW21 with the settings configured on the registration screen 40. When the OK button 49 is pressed along with the settings shown in Figure 4, a sorting rule is registered to sort emails containing the string "Invoice" in the subject line and their attachments into the folder "\Branch\Invoice" in the storage 22 of the client terminal 20.

[0045] Figure 5 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of the configuration of a list screen that displays a list of sorting rules registered in mail SW21. The list screen 50 shown in Figure 5 includes a list display area 51, a register button 52, an edit button 53, a delete button 54, an export button 55, an import button 56, and a close button 57.

[0046] The list display area 51 is an area that displays a list of the rule names of the sorting rules already registered in the mail SW21. In the example in Figure 5, two sorting rules are already registered, each with the rule names "Invoice_Sorting" and "X Bank_Sorting". In the list display area 51, the user can select the sorting rule to edit or delete. The register button 52 is a button that calls up the registration screen 40 for registering a new sorting rule, as explained using Figure 4. The edit button 53 is a button that calls up the edit screen for editing the sorting rule selected by the user. The configuration of the edit screen may be the same as the configuration of the registration screen 40 described above. The delete button 54 is a button that deletes the sorting rule selected by the user.

[0047] The export button 55 is a button for outputting the sorting rules registered in the mail SW21 to a data file. When a user operates the export button 55, the mail SW21 writes (i.e., exports) the registered sorting rules to a data file in a format that can be interpreted by other devices. In this specification, a data file containing one or more sorting rules exported from the sorting function of an email application is called a rule file. A rule file may be a file that describes one or more sorting rules used by the sorting function in any format. In this embodiment, the rule file is output as text data structured in XML (eXtensible Markup Language) format. In other embodiments, the rule file may be output as text data in another format such as CSV (Comma Separated Values) format, or as binary data. The import button 56 is a button for reading a rule file located at a specified path and registering one or more sorting rules described in the rule file to the mail SW21. The close button 57 is a button for closing the list screen 50.

[0048] Figure 6 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of the contents of a rule file. In the example in Figure 6, rule file 60 contains one or more rule entries 61, 62, following a leading line that shows the XML version and character encoding information. Each rule entry is enclosed in an "entry" tag and contains child elements "title", "condition", and "action".

[0049] The "title" element is a child element that defines the rule name. For example, the rule name for rule entry 61 is "Invoice_Allocation". The rule name for rule entry 62 is "X Bank_Allocation".

[0050] The "condition" element is a child element that defines a filtering condition. The type of filtering condition is defined by the "name" attribute of the "condition" element. For example, the "name" attribute of the "condition" element in rule entry 61 is "subject" and the "value" attribute is "invoice". This means that the filtering condition for rule entry 61 is to find emails with a subject that contains the specific string "invoice". The "name" attribute of the "condition" element in rule entry 62 is "source" and the "value" attribute is "xbank.com". This means that the filtering condition for rule entry 62 is to find emails with a sender name or sender email address that contains the specific string "xbank.com".

[0051] The "action" element is a child element that defines an action. The type of action is defined by the "name" attribute of the "action" element. If the type of action is to move data to a specific folder, the "value" attribute of the "action" element further defines the path to the destination folder. For example, the "name" attribute of the "action" element in rule entry 61 is "move_data" and the "value" attribute is "\branch\invoice". This means that the action of rule entry 61 is the automatic movement of emails and attachments to a folder identified by the path "\branch\invoice". The action of rule entry 62 is also the automatic movement of emails and attachments to a folder identified by a specific path.

[0052] Note that the format for describing sorting rules is not limited to the examples above. Each entry may contain multiple "condition" elements for complex conditional checks. For example, for the following sorting rule, one sorting rule entry may contain K (K>1) "condition" elements and an element indicating the type of conditional expression combination (AND or OR): • Emails with a subject line containing all K specific strings (AND concatenated) • Emails with a subject line containing any of the K specific strings (OR combination) Such complex conditional checks may be used on fields other than the subject. Furthermore, each entry may contain multiple "action" elements if multiple actions are enabled.

[0053] <1-4. Registering records in the address book based on sorting rules> If a sorting rule like the one exemplified above is registered in the mail SW21, data sent via email on the client terminal 20 will be automatically sorted into the appropriate folder in the storage 22. However, when attempting to send an email from a device other than the client terminal 20, it is not easy for the sending device to accurately input the specific string used in the sorting rule registered in the mail SW21. In the example of the image processing device 100's sending job, registering a specific string in the address book 131 in advance eliminates the need to input the specific string each time an email is sent. However, if the specific string had to be manually registered in the address book 131, the possibility of input errors could not be eliminated.

[0054] Therefore, in this embodiment, a function is incorporated to register new destination candidate records for sending jobs in the address book 131 of the image processing device 100 based on the rule file exported from the mail SW21. Specifically, as shown in Figure 3, the setting unit 128 functions as a file receiving unit 142 and a registration unit 143.

[0055] The file receiving unit 142 is a receiving means for receiving a rule file that describes one or more sorting rules used in the sorting function of an email application. Figure 1 shows the rule file RF exported by the email SW21 of the client terminal 20 and downloaded to the configuration terminal 30. The user accesses the web server 105 of the image processing device 100 using the web browser 31 of the configuration terminal 30 and uploads the rule file RF to the image processing device 100 on the configuration screen described later. The file receiving unit 142 receives the rule file RF uploaded in this way. The file receiving unit 142 may also accept the rule file RF located in the local storage area of ​​the image processing device 100 without going through the configuration screen.

[0056] The registration unit 143 is a registration means that registers a record in the address book 131 that includes an email address and a specific string based on one or more sorting rules described in a rule file received by the file reception unit 142. The email sending unit 141 sends electronic data 130 in an email with the specific string set when a recipient corresponding to a record containing the specific string based on the sorting rule is selected from the address book 131.

[0057] For example, the first sorting rule described in the rule file is a rule that performs a first action for emails whose subject line contains a specific string. Based on this first sorting rule, the registration unit 143 registers a record in the address book 131 by including the specific string in the information item of the address book 131 used for the subject line of the email.

[0058] In one embodiment, the information item in the address book 131 used for the subject of an email may be the record name. In this case, when the email sending unit 141 selects a recipient from the address book 131 that corresponds to a record based on the first sorting rule, it sets a specific string obtained from the record name of that record as the subject of the email to be sent. In this embodiment, the address book 131 does not need to include any information items other than the record name and the recipient email address. The record name is generally information displayed on the screen for managing the address book. Therefore, when a user intends to activate the sorting function at the recipient of an email, they can easily select the appropriate recipient from the address book on the screen.

[0059] As a variation of the above embodiment, the setting unit 128 may accept a user setting indicating whether or not to use the record name of the recipient selected from the address book as the subject of the email. In this variation, the email sending unit 141 sets a specific string obtained from the record name in the address book as the subject of the email only if the user has selected to use the record name of the recipient selected from the address book as the subject of the email. With this configuration, even when selecting the same recipient registered in the address book, the user can choose to use a string derived from the record name or another string as the subject of the email through user settings.

[0060] In other embodiments, the information item in the address book 131 used for the email subject may be a separate information item for subject setting, distinct from the record name. In this case, when the email sending unit 141 selects a recipient from the address book 131 corresponding to a record based on the first sorting rule, it sets a specific string obtained from the subject setting information item of that record as the subject of the email to be sent. In this embodiment, the address book 131 includes a subject setting information item in addition to the record name and the recipient email address. With this configuration, it is not necessary to include a specific string for activating the sorting function in the record name, so the user can assign flexible record names to each record in the address book 131, taking into consideration the convenience of address management.

[0061] The embodiments and modifications described above may also apply when fields other than the email subject are used as filtering conditions. For example, based on a sorting rule that has a filtering condition that the sender's display name contains a specific string, a record may be registered in the address book 131 by including that specific string in the information item of the address book 131 used for the sender's display name.

[0062] In each embodiment, typically, the file receiving unit 142 receives the rule file along with the specification of an email address associated with the email application from which the rule file was exported. The registration unit 143 then registers a record containing the specified email address and a specific string based on the sorting rule described in the rule file into the address book 131. With this configuration, it is possible to appropriately distinguish between records for automatic sorting in two or more email applications that receive emails from different destination addresses, and to register destination records based on each sorting rule in the address book 131.

[0063] The second sorting rule described in the rule file may be a rule that performs a second action on emails whose subject contains two or more specific strings. Based on this second sorting rule, the registration unit 143 registers records in the address book 131 that include those two or more specific strings in the record name (or information item for setting the subject). For example, if the specific strings in the filtering condition of the second sorting rule are "string A" and "string B", the registration unit 143 may include the string "string A_string B" in the record name (or information item for setting the subject). This ensures that the sorting function works reliably on the email recipient side even when complex filtering conditions using AND joins are used in the sorting function. Note that the symbol used to concatenate two or more specific strings may be any symbol other than an underscore, such as a space or a comma.

[0064] A third sorting rule described in the rule file may be a rule that performs a third action on emails whose subject contains any of K (K>1) specific strings. Based on this third sorting rule, the registration unit 143 may register K records in the address book 131, each containing the k-th (k=1,...,K) string from those K specific strings in its record name. For example, suppose the specific strings in the filtering conditions of the third sorting rule are "string C" and "string D". In this case, the registration unit 143 may register in the address book 131 a record containing string C in its record name (or information item for setting the subject) and a record containing string D in its record name (or information item for setting the subject). This ensures that even when complex filtering conditions using OR joins are used in the sorting function, the sorting function can be activated on the email recipient's end for all possible sorting patterns.

[0065] The fourth sorting rule described in the rule file is a rule that performs a fourth action on emails that meet specific conditions, but the operation of the email sending unit 141 is such that it does not meet the specific conditions of this fourth sorting rule. For example, the filtering condition of the fourth sorting rule is that the sender address is a specific email address, but the sender address of the image processing device 100 held by the setting unit 128 is not this specific email address. In this case, the registration unit 143 does not need to register a record based on the fourth sorting rule in the address book 131. With this configuration, it is possible to avoid registering unhelpful destination records that do not meet the filtering conditions (e.g., conditions related to the sender) in the address book 131, thereby suppressing the waste of memory resources. Alternatively, the registration unit 143 may register a destination record based on the sorting rule in the address book 131 only when the operation of the email sending unit 141 meets the sender address condition of the sorting rule.

[0066] <1-5. Example of settings screen> Next, some examples of setting screens provided by the setting unit 128 of the image processing device 100 will be explained using Figures 7 to 9.

[0067] Figure 7 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of the configuration of the email sending settings screen 70 related to sending emails in a sending job. Referring to Figure 7, the email sending settings screen 70 includes a numerical input field 71, a string input field 72, radio buttons 73a, 73b, radio buttons 74a, 74b, a cancel button 75, and an OK button 76.

[0068] Numeric input field 71 is for accepting input of the upper limit of the data size allowed to be sent via email in a sending job. Text input field 72 is for accepting input of a default subject string to be used when the subject of the email is not specified by the user. Radio buttons 73a and 73b are objects for accepting settings on whether or not to verify the validity of the SMTP server's server certificate when sending an email.

[0069] Radio buttons 74a and 74b are objects that accept a setting for whether or not to use the record name of the recipient selected from the address book 131 as the subject of the email. When radio button 74a is selected by the user and the use of the record name as the subject is enabled, the email sending unit 141 sets the string obtained from the record name of the specified recipient as the subject when executing the sending job and sends the email. When radio button 74b is selected by the user and the use of the record name as the subject is disabled, the email sending unit 141 sets the default string or a string individually specified by the user as the subject when executing the sending job and sends the email. In embodiments where the address book 131 has an information item for setting the subject, radio buttons 74a and 74b may be omitted. In this case, when the email sending unit 141 executes the sending job, it sets the string obtained from the information item for setting the subject of the specified recipient as the subject and sends the email.

[0070] The Cancel button 75 is used to close the email sending settings screen 70 without updating the settings related to sending emails. The OK button 76 is used to update the settings related to sending emails with the information entered on the email sending settings screen 70.

[0071] Figure 8 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of the configuration of the address book management screen 80. Referring to Figure 8, the address book management screen 80 includes a list display area 81, a register button 82, an edit button 83, a delete button 84, an export button 85, a first import button 86, a close button 87, and a second import button 88.

[0072] The list display area 81 is an area that displays a list of email recipient candidates registered in the address book 131. Here, each recipient record in the address book 131 consists of two information items: the record name and the recipient email address. In the example in Figure 8, two recipient records, identified by the record names "Invoice" and "Quotation_Materials," are already registered in the address book 131, and the recipient email addresses of these two recipient records are the same. Therefore, even when a user sends data to the same recipient email address in a sending job, different sorting rules can be activated on the data receiving side by selecting a recipient from the address book 131. The register button 82 is a button that calls up a registration screen (not shown) for registering a new recipient record in the address book 131. The edit button 83 is a button that calls up an edit screen (not shown) for editing an existing recipient record in the address book 131. The delete button 84 is a button that deletes an existing recipient record in the address book 131.

[0073] The export button 85 is for outputting one or more destination records from the address book 131 to a data file. When the user operates the export button 85, the setting unit 128 writes one or more destination records from the address book 131 to a data file in a format that can be interpreted by other devices. In this specification, a data file containing one or more destination records is referred to as an address book file. The format of the address book file may be any known format, such as CSV or XML. The first import button 86 is for reading an address book file located at a specified path and registering the destination records described in the address book file to the address book 131 in bulk. The close button 87 is for closing the address book management screen 80.

[0074] The second import button 88 is used to register destination records in bulk from a rule file, rather than an address book file, to the address book 131. When the user operates the second import button 88, the setting unit 128 displays the import screen 90, which will be described next (for example, on the display of the setting terminal 30).

[0075] Figure 9 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of the configuration of the import screen 90 for importing destination records into the address book 131 based on a rule file. Referring to Figure 9, the import screen 90 includes an email address input field 91, a file path input field 92, radio buttons 93a, 93b, 93c, a cancel button 94, and an import button 95.

[0076] The email address input field 91 is for accepting input of the recipient email address that should be associated with the recipient record based on each sorting rule. The recipient email address entered here is typically the email address associated with the email application from which the rule file was exported (the email address that the application uses to receive emails). The file path input field 92 is for accepting input of the file path in which the rule file resides. The user can also select the file path through a file dialog instead of directly entering the file path. Radio buttons 93a, 93b, and 93c are objects for selecting the type of rule file from several type options. In the example in Figure 9, there are three different type options depending on the mailer from which the rule file was exported. The cancel button 94 is for closing the import screen 90 without importing the recipient records. The import button 95 is for starting the import of recipient records into the address book 131 based on the rule file.

[0077] For example, suppose a user of the configuration terminal 30 operates the import button 95 on the import screen 90 displayed in the web browser 31. The web browser 31 then sends the rule file located at the file path on the file system 32 entered in the file path input field 92 to the web server 105. The web browser 31 also sends the destination email address entered in the email address input field 91, and the type of rule file selected via radio buttons 93a, 93b, and 93c to the web server 105. The file receiving unit 142 of the image processing device 100 receives these rule files, destination email addresses, and the type of rule file. The registration unit 143 then executes the import process described below to register one or more destination records in the address book 131 based on one or more sorting rules described in the rule file.

[0078] Furthermore, instead of directly entering the recipient's email address into the email address input field 91 (for example, using a keyboard), it may be possible to specify an email address from those registered in the address book 131. Alternatively, if the email application from which the rule file is exported outputs email addresses related to that application within the rule file, the registration unit 143 may extract the email addresses from the rule file. In this case, the import screen 90 does not need to include the email address input field 91. The registration unit 143 can register a recipient record containing the email address extracted from the rule file and a specific string based on the sorting rule in the address book 131. Such assistance or omission of user input reduces the user's workload and the possibility of errors in entering email addresses.

[0079] Furthermore, instead of the user selecting the type of rule file, the registration unit 143 may automatically determine it based on the contents of the rule file (for example, from the file extension, file header, or the syntax of the data within the file). Also, if the image processing device 100 holds multiple address books, an object for specifying the address book to be imported may be added to the import screen 90.

[0080] <1-6. Import Process> Figure 10 is a flowchart showing an example of the import process that can be performed by the image processing device 100 in this embodiment. The import process in Figure 10 is started, for example, when the import button 95 is operated on the import screen 90 in Figure 9. In the following description, a processing step will be abbreviated as 'S'.

[0081] First, in S10, the file receiving unit 142 receives an email address associated with the email application from which the rule file was exported. Then, in S11, the file receiving unit 142 receives a rule file obtained from a file path specified by the user.

[0082] Next, in S12, the file receiving unit 142 determines whether the format of the received rule file is valid, that is, whether it conforms to a predetermined file format, according to the type of rule file specified. For example, if the extension of the received file is incorrect, or if the received file contains content that deviates from a predetermined syntax, the file receiving unit 142 may determine that the format of the rule file is not valid. If the format of the rule file is not valid, in S13, the file receiving unit 142 displays an error message on the screen indicating a file format error. On the other hand, if the format of the rule file is valid, the import process proceeds to S14.

[0083] In S14, the registration unit 143 extracts one or more sorting rule entries from the rule file. Subsequent processing steps are performed iteratively for each entry until it is determined in S15 that there are no unprocessed entries.

[0084] In S16, the registration unit 143 interprets an entry for one sorting rule and determines the filtering conditions and actions. Then, in S17, the registration unit 143 determines whether to register the destination record corresponding to the interpreted entry in the address book 131. For example, as in the case of the fourth sorting rule described above, the registration unit 143 may determine not to register the corresponding destination record in the address book 131 if the operation of the email sending unit 141 does not satisfy the filtering conditions of the sorting rule. If it is determined that the destination record should be registered, in S18, the registration unit 143 registers the destination record corresponding to the interpreted entry in the address book 131.

[0085] For example, the registration unit 143 registers recipient records containing a specific string in the address book 131, associated with the recipient email address received in S10, based on a rule that sorts emails with a subject containing a specific string into a specific folder. In one embodiment, the specific string is included in the record name. In another embodiment, the specific string is included in the information item for setting the subject. The registration unit 143 may skip registering recipient records if the length of the string overflows the length of the information item in the address book, if the number of recipient records exceeds the number that can be registered in the address book, or if the string contains invalid characters.

[0086] In the example rule file 60 in Figure 6, rule entry 61 represents a sorting rule that sorts emails containing the string "invoice" in the subject line into a specific folder. Based on this sorting rule, the registration unit 143 registers a recipient record in the address book 131, associating it with the recipient email address, to set "invoice" as the specific string for the filtering condition in the subject line of the email.

[0087] On the other hand, rule entry 62 represents a sorting rule that sorts emails received from sender email addresses belonging to the domain "xbank.com" into a specific folder. However, "xbank.com" is not the domain of the sender email address that the image processing device 100 uses when sending emails. Therefore, the registration unit 143 ignores rule entry 62 and does not register the corresponding destination record in the address book 131.

[0088] The import process then returns to S15. If it is determined in S15 that there are no unprocessed entries in the sorting rules, the import process in Figure 10 is terminated. After the import process is completed, the setting unit 128 may transition the display to the address book management screen 80, as explained using Figure 8, and display a list of the imported destination records in the list display area 81.

[0089] As described above, the settings unit 128 provides the user with a UI that allows them to edit destination records registered in the address book 131 as a result of the import process. For example, if the user selects a specific destination record displayed in the list display area 81 and operates the edit button 83, the settings unit 128 displays an editing screen on the display that allows the user to edit the record name and other information items of the selected destination record. Alternatively, if the user selects a specific destination record displayed in the list display area 81 and operates the delete button 84, the settings unit 128 deletes the selected destination record from the address book 131. By providing such a UI, it is possible to achieve both the convenience of batch registration based on rule files and the optimization of address information by editing individual destination records.

[0090] Furthermore, it may be possible for the user to pre-define what sorting rules to use to register which destination records in the address book 131 (i.e., the behavior of the import process). Such behavior definitions may be accepted on a UI screen provided by the settings unit 128, or by reading a settings file containing the definitions.

[0091] <1-7. Summary of the First Embodiment> According to the first embodiment described in this section, the image processing device 100 receives a rule file that describes the rules for the email sorting function of another device's email application. The image processing device 100 then registers a record in its address book that includes an email address associated with the email application and a specific string based on the sorting rules described in the received rule file. When an email is sent, if a recipient corresponding to the record is selected, the image processing device 100 sends the data in an email with the specific string set. With this configuration, a set of one or more recipient records that will properly activate the sorting function on the email recipient side can be registered collectively in the address book of the image processing device 100 using a rule file. This reduces the effort required for registration and the possibility of input errors, improving user convenience regarding data transmission and reception. When there are many recipient records to be registered, it is possible to register those recipient records accurately in the address book in a shorter time than before.

[0092] <2. Second Embodiment> In the second embodiment described in this section, instead of the image processing device 100 converting each entry in the rule file into a destination record and registering it in the address book 131, a conversion application is provided that converts each entry in the rule file into a destination record. The conversion application may be used in a device different from the image processing device 100. The image processing device 100 reads the address book file output by the conversion application and registers each destination record described in the address book file in the address book 131.

[0093] <2-1. System Overview> Figure 11 is a schematic diagram showing an example of the configuration of a data communication system 2 according to the second embodiment. Referring to Figure 11, the data communication system 2 includes a mail server 10, a client terminal 20, an image processing device 100, and a configuration terminal 230. The mail server 10, the client terminal 20, the image processing device 100, and the configuration terminal 230 can communicate with each other via the network 5.

[0094] The configuration terminal 230 may be any type of terminal device, such as a PC, tablet, or smartphone. The configuration terminal 230 may be the same device as the client terminal 20 or a different device. In this embodiment, the configuration terminal 230 includes a conversion application 33 in addition to a web browser 31 and a file system 32. The web browser 31 and the conversion application 33 are implemented, for example, by a processor such as a CPU executing a computer program stored in memory. The conversion application 33 may be pre-installed on the configuration terminal 230, or it may be dynamically downloaded from an external web service or application server when the conversion process is executed. Although not shown in Figure 11, the configuration terminal 230 may further include devices for the UI, such as an input device, a display, and a speaker.

[0095] In this embodiment, the user of the setting terminal 230 is enabled to access the setting screen (for example, the address book management screen 80 described using Figure 8) provided by the Web server 105 of the image processing device 100 using a Web browser 31. The file system 32 stores the address book file AF output by the conversion application 33, which will be described later, in addition to the rule file RF described in the first embodiment.

[0096] Although Figure 11 shows an example where the data communication system 2 includes one client terminal 20, the data communication system 2 may include more client terminals 20 as potential recipients for emails sent from the image processing device 100. Similarly, the data communication system 2 may include more mail servers 10, image processing devices 100, and configuration terminals 230. Each device may include additional components not explicitly shown in Figure 11. Furthermore, the connection relationships between the mail server 10, client terminals 20, image processing device 100, and configuration terminal 230 are not limited to the illustrated example. For example, the configuration terminal 230 may be connected to the image processing device 100 via a communication line separate from the network 5.

[0097] <2-2. Converting rule files to address book files> In this embodiment as well, when the image processing device 100 executes a transmission job, the communication control unit 122 of the image processing device 100 functions as an email transmission unit 141. The functions of the email transmission unit 141 may be the same as those described in the first embodiment. The storage unit 127 stores an address book 131, which is a collection of destination records indicating each of the candidate destinations in the transmission job.

[0098] In this embodiment, destination records based on an address book file are imported into the address book 131. The setting unit 128 of the image processing device 100 functions as a file receiving unit 142 and a registration unit 143. The file receiving unit 142 receives an address book file containing one or more destination records, obtained from a file path specified through a file dialog when the first import button 86 is operated on the address book management screen 80 shown in Figure 8. As described above, the format of the address book file may be any known format, such as CSV format or XML format. Each destination record includes at least a record name and a destination email address. Each destination record may further include an information item for setting the subject. The registration unit 143 registers the record corresponding to each destination record described in the address book file received by the file receiving unit 142 into the address book 131.

[0099] In the data communication system 2, the email SW21 of the client terminal 20 has a sorting function that automatically sorts received emails or their attachments into predetermined folders according to pre-registered sorting rules. The sorting rules are pre-registered by the user via the registration screen 40, as explained with reference to Figure 4. The user can also view or manage a list of sorting rules registered in the email SW21 on the list screen 50, as explained with reference to Figure 5. When the user operates the export button 55, the email SW21 outputs the rule file described above. The format of the rule file may be the same as that described in the first embodiment.

[0100] The conversion application 33 on the configuration terminal 230 is an application that converts the rule file exported from the email SW21 into an address book file format that can be imported into the address book 131 of the image processing device 100.

[0101] The conversion application 33 receives the rule file RF exported by the email SW21 of the client terminal 20 and downloaded to the configuration terminal 230. The conversion application 33 then converts each entry of the sorting rule described in the rule file RF into a destination record containing an email address and a specific string based on that sorting rule, and outputs each destination record to the address book file AF. Once the address book file AF is generated by the conversion application 33, the user can access the address book management screen 80 of the image processing device 100 and import the destination records into the address book 131 using the address book file AF.

[0102] For example, the first sorting rule described in the rule file is a rule that performs a first action for emails whose subject line contains a specific string. Based on this first sorting rule, the conversion application 33 includes the specific string in the recipient record information field used for the email subject line.

[0103] In one embodiment, the information item of the recipient record used for the email subject may be the record name. As described above, the email sending unit 141 can set the string of the record name of the recipient record selected from the address book 131 as the subject of the email to be sent (for example, according to user settings). In another embodiment, the information item of the recipient record used for the email subject may be a separate information item for setting the subject from the record name.

[0104] This embodiment may also apply when fields other than the email subject are used as filtering conditions. For example, based on a sorting rule that has a filtering condition that the sender's display name contains a specific string, the conversion application 33 may include that specific string in the information field of the recipient record used for the sender's display name.

[0105] The email address included in each recipient record is the email address used by the email application that performs email sorting to receive emails (i.e., the recipient email address). This recipient email address may be specified by the user on the screen of the conversion application 33, or it may be extracted from a rule file.

[0106] A second sorting rule described in the rule file may be a rule that performs a second action on emails whose subject line contains two or more specific strings. The conversion application 33 converts the rule entry representing the second sorting rule to a destination record that includes those two or more specific strings in the record name (or subject setting information field). For example, if the specific strings in the filtering condition of the second sorting rule are "string A" and "string B", the string "string A_string B" may be included in the record name (or subject setting information field) of the destination record.

[0107] A third sorting rule described in the rule file may be a rule that performs a third action on emails whose subject contains any of K (K>1) specific strings. The conversion application 33 converts the rule entries representing the third sorting rule into K records, each containing the k-th (k=1,...,K) string from those K specific strings in its record name. For example, suppose the specific strings in the filtering conditions of the third sorting rule are "string C" and "string D". In this case, the conversion application 33 may output destination records containing string C and destination records containing string D to the address book file.

[0108] If the operation of the email sending unit 141 does not satisfy the filtering conditions of the fourth sorting rule described in the rule file, the conversion application 33 does not need to output the destination record based on the fourth sorting rule to the address book file.

[0109] <2-3. Example of an application screen> Figure 12 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of the configuration of the application screen 150 of a conversion application 33 that converts a rule file to an address book file. Referring to Figure 12, the application screen 150 includes an email address input field 151, a file path input field 152, radio buttons 153a, 153b, 153c, a cancel button 154, and a convert button 155.

[0110] The email address input field 151 is for entering (or selecting from pre-registered candidates) the recipient email address that should be included in the recipient record based on each sorting rule. The file path input field 152 is for entering the file path where the rule file resides. Users can also select a file path through a file dialog instead of directly entering the file path. Radio buttons 153a, 153b, and 153c are objects for selecting the type of rule file from several type candidates. In the example in Figure 12, there are three different type candidates depending on the mailer from which the rule file was exported. The cancel button 154 is for closing the application screen 150 without starting the file conversion. The convert button 155 is for starting the conversion of the rule file to an address book file.

[0111] For example, suppose a user of the configuration terminal 230 operates the convert button 155 on the application screen 150. Then, the conversion application 33 reads the rule file located in the file path on the file system 32 entered in the file path input field 152. The conversion application 33 also obtains the destination email address entered in the email address input field 151 and the type of rule file selected via radio buttons 153a, 153b, and 153c. Then, by executing the conversion process described later, the conversion application 33 generates an address book file containing destination records corresponding to one or more sorting rules described in the rule file. Note that the type of rule file may be automatically determined by the conversion application 33 based on the contents of the rule file, rather than being selected by the user.

[0112] Figure 13 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of the contents of an address book file. In the example in Figure 13, the address book file 240 is written in CSV format. The first record in the address book file 240 is a fixed record that shows the names of the individual fields, and the second record onwards are the actual destination records. The first field 241 of each destination record is the record number, the second field 242 is the record name, and the third field 243 is the destination email address. In the example in Figure 13, the address book file 240 contains two destination records, each with the record names "Invoice" and "Quotation_Materials".

[0113] <2-4. Conversion Process> Figure 14 is a flowchart showing an example of the flow of a conversion process that can be executed by the conversion application 33 in this embodiment. The conversion process in Figure 14 is started, for example, when the conversion button 155 is operated on the application screen 150 in Figure 12.

[0114] First, in S20, the conversion application 33 accepts an email address associated with the email application from which the rule file was exported. Also, in S21, the conversion application 33 accepts a rule file to be retrieved from a file path specified by the user.

[0115] Next, in S22, the conversion application 33 determines whether the format of the received rule file is valid, that is, whether it conforms to a predetermined file format, according to the specified type of rule file. If the format of the rule file is not valid, in S23, the conversion application 33 displays an error message indicating a file format error on the screen. On the other hand, if the format of the rule file is valid, the conversion process proceeds to S24.

[0116] In S24, the conversion application 33 extracts one or more sorting rule entries from the rule file. Subsequent processing steps are performed iteratively for each entry until it is determined in S25 that there are no unprocessed entries.

[0117] In S26, the conversion application 33 interprets an entry in one sorting rule and determines the filtering conditions and actions. Then, in S27, the conversion application 33 determines whether the destination record corresponding to the interpreted entry should be output to the address book file. For example, the conversion application 33 may determine not to output the corresponding destination record to the address book file if the operation of the email sending function that uses the address book does not satisfy the filtering conditions of the sorting rule. If it is determined that the destination record should be output, in S28, the conversion application 33 converts the interpreted entry into the corresponding destination record and outputs the destination record to the address book file.

[0118] For example, the conversion application 33 outputs a destination record containing the specific string and the recipient email address received in S20 to the address book file, based on a rule that sorts emails with a subject containing a specific string into a specific folder. In one embodiment, the specific string is included in the record name. In another embodiment, the specific string is included in the information item for setting the subject. The conversion application 33 may skip outputting destination records if the length of the string overflows the length of the information item in the address book, if the number of destination records exceeds a predetermined upper limit, or if the string contains invalid characters.

[0119] The conversion process then returns to S25. If it is determined in S25 that there are no unprocessed entries in the sorting rules, the conversion process shown in Figure 14 terminates. After the conversion process is complete, the user accesses the Web server 105 of the image processing device 100 via the Web browser 31 and imports destination records into the address book 131 using the address book file.

[0120] The conversion of each rule entry to a destination record in the conversion process of this embodiment may be performed in the same manner as the import process in the first embodiment, except that instead of being immediately registered in the address book 131 after conversion, it is output to an address book file. Various embodiments and modifications of the import process described in the first embodiment may be combined with the conversion process of this embodiment unless otherwise specified, and the effects of those embodiments and modifications also apply to this embodiment.

[0121] In this embodiment as well, it may be possible for the user to pre-define which sorting rules are converted to which destination records (i.e., the behavior of the conversion process). Such behavior definitions may be accepted on the UI screen, or by reading a configuration file containing the definitions.

[0122] <2-5. Summary of the Second Embodiment> According to the second embodiment described in this section, the conversion application 33 receives a rule file that describes the rules for the email sorting function of the email application. The conversion application 33 then outputs a destination record to an address book file that includes an email address associated with the email application and a specific string based on the sorting rules described in the received rule file. The image processing device 100 registers one or more destination records described in the address book file generated by the conversion application 33 into the address book 131. When an email is sent, if a destination from the address book 131 registered in this way is selected, the image processing device 100 sends the data in an email with the specific string set. With this configuration, it is possible to register a set of one or more destination records that will properly activate the sorting function on the email recipient side into the address book using the existing import function without implementing any additional data conversion processing in the image processing device 100. This reduces the effort required for registration and the possibility of input errors, improving user convenience regarding data transmission and reception. When there are many destination records to be registered, it is possible to register those destination records into the address book accurately and in a shorter time than before.

[0123] <3. Other Embodiments> The above embodiment can also be implemented in the form of a process in which a program that implements one or more functions is supplied to a system or device via a network or storage medium, and one or more processors in the computer of that system or device read and execute the program. It can also be implemented by a circuit (e.g., an ASIC) that implements one or more functions.

[0124] The disclosures herein include at least the following information processing devices and data transmission methods. (Item 1) A means of receiving a rule file that describes one or more sorting rules used in the sorting function of an email application, A registration means for registering a record in an address book that includes an email address and a specific string based on the sorting rule described in the rule file, A data acquisition method for obtaining data to be sent via email, A transmission means for sending the aforementioned data via email, It has, The transmission means is an information processing device characterized in that, when a destination corresponding to the record is selected from the address book, it sends the data to the destination in an email containing the specific string. (Item 2) The information processing device according to item 1, characterized in that the one or more sorting rules include a first sorting rule that performs a first action on emails having a subject line containing the specific string. (Item 3) The information processing device according to item 1 or 2, characterized in that the registration means registers the record containing the specific string in the record name to the address book. (Item 4) The information processing device according to item 3, characterized in that when a destination corresponding to the record is selected from the address book, the transmission means obtains the specific string from the record name of the record and sets the obtained specific string in the email. (Item 5) The information processing device according to item 4, characterized in that the transmission means sets the specific string obtained from the record name of the record as the subject of the email. (Item 6) The information processing device according to item 5, wherein the transmission means sets the specific string obtained from the record name of the record as the subject of the email when the user has selected to use the record name of the recipient selected from the address book as the subject of the email. (Item 7) The information processing device according to item 1 or 2, characterized in that the registration means registers the record in the address book in which the specific string is included in the information item for setting the subject. (Item 8) The aforementioned one or more sorting rules include a second sorting rule which performs a second action on emails whose subject line contains two or more specific strings, The registration means registers records in the address book that include the two or more specific strings in the record name, based on the second sorting rule. The information processing device described in item 1, characterized by the features described herein. (Item 9) The one or more sorting rules mentioned above include a third sorting rule that performs a third action on emails whose subject contains any of K (K>1) specific strings, The registration means registers K records in the address book, based on the third sorting rule, in which the k-th (k=1,...,K) string from the K specific strings is included in the record name. An information processing device according to any one of items 1 to 9, characterized by the above. (Item 10) The aforementioned one or more sorting rules include a fourth sorting rule which performs a fourth action on emails that meet specific conditions, The registration means shall not register a record based on the fourth sorting rule in the address book if the transmission means does not satisfy the specific conditions of the fourth sorting rule. The information processing device described in item 1, characterized by the features described herein. (Item 11) The information processing apparatus according to item 10, characterized in that the aforementioned specific conditions are conditions relating to the sender of an email received by the email application. (Item 12) The receiving means receives the designation of the email address associated with the email application, The registration means registers the record, which includes the specified email address and the specific string based on the sorting rule, in the address book. An information processing device according to any one of items 1 to 11, characterized by the features described herein. (Item 13) The information processing device according to item 12, characterized in that the email address associated with the email application can be specified from email addresses registered in the address book. (Item 14) The information processing device according to any one of items 1 to 11, characterized in that the registration means extracts email addresses related to the email application from the rule file, and registers the record containing the extracted email addresses and the specific string based on the sorting rule in the address book. (Item 15) The information processing device according to any one of items 1 to 14, characterized in that it provides a user interface that enables the user to edit the record registered in the address book by the registration means. (Item 16) The aforementioned information processing device is an image processing device equipped with scanning means for scanning documents and generating electronic data, The data acquisition means acquires the electronic data generated by the scanning means as data to be sent via email. An information processing device according to any one of items 1 to 15, characterized by the features described herein. (Item 17) The information processing device accepts a rule file containing one or more sorting rules used in the sorting function of an email application, The information processing device registers a record in the address book that includes an email address and a specific string based on the sorting rule described in the rule file. The aforementioned information processing device acquires data to be sent via email, When a recipient corresponding to the record is selected from the address book, the information processing device sends the data to the recipient via email containing the specific string. A data transmission method characterized by including the following.

[0125] The invention is not limited to the embodiments described above, and various modifications and variations are possible without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Accordingly, claims are attached to disclose the scope of the invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0126] 1,2: Data communication system, 10: Mail server, 11: Email service (email application), 12: Mailbox, 20: Client terminal, 21: Email software (email application), 22: Storage, 23: Folder, 30,230: Configuration terminal, 31: Web browser, 32: File system, 33: Conversion application, 100: Image processing device (information processing device), 103: Printer, 104: Scanner (scanning means), 110: Controller, 130: Electronic data, 131: Address book, 141: Mail sending unit (data acquisition means, transmission means), 142: File receiving unit (receiving means), 143: Registration unit (registration means), 60,RF: Rule file, 240,AF: Address book file

Claims

1. A means of receiving a rule file that describes one or more sorting rules used in the sorting function of an email application, A registration means for registering a record in an address book that includes an email address and a specific string based on the sorting rule described in the rule file, A data acquisition method for obtaining data to be sent via email, A transmission means for sending the aforementioned data via email, It has, The transmission means is an information processing device characterized in that, when a destination corresponding to the record is selected from the address book, it sends the data to the destination in an email containing the specific string.

2. The information processing device according to claim 1, characterized in that the one or more sorting rules include a first sorting rule that performs a first action on emails having a subject line containing the specific string.

3. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that the registration means registers the record containing the specific string in the record name to the address book.

4. The information processing apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the transmission means, when a destination corresponding to the record is selected from the address book, obtains the specific string from the record name of the record and sets the obtained specific string in the email.

5. The information processing apparatus according to claim 4, characterized in that the transmission means sets the specific string obtained from the record name of the record as the subject of the email.

6. The information processing apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the transmission means sets the specific string obtained from the record name of the record as the subject of the email when the user has selected to use the record name of the recipient selected from the address book as the subject of the email.

7. The information processing device according to claim 1, characterized in that the registration means registers the record in the address book in which the specific string is included in the information item for setting the subject.

8. The aforementioned one or more sorting rules include a second sorting rule which performs a second action on emails whose subject line contains two or more specific strings, The registration means registers records in the address book that include the two or more specific strings in the record name, based on the second sorting rule. The information processing apparatus according to feature 1.

9. The one or more sorting rules mentioned above include a third sorting rule which performs a third action on emails whose subject contains any of K (K > 1) specific strings, The registration means registers K records in the address book, based on the third sorting rule, in which the k-th string (k=1, ..., K) out of the K specific strings is included in the record name. The information processing apparatus according to feature 1.

10. The aforementioned one or more sorting rules include a fourth sorting rule which performs a fourth action on emails that meet specific conditions, The registration means shall not register a record based on the fourth sorting rule in the address book if the transmission means does not satisfy the specific conditions of the fourth sorting rule. The information processing apparatus according to feature 1.

11. The information processing apparatus according to claim 10, characterized in that the aforementioned specific conditions are conditions relating to the sender of an email received by the email application.

12. The receiving means receives the designation of the email address associated with the email application, The registration means registers the record, which includes the specified email address and the specific string based on the sorting rule, in the address book. The information processing apparatus according to feature 1.

13. The information processing device according to claim 12, characterized in that the email address associated with the email application can be specified from email addresses registered in the address book.

14. The information processing device according to claim 1, characterized in that the registration means extracts email addresses related to the email application from the rule file, and registers the record containing the extracted email addresses and the specific string based on the sorting rule in the address book.

15. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that it provides a user interface that enables the user to edit the record registered in the address book by the registration means.

16. The aforementioned information processing device is an image processing device equipped with scanning means for scanning documents and generating electronic data, The data acquisition means acquires the electronic data generated by the scanning means as data to be sent via email. The information processing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 15.

17. The information processing device accepts a rule file containing one or more sorting rules used in the sorting function of an email application, The information processing device registers a record in the address book that includes an email address and a specific string based on the sorting rule described in the rule file. The aforementioned information processing device acquires data to be sent via email, When a recipient corresponding to the record is selected from the address book, the information processing device sends the data to the recipient via email containing the specific string. A data transmission method characterized by including the following.

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