Patent ID: 6512593
Filing Date: 2003-01-28
Classification: H04N

Abstract:
A communication apparatus connected to a plurality of relay apparatuses via a computer network, the relay apparatuses connected to a telephone network, the communication apparatus comprising:a memory configured to store a plurality of telephone number data including country identifiers and district identifiers, and e-mail addresses of the relay apparatuses, each e-mail address being stored in connection with one of the telephone number data; an input section configured to input a telephone number of a destination connected to one of the relay apparatuses via the telephone network; a relay apparatus selector configured to refer to a plurality of telephone number data in said memory to obtain an e-mail address of one of the relay apparatuses, based on the telephone number of the destination; an e-mail transmitter configured to transmit e-mail data to the relay apparatus obtained by said relay apparatus selector, the relay apparatus converting the e-mail data into facsimile data to transmit to the destination via the telephone network; wherein if, as a result of comparing a country identifier and a district identifier of the telephone number of the destination with the corresponding identifiers in said memory, said relay apparatus selector determines that said memory registers data with a matched country identifier but with a mismatched district identifier, said relay apparatus selector selects a relay apparatus candidate from among the telephone number data with the identical country identifier and a different district identifier indicating a district geographically close to the district indicated by said district identifier.