Patent ID: 7685240

Claim:
An e-mail communication apparatus comprising: a central processing unit (CPU) and memory device; a receiving unit adapted to receive plurality of multiple split e-mails which are generated by dividing an e-mail to which an image file is attached in specific units; a combining unit adapted to generate combined data based on said multiple split e-mails received by said receiving unit in the case where one of the received split e-mails includes a leading piece of the e-mail, wherein said combining unit does not generate the combined data in the case where none of the received split emails includes the leading piece of the e-mail; and a transmitting unit adapted to, in the case where each of said received split e-mails includes disposition-notification information, transmit to a destination a disposition-notification e-mail for said received split e-mails, wherein said transmitting unit transmits a first disposition-notification e-mail which indicates all of said multiple split e-mails generated from the e-mail are received by said receiving unit to the destination in a case where all of said multiple split e- mails generated from the e-mail are received by said receiving unit, and transmits a second disposition-notification e-mail which indicates at least one of all of said multiple split e-mails generated from the e-mail is/are not received by said receiving unit to said destination in a case where at least one of all of said split e-mails generated from the e-mail is/are not received by said receiving unit.