Patent ID: 6912062

Claim:
An electronic mail-facsimile communication system for faxing electronic mail over a network, comprising: an electronic mail sending and receiving unit connected to said network; and a gateway unit connected to said network for transmitting a facsimile transmission image to a facsimile machine over a line, wherein said gateway unit comprises a unit for determining a destination of the electronic mail sent from said electronic mail sending and receiving unit, generates electronic mail containing said facsimile transmission image according to said destination, and returns the electronic mail to said electronic mail sending and receiving unit which sent the electronic mail or transmits said facsimile transmission image to a facsimile machine connected to said gateway unit over said line; and wherein said system comprises a mail server connected to said network and said gateway unit returns the electronic mail containing said facsimile transmission image to said electronic mail sending and receiving unit through said mail server.