FI103550B - Facsimile distribution system for faxes - Google Patents

Description

103550

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to a facsimile dispensing system comprising a facsimile server comprising means for transmitting a facsimile message simultaneously to multiple recipients.

More particularly, the present invention relates to a facsimile distribution system for faxes having a facsimile server connected to a public telephone network capable of simultaneously transmitting a received facsimile to a plurality of recipients. Facsimile systems are known in which the transmitted facsimile remains in a facsimile mailbox located on the telecommunication network, from where the recipient can decrypt the facsimile to any desired interface equipped with facsimile equipment, such as a facsimile or computer. However, one of the drawbacks of these known solutions is that, although the recipient is able to unblock the incoming fax at a convenient time 20 for the subscription he or she desires, these known solutions only support the processing of standard facsimile transmissions. Thus, for example, the recipient cannot directly read the fax. 25 text messages sent to him at his disposal: *:: on a word processor on a computer, but such a ···· operation requires the printing of a fax as well. Using a scanner to read a fax:. from paper to text again.

It is an object of the present invention to solve the above problem and to provide a fax mass distribution system which significantly facilitates the processing of the fax to the recipient. This object is achieved by a system for distributing facsimile machines in accordance with the invention, characterized in that the facsimile server comprises: receiver means for receiving a textual facsimile message over a communication network, means for identifying at least one recipient receiver apparatus, editing means responsive to the detector means 5 for converting the fax message into a format dependent on the type of receiver equipment of said recipient, so that a fax message is transmitted in text format to a receiver device capable of receiving text telecommunication messages.

The invention is based on the idea that providing a fax server with identification means capable of determining the type of receiver equipment of the fax message and modifying means for converting the fax message to a format recognized by the receiver 15 facilitates the processing of the fax message to the recipient. in the most suitable format, whereby initially the teletext 20 text message may be sent in plain text to all recipients whose receiver equipment is capable of handling the text fax. Only for recipients of a fax message whose type of fax machine cannot be identified by the fax server: 25 or whose equipment is selective to::: such that they cannot receive tele- ··· · copy messages in any format other than the standard format. as a second facsimile, the facsimile will be sent as standard:. in the form of a fax. According to the invention, the type of fax machine used by the transmitting device is of no importance. Thus, a fax message may be sent, for example, using the fax software on the computer, ···, which allows the fax to be sent directly: from the terminal, or by using an email system.

In one preferred embodiment of the system of the invention 3,103550, the fax server comprises means for retransmitting a telecopy message to a designated recipient to whom it first sent a telecopy message in standard format, and from a telecopier to a predetermined telecopier to transmit a telecopy in the format indicated by the information contained in the repetition message.

Preferred embodiments of the system of the invention are disclosed in the dependent claims 2 to 7.

The invention will now be described in more detail by way of example with reference to some of the preferred embodiments of the system according to the invention, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a general description of a Figure 6 shows another preferred embodiment of the system V of the invention.

· *:; Figure 1 shows an overview of the teleshopping service. The fax server of Figure 1 maintains a tele-copy mailbox and a delivery service complementing it ♦ · ♦. "I value service. if desired, for example: to the recipient's mobile phone Fax message · / ·: can be sent using basic fax service · ·: 35, for example in fax form to a fax machine or computer workstation, or using a delivery service to another communication system such as email.

Figure 2 illustrates a basic solution for directing a fax message to a recipient using basic fax server services and distribution value-added service. The sender transmits a fax message over a data connection, such as a public telephone network, to the recipient's fax server, which forwards the telecopy 10 message by data link to the fax distributor, which may forward the fax message through a data link to another communication system such as.

15 In the system of Figure 3, the sender sends a telegram of an instant message from, for example, a fax machine, a computer workstation, or an email system. In Figure 3, the tele-copy server 10 is a service known per se, for example, a FAX ANSWER service provided by TELE that receives a fax. The fax message is currently in CCITT format. The fax may be sent using basic fax server services, for example, to a fax machine or computer workstation, or via fax dispatcher 12 to another communication system, preferably to an email system. Distribution service upstream; * ·; shows the facsimile server a function that automatically forwards the facsimile. Forwarding. . ·. The fax destination can be, for example, a network address or • · · telephone number. The data connection 11 is a connection between a fax server and a fax distributor and a: • recipient, such as a fixed line, a telephone network, or a data transmission network. The method of connection implementation affects the communication protocol used and the format of the recipient's address 35 (subscriber number / network address) as well as the fax routing 5103550. The facsimile distributor, if desired, transmits the facsimile further to another communication system, preferably an e-mail system, using a data link. The e-mail system can be, for example, 5 telecommunication e-mails such as TELEN TELEBOX e-mail, dedicated network e-mail such as LOTUS NOTES or computer software such as MICROSOFT MAIL. The recipient of the facsimile has a telecommunications connection to the e-mail, for example, through a local area network, a telephone network or a data communication network.

Figure 4 shows the functions of the fax server.

The fax server receives and stores the fax message. Before recording, the distributor identifies the recipient of the fax by the number of the fax box that received and forwarded the fax. The recipient can be a person or a group. Identifying the recipient also defines the email system used by the recipient. The Facsimile Distributor converts the facsimile message into a machine-understandable format (for example, a PDF, a bitmap, or a text format of the documents being transferred 20). This uses a conversion and / or OCR program integrated with the fax distributor. The fax distributor directs the fax message to the recipient's e-mail system and attaches the recipient information previously displayed by the system in question. Forwarding of fax messages- ««; the send function is implemented with e-mail system-specific solutions.

If the fax distributor is unfamiliar with the recipient's · · · fax machines, it will send a fax message to the recipient in an unmodified form, i.e., CCITT format. The recipient can then, if they so wish, send a predetermined repeat message to the fax distributor, for example • · i,:; through their email system. In this case, the facsimile transporter sends the same facsimile message repeatedly to the recipient, but as the second transmission in question, the facsimile distributes the information contained in the facsimile repeater message to a format indicated, e.g., by the recipient's e-mail. Thus, the recipient can receive the fax message example-5 in plain text directly to his terminal, whereby he can read it directly into a word processing program at his disposal.

Figure 5 shows an embodiment of the system of the invention, in which the fax server 20 supports 10 delivery features to provide delivery. The mailbox number is attached to the forwarded fax and the fax message is forwarded. The facsimile dispatcher is implemented on two devices, facsimile server 21 and facsimile workstation 22. The facsimile server receives and stores 15 CCITT facsimile faxes, and changes the facsimile address of the facsimile mailbox attached to the facsimile and sends the facsimile to the facsimile. In the example illustrated, the fax client converts the incoming fax to PDF 20 (Portable Document Format), creates a CREATED NOTES file, records the recipient's name, and attaches the PDF to the form as an attachment. The LOTUS NOTES form is then stored in a database on the LOTUS NOTES server 23. The recipient finds his or her fax:: 25 based on the name of the recipient in the LOTUS NOTES fax; · ·; * ·; application, and use ADOBE ACRO- BAT software to watch the fax. Depending on the equipment and application base used by the recipient, the fax workstation may be • • · converted to the format required.

Figure 6 shows a system according to the invention; :: * Another preferred embodiment. In the case of Figure 6, the sender has at his disposal a microcomputer 31 which is connected to the fax server 30 via a PSTN (Public Switched Telephone Network).

: 35 The facsimile server may consist of, for example, a computer connected to the telephone network 103550 7 and application software.

When the facsimile message sent by the sender 31 arrives at the facsimile server 30, the facsimile server authentication unit 41 is activated and comprises means 5 for identifying the type of receiver apparatus for the recipients of the facsimile message. This can be done, for example, in three alternative ways: 1) When sending a fax, the sender sends a list of recipients, their telecommunication addresses and / or telephone numbers, and the type of receiver equipment and / or the format understood by the recipient. This list may be maintained by the sender, for example, in a text file on the hard disk 39 of his micro-computer 31.

That is, when the fax server 30 receives the fax message 30, it also receives, for example, an ASCII file in which the recipients as well as the recipients' FAX numbers, INTERNET addresses or other e-mail addresses are mentioned. In addition, the file may contain information about the format in which the recipient wishes to receive his message, e.g., in ASCII format, or alternatively, e.g. The authentication means 41 thus identifies the recipient against the attachment file, i. then, the editing means 40 are activated to modify the fax message to a format understood by the type of receiving equipment. After this · · ·, the fax message is forwarded to the recipient. If multiple users are listed in the attachment, li * '* * of the same type of receiving device will edit the editor 40, of course, only for that message: once for that format, and then the fax server 30 may send the message simultaneously to all 35 recipients.

»« 8 103550 2} The fax server may have a list of receiver equipment available to potential recipients. Thus, the identification means 41 of the fax server 30 can check from the read-5 roll in which format the fax message should be sent to a particular recipient. Such verification may be based, for example, on the name or telephone number of the recipient contained in the fax message. That is, even if the sender 31 mentions the fax number of the recipient 10 in the fax message they send, the fax message is not necessarily forwarded to the recipient, but the identification means detects that the fax number still in an email.

3) The fax server authentication means 41 are capable of identifying the recipient's receiving apparatus type 20 when establishing a connection. That is, when the fax server 31 contacts, for example, via a telephone network, the telephone number included in the fax message, the identification means 41 identifies the type of receiver equipment on the basis of the signals received during connection. Thereafter, the editing means 40 will edit • t. before sending it to the recipient.

ψ • I k 119

In the case of Figure 6, the fax server can forward t · · 30 the fax messages it receives from the sender • I ·

V * simultaneously with multiple recipients on the PSTN of the telephone network

or, for example, through a data network.

; Recipients 32 and 33 have access to the usual ones. ' . 35 FAX Receivers with Editing Tools 41 Editing • I *

»I

r »9 103550 message to them in standard fax format before being sent to them via PSTN.

Recipients 36, 37 and 38, on the other hand, have access to microcomputers connected to LAN 35, whereby a fax message can be sent to them, for example, in the form of an ASCII e-mail. The facsimile server can then send a facsimile message to these recipients, either through the PSTN and the LAN server 34, or alternatively, for example, through a data-10 network and the LAN server.

For example, if the recipient 33 has an email system in addition to a conventional fax machine, and for some reason the recipient wishes to receive the message, he or she may send a replay message from his email system to the fax server 30. In that case, the email includes at least information that identifies the fax server. to be a previously sent fax, as well as the recipient's email address.

For this purpose, the facsimile server preferably adds a message to fax messages sent by fax, which instructs the recipient how to send a replay message. In addition, the fax server 31 must have V: memory means for transmitting fax messages; j. 25 remain for some time, for example one day.

«

It is to be understood that the above description and the accompanying figures are merely intended to be illustrative - • · «. **! the present invention. Various variations and modifications of the invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention set forth in the appended claims.

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Claims (7)

1. Telecommunication mass distribution system, to which belongs a telecommunication server (10, 30), comprising means for transmitting a telecommunication message simultaneously to multiple receivers (32, 33, 36 - 38) and identification means (12, 41). ) for determining the type of food of a recipient's receiving apparatus (36), characterized in that the telecommunication server comprises: receiving means (I / O) for receiving the telegraphic message in text form via an information transmission network (PSTN), and Converters (12, 40) corresponding to the identification means (41) for converting the telecommunication message into a form which is dependent on the type of the receiving apparatus (36) of the said receiver, to indicate a receiving apparatus (36) Against text-shaped telecommunications messages, the telecommunications message is transmitted in a text-format format which amplifies the apparatus (36). Telecommunication mass distribution system according to claim 1, characterized in that said information transmission network is a public telephone network (PSTN), and that the telecommunication message is transmitted to said at least one receiver device (36) in ASCII. -form. *: ·· ί 3. Telecommunication mass distribution system according to; J1; Claim 1, characterized in that the id. The information means (41) include means for receiving information · · · · associated with the telecommunication message • · · 3. as well as for determining the type of the receiver apparatus on the basis of said information. · * 1 A telecommunications mass distribution system according to claim 1, characterized in that the identifying means (41) belong to a receiver apparatus register, the identifiers determining the recipient's apparatus (36) of the recipient's apparatus according to the receiver apparatus's register apparatus (36). -nen. Telecommunication mass distribution system according to claim 1, characterized in that the Gill 5 identification means (41) hear means for determining the type of the receiver apparatus due to the telecommunication signals received from the receiver apparatus (36). 6. Telecommunication mass distribution system according to any preceding claim, characterized in that said receiving apparatus consists of a telescopic mail box or an electronic mail system. A telecommunication mass distribution system according to any preceding claim, characterized in that the telescopic server (30) comprises transmitters for transmitting the telescopic message to a particular receiver (33), to which the transmitted telecommunication message in the first transmitter frame, and from which the telcopy server (30) has received a predetermined repeated message, the telcopy server transmitting the telcopia message a second time to the recipient in the form shown by the information contained in the repetition message. 4 4 «<'•» • · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · • 1 • 4 4 4 • «4 • 4 4« 4