FR2765436A1 - Reduced cost fax transmission method for long or expensive transmissions - Google Patents

Abstract

The method for fax transmission includes connecting each fax machine (14,14') to a direct transmission network (100) and to an economical indirect transmission network (101). A notice (21) indicating that a fax is to be transmitted is sent via the direct transmission network (100), and the fax itself is transmitted through the indirect transmission network. Each fax machine (14,14') includes a transmitting block for sending out the notices connected to the direct transmission network, and a further transmitting block for sending the faxes connected to the indirect transmission network. At the reception end, after receipt of a notice warning of a fax transmission, an intermediate device is consulted in order to verify that the fax itself is being transmitted.

Description

FAX TRANSMISSION PROCESS
AND FAX FOR IMPLEMENTING THE PROCESS
In telephony, the transmission of a fax between two remote fax machines is generally done through an ordinary telephone communication network such as the PSTN network (Network
Switched Telephone), the ISDN network (Digital Network to
Integration of Services) or, for example, the GSM radiotelephony network.

 The cost of transmitting the fax is therefore equal to the cost of the telephone call between the two remote fax machines, which cost may be high for long distance or long duration calls.

 In order to reduce this cost, one solution consists in transmitting the fax through a transmission network more economical than ordinary communication networks (PSTN, ISDN, etc.), for example through the Internet network.

 Internet users are generally connected to the network through a service provider with large capacity memory and allocating a fraction of this memory to each of its customers.

 Each user can thus receive and store in the fraction of memory which is allocated to him messages, which may in particular contain faxes, transmitted via the Internet from a remote user. The fraction of the user's memory thus acts as a message box that the user can consult by calling their service provider in order to become aware of the presence and content of messages received.

 For the consultation or the emission of messages, the customer pays, in addition to the price of the global service, only the cost of the communication with the service provider, generally a local communication via the ordinary telephone network.

 In the case where the address of the message box of the receiving fax machine is not known to the sending fax machine, the latter calls the receiving fax machine in a conventional manner via the PSTN.

 The present invention aims to avoid this drawback.

 To this end, the invention firstly relates to a facsimile transmission method in which, a transmitting fax machine calling another fax machine over a transmission network, at least one of the fax machines transmits a reception address for messages in another transmission network for the transmission of subsequent faxes to said address.

 Advantageously, the sending fax machine reroutes the transmission of the fax to the other transmission network as soon as it receives the address.

 In practice, this can consist of breaking the communication through the PSTN network, which was just beginning, to re-establish it by the second network.

 Advantageously also, before diversion, the other facsimile machine transmits its facsimile capacities to the transmitting facsimile machine and the latter memorizes them in a directory to adapt its transmission after diversion.

 The invention also relates to a facsimile machine for implementing the method of the invention, characterized in that it comprises a transmitting unit for transmitting, to another facsimile machine, facsimiles, connected to a first transmission network and to a second transmission network, a fax reception block connected to the first transmission network and comprising means for consulting intermediate transmission means connected to the second transmission network, the reception block being arranged to receive and store, in a directory, an address in the second network, supplied by the other facsimile machine, through the first network and arranged to retransmit said address on the second network.

The invention will be better understood with the aid of the following description of a particular embodiment of the facsimile transmission method of the invention and of a particular embodiment of two facsimile machines for implementing the method, with reference in the accompanying drawing, on which
FIG. 1 represents a diagram of the different stages of the particular embodiment of the method of the invention and
FIG. 2 represents a functional block diagram of one of the fax machines for the implementation of the method of FIG. 1.

 The fax transmission method of the invention is intended to transmit a fax between two remote fax machines 14, 14 'via a transmission network, in this case the Internet network 101.

 The two fax machines being identical, only one of the two will now be described. For the sake of clarity, the corresponding elements of the two facsimile machines 14, 14 ′ have the same references, non-awarded and awarded respectively.

 The facsimile machine 14 comprises an ordinary facsimile unit 1 comprising conventional facsimile elements: a control unit 2 to which an input keyboard 3 are connected, an image analyzer 4, a printer 5, a display screen 6, a fax memory 7 and call memory 8 containing telephone numbers and email addresses. The input keyboard 3 is here an improved keyboard, comprising keys for the letters of the alphabet and special character keys for entering electronic addresses from the Internet network and for editing messages to be transmitted via the Internet network. 'Internet, as will be explained later.

 The control unit 2 includes editing software for creating a fax using the input keyboard 3 and the display screen 6.

 The facsimile machine 14 is provided with a line interface 9 for connection to a direct communication network, in this case the switched telephone network (PSTN) 100, here connected to a modem 10.

 The facsimile machine could also include another line interface for connection to a local network, of the corporate network type, permanently connected to the Internet network.

 The facsimile machine 14 also integrates a transmission block 11 and a reception block 12, each connected to the modem 10 and to the control unit 2.

 The transmission block 11 comprises an execution unit controlled by the control unit 2, comprising software making it possible to execute a fax transmission protocol to a remote fax machine. The different stages of the transmission protocol will be explained in the description of the transmission process.

 The reception block 12 also includes an execution unit controlled by the control unit 2, comprising software making it possible to execute a fax reception protocol, explained below.

 The facsimile machine 14 is also connected, via the PSTN network, to a connection center to the Internet network 101, in this case to a service provider 15.

 The facsimile machine 14 has, with its service provider, an external memory 13, hereinafter called "message box", constituted by a fraction of large capacity memory of the service provider 15. The message box 13 has for assigning an email address on the Internet 101.

 The message box 13 can receive and contain a plurality of messages transmitted through the Internet 101 by remote users and in particular fax machines of the type of this description, having sent their message to the e-mail address of the box. with messages 13.

 The facsimile transmission method between the two facsimile machines 14, 14 'corresponding to the operation of facsimile machines 14, 14' will now be described.

 On the transmission side 14, a fax document is created to be transmitted by analysis of the document using the image analyzer 4 of the fax machine 14, or using the editing software.

 Then we create a message intended to be transmitted via the Internet network 101, by typing on the keyboard 3 the e-mail addresses of the message boxes of origin and destination of the message, a message text and by attaching to the message an attachment constituted by the fax document.

Finally, enter the telephone number on keyboard 3, on the network
PSTN, from the destination fax machine 14 'with which the destination message box 13' is associated.

 The control unit 2 of the transmission facsimile machine 14 then controls the execution of the transmission protocol by the transmission block 11.

 In the case where the address of the box 13 ′ is not known to the sending fax machine 14, the latter calls the fax machine 14 ′ conventionally using the PSTN 100. It is here provided that the fax machine called 14 ′ then, in return, spontaneously or upon request, during the initial exchange of information between fax machines, information indicating that it has a message box (13 '), or that it directly supplies the address of this one this. This information can be transmitted by means of specific signals or by extensions of the standardized DIS, NSF, DCS and NSS frames of the OSI T30 standard. The sending fax machine 14 can then update a directory by writing this address of the corresponding fax machine 14 ′. The same process can likewise take place at the level of the called facsimile machine 14 ', to which the calling facsimile machine 14 provides, for information, its own INTERNET address. The technical characteristics, or fax capacities, of transmission of each fax machine (14, 14 ') can likewise be stored in the directory of the other (14', 14).

The sending fax machine 14 (and receiving fax machine 14 ') can then send the following faxes to the other fax machine via INTERNET 101 according to the INTERNET address (13', 13) of the other fax machine (14 ′, 14), after having stored in the directory the information thus received. Thus, the fax machine 14, or 14 ′, receives and stores the address
INTERNET of the other 14 ', 14 by the PSTN 100 and retransmits it, to call, on the INTERNET 101 the desired message box.

 Provision may even be made for the sending fax machine 14 to reroute the transmission of the fax machine to the INTERNET 101 as soon as it receives the address of the box 13 ′. In practice, this can consist of breaking the communication through the PSTN 100, which was just beginning, to re-establish it by the INTERNET 101. By the way, the calling fax machine 14 will have received the full description of the fax capabilities of the called fax machine ( typically with the frame DIS of the standard protocol on direct transmission network 100, which specifies the formats, codings, resolutions. and other supported) and can, when the communication is restored by the INTERNET 101, use them. This overcomes the fact that INTERNET does not allow the fax machine called 14 'to indicate its capacities and therefore would force the calling fax machine 14 to fall back on the tacit minimum capacities (basic capacities of standard T4 of 1' ITU) .

The calling facsimile machine 14 can therefore store these capacities in its directory here and then use them on the INTERNET 101.

 On the other hand, the calling fax machine 14 can, when it automatically breaks the communication through the PSTN 100, or when it receives such a command from its operator, transmit to the fax machine called 14 'a disconnection command, as a 'indication, to specify that it breaks the link (100) in order to call back by rerouting via the INTERNET 101. The fax machine called 14' can use this transmitted indication to automatically consult its message box 13 'in the near future . This transmitted command is equivalent to a fax transmission warning which takes place here before communication on the INTERNET 101, transmitted (21) directly by the transmitting fax machine 14 to the destination fax machine 14 ', through the PSTN network. , warning constituted by a determined signal intended to warn the destination facsimile machine 14 'of the transmission of the message to its message box 13' through the network of the Internet 101.

Claims (8)

 1 - Fax transmission method, in which a transmitting fax machine (14) calling another fax machine (14 ') through a transmission network (100), at least one of the two fax machines transmits to the other an address (13 ') for receiving messages in another transmission network (101) for the transmission of subsequent faxes to said address (13').  2.- Method according to claim 1, wherein the other facsimile machine (14 ') spontaneously transmits its address.  3.- Method according to one of claims 1 and 2, wherein the transmitting facsimile (14) reroutes the transmission of the fax to the other transmission network (101) as soon as it receives the address (13 ').  4.- Method according to claim 3, wherein the transmitting facsimile machine (14) transmits to the other facsimile machine (14 '), before the diversion, a warning (21) of fax transmission.  5.- Method according to one of claims 1 to 4, wherein one updates a directory of at least one fax machine (14; 14 ') by writing the address (13'; 13) of the other fax machine (14 '; 14).  6.- Method according to one of claims 2 to 5, wherein, before diversion, the other facsimile machine (14 ') transmits to the transmitting facsimile machine (14) its fax capacities and the latter stores them in a directory for adapt its broadcast after diversion.  7. A facsimile machine for implementing the method of claim 1, characterized in that it comprises a transmission unit (11) for transmitting, to another fax machine (14 '), faxes, block connected to a first transmission network (100) and a second transmission network (101), and a block (12) for receiving faxes connected to the first transmission network (100) and comprising means for consulting intermediate means of transmission ( 13) connected to the second transmission network (101), the reception block (12) being arranged to receive and store, in a directory, an address (13 ') in the second network (101), supplied by the other facsimile machine (14 '), through the first network (100), and arranged to retransmit said address (13') on the second network (101).  8. Fax according to claim 7, arranged to receive and store in the directory of fax capabilities of the other fax machine (14 ') and to exploit these capabilities when sending a fax to said address (13 ').