WO2000078035A1 - Procede et appareil permettant a un telecopieur d'envoyer et de recevoir du courrier electronique - Google Patents

Procede et appareil permettant a un telecopieur d'envoyer et de recevoir du courrier electronique

Info

Publication number
WO2000078035A1
WO2000078035A1 PCT/US2000/016106 US0016106W WO0078035A1 WO 2000078035 A1 WO2000078035 A1 WO 2000078035A1 US 0016106 W US0016106 W US 0016106W WO 0078035 A1 WO0078035 A1 WO 0078035A1
Authority
WO
WIPO (PCT)
Prior art keywords
mail
fax
incoming
message
server
Prior art date
Application number
PCT/US2000/016106
Other languages
English (en)
Inventor
Michael A. Meixler
Original Assignee
Meixler Michael A
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Meixler Michael A filed Critical Meixler Michael A
Priority to AU54825/00A priority Critical patent/AU5482500A/en
Publication of WO2000078035A1 publication Critical patent/WO2000078035A1/fr

Links

Classifications

    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
    • H04N—PICTORIAL COMMUNICATION, e.g. TELEVISION
    • H04N1/00—Scanning, transmission or reproduction of documents or the like, e.g. facsimile transmission; Details thereof
    • H04N1/32—Circuits or arrangements for control or supervision between transmitter and receiver or between image input and image output device, e.g. between a still-image camera and its memory or between a still-image camera and a printer device
    • H04N1/32358—Circuits or arrangements for control or supervision between transmitter and receiver or between image input and image output device, e.g. between a still-image camera and its memory or between a still-image camera and a printer device using picture signal storage, e.g. at transmitter
    • H04N1/324—Circuits or arrangements for control or supervision between transmitter and receiver or between image input and image output device, e.g. between a still-image camera and its memory or between a still-image camera and a printer device using picture signal storage, e.g. at transmitter intermediate the transmitter and receiver terminals, e.g. at an exchange
    • H04N1/32406—Circuits or arrangements for control or supervision between transmitter and receiver or between image input and image output device, e.g. between a still-image camera and its memory or between a still-image camera and a printer device using picture signal storage, e.g. at transmitter intermediate the transmitter and receiver terminals, e.g. at an exchange in connection with routing or relaying, e.g. using a fax-server or a store-and-forward facility
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
    • H04L—TRANSMISSION OF DIGITAL INFORMATION, e.g. TELEGRAPHIC COMMUNICATION
    • H04L51/00—User-to-user messaging in packet-switching networks, transmitted according to store-and-forward or real-time protocols, e.g. e-mail
    • H04L51/06—Message adaptation to terminal or network requirements
    • H04L51/066—Format adaptation, e.g. format conversion or compression
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
    • H04N—PICTORIAL COMMUNICATION, e.g. TELEVISION
    • H04N1/00—Scanning, transmission or reproduction of documents or the like, e.g. facsimile transmission; Details thereof
    • H04N1/00127—Connection or combination of a still picture apparatus with another apparatus, e.g. for storage, processing or transmission of still picture signals or of information associated with a still picture
    • H04N1/00204—Connection or combination of a still picture apparatus with another apparatus, e.g. for storage, processing or transmission of still picture signals or of information associated with a still picture with a digital computer or a digital computer system, e.g. an internet server
    • H04N1/00209—Transmitting or receiving image data, e.g. facsimile data, via a computer, e.g. using e-mail, a computer network, the internet, I-fax
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
    • H04L—TRANSMISSION OF DIGITAL INFORMATION, e.g. TELEGRAPHIC COMMUNICATION
    • H04L51/00—User-to-user messaging in packet-switching networks, transmitted according to store-and-forward or real-time protocols, e.g. e-mail
    • H04L51/07—User-to-user messaging in packet-switching networks, transmitted according to store-and-forward or real-time protocols, e.g. e-mail characterised by the inclusion of specific contents
    • H04L51/08—Annexed information, e.g. attachments
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
    • H04L—TRANSMISSION OF DIGITAL INFORMATION, e.g. TELEGRAPHIC COMMUNICATION
    • H04L51/00—User-to-user messaging in packet-switching networks, transmitted according to store-and-forward or real-time protocols, e.g. e-mail
    • H04L51/48—Message addressing, e.g. address format or anonymous messages, aliases
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
    • H04N—PICTORIAL COMMUNICATION, e.g. TELEVISION
    • H04N2201/00—Indexing scheme relating to scanning, transmission or reproduction of documents or the like, and to details thereof
    • H04N2201/0077—Types of the still picture apparatus
    • H04N2201/0086—Image transceiver
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
    • H04N—PICTORIAL COMMUNICATION, e.g. TELEVISION
    • H04N2201/00—Indexing scheme relating to scanning, transmission or reproduction of documents or the like, and to details thereof
    • H04N2201/0077—Types of the still picture apparatus
    • H04N2201/0093—Facsimile machine

Definitions

  • the present invention relates to methods of sending communications electronically. More specifically, the invention relates to methods of sending communications between a facsimile machine and other types of communication devices, and in particular other types of communication devices that send and receive electronic mail messages (e-mail)
  • e-mail electronic mail messages
  • the present invention includes a method of providing a service that enables fax machine users to send messages from their facsimile machines to e- mail receiving Internet users, and to receive e-mail messages from Internet users on their fax machines, without the use of a computer, peripheral equipment or an internet connection.
  • the present invention also includes a system for providing this service.
  • There are many free and paid services EFax.comTM, JFax.comTM) that enable internet users to receive messages from fax machine users via a dedicated fax number linked to the internet user's e-mail address.
  • the message o ⁇ ginates as a facsimile, and arrives in the recipient's e-mail as an attached image file.
  • these services require that the recipient of the message, the Internet user, is a registered user of the service, and therefore, these services do not allow the fax machine users to send messages to arbitrary internet-using recipients.
  • a source message server is configured to process a computer-readable message.
  • a content processor creates a second message of content and format compatible with a receiver, which may be a pager.
  • the second message is assigned a computer destination address by consulting a database which stores predefined filte ⁇ ng and forwarding parameters for an account with the destination network address of the source message.
  • the destination network e-mail address needs to be stored in the database before the computer-readable message can be forwarded to the message destination, precluding the capability of being able to send e-mails to arbitrary Internet using recipients.
  • the need to store the address in this way is a disadvantage for the system disclosed there.
  • a facsimile device is disclosed coupled to a public telephone system.
  • a network routing system which includes a network switch for routing incoming facsimile transmissions to approp ⁇ ate server devices, receives the facsimile transmissions. The facsimile transmissions are sent to specially designated telephone numbers.
  • the network switch Upon receipt of a facsimile call, the network switch que ⁇ es a database such as a Network Control System (NCS) which performs a conventional number translation which translates the dialed number to a routing e-mail address for the message.
  • NCS Network Control System
  • U.S. Patent No. 4,837,798, to Cohen, et al. is directed to a unified messaging system for providing a single electronic mailbox for different types of messages, including voice mail, e-mail and facsimile transmissions Means are provided for mailbox owners to ret ⁇ eve messages through va ⁇ ous means, however there is no ability to send e-mail messages to arbitrary Internet recipients.
  • U.S Patent No. 4,941,170, to Herbst is directed to a facsimile transmission system for transmitting documents over telephone lines using an e-mail system between facsimile machines Herbst does not teach to convert an incoming facsimile message into a format for display on a computer monitor within an e-mail system, but simply teaches using the e-mail system as a means of sto ⁇ ng and retransmitting facsimile messages between facsimile machines
  • U.S. Patent No. 6,025,931 to Bloomfield, is a facsimile to e-mail communication system but requires the use of a fax interface device to be added to the facsimile machine in order to provide the recipient e-mail address.
  • the recipient's e-mail address is either input from a key pad on the fax interface device or is recalled from a memory in the fax interface device in order for the facsimile to e-mail communication system to de ⁇ ve the destination e-mail address.
  • the sender has to obtain the fax interface device, and add an additional component to his or her facsimile machine in order to use the system
  • a facsimile message sender needs to send the message to a service that has registered the e-mail address of the message recipient, or has to provide the e-mail address through a ancillary piece of equipment.
  • the message recipient's e-mail address needs to be stored in a memory, look up table or database in order to be assigned to the message, or the sender has to dial in the e-mail address, or have the address stored in a special piece of equipment attached to the facsimile machine circuit.
  • Receiving E-mails from Terminal Computers by Monitoring Mail Boxes Associated with the Devices in Predetermined Intervals to Detect Arrival of Mail is a computer system for directing e-mail to a plurality of facsimile machines.
  • the administrative computer has a plurality of virtual mailboxes programmed into the computer, one for each facsimile machine on the system.
  • the administrative computer periodically monitors each mailbox to detect the arrival of an e-mail message and when a message is detected, the message is transferred to the associated facsimile machine.
  • a virtual mailbox has to be established for each facsimile machine, meaning that each facsimile machine has to be registered with the system before e-mail can be sent to it.
  • the prior art is rich with e-mail services for Internet users.
  • There are many free and paid services such as JFax.comTM, Efax.comTM, FaxSav.comTM, and Faxaway.comTM, that enable Internet users to send a message to a facsimile machine by electronic mail.
  • the message originates as an electronic mail message, and arrives at the recipient's facsimile machine as a facsimile message.
  • This service is commonly known as "E-mail-to-Fax".
  • these services require that the sender of the message also referred to hereinafter as the Internet user, is a registered user of the service, and therefore, these services do not allow facsimile machine users to receive e-mail messages from arbitrary Internet-using senders.
  • fax machine and facsimile machine are used interchangeably to refer to apparatus for sending or receiving electronic documents over a wire or by wireless communications, and for converting the documents from electronic signals to human readable form, or from human readable form to electronic signals.
  • the terms fax or facsimile are used interchangeably and refer to the transmission of graphic matter such as printing or graphic pictures by wire or wireless and its reproduction. Accordingly, one aspect of this invention to provide a service whereby fax machine users can send and receive messages between arbitrary Internet users, without the need for the Internet user to subscribe to an internet fax service, or the fax machine user to have a computer or internet connection.
  • Another aspect of the present invention is to provide a means for the facsimile message sender to send messages to any Internet user without the need to add any additional hardware that is connected to their facsimile machines.
  • Internet-using recipient of the message with an option to select the type of image file used to contain the message from the fax machine using sender (i.e. TIFF, PDF, GIF, etc.).
  • sender i.e. TIFF, PDF, GIF, etc.
  • Another aspect of the present invention is to provide a means for the facsimile message sender to encode the e-mail address of the intended recipient on the outgoing message.
  • Another aspect of the present invention is to automatically attach a cover sheet to some or all of the documents transmitted over the system.
  • Another aspect of the present invention is to categorize the business interests of advertisers and match them with the business categories of the document recipients, thereby providing maximum effectiveness for the advertisers.
  • a still further aspect of the present invention is to use a novel messaging address that encodes the telephone number of the destination facsimile machine within the address.
  • Another aspect of the present invention is to further provide a method for detecting the facsimile telephone number encoded in the e-mail address, and sending the message to the facsimile machine at that telephone number in an automated process.
  • These e-mail addresses may be provided free of charge to the user, without the need for the facsimile machine user to pre-register for the service, thereby enabling arbitrary facsimile machine users in the deployed area to receive e-mail from arbitrary Internet users.
  • the e-mail address is based on the facsimile machine telephone number in the form:
  • Another aspect of the present invention is to provide a method and apparatus to allow a facsimile machine owner to optionally select a unique convenient e-mail address for use by the sender.
  • An example of some unique and convenient addresses for receiving e-mail on facsimile machines are: "Bill@intellifax.com” or “Suzy@intellifax.com”, or "AjaxCorp@faxmachinesonline.com” and facsimile owners may obtain similar addresses by registering with the service, if they wish to.
  • Another aspect of the invention is to provide verification to the sender of the message that the message was delivered to the designated facsimile machine.
  • a further aspect of this invention is to derive statistics on the business interests of the document sender and document recipients through surveys or commercially available databases to target cover sheet advertisements, in order to derive the maximum added value for the messages, and to avoid useless and annoying advertising.
  • Still another aspect of the present invention is to maintain a record of messages transmitted, and to derive statistics of advertisements delivered, and to provide that information back to the advertisers.
  • a primary advantage of the present invention is that fax machines owners become immediately enabled to send and receive e-mail without the need for a computer or internet service provider.
  • Another advantage of the present invention if deployed as a free service without the need for fax machine owners to register, is that every facsimile machine, anywhere in the world becomes immediately accessible from any computer connected to the Internet.
  • Another advantage is that as the Internet increases in size, the number of facsimile machines and the number of computers that can communicate increase proportionately, thereby increasing commerce and connectivity between people and businesses. Still another advantage of the present invention is that the Internet sender does not need to have any special software installed on the sending computer to direct a message or a document to any facsimile machine, anywhere in the world. Another advantage of the present invention is that it enables advertisers to derive maximum benefit from their advertising efforts by targeting only relevant potential customers by type of business, and the present invention has the additional advantage of providing advertisers information on advertisements delivered.
  • the sender has a facsimile machine connected to a transmission system, such as the telephone system.
  • a transmission system such as the telephone system.
  • Other means of transmission such as wireless communications networks are also possible.
  • the sender wishes to send a message from the facsimile machine to a particular internet-using recipient, the sender specifies the e- mail address of the recipient on the coversheet of the message using a form with a specific location for the recipient's e-mail address. The user then faxes the message to a dedicated fax number associated with the facsimile to e-mail system.
  • the system When the facsimile to e-mail portion of the system receives the message faxed by the user to the facsimile to e-mail system's dedicated fax number, the system stores the incoming fax electronically as multi-page Tagged Image File Format, commonly referred to as a TIFF file. Other commonly used formats are also possible.
  • the system uses software to analyze the coversheet of the TIFF file to detect the intended recipient's e-mail address that was specified by the sender in a form with the specific location for recipient's e-mail address. Next, the system constructs an e-mail message to the intended recipient, and attaches the TIFF file.
  • the e-mail message is then sent to the recipient, and a record of the transaction is logged in the system database for use in determining usage parameters and determining the volume of messages carried, determining the geographic area of the delivered messages from the area codes and the exchanges of the message delivered, maintaining a record of the number of messages that are carried as advertising for each advertiser; and sending a receipt to the internet-using senders when the facsimile machine receives the message.
  • every fax machine user of the system is automatically provided with an e-mail address.
  • an Internet-using sender has a Personal Computer (PC) configured with an e-mail service provided by an Internet Service Provider (ISP).
  • ISP Internet Service Provider
  • the user formats the message, and in a location provided, the user appends the telephone number of the facsimile machine, to a system domain name, to which the message is to be directed.
  • IntelliFax.comTM will be used as the domain name.
  • the Internet Service Provider (ISP) of the PC owner directs the message to the IntelliFax.comTM system in the usual manner.
  • the IntelliFax.comTM system reads the address and derives the destination telephone number appended to the system domain name. For example a typical address may be configured as "800-123- 5678@IntelliFax.com".
  • the IntelliFax.comTM addresses the e-mail message to the telephone number assigned by the system for the destination fax machine.
  • the system then converts the e-mail message, and any appended documents into a format appropriate for reception by a facsimile machine, automatically adds a cover sheet, and then directs the formatted facsimile message to the telephone number 800-123- 5678.
  • the message is received immediately by the facsimile machine, an e-mail receipt is sent to the originating PC. If the facsimile machine is not available, the message is stored for later transmission. After a predetermine delay the system attempts to send the message again.
  • fax machine owners can assign a unique name to each facsimile recipient such as Bill or Suzy, or AjaxCorp, thereby forming an address such as "Bill@IntelliFax.com", “Suzy@IntelliFax.com” or
  • the cover sheet of the message from the facsimile machine may contain advertising or the message may contain other material of a commercial nature, for which advertisers may pay a fee based on certain parameters, such as message volume or, ability of the system to target appropriate potential customers, or other benefits.
  • the system is capable of monitoring the area codes and exchanges of message delivered to facsimile machines, to derive statistics on geography of delivered messages in order to provide a means of geographically targeting the paid advertisements inserted in the messages.
  • Advertising may be added to messages sent from facsimile machines to Internet users for comparable for similar purposes.
  • the system is capable of maintaining a record of usage for each advertiser, and can issue a report to the advertiser periodically on the number of messages that carried the advertiser's message, how many were sent to each recipient and other detailed information that may have useful commercial purposes.
  • Figure 1 is an illustration of an end-to-end diagram depicting the path of a message that originates from a fax machine-using sender, through a fax to e-mail server constructed in accordance with, and embodying the principles of this invention, to an Internet using recipient.
  • Figure 2 depicts a logic flow diagram graphically illustrating the operation of the software running on the fax to e-mail server depicted in Figure 1.
  • Figure 3 depicts a logic flow diagram illustrating the method by which the system processes incoming fax to e-mail messages.
  • Figure 4 depicts an end-to-end diagram depicting the path of a message that originates from an Internet-using sender, through an e-mail to fax service to a facsimile machine using recipient.
  • Figure 5 depicts a logic flow diagram graphically illustrating the operation of the software running on the e-mail to fax server depicted in Figure 4.
  • Figure 6 depicts a logic flow diagram illustrating the method by which the system processes incoming e-mail to fax messages.
  • Figure 7 depicts a logic flow diagram illustrating how the system constructs an image file from the text of an incoming e-mail to fax message.
  • Figure 8 depicts a logic flow diagram that illustrates how the image file constructed according to Figure 7 is sent to the recipient's facsimile machine.
  • Figures 1, 2 and 3, and item numbers from 100 through 390 refer to the Fax to e-mail portion of the system.
  • Figures 4, 5, 6, 7 and 8, and item numbers 400 through 820 refer to the e-mail to fax portion of the system.
  • the first digit of the item number corresponds to the same figure number for ease of reference.
  • a fax machine-using sender 100 specifies the e-mail address of the recipient on the first page of a fax to e-mail message 110, then faxes the message to the system's dedicated fax number, provided by a typical internet fax service 130.
  • the fax to e-mail message 110 is sent over a telephone line.
  • the message includes a form. In the preferred embodiment, this is done using a type of form (commonly used to encode answers on standardized tests), where the characters of the e-mail address are encoded by darkening individual cells in a matrix.
  • An example of a highly suitable and preferred form is that marketed under the name Scan-TronTM.
  • the fax to e-mail system can use a typical paid Internet facsimile service 130 for receiving facsimiles.
  • the fax to e-mail message 110 is received by the internet fax service 130, and is then forwarded by e-mail as an attached file to the system's POP3 incoming fax to e-mail mail server 141.
  • the e-mail message is then fetched from the POP3 incoming fax to e-mail mail server 141 by fax to e-mail system server 140.
  • the attached file, containing the original message is then analyzed to determine the intended recipient's e-mail address.
  • the attached file is then sent by e-mail via the outgoing SMTP fax to e-mail server 142 to the intended fax to e-mail recipient 150.
  • the outgoing SMTP fax to e-mail server 142 Internet connection may also be provided by dedicated data lines, a cellular telephone link, Personal Communications System (PCS), microwave, cable or satellite networks as well as local area networks, or wide area networks.
  • PCS Personal Communications System
  • the fax to e-mail Server 140 is typically a general purpose-computing platform.
  • One possible configuration is an industry standard IBMTM compatible ISA computer having an IntelTM processor, a 2.5 gigabytes hard drive, a micro floppy drive, at least 32 megabytes of random access memory, and a 56 kilobits per second modem.
  • Other computing platforms providing similar functions are also possible.
  • the POP3 incoming fax to e-mail mail server 141 and the SMTP outgoing fax to e- mail mail server 142 are industry standard Microsoft ExchangeTM mail servers.
  • the Internet facsimile service 130 is a typical Internet facsimile service such as the ones provided by JFax.comTM or EFax.comTM which provides a dedicated fax number for receiving faxes from arbitrary fax machine users, and forwards incoming faxes to a specified e-mail address.
  • JFax.comTM or EFax.comTM which provides a dedicated fax number for receiving faxes from arbitrary fax machine users, and forwards incoming faxes to a specified e-mail address.
  • Step 210 is a decision point. If no new message has arrived the fax to e-mail system waits a predetermined period of time 207, and then returns to step 205. If a new message has arrived, the system transitions to step 212 to process the message as shown in FIG. 3, then transitions back to step 205.
  • the incoming message process sequence begins at step 300 if a new message has arrived in step 212.
  • the system fetches one new message from the POP3 incoming fax to e-mail server 141.
  • the fax to e-mail system determines if the incoming message contains a forwarded facsimile message. If no forwarded facsimile message is attached, processing ceases and the message is forwarded to the dead letter bin 330, where it is eventually discarded.
  • the attached image file is temporarily stored on the system's hard disk as per step 340.
  • the image file containing the faxed message is analyzed to determine the e-mail address of the intended recipient in step 350.
  • the e-mail address has been encoded in a Scan-TronTM form.
  • the 'Teleform EliteTM' software package designed to analyze such forms, provided by Cambridge, Inc. is used to analyze the e-mail address encoded in the form by the sender.
  • the decoded characters are written to a temporary text file on the fax to e-mail server's hard disk.
  • the fax to e-mail server system 140 then reads the text file to resolve the e-mail address of the intended recipient.
  • Other means of encoding and decoding the recipient include, but are not limited to optical character recognition, bar coding, and manual data entry.
  • the fax to e-mail system server analyzes the first page of the image file to attempt to resolve the encoded e-mail address to determine if the e-mail address can be resolved.
  • Step 360 is another decision point. If the e-mail address was resolved at step 350, the system then sends the image file that was stored in step 340 to the intended recipient with the attached image file in step 380.
  • the system issues a warning to the sender at step 370.
  • the system logs a record of the transaction in the fax to e-mail system database at step 385.
  • the system logs a record of the transaction in the fax to e- mail system database for billing purposes, and archiving purposes, such determining usage parameters and determining the volume of messages carried, determining the geographic area of the delivered messages from the area codes and the exchanges of the message delivered, maintaining a record of the number of messages that are carried as advertising for each advertiser; and sending a receipt to the facsimile senders when the e-mail user receives the message.
  • the sequence ends at step 390, and the system reverts to waiting for a new message to arrive by returning to step 205 of Figure 2. Additionally, paid advertisements may be included in the messages processed by the system.
  • FIG. 440 shown at 440 therein is an e- mail to fax system server constructed in accordance with and embodying the principles of this invention.
  • the e-mail to fax system server is connected to the Internet, and has access to incoming e-mail via the e-mail to fax POP3 incoming mail server 441, and can send outgoing e-mail via the outgoing e-mail to fax SMTP mail server 442.
  • the system also employs a typical paid Internet facsimile service 445 used for sending facsimiles.
  • the server 440 runs software that executes instructions as per Figure 5 on a general purpose-computing platform.
  • the general purpose computing platform is an industry standard IBMTM compatible ISA computer having a PentiumTM processor, a 2.5 gigabytes hard drive, a 3 inch floppy drive, 32 megabytes of random access memory, and a 56 kilobits per second modem.
  • Other computing platforms providing similar functions are also acceptable for use with the present invention.
  • the POP3 incoming e-mail to fax mail server 441 and the SMTP outgoing e-mail to fax mail server 442 are industry standard Microsoft ExchangeTM mail servers, although others can be used.
  • the Internet facsimile service 445 is a typical Internet facsimile service such as the ones provided by JFax.comTM or EFax.comTM which can be used to send a facsimile to a particular facsimile number via e-mail by encoding the destination facsimile number in the e- mail address.
  • JFax.comTM or EFax.comTM which can be used to send a facsimile to a particular facsimile number via e-mail by encoding the destination facsimile number in the e- mail address.
  • the e-mail to fax server 440 operates basically as follows.
  • the POP3 incoming e-mail to fax server 441 is configured to route all incoming mail to any username with a particular Internet domain name to a single POP3 e-mail account.
  • e-mail to any username at "intellifax.com” is routed to a single POP3 e-mail account.
  • the Internet using e-mail to fax sender 100 creates an e-mail to fax message 410 to which an address of the form destination@intellifax.com is attached, which is then sent on an Internet connection.
  • Message 410 is directed by the user's Internet Service Provider to the e-mail to fax POP3 incoming mail server 441.
  • the Internet connection may also be provided by other communications networks such as dedicated data lines, a cellular telephone link, Personal Communications System, Microwave, Cable or Satellite networks.
  • the e-mail to fax message 410 is fetched from the e-mail to fax POP3 incoming mail server 441 by e-mail to fax system server 440.
  • the message is converted within the IntelliFax.comTM e-mail to fax system server 440 to a facsimile format message, and is transmitted on a public switched telephone network 450, such as those provided by a local or regional telephone operating company to the subscriber's facsimile machine 460.
  • the converted message may be transmitted to the subscriber's facsimile machine by other communications links other than public telephone systems in other implementations of this invention.
  • the present invention provides a method and apparatus for facsimile owners to receive e-mail on their facsimile machine machines.
  • step 500 The method by which the IntelliFax.comTM e-mail to fax system server 440 system transfers received e-mail messages to a facsimile machine is described with reference to FIG 5.
  • a non-terminating loop repeatedly queries the incoming e-mail to fax system server 440 at step 505.
  • step 510 if no new e- mail message has arrived, the e-mail to fax system waits a predetermined period of time 507 and then returns to step 505. If a new message has arrived, the system transitions to step 512 to process the e-mail to fax message as shown in FIG 6, then transitions back to step 505.
  • the IntelliFax.comTM e-mail to fax system server 440 processes the incoming e-mail to fax messages to derive the facsimile number is described with reference to FIG 6.
  • the e-mail to fax system proceeds to process the e-mail to fax message.
  • the system fetches one new e-mail to fax message.
  • the new e-mail message that has been received by the system may be of the form "username@IntelliFax.com", in which the username indicates a particular subscriber, and IntelliFax.com is a domain name.
  • the username might be the string "BillR", or "SusanK".
  • the message address associated with that particular message would be in the form "BillR@IntelliFax.com", or "SusanK@IntelliFax.com”.
  • BillR is a subscriber of the IntelliFax.comTM system, whose facsimile machine telephone number is in the e- mail to fax Server system database.
  • the e-mail to fax system parses the string containing the message recipient name to get the username. This is done by first finding the position of the "@" symbol in the recipient name, then extracting the portion of the recipient name to the left of the "@" symbol.
  • the system determines whether the username is a facsimile number, based on whether or not the username consists entirely of numeric characters.
  • step 680 the system transitions to step 680. If the result of step 630 is that the username is not a facsimile number, then the system transitions to step 640, where the system queries the e-mail to fax system user database to find a record for this user. The e-mail to fax system transitions to step 650 where it determines if a record was found. If no record is found, then the system transitions to step 660 where the system discards the message. If a record for the user is found in step 650 then the system gets the facsimile number associated with the user as per the user's record in step 670. In step 680 the system constructs an image from the text of the message as shown in FIG 7.
  • a facsimile is sent to the recipient's facsimile machine as described in Fig 8.
  • the system logs a record of each transaction in the e-mail to fax system usage database for billing purposes, and archiving purposes, such as determining usage parameters, determining the volume of messages carried, determining the geographic area of the delivered messages from the area codes and the exchanges of the message delivered, maintaining a record of the number of messages that are carried as advertising for each advertiser; and sending a receipt to the internet-using senders when the facsimile machine receives the message.
  • the incoming e-mail to fax process ends at step 698 where the system returns to step 502 to query the incoming e-mail to fax server to determine if is new message has arrived.
  • the IntelliFax.comTM incoming e-mail to fax system constructs 440 an image file of the incoming messages is described with reference to FIG 7.
  • the present invention uses a form called a Tagged Image File Format, commonly referred to as a TIFF file, although other commonly used formats are also possible.
  • the e-mail to fax system determines whether advertisements are to be included with the message, according to user's record in the system database. If advertisements are not to be included in the message, then the system creates an image file and overlays the text of the incoming message on the image file at step 730, then transitions to step 760.
  • the system creates an image file and overlays the text of the incoming message on the image file at step 720, leaving space for advertisements on the page(s) of the image file.
  • the system selects the advertisement(s) to be included in the message using industry-standard advertisement-selection algorithms, such as those implemented in the software package "Ad JugglerTM, by Digital NationalTM, Inc.
  • the system overlays the advertisements on the image file.
  • Step 760 is the end of the series of steps by which the system processes the incoming e-mail to fax messages, and the e-mail to fax system transitions to step 690 to send the message.
  • the method by which the IntelliFax.comTM e-mail to fax Server 440 system transmits the image file by facsimile to the recipient's facsimile machine is described with reference to FIG 8.
  • a typical Internet facsimile service is used to transmit the facsimile.
  • the service provided by JFAX.com, Inc. TM is preferably used, although other Internet facsimile services or dedicated facsimile servers could be used.
  • the e-mail to fax system sequences from step 690 to step 800, start. From 800 the system transitions to step 810. At step 810, the e- mail to fax system composes an e-mail message addressed to
  • the e-mail to fax system server 440 and the fax to e- mail system server 141 that execute the instructions depicted in FIGS 4,5,6,7 and 8 can be constructed using the following operating system, programming languages, programming tools, components, software, and database, although other resources could be used
  • the mam programs are w ⁇ tten using MicrosoftTM Visual Basic 5 0 and each runs on a personal computer with the Windows 98 operating system
  • a MicrosoftTM Access 97 database is used to store system data
  • the Mabry Mail component from Mabry, Inc TM is used
  • the MicrosoftTM MAPI components are used, in conjunction with WindowsTM Messaging
  • the KodakTM image admin and image edit components are used
  • the system may maintain a record of each transaction in a record transaction database for billing purposes using

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  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Signal Processing (AREA)
  • Computer Networks & Wireless Communication (AREA)
  • General Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Multimedia (AREA)
  • Computing Systems (AREA)
  • Facsimiles In General (AREA)
  • Information Transfer Between Computers (AREA)

Abstract

L'invention concerne un système dans lequel un serveur (141) de courrier entrant fax-courrier électronique reçoit les messages entrants d'un service de fax internet (130). Un serveur (140) du système fax-courrier électronique, connecté au serveur (141) de courrier entrant fax-courrier électronique, est programmé pour convertir chaque fax entrant en message électronique et tous les documents annexés en format adapté aux télécopieurs, recouvrir le texte du message fax-courrier électronique converti entrant sur un fichier image, traiter le message fax-courrier électronique entrant pour dériver un numéro de téléphone pour le télécopieur récepteur à partir de l'adresse du message fax-courrier électronique entrant, et adresser le fichier image au numéro de téléphone dérivé par le serveur du système (140) pour le télécopieur. Un serveur (142) fax-courrier électronique sortant, récepteur des fichiers image adressés générés par le serveur (140) du système fax-courrier électronique, transmet le message formaté au numéro de téléphone du télécopieur via un réseau de communication.
PCT/US2000/016106 1999-06-11 2000-06-09 Procede et appareil permettant a un telecopieur d'envoyer et de recevoir du courrier electronique WO2000078035A1 (fr)

Priority Applications (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
AU54825/00A AU5482500A (en) 1999-06-11 2000-06-09 Method and apparatus for enabling a facsimile machine to send and receive e-mail

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
US13857999P 1999-06-11 1999-06-11
US60/138,579 1999-06-11

Publications (1)

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WO2000078035A1 true WO2000078035A1 (fr) 2000-12-21

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PCT/US2000/016106 WO2000078035A1 (fr) 1999-06-11 2000-06-09 Procede et appareil permettant a un telecopieur d'envoyer et de recevoir du courrier electronique

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AU (1) AU5482500A (fr)
WO (1) WO2000078035A1 (fr)

Cited By (4)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
EP1275215A2 (fr) * 2000-03-28 2003-01-15 Mongonet Systeme et procede de communication fax-courriel et courriel-fax
EP1288824A2 (fr) * 2001-07-18 2003-03-05 Ricoh Company, Ltd. Télécopieur et méthode de commande associée
US7079275B2 (en) 2000-03-28 2006-07-18 Mongonet Method and system for facilitating paper to electronic communications
US8195540B2 (en) 2008-07-25 2012-06-05 Mongonet Sponsored facsimile to e-mail transmission methods and apparatus

Families Citing this family (1)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
CN109842544B (zh) * 2017-11-29 2021-08-27 腾讯科技（深圳）有限公司 一种信息处理的方法及相关设备

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US5333266A (en) * 1992-03-27 1994-07-26 International Business Machines Corporation Method and apparatus for message handling in computer systems
WO1997023990A1 (fr) * 1995-12-22 1997-07-03 Cheyenne Ehrlich Procede et appareil pour la transmission de fac-similes par un reseau
US5867495A (en) * 1996-11-18 1999-02-02 Mci Communications Corporations System, method and article of manufacture for communications utilizing calling, plans in a hybrid network
DE19857833A1 (de) * 1998-12-10 2000-07-27 Karl Boehlke Electronic-Fax

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US5333266A (en) * 1992-03-27 1994-07-26 International Business Machines Corporation Method and apparatus for message handling in computer systems
WO1997023990A1 (fr) * 1995-12-22 1997-07-03 Cheyenne Ehrlich Procede et appareil pour la transmission de fac-similes par un reseau
US5867495A (en) * 1996-11-18 1999-02-02 Mci Communications Corporations System, method and article of manufacture for communications utilizing calling, plans in a hybrid network
DE19857833A1 (de) * 1998-12-10 2000-07-27 Karl Boehlke Electronic-Fax

Cited By (7)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
EP1275215A2 (fr) * 2000-03-28 2003-01-15 Mongonet Systeme et procede de communication fax-courriel et courriel-fax
EP1275215A4 (fr) * 2000-03-28 2003-04-09 Mongonet Systeme et procede de communication fax-courriel et courriel-fax
US7079275B2 (en) 2000-03-28 2006-07-18 Mongonet Method and system for facilitating paper to electronic communications
US7164488B2 (en) 2000-03-28 2007-01-16 Mongonet Fax-to-email and email-to-fax communication system and method
EP1288824A2 (fr) * 2001-07-18 2003-03-05 Ricoh Company, Ltd. Télécopieur et méthode de commande associée
EP1288824A3 (fr) * 2001-07-18 2004-01-21 Ricoh Company, Ltd. Télécopieur et méthode de commande associée
US8195540B2 (en) 2008-07-25 2012-06-05 Mongonet Sponsored facsimile to e-mail transmission methods and apparatus

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