Method and telecommunication system for transmitting a facsimile message

• US 20050180551A1
• Filed: 02/08/2005
• Published: 08/18/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 01/27/1997
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Blumenschein, Gordon Lynn, Meek, William Harvey, Meek, Jeffrey James
• Granted Patent: US 7,292,682 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 379/100.90
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 11/00 Telephonic communication systems specially adapted for combination with other electrical systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 11/066 Telephone sets adapted for data transmision
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/2016 Call initiation by network rather than by subscriber
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/53 Centralised arrangements for recording incoming messages , i.e. mailbox systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/53308 Message originator indirectly connected to the message centre, e.g. after detection of busy or absent state of a called party
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00281 with a telecommunication apparatus, e.g. a switched network of teleprinters for the distribution of text-based information, a selective call terminal details of transmission H04N1/00095; establishing a communication with one of a facsimile machine or another apparatus sharing a single line H04N1/32704; interfacing cordless telephone terminals with an accessory to increase the functionality of user interface H04M1/72409
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/324 intermediate the transmitter and receiver terminals, e.g. at an exchange
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/32406 in connection with routing or relaying, e.g. using a fax-server or a store-and-forward facility stored and forward data switching systems H04L12/54
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/32765 Initiating a communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 3/0029 Provisions for intelligent networking

Abstract

A method and system for transmitting a facsimile message uses a public-switched telecommunications network, the public-switched telecommunication network having a messaging platform capable of storing a plurality of facsimile messages. The initiation of a telephone call to a destination is detected, the content of the call including the facsimile message. If the destination is available at a first time to receive a telephone call, the facsimile message is transmitted. The facsimile message may be stored on the messaging platform only if the destination is unavailable at the first time, or every time a telephone call is initiated by the originating party. The method also provides for situations where a telephone call is redirected, where an inter-NPA seven digit dialing case has occurred, and where “busy” or “no_answer” triggers are implemented. If the facsimile message was stored, the facsimile message is transmitted at a second time if the destination is available.

Claims

1. Computer-readable medium having computer-readable code embodied therein, the computer-readable code comprising:

means for detecting an initiation of a telephone call to a destination by detecting an off-hook delay trigger assigned to a line of an originating party;

means for suspending the telephone call and launching an information message from an originating service switching point to at least one service control point if the off-hook delay trigger is detected;

means for determining a destination condition for the destination at a first time using the at least one service control point;

means for launching a transmit message from the at least one service control point to the originating service switching point to transmit a facsimile message to the destination if the destination condition was “

answer”

at the first time;

means for launching a routing message from the at least one service control point to the originating service switching point to route the telephone call to a messaging platform only if the destination condition was “

busy”

or “

no-answer”

at the first time; and

means for, if the facsimile message was routed to the messaging platform;

(i) storing the routed facsimile message on the messaging platform;

(ii) determining a destination condition at a second time, the second time later than the first time; and

(iii) transmitting the facsimile message to the destination if the destination condition was “

answer”

at the second time.

2. The computer-readable medium of claim 1 wherein the routing message contains a telephone number corresponding to the message platform to which the facsimile message is to be routed.

3. The computer-readable medium of claim 2 wherein launching a routing message includes determining the telephone number corresponding to the message platform using a lookup-table that is indexed by a telephone number corresponding to the calling party.

4. The computer-readable medium of claim 1 further comprising means for sending a close call message from a destination service switching point to the at least one service control point if the call is completed.

5. The computer-readable medium of claim 1 further comprising means for sending a close call message from the originating service switching point to the at least one service control point if the telephone call is abandoned prior to receiving a routing message from the at least one service control point.

6. The computer-readable medium of claim 1 further comprising means for determining that the destination is not a valid destination for receiving the facsimile message.

7. The computer-readable medium of claim 6 further comprising means for aborting the telephone call if the destination is not a valid destination for receiving a facsimile.

8. Computer-readable medium having computer-readable code embodied therein, the computer-readable code comprising:

means for detecting an initiation of a telephone call from a calling party to a destination, a content of the call including a facsimile message;

means for determining if the destination is available at a first time to receive a telephone call, the determining being made with switching components of a public-switched telecommunications network associated with the calling party;

means for transmitting the facsimile message to the destination if the destination is available at the first time;

means for storing the facsimile message on a messaging platform only if the destination is unavailable at the first time; and

means for, if the facsimile message was stored;

(i) determining that the destination is available at a second time, the second time later than the first time; and

(ii) transmitting the facsimile message to the destination if the destination is available at the second time.

9. The computer-readable medium of claim 8 further comprising means for, if the destination is unavailable at the first time, camping-on the destination to wait for the destination to become available.

10. The computer-readable medium of claim 8 wherein transmitting the facsimile message to the destination if the destination is available at the second time, includes initiating a new telephone call to the destination.

11. The computer-readable medium of claim 8 wherein the destination has a corresponding telephone number, and initiating a telephone call includes initiating the telephone call to the telephone number of the destination.

12. Computer-readable medium having computer-readable code embodied therein, the computer-readable code comprising:

means for detecting an initiation of a telephone call to a destination by detecting an off-hook delay trigger assigned to a line of an originating party, a content of the call including a data message;

means for suspending the telephone call and launching a information message from an originating service switching point to at least one service control point if the off-hook delay trigger is detected;

means for determining a destination condition for the destination at a first time using the at least one service control point;

means for launching a transmit message from the at least one service control point to the originating service switching point to transmit the data message to the destination if the destination condition was “

answer”

at the first time;

means for launching a routing data message from the at least one service control point to the originating service switching point to route the telephone call to a messaging platform only if the destination condition was “

busy”

or “

no-answer”

at the first time; and

means for, if the data message was routed to the messaging platform;

(i) storing the routed data message on the messaging platform;

(ii) determining a destination condition at a second time, the second time later than the first time; and

(iii) transmitting the data message to the destination if the destination condition was “

answer”

at the second time.