Fax accounts and re-assigning fax messages

• US 20060238822A1
• Filed: 04/22/2005
• Published: 10/26/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 04/22/2005
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Van Hoof, Hubert
• Application Number:
  US11/112,975
• Publication Number:
  US 20060238822A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 358/402
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00204 with a digital computer or a digital computer system, e.g. an internet server programmed control between transmitter and receiver or between image input and image output device H04N1/32561
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00244 with a server, e.g. an internet server fax-servers or the like for store and forward H04N1/324
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/324 intermediate the transmitter and receiver terminals, e.g. at an exchange
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/32411 Handling instructions for routing or relaying
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/32422 Reprocessing messages, e.g. in case the intended destination is busy
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/32432 in a particular memory file for retrieval by the user, e.g. in a facsimile mailbox
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/4413 involving the use of passwords, ID codes or the like, e.g. PIN
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/444 to a particular document or image or part thereof
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0093 Facsimile machine H04N2201/0094 takes precedence

Abstract

A fax account is described and creates an association between users and documents that are faxed. A fax account allows a user to secure their faxed documents and organize and streamline fax communication via different transports. In at least some embodiments, security is enhanced through the use of an authentication model that authenticates individual users before giving them access to the fax functionality or, more accurately, their fax account. In at least some embodiments, fax accounts also provide users with an infrastructure through which they can manage their documents. In addition, in at least some embodiments, fax accounts can be used to manage and direct received faxes to the intended recipient, thus reducing the possibility of an unintended recipient gaining access to the fax.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving a fax message intended for at least one recipient;

ascertaining said at least one recipient; and

re-assigning the fax message to a fax account associated with said at least one recipient.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said act of ascertaining is performed by ascertaining said at least one recipient from information included on a cover sheet.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein said act of ascertaining is performed by visually inspecting at least one page of the fax message.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein said act of ascertaining is performed by algorithmically analyzing the fax message.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein said act of ascertaining is performed by algorithmically analyzing the fax message, wherein said act of algorithmically analyzing is performed by employing optical character recognition.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein said act of ascertaining is performed by algorithmically analyzing the fax message, wherein said act of algorithmically analyzing is performed by employing handwriting analysis.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein said act of ascertaining is performed by algorithmically analyzing the fax message, wherein said act of algorithmically analyzing is performed by employing at least one of optical character recognition or handwriting analysis.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein said act of ascertaining is performed by algorithmically analyzing the fax message, wherein the act of ascertaining further comprises visually inspecting at least one page of the fax message.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein said act of ascertaining is performed responsive to granting access rights to access said fax message.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein said act of ascertaining is performed responsive to granting access rights to access said fax message, wherein said access rights grant access only to one page of the fax message.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein said act of ascertaining is performed responsive to granting access rights to access said fax message, wherein said access rights grant access only to one page of the fax message, wherein said one page comprises a cover sheet.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein said act of re-assigning comprises moving the fax message to a folder associated with the fax account.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein said act of re-assigning comprises not retaining a copy of the fax message.

14. A system comprising:

a processor;

one or more computer-readable media; and

computer-readable instructions on the computer-readable media which, when executed by the processor, implement a method comprising;

receiving a fax message intended for at least one recipient; and

re-assigning the fax message to a fax account associated with said at least one recipient.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the computer-readable instructions implement optical character recognition to identify, from the fax message, said at least one recipient.

16. The system of claim 14, wherein the computer-readable instructions implement hand writing analysis to identify, from the fax message, said at least one recipient.

17. The system of claim 14, wherein the computer-readable instructions implement both optical character recognition and hand writing analysis to identify, from the fax message, said at least one recipient.

18. The system of claim 14, wherein said act of re-assigning is performed responsive to visually inspecting at least one page of the fax message.

19. The system of claim 14, wherein said act of re-assigning comprises moving the fax message to a folder associated with the fax account.

20. The system of claim 14, wherein said act of re-assigning comprises not retaining a copy of the fax message.