Enhanced facsimile handling

• US 20080252933A1
• Filed: 04/12/2007
• Published: 10/16/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 04/12/2007
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Das, Archan, Jain, Manoj
• Application Number:
  US11/786,526
• Publication Number:
  US 20080252933A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 358/402
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00206 Transmitting or receiving computer data via an image communication device, e.g. a facsimile transceiver H04N1/00236 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00464 using browsers, i.e. interfaces based on mark-up languages

Abstract

Described herein is technology for, among other things, facilitating transmissions of facsimiles by a computer. It involves various techniques for facilitating the preparation of a facsimile including storing the facsimiles in an editable format and initializing a fax application.

Claims

1. A method for faxing a file stored on a computer, the method comprising:

presenting a contextual menu;

receiving a request to send the file via fax;

determining a default fax application;

invoking said default fax application; and

communicating information related to said file to said fax application.

2. The method as recited in claim 1 wherein said contextual menu is presented via a file browser.

3. The method as recited in claim 1 wherein said contextual menu is presented within an application for viewing the contents of said file.

4. The method as recited in claim 1 wherein said fax application is invoked via an application programming interface.

5. The method as recited in claim 1 further comprising:

checking if said file can be faxed.

6. The method as recited in claim 1 further comprising:

accessing information comprising available fax applications.

7. The method as recited in claim 6 wherein said information is available though an operating system.

8. The method as recited in claim 1 further comprising:

accessing command information for said default fax application.

9. A method for initiating a fax from within an application, the method comprising:

presenting a file, wherein said file contains a fax link that includes information pertaining to sending a fax;

receiving a request corresponding to said fax link;

determining a default fax application;

invoking said default fax application; and

providing said fax application with said information.

10. The method as recited in claim 9 wherein said link is formatted as an HTML link.

11. The method as recited in claim 9 wherein said information comprises one or more recipients.

12. The method as recited in claim 9 wherein said information comprises a body of a fax message.

13. The method as recited in claim 9 wherein said information comprises a contact in an address book.

14. The method as recited in claim 9 wherein said information comprises a subject of a fax.

15. The method as recited in claim 9 wherein said information comprises a link to a file to be attached to said fax.

16. A computer-readable medium having stored thereon a data structure for storing a fax, comprising:

a first data field representing one or more fax recipients;

a second data field representing a subject of a fax; and

a third data field representing a body of a fax.

20. The computer-readable medium as recited in claim 16 wherein said third data field comprises an attached file.

17. The computer-readable medium as recited in claim in 16 further comprising:

a fourth data field representing fax sender information.

18. The computer-readable medium as recited in claim 17 further comprising:

a fifth data field representing fax cover page information.

19. The computer-readable medium as recited in claim 19 further comprising:

a sixth data field representing a scheduled fax time.