Establishment of facsimile calls
First Claim
1. A fax call method comprising the steps of:
- receiving, on a call from a facsimile station, a terminating number of a first destination that cannot serve facsimile traffic; and
translating the terminating number to a code of a facsimile station for serving said first destination.
2 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
This invention relates to methods of establishing facsimile (fax) connections. If a call is originated from a fax source and the destination is a voice station, then the call will be automatically redirected to a fax machine designated to receive fax messages for the voice station. A fax call is detected by a class of service indication in a local switching office, or by having a number forwarded to a toll office from a local office by Automatic Number Identification (ANI) of the caller that is one of a list of fax numbers. When it is determined that a call is a fax call, a fax indicator is sent with Common Channel Signaling (CCS) messages for that call. If a call with a fax indicator is received in a destination switching office, then the destination office checks to see if the called number is a fax number; if not, translation is made to find the number of a fax station for serving fax calls to the called number, and the call is completed to that fax station. Advantageously, customers need not know a fax number to transmit a fax message to an intended recipient.
161 Citations
32 Claims
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1. A fax call method comprising the steps of:
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receiving, on a call from a facsimile station, a terminating number of a first destination that cannot serve facsimile traffic; and translating the terminating number to a code of a facsimile station for serving said first destination.
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2. A fax call method comprising the steps of:
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in response to reception of a call from a facsimile station, determining whether a specified call destination is another facsimile station; and in response to determining that the call destination is not another facsimile station, completing the call to a facsimile destination associated with the specified call destination.
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3. A method of setting up a facsimile call comprising the steps of:
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recognizing that the call is from a facsimile station; responsive to said step of recognizing, setting a facsimile indicator in a common channel signaling (CCS) message being sent to a switching system; and processing the call as a facsimile call in the switching system. - View Dependent Claims (4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13)
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14. A telecommunications switching system for switchably interconnecting terminals connectable thereto, comprising:
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a translation table for storing voice to fax number translations; and processor means, operative under the control of a program, and responsive to receipt of a call with a fax indicator and a voice destination number, for detecting said fax indicator, and for translating said voice number to a fax number if said fax indicator is detected, and for completing said call to said fax number.
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15. A telecommunications switching system for switchably interconnecting terminals connectable thereto, comprising:
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a table for storing telephone numbers of facsimile machines originating calls served by said system; and processor means, operative under the control of a program, for inserting a fax indicator in a common channel signaling (CCS) message being sent to a switching system for calls from one of said telephone numbers of facsimile machines. - View Dependent Claims (16)
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17. A telecommunications switching system for switchably interconnecting terminals connectable thereto, comprising:
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class of service indications of lines connected to facsimile machines; and processor means, operative under the control of a program, for recognizing said class of service indications and, responsive to said recognition on a call for inserting a fax indicator in a common channel signaling (CCS) message being sent to a switching system for said call.
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18. A telecommunications switching system for switchably interconnecting terminals connectable thereto, comprising:
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a dual tone multifrequency (DTMF) receiver; a table for storing telephone numbers of facsimile machines originating calls served by said system; and processor means, operative under the control of a program, for recognizing a fax call from one of said telephone numbers to another number, for connecting said DTMF receiver to said call, and responsive to signals received by said DTMF receiver, for extending said call to a fax store and forward facility, and for forwarding said one of said telephone numbers and said another number to said fax store and forward facility.
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19. A method of setting up a facsimile call comprising the steps of:
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recognizing that said call is from a facsimile station; responsive to said step of recognizing, setting a facsimile indicator in a common channel signaling (CCS) message being sent to a switching system; processing the call as a facsimile call in the switching system; and responsive to reception of dialed information from a caller of said call, connecting said call to a store and forward facility for storing a facsimile message for subsequent delivery without requiring said caller to reoriginate; wherein said step of recognizing comprises the steps of; receiving an automatic number identification (ANI) number of a calling customer; and translating said ANI number to determine whether a line associated with said ANI number is connected to a facsimile station; wherein said processing step comprises the steps of; determining that a call destination for said call is not another facsimile station; translating from an identity of said destination to an identity of an associated facsimile station; and completing the call to said identified associated facsimile station.
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20. A call establishment method for a non-voice call type comprising:
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recognizing a non-voice call type at an ingress switching system to a communications network; transmitting data identifying a voice call destination and data identifying the non-voice call type to an egress switching system of the network said egress system for serving the voice call destination; and translating the combination of the non-voice call type and the voice call destination to determine an alternate destination for the non-voice call type and extending the call from the egress switching system toward the alternate destination. - View Dependent Claims (21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26)
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27. A method of processing a fax call comprising:
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receiving a call from a fax station to a number of other than a fax facility; and in response to said step of receiving, automatically sending each said call to a fax facility; wherein said receiving comprises; recognizing at an ingress switch of a communications network for establishing said call that said call is from a fax station; transmitting a fax signal for said call to an egress switch of said network; and recognizing at said egress switch that said call, having said fax signal, is directed to said number of other than a fax facility. - View Dependent Claims (28, 29, 30, 31, 32)
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Specification