Protocol converter for a secure FAX transmission system
First Claim
1. A secure facsimile protocol converter for being disposed between the analog input/output port of a non-secure Group 3 facsimile machine having a first multi-page protocol and a digital input/output port having a second and single page protocol, comprising:
- a first input/output port for interfacing with the Group 3 facsimile machine;
a second input/output port for interfacing with the digital input/output port;
a facsimile processor unit for generating facsimile communication signals for communicating with the Group 3 machine in accordance with the associated first protocol;
an digital port processor unit for communicating with the digital input/output port in accordance with the associated second protocol;
a memory for storing transfer data; and
a control processor unit for controlling said facsimile processor unit and said digital port processor unit to operate in either a send mode or in a receive mode, in the send mode, said control processor operable to receive pages of information from the Group 3 facsimile machine in accordance with the first multi-page protocol thereof for storage in said memory and subsequent transfer of said stored pages of information to the digital input/output port through said second input/output port in accordance with the second protocol and, in the receive mode, for receiving through said second input/output port pages of information from the secure encryptor/decryptor telephone unit in accordance with the second protocol for storage in said memory and subsequent transfer of said pages of data stored in said memory to said first input/output port in accordance with the first multi-page protocol thereof and subsequently to the Group 3 facsimile machine.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A secure facsimile interface includes a main CPU (30) having associated therewith a bulk memory (32) for storing transfer data between a Group 3 facsimile machine (20) and a secure encryptor/decryptor telephone unit (10) that operates in accordance with MIL-STD-188-161. The main CPU (30) interfaces with the Group 3 machine (20) through an RJ11 port. A TELCO simulator (42) generates the telephone signals necessary to communicate with the Group 3 machine (20) and a FAX interface (36) is operable to interface between the audio and digital domain, and with the main CPU (30). An RS232 interface is connected to the encryptor/decryptor telephone unit (10) with a bit stream processor (40) operable to interface with the protocol thereof. A forward error correction processor (38) is provided for interfacing between the bit stream processor (40) and the main CPU (30) and selectively providing forward error correction detection of incoming data and encoding error correction information on outgoing data on a substantially real time basis. Data is received from the encryptor/decryptor telephone unit (10) on a page basis and stored in the memory (32) for later transfer to the Group 3 machine (20). In the opposite direction, data is received from the Group 3 machine (20) and stored on a page basis in the memory (32) for later transfer to the secure encryptor/decryptor telephone unit.
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Citations
24 Claims
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1. A secure facsimile protocol converter for being disposed between the analog input/output port of a non-secure Group 3 facsimile machine having a first multi-page protocol and a digital input/output port having a second and single page protocol, comprising:
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a first input/output port for interfacing with the Group 3 facsimile machine; a second input/output port for interfacing with the digital input/output port; a facsimile processor unit for generating facsimile communication signals for communicating with the Group 3 machine in accordance with the associated first protocol; an digital port processor unit for communicating with the digital input/output port in accordance with the associated second protocol; a memory for storing transfer data; and a control processor unit for controlling said facsimile processor unit and said digital port processor unit to operate in either a send mode or in a receive mode, in the send mode, said control processor operable to receive pages of information from the Group 3 facsimile machine in accordance with the first multi-page protocol thereof for storage in said memory and subsequent transfer of said stored pages of information to the digital input/output port through said second input/output port in accordance with the second protocol and, in the receive mode, for receiving through said second input/output port pages of information from the secure encryptor/decryptor telephone unit in accordance with the second protocol for storage in said memory and subsequent transfer of said pages of data stored in said memory to said first input/output port in accordance with the first multi-page protocol thereof and subsequently to the Group 3 facsimile machine. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
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10. A secure facsimile protocol converter for being disposed between the telephone port of a Group 3 facsimile machine and a digital input/output port having a protocol that operates on a single page basis, comprising:
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an RJ11 input/output port for interfacing with the Group 3 facsimile machine with a Group 3 facsimile protocol operating on a multi-page basis; an RS232 serial input/output port for interfacing with the digital input/output port; a telephone interface for generating signals to interface with the telephone port of the Group 3 facsimile machine through the RJ11 input/output port; a facsimile modem for interfacing between a digital domain and the protocol of the Group 3 facsimile machine through said telephone interface; a facsimile processor control unit for controlling the operation of said facsimile modem in the digital domain, and for transferring data thereto and therefrom; an RS232 interface for interfacing with said RS232 serial input/output port; a bit stream processor for interfacing with the protocol of the digital input/output port unit through said RS232 interface; a forward error correction processor for selectively performing a forward error correction in substantially real time on received data from said bit stream processor and for encrypting error correction within data sent to said bit stream processor in substantially real time; a main memory for storing transfer data on a page basis; a main control processor unit for controlling the operation of said facsimile control processor unit and said forward error correction processor and said bit stream processor to operate in a send mode or a receive mode; operation in the send mode operable to receive data from the Group 3 facsimile machine in accordance with the associated protocol operating on a multi-page basis for storage in said main memory on a page basis and subsequent transfer of the stored data to the digital input/output port on a single page basis in accordance with the protocol of the digital input/output port; and operation in the receive mode operable to receive data from the digital input/output port on a single page basis in accordance with the protocol of the digital input/output port for storage in said memory on a page basis and subsequent transfer to the Group 3 facsimile machine by said facsimile processor unit and said facsimile modem in accordance with the associated Group 3 protocol operating on a multi-page basis. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13, 14)
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15. A method for transmitting secure facsimile information between the telephone port of a non-secure Group 3 facsimile machine having a first protocol and a digital input/output port having a second protocol for communicating with a secure facsimile machine through a public telephone network, the first protocol operating on a multi-page basis and the second protocol operating on a single page basis, comprising the steps of:
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providing a first input/output port for interfacing with the telephone port of the Group 3 facsimile machine; providing a second input/output port for interfacing with the digital input/output port; generating facsimile communication signals for communicating with the telephone port of the Group 3 facsimile machine in accordance with the first protocol through a facsimile processor unit; communicating with the digital input/output port in accordance with the second protocol through a digital port processor unit; storing transfer data in a memory storage device; controlling in a main processor function the facsimile processor unit and the digital port processor unit to operate in either a send mode or in a receive mode; in the send mode, receiving pages of information from the telephone port of the Group 3 facsimile machine through the first input/output port in accordance with the first protocol for storage in the memory device and subsequently transferring the stored pages of information to the digital input/output port through the second input/output port in accordance with the second protocol; and in the receive mode, receiving through the second input/output port pages of information from the digital input/output port in accordance with the second protocol for storage in the memory device and subsequently transferring the pages of data stored in the memory device to the first input/output port and subsequently to the telephone port of the Group 3 facsimile machine in accordance with the first protocol. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22)
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23. A secure facsimile protocol converter for being disposed between the telephone port of a Group 3 facsimile machine and a digital input/output port, the Group 3 facsimile machine operating in accordance with a Group 3 facsimile protocol requiring a single first protocol header associated with a multi-page transmission or reception and the input/output of data to the digital input/output port operating in accordance with a second protocol requiring a single second protocol header for each page of information transmitted thereto or received therefrom, comprising:
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a first input/output port for interfacing with the telephone input/output port of the Group 3 facsimile machine; a second input/output port for interfacing with the digital input/output port; a first converter device for operating in a transmission mode to receive the multi-page transmission from the Group 3 facsimile machine through said first input/output port and remove the first protocol header therefrom followed by generation of a second protocol header in accordance with the second protocol for association with each page of information, said first converter device operable to transmit the single pages and associated second protocol headers out through said second input/output port; and a second converter device operating in a receive mode for receiving pages of information from said second input/output port each having a second protocol header associated therewith in accordance with the second protocol, said second converter device operable to remove said second protocol header from each of said pages of information received from said second input/output port and generate a single first protocol header for a multi-page transmission to the Group 3 facsimile machine through said first input/output port in accordance with the Group 3 facsimile protocol, and then transmit said multi-page transmission to the Group 3 facsimile machine through said first input/output port. - View Dependent Claims (24)
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Specification