Facsimile output job sorting unit and system
First Claim
1. An apparatus for separating the physical outputted job sheets sequentially outputted by the output of a facsimile receiving apparatus into separate job sheets sets for separate designed recipients of faxed documents transmitted thereto, comprising:
- a facsimile receiver output job sorting accessory unit, said accessory unit including;
sheet input means positionable at said sheet output of said facsimile receiving apparatus to sequentially receive said output sheets therefrom and feed them in a sheet feeding path into said input means,plural discrete facsimile output sheet collection bins,control means for electronically assigning discrete bin numbers to respective said discrete facsimile output sheet collection bins, and for variably electronically assigning said discrete bin numbers to discrete designated facsimile recipients,optical sensing means in said sheet input means and operatively connecting with said control means for detecting uniquely marked area encoding corresponding to a said bin number on a facsimile output sheet in said feeding path in said input means and for determining if a said detected encoding corresponds to a said bin number so designated for a facsimile recipient,and sheet bin selection and feeding means, controlled by said determination of said optical sensing means and said control means, for selectively feeding sequential facsimile output sheets from said sheet input means to designated said facsimile output sheet collection bins subsequent to a said detection by said optical sensing means and said control means of said marked area encoding of a facsimile output sheet corresponding to a said assigned bin number for a said designated facsimile recipient.
3 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
Separating the physical sheets outputted from a shared users printer, especially, a facsimile receiver, into separate job sets for separate designed recipients, with an independent "mailboxing" job sorting accessory unit, not requiring any electronic connection to the printer, controlled solely by physical job cover sheets outputted by the printer at the same output in advance of the other sheets of the job, which cover sheets variably encoded with simply and uncritically marked areas indicative of an assigned bin number and the job sheet count. The unit sequentially takes the printer output sheets and feeds them through a sheet input with optical sensing connecting with a control for detecting the marked area encoding of the cover sheet and determining if it corresponds to an assigned bin number, for feeding the subsequent output sheets of the designated sheet count to a designated bin subsequent to such a detection; and for feeding output sheets to another output sheet collection bin if no such encoding is detected. The disclosed unit also desirably has bin locking for restricting access to individual bins with electrical unlocking of a bin in response to entry of a bin access code. Also disclosed is automatic bin recipient telephoning.
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Citations
25 Claims
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1. An apparatus for separating the physical outputted job sheets sequentially outputted by the output of a facsimile receiving apparatus into separate job sheets sets for separate designed recipients of faxed documents transmitted thereto, comprising:
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a facsimile receiver output job sorting accessory unit, said accessory unit including; sheet input means positionable at said sheet output of said facsimile receiving apparatus to sequentially receive said output sheets therefrom and feed them in a sheet feeding path into said input means, plural discrete facsimile output sheet collection bins, control means for electronically assigning discrete bin numbers to respective said discrete facsimile output sheet collection bins, and for variably electronically assigning said discrete bin numbers to discrete designated facsimile recipients, optical sensing means in said sheet input means and operatively connecting with said control means for detecting uniquely marked area encoding corresponding to a said bin number on a facsimile output sheet in said feeding path in said input means and for determining if a said detected encoding corresponds to a said bin number so designated for a facsimile recipient, and sheet bin selection and feeding means, controlled by said determination of said optical sensing means and said control means, for selectively feeding sequential facsimile output sheets from said sheet input means to designated said facsimile output sheet collection bins subsequent to a said detection by said optical sensing means and said control means of said marked area encoding of a facsimile output sheet corresponding to a said assigned bin number for a said designated facsimile recipient. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15)
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16. A system for separating the outputted plural physical sheet jobs from the output of an electronically shared users document job printer, which printer comprises, but is not limited to, a facsimile receiver printer, into separate job sets for separate designed recipients of documents jobs electronically transmitted to said printer, comprising:
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a variably encoded physical job cover sheet outputted by said printer at said same output in advance of said outputted sheets of a said printer output job, said job cover sheet being variably encoded with marked areas indicative of a bin number and a job sheet count number for said printer output job; and a printer output job sheet sorting accessory unit, said job sorting accessory unit including; sheet input means positionable ,at said sheet output of said job printer to sequentially receive said output job sheets therefrom and feed them in a sheet feeding path into said sheet input means, plural discrete job output sheet collection bins, control means for electronically assigning discrete said bin numbers to respective said job printer output sheet collection bins, and for electronically assigning different said discrete bin numbers to different said shared users of said job printer, optical sensing means in said sheet input means and operatively connecting with said control means for detecting said marked area encoding on said cover sheet and determining if it corresponds to a said assigned bin number, and sheet bin selection and feeding means, controlled by said determination of said optical sensing means and said control means, for selectively feeding said output sheets from said sheet input means to designated said output sheet collection bins subsequent to a said detection by said optical sensing means and said control means of a preceding said cover sheet with said marked area encoding corresponding to a said assigned bin number for a said designated shared job printer user, for job sorting, and for feeding said output sheets to another said output sheet collection bin if no said encoding is so detected. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23)
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24. A system for separating the outputted plural jobs of plural physical sheets from the output of an electronically shared users job printer by separate designated recipients of documents jobs electronically transmitted to said printer, comprising:
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a printer output sorting mailbox system, said sorting mailbox system including; a sheet input path at said sheet output of said shared users printer to sequentially receive said output job sheets therefrom, plural discrete job output sheet collection bins providing user mailboxes, a control system for electronically assigning discrete bin numbers to respective said output sheet collection bins, and for electronically assigning said discrete bin numbers to different said users of said shared users job printer, a sheet bin selection and feeding system controlled by said control system for selectively feeding said job sheets from said sheet input path to designated output sheet collection bins corresponding to said electronically assigned bin numbers for said designated users, said printer output sorting mailbox system also having a bin locking system for restricting access to a plurality of individual said output sheet collection user mailbox bins thereof, including an electrical bin unlocking system operatively connecting with said control system for automatically unlocking discrete said bins in response to user entries of discrete bin unlocking access codes assigned to discrete users of said printer output sorting mailbox system. - View Dependent Claims (25)
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Specification