System and a process for transmission of secure faxes

• US 5,587,809 A
• Filed: 01/03/1996
• Issued: 12/24/1996
• Est. Priority Date: 01/28/1993
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: France Telecom Etablissement Autonome de Droit Public, La Poste
• Original Assignee: France Telecom Etablissement Autonome de Droit Public, La Poste
• Inventors: Boudet, Fran.cedilla.ois, Grimault, Jean-Luc, Le Corre, Herve
• Primary Examiner(s): VU, KIM Y
• Application Number:
  US08/582,224
• Time in Patent Office: 356 Days
• Field of Search: 358/400, 358/403, 358/405, 358/406-407, 358/435, 358/436
• US Class Current: 358/405
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/321 involving a third party or a trusted authority
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/3247 involving digital signatures
• 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 1/32438 Informing the addressee of reception
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/4406 Restricting access, e.g. according to user identity mechanisms actuated y cards, PIN or the like in apparatus for dispensing G07F7/08
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/4413 involving the use of passwords, ID codes or the like, e.g. PIN
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/4426 involving separate means, e.g. a server, a magnetic card
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/4433 to an apparatus, part of an apparatus or an apparatus function
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/444 to a particular document or image or part thereof
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/4486 using digital data encryption
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3218 of a confirmation, acknowledgement or receipt

Abstract

The invention concerns a system and process for sending secure faxes that include a sending fax machine (20); a receiving fax machine (23); and a registered fax server (21). One of the fax machines is provided with a security module that assures document integrity, produces and verifies digital signatures and combats replays.

Claims

1. A process for secure transmission of a document with a "registered fax" notice, using a fax server, comprising the following steps:

a secure sending step (22) for sending the document to be faxed by a sending fax machine (20) to the server (21) wherein the sending fax machine gives the server a name of a recipient;

a sending step (24) in which the server sends the recipient a "registered fax" notice which has a reference number;

a recall step (25) following the sending step in which the recipient (23) recalls the server and is authenticated by the server by verifying the identity of the recipient and a digital signature of the recipient, and asks the server to send the document on a specific fax machine, with the document remaining available to the recipient for a predefined time; and

an authentication step for authenticating the recipient by the server, sending (26) said document to the specific fax machine and sending (27) a receipt that the document was sent to the sending fax machine.