Facsimile long term storage and retrieval system

• US 5,861,959 A
• Filed: 02/06/1997
• Issued: 01/19/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 02/07/1996
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Nice Systems Limited (Nice Ltd)
• Original Assignee: Nice Systems Limited (Nice Ltd)
• Inventors: Barak, Haim
• Primary Examiner(s): Moore, David K.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Grant, II, Jerome
• Application Number:
  US08/797,484
• Time in Patent Office: 712 Days
• Field of Search: 358/400, 358/402, 358/403, 358/407, 358/434, 358/435, 358/436, 358/440, 358/468, 358/404, 370/351, 370/354, 370/360, 370/362, 370/382-386, 379/100.04, 379/100.06, 379/100.12, 379/100.13, 379/102.02, 379/67
• US Class Current: 358/403
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/2166 for mass storage, e.g. in document filing systems information retrieval G06F16/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/32122 in a separate device, e.g. in a memory or on a display separate from image data
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3209 of a telephone number
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3214 of a date
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3216 of a job size, e.g. a number of images, pages or copies, size of file, length of message
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3274 Storage or retrieval of prestored additional information

Abstract

A passive long term facsimile transmission storage and retrieval system, which includes a facsimile logger passively coupled to at least one telephone line connected to a facsimile machine is provided. The facsimile logger acquires and stores the facsimile transmissions that occur on the telephone line, on long term archive media. The system also includes a database coupled to the facsimile logger and at least one workstation coupled to the facsimile logger. The database holds relevant data associated with the stored facsimile transmission. The workstation is able to search for and retrieve the facsimile transmissions previously stored by the facsimile logger on the long term archive media.

Claims

1. A multi-channel passive facsimile logger coupled passively to N telephone lines connected to N facsimile machines, comprising:

a. N passive telephone line interfaces coupled to said N telephone lines, said N passive telephone line interfaces interfacing said N telephone lines to a switch having N input ports and M output ports, said N passive telephone interfaces operative to not interfere with facsimile transmissions occurring on said N telephone lines;

b. a facsimile detector coupled to said N passive telephone line interfaces, said facsimile detector detecting the presence of said facsimile transmissions on said N telephone lines;

c. said switch coupled to said N passive telephone line interfaces through said N input ports, said M output ports coupled to M fax/modems, said switch able to coupled any one passive telephone line interface to any one fax/modem;

d. said M fax/modems coupled to said M output ports, said M fax/modems for translating said facsimile transmissions from a telephone line facsimile signal format into digital facsimile data;

e. a processor coupled to said M fax/modems for receiving and processing said digital facsimile data, said processor controlling the operation of said passive facsimile logger, said processor for determining the input to output configuration of said switch;

f. a database coupled to said processor, said database holding relevant data associated with said facsimile transmissions;

g. a storage coupled to said processor, said storage providing a temporary memory storage area for said facsimile transmissions as they are received from said telephone line;

h. an archive subsystem coupled to said processor, said archive subsystem recording said facsimile transmissions on long term archive media, said archive subsystem retrieving said facsimile transmissions, previously archived, upon command from said processor; and

i. an archive queue coupled to said processor, said archive queue holding said facsimile transmissions that have been received and are awaiting to be archived.

2. The facsimile logger according to claim 1, wherein N and M are both positive integers.

3. A multi-channel active facsimile logger coupled to N telephone lines and to N facsimile machines, comprising:

a. N telephone line interfaces coupled to said N telephone lines, said N telephone line interfaces interfacing said N telephone lines to an internal data bus;

b. N facsimile line interfaces coupled to said N facsimile machines, said N facsimile line interfaces interfacing said N facsimile machines to said internal data bus;

c. a switch having N input ports and M output ports, said N input ports coupled to said internal data bus, said M output ports coupled to M fax/modems, said switch able to couple any one telephone line interface to any one fax/modem and any one facsimile machine to any one fax/modem;

d. said M fax/modems coupled to said M output ports, said M fax/modems for translating said facsimile transmissions between a telephone line facsimile signal format and digital facsimile data;

e. a processor coupled to said M fax/modems for receiving and processing said digital facsimile data, said processor controlling the operation of said active facsimile logger, said processor for determining the input to output configuration of said switch;

f. a database coupled to said processor, said database holding relevant data associated with said facsimile transmissions;

g. a storage coupled to said processor, said storage providing a temporary memory storage area for said facsimile transmissions as they are received from said telephone line;

h. an archive subsystem coupled to said processor, said archive subsystem recording said facsimile transmissions on long term archive media, said archive subsystem retrieving said facsimile transmissions, previously archived, upon command from said processor; and

i. an archive queue coupled to said processor, said archive queue holding said facsimile transmissions that have been received and are awaiting to be archived.

4. The facsimile logger according to claim 3, wherein N and M are both positive integers.

5. A multi-channel facsimile logger, comprising:

a. L passive telephone line interfaces coupled to L telephone lines, said L passive telephone line interfaces interfacing said L telephone lines to an internal data bus, said L passive telephone interfaces operative to not interfere with facsimile transmissions occurring on said L telephone lines;

b. a facsimile detector coupled to said L passive telephone line interfaces, said facsimile detector detecting the presence of said facsimile transmissions on said L telephone lines;

c. N telephone line interfaces coupled to N telephone lines, said N telephone line interfaces interfacing said N telephone lines to an internal data bus;

d. N facsimile line interfaces coupled to N facsimile machines, said N facsimile line interfaces interfacing said N facsimile machines to said internal data bus;

e. a switch having N input ports and M output ports, said N input ports coupled to said internal data bus, said M output ports coupled to M fax/modems, said switch able to couple any one of said N telephone line interfaces to any one of said M fax/modems, any one of said N facsimile machines to any one of said M fax/modems and any one of said L passive telephone line interfaces to any one of said M fax/modems;

f. said M fax/modems coupled to said M output ports, said M fax/modems for translating said facsimile transmissions between a telephone line facsimile signal format and digital facsimile data;

g. a processor coupled to said M fax/modems for receiving and processing said digital facsimile data, said processor controlling the operation of said active facsimile logger, said processor for determining the input to output configuration of said switch;

h. a database coupled to said processor, said database holding relevant data associated with said facsimile transmissions;

i. a storage coupled to said processor, said storage providing a temporary memory storage area for said facsimile transmissions as they are received from said telephone line;

j. an archive subsystem coupled to said processor, said archive subsystem recording said facsimile transmissions on long term archive media, said archive subsystem retrieving said facsimile transmissions, previously archived, upon command from said processor; and

k. an archive queue coupled to said processor, said archive queue holding said facsimile transmissions that have been received and are awaiting to be archived.

6. The facsimile logger according to claim 5, wherein L, M and M are all positive integers.