Facsimile network

• US 6,256,115 B1
• Filed: 02/21/1997
• Issued: 07/03/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 02/21/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Wabec, LLC
• Original Assignee: Worldquest Networks, Inc.
• Inventors: Thorn, David Wayne, Graham, Bruce Willard, Poss, John Claybron, Quaid, Tommy Wayne Jr., Adler, B. Michael
• Primary Examiner(s): Au, Amelia M.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Wu, Jingge
• Application Number:
  US08/803,898
• Time in Patent Office: 1,593 Days
• Field of Search: 358/403, 358/407, 358/434, 358/442, 379/100.14, 379/100.15, 379/100.16, 379/100.17, 370/351
• US Class Current: 358/442
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00209 Transmitting or receiving image data, e.g. facsimile data, via a computer, e.g. using e-mail, a computer network, the internet, I-fax
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/32358 using picture signal storage, e.g. at transmitter H04N1/17 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/32406 in connection with routing or relaying, e.g. using a fax-server or a store-and-forward facility stored and forward data switching systems H04L12/54
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0017 Notifying a communication result
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0093 Facsimile machine H04N2201/0094 takes precedence

Abstract

A facsimile network includes a plurality of nodes (10)-(14) which are disposed at different locations in the world. An originating fax machine (16) is associated with one of the nodes (10) for transmitting a fax over a local public telephone network (PSTN) (18). When the node (10) receives the fax transmission in the normal transmission mode, it then converts it to a digitized compressed and encrypted image which is transmitted over a primary network (24), such as the Internet, to a destination node (14) by a predetermined route. The node (14) then decompresses and de-encrypts the image and converts it to a facsimile image for transmission to a destination fax (20) in a normal mode over a local PSTN (22). A node (12) operates as a central node which can also receive the transmission for routing directly to the fax or for directing via another network link to the node (14).

Claims

1. A facsimile transmission system, comprising:

a first network;

a fax source for generating a fax transmission and transmitting the generated fax transmission over said first network in a first facsimile transaction, after which said fax source is disconnected from said first network;

a buffer node interfaced with said first network for receiving said fax transmission therefrom during said first facsimile transaction, said buffer node including;

a buffer storage area for storing at least a portion of said received fax transmission during said first facsimile transaction,

a fax transmission device for initiating a fax connection over a second network to a destination fax system in a second facsimile transaction separate from said first facsimile transaction,

a fax delivery system for delivering during said second facsimile transaction said received fax transmission to said destination fax system independent of the operation of said fax source and capable of operating after completion of said first facsimile transaction,

a status device for determining the status of the fax delivery by said fax delivery system to said destination fax system, and

a status feedback device for forwarding said status information to said fax source of said first facsimile transaction through said first network during the delivery operation of said fax transmission to said destination fax by said fax delivery device at said buffer node and during said second facsimile transaction, such that status information of the delivery of less than all of said fax transmission can be sent to said fax source prior to the delivery of all of said fax transmission; and

said fax source having a storage area associated therewith for storing said received status information.

2. The facsimile system of claim 1, wherein said fax source further includes a display for displaying said received status information from said first network.

3. The facsimile system of claim 1, wherein said first network includes a public switched telephone network (PSTN) and said fax source includes a fax system that is operable to send a fax transmission over said PSTN in a format compatible therewith.

4. The facsimile system of claim 3, wherein said first network includes:

a global data network interfaced with said buffer node;

an intermediate node for interfacing with said PSTN and receiving said fax transmission thereover; and

a translation device for translating said received fax transmission from a protocol compatible with said PSTN to a protocol compatible with said global data network.

5. The facsimile system of claim 4, wherein said intermediate node includes a compression device for compressing said translated information prior to transmission to said buffer node over said global data network as said fax transmission, and said buffer node further comprising a decompression device for decompressing said received fax transmission.

6. The facsimile system of claim 4, wherein said intermediate node includes an encryption device for encrypting said translated information prior to transmission to said buffer node over said global data network as said fax transmission, and said buffer node further comprising a decryption device for decrypting said received fax transmission.

7. The facsimile system of claim 1, wherein said first network comprises a global data network and said fax source is operable to transmit information over said global data network as image information in a predetermined protocol, which constitutes said fax transmission.

8. The facsimile system of claim 7, wherein said fax source includes a compression device for compressing said image information prior to transmission to said buffer node over said global data network and said buffer node further comprising a decompression device for decompressing said received fax transmission.

9. The facsimile system of claim 7, wherein said fax source node includes an encryption device for encrypting said image information prior to transmission to said buffer node over said global data network and said buffer node further comprising a decryption device for decrypting said received fax transmission.

10. The facsimile system of claim 1, wherein said fax transmission device in said buffer nodes initiates said fax connection prior to receipt of all of said received fax transmission by said buffer node.

11. The facsimile system of claim 10, wherein said fax transmission device in said buffer node initiates said fax connection to said destination fax system prior to the receipt of the end of said fax transmission by said buffer node.

12. The facsimile system of claim 1, wherein said fax delivery device includes a delay device for delaying the delivery of select portions of said fax transmission during transmission thereof to said destination fax system by said fax delivery device.

13. The facsimile system of claim 12, wherein said delay device includes an insertion device for inserting information within said facsimile transmission during transmission thereof to increase the length of said facsimile transmission over that of said received facsimile transmission by said buffer node such that said facsimile transmission can be modified during transmission thereof to said destination fax system.

14. The facsimile system of claim 13, wherein said facsimile transmission is comprised of a plurality of pages and wherein said insertion device is operable to insert additional pages into said facsimile transmission in the middle thereof during transmission thereof to said destination fax system.

15. The facsimile system of claim 1, wherein said facsimile transmission device in said buffer node comprises a fax modem and wherein said second network comprises in part a public switch telephone network.

16. A facsimile network for transmitting a facsimile transmission from an originating fax system to a destination fax system, comprising:

a central network having multiple paths for transmitting data between remote locations with the transmission path of the data from a first point to a second point being determined by said central network; and

a plurality of network nodes disposed at remote locations, and each having;

a PSTN interface for interfacing with a public switched telephone network (PSTN) local to each of said nodes and for transmitting and receiving facsimile transmissions thereover,

a network interface device for interfacing with said central network and for transmitting and receiving network communications thereover,

a fax receive/transmit device for communicating with a fax system that is connected to said PSTN and is interfaced through said PSTN interface to receive facsimile transmissions therefrom and transmit facsimile transmissions thereto, said fax receive/transmit device operable to receive destination information from said originating fax system during a first facsimile transaction defining the address of a destination fax system and said fax receive/transmit device operable to effect a transmission of said fax transmission in accordance with a stored destination address of a destination fax system associated with the PSTN to which said receive/transmit device is interfaced during a second facsimile transaction separate from said first facsimile transaction,

a buffer for storing at least a portion of received facsimile transmissions by said fax receive/transmit device during said first facsimile transaction,

a conversion device for converting a received fax from the protocol associated with said received fax to a predetermined network format for transmission over said central network as a network communication during said second facsimile transaction, said conversion device operable to send destination information with said network communication,

a network transmit/receive device for transmitting network information converted by said conversion device over said central network through said network interface device during said second facsimile transaction and receiving facsimile transmissions from said central network through said network interface device during said first facsimile transaction, and

a routing device for determining a route over said central network in one of the multiple paths associated therewith, which routing determines which one of said nodes other than the originating one of said nodes is to receive said network information during said second facsimile transaction, said routing device operable to establish a communication link to the other of said nodes for transmission of network formatted information over said established communication link, said routing device operable to operate after completion of said first facsimile transaction; and

a status device for relaying status information over said network as to the status of the fax delivery to the destination fax system during the delivery of said second facsimile transaction and prior to the completion of said second fax transmission, such that status information of the delivery of less than all of said fax transmission can be sent to said fax source prior to the delivery of all of said fax transmission.

17. The facsimile network of claim 16, and further comprising a dialing device associated with a fax device on said PSTN associated with any of said nodes to receive a destination telephone number from a transmitting one of said fax devices and route it through said PSTN to said associated node with said facsimile transmission.

18. The facsimile network of claim 17, wherein said dialer is operable to have associated therewith a personal identification number (PIN) which is transmitted to said node and wherein each of said nodes includes a validation device for comparing said received PIN with a database of valid PINs and which is operable to terminate any network transmission if said received PIN is determined to be invalid and not matching valid PINs in said database.

19. The facsimile network of claim 16, wherein each of said nodes includes an acknowledgment device for acknowledging to the originating one of said nodes that a facsimile transmission has been delivered to said destination fax device and wherein said originating node is operable to receive said acknowledgment signal over said central network.

20. The facsimile network of claim 16, wherein said acknowledgment signal is stored and is accessible by a user over said PSTN associated with said destination node.

21. The facsimile network of claim 16, wherein said conversion device includes an encryption device for encrypting said information that comprises said network formatted facsimile transmission and transmitted over said central network and for decrypting a received network formatted transmission.

22. The facsimile network of claim 16, wherein said fax receive device on the one of said nodes comprising an originating node is operable to receive a facsimile transmission at a first speed and said destination node is operable to transmit through said fax receive/transmit device at a second and different speed than said first speed.

23. The facsimile network of claim 16, wherein transmission over said central network is faster than transmission through said fax receive/transmit device.

24. The facsimile network of claim 16, wherein said routing device utilizes routing information stored local to said node.

25. A method for facsimile transmission, comprising the steps of:

providing a first network;

generating a fax transmission at a fax source and transmitting the generated fax transmission over the first network in a first facsimile transaction, after which said fax source is disconnected from said first network;

interfacing a buffer node with the first network and receiving the fax transmission at the buffer node from the first network during said first facsimile transaction;

storing at least a portion of the received fax transmission in a buffer storage area at the buffer node during said first facsimile transaction;

initiating a fax connection over a second network from the buffer node to a destination fax system in a second facsimile transaction separate from said first facsimile transaction and independent of the operation of the fax source;

delivering the received fax transmission to the destination fax system during said second facsimile transaction over the established fax connection from the buffer node to the destination fax system;

determining the status of the fax delivery from the buffer node to the destination fax system;

forwarding the status information from the buffer node to the fax source after completion of said first facsimile transaction through the first network during the delivery operation of the fax transmission to the destination fax by the step of delivering at the buffer node and during said second facsimile transaction, the step of forwarding status information beginning prior to the completion of said second fax transmission, such that status information of the deliver of less than all of said second fax transmission can be sent to said fax source prior to the delivery of all of said second fax transmission; and

storing the received status information at the fax source.

26. The method of claim 25, and further comprising the step of displaying the received status information from the first network at the fax source.

27. The method of claim 25, wherein the step of providing the first network comprises providing a first network that includes a public switched telephone network (PSTN) and the step of providing the fax source includes the step of providing a fax system that is operable to send the fax transmission over the PSTN in a format compatible therewith.

28. The method of claim 27, wherein the step of providing the first network includes the steps of:

providing a global data network and interfacing the global network with the buffer node;

interfacing an intermediate node with the PSTN and receiving the fax transmission thereover; and

translating the received fax transmission from a protocol compatible with the PSTN to a protocol compatible with the global data network and transmitting the translated information thereto.

29. The method of claim 28, and further comprising the step of compressing the translated information prior to transmission to the buffer node from the intermediate node, and the step of decompressing the received fax transmission at the buffer node upon reception thereof.

30. The method of claim 28, and further comprising the step of encrypting the translated information prior to transmission to the buffer node and the step of decrypting the received data at the buffer node upon reception thereof.

31. The method of claim 28, wherein the step of initiating the fax connection operates to initiate the fax connection prior to receipt of all of the received fax transmission by the buffer node.

32. The method of claim 28, wherein the step of initiating the fax connection is operable to initiate the fax connection to the destination fax system prior to the receipt of the end of the fax transmission by the buffer node.

33. The method of claim 28, wherein the step of delivering the fax transmission further includes the step of delaying the delivery of select portions of the fax transmission during transmission thereof to the destination fax system by the step of delivering.

34. The method of claim 33, wherein the step of delaying includes the step of inserting information within the facsimile transmission during transmission thereof to increase the length of the facsimile transmission over that of the received facsimile transmission at the buffer node, such that the facsimile transmission can be modified during transmission thereof to the destination fax system.