Increasing speed of non-error corrected fax transmissions

• US 6,559,980 B1
• Filed: 01/08/1999
• Issued: 05/06/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 01/08/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Cisco Systems, Inc.
• Inventors: Joffe, Neil Raymond
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Madeleine
• Assistant Examiner(s): Pokrzywa, Joseph R.
• Application Number:
  US09/227,643
• Time in Patent Office: 1,579 Days
• Field of Search: 358/1.15, 358/401, 358/405, 358/406, 358/426, 358/431, 358/434, 358/435, 358/436, 358/438, 358/439, 358/440, 358/442, 358/443, 379/100.01, 379/100.17
• US Class Current: 358/442
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/001 specially adapted for transmission via digital wireline networks H04N1/00098 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/32379 Functions of a still picture terminal memory associated with reception
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/33307 prior to start of transmission, input or output of the picture signal only
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/33342 of transmission mode
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/33385 Line- or page- scan or transmission time, e.g. minimum line-scan time

Abstract

A fax system employed in a packet switching network environment for use by fax users for transmission of fax information includes a network device coupled, through a network interface, to one or more communications devices for transmitting a processed fax message through the network interface to one or more of the communications devices, each of the communications devices being capable of receiving fax information and having a predetermined minimum scan line time therefor. Prior to the transmission of the processed fax message, the network interface being adapted to transfer a first frame from the communications devices to the network device, said first frame for indicating whether or not a particular communications device supports Error Correction Mode (ECM) and if the particular communications device supports ECM, the network device for transmitting fax information through the network interface to the particular communications device using approximately zero minimum scan line time, wherein fax information is transmitted at a fast speed through the use of zero minimum scan line time thereby decreasing costs to the users of the fax system.

Claims

1. A fax system employed in a packet switching network environment for use by fax users for transmission of fax information comprising:

a network router device for directing information in packet form through the packet switching network and responsive to fax information in packet form and coupled, through a network interface, to one or more communications devices, said network device storing each packet of fax information as it is received, each of the communications devices being capable of receiving fax information and having a predetermined minimum scan line time therefore and prior to the transmission of the processed fax message, the network interface being adapted to transfer a first frame from the communications devices to the network device, said first frame for indicating whether or not a particular communications device supports Error Correction Mode (ECM) and if the particular communications device supports ECM, the network device for transmitting fax information through the network interface to the particular communications device using approximately zero minimum scan line time,

wherein fax information is transmitted at a fast speed through the use of approximately zero minimum scan line time thereby decreasing costs to the users of the fax system and increasing the overall fax system performance.

2. A fax system as recited in claim 1 wherein the first frame comprises Digital Information Signal (DIS).

3. A fax system as recited in claim 1 wherein the interface network is further adapted to transfer a second frame from the network device to the communications devices.

4. A fax system as recited in claim 3 wherein the second frame comprises Digital Command Signal (DCS).

5. A fax system as recited in claim 1 wherein the network device further includes a fill bit generator device for generating fill bits and transmitting the same with the fax information to the particular communications device if the particular communications device does not support ECM.

6. A fax system as recited in claim 1 wherein the network device includes a Central Processing Unit (CPU) for executing a software program to process the first frame.

7. A fax system as recited in claim 1 wherein the first frame is 256 bytes.

8. A fax system as recited in claim 1 wherein said particular communications device is a fax machine.

9. A fax system as recited in claim 1 further comprising a sending communications device coupled through a sending network interface to the network device, the sending communications device for transmitting a fax message to the network device, the network device being responsive to the fax message and being operative to develop the processed fax message.

10. A fax system as recited in claim 9 wherein the network device comprises a Central Processing Unit (CPU) for processing the fax message.

11. A fax system as recited in claim 9 wherein the sending communications device is a computer having fax transmission capability.

12. A fax system as recited in claim 9 wherein the transmission of the fax message through the sending network interface is performed pursuant to the TCP/IP standard.

13. A method for use in a packet switching network environment by fax users for transmission of fax information between a network router device and one or more communications devices through a network interface, said network device for directing information in packet form through the packet switching network, each of the communications devices capable of receiving fax information and having a predetermined minimum scan line time therefore comprising:

receiving fax information for transmission to the communications devices in packet form;

storing said packets of fax information as each packet is received;

receiving a first frame from a communications device, said first frame indicating whether or not the communications device supports Error Correction Mode (ECM);

determining, in response to the first frame, that the communications device does support ECM;

assembling the stored packets into a processed fax message; and

transmitting a processed fax message through the network interface to the communications device using approximately zero minimum scan line time.