Personal digital assistant facilitated communication system

• US 6,857,007 B1
• Filed: 11/27/2000
• Issued: 02/15/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 08/30/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: CommWorks Solutions, LLC (IP Investments Group LLC)
• Original Assignee: Bloomfield Enterprises, LLC
• Inventors: Bloomfield, Mark C.
• Primary Examiner(s): Maung, Zarni
• Assistant Examiner(s): PARTON, KEVIN S
• Application Number:
  US09/723,349
• Time in Patent Office: 1,541 Days
• Field of Search: 709/203, 709/206, 709/207, 709/218, 709/217, 358/402, 358/442, 379/100.01, 379/100.08
• US Class Current: 709/206
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00206 Transmitting or receiving computer data via an image communication device, e.g. a facsimile transceiver H04N1/00236 takes precedence
• 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 1/00347 with another still picture apparatus, e.g. hybrid still picture apparatus circuits or arrangements for control or supervision between image input and image output device H04N1/32
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0039 Connection via a network
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0041 Point to point H04N2201/0039 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0053 Optical, e.g. using an infrared link
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0086 Image transceiver H04N2201/0093 and H04N2201/0094 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0093 Facsimile machine H04N2201/0094 takes precedence

Abstract

A bifurcated interface is disclosed, including apparatus and methods/processes, for integrated use in a fax-to-email system, and further comprises the further disclosed is an enhanced communication system, including apparatus and methods, which results from the integration in the fax-to-email system of the bifurcated interface. The bifurcated interface provides an alternative or additional method for command entry to the interface of a fax-to-email system through a remote, commercially available, personal digital assistant or like device (“PDA”) modified by software to perform functions of the present invention. The interface of the enhanced communication system is bifurcated having a portable traveler portion, embodied by the programmed PDA, and a host portion in a more permanent connection with the fax function of the fax-to-email system.

Claims

1. A facsimile communication method, including the steps of:

receiving at a personal data assistant a destination address;

conveying via a first data exchange the received address from the personal data assistant to a host interface portion together with commands instructing the host interface portion to initiate a facsimile delivery;

establishing, through the dialing of a destination address different from the destination address received during the receiving step, a communication session between the host interface portion and a forwarding facility;

conveying the received address from the host interface portion to the forwarding facility, during the first communication session via a second data exchange independent of the first data exchange;

conveying an image from a fax function associated with the host interface portion to the forwarding facility, during the first communication session via a third data exchange independent of the first and the second data exchanges; and

delivering the image as an electronic file from the forwarding facility to the destination address received at the personal data assistant; and

wherein the first data exchange involves at least a first protocol, and the second data exchange involves at least a second protocol different from the first protocol, and the third data exchange involves at least a third protocol different from each of the first and second protocols.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the third protocol is a facsimile protocol.

3. A facsimile communication method, including the steps of:

receiving at a personal data assistant an alphanumeric email address, being the address of a mailbox on a computer network;

conveying via a first data exchange the received address from the personal data assistant to a host interface portion together with commands instructing the host interface portion to initiate a facsimile delivery;

establishing a communication session between the host interface portion and a forwarding facility;

conveying the received address from the host interface portion to the forwarding facility, dung the first communication session via a second data exchange independent of the first data exchange;

conveying an image from the fax function associated with the host interface portion to the forwarding facility, during the first communication session via a third data exchange independent of the first and the second data exchanges; and

delivering the image as an electronic file from the forward facility to the destination address received at the personal data assistant; and

wherein the first data exchange involves at least a first protocol, and the second data exchange involves at least a second protocol different from the first protocol, and the third data exchange involves at least a third protocol different from each of the first and second protocols.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the third protocol is a facsimile protocol.

5. A facsimile communication method, including the steps of:

receiving at a personal data assistant a destination address;

conveying via a first data exchange the received address from the personal data assistant to a host interface portion together with commands instructing the host interface portion to initiate a facsimile delivery;

establishing, through the dialing of a destination address different from the destination address received during the receiving step, a communication session between the host interface portion and a forwarding facility;

conveying the received address from the host interface portion to the forwarding facility, during the first communication session via a second data exchange independent of the first data exchange;

conveying an image from a fax function associated with the host interface portion to the forwarding facility, during the first communication session via a third data exchange independent of the first and the second data exchanges; and

delivering the image as an electronic file from the forwarding facility to the destination address received at the personal data assistant;

the receiving step occurs while the personal data assistant is located away from the physical location of the fax function; and

the step of conveying the received address to a host interface portion occurs while the host interface portion is linked to the fax function; and

prior to the step of conveying the image but after the step of conveying the received address to the host interfere portion, including the step of prompting for the placement of a hardcopy into the scanner of the fax function.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the establishing step comprises the steps of:

recognizing by the host interface portion that a fax-to-email task has been received from the personal data assistant requiring delivery of a facsimile message to an email address on a computer network; and

dialing by the host interface portion of a pre-established address for accessing the forwarding facility.

7. The method of claim 5, further comprising the steps of:

receiving custom text at the personal data assistant while the personal data assistant is located away from the physical location of the fax function;

conveying the custom text from the personal data assistant to the host interface portion during the first data exchange; and

conveying the custom text from the host interface portion to the forwarding facility during the second data exchange; and

wherein the delivering step includes at least the steps of

creating at the forwarding facility an email message containing the image as an attachment and, as part of the email message body, the custom text, and

transmitting the email message from the forwarding facility to the destination address.

8. A facsimile communication method, including the steps of:

receiving at a personal data assistant an alphanumeric email address, being the address of a mailbox on a computer network;

conveying via a first data exchange the received address from the personal data assistant to a host interface portion together with commands instructing the host interface portion to initiate a facsimile delivery;

establishing a communication session between the host interface portion and a forwarding facility;

conveying the received address from the host interface portion to the forwarding facility, during the first communication session via a second data exchange independent of the first data exchange;

conveying au image from the fax function associated with the host interface portion to the forwarding facility, during the first communication session via a third data exchange independent of the first and the second data exchanges; and

delivering the image as an electronic file from the forwarding facility to the destination address received at the personal data assistant;

the receiving step occurs while the personal data assistant is located away from the physical location of the fax function; and

the step of conveying the received address to a host interface portion occurs while the host interface portion is linked to the fax function; and

prior to the step of conveying the image but after the step of conveying the received address to the host interface portion, including the step of prompting for the placement of a hardcopy into the scanner of the fax function.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the establishing step comprises the steps of:

recognizing by the host interface portion that a fax-to-email task has been received from the personal data assistant requiring delivery of a facsimile message to an email address on a computer network; and

dialing by the host interface portion of a pre-established address for accessing the forwarding facility.

10. The method of claim 8, further comprising the steps of:

receiving custom text at the personal data assistant while the personal data assistant is located away from the physical location of the fax function;

conveying the custom text from the personal data assistant to the host interface portion during the first data exchange; and

conveying the custom text from the host interface portion to the forwarding facility during the second data exchange; and

wherein the delivering step includes at least the steps of

creating at the forwarding facility an email message containing the image as an attachment and, as part of the email message body, the custom text, and

transmitting the email message from the forwarding facility to the destination address.

11. A facsimile communication method, comprising the steps of:

entering into a portable traveler interface portion, at any place remote from the physical location of a scanner of a fax function and remote from the physical location of a host interface portion, a plurality of destination addresses including at least one email address and at least one telephone number;

communicating the plurality of destination addresses from the traveler interface portion to a host interface portion during a single communication session;

determining at the host interface portion each destination address of the plurality to be one of either an email address or a telephone number;

prompting by the host interface portion for placement of related hardcopy documents into the scanner of a fax function;

after the prompting step, generating image data from the hardcopy documents; and

communicating the image data from the fax function to at least one address entered into the traveler interface portion.

12. The method of claim 11, and, in response to the determining step, if the destination address entered at the traveler interface portion is a telephone number, initiating a connection to a first communication network by the host interface portion dialing the destination address entered at the traveler interface portion to open a communication line, and releasing the communication line for direct connection to the fax function.

13. The method of claim 12, and, in response to the determining step, if the destination address entered at the traveler interface portion is an email address, initiating a connection to a forwarding facility by the host interface portion dialing a pre-established address for accessing a server, to open a communication line between the host interface portion and the forwarding facility, and releasing the communication line for direct connection between the forwarding facility and the fax function.

14. The method of claim 11, and, in response to the determining step, if the destination address entered at the traveler interface portion is an email address, initiating a connection to a forwarding facility by the host interface portion dialing a pre-established address for accessing a server, to open a communication line between the host interface portion and the forwarding facility, and releasing the communication line for direct connection between the forwarding facility and the fax function.

15. The method of claim 11, and, in response to the determining step, dialing by the host interface of an appropriate telephone number.

16. The method of claim 11, fit comprising the steps of:

after the step of generating image data, prompting by the host interface portion for placement of another hardcopy document into the scanner of the fax function; and

generating image data from the another hardcopy document.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising the steps of:

repeating the prompting and generating steps for a number of times equal to the number o destination addresses in the plurality of destination addresses.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein the communicating step includes at least the steps of:

dialing by the host interface portion a pre-established address for accessing a forwarding facility and establishing a communication session with the forwarding facility;

conveying generated image data and at least one received destination addresses to the forwarding facility;

creating at the forwarding facility an email message containing the image as an attachment and, as part of the email message body, the custom text, and

transmitting the email message from the forwarding facility to the destination address.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the communicating step further includes at least the steps of:

dialing by the host interface portion a destination address entered at the traveler interface portion to open a communication line; and

transmitting image data to the destination address.

20. The method of claim 16, wherein the communicating stop includes at least the steps of:

dialing by the host interface portion a destination address entered at the traveler interface portion to open a communication line; and

transmitting image data to the destination address.

21. The method of claim 18, wherein the communicating step further includes at least the steps of passing by the host interface portion to the fax function a destination address entered at the traveler interface portion;

dialing by the fax function the destination address entered at the traveler interface portion to open a communication line; and

transmitting image data to the destination address.

22. The method of claim 16, wherein the communicating step includes at least the steps of:

passing by the host interface portion to the fax function a destination address entered at the traveler interface portion;

dialing by the fax function the destination address entered at the traveler interface portion to open a communication line; and

transmitting image data to the destination address.

23. The method of claim 11, wherein the traveler interface portion is a specially programmed personal data assistant.

24. The method of claim 11, wherein the host interface portion is associated with the fax function at which the hardcopy documents are scanned.

25. The method of claim 24, wherein the host interface portion is connected to the fax function.

26. The method of claim 25, wherein said host portion is physically linked to but functionally separate from, the fax function.

27. The system of claim 25, wherein said host portion is integrated with, but functionally separate from, the fax function.

28. The method of claims 11, wherein each destination address of the plurality of destination addresses is entered either in a syntactically correct format as recognized by a telephone network or in a syntactically correct format as recognized by a compute network.