Facsimile distribution manager

• US 6,897,971 B1
• Filed: 06/09/1999
• Issued: 05/24/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 06/09/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Ricoh Company Limited
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Marshall, Keith Alan, Stephens, Mark Andrew
• Primary Examiner(s): Coles, Edward
• Assistant Examiner(s): Safaipour, Houshang
• Application Number:
  US09/328,622
• Time in Patent Office: 2,176 Days
• Field of Search: 358/1.15, 358/407, 358/434, 358/442, 358/468, 358/400, 358/436
• US Class Current: 358/1.15
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/32037 Automation of particular transmitter jobs, e.g. multi-address calling, auto-dialing
• 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 1/32416 Storage of instructions or retrieval of prestored instructions
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/407 Control or modification of tonal gradation or of extreme levels, e.g. background level

Abstract

A method, apparatus, article of manufacture, and a memory structure for electronically distributing facsimile messages directly to users according to recipient preferences. The method comprises the steps of receiving a message from a transmitting facsimile via a telephone network, automatically parsing the message to extract a recipient direct dial telephone number from the message, receiving a fax payload from the transmitting facsimile in a fax server, determining an e-mail address and at least one recipient fax preference from the direct dial telephone number, processing the fax payload in the fax server according to the recipient fax preference, and directing the processed fax message according to the recipient fax preference. In one embodiment of the present invention, method further comprises the steps of reading a grayscale transform from a memory accessible to the fax server, and applying the grayscale transform to the fax payload. This allows the facsimile to be presented to the user with improved grayscale rendering accuracy. In another embodiment of the present invention, recipient'"'"'s direct dial telephone number is extracted using the direct inward dial facility of a facsimile card, thus providing a simple straightforward means for determining the identity of the intended recipient. In another embodiment of the present invention, the e-mail address of the intended recipient is obtained from an address lookup facility of a messaging and collaboration application. The apparatus comprises means for performing the foregoing steps, and the article of manufacture comprises a program storage device tangibly embodying instructions for performing these steps.

Claims

1. A method of managing the distribution of facsimile messages to a recipient, comprising:

receiving a message from a transmitting facsimile via a telephone network, the message comprising receiving fax server telephone number appended with a recipient direct dial telephone number;

automatically parsing the message to extract the recipient direct dial telephone number from the message;

receiving a fax payload from the transmitting facsimile in the fax server;

determining an e-mail address and at least one recipient fax preference from the direct dial telephone number;

processing the fax payload according to the recipient fax preference; and

directing the processed fax message according to the recipient fax preference.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of processing the fax payload in the fax server according to the recipient fax preference comprises the steps of:

reading a grayscale transform from a memory accessible to the fax server; and

applying the grayscale transform to the fax payload.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of automatically parsing the message to extract the recipient direct dial tlephone number from the message is performed by a fax card.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of automatically parsing the message to extract the recipient direct dial telephone number from the message is performed by a processor responding to instructions to extract the recipient direct dial telephone number from the message.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of determining an e-mail address and at least on recipient fax preference from the direct dial telephone number comprises the steps of:

calling an application program interface in the fax server to an application managing recipient information comprising the e-mail address and the direct dial telephone number of the recipient; and

searching the recipient information for the e-mail address corresponding to the direct dial telephone number.

6. The method of claim 1, the message further comprises a transmitting facsimile identification and wherein the fax preference describes an identification of a junk fax source, and the step of processing the converted fax message according to the recipient fax preferences comprises the step of deleting the received fax payload if the transmitting facsimile identification corresponds to the identification of the junk fax source.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the fax preference describes a preferred portable document format, and the step of processing the fax payload in the fax server comprises the step of converting the fax payload to the preferred portable document format.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the fax preference describes forwarding fax information, and the method further comprises the step of forwarding the fax message according to the forwarding fax information.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of transmitting a confirming message to the transmitting facsimile.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the confirming message comprises a portion of the fax payload.

30. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of:

detecting whether the fax payload is essentially identical to an earlier received fax payload.

31. The method of claim 30, further comprising the step of:

terminating the reception of the fax payload if the fax payload is essentially identical to an earlier received fax payload.

32. The method of claim 31, further comprising the step of:

flagging the fax payload for deletion if the fax payload is essentially identical to an earlier received fax payload.

11. An apparatus for managing the distribution of facsimile messages to a recipient, comprising:

means for receiving a message from a transmitting facsimile via a telephone network, the message comprising receiving fax server telephone number appended with a recipient direct dial telephone number;

means for automatically parsing the message to extract the recipient direct dial telephone number from the message;

means for receiving a fax payload from the transmitting facsimile in the fax server;

means for determining an e-mail address and at least one recipient fax preference from the direct dial telephone number;

means for processing the fax payload according to the recipient fax preference; and

means for directing the processed fax message according to the recipient fax preference.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the means for processing the fax payload in the fax server according to the recipient fax preference comprises:

means for reading a grayscale transform from a memory accessible to the fax server; and

means for applying the grayscale transform to the fax payload.

13. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the means for automatically parsing the message to extract the recipient direct dial telephone number from the message is a fax card.

14. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the means for automatically parsing the message to extract the recipient direct dial telephone number comprises a processor responding to instructions to extract the recipient direct dial telephone number from the message.

15. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the means for determining an e-mail address and at least one recipient fax preference from the direct dial telephone number comprises:

means for calling an application program interface in the fax server to an application managing recipient information comprising the e-mail address and the direct dial telephone number of the recipient; and

means for searching the recipient information for the e-mail address corresponding to the direct dial telephone number.

16. The apparatus of claim 11, the message further comprises a transmitting facsimile identification and wherein the fax preference describes an identification of a junk fax source, and the means for processing the converted fax message according to the recipient fax preferences comprises means for deleting the received fax payload if the transmitting facsimile identification corresponds to the identification of the junk fax source.

17. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the fax preference describes a preferred portable document format, and the means for processing the fax payload in the fax server comprises means for converting the fax payload to the preferred portable document format.

18. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the fax preference describes forwarding fax information, and the apparatus further comprises means for forwarding the fax message according to the forwarding fax information.

19. The apparatus of claim 11, further comprising means for transmitting a confirming message to the transmitting facsimile.

20. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein the confirming message comprises a portion of the fax payload.

21. A program storage device, readable by a computer, tangibly embodying at least one program of instructions executable by the computer to perform method steps of managing the distribution of facsimile messages to a recipient, the method steps comprising the steps of:

receiving a message from a transmitting facsimile via a telephone network, the message comprising receiving fax server telephone number appended with a recipient direct dial telephone number;

automatically parsing the message to extract the recipient direct dial telephone number from the message;

receiving a fax payload from the transmitting facsimile in the fax server;

determining an e-mail address and at least one recipient fax preference from the direct dial telephone number;

processing the fax payload according to the recipient fax preference; and

directing the processed fax message according to the recipient fax preference.

22. The program storage device of claim 21, wherein the method step of processing the fax payload in the fax server according to the recipient fax preference comprises the method steps of:

reading grayscale transform from a memory accessible to the fax server; and

applying the grayscale transform to the fax payload.

23. The program storage device of claim 21, wherein the method step of automatically parsing the message to extract the recipient direct dial telephone number from the message is performed by a fax card.

24. The program storage device of claim 21, wherein the method step of determining an e-mail address and at least on recipient fax preference from the direct dial telephone number comprises the method steps of:

calling an application program interface in the fax server to an application managing recipient information compising the e-mail address and the direct dial telephone number of the recipient; and

searching the recipient information for the e-mail address corresponding to the direct dial telephone number.

25. The program storage device of claim 21, the message further comprises a transmitting facsimile identification and wherein the fax preference describes an identification of a junk fax source, and the method step of processing the converted fax message according to the recipient fax preferences comprises the method step of deleting the received fax payload if the transmitting facsimile identification corresponds to the identification of the junk fax source.

26. The program storage device of claim 21, wherein the fax preference describes a preferred portable document format, and the method step of processing the fax payload in the fax server comprises the method step of coverting the fax payload to the preferred portable document format.

27. The program storage device of claim 21, wherein the fax preference describes forwarding fax information, and the method steps further comprises the method step of forwarding the fax message according to the forwarding fax information.

28. The program storage device of claim 21, wherein the method steps further comprising the method step of transmitting a confirming message to the transmitting facsimile.

29. The program storage device of claim 28, wherein the confirming message comprises a portion of the fax payload.