Method and apparatus for automatic document interchange between electronic mail (e-mail) and facsimile (fax) systems

• US 7,440,463 B1
• Filed: 01/22/2001
• Issued: 10/21/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 01/22/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Inventors: Molloy, Scott Thomas
• Primary Examiner(s): Sam; Phirin
• Application Number:
  US09/767,330
• Time in Patent Office: 2,829 Days
• Field of Search: 370/466, 370/329, 370/352, 370/356, 370/469, 370/473, 370/497, 370/529, 370/271, 370/353, 370/354, 370/401, 370/465, 370/467, 370/400, 379/81, 379/100.04, 379/265, 358/402, 358/1.15, 358/407, 358/440, 358/448, 358/400
• US Class Current: 370/401
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/066 Format adaptation, e.g. format conversion or compression
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/214 using selective forwarding

Abstract

An ARPA-Internet Network Access/Service Provider device includes a fax gateway having a storage device for storing an e-mail message received from a sender through a data communication network. The stored e-mail message is converted to a fax document for transmission thereof to a fax recipient having access to a fax device. At least one fax modem device is used for transmitting the fax document to the fax recipient through a public telephone network, wherein the ARPA-Internet Network Access/Service Provider device allows a fax recipient to receive e-mail messages by the use of a fax device without requiring computer equipment.

Claims

1. An Advanced Research Projects Agency (ARPA)-Internet Network Access/Service Provider device comprising:

a fax gateway including,

a storage device to store an e-mail message received from an e-mail sender for transmission to a fax recipient through a packet switching network, the stored e-mail message to be converted to a fax document for transmission thereof to the fax recipient;

a database to store a fax number of the fax recipient where the fax number is to be associated with information corresponding to the e-mail message where the information corresponding to the e-mail message is independent of the fax number; and

at least one fax modem device to transmit the fax document to the fax recipient through a public switching network, where the fax number designating the fax recipient is to be obtained separately from the e-mail message by associating the information corresponding to the e-mail message with the fax number stored in the database.

2. An ARPA-Internet Network Access/Service Provider device as recited in claim 1

where the storage device is enabled to store a time-of-day for specifying a range of time during which the fax document is transmitted.

3. An ARPA-Internet Network Access/Service Provider device as recited in claim 1 further comprising

a server device to store the fax number, the fax number associated with the fax device of the fax recipient, the fax number for establishing a call for the transmission of the fax document, the server device to store a time-of-day for specifying a range of time during which the fax document is transmitted.

4. An ARPA-Internet Network Access/Service Provider device as recited in claim 1 where the storage device is configured to be used to create a fax cover page for transmission thereof to the fax recipient.

5. An ARPA-Internet Network Access/Service Provider device as recited in claim 4 where the e-mail message includes an e-mail address, and the fax cover page includes a sender field extracted from the e-mail address.

6. An ARPA-Internet Network Access/Service Provider device as recited in claim 5 where the ARPA-Internet Network Access/Service Provider device assigns an e-mail address to the fax recipient, the e-mail address associated with the fax number, and where the fax cover page includes a destination field extracted from the fax recipient e-mail address.

7. An ARPA-Internet Network Access/Service Provider device as recited in claim 6 where the e-mail message includes a subject field and the ARPA-Internet Network Access/Service Provider device is enabled to include the e-mail subject field contents in the fax cover page prior to transmission thereof to the fax recipient.

9. An ARPA-Internet Network Access/Service Provider device as recited in claim 1 where the fax gateway is coupled to the public switching telephone network.

10. An ARPA-Internet Network Access/Service Provider device as recited in claim 1 where the fax gateway is coupled to the public switching telephone network through a digital communications link.

11. An ARPA-Internet Network Access/Service Provider device as recited in claim 1 where the fax gateway is coupled to the packet switching network through a digital communications link.

12. An ARPA-Internet Network Access/Service Provider device as recited in claim 1 where the storage device is a computer system having a conversion program to convert the e-mail message to a fax document.

13. An ARPA-Internet Network Access/Service Provider device as recited in claim 12 where the storage device is a computer system having an e-mail program for causing storage of the e-mail message.

14. An ARPA-Internet Network Access/Service Provider device as recited in claim 13 where the e-mail program and the conversion program reside externally to the fax gateway.

24. An ARPA-Internet Network Access/Service Provider device as recited in claim 1 where the information corresponding to the e-mail message is identified in a To field of the e-mail message.

8. An Advanced Research Projects Agency (ARPA)-Internet Network Access/Service Provider device comprising:

a fax gateway including

a storage device to store an e-mail message received from an e-mail sender for transmission to a fax recipient through a packet switching network, the stored e-mail message to be converted to a fax document for transmission thereof to the fax recipient having access to a fax device, and

at least one fax modem device to transmit the fax document to the fax recipient through a public switching network, where a fax number designating the fax recipient is obtained separately from the e-mail; and

where the storage device is enabled to;

store the fax number, the fax number associated with the fax device of the fax recipient, the fax number to be used to establish a call for the transmission of the fax document; and

assign a home directory for storage of e-mail messages directed to the fax recipient and on receipt of the e-mail message is enabled to store the email message within the assigned home directory of the fax recipient.

15. An Advanced Research Projects Agency (ARPA)-Internet Network Access/Service Provider device comprising:

a fax gateway including

a storage device to store an e-mail message received from an e-mail sender for transmission to a fax recipient through a packet switching network, the stored e-mail message to be converted to a fax document for transmission thereof to the fax recipient having access to a fax device, and

at least one fax modem device to transmit the fax document to the fax recipient through a public switching network, where a fax number designating the fax recipient is obtained separately from the e-mail; and

where the storage device is enabled to;

store the fax number, the fax number associated with the fax device of the fax recipient, the fax number to be used to establish a call for the transmission of the fax document; and

receive a reply fax document from the fax recipient, and is enabled to convert the reply fax document to a reply e-mail message and transmit the reply e-mail message to the e-mail sender.

16. A method for sending and receiving e-mail messages using a fax device comprising:

receiving an e-mail message through a data communications network from an e-mail sender;

converting the e-mail message into a fax document;

storing a fax number of a fax recipient in a database where the fax number is to be associated with information corresponding to the e-mail message and where the information corresponding to the e-mail message is independent of the fax number;

retrieving the destination fax number separate from the e-mail message by associating the information corresponding to the e-mail message with the fax number stored in the database; and

transmitting the fax document to the fax recipient thereby enabling the fax recipient to receive e-mail messages without access to the data communications network.

25. A method as recited in claim 16 where the information corresponding to the e-mail message is identified in a To field of the e-mail message.

26. A method as recited in claim 16 where the converting comprises creating a fax title page.

27. A method as recited in claim 26 where a From field of the fax title page is derived from a e-mail address of a e-mail sender.

28. A method as recited in claim 16 further comprising:

receiving a reply from the fax recipient in the form of a reply fax document;

converting the reply fax document to a reply e-mail message; and

transmitting the reply e-mail message through the data communications network.

29. A method as recited in claim 16 further comprising:

verifying a destination user address of the e-mail message for identifying the fax recipient as being a known user.

30. A method as recited in claim 16 further comprising:

on unsuccessful verification of the destination user address, sending a failed message.

17. A method for sending and receiving e-mail messages using a fax device comprising:

receiving an e-mail message through a data communications network from an e-mail sender;

converting the e-mail message into a fax document;

retrieving a destination fax number of a fax recipient separate from the e-mail message;

transmitting the fax document to the fax recipient thereby enabling the fax recipient to receive e-mail messages without access to the data communications network;

receiving a reply from the fax recipient in the form of a reply fax document;

converting the reply fax document to a reply e-mail message; and

transmitting the reply e-mail message through the data communications network.

18. A method as recited in claim 17 further comprising:

verifying a destination user address of the e-mail message for identifying the fax recipient as being a known user.

19. A method as recited in claim 18 further comprising:

on unsuccessful verification of the destination user address, sending a failed message.

20. A computer readable medium having stored therein computer readable program code comprising instructions, if executed by a processor cause the processor to perform operations comprising:

receiving an e-mail message, from through a data communications network;

converting the e-mail message into a fax document;

storing a destination fax number of a fax recipient in a database where the fax number is to be associated with information corresponding to the e-mail message and where the information corresponding to the e-mail message is independent of the fax number;

retrieving the destination fax number separate from the e-mail message by associating the information corresponding to the e-mail message with the destination fax number; and

transmitting the fax document to the fax recipient thereby enabling the fax recipient to receive e-mail messages without access to the data communications network.

21. A device comprising:

means for receiving an e-mail message, from through a data communications network;

means for converting the e-mail message into a fax document;

means for storing a destination fax number of a fax recipient in a database where the fax number is to be associated with information corresponding to the e-mail message and where the information corresponding to the e-mail message is independent of the fax number;

means for retrieving the destination fax number separate from the e-mail message by means for associating the information corresponding to the e-mail message with the destination fax number; and

means for transmitting the fax document to the fax recipient thereby enabling the fax recipient to receive e-mail messages without access to the data communications network.

22. A device comprising:

means for receiving an e-mail message, from through a data communications network;

means for converting the e-mail message into a fax document;

means for retrieving a destination fax number of a fax recipient separate from the e-mail message;

means for transmitting the fax document to the fax recipient thereby enabling the fax recipient to receive e-mail messages without access to the data communications network; and

means for receiving a reply from the fax recipient in the form of a reply fax document, converting the reply fax document to a reply e-mail message and transmitting the reply e-mail message through the data communications network.

23. The device of claim 22 further comprising means for verifying a destination user address for identifying the fax recipient as being a known user.