Method and system for sending material

• US 7,483,179 B2
• Filed: 04/28/2005
• Issued: 01/27/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 04/28/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Xerox Corporation (Xerox Holdings Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Xerox Corporation (Xerox Holdings Corp.)
• Inventors: Tilley, David, Stumbo, William Kenneth, Martin, Nathaniel G.
• Primary Examiner(s): Zimmerman; Mark K
• Assistant Examiner(s): Bonner, Jr.; James A
• Application Number:
  US11/116,712
• Publication Number:
  US 20060245003A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,370 Days
• Field of Search: 358/402, 358/400, 705/9, 705/8, 705/7, 705/1
• US Class Current: 358/402
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/107 Computer-aided management of electronic mailing [e-mailing]

Abstract

A method for distributing a document by email. The method includes scanning a business document, extracting an email address from the business document, scanning a document and automatically emailing the scanned document to the email address extracted from the business document.

Claims

1. A method for distributing a document by email, comprising:

scanning a business document;

extracting an email address from the business document;

scanning a document to produce an electronic document;

removing the business document from a scanner to initiate emailing of the electronic document; and

automatically emailing the electronic document to the email address extracted from the business document.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the step of extracting an email address from the business document further comprises utilizing optical character recognition technology to obtain the email address.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein multiple business documents are scanned to form a distribution list comprising a plurality of email addresses.

4. The method according to claim 3, wherein the electronic document is distributed to the distribution list.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein a user is not required to input an email address.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein the step of emailing the electronic document to the email address extracted from the business document occurs from a multifunction device.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein the business document is scanned in a scanner in communication with a multifunction device.

8. The method according to claim 1, further comprising the step of inserting the business document in a scanner to initiate scanning of the business document.

9. The method according to claim 1, wherein the business document comprises a business card, a resume or, an application form, or any document containing contact information.

10. A method for sending material to a recipient identified by a business document, comprising:

scanning a business document;

parsing contact information of a recipient from the business document;

providing material to be transferred; and

transferring the material to the recipient, wherein the transferring occurs when the business document is removed from a scanner.

11. The method according to claim 10, wherein the business document comprises a business card, a resume or, an application form, or any document containing contact information.

12. The method according to claim 10, wherein the contact information comprises at least one of an email address, a fax number or a postal address.

13. The method according to claim 10, further comprises transferring the material by email to an email address parsed from the business document.

14. The method according to claim 10, wherein the material transferred to the recipient'"'"'s email address is from a multifunction device.