Facsimile system, method and program product with junk fax disposal

• US 7,715,059 B2
• Filed: 10/22/2003
• Issued: 05/11/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 10/22/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Advocate, William H., Samuels, Donald J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Haskins; Twyler L.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Beckley; Jonathan R
• Application Number:
  US10/690,759
• Publication Number:
  US 20050088702A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,393 Days
• Field of Search: 358/1.15, 358/400, 358/402, 358/403, 358/405, 358/406, 358/440, 358/444, 358/453, 358/462, 358/468, 358/470, 358/448, 358/465, 358/1.14, 345/166, 345/167, 379/100.01, 379/100.15, 379/93.24, 713/206, 713/207, 713/201, 347/1, 709/206, 709/207, 382/283
• US Class Current: 358/405
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00832 Recording use, e.g. counting number of pages copied
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00912 Arrangements for controlling a still picture apparatus or components thereof not otherwise provided for
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/32005 Automation of particular receiver jobs, e.g. rejecting unwanted calls requesting a communication from a transmitter H04N1/32771; with picture signal storage for forwarding messages H04N1/32358
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/32021 according to the type of received information
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/32026 Changing the receiver mode of operation, e.g. paper reception to memory reception or vice versa H04N1/32673 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0093 Facsimile machine H04N2201/0094 takes precedence

Abstract

A method, system and program product for comparing a junk fax image stored in a database to an incoming facsimile image to determine whether the incoming facsimile image is a junk fax. If the facsimile image is a junk fax, the image is either deleted or the communication terminated. The invention also provides a junk fax determinator by which an incoming facsimile image can be designated as a junk fax. In one embodiment, a recipient (user) can make the determination as to whether the incoming facsimile image is a junk fax and generate a personal junk fax database. In another embodiment, the recipient (user) can scan a hard copy document to form an incoming facsimile image, which can be saved as a junk fax in a personal junk fax database.

Claims

1. A method of handling a facsimile image received by a facsimile system, the method comprising the steps of:

comparing a junk fax image stored in a junk fax database to an incoming facsimile image, wherein the junk fax image includes at least a portion of an analyzed facsimile image distinct from the incoming facsimile image and likely to appear in another incoming facsimile image, and wherein the comparing includes using at least one of optical character recognition or magnetic character recognition to determine whether the junk fax image matches at least a portion of the incoming facsimile image;

disposing of the incoming facsimile image in the case that the junk fax image matches at least a portion of the incoming facsimile image;

wherein if a match does not exist, the method further comprises;

determining whether the incoming facsimile is of a junk fax by displaying at least a portion of the incoming facsimile image before outputting the image, wherein the outputting includes printing the incoming facsimile image through the facsimile system;

allowing a recipient to view the at least a portion of the displayed image to determine whether the incoming facsimile image is of a junk fax;

saving at least a portion of the incoming facsimile image as a junk fax image in the junk fax database in the case that the incoming facsimile image is of a junk fax;

calculating a toner count of at least a portion of the incoming facsimile image; and

processing the incoming facsimile image in the case that the toner count is below a threshold.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the junk fax image database includes a plurality of junk fax images, and the step of disposing occurs in the case that at least one of the plurality of junk fax images matches at least a portion of the incoming facsimile image.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the disposing step includes one of:

a) deleting the incoming facsimile image; and

b) terminating communication of the incoming facsimile image to the facsimile system.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the incoming facsimile image is generated by scanning a hard copy document, and wherein the junk fax image is generated by scanning a hard copy of a different document.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the portion of the analyzed facsimile image likely to appear in another incoming facsimile image is a heading area of a series of junk faxes that is known not to change.

6. A facsimile system comprising:

a receiver configured to receive an incoming facsimile image; and

a junk fax analyzer comprising;

a comparator configured to compare a junk fax image to the incoming facsimile image, wherein the junk fax image includes at least a portion of an analyzed facsimile image distinct from the incoming facsimile image and likely to appear in another incoming facsimile image, and wherein the comparing includes using at least one of optical character recognition or magnetic character recognition to determine whether the junk fax image matches at least a portion of the incoming facsimile image;

a disposal configured to dispose of the incoming facsimile image in the case that the junk fax image matches at least a portion of the incoming facsimile image; and

a junk fax determinator configured to determine whether the incoming facsimile image is a junk fax, and save at least a portion of the incoming facsimile image as a junk fax image in a junk fax database in the case that the incoming facsimile image is a junk fax;

wherein the junk fax determinator includes;

a display configured to display at least a portion of the incoming facsimile image before the image is outputted;

wherein the outputting includes printing the incoming facsimile image through the facsimile system;

an interface configured to allow a recipient to view the at least a portion of the displayed image to input whether the incoming facsimile image is a junk fax; and

a selecter configured to allow the recipient to select at least a portion of the incoming facsimile image to be saved as the junk fax image.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the junk fax analyzer farther comprises a toner count calculator configured to calculate a toner count of at least a portion of the incoming facsimile image.

8. The system of claim 6, wherein the junk fax image includes at least a portion of one of:

an analyzed facsimile image from a previous communication to the facsimile system and an image of a hard copy document.

9. The system of claim 6, wherein the junk fax image includes a plurality of junk fax images, and the step of disposing occurs in the case that at least one of the plurality of junk fax images matches at least a portion of the incoming facsimile image.

10. The system of claim 6, wherein the disposal includes:

a) a component for deleting the incoming facsimile image; and

b) a component for terminating communication of the incoming facsimile image to the facsimile system.

11. The system of claim 6, wherein the portion of the analyzed facsimile image likely to appear in another incoming facsimile image is a heading area of a series of junk faxes that is known not to change.

12. A computer program product comprising a computer useable medium having computer readable program code embodied therein for analyzing an image on a facsimile system, the program product comprising:

program code configured to compare a junk fax image stored in a junk fax database to an incoming facsimile image, wherein the junk fax image includes at least a portion of an analyzed facsimile image distinct from the incoming facsimile image and likely to appear in another incoming facsimile image, and wherein the comparing includes using at least one of optical character recognition or magnetic character recognition to determine whether the junk fax image matches at least a portion of the incoming facsimile image;

program code configured to dispose of the incoming facsimile image in the case that the junk fax image matches at least a portion of the incoming facsimile image; and

program code configured to determine whether the incoming facsimile image is of a junk fax in the case that a match does not exist, and save at least a portion of the incoming facsimile image as a junk fax image in a junk fax database in the case that the incoming facsimile image is of a junk fax;

wherein the determining program code includes;

program code configured to display at least a portion of the incoming facsimile image before the image is outputted;

wherein the outputting includes printing the incoming facsimile image through the facsimile system; and

program code configured to allow a recipient to view the at least a portion of the displayed image to input whether the incoming facsimile image is a junk fax.

13. The program product of claim 12, wherein the disposing program code includes program code configured to conduct one of:

a) delete the incoming facsimile image; and

b) terminate communication of the incoming facsimile image to the facsimile system.

14. The computer program product of claim 12, wherein the portion of the analyzed facsimile image likely to appear in another incoming facsimile image is a heading area of a series of junk faxes that is known not to change.