Method and system for transferring digitized representations of documents via computer network transfer protocols

• US 8,023,132 B2
• Filed: 02/16/2006
• Issued: 09/20/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 03/28/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Advanced Messaging Technologies, Inc. (J2 Global, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Mongonet
• Inventors: Henry, Matthew K., Fortescue, Christopher L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Williams, Kimberly A
• Application Number:
  US11/357,920
• Publication Number:
  US 20070008574A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,042 Days
• Field of Search: 358/1.15, 358/402, 358/407, 358/440, 358/448, 382/317, 379/100.01, 379/100.06, 379/100.07, 379/100.08, 379/100.15, 379/100.17, 709/204, 709/206, 709/224, 709/225
• US Class Current: 358/1.15
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/107 Computer-aided management of electronic mailing [e-mailing]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/145 Payments according to the detected use or quantity
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/16 Payments settled via telecommunication systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/04 Billing or invoicing
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/066 Format adaptation, e.g. format conversion or compression
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/08 Annexed information, e.g. attachments
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/23 Reliability checks, e.g. acknowledgments or fault reporting
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/48 Message addressing, e.g. address format or anonymous messages, aliases
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00127 Connection or combination of a still picture apparatus with another apparatus, e.g. for storage, processing or transmission of still picture signals or of information associated with a still picture
• 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 1/00212 Attaching image data to computer messages, e.g. to e-mails
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/0022 involving facsimile protocols or a combination of facsimile protocols and computer data transmission protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00244 with a server, e.g. an internet server fax-servers or the like for store and forward H04N1/324
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/0036 Alphanumeric symbols
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00363 Bar codes or the like
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00366 Marks in boxes or the like, e.g. crosses or blacking out H04N1/0036 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00371 on a separate sheet
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00374 on the same page as at least a part of the image
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00376 Means for identifying a mark sheet or area
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00968 : by scanning marks on a sheet mark-sheet input means H04N1/00355; sensing record carriers G06K7/00
• 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 1/32032 : Polling of transmitters
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/32042 : with reading of job-marks on a page
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/32048 : Auto-dialling or Auto-calling H04N1/32053 - H04N1/32074 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/32064 : Multi-address calling
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/32112 : in a separate computer file, document page or paper sheet, e.g. a fax cover sheet H04N1/32122 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/32128 : attached to the image data, e.g. file header, transmitted message header, information on the same page or in the same computer file as the image for information embedded in the image H04N1/32144
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/32422 : Reprocessing messages, e.g. in case the intended destination is busy
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/32496 : Changing the task performed, e.g. reading and transmitting, receiving and reproducing, copying facsimile mode changing H04N1/333
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/32771 : in response to a request, e.g. for a particular document
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/32776 : using an interactive, user-operated device, e.g. a computer terminal, mobile telephone H04N1/32782, H04N1/32784 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0017 : Notifying a communication result
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0068 : Converting from still picture data
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0081 : Image reader H04N2201/0091 - H04N2201/0094 take precedence
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3208 : of an e-mail or network address
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3218 : of a confirmation, acknowledgement or receipt
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3222 : of processing required or performed, e.g. forwarding, urgent or confidential handling
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3261 : of multimedia information, e.g. a sound signal
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3269 : of machine readable codes or marks, e.g. bar codes or glyphs
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3271 : Printing or stamping
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3278 : Transmission

Abstract

A method for a computer system includes receiving a first transmission from a user, wherein the first transmission includes a digitized representation of a first document transmitted using a first transmission format, processing the digitized representation of the first document with an optical character recognition process to determine a first electronic destination, wherein the first electronic destination need not be known by the computer system before receiving the first transmission, reformatting at least a portion of the digitized representation of the first document from the first transmission format into a storage format; determining advertisement data in response to the first transmission, and sending an electronic transmission to the first electronic destination, wherein the electronic transmission includes the advertisement data and the portion of the digitized representation of the first document in the storage format.

Claims

1. A method for a computer system includes:

receiving a first transmission from a user, wherein the first transmission includes a digitized representation of a first document transmitted using a first transmission format;

processing the digitized representation of the first document with an optical character recognition process to determine a first electronic destination, wherein the first electronic destination need not be known by the computer system before receiving the first transmission;

reformatting at least a portion of the digitized representation of the first document from the first transmission format into a storage format;

determining advertisement data in response to the first transmission; and

sending an electronic transmission to the first electronic destination, wherein the electronic transmission includes the advertisement data and the portion of the digitized representation of the first document in the storage format, and

wherein processing the digitized representation of the first document with the optical character recognition process further comprises determining a file name for the portion of the digitized representation of the first document in the storage format.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the first transmission from the user is a facsimile transmission.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein the first electronic destination comprises an e-mail mailbox.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the advertisement data comprises a name of a service provider.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein sending the electronic transmission comprises posting the portion of the digitized representation of the first document in the storage format with the file name in a server.

6. The method of claim 5

wherein the first electronic destination comprises account identifier data;

and

wherein the file name is associated with the account identifier data in the server.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein processing the digitized representation of the first document with an optical character recognition process further comprises determining one or more identifiers associated with the electronic transmission.

8. The method of claim 7 further comprising:

providing the one or more identifiers to the first electronic destination;

wherein the first electronic destination comprises a storage server; and

wherein the portion of the digitized representation of the first document in the storage format is associated with the one or more identifiers in the storage server.

9. The method of claim 7

wherein the one or more identifiers associated with the electronic transmission are selected from a constrained set of key words.

10. A computer system includes:

a memory configured to store a first transmission from a user, wherein the first transmission includes a digitized representation of a first document transmitted using a first transmission format; and

a processor coupled to the memory, the processor being configured to;

receive the first transmission from a user;

process the digitized representation of the first document with an optical character recognition process to determine an electronic destination, wherein the electronic destination need not be known by the computer system prior to storage of the first transmission in the memory;

form a first storage document by reformatting at least a portion of the digitized representation of the first document from the first transmission format into a storage format;

determine advertisement data in response to the first transmission; and

send an electronic transmission to the first electronic destination, wherein the electronic transmission includes the advertisement data and the first storage document,

wherein processing the digitized representation of the first document with the optical character recognition process further comprises determining a file name for the first storage document.

11. The computer system of claim 10

wherein the first transmission from the user is a facsimile transmission;

and

wherein the electronic transmission comprises an e-mail message.

12. The computer system of claim 11 wherein the advertisement data comprises a name of a service provider.

13. The computer system of claim 10

wherein the first electronic destination comprises a storage server;

and

wherein the electronic transmission comprises a post of the first storage document at the storage server with the file name.

14. The computer system of claim 13 wherein a network transfer protocol associated with the electronic transmission is selected from a group consisting of:

SMTP, HTTP, HTTPS, FTP.

15. The computer system of claim 10

wherein the processor is also configured to determine an account identifier associated with the first transmission in response to an optical character processing of the digitized representation of the first document with the optical character recognition process;

and

wherein the electronic transmission also comprises an account identifier.

16. The computer system of claim 10

wherein processing the digitized representation of the first document with the optical character recognition process further comprises determining one or more identifiers associated with the first transmission;

and

wherein the electronic transmission also comprises the one or more identifiers associated with the first transmission.

17. The computer system of claim 16

wherein the one or more identifiers associated with the first transmission are selected from a limited menu of key words.

18. The computer system of claim 16 wherein the storage format is selected from a group consisting of:

industry-standard format, Adobe Acrobat-compatible format, image format, .jpg, and .bmp.

19. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium having stored thereon program code executable by a processor, the program code comprising:

code that directs the processor to receive a first electronic transmission from a user, wherein the first electronic transmission comprises a digitized representation of a human-viewable document transmitted using a transmission format;

code that directs the processor to process the digitized representation of the human-viewable document with an optical character recognition process to determine an electronic destination, wherein the electronic destination need not be known by the computer system before receiving the first electronic transmission;

code that directs the processor to format at least a portion of the digitized representation of the human-readable document into a storage format;

code that directs the processor to determine advertisement data in response to the first electronic transmission; and

code that directs the processor to send a second electronic transmission to the electronic destination, wherein the second electronic transmission comprises the advertisement data and the portion of the digitized representation of the human-viewable document in the storage format,

wherein processing the digitized representation of the human-viewable document with the optical character recognition process further comprises determining a file name for the portion of the digitized representation of the human-viewable document in the storage format.

20. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 19

wherein the first electronic transmission from the user comprises a facsimile transmission by the user;

and

wherein the first electronic destination comprises an e-mail mailbox.

21. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 20

wherein the second electronic transmission includes a body portion and an attachment portion;

wherein the body portion comprises the advertisement data; and

wherein the attachment portion comprises the portion of the digitized representation of the first document in the storage format.

22. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 19

wherein the storage format is selected from a group consisting of:

a industry-standard format, Adobe .pdf format, .jpg format, .bmp format, a proprietary format.

23. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 19

wherein the portion of the digitized representation of the first human-viewable document in the storage format is posted at the electronic destination at the file name.

24. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 23 further comprising code that directs the processor to process the digitized representation of the human-viewable document with the optical character recognition process to determine an account identifier associated with the portion of the digitized representation of the human-viewable document in the storage format;

wherein the portion of the digitized representation of the first human-viewable document in the storage format is posted at the electronic destination at the file name and is associated with the account identifier.

25. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 19

further comprising code that directs the processor to process the digitized representation of the human-viewable document with the optical character recognition process to determine one or more identifiers associated with the portion of the digitized representation of the human-viewable document in the storage format;

and

wherein the portion of the digitized representation of the first human-viewable document in the storage format is posted at the electronic destination and is associated with the one or more identifiers.

26. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 25 wherein the one or more identifiers are selected from a pre-determined list of identifiers.

27. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 26 wherein a network transfer protocol associated with the second electronic transmission is selected from a group consisting of:

SMTP, HTTP, HTTPS, FTP.