Methods and apparatus for secure facsimile transmissions to electronic storage destinations

• US 8,045,203 B2
• Filed: 08/20/2007
• Issued: 10/25/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 03/28/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: j2 Cloud Services, LLC (Consensus Cloud Solutions, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Mongonet
• Inventors: Henry, Matthew K., Fortescue, Christopher L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Williams, Kimberly A
• Application Number:
  US11/894,610
• Publication Number:
  US 20080212144A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,527 Days
• Field of Search: 358/402, 358/407, 358/440, 358/448, 358/1.15, 382/317, 379/100.01, 379/100.06, 379/100.07, 379/100.08, 379/100.15, 379/100.17, 709/204, 709/224, 709/225, 709/206
• US Class Current: 358/1.15
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00212 Attaching image data to computer messages, e.g. to e-mails
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00214 details of transmission
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/0022 involving facsimile protocols or a combination of facsimile protocols and computer data transmission protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/32042 with reading of job-marks on a page
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/32069 simultaneously to a plurality of destinations, e.g. multi-casting
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/32133 on the same paper sheet, e.g. a facsimile page header
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3218 of a confirmation, acknowledgement or receipt
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/325 Modified version of the image, e.g. part of the image, image reduced in size or resolution, thumbnail or screennail

Abstract

A method for a computer includes determining a call-in fax telephone number called by a facsimile transmission device, receiving the facsimile transmission from a facsimile transmission device including a digitized representation of a transmission page including an optical representation of a e-mail address, determining the e-mail address optically, which is independent of the call-in number, determining a graphics template associated with the call-in number, combining a digitized representation of the transmission page with the graphics template to form a digitized representation of a composite page, formatting the digitized representation of the composite page into a second format, determining additional service provider data in response to the facsimile or the scanned image, and transmitting the additional service provider data and the digitized representation of the composite page in the second format to the electronic destination address.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

recording, by a computer system a call-in fax telephone number called by a facsimile transmission device;

receiving, by the computer system, a facsimile transmission from the facsimile transmission device, wherein the facsimile transmission comprises a digitized representation of a transmission page, wherein the digitized representation of the transmission page includes an optical representation of an electronic destination address, and wherein the digitized representation of the transmission page is encoded in a first format comprising a facsimile format;

determining, by the computer system, the electronic destination address from the optical representation of the electronic destination address using optical character recognition techniques, wherein the electronic destination address is independent of the call-in fax telephone number;

determining, by the computer system, a graphics template associated with the call-in fax telephone number;

combining, by the computer system a digitized representation of at least a portion of the transmission page with the graphics template to form a digitized representation of a composite page;

formatting, by the computer system, the digitized representation of the composite page into a second format; and

transmitting, by the computer system, the digitized representation of the composite page in the second format to the electronic destination address.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the electronic destination address is selected from a group consisting of:

an e-mail address, an instant messaging user identification.

3. The method of claim 2 further comprising determining service provider data in response to the facsimile transmission, wherein the service provider data is selected from a group consisting of:

a service provider name, a service provider sponsor name.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein formatting the digitized representation of the composite page further comprises:

determining a password associated with the electronic destination address; and

encoding the digitized representation of the composite page with the password.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein the password comprises a public key.

6. A computer system comprising:

a portion configured to determine a call-in fax telephone number called by a facsimile transmission device;

a receiving portion configured to receive a facsimile transmission from the facsimile transmission device, wherein the facsimile transmission comprises a digitized representation of a transmission page, wherein the digitized representation of the transmission page includes an optical representation of an electronic destination address, and wherein the digitized representation of the transmission page is encoded in a first format comprising a facsimile format;

a determining portion configured to determine the electronic destination address from the optical representation of the electronic destination address using optical character recognition techniques, wherein the electronic destination address is independent of the call-in fax telephone number;

a template portion configured to determine a graphics template associated with the call-in fax telephone number;

a combining portion configured to combine a digitized representation of at least a portion of the transmission page with the graphics template to form a digitized representation of a composite page;

a formatting portion configured to format the digitized representation of the composite page into a second format; and

a transmitter portion configured to transmit the digitized representation of the composite page in the second format to the electronic destination address.

7. A non-transitory computer readable medium having stored thereon code that is executable on a computer system including a processor, the code comprising:

code configured to direct the processor to determine a call-in fax telephone number called by a facsimile transmission device;

code configured to direct the processor to receive a facsimile transmission from the facsimile transmission device, wherein the facsimile transmission comprises a digitized representation of a transmission page, wherein the digitized representation of the transmission page includes an optical representation of an electronic destination address, and wherein the digitized representation of the transmission page is encoded in a first format comprising a facsimile format;

code configured to direct the processor to determine the electronic destination address from the optical representation of the electronic destination address using optical character recognition techniques, wherein the electronic destination address is independent of the call-in fax telephone number;

code configured to direct the processor to determine a graphics template associated with the call-in fax telephone number;

code configured to direct the processor to combine a digitized representation of at least a portion of the transmission page with the graphics template to form a digitized representation of a composite page;

code configured to direct the processor to format the digitized representation of the composite page into a second format; and

code configured to direct the processor to transmit the digitized representation of the composite page in the second format to the electronic destination address.