Methods and apparatus for facsimile transmissions to electronic storage destinations including tracking data

• US 8,045,204 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:
  US11/894,747
• Publication Number:
  US 20080130040A1
• 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 1/32112 in a separate computer file, document page or paper sheet, e.g. a fax cover sheet H04N1/32122 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/32144 embedded in the image data, i.e. enclosed or integrated in the image, e.g. watermark, super-imposed logo or stamp
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/32325 the embedded data being visible
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3207 of an address
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3208 of an e-mail or network address
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3226 of identification information or the like, e.g. ID code, index, title, part of an image, reduced-size image
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3236 Details of authentication information generation
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3269 of machine readable codes or marks, e.g. bar codes or glyphs

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 data associated with an e-mail address, determining the data 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 digitized representation of the transmission page 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;

determining, by the computer system, additional service provider data in response to the facsimile transmission or the digitized representation of the transmission page; and

transmitting the additional service provider data and 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 wherein the additional 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 the optical representation of the electronic destination address comprises a bar code;

and

wherein determining the electronic destination address from the optical representation of the electronic destination address using optical character recognition techniques, comprises;

decoding the bar code data to determine bar coded data, and

determining the electronic destination address in response to the bar coded data.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein the bar coded data is selected from a group consisting of:

a tracking number, a FROM;

sender address, a time when the bar code was generated, a date when the bar code was generated, a call-in fax telephone number, data appearing on the transmission page.

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 data associated with 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 data associated with 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 look-up portion configured to determine a password associated with the electronic destination address;

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;

an encryption portion configured to encrypt contents of the digitized representation of the composite page;

a determining portion configured to determine additional service provider data in response to the facsimile transmission or the digitized representation of the transmission page; and

a transmitter portion configured to transmit the additional service provider data and the digitized representation of the composite page in the second format in an encrypted form 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 data associated with 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 data associated with 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 determine a password associated with the electronic destination address;

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;

code configured to direct the processor to encrypt contents of the digitized representation of the composite page;

code configured to direct the processor to determine additional service provider data in response to the facsimile transmission or the digitized representation of the transmission page; and

code configured to direct the processor to transmit the additional service provider data and the digitized representation of the composite page in the second format in an encrypted form to the electronic destination address.