Scalable and flexible Internet fax architecture for processing outbound fax messages
First Claim
1. A method of delivering fax messages, the method comprising:
- receiving, at an initial submission gateway device of an Internet fax system, a request to deliver a fax message to one or more third parties;
storing, by the initial submission gateway device, one or more source files associated with the request and representing at least a portion of content to be included as part of the fax message to a shared storage area of the Internet fax system accessible by a plurality of imaging systems and a plurality of fax processing resources of the Internet fax system;
for each imaging system of the plurality of imaging systems;
calculating, by the imaging system, a load score based on one or more of a processor load associated with the imaging system and an amount of memory associated with the imaging system that is currently being used; and
causing, by the imaging system, the load score to be made available to the initial submission gateway device;
selecting, by the initial submission gateway device, an imaging system of the plurality of imaging systems to convert the one or more source files into a digital representation suitable for faxing by selecting a least loaded of the plurality of imaging systems, based on their respective load scores;
storing, by the initial submission gateway device, a work request on a centralized work queue within a database of the Internet fax system accessible by the plurality of imaging systems, the work request containing information identifying the selected imaging system;
polling, by the selected imaging system, the centralized work queue to identify whether any pending work requests exist for the selected imaging system; and
responsive to identifying the work request, converting, by the selected imaging system, the one or more source files into the digital representation, associating the digital representation with an outbound fax job and causing the fax message to be delivered to the one or more third parties by submitting the outbound fax job to a fax modem of the plurality of fax processing resources.
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Accused Products
Abstract
Methods and systems for processing outbound fax messages in an efficient and scalable manner are provided. According to one embodiment, an Internet fax system receives a request to deliver a fax message. Source files representing content to be included as part of the fax message are stored to a shared storage area accessible by imaging systems and fax processing resources. An imaging system is selected to convert the source files into a digital representation suitable for faxing. A work request identifying the selected imaging system is stored on a centralized work queue within a database. The imaging systems poll the centralized work queue to retrieve pending work requests. Responsive to identifying the work request, the selected imaging system converts the source files, associates the resulting digital representation with an outbound fax job and causes the fax message to be delivered by submitting the outbound fax job to a fax modem.
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Citations
17 Claims
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1. A method of delivering fax messages, the method comprising:
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receiving, at an initial submission gateway device of an Internet fax system, a request to deliver a fax message to one or more third parties; storing, by the initial submission gateway device, one or more source files associated with the request and representing at least a portion of content to be included as part of the fax message to a shared storage area of the Internet fax system accessible by a plurality of imaging systems and a plurality of fax processing resources of the Internet fax system; for each imaging system of the plurality of imaging systems; calculating, by the imaging system, a load score based on one or more of a processor load associated with the imaging system and an amount of memory associated with the imaging system that is currently being used; and causing, by the imaging system, the load score to be made available to the initial submission gateway device; selecting, by the initial submission gateway device, an imaging system of the plurality of imaging systems to convert the one or more source files into a digital representation suitable for faxing by selecting a least loaded of the plurality of imaging systems, based on their respective load scores; storing, by the initial submission gateway device, a work request on a centralized work queue within a database of the Internet fax system accessible by the plurality of imaging systems, the work request containing information identifying the selected imaging system; polling, by the selected imaging system, the centralized work queue to identify whether any pending work requests exist for the selected imaging system; and responsive to identifying the work request, converting, by the selected imaging system, the one or more source files into the digital representation, associating the digital representation with an outbound fax job and causing the fax message to be delivered to the one or more third parties by submitting the outbound fax job to a fax modem of the plurality of fax processing resources. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
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9. A method of delivering fax messages, the method comprising:
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for each of a plurality of imaging systems of an Internet fax system; calculating, by the imaging system, a load score based on one or more of a processor load associated with the imaging system and an amount of memory associated with the imaging system that is currently being used; and causing, by the imaging system, the load score to be made available to a plurality of initial submission gateway devices of the Internet fax system; and responsive to receiving, at an initial submission gateway device of the plurality of initial submission gateway devices, a request to deliver a fax message to one or more third parties; selecting, by the initial submission gateway device, a least loaded of the plurality of imaging systems, based on their respective load scores, to convert one or more source files associated with the request and representing at least a portion of content to be included as part of the fax message into a digital representation suitable for faxing; and associating, by the selected imaging system, the digital representation with an outbound fax job and causing the fax message to be delivered to the one or more third parties by submitting the outbound fax job to a fax modem of a plurality of fax processing resources of the Internet fax system. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11, 12, 13)
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14. A method of delivering fax messages, the method comprising:
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for each imaging system of a plurality of imaging systems of an Internet fax system; calculating, by the imaging system, a load score based on one or more of a processor load associated with the imaging system and an amount of memory associated with the imaging system that is currently being used; and causing, by the imaging system, the load score to be made available to one or more initial submission gateway devices of the Internet fax system; responsive to receiving fax requests to deliver fax messages, at the one or more initial submission gateway devices from a plurality of subscribers of the Internet fax system, generating, by the one or more initial submission gateway devices, work requests corresponding to the fax requests, the work requests each containing information identifying a selected imaging system of the plurality of imaging systems to convert one or more source files associated with the fax requests into digital representations suitable for faxing, wherein the selected imaging system comprises a least loaded of the plurality of imaging systems, based on their respective load scores; ensuring equal access by the plurality of subscribers to a plurality of simultaneous job slots provided within each of the plurality of imaging systems, by favoring for assignment to an available job slot of the plurality of simultaneous job slots those of the work requests, by a particular imaging system of the plurality of imaging systems, that are associated with a subscriber other than one for which the particular imaging system is currently processing; and after completing processing of work requests by the particular imaging system, associating the digital representations with outbound fax jobs and causing the fax messages to be delivered by submitting the outbound fax jobs to one or more fax modems of a plurality of fax processing resources of the Internet fax system. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17)
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Specification