Fax message receipt and forwarding and/or notification to email

• US 8,687,774 B1
• Filed: 08/10/2009
• Issued: 04/01/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 11/15/1996
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: RPX Corporation
• Original Assignee: Stage Innovations, Inc.
• Inventors: Migimatsu, Taka
• Primary Examiner(s): Phan, Joseph T
• Application Number:
  US12/538,802
• Time in Patent Office: 1,695 Days
• Field of Search: 379/88.13, 379/93.24, 379/100.08
• US Class Current: 379/88.13
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/4557 Directories for hybrid networks, e.g. including telephone numbers
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/4527 Voicemail attached to other kind of message
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42382 Text-based messaging services in telephone networks such as PSTN/ISDN, e.g. User-to-User Signalling or Short Message Service for fixed networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/5307 for recording messages comprising any combination of audio and non-audio components
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/5315 where the non-audio components are still images or video still image mailbox systems H04N1/324, intermediate storage of video signals for videophones H04N7/147
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/53333 Message receiving aspects
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/006 Networks other than PSTN/ISDN providing telephone service, e.g. Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) , including next generation networks with a packet-switched transport layer H04L65/00 takes precedence; aspects not specific to the type of network H04M3/00; special services in those networks H04M3/42
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/122 where the PSTN/ISDN access is used as an access to networks other than PSTN/ISDN access arrangements to networks other than PSTN/ISDN H04M7/0066; access arrangements to public data networks H04L12/2856
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/32432 in a particular memory file for retrieval by the user, e.g. in a facsimile mailbox

Abstract

A method and system is provided for receiving a fax message and forwarding the fax message to an email destination and/or sending an email message to notify of the receipt of the fax message. The system has a plurality of access devices which are coupled to each other over a network such as the Internet. These access devices may include computers, workstations, and the like. Upon receipt of a fax message, the message may be forwarded to an e-mail box. Alternatively, a notification of the message is sent to a recipient in the form of an email message. The system may be configured based on the specifications of the caller or the recipient.

Claims

1. A method for receiving a fax message and sending an email message comprising:

receiving a fax message at an access device from a network, said fax message comprising facsimile data;

storing said facsimile data in a storage device coupled to said access device;

analyzing said fax message;

selecting an email address based on said step of analyzing said fax message;

sending an email message to said email address containing information related to said fax message.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said step of analyzing comprises retrieving information provided by a caller.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein said step of selecting comprises retrieving said email address specified by a recipient.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein said step of sending comprises forwarding said facsimile data to an e-mail box.

5. A system for receiving a fax message and sending an email message comprising:

means for receiving a fax message at an access device from a network, said fax message comprising facsimile data;

means for storing said facsimile data in a storage device coupled to said access device;

means for analyzing said fax message;

means for selecting an email address based on an output from said means for analyzing said fax message;

means for sending an email message to said email address containing information related to said fax message.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein said means for analyzing comprises means for retrieving information provided by a caller.

7. The system of claim 5, wherein said means for selecting comprises means for retrieving said email address specified by a recipient.

8. The system of claim 5, wherein said means for sending comprises means for forwarding said facsimile data to an e-mail box.

9. A system for receiving a fax message and sending an email message comprising:

an access device that receives a fax message from a network, said fax message comprising facsimile data;

a storage device coupled to said access device that stores said facsimile data;

wherein said access device analyzes said fax message, selects an email address based on the analysis of said fax message and sends an email message to said email address containing information related to said fax message.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein said access device retrieves information from said fax message provided by a caller.

11. The system of claim 9, wherein said access device retrieves said email address specified by a recipient.

12. The system of claim 9, wherein said access device forwards said facsimile data to an e-mail box.