Automated Least Cost Facsimile Routing

• US 20130063768A1
• Filed: 09/12/2011
• Published: 03/14/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 09/12/2011
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Xerox Corporation (Xerox Holdings Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Xerox Corporation (Xerox Holdings Corp.)
• Inventors: Berke, David
• Application Number:
  US13/230,826
• Publication Number:
  US 20130063768A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 358/1.15
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 11/066 Telephone sets adapted for data transmision
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/3209 according to the called number
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/32096 Checking the destination, e.g. correspondence of manual input with stored destination
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0093 Facsimile machine H04N2201/0094 takes precedence

Abstract

The present specification discloses devices for faxing documents. In an exemplary embodiment, the device has at least one processor in data communication with a memory, a memory for storing programmatic instructions, where, upon execution by the processor, the programmatic instructions: 1) cause a display to show at least one data field, 2) receive alphanumeric strings that have been inputted into the at least one data field, 3) analyze at least one of the alphanumeric strings, 4) based on the analysis, determine a code, and 5) dial the code prior to dialing any portion of the alphanumeric strings.

Claims

1. A fax machine system comprising:

at least one processor in data communication with a memory;

a memory for storing a plurality of programmatic instructions, wherein, upon execution by the at least one processor, said programmatic instructions

cause a display to show a data field;

receive an alphanumeric string that has been inputted into said data field;

store said alphanumeric string into said memory;

parse said alphanumeric string in accordance with a predefined parsing format;

based on said parsing, derive a plurality of alphanumeric characters and compare said derived alphanumeric characters to a database;

based on said comparison, retrieve a code; and

dial said code prior to dialing a portion of said alphanumeric string.

2. The fax machine of claim 1 wherein said alphanumeric string is a fax number corresponding to a recipient of a fax.

3. The fax machine of claim 2 wherein said derived alphanumeric character corresponds to a country code.

4. The fax machine of claim 1 wherein said predefined parsing format is programmed by a user into said system.

5. The fax machine of claim 4 wherein said predefined parsing format is programmed by accessing an interface that is stored within said memory of the fax machine.

6. The fax machine of claim 4 wherein said predefined parsing format is programmed by accessing an interface that is stored within a memory that is located remote from the fax machine.

7. The fax machine of claim 1 wherein said database is stored within said memory of the fax machine.

8. The fax machine of claim 1 wherein said database is stored in a memory that is located remote from the fax machine.

9. The fax machine of claim 1 wherein said code is dialed prior to dialing any portion of said alphanumeric string.

10. A device for faxing documents comprising:

at least one processor in data communication with a memory;

a memory for storing a plurality of programmatic instructions, wherein, upon execution by the at least one processor, said programmatic instructions

cause a display to show two or more data fields;

receive alphanumeric strings that have been inputted into said two or more data fields;

analyze at least one of said alphanumeric strings;

based on said analysis, determine a code; and

dial said code prior to dialing a portion of said alphanumeric strings.

11. The device of claim 10 wherein at least one of said alphanumeric strings is a fax number corresponding to a recipient of a fax.

12. The device of claim 11 wherein said analysis determines a country code and, based on said country code, determines the code.

13. The device of claim 10 wherein said analysis applies a predefined parsing format to at least one of said alphanumeric strings;

based on said predefined parsing format, determines a country code; and

based on said country code, determines the code.

14. The device of claim 13 wherein said predefined parsing format is programmed by accessing an interface that is stored within said memory of the fax machine.

15. The device of claim 13 wherein said predefined parsing format is programmed by accessing an interface that is stored within a memory that is located remote from the fax machine.

16. The device of claim 10 wherein said analysis determines a country code;

compares said country code to a database; and

based on said country code, determines the code.

17. The device of claim 16 wherein said database is stored within said memory of the fax machine.

18. The device of claim 16 wherein said database is stored in a memory that is located remote from the fax machine.

19. The device of claim 10 wherein said code is dialed prior to dialing any portion of said alphanumeric strings.