Methods and apparatus for compositing facsimile transmissions to electronic storage destinations

• US 8,184,318 B2
• Filed: 04/27/2007
• Issued: 05/22/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 03/28/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: j2 Cloud Services, LLC (Consensus Cloud Solutions, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Mongonet
• Inventors: Henry, Matthew K.
• Primary Examiner(s): Williams, Kimberly A
• Application Number:
  US11/741,418
• Publication Number:
  US 20070236732A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,852 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 1/00355 Mark-sheet input sensing record carriers G06K7/00; character recognition G06V30/10; document-oriented image-based pattern recognition G06V30/40
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/0036 Alphanumeric symbols
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00968 by scanning marks on a sheet mark-sheet input means H04N1/00355; sensing record carriers G06K7/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/387 Composing, repositioning or otherwise geometrically modifying originals

Abstract

A method for a computer system includes receiving a facsimile including a digitized transmission page including an optical representation of the electronic destination address encoded in a facsimile format, determining the electronic destination address from the optical representation of the electronic destination address, combining the transmission page with a graphics template to form a composite document, formatting the composite document into a second format, determining additional service provider data in response to the facsimile, and transmitting the additional service provider data and the composite document in the second format to the electronic destination address.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving, by a computer system, a facsimile or scanned image, wherein the facsimile or scanned image comprises a digitized representation of at least 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;

combining, by the computer system, a digitized representation of at least a portion of the transmission page with a selected 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, service provider data in response to the facsimile or the scanned image; and

transmitting, by the computer system, the 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 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 selected graphics template comprises an electronic greeting card.

5. The method of claim 4

wherein the portion of the transmission page includes hand written data by a user;

and

wherein the digitized representation of the composite page comprises the hand-written data combined with the electronic greeting card.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein the electronic greeting card includes data selected from a group consisting of:

music, sound, animation, a web-link, a program, an applet.

7. The method of claim 4

wherein the digitized representation of the transmission page includes a user-selection of a representation of the selected graphics template;

and

wherein the method further comprises using optical character recognition techniques to determine the selected graphics template in response to the user selection.

8. The method of claim 4 further comprising:

determining the selected graphics template in response to the optical representation of the electronic destination address;

wherein the optical representation of the electronic destination address is selected from a group consisting of;

a bar code, alphanumeric characters.

9. The method of claim 8 further comprising:

receiving a user selection of the selected graphics template;

receiving the electronic destination address; and

associating the electronic destination address with the selected graphics template.

10. The method of claim 9 further comprising determining the selected graphics template in response to the electronic destination address that was optically determined.

11. A computer system comprising:

a processor configured to;

receive a facsimile or scanned image, wherein the facsimile or scanned image comprises a digitized representation of at least 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;

determine the electronic destination address from the optical representation of the electronic destination address using optical character recognition techniques;

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

format the digitized representation of the composite page into a second format;

determine service provider data in response to the facsimile or the scanned image; and

transmit the service provider data and the digitized representation of the composite page in the second format to the electronic destination address.

12. The computer system of claim 11 wherein the electronic destination address is selected from a group consisting of:

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

13. The computer system of claim 12 wherein the service provider data is selected from a group consisting of:

a service provider name, a service provider sponsor name, a link.

14. The computer system of claim 11 wherein the selected graphics template comprises electronic greeting card data.

15. The computer system of claim 14

wherein the portion of the transmission page includes hand written data by a user;

and

wherein the digitized representation of the composite page comprises the hand-written data combined with the electronic greeting card data.

16. The computer system of claim 15 wherein the electronic greeting card data includes data selected from a group consisting of:

music, sound, animation, a web-link, a program, an applet.

17. The computer system of claim 14

wherein the digitized representation of the transmission page includes a user-selection of a representation of the selected graphics template;

and

wherein the processor is configured to use optical character recognition techniques to determine the selected graphics template in response to the user selection.

18. The computer system of claim 14 wherein the processor is further configured to:

determine the selected graphics template in response to the optical representation of the electronic destination address,

wherein the optical representation of the electronic destination address is selected from a group consisting of;

a bar code, alphanumeric characters.

19. The computer system of claim 18 wherein the processor is further configured to:

receive a user selection of the selected graphics template, receive the electronic destination address from the user, and associate the electronic destination address with the selected graphics template.

20. The computer system of claim 19 wherein the processor is further configured to:

provide a user-printable transmission page, wherein the user-printable transmission page includes the optical representation of the electronic destination address.

21. A non-transitory computer readable medium having stored thereon program code executable by a computer system, the program code comprising:

code that directs the computer system to receive a facsimile or scanned image, wherein the facsimile or scanned image comprises a digitized representation of at least 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 that directs the computer system to determine the electronic destination address from the optical representation of the electronic destination address using optical character recognition techniques;

code that directs the computer system to combine a digitized representation of at least a portion of the transmission page with a selected graphics template to form a composite document;

code that directs the computer system to format the digitized representation of the composite document into a second format;

code that directs the computer system to determine service provider data in response to the facsimile or the scanned image; and

code that directs the computer system to transmit the service provider data and the composite document in the second format to the electronic destination address.

22. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 21 wherein the electronic destination address is selected from a group consisting of:

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

23. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 22 wherein the service provider data is selected from a group consisting of:

a service provider name, a service provider sponsor name, a link.

24. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 21 wherein the selected graphics template comprises electronic greeting card data.

25. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 24

wherein the portion of the transmission page includes hand written data by a user;

and

wherein the composite document comprises the hand-written data combined with the electronic greeting card data.

26. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 25 wherein the electronic greeting card data includes data selected from a group consisting of:

music, sound, animation, a web-link, a program, an applet.

27. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 24

wherein the digitized representation of the transmission page includes a user-selection of a representation of the selected graphics template;

and

wherein the program code further includes code that directs the computer system to use optical character recognition techniques to determine the selected graphics template in response to the user selection.

28. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 24 wherein the program code further comprises:

code that directs the computer system to determine the selected graphics template in response to the optical representation of the electronic destination address,

wherein the optical representation of the electronic destination address is selected from a group consisting of;

a bar code, alphanumeric characters.

29. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 28 wherein the program code further comprises:

code that directs the computer system to receive a user selection of the selected graphics template;

code that directs the computer system to receive the electronic destination address from the user; and

code that directs the computer system to associate the electronic destination address with the selected graphics template.

30. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 29 wherein the program code further comprises:

code that directs the computer system to provide a user-printable transmission page, wherein the user-printable transmission page includes the optical representation of the electronic destination address.