Line utilization in integrated document delivery method and apparatus
View Patent ↗A document delivery network server having a set of integrated functions including sending, receiving, routing and filing of FAXes and e-mails to other users which achieves numerous advantages over the prior art. The document delivery system is based on a client/server model having both analog and digital Fax line capabilities. The server side provides very highly integrated systems functionality based on industry standard, commercially available hardware and a mix of industry standard and proprietary software components including integrated FAX/modem modules, an embedded OS, embedded plug-and-play driver sets, embedded e-mail gateways, an embedded FAX archive, embedded back-up/restore, proprietary high efficiency line utilization and highly efficient load balancing.
1. A method for line utilization in an integrated document delivery system, comprising:
setting all lines in the integrated document delivery system to a bi-directional mode for receiving incoming jobs and sending outgoing jobs;
receiving a document from an email server, a user device, or a fax machine;
determining a number of idle lines available for a job;
comparing the number of idle lines with a configurable minimum number of idle lines;
allocating one of the idle lines for the job if the number of idle lines is same as or more than the configurable minimum number of idle lines; and
updating the number of idle lines.
2. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the configurable minimum number of idle lines is reserved for receiving the incoming jobs.
3. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising:
providing a user interface for user configuration of the configurable minimum number of idle lines.
4. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising:
performing load balancing on the receiving of the incoming jobs and the sending of the outgoing jobs independent of the line utilization.
5. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising:
converting the document received from the email server or the user device into one or more destination file formats.
6. The method according to claim 5 , further comprising:
rendering cover pages individually for each job or destination in a group of jobs.
7. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising:
sending a job corresponding to the document to a receiving device connected to the integrated document delivery system.
8. A computer program product comprising at least one non-transitory computer readable medium storing instructions translatable by at least one processor to perform:
setting all lines in an integrated document delivery system to a bi-directional mode for receiving incoming jobs and sending outgoing jobs; determining a number of idle lines available for a job in response from receiving a document from an email server, a user device, or a fax machine;
comparing the number of idle lines with a configurable minimum number of idle lines;
allocating one of the idle lines for the job if the number of idle lines is same as or more than the configurable minimum number of idle lines; and
updating the number of idle lines.
9. The computer program product of claim 8 , wherein the instructions are further translatable by the at least one processor to perform:
providing a user interface for user configuration of the configurable minimum number of idle lines.
10. The computer program product of claim 9 , wherein the instructions are further translatable by the at least one processor to perform:
converting a document received from an email server or a user device into one or more destination file formats.
11. The computer program product of claim 10 , wherein the instructions are further translatable by the at least one processor to perform:
rendering cover pages individually for each job or destination in a group of jobs.
12. The computer program product of claim 10 , wherein the instructions are further translatable by the at least one processor to perform:
sending a job corresponding to the document to a receiving device connected to the integrated document delivery system.
13. An integrated document delivery system, comprising:
a document server communicatively coupled to a plurality of document sending and receiving devices, wherein the document server is operable to perform:
setting all lines in the integrated document delivery system to a bi-directional mode for receiving incoming jobs and sending outgoing jobs;
wherein the document server is operable to receive a document from an email server, a user device, or a fax machine;
determining a number of idle lines available for a job;
comparing the number of idle lines with a configurable minimum number of idle lines;
allocating one of the idle lines for the job if the number of idle lines is same as or more than the configurable minimum number of idle lines; and
updating the number of idle lines.
14. The integrated document delivery system of claim 13 , wherein the document server is operable to provide a user interface for user configuration of the configurable minimum number of idle lines.
15. The integrated document delivery system of claim 13 , wherein the document server is operable to perform load balancing on the receiving of the incoming jobs and the sending of the outgoing jobs independent of utilization of the lines.
16. The integrated document delivery system of claim 13 , wherein the document server is operable to convert the document received from the email server or the user device into one or more destination file formats.
17. The integrated document delivery system of claim 16 , wherein the document server is operable to render cover pages individually for each job or destination in a group of jobs.
18. The integrated document delivery system of claim 13 , wherein the document server is operable to send a job corresponding to the document to a receiving device connected to the integrated document delivery system.