Integrated document delivery method and apparatus
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 of document delivery, comprising:
setting each of a plurality of lines of a document delivery network server to a bi-directional mode;
reserving a minimum number of lines for receiving incoming documents;
when an outgoing document is ready for delivery, determining whether a number of idle lines is greater than the minimum number of lines reserved for receiving incoming documents;
if the number of idle lines is greater than the minimum number of lines reserved for receiving incoming documents, assigning an idle line for delivering the outgoing document to a device communicatively coupled to the document delivery network server; and
if the number of idle lines is not greater than the minimum number of lines reserved for receiving incoming documents, holding the delivery of the outgoing document until the number of idle lines is greater than the minimum number of lines reserved for receiving incoming documents.
2. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the plurality of lines comprises analog lines, digital lines, or a combination thereof.
3. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the plurality of lines comprises telephone facsimile lines.
4. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the document delivery network server is operable to simultaneously send and receive multiple documents in multiple formats utilizing the plurality of lines.
5. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the outgoing document comprises a fax.
6. The method according to claim 5 , wherein the fax comprises multiple pages of tagged image file format images.
7. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the outgoing document comprises an e-mail.
8. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the outgoing document comprises a portable document format file.
9. A computer program product comprising at least one non-transitory computer readable medium storing instructions translatable by at least one processor to perform:
setting each of a plurality of lines of a document delivery network server to a bi-directional mode;
when an outgoing document is ready for delivery, determining whether a number of idle lines is greater than a minimum number of lines reserved for receiving incoming documents;
if the number of idle lines is greater than the minimum number of lines reserved for receiving incoming documents, assigning an idle line for delivering the outgoing document to a device communicatively coupled to the document delivery network server; and
if the number of idle lines is not greater than the minimum number of lines reserved for receiving incoming documents, holding the delivery of the outgoing document until the number of idle lines is greater than the minimum number of lines reserved for receiving incoming documents.
10. The computer program product of claim 9 , wherein the plurality of lines comprises analog lines, digital lines, or a combination thereof.
11. The computer program product of claim 9 , wherein the instructions are further translatable by the at least one processor to simultaneously send and receive multiple documents in multiple formats utilizing the plurality of lines.
12. The computer program product of claim 9 , wherein the outgoing document comprises a fax.
13. The computer program product of claim 12 , wherein the fax comprises multiple pages of tagged image file format images.
14. The computer program product of claim 9 , wherein the outgoing document comprises an e-mail.
15. The computer program product of claim 9 , wherein the outgoing document comprises a portable document format file.
16. A document delivery system, comprising:
a document delivery network server communicatively coupled to a plurality of devices via a plurality of lines, wherein the document delivery network server is operable to perform:
setting each of the plurality of lines to a bi-directional mode;
when an outgoing document is ready for delivery, determining whether a number of idle lines is greater than a minimum number of lines reserved for receiving incoming documents;
if the number of idle lines is greater than the minimum number of lines reserved for receiving incoming documents, assigning an idle line for delivering the outgoing document to one of the plurality of devices communicatively coupled to the document delivery network server; and
if the number of idle lines is not greater than the minimum number of lines reserved for receiving incoming documents, holding the delivery of the outgoing document until the number of idle lines is greater than the minimum number of lines reserved for receiving incoming documents.
17. The document delivery system of claim 16 , wherein the plurality of lines comprises analog lines, digital lines, or a combination thereof.
18. The document delivery system of claim 16 , wherein the document delivery network server is operable to simultaneously send and receive multiple documents in multiple formats utilizing the plurality of lines.
19. The document delivery system of claim 16 , wherein the outgoing document comprises a fax.
20. The document delivery system of claim 16 , wherein the outgoing document comprises an e-mail.