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:
reserving a minimum number of communication channels of a network server for receiving incoming documents, out of a plurality of communication channels set to a bi-directional mode, the reserving being performed independent of load balancing;
when an outgoing document is ready for delivery, determining whether a number of idle communication channels is greater than the minimum number of communication channels reserved for receiving incoming documents;
if the number of idle communication channels is greater than the minimum number of communication channels reserved for receiving incoming documents, assigning an idle communication channel for delivering the outgoing document to a device communicatively coupled to the network server over a network connection; and
if the number of idle communication channels is not greater than the minimum number of communication channels reserved for receiving incoming documents, holding the delivery of the outgoing document until the number of idle communication channels is greater than the minimum number of communication channels reserved for receiving incoming documents.
2. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the plurality of communication channels comprises analog communication channels, digital communication channels, virtual lines, or a combination thereof.
3. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the plurality of communication channels comprises telephone facsimile communication channels.
4. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the network server is operable to simultaneously send and receive multiple documents in multiple formats utilizing the plurality of communication channels.
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:
in a network server having a plurality of communication channels set to a bi-directional mode, when an outgoing document is ready for delivery, determining whether a number of idle communication channels is greater than a minimum number of communication channels reserved for receiving incoming documents, the determining being performed independent of load balancing;
if the number of idle communication channels is greater than the minimum number of communication channels reserved for receiving incoming documents, assigning an idle communication channel for delivering the outgoing document to a device communicatively coupled to the network server over a network connection; and
if the number of idle communication channels is not greater than the minimum number of communication channels reserved for receiving incoming documents, holding the delivery of the outgoing document until the number of idle communication channels is greater than the minimum number of communication channels reserved for receiving incoming documents.
10. The computer program product of claim 9 , wherein the plurality of communication channels comprises analog communication channels, digital communication channels, virtual 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 network server communicatively coupled to a plurality of devices via a plurality of communication channels set to a bi-directional mode, wherein the network server is operable to perform:
when an outgoing document is ready for delivery, determining whether a number of idle communication channels is greater than a minimum number of communication channels reserved for receiving incoming documents, the determining being performed independent of load balancing;
if the number of idle communication channels is greater than the minimum number of communication channels reserved for receiving incoming documents, assigning an idle communication channel for delivering the outgoing document to one of the plurality of devices communicatively coupled to the network server over a network connection; and
if the number of idle communication channels is not greater than the minimum number of communication channels reserved for receiving incoming documents, holding the delivery of the outgoing document until the number of idle communication channels is greater than the minimum number of communication channels reserved for receiving incoming documents.
17. The document delivery system of claim 16 , wherein the plurality of communication channels comprises analog communication channels, digital communication channels, virtual lines, or a combination thereof.
18. The document delivery system of claim 16 , wherein the network server is operable to simultaneously send and receive multiple documents in multiple formats utilizing the plurality of communication channels.
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.