Facsimile to E-mail communication system with local interface
View Patent ↗A fax to E-mail system and related method are shown, whereby a hardcopy document is sent via a fax device to its recipient via electronic mail through a data network, and is delivered in such a manner that it can be retrieved by the recipient at an E-mail device and displayed on the screen of the E-mail device. The document begins as a hardcopy, as an electronic file retrieved through E-mail recipient's terminal and displayed on the computer screen of the E-mail recipient's terminal. The system and method also provides for an interface device which connects to a conventional fax device for communicating E-mail addresses and routing hardcopy documents to the E-mail network, and provides a means for embedding the functions of the interface device into conventional fax devices. The system can also be used in cooperation with Internet Web service for reporting, accounting, information services, and user interaction.
1. A communication system for communicating information, the communication system comprising:
a first node in communication with a first communication network, the first node comprising—
a facsimile generating and sending function; and
an e-mail address receiving and sending function, wherein the e-mail address receiving and sending function includes memory to receive an e-mail address; and
a second node in communication with a computer network and the first communication network, wherein the second node is configured to provide a communication link therebetween, and wherein the second node selectively operates in a facsimile-to-data mode in which the second node—
receives, from the first node via the first communication network, facsimile information generated at the first node, and
communicates data representative of the facsimile information without additional user input to a destination via the computer network, the second node further comprising a component configured to—
convert the facsimile information generated at the first node to image data,
create an information portion including, at least, delivery information and a comment to a desired recipient, and
associate the image data with the information portion as an attachment,
wherein the second node is responsive to commands received from the first node to initiate operation of the facsimile-to-data mode, and
wherein the second node is programmed to interact with the first node to receive the e-mail address sent out of the memory of the first node.
2. The communication system of claim 1 wherein:
the facsimile generating and sending function comprises facsimile device circuitry; and
the e-mail address receiving and sending function comprises e-mail address receiving and sending device circuitry.
3. The communication system of claim 1 wherein the facsimile generating and sending function and the e-mail address receiving and sending function share at least some common circuitry.
4. A method of communicating information, the method comprising:
receiving a facsimile image data and an e-mail address at a first node on a first communication network;
transmitting the received e-mail address from the first node to a second node in communication with the first communication network and a computer network, wherein the second node is configured to provide a communication link between the first communication network and the computer network;
issuing a prompt from the second node to the first node prompting for the transmission of a facsimile; and
after receiving the prompt by the first node from the second node, transmitting facsimile information comprising the facsimile image data from the first node to the second node without additional user input;
wherein the second node selectively operates in a facsimile-to-data mode in which the second node—
converts the facsimile image data from a facsimile protocol format to image data in a second format;
creates an information portion including, at least, delivery information and a comment receiving portion for a desired recipient; and
associates the image data in the second format with the information portion as an attachment.
5. The method of claim 4 , further comprising:
transmitting the image data to an electronic mailbox on the computer network.
6. The method of claim 4 wherein receiving an e-mail address at the first node comprises:
prompting a user to input an e-mail address at the first node or to recall a previously stored e-mail address from memory; and
storing the input or recalled e-mail address in memory for future use.
7. A method of communicating information, the method comprising:
receiving a dial tone at a device and at a facsimile interface from a common, first communication line associated with a first network;
receiving at the facsimile interface an address associated with an electronic mailbox located on a second network and accessible by a desired recipient;
conveying the address via the first communication line from the facsimile interface to a remote server;
transmitting a facsimile image from the device to the remote server along the first communication line, wherein the facsimile image is transmitted using a facsimile protocol without additional user input, and wherein the remote server is configured to—
convert the facsimile image from a facsimile protocol format to image data in a second format;
transmit the image data in the second format to the electronic mailbox on the second network;
encode the image data in the second format, whereby the image data transmitted to the electronic mailbox is encoded;
automatically decode the image data in the second format upon downloading the image data from the electronic mailbox;
create an information portion including, at least, delivery information and a comment to the desired recipient; and
associate the image data in the second format with the information portion as an attachment.
8. The method of claim 7 wherein transmitting the image data in the second format comprises creating an e-mail message at the remote server, wherein the e-mail message is addressed to the received address, and further wherein the e-mail message includes the image data in the second format.
9. The method of claim 7 wherein the information portion includes a sender address and a destination address.