Processing a fax transmission using a mobile device
Methods and apparatus are described for receiving a fax transmission at a mobile phone. In one embodiment, the mobile phone receives an incoming call and answers the incoming call, upon receiving a command from a user of the mobile phone to answer the incoming call. A program on the mobile phone then detects that the incoming call is a fax transmission, and then places an outgoing call to a fax server. The program on the mobile phone then conferences the incoming call with the outgoing call to the fax server, such that the fax server receives the fax transmission. Other embodiments are also described and claimed.
1. A method performed by a mobile device, the method comprising:
receiving an incoming call on the mobile device that includes a fax transmission; and
placing an outgoing call from the mobile device to a server in response to receiving the incoming call; and
merging the incoming call with the outgoing call to the server such that the server receives the fax transmission, wherein the server is to generate, in response to receiving the fax transmission, a fax message from the fax transmission for viewing by a receiving party of the mobile device.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the incoming call was originally initiated by a fax device and addressed to a telephone number of the mobile device.
3. The method of claim 1 wherein the mobile device receives the incoming call through a PSTN.
4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
receiving a fax message that is generated from the fax transmission as received by the server.
5. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
detecting that the incoming call includes a fax transmission; and
upon detecting that the incoming call includes a fax transmission, displaying a user interface on a display of the mobile device that provides a user with an option to merge the incoming call with the outgoing call to the server.
6. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
muting a microphone of the mobile device while the server receives the fax transmission.
7. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
displaying an advertisement on a display of the mobile device while the server receives the fax transmission.
8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the merging of the incoming call with the outgoing call comprises:
establishing a three-way call between a device that initiated the incoming call, the mobile device, and the server.
9. The method of claim 1 , wherein a program on the mobile device is activated when the incoming call is received.
10. A method performed by a server, the method comprising:
receiving a merged call from a mobile device in which a device is a participant in the merged call, wherein the merged call includes a fax transmission from the device; and
generating a fax message from the fax transmission.
11. The method according to claim 10 , further comprising making the fax message available to a user of the mobile device.
12. The method according to claim 10 , further comprising identifying a telephone number of the mobile device.
13. The method according to claim 12 , further comprising determining whether the telephone number is associated with an existing subscriber.
14. The method according to claim 13 , further comprising, if the telephone number is not associated with an existing subscriber, creating a subscriber account associated with the telephone number of the mobile device.
15. The method according to claim 13 , wherein the determining includes accessing a database that stores account information for subscribers of a fax message service.
16. The method according to claim 10 , wherein the merged call includes a three-way call between a fax device, the mobile device, and the fax server.
17. The method according to claim 10 , further comprising:
detecting and correcting errors in the fax transmission by generating the fax message in error correction mode.
18. The method according to claim 10 , further comprising:
emailing the fax message to an email address of a receiving party.
19. The method according to claim 10 , further comprising:
sending a notification addressed to a receiving party, wherein the notification includes i) an indication that a new fax message is available and ii) access information for accessing the new fax message.
20. The method according to claim 19 , further comprising:
obtaining an email address or notification preferences through i) a program running on the mobile device, or ii) a website.