Method and telecommunications system for transmitting a facsimile message
A method and system for transmitting a facsimile message uses a public-switched telecommunications network, the public-switched telecommunication network having a messaging platform capable of storing a plurality of facsimile messages. The initiation of a telephone call to a destination is detected, the content of the call including the facsimile message. If the destination is available at a first time to receive a telephone call, the facsimile message is transmitted. The facsimile message may be stored on the messaging platform only if the destination is unavailable at the first time, or every time a telephone call is initiated by the originating party. The method also provides for situations where a telephone call is redirected, where an inter-NPA seven digit dialing case has occurred, and where “busy” or “no_answer” triggers are implemented. If the facsimile message was stored, the facsimile message is transmitted at a second time if the destination is available.
1. A method for transmitting a facsimile message, the method comprising:
detecting an initiation of a telephone call from an originating party to a destination, the content of the telephone call comprising a facsimile message;
determining a destination condition for the destination at a first time;
in response to determining the destination condition at the first time is one of “busy” and “no_answer”:
determining during the telephone call whether a voice message will be left by the originating party;
launching a routing message to route the telephone call to a messaging platform in response to determining that the voice message will be left by the originating party; and
storing the voice message on the messaging platform in response to routing the telephone call to the messaging platform.
2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
transmitting the facsimile message to the destination in response to determining the destination condition at the first time is “answer.”
3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the initiation of the telephone call is detected based on an off-hook delay trigger assigned to a line of the originating party.
4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the routing message comprises a telephone number corresponding to the message platform.
5. The method of claim 1 , wherein launching a routing message comprises:
determining a telephone number corresponding to the messaging platform based on a lookup-table indexed by a telephone number corresponding to the originating party.
6. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
determining that the destination is not a valid destination for receiving the facsimile message; and
terminating the telephone call in response to determining the destination is not a valid destination for receiving the facsimile message.
7. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
in response to determining the destination condition of the destination at the first time is “busy” and “no_answer,” transmitting the facsimile message to an administrative destination, wherein the administrative destination differs from the destination.
8. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing computer program instructions for transmitting a facsimile message, the computer program instructions, when executed on a processor, cause the processor to perform a method comprising:
detecting an initiation of a telephone call from an originating party to a destination, the content of the telephone call comprising a facsimile message;
determining a destination condition for the destination at a first time;
in response to determining the destination condition at the first time is one of “busy” and “no_answer”:
determining during the telephone call whether a voice message will be left by the originating party;
launching a routing message to route the telephone call to a messaging platform in response to determining that the voice message will be left by the originating party; and
storing the voice message on the messaging platform in response to routing the telephone call to the messaging platform.
9. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 8 , the method further comprising:
transmitting the facsimile message to the destination in response to determining the destination condition at the first time is “answer.”
10. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 8 , the method further comprising:
determining that the destination is not a valid destination for receiving the facsimile message; and
terminating the telephone call in response to determining the destination is not a valid destination for receiving the facsimile message.
11. A system comprising:
a memory storing computer program instructions; and
a processor communicatively coupled to the memory, the processor configured to execute the computer program instructions, which, when executed, cause the processor to perform a method comprising:
detecting an initiation of a telephone call from an originating party to a destination, the content of the telephone call comprising a facsimile message;
determining a destination condition for the destination at a first time;
in response to determining the destination condition at the first time is one of “busy” and “no_answer”:
determining during the telephone call whether a voice message will be left by the originating party;
launching a routing message to route the telephone call to a messaging platform in response to determining that the voice message will be left by the originating party; and
storing the voice message on the messaging platform in response to routing the telephone call to the messaging platform.
12. The system of claim 11 , wherein the method further comprising:
transmitting the facsimile message to the destination in response to determining the destination condition at the first time is “answer.”
13. The system of claim 11 , wherein the method further comprising:
determining that the destination is not a valid destination for receiving the facsimile message; and
terminating the telephone call in response to determining the destination is not a valid destination for receiving the facsimile message.