CA2093814A1

CA2093814A1 - Method and apparatus for the primary and secondary routing of fax messages using hand printed characters

Info

Publication number: CA2093814A1
Application number: CA002093814A
Authority: CA
Inventors: Paul Baran
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Harvest Software Inc
Priority date: 1990-10-10
Filing date: 1991-10-04
Publication date: 1992-04-11
Also published as: US5247591A; EP0552236A4; WO1992007440A1; EP0552236A1; AU8731491A; JPH06504166A

Abstract

The present invention includes an open-ended set of cover sheet forms (20) that may be readily interpreted by the fax server system. In this system a first standardized cover sheet (12) is designed to accept hand printed characters. This first cover sheet is then transmitted to special fax server (42) to create an alternative, fully detached cover sheet for automatic transmission to its specific recipient. Labor is minimized by allowing the sender to hand print a minimal amount of highly constrained telephone numbers, or the initials of the recipient onto a draft cover sheet when a mailing list has been previously stored in memory. The first cover sheet is optionally automatically replaced by a final neatly printer cover sheet (44) in which the abbreviated information is expanded using prestored information to provide sufficient information to allow the secondary fax message cover sheets to be routed by a human or a machine. The present invention acts as a bridge between today's manually prepared cover sheets and E-mail systems that automatically route and store messages.

Description

2093~1~
W092~07~0 PCT/US91/07289 METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR THE PRIMARY
AND SECONDARY ROUTING OF FAX MESSAGES
USING HAND PRINTED CHARACTERS
5 Cross Reference This application is related to co-pending U.S~
Patent Application entitled "Dot Constrained Hand Printed Character Recognition System And Method"
10 having serial number 07/563,198, filed on August 3, 1990, and U. S. Patent number 4,893,333 issued January 9, 1990 entitled "Interactive Facsimile System And Method Of Information Retrieval" both of which are assigned to the same assignee as the 15 present application.

Field of the Invention .. 20 This invention relates to the automatic routing of facsimile (fax) messages by ..
automatically preparing fax routing sheets and to . -~
inte~facing fax messages-with electronic mail~(E~
mail).

Backaround of the Invention - .. There are two categories:of fax message :
30 routing,;commonly called primary and'secondary ~; -routing. :Primary-routing is the process~whereby -fax messages-~are sent directly to their:final fax~-telephone number. ~:Since many users:share a.common fax telephone number, a second, or secondary, level ~ 35 of routing is requiredxto send.*he.~message~.to~its correct shared deviceLuser.~~~Primary routing of fax messages:today is generally performed by either-... :
: manually dialing telephone numbers, sometimes :.:

, : ':
- : :
:, . ... . ....
- ~ .

2093~14 W092/07~0 PCTlUS91/07289 abbreviated by "spead dialing". Secondary routing is most commonly done manually, wherein the incoming cover sheet containing the name and organization of the intended recipient of the fax 5 message is read by a human and the message is hand delivered by a messenger.

.It is customary to use a pre-printed cover sheet as the first page of a multi-page facsimile lO message so that the message is delivered to its intended addressee, since many people tend to share a facsimile unit. Cover sheets are filled in with information such as the name, organizational name, telephone number of the sender, and the name and 15 address of the intended recipient. Also, the number of pages to be sent is included to enable the recipient to determine if any pages are missing from the transmitted document.

Primary cover sheets are prepared .
automatically today when the message to be transmitted.is~created using a computer.~.For:a.fax message transmitted by ~CI or E-mail, the computer will transmit an automatically prepared cover 25 sheet.
. ~ .................. . .
Facsimi~e messages may be routed to end recipients sharing a:single~telephone number-by the combined use of computer-added digital;.information 30 in the-header of.fax.messages-generated by the -computer.and~the manual use of touch-tone~signal generation and the.OCR.reading of a.cover sheet.~ .

-;..-While the.optical character.reading of..the~
35 cover.sheet.is known~art,.there:are.a.number of-..
limitations. Typewriting is:required in most -cases, since the state of the art of the reading of 2093Sl~ `
',`'W092/07440 PCT/US91/07289 hand printed characters is presently limited.

Summarv of the Invention In accordance with the preferred embodiment of the present invention there is disclosed an open-ended set of cover sheet forms that may be readily , interpreted by the fax server system. In this lO system a first standardized cover sheet is designedto accépt hand printed characters. This first cover sheet is then transmitted to a special fax server as part of this invention to create an --~
alternative, fully automated detached cover sheet ' 15 for automatic transmission to its specific recipient. Labor is minimized by allowing the ~ -sender to hand print a minimal amount of highly constrained telephone numbers, or the initials of the recipient onto a draft cover,sheet when a 23 mailing list has been previously stored in the memory associated with the special fax server. The major problem of-constrained writing is that it is slow, so it is necessary,to minimize the number of characters written.
- --The first cover sheet is optionally , automatically replaced by a second and final neatly -~
printed ~over sheet in which the abbreviated information-is expanded:using pre-,stored 30 information to provide sufficient~information-~to , allow both primary routing to a specific telephone number or the secondary fax message cover sheets to be routed bys:a~human or a machine to be delivered , to the~intended recipient.
,, ' The present invention acts as a bridge between -today's manually-prepared cover sheets and those .-- . . I

, ~ :

W092/074~ 2 0 9 3 ~ 1~ PCT/US91/0728~:.

capabilities found in E-ma~ systems that automatically route~and store messages as well as processing other non`obvious features 5 Brief Descri~tion of the Fiqures Figure 1 shows one form of a standardized cover sheet 12 for use with the present invention.

Figure 2A shows an alternative cover sheet to that of Figure 1.

Figure 2B shows another variant of the cover sheet of Figure 1.
Figure 3 shows a form for the entry of a mailing list into the memory of the fax server.

Figure 4 shows a graphical representation of 20 one function of the present invention.

~ Figure 5 is a flow chart that`illustrates the "Analyze And Create" function of the fax server . .
illustrated in block diagram form-.in Figure 4. ;
Figure 6 is a flow chart that--is more detailed than~Figure 5.

Figure 7 shows a.typical-block diagram.of a 30 fax:~erver with which the present-invention can be :
utilized.~ J ~ 'f. , ,~

-?-:Figure~8 is a simplifi.ed flow-chart of the :.
operation of the fax server3in..the mode of.the~
35 present invention. .:

Figure 9 represents a-form to present the -2093~1'1`
W092/07440 PCT/US9l/07289 status of received fax mail to a fax mail box user.
Figure 10 is a block diagram that illustrates the connection of the described fax server to a conventional voice PBX.
Figure 11 is a sub-routine for checking the validity of an identification pattern of a received form and to load the form identification format .
into the fax server for automatic reading of the 10 received form.

Descri~tion of the Preferred Embodiment Figure 1 shows one form of a standardized cover sheet 12 for use with the present invention.
The layout of this form is similar to an envelope and includes several features. In the upper right corner 10, in the location of a stamp on an 20 envelope, is a binary coded form identification pattern 14. This pattern includes 63 binary interior bits in 9 rows~of,~7J~columns with 26~3 -different combinations surrounded along each of-the four edges of the identification pattern 14 by a 25 single bit wide row or column of alternating black ~and`white squares. These outer edge bits are - ,-provided to 'determine the orientation of-a,~ ~
transmitted-rform''since-pages are often feed.through a fax'rmachine'crooked-and~thus received skewed.
30 With'that many~possible different forms,-it-is - -possible to~permit each~usér,-to customize,;~their own cover'sheets'~~ 'Also,~if-there are more forms that arelde'sired than'r-there are possible-numbers,!'n ,, another'irow'~r~`co'lumn can':be easily;~added-~,to-,, 35 identification pattern 14'which will-increase.the number of possible form numbers by a factor equal to the number''of the columns or rows in the , .
.

' ' ''' ~ - , W092/07440 2 0 9 3 ~ 1~ PCT/US91/0728 ~,, direction that the pattern was not increased. This thus results in the number of form numbers being virtually open-ended. ,.

Identification pattern 1~4~,~e,with its many possible designs, is very distinctive thus allowing each form layout to have its own identification pattern. Also, the identification pattern can be recognize by the receiving fax server regardless of 10 its location on the form or whether the form is sent to the fax server either top edge or bottom edge first. To simplify and speed up the reading of each of the standard forms that can be developed, it is suggested that the identification 15 pattern on each form be placed on each form in the same location. Thus, since the fax server expects to always find the identification pattern 14 in the same corner of each of the different types of cover sheets, the fax server will be able to determine if 20 the transmitted cover sheet is right-side up or up-side down.upon examination the location of pattern 14 on the received form given the expected location of the.identification pattern 14.
.
,.~he selection of a rectangular shape for identification pattern 14 with square bits provides two advantages to the rapid identification of the cover.sheet:12.-.when it is received.--One,advantage is the ease with..which the fax server can.,locate 30 the identification pattern 14. A second,advantage is that-by using.square bits:in identification -,.
pattern..14 will.allow the,fax server to,size,the , overall:document,-'.or..to correct~for any,horizontal or vertical~:distortions.that migh,t,occur,that,-make 35 the-.square bits!rectangular instead of,square.
, ~ , . . . . . . .. . ~ .
,, "~j .. . . . ......... .. . ..... . .
Cover sheet 12 also includes three fields 16 ~' ' ~ :'' ' ;

: ~ " , ` -' W092/07440 2 0 9 3 8 ~ ~ ~ PCT/US91/07289 each designed to accept dot constrained hand printed characters, and a larger message field 18 along the bottom to accept typed or written messages. The technique of reading hand printed 5 characters is described more fully in a co-pending U.S. Patent Application entitled "Dot Constrained Hand Printed Character Recognition System And Method" having serial number 07/563,198, filed on August 3,' 1990, and assigned to the same assignee 10 as the present application. The details of the invention of the co-pending application are incorporated herein by reference.

Referring next to Figure 2A there is an 15 alternative cover sheet 12' which includes an identification pattern 14', dot constrained fields 16', and mark sense squares 20. Identification pattern 14' is in the same location as identification pattern 14 on cover sheet 12. Not 20 only does identification pattern 14' identify the type of form transmitted to the fax server, it also identifies the location and type of each other fiçl~d on the form for easy recognition by the fax reader subsystem of the''fax server. For example, 25 cover sheet 12''includes fields 16' to accept:hand printed characters and mark sense squares 20 *hat -may be' filled-~.in by the user. Various ones of the mark sense'sq'uares 20 could be used-for the.party transmitting the-fax to selected various:services ~
30 or special:~treatment that-is desired,qJor the-final- ~
recëïving'party. ~ For example, each of mark sense.
squares 20 could be used for the user-to identify' whether''the`fax mail'being send is-to.be private;:.
-how'~long:`it is to-be retained on the system,'to ~
35 whom a~bIind copy-of the~message-should.:be.sent,'to .
select''récipient(s)-of the message from::a~
predefined distribution list, or to select a ---- - ~

.
.

W092/07440 2 0 9 3 ~ 1 4 PCT/US91/07289 ~ , standard stored message that may be timely to send to the named recipient. ,,~

Figure 2B shows a~other variant of the cover 5 sheet 12" with a different form identification pattern 14" and two dot constrained character fields 16". With this form the areas of the form that are not within the fields 14" and 16":are available for conveying additional information,,if 10 desired. For example, the left field 16" could be used to designate a standard message prestored in :
the fax server that is to be sent to a recipient identified in the right most filed 16".

lSIn all cases the form identification pattern 14 identifies a unique form layout. This.allows .
for the creation of a single basic standard,while retaining the freedom to customize cover sheets for each user's application and avoids the need for an 20 inflexible single standard for the format of the initial cover sheet.

:.~,As new forms are added,-.the software definition of each different.form is.,then added to 25 the ! fax server system. Depending,of the scope of the~ser,vice.which the owner of a fax,server wishes to~o~fer,?,each~user can either be.required to,use the-set of forms-,that have-been predefined,by,the-owner.of,,the fax-server, or~.the user:,can be allowed 30 to:generate their.own variety of cover:sheets., In either. case the:system will-probably-,,be,cable to .~,.
id,entify each ,of~the forms from.identification ~
pattern:,14,alone.,. However,:.if there.are more,forms on the,system than~the identification pattern.allow .
:~ 35,.will~.identify,.theiform identification~can,be .-,." , performed-by~reading both the identification,~.
pattern and the-"From" line for the identification ... . . .

' ,. ...
.

W092/07~0 2 0 9 3 ~ 1~ PCT/US91/07289 of the user from the cover sheet.

The form identification pattern was shown as a bar code in Fig. 2b of U. S. Patent 4,893,333, 5 which is assigned to the same assignee as the present application. While other patterns can be used, it has been found that the checkerboard type pattern of the present invention is particularly suitable for applications where the form may be 10 being read at an angle or upside down from the expected orientation. This arrangement provides the look and feel of a letter envelope where the checkerboard pattern 14 had the appearance of a stamp and the "To" and "From" blocks 16 are the . 15 addresses and the senders identification.
Additionally, the checkerboard pattern is compact and readable even with distortions and noise found with today's facsimile transmissions.

Although the identification pattern 14 has been discussed above with respect to various cover sheets,iit also-lends itself to~the-specification ' ; of a sheet that serves other functions, such as a sheet that is a communications vehicle between a 25 user and a fax server, as seen in Figure 3.`'' Referring to Figure 3 there is shown a:form for providing a mailing list 30 to be stored in the memory of the fax'server:with each'mailing~list 30 that ~s:created being associated with a particular user.' When-a~user:is-accepted onto the faxiserver.
system'~they'are permitted to input a private.s mai'ling-list of-as many names:as-permitted.- ~Once.i therma'iling'~ilist is`~entered into the'~system~the ;-~'' 35 amount~of:'information'that a user must:;provide on -L ~-`
. subsequent cover sheets is reduced, thus minimizing the amount of time necessary for the fax server to W092/07440 2 0 9 3 ~ 1~ PCT/US91/0728 `

read and act on incoming fax messages. This is possible since sbbreviations can be used in future transmissions, and since the number of characters to be read is fewer the time to read ~he fax 5 message is shorter.
.. ~
Included in this form are f~elds to accept abbreviations for the name of a mailing list 40 that contains a series of name fields 32, 32', 10 etc., each described by name abbreviations 34, 34', etc. Along with each name field 32, 32', etc.
there is a telephone number field 36, 36', etc., and an extension or local box filed 38, 38', etc.
The inclusion of abbreviations 34, 34', etc., the 15 user may use the abbreviations to route fax messages using standard cover sheets once the mailing list is provided so that the fax server can automatically convert the user imputed abbreviation into telephone numbers 36 and extensions 38 which 20 are retained by the fax server from the previously read mailing li t form 30. Given mailing list form 30,-a;user',in subsequent messages to,link ,with ~:
their previously entered mailing lists must either use the mailing list abbreviation or identify 25 themselves on the cover sheet so that the fax server will utilize the prestored mailing list for that user. , ,,,- , ,Additionallyj-a user can add to, or, delete 30 from,,their prestored mailing list by submitting a new form 30. ~If,the abbreviation for, the mailing ,, ~, list entry,is on that had not been used before,it -is,considered,an addition and ;if the abbreviation was used-~before~the~earlier,entry is overwritten~
35 thus allowing corre~tions to:be made for changes of, , address, etc., ~ ;, , -- - ~
, .

"
. . ~ I
` :' , ,, 2093Sl~
W092/07~0 PCT/US91/07289 Figure 4 shows a graphical representation of one function of the present invention. Initially the user prepares a cover sheet by hand with their name or abbreviation of the desired mailing list of 5 the "From" line and the abbreviations of the intended recipients on the "TO" line, perhaps one of those as shown in Figure 1, and then places that sheet ahead of the document 20 to be transmitted.
Fax server 42 reads cover sheet 12, converting 10 identification pattern 14 to a character string that is used as the address to a look-up table when the format information of the cover sheet is store.
That format information is inputed to the processor for further analysis of the cover sheet. Following 15 that,-if document 20 is to be sent to several different parties on a mailing list, fax server 42 prepares those secondary cover sheets 44, 44', 44", etc., and transmits them to the intended recipient followed by a copy of document 20. Then the 20 received original, or the image of the, cover sheet 46 is discarded (e.g. erased from memory of fax .
server-42).~--To prepare the secondary cover sheets 44 with full names and telephone numbers, fax server 42 uses the information on an.'earlier.
25 transmitted mailing lists like that of Figure 3 :
that has been stored in the memory of fax server 42.'~:Though the'use-of a service~which uses a.fax ~erver~of the present invention-a user having.a~low end fax machine without a}l~of the.bells 'and-...
30 whistles can have all of the features of'.the upper end fax machines, and then some, including abbreviated`~6pee'd dialing to send messages-to long :mail~ng lists'and-deferred transmi'ssionlon':all~
~messages on:a'~message by-message:~basis~.s~'.. The-~
35 present inven.tion thusialso makes/^it possible for- ..
' all fax user to'take~advantage~ofcthe least cost -routing algorithms to minimize communications W092/07~0 2 0 9 3 ~ 1~ PCT/US91/0728~

costs. Additionally, if the fax server is tied into a PBX system as discus,se,d~below with respect to Figure 10 trunk charges can be reduced further since the fax server can be tied to an extension of 5 the PBX system instead of to a dedicated trunk telephone line.

Figure 5 is a flow chart that illustrates the "Analyze And Create" function of the fax server 42 10 that is illustrated in block diagram form in Figure 4. An input cover sheet 48 is received by fax server 42 and the handwritten information in fields 16 is interpreted by techniques described in co-pending patent application entitled "Dot 15 Constrained Hand Printed Character Recognition System And Method" having serial number 07/563,198, filed on August 3, 1990, and assigned to the same assignee as the present application.
Then at block 52 fax server 42 checks its memory ::
20 for previously stored mailing lists for any ,~
, abbreviations that may have been included on cover sheet::48.-~Using those abbreviations.together.with that previously stored information,.fax-server 42 maps the abbreviations into the fax telephone 25 numbers and names of the intended recipients-(block 54), generates the necessary expanded cover sheets (block 56)j and routes them with their associated, .document-20 to each-of the intended recipients,....
(blocksT.58,,58!,,.58"j-etc.) without human ,-, 30 intervention.. m.~
'AJ n .c ~; .: - :
.:. Figure-6 ~s:a.-more detailed flow chart than ;
that.shown fin .Figure 5. :.Here,~starting,at bloc,k;60 the incoming cover,~.~sheet is read.~block 62),.i~,Next, 35 the recèived form.is examined for:the--.-., , ;,~
identification,-pattern:14 to,determine,if the cover sheet is a form which ths fax server is programed ., .

~ ' - . ,~ - . - ~

~'093~1 ~
' W092/07440 PCT/US91/07289 to recognize (block 64). If it is not a recognizable form, then the process continues at block 82 where a "non-delivery message" is sent to the user using a prestored fax telephone number for 5 the user followed by an exit from the routine.- If the cover sheet is a recognizable form, the process continues at block 66 where all of the abbreviations used on he cover sheet are translated to complete alphabetic names using the prestored lO address lists in the fax server. Next, at block 68, each of the associated telephone numbers are checked for validity, and then the numbers are called either immediately or at a later stated time. At block 72 fax server 42 generates the 15 secondary routing information electronically to be transmitted to the list of recipients which is done at block 74. Next the system tests the telephone line at block 76 to see if a the message is deliverable, i.e. is there a telephone company '' 20 intercept when the number is dialed-that indicates that the call will not go through. If the message is not deliverable, then the routine~'goes~to block 82 and the routine continues as d'iscussed above.
If the message is deliverable,''then'the routine -25 adds'the'''message to the outgoing~'queue (block 78),' -and then the queue is tested tb see if-any-message has'been there more-than-the' allowable maximum '' time.'` If-it hasn't,''it-'is~~routed'bà'ck to~ithe ~~' -beginning of the queue.-:If it'has-been in~queue 30 more than the allowable time, then the routine :continues 'at-block'82 and~the routine is~'exited at block'-84.''` This is'`all'accomplished:automatically without human~~intervéntion. ~ ~~ ! 3!',~ - O,.
.'.;11~ L, ~:r '~ >~L ~,J5. ? . r ~ 2i~Of:--.3._.~.-; i..'.'.:.
'''''Figurei7'-'shows`thé'~locK~diagram ofiaV-~iversion ~'"' of a fax:s'erver`that`can ùtilize all;~of-the .~;
features of the present invention.-- The actual fax ~ , .. ~ ' ' 2093~
W092/07~0 PCT/US91/0728~,,,`, server for each imple~ent;ation may be tailored for the actual applicatl:on which may have as few as one fax line. The actual implementation shown here is built around a typical personal computer. The 5 heart of the computer is processor 100 with a parallel interface 110, a serial interface 112, an optional mouse 114, a display 116 and a keyboard 118. Processor 100 interfaces with the remainder of the items shown by means of bus 102. Also 10 coupled to bus 102 is a disX controller 104 which controls floppy disk 106 for inputing files and . programs as necessary and a hard disk for storing data files and providing quick access to them.
Custom compressor card 120 and image card 122 are 15 provided to compress data for ~ax transmission and to decompress received fax data. Additional fax modems 128-142 are tied to bus 102 to provide multi-channel .fax capability with a quad voice board 124,and 126 for audio communication with a 20 caller when there is a problem with the fax channel or if,a caller accidentally calls a fax telephone number.., The~multiple:fax cards also make-it possible for processor 100 to send or receive the same or .different messages at the same time. The 25 last block shown~in Figure 7 is an Ethernet card 144.to tie,the fax server into an,E-mail system.
Typical.,fax modem:,are made by,,Gammalink,(CP.cards) or by-Hayes (JT fax)j--and,a,typical,voice card is a Dialogic D40,quad-.,voice-,card.,,, ~ " ."

~ , In-,the.example system,,shown in:F,igure 7, eight : separate fax,lines connect,,incoming and outgoing ~.
fax telephone lines to the overall fax_server~unit.
Each telephone line terminates to a fax modem which 35 converts.;the analog-transmitted signals to.their original,-.digital,patterns.,,,-.iThen the compressed .
digital data/imag- is expanded by-the compressor .

, . . ~ .
~; . ,' , ' ~ ~

. ~
.

~;" W092/07440 2 0 9 3 ~1~ ' PCT/US91/07289 card 120 and image card 122 into a full bit mapped image for analysis. After decompression, the expanded images are examined in processor 100 under the control of OCR software as described in the co-5 pending application and issued patent both cross-referenced above.
.
Figure 8 is a simplified operational flow chart of the software operation of the fax server lo which illustrates the features of the present invention, as well as the prior art touch tone input method. The system of Figure 8 breaks down into three methods of input;- fax input 150, audio. '' (touch tone) input 170, and direct terminal input 15 186. This permits the distant user to direct-fax messages by using paper inputs, as described above, as well as touch-tone inputs, and the fax server operator to enter messages and control information directly without requiring machine reading of any 20 images. ~-The.focus'of the present-invention.is,upon-fax messages received.as manual paper input which the cover sheet is translated.by machine readable means 25 to create subsequent printed-image.messages..-,In -Figure 8 the incoming paper messages!l50-are,read by the fax.decode lS2 which decompresses ~(expands) .' the image.' From~,decoder-.152;the fax..input~is,-,,, ,directed to.a:secondary operation.depending,on!the 30 purpose of the.~input...:.It~may be proYided for-,,the~
purpose of~retrieving-.data from or updatin,g data,in hard drive 108 ,(Figure 7),.to broadcast 158 the.fax message to specified::additional fax..machines orr-i,~
- fax`-mail boxes,.to:re¢eive or:~send a.-,fax,tl6,0~,a,s ~f`
35 described.with respect~.to.the-flow..chart."of,-Figure 6, or for.a user specific purpose 162. . The,;.output of decode 152 and operations 154-160.:are also .

W092/07440 2 0 9 3 ~ 1 4 PCT/US91/0728 ~,'' provided to a fax output queue 164 from which fax messages are used to update fax-mail bo~xes 166 or then transmitted 168 in accordance with the order the fax lines are free. In some cases, traffic is 5 delayed to obtain lower cost transml`ssion rates.

The audio input portion of Figure 8 operates in a similar fashion to the fax input portion with the addition of the possibility of audio output 10 184. The direct input and control option is provided for system maintenance 188, as well as the broadcast 190 and fax mail send and receive 192 options. Each of these options also can produce an output on the terminal 202, with the system 15 maintenance option having the capability of generating a report 194, maintaining the database 196, and the generation of diagrams, each of which can be directed to a printer 200 or the terminal 202 for display.
The present inven~ion opens a range of new ' capab'ilities'-demonstrated by fax mail:form-204 shown in:Figure 9. If the fax server includes an -Ethernet~card 144,'as shown-in the block diagram of 25 Figure 7,~.the fax user~can.have access to fax mail (E-mail) generated and read by computer. e Additionally,~ Ethernet card 144.also.makes it .-possible':to:tie the'fax-mail-system of the present invention into an~existing E-mail:system to~totally 30 automate'the sending~of~E-mail messages in a..-~
~secondary-stage as was described above.for sending secondary-fax`:messages using.~a single input.cover sheet and~perhaps a'.,following document that-is to be'tra'nsmitt-ed to---numerous..parties. _.Form 204.is 35'sént'to a-box:holdêr-on a-particular:fax server . .
:system when fax mail'is received and.stored in the box holders box on that system with form ~04 .~. , ~ . .

(~ ~ wog2/o7~n 2 0 9 3 8 1 1 PCT/US91/072N9 presenting the status of received fax mail to the fax mail box holder. ~he fax server of the present invention translates a minimum amount of input information to create form 204 with essentially the 5 same look and feel for fax mail as is provided by current E-mail systems which require keyboard inputs to generate a similar status report. "

Additionally, if the sender has a pre-stored 10 name abbreviation on the fax server this could be shown on form 204 as well. The date and time of each fax transmission is determined by the fax server system, as is the sequential message number, ' and the number of pages transmitted. Privacy 15 requests initiated by the fax mail sender are indicated by a mark in the privacy column, and the status column indicates whether the message has previously been read by the recipient, or perhaps an indication that the message is to be permanently 20 filed and not to be destroyed. The control input arrangement is by writing a letter in the action ,' column. Allowable~action items might include~
, , A = Acknowledge;,send a return acknowledgement that the message has been , received, or read; , , , :, -, , , -, ,--S,=, Save; retain this message; ;,, -,i D = Duplicate this message and send,-it~to the following people...;
-,, - ,R = Reply; in the,space below; -, 30 ~ , E!,-, Erase; erases,the copy of the fax - ~, -from memory;~or ~ ` 3~
,P,= Privacy;,invoke privacy on the,, ,:-S
' incoming,message (Requires,the~use of a i password for,"interpretation). ~ ari~.,...,~.
~v , , , ~ -1~ ,~ , Form 204 can also be used as a,cover sheet to , send messages, thus there are separate columns for : ~ :
.
~'~ ` ', . -:'' , :

W092/07~0 2 0 ~ 3 ~ 1~ PCT/US91/07289 "To" and "From" fields, as well as a field labeled "Subject". There are two approaches to the labeling of the message subject matter; The first is the use of machine readable field~, in which 5 constrained lettering is used. The~:second approach is the use of "clipping" wherein the image field is duplicated and printed out in the "Clip Area".
Either of these two approaches can be used in this application.
Referring next to Figure 10 the connection of the described fax server 208 to a conventional voice PBX 206 is shown in block diagram form. The invention is supported for both inward (primary) 15 210 or secondary 212 routing which allows fax machines to be connected as extensions on the PBX
rather than tying up full period trun~s. When the locally connected fax machine (lines 212) goes off hook, its presence on the line triggers the PBX 206 20 to connect-that extension to fax server 208. The fax traffic is buffered and the han~ printed cover sheet is then read.?~The new outgoing cover sheet~
is prepared and replaces the hand printed cover sheet, allowing PBX 206 to provide such features as 25 minimum cost routing and shared outgoing-trunks with the heavier cross section voice carrying trunks.~

If incoming traffic had been generated by a 30 fax server 208 using this-invention,- then it would -`
be accepted and routed to its target extension fax printer via-`lines 212. -Additional features could also be supported such as dialing the voice telephone of the end users informing him or her by 35 use of a prerecorded message that a fax message is awaiting receipt. --.
,. . ' .' '.' .- , . - -: ' . ' ' ' ' ; ` ~

W092/07~0 l~09 3 ~ PCT/US91/07289 Lastly, Figure 11 is a flow chart for a sub-routine for checking the validity of an identification pattern 14 of a form received by the fax server and to load the form identification 5 format into the fax server for automatic reading of the received form. Block 214 is the start of the ith process of the subroutine with block 216 indicating the test for the buffer holding one or more lines of compressed incoming data. If it does 10 not then the process goes to the i+1 mod 8 process for the next line of data (block 240). If the buffer has one or more lines of compressed data then the data is decompressed (block 218) and tested for whether or not there are enough lines to 15 correct for skew of the received document, if any ~block 220). If there are not enough lines, then the process goes to block 240, if there are enough lines then the process continues at block 222 where the form identification pattern 14 is read to 20 determine the form number of the received form.
Following identification of the form number, that numb~r is tested to determine if it is a valid form number on the receiving fax server system (block 224). If it is not a valid number, then an error 25 exit 1 is generated (block 236) and the process continues at block 240. If the number is a valid number, a look-up table is consulted (block 226) and the subfields of that form as recorded are examined (block 228). Next, a test is performed as 30 to whether or not those subfields can be found on the received document (block 230)~. If those subfields can not be found, an error exit 2 (block 238) is generated and the process continues at - block 240. If those subfields are found, each 35 subfield is read (block 232) and a packet containing the decoded page data is generated (block 234) and the process continues at block 240.

' W092/07440 2 0 9 3 ~ 1~ PCT/US91/07289 While this invention has been described in several modes of operation, it is contemplated that persons reading the preceding descriptions and studying the drawings will realize various 5 alterations and modifications. It is therefore intended that the following appended claims be interpreted as including all such alterations and modifications as fall within the true spirit and scope of the present invention.

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Claims

What is claimed is:

1. A machine recognizable fax data sheet to be read automatically by a receiving fax server, said data sheet comprising:
a web for receiving information to be transmitted to said receiving fax server;
at least one preprinted information receiving area on said web having a preselected location and format; and a machine readable identification pattern that is keyed to the location and format of the preprinted information of the specific fax data sheet.

2. A fax data sheet as in claim 1 wherein said identification pattern includes:
an interior binary pattern of n rows and m columns of bits with a unique pattern being selected for each of the various data sheets; and a one bit wide edge of an alternating bit pattern surrounding said interior binary pattern to determine the orientation of the data sheet when received by the fax server.

3. A fax data sheet as in claim 1 wherein said at least one preprinted information receiving area includes dot constrained data entry fields for entering handwritten data to be read by the receiving fax server.

4. A fax data sheet as in claim 1 wherein said at least one preprinted information receiving area includes mark sense entry fields for entering responses to questions preprinted on the data sheet so that those responses can be read by the receiving fax server.

5. A fax data sheet as in claim 2 wherein each of the binary bits of said interior and edge binary patterns is a square.

6. A fax data sheet as in claim 3 wherein:
a first data receiving area is for providing information as to the sender of the fax; and a second data receiving area for receiving information to be stored in the fax server.

7. A fax data sheet as in claim 1 wherein said at least one preprinted information receiving area includes:
a first data receiving area being a dot constrained field for receiving hand written characters that designated the source of the fax data sheet;
a second data receiving area being a dot constrained field for receiving hand written characters that designated the destination of a message on the fax data sheet; and a third data receiving area for receiving a message to be automatically secondarily transmitted to the destination identified in the second data area.

8. A fax data sheet as in claim 7 wherein said third data receiving area is dot constrained to receive a hand written message.

9. A fax data sheet as in claim 7 wherein said third data receiving area is unconstrained to receive a clipped message.

10. A fax data sheet as in claim 1 wherein said at least one preprinted information receiving area includes:

a first area for individually naming said data sheet to serve as a pointer to memory locations of the fax server where the information recorded on the data sheet is stored; and a plurality of identical second fields for user entry of a name, a fax telephone number, and a name abbreviation in corresponding subfields to create a personalized mailing list for storage in the fax server.

11. A fax data sheet as in claim 10 wherein each of said plurality of second fields further includes a subfield for entry of a fax mail box number.

12. A fax data sheet as in claim 1 wherein said at least one preprinted information receiving area includes:
a first area containing the name, box number and fax telephone number of a fax mail user; and a second area containing a first plurality of lines each divided into a second plurality of columns to report to the user identified in said first area the arrival and status of fax mail messages on the fax server system for that user.

13. A method for entering a machine recognizable fax data sheet to be read automatically by a receiving fax server, said method comprising the steps of:
a. providing a web for receiving information to be transmitted to said receiving fax server, said web defining thereon a machine readable identification pattern that is keyed to the location and format of the preprinted information of the specific fax data sheet and at least one preprinted information receiving area having a preselected location and format;
b. selectively entering data into said at least one information receiving area defined by said web;
c. optically scanning said web;
d. generating an electrical signal corresponding to said machine readable identification pattern on said web;
e. decoding the location and format of said at least one preprinted information receiving area;
and f. reading the data entered into said at least one information receiving area.

14. A method as in claim 13 wherein:
said identification pattern of step a.
includes:
an interior binary pattern of n rows and m columns of bits with a unique pattern being selected for each of the various data sheets; and a one bit wide edge of an alternating bit pattern surrounding said interior binary pattern to determine the orientation of the data sheet when received by the fax server; and step d. includes the steps of:
g. determining the orientation of the received fax by identifying the location of the identification pattern on the received fax;
h. reorienting the received fax data sheet using the information of step g,; and i. generating a serial bit stream representatives of the form number encoded in the identification pattern by reading the reoriented identification pattern left to right, top to bottom.

15. A method for the automatic secondary routing of fax messages with a fax server, the method comprising the steps of:
a. completing a preprinted fax data sheet, said data sheet defining thereon a machine readable identification pattern that is keyed to the location and format of the preprinted information of the specific fax data sheet and at least one preprinted information receiving area having a preselected location and format that includes information indicative of the identity of the intended recipient of the secondarily routed fax message;
b. transmitting said data sheet of step a.
via a fax machine to the fax server;
c. said fax server generating an electrical signal corresponding to said machine readable identification pattern on said fax data sheet;
d. said fax server decoding the location and format of said at least one preprinted information receiving area;
e. said fax server reading the data entered into said at least one information receiving area;
f. said fax server automatically identifying the fax telephone number of the intended recipient from the memory of the fax server using the information provided on the received fax data sheet;
g. formatting the identified message to the identified recipient; and h. delivering the message to the intended recipient.

16. A method as in claim 15 wherein:
said identification pattern of step a.
includes:
an interior binary pattern of n rows and m columns of bits with a unique pattern being selected for each of the various data sheets; and a one bit wide edge of an alternating bit pattern surrounding said interior binary pattern to determine the orientation of the data sheet when received by the fax server; and step d. includes the steps of:
i. determining the orientation of the received fax by identifying the location of the identification pattern on the received fax data sheet;
j. reorienting the received fax data sheet using the information of step i.; and k. generating a serial bit stream representative of the form number encoded in the identification pattern by reading the reoriented identification pattern left to right, top to bottom.

17. A method as in claim 16 further including the step of:
1. determining the ratio of size of the images on the received fax data sheet to those of the transmitted data sheet by examining the size relationship between the alternating edge bits of the identification pattern in the received fax data sheet to the known size of the edge bits of the identification pattern on the transmitted fax data sheet.

18. A method as in claim 15 prior to step a.
further including the steps of:
m. completing a fax mailing list data sheet containing a first area for individually naming said data sheet to serve as a pointer to memory locations of the fax server where the information recorded on the data sheet is stored, and a plurality of identical second fields for user entry of a name, a fax telephone number, and a name abbreviation in corresponding subfields to create a personalized mailing list for storage in the fax server;
n. transmitting the completed mailing list of step m. to the fax server;
o. said fax server decoding said transmitted mailing list; and p. said fax server storing said decoded mailing list of step o. in the memory of the fax server.

19. A system for automatically secondarily routing of fax messages comprising:
a machine recognizable fax data sheet including:
a web for receiving information to be transmitted to said receiving fax server;
at least one preprinted information receiving area on said web having a preselected location and format; and a machine readable identification pattern that is keyed to the location and format of the preprinted information of the specific fax data sheet;
a user controlled fax machine for primary transmission of said data sheet;
a fax serve including:
means for decoding said identification pattern of said data sheet:
means for reading the information in said at least one preprinted information receiving area:
means for automatic preparation of said secondary message in response to said primary message transmission; and means for sending said secondary message to the desired recipient.

20. A system as in claim 19 wherein said fax server further includes:
means for defining fax mall box locations; and means for secondarily delivering the desired message to the recipient's fax mail box.

21. A system as in claim 19 wherein said fax server secondarily delivers the desired message to the recipient's fax machine.

22. A system as in claim 19 further including a PBX system to which said fax server is connected to a countable number of extension lines for receiving primary transmissions from and transmitting secondary transmissions to external lines and other extensions of said PBX system.

23. A system as in claim 19 further including a PBX system to which said fax server is connected to a countable number of extension lines for receiving primary transmissions from external lines and other extensions of said PBX system, for making secondarily providing the selected recipient with the desired message in the recipient's fax mail box that is available either from an external line or another extension on the PBX system.

24. A fax data sheet as in claim wherein said machine readable identification pattern is located in the upper right hand corner of the fax data sheet, and said at least one preprinted information receiving area is located to the left of said machine readable identification pattern to give the fax data sheet the look and feel of an envelope with the identification pattern in the position of a stamp and the information receiving area in the position of an address.

25. A method as in claim 13 wherein said machine readable identification pattern on the web of step a. is located in the upper right hand corner of the web, and said at least one preprinted information receiving area of the web of step a. is located to the left of said machine readable identification pattern to give the web the look and feel of an envelope with the identification pattern in the position of a stamp and the information receiving area in the position of an address.

26. A method as in claim 15 wherein step h.
includes the step of:
q. delivering the message to the intended recipient's fax mail box.

27. A method as in claim 15 wherein step h.
includes the step of:
r. delivering the message to the intended recipient's electronic mail box.

28. A system as in claim 19 wherein said fax server further includes input/output means for interfacing said fax server to an electronic mail system.

29. A method as in claim 14 before step a.
further including the steps of:
s. allocating a countable number of said identification patterns to at least one user; and t. storing the layout of each of the user defined fax data sheets associated with said countable number of identification patterns from step s. in the fax server.

30. A fax data sheet as in claim 2 wherein the location and type of information receiving areas are user definable for a countable number of identification patterns that are reserved for said user.