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Description  |
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This application contains a computer program listing as a microfiche
appendix including 11 frames.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Information is often transferred between two computers over public
telephone lines through the use of modems at each computer. This allows
the user to transfer the text of documents, once keyed into the computer,
very quickly. There are some limitations with this type of data transfer.
The recipient must be ready to receive the data. Only textual type of
matter, such as letters, numerals and symbols, can be transmitted in this
way. Graphic material, such as photographs, charts and drawings, cannot be
so transmitted. Also, unless the software between the two computers is
compatible, only blocks of information can be transmitted; special control
characters, such as those for centering of a topic heading, are not usable
at the receiving end when transmitted. Therefore the data often must be
reformatted to look anything like, for example, a letter.
Electronic mail systems have become very popular of late because they free
the parties from having to make sure that the other party is ready to
receive the message. Basically, electronic mail systems use a specially
programmed computer or network of computers through which all messages and
documents pass. In practice, the user first telephones the electronic mail
system to gain access to it. After the user's authority has been verified,
the user transmits (uploads) the message or document for later access
(download) by another subscriber to the electronic mail system. The user
can also check to see if the user has any waiting messages or documents.
If so, the recipient user can ask the electronic mail system to transmit
(download) the message or document to the user's computer for viewing,
printing or storage.
Some electronic mail systems are relatively small and are used to connect
computers or terminals within an office. Another type of mail system,
called a distributed electronic mail system, uses several computers at
different locations. This type of system has gained popularity for users
wishing to transfer data across long distances or between different
physical facilities. Distributed electronic mail systems typically
transfer data over long distances using high speed lines and locally using
slower transmissions over the public telephone system. Concentrating long
distance communication over high speed lines is important in reducing
costs. As used in this application, high speed data transmission lines
refers to transmission of data at speeds orders of magnitude greater than
that conventionally used to transmit facsimile data over public telephone
lines. For example, normal facsimile data transmission over the public
telephone system is typically from 300 to 9600 bits per second while high
speed data transmission commonly occurs at speeds ranging from 9600 to
256,000 bits per second.
Some types of electronic mail systems are usable by the general public so
that anyone with a computer or terminal can access the electronic mail
system through the public telephone system. These public access electronic
mail systems can be the distributed type or they can locate all their
hardware and software at one central location depending on communications
costs.
Electronic mail systems have many advantages over simple
computer-to-computer document transmission systems; they are still, for
the most part, limited to text. Also, if one wishes to transmit the text
of a message already typed or printed, this information must either be
keyed into the computer before it can be transmitted or transformed by an
optical character reader, which is often not possible or not practical.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention is directed to a facsimile transmission system which
provides a relatively simple and economical way to make facsimile
transmissions among users through an electronic mail system using
conventional facsimile machines.
Broadly, the facsimile transmission system of the present invention
transmits facsimile data corresponding to one or more document sheets
(hereafter usually called document facsimile data) using a facsimile
machine, an electronic mail system, a communication network, typically a
telephone line, and a facsimile controller. Operation begins by
transmitting, via a sensing facsimile machine, facsimile data
corresponding to a mark sense cover sheet to a facsimile controller that
operates with the mail system. The facsimile controller is capable of
demodulating facsimile transmissions and making them readable by the
electronic mail system computer. The cover sheet has a mark sense
identifier at an upper region of the sheet for identification by the
facsimile controller. When the mark sense identifier is detected, the
facsimile controller treats the remainder of the facsimile data on that
sheet as being from a mark sense cover sheet.
The mark sense cover sheet includes an information region as well as the
identifier region. The information region is divided by the facsimile
controller into a number of cells within which marks are provided by the
sender to identify the destination address. Typically the destination
address can be an address for a person, a distribution list for a number
of addresses, or a transfer folder wherein the document facsimile data is
stored by the electronic mail system at an appropriate location. The
information region preferably also provides space for the identity of the
sender.
At the end of the transmission of the mark sense cover sheet facsimile
data, the facsimile controller communicates the identity of the sender and
the destination address, which it has decoded from the information region
of the mark sense cover sheet, to the electronic mail system. The document
facsimile data is then transmitted to the facsimile controller. The
facsimile controller checks the mark sense identifier region for the
presence of a mark sense identifier. If none is found, the document
facsimile data is transmitted from the controller to the electronic mail
system. The electronic mail system acts on the document facsimile data
according to the destination address obtained from the mark sense cover
sheet. Thereafter, the document facsimile data is retransmitted through
the same or a different facsimile controller to a receiving facsimile
machine.
A primary advantage of the invention is that the system decodes the mark
sense facsimile data at one or more central locations. This allows one or
a relatively small number of facsimile controllers, which decode the mark
sense cover sheet facsimile data, to be accessed by numerous conventional
facsimile machines with no specialized adaptations to the facsimile
machines. Thus, the system provides great economic advantages compared
with providing each facsimile machine with its own facsimile controller.
The system of the present invention is not limited to transfer of
facsimile data between a specific type or kind of facsimile machine.
Rather the system can be used with most conventional facsimile machines.
Also no modifications need to be made to the electronic mail system; the
facsimile controller is programmed to provide it with the sender identity
and destination address as needed by the electronic mail system and in the
appropriate format.
Another advantage of the invention accrues when used with a distributed
electronic mail system. In such a system, a facsimile controller is used
with each computer. Usually transmissions occur as straight-through
transmissions from the sending facsimile machine, through the distributed
electronic mail system and to the receiving facsimile machine. The
facsimile data is therefore transmitted over the bulk of the distance over
the high speed lines connecting the mail system computers. This saves the
cost of transmitting the data between the mail system computers over
public telephone lines (assuming the high speed lines are already in place
and available). It also speeds facsimile transmission and provides much
more accurate transmission because, in part, of the more sophisticated
communication protocols used with high speed data transmissions compared
with those used with conventional facsimile machines.
Another feature of the invention is the use of the mark sense identifier to
both indicate that the sheet is a mark sense cover sheet and to register
the facsimile data corresponding to the mark sense cover sheet. Further,
vertically positioned timing marks can be used to allow the controller to
re-register the mark sense cover sheet facsimile data in the vertical
(paper feed) direction. This helps to ensure accurate reading of the
destination address entered in the information region of the mark sense
cover sheet.
Other features and advantages of the invention will appear from the
following description in which the preferred embodiments have been set
forth in detail in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a conventional electronic mail system.
FIG. 2 is a diagram showing the format of items processed by the electronic
mail system of FIG. 1.
FIG. 3 is a diagram showing the format of packages processed by the
electronic mail system of FIG. 1.
FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram of a facsimile transmission system of the
invention.
FIG. 5 is a schematic representation of the facsimile controller of FIG. 4.
FIG. 6 shows a mark sense cover sheet partially filled in for use with a
private electronic mail system.
FIG. 7 shows exemplary identification and destination address for use with
a public electronic mail system accessed through a public telephone
system.
FIG. 8 shows a portion of a mark sense cover sheet used with a
predetermined number of sending and receiving facsimile machines.
FIG. 9 shows a schematic diagram of another embodiment of the facsimile
transmission system using a distributed electronic mail system and more
than one facsimile controller.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
A typical electronic mail system, and particularly the electronic mail
system sold under the trademark TRANSFER for use with Tandem T-16 Nonstop
Computers made by Tandem Computers, Inc. of Cupertino, California is shown
in FIG. 1. The electronic mail system includes a computer A10 which
maintains a data base A14. Computer A10 communicates with users at one
location through I/O ports A18 and A22. I/O ports A18 and A22 may be
coupled to a number of different I/O devices. For example, I/O port A18 is
shown coupled to an I/O device A26, and I/O port A22 is shown coupled to a
modem A30 which, in turn, is coupled to an I/O device A34. Computer A10
communicates electronic mail packages across a communication link A38 to a
computer A42. Computer A42 maintains a data base A46. Computer A42
communicates with its associated users through I/O ports A50 and A54. As
with computer A10, I/O ports A50 and A54 of computer A42 may be coupled to
a number of I/O devices. For example, I/O port A50 is coupled to an I/O
device A58, and I/O port A54 is coupled to a modem A62 which, in turn, is
coupled to an I/O device A66.
Data bases A14 and A46 of FIG. 1 contain distribution lists, user profiles,
and holding areas for the actual packages and parts of packages (items). A
distribution list allows a correspondent to send packages to multiple
destinations, while referencing those destinations by only one common
name. Before packages are delivered tot he correspondents on a
distribution list, TRANSFER replaces the reference distribution list name
with the actual names of the correspondents on the list. The user profiles
describe the correspondents who have access to the data base. These
profiles are managed by TRANSFER.
Packages are made up of discrete collections of data known as items.
Examples of item are shown in FIG. 2. Items can range in size from zero
bytes to many thousands of bytes. Each item always includes an item
descriptor which comprises one or more records that identify the item and
describes the attributes and composition of the item. Each item is
identified by its own unique item ID. In addition, the item may include
zero or more data records. For example, item B10 is an example of an item
that consists of a plurality of binary data records, and item B14 is an
example of an item that consists of a plurality of text records. An item
usually contains only one kind of data whether that data is text, ASCII
data, or some other data type defined by the user's application. Packages,
however, are not limited to items of a single type. For example, a package
may contain both items B10 and B14. Thus, data bases A14 and A46, which
supply the items used to create the packages, may contain program code,
text messages and any other data communicated between nodes within the
electronic mail system.
In order for the electronic mail system to deliver items from one
correspondent to another, the items must be assembled as packages as shown
in FIG. 3. Each package includes a package header item C10, zero or more
optional text records C14, an item component list C18, and a recipient
list C22. The package header item C10 is like the label on an actual mail
package; it indicates who is sending the package and to whom, when the
package was posted, and what its delivery priority is. The package header
might also indicate the time frame in which the package should be
delivered. The text records C14 are optional and are used by the sender to
comment on the contents of the package (like a bill of lading). Component
list C18 contains address pointers to items stored in data base A14 or A16
to be sent in the package.
The electronic mail system does not interpret or process the data in the
packages. The electronic mail system merely blocks the items together and
sends them in bulk across communication network A38. Processing of the
item data is the responsibility of the user's application program. For
example, the application program may format text data for viewing on a
computer display screen, or it may route the item data to a line printer.
Recipients of packages need not be available to receive them. If the
recipients are unavailable, then the electronic mail system stores
packages for those recipients in holding files in the appropriate data
base A14 or A46, and the recipients can collect them at their own
convenience, typically by accessing the electronic mail system through an
appropriate computer terminal.
Turning now to FIG. 4, the broad system concept of the invention will be
described. A facsimile transmission system 2 is shown to include a
conventional electronic mail system 4. The preferred embodiment will be
described in terms of an electronic mail system sold under the trademark
Transfer, for use with Tandem T-16 NonStop computers made by Tandem
Computers, Incorporated of Cupertino, California. System 2 also includes a
number of conventional facsimile machines 6 (with integral modems) coupled
to one another and to system 4 by a network 8, typically the public
telephone network. Thus, in the preferred embodiment, facsimile machines 6
are interconnected through network 8 and telephone connections 10. A
telephone connection 12 couples telephone network 8 to system 4 through a
facsimile controller 14. Facsimile controller 14 controls and decodes
information flowing from one facsimile machine 6 to electronic mail system
4 and then from system 4 to another facsimile machine 6. In the preferred
embodiment, the public telephone system is used as the communication
network. If desired, the communications network can be a hardwired system
to enable the facsimile data to be transmitted directly without the need
for dialing.
Turning now to FIG. 5 facsimile, controller 14 is shown in a very
simplified form and is seen to include a modem 16 coupling a telephone
port 18 to a bus 20. Bus 20 interconnects a microprocessor 22, such as the
68000 microprocessor made by Motorola, Inc. of Phoenix, Az., modem 16, a
random access memory 24 and an input/output device 26 connecting bus 20 to
a computer terminal port 25.
A telephone control 27 is connected between bus 20 and telephone port 18.
Control 27 controls the various functions associated with telephone
network 8. For example, control 27 provides hook control which senses
whether the receiver is on hook (hung up) or off hook, energy detect which
senses the dial tone once the system is off hook, ring interrupt which
asks the main computer in system 4 if it should place the system off hook
when controller 14 is rung through telephone connection 12, and a dialer
which dials the appropriate telephone connection 10 when controller is to
retransmit facsimile data. Also, telephone control 27 provides the data
access arrangement, required by governmental regulations, which provides
electrical isolation for network 8. Microprocessor 22 supervises the
transmission and reception of data from and to facsimile machines 6 and
decodes the data during reception. Its function will be described in more
detail below.
The use of facsimile controller 14 allows those users of electronic mail
system 4 that have facsimile machines 6 to transfer facsimile documents
among one another using the features of electronic mail system 4.
Electronic mail system 4 allows a user to send a message or information to
an individual, to a list of individuals or to a holding file in the
electronic mail system itself. These capabilities are realized for the
transmission of facsimile information, rather than just keyed in text,
with the invention. To enable system 4 to do so, the first sheet of
facsimile data transmitted from a facsimile machine 6 to facsimile
controller 14 is from a mark sense cover sheet 28, shown in FIG. 6. Cover
sheet 28 has a specially devised mark sense identifier 30 printed on cover
sheet 28 near its upper left hand corner. In the preferred embodiment,
identifier 30 comprises nine vertical, spaced apart lines. Whenever
controller 14 starts to receive a new sheet of facsimile data from a
facsimile machine 6, controller 14 is programmed to search the initial
scan lines to check for the nine bars of the proper spacing. If it does
so, it records one good line. If 20 good lines are received within the
first three inches of the sheet, then the mark sense logic is enabled and
the remainder of the sheet is treated as a mark sense cover sheet.
After the mark sense logic is enabled, the first blank line to occur
defines the bottom of the set of bars comprising identifier 30. This
registers cover sheet 28 in a vertical or y direction, that is in the
direction of the paper feed in facsimile machines 6, indicated by arrow
32. The average horizontal or x position of the bars comprising mark sense
identifier 30 provides for horizontal or x registration of mark sense
cover sheet 28, the x direction being indicated by arrow 34. After doing
so, a portion of mark sense cover sheet 28 is divided into an array of
cells 36 in controller 14. The limit of the cells is indicated by an
imaginary mark sense grid 38.
Data entries 40 are made in the appropriate cells 36 cells 36 together make
up an information field 42 while mark sense identifier 30 is found within
a mark sense identifier field 44, constituting the upper portion of cover
sheet 28. As is obvious from the filled in sample cover sheet 28 of FIG.
6, identifying information and destination address 46 becomes a series of
data entries 40 created by the user marking in the appropriate cells 36.
After the mark sense logic of controller 14 is enabled, the presence of
data entries 40 within information field 42 is sensed by controller 14 and
translated into a form of identifying information and destination address
46 usable by electronic mail system 4.
More specifically, the facsimile data from the mark sense cover sheet is
converted into a 1,540 byte array corresponding to the mark sense
selection positions. That is, each byte indicates the relative darkness of
the corresponding selection box. This 1,540 bytes of information is
preceded by a control filed which identifies this block of data as mark
sense data. After the mark sense information is converted into the 1,5040
byte array and control field, it is transmitted to the electronic mail
system for conversion into a package header.
During the transmission of any sheet of facsimile data, microprocessor 22
interrogates the data and temporarily stores the data in ram 24 while
determining if the initial data includes facsimile data corresponding to
mark sense identifier 30. If it does, the remainder of the facsimile data
is interrogated and the facsimile data from information field 42
representing data entries 40 is processed by microprocessor 22 and stored
as identifying information and destination address in RAM 24. At the end
of cover sheet 28, the identifying information and destination address
from information field 42 is transmitted to electronic mail system 4 so
that system 4 will know what to do with the following document facsimile
data. Typically, all identifying information and destination address can
be placed on a single cover sheet 28. However, microprocessor 22 is
programmed to accept two or more consecutive cover sheets 28 when needed
to transmit all necessary identifying information and destination address.
Following the transmission of cover sheet 28, microprocessor 22 continues
to interrogate the initial facsimile data for identifier 30. When
microprocessor 22 does not find a mark sense identifier 30 within mark
sense identifier field 44, controller 14 knows the facsimile data being
transmitted is document facsimile data. Controller 14 then causes all the
facsimile data from that sheet temporarily stored in RAM 24 to be
transmitted to system 4 through input/output device 26.
More particularly, the facsimile data is organized as 1600 byte blocks
preceded by a control field which identifies the block as facsimile data.
The blocks are communicated to the electronic mail system wherein the
block identifiers are used to make up the component list C18. The blocks
themselves are stored at data records within items in the appropriate data
base A14 or A46. When the end of a document page is reached, the program
communicates an end-of-page record to the electronic mail system. This
informs the electronic mail system that no further data blocks are to be
added to the item (which corresponds to a page) within the package under
construction. The mark sense logic in microprocessor 22 is switched of so
that facsimile data from a facsimile machine 6 passes through facsimile
controller 14 without interrogation or modification until a start sheet
signal is sent by facsimile machine 6 to signify the start of transmission
of a new sheet. The mark sense logic is again enabled and the process
starts again.
If an error is detected by controller 14, controller 14 signals the sending
facsimile machine 6 to halt transmission. The facsimile data received thus
far can be saved by a default routine, which can, for example, send such
data to a holding file in system 4, to a chosen default recipient
facsimile machine 6 or to a distribution list of facsimile machines 6.
Identifying information and destination address 46 on cover sheet 28
includes the sender's name 48, the sender's address 50, the sender's
authorization code 52, the recipient's name 54, and the recipient address
56. This identification information and destination address is typical of
that which may be used for an in-house, private electronic mail system. It
should be noted that users of system 2 need not remember the telephone
number of the recipient. Rather controller 14 is programmed to recognize
the recipient's name and address (such as that shown in FIG. 6) and uses
this to provide system 4 with the recipient's telephone number. This is
particularly useful when the recipient is in a different country.
Facsimile transmission system 2 can also be used for senders who are
authorized to use an electronic mail system in which network 8 is a pubic
telephone network. FIG. 7 shows an exemplary set of identifying
information and destination address 60 under such circumstances.
Information 60 includes a group password 62, a sender identification code
64, the recipient's facsimile machine telephone number 66 and the
recipient's name 68. How information 60 is set up and what is needed is
determined in large part by the requirements of electronic mail system 4.
A source listing for the computer program used with microprocessor 22 and
electronic mail system 4 of the preferred embodiment is found at the
microfiche appendix. This program is written in ADA.
Timing marks 68 are placed along the vertical or paper feed direction 32 of
cover sheet 28. Timing marks 68 are recognized by microprocessor 22 and
their positions are used to re-register information field 42 along the
length, that is in the direction of arrow 32, of mark sense cover sheet
28. Providing timing marks for periodically registering information field
42 in the x direction, that is parallel to arrow 34, does not appear to be
necessary with modern commercial facsimile machines 6.
To use system 2 to transmit (upload) document facsimile data, the user
first fills out a mark sense cover sheet 28 with the necessary
identification and destination address 46 or 60. Next, cover sheet 28 is
transmitted by facsimile machine 6 through telephone connection 10, along
network 8, through telephone connection 12 and to facsimile controller 14.
Facsimile controller 14 reviews the incoming facsimile data to check for
the presence of mark sense indicator 30. If found, the sheet being
transmitted is treated as a mark sense cover sheet 28 and the facsimile
data representing the identification and destination address in
information field 42 is read and decoded by microprocessor 22.
Subsequently transmitted (uploaded) document facsimile data also passes
from facsimile machine 6, through telephone connection 10, along network
8, through telephone connection 12, through facsimile controller 14 and to
electronic mail system 4. Document facsimile data is acted upon by
electronic mail system 4 according to the routing instructions.
Subsequently the document facsimile data is transferred (downloaded) from
system 4, through facsimile controller 14, through telephone connection
12, along network 8, through a telephone connection 10 and to a receiving
facsimile receiving machine 6.
In some oases only a predetermined number of distribution addresses are
needed. In such situations, a modified cover sheet 28', shown in FIG. 5,
can be used. Sheet 28' is similar to sheet 28 and includes mark sense
identifier 30 in identifier field 44' and a single column of cells 36
aligned with timing marks 68. Cells 36 are labeled with the various
senders' and recipients' names 65, 67. This permits the user to quickly
and easily identify sender and recipient by any making a minimum number of
data entries 40. The convenient nature of the address entries also permits
multiple recipient addresses to be easily provided on a single mark sense
cover sheet 28'.
Turning now to FIG. 9, an alternative embodiment of the invention is shown.
The elements of system 2'0 which are identical to the system 2 of FIG. 4
have the same reference numerals. System 2' includes a distributed
electronic mail system 4'. Mail System 4' includes a number of computers
70, such as the Tantem T-16 NonStop computers, coupled to one another
through high speed data transfer lines 72. Each computer is connected to
its own disk storage 76. In the embodiment shown, two of computers 70 are
connected to a facsimile controller 14. Assuming one computer 70 is in New
York City and the other computer 70 is in Tokyo, facsimile transmissions
from users in and around New York City to users in and around Tokyo is
greatly facilitated by this system. In particular, a sending facsimile
machine 76 can make a local telephone call to its local facsimile
controller Which is coupled to its local computer 70. Transmission of the
facsimile data between computers 70 along high speed line 72 is perhaps
faster than would have occurred along telephone lines and is more reliable
because of the communication protocols used when transmitting computer
data. The receiving facsimile machine 78 receives the facsimile data from
its local computer 70. Therefore, only two local telephone calls have been
involved.
With this system high speed lines 72 are available for both conventional
data transmission between computers 70 and for transmission of facsimile
data as well. Such a distributed system can be advantageously used for a
company to communicate among various branches in different cities and even
in different countries. It can also be useful for publicly accessible
electronic mail systems. For ex | | |
