Facsimile and static presentation processing – Facsimile – Auxiliary signal
Reexamination Certificate
1996-10-29
2004-06-08
Grant, II, Jerome (Department: 2624)
Facsimile and static presentation processing
Facsimile
Auxiliary signal
C379S100010
Reexamination Certificate
active
06747761
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention concerns delivery of facsimile (fax) documents over a value added network, such as a store-and-forward network, and more particularly to an automated and integrated method and apparatus to facilitate delivery of a fax document after an initial delivery attempt is unsuccessful.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
As a mechanism to carry information over long distances, store-and-forward (S&F) networks offer an efficient, low-cost alternative to the existing public switched telephone network (PSTN). In general, S&F networks operate parallel to, and are accessed by, the PSTN.
FIG. 1
shows-schematically PSTN
30
and S&F network
80
connected in parallel between a source fax machine
10
and a destination fax machine
70
. An autodialer
12
, positioned between the source fax machine and PSTN
30
, designates incoming faxes for transmission over either the PSTN
30
or S&F network
80
. If for example the destination of the incoming fax is not one serviced by the S&F network, then the autodialer dials the destination fax number directly to the local exchange
32
; the call is then carried in a normal fashion by the PSTN
30
to the destination fax machine
70
. In contrast, if the number is one serviced by the S&F network, the: autodialer dials the telephone number corresponding to that of the source network node
20
. The local exchange
32
then routes the call through the PSTN to the source node. (Note that, depending upon their proximity, the source fax machine
10
and the source network node
20
may be served by the same or different local exchanges) Once it has completely received the document, the source node
20
transfers it to the destination network node
40
over dedicated circuit
60
. At this point, the destination node
40
dials the destination fax number to its local exchange
36
which in turn transfers the call via the PSTN to the destination fax machine
70
. (Note again that, depending upon their proximity, the destination fax machine
70
and the destination network node
40
may be served by the same or different local exchanges.)
In summary, transport of information from the source fax machine to the destination fax machine using the S&F network requires three distinct steps:
(1) from the source fax machine to the source network node via the PSTN;
(2) from the source node to the destination node via dedicated circuits; and
(3) from the destination node to the destination fax machine, again via the PSTN.
Store-and-forward networks offer a number of significant advantages over standard telephone networks for transport of facsimile. For example, a fax document can be carried 16 times more efficiently using packet technology employed by S&F networks. A common annoyance in telephony is the inability to complete a call, usually because the destination device is busy or does not answer. Although sophisticated voice mail systems have been designed to overcome this problem in voice telephony, similar practical and cost effective solutions do not exist for fax. S&F networks offer a viable solution. A properly implemented S&F network will employ a sufficiently large number of telephone circuits such that a customer fax machine never encounters a busy signal. At the destination end, it is a common practice to design into S&F networks the ability to automatically redial those call attempts which encounter “busy” or “no-answer” signals. Normally, the calls are redialed periodically over a fixed interval of time, every ten minutes for a half hour, for example.
Since multiple messages are typically coursing through an S&F network at any point in time, it is important to have some mechanism to monitor the location and status of each. For example, in one known S&F network, a small data file called an envelope is created to track each fax document as it moves through the network. The source node creates the envelope after it receives an incoming fax document. As the fax document moves through the network, the envelope moves between the network devices and receives continuous updates regarding the status of the fax. This enables substantially real-time monitoring of the fax delivery process.
In the known S&F network, upon concluding the delivery attempt process, the destination network node declares the fax document either “delivered” or “not delivered”; it records the status in the corresponding envelope which is then returned to the source node. If the delivery was successful, the envelope is forwarded to a historical database (HD) which provides a basis for constructing customer bills. If the delivery was not successful, the envelope is forwarded to a delivery assist system (DAS) for further processing. DAS is a database management system which provides a human operator, the document delivery analyst, with the delivery history and options for resubmission to the network of the document in question. One of the possible actions the analyst may take is to assign the fax document to an alternate destination number, i.e., one provided by either the sender or the receiver.
While the delivery analyst (human operator) enables the network provider to arrange delivery of most fax documents, and to provide the customer with an on-going report on alternative delivery attempts, the cost of providing such services are substantial. Furthermore, as the amount of traffic on the network increases, the number of documents requiring assistance increases, and it becomes more and more difficult to provide such human-assisted delivery on a timely and cost-effective basis.
The alternative delivery attempts which the prior art network can make by itself to deliver a document are quite limited. For example, a fax card with hard coded instructions may be provided in each network node which, based on call progress tones heard on the network, may institute an automatic retry. The sounds which may be heard include:
ring, no answer;
busy;
voice.
Generally, the device automatically retries a number of times in a given time period or cycle, e.g., every five minutes for a half hour, and if delivery is still unsuccessful, the document is transferred to a human analyst.
Thus, the prior art automatic retry device provides a fixed response based on a response received to a first delivery attempt. This system has limited utility and most documents with delivery problems end up being sent to a human analyst. As previously indicated, the cost of providing such human analysts are escalating as the amount of network traffic steadily increases.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
A method is provided for facilitating delivery of a fax document from a source to a destination over a network, when an initial delivery attempt has been unsuccessful. The method includes the step of initiating a rule-based process to determine a next action based on a time-variable set of input conditions to the process.
For example, the input conditions may be determined from one or more of:
destination;
source;
database of past delivery attempts; and
human analyst.
Based on these input conditions, the process determines a next action which causes a next delivery attempt, and if the next delivery attempt is not successful, the process is repeated.
The next action may include one or more of:
resubmitting the fax document to the network for a next delivery attempt;
canceling the document;
sending a request to the source or destination for additional delivery information; and
identifying the destination as having a technical problem.
Where additional information is requested, the responses received are a further input condition and the process then redetermines a next action based on the new input conditions.
In particular embodiments, the input conditions may include an identification of non-business days at the destination. The non-business days may be categorized by one or more of the country (in which the destination is located), region, and destination number. Input conditions may also include an identification of the non-business hours at the destination.
The process may be implemented by traversing a hier
Baumgartner Lori
Huebner Robert
Johns Valerie Louise
Li Diana
Ranalli Douglas J.
Captaris, Inc.
Grant II Jerome
Perkins Coie LLP
LandOfFree
Delivery expert system and method does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.
If you have personal experience with Delivery expert system and method, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Delivery expert system and method will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-3364293