Facsimile and static presentation processing – Facsimile – Facsimile system interface
Utility Patent
1997-10-24
2001-01-02
Williams, Kimberly A. (Department: 2722)
Facsimile and static presentation processing
Facsimile
Facsimile system interface
C358S407000, C379S100090
Utility Patent
active
06169610
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to network communication systems and, more particularly, to a network communication system in which data is transferred over a network from a source terminal on the network to a designated terminal also on the network provided with a modem, whereupon the designated terminal forwards the data to a destination terminal over a communication circuit using the modem.
2. Description of the Related Art
According to the related art, transmission over a network of facsimile data or the like from a source terminal such as a personal computer or a workstation located on a network such as a local area network (LAN) is performed in the following manner. First, the facsimile data or the like is transferred, over the network, to a designated terminal having a built-in or attached modem and located on the network, in the form of a file having a destination telephone number and the like attached to the file so as to specify a destination terminal. Upon receipt of the data, the designated terminal provided with the modem stores the transferred file to a storage device such as a temporary memory or a hard disk unit. After the transferred file has been successfully stored, the designated terminal controls the modem provided in or attached to itself so as to transmit the data to the destination terminal over the communication circuit.
Such an approach demands that a data communication application run on the source terminal be compatible with data communication over the network.
Personal computers (computer equipment assumed in the present invention) with a communication interface such as an RS-232C interface as a standard feature has found wide applications recently. Generally, a personal computer performs data communication by controlling a data modem, a fax modem, a data/fax modem or the like connected to the communication interface, using a data communication means such as a facsimile communication application.
The conventional approach has a drawback in that, even when the source terminal as mentioned above is equipped with a low-cost communication interface such as the standard RS-232C interface and has installed thereon a data communication application for controlling a modem connected to the communication interface, it is necessary to add a network interface such as a LAN interface and to install a data communication application compatible with data transmission over the network, in order to perform data transmission over the network. Another drawback of the conventional approach is that a user of the source terminal is obliged to adapt to the data communication application compatible with network data transmission which obliges a different mode of operation from the data communication application for controlling the modem connected to the communication interface.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide a network communication system in which the aforementioned drawback is eliminated.
Another and more specific object of the present invention is to provide a network communication system in which a terminal on a network can use a data communication means performing data transmission by controlling a modem connected to a communication interface of the terminal, for data transmission over the network.
The aforementioned objects can be achieved by a network communication system for causing a source communication terminal on a network to transfer data via the network to a designated communication terminal on the network, and for causing the designated communication terminal to transmit the transferred data to a destination communication terminal over a communication circuit, wherein the source communication terminal comprises: a communication interface; a first modem connected to the communication circuit via the communication interface; data communication means for controlling the first modem so as to perform data communication; a first network interface connected to the network; and redirection means for redirecting target data for transmission and a modem control command issued by the data communication means to the communication interface, to the designated communication terminal via the first network interface, and for transferring a response message returned by the designated communication terminal in reply to the modem control command via the first network interface, to the data communication means, and wherein the designated communication terminal comprises: a second modem connected to the communication circuit; a second network interface connected to the network; and modem controlling means for outputting the target data for transmission and the modem control command redirected by the redirection means via the network, to the second modem, and for transferring the response message returned by the second modem in reply to the modem control command from the source communication terminal, to the source communication terminal via the network interface.
According to the network communication system as described above, the second modem provided in the designated communication terminal does not make any distinction between the target data and the modem control command transferred from the source communication terminal via said network, and the target data and the modem control command directly issued by the designated communication terminal. The second modem outputs a response message in reply to the modem control command from the source communication terminal. The output response message is received by the modem controlling means and transferred to the source communication terminal via the network interface. The response message thus transferred is forwarded by the redirection means to the data communication means. The data communication means makes no distinction between the response message from the first modem presumably (from the viewpoint of the data communication means) connected to the communication interface and the response message from the second modem. Accordingly, the data communication means designed to control the first modem for data transmission can also be used for data transmission using the designated communication terminal.
The aforementioned objects can also be achieved by a network communication system for causing a source communication terminal on a network to transfer data via the network to a designated communication terminal on the network, and for causing the designated communication terminal to transmit the transferred data to a destination communication terminal over a communication circuit, wherein the source communication terminal comprises: a communication interface; a first modem connected to the communication circuit via the communication interface; data communication means for controlling the first modem so as to perform data communication; a first network interface connected to the network; and redirection means for redirecting target data for transmission and a modem control command issued by the data communication means to the communication interface, to the designated communication terminal via the first network interface, and for transferring a response message returned by the designated communication terminal in reply to the modem control command via the first network interface, to the data communication means, and wherein the designated communication terminal comprises: a second modem connected to the communication circuit; a second network interface connected to the network; and modem simulating means for receiving the target data for transmission and the modem control command redirected by the redirection means via the network, for transferring a simulated reply message in reply to the modem control command, to the source communication terminal via the network interface, for storing the target data for transmission in a storage unit together with transmission-related information obtained from the modem control command, and for transmitting the target data for transmission stored in the storage unit to the desti
Cooper & Dunham LLP
Ricoh & Company, Ltd.
Williams Kimberly A.
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