Method and apparatus for the primary and secondary routing of fax mesages using hand printed characters

A family of N different machine recognizable fax data sheets to be read automatically by a receiving fax server wherein each of said N different fax data sheets individually instructs said fax server as to the layout, format and processing of the data at each data location included in that fax data sheet, each of said fax data sheets 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 that corresponds with a particular one of said N different fax data sheets, wherein said at least one preprinted information receiving area includes a first data area for individually naming said each fax data sheet to serve as a pointer to memory locations of the fax server where the information recorded on said each fax data sheet is stored, and a plurality of identical second data areas 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;
• and
• a unique machine readable preprinted identification pattern from a family of N such patterns, one such pattern for each of said N different fax data sheets, wherein each of said identification patterns corresponds with a particular one of said N different fax data sheets and is keyed to the location, format and definition of the processing of said at least one preprinted information receiving area of the corresponding fax data sheet of said family of fax data sheets;
• wherein N is a positive integer of at least 2.

A family of N different machine recognizable fax data sheets to be read automatically by a receiving fax server wherein each of said N different fax data sheets individually instructs said fax server so as to the layout, format and processing of the data at each data location included in that fax data sheet, each of said fax data sheets 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 that corresponds with a particular one of said N different fax data sheets, wherein said at least one preprinted information receiving area includes a first data area containing the name, box number and fax telephone number of a fax mail user, and a second data 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;
• and
• a unique preprinted machine readable identification pattern from a family of N such patterns, one such pattern for each of said N different fax data sheets, wherein each of said identification patterns corresponds with a particular one of said N different fax data sheets and is keyed to the location, format and definition of the processing of said at least one preprinted information receiving area of the corresponding fax data sheet of said family of fax data sheets;
• wherein N is a positive integer of at least 2.

A method for the automatic secondary routing of fax messages with a fax server, the method comprising the steps of:

• a. storing in said fax server the layout and format of each preprinted fax data sheet of a family of N different machine recognizable fax data sheets, each of said fax data sheets defining thereon at least one preprinted information receiving area having a preselected location and format that corresponds with a particular one of said N different fax data sheets and a unique machine readably preprinted identification pattern that corresponds to a particular one of said N different fax data sheets for automatic identification, wherein each of said identification patterns is keyed to the location, format and definition of the processing of the at least one preprinted information receiving area of the corresponding fax data sheet of said family of fax data sheets, wherein N is a positive integer of at least 2, and said at least one preprinted information receiving area is disposed to receive information indicative of the identity of the intended recipient of a fax message for secondary routing which has been entered, wherein said unique identification pattern is selected from a family of N such patterns, with each of said N patterns including a binary pattern of n rows and m columns of bits with a total number of combinations equal to 2.sup.nm wherein n and m are each positive integers of at least 1, 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;
• b. completing a selected preprinted fax data sheet from said family of N different machine recognizable fax data sheets;
• c. transmitting said completed fax data sheet of step b. via a fax machine to the fax server;
• d. said fax server generating an electrical signal corresponding to said unique machine readable identification pattern on said transmitted fax data sheet;
• e. said fax server decoding the location and format of said at least one preprinted information receiving area by means of the electrical signal of step d. with step e. including the steps of f., g. and h. as follows:
• f. determining the orientation of the transmitted fax data sheet by identifying the location of the unique identification pattern on the transmitted fax data sheet;
• g. reorientating the transmitted fax data sheet using the information of step f.;
• and
• h. generating a serial bit stream representative of the unique identification pattern by reading the reoriented unique identification pattern left to right, top to bottom for identification of the format and layout of said transmitted data sheet by said fax server;
• i. said fax server reading the data entered into said at least one preprinted information receiving area;
• j. said fax server automatically identifying the fax telephone number of the intended recipient using the information entered in step b. on the transmitted fax data sheet;
• k. transmitting the message for secondary routing to said fax server;
• l. formatting the message for secondary routing to the identified recipient;
• m. delivering the message for secondary routing to the intended recipient;
• and
• n. sizing the transmitted fax data sheet to the size of the stored fax data sheet having the same unique identification pattern as the transmitted fax data sheet by comparing the size relationship between the bits of the binary unique identification pattern on the transmitted fax data sheet and the known size of the bits of the unique identification pattern on the corresponding stored fax data sheet.

A method for the automatic secondary routing of fax messages with a fax server, the method comprising the steps of:

• a. entering information on a fax mailing list data sheet containing a first data area for individually naming said mailing list data sheet to serve as a pointer to memory locations of the fax server where the information entered on the mailing list data sheet is stored, and a plurality of identical second data areas 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;
• b. transmitting the completed mailing list of step a. to the fax server;
• c. said fax server decoding the transmitted mailing lists;
• d. said fax server storing said decoded mailing list of step c. in the memory of the fax server;
• e. completing a selected preprinted fax data sheet from a family of N different machine recognizable fax data sheets, each of said fax data sheets defining thereon at least one preprinted information receiving area having a preselected location and format that corresponds with a particular one of said N different fax data sheets and a unique machine readable preprinted identification pattern from a family of N such patterns, one such pattern for each of said N different fax data sheets, wherein each of said identification patterns corresponds with a particular one of said N different fax data sheets and is keyed to the location, format and definition of the processing of the at least one preprinted information receiving area of the corresponding fax data sheet of said family of fax data sheets, wherein N is a positive integer of at least 2, and said at least one preprinted information receiving area is disposed to receive information indicative of the identity of the intended recipient of a fax message for secondary routing which has been entered;
• f. transmitting said completed fax data sheet of step e. via a fax machine to the fax server;
• g. said fax server generating an electrical signal corresponding to said unique machine readable identification pattern on said transmitted fax data sheet;
• h. said fax server decoding the location and format of said at least one preprinted information receiving area by means of the electrical signal of step g;
• i. said fax server reading the data entered into said at least one preprinted information receiving area;
• j. said fax server automatically identifying the fax telephone number of the intended recipient using the information entered in step e. on the transmitted fax data sheet;
• k. transmitting the message for secondary routing to said fax server;
• l. formatting the message for secondary routing to the identified recipient;
• and
• m. delivering the message for secondary routing to the intended recipient.

A family of N different machine recognizable fax data sheets to be read automatically by a receiving fax server wherein each of said N different fax data sheets individually instructs said fax server as to the layout, format and processing of the data at each data location included in that fax data sheet, each of said fax data sheets 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 that corresponds with a particular one of said N different fax data sheets;
• a unique preprinted machine readable identification pattern from a family of N such patterns, one such pattern for each of said N different fax data sheets, wherein each of said identification patterns corresponds with a particular one of said N different fax data sheets and is keyed to the location, format and definition of the processing of said at least one preprinted information receiving area of the corresponding fax data sheet of said family of fax data sheets, wherein each of said unique identification patterns is selected from said family of N patterns, wherein each of said N patterns includes an interior binary pattern of n rows and m columns of bits with a total number of combinations equal to 2.sup.nm where n and m are each positive integers of at least 1;
• and
• a plurality of information receiving areas the location and data type of which are user definable for a countable number of the unique identification patterns that are reserved for said user;
• wherein N is a positive integer of at least 2.

A family of N different machine recognizable fax data sheets to be read automatically by a receiving fax server wherein each of said N different fax data sheets individually instructs said fax server as to the layout, format and processing of the data at each data location included in that fax data sheet, each of said fax data sheets 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 that corresponds with a particular one of said N different fax data sheets, and includes a constrained data entry field for entering handwritten data to be read by the receiving fax server to name a document to be transmitted following the received fax data sheet;
• and
• a unique preprinted machine readable identification pattern from a family of N such patterns, one such pattern for each of said N different fax data sheets, wherein each of said identification patterns corresponds with a particular one of said N different fax data sheets and is keyed to the location, format and definition of the processing of said at least one preprinted information receiving area of the corresponding fax data sheet of said family of fax data sheets;
• wherein N is a positive integer of a least 2.

A family of N different machine recognizable fax data sheets to be read automatically by a receiving fax server wherein each of said N different fax data sheets individually instructs said fax server as to the layout, format and processing of the data at each data location included in that fax data sheet, each of said fax data sheets 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 that corresponds with a particular one of said N different fax data sheets including an unconstrained data entry area for responding to inquiries;
• and
• a unique preprinted machine readable identification pattern from a family of N such patterns, one such pattern for each of said N different fax data sheets, wherein each of said identification patterns corresponds with a particular one of said N different fax data sheets and is keyed to the location, format and definition of the processing of said at least one preprinted information receiving area of the corresponding fax data sheet of said family of fax data sheets;
• wherein N is a positive integer of at least 2.