Facsimile telecommunications system and method

A system for facilitating facsimile communications between a transmitting facsimile machine and at least one intended receiving facsimile machine, comprising

• at least one store and forward facility,
• means coupling the at least one store and forward facility to a switched telephone network for receiving transmissions from a transmitting facsimile machine,
• said store and forward facility including
• computer means for controlling its operation and including
• mass storage means for storing facsimile transmissions together with information identifying the transmitting facsimile machine and the at least one intended receiving facsimile machine under control of said computer means, said store and forward facility also including
• means coupling it to the switched telephone network for transmitting facsimile messages stored in the mass storage means to at least one intended receiving facsimile machine, and
• wherein said mass storage means additionally includes mailboxes associated with particular system subscribers and
• wherein facsimile messages received and stored by the mass storage means and intended for receiving facsimile machines associated with those subscribers are stored in respective mailboxes,
• said computer means being programmed in response to instructions received from a subscriber to transmit the facsimile messages stored in that subscriber's mailbox to a paperless facsimile terminal machine designated in the instructions by the subscriber, whereby a subscriber who is away from the fixed location of his facsimile machine may have facsimile messages intended for receipt by his facsimile machine collected, and retrieve them for display on a screen from any location where said paperless facsimile terminal machine is situated.

A system for facilitating facsimile communications, comprising:

• at least one store and forward facility,
• means coupling the at least one store and forward facility to a switched telephone network for receiving transmissions from a transmitting facsimile machine,
• said store and forward facility including
• computer means for controlling its operation and including
• mass storage means for storing facsimile transmissions together with information identifying the transmitting facsimile machine and the at least one intended receiving machine under control of said computer means, said store and forward facility also including
• means coupling it to the switched telephone network for transmitting facsimile messages stored in the mass storage means to at least one intended receiving machine,
• said intended receiving machine including a reader means coupled between a normal television set and a telephone line for providing communication with said store and forward facility and converting facsimile message signals received from said store and forward facility into suitable video display signals for display on the normal television set.

A system for facilitating facsimile communications from a store and forward facility, said system comprising:

• a reader means coupled between a normal television set and a telephone line for providing communication through said telephone line, said reader means including,
• a memory means for storing any incoming message,
• a processor means for controlling operation of the reader means,
• an input means for input of user command, and
• a video display generator and RF modulator means for converting facsimile messages received from a store and forward facility into display signals supplied to the ordinary television set,
• wherein said reader means is capable of magnifying the image on the screen of the television set by mapping a smaller segment of said memory means to the screen.

A system for facilitating facsimile communications between a transmitting facsimile machine and at least one intended receiving facsimile machine, comprising at least one store and forward facility, means coupling the at least one store and forward facility to the switched telephone network for receiving transmissions from a transmitting facsimile machine, said store and forward facility including computer means for controlling its operation and including mass storage means for storing facsimile transmissions, together with information identifying the transmitting facsimile machine and the at least one intended receiving facsimile machine under control of said computer means, said store and forward facility also including means coupling it to the switched telephone network for transmitting facsimile messages stored in the mass storage means to at least one intended receiving facsimile machine, and wherein individual subscribers may be provided with unique PIN numbers, wherein individual subscriber PIN numbers are stored in the mass storage means, and wherein the store and forward facility recognizes an incoming facsimile message that is security coded by a transmitting facsimile machine and said computer means being programmed to allow communication with a paperless facsimile terminal machine for display of the facsimile message upon receipt of said paperless facsimile terminal machine of the appropriate subscriber PIN number and command.

A system for facilitating facsimile communications between a transmitting facsimile machine and at least one intended receiving facsimile machine, comprising

• a plurality of geographically separate store and forward facilities, with a plurality of subscriber facsimile machines in a particular geographic area being associated with one of said store and forward facilities,
• means coupling each store and forward facility to the switched telephone network for receiving transmissions from any transmitting facsimile machine that is associated with each respective store and forward facility,
• each of said store and forward facilities including
• computer means for controlling its operation and including
• mass storage means for storing facsimile transmissions together with information identifying the transmitting facsimile machine and the at least one intended receiving facsimile machine under control of said computer means, said store and forward facility also including
• means coupling it to the switched telephone network for directly transmitting a facsimile message stored in the mass storage means to an intended receiving facsimile machine if the intended receiving facsimile machine is in the plurality of facsimile machines associated with that particular store and forward facility, and for transmitting the stored facsimile message to a particular another of the store and forward facilities when the intended receiving facsimile machine is in the plurality of facsimile machines associated with that particular another store and forward facility, and
• wherein the computer means of each store and forward facility is programmed such that with respect to facsimile messages received and stored in its mass storage means if the at least one intended receiving facsimile machine is busy or otherwise unable to receive a transmission at the time the store and forward facility attempts to transmit a facsimile message stored in its mass storage means, the store and forward facility periodically retries transmitting the facsimile message to the at least one intended receiving facsimile machine, and
• said computer means being further programmed upon successful receipt of a facsimile transmission by the addressee to provide a reply service allowing addressee to send back to the transmitting facsimile machine or an instructed telephone number, a reply message which is selected from a reply service menu.

A system for facilitating facsimile communications between a transmitting facsimile machine and at least one intended receiving facsimile machine, comprising a plurality of geographically separated store and forward facilities, with a plurality of subscriber facsimile machines in a particular geographic area being associated with one of said store and forward facilities, means coupling each store and forward facility to the switched telephone network for receiving transmissions from any transmitting facsimile machine that is associated with each respective store and forward facility, each of said store and forward facilities including computer means for controlling its operation and including mass storage means for storing facsimile transmissions together with information identifying the transmitting facsimile machine and the at least one intended receiving facsimile machine under control of said computer means, said store and forward facility also including means coupling it to the switched telephone network for directly transmitting a facsimile message stored in the mass storage means to an intended receiving facsimile machine if the intended receiving facsimile machine is in the plurality of facsimile machines associated with that particular store and forward facility, and for transmitting the stored facsimile message to a particular another of the store and forward facilities when the intended receiving facsimile machine is in the plurality of facsimile machines associated with that particular another store and forward facility and wherein said mass storage means of at least one of the store and forward facilities additionally includes mailboxes associated with particular system subscribers and wherein facsimile messages received and stored by the mass storage means and intended for receiving facsimile machines associated with those subscribers are stored in the respective mailboxes, said store and forward facility being responsive to instructions received from a subscriber to transmit the facsimile messages stored in that subscriber's mailbox to a paperless facsimile terminal machine designated in the instructions by the subscriber, said paperless terminal being able to communicate with said store and forward facility in both computer communication mode and facsimile communication mode, whereby a subscriber who is away from the fixed location of his facsimile machine may have facsimile messages intended for receipt by his facsimile machine collected, and retrieve them for display on a screen from any location where any said paperless facsimile terminal machine is situated.

A system for facilitating facsimile communications between a transmitting facsimile machine and at least one intended receiving facsimile machine, comprising a plurality of geographically separated store and forward facilities, with a plurality of subscriber facsimile machines in a particular geographic area being associated with one of said store and forward facilities, means coupling each store and forward facility to the switched telephone network for receiving transmissions from any transmitting facsimile machine that is associated with each respective store and forward facility, each of said store and forward facilities including computer means for controlling its operation and including mass storage means for storing facsimile transmissions together with information identifying the transmitting facsimile machine under control of said computer means, said store and forward facility also including means coupling it to the switched telephone network for directly transmitting a facsimile message stored in a mass storage means to an intended receiving facsimile machine if the receiving facsimile machine is in the plurality of facsimile machines associated with that particular store and forward facility, and for transmitting the stored facsimile message to a particular another of the store and forward facilities when the intended receiving facsimile machine is in the plurality of facsimile machines associated with that particular another store and forward facility and wherein individual subscribers may be provided with unique PIN numbers, wherein individual subscriber PIN numbers are stored in the mass storage means of the store and forward facility having the facsimile machines of those individual subscribers associated therewith, and wherein the store and forward facility recognizes an incoming facsimile machine, and said computer means is programmed to allow communication with a paperless facsimile terminal machine for display of the facsimile message at said paperless facsimile terminal machine upon receipt of the appropriate subscriber PIN number and command.

A method for facilitating facsimile communications between a transmitting facsimile machine and at least one intended receiving facsimile machine, comprising

• the step of providing at least one store and forward facility having computer means for controlling its operation and having mass storage means for storing facsimile messages,
• coupling the at least one store and forward facility to a switched telephone network for receiving facsimile messages from transmitting facsimile machines,
• recording received facsimile messages in the mass storage means together with information indicating the transmitting facsimile machine and the intended receiving facsimile machine, and
• transmitting facsimile messages stored in the mass storage means to intended receiving facsimile machines, and including the step of
• defining mailboxes in the mass storage means associated with particular system subscriber, and including the step of
• storing facsimile messages intended for those particular system subscribers in their respective mailboxes, and further including
• the step, in response to instructions received from a system subscriber, of transmitting facsimile messages stored in that subscriber's mailbox to a paperless facsimile terminal machine designated by that subscriber in the instructions for display on a screen.

A method for facilitating facsimile communications between a transmitting facsimile machine and at least one intended receiving facsimile machine, comprising

• the step of providing at least one store and forward facility having computer means for controlling its operation and having mass storage means for storing facsimile messages,
• coupling the at least one store and forward facility to a switched telephone network for receiving facsimile messages from transmitting facsimile machines,
• recording received facsimile messages in the mass storage means together with information indicating the transmitting facsimile machine and the intended receiving machine, and
• transmitting facsimile messages stored in the mass storage means to intended receiving facsimile machines, and including the step of
• providing subscribers with unique individual PIN numbers,
• storing the individual PIN numbers in the mass storage means,
• recognizing an incoming facsimile massage from a transmitting facsimile machine which has been security coded,
• transmitting to the intended facsimile machine for the security coded message a message indicating that the store and forward facility is holding a security code message, and
• transmitting to a paperless facsimile terminal machine the security coded message for display on a screen only after receipt by the store and forward facility from said paperless facsimile terminal machine of the unique PIN number of a subscriber.

A system for facilitating facsimile communications between transmitting facsimile machines including at least one paperless facsimile machine, and intended receiving facsimile machines including at least one paperless facsimile terminal machine, comprising

• at least one store and forward facility,
• means coupling the at least one store and forward facility to a switched telephone network for receiving transmissions from the at least one transmitting paperless facsimile terminal machine,
• said store and forward facility including
• computer means for controlling its operation and including
• mass storage means for storing facsimile transmissions, together with information identifying the transmitting paperless facsimile terminal machine and the at least one intended receiving paperless facsimile terminal machine under control of said computer means,
• said store and forward facility also including means coupling it to the switched telephone network for transmitting facsimile messages stored in the mass storage means to at least one intended receiving paperless facsimile terminal machine, and
• wherein said mass storage means additionally includes mailboxes associated with particular system subscribers and
• wherein facsimile messages received and stored by the mass storage means and intended for receiving paperless facsimile terminal machines associated with those subscribers are stored in the respective mailboxes,
• said store and forward facility being programmed to communicate with the paperless facsimile terminal machines in both computer communication mode and facsimile communication mode so that the facsimile messages stored in that subscriber's mailbox can be transmitted to said receiving paperless facsimile terminal machine for display on a display screen.

A system for facilitating facsimile communications between transmitting facsimile machines and intended receiving facsimile machines which includes at least one voice mailbox means for receiving voice message, comprising

• at least one store and forward facility,
• means coupling the at least one store and forward facility to a switched telephone network for receiving transmissions from the transmitting facsimile machine,
• said store and forward facility including
• computer means for controlling its operations and including
• mass storage means for storing facsimile transmissions, together with information identifying the transmitting facsimile machines and the at least one voice mailbox means under the control of said computer means, said store and forward facility also including
• means for converting facsimile message into voice mail message, said store and forward facility further including
• means coupling it to the switched telephone network for transmitting facsimile messages stored in the mass storage means to intended receiving facsimile machines and transmitting said converted voice mail messages to said at least one voice mailbox means.

A system for facilitating facsimile communications, said system comprising:

• a transmitting facsimile machine;
• a receiving facsimile machine;
• and
• a store and forward facility including, at least,
• a computer means for controlling operation of the store and forward facility,
• a mass storage means for storing facsimile transmissions together with information identifying the transmitting facsimile machine and the receiving facsimile machine, and
• a coupling means for coupling the store and forward facility to a receiving transmission network for receiving facsimile transmissions from the transmitting facsimile machine and for coupling the store and forward facility to a forwarding transmission network for transmitting facsimile transmissions to the receiving facsimile machine,
• wherein said receiving facsimile machine includes, at least,
• a coupling means for coupling said receiving facsimile machine between the forwarding transmission network and a normal television set,
• a communication means for communicating with said store and forward facility through the forwarding transmission network, and
• a conversion means for converting facsimile signals received from said store and forward facility into suitable video display signals for display on the normal television set.

A system for facilitating facsimile communications, said system comprising:

• a transmitting facsimile machine;
• a receiving facsimile machine;
• and
• a store and forward facility including, at least,
• a computer means for controlling operation of the store and forward facility,
• a mass storage means for storing facsimile transmissions together with information identifying the transmitting facsimile machine and the receiving facsimile machine, and
• a coupling means for coupling the store and forward facility to a receiving transmission network for receiving facsimile transmissions from the transmitting facsimile machine and for coupling the store and forward facility to a forwarding transmission network for transmitting facsimile transmissions to the receiving facsimile machine,
• wherein said receiving facsimile machine includes, at least, a personal computer means for communicating with said store and forward facility and for electronically displaying facsimile transmissions.