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US 5,517,324 AGranted
Method and system for increasing the compatibility of a fax machine
AssigneeMicrosoft Corporation
InventorsFranklin Fite, Jr., Arul Menezes, Sharad Mathur
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An method and system for increasing the compatibility of a fax machine enables one to make a fax machine compatible with at least one other fax machine feature set. The invention includes selecting a compatibility module to handle a fax transmission based on a frame of information provided by another fax machine. The compatibility module interprets this information and maps it to a capabilities object. A messaging protocol module reads this capabilities object to determine the available capabilities.
Claims21
A method for increasing the compatibility of a fax machine, comprising:
- providing in a first fax machine a plurality of protocol modules each supporting a facsimile transmission protocol for communicating with other fax machines;
- receiving in the first fax machine information from a second fax machine identifying the capabilities and a facsimile transmission protocol of the second fax machine;
- determining whether the second fax machine is compatible with a protocol module in the first fax machine;
- if the second fax machine is compatible with a protocol module in the first fax machine, then:
- interpreting the capabilities of the second fax machine by using the protocol module in the first fax machine that is compatible with the second fax machine to read the information identifying capabilities provided by the second fax machine;
- and
- communicating between the first and second fax machines using the protocol module in the first fax machine compatible with the second fax machine to implement the facsimile transmission protocol.
4 more elements
A method for increasing the compatibility of a fax machine, comprising:
- providing a first fax machine having a messaging protocol module and a plurality of protocol modules including a fax protocol module and at least one compatibility module for communicating with other fax machines using different protocols, each protocol module supporting a facsimile transmission protocol;
- receiving information from a second fax machine identifying capabilities and a facsimile transmission protocol of the second fax machine;
- selecting one of the plurality of protocol modules based on the information identifying the facsimile transmission protocol of the second fax machine;
- passing the information identifying the capabilities of the second fax machine from said one of the plurality of protocol modules to the messaging protocol module by mapping the capabilities into a capabilities object and passing the capabilities object to the messaging protocol module;
- and
- if one of the at least one compatibility module is selected, then interpreting the capabilities of the second fax machine by using said one of the at least one compatibility module to read the capabilities of the second fax machine;
- and
- mapping the capabilities of the second fax machine into a capabilities object with said one of the at least one compatibility module.
5 more elements
A system for increasing the compatibility of a first fax machine comprising:
- a modem driver for communicating with a second fax machine;
- a protocol module in communication with the modem driver for selecting a compatibility module based upon information identifying a facsimile transmission protocol of the second fax machine provided by the second fax machine;
- at least one compatibility module in communication with the modem driver for communicating with the second fax machine by implementing a facsimile transmission protocol compatible with the second fax machine, and in communication with the protocol module for building a capabilities object based upon information about the capabilities of the second fax machine provided by the second fax machine;
- and a messaging protocol module in communication with the at least one compatibility module for receiving the capabilities object and a message object independent of the facsimile transmission protocol used to communicate with the second fax machine, for reading the capabilities object to determine the capabilities of the second fax machine, and for processing the message object.
1 more element
A first fax machine compatible with a plurality of fax protocols comprising:
- a modem driver for communicating with a second fax machine;
- a protocol module in communication with the modem driver for selecting a compatibility module based upon information identifying a facsimile transmission protocol of the second fax machine provided by the second fax machine;
- at least one compatibility module in communication with the modem driver for communicating with the second fax machine by implementing a facsimile transmission protocol compatible with the second fax machine, and in communication with the protocol module for building a capabilities object based upon information about the capabilities of the second fax machine provided by the second fax machine;
- and a messaging protocol module in communication with the at least one compatibility module for receiving the capabilities object and a message object independent of the facsimile transmission protocol used to communicate with the second fax machine, for reading the capabilities object to determine the capabilities of the second fax machine, and for processing the message object.
1 more element
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.