Method and apparatus for delivering secured hard-copy facsimile documents

An accessory device for use with facsimile apparatus including a facsimile output port and a recording means for producing an information bearing facsimile document for passage through said facsimile outlet port, said accessory device comprising:

• a housing of generally compact construction, having an accessory inlet port and an accessory outlet port, said accessory inlet port being adapted to be brought in operable association with said outlet port of said facsimile apparatus;
• facsimile document transport means disposed in said housing and adapted for transporting said facsimile document through said housing and outwardly from said accessory outlet port;
• facsimile information concealing means disposed in said housing and adapted for concealing at least a portion of the information recorded on said facsimile document, said concealing means concealing same after said facsimile document has been transported through said accessory outlet port;
• and
• control means, disposed in said housing, and adapted for selectively controlling the operation of said facsimile document transport means and said facsimile information concealing means.

A method of delivering a confidential information bearing facsimile message to a selected receiving station having the capability of selectively concealing at least a portion of said confidential message after said facsimile message has been removed from said receiving station, said method comprising:

• (a) providing a confidential facsimile message to be delivered to a selected receiving station having a first facsimile message transmnission and receiving means;
• (b) providing said facsimile message with a first commend code indicative of a facsimile message concealing operation to be performed at said selected receiving station;
• (c) transmitting said facsimile message and said first command code, from a transmitting station having a second facsimile message transmission and receiving means, to said selected receiving station;
• (d) receiving said facsimile message and said first command code, at said selected receiving station;
• (e) determining the presence of said first command code;
• (f) reproducing said facsimile message on a hard-copy medium;
• and
• (g) on the basis of the determination of step (e) concealing at least a portion of said confidential information in said reproduced facsimile message at said receiving station effective to maintain said confidential information concealed after said message has been removed from said receiving station.

Apparatus for producing secured hard-copy facsimile documents, comprising:

• a housing of generally compact construction;
• facsimile recording means disposed in said housing, for recording an information bearing facsimile message on a recording medium, using a received facsimile signal;
• facsimile information concealing means, disposed in said housing, for concealing at least a portion of the information contained in said facsimile message to produce a secured hard-copy facsimile document;
• command decoding means, disposed in said housing, for decoding said received facsimile signal so as to produce at least one command signal and for maintaining concealment of said information after said document has been removed from said apparatus;
• and
• control means, disposed in said housing, for selectively controlling the operation of said facsimile recording means and said facsimile information concealing means so as to conceal at least a portion of the information contained in said facsimile message to produce a secured hard-copy facsimile document.

Apparatus for producing secured hard-copy facsimile documents, comprising:

• a housing of generally compact construction;
• facsimile recording means, disposed in said housing, for recording an information bearing facsimile message on a recording medium, using a received facsimile data signal;
• facsimile information concealing means, disposed in said housing, for concealing at least a portion of the information contained in said facsimile message to produce a secured hard-copy facsimile document, said facsimile recording means including a thermal recording means, and wherein said facsimile information concealing means comprises composite recording material supply means for supplying composite recording material having a thermal recording layer and an opaque information concealing layer;
• and
• control means, disposed in said housing, for selectively controlling the operation of said facsimile recording means and said facsimile information concealing means.

Apparatus for producing secured hard-copy facsimile documents, comprising:

• a housing of generally compact construction;
• facsimile recording means, disposed in said housing, for recording an information bearing facsimile message on a recording medium, using a received facsimile data signal;
• facsimile information concealing means, disposed in said housing, for concealing at least a portion of the information contained in said facsimile message to produce a secured hard-copy facsimile document, said facsimile recording means including recording material supply means for supplying recording material, and recording material transport means for transporting said recording material, and wherein said facsimile information concealing means comprises information concealing material supply means for supplying information concealing material, information concealing transport means for transporting said information concealing material, and material layer merging and sealing means for merging and sealing said recording material and said information concealing material so that at least a selected portion of said facsimile information is concealed;
• and
• control means, disposed in said housing, for selectively controlling the operation of said facsimile recording means and said facsimile information concealing means.

Apparatus for producing secured hard-copy facsimile documents, comprising:

• facsimile recording means, disposed in said housing, for recording an information bearing facsimile message on a recording medium, using a received facsimile data signal;
• facsimile information concealing means, disposed in said housing, for concealing at least a portion of the information contained in said facsimile message to produce a secured hard-copy facsimile document, said facsimile recording means including recording material supply means for supplying recording material and recording material transport means for transporting said recording material, and wherein said facsimile information concealing means comprises enclosure supply means for supplying enclosures adapted to envelope a predetermined length of recording material and conceal at least a selected portion of said facsimile information, and envelope stuffing means for stuffing said predetermined length of recording material into said enclosure;
• and
• control means, disposed in said housing, for selectively controlling the operation of said facsimile recording means and said facsimile information concealing means.

Apparatus for producing secured hard-copy facsimile documents, comprising:

• a housing of generally compact construction;
• a facsimile recording means, disposed in said housing, for recording an information bearing facsimile message on a recording medium, using a received facsimile data signal;
• facsimile information concealing, disposed in said housing, means for concealing at least a portion of the information contained in said facsimile message to produce a secured hard-copy facsimile document, said facsimile recording means further comprising recording material supply means for supplying recording material and recording material transport means for transporting said recording material, and said facsimile information concealing means further comprising recording material folding and sealing means for folding and sealing a predetermined length of said recording material so that a selected portion of said facsimile message is concealed;
• and
• control means, disposed in said housing, for selectively controlling the operation of said facsimile recording means and said facsimile information concealing means.