Method and apparatus for remotely confirming and receiving message received by a facsimile machine

A method for remotely confirming and receiving messages received from a local facsimile machine having a memory for storing a secret number set by a user and received messages, comprising the steps of:

• checking whether or not a calling tone has been inputted from a remotely located facsimile machine of a remotely located calling party, in response to an input of a ring signal when the facsimile machine has been set in a remote reception mode;
• receiving a message from the calling party when the calling tone has been inputted from the calling party as determined in the calling tone checking step, and storing the received message in the memory;
• checking whether or not a secret number has been inputted by the calling party when the calling tone has not been inputted by the calling party as determined in the calling tone checking step;
• transmitting a list of received messages stored in the memory from the local facsimile machine to the facsimile machine of the calling party when the secret number has correctly been inputted by the calling party as determined in the secret number checking step;
• after transmitting the list of received messages to the calling party, checking whether or not a received message selection number has been inputted by the calling party;
• and
• transmitting a received message corresponding to the received message selection number from the local facsimile machine to the facsimile machine of the calling party when the received message selection number has been inputted by the calling party.

A method for remotely confirming and receiving messages received from a local facsimile machine having a memory means for storing a secret number set by a user and received messages, comprising the steps of:

• confirming that the local facsimile machine is set in a reception mode when a ring signal is inputted by a remotely located facsimile machine of a remotely located calling party, and checking whether or not the reception mode is set as a remote reception mode;
• driving a timer when the reception mode is set as said remote reception mode as determined in the reception mode checking step, and checking whether or not a calling tone has been inputted by the calling party;
• receiving a message from the calling party when the calling tone has been inputted by the calling party as determined in the calling tone checking step, storing the received message in the memory, and printing the received message;
• checking whether or not a secret number has been inputted by the calling party when the calling tone has not been inputted by the calling party as determined in the calling tone checking step;
• transmitting the list of the received messages stored in the memory from the local facsimile machine to the facsimile machine of the calling party when the secret number has been correctly inputted by the calling party as determined in the secret number checking step;
• after transmitting the list of received messages to the calling party, checking whether or not a received message selection number has been inputted by the calling party;
• and
• transmitting a received message corresponding to the received message selection number from the local facsimile machine to the facsimile machine of the calling party when the received message selection number has been inputted by the calling party.

An apparatus for remotely confirming and receiving messages received from a local facsimile machine having a memory for storing a secret number set by a user and received messages comprising:

• a means for checking whether or not the secret number has been inputted, in response to an input of a ring signal by a calling party when the local facsimile machine has been set in a remote reception mode;
• a means for transmitting a list of received messages stored in the memory from the local facsimile machine to a remotely located facsimile machine of a remotely located calling party when the secret number has been correctly inputted by the calling party as determined by the secret number checking means;
• a means for checking, after transmitting the list of received messages, whether or not a received message selection number has been inputted by the calling party;
• and
• a means for transmitting a received message corresponding to the received selection number from the local facsimile machine to the facsimile machine of the calling party when the received message selection number has been inputted by the calling party.

An apparatus for remotely confirming and receiving messages received from a local facsimile machine having a memory for storing a secret number set by a user and received messages, comprising:

• a means for checking whether or not a calling tone has been inputted from a remotely located facsimile machine of a remotely located calling party, in response to an input of a ring signal when the local facsimile machine has been set in a remote reception mode;
• a means for receiving a message from the calling party when the calling tone has been inputted from the calling party as determined by the calling tone checking means, and a means for storing the received message in the memory;
• a means for checking whether or not a secret number has been inputted by the calling party when the calling tone has not been inputted by the calling party as determined by the calling tone checking means;
• a means for transmitting a list of received message stored in the memory from the local facsimile machine to the remotely located facsimile machine of the calling party when the secret number has correctly been inputted by the calling party as determined by the secret number checking means;
• a means for checking, after transmitting the list of received messages to the calling party, whether or not a received message selection number has been inputted by the calling party;
• and
• a means for transmitting a received message corresponding to the received message selection number from the local facsimile machine to the facsimile machine of the calling party when the received message selection number has been inputted by the calling party.

An apparatus for remotely confirming and receiving messages received from a local facsimile machine having a memory means for storing a secret number set by a user and received messages, comprising:

• a means for confirming that the local facsimile machine is set in a reception mode when a ring signal is inputted by a remotely located facsimile machine of a remotely located calling party, and checking whether or not the reception mode is set as a remote reception mode;
• a means for driving a timer when the reception mode is set as said remote reception mode as determined in the reception mode checking means, and a means for checking whether or not a calling tone has been inputted by the calling party;
• a means for receiving a message from the calling party when the calling tone has been inputted by the calling party as determined by the calling tone checking means, and a means for storing the received message in the memory, and a means for printing the received message;
• a means for checking whether or not a secret number has been inputted by the calling party when the calling tone has not been inputted by the calling party as determined by the calling tone checking means;
• a means for transmitting the list of the received messages stored in the memory from the local facsimile machine to the facsimile machine of the calling party when the secret number has been correctly inputted by the calling party as determined by the secret number checking means;
• a means for checking, after transmitting the list of received messages to the calling party, whether or not a received message selection number has been inputted by the calling;
• and
• a means for transmitting a received message corresponding to the received message selection number from the local facsimile machine to the remotely located facsimile machine of the calling party when the received message selection number has been inputted.