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  Method and system for facsimile delivery using dial-up modem poolsThe Patent Description & Claims data below is from USPTO Patent Application 20070035779. Brief Patent Description - Full Patent Description - Patent Application Claims
[0001] This application is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/840,548, filed Apr. 23, 2001, the entirety of which is hereby incorporated herein by reference. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION [0002] 1. Field of the Invention [0003] The invention relates generally to Internet Protocol telephony, and more particularly to a system and a method for utilizing inbound, dial-up modem pools to deliver store-and-forward facsimiles. [0004] 2. Description of the Related Art [0005] The transmission of a facsimile (fax), from one fax machine to another, using the Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN) is a common activity. Studies suggest that an average Fortune 500 company incurs a cost of about $15 million each year for sending faxes over the PSTN. Additionally, reports estimate that the worldwide, long-distance fax bill in 1997 amounted to $30 billion. However, the use of the Internet can significantly reduce the cost of long-distance faxing. The Internet is the well-known electronic communications network that connects computer networks around the world. The savings in the cost of long-distance faxing are realized by using the Internet for transmittal over the long-distance portion of the route, and using the PSTN only to complete the transmission locally. [0006] With the adoption of international standards, high quality faxing via the Internet has become a reality. A significant development has been the adoption of the standard for transferring fax data via the Internet using the "store-and-forward protocol", i.e., the T.37 standard of the International Telecommunication Union. The T.37 standard allows the commingling of corporate and fax-service-provider equipment and networks to provide local fax server coverage anywhere in the world. One aspect of the T.37 standard is that, unlike real-time faxing, delivery of a store-and-forward fax can be delayed until a transmission line becomes available. [0007] Generally, Internet Service Providers (ISPs) make available the hardware and software needed for accessing the Internet. One typical manner of accessing the Internet is known as dial-up access. Dial-up access refers to connecting a device (e.g., a personal computer) to a computer network (e.g., the Internet) via a modem that accesses the Internet through a public telephone network. In order to meet surging demand for access to the Internet, ISPs have invested substantial amounts of capital in "dial-up modem pools". A modem pool typically includes a group of modems that is shared by the ISP's subscribers. Generally, an end user connects to a dial-up modem pool of the ISP, then the ISP connects the end user to the Internet. However, the recent emergence of other links, such as broadband, Internet-access technology, is threatening to make existing local dial-up modem pools obsolete, or at least largely underutilized. There is, thus, a need for a method of and a system for implementing the "store-and-forward" protocol utilizing the inbound, dial-up modem pools of ISPs. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION [0008] The invention, in its different embodiments, utilizes ISP's dial-up modems to reduce the cost of long-distance faxing. In one embodiment, the invention provides a method of communicating a fax message via a computer network. The method comprises receiving the fax message by a server having at least one dial-up modem, determining availability of the dial-up modem, and sending the fax message via the dial-up modem to a receiver. [0009] In another embodiment, the invention provides a method of communicating a fax message via a computer network. The method comprises transmitting a fax from a first fax transceiver to a first server and forwarding of the fax by the first server, via a computer network, to a second server having a plurality of dial-up modems. The method further comprises receiving and storing the fax at the second server and determining availability of each of the dial-up modems. The method further comprises queuing transmission of the fax for a period of time, and determining availability of each of the dial-up modems upon expiration of the time period, if none of the dial-up modems is available. The method further comprises sending the fax via a selected one of the dial-up modems, determined to be available, to a second fax transceiver, wherein the second fax transceiver is physically located in the same local-toll area, of a public telephone network, as the second server. [0010] Another embodiment of the invention provides a system for communicating a fax message via a computer network. The system includes a server, in communication with the computer network that is configured to receive the fax message. The system further includes at least one dial-up modem, in communication with the server, configured to send the fax message to a receiver. The system further includes a communication link for delivery of the fax message to the receiver. [0011] Yet another embodiment of the invention provides a system for communicating a store-and-forward fax message via a computer network. The system comprises a server, in communication with the computer network that is configured to receive the fax message. The system further comprises a plurality of dial-up modems, in communication with the server, configured to send the fax message to a receiver. The system further comprises a module executing in the server for processing the fax, wherein processing the fax includes storing the fax in a memory, determining the availability of the each dial-up modem in the plurality dial-up modems, queuing the fax for later delivery if none of the dial-up modems is available, and sending the fax message via one of the dial-up modems to a receiver. The system further includes a communication link for delivery of the fax message to the receiver. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS [0012] The above and other aspects, features, and advantages of the invention will be better understood by referring to the following detailed description, which should be read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which: [0013] FIG. 1 is a network diagram illustrating facsimile transmission over the Internet. [0014] FIG. 2 is an exemplary block diagram of a network server in accordance with one embodiment of the invention. [0015] FIG. 3 is a flowchart illustrating the process of communicating a facsimile in accordance with one embodiment of the invention. [0016] FIG. 4 is a flowchart illustrating the process of handling a facsimile at the network server of FIG. 2. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [0017] The following description should not be taken in a limiting sense, but is made merely for the purpose of describing the general principles of the invention. The scope of the invention should be determined with reference to the claims. [0018] Taking advantage of the store-and-forward protocol, the invention advantageously utilizes inbound, dial-up modem pools to transmit faxes in a cost efficient manner; this result is obtained because ISPs may deliver faxes during nonpeak (i.e., idle) hours of dial-up use of the modem pools. FIG. 1 shows a network 100 that is configured to provide facsimile (fax) transmission over the Internet 108. The network 100 typically comprises a first fax transceiver 102 connected to a first server 106 via a communication link 104. The first fax transceiver 102 may be, for example, a conventional fax machine or a computer with fax capabilities. The communication link 104 may comprise any link (e.g., PSTN dial up, ISDN, xDSL, etc.) that is commonly used to connect to computer networks, such as the Internet 108. The first server 106 is typically a processor based computing device that is programmed with instructions to receive fax transmissions from the first fax transceiver 102. [0019] The network 100 further comprises a second server 110, which can be accessed by the first server 106 via the Internet 108. Similar to the first server 106, the second server 110 is also a processor based device; however, the second server 110 includes a group of dial-up, in-bound modems (shown in FIG. 2). Both the first server 106 and the second server 110 are connected to the Internet 108 in a manner well known in the pertinent technology. [0020] The network 100 further comprises a first communication link 112 that connects the second server 110 to the Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN) 114, which in turn is connected to a second fax transceiver 118 via a second communication link 116. The first communication link 112 may be a conventional telephone link or a wireless telephone link. The second communication link 116 may be any well known communication link (e.g., conventional telephone link, fiber optic link, wireless link, etc.) for connecting networks or communication devices. The Internet 108 and the PSTN 114, or their equivalents, are well known in the pertinent technology. Continue reading... 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