Patent ID: 6348970
Filing Date: 2002-02-19
Classification: H04N,Y10S

Abstract:
An apparatus for exchanging information between a fax machine and a computer network, having at least one electronic document, comprising:a facsimile interface configured for transmitting and receiving control pages, each control page having at least one control symbol for initiating a plurality of web browser functions other than document retrieval and at least one URL symbol associated with the at least one electronic document, located thereon, said received control page having at least one user marking thereon associated with the at least one control symbol and the at least one URL symbol; a controller, connected to said facsimile interface, configured to compare the transmitted and received control pages and to identify the at least one control symbol and the at least one URL symbol having the at least one user mark associated therewith; a network interface, connected to said controller, for performing a function based on a combined analysis of the at least one control symbol and the at least one URL symbol having the at least one user mark associated therewith; and said controller further configured to generate a new transmitted control page which includes a plurality of the control symbols as well as a document related to performance of the function, wherein the new transmitted control page replaces the transmitted control page upon transmission of the new control page over the facsimile interface.