Patent TW-544590-B (TW)
Title: Fax server system and method
Inventor: JENG JIA-JIU
IPC: G06F15/16
Filed: 2000-05-29
Granted: 2003-08-01
Abstract: The present invention provides a communication server system, which comprises a fax server at the server site and a data terminal device at the client site. The fax server includes the modem components, the image sensor components, the printer components, the memory device components, the processor components, the wireless communication technique specification components (such as the Bluetooth communication components of Bluetooth technology), and/or the answering machine components, and/or the caller ID transmission components, and/or the voice recognition components, and/or the liquid crystal display components. The data terminal device at the client site is a device with the same wireless communication technique specification for personal computer, notebook computer, personal digital assistant (PDA), mobile phone, wireless telephone, headset, portable Internet appliance (PIA), or other devices with voice or text/number input functions, and with voice output or displaying non-voice data functions. The fax server not only has the functions for the normal fax machine, such as faxing, printing, document storage, telephone book, telephone answering, but also uses wired communication or wireless communication to provide one or more functions for one or more data terminals as follows: user management, phonebook management, data transmission, data receiving, data printing, data processing (such as data compression/decompression, text recognition, automatic file conversion), telephone switch, and providing Internet access services. Because the fax server can support the wireless communication technique specification (such as Bluetooth communication technique), the supported data terminals having the same wireless communication technique specifications do not need to have the individual modem, and achieve the functions of faxing, calling or Internet accessing through the wireless communication of the fax server. The fax server is configured with a fax system manager, wherein the fax system manager has the functions of managing fax server, which includes: configuring the user account for the subscriber of the fax account system, the user identification numbers, the establishment of user password, and/or the authority of data transmission and receiving, and/or the effective expiry date, and/or whether having rights to access Internet through the fax server, and the Bluetooth communication components using the fax server. Not each data terminal device supporting and comprising the same wireless communication technique specification can conduct data receiving and transmission with the fax server, or uses various services provided by the fax server, and it has to establish the user account, the identification number and password in the fax account system in advance with the fax system manager of the fax server. And, the user at the data terminal can only have the user account in the fax server and pass the password authorization to conduct the functions of data receiving and transmission with the fax server, or using the services provided by the fax server. At the data terminal device, it can configure the user account, identification number and password for conducting data receiving and transmission with the fax server in association with the user account, identification number and password of the fax system in the fax server. The user can only conduct the data receiving and transmission with the fax server and use the services provided by the fax server under the situations of having the user account in both the fax server and the data terminal device and passing the password certification. In connection with the recognition functions of voice answering and DTMF tone in the fax server system, the fax server system can provide the servicing functions as a telephone switch, and also provide the servicing functions as a telephone switch for the mobile phone, wireless phone and normal phones supporting the same wireless communication technique specifications.