Patent ID: 7623257

Claim:
A method of handling faxes by a fax machine comprising: generating user-configured rules each including a fax job condition and an associated fax machine action to be performed if the corresponding fax job condition is met, wherein at least one of the fax job conditions includes receiving a fax from a specific dialing code or sending a fax to a specific dialing code and the fax machine action associated with the at least one of the fax job conditions includes at least one of printing a report, disconnecting the phone line, printing multiple copies of the fax, blocking the user from sending the fax, sending an e-mail notification notifying of the receipt of the fax, forwarding a received fax via e-mail, forwarding the fax to a different fax machine, filing copies of the fax to an FTP server, filing copies of the fax to an FTP server without printing the fax, printing the fax in a secure print mode, and sending a pager alert notifying of the receipt of the fax; generating a user-configured policy for handling faxes in a fax job including the user selecting one or more of the user-configured rules to be applied when the user-configured policy is applied and the user ranking the user-configured rules from a highest rank to a lowest rank; the fax machine receiving a fax job; and the fax machine applying the user-configured policy to the fax job by applying the user-configured rules in an order of application from the highest ranked rule to the lowest ranked rule, each rule being applied by determining if the corresponding fax job condition is met and performing the associated fax machine action if the corresponding fax job condition is met.