Systems and methods for communicating documents

摘要

A system includes telephone and packet-switched network interfaces and a translator. The translator receives messages. Outgoing messages originate from a multiple-function peripheral (MFP) and are received via a transfer agent (TA). Outgoing e-mail messages include an attached file in an image file format. The translator removes and delivers the attachment in facsimile format. Incoming fax messages are attached to an e-mail message. The TA receives and relays the e-mail message to an identified MFP, which discards the e-mail message and prints the attachment. A method for processing fax messages includes associating an identifier with a MFP, receiving a fax intended for the MFP, generating an e-mail message with an attachment representing the fax and communicating the e-mail message to a transfer agent that relays the e-mail to the MFP, which discards the e-mail body and prints the attachment.

主权项

1. A method for processing documents, comprising:
associating a destination identifier with a multiple-function peripheral coupled to a data network; receiving, by a translator server, a facsimile format message intended for the multiple-function peripheral as defined by the destination identifier included in the facsimile format message; generating, by the translator server, an e-mail message with an image format file in an attachment, the attachment comprising an electronic representation of the facsimile format message; determining, by the translator server, a user preference for processing the e-mail message at an e-mail server or a mail transfer agent based on a mail exchange record stored in the translator server; responsive to determining the user preference for processing the e-mail message at the e-mail server,
communicating the e-mail message to the e-mail server; andforwarding the e-mail message to the multiple-function peripheral in response to a periodic request from the multiple-function peripheral; and responsive to determining the user preference for processing the e-mail message at the mail transfer agent,
identifying a destination domain using the destination identifier included in the facsimile format message, wherein the destination identifier includes a destination phone number; andbased on the destination domain, forwarding the e-mail message to the mail transfer agent;
wherein the mail transfer agent identifies a local Internet Protocol (IP) address associated with the multiple-function peripheral using a local domain name system (DNS) lookup, wherein the local IP address of the multiple-function peripheral identifies the multiple-function peripheral in an internal IP network, and wherein the mail transfer agent relays the e-mail message to the multiple-function peripheral using the local IP address.