Apparatus and method for confirming, timestamping, and archiving printer and telecopier transmissions
US6188766A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventor
Key dates
| Filing date | Mar 5, 1997 |
| Grant date | Feb 13, 2001 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Mar 5, 2017 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
- CPC primaryH04N2201/3274
- WIPO fieldAudio-visual technology
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
The present invention provides an apparatus and method for confirming, timestamping, and archiving documents using telecopiers (e.g., facsimile machines). A user sends a document to a timestamping service via facsimile, which archives the transmission with a timestamp. A submission receipt, containing size-reduced images of the submission and a document identification value (DIV), is prepared and sent to the sender. The DIV can later be submitted to the timestamping service to obtain verification that the document was received at the indicated time. In addition, the invention allows for various other forms of document transmission, document identification, and timestamp verification. The invention is thus useful in any situation where it is desired to prove that a document was in existence at a given time. Other embodiments of the invention provide senders of facsimile and telecopier transmissions with confirmation that their transmissions were received successfully.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.