WO2000057630A1

WO2000057630A1 - Method for transmitting information

Info

Publication number: WO2000057630A1
Application number: PCT/DE2000/000850
Authority: WO
Inventors: Bernd Koeleman
Original assignee: Bernd Koeleman
Priority date: 1999-03-19
Filing date: 2000-03-16
Publication date: 2000-09-28
Also published as: DE19912559A1; AU4099900A

Abstract

The invention relates to a method for transmitting information. Said method comprises the following steps: a) a hardcopy of the information is scanned and the scanned information is converted into a facsimile data format. The information in the facsimile data format contains sender-specific identification data, b) the information in the facsimile data format is transmitted to a fax server via a telecommunications network, c) the information in the facsimile data format is retrieved by a graphics server from a fax server and is converted into a full-data graphics format, d) the information in the full-data graphics format undergoes optional digital image processing via the graphics server, e) the information is converted from the full-data graphics format into an internet-compatible reduced data format via the graphics server and f) the information from step e) is transmitted to an http server by the graphics server, whereby the http service server is connected to the internet. Furthermore, a data base is configured for sender-specific identification data.

Description

Procedure for the transmission of information

description

The invention relates to a method for transmitting information with the following method steps: a) a hard copy of the information is scanned and the scanned information is converted into a faximile data format, the information in the faximile data format containing sender-specific identification data, b) the information in the faximile data format is transmitted to a fax recipient via a telecommunications network, e) the information is converted into an HTTP-compatible data format and f) the information from stage e) is sent to an HTTP service database connected to the Internet transmitted. - A hard copy is a representational representation of information, in the simplest case a sheet of paper with information attached to it. Both fixed networks and radio networks are also referred to as telecommunications networks. HTTP stands for HyperText Transfer Protocol and identifies one of several different Internet services, namely the World Wide Web (www). In particular, websites are set up on the www. Other Internet services that are separate from the www are e-mail and FTP (File Transfer Protocol, data transfer) and are not the subject of the invention.

A method of the type mentioned is known from practice. The received faximile is presented to a programmer and the programmer creates it based on the information read Information as well as HTML document containing Internet directories and file names derived from the sender-specific identification data by manual programming. This HTML document is then used to create a new homepage page or an updated homepage page on a server of a provider that maintains the homepage. In other words, all elements of a homepage are stored on a provider's server. The programming work described above is time consuming and consequently costly. This applies in particular to regularly required updates, such as in the case of website pages with product information, prices, etc. Special information in the form of tables is extremely complex to update and the risk of content or layout errors during programming is considerable.

The invention is based on the technical problem of providing a method with which homepage pages of a homepage can be updated in a simple and secure manner.

To solve this technical problem, the invention teaches a method for transmitting information with the following process stages: a) a hard copy of the information is scanned and the scanned information is converted into a faximile data format, the information in the faximile data format containing sender-specific identification data , b) the information in the faximile data format is transmitted to a fax server via a telecommunications network, c) the information in the faximile data format is transmitted by a Graphics server accessed from the fax server and converted into a graphics full data format, d) the information in the graphics full data format is optionally subjected to digital image processing processes by means of the graphics server, e) the information is extracted from the Full graphic data format is converted into an Internet-compatible reduced data format and f) the information from stage e) is transmitted from the graphic server to an HTTP service server connected to the Internet, a database being set up which, on the one hand, uniformly matches the sender-specific identification data Structured customer IDs are linked in pairs and on the other hand the customer IDs are linked in pairs with Internet directories containing customer names, with the fax server and / or the graphics server accessing the database and specific information received in stage b) in the faximile data format by comparing the sender-specific received in stage b) Before identification data with the sender-specific identification data entered in the database assigns the linked customer ID and / or the linked Internet directory containing a customer name, and the information in stage f) with a file name containing the customer ID in one, preferably in the Internet directory containing customer names is stored. - A graphics full data format is data formats with full resolution and color depth. Data formats that are compressed and / or are reduced in color depth are referred to as reduced graphics data format. Data compression of graphics files can be done in a variety of ways. On the one hand, redundant information can be removed become. Then the original file can be completely restored. On the other hand, information that lies below or at the limit of human perception ability and / or that is automatically supplemented by human associative processes of pattern recognition can be detected and deleted. Then a complete restoration of the original file is no longer possible, but the information content is at least insignificantly reduced in human perception. In the case of graphical information, a reduction to less than 20% and less of the amount of data can often be carried out without a human viewer perceiving this as disruptive or in need of addition. A database contains, as it were, table-like unambiguous, mostly unambiguous, links or assignments. Links in pairs can be found in two-column tables. It is also possible within the scope of the invention to summarize the aforementioned database variables in a 3-column table form. A customer ID is a code number that is assigned to one and only one sender (person or company or similar organizational units) of faximiles and is structured in a systematic way, for example, the character length or type of the respective character position content (e.g. number or letter). An internet directory is an element of a path or tree that points to a homepage or a homepage. The Internet directory containing a customer name can, but does not necessarily have to, have other Internet directories superordinate (provider-determined) but also subordinate (for example for image files) his. In any case, an Internet address in the www service is superior to the Internet directory. Servers are computers that can receive and / or send data from other computers or devices connected to a data network (on their own initiative or on client request). The fax server, the graphics server and the HTTP service server can be separate computers, but also structural units in all possible combinations and, in this respect, can only be designed in software.

The invention is based on the knowledge that information, in particular written text information, can be easily placed on a homepage of a homepage if the information is not programmed as text in HTML (HyperText Markup Language) on foot, but a page containing text information as such is treated as a graphic. The invention is based on the further finding that the manual assignment of sender-specific identification data can be automated with an Internet directory and / or a customer ID as the file name, if a database adapted to this task is set up for this purpose. It is of particular importance within the scope of the invention that with the help of the database and the automated generation and assignment of an Internet directory and a file name to information or one or more fax pages, it is possible for home pages, or at least home pages to be updated, on an HTTP -Server of the provider of the graphics server, while the homepage as such is on a server of another provider. All you have to do in the homepage is once at a suitable point a link to the HTTP server of the provider of the graphics server to be programmed, wherein the link of the provider of the HTTP or graphics server and directories and filenames consists of ^'the appropriate command, the Internet address of this provider, in accordance with the structures of the customer ID and the file name, as used uniformly by the HTTP or graphics server. As a result, a single insertion of the link in the homepage located at a (different) provider to a provider working according to the invention with a graphic and / or HTTP service server can be guaranteed on the basis of the "naming" according to the invention with regard to Internet directory and file name that a visitor to the homepage sees the updated version immediately (in less than 2 min., usually in the range of 5 - 30 s) after sending an update fax from the homepage operator, regardless of the "work speed" of the provider with the actual homepage.

With the invention it is ultimately achieved that a faxed text page can be placed on a homepage within seconds, compared to a time requirement of up to 2 hours and more for a page in the case of programming in HTML. With the invention, no human activity is required anymore to update a homepage. Finally, a website owner or customer can create a page in a "traditional" way and send it in an "equally traditional" way, namely with the simplest-to-use fax machine. All other processes then run in the server area and fully automatic. If the customer or another visitor to the customer queries the homepage practically immediately after sending the fax, they will find that the update has already been carried out. This is extremely important, in particular in the area of electronic commerce, because it means that there is no longer any uncertainty about when, for example, a price update has actually been received by website visitors and consequently at what price (old or new).

The fax sender can be identified in a variety of ways. In the simplest case, the sender-specific identification data is a standard fax sender identification (which can be suppressed, but usually sent "invisibly"). This is a standardized part of the faximile data format or fax protocol commonly used. Alternatively, the sender-specific identification data can be a target identification. This means that the identification is based on the dial-in number chosen by the customer. Furthermore, alternatively, the sender-specific identification data can be entries on a fax cover sheet, a text and / or pattern recognition routine being carried out by the fax server or the graphics server and recognized text or recognized patterns being converted into a database-compatible data format. For this purpose, the operator of the servers used according to the invention will provide the customer with a uniform fax cover sheet form on which the customer enters his (assigned) specific identification features (for example customer number). It is preferred if the file name contains a document ID in addition to the customer ID. In this embodiment, several homepage pages can also be updated fully automatically according to the invention. At its core, the file name then consists of a direct sequence of the characters of the customer ID and the document ID. It is further preferred if a document ID is assigned to each fax page received for a fax transmission. Then each different fax page is a homepage page.

The faximile data format can be the sff format or modified Huffman format. The graphics full data format can be one of the usual ones, for example tiff, bmp or pcx. The different formats each have their advantages and disadvantages, whereby the pcx format is characterized by a small memory requirement. The Internet compatible reduced graphics data format can be the gif format, in particular the gif89a format, or the jpeg format.

Level f) can be fully automated in a particularly elegant manner if the remote access service dial procedure is carried out for this.

For reasons of resources, it is preferred if the graphic information in all stored graphic formats on the fax server and the graphic server is deleted in step g).

The invention is explained in more detail below with the aid of an example which merely represents an exemplary embodiment. A database was set up with two 2 column tables. The assignments and table elements are as follows:

Tab. 1: Fax sender identification: 7654321 - customer ID: 000112

Tab. 2:

Customer ID: 000112 - Customer name: Berlin \ Rest \ Lecker

The sender ID is the standard fax sender ID (sff format). A homepage operator has a homepage with a provider A. In the program of the homepage, a link specified below is set up for a homepage page to be updated.

If the operator of the homepage wants to update one of the homepage pages 1, 2 or 3, he will first record the content of the page to be updated (in example 2) on a sheet of paper, for example by hand. Then the operator will fax the sheet of paper to the provider fax4net ^{®, for} example. At the provider fax4net ^® , the received fax or its data stream is recorded in a fax server, transferred to a graphics server, converted there into a graphics full data format (pcx) and subjected to digital image processing. Image processing can include edge sharpening, contrast enhancement and filtering, for example. The result obtained is then converted into an Internet-compatible, reduced data format (gif89a) and transferred to the HTTP service server. Then the file obtained is provided with a name which contains the customer ID and the document ID. The HTTP service is used for this Server to the database Tab.l and determines the customer number 000112 from the fax sender ID 7654321. The document ID is added to this (for example, recorded as an OCR page number). The result is the complete file name

0001122.gif. The server in question then accesses the database in Table 2 and determines the customer name as Berlin \ Rest \ Lecker. The above file is then saved under Berlin \ Rest \ Lecker \ 0001122.gif on the HTTP service server with the address www.fax4net.de.

For homepage 2 of the operator of the homepage there is a link in provider A's homepage

programmed, with the result that a homepage visitor who selects the homepage from provider A sees the updated homepage page 2 as soon as the above-described storage on the HTTP service server has taken place. The entire process from sending a fax to updating the homepage takes barely more than 30 seconds, even with complex digital image processing, in the exemplary embodiment carried out completely automatically. The short time is also achieved because the homepage page to be updated does not necessarily have to be set up at provider A, but the link technology of the Internet or www service is used as part of the update.

Claims

Claims:

1. Process for the transmission of information with the following process stages:

a) a hard copy of the information is scanned and the scanned information is converted into a faximile data format, the information in the faximile data format containing sender-specific identification data,

b) the information in the faximile data format is transmitted to a fax server via a telecommunications network,

c) the information in the faximile data format is retrieved by a graphics server from the fax server and converted into a graphics full data format,

d) the information in the graphic full data format is possibly subjected to digital image processing processes by means of the graphic server,

e) the information is converted by means of the graphics server from the graphics full data format into an Internet compatible reduced data format and

f) the information from stage e) is transmitted from the graphics server to an HTTP service server connected to the Internet,

a database is set up, which on the one hand contains the sender-specific identification data uniformly structured customer IDs are linked in pairs and on the other hand the customer IDs are linked in pairs with Internet directives containing customer names,

whereby the fax server and / or the graphics server access the database and specific information received in stage b) in the faximile data format by comparing the sender-specific identification data received in stage b) with the sender-specific identification data entered in the database assigns the linked customer ID and / or the linked Internet directory containing a customer name, and

the information in stage f) being stored with a file name containing the customer ID in an Internet directory, preferably in the Internet directory containing the customer name.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the file name additionally contains a document ID.

3. The method according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the sender-specific identification data is a standard fax sender identification.

4. The method according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the sender-specific identifier data is a target identifier.

A method according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the sender-specific identification data are entries on a fax cover sheet and wherein a text recognition routine is carried out by the fax server or the graphics server and recognized text is converted into a database-compatible data format.

6. The method according to one of claims 1 to 5, wherein each fax page received in stage b) of a fax transmission is assigned a document ID.

15 7. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the faximile data format is the sff format or modified Huffman format.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein the graphics full data format is the pcx format.

9. The method according to claim 1, wherein the Internet-compatible reduced graphic data format is the gif format, in particular the gif89a format, or the jpeg format.

10. The method according to claim 1, wherein step f) is carried out by means of the remote access service dial method.

1. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 10, wherein in a step g) the information is deleted in all stored graphic formats on the fax server and the graphic server.