Internet message communicator with direct output to a hard copy device

Abstract

This invention discloses an apparatus for a global network communicator including an application-specific communications device suitable substantially only for global network communications and including a global network application specific user interface network protocol processing circuitry operative for communication with the global network and for formatting data to a required protocol employed by the global network and for translating data received from the global network to a format acceptable to the user interface a communication line interface interconnecting the network protocol processing circuitry to the global network and including logical and physical interface apparatus and modulation and demodulation apparatus for information transmitted to the global network and information received from the global network respectively and network access activation circuitry for initiating communication between the communicator and the global network.

1 . A global network communicator including an application specific communications device suitable substantially only for global network communications and comprising: 
 a global network application specific user interface;    network protocol processing circuitry operative for communication with the global network and for formatting data to a required protocol employed by the global network and for translating data received from the global network to a format acceptable to the user interface;    a communication line interface interconnecting the network protocol processing circuitry to the global network and including logical and physical interface apparatus and modulation and demodulation apparatus for information transmitted to the global network and information received from the global network respectively; and    network access activation circuitry for initiating communication between the communicator and the global network.    
     
     
         2 . A global network communicator according to  claim 1  and also including apparatus for automatically operating the network access activation circuitry at predetermined times.  
     
     
         3 . An automatic dedicated network communications downloader comprising: 
 communications circuitry including a network port arranged to be coupled to a network and a hard copy output port arranged to be coupled to a hard copy output device, said communications circuitry including: 
 polling apparatus for automatically polling a network via the network port to determine the presence of an incoming message for a user, and  
 output apparatus for automatically downloading an incoming message and outputting the incoming message via the hard copy output port to said hard copy output device.  
   
     
     
         4 . A communications system comprising: 
 a network having a plurality of user ports;    a plurality of user stations; and    a hard copy output device;    at least one of said plurality of user stations comprising an automatic dedicated network communications downloader comprising: 
 communications circuitry including a network port arranged to be coupled to said network via a user port and a hard copy output port arranged to be coupled to said hard copy output device, said communications circuitry including:  
 polling apparatus for automatically polling a network via the network port to determine the presence of an incoming message for a user, and  
 output apparatus for automatically downloading an incoming message and outputting the incoming message via the hard copy output port to said hard copy output device.  
   
     
     
         5 . An automatic dedicated network communications downloading method comprising: 
 providing communications circuitry including a network port arranged to be coupled to a network and a hard copy output port arranged to be coupled to a hard copy output device;    automatically polling a network via the network port to determine the presence of an incoming message for a user, and    automatically downloading an incoming message and outputting the incoming message via the hard copy output port to said hard copy output device.    
     
     
         6 . A communications method comprising: 
 providing a network having a plurality of user ports;    providing a plurality of user stations at least one of which having associated therewith a hard copy output device and an automatic dedicated network communications downloader comprising communications circuitry including a network port arranged to be coupled to said network via a user port and a hard copy output port arranged to be coupled to said hard copy output device;    automatically polling a network via the network port to determine the presence of an incoming message for a user, and    automatically downloading an incoming message and outputting the incoming message via the hard copy output port to said hard copy output device.    
     
     
         7 . A method according to  claim 6  wherein the automatic polling includes establishing communication with the network via a predetermined service provider.  
     
     
         8 . A communications system comprising: 
 a network having a plurality of user ports; and    a facsimile machine connected to one of the plurality of user ports,    an automatic dedicated network communications downloader associated with the facsimile machine and comprising: 
 communications circuitry including a network port arranged to be coupled to said network via the user port connected to the facsimile machine and a hard copy output port coupled to said facsimile machine, said communications circuitry including output apparatus for automatically downloading an incoming message and outputting the incoming message via the hard copy output port to said facsimile machine.  
   
     
     
         9 . A system according to  claim 8  and wherein said apparatus for automatically downloading includes polling apparatus for polling a network via the network port to determine the presence of an incoming message for a user.  
     
     
         10 . An automatic dedicated network communications downloading method comprising: 
 providing communications circuitry including a network port arranged to be coupled to a network and via a user port connected to a facsimile machine and a hard copy output port coupled to said facsimile machine; and    automatically downloading an incoming message and outputting the incoming message via the hard copy output port to said facsimile machine.    
     
     
         11 . A method according to  claim 10  and also comprising the step of automatically polling a network via the network port to determine the presence of an incoming message for a user.  
     
     
         12 . A communications method comprising: 
 providing a network having a plurality of user ports;    providing a plurality of user stations at least one of which having associated therewith a facsimile machine and an automatic dedicated network communications downloader comprising communications circuitry including a network port coupled to said network via a user port and a hard copy output port coupled to said facsimile machine; and    automatically downloading an incoming message and outputting the incoming message via the hard copy output port to said facsimile machine.    
     
     
         13 . A method according to  claim 12  and also comprising automatically polling a network via the network port to determine the presence of an incoming message for a user.  
     
     
         14 . A method according to  claim 13  and wherein the step of automatically polling includes establishing communication with the network via a predetermined service provider.  
     
     
         15 . A combination global network communicator and facsimile machine comprising: 
 a facsimile machine adapted to be connected to a telephone network via a telephone line including: 
 a hard copy output device; and  
 an automatic dedicated network communications downloader associated with the hard copy output device and comprising: 
 communications circuitry including a network port arranged to be coupled to a network via the telephone line connected to the facsimile machine and a hard copy output port coupled to the hard copy output device, said communications circuitry including output apparatus for automatically downloading an incoming message received from said network and outputting the incoming message via the hard copy output port to the hard copy output device.  
 
   
     
     
         16 . Apparatus according to  claim 15  and wherein the output apparatus for automatically downloading includes polling apparatus for automatically polling the network via the network port to determine the presence of an incoming message for a user.  
     
     
         17 . Apparatus for automatic electronic data entry via a global network comprising: 
 an application-specific communications device suitable substantially only for global network communications and comprising:    a global network application specific user interface;    a voice-data converter for converting between analog voice and digital data representing voice;    network protocol processing circuitry operative for communication with the global network and for automatically formatting data to a required protocol employed by the global network and for automatically translating data received from the global network to a format acceptable to the user interface;    a communication line interface interconnecting the network protocol processing circuitry to the global network and including logical and physical interface apparatus and modulation and demodulation apparatus for information transmitted to the global network and information received from the global network respectively; and    network access activation circuitry for initiating communication between the communicator and the global network.    
     
     
         18 . Apparatus for dedicated off-line communication of voice messages over a global network comprising: 
 an application-specific communications device suitable substantially only for global network communications and comprising:    a global network application specific user interface including a voice transducer;    a voice-data converter for converting between analog voice and digital data representing voice;    network protocol processing circuitry operative for communication with the global network and for automatically formatting digital data representing voice from the voice-data converter to a required protocol employed by the global network and for automatically translating digital data representing voice received from the global network to a format acceptable to the voice-data converter;    a communication line interface interconnecting the network protocol processing circuitry to the global network and including logical and physical interface apparatus and modulation and demodulation apparatus for information transmitted to the global network and information received from the global network respectively; and    network access activation circuitry for initiating communication between the communicator and the global network.