Method and system for secure facsimile delivery and registration

Abstract

A secure fax transmission system can be used to assure the intended recipient of a confidential document being sent via facsimile is the only person that will have access to the document once it is sent. An application module communicates with a client user interface over a first network and communicates with a recipient fax machine over a second network. The application module receives information associated with a confidential document being sent via facsimile. Prior to sending the document, the application module determines if the recipient fax number has been previously registered as a secure fax number. The application module then sends the document to the recipient if the recipient fax number is registered a secure. If the recipient fax number is not registered as secure, the application module sends a request for registration to the recipient fax number.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . A method of delivering a document via facsimile, comprising: 
 (a) identifying a recipient and a corresponding recipient facsimile number for a document to be sent via facsimile;    (b) determining if the recipient facsimile number has been registered as a secure facsimile number; and    (c) delivering the document via facsimile when the recipient facsimile number is registered as a secure facsimile.    
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1  further comprising assigning a unique identifier to the document being sent via facsimile.  
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2  wherein the unique identifier is at least one of 
 a bar code,  
 an alpha-numeric code, and  
 a unique printed image.  
 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1  further comprising, subsequent to the delivery step (c), delivering previously unsent documents to the recipient facsimile number.  
     
     
         5 . A method of registering a facsimile number as a secure facsimile number; comprising: 
 (a) sending a request to register a recipient facsimile number as a secure facsimile number;    (b) receiving a confirmation that the facsimile is a secure facsimile number; and    (c) storing the recipient facsimile number as a Secure facsimile number.    
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 5  further comprising sending a request to register a recipient facsimile number for each document being sent to one recipient of a facsimile.  
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 5  further comprising sending a request to register a recipient facsimile number when the recipient facsimile number has not previously been registered.  
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 5  further comprising assigning a unique identifier to the recipient facsimile number.  
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 5  wherein the step of receiving a confirmation further comprises processing the confirmation.  
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 9  wherein the processing step comprises the confirmation being reviewed by a human operator.  
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 9  wherein the processing step comprises the confirmation being automatically reviewed by electronic means.  
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11  where the electronic means comprises optical character recognition.  
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 5  wherein the step of storing the recipient facsimile number further comprises storing an expiration date of the registration.  
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 5  wherein the step of storing the recipient facsimile number further comprises storing a validity period for the registration.  
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 5  wherein the step of storing the recipient facsimile number further includes identifying the received registration as a record of accepting the registration.  
     
     
         16 . A system for delivering documents to a recipient via facsimile in a secure method, comprising: 
 a database for storing facsimile numbers;    a communications module for sending a document to a facsimile number; and    an application for determining if a recipient facsimile number stored in the database is identified as a secure facsimile number.    
     
     
         17 . The system of  claim 16  further comprising an character recognition module for automatically reading printed symbols.  
     
     
         18 . The system of  claim 16  wherein the printed symbols comprise at least one of 
 a bar code,  
 an alpha-numeric code, and  
 a unique printed image.