Certified facsimile

Abstract

A method and apparatus is offered of certifying delivery of a facsimile transmission. The method includes the steps of detecting a facsimile transmission from an originating facsimile machine to a destination facsimile machine. The method further includes the steps of receiving acknowledgement from the destination facsimile machine that a page of the facsimile transmission was received and certifying delivery of the page by outputting a copy of the page with indicia of delivery printed thereon.

1. A method of certifying delivery of a facsimile transmission  document comprising the steps of:
 locating a certification facsimile  printer in a secure location remote from either an originating or a destination facsimile  document delivery machine;  
 transmitting a certification request from the originating facsimile  document delivery machine to a controller of a local switch of a public switch telephone network;  
 detecting a facsimile  transmission of the document by the controllers  from the originating facsimile  document delivery machine to the destination facsimile  document delivery machine;  
 receiving acknowledgement by the controller from the destination facsimile  document delivery machine that a page of the facsimile transmission  transmitted document was received; and  
 certifying delivery of the page by the controller in response to the acknowledgement by outputting a copy of the page with indicia of delivery printed thereon from the printer within the secure facility.  
 
     
     
       2. The method of  claim 1  further comprising the step of including a telephone number of the destination facsimile  machine among the indicia of delivery. 
     
     
       3. The method of  claim 1  further comprising the step of including a time and date among the indicia of delivery. 
     
     
       4. The method as in  claim 1  further comprising the step of transmitting a certification request from the originating facsimile  machine to a controller within a local switch of a public switch telephone network and monitoring a telephone interconnect between the originating facsimile  machine and the local switch by the controller of the local switch for a telephone number for the destination machine. 
     
     
       5. The method as in claim  4    1  further comprising the step of providing a signal path between the originating facsimile  machine and destination facsimile  machine by the controller of the local switch. 
     
     
       6. The method as in claim  5    1  further comprising the step of providing an interconnect between the signal path and a certification facsimile  printer. 
     
     
       7. The method as in  claim 1  further comprising the step of printing the certification copy at the originating facsimile  machine. 
     
     
       8. An apparatus for certifying delivery of a facsimile transmission  document comprising:
 means located within a controller of a local public service telephone network switch for detecting a facsimile  transmission of the document from an originating facsimile  document delivery machine to a destination facsimile  document delivery machine;  
 means within the controller for receiving acknowledgement from the destination facsimile  document delivery machine that a page of the facsimile transmission  transmitted document was received; and  
 means located within a secure facility remote from the originating and destination facsimile  document delivery machines for certifying delivery of the page by outputting a copy of the page with indicia of delivery printed thereon.  
 
     
     
       9. The apparatus of  claim 8  further comprising means for including a telephone number of the destination facsimile  machine among the indicia of delivery. 
     
     
       10. The apparatus of  claim 8  further comprising means for including a time and date among the indicia of delivery. 
     
     
       11. The apparatus as in  claim 8  further comprising means for transmitting a certification request from the originating facsimile  machine to the controller of local switch of the public service telephone network. 
     
     
       12. The apparatus as in  claim 11  further comprising means for monitoring a telephone interconnect between the originating facsimile  machine and the local switch by the controller of the local switch for a telephone number for the destination facsimile  machine. 
     
     
       13. The apparatus as in  claim 12  further comprising means for providing a signal path between the originating facsimile  machine and destination facsimile  machine by the controller of the local switch. 
     
     
       14. The apparatus as in  claim 13  further comprising means for providing an interconnect between the signal path and a certification facsimile  printer. 
     
     
       15. The apparatus as in  claim 8  further comprising means for printing the certification copy at the originating facsimile  machine. 
     
     
       16. An apparatus for certifying delivery of a facsimile transmission  document comprising:
 a comparator operably connected with a local telephone switch for identifying a certification request from a sending facsimile  document delivery machine;  
 a connection analyzer operably connected to the telephone switch for identifying a receiving facsimile  document delivery machine upon detection of a certification request by the comparator;  
 a controller for establishing a three party connection among the sending facsimile  document delivery machine, the identified receiving facsimile  document delivery machine and a printer output upon detection of a certification request;  
 a secure facility remote from either the sending or receiving facsimile  document delivery machines and,  
 a printer located in the secure facility connected to the printer output of the three party connection, for reproducing the facsimile transmission  document along with indicia of delivery including an identity of the sending facsimile  document delivery machine, the identified receiving facsimile  document delivery machine, and a time of delivery.  
 
     
     
       17. An apparatus located within a public switched telephone network for certifying delivery of a facsimile transmission  document comprising:
 a comparator located within the public switched telephone network and operably connected with a local telephone switch for identifying a certification request from a sending facsimile  document delivery machine;  
 a connection analyzer located within the public switched telephone network and operably connected with the local telephone switch for identifying a receiving facsimile  document delivery machine upon detection of a certification request by the comparator;  
 a controller within the local telephone switch for establishing a simultaneous  three party connection within the local telephone switch  among the sending facsimile  document delivery machine, the identified receiving facsimile  document delivery machine and a memory  printer output upon detection of a certification request;  
 a secure facility remote from either the sending or receiving facsimile  machines and,  
 a memory  printer located in the secure facility connected to the memory  printer output of the three party connection, for storing  reproducing the facsimile transmission for later printing  document along with indicia of delivery including an identity of the sending facsimile  document delivery machine, the identified receiving facsimile  document delivery machine, and a time of delivery.  
 
     
     
       18. A method of certifying delivery of a document to a document destination through a plurality of publicly accessible communication channels, such method comprising the steps of:
   detecting a request for certification of delivery of the document by a controller of the publicly accessible communication channels;        retrieving an address of the destination from a memory of the controller based upon the detected request for certification;        identifying a communication channel of the plurality of publicly accessible communication channels for delivery of the document to the destination from the retrieved address;        connecting to and transferring at least a portion of the document to the destination through the identified communication channel of the plurality of publicly accessible communication channels;        receiving an acknowledgement of the document by the controller from the document destination; and        certifying delivery based upon the received acknowledgement and wherein the controller further comprises a controller of a local switch of the public switched telephone network.     
     
     
       19. A method of certifying delivery of a document transmission comprising the steps of:
   locating a controller in a secure location remote from a document source and a document destination within a local switch of the public switched telephone network;        detecting a request from the document source for certification of the document;        storing a copy of the document in the controller;        notifying the destination of the waiting document;        receiving an acknowledgement from the destination for delivery of the document;        transferring at least a portion of the document to the destination;        certifying delivery of the document based upon the acknowledgement.