The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Jun. 18, 1996
Filed:
Jun. 26, 1995
Frank B Manning, Boston, MA (US);
Zoom Telephonics, Inc., Boston, MA (US);
Abstract
A modem and a method for interfacing a facsimile machine to a host computer to scan a document into the host computer and to also allow the facsimile machine and the host computer to share a common telephone line are described. The modem interfaces the host computer to both the local facsimile machine and a telephone line. When it is desired to scan a document into the host computer, the user programs the facsimile machine to dial a trigger-scanner phone number. The modem monitors the phone number dialed by the facsimile machine. The user feeds the document into the facsimile machine which converts the document to digital data and outputs it using a standard facsimile protocol. If the modem detects the trigger-scanner number, it is configured to receive and process the document data from the facsimile machine in conjunction with the host computer and its facsimile software. If the facsimile machine dials a phone number other than the trigger-scanner number to contact a remote device, it communicates with the remote device via the modem's telephone line interface.