Facsimile communication having call transfer means

Claim 2

A facsimile communication system comprising: a first facsimile station comprising means for establishing a first connection through a switched network to a second facsimile station, releasing said first connection in response to receipt of a call transfer command signal from said second facsimile station and establishing a second connection through said network to a third facsimile station in accordance with the received command signal, said second facsimile station including means for detecting a first condition in which the own station is capable of receiving facsimile messages and a second condition in which the own station is incapable of receiving said messages, transmitting a signal to said first station in response to the establishment of said first connection to request transmission of a facsimile message when said first condition is detected and transmitting said call transfer command signal to said first station in response to the establishment of said first connection when said second condition is detected, said command signal indicating an address of said third facsimile station.

Claim 3

A facsimile communication system as claimed in claim 1, wherein said second facsimile station further comprises a plurality of manually operated switches respectively associated with a plurality of said third facsimile stations; a memory; a numeric keypad for storing addresses into said memory respectively identifying said third facsimile stations; and means responsive to the establishment of said first connection for recalling one of said addresses from said memory in accordance with an operated one of said switches for transmission to said first station as said command signal.

Claim 4

A facsimile communication system as claimed in claim 2, wherein said detecting means comprises means for detecting when said second station is not functioning properly and means for selectively recalling said addresses from said memory for transmission to said first station as said command signal.

Claim 5

A facsimile apparatus comprising: first means operable during a transmit mode for transmitting a first address signal to a switched network to establish a first connection to a first called station; second means operable during said transmit mode for detecting a command signal from said first called station, releasing said first connection in response to the detection of said command signal and transmitting a second address signal to said network in response to said command signal to establish a second connection to a second called station; third means operable during a receive mode for detecting when said facsimile apparatus is in a condition incapable of receiving messages; and fourth means operable during said receive mode for returning a signal to a calling station requesting it to initiate a message transmission when said facsimile apparatus is detected as not being in said condition and returning an address signal of another station as said second called station to the calling station when said facsimile apparatus is detected as being in said condition to cause said second means of said calling station to detect said address signal as said command signal.

Claim 6

A facsimile apparatus comprising: first means operable during a transmit mode for transmitting a first address signal to a switched network to establish a first connection to a first called station; second means operable during said transmit mode for detecting a command signal from said first called station, releasing said first connection in response to the detection of said command signal and transmitting a second address signal to said network in response to said command signal to establish a second connection to a second called station; third means operable during a receive mode for detecting when said facsimile apparatus is in a condition incapable of receiving messages; and fourth means operable during said receive mode for returning a signal to a calling station requesting it to initiate a message transmission when said facsimile apparatus is detected as not being in said condition and returning an address signal of another station as said second called station to the calling station when said facsimile apparatus is detected as being in said condition to cause said second means of said calling station to detect said address signal as said command signal.

Claim 7

A facsimile apparatus as claimed in claim 4, further comprising a plurality of manually operated switches respectively associated with a plurality of said second called stations; a memory; a numeric keypad for storing addresses into said memory respectively identifying said second called stations; and means responsive to the establishment of said first connection during said receive mode for recalling one of said addresses from said memory in accordance with an operated one of said switches for transmission to said first station as said command signal.

Claim 8

A facsimile apparatus as claimed in claim 5, wherein said third means comprises means for detecting when said facsimile apparatus is not functioning properly and selectively recalling said addresses from said memory when said facsimile apparatus is detected as not functioning properly for transmission to said first station as said command signal.