Method and apparatus for a facsimile machine having ASCII code addressing capability

Claim 2

A facsimile machine for transmitting and receiving data over a digital network, comprising: first selecting means for selecting ASCII addressing codes for addressing a second facsimile machine coupled to said digital network; and first generating means for generating said ASCII addressing codes in response to selections made with said first selecting means.

Claim 3

The facsimile machine of claim 1, further comprising: means for sending said ASCII addressing codes generated by said first generating means to said digital network.

Claim 4

The facsimile machine of claim 2, wherein said first generating means comprises: means for storing said ASCII addressing codes, wherein said first selecting means identifies said ASCII addressing codes stored in said storing means.

Claim 5

The facsimile machine of claim 3, wherein said first generating means further comprises: means for buffering ASCII addressing codes selected from said storing means; and means for transmitting selected ASCII codes from said storing means to buffering means.

Claim 6

The facsimile machine of claim 4, wherein: said first selecting means includes a plurality of selecting units; said storing means includes a plurality of storage units; each of said selecting units identifies a specific ASCII addressing code stored in one of said storage units.

Claim 7

The facsimile machine of claim 5, wherein: said plurality of selecting units includes a set of conventional facsimile quick dial keys adapted for selecting ASCII addressing codes; and said plurality of selecting units includes a set of conventional facsimile numeric keys adapted for selecting ASCII addressing codes.

Claim 8

The facsimile machine of claim 5, further comprising: third selecting means for selecting an upper case ASCII addressing code mode and a lower case ASCII addressing code mode; wherein said storing means comprises first storing means including a plurality of storage units for storing upper case ASCII addressing codes and second storing means including a plurality of storage units for storing lower case ASCII addressing codes; wherein each of said plurality of selecting units identifies one of said upper case ASCII addressing codes stored in said first storing means in response to selection of said upper case ASCII addressing code mode; and wherein each of said plurality of selecting units identifies one of said lower case ASCII addressing codes stored in said second storing means in response to selection of said lower case ASCII addressing code mode.

Claim 9

The facsimile machine of claim 7, wherein: said third selecting means includes a shift key; said plurality of selecting units includes a set of conventional facsimile quick dial keys adapted for selecting ASCII addressing codes; and said plurality of selecting units includes a set of conventional facsimile numeric keys adapted for selecting ASCII addressing codes.

Claim 10

The facsimile machine of claim 5, wherein: said buffering means includes a plurality of buffering units; and said transmitting means in response to a selection made with one of said selecting units transmits an ASCII addressing code stored in one of said storage units to one of said buffering units.

Claim 11

The facsimile machine of claim 9, further comprising: second selecting means for selecting indication of completion of ASCII addressing code selection; and second generating means for generating a selection completion signal in response to selecting indication of completion of ASCII addressing code selection; wherein said completion signal is transmitted to said sending means and said sending means sends all ASCII addressing codes in said plurality of buffering units to said digital network in response to said selection completion signal.

Claim 12

The facsimile machine of claim 10, wherein: said second selecting means includes a selection completion key; said plurality of selecting units includes a set of conventional facsimile quick dial keys adapted for selecting ASCII addressing codes; and said plurality of selecting units includes a set of conventional facsimile numeric keys adapted for selecting ASCII addressing codes.

Claim 13

A facsimile machine for transmitting and receiving data over a digital network and/or an analog telephone network, comprising: first selecting means for selecting ASCII addressing codes for addressing said digital network, and for selecting numeric addressing codes for addressing said analog telephone network; second selecting means for selecting a digital mode or an analog mode; and first generating means for generating said ASCII addressing codes in response to selection of said digital mode and selections made with said first selecting means, and for generating said numeric addressing codes in response to selection of said analog mode and selections made with said first selecting means.

Claim 14

A facsimile machine for transmitting and receiving data over a digital network and/or an analog telephone network, comprising: first selecting means for selecting ASCII addressing codes for addressing said digital network, and for selecting numeric addressing codes for addressing said analog telephone network; second selecting means for selecting a digital mode or an analog mode; and first generating means for generating said ASCII addressing codes in response to selection of said digital mode and selections made with said first selecting means, and for generating said numeric addressing codes in response to selection of said analog mode and selections made with said first selecting means.

Claim 15

The facsimile machine of claim 12, further comprising: means for sending said generated ASCII addressing codes to said digital network, and for providing said generated numeric addressing codes to said analog telephone network.

Claim 16

The facsimile machine of claim 13, further comprising: means for generating data; means for transmitting said data to said digital network when said digital mode has been selected; and means for transmitting said data to said analog network when said analog mode has been selected.

Claim 17

The facsimile machine of claim 14, further comprising: means for receiving data from said digital network; means for receiving data from said analog network; means for decoding said data received from said digital network and said analog network.

Claim 18

The facsimile machine of claim 13, wherein said first generating means comprises: ASCII addressing code storing means for storing said ASCII addressing codes, wherein said first selecting means identifies said ASCII addressing codes stored in said ASCII addressing code storing means in response to selection of said digital mode; and numeric addressing code storing means for storing said numeric addressing codes, wherein said first selecting means identifies said numeric addressing codes stored in said numeric addressing code storing means in response to selection of said analog mode.

Claim 19

The facsimile machine of claim 16, further comprising: ASCII addressing code buffering means for buffering said ASCII addressing codes selected from said ASCII addressing code storing means; numeric addressing code buffering means for buffering said numeric addressing codes selected from said numeric addressing code storing means; and means for transmitting ASCII addressing codes from said ASCII addressing code storing means to said ASCII addressing code buffering means in response to selection of said digital mode and selections made with said first selecting means, and for transmitting numeric addressing codes from said numeric addressing code storing means to said numeric addressing code buffering means in response to selection of said analog mode and selections made with said selecting means.

Claim 20

The facsimile machine of claim 17, wherein: said first selecting means includes a plurality of selecting units; said ASCII addressing code storing means includes a plurality of ASCII addressing code storage units; said numeric addressing code storing means includes a plurality of numeric addressing code storage units; each of said selecting units in response to selection of said digital mode identifies a specific ASCII addressing code stored in one of said ASCII addressing storage units; and each of said selecting units in response to selection of said analog mode identifies a specific numeric addressing code stored in one of said storage units.

Claim 21

The facsimile machine of claim 18, wherein: said plurality of selecting units includes a set of conventional quick dial keys adapted for selecting ASCII addressing codes; each of said quick dial keys in response to selection of said digital mode identifies a specific ASCII addressing code stored in one of said ASCII addressing code storage units; and each of said quick dial keys in response to selection of said analog mode identifies a specific numeric addressing code stored in one of said numeric addressing code storage units.

Claim 22

The facsimile machine of claim 19, wherein: said plurality of selecting units includes a set of numeric keys; each of said numeric keys in response to selection of said digital mode identifies a specific ASCII addressing code stored in one of said ASCII addressing code storage units; and each of said numeric keys in response to selection of said analog mode identifies specific numeric addressing code stored in one of said numeric addressing code storage units.

Claim 23

The facsimile machine of claim 20, wherein: said ASCII addressing code buffering means includes a plurality of ASCII addressing code buffering units; said numeric addressing code buffering means includes a plurality of numeric addressing code buffering units; said transmitting means in response to selection of said digital mode and a selection made with one of said selecting units transmits an ASCII addressing code stored in one of said ASCII addressing code storage units to one of said ASCII addressing code buffering units; and said transmitting means in response to selection of said analog mode and a selection made with one of said selecting unit transmits a numeric addressing code stored in one of said numeric addressing code storage units to one of said numeric addressing code buffering units.

Claim 24

The facsimile machine of claim 21, further comprising: fourth selecting means for selecting an upper case ASCII addressing code mode and a lower case ASCII addressing code mode; wherein said ASCII addressing code storing means comprises first storing means including a plurality of storage units for storing upper case ASCII addressing codes and second storing means including a plurality of storage units for storing lower case ASCII addressing codes; wherein each of said plurality of selecting units identifies one of said upper case ASCII addressing codes stored in said first storing means in response to selection of said upper case ASCII addressing code mode; and wherein each of said plurality of selecting units identifies one of said lower case ASCII addressing codes stored in said second storing means in response to selection of said lower case ASCII addressing code mode.

Claim 25

The facsimile machine of claim 21, further comprising: third selecting means for selecting indication of completion of ASCII addressing code selection; and second generating means for generating a selection completion signal in response to selecting indication of completion of ASCII addressing code selection; wherein said completion signal is transmitted to said sending means and said sending means sends all ASCII addressing codes in said plurality of ASCII addressing code buffering units to said digital network in response to said selection completion signal.

Claim 26

The facsimile machine of claim 23, wherein: said second selecting means includes a digital mode key and analog mode key; said third selecting means includes a selection completion key; said plurality of selecting units includes a set of conventional facsimile quick dial keys adapted for selecting ASCII addressing codes; each of said quick dial keys in response to selection of said digital mode identifies a specific ASCII addressing code stored in one of said ASCII addressing code storage units; each of said quick dial keys in response to selection of said analog mode identifies a specific numeric addressing code stored in one of said numeric addressing code storage units; said plurality of selecting units includes a set of conventional facsimile numeric keys adapted for selecting ASCII addressing codes; each of said numeric keys in response to selection of said digital mode identifies a specific ASCII addressing code stored in one of said ASCII addressing code storage units; and each of said numeric keys in response to selection of said analog mode identifies specific numeric addressing code stored in one of said numeric addressing code storage units.

Claim 27

The facsimile machine of claim 23, wherein: said second selecting means includes a digital mode key and an analog mode key; said fourth selecting means includes a shift key; said plurality of selecting units includes a set of conventional facsimile quick dial keys adapted for selecting ASCII addressing codes; each of said quick dial keys in response to selection of said digital mode identifies a specific ASCII addressing code stored in one of said ASCII addressing code storage units; each of said quick dial keys in response to selection of said analog mode identifies a specific numeric addressing code stored in one of said numeric addressing code storage units; said plurality of selecting units includes a set of conventional facsimile numeric keys; each of said numeric keys in response to selection of said digital mode identifies a specific ASCII addressing code stored in one of said ASCII addressing code storage units; and each of said numeric keys in response to selection of said analog mode identifies specific numeric addressing code stored in one of said numeric addressing code storage units.

Claim 30

The method of claim 26, further comprising the steps of: sending said generated ASCII addressing codes to said digital network; and providing said generated numeric addressing codes to said analog telephone network.

Claim 31

The method of claim 27, wherein: said steps of selecting said ASCII and numeric addressing codes include selecting said ASCII and numeric addressing codes with conventional facsimile quick dial keys and conventional facsimile numeric keys adapted for enabling selection of both ASCII addressing codes and numeric addressing codes.

Claim 32

The method of claim 27, further comprising the steps of: generating data; transmitting said data to said digital network when said digital mode has been selected; and transmitting said data to said analog network when said analog mode has been selected.

Claim 33

The method of claim 29, further comprising the steps of: receiving data from said digital network; receiving data from said analog network; decoding said data received from said digital network and said analog network.

Claim 36

The method of claim 31, further comprising the steps of: sending said ASCII addressing codes generated in said generating step to said digital network.

Claim 37

The method of claim 32, wherein said selecting step comprises the step of: selecting said ASCII addressing codes with conventional facsimile quick dial keys and conventional facsimile numeric keys adapted for selecting ASCII addressing codes.