US 5,675,507 · Granted 1997-10-07

The 1997 Patent That Turned Your Fax Machine Into Email

Before smartphones, this system let you receive faxes, voicemails, and data files all in one place and check them online from anywhere. It converted incoming messages into web-viewable files and sent you email alerts so you'd never miss a message, even if you were away from your desk.

Curated and verified by the IsItPatented Editorial team

The plain-English version

What it protects

The claim covers a unified message system that accepts multiple types of incoming messages (fax, voice, and data) across multiple phone lines, stores them in memory, automatically converts them into HTML format, and delivers them to users via email notification and internet access. What's protected here is the specific combination of receiving diverse message types through a single platform, storing them centrally, and then routing alerts and access to those messages through the internet.

Why it matters

This patent captures an early vision of unified communications—the idea that all your incoming messages should funnel through one inbox regardless of format or medium. Filed in 1995 and granted in 1997, it anticipated the consolidation trend that would eventually lead to modern unified messaging platforms and cloud-based message services. It represents a transitional technology between the fax-and-voicemail era and internet-native communication.

Real-world use

When a business owner received a fax while traveling, this system would email them a notification, convert the fax to a viewable file, and let them access it through a web browser instead of hunting for a fax machine.

Original USPTO abstract

A Message Storage and Deliver System (MSDS) is connected to a plurality of DID phone lines and receives facsimile messages, voice messages, and data messages. The MSDS assigns a separate telephone number for each user of the system and can simultaneously receive more than one message for a single user. The messages are stored in memory and are also converted into appropriate hyper-text mark-up language (HTML) files. The MSDS is connected to the Internet and notifies the users with an E-mail message each time a message is received. The MSDS can also page the user so that the user receives almost instantaneous notice of the message. The users can then connect to the MSDS through the Internet and have the messages downloaded to their computers or the users can simply preview the messages stored in the MSDS. The users of the MSDS therefore have the advantage of being able to receive their messages at any time and at any location at a reasonable cost. The MSDS offers a number of options on how the messages may be sent to the user, such as several preview options available with facsimile messages. The user can also telephone the MSDS to listen to messages or to alter the service provided by the MSDS.

Patent details

Publication number: US 5,675,507
Filing date: 1995-04-28
Grant date: 1997-10-07
Assignee: Bobo, Ii; Charles R.
Inventor(s): BOBO, II; CHARLES R.
CPC class: H04N1/324

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