Delivery expert system, method and computer program product

Abstract

An automated rule-based system for facilitating delivery of a fax document from a source to a destination over a network where an initial delivery attempt has been unsuccessful. Rules may be stored in a database. The database may include rules based on past delivery information or new delivery instructions. When an input condition is determined, the database may be traversed to determine an action based on the set of rules. The actions may include one or more of resubmitting the fax document to the network for a next delivery attempt, cancelling the document, and identifying the destination as a technical problem. The input conditions may include an identification of non-business days and non-business hours.

1 . A delivery expert system, comprising:
 a network server operating on a network, the network server comprising a rule-based process, at least one processor, at least one non-transitory computer readable medium, and instructions embodied on the at least one non-transitory computer readable medium, the instructions translatable by the at least one processor for:
 receiving an envelope over the network, the envelope created to track a document as the document moves through the network, the envelope containing a delivery status, the delivery status indicating an unsuccessful delivery of the document over the network; 
 determining a next action utilizing the rule-based process based on an input condition and at least one rule in a set of rules; and 
 performing the next action, the next action comprising resubmitting the document for delivery over the network or routing the document to an alternate network. 
   
     
     
         2 . The delivery expert system of  claim 1 , wherein the next action further comprises deferring delivery of the document until a later time, sending a request for additional delivery information to a source or a destination, inserting data in the envelope into a historical knowledge database, or inserting data in the envelope into a delivery assistance table. 
     
     
         3 . The delivery expert system of  claim 1 , wherein the network comprises a store-and-forward network, the store-and-forward network comprising a source network node, a destination network node, and dedicated circuits connecting the source network node and the destination network node. 
     
     
         4 . The delivery expert system of  claim 3 , wherein the source network node is communicatively connected to a source fax machine via a public switched telephone network. 
     
     
         5 . The delivery expert system of  claim 4 , wherein the envelope is created by the source network node after the document is received by the source network node from the source fax machine via the public switched telephone network. 
     
     
         6 . The delivery expert system of  claim 3 , wherein the envelope is updated by the destination network node to include the delivery status indicating the unsuccessful delivery of the document over the network. 
     
     
         7 . The delivery expert system of  claim 1 , wherein the document is an email message, a voice mail message, or a fax document. 
     
     
         8 . A method for document delivery over a network, comprising:
 receiving an envelope over the network, the envelope created to track a document as the document moves through the network, the envelope containing a delivery status, the delivery status indicating an unsuccessful delivery of the document over the network, the receiving performed by a network server operating on the network, the network server comprising a rule-based process, at least one processor, at least one non-transitory computer readable medium, and instructions embodied on the at least one non-transitory computer readable medium;   determining a next action utilizing the rule-based process based on an input condition and at least one rule in a set of rules, the determining performed by the network server; and   performing the next action, the next action comprising resubmitting the document for delivery over the network or routing the document to an alternate network, the next action performed by the network server.   
     
     
         9 . The method according to  claim 8 , wherein the next action further comprises deferring delivery of the document until a later time, sending a request for additional delivery information to a source or a destination, inserting data in the envelope into a historical knowledge database, or inserting data in the envelope into a delivery assistance table. 
     
     
         10 . The method according to  claim 8 , wherein the network comprises a store-and-forward network, the store-and-forward network comprising a source network node, a destination network node, and dedicated circuits connecting the source network node and the destination network node. 
     
     
         11 . The method according to  claim 10 , wherein the source network node is communicatively connected to a source fax machine via a public switched telephone network. 
     
     
         12 . The method according to  claim 11 , wherein the envelope is created by the source network node after the document is received by the source network node from the source fax machine via the public switched telephone network. 
     
     
         13 . The method according to  claim 10 , wherein the envelope is updated by the destination network node to include the delivery status indicating the unsuccessful delivery of the document over the network. 
     
     
         14 . The method according to  claim 8 , wherein the document is an email message, a voice mail message, or a fax document. 
     
     
         15 . A computer program product comprising at least one non-transitory computer readable medium storing instructions translatable by a network server having at least one processor for:
 receiving an envelope over a network, the envelope created to track a document as the document moves through the network, the envelope containing a delivery status, the delivery status indicating an unsuccessful delivery of the document over the network;   determining a next action utilizing a rule-based process based on an input condition and at least one rule in a set of rules; and   performing the next action, the next action comprising resubmitting the document for delivery over the network or routing the document to an alternate network.   
     
     
         16 . The computer program product of  claim 15 , wherein the next action further comprises deferring delivery of the document until a later time, sending a request for additional delivery information to a source or a destination, inserting data in the envelope into a historical knowledge database, or inserting data in the envelope into a delivery assistance table. 
     
     
         17 . The computer program product of  claim 15 , wherein the network comprises a store-and-forward network, the store-and-forward network comprising a source network node, a destination network node, and dedicated circuits connecting the source network node and the destination network node. 
     
     
         18 . The computer program product of  claim 17 , wherein the source network node is communicatively connected to a source fax machine via a public switched telephone network. 
     
     
         19 . The computer program product of  claim 18 , wherein the envelope is created by the source network node after the document is received by the source network node from the source fax machine via the public switched telephone network. 
     
     
         20 . The computer program product of  claim 17 , wherein the envelope is updated by the destination network node to include the delivery status indicating the unsuccessful delivery of the document over the network. 
     
     
         21 . The computer program product of  claim 15 , wherein the document is an email message, a voice mail message, or a fax document.