Untitled record

The invention relates to the field of electronic transmission of data between personal computers by way of the telephone network. In the field of personal computers, however, various operating systems are in use, which in turn are the basis for various application programs, with which data, texts, tables and formulas are processed. The invention enables such a transfer of information (electronic data interchange EDI) in spite of some incompatible operating systems and user programs.

... Electronic data transfer via PC outside of LANs or Company-internal networks are predominantly via the fax protocol, in a still very narrow scope of application also possible via the Internet Protocol. While the former has the limitations of image communication, the second requires overcoming access, operation and cost barriers. One of the paper-based fax communication corresponding simple telecommunications between PCs without the disadvantages of image communication, there is currently not.

, With the invention, the transmission of information from the PC-wide, so the transmission of electronically stored texts or databases, in a fax transmission very similar and very easy to handle way possible. The invention consists on the one hand of hardware, namely of nature, and of program logic, the operating system and a new diskette drive new as extraction of a specific user application program by means of diskette in this hardware is introduced.

, The invention thus consists in the main of an external drive for conventional PC floppy »which is connected to a power cord with a power source and a telephone cable to the telephone network. It also has on its surface a similar to fax machines usual telephone dialing keyboard including display for the number dialed. The subject invention thus fulfills the following functions:

- The disk facsimile device (abbreviation: DFG) is plugged into a power source, the telephone cable to a telephone plug, such as temporarily instead of a fax machine. The connection to the telephone network can also be permanent, if the plug of the DFG has a Zuschaitmöglichkeit for the fax connector and the DFG a points (comparable to the fax switch)

AT 000 706 U2

- after inserting the system disk and pressing the system key, the DFG is booted with the combination • of the desired operating system and application program. For this purpose, the DFG contains a boot ROM.

- After removing the system disk, the working disk with the files stored on it can be inserted.

- Now the connection is established to the recipient DFG by selecting the desired destination number

- Pressing the Start key on the keyboard of the DFG now transfers the data to the desired recipient DFG

Of course, this receiver system had to be or be ready for operation (specifically booted) before

- In one variant, a card reading unit accepts one or more functions of the type described. By pulling a magnetic or smart card eg the identity and send authorization of the sender confirmed or performs the selection of the stored on the card speed dial

Accordingly, the subject matter of the invention functions as follows:

- create data on a PC with any operating system and user program and save it on a floppy disk (eg list with orders of a customer)

- Inform the recipient (in the example the order acceptance of the supplier) of the forthcoming data transfer and the operating system and user program used by telephone or fax

- Recipient will boot your DFG with the appropriate system diskette

- Data from the sender's floppy disk is transmitted to the recipient's DFG diskette by selecting the target number and pressing the Start key

- The process can also run at the sender (customer) so that this by inserting a promotional floppy disk sent by the supplier (the system and program command disk is in one) extensive product information (current price lists etc) from the DFG of the supplier ( which in this case is a server) - up to the multimedia preparation of the information on the customer's PC

AT OÖO 706 U2