A Simple Mode of Facsimile Using Internet Mail
RFC 2305
| Document | Type |
RFC - Proposed Standard
(March 1998; No errata)
Obsoleted by RFC 3965
Was draft-ietf-fax-service (fax WG)
|
|
|---|---|---|---|
| Last updated | 2015-10-14 | ||
| Stream | IETF | ||
| Formats | plain text pdf html bibtex | ||
| Stream | WG state | (None) | |
| Document shepherd | No shepherd assigned | ||
| IESG | IESG state | RFC 2305 (Proposed Standard) | |
| Consensus Boilerplate | Unknown | ||
| Telechat date | |||
| Responsible AD | Ned Freed | ||
| Send notices to | (None) | ||
Network Working Group K. Toyoda
Request for Comments: 2305 H. Ohno
Category: Standards Track J. Murai
WIDE Project
D. Wing
Cisco
March 1998
A Simple Mode of Facsimile Using Internet Mail
Status of this Memo
This document specifies an Internet standards track protocol for the
Internet community, and requests discussion and suggestions for
improvements. Please refer to the current edition of the "Internet
Official Protocol Standards" (STD 1) for the standardization state
and status of this protocol. Distribution of this memo is unlimited.
Copyright Notice
Copyright (C) The Internet Society (1998). All Rights Reserved.
SUMMARY
This specification provides for "simple mode" carriage of facsimile
data over the Internet. Extensions to this document will follow.
The current specification employs standard protocols and file formats
such as TCP/IP, Internet mail protocols [1, 2, 3], MIME [4, 16, 17],
and TIFF for Facsimile [5,6,19]. It can send images not only to
other Internet-aware facsimile devices but also to Internet-native
systems, such as PCs with common email readers which can handle MIME
mail and TIFF for Facsimile data. The specification facilitates
communication among existing facsimile devices, Internet mail agents,
and the gateways which connect them.
The key words "MUST", "SHOULD", "SHOULD NOT", and "MAY" in this
document are to be interpreted as described in [7].
1 SCOPE
This specification defines a message-based facsimile communication
over the Internet. It describes a minimum set of capabilities,
taking into account those of typical facsimile devices and PCs that
can generate facsimile data.
Toyoda, et. al. Standards Track [Page 1]
RFC 2305 Simple Mode of Facsimile March 1998
A G3Fax device has substantial restrictions due to specifications in
the standards, such as for timers. This specification defines a
profile for Internet mail, rather than creating a distinct "facsimile
over the Internet" service. The semantics resulting from the profile
are designed to be compatible with facsimile operation over the
general switched telephone network, so that gateways between
facsimile and Internet mail can operate with very high fidelity.
The reason for developing this capability as an email profile is to
permit interworking amongst facsimile and email users. For example
it is intended that existing email users be able to send normal
messages to lists of users, including facsimile-based recipients, and
that other email recipients shall be able to reply to the original
and continue to include facsimile recipients. Similarly it is
intended that existing email software work without modification and
not be required to process new, or different data structures, beyond
what is normal for Internet mail users. Existing email service
standards are used, rather than replicating mechanisms which are more
tailored to existing facsimile standards, to ensure this
compatibility with existing email service.
1.1 Services
A facsimile-capable device that uses T.4 [8] and the general switched
telephone network (GSTN) is called a "G3Fax device" in this
specification. An "IFax device" is an Internet- accessible device
capable of sending, receiving or forwarding Internet faxes. A
message can be sent to an IFax device using an Internet mail
address. A message can be sent to a G3Fax device using an Internet
mail address; the message MAY be forwarded via an IFax offramp
gateway.
1.2 Cases
This specification provides for communication between each of the
following combinations:
Internet mail => Network printer
Internet mail => Offramp gateway (forward to
G3Fax)
Network scanner => Network printer
Network scanner => Offramp gateway (forward to
G3Fax)
Network scanner => Internet mail
Toyoda, et. al. Standards Track [Page 2]
RFC 2305 Simple Mode of Facsimile March 1998
2 COMMUNICATION PROTOCOLS
The set of conventions necessary to achieve facsimile- compatible
service covers basic data transport, document data formats, message
(document) addressing, delivery confirmation, and message security.
In this section, the first 4 are covered. The remainder are covered
in following sections, along with additional details for addressing
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