Abstract: This invention relates to an arrangement for efficiently transmitting facsimile signals from a facsimile source to a facsimile destination using a standard facsimile user interface. The connected switched communications network recognizes that the call is from a facsimile source or to a facsimile destination and causes the facsimile signals to be transmitted at the transmission speed of the source to storage in a network. Subsequently, the signals are transmitted from storage to a facsimile destination at the transmission speed of the destination when the destination becomes available. Advantageously, the source need not wait for the destination to become available before transmitting, and the transmission can take place at a bit rate that matches the source and the destination even when these bit rates are different. Retransmission because of errors in one link is only required for that link, i.e., from the source to the storage or from the storage to the destination.

Abstract: In a user-interactive display-based telephone system, the present invention permits an automatic display of a repertoire of telephone command items most likely to be utilized by a user, thus providing one-touch access to such item without requiring either explicit programming of a command repertoire or a search by the user through the history of previous commands. This is accomplished through the use of three heuristics which consider frequency of command use, recency of command use, and previously failed commands. These heuristics may be implemented either separately or together in the system.