Mail-arrival notification system, mail-arrival monitoring apparatus, mail server apparatus, mobile communication terminal, information processing apparatus, mail acquisition instructing method , mail acquiring method, and program storing medium

• US 20020007401A1
• Filed: 05/10/2001
• Published: 01/17/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 05/11/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Suzuki, Naoya
• Granted Patent: US 7,454,473 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/207
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/107 Computer-aided management of electronic mailing [e-mailing]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/063 Content adaptation, e.g. replacement of unsuitable content
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/066 Format adaptation, e.g. format conversion or compression
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/212 using filtering or selective blocking
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/224 providing notification on incoming messages, e.g. pushed notifications of received messages
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/58 Message adaptation for wireless communication

Abstract

A mail-arrival notification system is provided for efficiently acquiring incoming electronic mails with simple manipulations. The mail-arrival notification system comprises a mail-arrival monitoring apparatus 10 for transmitting a mail-arrival notifying signal when an incoming electronic mail to mail storing means 6 is an urgent mail, a mobile communication terminal 3 responsive to receipt of the mail-arrival notifying signal for notifying the user that an urgent mail has terminated and for transmitting a download instructing signal for instructing downloading of the incoming electronic mail, and an information processing apparatus 2 responsive to the download instructing signal for downloading the urgent mail from the mail storing means 6.

Claims

1. A mail-arrival notification system, comprising:

a mail-arrival monitoring apparatus for judging based on a given mail-arrival notification condition information whether an electronic mail arriving a prescribed mail server is an urgent mail or not, and for, when said electronic mail is an urgent mail, transmitting a mail-arrival notifying signal to a mail destination designated by said mail-arrival notification condition information;

a mobile communication terminal for notifying a user of arrival of said urgent mail, in response to said mail-arrival notifying signal transmitted from said mail-arrival monitoring apparatus, and for transmitting a acquisition instructing signal to instruct acquisition of said urgent mail; and

an information processing apparatus for acquiring said urgent mail from said mail server, in response to said acquisition instructing signal transmitted from said mobile communication terminal.

2. The mail-arrival notification system according to claim 1, wherein

said mobile communication terminal transmits said acquisition instructing signal when a prescribed acquisition instructing operation is performed under receipt of said mail-arrival notifying signal.

3. The mail-arrival notification system according to claim 1, wherein:

said mobile communication terminal transmits said acquisition instructing signal by radio; and

said information processing apparatus receives said acquisition instructing signal by radio.

4. The mail-arrival notification system according to claim 3, wherein

said information processing apparatus acquires said urgent mail via said mobile communication terminal.

5. A mail-arrival monitoring apparatus, comprising:

storing means for storing mail-arrival notification condition information including conditions to judge whether an electronic mail is an urgent mail or not and a number of a mobile communication terminal being a mail destination;

urgent mail judging means for judging based on said mail-arrival notification condition information whether said electronic mail arriving a prescribed mail server is an urgent mail or not; and

mail-arrival notice transmitting means for transmitting a mail-arrival notifying signal to said mail destination designated by said mail-arrival notification condition information when said electronic mail is an urgent mail.

6. The mail-arrival monitoring apparatus according to claim 5, wherein

said urgent mail judging means judges based on a registered address included in said mail-arrival notification condition information whether said electronic mail arriving said prescribed mail server is an urgent mail or not.

7. The mail-arrival monitoring apparatus according to claim 5, wherein

said mail-arrival notice transmitting means transmits said mail-arrival notifying signal including a Message-ID of an electronic mail that is judged as an urgent mail.

8. The mail-arrival monitoring apparatus according to claim 5, further comprising

summarizing means for summarizing said electronic mail, wherein

said mail-arrival notice transmitting means transmits said mail-arrival notifying signal including the summary.

9. The mail-arrival monitoring apparatus according to claim 5, wherein

said mail-arrival notice transmitting means transmits said mail-arrival notifying signal to said mobile communication terminal over a public radio circuit network.

10. A mail server apparatus, comprising:

storing means for storing mail-arrival notice condition information including conditions to judge whether an electronic mail is an urgent mail or not and a number of a mobile communication terminal being a mail destination;

urgent mail judging means for judging based on said mail-arrival notification condition information whether said electronic mail received is an urgent mail or not; and

mail-arrival notice transmitting means for transmitting a mail-arrival notifying signal to said mail destination designated by said mail-arrival notification condition information when said electronic mail is said urgent mail.

11. The mail server apparatus according to claim 10, wherein

said urgent mail judging means for judging based on a registered address included in said mail-arrival notification condition information whether said electronic mail arriving said mail server is an urgent mail or not.

12. The mail server apparatus according to claim 10, wherein

said mail-arrival notice transmitting means transmits said mail-arrival notifying signal including a Message-ID of an electronic mail that is judged as an urgent mail.

13. The mail server apparatus according to claim 10, further comprising

summarizing means for summarizing said electronic mail, wherein

said mail-arrival notice transmitting means transmits said mail-arrival notifying signal including the summary.

14. The mail server apparatus according to claim 10, wherein

said mail-arrival notice transmitting means transmits said mail-arrival notifying signal to said mobile communication terminal over a public radio circuit network.

15. A mobile communication terminal, comprising:

receiving means for receiving a mail-arrival notifying signal to make a notice that an electronic mail arriving a prescribed mail server is an urgent mail; and

transmitting means for transmitting an acquisition instructing signal to instruct acquisition of said urgent mail, to a prescribed information processing apparatus by radio communications for short distance, based on said mail-arrival notifying signal.

16. The mobile communication terminal according to claim 15, wherein

said receiving means receives said mail-arrival notifying signal over a public radio circuit network.

17. The mobile communication terminal according to claim 15, wherein

said receiving means receives said mail-arrival notifying signal from a prescribed mail-arrival monitoring apparatus which judges an electronic mail arriving said mail server, by radio communications for short distance.

18. The mobile communication terminal according to claim 15, further comprising

notifying means for notifying a user of arrival of said urgent mail, in response to said mail-arrival notifying signal received.

19. The mobile communication terminal according to claim 15, wherein

said transmitting means transmits said acquisition instructing signal including a Message-ID of an electronic mail that is judged as an urgent mail, included in said mail-arrival notifying signal.

20. The mobile communication terminal according to claim 15, wherein

said transmitting means transmits said acquisition instructing signal to a prescribed information processing apparatus by radio communications for short distance, in response to an operation button which is operated by a user to instruct transmission of said acquisition instructing signal.

21. An information processing apparatus, comprising:

receiving means for receiving an acquisition instructing signal transmitted from a prescribed mobile communication terminal, according to a mail-arrival notifying signal to make a notice that an electronic mail arriving a prescribed mail server is an urgent mail; and

mail acquiring means for acquiring said urgent mail from said mail server in response to said acquisition instructing signal received.

22. The information processing apparatus according to claim 21, wherein

said receiving means receives said acquisition instructing signal from said mobile communication terminal by radio communications for short distance.

23. The information processing apparatus according to claim 21, wherein

said mail acquiring means acquires said urgent mail from said mail server based on the Message-ID of said electronic mail included in said acquisition instructing signal.

24. The information processing apparatus according to claim 21, wherein

said mail acquiring means acquires said urgent mail from said mail server via a prescribed mobile communication terminal by radio communications for short distance.

25. An information processing apparatus, comprising:

receiving means for receiving a mail-arrival notifying signal to make a notice that an electronic mail arriving a prescribed mail server is an urgent mail;

notifying means for notifying a user of arrival of said urgent mail, in response to said mail-arrival notifying signal received; and

mail acquiring means for acquiring said urgent mail from said mail server in response to said mail-arrival notifying signal received.

26. A mail acquisition instructing method, comprising:

a receiving step of receiving a mail-arrival notifying signal to make a notice that an electronic mail arriving a prescribed mail server is an urgent mail;

a notifying step of notifying a user of arrival of said urgent mail, in response to said mail-arrival notifying signal received; and

a transmitting step of transmitting an acquisition instructing signal to instruct acquisition of said urgent mail to a prescribed information processing apparatus.

27. A mail acquiring method, comprising:

a receiving step of receiving an acquisition instructing signal transmitted from a prescribed mobile communication terminal, in response to a mail-arrival notifying signal to make a notice that an electronic mail arriving a prescribed mail server is an urgent mail; and

a mail acquiring step of acquiring said urgent mail from said mail server in response to said acquisition instructing signal received.

28. A program storing medium to make a mobile information terminal execute a program, wherein

said program comprises:

a receiving step of receiving a mail-arrival notifying signal to make a notice that an electronic mail arriving a prescribed mail server is an urgent mail;

a notifying step of notifying a user of arrival of said urgent mail, in response to said mail-arrival notifying signal received; and

a transmitting step of transmitting an acquisition instructing signal to instruct acquisition of said urgent mail, to a prescribed information processing apparatus.

29. A program storing medium to make an information processing apparatus execute a program, wherein

said program comprises:

a receiving step of receiving an acquisition instructing signal transmitted from a prescribed mobile communication terminal in response to a mail-arrival notifying signal to make a notice that an electronic mail arriving a prescribed mail server is an urgent mail; and

a mail acquiring step of acquiring said urgent mail from said mail server in response to acquisition instructing signal received.