Computer program and method for sending recipient-oriented electronic mail messages

• US 20020103870A1
• Filed: 08/30/2001
• Published: 08/01/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 01/26/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
• Original Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
• Inventors: Shouji, Takeshi
• Granted Patent: US 6,912,519 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/206
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/151 Transformation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/253 Grammatical analysis; Style critique
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/268 Morphological analysis
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/53 Processing of non-Latin text kana-to-kanji conversion G06F40/129; vowelisation G06F40/232
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/107 Computer-aided management of electronic mailing [e-mailing]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/21 for social networking applications

Abstract

A computer program product which sends an e-mail message to specified destinations after modifying the wordings used in the message according to the social relationship between the sender and recipient. An address management unit manages addresses of e-mail recipients in association with their social relationships with the sender. A message data reception unit receives a source message, and a recipient identifier reception unit receives recipient identification data which identifies at least one e-mail recipient specified as the destination of the message. A social relation identification unit identifies the social relationship between the sender and the identified recipient, comparing the received recipient identification data with the address data being managed by the address management unit. A message rewriting unit rewrites the source message according to the social relationship identified by the social relation identification unit.

Claims

1. A computer program product which enables a computer to send electronic mail (e-mail) messages from a sender to specified destinations, said computer program product causing the computer to function as:

address management means for managing addresses of e-mail recipients in association with the recipients'"'"' social relationships with the sender;

message data reception means for receiving a source message;

recipient identifier reception means for receiving recipient identification data which identifies at least one e-mail recipient specified as the destination;

social relation identification means for identifying social relationship between the sender and the identified e-mail recipient, by comparing the received recipient identification data with the addresses being managed by said address management means; and

message rewriting means for rewriting the source message according to the social relationship identified by said social relation identification means.

2. The computer program product according to claim 1, wherein the social relationship is a relationship between the sender and the e-mail recipient in terms of positions in a social hierarchy.

3. The computer program product according to claim 1, wherein:

a plurality of e-mail recipients are specified as the destinations of the source message;

the computer program product further causes the computer to function as sorting means for sorting the plurality of e-mail recipients into groups, each of the groups sharing a common social relationship with the sender; and

said message rewriting means rewrites the source message according to the common social relationship of each group formed by said sorting means.

4. A computer-readable medium storing a program which sends electronic mail (e-mail) messages from a sender to specified destinations, the program causing a computer to function as:

address management means for managing addresses of e-mail recipients in association with the recipients'"'"' social relationships with the sender;

message data reception means for receiving a source message;

recipient identifier reception means for receiving recipient identification data which identifies at least one e-mail recipient specified as the destination;

social relation identification means for identifying social relationships between the sender and the identified e-mail recipient, by comparing the received recipient identification data with the addresses being managed by said address management means; and

message rewriting means for rewriting the source message according to the social relationship identified by said social relation identification means.

5. A method of sending electronic mail (e-mail) messages from a sender to specified destinations, comprising the steps of:

(a) managing addresses of e-mail recipients in association with the recipients'"'"' social relationships with the sender;

(b) receiving a source message;

(c) receiving recipient identification data which identifies at least one e-mail recipient specified as the destination;

(d) identifying social relationships between the sender and the identified e-mail recipient, by comparing the received recipient identification data with the addresses being managed at said step (a) of managing the addresses; and

(e) rewriting the source message according to the social relationship identified at said step (d) of identifying the social relationships.