Electronic mail system and method for forming electronic mail

• US 20020120701A1
• Filed: 02/14/2002
• Published: 08/29/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 02/16/2001
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Sony Computer Entertainment Incorporated (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Computer Entertainment Incorporated (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Ohba, Akio
• Application Number:
  US10/075,875
• Publication Number:
  US 20020120701A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/206
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/109 Font handling; Temporal or kinetic typography
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/107 Computer-aided management of electronic mailing [e-mailing]

Abstract

An electronic mail system includes a first storage unit operable to store a plurality of contents data, a second storage unit operable to store a mail template having a screen for forming an electronic mail and a layout of the contents data on the screen, and a controller operable to select a portion of the contents data in response to a user'"'"'s input, to form an electronic mail file with the portion of the contents data added thereto, and to form an electronic mail for displaying the screen on a display with the portion of the contents data arranged according to the mail template,

Claims

1. An electronic mail system, comprising:

a first storage unit operable to store a plurality of contents data;

a second storage unit operable to store a mail template having a screen for forming an electronic mail and a layout of said contents data on said screen; and

a controller operable to select a portion of said contents data in response to a users input, to form an electronic mail file with said portion of said contents data added thereto, and to form an electronic mail for displaying said screen on a display with said portion of said contents data arranged according to said mail template,

2. An electronic mail system according to claim 1, wherein

said mail template further includes a dialog screen relating to said contents data and answer options in said dialog screen;

and

said controller is operable to display said dialog screen on said display with said answer options arranged therein, to form answer data in response to said users inputs, and to form said electronic mail file with said answer data added thereto.

3. An electronic mail system according to claim 1, wherein said contents data is at least one of text data, still picture data, motion picture data, and sound data.

4. A method for forming electronic mail having contents data added thereto, comprising:

loading a mail template having a screen for forming an electronic mail and layout information for the contents data on the screen, the contents data being a target to be added thereto;

displaying the contents data according to the screen and the layout information;

allowing a user to select any of the contents data; and

forming an electronic mail file with the selected contents data added thereto.

5. A method for forming electronic mail according to claim 4, wherein the mail template further includes a dialog screen relating to the contents data and answer options in the dialog screen, the method further comprising:

displaying the dialog screen with the answer options arranged therein;

allowing the user to select any of the answer options; and

forming the electronic mail file with the selected answer options added thereto.

6. A method for forming electronic mail according to claim 4, wherein the contents data is at least one of text data, still picture data, motion picture data, and sound data.

7. A computer program for forming electronic mail having contents data added thereto, the computer program controlling a data processing unit to perform the steps of:

loading a mail template having a screen for forming an electronic mail and layout information for the contents data in the screen, the contents data being a target to be added thereto;

displaying the contents data according to the screen and the layout information;

allowing a user to select any of the contents data; and

forming an electronic mail file with the selected contents data added thereto.

8. A computer program according to claim 7, wherein the mail template further includes a dialog screen relating to the contents data and answer options in the dialog screen, the computer program controlling the data processing unit to perform the further steps of:

displaying the dialog screen with the answer options arranged thereon;

allowing the user to select any of the answer options; and

forming the electronic mail file with the selected answer options added thereto.

9. A computer program according to claim 7, wherein the contents data is at least one of text data, still picture data, motion picture data, and sound data.

10. A computer-readable recording medium in which a computer program according to claim 7 is recorded.

11. A computer-readable recording medium in which a computer program according to claim 8 is recorded.

12. A computer-readable recording medium in which a computer program according to claim 9 is recorded.

14. An electronic mail system according to claim 13, wherein said second contents data is at least one of text data, still picture data, motion picture data, and sound data.

16. A method for forming electronic mail according to claim 15, wherein the second contents data is at least one of text data, still picture data, motion picture data, and sound data.

18. A computer program according to claim 15, wherein the second contents data is at least one of text data, still picture data, motion picture data, and sound data.

19. A computer-readable recording medium in which a computer program according to claim 17 is recorded.

20. A computer-readable recording medium in which a computer program according to claim 18 is recorded.

13. An electronic mail system, comprising:

a first storage unit operable to store second contents data relating to first contents data;

a second storage unit operable to store a mail template having a screen for forming an electronic mail and a layout of said second contents data on the screen; and

a controller operable to form an electronic mail with a portion of said second contents data added thereto in accordance with said mail template based on a viewing of said first contents data by a user.

15. A method for forming electronic mail having second contents data relating to first contents data added thereto, comprising:

loading a mail template having a screen for forming an electronic mail and layout information for the second contents data on the screen, the second contents data being a target to be added thereto based on a viewing of the first contents data by a user; and

forming an electronic mail file with the second contents data added thereto in accordance with the mail template.

17. A computer program for forming electronic mail having second contents data relating to first contents data added thereto, the computer program controlling a data processing unit to perform the steps of:

loading a mail template having a screen for forming an electronic mail and layout information for the second contents data in the screen, the second contents data being a target to be added thereto based on a viewing of the first contents data by a user; and

forming an electronic mail file with the second contents data added thereto in accordance with the mail template.