Communication terminal unit capable of receiving a message and method for identifying a message sender in the same

• US 20020137539A1
• Filed: 03/21/2002
• Published: 09/26/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 03/21/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Fujitsu Connected Technologies Limited
• Original Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Inventors: Tanaka, Akira, Takahashi, Shinya
• Granted Patent: US 7,016,700 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/466
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/107 Computer-aided management of electronic mailing [e-mailing]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/23 Reliability checks, e.g. acknowledgments or fault reporting
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/48 Message addressing, e.g. address format or anonymous messages, aliases
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/58 Message adaptation for wireless communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/4555 Directories for electronic mail or instant messaging
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/40 for recovering from a failure of a protocol instance or entity, e.g. service redundancy protocols, protocol state redundancy or protocol service redirection management of faults, events, alarms or notifications in data switching networks H04L41/06
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/2748 by matching character strings
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/57 Arrangements for indicating or recording the number of the calling subscriber at the called subscriber's set at the operator set in a manual exchange H04M5/20
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/575 Means for retrieving and displaying personal data about calling party
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/576 associated with a pictorial or graphical representation
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/578 associated with a synthesized vocal announcement
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/656 for recording conversations
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/7243 with interactive means for internal management of messages
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72436 for text messaging, e.g. short messaging services [SMS] or e-mails
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/12 Messaging; Mailboxes; Announcements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/02 Terminal devices

Abstract

A communication terminal unit capable of identifying a message sender by comparing a source address attached to a received message with an address registered in a memory of the unit in advance, which can identify the message sender even if the source address has an error by regarding the erroneous source address to be the same as the registered address when the difference between these two addresses is within a predetermined permissible range.

Claims

1. A communication terminal unit capable of receiving a message, comprising:

a memory to store a first address;

first means for determining whether a second address, which is included in the received message, agrees with the first address; and

second means for determining whether the difference between the first and second addresses is within a predetermined permissible range when the first determining means concludes that the first and second addresses do not agree, and for recognizing the second address to be in agreement with the first address when the difference is within the permissible range.

2. The communication terminal unit of claim 1, wherein:

the second determining means recognizes the second address to be in agreement with the first address when the difference is in a capital letter or a small letter.

3. The communication terminal unit of claim 2, wherein:

the second determining means detects the difference using a character code table which defines the relation between the capital letter and small letter.

4. The communication terminal unit of claim 1, wherein:

the second determining means recognizes the second address to be in agreement with the first address when the difference is existence of a space in either of the addresses.

5. The communication terminal unit of claim 1, further comprising:

means for displaying the first address when the second address agrees with or is regarded to be in agreement with the first address.

6. The communication terminal unit of claim 1, further comprising:

means for displaying the second address; and

means for informing a user about an error of the second address when the second address is regarded to be in agreement with the first address.

7. The communication terminal unit of claim 1, further comprising:

means for addressing a message, which is a reply to the received message, to the first address when the second address is regarded to be in agreement with the first address.

8. A communication terminal unit capable of receiving a message, comprising:

a memory to store a plurality of first addresses;

first means for searching the memory for the first address which agrees with a second address included in the received message;

second means for searching the memory for the first address which is different from the second address within a permissible range when the first searching means concludes that no first addresses are in agreement with the second address, and recognizing the second address to be in agreement with the first address when the difference is within the permissible range.

9. The communication terminal unit of claim 8, wherein:

the second searching means recognizes the second address to be in agreement with the first address when the difference is in a capital letter or a small letter.

10. The communication terminal unit of claim 8, wherein:

the second searching means detects the difference using a character code table which defines the relation between the capital letter and small letter.

11. The communication terminal unit of claim 8, wherein:

the second searching means recognizes the second address to be in agreement with the first address when the difference is existence of a space in either of the addresses.

12. The communication terminal unit of claim 8, further comprising:

means for displaying the first address when the second address agrees with or is regarded to be in agreement with the first address.

13. The communication terminal unit of claim 8, further comprising:

means for displaying the second address; and

means for informing a user about an error of the second address when the second address is regarded to be in agreement with the first address.

14. The communication terminal unit of claim 8, further comprising:

means for addressing a message, which is a reply to the received message, to the first address when the second address is regarded to be in agreement with the first address.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein:

means for displaying the first address when the second address agrees with or is regarded to be in agreement with the first address.

17. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

displaying the second address; and

informing a user about an error of the second address when the second address is regarded to be in agreement with the first address.

18. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

addressing a message, which is a reply to the received message, to the first address when the second address is regarded to be in agreement with the first address.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein:

means for displaying the first address when the second address agrees with or is regarded to be in agreement with the first address.

21. The method of claim 19, further comprising:

displaying the second address; and

informing a user about an error of the second address when the second address is regarded to be in agreement with the first address.

22. The method of claim 19, further comprising:

addressing a message, which is a reply to the received message, to the first address when the second address is regarded to be in agreement with the first address.

15. A method for identifying a message sender in a communication terminal unit, comprising:

storing a first address in a memory;

receiving a message;

first determining whether a second address, which is included in the received message, agrees with the first address;

second determining whether the difference between the first and second addresses is within a predetermined permissible range when the first determining means concludes that the first and second addresses do not agree; and

recognizing the second address to be in agreement with the first address when the difference is within the permissible range.

19. A method for identifying a message sender in a communication terminal unit, comprising:

storing a plurality of first addresses in a memory;

receiving a message;

first searching the memory for the first address which agrees with a second address included in the received message;

second searching the memory for the first address which is different from the second address within a permissible range when the first searching means concludes that no first addresses are in agreement with the second address; and

recognizing the second address to be in agreement with the first address when the difference is within the permissible range.