Method and system for automatically transferring electronic mail over a communication network, communication server apparatus, automatic transfer and intermediary communication server apparatus and communication server apparatus for information service

• US 20020178224A1
• Filed: 05/23/2001
• Published: 11/28/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 05/23/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Panasonic Electric Works Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Panasonic Electric Works Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Kasajima, Yasushi
• Granted Patent: US 7,603,416 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/206
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2803 Home automation networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2825 Reporting to a device located outside the home and the home network access arrangements H04L12/2856; for remote control or remote monitoring of applications H04L67/025; telephonic communication systems adapted for combination with telemetering systems H04M11/002
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2827 Reporting to a device within the home network; wherein the reception of the information reported automatically triggers the execution of a home appliance functionality
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/2845 Telephone line
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/2849 Audio/video appliances
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/285 Generic home appliances, e.g. refrigerators
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/00 User-to-user messaging in packet-switching networks, transmitted according to store-and-forward or real-time protocols, e.g. e-mail
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/08 Annexed information, e.g. attachments
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/222 using geographical location information, e.g. messages transmitted or received in proximity of a certain spot or area
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/62 Establishing a time schedule for servicing the requests
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols

Abstract

A method and system for timely transferring electronic mail message over a communication network such as the Internet to a communication terminal to be transferred in accordance with a transfer trigger condition attached to the electronic mail message in advance, the trigger condition being specified by event information such as the movement and the operation of household appliance, living facility or positional information of specific terminal unit or other signals detected on the communication network. According to the present method, an electronic mail message is first sent to a communication server apparatus equipped on a communication network together with the transfer trigger condition, and after registering of the mail message, the communication server apparatus watches the transfer trigger condition and transfers the corresponding mail message of which transfer trigger condition meets a predetermined condition to a communication terminal unit to be transferred when the transfer trigger condition meets the predetermined condition.

Claims

1. A method for automatically transferring an electronic mail over a communication network,

said method comprising the steps of:

sending from a communication terminal unit, an electronic mail message together with a transfer trigger condition, which is made according to predetermined rules specified by event information, to a communication server apparatus equipped on said communication network,

receiving and registering at said communication server apparatus said electronic mail together with said transfer trigger condition, and

watching at said communication server apparatus said transfer trigger condition after registration of said electronic mail message whether or not said condition meets a predetermined condition and automatically transferring the corresponding electronic mail message to a communication terminal unit to be transferred when detecting said transfer condition meets said predetermined condition.

3. The method of claim 1 or 2, wherein said transfer trigger condition contains information on the operation of a facility or equipment to be notified to said communication server apparatus as said event information.

4. The method of claim 1 or 2, wherein said transfer trigger condition contains as said event information, command information or information on location of specific terminals both sent from a service server apparatus or communication terminal unit, each of which is two-way communicable with said communication server apparatus on a communication network.

5. The method of claim 1 or 2, wherein said transfer trigger condition is added an expiry date of automatic transferring for said registered electronic mail message.

6. The method of claim 1 or 2, wherein said electronic mail of which expiry date for automatic transferring has expires is transferred to a communication terminal unit to be transferred or is erased, when the corresponding expiry date set in said transfer trigger condition expires.

7. The method of claim 1 or 2, wherein said communication server apparatus sends a transfer completion notice to the communication terminal unit of the sender after completing transfer of the corresponding electronic mail message according to said transfer trigger condition.

8. The method of claim 1 or 2, wherein said communication server apparatus sends a transfer failure notice to the communication terminal unit of the sender when having fail to transfer the corresponding electronic mail message according to said transfer trigger condition.

2. A method for automatically transferring an electronic mail over a communication network, said method comprising the steps of:

sending from a communication terminal unit an electronic mail message together with a transfer trigger condition, which is made according to predetermined rules specified by event information, to an automatic transfer and intermediary communication server apparatus equipped on said communication network,

receiving and registering at said automatic transfer and intermediary communication server said electronic mail message and allocating an individual identification code to said registered electronic message and thereafter sending said transfer trigger condition corresponding to registered electronic mail message together with said allocated identification code to the predetermined destination communication terminal unit, said identification code being allocated to said respective electronic mail message registered at said automatic transfer and intermediary communication server,

watching at said destination communication terminal unit whether or not said transfer trigger condition received meets a predetermined condition and sending to said automatic transfer and intermediary communication server automatic transfer command together with said identification code corresponding to said electronic mail message of which transfer trigger condition meets when said transfer trigger condition meets the predetermined condition, and

automatically transferring from said transfer and intermediary communication server apparatus the corresponding registered electronic mail specified by said identification code sent from said destination communication terminal unit to a communication terminal unit to be transferred, on receiving said automatic transfer command from said destination communication terminal unit.

9. A system of automatically transferring electronic mail, comprising;

a communication terminal unit for sending an electronic mail message together with a transfer trigger condition according to specific rules specified by event information, and

a communication server apparatus for receiving and registering said electronic mail message sent from said communication terminal and watching said transfer trigger condition and for automatically sending the corresponding electronic mail message of which transfer trigger condition meets a predetermined condition to a communication terminal to be transferred when said trigger condition meets, while watching said transfer condition.

10. A system for automatically transferring electronic mail,

comprising;

a communication terminal unit for sending electronic mail message together with a transfer trigger condition according to predetermined rules specified by event information, and

an automatic transfer and intermediary communication server apparatus equipped on a communication network, for receiving and registering said electronic mail sent from said communication terminal unit and allocating an individual identification code to registered electronic mail message and for sending said transfer trigger condition corresponding to said electronic mail message together with said identification code to a destination communication terminal unit, said automatic transfer and intermediary communication server apparatus further sending the corresponding electronic mail message indicated by said identification code, on receiving transfer command together with said identification code, which are both sent from said destination communication terminal unit when said destination communication terminal unit has judged said transfer trigger condition meets a predetermined condition.

11. The system of claim 9 or 10, wherein a media file where at least either one of audio information, image information and the like is stored is attached to said electronic mail massage, wherein said communication terminals unit to be transferred said electronic mail message is such one as TV set or telephone set connected to an indoor information network system, and wherein said communication server apparatus automatically opens said media file to out put the contents of said media file into said communication terminals, when transferring said electronic mail massage according to said transfer trigger condition.

12. A communication server apparatus equipped on a

communication network,

comprising;

means for receiving and registering electronic mail message with a transfer trigger condition, which is made according to predetermined rules specified by event information, sent from a communication terminal unit over said communication network, and

means for watching said event information to be detected on said communication network after registration of said electronic mail message and for automatically transferring the corresponding electronic mail

message to a communication terminal to be transferred, when said transfer trigger condition meets said predetermined condition according to said event information.

13. A automatic transfer and intermediary communication server apparatus equipped on a communication network, comprising;

means for receiving and registering an electronic mail message with a transfer trigger condition according to predetermined rules specified by event information and for allocating an individual identification code to said electronic mail message after registration thereof, and,

means for automatically sending to a destination communication terminal unit said transfer trigger condition together with said allocated identification code and for transferring the corresponding electronic mail message indicated by said identification code to a communication terminal unit to be transferred, on receiving from said destination communication terminal unit a transfer command together with said identification code indicating said registered electronic mail message to be transferred.

14. A communication server apparatus equipped on an indoor information network to which household appliances or facility such as air conditioners and lighting fixtures and the like are connected, said apparatus comprising;

means for receiving and registering electronic mail message with a transfer trigger condition according to predetermined rules specified by event information, and

means for watching event information according to notice from said household appliance or facility or said service server apparatus equipped on said communication network and for automatically transferring the corresponding electronic mail message to a communication terminal unit to be transferred, when said transfer trigger condition meets the predetermined condition, according to said event information.

15. A communication server apparatus for information service equipped on a communication network having a specific template to fill transfer trigger condition according to a predetermined rule specified by event information therein, said communication network enabling a communication terminal unit accessing thereto to download said template over a communication network.