Message delivery method and system

• US 20020178237A1
• Filed: 05/24/2002
• Published: 11/28/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 05/28/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: NEC Corporation
• Original Assignee: NEC Corporation
• Inventors: Sakata, Kazuhiro
• Granted Patent: US 7,197,538 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/219
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/107 Computer-aided management of electronic mailing [e-mailing]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/214 using selective forwarding

Abstract

A message delivery system allows a member to obtain a message delivery service at a designated time with easy operation. The message delivery system has an initialization function of initializing a list of member identification information. The list of member identification information is initialized at a predetermined initialization time. After the initialization, a member is registered in the list of member identification information in response to user request. A message is transmitted to the member newly registered in the list.

Claims

1. A system for delivering a message to at least one member terminal via a network, comprising:

a member memory storing a list of registered identification information of at least one member to which the message is to be delivered;

an initialization time memory for storing a predetermined initialization time; and

a manager for initializing the list of registered identification information at the predetermined initialization time.

2. A system comprising:

a server;

at least one member terminal; and

a network,

wherein the server comprises;

a member memory for registering identification information of a user in response to a request of the user;

an initialization time memory for storing at least one initialization time;

a member manager for managing a list of identification information registered in the member memory such that, when a current time corresponds to one of said at least one initialization time, the list of identification information is initialized; and

a transmission controller for transmitting a message through the network to a member terminal having identification information registered in the member memory.

3. The system according to claim 2, wherein the member manager determines with a predetermined frequency whether the current time corresponds to one of said at least initialization time.

4. The system according to claim 2, wherein the member manager determines whether each of said at least initialization time corresponds to a current time on one-time basis.

5. The system according to claim 2, wherein the member manager sets said at least initialization time so as to be notified to a user.

6. The system according to claim 5, wherein the member manager places said at least initialization time on public view.

7. The system according to claim 5, wherein, when the member manager registers a member into the member memory, the transmission controller transmits to the member a message including an initialization time immediately following the current time.

8. The system according to claim 5, wherein said at least initialization time is fixed.

9. The system according to claim 5, wherein said at least initialization time includes a dynamic time which is changeable, wherein the dynamic time is allowed to be fixed when said dynamic time has been determined.

10. The system according to claim 2, wherein, when a deletion request has been received from a member, the member manager deletes identification information of the member from the member memory.

11. The system according to claim 2, wherein, when a current time corresponds to one of said at least one initialization time, the member manager resets the member memory to an initial state.

12. The system according to claim 11, wherein the initial state is a state that the member memory is empty.

13. The system according to claim 11, wherein the initial state is a state that the member memory stores only identification information of at least one predetermined member.

15. The system according to claim 14, wherein a single member is allowed to designate a plurality of reserved times at a time to store them in the reserved member memory.

16. The system according to claim 14, wherein, every time the transmission controller transmits a message, the member manager determines whether the current time corresponds to one of said at least one reserved time.

17. The system according to claim 14, wherein the member manager determines with a predetermined frequency whether the current time corresponds to one of said at least initialization time and whether the current time corresponds to one of said at least one reserved time.

18. The system according to claim 14, wherein the member manager determines whether each of said at least initialization time corresponds to a current time on one-time basis and whether each of said at least reserved time corresponds to a current time on one-time basis.

19. The system according to claim 14, wherein the member manager sets said at least initialization time so as to be notified to a member.

20. The system according to claim 19, wherein the member manager places said at least initialization time on public view.

21. The system according to claim 14, wherein the member manager changes a reserved time designated by a member to a latest initialization time before the reserved time designated by the member and stores a changed reserved time into the reserved member memory.

22. The system according to claim 14, wherein the member manager determines whether the current time corresponds to one of said at least one initialization time, and, after the list of identification information is initialized, continues to determine whether the current time corresponds to one of said at least one reserved time.

23. The system according to claim 19, wherein, when the member manager registers a member into the member memory, the transmission controller transmits to the member a message including an initialization time immediately following the current time.

24. The system according to claim 19, wherein said at least initialization time is fixed.

25. The system according to claim 19, wherein said at least initialization time includes a dynamic time which is changeable, wherein the dynamic time is allowed to be fixed when said dynamic time has been determined.

26. The system according to claim 14, wherein abstract information allowed to be converted to time information is employed as a reserved time.

27. The system according to claim 14, wherein, when a deletion request has been received from a member, the member manager deletes identification information of the member from the member memory.

28. The system according to claim 14, wherein, when a current time corresponds to one of said at least one initialization time, the member manager resets the member memory to an initial state.

29. The system according to claim 28, wherein the initial state is a state that the member memory is empty.

30. The system according to claim 28, wherein the initial state is a state that the member memory stores only identification information of at least one predetermined member.

14. A system comprising:

a server;

at least one member terminal; and

a network,

wherein the server comprises;

a member memory for storing a list of identification information of registered members;

a reserved member memory for storing a list of reserved member information including at least one reserved time designated by at least one member and identification information of said at least one member;

an initialization time memory for storing at least one initialization time;

a member manager for managing the list of identification information registered in the member memory and the list of reserved member information such that

when a current time corresponds to one of said at least one initialization time, the list of identification information is initialized, and

when the current time corresponds to one of said at least one reserved time, corresponding identification information is registered into the member memory; and

a transmission controller for transmitting a message through the network to a member terminal having identification information registered in the member memory.

31. A method for delivering a message to at least one member terminal via a network, comprising the steps of:

storing a list of registered identification information of at least one member to which the message is to be delivered;

storing a predetermined initialization time; and

initializing the list of registered identification information at the predetermined initialization time.

32. A method for delivering a message to at least one member terminal via a network, comprising the steps of:

registering identification information of a member in a member memory in response to a request of the member;

previously storing at least one initialization time in an initialization time memory;

managing a list of identification information registered in the member memory such that, when a current time corresponds to one of said at least one initialization time, the list of identification information is initialized; and

transmitting a message through the network to a member terminal having identification information registered in the member memory.

33. A method for delivering a message to at least one member terminal via a network, comprising the steps of:

storing a list of identification information of registered members in a member memory;

storing a list of reserved member information including at least one reserved time designated by at least one member and identification information of said at least one member in a reserved member memory;

storing at least one initialization time in an initialization time memory;

determining whether a current time corresponds to one of said at least one initialization time;

when the current time corresponds to one of said at least one initialization time, initializing the list of identification information;

determining whether the current time corresponds to one of said at least one reserved time;

when the current time corresponds to one of said at least one reserved time, registering corresponding identification information into the member memory; and

transmitting a message through the network to a member terminal having identification information registered in the member memory.

34. The method according to claim 33, wherein a single member is allowed to designate a plurality of reserved times at a time to store them in the reserved member memory.

35. The method according to claim 33, wherein, every time the transmission controller transmits a message, it is determined whether the current time corresponds to one of said at least one reserved time.

36. The method according to claim 33, wherein it is determined with a predetermined frequency whether the current time corresponds to one of said at least initialization time and whether the current time corresponds to one of said at least one reserved time.

33-1. A program for instructing a computer to perform a message delivery operation of delivering a message to at least one member terminal via a network, the program comprising the steps of:

storing a list of identification information of registered members in a member memory;

storing a list of reserved member information including at least one reserved time designated by at least one member and identification information of said at least one member in a reserved member memory;

storing at least one initialization time in an initialization time memory;

determining whether a current time corresponds to one of said at least one initialization time;

when the current time corresponds to one of said at least one initialization time, initializing the list of identification information;

determining whether the current time corresponds to one of said at least one reserved time;

when the current time corresponds to one of said at least one reserved time, registering corresponding identification information into the member memory; and

transmitting a message through the network to a member terminal having identification information registered in the member memory.

37. A program for instructing a computer to perform a message delivery operation of delivering a message to at least one member terminal via a network, the program comprising the steps of:

registering identification information of a member in a member memory in response to a request of the member;

previously storing at least one initialization time in an initialization time memory;

managing a list of identification information registered in the member memory such that, when a current time corresponds to one of said at least one initialization time, the list of identification information is initialized; and

transmitting a message through the network to a member terminal having identification information registered in the member memory.