System and method for effective mail transmission

• US 20030018727A1
• Filed: 06/13/2002
• Published: 01/23/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 06/15/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Snapchat Inc (Snap, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Yamamoto, Gaku
• Granted Patent: US 8,161,115 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/206
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/214 using selective forwarding

Abstract

The object of the invention is to provide a system and method for rapidly transmitting a large volume of e-mails. Based on domain names obtained from destination mailing addresses, a server 10 for a sender sorts e-mails to be transmitted, generates transfer data for each domain name by grouping e-mail data, and uses FTP to transmit the transfer data to servers 30 for distributors whose domain names correspond to those for which the transfer data were generated. At this time, compression is effective for improving the transmission of the transfer data. The server 30, upon receiving transfer data, analyzes the received transfer data to obtain the data for individual e-mails, and distributes the e-mail data to the mail boxes of individual recipients.

Claims

1. A system for transmitting e-mail data to a plurality of recipients via a network, comprising:

reception means for receiving the e-mail data that includes destination address information, domain information included therein and mail text information; and

transmission data generation means for grouping multiple sets of the e-mail data by the domain information to generate transmission data.

2. The system according to claim 1, further comprising first transmission means for transmitting said generated transmission data via said network to a computer system designated based on said domain information.

3. The system according to claim 1, wherein said transmission data generation means generates said transmission data at a predetermined timing.

4. The system according to claim 1, further comprising:

domain information database for storing the domain information which allows grouping of the multiple sets of the e-mail data; and

second transmission means for transmitting each set of the e-mail data one by one via said network, if the domain information has not yet been registered in said domain information database.

5. The system according to claim 1, wherein said transmission data generation means generates said transmission data by extracting said destination address information and said mail text information from the e-mail data.

6. The system according to claim 2, wherein said first transmission means employs FTP (file transfer protocol) to transmit said transmission data to said computer system.

7. The system according to claim 1, wherein said transmission data generation means generates said transmission data based on the e-mail data that includes, as said mail text information, template data that forms a mail text and keyword data that is to be inserted into said template data.

8. The system according to claim 1, wherein said transmission data generation means generates said transmission data based on said e-mail data that includes, as said mail text information, data for designating a template that forms a mail text and keyword data that is to be inserted into said template.

9. A mail server for receiving e-mail data and distributing the e-mail data to a plurality of recipients thereof, comprising:

a data reception unit for receiving, via a network, transfer data which is generated by grouping multiple sets of the e-mail data for said recipients by domain information, and includes address information for said recipients, and mail text information to be commonly distributed to said recipients; and

a data acquisition unit for analyzing said transfer data and generating, for each of said recipients, the e-mail data that includes said address information and said mail text information.

10. The mail server according to claim 9, further comprising a data distribution unit for distributing said generated e-mail data to each of said recipients designated by said address information.

11. The mail server according to claim 9, wherein said data reception unit receives said transfer data that includes, as said mail text information, template data that forms a mail text and keyword data that is to be inserted in said template data;

and wherein said data acquisition unit generates said mail text information to be included in said e-mail data by inserting said keyword data in said template data.

12. The mail server according to claim 9, further comprising:

a template data storage unit for storing a template that forms a mail text in the e-mail data,

wherein said data reception unit receives said transfer data that includes, as said mail text information, data for designating said template that forms the mail text and data for a keyword that is to be inserted in said template, and

wherein said data acquisition unit retrieves, from said template data storage unit, said designated template, and generates said mail text information to be included in said e-mail data by inserting said keyword in said template.

14. The method according to claim 13, further comprising the step of transmitting said transmission data to a computer system that is designated by said domain information via the network.

15. The method according to claim 14, further comprising the steps of:

receiving, at the computer system, said transmission data that includes the destination address information for said recipients, and the mail text information to be distributed to recipients; and

generating the e-mail data from said transmission data, for each of said recipients, that includes the destination address information and the mail text information.

16. The method according to claim 15, further comprising the step of distributing the e-mail data to each of said recipients, based on the destination address information.

18. The program product according to claim 17, wherein, said generating step further comprises the step of adding paired identification tags at the start and the end of a block having said destination address information and said mail text information.

20. The program product according to claim 19, wherein:

said receiving step further comprises the step of, adding paired identification tags at the start and the end of a block comprising said address information and said mail text information; and

said analyzing and generating step further comprises the step of extracting said address information and said mail text information from between said paired identification tags, and generating the e-mail data for each of said recipients.

13. An electronic mail (e-mail) method, comprising the steps of:

receiving e-mail data including mail text information and destination address information, which includes domain information; and

grouping the e-mail data by the domain information into one or more sets; and

generating transmission data for said one or more sets, based on grouped e-mail data.

17. A program product executable on a computer for performing a method of transmitting e-mail data, comprising the steps of:

receiving the e-mail data including mail text information and destination address information, which includes domain information;

grouping the e-mail data by the domain information into one or more sets; and

generating transmission data for said one or more sets, based on grouped e-mail data. .

19. A program product executable on a computer for performing a method of distributing e-mail data, comprising the steps of:

receiving e-mail transfer data including multiple sets of e-mail data intended for one or more recipients grouped by domain name, address information of said recipients, and mail text information to be commonly distributed to said recipients; and

analyzing said transfer data and generating, for each of said recipients, the e-mail data that includes said address information and said mail text information.