Portable terminal apparatus

• US 20030228862A1
• Filed: 06/03/2003
• Published: 12/11/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 06/05/2002
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: NEC Corporation
• Original Assignee: NEC Corporation
• Inventors: Nagashima, Yoshihisa
• Application Number:
  US10/452,580
• Publication Number:
  US 20030228862A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/412.1
• 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: H04M 1/72439 for image or video messaging

Abstract

A portable terminal apparatus includes a radio section, an input section, a display section, a memory section, mail transmission sections, mail text editing sections, and a mail destination editing section. The radio section transmits/receives a radio signal. The input section inputs data. The display section displays the input data. The memory section stores the data. The mail transmission sections are arranged in correspondence with a plurality of mail transmission services to transmit mail. The mail text editing sections are arranged in correspondence with the mail transmission services to edit e-mail within a mail transmission condition defined for each mail transmission service. The mail destination editing section designates a mail transmission service in accordance with a destination, activates a corresponding mail text editing section, and edits the destination of the other party to which the e-mail is to be transmitted. A mail editing method and recording medium are also disclosed.

Claims

1. A portable terminal apparatus comprising:

radio means for transmitting/receiving a radio signal;

data input means for inputting data;

display means for displaying the data input by said input means;

a memory which stores the data;

a plurality of mail transmission means, arranged in correspondence with a plurality of mail transmission services, for transmitting mail;

a plurality of mail text editing means, arranged in correspondence with the plurality of mail transmission services, for editing e-mail within a mail transmission condition defined for each mail transmission service; and

mail destination editing means for designating a mail transmission service in accordance with a destination, activating a corresponding one of said mail text editing means, and editing the destination of the other party to which the e-mail is to be transmitted.

2. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

said memory stores telephone directory data containing a telephone number and mail address of each person, each of the telephone number and mail address having an attribute corresponding to a mail transmission service, and

when one of the telephone number and mail address is input as the destination of the e-mail, said mail destination editing means specifies the attribute corresponding to one of the telephone number and mail address on the basis of the telephone directory data and activates mail text editing means corresponding to the mail transmission service corresponding to the attribute.

3. An apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising said mail text editing means equal in number to the plurality of mail transmission services to which said portable terminal apparatus cope with.

4. An apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a plurality of mail transmission means corresponding to languages to be used for an attribute corresponding to one mail transmission service.

5. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

said memory comprises telephone directory data containing a telephone number and mail address of each person, each of the telephone number and mail address having an attribute corresponding to a mail transmission service,

said data input means comprises a plurality of keys to be used to input the data, and

when one of the telephone number and mail address is input through said keys as the destination of the e-mail, said mail destination editing means searches the telephone directory data for one of a telephone number and mail address, which coincides with the input one of the telephone number and mail address, and when one of the telephone number and mail address, which coincides with the input one of the telephone number and mail address, is present, activates mail text editing means corresponding to the mail transmission service corresponding to the attribute of one of the telephone number and mail address.

6. An apparatus according to claim 5, further comprising search means for searching the telephone directory data for one of a telephone number and mail address, which partially coincides with the input one of the telephone number and mail address.

7. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

said memory comprises telephone directory data containing a telephone number and mail address of each person, each of the telephone number and mail address having an attribute corresponding to a mail transmission service,

said data input means comprises a plurality of keys to be used to input the data, and

when one of the telephone number and mail address is input through said keys as the destination of the e-mail, said mail destination editing means searches the telephone directory data for a telephone number or mail address, which coincides with the input one of the telephone number and mail address, and when one of the telephone number and mail address, which coincides with the input one of the telephone number and mail address, is not present, activates said mail text editing means defined in advance.

8. An apparatus according to claim 2, further comprising search processing means for reading out data from the telephone directory data.

9. An apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising attached file determination means for, when one of a telephone number and mail address is input as the destination of the e-mail, determining whether the e-mail has an attached file, and when the attached file is present, activating one of said mail text editing means in accordance with a capacity of the attached file.

10. An apparatus according to claim 9, wherein when the attached file is image data, said attached file determination means displays, in accordance with an image format, a message representing that the image cannot be displayed at the transmission destination on said display means and then transmits the e-mail together with the attached file.

11. An apparatus according to claim 9, wherein when the attached file is image data and has a capacity not less than a threshold value, said attached file determination means selects new mail transmission means.

12. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said mail transmission means, said mail text editing means, and said mail destination editing means constitute control means.

13. A mail editing method in a portable terminal apparatus, comprising the steps of:

inputting a destination of the other party of a mail transmission destination to the terminal apparatus;

causing the portable terminal apparatus to specify an attribute corresponding to the destination;

causing the portable terminal apparatus to activate one of mail text editing means in correspondence with the attribute; and

editing a mail text within a mail transmission condition defined for a mail transmission service corresponding to the activated mail text editing means.

14. A method according to claim 13, wherein the attribute specifying step comprises the step of, when one of a telephone number and mail address is input as the destination of the e-mail in the input step, specifying an attribute corresponding to one of the telephone number and mail address on the basis of telephone directory data containing a telephone number and mail address of each person, each of the telephone number and mail address having an attribute corresponding to a mail transmission service.

15. A method according to claim 13, wherein

the method further comprises the step of, when one of a telephone number and mail address is input through keys as the destination of the e-mail in the input step, causing the portable terminal apparatus which has a plurality of keys to be used to input the data and telephone directory data containing a telephone number and mail address of each person, each of the telephone number and mail address having an attribute corresponding to a mail transmission service to search the telephone directory data for one of a telephone number and mail address, which coincides with the input one of the telephone number and mail address, and

the activation step comprises the step of, when one of the telephone number and mail address, which coincides with the input one of the telephone number and mail address, is found in the search step, activating mail text editing means corresponding to the mail transmission service corresponding to the attribute of one of the telephone number and mail address.

16. A method according to claim 13, wherein the search step comprises the step of searching the telephone directory data for one of a telephone number and mail address, which partially coincides with the input one of the telephone number and mail address.

17. A method according to claim 13, further comprising the steps of

when one of a telephone number and mail address is input through keys as the destination of the e-mail in the input step, causing the portable terminal apparatus which has a plurality of keys to be used to input the data and telephone directory data containing a telephone number and mail address of each person, each of the telephone number and mail address having an attribute corresponding to a mail transmission service to search the telephone directory data for a telephone number or mail address, which coincides with the input one of the telephone number and mail address, and

when one of the telephone number and mail address, which coincides with the input one of the telephone number and mail address, is not found in the search step, activating mail text editing means that is defined in advance to be activated when no attribute is present.

18. A method according to claim 13, further comprising the steps of

when one of a telephone number and mail address is input as the destination of the e-mail, causing the portable terminal apparatus to determine whether the e-mail has an attached file, and

when the attached file is found in the determination step, causing the portable terminal apparatus to activate mail text editing means in accordance with a capacity of the attached file.

19. A method according to claim 18, further comprising the steps of

when the attached file is image data, causing the portable terminal apparatus to display, in accordance with an image format, a message representing that the image cannot be displayed at the transmission destination, and

transmitting the e-mail together with the attached file.

20. A method according to claim 18, further comprising the step of, when the attached file is image data and has a capacity not less than a threshold value, causing the portable terminal apparatus to select new mail transmission means.

21. A recording medium which stores a program for causing a computer to execute a mail editing method in a portable terminal apparatus, wherein the program comprises a program which causes the computer to execute the steps of:

when a user of the portable terminal apparatus inputs a destination of the other party of a mail transmission destination to the portable terminal apparatus, specifying an attribute corresponding to the destination;

activating mail text editing means corresponding to the attribute; and

transmitting a mail text that is edited by the user within a mail transmission condition defined for a mail transmission service corresponding to the activated mail text editing means.

22. A medium according to claim 21, wherein the program comprises a program which causes the computer to execute the step of, when one of a telephone number and mail address is input as the destination of the e-mail, specifying an attribute corresponding to one of the telephone number and mail address on the basis of telephone directory data containing a telephone number and mail address of each person, each of the telephone number and mail address having an attribute corresponding to one of a plurality of mail transmission services.

23. A medium according to claim 21, wherein the program comprises a program which causes the computer to execute the steps of

when one of a telephone number and mail address is input as the destination of the e-mail through a plurality of keys that are arranged in the portable terminal apparatus to input the data, searching telephone directory data containing a telephone number and mail address of each person, each of the telephone number and mail address having an attribute corresponding to one of a plurality of mail transmission services for one of a telephone number or mail address, which coincides with the input one of the telephone number and mail address, and

when one of the telephone number and mail address, which coincides with the input one of the telephone number and mail address, is present, activating mail text editing means corresponding to the mail transmission service corresponding to the attribute of one of the telephone number and mail address.

24. A medium according to claim 21, wherein the program comprises a program which causes the computer to execute the step of searching the telephone directory data for one of a telephone number and mail address, which partially coincides with the input one of the telephone number and mail address.

25. A medium according to claim 21, wherein the program comprises a program which causes the computer to execute the steps of

when one of a telephone number and mail address is input as the destination of the e-mail through a plurality of keys that are arranged in the portable terminal apparatus to input the data, searching telephone directory data containing a telephone number and mail address of each person, each of the telephone number and mail address having an attribute corresponding to each mail transmission service for one of a telephone number or mail address, which coincides with the input one of the telephone number and mail address, and

when one of the telephone number and mail address, which coincides with the input one of the telephone number and mail address, is not present, activating mail text editing means that is defined in advance to be activated when no attribute is present.

26. A medium according to claim 21, wherein the program comprises a program which causes the computer to execute the steps of

when one of a telephone number and mail address is input as the destination of the e-mail, determining whether the e-mail has an attached file, and

when the attached file is present, activating mail text editing means in accordance with a capacity of the attached file.

27. A medium according to claim 21, wherein the program comprises a program which causes the computer to execute the steps of

when the attached file is image data, displaying, in accordance with an image format, a message representing that the image cannot be displayed at the transmission destination on the portable terminal apparatus, and

after the display step, transmitting the e-mail together with the attached file.

28. A medium according to claim 21, wherein the program comprises a program which causes the computer to execute the step of, when the attached file is image data and has a capacity not less than a threshold value, selecting new mail transmission means.