Communication terminal and sending and receiving method

• US 20040214552A1
• Filed: 01/30/2004
• Published: 10/28/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 04/24/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Inventors: Matsuda, Masayuki
• Granted Patent: US 7,123,902 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/412.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/4878 Advertisement messages
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/533 Voice mail systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/5335 Message type or catagory, e.g. priority, indication
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/53375 Message broadcasting

Abstract

Embodiments of the invention relate to a mail sending and receiving devices and methods. In one embodiment, a communication device comprises a display unit, and a receiving unit configured to receive a mail which includes a plurality of mail contents and condition information governing which of the plurality of mail contents can be displayed. A storage unit is configured to store the mail which is received by the receiving unit. A control unit is configured to control display of the plurality of mail contents by the display unit in response to the condition information, when a display instruction of the mail which is stored in the storage unit is inputted.

Claims

1. A communication device comprising:

a display unit;

a receiving unit configured to receive a mail which includes a plurality of mail contents and condition information governing which of the plurality of mail contents can be displayed;

a storage unit configured to store the mail which is received by the receiving unit; and

a control unit configured to control display of the plurality of mail contents by the display unit in response to the condition information, when a display instruction of the mail which is stored in the storage unit is inputted.

2. The communication device as set forth in claim 1, wherein the condition information comprises:

one or more dates or an already-read number of a mail; and

conditions corresponding to the plurality of mail contents based on the one or more dates or on the already-read number of the mail.

3. The communication device as set forth in claim 1, wherein the condition information includes information indicating that display of the mail is prohibited after a predetermined date, and wherein when a display instruction of the mail is inputted after the predetermined date, the display unit displays a message showing that the mail contents of the mail cannot be displayed.

4. The communication device as set forth in claim 1, wherein the plurality of mail contents comprise mail text.

5. A communication device comprising:

a receiving unit configured to receive a mail which includes a plurality of mail contents and condition information governing which of the plurality of mail contents can be displayed;

a storage unit configured to store a plurality of mails which are received by the receiving unit;

a display unit configured to display a list of the plurality of mails which are stored in the storage unit; and

a control unit configured to display one of the plurality of mail contents included in one of the mails which is selected, on the display unit, in response to the condition information of the selected mail.

6. The communication device as set forth in claim 5, wherein the display unit is controlled to display a mail as a latest mail on the list of mails when one of the plurality of mail contents is to be newly displayed in response to the condition information for the mail.

7. The communication device as set forth in claim 5, wherein the display unit is controlled to display a mail on top of the list of mails when one of the plurality of mail contents is to be newly displayed in response to the condition information for the mail.

8. A communication device comprising:

a receiving unit configured to receive a mail which includes a plurality of mail contents and display instruction information for controlling display of the plurality of mail contents;

a storage unit configured to store the mail which is received by the receiving unit; and

a control unit configured to control read-out of one of the plurality of mail contents from the storage unit and display of the read-out mail content in response to the display instruction information of the mail when display of the mail is instructed.

9. The communication device as set forth in claim 8, wherein the display instruction information comprises time information for controlling display of the plurality of mail contents based on time.

10. A communication device comprising:

a receiving unit configured to receive a mail which includes content and display condition information governing display of the content;

a storage unit configured to store the mail which is received by the receiving unit; and

a control unit configured to control display of the content or to display a message showing that the content cannot be displayed, in response to the display condition information, when a display instruction of the mail which is stored in the storage unit is inputted.

11. A communication device comprising:

a storage unit configured to store a plurality of addresses of mail sending destinations;

a preparation unit configured to prepare a mail which includes a plurality of mail contents and condition information governing display of the plurality of mail contents; and

a sending unit configured to send the mail which is prepared by the preparation unit to a selected address.

12. A communication device comprising:

a display unit;

a receiving unit configured to receive communication information which includes a plurality of message contents and condition information governing which of the plurality of message contents can be displayed;

a storage unit configured to store the communication information which is received by the receiving unit; and

a control unit configured to control display of the plurality of message contents by the display unit in response to the condition information, when a display instruction of the communication information which is stored in the storage unit is inputted.

13. A method for sending a mail, the method comprising:

preparing a mail which includes a plurality of mail contents and condition information governing which of the plurality of mail contents can be displayed; and

sending the prepared mail to an address of a mail sending destination.

14. A method for displaying a mail, the method comprising:

storing a mail which includes a plurality of mail contents and condition information governing which of the plurality of mail contents is to be displayed;

displaying one of the plurality of mail contents based on the condition information.

15. The method as set forth in claim 14, wherein the condition information comprises time information for governing display of the plurality of mail contents.

16. The method as set forth in claim 15, wherein the mail contents to be displayed is to be governed by a predetermined date.

17. A communication device comprising:

a receiving unit configured to receive a mail which includes a plurality of mail contents and condition information governing which of the plurality of mail contents can be displayed;

a storage unit configured to store a plurality of mails which are received by the receiving unit;

a display unit configured to display a list of the plurality of mails which are stored in the storage unit; and

a control unit configured to control display of the mail in the list of the plurality of mails with a symbol indicating that the mail includes a plurality of mail contents.

18. The communication device as set forth in claim 17, wherein the symbol indicates the number of mail contents in the mail and a number of the mail contents which has previously been displayed.

19. A method for displaying a mail, the method comprising:

displaying a first information item before a predetermined time and a second information item after the predetermined time, the first information item being different from the second information item;

wherein the first information item, the second information item, and condition information indicating the predetermined time to change display of the information item from the first information item to the second information item are contained in a received mail.

20. The method as set forth in claim 19, wherein the first information item comprises first message content and the second information item comprises second message content.