Electronic mail accounting system
First Claim
1. An electronic mail system for storing, in an electronic mail center, electronic mail sent by a sender, transmitting said electronic mail from said electronic mail center to a receiver if said receiver issues a request for a reception of said electronic mail stored in said electronic mail center, said system comprising:
- fee payer designating means, for receiving from said sender, an information which designates whether said sender or said receiver is a fee payer,mail summary information sending means for sending information containing a name of said sender and a designation of a reception fee payer of said electronic mail addressed to said receiver when said receiver inquires an information about said electronic mail addressed to him,billing means for charging a fee payer, said billing means charging said sender a reception fee for transmitting said electronic mail if said sender designates himself as a communications fee payer using said fee payer designating means, and charging said receiver the reception fee for transmitting said electronic mail if said sender designates said receiver as a communications fee payer using said fee payer designating means, in response to an acceptance from said receiver, andelectronic mail delivery designating means, provided at said receiver, for designating electronic mail to be delivered to said receiver from among said electronic mail addressed to said receiver.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
When sending electronic mail, a sender designates the payer of the communications fee for the transmission between an electronic mail center and a receiver, that is, the sender or the receiver. When the receiver accesses the electronic mail center, the electronic mail center notifies as the mail summary information for each mail the payer of the fee for the communication between the electronic mail center and the receiver. The fee payer information is displayed on the terminal of the receiver. When the receiver receives from the electronic mail center the electronic mail addressed to him, the electronic mail center generates a bill according to the fee required for the delivery of the electronic mail separately for senders and receivers. In this case, the communications fee for the transmission between the electronic mail center and the receiver is charged to the payer designated by the sender when the electronic mail is sent.
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Citations
13 Claims
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1. An electronic mail system for storing, in an electronic mail center, electronic mail sent by a sender, transmitting said electronic mail from said electronic mail center to a receiver if said receiver issues a request for a reception of said electronic mail stored in said electronic mail center, said system comprising:
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fee payer designating means, for receiving from said sender, an information which designates whether said sender or said receiver is a fee payer, mail summary information sending means for sending information containing a name of said sender and a designation of a reception fee payer of said electronic mail addressed to said receiver when said receiver inquires an information about said electronic mail addressed to him, billing means for charging a fee payer, said billing means charging said sender a reception fee for transmitting said electronic mail if said sender designates himself as a communications fee payer using said fee payer designating means, and charging said receiver the reception fee for transmitting said electronic mail if said sender designates said receiver as a communications fee payer using said fee payer designating means, in response to an acceptance from said receiver, and electronic mail delivery designating means, provided at said receiver, for designating electronic mail to be delivered to said receiver from among said electronic mail addressed to said receiver. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13)
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Specification