Electronic mail accounting system

• US 5,508,817 A
• Filed: 03/19/1993
• Issued: 04/16/1996
• Est. Priority Date: 03/19/1992
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
• Original Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
• Inventors: Kunigami, Toshio
• Primary Examiner(s): Coles, Sr., Edward L.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Esposo, Allan A.
• Application Number:
  US08/034,513
• Time in Patent Office: 1,124 Days
• Field of Search: 358/400, 358/402, 358/403, 358/407, 358/401, 358/442, 379/100, 379/93, 364/401, 364/406, 364/408, 364/514, 364/518, 364/900, 364/919.5, 364/937, 364/940.9
• US Class Current: 358/402
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/107 Computer-aided management of electronic mailing [e-mailing]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/04 Billing or invoicing
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/14 Charging , metering or billing arrangements for data wireline or wireless communications
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1414 in real-time
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1428 Invoice generation, e.g. customization, lay-out, database processing, algorithms for calculating the bill or formatting invoices as WWW pages invoicing in general G06Q30/04
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1471 splitting of costs
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1485 Tariff-related aspects
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/23 Reliability checks, e.g. acknowledgments or fault reporting
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/234 for tracking messages

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.

Claims

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, 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.

2. The electronic mail system according to claim 1, wherein

said mail summary information sending means sends an information about a time of sending of said electronic mail.

3. The electronic mail system according to claim 1, wherein

said mail summary information sending means sends an information about a volume of said electronic mail.

4. The electronic mail system according to claim 1, wherein

said billing means for charging a fee payer designated by said sender of said electronic mail through said fee payer designating means for the reception fee of said electronic mail when said receiver receives plural pieces of said electronic mail sent by different senders through said electronic mail delivery designating means.

5. The electronic mail system according to claim 1, wherein

said billing means notifies said sender in addition to the reception fee of a reception time of said electronic mail, a fee of which is born by said sender, received by said receiver from said electronic mail center through said electronic mail delivery designating means.

6. The electronic mail system according to claim 2, wherein

said mail summary information sending means sends an information about a volume of said electronic mail.

7. The electronic mail system according to claim 2, wherein

said billing means for charging a fee payer designated by said sender of said electronic mail through said fee payer designating means for the reception fee of said electronic mail when said receiver receives plural pieces of said electronic mail sent by different senders through said electronic mail delivery designating means.

8. The electronic mail system according to claim 2, wherein

said billing means notifies said sender in addition to the reception fee of a reception time of said electronic mail, a fee of which is born by said sender, received by said receiver from said electronic mail center through said electronic mail delivery designating means.

9. The electronic mail system according to claim 3, wherein

said billing means for charging a fee payer designated by said sender of said electronic mail through said fee payer designating means for the reception fee of said electronic mail when said receiver receives plural pieces of said electronic mail sent by different senders through said electronic mail delivery designating means.

10. The electronic mail system according to claim 3, wherein

said billing means notifies said sender in addition to the reception fee of a reception time of said electronic mail, a fee of which is born by said sender, received by said receiver from said electronic mail center through said electronic mail delivery designating means.

11. The electronic mail system according to claim 4, wherein

said billing means notifies said sender in addition to the reception fee of a reception time of said electronic mail, a fee of which is born by said sender, received by said receiver from said electronic mail center through said electronic mail delivery designating means.

12. The electronic mail system according to claim 11, wherein

said billing means notifies said sender of time taken for reception of said electronic mail.

13. The electronic mail system according to claim 1, and further comprising mail summary displaying means, provided at said receiver, for displaying the information sent from said mail summary information sending means about said electronic mail addressed to said receiver.