TV mail system

• US 5,931,905 A
• Filed: 02/28/1997
• Issued: 08/03/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 02/29/1996
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Inventors: Katayama, Yasuko, Hashimoto, Koichi, Miura, Isamu
• Primary Examiner(s): FLYNN, NATHAN J
• Application Number:
  US08/808,856
• Time in Patent Office: 886 Days
• Field of Search: 395/200.47-200.49, 345/327, 348/6, 348/7, 348/10, 348/12, 348/13, 455/3, 455/3.2, 455/37, 455/4.1, 455/42, 455/51, 455/6.1, 455/6.2, 455/6.3
• US Class Current: 709/217
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/00 User-to-user messaging in packet-switching networks, transmitted according to store-and-forward or real-time protocols, e.g. e-mail
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/066 Format adaptation, e.g. format conversion or compression
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4786 e-mailing message switching systems, e.g. electronic mail systems H04L51/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4788 communicating with other users, e.g. chatting arrangements for providing for computer conferences, e.g. chat rooms, to substation in data switching networks H04L12/1813; distributed application using peer-to-peer [P2P] networks H04L67/104
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/445 for displaying additional information H04N5/50 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17318 Direct or substantially direct transmission and handling of requests

Abstract

TV mail system comprising a plurality of televisions each having a receiving function capable of receiving broadcasting radio waves and displaying a program, and a mail server to which the televisions are connected through communication lines, wherein the television has a mail sending function for making mail including at least destination information and the body of a mail to output the mail data to the mail server and a mail receiving function for displaying the contents of mail data received from the mail server together with the received mail, the mail server has a database in which authentication information of users are registered, a receiving mail box for storing received mail data, mail boxes for receivers, a mail distribution device for distributing, to a mail box for the receiver, mail data stored in the receiving mail box by making a reference to the authentication database and an outputting device which sends out the mail data received from one television to at least one different television in corresponding with the destination information.

Claims

1. A TV mail system comprising:

a plurality of televisions each having a receiving function capable of receiving broadcasting radio waves and displaying a program; and

a mail server to which said televisions are connected through communication lines, wherein

each television includes a mail sending portion functioning to compose mail data to be sent to a destination including at least destination information and a body portion and a mail receiving portion functioning to receive mail data from said mail server and to display the received mail data, said mail sending portion further functioning to output the mail data to said mail server and including reply mail making means for preparing reply mail to reply to the received mail from a sender when the received mail is displayed and a request for reply mail is made, said reply mail making means automatically including a telephone number of the sender as said destination information for the reply mail,

the mail server having a database in which authentification information of users is registered, a receiving mailbox for storing received mail data, mailboxes for receivers, a mail distribution means for distributing, to a mailbox for each receiver, mail data stored in said authentification database and an outputting means which sends out the mail data received from one television to at least one different television in correspondence with the destination information.

3. A TV mail system according to claim 1, wherein

said authentication database has a region in which receiving information is written and receiving information is brought to an receiving state when mail data has been received and is brought to a non-receiving state when the mail receiving request has been made.

7. A TV mail system according to claim 1, wherein

said mail sending portion includes forward mail making means which accepts a forward request of a received mail when the received mail is displayed and which makes mail data for transference in which the address of the sender provided for the received mail is automatically set as the address of an original sender when a request to forward the received mail has been made.

9. A TV mail system according to claim 3, wherein

said television has forward mail making means which accepts a forward request of a received mail when the received mail is displayed and which makes mail data for transference in which the address of the sender provided for the received mail is automatically set as the address of an original sender when a request to forward the received mail has been made.

13. A TV mail system according to claim 1, wherein

said mail server has a sending history box prepared for each user, means for storing mail data in said receiving mail box when said server has received mail data and storing mail data in a sending history box for the user and means which takes out the sending history from said sending history box for the user when a sending history request has been received to make sending history data so as to output the sending history data to said television from which the request has been made, and

said television has means which accepts sending history request on the mail service screen to output the sending history request data to the server provided with said sending history box and means for displaying a list of sending history of the user on the basis of sending history data transmitted from said server to correspond to said sending history request.

15. A TV mail system according to claim 3, wherein

said mail server has a sending history box prepared for each user, means for storing mail data in said receiving mail box when said server has received mail data and storing mail data in a sending history box for the user and means which takes out the sending history from said sending history box for the user when a sending history request has been received to make sending history data so as to output the sending history data to said television from which the request has been made, and

said television has means which accepts sending history request on the mail service screen to output the sending history request data to the server provided with said sending history box and means for displaying a list of sending history of the user on the basis of sending history data transmitted from said server to correspond to said sending history request.

19. A TV mail system according to claim 7, wherein

said mail server has a sending history box prepared for each user, means for storing mail data in said receiving mail box when said server has received mail data and storing mail data in a sending history box for the user and means which takes out the sending history from said sending history box for the user when a sending history request has been received to make sending history data so as to output the sending history data to said television from which the request has been made, and

said television has means which accepts sending history request on the mail service screen to output the sending history request data to the server provided with said sending history box and means for displaying a list of sending history of the user on the basis of sending history data transmitted from said server to correspond to said sending history request.

21. A TV mail system according to claim 9, wherein

said mail server has a sending history box prepared for each user, means for storing mail data in said receiving mail box when said server has received mail data and storing mail data in a sending history box for the user and means which takes out the sending history from said sending history box for the user when a sending history request has been received to make sending history data so as to output the sending history data to said television from which the request has been made, and

said television has means which accepts sending history request on the mail service screen to output the sending history request data to the server provided with said sending history box and means for displaying a list of sending history of the user on the basis of sending history data transmitted from said server to correspond to said sending history request.

25. A TV mail system according to any one of claims 1 or 2, wherein

said television has classification selection means for causing a classification list of typical bodies to cause a user to select a classification of the typical bodies from the classification list, typical body selection means for causing a list of the typical bodies belonging to the classification of the typical bodies selected by said classification selection means to cause the user to select a typical body and input support means for supporting writing of a mail by inserting one or a plurality of the typical bodies selected by said typical body selection means into a mail body which is being written.

26. A TV mail system according to any one of claims 1 or 2, wherein

said television has printing means for reading contents of screen data which is being displayed on the screen and printing screen data and means for requesting said printing means to print the contents by recognizing a print command issued from a user.

27. A TV mail system according to claim 25, wherein

said television has printing means for reading contents of screen data which is being displayed on the screen and printing screen data and means for requesting said printing means to print the contents by recognizing a print command issued from a user.

28. A TV mail system according to claim 26, wherein

said television has means for adding, to mail data, a print permission flag indicating whether or not the mail can be printed and means for checking the print permission flag added to mail data received by said television to determine whether or not printing is permitted.

29. A TV mail system according to claim 27, wherein

said television has means for adding, to mail data, a print permission flag indicating whether or not the mail can be printed and means for checking the print permission flag added to mail data received by said television to determine whether or not printing is permitted.

30. A TV mail system according to any one of claims 1 or 2, wherein

said mail server has a screen database for storing screen data relating to a mail service which is displayed by said television so that required screen data taken out from said screen database is forwarded to said television which has made a request.

31. A TV mail system according to claim 25, wherein

said mail server has a screen database for storing screen data relating to a mail service which is displayed by said television so that required screen data taken out from said screen database is forwarded to said television which has made a request.

32. A TV mail system according to claim 26, wherein

said mail server has a screen database for storing screen data relating to a mail service which is displayed by said television so that required screen data taken out from said screen database is forwarded to said television which has made a request.

33. A TV mail system according to claim 27, wherein

said mail server has a screen database for storing screen data relating to a mail service which is displayed by said television so that required screen data taken out from said screen database is forwarded to said television which has made a request.

34. A TV mail system according to claim 28, wherein

said mail server has a screen database for storing screen data relating to a mail service which is displayed by said television so that required screen data taken out from said screen database is forwarded to said television which has made a request.

35. A TV mail system according to claim 29, wherein

said mail server has a screen database for storing screen data relating to a mail service which is displayed by said television so that required screen data taken out from said screen database is forwarded to said television which has made a request.

36. A TV mail system according to any one of claims 1 or 2, wherein

said television has means for extracting, from received broadcasting radio waves transmitted from a broadcast station, a script in which procedures for mail transmission and receipt, a variety of required screen data items corresponding to the contents of the mail service and control contents of screen display are described and a memory for storing the script extracted by said extracting means.

37. A TV mail system according to claim 25, wherein

said television has means for extracting, from received broadcasting radio waves transmitted from a broadcast station, a script in which procedures for mail transmission and receipt, a variety of required screen data items corresponding to the contents of the mail service and control contents of screen display are described and a memory for storing the script extracted by said extracting means.

38. A TV mail system according to claim 26, wherein

said television has means for extracting, from received broadcasting radio waves transmitted from a broadcast station, a script in which procedures for mail transmission and receipt, a variety of required screen data items corresponding to the contents of the mail service and control contents of screen display are described and a memory for storing the script extracted by said extracting means.

39. A TV mail system according to claim 27, wherein

said television has means for extracting, from received broadcasting radio waves transmitted from a broadcast station, a script in which procedures for mail transmission and receipt, a variety of required screen data items corresponding to the contents of the mail service and control contents of screen display are described and a memory for storing the script extracted by said extracting means.

40. A TV mail system according to claim 28, wherein

said television has means for extracting, from received broadcasting radio waves transmitted from a broadcast station, a script in which procedures for mail transmission and receipt, a variety of required screen data items corresponding to the contents of the mail service and control contents of screen display are described and a memory for storing the script extracted by said extracting means.

41. A TV mail system according to claim 29, wherein

said television has means for extracting, from received broadcasting radio waves transmitted from a broadcast station, a script in which procedures for mail transmission and receipt, a variety of required screen data items corresponding to the contents of the mail service and control contents of screen display are described and a memory for storing the script extracted by said extracting means.

42. A TV mail system according to claim 36, wherein

said television has means for accepting a script update request supplied from a user and script update means for storing a corresponding script in said memory to update the script when the script has been extracted from the received broadcasting radio waves in a state where the script update request supplied to said acceptance means is effective.

43. A TV mail system according to claim 37, wherein

said television has means for accepting a script update request supplied from a user and script update means for storing a corresponding script in said memory to update the script when the script has been extracted from the received broadcasting radio waves in a state where the script update request supplied to said acceptance means is effective.

44. A TV mail system according to claim 38, wherein

said television has means for accepting a script update request supplied from a user and script update means for storing a corresponding script in said memory to update the script when the script has been extracted from the received broadcasting radio waves in a state where the script update request supplied to said acceptance means is effective.

45. A TV mail system according to claim 40, wherein

said television has means for accepting a script update request supplied from a user and script update means for storing a corresponding script in said memory to update the script when the script has been extracted from the received broadcasting radio waves in a state where the script update request supplied to said acceptance means is effective.

46. A TV mail system according to claim 40, wherein

said television has means for accepting a script update request supplied from a user and script update means for storing a corresponding script in said memory to update the script when the script has been extracted from the received broadcasting radio waves in a state where the script update request supplied to said acceptance means is effective.

47. A TV mail system according to claim 41, wherein

said television has means for accepting a script update request supplied from a user and script update means for storing a corresponding script in said memory to update the script when the script has been extracted from the received broadcasting radio waves in a state where the script update request supplied to said acceptance means is effective.

2. A TV mail system comprising:

a plurality of televisions each having a receiving function capable of receiving broadcasting radio waves and displaying a program; and

a mail server to which said televisions are connected through communication lines, wherein

said television has a mail sending function for displaying a mail sending screen and accepting destination telephone number and a mail body to make mail data so as to output the mail data to said mail server, and a mail receiving function for receiving mail data transmitted from said mail server to meet a mail receiving request to display a mail receipt screen on the basis of the contents of mail data, and

said mail server has a database in which authentication information including user identifier of users of said televisions are registered, a receiving mail box for storing received mail data, mail boxes for receivers, name analysis means which retrieves said authentication database in accordance with destination telephone number of mail data stored in said receiving mail box to acquire information for specifying said mail box of a destined receiver, mail distribution means for storing mail data stored in said receiving mail box in said mail box in accordance with information for specifying said mail box, and transfer means which takes out mail information from the corresponding mail box to meet a mail receiving request from said television to make mail data so as to output the mail data to said televisions of the receiver who has made the mail receiving request.

4. A TV mail system according to claim 2, wherein

said authentication database has a region in which receiving information is written and receiving information is brought to an receiving state when mail data has been received and is brought to a non-receiving state when the mail receiving request has been made.

5. A TV mail system according to claim 2, wherein

said television has reply mail making means which accepts a reply mail to the received mail when a received mail is displayed and which makes mail data for a reply mail in which telephone number of the sender provided for the received mail is automatically set as destined telephone number when a request to make the reply mail has been made.

6. A TV mail system according to claim 4, wherein

said television has reply mail making means which accepts a reply mail to the received mail when a received mail is displayed and which makes mail data for a reply mail in which telephone number of the sender provided for the received mail is automatically set as destined telephone number when a request to make the reply mail has been made.

8. A TV mail system according to claim 2, wherein

said television has forward mail making means which accepts a forward request of a received mail when the received mail is displayed and which makes mail data for transference in which the address of the sender provided for the received mail is automatically set as the address of an original sender when a request to forward the received mail has been made.

10. A TV mail system according to claim 4, wherein

said television has forward mail making means which accepts a forward request of a received mail when the received mail is displayed and which makes mail data for transference in which the address of the sender provided for the received mail is automatically set as the address of an original sender when a request to forward the received mail has been made.

11. A TV mail system according to claim 5, wherein

said television has forward mail making means which accepts a forward request of a received mail when the received mail is displayed and which makes mail data for transference in which the address of the sender provided for the received mail is automatically set as the address of an original sender when a request to forward the received mail has been made.

12. A TV mail system according to claim 6, wherein

said television has forward mail making means which accepts a forward request of a received mail when the received mail is displayed and which makes mail data for transference in which the address of the sender provided for the received mail is automatically set as the address of an original sender when a request to forward the received mail has been made.

14. A TV mail system according to claim 2, wherein

said mail server has a sending history box prepared for each user, means for storing mail data in said receiving mail box when said server has received mail data and storing mail data in a sending history box for the user and means which takes out the sending history from said sending history box for the user when a sending history request has been received to make sending history data so as to output the sending history data to said television from which the request has been made, and

said television has means which accepts sending history request on the mail service screen to output the sending history request data to the server provided with said sending history box and means for displaying a list of sending history of the user on the basis of sending history data transmitted from said server to correspond to said sending history request.

16. A TV mail system according to claim 4, wherein

said mail server has a sending history box prepared for each user, means for storing mail data in said receiving mail box when said server has received mail data and storing mail data in a sending history box for the user and means which takes out the sending history from said sending history box for the user when a sending history request has been received to make sending history data so as to output the sending history data to said television from which the request has been made, and

said television has means which accepts sending history request on the mail service screen to output the sending history request data to the server provided with said sending history box and means for displaying a list of sending history of the user on the basis of sending history data transmitted from said server to correspond to said sending history request.

17. A TV mail system according to claim 5, wherein

said mail server has a sending history box prepared for each user, means for storing mail data in said receiving mail box when said server has received mail data and storing mail data in a sending history box for the user and means which takes out the sending history from said sending history box for the user when a sending history request has been received to make sending history data so as to output the sending history data to said television from which the request has been made, and

said television has means which accepts sending history request on the mail service screen to output the sending history request data to the server provided with said sending history box and means for displaying a list of sending history of the user on the basis of sending history data transmitted from said server to correspond to said sending history request.

18. A TV mail system according to claim 6, wherein

said mail server has a sending history box prepared for each user, means for storing mail data in said receiving mail box when said server has received mail data and storing mail data in a sending history box for the user and means which takes out the sending history from said sending history box for the user when a sending history request has been received to make sending history data so as to output the sending history data to said television from which the request has been made, and

said television has means which accepts sending history request on the mail service screen to output the sending history request data to the server provided with said sending history box and means for displaying a list of sending history of the user on the basis of sending history data transmitted from said server to correspond to said sending history request.

20. A TV mail system according to claim 8, wherein

said mail server has a sending history box prepared for each user, means for storing mail data in said receiving mail box when said server has received mail data and storing mail data in a sending history box for the user and means which takes out the sending history from said sending history box for the user when a sending history request has been received to make sending history data so as to output the sending history data to said television from which the request has been made, and

said television has means which accepts sending history request on the mail service screen to output the sending history request data to the server provided with said sending history box and means for displaying a list of sending history of the user on the basis of sending history data transmitted from said server to correspond to said sending history request.

22. A TV mail system according to claim 10, wherein

said mail server has a sending history box prepared for each user, means for storing mail data in said receiving mail box when said server has received mail data and storing mail data in a sending history box for the user and means which takes out the sending history from said sending history box for the user when a sending history request has been received to make sending history data so as to output the sending history data to said television from which the request has been made, and

said television has means which accepts sending history request on the mail service screen to output the sending history request data to the server provided with said sending history box and means for displaying a list of sending history of the user on the basis of sending history data transmitted from said server to correspond to said sending history request.

23. A TV mail system according to claim 11, wherein

said mail server has a sending history box prepared for each user, means for storing mail data in said receiving mail box when said server has received mail data and storing mail data in a sending history box for the user and means which takes out the sending history from said sending history box for the user when a sending history request has been received to make sending history data so as to output the sending history data to said television from which the request has been made, and

said television has means which accepts sending history request on the mail service screen to output the sending history request data to the server provided with said sending history box and means for displaying a list of sending history of the user on the basis of sending history data transmitted from said server to correspond to said sending history request.

24. A TV mail system according to claim 12, wherein

said mail server has a sending history box prepared for each user, means for storing mail data in said receiving mail box when said server has received mail data and storing mail data in a sending history box for the user and means which takes out the sending history from said sending history box for the user when a sending history request has been received to make sending history data so as to output the sending history data to said television from which the request has been made, and

said television has means which accepts sending history request on the mail service screen to output the sending history request data to the server provided with said sending history box and means for displaying a list of sending history of the user on the basis of sending history data transmitted from said server to correspond to said sending history request.

48. A TV mail system comprising:

a plurality of televisions each having a receiving function capable of receiving broadcasting radio waves and displaying a program; and

a mail server to which said televisions are connected through communication lines, wherein

each television includes a mail sending portion functioning to compose mail data to be sent to a destination including at least destination information and a body portion and a mail receiving portion functioning to receive mail data from said mail server and to display the received mail data, said mail sending portion further functioning to output the mail data to said mail server and to automatically include at least a telephone number of a sender of received mail data as the destination information of mail data to be composed when a user commands composing of reply mail data relative to any of said received mail data as said mail data,

said mail server further has a database in which authentification information of users is registered, a receiving mailbox for storing received mail data, mailboxes for receivers, a mail distribution means for distributing, to a mailbox for each receiver, mail data stored in said authentification database and an outputting means which sends out the mail data received from one television to at least one different television in correspondence with the destination information.