Method and apparatus for determining destination address of electronic mail (e-mail) message from stored e-mail messages

• US 5,938,725 A
• Filed: 06/23/1997
• Issued: 08/17/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 06/24/1996
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: NEC Corporation
• Original Assignee: NEC Corporation
• Inventors: Hara, Minori
• Primary Examiner(s): Barry, Lance Leonard
• Application Number:
  US08/881,000
• Time in Patent Office: 785 Days
• Field of Search: 395/200.36, 395/200.75, 379/93.24, 707/3, 709/206, 709/245
• US Class Current: 709/206
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/214 using selective forwarding
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/48 Message addressing, e.g. address format or anonymous messages, aliases

Abstract

In an electronic mail transmitting/receiving apparatus, received electronic mails are stored in a storage apparatus, and when a key word is inputted from an input apparatus, an electronic mail containing this key word is retrieved from this storage apparatus. Then, a mail address contained in the electronic mail retrieved by a retrieving unit is extracted as a mail address of a transmission destination candidate. The extracted mail address of the transmission destination candidate is outputted to an output apparatus, and a user selects as a transmission destination mail address, at least one mail address of the transmission destination candidate from the mail addresses of the transmission destination candidates outputted to this output apparatus. As a result, an electronic mail is transmitted to an apparatus having the selected transmission destination mail address.

Claims

1. An electronic mail transmitting/receiving apparatus comprising:

a store storing therein a plurality of electronic mail messages;

an input inputting at least one key word;

a retriever retrieving those electronic mail messages containing said at least one key word from stored said plurality of electronic mail messages; and

an extractor that extracts mail addresses contained within said retrieved electronic mail messages, said extracted mail addresses becoming transmission destination candidate mail addresses.

2. The electronic mail transmitting/receiving apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein said extractor extracts, as said transmission destination candidate mail addresses, at least one mail address of a sender contained in said retrieved electronic mail message, the mail addresses of transmission destinations other than the mail address of the electronic mail transmitting/receiving apparatus, or the mail addresses of global address transmission destinations.

3. The electronic mail transmitting/receiving apparatus as claimed in claim 2, wherein said electronic mail transmitting/receiving apparatus further comprises:

an output for outputting said transmission destination candidates mail addresses.

4. The electronic mail transmitting/receiving apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein said retriever checks if said at least one key word is present within each electronic mail message of stored said plurality of electronic mail messages.

5. The electronic mail transmitting/receiving apparatus as claimed in claim 3, wherein said electronic mail transmitting/receiving apparatus further comprises:

a selector for selecting a final transmission destination mail address from said transmission destination candidate mail addresses; and

a transmitter that transmits an electronic mail message to an apparatus identified by said final transmission destination mail address.

6. The electronic mail transmitting/receiving apparatus as claimed in claim 3, wherein said electronic mail transmitting/receiving apparatus further comprises:

a prioritizer that prioritizes said transmission destination candidate mail addresses.

7. The electronic mail transmitting/receiving apparatus as claimed in claim 6, wherein said output outputs said transmission destination candidate mail addresses in accordance with priorities set by the prioritizer.

8. The electronic mail transmitting/receiving apparatus as claimed in claim 3, wherein said output is a electronic display apparatus.

9. The electronic mail transmitting/receiving apparatus as claimed in claim 5, wherein said selector is a keyboard device.

10. The electronic mail transmitting/receiving apparatus as claimed in claim 5, wherein said selector is a pointing device.

11. The electronic mail transmitting/receiving apparatus as claimed in claim 5, wherein said transmitter is a communication control device.

12. The electronic mail transmitting/receiving apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein said store is a disk storage apparatus.

13. The electronic mail transmitting/receiving apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein said store is an electronic memory.

14. The electronic mail transmitting/receiving apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein said input is a keyboard apparatus.

15. The electronic mail transmitting/receiving apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein said input is a voice-driven apparatus.

16. A method for transmitting/receiving an electronic mail, comprising the steps of:

storing a plurality of electronic mail messages;

inputting at least one key word;

retrieving those electronic mail messages containing said at least one key word from stored said plurality of electronic mail messages;

extracting mail addresses contained within said retrieved electronic mail messages, said extracted mail addresses becoming transmission destination candidate mail addresses.

17. The electronic mail transmitting/retrieving method as claimed in claim 16, wherein the step of extracting, as said transmission destination candidate mail addresses, extracts at least one mail address of a sender contained in said retrieved electronic mail message, the mail addresses of transmission destinations other than the mail address of the electronic mail transmitting/receiving apparatus, or the mail addresses of global address transmission destinations.

18. The electronic mail transmitting/retrieving method as claimed in claim 17, further comprising the step of:

outputting said transmission destination candidate mail addresses.

19. The electronic mail transmitting/retrieving method as claimed in claim 18, further comprising the step of:

prioritizing said transmission destination candidate mail addresses.

20. The electronic mail transmitting/retrieving method as claimed in claim 19, further comprising the step of:

outputting said transmission destination candidate mail addresses in accordance with said prioritization.

21. The electronic mail transmitting/retrieving method as claimed in claim 16, wherein the step of retrieving includes checking if said at least one key word is present within each electronic mail message of stored said plurality of electronic mail messages.

22. The electronic mail transmitting/retrieving method as claimed in claim 16, further comprising the steps of:

selecting a final transmission destination mail address from said transmission destination candidate mail addresses; and

transmitting an electronic mail to an apparatus identified by said final transmission destination mail address.

23. The electronic mail transmitting/retrieving method as claimed in claim 22, wherein the transmission destination candidate addresses are output to an electronic display apparatus.

24. The electronic mail transmitting/retrieving method as claimed in claim 22, wherein the selection step is performed using a keyboard device.

25. The electronic mail transmitting/retrieving method as claimed in claim 22, wherein the selection step is performed using a pointing device.

26. The electronic mail transmitting/retrieving method as claimed in claim 22, wherein the electronic mail message is transmitted using a communication control device.

27. The electronic mail transmitting/retrieving method as claimed in claim 16, wherein the step of storing includes placement of electronic mail messages in a disk storage apparatus.

28. The electronic mail transmitting/retrieving method as claimed in claim 16, wherein the step of storing includes placement of electronic mail messages in an electronic memory.

29. The electronic mail transmitting/retrieving method as claimed in claim 16, wherein the step of inputting is performed with a keyboard apparatus.

30. The electronic mail transmitting/retrieving method as claimed in claim 16, wherein the step of inputting is performed with a voice-driven apparatus.