Automatic transfer for electronic mail using an automatic transfer name as a keyword

• US 5,974,448 A
• Filed: 09/30/1996
• Issued: 10/26/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 03/01/1996
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
• Original Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
• Inventors: Yamauchi, Toshiki, Yamaguchi, Hiroshi
• Primary Examiner(s): Ramirez, Ellis B.
• Application Number:
  US08/723,124
• Time in Patent Office: 1,121 Days
• Field of Search: 370/312, 370/389, 379/89, 379/93.01, 379/93.24, 395/200.36, 395/200.37, 395/200.68, 395/200.73, 395/200.75, 709/206
• US Class Current: 709/206
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/107 Computer-aided management of electronic mailing [e-mailing]
• 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

A system for automatic transfer of electronic mail which can set and modify the automatic mail transfer operation without requiring users to learn the operating method or requiring the system manager to set up the transfer. The mail handler retrieves the user address books of the intended receivers of a mail message using an automatic transfer destination name as a keyword and transfers the message to the user corresponding to the automatic transfer destination name when the keyword exists in the user'"'"'s address book.

Claims

1. An automatic transfer unit for handling electronic mail in a computer electronic mail system which takes an electronic mail message originally intended to be sent to one user and automatically transfers said message to alternate users, comprising:

address books provided for each user of the system to manage a plurality of entries, each entry including one or more destination names having corresponding mail addresses; and

a mail handler to retrieve and search said address books for a keyword, and to transfer the mail message to the mail address corresponding to said keyword, wherein the keyword corresponds to a destination name of the address books and modification of said keyword is unified with modification of said address books.

2. An automatic transfer unit as set forth in claim 1, further comprising an external memory and wherein automatic transfer destination names are stored in said external memory.

3. An automatic transfer unit as set forth in claim 1, wherein said automatic transfer destination names are updatable.

4. An automatic transfer unit, comprising:

address books including destination names having corresponding mail addresses;

transfer destination name memory means for management of a transfer destination name for transfer of mail; and

a mail handler to retrieve the address books, search for the transfer destination name stored in the transfer destination name memory means, and transfer mail to a mail address corresponding to said transfer destination name when said transfer destination name is found, wherein the transfer destination name corresponds to a destination name of the address books and modification of said transfer destination name is unified with modification of said destination name.

5. A method for handling a mail message, comprising the steps of:

receiving the mail message originated from a sender;

converting a destination name of the mail message to a mail address based on a system address book and a plurality of user address books, each including one or more destination names having corresponding mail addresses;

reading an automatic transfer destination name that corresponds to a destination name of the address books;

automatically modifying the automatic transfer destination name in response to modification of the destination name;

retrieving the user address book of each receiver and searching for the automatic transfer destination name; and

either storing the message in a mail box of the receiver, or transferring the message to a mail address corresponding to the automatic transfer destination name.

6. An e-mail system, comprising:

a storage unit storing a user'"'"'s address book including a keyword designating transfer of the user'"'"'s e-mail to a destination, and one or more destination names having corresponding mail addresses; and

an e-mail server coupled to said storage unit, checking the user'"'"'s address book for the keyword and transferring the e-mail to the destination when the user'"'"'s address book includes the keyword, wherein the keyword corresponds to a destination name of the user'"'"'s address book so that modification of the keyword is unified with modification of the destination names.

7. An e-mail process, comprising:

designating a keyword indicating e-mail transfer;

scanning a receiver'"'"'s address book, containing destination names and corresponding mail addresses, for the keyword;

transferring the e-mail to a destination associated with the keyword when the keyword is in the receiver'"'"'s address book; and

storing the e-mail in the receiver'"'"'s mail box when the keyword is not in the receiver'"'"'s address book, wherein the keyword is a destination name and modification of the destination names is unified with modification of the keyword.

8. An automatic transfer unit to transfer electronic mail from a receiver to an automatic transfer destination, comprising:

user address books that include a destination name and a corresponding mail address; and

a mail handler to search a user address book corresponding to the receiver, and to transfer the mail to a mail address corresponding to a destination name of the user address book defined as a keyword, wherein the automatic transfer destination of the user address books can be modified by changing the keyword in response to modification of the destination name so that modification of the automatic transfer destination is unified with modification of the destination names.

9. An automatic transfer unit for handling electronic mail between a plurality of users and transferring electronic mail from a receiver to a designated automatic transfer destination, comprising:

user address books that each include a destination name and a corresponding mail address defined by a corresponding user; and

a mail handler to search a user address book corresponding to the receiver, and to transfer the mail to a mail address corresponding to a destination name of the user address book that is defined as a keyword, wherein the automatic transfer destination is designated by each of the plurality of users in a manner similar to the defining of the destination name so that modification of the destination name is unified with modification of the keyword.