Method for acquiring communication information

• US 6,175,873 B1
• Filed: 03/23/1998
• Issued: 01/16/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 03/26/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Hanger Solutions, LLC (IP Investments Group LLC)
• Original Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha (Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Yamane, Kenichi, Isoe, Toshio
• Primary Examiner(s): Maung, Zarni
• Assistant Examiner(s): Cardone, Jason D.
• Application Number:
  US09/046,125
• Time in Patent Office: 1,030 Days
• Field of Search: 709/237, 709/206, 709/207, 709/229, 709/244, 455/412, 379/93.02, 379/90.01, 340/825.34, 713/200, 713/201, 705/8
• US Class Current: 709/237
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/62 Establishing a time schedule for servicing the requests
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols

Abstract

A method for acquiring communication information in a communication system between a plurality of user communication terminals via a host computer on a network. The method includes registering, for each user communication terminal, beforehand in the host computer a user information including a communication confirmation schedule. The host computer transmits user information of a second user communication terminal to a first user communication terminal. This occurs when the host computer detects a communication connection from the first user communication terminal to the second user communication terminal.

Claims

1. A method for acquiring communication information in a communication system between a plurality of user communication terminals via a host computer on a network, the method comprising:

registering, for each user communication terminal, beforehand in the host computer user information including a communication confirmation schedule,

transmitting by the host computer information of a second user communication terminal to a first user communication terminal when the host computer detects a communication connection from the first user communication terminal to the second user communication terminal.

2. The method for acquiring communication information of claim 1, wherein, when the host computer detects the communication connection from the first user communication terminal to the second user communication terminal, the host computer extracts the communication confirmation schedule from the user information of the second user communication terminal, compares the extracted communication confirmation schedule with a current time, and prohibits the user information of the second user communication terminal from being transmitted to the first user communication terminal if the current time falls after the extracted communication confirmation schedule.

5. The method of acquiring communication according to claim 1, wherein the communication system transmits e-mail messages.

3. A method for acquiring communication information in a communication system between a plurality of user communication terminals via a host computer on a network, the method comprising:

registering, for each user communication terminal, beforehand in the host computer user information including a communication confirmation schedule and an identification information of user communication terminals which are permitted to receive the user information,

examining by the host computer from the identification information whether a first user communication terminal is permitted to receive a user information of a second user communication terminal, and

transmitting the user information of the second user communication terminal to the first user communication terminal if it is found that the first user communication terminal is permitted to receive the user information of the second user communication terminal.

4. The method for acquiring communication information of claim 3, wherein, when the host computer detects a communication connection from the first user communication terminal to the second user communication terminal, the host computer extracts a communication confirmation schedule from the user information of the second user communication terminal, compares the extracted communication confirmation schedule with a current time, and prohibits the user information of the second user communication terminal from being transmitted to the first user communication terminal if the current time falls after the extracted communication confirmation schedule.

6. The method of acquiring communication according to claim 3, wherein the communication system transmits e-mail messages.

7. A method for acquiring communication information in a communication system between a plurality of user communication terminals via a host computer on a network, the method comprising:

registering beforehand in the host computer, communication confirmation-permitted schedule information indicating an electronic message check-permitted time at each user communication terminal,

transmitting by the host computer the communication confirmation-permitted schedule information of a second user communication terminal to a first user communication terminal when the host computer detects a communication connection from the first user communication terminal to the second user communication terminal.

8. A method for acquiring communication information according to claim 7, wherein when the host computer detects the communication connection from the first user communication terminal to the second user communication terminal, the host computer extracts the electronic message check-permitted time of the second user from the communication confirmation-permitted schedule information, compares the extracted electronic message check-permitted time with a current time, and

delivers a message to the first user communication terminal telling that an electric mail can not be checked if the current time falls after the extracted check-permitted time of e-mail messages.

9. A method for acquiring communication information in a communication system between a plurality of user communication terminals via a host computer on a network, the method comprising:

registering beforehand in the host computer, user information including communication confirmation-permitted schedule information indicating an electronic message check-permitted time at each user communication terminal, and an identification information of user communication terminals which are permitted to receive the user information, examining by the host computer on the basis of the identification information whether a first user communication terminal is permitted to receive user information of a second user communication terminal, and

transmitting the user information of the second user communication terminal to the first user communication terminal if the first user communication terminal is permitted to receive the user information of the second communication terminal.

10. A method for acquiring communication information according to claim 9, wherein when the host computer detects a communication connection from the first user communication terminal to the second user communication terminal, the host computer extracts a communication check-permitted schedule from the user information, compares the electronic message check-permitted time of the extracted communication confirmation-permitted schedule with a current time, and

prohibits the user information of the second user communication terminal from being transmitted to the first user communication terminal if the current time falls after the extracted electronic message check-permitted time.