E-mail sending/receiving system, e-mail sending /receiving method and recording medium having recorded the method

• US 6,189,027 B1
• Filed: 06/25/1998
• Issued: 02/13/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 09/24/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha (Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha (Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Haneda, Isamu, Isoe, Toshio
• Primary Examiner(s): Maung, Zarni
• Assistant Examiner(s): Cardone, Jason D.
• Application Number:
  US09/104,169
• Time in Patent Office: 964 Days
• Field of Search: 709/206, 709/207, 709/205, 709/104, 709/105, 379/93.24, 711/111, 711/126, 711/146, 711/156, 711/133, 711/134, 711/135, 711/136, 711/170, 711/171, 707/9, 707/10, 707/204, 707/205, 345/330, 345/331, 345/332
• 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 51/226 Delivery according to priorities

Abstract

An e-mail sending/receiving system is furnished with a host computer having a storage section for storing mails, a first control device for extracting the mails to be sent to a terminal in accordance with priorities assigned to the mails. Thus, the user can receive mails with higher priorities, such as urgent or important mails, in a secure manner without worrying about an available memory capacity of the terminal.

Claims

1. An e-mail sending/receiving system comprising a terminal and a host computer, said host computer including:

a first storage section for storing mails; and

first control means for extracting mails to be sent to said terminal in accordance with priorities assigned to the mails, and

said terminal including;

a second storage section for storing the mails sent from said host computer; and

second control means for comparing a volume of the mails to be sent from said host computer with an available memory capacity of said second storage section, and when it turns out that the available memory capacity is short, for sending back the mails having been stored in said second storage section to said host computer in a volume corresponding to a shortage of the available memory capacity, and subsequently erasing said mails sent back to said host computer from said second storage section, and

wherein said host computer includes internal control means for storing said mails sent back from said terminal in said first storage section.

2. The e-mail sending/receiving system of claim 1, wherein said terminal includes list information storing means for storing list information of the mails to be sent back to said host computer and subsequently erased from said second storage section.

3. The e-mail sending/receiving system of claim 2, wherein said second control means includes internal control means for extracting the list information from the mails to be sent back to said host computer and subsequently erased from said second storage section, and consequently storing the list information extracted into said list information storing means.

4. The e-mail sending/receiving system of claim 1, wherein said terminal is connected to said host computer through a communication line when receiving the mails.

5. The e-mail sending/receiving system of claim 1, wherein said first control means includes internal control means for sequentially sending the extracted mails to said terminal.

6. The e-mail sending/receiving system of claim 1, wherein said first control means includes internal control means for extracting the mails to be sent to said terminal in accordance with the priorities and whether a user of said terminal has confirmed the mails or not.

7. The e-mail sending/receiving system of claim 1, wherein

when it turns out that the available memory capacity is sufficient, said first control means consequently sends the mails to said terminal.

8. The e-mail sending/receiving system of claim 1, wherein said first control means includes internal control means for, after said mails sent back to said host computer have been erased from said second storage section, sending the mails stored in said first storage section to said terminal.

9. The e-mail sending/receiving system of claim 1, wherein said second control means includes a judging section for judging a relation in size between the volume of the mails received from said host computer and the available memory capacity of said second storage section, and consequently determining whether to receive the mails from said host computer or to erase the mails having been stored in said second storage section in accordance with the priorities based on the judged relation in size.

10. The e-mail sending/receiving system of claim 1, wherein said first control means includes internal control means for extracting the mails assigned with the priorities at or above a particular level as the mails to be sent from said host computer to said terminal.

11. The e-mail sending/receiving system of claim 1, wherein said second control means includes internal control means for extracting the mails to be sent back to said host computer and subsequently erased among mails to which saving is allowed.

12. An e-mail sending/receiving method comprising:

extracting mails having been stored in a first storage section of a host computer in accordance with priorities assigned to the mails;

comparing a volume of the mails to be sent from said host computer with an available memory capacity of a second storage section of a terminal where mails sent from said host computer are stored;

when it turns out that the available memory capacity is short, extracting the mails having been stored in said second storage section in a volume corresponding to a shortage of the available memory capacity in accordance with the priorities;

sending back the mails extracted from said second storage section to said host computer to be stored in said first storage section;

erasing the mails sent back and stored in said first storage section from said second storage section; and

sending the mails extracted from said first storage section to said terminal.

13. The e-mail sending/receiving method of claim 12, further comprising:

sending the mails to said terminal when it turns out that sufficient memory capacity of said second storage section is available.

14. The e-mail sending/receiving method of claim 12, further comprising:

extracting list information from the mails to be sent back to said host computer and subsequently erased from said second storage section; and

storing the extracted list information in list information storing means provided in said terminal.

15. The e-mail sending/receiving method of claim 12, wherein said step of extracting mails from said first storage section includes a sub-step of extracting the mails assigned with the priorities at or above a particular level as the mails to be sent from said host computer to said terminal.

16. The e-mail sending/receiving method of claim 12, wherein said step of extracting the mails from said second storage section includes a sub-step of extracting the mails to be sent back to said host computer and subsequently erased from said second storage section from mails to which saving is allowed.

17. A computer-readable recording medium having recorded thereon a program that can be used to direct a computer to perform:

process of extracting mails stored in a first storage section of a host computer in accordance with priorities assigned to the mails;

a process of sending the mails extracted from said first storage section to a terminal;

a process of comparing a volume of the mails to be sent from said host computer with an available memory capacity of a second storage section of said terminal where the mails sent from said host computer are stored;

a process of, when it turns out that the available memory capacity is short, extracting the mails having been stored in said second storage section in a volume corresponding to a shortage in accordance with the priorities;

a process of sending back the mails extracted from said second storage section to said host computer to be stored in said first storage section; and

a process of erasing the mails sent back to said host computer and stored in said first storage section from said second storage section.

18. The computer-readable recording medium of claim 17, wherein said program can be used to direct the computer to further perform:

a process of, when sufficient memory capacity of said second storage section is available, sending the mails to said terminal using said sending process.

19. The computer-readable recording medium of claim 17, wherein said program can be used to direct the computer to further perform:

a process of extracting list information of the mails to be sent back to said host computer and subsequently erased from said second storage section; and

a process of storing the extracted list information into list information storage means provided in said terminal.

20. The computer-readable recording medium of claim 17, wherein said program can be used to direct the computer, in said process of extracting mails from said first storage section, to extract the mails having the priorities at or above a particular level as the mails to be sent from said host computer to said terminal.

21. The computer-readable recording medium of claim 17, wherein said program can be used to direct the computer, in said process of extracting the mails from said second storage section, to extract the mails to be sent back to said host computer and subsequently erased from mails to which saving is allowed.

22. A terminal for use with a host computer of an electronic mail system, comprising:

a terminal memory for storing electronic mail messages; and

a terminal control section configured to compare a volume of electronic mail messages to be sent from said host computer with an available space in said terminal memory and, if the available space in said terminal memory is less than the volume of electronic mail messages to be sent, to send to said host computer for storage, in a volume corresponding to the shortage of available memory space, selected electronic mail messages currently stored in said terminal memory and to then erase the sent electronic mail messages from said terminal memory.

23. The terminal of claim 22, wherein priorities are associated with the electronic mail messages stored in said terminal memory and said terminal control section selects electronic mail messages for sending to said host computer in accordance with the priorities.

24. The terminal of claim 23, wherein said terminal control section selects electronic mail messages for sending to said host computer beginning with the electronic mail messages having the lowest priority.

25. The terminal of claim 22, wherein the selected messages are sent to said host computer via a wireless communication link.

26. The terminal of claim 22, wherein the selected messages are sent to said host computer via a wired communication link.

27. The terminal of claim 22, wherein protect flags are associated with the electronic mail messages stored in said terminal memory and said terminal control section selects for sending to said host computer for storage only ones of the electronic mail messages for which the associated protect flag has a predetermined value.

28. The terminal of claim 22, further comprising:

a title listing memory, wherein

said terminal control section extracts titles of the electronic mail messages sent to said host computer for storage and stores the extracted titles in said title listing memory.

29. A method of operating a terminal for use with a host computer of an electronic mail system, the method comprising the steps of:

comparing a volume of electronic mail messages to be sent from said host computer to said terminal with an available space in a memory of said terminal;

if the available space in the memory of said terminal is less than the volume of electronic mail messages to be sent, sending to said host computer for storage, in a volume corresponding to the shortage of available memory space, selected electronic mail messages currently stored in the memory of said terminal and then erasing the sent electronic mail messages from the memory of said terminal; and

storing electronic mail messages sent from said host computer in the memory of said terminal.

30. The method of claim 29, further comprising:

associating priorities with the electronic mail messages stored in the memory of said terminal,

wherein electronic mail messages for sending to said host computer are selected in accordance with the priorities.

31. The method of claim 30, wherein electronic mail messages for sending to said host computer are selected beginning with electronic mail messages having the lowest priority.

32. The method of claim 29, wherein the selected electronic mail messages are sent to said host computer via a wireless communication link.

33. The method of claim 29, wherein the selected electronic mail messages are sent to said host computer via a wired communication link.

34. The method of claim 29, further comprising:

associating protect flags with the electronic mail messages stored in the memory of said terminal,

wherein only ones of the electronic mail messages for which the associated protect flag has a predetermined value are selected for sending to said host computer for storage.

35. The method of claim 29, further comprising:

extracting titles of the electronic mail messages sent to said host computer; and

storing the extracted titles in a title listing memory of said terminal.

36. A computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions for performing the steps recited in claim 29.

37. An electronic mail system comprising a host computer and a terminal, said host computer including:

a host memory for storing electronic mail messages; and

a host control section configured to extract electronic mail messages from said host memory for sending via a communication link to said terminal, and

said terminal including;

a terminal memory for storing electronic mail messages; and

a terminal control section configured to compare a volume of electronic mail messages to be sent from said host computer with an available space in said terminal memory and, if the available space in said terminal memory is less than the volume of electronic mail messages to be sent, to send selected electronic mail messages currently stored in said terminal memory to said host computer for storage in said host memory and to then erase the sent electronic mail messages from said terminal memory.

38. The electronic mail system of claim 37, wherein priorities are associated with the electronic mail messages stored in said host memory and said host control section extracts electronic mail messages from said host memory in accordance with the priorities.

39. The electronic mail system of claim 38, wherein said host control section extracts electronic mail messages from said host computer beginning with electronic mail messages having the highest priority.

40. The electronic mail system of claim 37, wherein priorities are associated with the electronic mail messages stored in said terminal memory and said terminal control section selects electronic mail messages for sending to said host computer in accordance with the priorities.

41. The electronic mail system of claim 40, wherein said terminal control section selects electronic mail messages for sending to said host computer beginning with electronic mail messages having the lowest priority.

42. The electronic mail system of claim 37, wherein protect flags are associated with the electronic mail messages stored in said terminal memory and said terminal control section selects only ones of the electronic mail messages for which the associated protect flag has a predetermined value for sending to said host computer for storage in said host memory.

43. The electronic mail system of claim 37, further comprising:

a title listing memory, wherein

said terminal control section extracts titles of the electronic mail messages sent to said host computer for storage in said host memory and stores the extracted titles in said title listing memory.

44. A method of sending and receiving e-mail in an electronic mail system comprising a host computer and a terminal, the method comprising the steps of:

storing electronic mail messages in a memory of said host computer;

extracting electronic mail messages from the memory of said host computer for sending via a communication link to said terminal;

comparing at said terminal a volume of electronic mail messages to be sent from said host computer with an available space in a memory of said terminal;

if the available space in the memory of said terminal is less than the volume of electronic mail messages to be sent, sending selected electronic mail messages currently stored in the memory of said terminal to said host computer and then erasing the sent electronic mail messages from the memory of said terminal;

storing the electronic mail messages sent from said terminal in the memory of said host computer; and

sending the electronic mail messages extracted from the memory of said host computer to said terminal.

45. The method of claim 44, further comprising:

associating priorities with the electronic mail messages stored in the memory of said host computer,

wherein the electronic mail messages stored in the memory of said host computer are extracted in accordance with the priorities.

46. The method of claim 45, wherein the electronic mail messages stored in the memory of said host computer are extracted beginning with electronic mail messages having the highest priority.

47. The method of claim 44, further comprising:

associating priorities with the electronic mail messages stored in said terminal memory,

wherein electronic mail messages for sending to said host computer are selected in accordance with the priorities.

48. The method of claim 47, wherein the electronic mail messages for sending to said host computer are selected beginning with electronic mail messages having the lowest priority.

49. The method of claim 44, further comprising:

associating protect flags with the electronic mail messages stored in the memory of said terminal,

wherein only ones of the electronic mail messages for which the associated protect flag has a predetermined value are selected for sending to said host computer for storage in said host memory.

50. The method of claim 44, further comprising:

extracting titles of the electronic mail messages sent to said host computer; and

storing the extracted titles in a title listing memory of said terminal.