Electronic mail processing apparatus and method therefor

• US 6,327,046 B1
• Filed: 06/24/1998
• Issued: 12/04/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 08/29/1997
• 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: Miyamoto, Satoru, Kaneda, Toshitaka
• Primary Examiner(s): Coles, Edward
• Assistant Examiner(s): Pokrzywa, Joseph R.
• Application Number:
  US09/103,614
• Time in Patent Office: 1,259 Days
• Field of Search: 358/1.15, 358/402, 358/403, 358/407, 358/442, 358/434, 358/438, 709/204, 709/206, 709/207, 709/213, 709/214, 709/203, 709/216, 709/218, 709/219, 709/217, 345/804, 345/805, 345/809
• US Class Current: 358/1.15
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/107 Computer-aided management of electronic mailing [e-mailing]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/234 for tracking messages

Abstract

An electronic mail processing apparatus includes: a transmitting device for transmitting electronic mails; a receiving device for receiving electronic mails; a selecting device for selecting whether a request for reply to an electronic mail to be transmitted is to be made or not; a reply due date inputting device for inputting a due date of reply when a selection has been made by the selecting device to make the request for reply; a registering device for automatically registering in a memory a predetermined information including an information on presence/absence of the reply to the transmitted mail and the due date of reply; and a displaying device for displaying at least the information on presence/absence of the reply and the due date of reply for each transmitted mail.

Claims

1. An electronic mail processing apparatus comprising:

a ToDo task list inputting device for controlling a schedule of a user;

a ToDo task list storing device;

a ToDo task list controlling device;

a ToDo task list displaying device for displaying a list of unprocessed ToDo tasks and a list of processed ToDo tasks;

a transmitting device for transmitting electronic mails;

a receiving device for receiving electronic mails;

a selecter for selecting whether a request for reply to an electronic mail to be transmitted is to be made or not;

an inputting device for inputting a due date of reply when a selection has been made by the selecter to make the request for reply;

a registerer for automatically registering, in the ToDo task list storing device, predetermined information including information on presence/absence of a reply to the transmitted mail, the due date of the reply, a title, an address, and a date and time of transmission of the transmitted mail;

a displaying device for displaying at least the information on the presence/absence of the reply and the due date of the reply for each transmitted mail; and

a reply determiner for determining whether or not a first electronic mail received by the receiving device is a reply to a second electronic mail transmitted by the transmitting device by verifying whether a title and a sender'"'"'s address of the first electronic mail coincide with a title and an address of the second mail, respectively, which have been registered in the memory;

wherein the ToDo task list displaying device displays at least the due date of the reply and the title among the registered information as one of the unprocessed ToDo task lists, and

the registerer registers a presence of a reply as the information on presence/absence of the reply when the reply determiner determines that the first electronic mail is a reply to the second electronic mail, and the ToDo task list displaying device displays at least a received date and a title of the reply mail as one of the unprocessed ToDo task lists.

2. An electronic mail processing apparatus comprising:

a transmitting device for transmitting electronic mails;

a receiving device for receiving electronic mails;

a selecter for selecting whether a request for reply to an electronic mail to be transmitted is to be made or not;

an inputting device for inputting a due date of reply when a selection has been made by the selecter to make the request for reply;

a registerer for automatically registering, in a memory, predetermined information including information on presence/absence of a reply to the transmitted mail, the due date of reply, a title, an address, and a date and time of transmission of the transmitted mail;

a displaying device for displaying at least the information on the presence/absence of the reply and the due date of reply for each transmitted mail; and

prompting mail setter for setting a time interval of transmitting prompting mails for prompting the reply;

prompting determiner for determining whether the prompting mails should be transmitted or not; and

prompting mail preparer for preparing the prompting mails if determined that the prompting mails should be transmitted,

wherein the prompting determiner determines that only the latest prompting mail from a plurality of similar prompting mails should be transmitted if the present date is prior to the due date of reply, if the set time interval of transmission has passed from the date on which the electronic mail is transmitted and if a reply to the electronic mail has not yet been received, and further wherein the transmitting device transmits only the latest prompting mail and deletes all other similar prompting mails that have been prepared since a previous connection with an intended recipient of the latest prompting mail, thereby only sending a single prompting mail to the intended recipient upon connection therewith regardless of a time period since a last connection with the intended recipient.

3. A method for processing electronic mails in an electronic mail processing apparatus having functions of transmitting and receiving electronic mails, comprising the steps of:

using a ToDo task list in connection on with a schedule of a user;

storing the ToDo task list on a ToDo task list storing device;

providing a controller for the ToDo task list;

providing a ToDo task list displaying device for displaying a list of unprocessed ToDo tasks and a list of processed ToDo tasks;

selecting whether a request for reply to an electronic mail to be transmitted is to be made or not;

inputting a due date of reply when a selection has been made in the selecting step to make the request for reply;

automatically registering, in the ToDo task list storing device, predetermined information including information on presence/absence of the reply to the transmitted mail, the due date of reply, a title, an address, and a date and time of transmission of the transmitted mail;

displaying at least the information on presence/absence of the reply and the due date of reply for each transmitted mail; and

determining whether or not a first electronic mail received is a reply to a second electronic mail transmitted by verifying whether a title and a sender'"'"'s address of the first electronic mail coincide with the title and the address of the second mail, respectively, which have been registered in the memory,

wherein the ToDo task list displaying device displays at least the due date of the reply and the title among the registered information as one of the unprocessed ToDo task lists; and

a presence of a reply is registered as the information on presence/absence of the reply when it is determined that the first electronic mail is a reply to the second electronic mail, and wherein the ToDo task list displaying device displays at least a received date and a title of the reply mail as one of the unprocessed ToDo task lists.

4. A method for processing electronic mails in an electronic mail processing apparatus having functions of transmitting and receiving electronic mails, comprising the steps of:

selecting whether a request for reply to an electronic mail to be transmitted is to be made or not;

inputting a due date of reply when a selection has been made in the selecting step to make the request for reply;

automatically registering, in a memory, predetermined information including information on presence/absence of the reply to the transmitted mail, the due date of reply, a title, an address, and a date and time of transmission of the transmitted mail;

displaying at least the information on presence/absence of the reply and the due date of reply for each transmitted mail;

setting a time interval of transmitting prompting mails for prompting the reply;

determining whether the prompting mails should be transmitted or not on the basis of a predetermined condition;

preparing the prompting mails if it is determined that the prompting mails should be transmitted, and

transmitting only the latest prompting mail from a plurality of similar prompting mails if the present date is prior to the due date of reply, if the set time interval of transmission has passed from the date on which the electronic mail is transmitted and if a reply to the electronic mail has not yet been received, and deleting all other similar prompting mails that have been prepared since a previous connection with an intended recipient of the latest prompting mail, thereby only sending a single prompting mail to the intended recipient upon connection therewith regardless of a time period since a last connection with the intended recipient.

5. A computer readable recording medium containing thereon an electronic mail processing program performing the functions of:

controlling a schedule of a user with a ToDo task list stored in a ToDo task list storing device;

displaying a list of unprocessed ToDo tasks and a list of processed ToDo tasks;

causing a computer to select whether a request for reply to an electronic mail to be transmitted is to be made or not;

causing a computer to input a due date of reply when a selection has been made in the selecting step to make the request for reply;

causing a computer to automatically register, in the ToDo task list storing device, predetermined information including information on presence/absence of the reply to the transmitted mail, the due date of reply, a title, an address, and a date and time of transmission of the transmitted mail;

causing a computer to display at least the information on presence/absence of the reply and the due date of reply for each transmitted mail;

causing a computer to determine whether or not a first electronic mail received is a reply to a second electronic mail transmitted by verifying whether a title and a sender'"'"'s address of the first electronic mail coincide with the title and the address of the second mail, respectively, which are registered in the memory beforehand;

causing the computer to display at least the due date of the reply and the title among the registered information as one of the unprocessed ToDo task lists; and

causing a computer to register a presence of a reply as the information on presence/absence of the reply when it is determined that the first electronic mail is a reply to the second electronic mail, and to display at least a received date and a title of the reply mail as one of the unprocessed ToDo task lists.

6. A computer readable recording medium containing thereon an electronic mail processing program performing the functions of:

causing a computer to select whether a request for reply to an electronic mail to be transmitted is to be made or not;

causing a computer to input a due date of reply when a selection has been made in the selecting step to make the request for reply;

causing a computer to automatically register, in a memory, predetermined information including information on presence/absence of the reply to the transmitted mail, the due date of reply, a title, an address, and a date and time of transmission of the transmitted mail;

causing a computer to display at least the information on presence/absence of the reply and the due date of reply for each transmitted mail;

causing a computer to set a time interval of transmitting prompting mails for prompting the reply;

causing a computer to determine whether the prompting mails should be transmitted or not on the basis of a predetermined condition;

causing a computer to prepare the prompting mails if it is determined that the prompting mails should be transmitted; and

causing a computer to transmit only the latest prompting mail from a plurality of similar prompting mails if the present date is prior to the due date of reply, if the set time interval of transmission has passed from the date on which the electronic mail is transmitted and if a reply to the electronic mail has not yet been received, and to delete all other similar prompting mails that have been prepared since a previous connection with an intended recipient of the latest prompting mail, thereby only sending a single prompting mail to the intended recipient upon connection therewith regardless of a time period since a last connection with the intended recipient.