Electronic mail server in which electronic mail is processed

• US 6,334,140 B1
• Filed: 09/11/1998
• Issued: 12/25/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 09/25/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: NEC Corporation
• Original Assignee: NEC Corporation
• Inventors: Kawamata, Jiro
• Primary Examiner(s): Rinehart, Mark H.
• Assistant Examiner(s): KANG, PAUL H
• Application Number:
  US09/151,523
• Time in Patent Office: 1,201 Days
• Field of Search: 707/500, 709/202, 709/203, 709/206, 709/207, 709/232, 709/217, 709/219
• US Class Current: 709/202
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/212 using filtering or selective blocking
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/226 Delivery according to priorities
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/42 Mailbox-related aspects, e.g. synchronisation of mailboxes

Abstract

In order to achieve an aspect of the present invention, an electronic mail server includes a mail box, and an interface unit for receiving an electronic mail. A mail processing section analyzes the received electronic mail and applies to the received electronic mail a processing, which is determined based on the analyzing result and an instruction corresponding to the received electronic mail, to store the processed electronic mail in the mail box.

Claims

1. An electronic mail server comprising:

a mail box;

an interface unit for receiving an electronic mail; and

a mail processing section for analyzing the received electronic mail and for applying to the received electronic mail a processing, the processing being determined based on the analyzing result and an instruction which is provided by a recipient identified in the electronic mail and corresponding to the received electronic mail, the mail box storing the processed electronic mail,

wherein said instruction instructs one having a lowest priority of electronic mails already stored in said mail box to be sent back when said mail box is full,

wherein said mail processing section detects and reads out one having the lowest priority of electronic mails already stored in said mail box, and stores the received electronic mail in said mail box, and

wherein said interface unit sends back the electronic mail having the lowest priority and read out from said mail box.

2. An electronic mail server according to claim 1, further comprising a data base storing said instruction, and said mail processing section refers to said data base to acquire said instruction.

3. An electronic mail server according to claim 1, further comprising a data base which interacts with said receiving section, said data base storing said instruction received by each recipient, and said mail processing section refers to said data base based on a recipient identification written in the received electronic mail to acquire said instruction.

4. An electronic mail server according to claim 3, wherein said data base stores said instructions common to the each recipient in addition to said instruction for each recipient, and said mail processing section refers to said instructions common to the each recipient and said instruction for each recipient stored in said data base based on a recipient identification written in the received electronic mail to acquire said instruction.

5. An electronic mail server according to claim 1, wherein said interface unit divides the received electronic mail into an electronic mail header and an electronic mail main portion, and

wherein said mail processing section includes:

a header analyzing section for analyzing the electronic mail header;

a mail main portion analyzing section for the electronic mall main portion; and

a processing section for determining a processing based on the analyzing result of at least one of said header analyzing section and said mail main portion analyzing section and an instruction corresponding to the received electronic mail, and for applying the determined processing to the received electronic mail to produce a processed electronic mail.

6. An electronic mail server according to claim 1, wherein said mail processing section changes a priority of the received electronic mail based on said instruction and the analyzing result.

7. An electronic mail server according to claim 6, wherein said instruction instructs change of the priority of the received electronic mail based on a transmitter of the received electronic mail.

8. An electronic mail server according to claim 1, wherein said instruction instructs production of a translation of the received electronic mail based on a language used in the received electronic mail, and

wherein said mail processing section produces the translation of the received electronic mail, and stores the translation in said mail box together with the received electronic mail.

9. An electronic mail server according to claim 1, wherein said instruction instructs production of a summary of the received electronic mail, and

wherein said mail processing section produces the summary of the received electronic mail, and stores the summary in said mail box together with the received electronic mail.

10. An electronic mail server according to claim 1, wherein said instruction instructs rewrite of a main portion of the received electronic mail, and

wherein said mail processing section rewrites the main portion of the received electronic mail, and stores the rewritten electronic mail in said mail box.

11. An electronic mail server according to claim 1, wherein said instruction instructs production of a summary of one having the lowest priority of electronic mails already stored in said mall box when said mail box is full,

wherein said mail processing section reads out the electronic mail having the lowest priority from said mail box, produces the summary of the read out electronic mail, stores the summary in said mail box, and then stores the received electronic mail in said mail box when an area of said mail box is sufficient for the received electronic mail.

12. A method of storing an electronic mail in mail server, comprising the steps of:

receiving an electronic mail;

analyzing the received electronic mail;

referring to a data base based on a recipient of the received electronic mail to acquire an instruction from a mail box which is provided by the recipient identified in the received electronic mail;

instructing one having a lowest priority of electronic mails already stored in said mail box to be sent back when said mail box is full;

detecting and reading out one having the lowest priority of electronic mails already stored in said mail box, and storing the received electronic mail in said mail box; and

sending back the electronic mail having the lowest priority and reading out from said mail box.

13. A method according to claim 12, wherein said data base stores said instruction for each recipient.

14. A method according to claim 13, wherein said data base stores said instructions common to the recipient in addition to said instruction for each recipient.

15. A method according to claim 12, wherein said processing is applied to an electronic mail header.

16. A method according to claim 12, wherein said processing is applied to an electronic mail main portion.

17. An electronic mail server comprising:

a mail box;

an interface unit for receiving an electronic mail; and

a mail processing section for analyzing the received electronic mail and for applying to the received electronic mail a processing, the processing being determined based on the analyzing result and an instruction which is provided by a recipient identified in the electronic mail and corresponding to the received electronic mail, the mail box storing the processed electronic mail,

wherein said mail processing section changes a priority of the received electronic mail based on said instruction and the analyzing result, and

wherein said interface unit sends back the received electronic mail when the changed priority indicates refusal of the received electronic mail.

18. An electronic mail server comprising:

a mail box;

an interface unit for receiving an electronic mail; and

a mail processing section for analyzing the received electronic mail and for applying to the received electronic mail a processing, the processing being determined based on the analyzing result and an instruction which is provided by a recipient identified in the electronic mail and corresponding to the received electronic mail, the mail box storing the processed electronic mail,

wherein said instruction instructs change of a priority of at least one having the lowest priority of electronic mails already stored in said mail box when said mail box is full, and

wherein said mail processing section changes the priority of at least one having the lowest priority of electronic mauls already stored in said mail box, and changes the priority of the received electronic mail into refusal, and

wherein said interface unit sends back the received electronic mail when the changed priority indicates refusal of the received electronic mail.

19. An electronic mail server comprising:

a mail box;

an interface unit for receiving an electronic mail; and

a mail processing section for filtering the receiving electronic mails based on an instruction which is provided by a recipient identified in the received electronic mail and corresponding to each of the received electronic mails and for storing the filtered electronic mails in said mail box for transferring to an electronic mail receiving terminal,

wherein said instruction instructs one having a lowest priority of electronic mails already stored in said mail box to be sent back when said mail box is full,

wherein said mail processing section detects and reads out one having the lowest priority of electronic mails already stored in said mail box, and stores the received electronic mail in said mail box, and

wherein said interface unit sends back the electronic mail having the lowest priority and read out from said mail box.