Multi-media E-mail system and device for transmitting a composed return E-mail

• US 6,839,736 B1
• Filed: 11/23/1999
• Issued: 01/04/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 11/24/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Panasonic Intellectual Property Corporation of America (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Ando, Satoshi, Yoshida, Hiroyuki, Kajita, Satoshi, Kawaguchi, Yuichi
• Primary Examiner(s): Wiley, David
• Assistant Examiner(s): BOUTAH, ALINA A
• Application Number:
  US09/447,297
• Time in Patent Office: 1,869 Days
• Field of Search: 709/206, 709/238, 707/10, 717/108
• US Class Current: 709/206
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/107 Computer-aided management of electronic mailing [e-mailing]

Abstract

An object of the present invention is to reduce information volume going through a network when a multi-media E-mail is transmitted/received therethrough, which includes various types of media information being temporally and/or spatially related to one another. To attain the object, a return mail is composed by utilizing any object (received object) included in an incoming mail. Thereafter, the return mail is structured in a format for a multi-media E-mail including every object included in the return mail exclusive of the already-utilized object(s) and control information indicating how the objects in the return mail are temporally and/or spatially positioned, and then is transmitted to a computer system from which the incoming mail was transmitted.

Claims

1. A multi-media E-mail method of transmitting/receiving a multimedia E-mail including information objects comprising at least one of various types of media information and positioning control information indicating how the information objects are temporally and/or spatially positioned, said multi-media E-mail method comprising:

receiving the multi-media E-mail from a sender;

restoring the received multi-media E-mail by positioning each of the information objects included in the received multi-media E-mail according to the positioning control information included therein;

storing the information objects included in the received multi-media E-mail as received media information;

composing a return mail for the restored incoming mail comprising return information objects, of which at least one return information object is an information object included in the received multi-media E-mail, and return positioning control information indicating how all return information objects are temporally and/or spatially positioned by utilizing the received media information; and

transmitting the composed return mail back to the sender in a form of a multi-media E-mail including the return information objects except for at least one return information object which is an information object included in the received multi-media E-mail, and further including the return positioning control information for all return information objects.

2. The multi-media E-mail method according to claim 1,

wherein when composing the return mail, the received information objects are divided, and the return mail is composed by using the divided objects obtained by the division, and

wherein when transmitting the return mail, as an alternative to transmitting the divided information objects, division controlling information indicating at where the received information objects are divided is transmitted in addition to the multi-media E-mail.

3. The multi-media E-mail method according to claim 1, further comprising storing the information objects included in the multi-media E-mail to be transmitted as transmitted information objects,

wherein when restoring the incoming mail, the incoming mail is restored by positioning the received information objects and the transmitted information objects according to the positioning control information included in the multi-media E-mail.

4. The multi-media E-mail method according to claim 3,

wherein when restoring the incoming mail, the transmitted information objects are divided according to division controlling information included in the received multi-media E-mail, and the incoming mail is restored by using the divided information objects obtained by the division.

5. A multi-media E-mail device for transmitting/receiving a multimedia E-mail including information objects comprising at least one of various types of media information and positioning control information indicating how the information objects are temporally and/or spatially positioned, the multi-media E-mail device comprising:

a receipt controlling part operable to receive the multi-media E-mail from a sender and to subsequently restore the received multi-media E-mail by positioning every information object included in the received multi-media E-mail according to the positioning control information included therein;

a first inputted information storing part storing the information objects included in the multimedia E-mail received by said receipt controlling part as received information objects;

an inputted information editing part operable to compose a return mail comprising return information objects, of which at least one return information object is an information object included in the received multi-media E-mail, and return positioning control information indicating how the return information objects are temporally and/or spatially positioned by utilizing the received information objects; and

a transmission controlling part operable to transmit the return mail to the sender in a form of a multi-media E-mail including the return information objects except for at least one return information object which is an information object included in the received multi-media E-mail, and further including the return positioning control information for all return information objects.

6. The multi-media E-mail device according to claim 5, wherein said inputted information editing part is operable to divide said received information objects, and

compose the return mail by using divided information objects obtained by the division when a return mail is composed, and

wherein said transmission controlling part is operable to transmit, as an alternative to transmitting the divided information objects, division controlling information indicating at where said received media information is divided in addition to the multi-media E-mail.

7. The multi-media E-mail device according to claim 5, further comprising a second inputted information storing part storing the information objects included in the multi-media E-mail to be transmitted by said transmission controlling part as transmitted information objects, wherein

said receipt controlling part is operable to restore the incoming mail by positioning the received information objects and the transmitted information objects according to the positioning control information included in the multi-media E-mail.

8. The multi-media E-mail device according to claim 7,

wherein said receipt controlling part is operable to divide the transmitted information objects according to division controlling information included in the received multi-media E-mail when a return mail is restored, and restore the incoming mail by using the divided information objects obtained by the division.

9. A recording medium having a computer readable program stored thereon for instructing a computer device operable to transmit/receive a multi-media E-mail including information objects comprising at least one of various types of media information and positioning control information indicating how the information objects are temporally and/or spatially positioned, the program comprises instructions operable to instruct the computer device to:

receive the multi-media E-mail from a sender;

restore the received multi-media E-mail by positioning each of the information objects included in the received multi-media E-mail according to the positioning control information included therein;

store the information objects included in the received multi-media E-mail as received media information;

compose a return mail for restored incoming mail comprising return information objects, of which at least one return information object is an information object included in the received multimedia E-mail, and return positioning control information indicating how the return information objects are temporally and/or spatially positioned by utilizing the received information objects; and

transmit the composed return mail to the sender in a form of a multi-media E-mail including the return information objects except for at least one return information object which is an information object included in the received multi-media E-mail, and further including the return positioning control information for all return information objects.

10. The recording medium according to claim 9,

wherein the instructions operable to instruct the computer device to compose the return mail comprises instructions operable to instruct the computer device to divide the received information objects, and compose the return mail by using divided information objects obtained by the division, and

wherein the instructions operable to instruct the computer to transmit the return mail, as an alternative to said divided information objects, comprise instructions operable to instruct the computer device to transmit division controlling information indicating at where the received information objects are divided in addition to the multi-media E-mail.

11. The recording medium according to claim 9,

wherein the instructions operable to instruct the computer device further comprise instructions operable to instruct the computer device to store the information objects included in the multi-media E-mail to be transmitted as transmitted information objects, and

wherein the instructions operable to instruct the computer device to restore the incoming mail, by positioning the received information objects and the transmitted information objects according to the positioning control information included in the multi-media E-mail.

12. The recording medium according to claim 11,

wherein the instructions operable to instruct the computer device to restore the incoming mail, are further operable to instruct the computer device to divide the transmitted information objects according to division controlling information included in the received multi-media E-mail and restore the incoming mail by using the divided information objects obtained by the division.