Electronic apparatus transmitting electronic mail including image information, a control apparatus, and a storage medium

• US 6,983,309 B1
• Filed: 09/22/2000
• Issued: 01/03/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 10/26/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
• Original Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
• Inventors: Yoshizawa, Hiroyuki
• Primary Examiner(s): Cardone, Jason
• Assistant Examiner(s): Pollack, Melvin H.
• Application Number:
  US09/667,723
• Time in Patent Office: 1,929 Days
• Field of Search: 709204-207, 709/225, 709/240, 709/329, 705/18, 705/64, 705/67, 705/75, 725/11, 725/19, 707/104.1, 713/186, 713200-202
• US Class Current: 709/206
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/107 Computer-aided management of electronic mailing [e-mailing]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3674 involving authentication
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/382 insuring higher security of transaction
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2209/60 Digital content management, e.g. content distribution
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/00 User-to-user messaging in packet-switching networks, transmitted according to store-and-forward or real-time protocols, e.g. e-mail
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/10 Multimedia information
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/226 Delivery according to priorities
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/12 Applying verification of the received information cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for data integrity or data verification H04L9/32
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/123 received data contents, e.g. message integrity
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/3247 involving digital signatures
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99945 Object-oriented database structure processing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99948 Application of database or data structure, e.g. distributed, multimedia, or image

Abstract

An electronic apparatus, a control apparatus, and a storage medium include a transmitter transmitting electronic mail in which a symbol including image information, which enables a sender to be specified therefrom, is included within an electronic signature file of the electronic mail, said electronic signature file including an email address of the sender. The transmitter transmits the electronic mail only when an error, between the image information and prestored image information, is within a predetermined range.

Claims

1. An electronic apparatus comprising:

a transmitter transmitting electronic mail in which a symbol including image information, which enables a sender to be specified therefrom, is included within an electronic signature file of the electronic mail, said electronic signature file including an email address of the sender, wherein said transmitter transmits the electronic mail only when an error, between the image information and prestored image information, is less than a predetermined value, and an adding unit adding to the electronic signature file a parameter which indicates an importance of the electronic mail by a display format of the electronic signature file.

2. The electronic apparatus as claimed in claim 1, further comprising:

a generator generating the image information by inputting an image of the sender.

3. The electronic apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the image information includes an image related to at least a face of the sender.

4. The electronic apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the parameter includes information which indicates a display priority order of the electronic mail.

5. The electronic apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the parameter includes character, image and/or audio information indicating a summary of the electronic mail.

6. The electronic apparatus as claimed in claim 4, wherein the information which indicates the display priority order of the electronic mail includes at least one of a display position and a display timing of the electronic signature file.

7. The electronic apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the symbol includes information affording linking to the sender.

8. An electronic apparatus comprising:

a receiver receiving electronic mail in which a symbol including image information which enables a sender to be specified therefrom is included within an electronic signature file of the electronic mail, said electronic signature file including an email address of the sender and a parameter which indicates an importance of the electronic mail;

a recognizing unit recognizing the importance based on the parameter;

a display controller displaying, based on the information which indicates the importance of the electronic signature file, the electronic signature file on said display unit with a format which enables recognition of the importance; and

a display unit displaying the image information of the electronic mail, wherein said receiver receives the electronic mail only when an error, between the image information and prestored image information, is less than a predetermined value.

9. The electronic apparatus as claimed in claim 8, wherein the image information includes an image related to at least a face of the sender.

10. The electronic apparatus as claimed in claim 8, wherein said receiver receives information which indicates a display priority order of the electronic signature file, and further comprising:

a determining unit determining a display position of the electronic signature file based on the information which indicates the display priority order of the electronic signature file.

11. The electronic apparatus as claimed in claim 8, wherein said receiver receives information which indicates a display priority order of the electronic signature file, and further comprising:

a determining unit determining a display timing of the electronic signature file based on the information which indicates the display priority order of the electronic signature file.

12. The electronic apparatus as claimed in claim 11, wherein the information which indicates the display priority order of the electronic signature file is included within the electronic signature file.

13. The electronic apparatus as claimed in claim 8, wherein the electronic signature file includes character, image and/or audio information indicating a summary of the electronic mail.

14. The electronic apparatus as claimed in claim 8, wherein the symbol includes information used for linking to the sender.

15. An electronic apparatus comprising:

a receiver receiving an electronic mail including at least an electronic signature file and information which indicates an importance thereof, said electronic signature file including an email address of a sender and a symbol including image information which enables the sender to be specified therefrom;

a display unit displaying the electronic mail; and

a display controller displaying the signature information on said display unit with a format which enables recognition of the importance, based on the information which indicates the importance, wherein said receiver receives the electronic mail only when an error, between the image information and prestored image information, is less than a predetermined value.

16. An electronic apparatus comprising:

a transmitter transmitting an electronic mail by adding to an electronic signature file of the electronic mail a parameter which indicates an importance of the electronic mail by a display format of the electronic signature file, said electronic signature file including an email address of a sender and a symbol including image information which enables a sender to be specified therefrom, wherein said transmitter transmits the electronic mail only when an error, between the image information and prestored image information, is less than a predetermined value.

17. A control apparatus for an electronic apparatus having a transmitter, comprising:

a controller controlling the transmitter to transmit electronic mail in which a symbol including image information which enables a sender to be specified therefrom is included within an electronic signature file of the electronic mail, said electronic signature file including an email address of the sender and a parameter which indicates an importance of the electronic mail by a display format of the electronic signature file, wherein said transmitter transmits the electronic mail only when an error, between the image information and prestored image information, is less than a predetermined value.

18. A control apparatus for an electronic apparatus having a receiver receiving an electronic mail and a display unit displaying the received electronic mail, comprising:

a controller controlling said receiver to receive an electronic mail in which a symbol including image information which enables a sender to be specified therefrom is included within an electronic signature file of the electronic mail, and controlling said display unit to display the image information of the electronic mail and, based on the information which indicates the importance of the electronic signature file, the electronic signature file on said display unit with a format which enables recognition of the importance, said electronic signature file including an email address of the sender and a parameter which indicates an importance of the electronic mail by a display format of the electronic signature file, wherein said receiver receives the electronic mail only when an error, between the image information and prestored image information, is less than a predetermined value.

19. A control apparatus for an electronic apparatus comprising:

a receiver receiving electronic mail including at least an electronic signature file and information which indicates an importance thereof and a display unit displaying the received electronic mail; and

a display controller controlling said display unit to display the electronic signature file with a format which enables recognition of the importance, based on the information which indicates the importance, said electronic signature file including an email address of a sender and a symbol including image information which enables the sender to be specified therefrom, wherein said receiver receives the electronic mail only when an error, between the image information and prestored image information, is less than a predetermined value.

20. A computer-readable storage medium which stores a program for causing a computer to have an electronic mail function, comprising:

a transmitting section causing the computer to transmit electronic mail in which a symbol including image information which enables a sender to be specified therefrom is included within an electronic signature file of the electronic mail, said electronic signature file including an email address of the sender and a parameter which indicates an importance of the electronic mail by a display format of the electronic signature file, wherein said transmitting section causes the computer to transmit the electronic mail only when an error, between the image information and prestored image information, is less than a predetermined value.

21. A computer-readable storage medium which stores a program for causing a computer to have an electronic mail function, comprising:

a receiving section causing the computer to receive an electronic mail in which a symbol including image information which enables a sender to be specified therefrom is included within an electronic signature file of the electronic mail, said electronic signature file including an e-mail address of the sender and a parameter which indicates an importance of the electronic mail by a display format of the electronic signature file; and

a display section causing the computer to display the image information of the electronic mail and, based on the information which indicates the importance of the electronic signature file, the electronic signature file on said display unit with a format which enables recognition of the importance, wherein said receiver receives the electronic mail only when an error, between the image information and prestored image information, is less than a predetermined value.

22. A computer-readable storage medium as which stores a program for causing a computer to have an electronic mail function, comprising:

a receiving section causing the computer to receive electronic mail including at least an electronic signature file and information which indicates an importance thereof, said electronic signature file including an email address of a sender and a symbol including image information which enables the sender to be specified therefrom;

a display section causing the computer to display the electronic mail; and

a display control section causing the computer to display the electronic signature file by said display section with a format which enables recognition of the importance, based on the information which indicates the importance, wherein said receiving section causes the computer to receive the electronic mail only when an error, between the image information and prestored image information, is less than a predetermined value.