Communication terminal unit capable of receiving a message and method for identifying a message sender in the same

• US 7,016,700 B2
• Filed: 03/21/2002
• Issued: 03/21/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 03/21/2001
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Fujitsu Connected Technologies Limited
• Original Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Inventors: Tanaka, Akira, Takahashi, Shinya
• Primary Examiner(s): Ferguson, Keith
• Application Number:
  US10/101,711
• Publication Number:
  US 20020137539A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,461 Days
• Field of Search: 715/530, 709/206, 709/218, 709/219, 709/203, 709/202, 709/214, 709/215, 709/216, 709/228, 709/231, 455/550.1, 455/403, 455/412.1, 455/412.2, 455/414.1, 455/414.4, 455/422.1, 455/517, 455/556.1, 455/556.2, 455/445, 455/426.2, 455/426.1, 455/500, 704/2, 704/6, 704/10, 726/13
• US Class Current: 455/550.1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/107 Computer-aided management of electronic mailing [e-mailing]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/23 Reliability checks, e.g. acknowledgments or fault reporting
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/48 Message addressing, e.g. address format or anonymous messages, aliases
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/58 Message adaptation for wireless communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/4555 Directories for electronic mail or instant messaging
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/40 for recovering from a failure of a protocol instance or entity, e.g. service redundancy protocols, protocol state redundancy or protocol service redirection management of faults, events, alarms or notifications in data switching networks H04L41/06
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/2748 by matching character strings
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/57 Arrangements for indicating or recording the number of the calling subscriber at the called subscriber's set at the operator set in a manual exchange H04M5/20
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/575 Means for retrieving and displaying personal data about calling party
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/576 associated with a pictorial or graphical representation
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/578 associated with a synthesized vocal announcement
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/656 for recording conversations
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/7243 with interactive means for internal management of messages
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72436 for text messaging, e.g. short messaging services [SMS] or e-mails
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/12 Messaging; Mailboxes; Announcements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/02 Terminal devices

Abstract

A communication terminal unit capable of identifying a message sender by comparing a source address attached to a received message with an address registered in a memory of the unit in advance, which can identify the message sender even if the source address has an error by regarding the erroneous source address to be the same as the registered address when the difference between these two addresses is within a predetermined permissible range.

Claims

1. A communication terminal capable of receiving a message, comprising:

a memory to store a mail address;

first means for determining whether a sender mail address, which is included in the received message, agrees with the mail address; and

second means for determining whether the difference between the mail address and the sender mail address is in a capital letter or a small letter if the first determining means concludes that the mail address and the sender mail address do not agree, and for recognizing the sender mail address to be in agreement with the mail address if the difference is in a capital letter or a small letter.

2. The communication terminal of claim 1, wherein:

the second determining means detects the difference using a character code table which defines the relation between the capital letter and small letter.

3. A communication terminal capable of receiving a message, comprising:

a memory to store an e-mail address;

first means for determining whether a source address, which is included in the received message, agrees with the e-mail address stored in the memory; and

second means for determining whether the difference between the e-mail address and the source address is existence of a space in either of the e-mail addresses when the first determining means concludes that the e-mail address and the source address do not agree, and for recognizing the source address to be in agreement with the e-mail address stored in the memory when the difference is existence of a space.

4. A communication terminal capable of receiving a message, comprising:

a memory to store an e-mail address;

first means for determining whether a source address, which is included in the received message, agrees with the e-mail address stored in the memory;

second means for determining whether the difference between the e-mail address and the source address is in a capital letter or a small letter if the first determining means concludes that the e-mail address and the source address do not agree, and for recognizing the source address to be in agreement with the e-mail address stored in the memory if the difference is in a capital letter or a small letter; and

a display to display the e-mail address stored in the memory when the source address is regarded to be in agreement with the e-mail address stored in the memory.

5. A communication terminal capable of receiving a message, comprising:

a memory to store an e-mail address;

first means for determining whether a source address, which is included in the received message, agrees with the e-mail address stored in the memory;

second means for determining whether the difference between the e-mail address and the source address is in a capital letter or a small letter if the first determining means concludes that the e-mail address and the source address do not agree, and for recognizing the source address to be in agreement with the e-mail address stored in the memory if the difference is in a capital letter or a small letter;

a display to display the source address; and

means for informing a user about an error of the source address if the source address is regarded to be in agreement with the e-mail address stored in the memory.

6. A communication terminal capable of receiving a message, comprising:

a memory to store an e-mail address;

first means for determining whether a source address, which is included in the received message, agrees with the e-mail address stored in the memory;

second means for determining whether the difference between the e-mail address and the source address is in a capital letter or a small letter if the first determining means concludes that the e-mail address and the source address do not agree, and for recognizing the source address to be in agreement with the e-mail address stored in the memory if the difference is in a capital letter or a small letter; and

means for addressing a message, which is a reply to the received message, to the e-mail address stored in the memory if the source address is regarded to be in agreement with the e-mail address stored in the memory.

7. A communication terminal capable of receiving a message, comprising:

a memory to store a plurality of first addresses;

first means for searching the memory for the first address which agrees with a second address included in the received message;

second means for searching the memory for the first address which is different from the second address in a capital letter or a small letter if the first searching means concludes that no first addresses are in agreement with the second address, and recognizing the second address to be in agreement with the first address if the difference is in a capital letter or a small letter.

8. The communication terminal unit of claim 7, wherein:

the second searching means detects the difference using a character code table which defines the relation between the capital letter and small letter.

9. A communication terminal capable of receiving a message, comprising:

a memory to store a plurality of e-mail addresses;

first means for searching the memory for the e-mail address which agrees with a source address included in the received message; and

second means for searching the memory for the e-mail address whose difference from the source address is existence of a space in either of the addresses when the first searching means concludes that no e-mail addresses are in agreement with the source address, and recognizing the source address to be in agreement with the e-mail address in the memory when the difference is existence of a space.

10. A communication terminal capable of receiving a message, comprising:

a memory to store a plurality of e-mail addresses;

first means for searching the memory for the e-mail address which agrees with a source address included in the received message;

second means for searching the memory for the e-mail address which is different from the source address in a capital letter or a small letter if the first searching means concludes that no e-mail addresses are in agreement with the source address, and recognizing the source address to be in agreement with the e-mail address in the memory if the difference is in a capital letter or a small letter; and

a display to display the e-mail address stored in the memory if the source address is regarded to be in agreement with the e-mail address stored in the memory.

11. A communication terminal capable of receiving a message, comprising:

a memory to store a plurality of e-mail addresses;

first means for searching the memory for the e-mail address which agrees with a source address included in the received message;

second means for searching the memory for the e-mail address which is different from the source address in a capital letter or a small letter if the first searching means concludes that no e-mail addresses are in agreement with the source address, and recognizing the source address to be in agreement with the e-mail address in the memory if the difference is in a capital letter or a small letter;

a display to display the source address included in the received message; and

means for informing a user about an error of the source address if the source address is regarded to be in agreement with the e-mail address stored in the memory.

12. A communication terminal capable of receiving a message, comprising:

a memory to store a plurality of e-mail addresses;

first means for searching the memory for the e-mail address which agrees with a source address included in the received message;

second means for searching the memory for the e-mail address which is different from the source address in a capital letter or a small letter if the first searching means concludes that no e-mail addresses are in agreement with the source address, and recognizing the source address to be in agreement with the e-mail address in the memory if the difference is in a capital letter or a small letter; and

means for addressing a message, which is a reply to the received message, to the e-mail address stored in the memory if the source address is regarded to be in agreement with the e-mail address stored in the memory.

13. A communication terminal capable of receiving a message, comprising:

a memory to store an e-mail address and a name corresponding to the e-mail address;

first means for determining whether a source address, which is included in the received message, agrees with the e-mail address stored in the memory;

second means for determining whether the difference between the e-mail address and the source address is in a capital letter or a small letter if the first determining means concludes that the e-mail address and the source address do not agree, and for recognizing the source address to be in agreement with the e-mail address stored in the memory if the difference is in a capital letter or a small letter; and

a display to display the name, if the source address is regarded to be in agreement with the e-mail address in the memory, corresponding to the e-mail address regarded to be in agreement with the source address.

14. A communication terminal capable of receiving a message, comprising:

a memory to store a plurality of e-mail addresses and names corresponding to the e-mail addresses;

first means for searching the memory for the e-mail address which agrees with a source address included in the received message;

second means for searching the memory for the e-mail address which is different from the source address in a capital letter or a small letter if the first searching means concludes that no e-mail addresses are in agreement with the source address, and recognizing the source address to be in agreement with the e-mail address in the memory if the difference is in a capital letter or a small letter; and

a display to display the name, if the source address is regarded to be in agreement with the e-mail address in the memory, corresponding to the e-mail address regarded to be in agreement with the source address.