Information terminal, server, information display system and information display method

• US 7,143,110 B2
• Filed: 06/18/2001
• Issued: 11/28/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 11/10/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Mitsubishi Denki Kabushiki Kaisha (Mitsubishi Electric Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Mitsubishi Denki Kabushiki Kaisha (Mitsubishi Electric Corporation)
• Inventors: Tomari, Yoichiro, Yamanaka, Hiroshi, Saito, Masashi, Okada, Reiko
• Primary Examiner(s): ROBINSON, GRETA LEE
• Application Number:
  US09/881,728
• Publication Number:
  US 20010042103A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,989 Days
• Field of Search: 707/1, 707/3, 707/102, 707/10, 707/104.1, 707/200, 707/204, 709/223, 709/224, 709/206, 709/207, 709/201, 709/218
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/451 Execution arrangements for user interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/234 for tracking messages
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/48 Message addressing, e.g. address format or anonymous messages, aliases
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/27453 Directories allowing storage of additional subscriber data, e.g. metadata
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/2746 Sorting, e.g. according to history or frequency of use
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/56 Arrangements for indicating or recording the called number at the calling subscriber's set
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/575 Means for retrieving and displaying personal data about calling party
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/7243 with interactive means for internal management of messages
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/60 logging of communication history, e.g. outgoing or incoming calls, missed calls, messages or URLs logging of telephone numbers H04M1/56, H04M1/57
• 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 information terminal includes a history management section for recording history information about communication; an information management table for recording history related information indicating a processing state of the history information; and an information history list display section for displaying the history information in connection with the processing state of the history information in accordance with the history related information.

Claims

1. An information terminal comprising:

an information history list display section capable of displaying communication history from a plurality of different types of communications, in connection with an answering state, whether answer has been completed or not, of the respective communications based on history related information which is generated by outgoing or incoming communication and indicates the answering state of the respective communications, wherein the plurality of different types of communications include at least email, telephone and Internet communications.

2. The information terminal according to claim 1, further comprising:

a history management section for recording the communication history; and

an information management table for recording the history related information that indicates the answering state of the respective communications stored in said history management section.

3. The information terminal according to claim 2, wherein

said information management table records relationships between the respective communications stored in said history management section as the history related information;

and

said information history list display section displays the respective communications in connection with communication which corresponds to the respective communications based on the history related information stored in said information management table.

4. The information terminal according to claim 2, wherein said information history list displays together the respective communications sent by a plurality of different communication means.

5. The information terminal according to claim 2, further comprising:

a personal address book for recording a personal name of a communication party and a communication address of the communication party; and

an address book search section for searching said personal address book, wherein

said information history list display section displays the personal name in substitution for the communication address included in the respective communications stored in said history management section based on a retrieval result from said personal address book by said address book search section.

6. The information terminal according to claim 1, wherein the communication history and the history related information are stored in a server to be sent to the information terminal.

7. The information terminal according to claim 1, further comprising:

a history management section for recording the communication history,

wherein the history related information is stored in a server to be sent to the information terminal.

8. The information terminal according to claim 1, further comprising:

an information management table for recording the history related information,

wherein said communication history is stored in a server to be sent to the information terminal.

9. A server comprising:

a personal information management section for transmitting, in response to a request from an information terminal that is capable of displaying respective communications, from a plurality of different types of communications, which belong to each of the information terminal users, and in connection with an answering state, whether answer has been completed or

not, of the respective communications based on history related information which is generated by outgoing or incoming communication, requested information to said information terminal.

wherein the plurality of different types of communications include at least email, telephone and Internet communications.

10. The server according to claim 9, further comprising:

a history management section for recording communication history; and

an information management table for recording history related information which indicates the answering state of the respective communications stored in said history management section.

11. The server according to claim 9, further comprising:

an information management table for recording history related information indicating the answering state of the respective communications,

wherein said server transmits the history related information stored in said information management table to said information terminal.

12. The server according to claim 9, further comprising:

a history management section for recording communication history,

wherein said server transmits the communication history stored in said history management section to said information terminal.

13. An information display system including an information terminal and a server capable of communicating with each other, said information display system comprising:

a history management section for recording communication history;

an information management table capable of recording history related information from a plurality of different types of communications, which is generated by outgoing or incoming communication and indicates an answering state, whether answer has been completed or not, of the respective communications stored in said history management section; and

an information history list display section for displaying the respective communications in connection with the answering state of the respective communications based on the history related information stored in said information management table,

wherein the plurality of different types of communications include at least email, telephone and Internet communications.

14. The information display system according to claim 13, wherein said server includes said history management section, said information management table, and a personal information management section to transmit the communication history and the history related information which belong to each of the information terminal users to the information terminal, and wherein said information terminal includes the information history list display section, and receives the communication history and history related information.

15. The information display system according to claim 13, wherein said server includes said information management table and a personal information management section to transmit the history related information which belong to each of the information terminal users, to said information terminal, and wherein said information terminal includes said history management section and said information history list display section, and receives the history related information.

16. The information display system according to claim 13, wherein said server includes said history management section and a personal information management section to transmit the communication history which belong to each of the information terminal users, to the information terminal, and wherein information terminal includes said information management table and said information history list display section, and receives the communication history.

17. An information display method comprising the steps of:

recording communication history of respective communications, from a plurality of different types of communications;

recording history related information which is generated by outgoing or incoming communication and indicates an answering state, whether answer has been completed or not, of the respective communications; and

displaying the respective communications in connection with the answering state of the respective communications based on the history related information,

wherein the plurality of different types of communications include at least email, telephone and Internet communications.

18. An apparatus for processing communication history information, comprising:

at least one information processor capable of maintaining a record of communication history information indicating an answering state, whether answer has been completed or not, of each item wherein said communication history information being generated from a plurality of different types of communications;

a display for displaying said communication history information,

wherein the plurality of different types of communications include at least email, telephone and Internet communications.

19. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein said at least one information processor including an operating menu for generating, in response to a user selection, a reply to an item of communication history information wherein completion of said reply generating an update to answering state of said item.