Portable communication terminal and method of transmission of electronic mail

• US 7,228,126 B2
• Filed: 03/21/2005
• Issued: 06/05/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 03/31/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: NEC Corporation
• Original Assignee: NEC Corporation
• Inventors: Hayashi, Keiichi
• Primary Examiner(s): Feild, Joseph
• Assistant Examiner(s): NGUYEN, KHAI MINH
• Application Number:
  US11/084,146
• Publication Number:
  US 20050221803A1
• Time in Patent Office: 806 Days
• Field of Search: 455/419, 455/418, 455/420, 455/421, 455/41.2, 455/558, 455/557
• US Class Current: 455/419
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/27 with central registration
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/28 the pass enabling tracking or indicating presence

Abstract

A portable communication terminal includes a non-contact IC card. The non-contact IC card receives, from a passage verification apparatus, information indicating a passage of the non-contact IC card through the passage verification apparatus including a gate for verifying a passage; a passage detection device receives the information on the passage from the non-contact IC card, and then detects the passage of the portable communication terminal through the passage verification apparatus; and a mail transmission control device controls transmission of the electronic mail reserved for transmission in accordance with the detection.

Claims

1. A portable communication terminal, comprising:

a non-contact IC card which receives, from a passage verification apparatus, information including identification information of an institution in which the passage verification apparatus is placed and indicating a passage of the non-contact IC card through the passage verification apparatus including a gate for verifying a passage;

passage detecting means for detecting a passage of the portable communication terminal through the passage verification apparatus by receiving the information on the passage from the non-contact IC card; and

mail transmission control means for controlling a transmission of an electronic mail reserved for transmission in association with the identification information of the institution in accordance with the detection.

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

adding means for automatically adding information to the electronic mail to be transmitted, said information representing the passage verification apparatus in which the passage takes place and a time of detection of the passage, on a basis of the information received from the non-contact IC card.

3. The portable communication terminal according to claim 1, wherein the mail transmission control means investigates, before transmission of the electronic mail, whether the portable communication terminal is within a communication range, which indicates the electronic mail can be transmitted, or out of the communication range, which indicates the electronic mail cannot be transmitted, and if a result of the investigation indicates the portable communication terminal is out of the communication range, retains transmission of the electronic mail until the portable communication terminal enters the communication range.

4. The portable communication terminal according to claim 3, wherein the mail transmission control means automatically transmits the retained electronic mail when the portable communication terminal enters the communication range.

5. A transmission method of an electronic mail by use of a portable communication terminal equipped with a non-contact IC card, the transmission method comprising:

receiving by the non-contact IC card, from a passage verification apparatus, information including identification information of an institution in which the passage verification apparatus is placed and indicating a passage of the non-contact IC card through the passage verification apparatus including a gate for verifying a passage;

detecting the passage of the portable communication terminal through the passage verification apparatus by receiving the information on the passage from the non-contact IC card; and

controlling a transmission of the electronic mail reserved for transmission in association with the identification information of the institution in accordance with the detection.

6. The transmission method of an electronic mail according to claim 5, further comprising:

detecting which passage verification apparatus the passage takes place, on a basis of the information received from the non-contact IC card;

measuring a time at the passage when the passage through the passage verification apparatus is detected; and

adding information to the electronic mail to be transmitted, said information representing the passage verification apparatus in which the passage takes place and the time of detection of the passage.

7. The transmission method of an electronic mail according to claim 5, further comprising:

investigating, before transmission of the electronic mail, whether the portable communication terminal is within a communication range, which indicates the electronic mail can be transmitted, or out of the communication range, which indicates the electronic mail cannot be transmitted; and

retaining transmission of the electronic mail until the portable communication terminal enters the communication range, if a result of the investigation indicates the portable communication terminal is out of the communication range.

8. The transmission method of an electronic mail according to claim 7, wherein the retained electronic mail is automatically transmitted when the portable communication terminal enters the communication range.

9. A portable communication terminal, comprising:

a non-contact IC card which receives, from a passage verification apparatus, information including identification information of an institution in which the passage verification apparatus is placed and indicating a passage of the non-contact IC card through the passage verification apparatus including a gate for verifying a passage;

passage detector that detects passage of the portable communication terminal through the passage verification apparatus by receiving the information on the passage from the non-contact IC card; and

a mail transmission controller that controls transmission of an electronic mail reserved for transmission in association with the identification information of the institution in accordance with the detection.

10. The portable communication terminal according to claim 9, further comprising:

an adding device that adds information automatically to the electronic mail to be transmitted, said information representing the passage verification apparatus in which the passage takes place and a time of detection of the passage, on a basis of the information received from the non-contact IC card.