Communication terminal, server unit, mail incoming notification method and system, and mail sending and receiving method

• US 7,308,478 B2
• Filed: 09/25/2002
• Issued: 12/11/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 08/08/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Kawaguchi, Sachiko, Ishii, Hidenori, Uranaka, Hiroshi, Morozumi, Masahide
• Primary Examiner(s): WON, MICHAEL YOUNG
• Application Number:
  US10/254,017
• Publication Number:
  US 20040059787A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,903 Days
• Field of Search: 709/206, 709/207, 709/203, 709/224
• US Class Current: 709/206
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/224 providing notification on incoming messages, e.g. pushed notifications of received messages

Abstract

An attempt is made to make an incoming notification for a reply to sending mail, an incoming notification related to the sending mail, and an incoming notification from an Internet service provider to a user. Accordingly, when the mail is sent from a communication terminal, if an incoming notification condition related to the mail is added and the mail is sent to a server unit, the server unit detects and registers the information as the incoming notification condition and sends the mail to the Internet. Further, when the mail that matches the incoming notification condition was received, the incoming notification is made to the communication terminal and the condition is changed. Consequently, the incoming notification condition can dynamically be set and changed at mail sending and receiving. That is, the incoming notification condition related to the sending mail can be registered in the server unit at mail sending. When the mail that matches the incoming notification condition was received, the mail is posted to the user as the incoming notification and the incoming notification condition can be changed.

Claims

1. A server unit that sends and receives, stores, and manages electronic mail, comprising:

a condition management database that stores and manages an incoming notification condition set on a sending electronic mail by a communication terminal and used for deciding whether an incoming notification is made or not made when said server unit receives a responsive electronic mail for responding to a said sending electronic mail and having a message ID for identifying said sending electronic mail;

a condition detection means that detects said incoming notification condition from the electronic mail sent from the communication terminal and stores said incoming notification condition in said condition management database;

a sending means for sending an electronic mail received from said communication terminal to which a message ID have been given by said communication terminal or said server unit to another unit or terminal;

a decision means that acquires the incoming notification condition from said condition management database and checks whether the incoming notification is to be made to the communication terminal when the responsive electronic mail for responding to said sending electronic mail was received from an other terminal or device through a network;

an incoming notification means that deletes said incoming notification condition from said condition management database and makes the incoming notification for an address of the communication terminal when the incoming notification is made as a result of said checks of said decision means; and

a distribution means that distributes the receiving electronic mail when the distribution of receiving electronic mail was requested from the communication terminal.

3. The server unit according to claim 1, further comprising:

a timer management means that, after the incoming notification condition is registered in the condition management database, monitors time from the registration of the condition; and

a deletion means that, when a fixed time elapses in the incoming notification condition, deletes the condition.

4. The electronic mail incoming notification system according to claim 3, wherein the server unit comprises the timer management means that, after the incoming notification condition is registered in the condition management database, monitors the time from the registration of the condition and the deletion means that, when the fixed time elapses in the incoming notification condition, deletes the condition.

5. The server unit according to claim 1, further comprising a condition management means that manages the incoming notification condition so that the maximum number of registered conditions cannot be exceeded when the incoming notification condition is newly registered in the condition management database and performs processing that prevents it when said maximum number of registered conditions is exceeded.

6. The electronic mail incoming notification system according to claim 3, wherein the server unit manages the incoming notification condition so that the maximum number of registered conditions cannot be exceeded when the incoming notification condition is newly registered in the condition management database and performs the processing that prevents it when said maximum number of registered conditions is exceeded.

7. The server unit according to claim 1, further comprising a condition operation means that operates the incoming notification condition stored in the condition management database according to a request from the communication terminal.

9. The electronic mail incoming notification system according to claim 3, wherein the incoming notification condition registered in the condition management database from the communication terminal at electronic mail sending is a reply that corresponds to said sending electronic mail.

12. The server unit according to claim 9, wherein the server unit comprises a means for posting contents that said server unit ought to post to the user regardless of electronic mail receiving.

14. The server unit according to claim 12, wherein the contents that the server unit ought to post to the user is the user mailbox exceeded the threshold.

16. The server unit according to claim 12, wherein the server unit posts the contents to be posted to the user together with the incoming notification.

17. The electronic mail incoming notification system according to claim 3, wherein the server unit comprises a means for posting the contents that said server unit ought to post to the user regardless of electronic mail receiving.

19. The server unit according to claim 17, wherein the contents that the server unit ought to post to the user is the user mailbox exceeded the threshold.

21. The server unit according to claim 17, wherein the sever unit posts the contents to be posted to the user together with the incoming notification.

2. An incoming notification system constituted of a server unit, comprising:

a communication terminal including,

a condition addition means that sets, on a sending electronic mail, an incoming notification condition used for deciding whether an incoming notification is made or not made when a responsive electronic mail, for responding to said sending electronic mail and having a message ID for identifying said sending electronic mail, is received;

a sending means for sending said sending electronic mail to which said incoming notification condition is added to an other terminal; and

a server unit having a an electronic mail sending and receiving function, including,

a condition management database that stores and manages the incoming notification condition used for deciding whether an incoming notification is made or not made when said server unit receives the electronic mail having the message ID for identifying said sending electronic mail,

a condition detection means that detects said incoming notification condition from the electronic mail sent from a communication terminal and stores said incoming notification condition in said condition management database

a sending means for sending a an electronic mail received from said communication terminal to which a message ID have been given by said communication terminal or said server unit to an other unit or terminal;

a decision means that acquires the incoming notification condition from said condition management database and checks whether the incoming notification is to be made to the communication terminal when a responsive electronic mail for responding to said sending electronic mail was received from the other terminal or device through a network,

incoming notification means that deletes said incoming notification condition from said condition management database and makes the incoming notification for the address of the communication terminal when the incoming notification is made as a result of said checks of said decision means, and

a distribution means that distributes the receiving electronic mail when the distribution of the receiving electronic mail was requested from the communication terminal.

11. The server unit according to claim 2, wherein the server unit comprises a means for posting contents that said server unit ought to post to the user regardless of electronic mail receiving.

13. The server unit according to claim 11, wherein the contents that the server unit ought to post to the user is a user mailbox exceeded a threshold.

15. The server unit according to claim 11, wherein the server unit posts the contents to be posted to the user together with the incoming notification.

8. An electronic mail incoming notification system, comprising:

a communication terminal including, a condition addition means that sets, on a sending electronic mail, an incoming notification condition used for deciding whether an incoming notification is made or not made when a responsive electronic mail, for responding to said sending electronic mail and having a message ID for identifying said sending electronic mail, is received;

a sending means for sending said sending electronic mail to which said incoming notification condition is added to an other terminal; and

a server unit having a an electronic mail sending and receiving function, including,

a condition management database that stores and manages an incoming notification condition used for deciding whether an incoming notification is made or not made when said server unit receives a responsive electronic mail for responding to a sending electronic mail having a message ID for identifying said sending electronic mail,

a condition detection means that detects said incoming notification condition from the electronic mail sent from a communication terminal and stores it in said condition management database;

a sending means for sending a an electronic mail received from said communication terminal to which a message ID have been given by said communication terminal or said server unit to another unit or terminal;

a decision means that acquires the incoming notification condition from said condition management database and checks whether the incoming notification is to be made to the communication terminal when the responsive electronic mail for responding to said sending electronic mail was received from other terminal or device through a network,

an incoming notification means that deletes said incoming notification condition from said condition management database and makes the incoming notification for the address of the communication terminal when the incoming notification is made as a result of said checks of said decision means, and

a distribution means that distributes the receiving electronic mail when the distribution of the receiving electronic mail was requested from the communication terminal;

wherein said communication terminal comprises a condition reference means that refers to an incoming notification condition stored in said condition management database and a condition change means that changes said incoming notification condition, and

said server unit comprises a condition operation means that operates an incoming notification condition stored in said condition management database according to a request from the communication terminal.

10. The electronic mail incoming notification system according to claim 8, wherein the incoming notification condition registered in the condition management database from the communication terminal at electronic mail sending is a reply that corresponds to said sending electronic mail.

18. The electronic mail incoming notification system according to claim 10, wherein the server unit comprises a means for posting the contents that said server unit ought to post to the user regardless of electronic mail receiving.

20. The server unit according to claim 18, wherein the contents that the server unit ought to post to the user is the mailbox exceeded the threshold.

22. The server unit according to claim 18, wherein the server unit posts the contents to be posted to the user together with the incoming notification.

23. A An electronic mail incoming notification method, comprising the steps of:

providing a condition management database that stores and manages an incoming notification condition set on a sending electronic mail by a communication terminal and used for deciding whether an incoming notification is made or not made when a server receives a responsive electronic mail, for responding to a said sending electronic mail and having a message ID for identifying said sending electronic mail,

detecting the incoming notification condition from the electronic mail sent from a communication terminal and storing it in said condition management database;

sending a an electronic mail received from said communication terminal to which an incoming notification condition is set by a communication terminal and a message ID has been given by said communication terminal or said server unit to another unit or terminal;

sending an electronic mail received from said communication terminal to which a message ID has been given by said communication terminal or said server unit to an other unit or terminal;

acquiring the incoming notification condition from said condition management database and checking whether the incoming notification for notifying a responsive electronic mail for responding to said sending electronic mail has been received is to be made to the communication terminal when the electronic mail was received from other terminal or device through a network;

making the incoming notification for the address of the communication terminal and deleting said incoming notification condition from said condition management database when the incoming notification is made as a result of said decision; and

distributing the receiving electronic mail when the distribution of the receiving electronic mail is requested from the communication terminal.

24. An electronic mail sending and receiving method with an incoming notification, comprising the steps of:

at the communication terminal side,

creating sending electronic mail and inputting a sending request for the electronic mail using an input means;

setting, on said sending electronic mail, an incoming notification condition used for deciding whether an incoming notification is made or not made when a responsive electronic mail, for responding to said sending electronic mail and having a message ID for identifying said sending electronic mail, is received; and

sending said sending electronic mail to which said incoming notification condition is added to an other terminal, while

at the server side that stores and manages receiving electronic mail,

providing a condition management database that stores and manages an incoming notification condition used received from said communication terminal;

detecting the incoming notification condition from the electronic mail sent from a communication terminal and storing it in said condition management database;

sending an electronic mail received from said communication terminal to which an incoming notification condition is set by a communication terminal and a message ID has been given by said communication terminal or said server unit to another unit or terminal;

sending an electronic mail received from said communication terminal to which a message ID has been given by said communication terminal or said server unit to an other unit or terminal;

acquiring the incoming notification condition from said condition management database and checking whether the incoming notification for notifying a responsive electronic mail for responding to said sending electronic mail has been received is to be made to the communication terminal when the electronic mail was received from the other terminal or device through a network;

making the incoming notification for the address of the communication terminal and deleting said incoming notification condition from said condition management database when the incoming notification is made as a result of said deciding; and

distributing the receiving electronic mail when the distribution of the receiving electronic mail was requested from the communication terminal.