Information providing system and apparatus and methods therefor

• US 7,346,659 B2
• Filed: 07/19/2001
• Issued: 03/18/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 07/24/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Inoue, Atsushi, Satomi, Hiroshi, Ito, Kosuke, Matsuura, Kenichiro, Igeta, Satoshi
• Primary Examiner(s): Maung; Zarni
• Application Number:
  US09/909,042
• Publication Number:
  US 20020052922A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,434 Days
• Field of Search: 709200-202, 709/206, 709/238, 709/245, 709/246, 709/207, 709/217, 709/218, 709/219, 345/752, 340/2.23, 340/3.54, 370355-356, 370/392, 370/397, 370/399, 370/395.31, 378/142.04, 455/428, 455/412.1, 700/226, 715/530
• US Class Current: 709/206
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/066 Format adaptation, e.g. format conversion or compression
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/214 using selective forwarding
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/58 Message adaptation for wireless communication

Abstract

A net database retains, for each user, information about a portable terminal and user information including designation of a destination of electronic mail. A determination module determines whether the contents of electronic mail received by a mail server are displayable at the portable terminal of a destination user. If it is determined that the contents are displayable, the electronic mail is sent to the portable terminal of the destination user. If it is determined that the contents are not displayable, the determination module determines the destination of the electronic mail in accordance with the user information. A conversion module converts the electronic mail data into a form outputtable at the destination. The converted data is provided to the destination apparatus, and a notification representing this is notified to the portable terminal.

Claims

1. An information providing apparatus comprising:

a management unit managing settings indicating whether or not to generate abstract of mail text of an electronic mail and maximum number of displayable characters of a communication terminal by associating the settings with address of electronic mail;

a reception unit receiving electronic mail data addressed to a communication terminal;

a first determining unit determining, by referring to the management unit, whether the number of characters of mail text of the electronic mail data received by said reception unit exceeds the maximum number of displayable characters of the addressed communication terminal;

a second determination unit determining, when said first determination unit determines that the number of characters of the mail text exceeds the maximum number of displayable characters, whether settings corresponding to the addressed communication terminal indicates that an abstract is to be generated, by referring to the management unit;

a first generation unit generating, when said second determination unit determines that the setting indicates to generate an abstract, an abstract of the mail text as text to be sent;

a second generation unit generating, when said second determination unit determines that the setting indicates not to generate an abstract, text to be sent by cutting characters which exceed the maximum number of displayable characters; and

a sending unit sending the text to be sent generated by said first or second generation unit to the addressed communication terminal.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the communication terminal includes a portable telephone.

3. An information providing method comprising:

a management step of managing settings indicating whether or not to generate abstract of mail text of an electronic mail and maximum number of displayable characters of a communication terminal by associating the settings with address of electronic mail;

a reception step of receiving electronic mail data addressed to a communication terminal;

a first determination step of determining, by referring to the managing in the management step, whether the number of characters of mail text of the electronic mail data received in said reception step exceeds the maximum number of displayable characters of the addressed communication terminal;

a second determination step of determining, when it is determined in said first determination step that the number of characters of the mail text exceeds the maximum number of displayable characters, whether settings corresponding to the addressed communication terminal indicates that an abstract is to be generated, by referring to the managing in the managing step;

a first generation step of generating an abstract of the mail text as text to be sent when it is determined in said second determination step that the setting indicates to generate an abstract;

a second generation step of generating text to be sent by cutting characters which exceed the maximum number of displayable characters, when it is determined in said second determination step that the setting indicates not to generate an abstract; and

a sending step of sending the text generated in said first or second generation step to the addressed communication terminal.

4. The method according to claim 3, wherein the communication terminal includes a portable telephone.

5. A computer program stored on a computer-readable storage medium for causing a computer to execute the information providing method of claim 3.

6. A computer program stored on a computer-readable storage medium in accordance with claim 5, wherein the communication terminal includes a portable telephone.

7. A computer readable storage medium storing a computer-executable program for causing a computer to execute the information providing method of claim 3.

8. A computer readable storage medium storing a computer-executable program in accordance with claim 7, wherein the communication terminal includes a portable telephone.