System, method, program and storage medium for processing electronic mail

• US 7,383,304 B2
• Filed: 02/11/2003
• Issued: 06/03/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 02/12/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Shimada, Naoki, Hadano, Masahiro, Onsen, Takahiro, Yoshida, Koji
• Primary Examiner(s): Flynn; Nathan J.
• Assistant Examiner(s): JEAN GILLES, JUDE
• Application Number:
  US10/364,841
• Publication Number:
  US 20030151623A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,939 Days
• Field of Search: 709203-207, 707 3- 6, 455/563, 455/564, 455/569, 455418-421
• US Class Current: 709/206
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/107 Computer-aided management of electronic mailing [e-mailing]

Abstract

In an e-mail processing system with a predetermined limit on the number of destination addresses of a piece of e-mail to be sent, the present invention determines whether the number of destination addresses of a piece of e-mail being viewed to be returned to everyone exceeds the predetermined limit when directed to be returned to everyone for the e-mail being viewed, and generates a piece of return mail creation screen with predetermined addresses in the e-mail being viewed being set as destinations of the piece of return mail when the predetermined limit is determined to be exceeded and generates a piece of return mail creation screen with everyone'"'"'s address for the piece of e-mail being viewed being set as a destination of the piece of return mail when the predetermined limit is determined not to be exceeded. This configuration improves viewability and operability, for example, when a user directs to create a “Return to Everyone” mail. This configuration can increase the number of users to be provided with the service.

Claims

1. An e-mail processing system comprising:

a determination means for determining whether the number of destination addresses of a piece of e-mail being viewed to be returned to everyone exceeds a predetermined limit when directed to be returned to everyone for said piece of e-mail being viewed; and

a generation means for generating a piece of return mail creation screen with an address included in Reply-to field of said piece of e-mail being viewed, the address being set as destinations of the piece of return mail when said predetermined limit is determined to be exceeded and besides said piece of e-mail being viewed includes the address in Reply-to field,

and for generating a piece of return mail creation screen with an address included in From field of said piece of e-mail being viewed, the address being set as destination of the piece of return mail, when said predetermined limit is determined to be exceeded and besides said piece of e-mail being viewed does not include an address in Reply-to field,

and for generating a piece of return mail creation screen with an address included in Reply-to field of said piece of e-mail being viewed and an every one'"'"'s address included in destination field of said piece of e-mail being viewed, the addresses being set as destination of the piece of return mail, when said predetermined limit is determined not to be exceeded and besides said piece of e-mail being viewed includes an address in Reply-to field,

and for generating a piece of return mail creation screen with an address included in From field of said piece of e-mail being viewed and an everyone'"'"'s address included in destination field of said piece of e-mail being viewed, the address being set as a destination of the piece of return mail when said predetermined limit is determined not to be exceeded and besides said piece of e-mail being viewed does not include an address in Reply-to field.

2. The e-mail processing system according to claim 1, wherein said piece of return mail creation screen generated by said generation means further comprising a message indicating that everyone'"'"'s address is not set as a destination of a piece of return mail, when said predetermined limit is determined to be exceeded.

3. The e-mail processing system according to claim 1, wherein said piece of return mail creation screen generated by said generation means further sets a body of said piece of e-mail being viewed to a body of said piece of return mail as a quote.

4. The e-mail processing system according to claim 1, wherein said piece of c-mail processing system is a WWW mail system, further comprising a sending means for sending a piece of return mail creation screen generated by said generation means to be displayed by a WWW browser.

5. The e-mail processing system according to claim 4, wherein said WWW browser is a WWW browser of a mobile terminal.

6. The e-mail processing system according to claim 1, wherein addresses set as destinations of said return mail when said predetermined limit is determined not to be exceeded in said generation means is set not to include redundant addresses.

7. An e-mail processing method for processing a piece of e-mail in an e-mail system, the method comprising:

a determining step of determining whether the number of destination addresses of a piece of e-mail being viewed to be returned to everyone exceeds a predetermined limit when directed to be returned to everyone for said piece of e-mail being viewed; and

a generating step of generating a piece of return mail creation screen with an address included in Reply-to field of said piece of e-mail being viewed, the address being set as destinations of the piece of return mail when said predetermined limit is determined to be exceeded and besides said piece of e-mail being viewed includes the address in Reply-to field,

and of generating a piece of return mail creation screen with an address included in From field of said piece of e-mail being viewed, the address being set as destination of the piece of return mail, when said predetermined limit is determined to be exceeded and besides said piece of e-mail being viewed does not include an address in Reply-to field,

and of generating a piece of return mail creation screen with an address included in Reply-to field of said piece of e-mail being viewed and an every one'"'"'s address included in destination field of said piece of e-mail being viewed, the addresses being set as destination of the piece of return mail, when said predetermined limit is determined not to be exceeded and besides said piece of e-mail being viewed includes an address in Reply-to field,

and of generating a piece of return mail creation screen with an address included in From field of said piece of e-mail being viewed and an everyone'"'"'s address included in destination field of said piece of e-mail being viewed, the address being set as a destination of the piece of return mail when said predetermined limit is determined not to be exceeded and besides said piece of e-mail being viewed does not include an address in Reply-to field.

8. The e-mail processing method according to claim 7, wherein said piece of return mail creation screen generated in said generating step further comprises a message indicating that everyone'"'"'s address is not set as a destination of a piece of return mail, when said predetermined limit is determined to be exceeded.

9. The e-mail processing method according to claim 7, wherein said return mail creation screen generated in said generating step further sets a body of said piece of e-mail being viewed to a body of said piece of return mail as a quote.

10. The e-mail processing method according to claim 7, wherein said piece of e-mail processing method is a processing method for a WWW mail, further comprising a sending step for sending a piece of return mail creation screen generated in said generating step to be displayed by a WWW browser.

11. The e-mail processing method according to claim 10, wherein said WWW browser is a WWW browser of a mobile terminal.

12. The e-mail processing method according to claim 7, wherein addresses set as destinations of said piece of return mail when said predetermined limit is determined not to be exceeded in said generating step is set not to include redundant addresses.

13. A computer readable storage medium which stores a computer program for making a computer to execute an e-mail processing method of processing a piece of e-mail, said e-mail processing method comprising:

a determining step of determining whether the number of destination addresses of a piece of e-mail being viewed to be returned to everyone exceeds a predetermined limit when directed to be returned to everyone for the piece of e-mail being viewed; and

a generating step of generating a piece of return mail creation screen with an address included in Reply-to field of said piece of e-mail being viewed, the address being set as destinations of the piece of return mail when said predetermined limit is determined to be exceeded and besides said piece of e-mail being viewed includes the address in Reply-to field,

and of generating a piece of return mail creation screen with an address included in From field of said piece of e-mail being viewed, the address being set as destination of the piece of return mail, when said predetermined limit is determined to be exceeded and besides said piece of e-mail being viewed does not include an address in Reply-to field,

and of generating a piece of return mail creation screen with an address included in Reply-to field of said piece of e-mail being viewed and an every one'"'"'s address included in destination field of said piece of e-mail being viewed, the addresses being set as destination of the piece of return mail, when said predetermined limit is determined not to be exceeded and besides said piece of e-mail being viewed includes an address in Reply-to field,

and of generating a piece of return mail creation screen with an address included in From field of said piece of e-mail being viewed and an everyone'"'"'s address included in destination field of said piece of e-mail being viewed, the address being set as a destination of the piece of return mail when said predetermined limit is determined not to be exceeded and besides said piece of e-mail being viewed does not include an address in Reply-to field.

14. The computer readable storage medium of claim 13, wherein said piece of return mail creation screen generated in said e-mail processing method further comprises a message indicating that everyone'"'"'s address is not set as a destination of a piece of return mail, when said predetermined limit is determined to be exceeded.

15. The computer readable storage medium of claim 13, wherein said piece of return mail creation screen generated in said e-mail processing method further sets a body of said piece of e-mail being viewed to a body of said piece of return mail as a quote.

16. The computer readable storage medium of claim 13, wherein the e-mail processing method for the e-mail system processes a WWW mail, and the e-mail processing method further comprises executing sending a piece of return mail creation screen generated in said e-mail processing method to be displayed by a WWW browser.

17. The computer readable storage medium of claim 16, wherein said WWW browser is a WWW browser of a mobile terminal.

18. The computer readable storage medium of claim 13, wherein addresses set as destinations of said piece of return mail when said predetermined limit is determined not to be exceeded in said e-mail processing method is set not to include redundant addresses.