Communication terminal operational with multiple applications

• US 7,590,411 B2
• Filed: 03/25/2004
• Issued: 09/15/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 03/25/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: NTT Docomo Incorporated (Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corporation)
• Original Assignee: NTT Docomo Incorporated (Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corporation)
• Inventors: Tomioka, Atsuki, Watanabe, Nobuyuki, Hattori, Yasunori, Takeshita, Masato, Nishida, Masakazu, Yamane, Naoki, Asai, Mao, Yamada, Kazuhiro, Naruse, Naoki, Kamiya, Dai, Ichikawa, Yuichi, Washio, Satoshi, Tsuda, Masayuki
• Primary Examiner(s): Edouard, Patrick N
• Assistant Examiner(s): Addy, Anthony S
• Application Number:
  US10/809,278
• Publication Number:
  US 20040242205A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,000 Days
• Field of Search: 455/412.1, 455/412.2, 455/413, 455/414.1, 455/466, 455/566.2, 455/558, 455/566, 455/567, 709/206, 709/250, 379/93.24, 379/100.08, 379/100.09, 715/864, 358/402, 358/407
• US Class Current: 455/412.1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/107 Computer-aided management of electronic mailing [e-mailing]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/42 Mailbox-related aspects, e.g. synchronisation of mailboxes
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/58 Message adaptation for wireless communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72406 by software upgrading or downloading
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72436 for text messaging, e.g. short messaging services [SMS] or e-mails
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/245 from a network towards a terminal

Abstract

A native mailer operated in accordance with a native program installed by a manufacturer of mobile phone 200 obtains an e-mail generated by using an application mailer. A native mailer obtains an e-mail, and stores in a folder for an application mailer, an e-mail generated by using an application mailer.

Claims

1. A communication terminal operational with at least two applications, each of said at least two applications operable to provide a user interface, the communication terminal comprising:

a control unit operable in said communication terminal and configured to receive a first email message from an email server that includes an email address of a sender and an intended recipient, wherein there are two types of email messages;

said control unit further configured to determine whether said first email message is a first type of email message or a second type of email message that is different from said first type of email message;

said control unit further configured to execute a first application operable on said communication terminal to read only said first type of email message; and

said control unit further configured to execute a second application operable on said communication terminal to read at least said second type of email message;

said second application is further executable to enable said first application to transmit a second email message to a designated recipient, said second email message generated for transmission with only said second application, to include a header and an email address of a designated recipient of said second email message; and

said control unit is further configured to store, in a specified storage area, the second email message, and to execute said first application to transmit said second email message for receipt by said designated recipient.

2. The communication terminal of claim 1, wherein said first application is executable to generate or open email messages.

3. The communication terminal of claim 2, wherein said second application is downloadable to said mobile communication terminal, said second application also operable in said communication terminal to generate or open email messages.

4. The communication terminal of claim 3, wherein only said first application is executable to communicate with said email server to transmit and receive email messages.

5. The communication terminal of claim 1, wherein said second application is further executable to store said second email message generated for transmission in association with a transmission folder that is accessible with said first application, wherein said first email application is further executable to transmit for receipt by said email server email messages associated with said transmission folder.

6. The communication terminal of claim 1, wherein said control unit is further configured to determine if said received first email message is compatible with said first application or said second application based on an identifier included in said first email message.

7. The communication terminal of claim 1, wherein said first type of email message is storable in association with a predetermined reception folder that is associated with said first application, and said second type of email message is storable in association with a folder identified with said first email message, wherein said second type of email message is storable in association with said second application.

8. The communication terminal of claim 1, wherein said second type of email message includes an identifier that is not included in said first type of email message.

9. The communication terminal of claim 8, wherein said identifier comprises at least one of a character mail identifier or a character identifier.

10. The communication terminal of claim 1, further comprising a storage in communication with said control unit, wherein said storage is a removable storage unit detachably coupled with said communication terminal;

and an identifier of said second application is stored in said storage in accordance with said first email message and said second email message.

11. The communication terminal of claim 10, wherein the second email message generated with the second application that is stored in the specified storage area is stored in the storage in a transmission box folder, and the first application is executable with the control unit to check for the second email message stored in the transmission box folder, and read out the second email message stored therein for transmission to the email server.

12. The communication terminal of claim 1, wherein said first application is executable with said control unit to communicate with said email server;

and said second application is not executable with said control unit to communicate with said email server.

13. The communication terminal of claim 1, wherein said first application and said second application are each configured to provide a user with a respective user interface to independently read and generate email messages that include an email address indicating a destination, an email title, and a body of text.

14. A method of executing at least two applications with a communication terminal, the method comprising:

receiving, at said communication terminal from an email server, a first email message that includes an email address of a sender and an intended recipient, wherein there are two types of email messages;

determining with said communication terminal whether said first email message is a first type of email message or a second type of email message;

executing a first application operable on said communication terminal to read only said first type of email message;

executing a second application operable on said communication terminal to read at least said second type of email message;

executing said second application operable on said communication terminal to generate a second email message that is generated to include identification of a designated recipient of said second email message;

storing said second email message in a predetermined storage location; and

executing said first application operable on said communication terminal to transmit said second email message to said designated recipient in response to storage of said second email message in said predetermined storage location.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein determining whether said first email message is a first type of email message or a second type of email message further comprises determining from an identifier included in said first email message if said first email message is compatible with said first application or said second application.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising storing said first email message and data related to receipt of said first email message in a predetermined reception box folder associated with said first application when said first email message is determined to be compatible with said first application;

and storing said first email message and data related to receipt of said first email message in a folder designated within said first email message and associated with said second application when said first email message is determined to be compatible with said second application.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising the step of said second application instructing said first application to generate said folder and a folder table, said second application executable to display data associated with said first email message stored in said folder as a function of said folder table.

18. The method of claim 15, wherein determining from an identifier included in said first email message if said first email message is compatible comprises the step of reading an identifier included in a header of said first email message to determine if said first application or said second application is indicated.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein storing said first email message and data related to receipt of said first email message in a folder designated within said first email message comprises the steps of checking a table stored in said communication terminal for said identifier and a corresponding folder name, and storing said data related to said first email message in said folder that is associated with said identifier and is accessible by execution of said second application.

20. The method of claim 19, further comprising the step of executing said second application to access said folder based on said identifier and to display a listing that includes an email title, an email reception date, and an email reception time of said first email message that is retrieved from said folder.

21. The method of claim 20, further comprising the steps of said second application obtaining a message identification associated with said listing, and extracting said first email message from a stored location for display based on said message identification.

22. The method of claim 14, further comprising generating a first email arrival indication to a user in response to said first email message being determined to be said first type of email message, and generating a second email arrival indication to said user that is different than said first email arrival indication in response to said first email message being determined to be said second type of email message.

23. The method of claim 14, wherein said first email message includes an identifier that comprises a character identifier designated by a sender of said first email message, and the method further comprises said second application executable to display an animation of a character indicated with said character identifier followed sequentially by display of a content of said first email message.