Mobile communication terminal and mobile communication system

• US 8,204,940 B2
• Filed: 02/09/2005
• Issued: 06/19/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 02/17/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Lenovo Innovations Ltd Hong Kong (Lenovo Group Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: NEC Corporation
• Inventors: Kogawa, Ryutaro
• Primary Examiner(s): TANG, KAREN C
• Application Number:
  US11/052,758
• Publication Number:
  US 20050181769A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,687 Days
• Field of Search: 709/206, 709/203, 709/205, 709/207, 709/217
• US Class Current: 709/206
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/58 Message adaptation for wireless communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72436 for text messaging, e.g. short messaging services [SMS] or e-mails
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72457 according to geographic location

Abstract

When sending electronic mail, a user of a mobile phone can add predetermined conditions (or data) to the electronic mail. When the mobile phone receives electronic mail with the conditions added thereto, the received electronic mail can be displayed and deleted according to the aforementioned conditions. The receiver of the electronic mail cannot freely dispose of the received electronic mail. The added conditions are, for example, display date and time, display period, number of displays, retention period.

Claims

1. A mobile communication terminal for sending and receiving electronic mail, comprising:

a memory and a controller for executing programs stored in the memory, wherein the program causes the controller to perform processes comprising;

attaching, to an electronic mail to be sent, first management data for the electronic mail to be sent, and

managing a received electronic mail according to second management data attached to the received electronic mail,

wherein each of the first and second management data includes data concerning display including a date and time the received electronic mail is allowed to be displayed; and

an own position determination unit, wherein the data concerning display comprises data concerning a position where the received electronic mail is allowed to be displayed,

wherein each of the first and second management data further includes at least one of;

in said data concerning display, a number of displays at which the received electronic mail is allowed to be displayed, and

data concerning saving, including whether the received electronic mail is allowed to be saved, and

wherein each of the first and second management data further comprises data concerning forwarding of the received electronic mail, including at least one of whether the received electronic mail is allowed to be forwarded and a number of times that the received electronic mail is allowed to be forwarded.

2. The mobile communication terminal according to claim 1, wherein the data concerning display further comprises a period the received electronic mail is allowed to be displayed.

3. The mobile communication terminal according to claim 1, wherein the data concerning saving further comprises at least one of information on whether the received electronic mail is allowed to be saved and a period the saved electronic mail is allowed to be retained.

4. The mobile communication terminal according to claim 3, wherein when a saved period of the received electronic mail exceeds the allowed retention period in the data concerning saving, the controller deletes the received electronic mail.

5. The mobile communication terminal according to claim 1, wherein the controller comprises a CPU within the mobile communication terminal.

6. The mobile communication terminal according to claim 1, wherein display of the received electronic mail is prohibited until a permission time based on said data concerning display.

7. A mobile communication system in which an electronic mail is sent and received, comprising:

a plurality of mobile communication terminals;

a base station; and

a mobile communication network, wherein each of the mobile communication terminals includes;

attaching means for attaching, to an electronic mail to be sent, first management data for the electronic mail to be sent;

electronic mail managing means for managing a received electronic mail according to second management data attached to the received electronic mail, wherein each of the first and second management data includes data concerning display including a date and time the received electronic mail is allowed to be displayed; and

an own position determination unit, wherein the data concerning display comprises data concerning a position where the received electronic mail is allowed to be displayed,

wherein each of the first and second management data further includes at least one of;

in said data concerning display, a number of displays at which the received electronic mail is allowed to be displayed, and

data concerning saving, including whether the received electronic mail is allowed to be saved, and

wherein each of the first and second management data further comprises data concerning forwarding of the received electronic mail, including at least one of whether the received electronic mail is allowed to be forwarded and a number of times that the received electronic mail is allowed to be forwarded.

8. The mobile communication system according to claim 7, wherein each of the first and second management data further comprises data concerning forwarding of received electronic mail.

9. The mobile communication system according to claim 7, wherein display of the received electronic mail is prohibited until a permission time based on said data concerning display.

10. An electronic mail managing method, for managing electronic mail in a communication terminal, comprising:

a controller in said communication terminal attaching to an electronic mail to be sent first management data for the electronic mail to be sent;

the controller controlling a received electronic mail according to second management data attached to the received electronic mail, wherein each of the first and second management data includes data concerning display including a date and time the received electronic mail is allowed to be displayed; and

the controller determining an own position, wherein the data concerning display comprises data concerning a position where the received electronic mail is allowed to be displayed,

wherein each of the first and second management data further includes at least one of;

in said data concerning display a number of displays at which the received electronic mail is allowed to be displayed, and

data concerning saving including whether the received electronic mail is allowed to be saved, and

wherein each of the first and second management data further comprises data concerning forwarding of the received electronic mail, including at least one of whether the received electronic mail is allowed to be forwarded and a number of times that the received electronic mail is allowed to be forwarded.

11. The electronic mail managing method according to claim 10, wherein each of the first and second management data further comprises data concerning forwarding of the received electronic mail.

12. The electronic mail managing method according to claim 10, wherein the data concerning display further comprises a period the received electronic mail is allowed to be displayed.

13. The electronic mail managing method according to claim 11, wherein the data concerning saving further comprises at least one of information on whether the received electronic mail is allowed to be saved and a period the saved electronic mail is allowed to be retained.

14. The electronic mail managing method according to claim 13, further comprising:

deleting the received electronic mail, when a saved period of the received electronic mail exceeds the allowed retention period in the data concerning saving.

15. The electronic mail managing method according to claim 10, further comprising:

prohibiting display of the received electronic mail until a permission time based on said data concerning display.