Method, device and computer readable medium for classifying electronic mails

• US 20050188038A1
• Filed: 01/26/2005
• Published: 08/25/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 01/26/2004
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: NEC Corporation
• Original Assignee: NEC Corporation
• Inventors: Yabe, Masato
• Application Number:
  US11/042,160
• Publication Number:
  US 20050188038A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/206
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/107 Computer-aided management of electronic mailing [e-mailing]

Abstract

Classification of e-mails stored in a storage device of an e-mail terminal into groups by the e-mail terminal. The method includes: storing to a storage device of the e-mail terminal relations between keywords and groups, wherein each of the relations is capable of relating a single keyword with plural groups; designating one of the groups in the relations; and categorizing an e-mail that includes the keywords related to the designated group as one belonging to the designated group.

Claims

1. A method of classifying electronic mails or e-mails stored in a storage device of an e-mail terminal into groups by the e-mail terminal, the method comprising:

storing to a storage device of the e-mail terminal relations between keywords and groups, wherein each of the relations is capable of relating a single keyword with plural groups;

designating one of the groups in the relations; and

categorizing an e-mail that includes the keywords related to the designated group as one belonging to the designated group.

2. The method claimed in claim 1, wherein:

an e-mail comprises a header field; and

at least one of the keywords is compared to the body of the header field at the step of categorizing.

3. The method claimed in claim 2, wherein:

the header field is an originator field of the e-mail;

the keywords comprise an e-mail address; and

the e-mail address Is compared to the body of the originator field at the step of categorizing,

4. The method claimed In claim 1, wherein:

an e-mail comprises a message body; and

at least one of the keywords is compared to words in the message body at the step of categorizing.

5. A method of displaying a list of part of e-mails stored in an e-mail terminal on its display device, comprising:

storing to a storage device of the e-mail terminal relations between keywords and groups, wherein each of the relations is capable of relating a single keyword with plural groups;

designating one of the groups in the relations;

categorizing ones of the e-mails that include the keywords related to the designated group as ones belonging to the designated group; and

displaying a list of the categorized mails on a display device of the e-mail terminal.

6. A terminal device for receiving electronic mails or e-mails, comprising:

storage for storing relations between keywords and groups, wherein each of the relations is capable of relating a single keyword with plural groups;

means for designating one of the groups in the relations; and

a processor for categorizing an e-mail that Includes the keywords related to the designated group as one belonging to the designated group.

7. The terminal device claimed in claim 6, wherein:

an e-mail comprises a header field; and

;

the processor compares at least one of the keywords to the body of the header field.

8. The terminal device claimed in claim 7, wherein:

the header field is an originator field of the e-mail;

the keywords comprise an e-mail address; and

the processor compares the e-mail address to the body of the originator field.

9. The terminal device claimed in claim 6, wherein:

an e-mail comprises a message body; and

the processor compares at least one of the keywords to words in the message body.

10. The terminal device claimed In claim 6, wherein:

the processor categorizes ones of the e-mails that include the keywords related to the designated group as ones belonging to the designated group; and

the terminal device further comprises a display device for displaying a list of the categorized mails.

11. A computer readable medium storing computer executable instructions operable to execute a method for classifying electronic mails or e-mails stored in a storage device of an e-mail terminal into groups by the e-mail terminal, the method comprising:

storing to a storage device of the e-mail terminal relations between keywords and groups, wherein each of the relations is capable of relating a single keyword with plural groups;

designating one of the groups in the relations; and

categorizing an e-mail that includes the keywords related to the designated group as one belonging to the designated group.

12. The medium claimed in claim 11, wherein:

an e-mail comprises a header field; and

at least one of the keywords is compared to the body of the header field at the step of categorizing.

13. The medium claimed in claim 12, wherein:

the header field is an originator field of the e-mail;

the keywords comprise an e-mail address; and

the e-mail address is compared to the body of the originator field at the step of categorizing.

14. The medium claimed in claim 11, wherein:

an e-mail comprises a message body; and

at least one of the keywords is compared to words in the message body at the step of categorizing.

15. A computer readable medium storing computer executable instructions operable to execute a method for displaying a list of part of e-mails stored in an e-mail terminal on its display device, comprising:

storing to a storage device of the e-mail terminal relations between keywords and groups, wherein each of the relations is capable of relating a single keyword with plural groups;

designating one of the groups in the relations;

categorizing ones of the e-mails that include the keywords related to the designated group as ones belonging to the designated group; and

displaying a list of the categorized mails on a display device of the e-mail terminal.