Electronic mail system

• US 5,632,018 A
• Filed: 09/13/1993
• Issued: 05/20/1997
• Est. Priority Date: 01/18/1993
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
• Original Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
• Inventors: Otorii, Keiichi
• Primary Examiner(s): Donaghue, Larry D.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Rinehart, Mark H.
• Application Number:
  US08/120,966
• Time in Patent Office: 1,345 Days
• Field of Search: 395/200, 395/700, 395/200.03, 395/200.04, 395/200.12, 395/200.16, 369/514, 364/900, 364/551, 379/34
• US Class Current: 709/200
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/107 Computer-aided management of electronic mailing [e-mailing]

Abstract

A user who received a broadcast message broadcasts a response answering the broadcast message. Sender Y of the broadcast message sends to an electronic mail system through the broadcast message together with identification information on addressees of the broadcast message, and then issues a request to broadcast the message. The electronic mail system sends the message together with the identification information on the addressees of the message to each terminal of users A, B and C as specified by sender Y. On receiving the message, user A generates a response answering the received message, and sends it to the electronic mail system. User A also sends to the electronic mail system the identifiers of users B and C as identification information on addressees of the response according to the received identification information on the addressees of the broadcast message, and then requests the system to broadcast the response. Then, the electronic mail system sends the response to users B and C and sender Y. Thus, user A can be informed of other receivers of the broadcast message and sends the response to users B and C without a troublesome operation of inputting addresses of the response.

Claims

1. An electronic mail system comprising:

broadcasting means for sending a message with broadcast addresses received from a first user to users with said broadcast addresses;

response receiving means for receiving a response to said message from a second user who received said message from said broadcasting means;

response broadcast function means for sending said broadcast addresses, excluding a broadcast address of said second user, to said second user and for receiving information of a third user selected from among said broadcast addresses by said second user, said second user specifying said third user arbitrarily among users corresponding to said broadcast addresses sent from said response broadcast function means; and

response sending means for sending to said first user and said third user said response received by said response receiving means.

2. The electronic mail system according to claim 1, wherein

said response broadcast function means sends said broadcast addresses to a terminal of said second user;

and

said second user selects said third user as a response broadcast address of said response from among said broadcast addresses sent from said response broadcast function means, and said response sending means sending said response to said first user and said third user.

3. The electronic mail system according to claim 1, wherein

said response sending means sends said response when said broadcasting means receives a permission notification of broadcasting said response to one of said broadcast addresses, said permission notification being sent from said first user.

4. The electronic mail system according to claim 3, wherein

said first user sends to said broadcasting means said message together with said permission notification.

5. The electronic mail system according to claim 1, wherein

said response sending means sends said response when said second user requests said response sending means to broadcast said response.

6. An electronic mail system comprising:

broadcasting means for sending a message with broadcast addresses received from a first user to users with said broadcast addresses;

response receiving means for receiving a response to said message from a second user who received said message from said broadcasting means;

response broadcast function means for sending said broadcast addresses to said second user and for receiving information of a third user selected from said broadcast addresses by said second user, said second user specifying said third user arbitrarily among users corresponding to said broadcast addresses sent from said response broadcast function means; and

response sending means for sending to said first user and said third user said response received by said response receiving means.

7. An electronic mail system comprising:

broadcasting means for sending a message with destination identifiers received from a first user to users with said destination identifiers;

response receiving means for receiving a response to said message from a second user who received said message from said broadcasting means;

response broadcast function means for sending said destination identifiers, excluding an identifier of said second user, to said second user and for receiving an identifier of a third user selected from said destination identifiers by said second user, said second user specifying said third user arbitrarily among users corresponding to said destination identifiers sent from said response broadcast function means; and

response sending means for sending to said first user and said third user, said response received by said response receiving means.

8. An electronic mail system comprising:

broadcast mail storing means for storing a broadcast mail to plural destination identifiers in each mailbox corresponding to each of said destination identifiers;

reply mail receiving means for receiving a reply mail to said broadcast mail with a destination identifier selected from among said plural destination identifiers, said destination identifier being arbitrarily specified by a receiver of said broadcast mail; and

reply mail storing means for storing said reply mail in a mailbox corresponding to said destination identifier received by said reply mail receiving means.