System for broadcasting electronic mails that separately stores and sends a portion of electronic mails with an access code for filtering and retrieving purpose

• US 6,327,610 B2
• Filed: 06/24/1998
• Issued: 12/04/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 06/27/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: NEC Corporation
• Original Assignee: NEC Corporation
• Inventors: Nozaki, Tsutomu, Uchida, Wataru
• Primary Examiner(s): Luu, Le Hien
• Assistant Examiner(s): Jaroenchonwanit, Bunjob
• Application Number:
  US09/103,539
• Publication Number:
  US 20010039560A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,259 Days
• Field of Search: 709/206, 709/207, 709/219, 709/238, 709/245, 709/249, 709/204, 709/217, 707/2, 713/201, 379/93.01
• US Class Current: 709/206
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/18 for broadcast or conference , e.g. multicast
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1859 adapted to provide push services, e.g. data channels
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/224 providing notification on incoming messages, e.g. pushed notifications of received messages

Abstract

A broadcast communication system in which a terminal unit for sending electronic mail transmits electronic mail data containing text of electronic mail, transmission destination data, a first command indicative of a transmission condition and a second command indicating that broadcast distribution is to be conducted, a mail server, upon reception of electronic mail data containing a second command, transmits a title and an access code of electronic mail text to all of terminal units of transmission destinations indicated by transmission destination data and upon reception of electronic mail data not containing a second command, sends back electronic mail text corresponding to the access code, and a terminal unit for receiving electronic mail, at the time of reception of distribution of electronic mail text, transmits electronic mail data containing an access code to the mail server.

Claims

1. A broadcast communication system for distributing electronic mail to a plurality of subscribers to service at a time by means of an electronic mail system, comprising:

a mail server and a first and second terminal units connected with each other over a network, wherein

said first terminal unit for sending electronic mail,

sends electronic mail containing at least body of electronic mail, transmission destination data indicative of a transmission destination of the electronic mail, a first command indicative of a transmission condition of the electronic mail and a second command indicating that the electronic mail is to be broadcast-distributed, said mail server;

upon reception of said electronic mail containing said second command, transmits a title of the body of said electronic mail and an access code for accessing the body of said electronic mail to all of said second terminal units as transmission destinations indicated by said transmission destination data contained in said electronic mail, said title of said electronic mail including an excerpt of the body of said electronic mail, said title and said body of said electronic mail being stored separately; and

upon reception of request for the body of said electronic mail, transmits the body of said electronic mail corresponding to the access code back to said second terminal unit which has transmitted the request for the body of said electronic mail, and said

second terminal unit for receiving said electronic mail,

upon reception of said title and said access code from said mail server, for receiving distribution of the body of said electronic mail corresponding to the title and the access code, transmits electronic mail containing the access code to said mail server.

2. The broadcast communication system as set forth in claim 1, wherein

said second terminal unit transmits electronic mail containing not said second command but said access code to said mail server as said request for the body of said electronic mail.

3. The broadcast communication system as set forth in claim 1, wherein

said first terminal unit produces said title of the body of said electronic mail body to be transmitted and said access code, adds said title and said access code to corresponding said electronic mail and transmits said electronic mail.

4. The broadcast communication system as set forth in claim 1, wherein said mail server, upon reception of said electronic mail containing said second command, produces, based on the body of said electronic mail, said title of the body of said electronic mail and said access code and adds said title and said access code to said electronic mail.

5. The broadcast communication system as set forth in claim 1, wherein

said second command is included in said first command.

6. An electronic mail distribution method of conducting broadcast communication for distributing electronic mail to a plurality of subscribers to service at a time by means of an electronic mail system including a mail server and a first and second terminal units connected with each other over a network, comprising the steps of:

in said first terminal unit for sending electronic mail,

producing electronic mail containing body of electronic mail, a title of the body of said electronic mail, transmission destination data indicative of a transmission destination of the electronic mail, a first command indicative of a transmission condition of the mail, a second command indicating that the mail is to be broadcast-distributed and an access code for accessing the body of the electronic mail, said title and said body of said electronic mail being stored separately; and

transmitting said electronic mail produced to said mail server,

in said mail server,

checking whether received electronic mail contains said second command,

upon detection of said second command, transmitting said title of the body of said electronic mail and said access code contained in said electronic mail, said title including an excerpt of the body of said electronic mail to all of said second terminal units of transmission destinations indicated by said transmission destination data contained in said electronic mail,

upon detection of none of said second command, checking whether said access code is contained in said electronic mail, and

upon detection of said access code, transmitting the body of said electronic mail corresponding to said access code detected to said terminal unit which has sent said electronic mail,

in said second terminal unit for receiving said electronic mail

upon reception of said title and said access code from said mail server, transmitting electronic mail containing said access code to said mail server according to indication of receiving distribution of the body of said electronic mail from a user.

7. The electronic mail distribution method as set forth in claim 6 wherein

in said second terminal unit, further including a step of urging a user to determine whether to receive distribution of the body of said electronic mail corresponding to said title and access code received, upon reception of said title and said access code from said mail server.

8. The electronic mail distribution method according to claim 6 wherein

in said first terminal unit, said electronic mail data producing step comprising:

at the production of said transmission destination data, checking whether a transmission destination of said electronic mail is registered at said mail server,

when said transmission destination is registered at said mail server, selecting the registered code, as said transmission destination data, and

when said transmission destination is not registered at said mail server, producing a list of transmission destinations as said transmission destination data.

9. A computer readable memory storing a computer program for conducting broadcast communication for distributing electronic mail to a plurality of subscribers to service at a time by means of an electronic mail system including a mail server and a first and second terminal units connected with each other over a network, said computer program comprising the steps of:

in said first terminal unit for sending electronic mail,

producing electronic mail containing body of electronic mail, a title of the body of said electronic mail, transmission destination data indicative of a transmission destination of the electronic mail, a first command indicative of a transmission condition of the mail, a second command indicating that the mail is to be broadcast-distributed and an access code for accessing the body of the electronic mail, said title and said body of said electronic mail being stored separately; and

transmitting said electronic mail produced to said mail server,

in said mail server,

checking whether received electronic mail contains said second command,

upon detection of said second command, transmitting said title of the body of said electronic mail and said access code contained in said electronic mail, said title including an excerpt of the body of said electronic mail, to all of said second terminal units of transmission destinations indicated by said transmission destination data contained in said electronic mail,

upon detection of none of said second command, checking whether said access code is contained in said electronic mail, and

upon detection of said access code, transmitting the body of said electronic mail corresponding to said access code detected to said terminal unit which has sent said electronic mail,

in said second terminal unit for receiving said electronic mail,

upon reception of said title and said access code from said mail server, transmitting electronic mail containing said access code to said mail server according to indication of receiving distribution of the boy of said electronic mail from a user.

10. The computer readable memory as set forth in claim 9 wherein

in said second terminal unit, further including a step of urging a user to determine whether to receive distribution of the body of said electronic mail corresponding to said title and access code received, upon reception of said title and said access code from said mail server.

11. The computer readable memory as set forth in claim 9 wherein

in said first terminal unit,

said electronic mail data producing step comprising

at the production of said transmission destination data, checking whether a transmission destination of said electronic mail is registered at said mail server,

when said transmission destination is registered at said mail server, selecting the registered code as said transmission destination data, and

when said transmission destination is not registered at said mail server, producing a list of transmission destinations as said transmission destination data.

12. A method of distributing electronic mail to a plurality of subscribers which permits recipients to prohibit the transmission of unwanted messages, comprising the steps of:

receiving in a mail server an electronic message from a sender addressed to a recipient;

separating an excerpt of said electronic message from a main body of said electronic message;

storing said main body of said electronic message in a memory of said mail server separate from said excerpt of said electronic message;

transmitting to said recipient said excerpt of said electronic message and an access code for retrieving said main body of said electronic message from said memory;

receiving said excerpt of said electronic message by said recipient and determining if said main body of said electronic message is desired; and

using said access code to cause said mail server to transmit said main body of said electronic message to said recipient only if said main body is desired by said recipient.