Method and apparatus for automatic sending of E-mail and automatic sending control program supplying medium

• US 7,376,707 B2
• Filed: 08/17/2005
• Issued: 05/20/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 12/17/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Hachiya, Kazuhiko, Otaki, Namie, Koki, Takashi, Kitamura, Michio
• Primary Examiner(s): VU, THONG H
• Application Number:
  US11/206,238
• Publication Number:
  US 20060036700A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,007 Days
• Field of Search: 709/205, 709/206, 709/218, 709/223, 434/350, 345/474, 345/419
• US Class Current: 709/206
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/107 Computer-aided management of electronic mailing [e-mailing]

Abstract

A method and apparatus for sending an E-mail, dispatching or delivering mail with an animated representation as if a pet were going in and out on a GUI picture simulating the inside of a room. In addition, the user can send an E-mail with a friendly feeling using an agent. By sending agent data which is updated responsive to experiences of an electronic pet as annexed papers to the E-mail, the animation appears as if an electronic pet were going in and out on a GUI picture simulating the inside of a room for dispatching or delivering a mail. The behavior of the animated pet is varied depending on the keeping environment. The electronic pet selects an illustrative sentence in keeping with the agent data from preset illustrative sentences for voluntary sending the sentence as an E-mail to a user who is a keeper or to a counterpart of past mailing of the user.

Claims

1. A computer readable medium for providing a virtual agent executable on a processor for controlling the virtual agent, wherein the agent includes at least one inner parameter and at least one outer parameter, wherein the medium stores a first agent parameter controlling a first agent kept by a first person a first computer operated by the first person;

stores a first image data of the first agent on the first computer;

stores a second image data of a second agent being kept by second person on the first computer;

stores a state of the first agent in a first storage device;

displays the first agent on a first screen connected to the first computer based on the first image data and the first agent parameter when the state of the first agent represents other than an absent state; and

wherein the first agent parameter is sent to the first computer through a communication network;

sets the state of the first agent to an absent state corresponding to sending the first agent parameter.

2. The computer readable medium according to claim 1, wherein a behavior of the virtual agent is determined by one of the agent parameters sent via E-mail.

3. A computer readable medium for providing a virtual agent executable on a processor for controlling the virtual agent, wherein the agent includes at least one inner parameter and at least one outer parameter, wherein a first agent parameter is stored in a first storage device, the first agent parameter controlling a first virtual agent kept by a first person;

wherein the first agent parameter is transferred from the first storage device to a first memory for controlling the first agent at a first computer operated by the first person;

wherein a state of the first agent is stored in the first storage device; and

wherein the first agent parameter is sent from the first memory to a second computer remote from both the first storage and the first computer through a communication network;

wherein the state of the first agent is set to an absent state corresponding to sending the first agent parameter; and

wherein the first agent is displayed on a display unit when the state represents other than the absent state.

4. The computer readable medium according to claim 3, wherein a behavior of the virtual agent is determined by one of the agent parameters sent via E-mail.

5. A computer readable medium for providing a virtual agent executable on a processor for controlling the virtual agent, wherein the agent includes at least one inner parameter and at least one outer parameter, wherein a first agent parameter at a first computer operated by a first person is sent to a second computer remote from the first computer through a communication network, wherein the second computer is operated by a second person and the first agent parameter controls a first agent kept by the first person;

wherein a state of the first agent is stored in the first storage device;

wherein the first agent parameter sent from the second computer is received using the first computer;

wherein a second agent parameter sent from second computer is received using the first computer, the second agent parameter controlling a second virtual agent kept by the second person; and

wherein the received second agent parameter is sent to the second computer using the first computer;

wherein the state of the first agent is set to an absent state corresponding to sending the first agent parameter; and

wherein the first agent is displayed on a display unit when the state represents other than the absent state.

6. The computer readable medium according to claim 5, wherein a behavior of the virtual agent is determined by one of the agent parameters sent via E-mail.