File management apparatus and file management method

• US 7,814,132 B2
• Filed: 10/25/2001
• Issued: 10/12/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 11/21/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Minolta Corporation Limited (Konica Minolta Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Minolta Corporation Limited (Konica Minolta Inc.)
• Inventors: Shibata, Koichi
• Primary Examiner(s): Mofiz; Apu M
• Assistant Examiner(s): Nguyen; Cindy
• Application Number:
  US09/983,664
• Publication Number:
  US 20020062321A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,274 Days
• Field of Search: 707/200, 707/10, 707/1, 709/206
• US Class Current: 707/822
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/107 Computer-aided management of electronic mailing [e-mailing]

Abstract

A file management apparatus includes a receiver for receiving an electronic message having an attached file; a first acquirer for acquiring information concerning an original sender of the received electronic message; and a device for attaching the information concerning the original sender to the attached file. A file management method includes the steps of receiving an electronic message including information concerning an original sender of the electronic message and an attached file; acquiring the information concerning the original sender from the received electronic message; and attaching the information concerning the original sender to the attached file.

Claims

1. A file management apparatus comprising:

a controller for controlling;

a receiver for receiving an electronic message having an attached file;

a first acquirer for acquiring information concerning an original sender of the previously received electronic message from the previously received electronic message;

an attacher for attaching the information concerning the original sender that was acquired from the previously received electronic message to the attached file;

wherein the information concerning the original sender includes the original sender'"'"'s address;

a designator for designating said attached file;

a second acquirer for acquiring the original sender'"'"'s address from the information attached to the attached file; and

a transmitter for transmitting the attached file to the original sender'"'"'s address.

2. The file management apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said attacher adds the information concerning the original sender as a header to the attached file.

10. The file management apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a memory for storing the attached file which includes the information concerning the original sender.

3. A file management method, comprising the steps of:

receiving, by a receiver controlled by a controller, an electronic message including information concerning an original sender of the electronic message and an attached file;

acquiring, by an acquirer controlled by the controller, the information concerning the original sender from said previously received electronic message;

attaching, by an attacher controlled by the controller, the information concerning the original sender acquired from the previously received electronic message to the attached file;

wherein the information concerning the original sender includes the original sender'"'"'s address;

designating said attached file;

acquiring the original sender'"'"'s address from the information attached to the attached file; and

transmitting the attached file to the original sender'"'"'s address.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein said attaching step includes adding the information concerning the original sender as a header to the attached file.

11. The method of claim 3, further comprising storing, in a memory, the attached file which includes the information concerning the original sender.

5. A computer readable storage medium containing a file management program which manages an attached file according to the steps of:

receiving an electronic message including information concerning an original sender of the electronic message and an attached file;

acquiring the information concerning the original sender from said previously received electronic message; and

attaching the information concerning the original sender acquired from the previously received electronic message to the attached file;

wherein the information concerning the original sender includes the original sender'"'"'s address;

designating said attached file;

acquiring the original sender'"'"'s address from the information attached to the attached file; and

transmitting the attached file to the original sender'"'"'s address.

6. The file management program of claim 5, wherein the attaching step includes adding the information concerning the original sender as a header to the attached file.

7. A file management apparatus, comprising:

a receiver for receiving an electronic message with an attached file;

a recorder for recording information concerning the attached file and a sender of the previously received electronic message in a database, wherein the information is obtained from the previously received information;

a memory for storing the attached file;

an identifier for subsequently identifying the attached file in the memory;

a determinor for determining information concerning the sender of the previously received electronic message from the database based on the identified attached file; and

a transmitter for transmitting the identified attached file to the sender of the previously received electronic message based on the determined information concerning the sender of the previously received electronic message.

8. A file management method, comprising the steps of:

receiving an electronic message with an attached file;

recording information concerning the attached file and a sender of the previously received electronic message in a database, wherein the information is obtained from the received information;

storing the attached file in a memory;

subsequently identifying the attached file in the memory;

determining information concerning the sender of the previously received electronic message from the database based on the identified attached file; and

transmitting the identified attached file to the sender of the previously received electronic message based on the determined information concerning the sender of the previously received electronic message.

9. A computer readable storage medium containing a file management program that manages an attached file according to the steps of:

receiving an electronic message with an attached file;

recording information concerning the attached file and a sender of the previously received electronic message in a database, wherein the information is obtained from the received information;

storing the attached file in a memory;

subsequently identifying the attached file in the memory;

determining information concerning the sender of the previously received electronic message from the database based on the identified attached file; and

transmitting the identified attached file to the sender of the previously received electronic message based on the determined information concerning the sender of the previously received electronic message.