Electrical computers and digital processing systems: multicomput – Computer conferencing – Demand based messaging
Reexamination Certificate
1998-12-18
2002-05-21
Geckil, Mehmet B. (Department: 2152)
Electrical computers and digital processing systems: multicomput
Computer conferencing
Demand based messaging
C709S245000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06393463
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to an electronic mail communication apparatus, electronic mail system, and electronic mail communication method which use subaddresses that are added to a mail address corresponding to one account to classify the mail address into a plurality of destinations.
Recently, information communication networks using communication systems such as the Internet, personal computer LANS, and personal computer communications have been greatly spread in offices, homes, and the like.
An electronic mail application as one of the typical network applications can connect different types of communication systems, e.g., the Internet and a personal computer LAN, as well as the same type of communication systems, and hence is used as an indispensable communication means.
At present, a portable terminal such as a notebook personal computer or PDA (Personal Digital Assistant) can transmit/receive electronic mail on the move by a PHS (Personal Handyphone System: second-generation cordless phone system) capable of digital transmission at 32 kbps or a digital portable telephone set that can receive a packet communication service.
For example, an electronic mail system using the internet will be described. An electronic mail sender accesses the mail server at the transmitting end through a public telephone network or the like to search for a mail server at the receiving end (destination) in accordance with a predetermined program. The electronic mail is stored in the receiver's mail box in the mail server at the receiving end. The receiver reads out the electronic mail addressed to him/her and transmits a reply electronic mail.
In such electronic mail transmission/reception, one mail address conforming to the rule “ID (user's name or the like)”@ “organization to which the user belongs” “country name” is generally allocated to one account. The user at the transmitting end designates the mail address of the transmission destination as a destination, and transmits electronic mail to the mail server in which the mail address of the transmission destination is registered. The user at the receiving end reads out the electronic mail addressed to him/her from the his/her mail box in the mail server.
In the above situation, a plurality of users may want to use one account. In this case, the following problems are posed.
First, when, for example, all the members of a family use one mail address allocated to one account, all the members can access every electronic mail regardless of any user of the family to which the electronic mail is transmitted. Therefore, the privacy of each member of the family cannot be protected.
Second, since the privacy cannot be protected for the above reason, a sender who wants to transmit electronic mail to a specific individual cannot transmit the electronic mail in a casual manner because the electronic mail may be read by users other than the one whom the sender wants to transmit the mail.
Third, when a user receives an electronic mail addressed to him/her, he/she simultaneously receives electronic mail addressed to other users allocated to the same account. For this reason, a longer period of time than is necessary is required for connection to a provider or the like, resulting in an increase in communication expense.
Fourth, in some case, a user may receive an electronic mail addressed to another user allocated to the same account even if there is no mail addressed to him/her, resulting in waste in various points, e.g., communication expenses, time, and the power consumed by a communication terminal.
If, however, all the members of the family respectively acquire accounts, the charge corresponding to the number of accounts is required, resulting in an increase in expense.
Furthermore, when a user is to individually use this system, he/she may want to use electronic mail in different ways in accordance with the contents. In this case as well, the user must acquire accounts equal in number to the number of ways in which electronic mail is used.
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention has been made in consideration of the above situation, and has as its object to provide an electronic mail communication apparatus, electronic mail system, electronic mail communication method, and electronic mail transmission method which can send electronic mail to a plurality of destinations, as needed, by adding respective subaddresses to the mail address allocated to one account. The present invention has the following characteristics.
(1) According to the present invention, there is provided an electronic mail communication apparatus comprising subaddress adding means for adding a subaddress to a mail address, the subaddress classifying the mail address into one of a plurality of destinations, and transmission means for transmitting electronic mail to which the subaddress is added by the subaddress adding means.
An electronic mail communication apparatus preferably comprises subaddress designating means for designating a subaddress which is added to a mail address to classify the mail address into a plurality of destinations, and reception means for receiving. electronic mail to which the subaddress designated by the subaddress designating means is added.
According to this configuration, the electronic mail communication apparatus at the transmitting end can transmit electronic mail to the mail server after adding a subaddress to the mail address of the electronic mail by using the subaddress adding means. The electronic mail communication apparatus at the receiving end designates a subaddress by using the subaddress designating means, and receives the electronic mail to which the designated subaddress is added from the mail server. This allows electronic mail communication using mail addresses to which subaddresses are respectively added.
A user cannot therefore access any electronic mail addressed to others, and hence privacy can be protected unlike the conventional case in which all the members allocated to the same account can access every electronic mail.
In addition, since electronic mail can be addressed to a specific user by using a subaddress, the user at the receiving end can read out only the electronic mail addressed to him/her without accessing electronic mail addressed to others. This can shorten the communication time, and savings in time, communication expense, and charge for electricity can be expected.
It is preferable that the electronic mail communication apparatus further comprise reception means for receiving electronic mail to which no subaddress is added.
According to this configuration, when electronic mail to which the subaddress designated by the subaddress designating means is to be received, not only this electronic mail but also electronic mail having a mail address which corresponds to the account but has no subaddress can be received.
Preferably, the electronic mail communication apparatus further comprises reception condition storage means for storing reception conditions corresponding to subaddress, and in which the reception means selectively receives an electronic mail based on the reception condition corresponding to the subaddress added to the mail address.
In addition, there is provided an electronic mail communication apparatus comprising reception condition storage means for storing reception conditions corresponding to subaddresses, the subaddresses being added to a mail address to classify a mail address into a plurality of destinations, and reception means for selectively receiving an electronic mail based on the reception condition corresponding to the subaddress added to the mail address. In this case, it is preferable that the reception means receives an electronic mail to which no subaddress is added.
According to this configuration, since the reception conditions are stored in the storage unit, only electronic mail to which a subaddress corresponding to the reception conditions are added can be received. This can impose restrictions on electronic mail that can b
Casio Computer Co. Ltd.
Frishauf, Holtz Goodman, Langer & Chick, P.C.
Geckil Mehmet B.
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