Electrical computers and digital processing systems: multicomput – Computer conferencing – Demand based messaging
Reexamination Certificate
1997-06-10
2001-05-22
Harrell, Robert B. (Department: 2152)
Electrical computers and digital processing systems: multicomput
Computer conferencing
Demand based messaging
C709S206000, C709S225000, C709S244000, C455S403000, C455S412100
Reexamination Certificate
active
06237027
ABSTRACT:
BACKGOUND OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to an electronic mail system, a computer device, and an arrival notification method, and more particularly is, suitably applied to the case of receiving and transmitting electronic mail between computer devices connected to a network.
DESCRIPTION OF THE RELATED ART
In recent years, an increasing use of a computer network system such as a local area network (LAN) and a wide area network (WAN) has become remarkable. The computer network system is formed by connecting between computers by using communication circuits such as telephone lines so that data possessed by each computer can be used in common and information can be exchanged between users of the computers.
In general, the LAN is a network to be used within a comparatively small area such as within a building or company, and a typical connecting configuration of the LAN is a bus-type network. The bus-type network is constituted by connecting computers respectively to the common bus formed of such as a coaxial cable, optical fiber cable, or twist pair line provided in a building. In this connection, Ethernet is especially famous as the communication system formed on the LAN.
Further, the WAN is a computer network system to be used within a wide area such as within a country. The system is constituted by centering around host computers for example and a user of each computer can use various services offered by the host computers by connecting to a host computer with public lines such as telephone lines. Since the WAN is a network system formed covering a wide area, plural host computers may be placed in every fixed area as access points. These host computers are connected with each other by communication circuits. Therefore, a user connects the user's computer to a desired host computer device by a circuit, so that data controlled by the other host computers arranged in various places can be utilized without being conscious that each host computer is spreading out.
In this connection, as a famous computer network system, there is Internet which is connected to LANs and host computers arranged in various places in the world. In the Internet, users can easily access to computer devices of the foreign country, thus data can be utilized on a worldwide scale.
As one of the service facilities which is used in the computer network system, there is a facility called electronic mail. The electronic mail will be described below referring to the case of LAN.
Firstly, a predetermined area (hereinafter, referred to as electronic P.O. Box) is reserved in a storage area of each computer. Each computer writes literal information representing a desired message (hereinafter, referred to as electronic mail) in the electronic P.O. Box of the other computer through a common bus. Then, the user of each computer read out the written mail. Thus, the user of each computer can exchange information with the user of the other computer in the same sense as that of exchanging letters by mail. According to the electronic mail facility, a sender can send the mail to a desired computer (i.e., user) by assigning an ID number which is an address on the network, in addition, a receiver side can access the electronic P.O. Box of his computer at his convenience so as to receive the mail.
In order to utilize the electronic mail facility, it is necessary to always connect the computer to the network by the common bus like the LAN or the wire circuit such as the telephone line like the WAN in general. This is because if the other user wants to send mail, he can transmit it only to the other computers which are always connected to the network.
However, in the case where the computer is set fixedly, it causes a problem that the user is not able to know an arrival of mail when he is away from the setting point of the computer, for example, when he is on a vacation or a business trip.
In order to prevent such problems, a method is considered in which mail is received by computers which are always connected to the network as before and the arrival of mail is confirmed by accessing to the computer using a portable information terminal device having communication facilities.
However, in the case of this method, the user does not know whether or not the mail for him has arrived till he accesses to the computer side. Accordingly, the user repeats the access over and over again in order to confirm the arrival of mail, and this causes a problem that the battery power would be wasted by the useless accesses. In general, since the portable information terminal device is driven by a battery and its operating time is limited by the capacity of battery, the operating time would be tremendously shortened due to the repeated accesses.
More specifically, in the case of the computer network system according to the computers connected by the wire circuits, it is not necessary to consider the power consumption and the arrival of mail can be confirmed always, however, on the other hand, the user cannot move away from the computer.
Further, in the case of accessing to the computer by using the portable information terminal device in order to confirm the arrival of mail, the arrival of mail can be confirmed at any place. However, the user must access to the computer for confirmation, so that the battery power would be wasted if the mail has not arrived, it causes a significant drop in operating time of the portable information terminal device.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In view of the foregoing, an object of this invention is to provide an electronic mail system, a computer device, and an arrival notification method in which an arrival of electronic mail can be confirmed regardless of where a user is and a drop in operating time of the portable information terminal device due to the wasteful repetition of accesses can be prevented.
The foregoing object and other objects of the invention have been achieved by the provision of a computer device which receives electronic mail services by connecting to a computer network to provide the electronic mail services, the computer device comprises a first communication means for receiving and transmitting the electronic mail from/to other computer devices connected to the computer network and detecting the arrival of electronic mail, a second communication means, which is connected to a radio communication net through a predetermined communication circuit, for communicating with a portable information terminal device through the radio communication net, a storage means for storing identification information of the portable information terminal device, and a communication control means for informing the arrival of electronic mail to the portable information terminal device through the predetermined communication circuit and the radio communication net established by the second communication means on the basis of the identification information when the arrival of electronic mail is detected.
Since the computer device detects the arrival of electronic mail and informs the arrival to the portable information terminal device, the user who is away from the computer can be informed with the arrival of electronic mail and the access from the portable information terminal device side to the computer device side becomes unnecessary. Thus, wasteful consumption of battery power of the portable information terminal device can be avoided.
The nature, principle and utility of the invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which like parts are designated by like reference numerals or characters.
REFERENCES:
patent: 5479408 (1995-12-01), Will
patent: 5778187 (1998-07-01), Monteiro et al.
patent: 5822692 (1998-10-01), Krishan et al.
patent: 6014559 (2000-01-01), Amin
Harrell Robert B.
Maioli Jay H.
Sony Corporation
Willett Stephan
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