Electrical computers and digital processing systems: multicomput – Computer conferencing – Demand based messaging
Reexamination Certificate
1998-09-28
2001-10-16
Rinehart, Mark H. (Department: 2152)
Electrical computers and digital processing systems: multicomput
Computer conferencing
Demand based messaging
C709S227000, C379S088120
Reexamination Certificate
active
06304896
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a communication system and method for sending and receiving electronic mail between communication terminal devices via a server and digital data network.
2. Description of the Related Art
In recent years, computer communication networks such as Internet are developing. This is because, for example, the computer communication networks are advantageous in error correction and a user can communicate with computers in a user's own country and even in other countries by only bearing a communication expense (line usage fee and provider fee) from a user's computer (terminal device) to a provider. The provider is a company that provides communication service between the user's computer and computer network. The user generally contracts a nearby provider through a digital network such as ISDN (Integrated Services Digital Network).
When the user connects his or her terminal device to a server computer of the provider on ISDN network to attempt receiving (downloading) electronic mail addressed to himself or herself, the user must bear a communication cost even if there is no electronic mail addressed to himself or herself since the user's computer is once connected to the server computer. One example of such conventional communication systems is disclosed in Japanese Patent Application, Laid-Open Publication No. 8-331358.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
One object of the present invention is to provide a communication system and method that can avoid any payment if there is no electronic mail addressed to a user in a mail box of a server. Specifically, when a user's terminal device calls the server but the server does not hold any electronic mail addressed to the user's terminal device, the communication system of the present invention does not incur any communication expense.
According to one aspect of the present invention, there is provided a communication system adapted to send and receive electronic mail between communication terminal devices through a server and digital data network, characterized in that the server includes means for extracting an address of a communication terminal device that is calling the server, means for determining whether there is any electronic mail addressed to the calling terminal device, and means for refusing a call from the calling terminal device if there is no electronic mail addressed to the calling terminal device.
When one of the terminal devices makes a call to the server, the server extracts the address of the calling terminal device from, for instance, user-to-user information (UUI) of D channel on ISDN network. Then, the server checks mail boxes to find out if there is any electronic mail addressed to the calling terminal device. If no such mail is found, the server does not accept the call from the calling terminal device. Therefore, no connection is established between the calling terminal device and server and no communication expense would arise when there is no electronic mail addressed to the calling terminal device. As a result, crowdedness on the communication line is avoided.
The communication system of the invention may cause the calling terminal device to stop calling to the server when the server refuses the call from the calling terminal device. In other words, when the server refuses the call, the calling terminal device may determine that there is no electronic mail addressed to itself and switch to a stand-by condition. Accordingly, wasteful connection between the server and calling terminal device is avoided.
If the server extracts the address of the calling terminal device and particular information about electronic mail to be sent to another terminal device, the server may accept the call from the calling terminal device to receive the electronic mail from the calling terminal device regardless of presence or absence of electronic mail addressed to the calling terminal device. When UUI from the calling terminal device carries both the address of the calling terminal device and particular information indicative of presence of electronic mail addressed to a remote terminal device, the server always establishes connection between the calling terminal device and itself even if there is no electronic mail directed to the calling terminal device. Therefore, the call from the calling terminal device is accepted by the server if the calling terminal device wants to send electronic mail to another terminal device. No inconvenience would occur when sending electronic mail.
According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a communication method for sending and receiving electronic mail between terminal devices through a server and digital data network, comprising the step of causing the server to refuse a call from a calling terminal device unless the server has electronic mail directed to the calling terminal device in its mailbox. In this communication method, no connection is established between the calling terminal device and server when there is no electronic mail addressed to the calling terminal device. Accordingly, a user of the calling terminal device would incur no expense when there is no electronic mail addressed to the calling terminal device. The method may further include the step of causing the calling terminal device to switch to a stand-by condition when the server refuses the call from the calling terminal device.
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Dorner et al., “Remote Mail Checking Protocol”, RFC 1339, pp. 1-11, Jun. 1992.*
Myers et al., “Post Office Protocol—Version 3”, RFC 1939, pp. 1-41, May 1996.
Cardone Jason D.
Hogan & Hartson L.L.P.
Murata Kikai Kabushiki Kaisha
Rinehart Mark H.
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