JP2005166067A - Electronic mail incoming device and personal digital assistant - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an electronic mail incoming device and a personal digital assistant for enabling a user being the receiver of electronic mail to surely and quickly recognize the incoming of the electronic mail by executing incoming notification corresponding to information relative to the electronic mail when receiving the electronic mail from external terminal equipment. <P>SOLUTION: This electronic mail incoming device is configured of a mail incoming means for receiving the electronic mail, a storage means for preliminarily storing an light emission pattern or a luminescent color corresponding to information relative to the electronic mail received by the incoming means and a light emitting means for emitting the light with the light emission pattern or the luminescent color stored in the storage means when receiving the electronic mail. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2005,JPO&NCIPI

Description

  The present invention relates to an e-mail receiving device and a portable information terminal having an e-mail receiving function.

In recent years, with the spread of personal computers, the number of personal users who use these devices has increased for the purpose of various personal information management and user's own schedule management, etc. On the other hand, computer networks such as LAN, WAN, and Internet have developed However, communication between a plurality of computers has been actively performed.
Accordingly, a personal computer having a communication function is connected to a communication network such as the Internet, and electronic mail is frequently exchanged between the terminals through this communication network.

  In the e-mail, information that the sender side wants to send from the terminal device to the other party in the form of character data, voice data, video data, etc. is sent together with the other party's mail address via a communication network such as a public line. While the recipient of the e-mail acquires and recognizes the information sent from the caller by opening and viewing the e-mail sent to the terminal device, ie, communication It is a kind of asynchronous communication using a network.

Then, when the e-mail arrives at the terminal device on the recipient side, the recipient knows that the e-mail has been received unless an operation such as opening a mailbox and checking whether or not the e-mail has arrived. I could not.
Therefore, the development of software that has an agent function to notify the recipient of the incoming e-mail by voice or display so that the incoming e-mail can be easily known. (See Patent Document 1).

  However, in order to know the e-mail notification by display, the recipient had to look at the device on the computer display. In particular, regarding a notebook computer, the display of an incoming e-mail notification cannot be seen when the display device is closed. In addition, the notification by voice may become unpleasant noise in public places when the notebook type computer is carried and moved.

Therefore, the development and commercialization of an e-mail incoming notification device having a small display device that can tell that there is an incoming e-mail while the display device of the notebook computer is closed and the degree of urgency is known. It is illustrated.
The electronic mail incoming notification device having this small display device is introduced on the terminal side of a personal computer or the like, and when an electronic mail is received from an external terminal device, it is automatically sent to the user who is the recipient. The aim is to notify the incoming call by displaying the color of the lamp and the number, and to notify the incoming call while reducing the operation burden on the user.

However, in the e-mail arrival notification device as described above, in order to know the priority and urgency of the incoming e-mail, it is necessary to finally look at a large display device. In this case, the mail received while the display device was closed and stored in a bag or the like was moved was displayed on the closed display device.
Then, in order to confirm the arrival of the e-mail, the user must take out the notebook computer from the bag and open the display device to see the e-mail and the sender of the e-mail immediately after receiving the e-mail. I couldn't. For this reason, there is a high possibility of inconvenience that browsing of the e-mail is delayed although an e-mail with high priority and urgency is received.

For this reason, in the telephone device of Patent Document 2, a storage unit for registering a telephone number, a voice timing processing / protocol control unit that performs time division multiplexing processing to generate a predetermined data sequence, an antenna for transmission and reception, a plurality of colors, It has a light-emitting unit that emits light, a control unit that changes the light emission color of the light-emitting unit according to incoming / outgoing information, and is configured to emit light emitted from the light-emitting unit through the antenna housing translucent unit. When the information is sent and received, the color of the light is changed and displayed, and if there is a call request, whether the call is a request from a specific person or a call from another person stored in the memory Can be identified.
Thereby, in a telephone apparatus such as a PHS, a transmission partner can be easily identified according to the information of the transmission destination.

Further, in Patent Document 3, in a mobile phone having a backlight type display means, when a call is received from a registered destination with a mark on the telephone number storage means, the comparison means detects it, The control means emits the backlight of the display means by the light emitting means associated with the registered data with a mark. This makes it possible to confirm that there is an incoming call from the other party registered in the phone book data with a mark, not only by the display characters on the display means but also by the color of the backlight.
JP-A-10-283291 JP-A-11-136319 JP-A-11-220524

  In the technique of Patent Document 2, a light emission color is registered in accordance with a specific person registered in the telephone book, and when a call arrives at the telephone device, the caller is a specific person by referring to the telephone book. In some cases, light is emitted in the registered emission color. However, in the case of incoming calls, the phone line is occupied until the line is disconnected, so calls are not made one after another. It is not a light emission based on information related to.

  In addition, the technique of Patent Document 3 is not limited to the character string displayed on the display device when a caller who has registered with a mark in the phone book receives an incoming call, but also the back registered corresponding to the mark. It can also be confirmed by the color of the light. However, in this case, it can be confirmed only when the display device is open. In addition, the color of the backlight is not changed based on the information related to the incoming content.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and when an e-mail arrives from an external terminal device, the user who is a recipient performs an e-mail notification according to information related to the e-mail. An object of the present invention is to provide an electronic mail receiving device and a portable information terminal that can reliably and quickly know that a mail has arrived.

  In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, an e-mail receiving device includes mail receiving means for receiving an e-mail, and storage means for storing in advance a light emission pattern corresponding to information related to the e-mail received by the receiving means. And a light emitting means for emitting light in accordance with the light emission pattern stored in the storage means when an e-mail is received.

  In addition, the e-mail receiving device receives a mail receiving means for receiving an e-mail, storage means for storing in advance a luminescent color corresponding to information related to the e-mail received by the receiving means, and receiving an e-mail. And a light emitting means for emitting light in the emission color stored in the storage means.

  In the above e-mail receiving device, the display device may emit light in the closed state, or may emit light in response to the latest e-mail.

  The portable information terminal includes the above-described electronic mail receiving device.

  According to the present invention, when an e-mail arrives from an external terminal device, a light-emitting pattern or light-emitting color corresponding to information related to the e-mail is emitted to notify the recipient, so that the user who is the recipient Can reliably and quickly know that an e-mail has arrived.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of an electronic mail receiving device according to the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a configuration of an embodiment of an information processing system to which a mail receiving device according to the present invention is applied.
The information processing system 1 includes an information processing apparatus 10 that performs main processing and a small incoming call display apparatus 20 that performs notification of incoming e-mail, and is connected to each other via a data line a.
The information processing apparatus 10 includes a personal computer 11, a display device 12, a key input device 13, a storage device 14, a storage medium 14a, a communication interface 15, and the like.

  The personal computer 11 stores a system program stored in the storage device 14 and an application program designated from various application programs corresponding to the system in a program storage area in a built-in RAM (Random Access Memory) (not shown). In addition, various instructions or data input from the key input device 13 are stored in the built-in RAM, and various processes are executed according to the application program stored in the built-in RAM in accordance with the input instructions and input data. The data is stored in a storage location in the storage device 14 instructed to be input from the key input device 13 and displayed on the display device 12.

The display device 12 is composed of a CRT (Cathode Ray Tube) display, a liquid crystal display, or the like, displays display data input from the personal computer 11, and an incoming e-mail notification process executed by the personal computer 11. Incoming notifications and mail contents that are output at the time are displayed.
The key input device 13 is an input device that performs menu selection and various data input by key operation, and includes various keys such as a character input key, a mode key, a numeric keypad, and a function key. Is output to the personal computer 11.

  The storage device 14 includes a storage medium 14a in which programs, data, and the like are stored in advance, and the storage medium 14a is configured by a magnetic or optical recording medium or a semiconductor memory. The storage medium 14a is fixedly attached to the storage device 14 or is detachably mounted. The storage medium 14a includes the system program, various application programs corresponding to the system, and various application programs related to mail notification. A mail management program, an address book management program, a schedule management program, etc., a mail file that becomes a database of each processing or management program, an address book table and a schedule table table, and data processed by each processing program are stored. Yes.

  The program, data, and the like stored in the storage medium 14a may be received and stored by the communication interface 15 from other devices connected via the communication network 30 such as a public line network. A storage device including the storage medium is provided on the other device side connected via the communication network 30, and the program and data stored in the storage medium are used via the communication line. good.

The communication interface 15 is an interface connecting the personal computer 11 and the communication network 30, receives an electronic mail communicated from the external terminal device 40 via the communication network 30, and transfers it to the personal computer 11.
The communication network 30 is a communication line for sending / receiving e-mail to / from an information processing apparatus or portable information terminal, which is an external terminal device 40. Depending on the sending / receiving destination of the e-mail, the communication network 30 can be changed from a small one such as an indoor LAN to the public. There are a variety of large-scale ones connected via a line.
The external terminal device 40 is an information processing device or a portable information terminal on the caller side that sends an e-mail via the communication network 30.

Next, the configuration of the small incoming call display device 20 will be described.
FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing an outline of the configuration of the small incoming call display device in FIG.
The internal structure of the small incoming call display device 20 is broadly divided into an incoming call display computer 21, a small display device 22, and a storage device 23.

  The incoming call display computer 21 stores a system program stored in the storage device 23 and an application program designated from various application programs corresponding to the system in a program storage area in an internal RAM (Random Access Memory) (not shown). Then, various processes are executed in accordance with the application program stored in the built-in RAM according to the input data, and the processing results are stored in the storage destination in the storage device 23 and displayed on the small display device 22.

  The small display device 22 includes a liquid crystal display, an EL (Electro Luminescence) display, and the like, displays display data input from the incoming call display computer 21, and performs an incoming mail notification process executed by the incoming call display computer 21. The incoming call notification output at the time and the sender of the call are displayed.

  The storage device 23 includes a storage medium 23e in which programs, data, and the like are stored in advance, and the storage medium 23e is configured by a magnetic or optical recording medium or a semiconductor memory. The storage medium 23e is fixedly attached to the storage device 20, or is detachably mounted. The system program, the address mapper program 23b corresponding to the system, the pattern mapper program 23d, and each of these processes Alternatively, an address book table 23a and a pattern table table 23c serving as a management program database and data processed by each processing program are stored.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing the relationship between processes of the electronic mail receiving device according to the present invention.
An electronic mail transmitted from the external terminal device 40 by the user is sent to the mail server process 25 through the communication network 30. The mail server process 25 may exist in the information processing system 1 shown in FIG. 1 or may exist in another information processing system.
The e-mail capturing process 27 gives a mail capturing instruction to the proxy process 26 by inter-process communication. The proxy process 26 that has received the instruction establishes interprocess communication with the mail server process 25.

Thereby, the electronic mail sent to the mail server process 25 is transferred to the proxy process 26 by inter-process communication. After the transfer is completed, the established inter-process communication between the mail server process 25 and the proxy process 26 is disconnected.
The proxy process 26 transfers the transferred e-mail to the e-mail capturing process 27 through inter-process communication, and the communication of the transferred e-mail from the establishment of the inter-process communication with the mail server process 25 to the disconnection. The number and the sender mail address of the most recently received e-mail are notified to the incoming call display process 24 by inter-process communication.

FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of the sender mail address of the incoming mail stored in the address book table 23a and the display color determined corresponding thereto.
According to this, the incoming display color of the mail that is mapped by the incoming display process 24 based on the sender mail address of the electronic mail that has arrived at the proxy process 26 is the respective colors of red, blue, green, yellow, and cyan. It is supposed to be displayed.

FIG. 5 is a diagram showing an example of incoming mail priorities stored in the pattern table 23c and blinking display patterns determined corresponding thereto.
When there is a description, the priority is defined according to the priority described in the e-mail header, and when there is no description of the priority in the e-mail header, the priority is defined as “medium”.
As described above, the number of incoming mails, the display color for specifying the e-mail sender, and the display pattern for specifying the priority are determined.

Next, the operation of the electronic mail receiving device according to the present invention will be described.
The incoming mail notification process executed when the incoming mail is received from the proxy process 26 by inter-process communication in the incoming call display process 24 in FIG. 3 will be described.
6 to 8 are flowcharts showing an e-mail incoming notification processing procedure executed by the incoming display process of the information processing apparatus of the present invention.
Hereinafter, the incoming notification operation for each electronic mail will be described with reference to these flowcharts.
The proxy process 26 triggers the transfer of new mail to the incoming call display process 24, and the notification processes are started.

FIG. 6 is a flowchart showing an incoming notification process based on the domain name of the sender of the incoming electronic mail.
The processing starts by new mail transfer, and the process proceeds to step S10.
In step S10, out of the e-mails transferred from the proxy process 26, the e-mail with the newest incoming date and time is extracted, and the process proceeds to step S11.
In step S11, the head portion of the extracted e-mail is extracted, and the process proceeds to step S12. In the head of the electronic mail, information such as a sender mail address, a destination mail address, a title, a transmission date and time, and a priority is described.

In step S12, the sender's mail address is further extracted from the extracted heading, and the process proceeds to step S13.
In step S13, the domain name representing the domain to which the sender's mail address belongs is extracted from the sender's mail address, and the process proceeds to step S14.
In step S14, it is determined whether or not the domain name extracted in step S13 is a blank character. If the domain name is blank, it is determined that the mail address belongs to the same domain as the recipient, and the process proceeds to step S15.
In step S15, the same domain name as the recipient is added to the mail address, and the process proceeds to step S16. If the domain name is not blank, it is determined that the mail address belongs to a domain different from the recipient, and the domain name is not added, and the process proceeds to step S16.

In step S16, the color assigned by the address book table shown in FIG. 4 is determined from the mail address of the sender, and the process proceeds to step S17.
In step S17, the color determined in step S16 is displayed on the small display device 22, and the routine ends.

FIG. 7 is a flowchart showing incoming notification processing based on the priority of mail added to incoming electronic mail.
In step S20, the e-mail with the newest incoming date is extracted from the e-mails transferred from the proxy process 26, and the process proceeds to step S21.
In step S21, the heading portion of the extracted e-mail is extracted, and the process proceeds to step S22.
In step S22, it is checked whether or not a headline indicating the priority of mail exists in the headline part of the extracted electronic mail. If there is a heading indicating the priority of the e-mail, the process proceeds to step S24, and if there is no heading indicating the priority of the e-mail, the process proceeds to step S23.
In step S23, the priority of the e-mail is set to “medium” among high, medium and low, and the process proceeds to step S24.

In step S24, the assigned display pattern is determined by referring to the pattern table shown in FIG. 5 from the priorities obtained in steps S22 and S23, and the process proceeds to step S25.
In step S25, the display color is displayed on the small display device 22 with the display pattern determined in step S24, and the routine is terminated.

FIG. 8 is a flowchart showing an incoming notification process based on the number of incoming electronic mails.
In step S31, the number of incoming e-mails transferred from the proxy process is counted, stored in the storage device, and the process proceeds to step S32.
In step S32, the assigned display pattern is determined from the number of incoming calls, the process proceeds to step S33, and the small display device 22 is displayed with the determined display pattern. In this embodiment, when the number of incoming calls is displayed as a segment, the number of incoming calls is displayed as it is, and the routine is terminated.
The processes shown in FIGS. 6 to 8 are completed in a short time, and the display contents remain as attributes to be specified for the small display device. Therefore, display that satisfies all the attributes determined in each process is performed.

  As described above, according to the present invention, when an e-mail received from an external device to an information processing device via a communication network is notified to a user who is a recipient, the e-mail is sent according to the sender or priority of the e-mail. By changing the notification method of the color, pattern, etc. displayed on the small incoming call display device, it is possible to notify the user of an incoming e-mail with a high degree of urgency or priority more quickly and accurately.

It is a block diagram which shows the structure of one Example of the information processing system to which the mail receiving device which concerns on this invention is applied. It is the block diagram which showed the outline | summary of the structure of the small incoming call display apparatus 20 in FIG. It is a figure which shows the relationship between the processes of the mail receiving apparatus which concerns on this invention. It is a figure showing the relationship between the sender mail address of an incoming mail, and its display color. It is a figure showing the relationship between the priority of an incoming mail, and its display pattern. It is a flowchart which shows the incoming notification process by the mail address of the sender of the incoming electronic mail of this invention. It is a flowchart which shows the incoming notification process by the priority of the mail added to the incoming electronic mail of this invention. It is a flowchart which shows the notification process of the incoming call by the number of incoming electronic mails of this invention.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Information processing system, 10 ... Information processing apparatus, 11 ... Personal computer, 12 ... Display device, 13 ... Key input device, 14 ... Storage device, 14a ... Storage medium, 15 ... Communication interface, 20 ... Small incoming call display device, 21 ... Incoming display computer, 22 ... Small display device, 23 ... Storage device, 23a ... Address book table, 23b ... Address mapper program, 23c ... Pattern book table, 23d ... Pattern mapper program, 23e ... Storage medium, 24 ... Incoming display 25, a mail server process, 26, a proxy process, 27, an e-mail capturing process, 30, a communication network (public line, etc.), 40, an external terminal device.

Claims (5)

  Mail receiving means for receiving an e-mail, storage means for storing in advance a light emission pattern according to information related to the e-mail received by the receiving means, and receiving an e-mail, stored in the storage means An e-mail receiving device comprising: a light emitting means for emitting light with a light emission pattern.   Mail receiving means for receiving an e-mail, storage means for storing in advance a luminescent color corresponding to information related to the e-mail received by the receiving means, and receiving an e-mail, stored in the storage means An e-mail receiving device, comprising: a light emitting unit that emits light with a light emission color.   3. The electronic mail receiving device according to claim 1, wherein the electronic mail receiving device emits light with the display device closed.   4. The electronic mail receiving device according to claim 1, wherein the electronic mail receiving device emits light in response to the latest electronic mail.   A portable information terminal comprising the electronic mail receiving device according to any one of claims 1 to 4.

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