JP3200329B2 - Email creation and transmission device - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an electronic mail creation / transmission apparatus realized as a portable terminal for electronic mail, an electronic organizer, a word processor, a personal computer, and the like.

[0002]

Recently, it has become as the transmission of the message Se di by e-mail, the exchange is carried out widely. It is very convenient to use because a telephone or telex cannot use it while the transmitting party is using it, whereas an electronic mail can be transmitted at any time and the recipient can retrieve it at any time.

[0003] In addition, there is a convenient aspect that when an electronic mail is created and transmitted, it can be transmitted without inputting an address based on the stored destination address.

[0004]

However, the current electronic mail has the following problems.

[0005] In other words, in order to send and receive e-mails, the user must be subscribed to a specific e-mail service system. Therefore, even if the sender subscribes to the e-mail service system, the receiver subscribes. Otherwise, transmission cannot be performed, and even if they are subscribed to each other, transmission and reception cannot be performed if they are different e-mail service systems.

The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and provides an e-mail creating and transmitting apparatus capable of coping with a case where a receiving side has not subscribed to an e-mail service system to which a transmitting side subscribes. The purpose is to make e-mail available more effectively.

[0007]

According to the first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a mail text creating means for creating a mail text, and an electronic mail address and a facsimile number of a transmission destination.
Address information storage means for storing the address information of the destination including the e-mail address, telephone number and file of the owner.
Owner information that stores personal information including facsimile numbers
Storage means , wherein the mail body created by the mail body creation means can be transmitted to an arbitrary mail address stored in the address information storage means, wherein the address information storage means The destination e-mail address information as the destination e-mail
E-mail that the mail service of the email address can receive
The service information is also stored including the service information, and the owner information
The storage means includes the owner's email address information as the owner
E-mail address of the e-mail address
The same mail as the e-mail service system of the mail address stored in the owner information storage means is stored in any destination mail address information stored in the address information storage means , including the child mail service system. a first determining means for determining whether an address is included, if it is determined that no more the first judging means
, The owner information store hand in the address information storage means
E-mail service of the e-mail address stored in the column
A second judging means for determining whether or not include e-mail addresses belonging to different other electronic mail service system and scan system, when it is determined that there by the second determination means, the other e-mail belonging to the service system email address mail address of the destination so as to be transmitted from the electronic mail service system scan the device
And email address correction means for correcting the data, if it is determined that no more the second determining means, said address
Facsimile numbers are stored in the storage information storage means
A third determining means for determining whether or not the
If it is determined that there is a fax , the facsimile instruction means for facsimile transmitting the mail body by displaying and instructing the facsimile number stored in the address information storage means, and the third determination means Determined to be none
Printing means for printing the body of the mail.
It is something that can be done.

[0008]

[0009] According to the present invention, the purpose of the mail body is
When sending to the transmission destination, if there is an e-mail address in the e-mail service system to which the selected transmission destination belongs , the transmission can be performed as it is.
However, if the transmission destination belongs to another e-mail service system in the absence of the e-mail address , by modifying the data of the e-mail address, the e-mail can be transmitted to the transmission destination.

[0010] is et al., If the communication partner does not belong to other e-mail service system, that is, if at all is sent by e-mail no example of line, of transmission partner
Check if there is a facsimile number, and if so, send the body of the e-mail to that facsimile number .
Processing instruction to print to the printer Ru made.

[0011]

1 and 2 show an embodiment in which the present invention is applied to a small-sized portable terminal for electronic mail.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the overall configuration, in which a fax modem and a printer as output devices are connected to a portable terminal S for e-mail, and FIG. 2 is an external view showing only the fax modem. Shows a state in which is connected.

In FIG. 1, CPUI is connected to a ROM 5, a RAM 6, a gate array 9, a real-time clock 10, and an LCD (liquid crystal) driver 3 via a system bus, and is also connected to a keyboard 2 via a key signal. And executes various controls of the entire system.
An LCD (liquid crystal display element) 4 is connected to the LCD driver 3 and displays data input by the user from the keyboard 2, data received from the serial interface 7 and the infrared interface 8, and system messages.

The gate array 9 has a serial interface 7 and an infrared interface 8 as other functions.
And a chip enable signal generation circuit for each LSI in the system. Serial interface 7
Converts an externally connected device control signal or data from the CPU 1 into a serial signal and outputs it to the externally connected device, and converts a serial signal input from the externally connected device into parallel and outputs it to the system bus. In this embodiment, as an external connection device connected to the serial interface 7,
The fax modem 11 is shown.

The fax modem 11 can transmit the created document via an electronic mail service system via a telephone line, and can transmit a fax to a destination fax machine. The infrared interface 8 converts a signal to be output to the outside into a serial signal by infrared and outputs the signal. In the embodiment of FIG. 1, a printer 13 having an infrared interface 8 is connected as an example of an output device using the infrared interface 8. ROM5 is CPU
1 and the portable terminal S
This stores character data and graphic data for various displays used in the application possessed by. As shown in FIG. 3, the RAM 6 has a storage area for storing data created by a user using an application of the portable terminal S, and a system work area necessary for the CPU 1 to execute various processes. 61 is also provided.

[0016] to explain the application of the above-mentioned mobile terminal device S has. The portable terminal device S manages business cards (the application name in this embodiment is BUSINESS, hereinafter referred to as BUSINESS), and a random memo (the application name in this embodiment is NOTEBOOK, hereinafter referred to as NOTEBOOK). In addition, it is equipped with useful applications for business such as electronic telephone directory, schedule management, assignment management, outline processor, anniversary management, world clock, etc. BU in this
For SINESS, as shown in FIG. 5 , the company name,
Fields in which names, titles, department names, telephone numbers, fax numbers, addresses, e-mail addresses, and the like can be recorded are set in advance, and the user can redefine the field names. The CPU 1 stores data input by the user according to the preset field settings or the field settings defined by the user in the BUSINESS data storage area 63 of the RAM 6.

NOTEBOOK is an application that is effective for recording conferences and negotiations and creating reports, because characters can be freely entered from the keyboard 2 and used as free memos. FIG. 4 shows a screen example of the NOTEBOOK application. The created documents can be saved with individual titles. In addition, a layout setting for setting a paper size, a top / bottom / left / right margin, indentation, and the like of a paper when outputting assuming printing on a fax, an e-mail, and a printer is possible. Software from layout of the English letter to designation and output of the output method is also provided as a submenu of the NOTEBOOK. Documents created by the user with the NOTEBOOK application are stored in the
It is stored in the EBOOK data storage area 64.

Next, the operation from the creation of the English mail body to the automatic placement and output of the body, destination, and sender information will be described in order. Figure 6 is a Furochi catcher over <br/> preparative along its operation.

First, the initial settings are as follows.
(1) User personal data registration for registering the user's personal name, address, company name, job title, telephone number, remarks, etc. (2) Name and user ID of e-mail service used by the user, telephone number and automatic Setting of access procedure, (3) Setting of fax modem normally used by user, (4)
There are device settings for the printer to be used and the like, and these settings are stored in designated storage areas of the RAM 6 respectively.
These initial settings may be performed only once when the user purchases the portable terminal device S, and need not be changed after the settings unless any change occurs in the setting contents. Fig. 7
4 shows an example of a human data setting screen.

The user turns on the power of the portable terminal S in S0. Next, in step S1, the NOTEBOOK application is selected by operating the key 22 of the keyboard 2. In step S2, the user inputs a character from the keyboard 2 to create an English letter body. After the text input is completed, the user operates one of the menu keys 24 in the keyboard 2 to display a submenu in S3, and then MAKE A LET indicating a letter creation menu from the submenu.
Select TER.

Mobile terminal unit S in [0021] S4, since the display at the screen, respectively destination, such as in the example of FIG. 8, the user selects a person to addressed letters being created from the screen list. It is possible to specify any BUSINESS data as the destination. The destination is BUSINE
Content of the first field of SS data, ie COMP
The ANY name is displayed, and the destination selection is determined by switching the screen in FIG. 8 using the up and down arrow keys 25 of the keyboard 2 and pressing the ENTER key 27 on a desired screen. Further, the current setting screen can be cleared with the cancel key 26 and the screen can be returned to the screen one step before.

[0022] In the above, the operation when performing the destination selection, described Furochi catcher over bets FIG.

[0023] In the embodiment in this case, the owner of the portable communication terminal S is E-MAI in user personal惰報configuration in Figure 7
As shown in the L field, it has an e-mail address (ID) of Nifty (name of e-mail service system), and usually sends and receives e-mails via this e-mail service system. Also, Mr. Cobert, who has been selected as the recipient of the transmission, has the e-mail addresses of the Internet and the ATT e-mail e-mail service system as shown in FIG. 5 , but the e-mail address of Nifty Do not have.

Then, when the sender selects a destination, C
PU1 determines in S4-1 and S4-2 whether the recipient has the same e-mail service address as the sender.
The determination is made by scanning the BUSINESS E-MAIL field of FIG. In this embodiment, since Mr. Cobert does not have the same mail service system address, the e-mail field is scanned again in S4-3, and the mail service system to which the sender subscribes is provided by the gateway service. Is determined, that is, whether or not it has an address of another mail service system. In this example,
Since Robert has the address of the Internet that implements the gateway service, the process is S
Proceeding to 4-8, S4-9, the CPU 1 generates a mail address according to the format of the gateway, that is, a gateway address. In this example, the predecessor "INET:" is added to the beginning of Mr. Cobert's Internet address, and the generated e-mail address is displayed at the user confirmation in S4-6 to prompt the confirmation of the user. If C
If Mr. Obert does not have the same service address as the e-mail service system to which the sender subscribes or the address of the service for which the gateway service is provided, S4-4 to S4-5 or S4-10.
To the output form of fax transmission or printing.

The generation of the gateway address in S4-8 and S4-9 will be described.

As shown in FIG. 3, the RAM 6 is provided with a gateway correspondence table storage area 71, the details of which are shown in FIG. Now the owner is N
A conversion format to a gateway address is defined for a mail service system which has subscribed to the mail service system of ifty and can exchange electronic mail mutually by the gateway service. (I in the format in the right column
D) indicates that the E-MAIL field character string registered in the BUSINESS application is inserted as it is. For example, in this embodiment, C
Since Mr. obert has an Internet address, the CPU 1 selects “INTERN” from the format shown in FIG.
Apply the format "INET" to the right of the "ET" field. According to FIG. 4, Mr. Robert's Internet address is “Cobert @ ****. com]
The generated gateway address is "INET: Cob
ert @ ****. com].

FIG. 10 can be defined by the user, can be read from the outside via the serial interface 7, or can be created from the gateway table setting menu. In addition, by allowing the user to define the mail service, it is possible to flexibly cope with a change in the mail service system mainly used by the owner. Then, the transmission method determined through the process of the flowchart S4 is displayed on a screen as shown in FIG.

Next, in steps S5 and S6, the arrangement setting of the English letter is performed. FIGS. 12 and 13 show the contents of the layout setting of the English letter. The portable terminal device of this embodiment is small and inexpensive, does not have several types of formats, and based on block style, based on the relationship between the user to whom the letter is addressed and the user, the position of the opponent, the sex of the opponent, etc. In addition to setting a punctuation, a title, and the like according to the person to whom the letter is addressed, closing and signing can also be set in this step. In addition, subject headings can be registered as necessary and placed in letters along with the text, date, destination, name, sender's signature, and grosing.

All the settings to be entered by the user have been completed up to S5. In S6, the CPU 1 reads out the letter body data from the RAM 6, and the user inputs the BUSINES in S4.
COMP of data specified as destination from S data
ANY, NAME, ADDRESS, POSITION
12 and FIG. 1 stored in the RAM 6.
User defined letter format setting and R shown in 3
According to the basic arrangement information on the block style read from the OM5, the date, COMPANY, NAME, A
DDRES S, sort POSITION, SUBJECT, text, sign, click Rosing, or the like to the arrangement of the English letter. At this time, the date insertion position follows the letter format setting, and the date data is read from the real-time clog 10. The ROM 5 also stores, as basic layout information of the block style, information such as upper and lower left and right margins, the number of characters in one line, line corners, and fonts to be used, which are assumed to be printed in a letter size.

FIG. 14 shows an embodiment in which the letters arranged as described above are printed by a printer. In this embodiment, the BUSINESS data shown in FIG.
Mr. Albert of n, lnc is selected as the destination of the letter.

Subsequently, in step S8, if the e-mail is determined as the output method in step S4, the process proceeds to steps S9 to S12.
PU 1 is an e-mail login setting storage area 6 in RAM 6
According to the e-mail log-in data setting read out from step 9, a telephone call is made to the mail center, automatic log-in is performed, and connection to the mail center host computer is confirmed.

If the fax transmission is determined as the output means, in step S13, the CPU 1 creates the fax data to perform the fax transmission, initializes the fax modem, and the user sets the BUSINE in step S4.
The contents of the facsimile number field are read out of the destination data from the SS data, and automatic dialing is performed. If the modem is not recognized during the initialization of the modem, or if a fax modem that does not conform to the fax modem control system supported by the portable terminal of the embodiment is connected, an error message indicating that fact is displayed.

After confirming the connection with the destination fax machine in S8, the CPU 1 transmits the fax data in the operations of S13 to S17. FIG. 15 shows a screen during fax transmission.

If the printer printing is determined as the output method in S8, the operation in S18 to S20 causes the RAM
The printer driver executes reload printing from the ROM 5 in accordance with the settings read from the printer setting storage area 69 in step S6.

According to the above-described embodiment, the user as the sender only creates the body of the letter and performs appropriate key operations, so that it is possible to create an English letter, send it by e-mail, fax, or mail it. Is automatically performed up to printing.

In particular, as a part of the information management relating to the individual user, by registering the name, title, company name, address, fax number, e-mail address, etc., the knowledge of the layout of the English letter at the time of creating the letter can be obtained. Even without a letter, an English letter in a style that is generally accepted worldwide can be created, and although there is only one type of basic letter arrangement information, fine variations can be set by providing a user setting screen.

In the above embodiment, the input by the user can be made only from the keyboard. However, in a portable terminal device having a handwriting tablet on the display unit and capable of registering handwritten image data, the sign is used as handwritten data. It may be registered, may be adapted to insert a handwritten signature between the click Norbert signs when performing letter arrangement.

For the externally connected device, in the control procedure according to the above-described embodiment, the transmission of electronic mail and the transmission of a fax are performed via a telephone line via a serial interface. By newly adding external device control software and hardware, it is of course possible to connect a cellular telephone adapter having a PCMCIA interface and perform data communication from outside.

[0039]

According to the first aspect of the present invention,
When the user sends the body of the email to the intended recipient
If, that also sent the other party is not a member of the e-mail service system, which the user belongs not belong to the other e-mail service system lever, the transmission of e-mail is automatically becomes possible, this way, E-mail can be used more effectively.

Further , when the transmission destination does not belong to any e-mail service system, the transmission destination
Fuck as an external connection device box number is stored
In the case be transmitted of the equipment possible, because the body of the email is automatically fax transmission, this way, will not take the transmission response time to the opponent if there is no e-mail address of the transmission destination, electronic This makes it possible to effectively use the mail creation and transmission device . Also, the fax number of the recipient
Number is not stored, printing is performed as an external device.
If the printer can be used, the mail text is printed as is
And make more efficient use of e-mail
Can be used.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of an electronic mail portable terminal which is an embodiment of an electronic mail creation and transmission device of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is an external view of an electronic mail portable terminal which is an embodiment of the electronic mail creation and transmission device of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram of a storage area in a RAM.

FIG. 4 is an explanatory view of a display screen of the mobile terminal for e-mail.

FIG. 5 is an explanatory view of a display screen of the mobile terminal for e-mail.

FIG. 6 is a flowchart for explaining the operation of the electronic mail portable terminal.

FIG. 7 is an explanatory diagram of a display screen of the electronic mail portable terminal.

FIG. 8 is an explanatory view of a display screen of the portable terminal for e-mail.

FIG. 9 is a flowchart for explaining the operation of the mobile terminal for e-mail.

FIG. 10 is an explanatory view of a display screen of the portable terminal for e-mail.

FIG. 11 is an explanatory view of a display screen of the portable terminal for e-mail.

FIG. 12 is an explanatory diagram of a display screen of the mobile terminal for e-mail.

FIG. 13 is an explanatory view of a display screen of the mobile terminal for e-mail.

FIG. 14 is an example of creating a mail text

FIG. 15 is an explanatory view of a display screen of the portable terminal for e-mail.

[Explanation of symbols]

S portable terminal for e-mail (e-mail creation / transmission device) 1 CPU (judgment means, command means)

──────────────────────────────────────────────────続 き Continued on the front page (58) Field surveyed (Int.Cl. ⁷ , DB name) G06F 13/00 H04M 11/00

Claims (1)

(57) [Claims] 1. A mail message body creating means for creating a mail text, and the address information storage means for storing destination address information including the destination e-mail address or facsimile number of the owner of the e-mail address or phone Numbers and facsimile
Owner information storage means for storing personal information including numbers
When provided with an electronic mail creation transmitting apparatus that can be sent to any email address stored mail text created in the address information storage unit in the mail text creation means, the address information storage means , Destination email address
Email service of the destination e-mail address as information
Including the e-mail service system that
The owner information storage means stores the owner's e-mail address
Email service of owner's email address as information
Including the e-mail service system that
Is憶, whether the address information e-mail service system and the same e-mail address of the mail address stored in the owner information storing means any destination mail address information stored in the storage means includes a first determination means for determining, wherein when it is determined that no more first determination means, wherein the owner information storing means stored in the address information storage means
Email service system for the email address specified
Arm and a second judging means for determining whether or not include e-mail addresses belonging to different other electronic mail service system, when it is determined that there by the second determination means, the other electronic-mail services and email address correction means for correcting the data of the e-mail address of the destination as capable of transmitting mail address <br/> Les scan belonging to the system from the email service system of the apparatus, and without more the second judging means If it is determined, the
The facsimile number is stored in the address information storage means
Third determining means for determining whether dolphins not, wherein when it is determined that there is a third determination means, facsimile and the mail body by instructing to display the fax number stored in the address information storage means If the facsimile instructing means for retransmitting and the third determining means determine that there is no facsimile ,
An e-mail creating / transmitting device , comprising: a printing unit that prints an e-mail text .