JP2004013655A - Electronic mail system, transmitting server, receiving server, and communication terminal device - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To allow a user to accept an advertising mail without anxiety by improving imagery of the advertising mail. <P>SOLUTION: The user selects stamp classification from a stamp selecting server 3 by a transmitter terminal 1, and transmits it with a message to be transmitted with a receiver specified to a stamp attaching server 4. The stamp server 4 selects the stamp corresponding to the stamp classification from a stamp information database(DB) 11, and transmits a mail attached with the stamp data to a receiving server 6. The receiving server decides and controls whether the receiver is let receive the mail based on a reception rule DB 7 preliminarily decided associated with the stamp. A receiving server 6 makes a charging server 9 carry out the charging processing of the stamp price to the transmitter according as the mail with the stamp is received by the receiver. A part of the stamp charge is returned to the receiver of the mail with the stamp. The reception rule of the reception rule DB 7 may be updated(added, changed, erased) in response to access from a receiver terminal 2. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2004,JPO

Description

[0001]
TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to an electronic mail system for transmitting and receiving electronic mail via a communication network.
[0002]
[Prior art]
In recent years, not only information processing terminals such as personal computers but also mobile communication terminals such as mobile phones can send and receive e-mails (also referred to simply as e-mails in this specification), and users of mail services explode. Are increasing. Along with this, e-mails can be sent in large quantities at low cost only for communication charges, and so many mobile phone users send large amounts of advertising mail called "spam" without their consent. are doing. As a result, many complaints have been received from users of the mail service to mail service providers and the like.
[0003]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
In response, mail service providers have taken measures such as changing the user's e-mail address to one that is difficult to guess, and providing users with means to refuse e-mail reception from domains other than the specified domain. However, it is hard to say that those measures have been sufficiently effective.
[0004]
On the other hand, there are many "sincere" businesses that want to advertise new media, e-mail, at a reasonable price. But,
1. Bad image of advertising mail due to spam
2. Some email service providers also charge for receiving emails
3. There is no established method of properly paying for advertisement emails
Due to these circumstances, the environment has become difficult for the advertising business to be established.
[0005]
The present invention has been made in such a background, and an object of the present invention is to provide an electronic mail system which improves the image of an advertisement mail and makes it easier for a user to accept the advertisement mail, and various servers and communication terminal devices constituting the electronic mail system. Is to do.
[0006]
Another object of the present invention is to provide an electronic mail system capable of rejecting the reception of mail that does not meet a predetermined condition, and various servers and communication terminal devices constituting the electronic mail system.
[0007]
It is another object of the present invention to provide an electronic mail system capable of easily billing individual advertisement mails, and various servers and communication terminal devices constituting the electronic mail system.
[0008]
Still another object of the present invention is to provide an electronic mail system capable of giving an incentive to a recipient to actively receive an advertisement mail, and various servers and communication terminal devices constituting the electronic mail system.
[0009]
Another object of the present invention is to provide an e-mail system capable of increasing the enjoyment of the user by introducing a "stamp" accompanied by an image, a sound, etc., for exchanging mail consisting of only characters, and various servers constituting the same. And a communication terminal device.
[0010]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
An e-mail system according to the present invention is an e-mail system for transmitting / receiving an e-mail between a sender and a recipient via a communication network, and adding stamp data to an e-mail sent from the sender. A sending server for sending to the recipient, receiving the sent mail, and determining and controlling whether or not to allow the recipient to receive the mail based on a predetermined receiving rule related to a stamp. And a receiving server that performs the processing.
[0011]
The sending server can add stamp data to the mail to be sent and send it to the recipient. The receiving server determines and controls whether or not to allow the recipient to receive the mail based on a predetermined receiving rule related to the stamp, for example, based on the presence or absence of stamp data, the amount of the stamp, and the like. I do. Thus, the recipient can refuse to receive the mail based on the conditions of the stamp to be attached to the mail.
[0012]
The receiving rule is stored in a receiving rule database provided for each recipient, and the receiving server determines the determination on the received mail based on a receiving rule of the recipient of the transmitted mail in the receiving rule database. And control can be performed. Thereby, different reception rules can be applied to each recipient.
[0013]
More specifically, the reception rule defines whether or not to discard at least the mail for each sender of the mail, and the receiving server sets the mail in accordance with the reception rule defined for the sender of the received mail. It is determined whether to discard the mail.
[0014]
The electronic mail system preferably further includes a stamp selection server that provides a selectable stamp type to a sender of the mail, and a stamp information database that stores a plurality of stamp data, and the receiving server includes: Then, a stamp belonging to the stamp type selected by the sender is selected from the stamp information database as a stamp to be attached to the mail.
[0015]
The reception rule database may update the reception rule of the recipient by accessing the recipient.
[0016]
In addition, the stamp can be charged, and in this case, there is further provided a charging server for charging the sender for the fee of the stamp based on the sender ID of the stamped mail. The charging process is preferably performed when the recipient receives the stamped mail.
[0017]
The billing server may include means for returning a part of the fee of the stamp to the recipient of the stamped mail based on the recipient ID of the stamped mail. In this case, the stamp information database stores the fee data together with the stamp data for each stamp, and the billing server performs the billing process with reference to the stamp information database. The stamp information database may further store a receiver return amount for each stamp, and the billing server refers to the stamp information database to return to the recipient. Means may be provided for exempting the receiver from exchanging all or a part of the return amount to the receiver. Further, the stamp data may include link information to a specific site on a communication network.
[0018]
In the above-described electronic mail system, the electronic mail system may further include a sender terminal that adds a sender's electronic signature to the outgoing mail, and a certificate authority that issues a certificate for verifying the validity of the electronic signature.
[0019]
The sender server may further include a sender exclusion list in which a sender ID can be registered. In this case, the transmission server suppresses transmission of mail from a sender registered in the sender exclusion list to the reception server. I do.
[0020]
The terminal receiving the stamped mail displays (or reproduces) the stamp data when the mail is displayed. The terminal that has received the stamped mail may include a recipient stamp database that stores the received stamp data. Furthermore, the recipient stamp database may store the number of stamps stored together with each stamp data.In this case, the number of stamps to be stored is increased when receiving stamp data, and when the stamp data is transferred. The number of stored stamps is reduced.
[0021]
The present invention can be further understood as a computer program for realizing the functions of the various servers and terminals.
[0022]
BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION
Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. The "stamp" in the present invention has mainly two functions. One of them is a stamp function for paying for sending an e-mail, and the other is a function like a pass (passing bill). A stamp-like function makes it possible to charge for mail transmission. In addition, the pass-by-like function allows the mail to be filtered (sieved). Therefore, any data having at least one of these functions can be said to be equivalent to the "stamp" in the present invention regardless of its name.
[0023]
FIG. 1 shows a schematic configuration of an electronic mail system according to an embodiment of the present invention. An e-mail will be described as an example of an e-mail sent and received by this system. However, the present invention is not necessarily limited to transmission and reception of e-mail, but can be applied to communication of an arbitrary message transmitted from a sender via a network with a destination of a recipient.
[0024]
The system shown in FIG. 1 includes a sender terminal 1, a receiver terminal 2, a stamp selection server 3, a stamp pasting server (transmission server) 4, a sender exclusion list 5, a reception server 6, and a reception rule database 7 (hereinafter, database). Is described in a DB), a certification authority (CA) 8, a stamp billing server 9, a recipient stamp DB 10, and a stamp information DB 11. Although the sender terminal 1 and the receiver terminal 2 are shown one by one as representatives, there may actually be many. Also, one terminal can be both a sender terminal and a receiver terminal. Although both terminals are shown in FIG. 1 as desktop computers, they may be mobile communication terminals such as mobile phones regardless of the form. The stamp information DB 11 belongs to the stamp pasting server 4, but can be accessed from the stamp selection server 3 and the stamp billing server 9. The stamp selection server 3 and / or the stamp accounting server 9 may hold a copy of the stamp information DB 11. The reception rule DB 7 belongs to the reception server 6, but as described later, the reception terminal 2 can update (add, change, or delete) a reception rule relating to the receiver therein.
[0025]
Note that the system configuration in FIG. 1 is merely a typical embodiment, and the present invention is not limited to this specific configuration. The role assigned to each server or device is not necessarily fixed. That is, the function assigned to a certain server may be transferred to another server, or some servers may be mounted in the same device. Alternatively, one server may be composed of a plurality of devices. Further, in the present invention, not all the elements such as the server shown in FIG. 1 are essential, and a configuration in which some elements are added or deleted can be considered.
[0026]
Although not particularly shown, each server is configured by an existing relatively high-performance computer including a central processing unit (CPU), an internal storage device, an external storage device, a display device, an input device, a communication device, and the like. Each of the terminals 1 and 2 is basically a computer including a central processing unit (CPU), an internal storage device, a display device, an input device, a communication device, and (in some cases, an external storage device). It may be a communication terminal device.
[0027]
The operation of each part of the system of FIG. 1 is as follows.
[0028]
1. Selection of stamp (stamp type)
First, prior to sending a mail, the sender accesses the stamp selection server 3 from the sender terminal 1 and selects the type of stamp (stamp type) used for sending the mail. The selected stamp type is identified by the stamp type ID (a). For this selection, the stamp selection server 3 may be accessed each time the selection is made, or once the stamp type ID is obtained, the obtained stamp type ID can be used without accessing the stamp selection server 3. You may do so. In this embodiment, at this stage, the contents (such as a picture) of each stamp are not determined. (However, the present invention does not exclude such a case.) In addition, billing of the stamp to the sender is not performed in the stage before transmission, but is performed in the mail receiving stage as described later. .
[0029]
The stamp type ID (a) may represent one specific stamp, but in the present embodiment, represents a stamp series or genre composed of a plurality of stamps. In particular, in the latter case, the user cannot specify a specific stamp, and the stamp pasting server 4 described later selects a specific stamp. This effect will be described later.
[0030]
Specific series and genres include the following.
・ Theme stamp
Stamps based on specific themes, such as anime or game characters, real people or idols, specific painters, or nature.
・ Stamps with lottery
A stamp assigned a lottery number one by one. Prize money and merchandise are given to recipients of the stamps that have been won.
・ Landmark stamps
A stamp with a motif of a landscape or a writing related to the geographical location where the stamp selection server 3 and the stamp pasting server 4 exist.
・ Season / News Stamp
Stamps with motifs related to the seasons and weather.
・ Advertising stamp
The stamp itself is an advertisement. An inexpensive stamp can be provided by paying the advertising fee by an advertising agency.
・ Individual design stamps
A sender-specific stamp created by the sender or a combination of design elements provided in advance by the sender.
[0031]
A wide variety of these stamps can be collected by collectors, as in postage stamps.
[0032]
2. Send email
The stamp type ID (a) selected by the sender is attached to the message (c) to be sent to the receiver together with the sender signature (b) for identifying the sender and sent to the receiver. Is done. Since the sender's signature (b) is used later to charge a stamp usage fee (stamp fee), it is desirable that the sender's signature be a cryptographically secure and highly reliable signature. In order to secure this reliability sufficiently, (8) it is conceivable to use an organization such as a certificate authority (CA). For example, the “sender signature” is an electronic signature for confirming on the receiving side that this message was created by a genuine sender and has not been tampered with during the transmission. The certificate of the user (sender) issued from is added. This certificate is used on the receiving side and is used to verify the digital signature. The specific method of the electronic signature is not particularly limited, and an existing method such as a public key encryption method can be used.
[0033]
The sender signature (b) and the stamp type ID (a) may be sent by a communication means different from the message, or may be sent by being embedded in the mail itself by means such as MIME or a mail header. Good.
[0034]
3. Attach stamp
The mail transmitted from the sender terminal 1 first reaches the stamp attaching server 4, where a specific stamp corresponding to the stamp type ID (a) added to the mail is one from the stamp information DB 11. Selected and "pasted". That is, the stamp pasting server 4 performs a stamp pasting operation based on the stamp type ID (a) of the mail sent from the sender. The specific stamp is, of course, not a paper-based one but electronic data, typically image (still image) data, but other types of data such as moving image data, text data, audio / music data, etc. It can be. The electronic data of the stamp is typically substantial data, but may be pointer-like data for specifying the substantial stamp data. This may be, for example, a URL (Uniform Resource Locator) that specifies the actual location of stamp data (may include the file name). As described above, the pasting can be performed by embedding in the MIME format or by adding it in the header. In addition to the actual embedding in the mail, the message may be transmitted to the recipient by another means different from the mail.
[0035]
In the case of a lottery stamp, the lottery number can be embedded here. In that case, an electronic signature may be used so that the lottery number cannot be altered.
[0036]
When the stamp type ID represents a stamp series or genre, one stamp to be actually pasted on an e-mail can be selected using the following factors.
·random
Select one of the stamps included in the series or genre completely at random.
・ Weighted random
Basically random, but the selection probabilities are different for each stamp.
・ Order
Select stamps in the series without duplication.
·Number of times of use
Select different stamps depending on the number of times stamps are used by the sender.
・ Sending time, location
Select different stamps according to the sending time or geographical location.
・ Recipient network type
A stamp is selected according to information such as the type and bandwidth of the network used by the receiver and the network bandwidth between the sender and the receiver. Specifically, it is conceivable to select an image having a small size when the bandwidth of the network of the receiver is narrow.
・ Other information on sender / recipient
A stamp may be selected based on information such as sender / recipient preferences, date of birth, constellation, blood type, initials, number of strokes, address, hometown, and nationality. Also, information such as the type of business or domain name of the sender / receiver, the mail service provider used, and the like can be used.
[0037]
Further, in this server, when an e-mail is sent from an inappropriate partner such as a sender who has not paid the advertisement fee properly to a stamp, a sender exclusion list in which such a sender ID is registered is used. 5, it is possible to suppress transmission of such a mail from the sender to the reception server (specifically, for example, discard the mail).
[0038]
FIGS. 2A and 2B show two specific configuration examples of the stamp information DB 11. The stamp position information DB 11a shown in FIG. 2A has, for each stamp, items of “stamp type ID”, “stamp ID”, “stamp data”, “stamp fee”, and “recipient return amount”. The “stamp type ID” is a stamp type identifier uniquely added to each stamp type, and the “stamp ID” is a stamp identifier uniquely added to each stamp. The "stamp data" is data for representing (or specifying) the actual data of each stamp, and is typically represented by binary data, but may be represented by a URL as described above. The "stamp fee" indicates the amount (stamp cost) of the stamp usage fee imposed on the sender who uses the stamp. The “recipient return amount” indicates the amount of the stamp fee that is returned to the recipient. The stamp fee in the present embodiment is distributed as a design fee or a fee to a stamp creator (designer), a service provider such as the stamp pasting server 4, a stamp billing server 9, and / or an operator. Some of them can be returned to the recipient. This is a mechanism for mainly giving an incentive for the addressee of the advertisement mail to receive the advertisement mail. Recipient return amounts vary by stamp. In this sense, in order to increase the incentive, the sender may be allowed to specify a stamp fee (or a receiver return amount) when selecting a stamp type. Further, when the receiver displays the received mail addressed to himself / herself in a list as described later, it is desirable to also display the receiver return amount.
[0039]
The stamp information DB 11b shown in FIG. 2B is basically the same as the stamp information DB 11a, except that an item of "link information" is further added. The link information links the stamp to a specific site on the network (for example, the homepage of the advertiser), and is also specified by the URL. As an example, when the recipient instructs (for example, clicks) a stamp (for example, an image) on the received mail, the information of the site can be browsed on the recipient terminal.
[0040]
4. Processing at the receiving server
Returning to FIG. 1, the mail to which the "stamp" is pasted by the stamp pasting server 4 is delivered to the receiving server 6 to which the mail address of the recipient belongs. The reception server 6 controls the reception of mail based on the reception rule DB 7. The details will be described later with reference to FIG. The receiving server 6 also transmits the sender signature (b), the stamp ID (e), and the receiver ID (f) to the stamp accounting server 9 and instructs the stamp accounting server 9 to perform an accounting process.
[0041]
Next, a reception rule and a specific process based on the reception rule will be described.
[0042]
FIG. 3 shows a configuration example of the reception rule DB 7. In the present embodiment, the reception rule DB 7a holds a reception rule group for each user. A common reception rule DB may be separately provided for a reception rule common to all users. In that case, the individual rule DB has priority over the common rule DB. The receiving server 6 determines a condition related to a stamp such as the presence or absence of a stamp of the mail (referred to as a stamp condition) based on the receiving rule registered in the receiving rule DB 7, and performs a predetermined message process. In the present embodiment, three types of “predetermined message processing” are prepared: “receive”, “hold”, and “discard”. "Receive" allows the user to receive mail unconditionally, as in the conventional mail system. The mail may be directly transmitted to a receiver terminal (for example, a mobile phone to which a mail address is assigned) which is always connected to the network (a mail may be transmitted from the terminal in response to a mail arrival notification from the receiving server). Accessing the receiving server to receive the main unit is also included.) “Hold” means that the mail is held in the receiving server 6 for at least a predetermined time, and the process is entrusted to the recipient. For example, it is conceivable that a list of retained mails is presented to the user later, and the receiver himself / herself selects processing such as reception / discard / notification. Alternatively, in the case of “hold”, the reception of the mail may not be actively notified to the recipient, and the receiving side may wait until the mail is accessed. In some cases, "hold" and "receive" may not be substantially different. “Discard” means that the receiving server 6 automatically discards the mail.
[0043]
The reception rule DB 7a illustrated in FIG. 3 includes, for each rule, “priority”, “sender ID”, “notification” and “message processing” when no stamp is attached, and “notification” and “message processing” when stamp is attached. It has items of “charging rate” and “message processing”. The “priority” is information for determining which rule is given priority when a plurality of rules are applicable. That is, the priority of application of the rule is determined. In this example, the highest priority is the highest, and the priority is sequentially lowered downward. “Sender ID” is identification information for uniquely identifying a sender to which the rule should be applied. For example, the sender's e-mail address is used. By using a wild card, a regular expression, or the like, a rule to be applied to all sender IDs corresponding to a specific pattern may be set. It is also conceivable to define a default rule to be applied when none of the rules apply. The “notification” is a flag that determines whether or not the receiving server 6 needs to notify the sender of a message “I want you to put a stamp” when the mail does not have a stamp. “Message processing” when no stamp is attached indicates the type of message processing (receiving, holding or discarding) to be performed by the receiving server 6 when the rule is applied to an email without a stamp attached. ing. In this example, the "charging rate" when the stamp is affixed is for the receiver to set the charging rate for his / her own "recipient return amount". For example, the recipient can exempt his or her friends (or acquaintances, related persons, etc.) from all or part of the recipient's return amount. “Message processing” when a stamp is attached indicates the type of message processing (receiving, holding or discarding) to be performed by the receiving server 6 when applying the rule to the mail with the stamp attached. ing. (In the example of FIG. 2, there is no message processing designated as "discard" when a stamp is affixed, but it may exist.)
[0044]
When a receiving rule to be applied to the received mail is found, the receiving server 6 processes the mail according to the conditions specified in the rule, and waits for the receiver to access the receiving server. The reception rule DB 7 may be configured to be able to define rules that are commonly applied to a plurality of recipients, such as the entire system or each recipient group. Further, a modified example in which a part or all of the reception rule DB 7 is provided on the receiver terminal 2 side is also conceivable.
[0045]
For the purpose of eliminating unsolicited mail according to the present invention, the receiving server 6 does not, in principle, directly send mail without a stamp to the recipient. For this reason, in the example of FIG. 3, as a default receiving rule located at the seventh priority, when no stamp is attached, the notification is set to “unnecessary”, and the message processing is left on the receiving server 6 for the message processing. "Hold". However, instead of this, it is also possible to make the notification “necessary” and the message processing “discard”. The user can add, change, or delete a reception rule for an arbitrary sender ID. The sender (sender ID: aiko@abc.ne.jp) targeted for the reception rule of priority 1 in FIG. 3 is a friend of the user of this reception rule, and is “notified” even without a stamp. Instead, they can receive mail. Also, when the stamp is attached, the charging rate is set to 0%, and the right to receive the receiver return amount is abandoned. The sender of the priority 2 (sender ID: info@def.co.jp) is a company, and the mail from this sender was read out from the one held by the default reception rule and confirmed to be an advertisement mail. Thereafter, the recipient adds the reception rule to the sender ID. In this example, when a stamp is not pasted, a predetermined notification is sent to the sender to discard the mail, and when the stamp is pasted, reception is performed with a charging rate of 100%. The reception rule of priority 3 is set so that, when a stamp is not pasted, a notice is received and the mail is held, and when a stamp is pasted, the mail is received with a charging rate of 0%. It is also possible to set the charging rate to an arbitrary value other than 0% and 100% (50% in the example in the figure) as in the reception rule of priority 4.
[0046]
There are various methods for determining the priority of the reception rule. Here, the following method is used. That is, the default reception rule is set to the lowest. The receiving rule using a wildcard for the sender ID is set higher than the default. The reception rule in which a specific mail address is specified for the sender ID is set higher. Regarding the reception rule of the same rank, the priority is increased after adding or modifying the reception rule later.
[0047]
FIG. 5 shows a flowchart of the processing in the receiving server 6.
[0048]
First, an ID for identifying a sender is extracted from a mail or the like received by the receiving server (S11). When the message is in an electronic mail format, the extraction may be performed from the From line of the mail as the simplest extraction method. However, since the spoofing of the From line is easy, it is desirable to take some measures to prevent spoofing or to combine it with a technology such as an electronic signature. Next, the reception rule DB 7 is searched using the extracted sender ID as a key to find a rule to be applied to the received mail (S12). Then, it is determined whether or not a stamp is attached (S13). If the stamp is affixed, the process proceeds to step S16, otherwise, the "notification" flag is checked (S14). If notification is necessary, a message stating "I want you to send a stamp" is sent to the sender (S15), and the process proceeds to step S16. If the notification is unnecessary, the process proceeds directly to step S16.
[0049]
In step S16, the content of the message processing specified in the applicable reception rule is determined. If the message processing is "reception", the above-described reception processing is performed (S17). If it is "hold", the above-described holding process is performed (S18). If "discard", the above-described discard processing is performed (S19).
[0050]
5. What the recipient does
Returning to FIG. 1, when receiving the stamped message (d) and the stamp ID (e) as an e-mail from the receiving server 6, the receiver terminal 2 has the stamp data attached to the received mail and the stamp ID (E) is stored in the recipient stamp DB 10. A specific example of the recipient stamp DB 10 will be described later in detail with reference to FIG. The receiver can update (add, change, delete) (i) the content of the reception rule relating to himself in the reception rule DB 7 at any time (for example, after receiving the mail).
[0051]
More specifically, when the receiver accesses the receiving server 6 from the receiving terminal 2, a list of received or held mail is presented. FIG. 6 shows a display example of this list. At this time, the received mail list and the held mail list may be presented on different screens, or may be presented on the same screen. Alternatively, the mail can be displayed directly instead of the list. Each mail in the list display can be selected by moving the selection cursor 61 (and selecting operation by a predetermined key operation).
[0052]
In the example of the list display in FIG. 6, the following items are displayed for each mail.
-Whether a stamp is attached
The display / non-display of the stamp information icon 62 indicates whether a stamp is attached to the mail. The stamp information icon 62 only indicates whether or not a stamp is attached, and has nothing to do with the actual stamp pattern or data form.
·sender
In this example, the sender's mail address is displayed as the sender ID.
·title
The title attached to the email is displayed.
[0053]
In addition, whether or not the stamp is charged, the receiver return amount, whether or not the stamp / charge is exempted from the sender, whether or not the advertisement, whether or not the advertisement, the image content of the stamp, the presence or absence of voice information added to the stamp, An icon or a character string expressing information such as information may be displayed together.
[0054]
It is possible to update the reception rule for the sender by operating the receiver for each mail displayed in the list. For example, a menu is displayed as shown in FIG. 7A by an operation such as pressing a predetermined operation button or the like with the mail selected, and the user can select a rule to be applied to the sender. The menu shown in FIG. 7A is used to select items related to the message processing and the charging rate. The menu shown in FIG. 7B is displayed when a predetermined item shown in FIG. 7A is selected. Is required to be selected. For example, if the designation of exemption of stamps is specified in the menu of FIG. 7A, the reception rule DB 7 is rewritten so that the mail sent from the sender thereafter is received even if the stamp is not attached. Can be In the reception rule DB 7a of FIG. 3, “message processing” when no stamp is attached is “reception”. The result selected by the user is reflected in the registered content of the user in the reception rule DB 7 and used for the subsequent processing.
[0055]
When a mail is selected in the list display and display is instructed, the message is displayed, for example, as shown in FIG. If the whole stamp cannot be displayed because the screen is small, it is conceivable to display a stamp of reduced size on the screen or to display the stamp on another screen. It is also possible to discard a specific mail without reading it in the list display.
[0056]
FIG. 8 shows a display example of a message including a stamp. In this example, a stamp 81 is displayed on the same screen on which a message is displayed. The stamp 81 is substance data (an image such as a still image or a moving image) of the stamp. As described with reference to FIG. 2B, when link information is added to the stamp, the user instructs the stamp 81 to access the linked site (not shown). Can be. In the case of a stamp such as a voice, the stamp 81 is not displayed, and the voice or the like can be made to flow when a message is displayed. In the case of a stamp such as a voice, an icon that visually indicates the stamp may be displayed, and the voice or the like may be reproduced by designating the icon. Also on this screen, "rule setting" as described in FIG. 7 can be performed. The “charge exemption” button in FIG. 8 is for exempting the charge (recipient return amount) for the received mail on a one-time basis (one time only).
[0057]
FIGS. 4A and 4B show a recipient stamp DB 10a and a stamp DB 10b having different configurations. The stamp DB 10a stores items of "stamp ID (type)", "stamp data", and "number of sheets" for each stamp. As described above, the stamp data is the substance data of the stamp, but may be a URL indicating the location of the stamp. "Number" is a numerical value obtained by counting the number of stamps stored with the same stamp ID. The stamp DB 10b corresponds to the stamp information DB 11b shown in FIG. 2B, and holds “link information” in addition to the configuration of the stamp DB 10a.
[0058]
It is not essential to store the item “number of stamps” in the stamp DB 10, but this can simulate the collection of stamps. As an application of the number of stamps, the transfer or exchange of stamps with another user may be performed. Naturally, the number of stamps transferred to the other party is reduced by one, and the number of stamps transferred is increased by one. In addition, when a predetermined number of stamps or stamps of a specific stamp type have reached a predetermined number, or when all the stamps belonging to a specific stamp type have been collected, the book is written under predetermined conditions related to the number of stamps. A service is also possible in which a service provider gives a certain privilege to the recipient. This functions as an incentive for the recipient of the advertisement mail, which is different from the recipient return amount. Also, as described in FIG. 1, when the stamp selection server 3 specifies only the stamp type and the stamp pasting server 4 selects a specific stamp belonging to the stamp type, all stamps have an equal probability. Instead of being selected, a lot of stamps should be selected with a contingency factor, and if the probability of selecting one or more stamps is low, "unusual" stamps It can be expected that the value of such stamps will increase substantially and stimulate the desire to collect stamps.
[0059]
FIG. 9 shows an example of a processing flow in a message display state. This process is executed when a specific mail is selected from the mail list display shown in FIG.
[0060]
First, it is checked whether a stamp is affixed to this mail (S20). If not, the process proceeds to step S25 described below. If it is, it is checked with reference to the recipient stamp DB 10 (FIG. 4) whether this stamp is a stamp already possessed by the recipient (S21). If the stamp already exists, the "number" of the record of the stamp in the recipient stamp DB 10 is incremented by 1 (S22). If it is a new stamp, the receiver is notified of the fact (S23) and registered as a new record in the recipient stamp DB 10 (S24). The notification in step S23 is not essential, but is effective for calling the user's attention to the new stamp. The registration may be performed by confirming the necessity of registration with the receiver each time. Alternatively, the user may be able to set whether or not the notification in step S23 is necessary or whether or not the registration is necessary in step S24 as the initial setting.
[0061]
Thereafter, as shown in FIG. 8, the message is displayed together with the display (or reproduction) of the stamp (if present) (S25). If there is any user (recipient) input while the message is displayed (S26), a process corresponding to the content of the input is performed. In the process of “rule setting” described with reference to FIG. 7, a process of setting (or updating) a reception rule according to the instruction is executed. Accordingly, access from the receiving terminal 2 to the receiving server 6 occurs. In the case of the one-time "charge exemption" of the mail, the receiving server 6 is notified (instructed) to that effect (S28). If the user input is a stamp link instruction, the designated server is accessed with reference to the "link information" assigned to the stamp as shown in the recipient stamp DB 10b in FIG. 4B. (S30). When the display is completed by a user instruction such as "close" or "next", it is determined whether or not billing is necessary (S31). This determination can be made based on, for example, whether or not a stamp is attached. If the stamp is affixed, it is determined that billing processing is necessary, and predetermined billing processing is started (S32).
[0062]
6. Billing process
Returning to FIG. 1, the stamp accounting server 9 refers to the stamp fee and the receiver return amount in the stamp information DB 11 (FIG. 2) based on the stamp ID, and sends the sender confirmed by the sender signature to the sender. In addition to charging the stamp fee (g), the profit is returned (h) to the recipient. Any existing payment method can be used for charging (g) the stamp fee for the sender.
[0063]
More specifically, when the recipient finishes viewing the message with the stamp, necessary information is transferred to the stamp billing server 9 by the receiving server 6 or the recipient terminal 2, and billing processing is performed. The stamp accounting server 9 performs an accounting process, for example, as follows.
[0064]
First, the stamp information DB 11 is searched based on the stamp ID (e), and the stamp fee and the return amount to the receiver are determined. At this time, the charge rate (FIG. 3) is also referred to. Next, the sender is specified based on the sender signature (b), and the sender is charged. If the return amount to the receiver is not 0, the receiver is specified according to the receiver ID (f), and the process of accumulating the return amount to the receiver is performed. The profit return (h) to the receiver can be performed by giving the receiver a point corresponding to the receiver return amount. This point may be made available to the recipient for payment of various fees for goods and services.
[0065]
The timing of charging may be such that charging is performed when the recipient receives the stamped mail, not when the message has been viewed. In this specification, including both, billing is performed "when the recipient receives the stamped mail". It should be noted that the billing process may be performed at the time of attaching a stamp on the transmission server side. However, the billing process performed on the receiving side (reception server) may be performed only for the received mail with certainty. As a result, it is possible to increase the accuracy of billing. Further, processing such as exemption of one-time charging as described above becomes easy (there is no need to cancel the charging once performed).
[0066]
FIG. 10 is a diagram showing a configuration example of a reception rule DB 7b instead of the reception rule DB 7a shown in FIG. The reception rule DB 7b has items of "priority", "sender ID", "reception refusal", "stamp conditions", "charging rate", "condition unsatisfied processing", and "condition satisfied processing". The “priority”, “transmission ID”, and “billing rate” are the same as those in the reception rule DB 7a. In this example, as the "stamp conditions", "non-pasting permitted" exempting the sticking of stamps and stamp fee conditions ("20 yen or more", "50 yen or more", etc.) for specifying the lower limit of the stamp fee can be specified. I have to. The stamp fee condition is to sift mail with a stamp less than the fee (or no stamp at all). "Rejection of reception" is for setting whether or not to reject mail from the sender. The "condition unsatisfied process" is for individually designating the necessity of notification of the mail that does not satisfy the "stamp condition" and the message receiving process (receiving, holding or discarding). The “condition-satisfaction process” is for individually designating the necessity of notification of the mail satisfying the “stamp condition” and the message receiving process (reception, holding or discarding).
[0067]
FIG. 11 shows a flowchart of processing in the receiving server 6 using the receiving rule DB 7b of FIG.
[0068]
First, an ID for identifying a sender is extracted from a mail or the like received by the receiving server (S41). Next, the reception rule DB 7b is searched using the extracted sender ID as a key to find a rule to be applied to the received mail (S42). Next, it is checked whether or not the mail of the sender ID is "rejected to receive" (S43). If the reception is rejected, the process proceeds to step S50 described later, and the mail is discarded. If the reception is not rejected, it is determined whether the stamp condition is satisfied (S44). As described above, the stamp conditions may include the lower limit of the stamp fee. If the condition is not satisfied, the process proceeds to step S47, and if not, the “notification” flag is checked (S45). If the notification is necessary, an e-mail indicating "I want to send a stamp with a stamp of XX yen or more" is sent to the sender (S46), and the process proceeds to step S47. If the notification is unnecessary, the process proceeds directly to step S47.
[0069]
In step S47, the content of the message processing specified in the applicable reception rule is determined. If the message processing is "reception", the above-described reception processing is performed (S48). If "hold", the above-described holding process is performed (S49). If "discard", the above-described discard processing is performed (S50).
[0070]
Although the preferred embodiment of the present invention has been described above, various modifications and changes other than those described above are possible.
[0071]
For example, the items of the reception rule and the contents of each item are merely examples for explanation, and the present invention is not limited to the illustrated ones.
[0072]
In the stamp selection stage of the sender, only the stamp type is determined instead of the content (picture, etc.) of each stamp. However, the present invention does not exclude specifying a specific stamp in the stamp selection stage. Absent.
[0073]
Although the billing of the stamp to the sender is performed in the mail receiving stage, the present invention does not exclude the billing in the sending stage.
[0074]
Although only the stamp fee other than 0 is shown, a stamp with a fee of 0 may exist. However, it is desirable that the sender of the advertisement mail should not use a stamp whose stamp fee is 0. For this purpose, for example, a stamp with a fee of 0 is made available only to an individual and cannot be used by a company, an organization or an organization. Alternatively, the number of simultaneously transmitted e-mails with stamps with zero fee may be limited to a very small number (for example, one or several).
[0075]
Although the reception rule DB has been described as being different for each recipient, there may be a system that uses only a reception rule common to all recipients as the simplest configuration. In this case, there is no reception rule for each recipient, and the recipient does not update the reception rule.
[0076]
Although the recipient stamp DB has been described as being provided individually in the recipient terminal, the recipient server 6 may be provided with a recipient stamp DB for each recipient. In this case, the user needs access to the receiving server 6 when confirming the stamp owned by the user, but the stamp ID is transmitted when the stamped mail is transmitted from the receiving server 6 to the recipient terminal 2. There is no need. Further, there is no need to have the stamp actual data in the recipient stamp DB itself.
[0077]
If the recipient terminal is a mobile phone and the stamp data is an image, the stamp data may be made available as so-called standby screen data.
[0078]
【The invention's effect】
According to the present invention, the following various remarkable effects can be obtained by applying the concept of an existing paper-based stamp in the form of electronic data to an electronic mail that does not require a stamp or the like.
(1) By checking stamp conditions such as whether or not a stamp is attached to the mail, it is possible to exclude mail that does not satisfy the conditions and prevent the recipient from receiving unsolicited mail.
(2) By charging a stamp, an advertisement fee can be collected from a company who wants to place an advertisement using e-mail. Further, the reliability of the mail with the stamp can be improved.
(3) By returning a part of the stamp fee to the recipient of the mail with the paid stamp, the incentive to receive the advertisement mail or the like can be increased.
(4) By charging the stamp when the user receives the mail with the stamp, it is possible to confirm whether the advertisement mail has reached the partner without fail. As a result, it is possible to accurately estimate the number of advertisements actually seen and then charge the advertisement fee to a company.
(5) Exemption of stamps and exemption / reduction of billing can be performed for specific senders by setting reception rules.
(6) By setting the reception rule by an operation from the communication terminal, it is easy to eliminate unsolicited e-mail while not charging for e-mail from a specific sender.
(7) By providing the stamp with link information, the stamp itself can have an advertising function.
(8) By introducing a "stamp" accompanied by an image, a sound, and the like for exchanging mails consisting only of characters, the enjoyment of the user can be increased. In particular, if the server uses a stamp selected from among many stamps including an element of contingency, a "rare stamp" is generated, and the enjoyment of the stamp collection can be provided.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a schematic configuration of an electronic mail system according to an embodiment of the present invention.
FIGS. 2A and 2B are diagrams showing specific configuration examples (a) and (b) of a stamp information DB 11 in the system of FIG.
FIG. 3 is a diagram showing a configuration example of a reception rule DB 7 in the system of FIG. 1;
FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a recipient stamp DB 10a (a) and a stamp DB 10b (b) having different configurations in the system of FIG.
FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing a process in a receiving server 6 in the system of FIG.
FIG. 6 is a diagram showing a display example of a mail list displayed on the receiving terminal 2 in the system of FIG. 1;
FIGS. 7A and 7B are diagrams illustrating menu examples (a) and (b) for updating a reception rule by a receiver's operation in the system of FIG. 1;
8 is a diagram showing a display example of a message including a stamp at the receiving terminal of the system of FIG. 1;
9 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a processing flow in a message display state in the receiving terminal of the system of FIG. 1;
FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating a configuration example of a reception rule DB 7b in place of the reception rule DB 7a illustrated in FIG.
FIG. 11 is a flowchart showing a process in the receiving server 6 using the receiving rule DB 7b of FIG.
[Explanation of symbols]
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Sender terminal (communication terminal device), 2 ... Receiver terminal (communication terminal device), 3 ... Stamp selection server, 4 ... Stamp pasting server, 5 ... Sender exclusion list, 6 ... Receiving server, 7 ... Receiving rule DB, 8: Certificate Authority, 9: Stamp Billing Server, 10: Recipient Stamp DB, 11: Stamp Information DB

Claims (32)

An email system for sending and receiving email between a sender and a recipient via a communication network,
A sending server that adds stamp data to the sent mail from the sender and sends it to the recipient;
A receiving server that receives the transmitted mail, determines and controls whether or not to allow the recipient to receive the mail based on a predetermined reception rule related to a stamp. And e-mail system. A reception rule database storing the reception rule for each recipient,
2. The electronic mail system according to claim 1, wherein the receiving server performs the determination and the control on the mail based on a reception rule of a recipient of the transmitted mail in the reception rule database. The reception rule determines whether or not to discard at least the mail for each sender of the mail, and the receiving server discards the mail in accordance with a reception rule defined for the sender of the received mail. 3. The e-mail system according to claim 2, wherein it is determined whether the e-mail is valid or not. A stamp selection server that provides selectable stamp types to the sender of the mail,
A stamp information database storing a plurality of stamp data,
The electronic mail system according to claim 1, wherein the receiving server selects a stamp belonging to a stamp type selected by a sender as a stamp to be attached to the mail from the stamp information database. 3. The e-mail system according to claim 2, wherein the reception rule of the recipient is updated in the reception rule database by access from the recipient. 5. The electronic mail according to claim 4, wherein the stamp is charged, and further includes a charging server that performs a charging process for the fee of the stamp based on a sender ID of the stamped mail. system. 7. The electronic mail system according to claim 6, wherein the accounting process is performed when the recipient receives the stamped mail. 7. The electronic mail according to claim 6, wherein the billing server includes means for returning a part of the fee of the stamp to a recipient of the stamped mail based on a recipient ID of the stamped mail. system. 7. The method according to claim 6, wherein the stamp information database stores the fee data together with the stamp data for each stamp, and the billing server performs the billing process with reference to the stamp information database. Email system. 10. The stamp information database further stores a receiver return amount for each stamp, and the charging server refers to the stamp information database to perform return to the receiver. E-mail system. 11. The e-mail system according to claim 10, further comprising means for exempting the receiver from the whole or a part of the return amount to the receiver. The electronic mail system according to claim 9, wherein the stamp data includes link information to a specific site on a communication network. 7. The e-mail system according to claim 6, further comprising: a sender terminal for adding a sender's electronic signature to the transmitted mail; and a certificate authority for issuing a certificate for verifying the validity of the electronic signature. The apparatus further comprises a sender exclusion list capable of registering a sender ID, wherein the transmission server suppresses transmission of mail from a sender registered in the sender exclusion list to the reception server. The electronic mail system according to claim 1. The electronic mail system according to claim 1, wherein the terminal receiving the stamped mail displays (or reproduces) the stamp data when the mail is displayed. The electronic mail system according to claim 15, wherein the terminal that has received the stamped mail includes a recipient stamp database for storing the received stamp data. The recipient stamp database stores the number of stamps stored together with each stamp data, and increases the number of stamps stored when stamp data is received, and decreases the number of stamps stored when stamp data is transferred. The electronic mail system according to claim 16, wherein An email system for sending and receiving email between a sender and a recipient via a communication network,
A stamp selection server that provides selectable stamp types to the sender of the mail,
A stamp information database storing a plurality of stamp data,
A sending server that sends stamp data belonging to the stamp type selected by the sender, selected from the stamp information database, attached to the mail, and sent to the recipient;
A receiving server that receives the transmitted mail and causes the recipient to receive the mail together with the stamp data;
An e-mail system, wherein the terminal receiving the stamped mail displays (or reproduces) the stamp data when the mail is displayed. 19. The electronic mail according to claim 18, wherein the stamp is charged, and further comprising a billing server for billing the sender for the fee of the stamp based on the sender ID of the stamped mail. system. 19. The electronic mail system according to claim 18, wherein the terminal receiving the stamped mail includes a recipient stamp database for storing the received stamp data. The recipient stamp database stores the number of stamps stored together with each stamp data, and increases the number of stamps stored when stamp data is received, and decreases the number of stamps stored when stamp data is transferred. The electronic mail system according to claim 20, wherein: A receiving server that provides an e-mail transmitted from a sender to a recipient via a communication network,
A reception rule database storing the reception rule for each recipient,
Control means for receiving the transmitted mail, determining and controlling whether or not to allow the recipient to receive the mail based on a predetermined reception rule in relation to a stamp attached to the mail; and With
A receiving server, wherein the control means performs the determination and control for the mail based on a reception rule database of a receiver of the mail transmitted from the sender. 23. The reception server according to claim 22, wherein the reception rule of the recipient is updated in the reception rule database by access from the recipient. The stamp is charged, and the control means instructs an external accounting server to charge the sender for the fee of the stamp based on the sender ID of the stamped mail. The receiving server according to claim 22, characterized in that: 25. The receiving server according to claim 24, wherein the instruction of the billing process is issued when the receiver receives the stamped mail. A transmission server for transmitting mail passed from a sender to a recipient via a communication network,
A stamp information database storing a plurality of stamp data,
Means for attaching the stamp data selected from the stamp information database to the mail passed from the sender,
Means for sending the mail with the stamp data attached to the recipient,
A transmission server comprising: The apparatus further comprises means for receiving stamp type information from the sender together with the mail to be transmitted, and selecting a stamp belonging to this stamp type from the stamp information database as a stamp to be attached to the mail. The transmission server according to claim 26, wherein: 27. The apparatus according to claim 26, further comprising a sender exclusion list capable of registering a sender ID, wherein the transmitting unit suppresses transmission of an email from a sender registered in the sender exclusion list. The sending server described. In a communication terminal device for sending and receiving e-mail via a communication network,
Means for adding a stamp or stamp identification information for identifying a stamp type to a mail to be transmitted, and transmitting the mail;
Means for displaying the mail with the stamp on the display screen when the mail with the stamp is received;
Means for displaying (or reproducing) the stamp data together with the display of the mail;
A communication terminal device comprising: A means for updating the reception rule for a reception server that determines and controls whether to allow the recipient to receive the mail based on a reception rule predetermined in relation to the stamp. 30. The communication terminal device according to claim 29, wherein: 30. The communication terminal device according to claim 29, further comprising a recipient stamp database for storing the stamp data attached to the received mail. The recipient stamp database stores the number of stamps stored together with each stamp data, and increases the number of stamps stored when stamp data is received, and decreases the number of stamps stored when stamp data is transferred. The communication terminal device according to claim 31, wherein:

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