JP2004234517A - Electronic mail device, address providing device for providing address to the electronic mail device, and system including them - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an electric mail device easy to operate by facilitating the registration of an e-mail address to minimize the operation of a keyboard generated according formation of an e-mail. <P>SOLUTION: A first user reports information related to a second user to an address providing device 200 by use of a first telephone 20. The address providing device 200 reports an e-mail address to the second user by use of a second telephone 22. The address providing device 200 transmits an e-mail including the e-mail address reported to the second user to a first e-mail device 100. The first e-mail device 100 extracts the e-mail address from this mail, and stores in an address book 122. Accordingly, even if the first user does not register the e-mail address of the second user in the address book 122 himself/herself, the e-mail address of the second user can be registered in the address book 122. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2004,JPO&NCIPI

Description

[0001]
TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to an e-mail technology, and particularly to an e-mail address registration technology.
[0002]
[Prior art]
In recent years, the number of users who use e-mail has been reduced due to the lower prices of personal computers and mobile phones (hereinafter simply referred to as "terminal devices"), the development of network technology using these devices, and the enhancement of the infrastructure of the network environment. Are increasing rapidly. In general, electronic mail does not require human intervention like mail, so that messages can be transmitted and received in a short time. Further, since the e-mail is stored in the mail server or the user's terminal device, the sender can transmit the message at his own convenience, and the receiver can refer to the message at his own convenience. Further, the e-mail can be attached with any file such as a still image, a moving image, a data file created by a predetermined application, and a program. As described above, e-mail has characteristics different from communication tools such as telephone, mail, and facsimile, and thus is widely used not only in business situations but also in private. As a technique using such an e-mail, there is one that automatically registers a homepage address described in the body of the e-mail (Patent Document 1).
[0003]
[Patent Document 1]
Japanese Patent No. 3009983 [0004]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
The communication speed in the network increases with the progress of infrastructure development, and communication of several hundred Mbps using optical fibers will be possible in the future. In addition, since the development of data compression technology can also be expected, it is expected that video mail will become popular. The video mail is for transmitting an electronic mail with moving image data attached to a predetermined address, and the user may speak a message to the camera. As a result, for example, a user who is not good at inputting a sentence using a keyboard, or a user who has a hand or arm disorder, can easily send a message. However, in order to newly transmit a video mail, it is necessary to input an e-mail address of a transmission destination, and this operation requires a keyboard operation.
[0005]
The present inventor has focused on such points and made the present invention, and its purpose is to facilitate the registration of an e-mail address, to minimize the keyboard operation that occurs with the creation of an e-mail, An object of the present invention is to provide an e-mail device that is easy to operate.
[0006]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
One embodiment of the present invention relates to an electronic mail device that transmits and receives electronic mail. The apparatus includes a receiving unit that receives an e-mail, an analyzing unit that extracts an e-mail address included in the received e-mail, a determining unit that determines whether the e-mail is transmitted from a predetermined organization, A registration unit that registers the extracted e-mail address in an address book when the e-mail address is transmitted from a predetermined institution. Thus, the e-mail address is automatically registered without the user's operation.
[0007]
The determination unit is configured to perform a first determination based on a source address of the email and a second determination performed based on whether the email address is included in the email according to a predetermined format. A determination may be made. Thereby, the determination unit can register the e-mail address based on the e-mail provided from the predetermined organization. The determination unit may make the second determination based on the email address added as an attached file to the email.
[0008]
Another aspect of the present invention is an apparatus for providing an e-mail address. The apparatus includes a receiving unit that receives, from a first user, information specifying a second user as second user information, a second user based on the second user information, and an e-mail address from the second user. An accepting unit is provided, and a transmitting unit that sends the acquired e-mail address to the first user is provided. Thereby, the first user can obtain the e-mail address of the second user.
[0009]
The obtaining unit informs the second user that the first user requests the e-mail address of the second user, and determines whether the second user intends to notify the first user of the e-mail address. You may check. This can prevent the first user from being notified of the email address of the second user without the permission of the second user.
[0010]
The receiving unit may receive the second user information by voice. This allows the first user to obtain the first user's e-mail address without operating the keyboard.
[0011]
The second user information includes a name and a telephone number of the second user, and the obtaining unit may call a telephone specified by the telephone number and accept an e-mail address from the second user. This allows the device to identify the second user.
[0012]
Yet another embodiment of the present invention is a system for registering an e-mail address. The system includes an e-mail device of a first user, and an address providing device for providing the e-mail device with an e-mail address of a second user requested by the first user, wherein the address providing device is configured to receive an e-mail from the first user. A first user requests an e-mail address of a second user from a receiving unit that receives information specifying a second user as second user information, and a second user specified by the second user information And a transmitting unit for transmitting an e-mail including the obtained e-mail address to the first user, the e-mail device comprising: And an extraction unit for extracting an email address written in the received email other than the source address of the email. , And a registration unit for registering the extracted e-mail address in the address book. Thus, the first user does not need to register the e-mail address of the second user in the address book.
[0013]
It is to be noted that any combination of the above-described components and any conversion of the expression of the present invention between an apparatus, a method, a system, and a computer program are also effective as embodiments of the present invention.
[0014]
BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION
<First embodiment>
FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram of an address registration system 300 according to the first embodiment. The first user device group 14 includes a first telephone 20 and a first e-mail device 100, and is owned by the first user. The second user device group 16 includes a second telephone 22 and a second e-mail device 24, and is owned by the second user. In this embodiment, it is assumed that the first user requests the e-mail address of the second user. The address providing device 200 investigates the e-mail address of the second user according to the request of the first user and provides the e-mail address to the first user. The address providing device 200 is connected to the first electronic mail device 100 and the second electronic mail device 24 via the network 12.
[0015]
The first user transmits the name and the telephone number of the second user by voice to the address providing device 200 using the first telephone 20 (S10). The act of the first user requesting the provision of the e-mail address of the second user is hereinafter referred to as an "address provision request". The address providing device 200 calls the second telephone set 22 specified by the telephone number, informs the second user that the first user wants an e-mail address, and sends a reply to the second user to the second user. (S12). In step 10, if the telephone number of the second user is not known, the first user may inform the address providing device 200 of the name and address of the second user. In this case, the address providing device 200 searches for the telephone number of the second user based on the address. If the telephone number of the second user cannot be specified from the address, in step 12, the address providing device 200 prints a message on a round-trip postcard or the like, and inquires the second user by mail. When the second user refuses to transmit the e-mail address to the first user, the address providing device 200 informs the first user of that fact. If the second user approves the transmission of the e-mail address to the first user, the address providing device 200 accepts the e-mail address of the second user.
[0016]
Then, the address providing device 200 sends an e-mail with the registration form attached to the e-mail address received from the second user for confirmation (S14). If the e-mail address is correct, the second user can refer to the e-mail for confirmation on the second e-mail device 24. If the e-mail address is incorrect, an e-mail notifying that the e-mail address is incorrect (hereinafter simply referred to as “error mail”) is sent to the address providing apparatus 200. That is, the address providing apparatus 200 can determine whether the e-mail address is correct based on the presence or absence of the error mail. As described above, after confirming that the e-mail address is correct, the address providing apparatus 200 generates a file including the second user's name and the e-mail address in a predetermined format (hereinafter, simply referred to as “address file”). Then, the address providing device 200 transmits an electronic mail (hereinafter, simply referred to as “registered mail”) to the first user with an address file attached (S16).
[0017]
The first electronic mail device 100 receives the registration mail and reads the attached address file. Then, the name and the e-mail address of the second user included in the address file are registered in the address book 122 in association with each other. As described above, when the first user requests the address providing apparatus 200 for the e-mail address of the second user by voice, the e-mail address of the second user is automatically registered in the address book 122. This eliminates the need for the first user to input the second user's e-mail address using a manual input device such as a keyboard or mouse.
[0018]
FIG. 2 is an internal configuration diagram of the address providing device 200 of FIG. Each component of the address providing apparatus 200 is mainly composed of a CPU of an arbitrary computer, a memory, a program for realizing the components of the drawing loaded in the memory, a storage unit such as a hard disk storing the program, and a network connection interface. It will be understood by those skilled in the art that the present invention is realized by an arbitrary combination of hardware and software, but there are various modifications in the method and apparatus for realizing it. Each drawing described below shows a block of a functional unit, not a configuration of a hardware unit.
[0019]
The accepting unit 202 accepts a call from the first user, and responds to the first user in a conversation format using, for example, voiceXML (extensible Markup Language) technology, CTI (Computer Telephony Integration) technology, or the like. When the reception is started, the reception unit 202 requests the authentication unit 230 to authenticate the caller. The authentication unit 230 authenticates the first user who has called the reception unit 202 based on the data held in the user information database 228. The user information database 228 includes an e-mail address of the first user (hereinafter, simply referred to as “first user address”), user identification information (hereinafter, simply referred to as “user ID”), a password, a telephone number of the first telephone 20, The address of the first user is stored. The authentication unit 230 performs authentication using, for example, a user ID and a password stored in the user information database 228. In another example, authentication may be performed using a voiceprint or the like. By this authentication, the first user who is the caller can be specified. If the authentication is successful, information about the second user such as the second user's name, telephone number, and address (hereinafter, simply referred to as “second user information”) is received in a conversational manner. The storage processing unit 204 stores the second user information received by the receiving unit 202 in the request content database 206 in association with the user ID of the first user.
[0020]
The request content database 206 stores, for example, in addition to the user ID of the first user, the second user information, a reception date and time when the address provision request is received from the first user, and an acquisition unit 208 described below inquiring the second user about the address. It holds the inquiry date and time, which is the date and time of the inquiry, the number of inquiries to the second user, the answer content of the second user, the presence or absence of notification of the answer content to the first user, and the like.
[0021]
The acquisition unit 208 calls the second telephone set 22, informs the user that the first user has requested the second user's e-mail address in a conversational manner similar to the reception unit 202, and provides the e-mail address. Inquires about availability. When the second user refuses to provide the e-mail address, the acquisition unit 208 calls the first telephone 20 and notifies the first user of the call. When the second user permits the provision of the e-mail address, the acquisition unit 208 receives the e-mail address from the second user and stores the e-mail address in the personal information database 220. The acquisition unit 208 writes the answer content of the second user and information on whether the answer content has been notified to the first user in the request content database 206.
[0022]
In some cases, such as when the second user is away from home, no answer can be obtained from the second user. In such a case, the acquisition unit 208 may notify the first user of this fact using the first telephone 20, or may call the second telephone 22 of the second user again at a preset time interval. You may. The acquisition unit 208 writes the number of inquiries made to the second user in the request content database 206. The acquisition unit 208 uses the number of inquiries to notify the first user that no answer has been obtained from the second user when the number of inquiries has reached a predetermined number, and perform an inquiry process for the second user. You may stop it.
[0023]
The confirmation unit 210 is a unit for confirming that the e-mail address obtained from the second user is correct. In the present embodiment, the confirmation unit 210 is a unit for confirming that the e-mail address is correct by transmitting a predetermined registration form to the acquired e-mail address. The confirmation unit 210 includes a registration form generation unit 212 that generates a registration form, a registration form transmission unit 214 that transmits the generated registration form to the second electronic mail device 24, and a response to the registration form to the second electronic mail device 24. And a registration unit 216 for storing the personal information of the second user included in the answer in the personal information database 220. When receiving the error mail, the receiving unit 218 instructs the second user to inquire about the e-mail address again.
[0024]
FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating an example of the registration form 50 generated by the registration form generation unit 212 in FIG. The registration form 50 has at least a name input field 52 and an e-mail address input field 54. Further, the registration form 50 has a related information input field 56 for inputting related information such as the address of the second user, the postal code of the address, the telephone number, the date of birth, the occupation, and the family.
[0025]
Returning to FIG. 2, the address file generation unit 224 reads the electronic mail address and name of the second user from the personal information of the second user stored in the personal information database 220, and generates an address file. The address file generation unit 224 may generate an address file by encrypting the name and the e-mail address of the second user, or may generate a binary file containing the name and the e-mail address of the second user in a unique data structure. May be generated. This can prevent the address book 122 in FIG. 1 from being intentionally rewritten by a third party. Although the details will be described later, the e-mail device 100 of FIG. 1 confirms that the e-mail is an e-mail sent from the address providing device 200, and stores the e-mail address of the second user included in the e-mail in the address book 122. Register with. The address file generation unit 224 generates an address file so that this confirmation can be made. The address file generation unit 224 may generate the address file, for example, when the obtaining unit 208 obtains the e-mail address of the second user, or when the personal information is newly stored in the personal information database 220. May be generated as an opportunity.
[0026]
The registration mail generation unit 225 generates a registration mail by attaching an address file to the electronic mail. The registration e-mail generation unit 225 additionally registers in the text of the registration e-mail that the second user has permitted to notify the first user of the e-mail address, and additionally registers the e-mail address of the second user in the address book 122. Write a sentence that tells you. Then, the registered mail generation unit 225 reads the e-mail address of the first user from the user information database 228 and sets it as the destination of the registered mail. The registration mail transmission unit 226 transmits the registration mail to the e-mail device 100 of the first user.
[0027]
In some cases, the personal information of the second user requested by the first user is already held in the address providing device 200. In this case, it is inefficient to ask the second user for personal information again. Therefore, a search unit 222 is provided for searching the user information database 228 or the personal information database 220 for the email address of the second user specified by the acquisition unit 208. If the e-mail address of the second user has already been stored in the user information database 228 or the personal information database 220, the search unit 222 notifies the acquisition unit 208 of it. Based on the notification, the acquiring unit 208 makes the second user confirm whether to notify the first user of the e-mail address, for example. By doing so, the burden on the second user can be reduced.
[0028]
FIG. 4 is an internal configuration diagram of the first electronic mail device 100 of FIG. The electronic mail receiving unit 102 receives an electronic mail from the network 12. The separating unit 104 separates a text part and an attached file part included in the electronic mail. Separation section 104 stores the separated text portion in text storage section 106. The separating unit 104 supplies the separated attached file part to the analyzing unit 130. The text display processing unit 108 reads the text from the text storage unit 106 based on the instruction of the text display instruction unit 110, and displays the text on the display unit 112.
[0029]
The analysis unit 130 determines whether the attached file supplied from the separation unit 104 is an address file. When the attached file is not an address file, that is, when the attached file is a moving image, a still image, a sound, a file of a predetermined application, or the like, the determination unit 132 stores the file in the attached file storage unit 120. The attached file playback processing unit 116 reads the attached file from the attached file storage unit 120 based on the instruction of the attached file playback instruction unit 114, and performs a playback process according to the type of the attached file. The attached file playback processing unit 116 displays the video generated by the playback processing on the display unit 112, and plays back the sound from the speaker 118.
[0030]
The determination unit 134 determines whether or not the address file is formally transmitted from the address providing device 200 of FIG. 1 operated by a predetermined organization or institution. The determination unit 134 confirms that the source address of the e-mail is the e-mail address of the address providing organization as a first determination, and that the data format of the address file is in a predetermined format as a second determination. Make sure that By performing the two determinations in this way, it is possible to prevent a third party from intentionally registering the contents of the address file. That is, for example, forgery of the source address can be easily performed by the first determination alone, which is insufficient in security. Therefore, the determination unit 134 also performs the second determination. In the case of a formal address file from the address providing device 200, the determination unit 134 supplies it to the registration unit 124. The registration unit 124 includes a decryption unit 126 that decrypts the encrypted address file, and an addition unit 128 that registers the decrypted second user's e-mail address in the address book 122. By including the step of further decoding the address file, security is further enhanced. With such an e-mail device 100, the e-mail address of the second user included in the address file can be registered in the address book without the first user manually inputting the e-mail address.
[0031]
The electronic mail creation unit 136 creates a message of the first user as, for example, a video mail. The first user selects the second user's e-mail address from the address book 122 and sets it as the destination of the video mail. Then, electronic mail transmitting section 138 transmits the electronic mail to network 12. Such a first electronic mail device 100 may be built in, for example, a television or a set-top box. Thereby, the user can easily use the video mail. In addition, a communication device that can be easily handled by elderly and unhealthy persons can be provided.
[0032]
FIG. 5 is a diagram showing a sequence among the respective devices in the first telephone 20, the first e-mail device 100, the address providing device 200, the second telephone 22, and the second e-mail device 24 in FIG. The first user uses the first telephone 20 to request the provision of the e-mail address of the second user from the address providing device 200 (S50). The address providing device 200 transmits the notification to the second user using the second telephone 22 (S52). The second user transmits a response to the request to the address providing device 200 (S54). Then, the address providing device 200 determines whether the provision of the e-mail address has been rejected by the second user (S56). When rejected (Y in S56), the address providing device 200 notifies the first user of the rejection (S68).
[0033]
If the first user has not rejected the request in S56 (N in S56), the address providing device 200 accepts the e-mail address from the second user and sends the registration form to the e-mail address, that is, the second e-mail device 24. (S58). The second electronic mail device 24 displays the registration form and accepts input of personal information from the second user. Then, the second electronic mail device 24 transmits the personal information of the second user according to the registration form to the address providing device 200 (S60). The address providing device 200 stores the personal information (S61). Thereafter, the address providing device 200 generates an address file including the e-mail address received from the second user (S62). Next, the address providing device 200 generates a registration mail to which the address file is attached (S63).
[0034]
Then, the address providing device 200 transmits the registration mail to the first electronic mail device 100 (S64). The first e-mail device 100 separates the address file from the registered mail, and registers the e-mail address included in the address file in the address book 122 (S66).
[0035]
<Second embodiment>
FIG. 6 is a configuration diagram of an address registration system 10 according to the second embodiment. In this embodiment, an operator responds to a first user and a second user. The registered mail providing device 30 has substantially the same configuration as the address providing device 200 of FIG. The configuration denoted by the same reference numeral as that already described has the same function and operation as the configuration denoted by the same reference numeral already described. The receiving unit 202 in the registered mail providing device 30 receives a request of the first user from the operator. The acquisition unit 208 accepts the intention of the second user from the operator. As described above, the contact between the first user and the second user is performed by the operator, so that it is possible to flexibly respond to each user's request.
[0036]
The present invention has been described based on the embodiments. It should be understood by those skilled in the art that the embodiments are exemplifications, and that various modifications can be made to the combination of each component and each processing process, and that such modifications are also within the scope of the present invention. .
[0037]
【The invention's effect】
According to the present invention, registration of an e-mail address can be facilitated. It is possible to minimize the number of keyboard operations that occur when creating an e-mail.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram of an address registration system according to a first embodiment.
FIG. 2 is an internal configuration diagram of the address providing device of FIG. 1;
FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating an example of a registration form generated by a registration form generation unit in FIG. 2;
FIG. 4 is an internal configuration diagram of the electronic mail device of FIG. 1;
FIG. 5 is a diagram showing an example of a sequence between devices in the address registration system of FIG. 1;
FIG. 6 is a configuration diagram of an address registration system according to a second embodiment.
[Explanation of symbols]
10 address registration system, 100 first e-mail device, 102 e-mail receiving unit, 104 separation unit, 106 text storage unit, 108 text display processing unit, 110 text display instruction unit, 112 display unit, 114 attached file playback instruction unit, 116 attached file playback processing unit, 118 speaker, 120 attached file storage unit, 122 address book, 126 decryption unit, 128 addition unit, 130 analysis unit, 200 address providing device, 202 reception unit, 204 storage processing unit, 206 request content database , 208 acquisition unit, 210 confirmation unit, 212 registration form generation unit, 214 registration form transmission unit, 216 registration unit, 218 reception unit, 220 personal information database, 222 search unit, 224 address file generation unit, 226 registration mail transmission unit, 300 address registration system.

Claims (9)

A receiving unit for receiving an e-mail,
An analysis unit that extracts an email address included in the received email;
A determination unit that determines whether the email is transmitted from a predetermined organization,
A registration unit that registers the extracted e-mail address in an address book when transmitted from the predetermined institution;
An e-mail device comprising: The determination unit performs a first determination based on a source address of the email, and a second determination performed based on whether the email address is included in the email according to a predetermined format. The e-mail device according to claim 1, wherein the determination is made based on the following. The e-mail device according to claim 2, wherein the judgment unit makes the second judgment based on the e-mail address added as an attached file to the e-mail. A receiving unit that receives information specifying the second user from the first user as second user information;
An acquisition unit that identifies the second user based on the second user information and receives an email address from the second user;
A transmitting unit that transmits the obtained e-mail address to the first user;
An address providing device comprising: The acquiring unit informs the second user that the first user requests the e-mail address of the second user, and the second user intends to notify the first user of the e-mail address. 5. The address providing device according to claim 4, wherein it is determined whether or not there is an address. The address providing device according to claim 4, wherein the receiving unit receives the second user information by voice. The second user information includes a name and a telephone number of the second user, and the obtaining unit calls a telephone specified by the telephone number, and receives the e-mail address from the second user. 7. The address providing device according to claim 4, wherein 8. The address providing device according to claim 4, further comprising a generating unit configured to generate an electronic mail including the obtained electronic mail address according to a predetermined format, wherein the transmitting unit transmits the electronic mail. apparatus. An electronic mail device of a first user, and an address providing device for providing an electronic mail address of a second user requested by the first user to the electronic mail device,
The address providing device,
A receiving unit that receives information specifying the second user from the first user as second user information;
Notifying the second user specified by the second user information that the first user has requested the e-mail address of the second user, and transmitting the e-mail address from the second user An acquisition unit that accepts
A transmission unit that transmits an e-mail including the obtained e-mail address to the first user;
Has,
The electronic mail device,
A receiving unit that receives the email,
An extracting unit for extracting the email address included in the received email,
A registration unit for registering the extracted email address in an address book;
Address registration system characterized by having.

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