JPH04142841A - Electronic mail system - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To relieve the load of a host computer by displaying confidential distribution and entering a password registered for each recipient name so as to read a relevant document from a storage medium and to print it out. CONSTITUTION:A host computer 1 sends confidential distribution to a terminal equipment immediately. The terminal equipment consists of a confidential text arrival notice LED 6, a confidential document table 11, and a reference table 12 between a recipient name registered in advance and a password and registers the recipient name corresponding to the document, displays the arrival of a confidential distribution, and reads a relevant document from a storage medium 7 by entering the password and prints it out. Thus, the load of the host computer 1 is relieved.

Description

[Detailed description of the invention] (Industrial application field) The present invention relates to an e-mail system.

(Prior art) Conventionally, multiple communication terminals are connected to a host computer (
Connected via four lines, it is possible to send documents input from a communication terminal (hereinafter simply referred to as a "terminal") to another terminal via the host computer, and to retrieve documents stored in the host computer from the terminal. A message handling system (MIIS) is known.

In MB2, Con I Roll Document 1-(1 C)
By sending and receiving between the host computer and terminal,
Realize various functions 3J7. are doing.

For example, in confidential delivery, a document sent from a terminal is stored in the host computer (1311), and a confidential arrival notification is sent to the destination terminal via CI). The destination terminal notifies the operator by means of a display or the like using C1 of the confidential arrival notification, and the document in the host I/computer is retrieved by the operator's operation.

In addition, bulletin board services allow terminals to specify documents stored on host computers using codes.
The host computer searches for a document that matches the code and delivers it to the terminal.

(Problem to be solved by the invention) However, in the conventional services that are connected to each other,
In either case, there is a drawback that a large load is placed on the host computer.

For example, in confidential delivery, a confidential document must be stored in the host computer until it is retrieved, and in the J'F6 display service, when a withdrawal request is made from a terminal, the document is read from the host computer's memory. I had to send it. Furthermore, in the latter case, a dedicated line or IS1N must be used each time a document is sent, which has the disadvantage of making it impossible to communicate across the network and increasing costs.

The present invention has been made to solve the above-mentioned problems, and its primary purpose is to provide an e-mail system that can reduce the load on a host computer.

(Means for Solving the Problems) In order to achieve the above object, the first invention of the present invention provides a host computer, a terminal device having a storage medium capable of storing a plurality of documents, In an e-mail system consisting of a network extending between the host computer and the terminal trr, the host computer immediately sends the confidential delivery to the terminal; control document has a means for registering the recipient name corresponding to the document, a means for displaying that a confidential delivery has been made, and a means for registering a password for each recipient name in advance, and the password can be manually entered. The corresponding document is read from the storage medium and printed.

Further, a second invention provides an e-mail system comprising a terminal 1'Y, a host computer, and a network between the terminal group and the host computer,
The terminal includes a specifying means for specifying a document of a host computer, a medium for storing documents received through a withdrawal service from the host computer in association with a code specified by the nij-notation specifying means; The apparatus includes means for determining whether or not the code specified by the document specifying means already exists in the medium, and means for printing out the document on the medium.

Furthermore, a third invention is an e-mail system comprising a terminal group, a host computer, and a network between the terminal group and the host computer, wherein the host computer receives documents from the terminal. When there is a withdrawal request, the terminal has means for notifying the terminal of a predetermined storage expiration date in the host computer for the document to be distributed, and the terminal A medium for storing retrieved documents in association with a storage expiration date, and a time d
1 is provided with means for determining the expiration date of storage in the host computer and deleting documents stored in the terminal.

(Operation) In the first aspect of the present invention, the host computer immediately sends the confidential delivery to the terminal, and the terminal sends the recipient name of the confidential delivery control document to the text.
Register accordingly, display that there was a confidential delivery, register a password for each recipient name in advance, enter the password, read the corresponding text () from the storage medium, and print it. The disk device of the computer can be used effectively, and the load on the host computer can be reduced.

Further, in the second invention, the terminal specifies the document in the host computer by the specifying means, and transfers the document received through the withdrawal service from the host computer to tiij3.
T! It is stored in association with the code specified by the specifying means, and it is determined whether the code specified by the 01J specification means already exists in the medium, and the document on the medium is printed out.

As a result, when retrieving the same document as one that has already been retrieved, it is possible to print out the document stored in the terminal, eliminating unnecessary communication and reducing the load on the host computer.

Furthermore, in the third invention, the host computer:
When a document retrieval request is received from a terminal, a predetermined value 1 for the document to be delivered and an expiration date for storage in the host computer are notified to the terminal, and the terminal receives the notification from the host computer. The retrieved document is stored in association with the storage validity period 1 and 1 on the host computer, and time d1 is set to determine the storage expiration date on the host computer and the document stored on the terminal is deleted. . As a result, the load on the host computer can be reduced, and the area of the document storage medium of the terminal can be saved.

(Embodiment) FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an embodiment of an e-mail system according to the present invention, in which 1 is a host computer, 2 is a disk device (IISK) for storing documents, and 3 is a network. Gin 4 and later are the components of the terminal.

4 is a network control unit (NCU), 5 is an operation panel, 6 is a confidential arrival notification L E I), F is a disk device (1) ISK used for document storage in a terminal, 8 is a printer,
9 is Ima○M, 10 is 2 terminals (one component 4 to 9)
A microprocessor (CPU) that controls the Further, 11 and 12 are tables to be described later.

FIG. 2 is a table diagram showing the confidential document table 11 created at the time of reception, and is composed of the reception serial number, the recipient's name on the distribution CD, and the sender's name.

The reception serial number is also the serial number for the document, and corresponds to l to l.

FIG. 3 is a table diagram showing a correspondence table 12 between recipient names and passwords registered in advance. A line with only a password without a recipient name is a password common to all terminals, and is especially used to withdraw confidential transmissions without specifying a recipient.

FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing the operation at the time of reception. Received C
1), 18: Sensitivity (SIENSI'l'lVI'l'Y): x
It is determined whether the document is confidential based on the Lzmen1-(1) value (step S2), and if it is not confidential, normal document output is performed (step S3). If it is confidential, create the confidential document table 11 as shown in Figure 2 (Step S/I), turn on the confidential arrival notification LED 6 (Step S5), and store the document on the disk 7 (Step S6). .

FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing the operation when printing a confidential document. Enter the password (step 811), and if the recipient is an individual recipient, further enter the recipient's name (steps 312, 31).
3). When the input is completed, the confidential document table 11 is searched to see if there is a matching document (step 514).
). If there is no password, or if the password is specified incorrectly, an error message is displayed (step SI5, 316).
)J If they match, the corresponding document is read from the disk 7 and printed out by the printer 8 (step 5I7).

” The confidential message 11 (table 11 and the correspondence table 12 of recipient name and password shown in Example 1) may be realized in 1 A personal computer, teletex, etc. may be used.

FIG. 6 is a table diagram for explaining the operation of the second embodiment of the e-mail system according to the present invention, and 21 indicates 1) the document code used for drawing out the display board and the information about the documents that have been pulled out and stored. This is a correspondence table between the addresses of disk-1 and

FIG. 7 is a block diagram of this embodiment, and 22 indicates I'? ,
In addition to creating the correspondence table 21 in 8M, it is also used in CD editing work, etc. 23 is the connection part 6 with the host I.
Line, 2/I is a communication device, 25 is a disk device for storing received documents, 2G is a numeric keypad for entering a bulletin board code, a set key to determine the value, a star I key to indicate the start of transmission, etc. 117 Settings The operating panel 27 is a microprocessor (1) that controls the
C1)U), 28 is l'20M in which a program for controlling all is stored. 29 prints the document using a printer.

FIG. 8 is a flowchart showing the operation when pulling out a bulletin board.

When the bulletin board code is input using the operation panel 26 (Step S2]), and the start key is pressed, the correspondence table 21 is displayed.
(step 522), and checks whether the same code exists in the table 21 (step 523).

If there is a code, the corresponding address in the table 21 is read (step 524), the document is read from the disk device 25 at that address (step 525), and the document is printed out by the printer 29 (step 826).

If there is no code, edit the CI in the bulletin board drawer and send it to the host computer (not shown) (
step 527). Next, when a document is delivered from the host I/computer, it is stored in the disk device 25 (step 528), and the correspondence table 21 is updated in step 529.
) and is printed out by the printer 29 (step 826).

Note that in the second embodiment, the terminal is not limited to a facsimile, but also a word processor, a personal computer,
You can also measure it with Teletex, etc. In addition, the corresponding table 21
is 1 maha M 221. However, the disk drive 5
! i 251-.

FIG. 9 is a table diagram for explaining the operation of the third embodiment of the child mail system according to the present invention. ! FIG. 3 is a table diagram showing a table 31 consisting of the expiration date of :, the address of the medium-1- storing the document, and the code corresponding to the document.

FIG. 10 is a block diagram showing this embodiment, in which: 32 is 1×ΔM, table 31 is a biological child, and
It is also used for CD editing work, etc. 33 is a line connecting to the host computer, 34 is a communication control device (CC:
[J), 35 is a printer for printout, 36 is a disk device (+') l S10 for storing received documents.
, 37 is a clock that reads 111 hours and minutes of the year, month, year, 38 is an operation panel, 39 is a ROM in which programs are stored, 4
0 is a microprocessor (CIIIJ) that controls the configurations 32 to 39.

FIG. 11 is a protocol sequence diagram during the bulletin board withdrawal service. If the terminal Δ does not come out with the bulletin board withdrawal request CD,
The host computer I3 takes out the document corresponding to the code contained in C) and sends it to the terminal after the message output CD. In this message output C1), an expiration date preset by the host computer B is set as an element value. The received documents are stored in an empty area of the disk drive 36 to the terminal. The table 31 is set using the address at this time, the code input from the operation panel 38 when opening the bulletin board, and the expiration date notified from the host computer B by the CI).

FIG. 12 is a flowchart showing the normal operation. In the same figure, when 1" is involved, the table 31 is automatically searched in steps 831 to 836), and if a document whose expiration date has passed is found, the address is read from the table 31 and the document in the disk device 36 is deleted. (Steps 337-539).

Note that in the third embodiment, the table 31 is stored in the RAM 32.
-1x, but it may also be implemented as a disk device 3G'2. In addition, terminals include fax machines, word processors,
A personal computer, teletex, etc. may be used for measurement.

(Effects of the Invention) As explained in section 1'', the present invention comprises a host computer, a terminal 11'1 having a storage medium capable of storing a plurality of documents, and 1) the host computer and terminal group described in ii. In an e-mail system formed from a network connecting between
The terminal described in ii. has a means for registering a confidential delivery control document corresponding to the document, a means for displaying that a confidential delivery has been made, and a means for registering the password I as the recipient name in advance. By reading the corresponding document from the 01J storage medium and printing it by inputting a password, the disk device of the host computer can be used effectively, and the load on the host computer can be reduced. .

Also, 4'i1YI is removed from the terminal a'r, the host computer, and the network between the terminal nY and the host I computer? In the mail system, the terminal includes a specifying means for specifying a document on a host computer, and a medium for storing documents received through a withdrawal service from the host computer in association with a code specified by the specifying means. , a means for determining whether the code specified by the specifying means already exists in the medium, and a means for printing out the document in the +Jij recording medium, so that if the same document as the one already retrieved is When retrieving documents, it is possible to print out a document that has been stored at the terminal, so unnecessary communications are not generated, lines can be used effectively, and the load on the host computer can be reduced.

Further, in an e-mail system comprising a terminal group, a host computer, and a network between the terminal group and the host computer, 1); When there is a document withdrawal request, the terminal has a means for notifying a predetermined storage expiration date in the host computer for the document to be delivered to the terminal, and the terminal is notified from the host computer of OIj. A medium for storing the sentence 14) retrieved by the host computer and time n1
The load on the host computer can be reduced by having means for determining the storage expiration date on the host computer and deleting documents stored on the terminal. You can actually save the area of the document storage h11 medium.

4. Figure 1 is a block diagram showing an embodiment of the e-mail system according to the present invention, Figure 2 is a table diagram showing the confidential text 11 table, and Figure 3 is a A table diagram showing a correspondence table between recipient name and password, Fig. 4 is a flowchart showing the operation when receiving a document, Fig. 5 is a flowchart showing the operation when retrieving a confidential document, and Fig. 6 shows the document retrieval code and storage address. 7 is a block diagram of the terminal, FIG. 8 is a flowchart showing the operation when ejecting a document, and FIG. 9 is a correspondence table of document expiration date, storage address, and withdrawal code.
FIG. 10 is a block diagram of the terminal, FIG. 11 is a protocol sequence diagram when pulling out a bulletin board, and FIG. 12 is a flowchart showing the operation when deleting a document.

1... host computer, 2... disk device,
3...Network, 4...Network control device, 5-Operation panel, 6-Confidential arrival notification L E l), 7...Disk device, 8...Printer, 9...l'(O
M, 10...Microbroset, 11, 12...
table.

Claims (1)

[Scope of Claims] 1. In an e-mail system comprising a host computer, a group of terminals having storage media capable of storing a plurality of documents, and a network connecting the host computer and the group of terminals, the host computer The computer immediately sends the confidential delivery to the terminal, and the terminal has means for registering the recipient name of the confidential delivery control document in correspondence with the document, means for displaying that there has been a confidential delivery, and a password in advance. What is claimed is: 1. An e-mail system comprising means for registering each recipient name, and reading a corresponding document from the storage medium and printing it by inputting a password. 2. In an e-mail system consisting of a group of terminals, a host computer, and a network between the group of terminals and the host computer, the terminal has a specifying means for specifying a document of the host computer, and a means for specifying a document from the host computer. a medium for storing documents received in a withdrawal service in association with a code specified by the specifying means; a means for determining whether the code specified by the specifying means already exists in the medium; 1. An e-mail system comprising means for printing out a document on a medium. 3. In an e-mail system comprising a group of terminals, a host computer, and a network between the group of terminals and the host computer, the host computer sends a document when there is a request to retrieve a document from the terminal. The terminal has means for notifying the terminal of a predetermined storage expiration date for the document in the host computer, and the terminal is configured to retrieve the document in association with the storage expiration date in the host computer notified from the host computer. 1. An e-mail system comprising: a medium for storing documents; and means for determining an expiration date of storage in the host computer and deleting documents stored in the terminal by providing a clock.