JPS63217745A - Data designation transmission control system for electronic mail - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To easily and surely attain data designation call by comparing the arrival data with the present time designated on a reception mail and discriminating the presence of a received mail from the result. CONSTITUTION:A transmission date is designated from a work station 12 and when the mail transmission processing is executed, a main frame 10 registers the entry at the date designated by a call list 15 managing the history of transmission of the station 12. In case of sending a mail to the main frame 20 being a destination, it is instructed. The frame 20 registers the entry set in a received list 26 managing a reception mail of the work station 22 being a destination. When a reference request of the received list 26 exists, the frame 20 compares the designated reception date of each received mail registered in the received list 26 with the present date and only the received mail whose designated reception date is smaller than the present date is made effective to output the recording. That is, so long as the designated reception data is toward future to the present date, it is disregarded as the recording on the list 26.

Description

[Detailed Description of the Invention] [Summary] In an e-mail system using a computer system, the arrival date and time specified in a received e-mail is compared with the current date and time,
By determining the presence or absence of received mail based on the results, a two-day and time specified sending function was realized.

[Industrial application field]

The present invention relates to an e-mail system built on a computer network (distributed processing) system, and more particularly to an e-mail control method by specifying sending/receiving dates and times.

In computer network systems, particularly distributed processing systems in which network nodes are composed of mainframes and workstations, the operating hours of each node may differ.

For example, in an international network system, there is a time difference between the locations of each node, resulting in a difference in the times at which the operation of each destination node starts and ends as viewed from the three originating nodes.

In such a case, it is desirable to send the e-mail in accordance with the operating hours of the destination node.

Also, depending on the sender, the e-mail is delivered to each destination node all at once at a fixed time in the future.

You may want to announce the content.

For this reason, it is necessary to control sending (receiving) e-mail by specifying a date and time.

[Conventional technology]

An overview of a conventional e-mail system will be explained with reference to FIG.

In the figure, A, B, and C are nodes forming a network, each of which is a system in which, for example, a main frame (host) MF and a workstation WS are connected via a LAN line.

Each node A, B, C is connected by a communication line,
E-mails are exchanged with each other.

The mainframe MF of each node is equipped with a mail box (not shown) for managing outgoing and received e-mails, and a mail box (not shown) for managing outgoing and received e-mails for each workstation WS of its own node. It has a dispatch list and a reception list.

The transmission list contains the ID and transmission date and time of each email sent from the corresponding workstation ws.

Call history such as destination ID is registered.

The reception list contains the ID of each e-mail addressed to the corresponding workstation ws, the date and time of reception, and the sender ID.
The reception history such as the following is registered. Each workstation WS
By referring to the user's own reception list, the user can know the arrival of e-mail addressed to the user.

What dates and times are recorded in these dispatch and reception lists?

This is the physical date and time when the email was actually sent or received.

[Problem that the invention seeks to solve]

In the conventional e-mail system, five sending nodes have to carry out outgoing processing in accordance with the operating hours of each destination node, causing problems such as the operator's work time being spread out and extending into the night or early morning.

[Means for solving problems]

The present invention makes it possible to specify the sending date and time8 reception date and time on the sending channel and receiving channel that manage mail resources in the mainframe, and holds the received mail until the specified receiving date and time on the receiving channel is reached, giving the appearance of a state of US reception. By managing the email as a mail address, it is possible to effectively deliver mail to the destination at a specified date and time.

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing the principle of the present invention.

In the figure, 10.20 is the mainframe (host),
30 is a communication line connecting the mainframe.

11. 21 is a LAN line, 12. 13. 22.
23 are workstations on the LAN line under the mainframe, 14.24 is a mail box on the mainframe, 15.25 is a sending list that manages the sending history of e-mails, and 16.26 is managing the receiving history of e-mails. This is a reception list.

As shown in FIG. 1, the present invention is realized in an e-mail system on distributed processing in a network that connects mainframes and connects workstations under the mainframes via LAN lines.

Outgoing mail is managed using a mailing list on the mainframe, and received mail is managed using a receiving list on the mainframe. The information in the entries to be managed includes the sending date and time,
There is a date and time of receipt. The present invention is.

The reception date and time, which is a management item, is registered as a specified date and time, but the date and time specified transmission (or reception) function is realized by hiding the existence of received mail with a specified reception date and time after the current date and time.

[Effect]

According to the principle of the present invention shown in FIG. 1, a mail sender can send a mail if necessary.

Specify the sending/receiving date and time. When the sending/receiving date and time is specified, this specified sending date and time is registered in the sending list and is also instructed to the mail destination as the specified receiving date and time.

In the case of a system where there is a time difference between network nodes, the specified sending date and time where the email sender is expressed in local (domestic) standard time is changed to Grignisogye standard time as the specified receiving date and time.

When the mail destination receives the mail, it converts the designated reception date and time expressed in 1 Grignisogi standard time to local standard time and registers it in the reception groove.

When there is a request to refer to the reception channel, the specified reception date and time of each received email registered in the reception channel and the current date and time (local standard time)
, and outputs a record of only received emails whose designated reception date and time are smaller than the current date and time.

That is, as long as the designated reception date and time is in the future than the current date and time, it is ignored as a record on the receiving side and treated as if it had not been received yet.

〔Example〕

FIG. 2 is a diagram showing network processing according to one embodiment of the present invention.

In the figure, 10.20 is the mainframe (host) MF, 30 is the communication line connecting the mainframe, 11.2
1 is a LAN line, 12. 13. 22 and 23 are workstations on the LAN line under each mainframe, 14.24 is a mail box on the mainframe, 15.25 is a mailing list that manages the sending history of mails, and 16.26 is the order in which mails were received. Receive f that manages the layer
L17.27 is a transmission processing section, and 18.28 is a reception processing section.

Here, the time differences between the mainframes 10 and 20 from Greenwich Mean Time are +0900 and +0800, respectively.

Workstation 12 to 9 date and time: June 20, 1986
When the e-mail transmission process is executed by specifying 12:00 OO seconds on the day, the transmission processing unit 17 of the mainframe 10 uses the transmission processing unit 7Ii1 that manages the transmission history of the workstation 12.
5, register an entry with the specified sending date and time, and when sending an email to the mainframe 20, which is the destination, add the time difference of +0900 from the local system's Greenwich Mean Time, and instruct it to set the receiving date and time as 860620120000 +0900. .

The reception processing unit 28 of the mainframe 20 calculates the local reception date and time of 860620110000 in the own system from the specified reception date and time as the time difference from Greenisogi mean time in the own system + 0800, and sends the received mail to the workstation 22 which is the destination. An entry with 860620110000 set as the reception date and time is registered in the reception groove 26 to be managed.

When the mainframe 20 searches for the received message 1116 based on an inquiry from the workstation 22, it compares the current date and time with the arrival date and time on the receiving source IG, and searches for emails with future reception dates and times that have not yet passed. Processing is performed so that the information is not shown to the workstation 22. In the above example, the received mail is made available for retrieval by the workstation 22 when the current date and time has a value greater than 860620110000.

〔Effect of the invention〕

81 According to the present invention, the sender of the e-mail specifies the reception date and time of the recipient in advance and sends the e-mail.

This increases the degree of freedom in the work time for actually processing outgoing calls.

The burden on the user can be reduced.

This is particularly useful when sending an e-mail to a large number of recipients with different time zones and wanting the contents to take effect after a desired date and time, as it allows for easy and reliable delivery.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing the principle of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a configuration diagram of an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram of a conventional e-mail system. In Figure 1. 10.20: Mainframe MF 11.21: LAN line 12, 13.22.23: Workstation WS1
4.24: Mail box 15.25: Transmission list 16.26: Reception list 30: Communication line

Claims (1)

[Scope of Claims] In an e-mail system built on a computer network system, each computer has means for specifying a reception date and time for an addressee when sending an e-mail, and a means for specifying a reception date and time for an e-mail to which the reception date and time have been specified. When received,
Manage the designated reception date and time on the reception list (16, 26),
A means for comparing a designated reception date and time with the current date and time when referring to a reception list, and ignoring an email with a designated reception date and time that is greater than the current date and time; method.