JP2000270006A - Device and system for repeating mail and storage medium - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a mail repeating system which makes it possible to confirm that electronic mail is not opened. SOLUTION: A mail server when receiving electronic mail having the term of validity set on the sender's side transfers it to the mail server which control the receiver. The mail server holds the received electronic mail in SPOOL 121b, extracts the sender and the term of validity from the electronic mail, and stores them in a term management table 123b in the order of the end of the term. When there is an unopened mail even at the end of the term of validity, an unopened mail management part 124b adds notice information indicating that the electronic mail is unopened and the term of validity as an indefinite period to the electronic mail and sends them together to the sender.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a mail relay method for enabling a sender to reliably confirm whether an e-mail delivered via, for example, the Internet has been opened within an expiration date.

[0002]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION E-mail is available on the Internet and LAN.
(Local Area Network) is a communication tool that uses a communication terminal such as a personal computer through a network such as a personal computer. In particular, to exchange information with people around the world more quickly than by fax or letter, etc. by using e-mail using the Internet (hereinafter sometimes simply referred to as "mail"). Becomes possible.

[0003] When sending and receiving mails via the Internet, usually, a computer system (hereinafter, referred to as a "mail server") owned by an Internet service provider (hereinafter, simply referred to as a "provider").
Intervenes as a mail relay device or a mail relay system. The mail server recognizes only users belonging to the provider as users to be managed by the mail server. That is, in the case of a network such as the Internet, mail exchange is performed via mail servers of a plurality of providers. This will be described with reference to FIG.

In FIG. 8, a communication terminal of a sender S, a communication terminal of a receiver R, a mail server 30a of a provider A, a mail server 30 of a provider B
b is connected. The mail M sent from the sender S toward the network N is transferred from the mail server 30a to the mail server 30b. Since the recipient R is not always connected to the network N, the mail M
Are stored in the mail server 30b of the provider B until the recipient R accesses. Normally, when the recipient R accesses and opens the mail M, the mail M is deleted from the mail server 30b. When the mail is returned from the recipient R to the sender S, the reply mail is stored in the mail server 30a of the provider A. In such a mail delivery form, if the recipient cannot view the mail for a long time, a large amount of mail is accumulated in the mail server of each provider, and the management load becomes enormous.

[0005] On the other hand, the sender S cannot confirm whether or not the recipient has opened the e-mail unless the recipient R replies that the contents have been confirmed. Therefore, if it is not certain that the recipient has read the urgent mail, the sender S needs to contact the recipient R again by telephone or facsimile, and the advantage of the mail cannot be utilized. there were. Similarly, in cases where the recipient wants the recipient to read the message, mail or other means may be used in addition to mail. Also, if the e-mail includes, for example, a notice of a seminar held on a specific day and its application, and the recipient R cannot view the e-mail for a long time for some reason, the e-mail is viewed after the expiration date. In effect, there was a problem that the meaning of the mail was lost.

As means for solving such a problem, an electronic mail communication apparatus (hereinafter referred to as "conventional example 1") described in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 10-1226010,
An e-mail receiving device (hereinafter, referred to as "conventional example 2") described in Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 173701 is known. The apparatus of the prior art 1 transmits an e-mail with an expiration date added to the header portion of the e-mail, and sends a message indicating that the e-mail that has passed the expiration date but is within the automatic reply period is unopened. This device informs the sender when this message is sent back together. According to this device, the sender is notified from the recipient side that the package has not been opened within the opening period, and the original mail is returned as it is, so that the sender can take a next best measure, and There is an advantage that you can send an email with peace of mind even for important information. Further, the device of Conventional Example 2 creates a plurality of folders for each reply deadline, and when a mail is received, extracts the reply deadline from the mail,
This is a device having a function of sorting the mail to a corresponding folder according to the extracted reply deadline. According to this apparatus, even when a large amount of mail is transmitted, there is an advantage that omission of a reply can be prevented by referring to a folder according to a reply time limit.

However, in the device of the first conventional example, the above-mentioned advantages cannot be obtained on the sender side unless the terminating function and the automatic reply function are provided in the communication terminal on the receiver side. vice versa,
If the recipient and sender's terminals have the time limit management function and automatic reply function, etc., and the recipient cannot reply to the e-mail, and the sender cannot open the reply mail, the e-mail is sent to the recipient again. Is returned. The same applies to the device of the second conventional example, which is ineffective on a network accessed by an unspecified number of persons, such as the Internet.

[0008] In view of the above background, the present invention can surely notify the sender whether or not a mail with an expiration date has been opened within the deadline, regardless of the function of the communication terminal on the receiver side. Mail relay device, mail relay system,
It is an object to provide a mail delivery method. Another object of the present invention is to provide a recording medium for realizing the mail relay device on a general-purpose computer device.

[0009]

A mail relay apparatus according to the present invention for solving the above-mentioned problems receives mail with an arbitrary expiration date set on the sender side and holds the mail in a form that can be opened by the recipient at any time. Holding means, information extraction means for extracting the sender and the set expiration date from the received mail, monitoring the extracted expiration date and the opening status of the mail, and reaching the end of the expiration date Also, when there is an unopened mail, the mail is provided with unopened mail management means for replying to the sender side with notification information indicating that the mail is unopened and a new expiration date.

[0010] The information extracting means has, for example, a term management table for arranging the extracted expiration dates in order of term expiration. The unopened mail managing means deletes the returned mail from the mail holding means. The sender and the expiration date information on the deleted mail are deleted from the expiration date management table. This unopened mail management means preferably sets a new expiration date for replying substantially indefinitely.

Further, the mail relay system of the present invention includes a first mail relay device for receiving a mail having an arbitrary expiration date set on the sender side, and a first mail relay device and a recipient of the mail. And a second mail relay device interposed therebetween. The first mail relay device and the second mail relay device are each the mail relay device of the present invention, and at least the second mail relay device transmits the notification information and a new expiration date to the unopened mail. And the first mail relay device holds the mail returned from the second mail relay device until there is a transfer request from the sender terminal. Be composed. The first mail relay device is
Preferably, the new expiration date is set substantially indefinitely.

The mail distribution method according to the present invention is a method which is performed via a mail relay device connected to a network, wherein the sender sets an arbitrary expiration date for the mail and transmits the mail. Receiving and holding the e-mail having the expiration date set therein, and extracting information indicating the sender and the expiration date from the e-mail,
The extracted expiration date and the opening status of the e-mail are monitored, and when there is an unopened e-mail even after the end of the expiration date, notification information indicating that it is unopened and a new It is characterized by including a process of replying to the sender with an expiration date, and a process of the sender acquiring the returned mail at any time.

[0013] A recording medium according to the present invention for solving the above-mentioned other problems is a process for receiving an e-mail having an arbitrary expiration date set on the sender side and holding the e-mail in a form that can be opened at any time by the recipient side. A process of extracting information indicating the sender and the expiration date from the e-mail, a process of monitoring the extracted expiration date and the opening status of the e-mail, and a process in which an unopened e-mail is received even when the expiration date is reached. A computer-readable recording of digital information for causing the computer to execute a process of returning the electronic mail to the sender side with the notification information indicating that it is unopened and a new expiration date at a certain time; It is a possible recording medium.

[0014]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below in detail with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a mail relay system to which the present invention is applied. The mail relay system 1 relays mail transferred via a network N accessible by an unspecified number of persons, for example, the Internet. For convenience of explanation, two mail servers 10a and 10b having the same configuration are provided in the network N.
Is connected, and communication terminals 20a and 20b are connected to the respective mail servers 10a and 10b. The mail server 10a is managed by the provider A, and the mail server 10b is managed by the provider B. The communication terminal 20a is operated by a user of the provider A (for convenience, a sender), and the communication terminal 20b is operated by a user of the provider B (for convenience, a recipient). The mail server 10
The symbols a and 10b, the communication terminals 20a and 20b, and their components will be described using symbols except for the suffix, unless it is necessary to distinguish one from the other.

In consideration of the nature of the network N (the Internet), the mail server 10 is, as shown in FIG.
It has the functions of a Simple Mail Transfer Protocol (TP) server 11 and a Post Office Protocol (POP) server 12. The POP server 12 includes a SPOOL 121,
It has the functions of a header information extraction unit 122, a term management table 123, and an unopened mail management unit 124. On the other hand, the communication terminal 20 is, for example, a personal computer and has a function of a POP client 21 as shown in FIG. This POP client 21
Is configured to include the functions of the mail browsing unit 211, the mail editing unit 212, and the time limit management unit 213.

The SMTP in the mail server 10
Server 11 and POP server 12 (SPOOL 121,
The header information extraction unit 122, the time limit management table 123, and the unopened mail management unit 124) are formed by the mail server 10, which is a computer device having a communication mechanism, reading and executing a predetermined program code. You. This program code is usually installed in a storage device having a storage area that can be read by the CPU of the mail server 10, but can be separated from the mail server 10, such as a portable recording medium such as a CD-ROM or an FD, Alternatively, the program may be recorded in a program server or the like connected to the network N, read at the time of use, installed in the storage area of the storage device, and provided for execution at any time. In addition, the SMTP server 11 or the like substitutes a part of the operating system (OS) installed in the mail server 10 for
The functions may be realized by partially using the functions described above.

Similarly, the POP client 12 is formed by the communication terminal 20, which is a computer device having a communication mechanism, reading a predetermined program code from its own storage device and executing the read program code. Alternatively, the program may be recorded on a portable recording medium or a program server that can be separated from the communication terminal 20, read at the time of use, installed in the storage device, and provided for execution at any time.

First, the SMTP server 11 and the POP server 12, which are the basic functions of the mail server 10, and the POP client 21, which is the basic function of the communication terminal 20, will be described.

<SMTP server> Mail is transferred to and from another SMTP server. It is assumed that the mail server operates on both the transmitting side and the receiving side. Actually, mail transfer (relay) is performed while performing "conversation" as shown in FIG. That is, a session is opened “HELO” from an SMTP server on the transmission side (hereinafter, “transmission server”) to an SMTP server on the reception side (hereinafter, “reception server”). When the receiving server confirms, the transmitting server sends a mail transmission start “MAIL”, and when the receiving server confirms it, the transmitting server transmits the mail content “DATA”. The "conversation" ends when the receiving server confirms that the sending server has notified the end of the session "QUIT". By performing such a "conversation", it becomes possible to transfer mails on the network N accessible to an unspecified number of persons.

<POP Server> Many users are dial-up users who are not always connected to the network N. Therefore, a SPOOL (spool file: data area in a storage device, the same applies hereinafter) SPOOL 121 is provided in the mail server as mail holding means, and mail addressed to the recipient is temporarily stored in the SPOOL 121. The protocol for retrieving the stored mail is POP, and the corresponding server is POP.
The server 12. The protocol of the POP server 12 includes, for example, “POP3 (post office protocol version)
3 ”and“ IMAP4 (internet messaging access proto
col version4 "is used. The POP server 12 usually waits for an access from a POP client 21 described later.

The access from the POP client 21 to the POP server 12 is in the order of “connection” → “authentication” → “new mail list” → “acquisition of mail” → “disconnection”. At this time, a "conversation" between the two as shown in FIG.
Is performed. That is, POP client 21 sends P
A command of user identification “USER” is sent to the OP server 12, and the POP server 12 performs user identification. After the user is identified (“OK”), if a password request is received,
The POP client 21 uses its own password “PAS
S ”to the POP server 12. When the password is confirmed by the POP server 12 (“OK”), the POP client 21 sends a new mail list request “LIST”. The POP server 12 checks the mail arrival status,
Reply the result ("new mail list"). Based on this reply, the POP client 21 appropriately sends a mail acquisition request “RETR” and acquires an arrival mail from the POP server 12 (“OK”, “mail”). When ending the mail acquisition process, the POP client 21 sends an end request “QUIT”. POP server 12
Confirms this and ends the mail processing for the POP client 21 ("OK"). The mail is delivered from the POP server 12 to the POP client 21 through such a conversation.

<POP Client> POP Server 12
This is a function provided in the communication terminal 20 on the user side that receives the mail as described above, for example, a personal computer. This POP client 21 is generally called a mailer. The POP client 21 receives the mail not directly from the sender but as described above.
This is from the OP server 12. User authentication (see "USE
R ”), a POP account (mail account, mail user ID, etc.) is required. POP accounts conventionally use the same username as their email address. The POP server 12 refers to the POP account and the password corresponding to the accessing user, and if the passwords match, the e-mail is passed to the user.

Next, other functions of the mail server 10 and the communication terminal 20 will be described. The mail browsing unit 211 in FIG. 5 makes the mail received from the POP server 12 browsable by the user, and the mail editing unit 212 performs mail creation and editing.
In addition to the editing of the main body of the mail message, the mail editing unit 212 may use, for example, a known standard “RFC82”.
Create a header section in the format specified in 2).
The format for creating the header portion in this manner is generally “R
FC822 format ". FIG. 6 is a table showing the field format and its role in the RFC822 header section. In the illustrated example, items are classified into “sender”, “destination”, “reference”, “others”, “tracking”, and “user-defined”, and each is identified by a field name.

When the user inputs the destination name, subject, etc. of the mail, the time limit management unit 212
This is a function for setting an expiration date of the mail, such as one week. Specifically, the field name “X-Expired-Da” is added to “user definition” in the header shown in FIG.
Set an expiration date by entering an arbitrary number in "te".

Returning to FIG. 2, when the mail received through the SMTP server 11 is passed to the POP server 12, the header information extraction unit 122 of the mail server 10 examines the header of the mail and sets the expiration date. If so, extract it along with the sender's POP account.
The extracted information is stored in the term management table 123 in the order of term expiration. By tabulating in this way, compared to a case where mail is simply stored in the SPOOL 121,
Time limit management etc. will be performed quickly. Note that even when the expiration date is not set, it may be stored in the management table. In this case, the mails are stored in the order in which they were received. Alternatively, those for which the expiration date is set and those for which the expiration date is not set may be held in separate tables.

The unopened mail management unit 124 checks the expiration date held in the expiration date management table 123 at all times or periodically every time when a time settable by a parameter elapses. If there is an email, specify that email. Also, a reply mail is created based on the sender's POP account in the header of the specified mail. The reply mail is an original mail created by the sender with a document added to the effect that the mail was not opened within the expiration date. A new expiration date is set in the reply mail. The new expiration date is set to a virtually indefinite date in order to prevent infinite circulation (loop mail) between the sender and the user. After sending the reply mail, SPOOL
In addition to deleting the original mail from 121, the sender's POP account and information on the expiration date related to the deleted mail are deleted from the time limit management table 123.

The functions of the header information extraction unit 122, the term management table 123, and the unopened mail management unit 124 are as follows.
The function may not exist as a function of the POP server 12 but may exist independently, or may exist as a function attached to the SMTP server 11.

Next, an example of the operation of the mail relay system 1 according to the present embodiment will be described. Here, as shown in FIG. 7, it is assumed that the sender S who is the user of the provider A delivers the mail M to the recipient R who is the user of the provider B. It is assumed that the communication terminal operated by the sender S and the communication terminal operated by the recipient R have the same configuration. However, even if the communication terminal on the recipient side does not have the function of the time limit management unit 22, good. It is assumed that the mail server 10a of the provider A and the mail server 10b of the provider B have the same configuration. When discriminating between the two, the elements of the mail server 10a are described with a suffix a, and the elements of the mail server 10b are described with a suffix b.

In FIG. 7, when the POP server 12a receives a mail M with an arbitrary expiration date set from the sender S (S1), the POP server 12a transmits the mail M to the SMTP server 11a.
(S2). The SMTP server 11a calculates the SMTP server 11b based on the destination of the mail M, and transfers the mail M to the SMTP server 11b (S3). The SMTP server 11b that has received the mail M sends it to the SP
It is stored in the OOOL 121b (S4). At this time, information indicating the sender and the expiration date is extracted from the header portion of the mail M by the header information extraction unit 122b, and listed in the expiration date management table 123b (S5).

When the recipient R can access the POP server 12b, the flow is as shown by a broken line in the figure. That is,
When the recipient R requests the new mail list from the POP server 12b, the POP server 12b
Is passed to the recipient R. When the recipient R requests transmission of the mail M, the POP server 1
2b transmits the mail M to the recipient R. Normally, at this point, the mail M and the corresponding information in the time limit management table 123b are deleted depending on the setting.

The unopened mail management section 124b monitors the time limit management table 123b. If it is confirmed that the mail M has not been opened even after the expiration date of the expiration date has expired, the original mail M and the header of the header section are checked. A reply mail M 'is created based on the sender's POP account (S6, S7), and this is automatically replied to the sender S (S8). At this time, a new expiration date is set as described above. Also,
The original mail M is deleted from the SPOOL 121b, and the corresponding information in the time limit management table 123b is deleted (S9).

The reply mail M 'is sent to the SMTP server 11b.
Through the SMTP server 11a (S10), and is stored in the SPOOL 121a of the provider A as a new mail addressed to the sender S (S11). At this time, mail server 1
Although the information of the provider B and the expiration date is held in the expiration date management table 0a, it does not actually function because the expiration date is set to be indefinite. Therefore, illustration is omitted. POP for sender S to get new mail
When the server 12a is accessed (S11). The POP server 12a sends the mail list stored in the SPOOL 121a to the sender S. Also, at the request of the sender S, the corresponding mail (reply mail M ') is SPOOL.
121a, and delivers it to the sender S (S1
2). Accordingly, the sender S can confirm that the mail M transmitted by the sender S has not been opened (browsed) by the recipient R within the time limit.

As described above, in the mail relay system 1 of the present embodiment, if the mail is not opened within the expiration date, the reply mail is returned from the mail server 10 to the sender instead of the recipient. Regardless of the function of the communication terminal on the recipient side, it is possible to reliably recognize that the mail has not been opened on the sender side.

Further, when replying a mail whose expiration date has expired, the mail is automatically deleted from the SPOOL 121, so that unnecessary mail is not left in the mail server 10 and is avoided. This eliminates the need for duplicative management, which is favorable not only for system maintenance and management, but also improves mail security. For the recipient, the meaningless mail is not opened one by one, so that the usability of the mail system is improved.

In this embodiment, an example of a mail relay system performed through the Internet has been described. However, the present invention is not limited to such a case, and a personal computer using an intranet, a local area network, or a general public line is used. It can be widely applied to communication. In addition, the present invention can be applied to any operation in which the network is interposed only in at least one of the sender side and the recipient side, and the communication protocol before the mail is held and the communication protocol when the mail is opened are the same or different. According to it is possible.

[0036]

As is apparent from the above description, according to the present invention, the sender can surely confirm whether or not the recipient has opened the e-mail with the expiration date, thereby improving the convenience of the e-mail. Can be achieved.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a mail relay system to which the present invention is applied.

FIG. 2 is a functional configuration diagram of a mail server.

FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram of a conversation between SMTP servers.

FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram of a conversation between a POP client and a POP server.

FIG. 5 is a functional configuration diagram of a communication terminal.

FIG. 6 is a diagram showing field formats and roles in a mail header format of RFC822.

FIG. 7 is an explanatory diagram of the operation of the mail relay system.

FIG. 8 is an explanatory diagram of an operation by a conventional mail relay system.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1 mail relay system 10, 10a, 10b mail server 11, 11a, 11b SMTP server 12, 12a, 12b POP server 121, 121a, 121b SPOOL 122 header extraction unit 123, 123b time limit management table 124, 124b unopened mail management unit M , M 'mail

[Procedure amendment]

[Submission date] March 21, 2000 (200.3.2
1)

[Procedure amendment 1]

[Document name to be amended] Statement

[Correction target item name] Claims

[Correction method] Change

[Correction contents]

[Claims]

3. A network is interposed on at least one of the sender side and the receiver side, and a communication protocol before the electronic mail is held is different from a communication protocol when the electronic mail is opened. Item 3. The mail relay device according to item 1 or 2 .

4. A communication protocol prior to said e-mail is held is SMTP, and wherein the communication protocol when said being opened is POP, mail relay apparatus according to claim 3, wherein.

Wherein said first mail relay device and the second mail relay apparatus, and SMTP server function for performing mutual communication between the other mail relay device respectively, from the sender terminal or the receiving terminal 6. The mail relay system according to claim 5 , further comprising: a POP server function of performing mail transmission in response to the request.

7. An electronic mail delivery method performed via a connected mail relay device to the network, when a process to send the e-mail sender side, mail relay apparatus has received the e-mail The telephone
An e-mail whose child mail has an expiration date set by the sender
Whether the expiration date is set based on the result of the determination.
E-mails with fixed and expiration dates
Separately from the e-mail , the e-mail is held in a form that can be opened by the recipient at any time.
In addition, the sender and the expiration date are extracted, and the extracted expiration date and the opening status of the e-mail are monitored. When there is an unopened e-mail even after the end of the expiration date, the e-mail is deleted. A process of replying to the sender with the notification information indicating that the mail is unopened and a new expiration date for avoiding loop mail, and a process in which the sender transmits the returned e-mail at any time. And e-mail delivery method.

[Procedure amendment 2]

[Document name to be amended] Statement

[Correction target item name] 0009

[Correction method] Change

[Correction contents]

[0009]

A mail relay device according to the present invention for solving the above-mentioned problems is provided when an electronic mail is received.
It is determined whether the e-mail is an e-mail whose expiration date has been set by the sender , and the expiration date is determined based on the discrimination result.
Emails with no expiration date
An e-mail holding means for separating the e-mail from the e-mail so that the e-mail can be opened at any time, and the expiration date is set.
That the information extraction means for extracting the sender and pre Kieu expiration date for e-mail, the extracted expiration time and the opening state of the e-mail is monitored, it is reached at the end of the expiration unopened When there is an e-mail, the e-mail contains notification information indicating that it has not been opened and a loop e-mail.
Unopened mail management means for replying to the sender with a new expiration date for avoidance .

[Procedure amendment 3]

[Document name to be amended] Statement

[Correction target item name] 0010

[Correction method] Change

[Correction contents]

[0010] The information extracting means has, for example, a term management table for arranging the extracted expiration dates in order of term expiration. The unopened mail managing means deletes the returned mail from the mail holding means. The sender and the expiration date information on the deleted mail are deleted from the expiration date management table .

[Procedure amendment 4]

[Document name to be amended] Statement

[Correction target item name] 0011

[Correction method] Change

[Correction contents]

[0011] In addition, mail relay system of the present invention, electrostatic
A first mail relay device interposed between the sender who sends the child mail, and a second mail relay device interposed between the first mail relay device and the recipient of the electronic mail; The first mail relay device receives a call from a sender.
The second mail relay that the recipient can receive the child mail
Is intended to be transferred to the addressed device, the second mail relay device is transferred email expire at sender side setting
Whether the received e-mail was sent, and based on the result of the judgment.
Email with expiration date and expiration date
Recipients can open at any time by separating unsent e-mails
E-mail holding means for holding the e-mail
From the child mail, the sender and the set expiration date
The information extraction means to be extracted, the extracted expiration date and the
Monitor the opening status of the child mail, and at the end of the expiration date
When there is an unopened e-mail even if it reaches
Notification information and a loop mail indicating that it has not been opened.
A new expiration date for avoiding the sender
And an unopened mail management means for replying to.

[Procedure amendment 5]

[Document name to be amended] Statement

[Correction target item name] 0012

[Correction method] Change

[Correction contents]

[0012] mail delivery process of the present invention is an electronic mail delivery method performed via a connected mail relay device to the network, and the process to send the e-mail sender side, mail relay device, an electronic When you receive an email
It is determined whether the e-mail is an e-mail with an expiration date set on the sender side, and the expiration date is determined based on the discrimination result.
Email with expiration date and no expiration date
The e-mail is separated and held in a form that can be opened by the recipient at any time.For e-mails for which the expiration date is set, the sender and the expiration date are extracted and extracted. The expiration date and the opening status of the e-mail are monitored, and when there is an unopened e-mail even after the end of the expiration date, notification information indicating that the e-mail is unopened and a loop mail A step of attaching a new expiration date for avoiding the error to the sender, and a step of the sender acquiring the returned e-mail at any time. And

[Procedure amendment 6]

[Document name to be amended] Statement

[Correction target item name] 0013

[Correction method] Change

[Correction contents]

[0013] recording medium of the present invention to solve the above other problem, determine if electronic or mail expiration date in the e-mail sender <br/> human side is set when receiving the e-mail
The expiration date is set based on the result of the determination.
E-mail and unexpired e-mail
Process to divide the recipient into a form that can be opened at any time by the recipient ,
From the email with the expiration date set,
A process of extracting a person and the expiration date, a process of monitoring the extracted expiration date and the opening status of the e-mail, and a process of monitoring the e-mail when there is an unopened e-mail even when the end of the expiration date is reached. A computer in which digital information for causing a computer device to execute a process of returning to the sender side with notification information that it is unopened and a new expiration date that does not become substantially indefinite is recorded, a computer It is a readable recording medium.

 ──────────────────────────────────────────────────続 き Continued on the front page (72) Inventor Chiaki Saito 1-6-1 Nishi-Shinjuku, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo Beacon Information Technology Inc. (72) Inventor Hiroshi Uchida 1-6-1, Nishi-Shinjuku, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo Company Beacon Information Technology F-term (reference) 5B089 GA11 GA21 GA31 GB01 HA10 HB07 JA31 JB16 KA13 KB02 KB04 KB11 KC11 KC15 KC39 KC51 KC53 LA07 LA11 LA17 5K030 GA16 HA06 HB15 KA01 KA04 KA06 LA08 LB15 LD12 LD13 LD18 LD12 DB14 DB18 DB20 EA07

Claims (10)

[Claims] 1. A mail holding means for receiving an e-mail with an arbitrary expiration date set on the sender side and holding the e-mail in a form that can be opened by a recipient at any time; Information extraction means for extracting the expiration date, and monitoring the extracted expiration date and the opening status of the e-mail, and when there is an unopened e-mail even when the end of the expiration date is reached, the e-mail A mail relay device comprising: an unopened mail management unit that returns notification information indicating that the mail is unopened and a new expiration date to the sender side. 2. The information extracting means has a time limit management table for arranging the extracted expiration dates in the order of expiration date, and the unopened mail managing means deletes a reply e-mail from the mail holding means. 2. The mail relay device according to claim 1, wherein information on the sender and the expiration date of the deleted electronic mail is deleted from the time limit management table. 3. The mail relay device according to claim 1, wherein the unopened mail management unit sets the new expiration date substantially indefinitely. 4. A network is interposed on at least one of the sender side and the recipient side, and a communication protocol before the electronic mail is held is different from a communication protocol when the electronic mail is opened. Item 3. The mail relay device according to item 1, 2 or 3. 5. The mail relay device according to claim 4, wherein a communication protocol before the electronic mail is held is SMTP, and a communication protocol when the electronic mail is opened is POP. 6. A first mail relay device for receiving an e-mail with an arbitrary expiration date set on the sender side, and a first mail relay device interposed between the first mail relay device and a recipient of the e-mail. The first mail relay device and the second mail relay device are each the mail relay device according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the second mail relay device and the second mail relay device are the same. The mail relay device is configured to reply to the sender with the notification information and a new expiration date attached to the unopened e-mail, and the first mail relay device is configured to be the second mail relay device. A mail relay system configured to hold an e-mail returned from the terminal until there is a transfer request from the sending terminal. 7. The mail relay system according to claim 6, wherein the first mail relay device sets the new expiration date substantially indefinitely. 8. An SMTP server function in which each of the first mail relay device and the second mail relay device performs mutual communication with the other mail relay device; and 7. The mail relay system according to claim 6, further comprising: a POP server function for sending a mail in response to the request. 9. A method of delivering an e-mail via a mail relay device connected to a network, wherein the sender sets an arbitrary expiration date on the e-mail and transmits the e-mail, The e-mail with the expiration date set is received and held, and information indicating the sender and the expiration date is extracted from the e-mail, and the extracted expiration date and the opening status of the e-mail are monitored. When there is an unopened e-mail even after the expiration date has expired, the e-mail is returned to the sender with the notification information indicating that it is unopened and a new expiration date. A method of distributing an e-mail, comprising the steps of: obtaining a reply e-mail at any time by a sender; 10. A process of receiving an e-mail having an arbitrary expiration date set on the sender side and holding the e-mail in a form that can be opened at any time by the recipient side, and information indicating the sender and the expiration date from the held e-mail. A process of extracting the expiration date and a process of monitoring the opening status of the e-mail.If there is an unopened e-mail even after the end of the expiration date, the e-mail A computer-readable recording medium in which digital information for causing a computer device to execute a process of returning notification to a sender with notification information indicating that the information is valid and a new expiration date is recorded.