JP2001312448A - Device and method for electronic mail distribution and recording medium - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a mail distribution controller which improves a hit rate by controlling mail transmission so that mail is sent to a destination meeting its transmission conditions. SOLUTION: This device is equipped with a gathered mail address file, a database for evaluation which stores data for evaluation regarding domains and subdomains of mail addresses, a transmission condition database which stores mail transmission conditions, a means which reads mail transmission conditions out of the transmission condition database and extracts records that data for evaluation of a database record for evaluation match, and a means which selects a mail address matching the domain and subdomain of a record having the domain and/or subdomain extracted among mail addresses in the gathered mail address file and sends mail to the selected mail address.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an e-mail distribution technique, and more particularly, to an e-mail distribution apparatus and method and a recording medium which are expected to improve the hit rate.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Recently, with the spread of the Internet, various information providing services such as news distribution and mail magazine distribution from information providers and the like to Internet users have been performed.

[0003] Here, the transmission of an electronic mail (hereinafter simply referred to as "mail") will be briefly described. To transmit an e-mail via the Internet, an e-mail address of a transmission destination is set on mail software (referred to as "mailer"). (Simply called "mail address") and press the send button on the mailer to send the mail to the mail server (sending window), which will be transmitted to the mail server near the destination, and this mail server (receiving window) Mail is managed for each user and stored in a mailbox, and the mail is delivered when the destination user presses the mailer's receive button. The mailer has a broadcast function, and by specifying multiple e-mail addresses as destinations, you can send a copy to multiple people just by sending an e-mail with the same text once. that time,
Broadcast mail is usually BCC (blind carbon copy)
The function is used, and the address set in the BCC column is invisible to the transmission partner.

With the increase of Internet users,
The mail delivery business, which undertakes mail transmission containing sales promotion messages and the like from customers (product providers and the like) and distributes mails to users, is growing as a net business.

[0005]

However, in the conventional mail delivery service, for example, 100
The mail business provider such as the provider who received the 00 mail transmission request sent the mail to a destination randomly extracted from the mail address group obtained from the list, questionnaire, etc. Response is also random.

[0006] It is known that the difference between the advertising effect and the sales promotion effect by direct mail differs significantly depending on the selection of the destination such as direct mail. More specifically, for example, what should originally be targeted at high-income earners,
If most of the people who sent the questionnaire mail for financial securities and asset management are young people, the response to the mail transmission will not be good. Alternatively, a good result cannot be expected even if a sales guidance mail for a luxury condominium in Tokyo (billion yen) is sent to a company employee or the like who works at an office far from the Tokyo metropolitan area. Rather, in light of the recent rise of the Internet industry, it is expected that the probability of a contract being signed will be much higher if the office sends it to a company employee at an Internet-related office in Tokyo.

[0007] In the business of distributing e-mails such as news and sales promotion messages, usually, in addition to the number of copies to be distributed, a response to a transmitted sales promotion e-mail from a user, such as a response to a sales promotion message questionnaire or a business negotiation,
That is, the number of requested copies and the commission from the customer are also varied according to the hit rate. In other words, requests from customers are concentrated on a company that provides a mail delivery service with a high hit rate.

Accordingly, the present invention has been made as a result of intensive studies of the present invention recognizing the above problems, and its main purpose is to transmit a mail to a destination which meets the transmission conditions of the mail. It is an object of the present invention to provide a mail delivery control device and method, and a recording medium which improve the hit rate by controlling the mail delivery control so as to contribute to the prosperity of the mail business. Other objects, features, advantages, and the like of the present invention will be immediately apparent to those skilled in the art from the description of the embodiments below.

[0009]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention, which achieves the above object, analyzes a mail address when sending a mail,
Means is provided for controlling the domain and / or subdomain of the mail address to transmit the mail to a mail address that meets the mail transmission conditions.

The present invention also provides a first storage unit for storing a group of collected e-mail addresses, a domain and / or a sub-domain of the e-mail address, and predetermined evaluation data relating to the domain and / or the sub-domain. A second storage unit for performing a search on the second storage unit based on a transmission condition of the mail to be delivered based on the transmission condition of the mail, and extracting evaluation data whose content matches the content of the mail transmission condition And a mail address stored in the first storage means, and a mail address whose domain and / or sub-domain matches the domain and / or sub-domain corresponding to the extracted evaluation data Means for automatically selecting a mail address, and delivering a mail to the selected mail address. As will be apparent from the following description, the above object is similarly achieved by the inventions of the claims.

[0011]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described. First, the principle of the present invention will be described.

The mail address is, for example, name @ sub. As an address format registered in JPNIC (Japan Network Information Center). domain. co. jp and the domain name (sub.domain.co.
jp) and a user ID (name). The first of these
Domain (jp) is the top-level domain, in
terNIC, the second domain (co) indicates the organization type (in the case of jp.domain),. co represents a company. Also,. In addition to co, represents a government agency. g
o, represents an academic institution. “ac” represents a network operation organization. ne, represents an organization with a legal personality. or, represents an organization that has no legal personality. gr and the like.

As shown in FIG. In the jp domain, as the third domain (domain), a symbol string obtained by simplifying a company name or the like is generally used, and the fourth domain (su) is used.
As b), a symbol string in which a business function is simplified, such as a business office, is generally used. This is the co. jp domain can be acquired by corporations, limited liability companies, partnerships, limited partnerships, shinkin banks, credit unions, etc.
This is because the domain is a company name representing the company or its abbreviation, and the fourth domain (subdomain) is often a character string representing a business office or the like. The present invention creates domain and sub-domain evaluation data from the setting of the names of domains and sub-domains in an e-mail address, and public information of companies and offices related to the domain and sub-domain. A mail address whose transmission condition data matches the evaluation data is selected and transmitted by mail.

More specifically, the present invention evaluates a business entity, a business unit, a business area, a location, and the like as domain evaluation data by referring to public information for these domains or subdomains. Database (1
Accumulate in 2).

The evaluation database (12) is created based on public information and the like, and is appropriately updated and modified, and preferably maintained so that the latest information is registered. Be managed.

The collected mail address group is stored in the storage means (1
Stored in 1).

The mail transmission conditions of the mail to be distributed are stored in the transmission condition database (13).

Based on the mail transmission conditions, the evaluation database (12) is searched, and an evaluation database record having data matching the mail transmission conditions of the distribution target mail is extracted. From the collected mail address group, Automatically select an e-mail address whose domain and / or sub-domain of the e-mail address matches the domain and / or sub-domain of the extracted database record for evaluation, and deliver the e-mail to the selected e-mail address.

[0019]

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing the configuration of one embodiment of the present invention. Referring to FIG. 1, one embodiment of the present invention is a collection address file 1 for storing collected mail addresses.
1 and an evaluation database 12 for storing evaluation data related to the domain and subdomain of the e-mail address
Then, the transmission condition database 13 storing the transmission conditions of the transmission mail and the evaluation database 12 are searched, and an evaluation database record having data matching the mail transmission conditions of the distribution target mail is extracted. A destination evaluator 10 for searching for an accumulated e-mail address and automatically selecting an e-mail address whose e-mail address domain and sub-domain match those of the extracted evaluation database record. I have. The mailer 2 specifying the list of e-mail addresses selected by the destination evaluation device 10 as a destination
When the number is passed to 0, the mailer 20 transmits the mail via the mail server 30 to the mail server on the destination side connected to the Internet 40.

FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a configuration of the destination evaluation device 10 according to one embodiment of the present invention. Referring to FIG. 2, the transmission destination evaluation device 10 is a transmission condition search unit that searches whether or not the mail transmission condition read from the transmission condition database 13 matches the evaluation data stored in the evaluation database 12. 101, an evaluation DB extracting means 102 for storing an evaluation database record whose e-mail transmission condition matches the evaluation data in the extracted evaluation DB (database) file 15, a domain of the extracted evaluation DB file 15, E-mail address selection means 10 for storing in the destination address file 16 those whose domain matches the domain and subdomain of the e-mail address obtained by the collected e-mail address file 11
The destination address file 16 is passed to the mail transmitting means 104.

In one embodiment of the present invention, the processing and functions of the transmission condition searching means 101, the evaluation DB extracting means 102, and the mail address selecting means 103 are realized by a program executed on a computer. In this case, a recording medium (FD (floppy (registered trademark) disk) medium) on which the program (program product) is recorded, C
A program is mechanically read out from a D-ROM medium, a DVD medium, an HDD (hard disk) medium, a semiconductor memory, a magnetic tape) or the like, or the program is downloaded from a server device or the like to a computer via a communication medium and executed. Thus, the present invention can be implemented.

FIG. 3 is a diagram for explaining an example of the contents of the evaluation database 12 and its creation (update) in one embodiment of the present invention. The evaluation database 12 stores company names, offices, business contents, salary levels, response histories, and the like, classified according to domains and subdomains of e-mail addresses.

Company information (company, business, performance, corporate culture,
Public information 17 consisting of information such as location and salary level)
_1, and the domain name and the sub-domain name and business public information 17 ₂ concerning etc., to match the e-mail address data, take the matching of the conditions for the domain name of the e-mail address (step 18), was consistent conditions The information is extracted, and the record data is registered in the evaluation database 12. Record data is for each entry, company name, division, business area, interest, and annual income. The location, company culture, domain name, and response history information for mail distribution are registered. The application history information records the history of responses to mail transmission. The matching process (18) in the creation of the evaluation database 12 includes:
This can be performed by automatic collation processing by a computer. Of course, the operator may manually create and update from the terminal.

FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of the contents of the transmission condition database 13. The transmission condition database 13 stores condition information such as a business area, an interest, an annual income rank, and a location as transmission conditions for each transmission message to be transmitted by e-mail. This is registered by classifying desired condition information as a mail delivery destination according to the category (financial product, luxury condominium, technical seminar) of the content (message) of the transmitted mail. Each condition information is
The transmission condition database 13 is stored as code information or text. The input of the transmission condition in the transmission condition database 13 is appropriately set by analyzing the intention of the customer and the content of the transmission message at the time of receiving the mail distribution from the customer. It goes without saying that the transmission condition database 13 may be created by software processing that automatically generates transmission conditions by inputting a transmission message and automatically analyzing keywords in the text.

FIG. 5 is a flowchart for explaining the mail distribution processing according to one embodiment of the present invention. Referring to FIG.
In one embodiment of the present invention, at the time of mail transmission, first, one transmission condition of the transmission target mail is read from the transmission condition database 13 (step S1). If the result of reading the transmission condition data is the end (for example, EO
When F (end of file) is detected), the processing is terminated (yes branch of step S2).

Based on the read mail transmission conditions, the evaluation database 12 is searched (step S3). If there is a data record of evaluation data that matches the mail transmission conditions (yes branch of step S4), this record Is extracted from the evaluation database 12, and the extracted record is stored in the extracted evaluation DB file 15 (step S5).

The data record extracted from the extracted evaluation DB file 15 is read (step S6), and the collected mail address file 11 storing the collected mail addresses is searched based on the domain of the data record and, if necessary, the subdomain. Then (step S7), if the domain or the subdomain, and in some cases, the domain and the subdomain match (yes in step S8), the mail address is stored in the destination address file 16 (step S9).

The data record extracted from the extracted evaluation DB file 15 is read (step S6).
Is repeated until the EOF is detected, and the destination address file 16 stored until the EOF is detected is stored in the mailer 20.
Handed over to

After that, for the next mail transmission, the processing shifts to the transmission condition reading process in step S1.

As a modification of the embodiment of the present invention, the number of mail addresses (the number of mail addresses output to the destination If the number of e-mail addresses) is significantly smaller than the number of scheduled transmissions, the collation conditions may be reduced, for example, by reducing the number of conditions that match the transmission conditions in step S4 of FIG. 5 with the evaluation data. The number of mail transmission destinations may be increased by relaxing the condition, that is, by extending the condition to partial matching instead of perfect matching.

Conversely, if the number of mail addresses whose domains and sub-domains match the transmission conditions is significantly larger than the number of scheduled transmissions, the process of collating the transmission conditions with the evaluation data in step S4 in FIG. It is also possible to perform control to narrow down the number of mail transmission destinations by tightening the collation conditions by increasing the number of conditions that match in.

E-mail addresses are collected by using an e-mail address to be accessed by an e-mail magazine or news distribution in an information provider or the like.
4, the information may be legally automatically collected and stored in the collected mail address file 11. In one embodiment of the present invention, the mail address collecting means 14 only needs to store the mail address in the collected mail address file 11, and input the mail address entered by the user to the questionnaire from the input device of the terminal. Needless to say, a collection form such as registration in the collection mail address file 11 is also included.

As described above, according to the present invention, for a domain name of an e-mail address, evaluation data relating to the domain name is obtained from public information and is stored in a database, so that details such as personal information of a user having an e-mail address can be obtained. E-mail destinations can be selected without having to keep them.

That is, a mail distributor can implement the system according to the present invention as long as there is only public information for constructing evaluation data relating to a mail address and its domain. In the present invention, if personal information for each e-mail address can be obtained, it is needless to say that this may be reflected in the evaluation data.

The contents of the drawings and the like referred to in the description of the above embodiments are merely illustrative of the present invention and are not intended to limit the present invention. It is not limited to the example configuration only,
It is a matter of course that the scope of the invention set forth in the claims includes any variations and modifications that can be made by those skilled in the art.

[0037]

As described above, according to the present invention,
Upon delivery of the mail, a mail address having a domain and a sub-domain having evaluation data matching the transmission information and the condition is selected based on a transmission condition regarding the destination of the mail, and a mail is sent to the selected mail address. Because of the transmission configuration, it can be expected that the hit rate of the sales promotion mail and the like will be improved.

Further, according to the present invention, the mail delivery destination is automatically selected based on the mail transmission conditions, so that there is no need for manual work, and the working efficiency is improved.

Further, according to the present invention, the evaluation database is updated not by fixed information but by public information on the Internet or the like one by one, and by reflecting response result information such as a hit ratio for outgoing mails, learning is performed. An effect is expected, and the accuracy and accuracy of distribution of mail transmission can be improved.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating an example of a system configuration according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of a configuration of a destination evaluation device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a diagram showing the contents of an evaluation database according to one embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a diagram showing contents of a transmission condition database in one embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing a processing flow of an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 6 is a diagram showing an example of a configuration of a mail address.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 Destination evaluation apparatus 11 Collected mail address file 12 Evaluation database 13 Transmission condition database 14 E-mail address collection means 15 Extracted evaluation DB file 16 Destination address file 20 Mailer 30 Mail server 40 Internet 101 Transmission condition search means 102 Evaluation DB extraction means 103 E-mail address selection means 104 E-mail transmission means

Claims (9)

[Claims] An e-mail address is analyzed for a collected e-mail address group, and the mail is transmitted to a mail address whose domain and / or subdomain of the e-mail address meets the transmission conditions of the e-mail to be transmitted. A mail distribution control device comprising means for controlling the mail distribution control. 2. A first storage means for storing a group of collected e-mail addresses; a domain and / or a sub-domain of the e-mail address;
A second storage unit for storing predetermined evaluation data relating to the domain and / or the subdomain; and searching the second storage unit for a delivery target email based on a transmission condition of the email, Means for extracting evaluation data whose contents match the mail transmission condition; searching for a mail address stored in the first storage means; and a domain and / or sub-domain of the mail address is used for the extracted evaluation. Means for automatically selecting a mail address that matches a domain and / or sub-domain corresponding to the use data, and mail is delivered to the selected mail address. 3. A collected mail address file storing a group of collected mail addresses, a domain and / or subdomain of the mail address,
An evaluation database that stores a data record including predetermined evaluation data related to the domain and / or subdomain; a transmission condition database that stores mail transmission conditions of a mail to be distributed; Means for reading out the mail transmission condition, searching the evaluation database record based on the mail transmission condition, extracting a data record in which the mail transmission condition matches the evaluation data, and outputting the data record to an extraction file. Searching the collected mail address file, and for a mail address stored in the collected mail address file, a domain and / or sub-domain is set to the domain and / or sub-domain of the data record extracted in the extraction file. Choose a matching email address Means for outputting a signal destination address file, the addressed mail address outputted to the destination address file, mail delivery control apparatus characterized by comprising a means for controlling to send mail, a. [Claim 4] The company name, business description, business location, business performance,
The public information on at least one of the salary levels is compared with the public information on the domain and subdomain of the e-mail address and the business description, and a data record to be registered in the evaluation database based on data that matches the conditions as a result of the comparison. 4. The mail delivery control device according to claim 3, wherein the mail delivery control device is created. 5. A distribution system comprising: first storage means for storing a group of collected e-mail addresses; and second storage means for storing predetermined evaluation data relating to a domain and / or sub-domain of the e-mail address. For the requested mail, searching the second storage means based on the mail transmission condition relating to the distribution target mail, and searching for the domain and / or domain in which the mail transmission condition matches the content of the evaluation data. Extracting a sub-domain; retrieving the e-mail address stored in the first storage means; and automatically selecting an e-mail address whose domain name matches the extracted domain and / or sub-domain. And delivering an email to the selected email address. 6. A first memory for storing collected mail addresses.
Storage means, and second storage means for storing predetermined evaluation data relating to the domain and / or subdomain of the mail address, and (a) for the mail requested to be delivered, the delivery target mail A process of searching the second storage unit based on the e-mail transmission conditions for extracting a domain and / or sub-domain in which the contents of the e-mail transmission conditions and the evaluation data match, (b) (C) searching for the mail address stored in the first storage means, and automatically selecting a mail address whose domain name matches the extracted domain and / or sub-domain; A process of delivering a mail to a mail address, and a record of a program for causing a computer to execute each of the above-described processes (a) to (c). Body. 7. A collected mail address file storing a group of collected mail addresses, a domain and / or subdomain of the mail address,
An evaluation database that stores a data record including predetermined evaluation data related to the domain and / or subdomain; and a transmission condition database that stores transmission conditions of the mail to be distributed. (A) The transmission condition The e-mail transmission conditions stored in the database are read out, and the evaluation database record is searched based on the e-mail transmission conditions to extract an evaluation database record in which the e-mail transmission conditions match the evaluation data. (B) searching the collected e-mail address file, and extracting a domain and / or subdomain for the e-mail address stored in the collected e-mail address file into the extraction file. Domain and / or subdomain of the database record for evaluation (C) selecting an e-mail address matching the e-mail address and outputting it to the destination address file; and (c) controlling the e-mail to be transmitted to the e-mail address output to the destination address file. A recording medium on which a program for causing a computer to execute each of the processes (a) to (c) is recorded. 8. In the business model of mail delivery, a mail delivery company entrusted by a customer, for a delivery request mail, determines predetermined evaluation data relating to the domain and / or subdomain of the mail address based on the mail transmission conditions. With reference to the evaluation database storing the e-mail, the domain or the domain and the sub-domain in which the e-mail transmission condition and the evaluation data match are extracted, and the domain and / or the sub-domain are extracted from the collected and accumulated e-mail addresses. Automatically selecting a mail address that matches the extracted domain and / or subdomain, outputting the mail address to a destination address file, and giving the destination address file to a mail transmitting device to perform mail distribution. Delivery business model method. 9. When the number of automatically selected destination addresses is less than the number of mail distributions entrusted from the customer, in extracting a domain and / or sub-domain in which the e-mail transmission conditions match the evaluation data, If the criteria for condition matching are relaxed, and the number of automatically selected destination addresses is larger than the number of mail distributions received from the customer, the domain and / or sub-data whose e-mail transmission conditions match the evaluation data In extracting the domain, control is performed to make the criteria for condition matching stricter, and the number of automatically selected destination addresses is controlled so as to be close to the number of mail distributions received from the customer. The method of the mail delivery business model according to claim 8.