JP2005050112A - Time information sending and receiving system, message sending terminal, message relay server, message receiving terminal, computer program and method for sending and receiving time information - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To make an information processing terminal in a remote place execute a predetermined notification process on a certain date and at a certain time. <P>SOLUTION: A message sending terminal 102, a message receiving terminal 106, and a message relay server 104 are connected to one another via a communication network 108. The message sending terminal is provided with a time information adding means 124 for adding time information showing the designated date and time to a message so that the message receiving terminal executes the notification process at the designated date and time. The message receiving terminal is provided with a message notification process means 166 for executing the notification process and a time information control means 164 for controlling the message notification process means according to the designated date and time shown by the time information and the current date and time. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2005,JPO&NCIPI

Description

  The present invention relates to a time information transmission / reception system, a message transmission terminal, a message relay server, a message reception terminal, a computer program, and a time information transmission / reception method.

  Conventionally, it is common to write a memo on a sticky note and paste it somewhere and use it as a reminder. However, the function of a sticky note as a reminder has been realized on the desktop screen of a personal computer (PC). Application programs are also generally known. With such an application program, it is possible to display or delete electronic data that can be displayed in the form of a label on which characters and images are written at an arbitrary position on the desktop screen of the PC.

  In the application program described above, it has been manual to move or delete the label to any position on the desktop screen. However, there is an information processing apparatus, method, and medium that automatically perform such operations. It has been proposed by the applicant (see, for example, Patent Document 1). In such an information processing apparatus and information processing method, it is possible to automatically move the created label itself to an arbitrary position on the desktop screen at an arbitrary time, or to automatically delete it at an arbitrary time. is there.

JP 2000-331082 A

  However, in the information processing apparatus, the information processing method, and the like described above, it has been impossible to cause the information processing apparatus at a remote location to perform predetermined notification processing at an arbitrary time. For this reason, when a meeting is notified to a person at a remote location via an information processing device such as a PC or a mobile phone, an email is sent again as a reminder when the date and time of the meeting approaches. I had to make a phone call.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above-described problems of an information processing apparatus and method for displaying a conventional label on a desktop screen, and an object of the present invention is to an information processing apparatus at a remote location. By providing a new and improved time information transmission / reception system, message transmission terminal, message relay server, message reception terminal, computer program, and time information transmission / reception method capable of performing predetermined notification processing at an arbitrary time is there.

  In order to solve the above-described problems, according to a first aspect of the present invention, a message transmission terminal connected to a communication network, a message reception terminal connected to the communication network, and a message relay server connected to the communication network Is provided.

  The message sending terminal includes a time information adding means for adding time information related to the specified date and time to the message so that the message receiving terminal performs notification processing at the specified date and time, and a message for sending a message with time information to the message relay server. Transmitting means.

  The message relay server includes message relay means for relaying a message with time information from a message transmitting terminal to a message receiving terminal.

  The message receiving terminal includes message receiving means for receiving a message with time information from the message relay server, message notification processing means for performing notification processing, and message notification processing means based on a designated date and time and current date and time related to the time information. Time information control means for controlling.

  In the above-described invention, the message transmitting terminal can cause a message receiving terminal at a remote location connected via a communication network to perform a predetermined notification process at an arbitrary date and time. That is, in the message transmission terminal, information regarding the date and time at which the message reception terminal is to perform a predetermined notification process can be added to the message as time information and transmitted to the message reception terminal via the message relay server. The message receiving terminal can perform a predetermined notification process at a specified date and time based on the time information added to the message received from the message transmitting terminal via the message relay server.

  If the message relay server is configured so that a message with time information received from the message sending terminal is sent to the message receiving terminal regardless of whether there is a message acquisition request from the message receiving terminal, the message receiving server The receiver who receives the message (hereinafter also simply referred to as the receiver) is a message in real time almost simultaneously with the transmission of the message by the sender (hereinafter also simply referred to as the sender) that transmits the message at the message transmission terminal. Can be received. For this reason, even when the sender designates a relatively near future date and time as time information, there is a high possibility that such a message can be received before the designated date and time passes.

  Further, the message relay server is configured such that information relating to a user who uses the message transmission terminal / message reception terminal is registered in advance, and presence information relating to the current status of the registered user is transmitted to the message transmission terminal / message reception terminal. For example, the sender of the message cannot receive the message because the destination is currently connected to the communication network and can receive the message, or is not connected to the communication network. You can know if you are offline before sending a message.

  Also, if the presence information can be set arbitrarily such as “meal” or “meeting” in addition to online and offline, the sender of the message can know the status of the other party before sending. Therefore, the sender specifies the date and time of the time information to perform notification processing when the meeting time approaches in order not to forget to hold the meeting, for example, to the other party whose presence information is “busy” etc. However, you can take action according to the other party's situation, such as sending a message with time information.

  Further, if the message relay server is configured to limit the transmission destination of the message with time information / presence information according to the request from the message transmission terminal / message reception terminal, the sender and receiver of the message have their current It is possible to limit the parties to whom presence information that is the situation is transmitted, and it is not necessary to receive a message with time information from a source other than a limited transmission source. Therefore, for example, it is possible to avoid a risk that the message receiving terminal receives a message with time information from another person having malicious intent and performs processing intended by the other person having malicious intention at a specified time.

  The time information transmission / reception system described above may be configured to transmit / receive a message with time information to which time information is added as an instant message. According to this configuration, the three functions described above, that is, the function that the message receiving terminal can receive a message with time information in near real time, the function that the message relay server transmits presence information, and the time that the message relay server uses It is possible to easily realize a time information transmission / reception system having a function of limiting a partner to which a message with information / presence information is transmitted.

  Further, the time information control means described above is configured such that the designated date and time related to the time information are compared with the current date and time, and when the designated date and time match the current date and time, the notification processing means is used to perform the notification process. For example, the receiver of the message can know by the notification process that the time specified by the sender has come.

  In order to solve the above-described problem, according to a second aspect of the present invention, a message transmission terminal that transmits a message and that is mutually connected via a communication network, and a message that is relayed from the message transmission terminal to the message reception terminal A message relay server that receives the message and a message receiving terminal that receives the message are provided.

  The message sending terminal includes a time information adding means for adding time information related to a specified time to a message so that the message receiving terminal performs notification processing at a specified date and time, and a message with time information is sent to the message via the message relay server. Message transmitting means for transmitting to the receiving terminal.

  The message relay server includes message relay means for relaying a message with time information from the message sending terminal to the message receiving terminal, and time information based on the specified date and time and the current date and time related to the time information included in the message with time information. Management means for managing messages.

  The message receiving terminal includes a message receiving means for receiving a message with time information to which time information related to designation of the date and time for performing the notification processing is added from the message transmitting terminal via the message relay server, and a message notification processing means for performing the notification processing. And a time information control means for controlling the message notification processing means based on the designated date and time related to the time information and the current date and time.

  In the above-described invention, the message transmitting terminal can cause a message receiving terminal at a remote location connected via a communication network to perform a predetermined notification process at an arbitrary time. That is, in the message transmission terminal, information regarding the date and time at which the message reception terminal is to perform a predetermined notification process can be added to the message as time information and transmitted to the message reception terminal via the message relay server. The message receiving terminal can perform a predetermined notification process at a specified date and time based on the time information added to the message received from the message transmitting terminal via the message relay server. In addition, the message relay server can manage messages received from the message sending terminal, so that the messages received when the message receiving terminal specified as the destination is offline and cannot receive the messages can be managed. it can.

  If the message transmitting terminal is further configured to further include notification processing information adding means for adding notification processing information about the content of notification processing to be performed at the specified date and time as a message receiving terminal to the message with time information, The sender of the message can change the contents of the notification processing to be performed by the message receiving terminal depending on the destination partner or the contents of the message to be transmitted.

  In addition, rank information related to the importance level of the message is changed to the message with time information in order to change notification processing to be performed at the specified date and time by the message transmission terminal as a message receiving terminal according to the importance level of the message. If it is configured to further include rank information adding means to be added to the message, the sender of the message can rank the message to be transmitted according to its importance, and the notification processing to be performed at the message receiving terminal can be changed according to the rank. Is also possible.

  The message management means of the message relay server records the message with time information in a message storage means, compares the specified date and time related to the time information included in the message with time information, and compares the current date and time with the current date and time. If the configuration is such that the message with time information is deleted from the message storage means when the designated date and time have passed, an unnecessary message that has passed the designated date and time to be notified at the message receiving terminal is sent to the message receiving terminal. The waste of sending can be eliminated.

  If the message relay means of the message relay server is configured to transmit a message with time information received from the message transmitting terminal to the message receiving terminal regardless of whether there is a message acquisition request from the message receiving terminal, The recipient can receive the message in real time almost simultaneously with the message sender sending the message.

  In addition, the message relay server includes user information storage means for storing information about a user who uses the message transmission terminal / message reception terminal, and presence information about the current state of the user stored in the user information storage means. If configured to further comprise presence information management means for sending to the message receiving terminal, the sender of the message is in an online state where the recipient is currently connected to the Internet and can receive the message. Or whether it is offline before sending a message. Also, if the presence information can be set arbitrarily such as “meal” or “meeting” in addition to online and offline, the sender of the message can know the status of the other party before sending.

  Further, if the message relay server further comprises user link means for limiting the transmission destination of the message with time information / presence information in accordance with a request from the message transmission terminal / message reception terminal, the message sender and reception The person can limit the partner to which the presence information which is his / her current state is transmitted, and does not have to receive a message with time information from a source other than the limited source.

  The time information control means of the message receiving terminal compares the designated date and time related to the time information with the current date and time, and when the designated date and time match the current date and time, the notification processing means performs the notification processing. If it is configured so as to be performed, it is possible to notify the message recipient that the time specified by the sender has been reached by the notification process.

  If the time information control means of the message receiving terminal is configured to discard the message with time information based on the specified date and time and the current date and time related to the time information when receiving the message with time information, the message receiving terminal This eliminates the need for the recipient to confirm and manually distribute unnecessary messages that have passed the specified date and time for which notification processing should be performed.

  Further, if the message notification processing means of the message receiving terminal is configured to perform different notification processing according to the importance of the message, the receiver can know the importance of the message.

  In order to solve the above problems, according to a third aspect of the present invention, there is provided a computer program that allows a computer to function as a message transmission terminal, a message relay server, or a message reception terminal.

  In order to solve the above problems, according to a fourth aspect of the present invention, a message transmission terminal connected to a communication network, a message reception terminal connected to the communication network, and a message relay server connected to the communication network A time information transmission / reception method realized using the above is provided.

In the time information transmitting / receiving method, the message transmitting terminal adds the time information related to the specified date and time to the message so that the message receiving terminal performs notification processing at the specified date and time; Sending to:
The message relay server relaying the message with time information from the message transmitting terminal to the message receiving terminal;
The message receiving terminal includes a step of receiving the message with time information from the message relay server and a step of performing notification processing based on the designated date and time and the current date and time related to the time information.

  In the above-described invention, the message transmitting terminal can cause a message receiving device at a remote location connected via a communication network to perform a predetermined notification process at an arbitrary time. That is, in the message transmission terminal, information regarding the date and time at which the message reception terminal is to perform a predetermined notification process can be added to the message as time information and transmitted to the message reception terminal via the message relay server. The message receiving terminal can perform a predetermined notification process at a specified date and time based on the time information added to the message received from the message transmitting terminal via the message relay server.

  As described above, according to the present invention, it is possible to cause an information processing apparatus at a remote location to perform a predetermined notification process at an arbitrary date and time. In other words, the information processing apparatus on the receiving side can perform a predetermined notification process at an arbitrary designated date and time based on the time information regarding the arbitrary date and time added to the message in the information processing apparatus on the transmission side. It was.

  Exemplary embodiments of a time information transmitting / receiving system according to the present invention will be described below in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the present specification and drawings, components having substantially the same functional configuration are denoted by the same reference numerals, and redundant description is omitted.

  First, the overall configuration of a time information transmission / reception system 100 configured as an embodiment of the time information transmission / reception system and the like according to the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a time information transmission / reception system 100 according to the present embodiment.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the time information transmission / reception system 100 includes a message transmission terminal 102, a message relay server 104, a message reception terminal 106, a communication network 108, and the like. In the above description, each of the message transmission terminal 102 and the message reception terminal 106 is configured by one, but each may be configured by two or more. Further, the message relay server 104 can be deleted from the configuration of the time information transmission / reception system 100 by providing the message transmission terminal 102 and the message reception terminal 106 with the function of the message relay server 104. The function of the message relay server 104 will be described later.

  The time information transmission / reception system 100 includes a function for transmitting / receiving messages and the like to / from the message transmission terminal 102, the message relay server 104, and the message reception terminal 106 via the communication network 108. As a method for transmitting and receiving messages via a communication network, e-mail and chat are known. The time information transmitting and receiving system 100 according to the present embodiment uses an instant messaging technique. The following is a brief description of instant messaging.

  Instant messaging based on instant messaging technology has the same purpose as conventional chat and e-mail in transmitting messages to specific parties using a communication network.

  However, in an instant message, a server that relays a message from a transmitting terminal to a receiving terminal can transmit the message to the receiving terminal immediately after receiving the message from the transmitting terminal. That is, the method differs from that of electronic mail in that the receiving terminal does not perform processing for retrieving a message from the server, unlike the method of acquiring a message in electronic mail. Therefore, there is an advantage that the message immediately arrives from the message transmitting terminal 102 to the message receiving terminal 106 by using the instant message in the time information transmitting / receiving system 100 according to the present embodiment.

  In the instant message, a partner who wants to communicate is registered as a member in advance, and the method is different from the chat in that a message can be transmitted / received only with the registered partner. Furthermore, the instant message has a function of transmitting presence information as a current situation to a previously registered partner. The presence information includes, for example, information indicating that the message is online while being connected to the communication network. It is also possible to use presence information as detailed settings such as “meeting” and “mealing”, which are in an online state where messages can be received but cannot be read immediately. The presence information can be set manually, or it can be automatically set by the information processing terminal inferring the status from the screen saver status and the keyboard and mouse operation status.

  By using the instant message in the time information transmitting / receiving system 100 according to the present embodiment, a sender (hereinafter also simply referred to as a sender) that sends a message at the message sending terminal 102 sends a message at the message receiving terminal 106. It is possible to take measures according to the current situation of the receiving recipient (hereinafter also simply referred to as the recipient). For example, the sender specifies the date and time of the time information so that the other party whose presence information is “busy”, for example, performs notification processing when the meeting time approaches in order not to forget to hold the meeting. , You can send a message with time information. Also, messages from members other than registered members are not received. Therefore, for example, the message receiving terminal 106 receives a message with time information from another person with malicious intent, and can avoid the risk that the other person with malicious intent performs the process intended by the other person at the specified time. .

  However, the present invention is not limited to this example, and any time information transmission / reception system according to the present invention can be used as long as it is a technique that enables transmission / reception of messages via a communication network such as e-mail and chat. Can be built.

  The message transmission terminal 102 is an information processing terminal having a function of adding time information or the like to a created message and transmitting the message to the message relay server 104. The time information will be described later. If the message relay server 104 is deleted from the configuration of the time information transmission / reception system 100, the message can be directly transmitted to the message receiving terminal 106.

  Examples of the message transmission terminal 102 include a personal computer (PC), a personal digital assistant (PDA), an information home appliance with a built-in computer, or a mobile device such as a mobile phone. The configuration of the message transmission terminal 102 will be described later.

  The message relay server 104 is an information processing server having a function of receiving a message or the like from the message transmission terminal 102 and transmitting the message or the like to the message reception terminal 106. As described above, the message relay server 104 can be deleted from the configuration of the time information transmission / reception system 100 by providing the message transmission terminal 102 and the message reception terminal 106 with such a function. Further, the message relay server 104 may be configured to further have a function of recording and managing the message and the like. The configuration of the message relay server 104 will be described later.

  The message receiving terminal 106 is an information processing terminal having a function of receiving a message or the like from the message relay server 104 and performing a notification process based on time information added to the message. If the message relay server 104 is deleted from the configuration of the time information transmission / reception system 100, the message can be received directly from the message transmission terminal 102. The notification process will be described later.

  Examples of the message receiving terminal 106 include a personal computer (PC), a personal digital assistant (PDA), an information appliance with a built-in computer, or a mobile device such as a mobile phone. The configuration of the message receiving terminal 106 will be described later.

  Examples of the communication network 108 include a telephone line capable of bidirectional communication, a dedicated line, and the Internet. The communication network 108 may be wired or wireless.

  The message transmission terminal 102, the message relay server 104, and the message reception terminal 106 can be connected via the communication network 108 and can communicate with each other.

  The configuration of the time information transmission / reception system 100 according to the present embodiment has been described above. Next, based on FIG. 2, the structure of the message transmission terminal 102 concerning this embodiment is demonstrated. FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the message transmission terminal 102.

  The message transmission terminal 102 mainly includes a central control unit 112, a storage unit 114, a user interface unit 116, and a communication control unit 118. The central control unit 112 performs overall control of the message transmission terminal 102. The storage unit 114 includes an internal hard disk and an external hard disk, and stores applications and data. The user interface unit 116 includes an input mechanism such as a keyboard and a mouse, a display mechanism such as a display, a sound mechanism such as a stereo and a microphone, etc., and provides information to a sender using a message transmission terminal, and at the same time. Accept information from the sender. The communication control unit 118 controls communication with the outside via, for example, a telephone line, a dedicated line, or the Internet.

  The storage unit 114 includes an IM (instant message) application unit 120 that realizes a function as the message transmission terminal 102 in the time information transmission / reception system 100 according to the present embodiment. The IM application unit 120 will be described in detail below.

  The IM application unit 120 includes presence information display means 121, message creation means 122, time information addition means 124, rank information addition means 126, notification processing information addition means 128, message transmission means 130, and the like. . Since rank information adding means 126 and notification processing information adding means 128 are not essential components, parentheses () are added in the drawing.

  Presence information display means 121 is selected as a member to be communicated by the sender from among users who transmit and receive messages using message transmission terminal 102 / message reception terminal 106 registered in message relay server 104 in advance. The presence information of one or more users is displayed.

  Presence information indicates the current status of the user registered in the message relay server 104. The user's current status includes an online state in which the user is currently connected to the message relay server 104 from the message sending terminal 102 / message receiving terminal 106, and a state in which communication is not possible. Some offline states are included. In addition, the user can connect and communicate, but the user cannot set the message immediately after receiving the message. For example, “In a meeting” can be arbitrarily set by the user. . Further, instead of being manually set by the user, the message sending terminal 102 / message receiving terminal 106 may guess the user's current status from the screen saver status, the keyboard or mouse operation status, etc., and set it automatically. .

  The sender can limit the message relay server 104 to send his / her presence information only to the members and receive messages only from the members.

  The message creation unit 122 creates a message based on an input from an input mechanism that is a component of the user interface unit 116.

  The time information adding unit 124 adds time information to the message created by the message creating unit 122. The time information indicates a date and time, and a specific date and time is set based on information input by the sender via the user interface unit 116. The input from the user interface unit 116 may be a specific date and time or an elapsed time from the current date and time. In the case of elapsed time, the time information adding means 124 adds the elapsed time specified to the current date and time to obtain a specific date and time, and adds the obtained specific date and time as time information.

  The time information adding means 124 may add the specific date and time input or obtained from the elapsed time as it is, or may add the time before and after the specific date and time as time information. For example, when a specific date and time of “2003/7/18 18:00” is input, the date and time as it is may be used as time information, or “2003/7/18 17 which is 10 minutes before the specific date and time”. : 50 ”may be time information.

  The time information added by the time information adding means 124 reaches the message receiving terminal 106 together with the message, and the message receiving terminal 106 can perform a predetermined notification process at the date and time indicated by the time information.

  Rank information adding means 126 adds rank information to the message. The rank information represents a rank indicating the importance level of the message, and can be input by the sender via the user interface unit 116. The rank information added by the rank information adding means 126 reaches the message receiving terminal 106 together with the message, and the notification processing performed in the message receiving terminal 106 can be changed according to the rank. Alternatively, the notification information corresponding to the rank can be added to the rank information when the notification processing information adding means 128 described later adds the notification processing information to the message. The rank information can be arbitrarily set such as an urgency level in addition to a message importance level. Note that rank information adding means may be omitted.

  The notification processing information adding unit 128 adds notification processing information to the message. The notification processing information indicates the content of notification processing performed by the message receiving terminal 106 and can be input by the sender via the user interface unit 116. Alternatively, the notification processing information added by the notification processing information unit 128 may be determined in advance according to the rank added by the rank information adding unit 126 described above. For example, the notification processing information means 128 automatically selects and adds to the message notification processing information indicating that a beep sound is generated as notification processing when rank A having a high importance level is added. Can do. Note that the notification processing information adding means may be omitted.

  The message transmission unit 130 transmits a message with time information to which at least time information is added among the time information, rank information, and notification processing information described above to the message relay server 104 via the communication control unit 118.

  The configuration of the message transmission terminal 102 according to the present embodiment has been described above. Next, the configuration of the message relay server according to the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the message relay server 104.

  The message relay server mainly includes a central control unit 132, a storage unit 134, and a communication control unit 138. The central control unit 132 performs overall control of the message relay server 104. The storage unit 134 includes an internal hard disk and an external hard disk, and stores applications and data. The communication control unit 138 controls communication with the outside via, for example, a telephone line, a dedicated line, or the Internet.

  The storage unit 134 includes an IM (instant message) application unit 140 that realizes a function as the message relay server 104 in the time information transmission / reception system 100 according to the present embodiment. The IM application unit 140 will be described in detail below.

  The IM application unit 140 includes a user link unit 141, a message relay unit 142, a presence information management unit 143, a message management unit 144, a user information storage unit 145, a message storage unit 146, and the like.

  The user information storage unit 145 stores information of a user who uses the time information transmission / reception system 100 according to the present embodiment using the message transmission terminal 102 and the message reception terminal 106. Examples of items to be stored include user ID 182, identification information 184, presence information 186, and member information 188 as shown in FIG.

  In the user ID column 182, IDs of users who access the message relay server 104 using the message transmission terminal 102 and the message reception terminal 106 are stored. The identification information column 182 stores information that uniquely identifies the user, such as an e-mail address.

  Presence information acquired by the presence information management unit 143 from the message transmission terminal 102 and the message reception terminal 106 via the communication control unit 138 is stored in the presence information column 186. The presence information is as described above. In FIG. 5, for the sake of easy understanding, the presence information is indicated by characters such as “in meeting”. However, the presence information may be defined and stored by a numerical value or the like.

  The member information column 188 stores user IDs of members who can communicate with each user. The member information acquired by the user link unit 141 from the message transmission terminal 102 and the message reception terminal 106 via the communication control unit 138 is registered by being linked to the user who transmitted the member information.

  The user link means 141 links information on members permitted to communicate transmitted from users such as senders and receivers via the message transmission terminal 102 and the message reception terminal 106 with the user who transmitted the member information. And recorded in the user information storage means 145. Specifically, in FIG. 5, the member user ID and the like are stored in the member information column 188 in the same row as the row in which the user ID of the user who transmitted the member information is stored.

  Further, the limiting process is performed so that presence information acquired from the message transmission terminal 102 and the message reception terminal 106 is transmitted only to members permitted to communicate with reference to the member information column 188 of the user information storage unit 145. Further, a limiting process is performed so that a message including a message with time information received from the message transmission terminal 102 is transmitted only to members permitted to communicate with reference to the member information column 188 of the user information storage unit 145.

  The presence information management unit 143 stores the presence information acquired from the message transmission terminal 102 and the message reception terminal 106 in the presence information column 186 of the user information storage unit 145. In addition, when there is a change in the presence information of the user, such presence information is immediately transmitted to the member. At this time, as a result of the limiting process performed by the user link unit 142 described above, the presence information management unit 143 can transmit the presence information only to the members.

  The message relay unit 142 receives a message including a message with time information from the message transmission terminal 102 via the communication control unit 138 and transmits the message to the message reception terminal 106. As a result of the limitation process performed by the user link unit 142 described above, the message relay unit 143 can also transmit such a message only to members. Further, when the message relay unit 142 receives a message from the message transmission terminal 102, the message relay unit 142 determines whether the recipient specified as the destination is online or offline with reference to the user information storage unit 145, and the online In this case, the message is immediately transmitted regardless of whether there is a message acquisition request from the message receiving terminal 106. When offline, the message is recorded in the message storage unit 146 via the message management unit 144, and the message can be transmitted immediately when the message receiving terminal 106 comes online.

  The message management unit 144 records the message received from the message transmission terminal 102 in the message storage unit 146. Only messages that have not been sent to the message receiving terminal 106 may be recorded, or all messages may be recorded. The message management unit 144 further manages the message based on the designated date and time and the current date and time indicated by the time information included in the message recorded in the message storage unit. Specifically, for example, for all messages with time information recorded in the message storage means, the current date and time are compared at specified time intervals and the current date and time are past the specified date and time. Can delete such messages from the message storage means. The relationship between the current date and the designated date and time serving as a reference for performing the deletion process can be arbitrarily set. The message management unit 144 may not be provided.

  The message storage unit 146 stores information regarding messages including messages with time information. As items to be stored, for example, as shown in FIG. 6, destination ID 202, message ID 204, sender ID 206, time information 208, message 210, rank 212, processing 214, and the like can be exemplified.

  In the destination ID column 202, information on the recipient, which is destination information of a message received from the message transmission terminal 102, is stored. The message ID column 204 stores a message ID. The message ID is an identification number of a message arbitrarily given for each destination ID, and is unique among the same destination ID. The sender ID column 206 stores sender information. The receiver and sender information stored in the destination ID column 202 and the sender ID column 206 includes a user ID registered in the message relay server 104 in advance by a person using the time information transmission / reception system 100 according to the present embodiment. Information.

  In the time information column 208, time information added to the message is stored. The message management unit 144 described above performs processing based on the designated date and time indicated by the time information stored in the time information column 208. A message text is stored in the message column 210. Rank information and notification processing information added to the message are stored in the rank column 212 and the processing column 214, respectively. Note that the rank column 212 and the processing column 214 may be omitted.

  The message relay server 104 according to the present embodiment has been described above. Next, based on FIG. 4, the structure of the message receiving terminal 106 concerning this embodiment is demonstrated. FIG. 4 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the message receiving terminal 106.

  The message receiving terminal 106 mainly includes a central control unit 152, a storage unit 154, a user interface unit 156, and a communication control unit 158. The central control unit 152 performs overall control of the message receiving terminal 106. The storage unit 154 includes an internal hard disk and an external hard disk, and stores applications and data. The user interface unit 156 includes an input mechanism such as a keyboard and a mouse, a display mechanism such as a display, a sound mechanism such as a stereo and a microphone, etc., and provides information to a recipient who uses the message receiving terminal, and at the same time Accept information from the sender. The communication control unit 158 controls communication with the outside via, for example, a telephone line, a dedicated line, or the Internet.

  The storage unit 154 includes an IM (instant message) application unit 120 that realizes a function as the message receiving terminal 106 in the time information transmission / reception system 100 according to the present embodiment. The IM application unit 160 will be described in detail below.

  The IM application unit 160 includes a presence information display unit 161, a message reception unit 162, a time information control unit 164, a message notification processing unit 166, a message storage unit 168, and the like.

  Presence information display means 161 displays the presence information of one or more users selected as members to be communicated by the recipient among the users registered in advance in message relay server 104. The presence information is as described above.

  The receiver can limit the message relay server 104 to transmit the presence information only to the member and receive the message only from the member.

  The message receiving unit 162 receives a message including a message with time information from the message relay server 104 via the communication control unit 158. Further, the message received via the user interface unit 156 is notified to the recipient. Specifically, for example, a message is displayed on the display. At this time, it is also possible to display electronic data that can be displayed in a label form on which a message is written as shown in FIG. 13 on the desktop screen, similar to a sticky note in paper data.

  The time information control unit 164 acquires time information added to the received message, and processes the message based on the date and time indicated by the time information and the current date and time. Specifically, for example, the specified date and time indicated by the time information when the message is received is compared with the current date and time. If the current date and time exceeds the specified date and time, the message is discarded. The message concerning 168 is accumulated.

  Also, for all messages stored in the message storage means, the specified date and time are compared at regular time intervals, and when the specified date and time match, the message notification processing means 166 is notified. Can be done. In the above description, the time when the specified date and time coincide with the current date and time is used as the processing standard. However, the present invention is not limited to this example, and the time before and after the specified date and time may be used as the processing standard. For example, the receiver can set the notification process to be performed 10 minutes before the designated date and time. Further, the notification process is not limited to once, but may be performed several times at regular time intervals.

  The message notification processing unit 166 performs message notification processing via the user interface unit 156 in accordance with an instruction from the time information control unit 164. The message notification process is performed based on the time information added to the message in order to let the sender know that the specific date has been reached, and informs the receiver that the specific date has been reached. The message notification processing means 166 performs notification processing specified based on the notification processing information added by the message transmission terminal 102. Alternatively, the message notification processing means 166 can determine notification processing in advance according to the rank indicating the importance level, and can perform notification processing predetermined based on the rank information added by the message transmission terminal 102. Examples of message notification processing include, for example, processing to sound a sound, change the color of a label on which a message has been entered, blink the label, or pop up the label hidden on a task bar or the like. Can do. Any other process can be set as the notification process.

  The message storage unit 168 stores information about messages including messages with time information. Examples of items to be accumulated include message ID 304, sender ID 306, time information 308, message 310, rank 312 and processing 314 as shown in FIG.

  A message ID is stored in the message ID column 304. The sender ID column 306 stores sender information. The time information column 308 stores time information added to the message. The time information control means 164 described above performs processing based on the designated date and time indicated by the time information stored in the time information column 308. A message text is stored in the message column 310. The rank column 312 and the processing column 314 store rank information and notification processing information added to the message, respectively. Note that the rank column 312 and the processing column 314 may be omitted.

  The configuration of the message receiving terminal 106 according to the present embodiment has been described above. Next, various processing flows in the time information transmission / reception system according to the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS.

  First, a flow in which a sender transmits a message and time information from the message transmission terminal 102 will be described with reference to FIG.

  First, in step S102, the sender inputs a message to be sent to the destination partner via the input mechanism such as a keyboard to the message sending terminal 102, and specifies the time to notify the destination that the predetermined time has been reached. (Step S102). The message may be text such as letters, or may be an image or sound. The time may be specified by specifying a date and time, or an elapsed time from the current date and time, for example, 3 hours later. It is also possible to input the importance level and the contents of notification processing.

  Next, in step S104, the message transmission terminal 102 acquires the current date and time in Greenwich Mean Time (hereinafter referred to as GMT) (step S104). Thereafter, in step S106, the message transmission terminal 102 determines whether the time designated by the sender is a date and time or an elapsed time (step S106).

  If the time specified by the sender is the elapsed time, the process proceeds to step S108. The message transmission terminal 102 adds the specified elapsed time to the current date and time acquired in step S104, and acquires a specific date and time indicating the specified elapsed time by GMT (step S108).

  On the other hand, if the time specified by the sender is date and time, the process proceeds to step S110, and the message transmission terminal 102 converts the specified date and time to GMT (step S110).

  The message transmitting terminal 102 acquires the specified date and time in GMT in step S108 or step S110, and then adds the specified date and time as time information to the input message in step S112, and rank information indicating importance as necessary. A transmission message is generated by adding notification processing information and the like, and is transmitted to the message relay server 104 together with destination information indicating the destination information (step S112). Note that by acquiring the specified time by GMT, even if the message transmission terminal 102 and the message reception terminal 106 belong to different time zones, the message reception terminal 106 performs notification processing at the date and time intended by the sender. It becomes possible to make it.

  The flow in which the sender transmits a message and time information from the message transmission terminal 102 has been described above. Next, a flow in which the message relay server 104 relays a message from the message transmission terminal 102 to the message reception terminal 106 will be described with reference to FIG.

  First, in step S202, the message relay server 104 receives a message including a message with time information from the message transmission terminal 102 (step S202). Next, in step S204, the message relay server 104 acquires destination information from the received message, and determines whether the message receiving terminal 106 used by the recipient designated as the destination is online (step S204). Step S204 is characteristic of the time information transmission / reception system 100 according to the present embodiment implemented using an instant messaging technology. When the time information transmission / reception system 100 is realized using a method in which the receiving side obtains a message from the server, such as an electronic mail, the step S204 may be omitted.

  If it is determined in step S204 that the destination terminal is not online, the process proceeds to step S206. In step S206, the message relay server 104 records the received message in the message storage unit 146 (step S206). After recording, the message relay server 104 monitors the online / offline status of the destination terminal, and proceeds to step S208 when the destination terminal is online.

  If the result of determination in step S204 is that the destination terminal is online, processing proceeds to step S208. Note that the present invention is not limited to this example, and the message may be recorded in the message storage unit 146 even when the destination terminal is online.

  Thereafter, in step S208, the message is transmitted to the destination terminal (message receiving terminal 106) designated as the destination (step S208).

  The flow in which the message relay server 104 relays a message from the message transmission terminal 102 to the message reception terminal 106 has been described above. Next, a flow in which the message receiving terminal 106 receives a message from the message relay server 104 will be described with reference to FIG.

  First, in step S302, the message receiving terminal 302 receives a message from the message relay server 104 (step S304). Next, in step S304, the message receiving terminal 106 determines whether time information is added to the received message (step S304).

  If time information is not added to the message as a result of the determination, the process proceeds to step S306, and the message receiving terminal 106 displays the received message on a display mechanism such as a display (step S306).

  On the other hand, if time information is added to the message, the process proceeds to step S308. In step S308, the message receiving terminal 106 acquires the current date and time, and compares the specified date and time indicated by the time information with the current date and time (step S308).

  As a result of the comparison, if the current date is not earlier than the specified date, that is, if the specified date has already passed, the process proceeds to step S310, and the received message is discarded as an unnecessary message (step S310). Note that the present invention is not limited to this example, and a message that has passed the specified date and time may be displayed, and arbitrary processing can be set.

  On the other hand, as a result of the comparison, if the current date is before the specified date, that is, if the specified date has not yet been reached, the process proceeds to step S312. The message receiving terminal 106 stores the received message in the message storage means, and displays the message stored in step S312 on a display mechanism such as a display (step S312). In the time information transmission / reception system 100 according to the present embodiment, label-like electronic data in which a message is written like a sticky note in a paper document is displayed at an arbitrary position on the desktop screen. With such a display format, the recipient who confirms the message at the message receiving terminal 106 can paste the message at an easily understandable position. The display format of the received message is not limited to such an example, and any format that allows the recipient to confirm the message, such as voice message notification, may be used.

  Thereafter, in step S314, the message receiving terminal 106 compares the current date and time with the designated date and time at regular time intervals (step S314). As a result of the comparison, if the current date / time is not yet the specified date / time, the comparison is performed again after a certain time interval.

  As a result of the comparison, if the current date and time match the specified date and time, the message receiving terminal 106 performs notification processing in step S316 (step S316). In the above description, the notification process is performed when the current date / time matches the specified date / time. However, the present invention is not limited to such an example. For example, the current date / time is 10 minutes before the specified date / time. The relationship between the date and the specified date can be arbitrarily set.

  The notification process notifies the receiver that the time set by the sender has been reached. For example, the color of the label on which the message pasted on the desktop screen is changed or blinked. , And the like can be exemplified. Further, the notification process can be changed according to the importance set by the sender, and at the same time as the sender sets the importance, the designated notification process can be performed by the message receiving terminal 106. Alternatively, the receiver can cause the message receiving terminal 106 to perform a preset notification process for each importance level. Alternatively, the receiver can determine the contents of the notification process for each sender in advance for the message received by the message receiving terminal 106 and perform different notification processes depending on the sender of the message.

  The flow in which the message receiving terminal 106 receives a message from the message relay server 104 has been described above. Next, a flow in which the message relay server manages messages based on message time information recorded in the message storage means will be described with reference to FIG.

  First, in step S402, the message relay server 104 acquires the current date and time at regular time intervals (step S402). Next, in step S404, the message relay server 104 acquires time information of the message recorded in the message storage means (step S404).

  Thereafter, in step S406, the message relay server 104 compares the specified date and time indicated by the acquired time information with the current date and time (step S406). If the current date / time is before the specified date / time, that is, if it is not yet the specified date / time, the current date / time is acquired again after a certain time interval, and the subsequent processing is repeated.

  On the other hand, as a result of the comparison, if the current date is after the specified date, that is, if the specified date has already passed, the process proceeds to step S408. In step S408, the message that has passed the specified time is deleted from the message storage means as an unnecessary message (step S408).

  Note that the present invention is not limited to this example, and a message that has passed the specified time may be stored without being deleted. Further, a means for recording a message history is further provided (not shown), but the message history is deleted from the message storage means, but the message history such as source information, destination information and message content may be saved.

  The various processing flows in the time information transmission / reception system according to the present embodiment have been described above based on FIGS. 8 to 11. Next, a message transmission / reception procedure in the time information transmission / reception system according to the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 12 to 14 are explanatory diagrams showing examples of screens displayed on a display mechanism such as a display of the message transmission terminal 102 and the message reception terminal 106 according to the present embodiment.

  First, a procedure for a sender to create a message with time information at the message transmission terminal 102 will be described with reference to FIG.

  The message transmission screen 1002 is a screen displayed on the display mechanism of the message transmission terminal 102. The sender can create a transmission message using such a screen. First, the message to be transmitted to the destination is entered in the message input field. After that, select either the alarm with the time specified, or the alarm button when the specified time has elapsed. If the former is selected, the sender can specify a specific date and time, and if the latter is selected, the sender can specify an elapsed date and time from the current date and time.

  In addition to specifying the date and time or the elapsed time, the sender can specify the importance of the message in the rank column. A rank is selected according to the importance level, such as specifying A for high-priority notifications such as a meeting holding notice and specifying B or C for those not. Thereafter, when the sender presses the send button, the message sending terminal 102 adds time information or the like to the message and sends it to the message relay server 104.

  Next, a case where the recipient confirms the message at the message receiving terminal 106 will be described with reference to FIGS. 13 and 14.

  FIG. 13 shows a desktop screen of a display which is an example of a display mechanism of the message receiving terminal 106. The message received from the message relay server 104 is stored in the message storage means, and is pasted as a label on which a message such as the label 2002 is written on the desktop screen of the message receiving terminal 106 as shown in FIG. The label contains the message entered by the sender and the specified time.

  The recipient can move the label to an arbitrary position on the desktop screen or hide it in the task bar, for example, without displaying it on the desktop screen. It is also possible to delete such a label, but even if the recipient deletes it, the label only disappears from the desktop screen, and the message corresponding to such label is not deleted from the message storage means, but at a specified time. It is desirable to be configured so that notification processing is performed when However, since the sender may send a message with a wrong destination, it is necessary to force the message receiving terminal 106 to delete the message from the desktop screen or the message storage means. Become.

  When the designated time indicated by the time information of the message stored in the message storage means matches the current date and time, the message receiving terminal 106 performs notification processing as shown in FIG. 14, for example. FIG. 14 is an explanatory diagram showing that the label is blinking as an example of the notification process.

  The designated time of the message indicated by the label 2002 in FIG. 13 is “2003/05/26 14:55”. When the current date and time becomes “2003/05/26 14:55”, which is the designated date and time, as shown in FIG. 14, the label 2002 changes into a label 2002 a and a label 2002 b that are expressed by different background colors. To do. The label 2002a and the label 2002b are alternately displayed on the desktop screen to indicate blinking. When the label 2002 blinks, the receiver using the message receiving terminal 106 is notified that the designated date and time is “2003/05/26 14:55”, and the message written on the label 2002 is sent to the receiver. It can be confirmed.

  As mentioned above, although preferred embodiment of this invention was described referring an accompanying drawing, it cannot be overemphasized that this invention is not limited to the example which concerns. It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various changes and modifications can be made within the scope of the claims, and these are naturally within the technical scope of the present invention. Understood.

  For example, in the above-described embodiment, label blinking, discoloration, beep sound, and the like are given as examples of notification processing, but the present invention is not limited to such an example. Since the processing may be performed at the message receiving terminal before or after the specified time specified at the message transmitting terminal, for example, a specific application is started and a specific Web page on the Internet is referred to. It doesn't matter.

  In the above embodiment, the message transmitting terminal and the message receiving terminal are configured separately, but the present invention is not limited to such an example. The message sending terminal can be provided with the function of a message receiving terminal, or the message receiving terminal can be provided with the function of a message sending terminal. One information processing terminal can be used as both the message sending terminal and the message receiving terminal. Can function.

  In the above embodiment, the message sender inputs the specified date or time elapsed from the current date and time to the message transmission terminal, and the message transmission terminal transmits the input information to the message relay server 104 as time information. Is not limited to such an example. As long as the time information indicates a specific date and time, for example, from the message body entered by the message sender to the message transmission terminal, the location where the specific date and time is described is the message transmission terminal or message relay server. Alternatively, the message receiving terminal may automatically extract the date and time as time information.

  The present invention can be applied to a message transmission / reception system that transmits and receives a message via a communication network, and in particular, allows a PC at a remote location to perform a predetermined notification process at an arbitrary time via the communication network. It is applicable to a time information transmission / reception system.

It is a block diagram which shows the structure of the time information transmission / reception system 100 concerning embodiment of this invention. It is a block diagram which shows the structure of the message transmission terminal 102 in the embodiment. It is a block diagram which shows the structure of the message relay server 104 in the embodiment. It is a block diagram which shows the structure of the message receiving terminal 106 in the embodiment. It is explanatory drawing which shows the structure of the user information storage means 145 in the embodiment. It is explanatory drawing which shows the structure of the message storage means 146 in the embodiment. It is explanatory drawing which shows the structure of the message storage terminal 168 in the embodiment. It is a flowchart which shows the process which the message transmission terminal 102 in the embodiment transmits a message and time information. It is a flowchart which shows the process in which the message relay server 104 in the same embodiment relays a message from the message transmission terminal 102 to the message reception terminal 106. It is a flowchart which shows the process which the message receiving terminal 106 in the embodiment receives a message from the message relay server 104. 4 is a flowchart showing processing for managing messages based on time information of messages recorded in a message storage unit 146 by the message relay server 104 in the embodiment. It is explanatory drawing which shows the screen displayed on the display of the message transmission terminal 102 in the embodiment. It is explanatory drawing which shows the screen displayed on the display of the message receiving terminal 106 in the embodiment. It is explanatory drawing which shows the notification process implement | achieved on the display of the message receiving terminal 106 in the embodiment.

Explanation of symbols

100 time information transmission / reception system 102 message transmission terminal 104 message relay server 106 message reception terminal 108 communication network 112 central control unit 114 storage unit 116 user interface unit 118 communication control unit 120 IM application unit 121 presence information display unit 122 message creation unit 124 time Information addition means 126 Rank information addition means 128 Notification processing information addition means 130 Message transmission means 132 Central control section 134 Storage section 138 Communication control section 140 IM application section 141 User link means 142 Message relay means 143 Presence information management means 144 Message management means 145 User information storage unit 146 Message storage unit 152 Central control unit 154 Storage unit 156 User interface Over scan portion 158 communication control unit 160 IM application unit 161 the presence information display means 162 message receiving means 164 hours information control unit 166 a message notification processing unit 168 message storing means

Claims (28)

Consists of one or more message transmitting terminals connected to the communication network, one or more message receiving terminals connected to the communication network, and a message relay server connected to the communication network:
The message transmitting terminal transmits time information adding means for adding time information related to the specified date and time to the message so that the message receiving terminal performs notification processing at the specified date and time, and transmits a message with time information to the message relay server. Message sending means for performing;
The message relay server includes message relay means for relaying the message with time information from the message transmitting terminal to the message receiving terminal;
The message receiving terminal is based on message receiving means for receiving the message with time information from the message relay server, message notification processing means for performing the notification processing, and the specified date and time and current date and time related to the time information. And a time information control means for controlling the message notification processing means.   2. The message relay server transmits the message with time information received from the message transmitting terminal to the message receiving terminal regardless of whether there is a message acquisition request from the message receiving terminal. The time information transmission / reception system described in 1.   The message relay server pre-registers information related to a user who uses the message transmitting terminal and / or the message receiving terminal, and the presence information regarding the registered current status of the user is stored in the message transmitting terminal and / or the message receiving terminal. The time information transmitting / receiving system according to claim 1, wherein   The message relay server limits a transmission destination of the message with time information and / or the presence information according to a request from the message transmission terminal and / or the message reception terminal. Time information transmission / reception system.   2. The time information transmission / reception system according to claim 1, wherein the message transmission terminal, the message relay server, and the message reception terminal transmit and receive the message with time information to which the time information is added as an instant message.   The time information control means compares the specified date and time related to the time information with the current date and time, and causes the notification processing means to perform the notification processing when the specified date and time coincide with each other. The time information transmitting / receiving system according to claim 1, wherein A message that is connected via a communication network to a message receiving terminal that receives a message and a message relay server that relays the message to the message receiving terminal, and that transmits the message to the message receiving terminal via the message relay server The sending terminal:
Time information adding means for adding time information about a specified time to a message so that the message receiving terminal performs notification processing at a specified date and time;
Message sending means for sending a message with time information to the message receiving terminal via the message relay server;
A message transmission terminal comprising:   8. The notification processing information adding means for adding notification processing information related to a content of notification processing to be performed at the specified date and time by the message receiving terminal to the message with time information. Message sending terminal.   Rank information adding means for adding rank information relating to the importance of the message to the message with time information in order to change the notification processing to be performed at the specified date and time by the message receiving terminal according to the importance of the message The message transmitting terminal according to claim 7, further comprising: A message relay server connected to a message transmission terminal for transmitting a message and a message reception terminal for receiving the message via a communication network, and relays the message from the message transmission terminal to the message reception terminal:
Message relay means for relaying a message with time information from the message transmitting terminal to the message receiving terminal;
Message management means for managing the message with time information based on a designated date and time and a current date and time related to the time information included in the message with time information;
A message relay server comprising: The message management means records the message with time information in a message storage means, compares the specified date and time related to the time information included in the message with time information and the current date and time, and the current date and time passes the specified date and time. When the message with time information is deleted from the message storage means,
The message relay server according to claim 10.   The message relay means transmits the message with time information received from the message transmitting terminal to the message receiving terminal regardless of whether there is a message acquisition request from the message receiving terminal. The message relay server described in 1.   User information storage means for storing information on a user who uses the message transmission terminal and / or the message reception terminal, and presence information on the current status of the user stored in the user information storage means is stored in the message transmission terminal and / or The message relay server according to claim 10, further comprising presence information management means for transmitting to the message receiving terminal.   The user link means for limiting a transmission destination of the message with time information and / or the presence information according to a request from the message transmission terminal and / or the message reception terminal, according to claim 13, Message relay server. A message that is connected via a communication network to a message transmission terminal that transmits a message and a message relay server that relays the message from the message transmission terminal, and that receives the message from the message transmission terminal via the message relay server Receiving terminal:
Message receiving means for receiving a message with time information to which time information related to designation of date and time for performing notification processing is added from the message transmitting terminal via the message relay server;
Message notification processing means for performing the notification processing;
Time information control means for controlling the message notification processing means based on the designated date and time and current date and time related to the time information;
A message receiving terminal comprising:   The time information control means compares the specified date and time related to the time information with the current date and time, and causes the notification processing means to perform the notification processing when the specified date and time coincide with each other. The message receiving terminal according to claim 15, characterized in that:   16. The time information control unit according to claim 15, wherein the time information control means discards the message with time information based on a designated date and time and a current date and time related to the time information when the message with time information is received. Message receiving terminal.   The message receiving terminal according to claim 15, wherein the message notification processing unit performs different notification processing according to the importance of the message. A message sending terminal that is connected to a message receiving terminal that receives a message via a communication network and a message relay server that relays the message to the message receiving terminal via a communication network and sends the message to the message relay server Because:
Time information adding means for adding time information about a specified time to a message so that the message receiving terminal performs notification processing at a specified date and time;
Message sending means for sending a message with time information to the message relay server;
A computer program that causes a message transmission terminal to function. A message relay server connected to a message sending terminal for sending a message and a message receiving terminal for receiving the message via a communication network and relaying the message from the message sending terminal to the message receiving terminal Because:
Message relay means for relaying a message with time information from the message transmitting terminal to the message receiving terminal;
Message management means for managing the message with time information based on a designated date and time and a current date and time related to the time information included in the message with time information;
A computer program that functions as a message relay server. A message receiving terminal for receiving a message from the message relay server connected to a message transmitting terminal for transmitting a message via a communication network and a message relay server for relaying the message from the message transmitting terminal. Because:
Message receiving means for receiving, from the message relay server, a message with time information to which time information related to designation of date and time for performing notification processing is added;
Message notification processing means for performing the notification processing;
Time information control means for controlling the message notification processing means based on the designated date and time and current date and time related to the time information;
A computer program that functions as a message receiving terminal. Realized using a message sending terminal connected to the communication network, a message receiving terminal connected to the communication network, and a message relay server connected to the communication network:
The message sending terminal adding the time information related to the designated date and time to the message so that the message receiving terminal performs notification processing at the designated date and time, and sending the message with time information to the message relay server; ;
The message relay server relaying the message with time information from the message transmitting terminal to the message receiving terminal;
The message receiving terminal receiving the message with time information from the message relay server, and performing notification processing based on the designated date and time and the current date and time related to the time information;
A method for transmitting and receiving time information, comprising:   The time information transmission / reception method according to claim 22, wherein the message transmission terminal, the message relay server, and the message reception terminal transmit and receive the message with time information to which the time information is added as an instant message.   23. The message receiving terminal according to claim 22, wherein the message receiving terminal compares the specified date and time related to the time information with a current date and time, and performs notification processing when the specified date and time match the current date and time. Time information transmission / reception method.   The message sending terminal includes a step of adding notification processing information about a content of notification processing to be performed at the specified date and time by the message receiving terminal to the message with time information. Time information transmission / reception method.   In order for the message transmitting terminal to change the notification process performed by the message receiving terminal at the specified date and time according to the importance of the message, rank information regarding the importance of the message is added to the message with time information. The time information transmitting / receiving method according to claim 22, further comprising a step of adding.   The message relay server records the message with time information, and manages the message with time information based on a designated date and time and a current date and time related to the time information included in the recorded message with time information. The time information transmitting / receiving method according to claim 22, further comprising: The message receiving terminal includes a step of discarding the message with time information based on a designated date and time related to the time information and a current date and time when the message with time information is received. The time information transmission / reception method described.

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