JP2014115853A - Information processing apparatus, information processing method, program, and information processing system - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a mechanism which notifies or does not notify an arbitrary transmission source address of a new address when transferring a mail.SOLUTION: An information processing apparatus includes: first management means which manages current addresses, past addresses, and transmission source addresses allowed for transfer, in association with one another per user; second management means which manages transmission source addresses to which corresponding current addresses should be reported, out of the managed transmission source addresses allowed for transfer; determination means which determines the presence or absence of a user whose address set as a transmission destination of a received mail is managed as a past address; and transmission means which performs processing of transferring the mail to the current address of the user if the transmission source address of the mail is managed as a transmission source address allowed for transfer, and performs processing of reporting the current address of the user to the transmission source address if the transmission source address is managed as a transmission source address to which the current address should be reported.

Description

  The present invention relates to a technology for transferring electronic mail.

  There are two possible cases where the email address is changed. One is a change caused by changing the provider or the like, and the other is a change caused by using a mail address changing service at the same provider. As an example of using an e-mail address changing service with the same provider, there is a case where the purpose is to avoid receiving spam mail such as spam mail.

  In any case, if the email address is changed, if the new address is not notified to the parties concerned, mail will not reach the new address, and those who know only the old address will send mail to the old address. Therefore, an error mail is notified to the sender.

  Therefore, there is a need for a mechanism that avoids the work burden of the user who notifies the new address and the error notification that is sent to the parties who sent to the old address due to the mail address change.

  Here, when the email address is changed in the same provider, it is possible to grasp which user has changed the email address at least in the provider, so the email sent to the old address is changed to the new address. It is possible to transfer.

  However, if the user changes the mail address in order to avoid receiving junk mail, it is inconvenient for the user to simply forward it.

  So, for example, if a mail has been sent to a past address, if there is a mechanism that allows the user to forward mail from a sender address that allows forwarding, and does not forward mail from a sender address that does not allow forwarding, The inconvenience of the user can be solved.

However, although the inconvenience of the receiving user is resolved, the sender who sent the email has no problem with the email itself, but if he does not know why the email arrived, maintain his address book. Without sending, it will be sent to the past address every time.
Patent Document 1 discloses a system that notifies a new address to a person who sent an email to an old address after changing the email address.

JP 2001-111601 A

  However, in Patent Document 1, a new address is notified to a person who has sent an e-mail to an old address after changing the e-mail address. There is inconvenience in notifying.

  Therefore, the present invention solves the above-described problems, and an object thereof is to provide a mechanism for notifying a new address to an arbitrary source address when mail is transferred.

  The present invention is an information processing apparatus that controls transmission and reception of mail, and for each user, a first management unit that manages a current address, a past address, and a transmission source address that allows transfer, in association with each other; Of the transmission source addresses that are permitted to be transferred managed by the first management unit, second management unit that manages the transmission source address that notifies the current address, reception unit that receives mail, and the reception unit The determination unit that determines whether there is a user whose address set as the transmission destination of the mail received by the first management unit exists as a past address, and the determination result by the determination unit, If it is determined that there is a user managed as a past address, the source address of the mail received by the mail receiving means is the first address When it is set as a transmission source address that is allowed to be transferred by the management means, the mail is transferred to the current address of the user, and the transmission source address is set to the current address by the second management means. When managed as a transmission source address for notifying an address, the transmission source address is characterized by having a transmission means for performing a process of notifying the current address of the user to the transmission source address.

  According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a mechanism for notifying a new address to an arbitrary source address when mail is transferred.

It is a figure which shows an example of a structure of the electronic mail system in embodiment of this invention. It is a block diagram which shows the hardware structural example of the information processing apparatus applicable to the mail server 101 in embodiment of this invention. It is a figure which shows an example of the management screen which the user operates in embodiment of this invention. It is a figure which shows an example of the address management table and transfer condition management table in embodiment of this invention. It is a flowchart which shows the flow of the transfer process of the mail in embodiment of this invention. It is a flowchart which shows the flow of the transmission process of the summary mail in embodiment of this invention. It is a figure which shows an example of the summary mail in embodiment of this invention. It is a figure which shows an example of the report mail in embodiment of this invention. It is a figure which shows an example of the notification mail in embodiment of this invention. It is a figure which shows an example of the notification mail in embodiment of this invention.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

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

  In an electronic mail system (information processing system), a mail server 101 and a client terminal 103 are connected via a network 104. The mail server 101 is also referred to as an information processing apparatus.

  The mail server 101 is a server that transmits an e-mail from a user who operates the client terminal 103 to a specified address, or accumulates an e-mail transmitted from an external mail server in a mailbox for each user. is there. Mailboxes are managed by the database 102. The database 102 also manages the address management table and transfer condition management table in the embodiment of the present invention. The address management information will be described later.

  The client terminal 103 is a terminal in which an application capable of sending and receiving electronic mail is installed.

  The network 104 is a communication line such as the Internet or a LAN.

  Next, the hardware configuration of the mail server shown in FIG. 1 will be described with reference to FIG.

  FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating a hardware configuration example of an information processing apparatus applicable to the mail server 101 according to the embodiment of the present invention. Note that the block diagram of FIG. 2 can also be applied to the client terminal 103.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the mail server 101 includes a CPU (Central Processing Unit) 201, a RAM (Random Access Memory) 203, a ROM (Read Only Memory) 202, an input controller 205, a video controller 207, a system bus 204, and the like. A configuration in which a memory controller 207, a communication I / F controller 208, and the like are connected is adopted.

  The CPU 201 comprehensively controls each device and controller connected to the system bus 204.

  Further, the ROM 202 or the external memory 211 will be described later, which is necessary for realizing the functions executed by each server or each PC, such as BIOS (Basic Input / Output System) and OS (Operating System) which are control programs of the CPU 201. Various programs are stored. Further, information necessary for carrying out the present invention is stored. The external memory may be a database.

  The RAM 203 functions as a main memory, work area, and the like for the CPU 201. The CPU 201 implements various operations by loading a program or the like necessary for executing the processing from the ROM 202 or the external memory 211 to the RAM 203 and executing the loaded program.

  The input controller 205 controls input from a keyboard (KB) 209 or a pointing device such as a mouse (not shown).

  The video controller 206 controls display on a display device such as the display 210. The display device may be a display device such as a liquid crystal display. These are used by the administrator as needed.

  The memory controller 207 is an external storage device (hard disk (HD)), flexible disk (FD), or PCMCIA (Personal Computer) that stores a boot program, various applications, font data, user files, editing files, various data, and the like. Controls access to an external memory 211 such as a Compact Flash (registered trademark) memory connected to a Memory Card International Association (Card Memory) card slot via an adapter.

  The communication I / F controller 208 connects and communicates with an external device via a network (for example, the network 100 illustrated in FIG. 1), and executes communication control processing in the network. For example, communication using TCP / IP (Transmission Control Protocol / Internet Protocol) is possible.

  The CPU 201 can display on the display 210 by executing an outline font rasterization process on a display information area in the RAM 203, for example. Further, the CPU 201 enables a user instruction using a mouse cursor (not shown) on the display 210.

  Various programs to be described later for realizing the present invention are recorded in the external memory 211 and executed by the CPU 201 by being loaded into the RAM 203 as necessary. Furthermore, definition files and various information tables used when executing the program are also stored in the external memory 211, and a detailed description thereof will be described later.

Next, the above-described address management table / transfer condition management table will be described with reference to FIGS.
FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an example of a management screen operated by the user in the embodiment of the present invention.

  The user operates the client terminal, accesses the mail server, and gives an instruction to display the address change screen or the transfer condition setting screen from the management screen, so that the mail server displays the address change screen 301 or the transfer condition shown in FIG. A setting screen 311 is transmitted to the client terminal.

The mail server refers to the address management table, acquires the current address information of the access source user, and displays it in the column 302 of the address change screen 301. An example of the address management table is shown in FIG.
FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of an address management table / transfer condition management table in the embodiment of the present invention.

  In the address management table, items of user ID 401, name 402, current address 403, past address 404, and transfer permission address 405 are managed.

  The user inputs an address to be changed in the input field for the new address 303 on the address change screen. If there is an address that allows transfer, an add button 305 is pressed in the display column 304 to display the address input column, and an address that allows transfer is input. Finally, by pressing the registration button 306, the input information is reflected in the address management table. Note that the setting of addresses that permit transfer is not limited to one, and a plurality of addresses can be set.

  In addition, the mail server refers to the address management table, acquires address information that is permitted to be transferred, and displays it in the applicable address 314 column of the transfer condition setting screen 311.

  The user can input a transfer condition and register it in the transfer condition management table for any address (address selected from the column 314) for which transfer is permitted via the transfer condition setting screen 311. As a transfer condition, a transfer period 312 and a transfer count 313 can be set. The transfer period can be designated, for example, March, June, 1 year, or until a designated date (for example, until December 31, 2012). Thereby, for example, the mail magazine registered with the old address can be transferred and subscribed to a specified date. The number of transfers can be specified, for example, 5 times and unlimited. As a result, for example, the mail magazine registered with the old address can be transferred a certain number of times, and then what is deemed necessary can be unlimited.

In addition, it is possible to specify whether or not to send the report mail 315. The report mail is a mail for feeding back the transferred contents to the mail sender when the mail is transferred to a new address. For example, by describing the new address in the report mail, the trouble of notifying the new address can be saved. If you do not want to notify the new address, you can hide the new address by not checking it.
Finally, when the user presses the registration button 316, the information input to the transfer condition management table is registered. An example of the transfer condition management table is shown in FIG.

  In the transfer condition management table, items of a user ID 411, a transfer permission period 412, a transfer permission count 413, a transmission source address 414, and a report mail 415 are managed.

  In the example of FIG. 4, there is a record with a transfer permission period “indefinite”, a transfer permission number “unlimited”, a source address “life@tokyo-1.ne.jp”, and a report mail “O”. , Even if it is sent from “life@tokyo-1.ne.jp” to the old address, it indicates that it is transferred indefinitely and indefinitely. In addition, since the report mail is designated to be transmitted, it indicates that the report mail is always transmitted when it is transferred.

Even if the transfer period and the number of transfers are set, if the old address is registered as a new address for another user, the old address becomes the address owned by another person. Since it becomes impossible to distinguish whether it is a sent mail or a mail sent to a user who had an old address, a process that does not forward is necessary. Details will be described later.
Next, the flow of mail transfer processing will be described.
FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing a flow of mail transfer processing in the embodiment of the present invention.
In step S501, the mail server receives mail from an external mail server.
In step S502, the mail server extracts all addresses set as destinations of the received mail.

  In step S <b> 503, the mail server collates whether each of the extracted addresses has been set as “current address” in the address management table. If Yes, the process proceeds to S514. If No, the process proceeds to S504. Here, the answer is Yes when all destinations are registered as “current addresses”.

  In step S504, the mail server determines whether there is a user whose address is not registered as the current address and is set as “past address” in the address management table. If Yes, the process proceeds to S505, and if No, the process proceeds to S509. Here, it is No when all destinations are not registered as “past addresses”.

  In step S505, the mail server determines whether or not the sender address of the mail received in S501 is set as an address that allows transfer in the user record set as “past address”. If Yes, the process proceeds to S510, and if No, the process proceeds to S506. Here, when a plurality of addresses are applicable, it is checked against a record for each user.

  In step S <b> 510, the mail server refers to the setting of the transfer permission period in the transfer condition management table for the address that allows transfer, and determines whether the transfer permission period falls. If Yes, the process proceeds to S511, and if No, the process proceeds to S506.

  In step S511, the mail server similarly determines whether transfer is possible by referring to the setting of the number of times transfer is permitted in the transfer condition management table for an address that allows transfer. If Yes, the process proceeds to S507, and if No, the process proceeds to S506. In addition, since the transfer permission count is to be managed by counting down the number when mail is transferred, it is determined that the transfer cannot be performed when the transfer permission count is managed as “0”. It becomes.

  In step S506, the mail server stores in the log information as address information for which transfer is not permitted. Log information is stored for each user. In addition, the reason why the transfer is not permitted (for example, the transfer permission period has passed or the transfer permission count has been exceeded) is also stored. In step S509, the mail server transmits an error mail.

  In step S507, the mail server performs a process of transferring the received mail by replacing the “past address” with the “current address”. Here, when a plurality of addresses are applicable, transfer is performed for each user (for each address).

  In step S512, the mail server determines whether to send a report mail. In the case of Yes, it progresses to 513, and in No, a process is complete | finished. Specifically, for each transferred address, a determination is made with reference to whether or not a setting for transmitting a report mail is made in the transfer condition management table. Here, No is set when the report mail is not set to be transmitted for all the transferred addresses.

  In step S513, the mail server generates a report mail and transmits it to the corresponding address. An example of the report mail is shown in FIG. The mail reception screen 801 describes that the mail sent to the old address has been transferred to the new address, and the text notifying the new address. The user of the address receiving this report mail knows the new mail address and knows that the mail sent to the old address has been transferred, so that the work of re-sending becomes unnecessary. On the other hand, since the report mail is not notified about the address which is not set to notify the report mail, the new address can be kept secret. If the user decides that it is not necessary to conceal it at a later date, it can be used to notify the new address if the address is set to notify the report mail. It is assumed that the information of the address notified of the new address via the report mail is managed.

  The flow of mail transfer processing has been described above. In this way, when the sender address is registered as an address that allows forwarding, if an email that satisfies other forwarding conditions is forwarded and the address is not allowed, an error email is sent. Become.

  Therefore, when mail is sent to a past address, the user can forward mail from a sender address that allows transfer, and not forward mail from a sender address that does not allow forwarding. Transfer control according to detailed transfer conditions can be realized. It is also possible to specify whether or not to send a report mail for each sender address that is permitted to transfer.

  On the other hand, in step S514, the mail server determines whether a predetermined notification is necessary. If Yes, the process proceeds to S515, and if No, the process proceeds to S508. Specifically, if the address is sent from the address that has notified the new address (“current address”) via the report mail, it is determined as Yes.

  In step S515, the mail server performs notification processing. Notification is performed by e-mail. An example of notification is shown in FIG. The mail reception screen 901 inquires whether or not to cancel the transfer setting when the user at the address that has notified the new address has sent an email to the new address and the user at this address has transmitted to the past address. The contents and the URL to be accessed when canceling are described. This notification by mail considers the necessity of cancellation, and when canceling it, it can be easily canceled by accessing the URL described.

In step S516, the mail server performs processing for deleting the transfer condition. Specifically, the record of the transfer condition management table of the transmission source address designated by the URL is deleted.
In step S508, the mail server performs a process of transmitting the mail received in S501 to the designated mail address.
The flow of mail transfer processing has been described above.
Next, the flow of processing for transmitting summary mail will be described. The summary mail is a mail notifying address information for which transfer is not permitted.
FIG. 6 is a flowchart showing a summary mail transmission process according to the embodiment of the present invention.

  In step S601, the mail server determines whether a predetermined timing has arrived. In the case of Yes, it progresses to S602, and in No, it returns to S601. The predetermined timing can be arbitrarily set. For example, various timings such as every hour, every day, every month are adopted.

In step S602, the mail server creates a summary mail. Here, it creates using the log information memorize | stored in S506 shown in FIG. In addition to the list of addresses that are not permitted to be transferred, URL information corresponding to each address is added in order to enable the designation of allowing the transfer.
In step S603, the mail server transmits the created summary mail to the corresponding user.
In step S604, the client terminal receives the summary mail.

  In step S605, the client terminal displays a summary mail. FIG. 7 shows an example of summary mail. In the mail reception screen 701, URL information that can be specified to permit transfer is added to the addresses where transfer is not permitted, among the addresses therein. When there is an address for which transfer is permitted among arbitrary addresses, the user clicks a URL corresponding to the address. If the transfer permission period has passed or the transfer permission count has been exceeded, the reason why the transfer is not permitted will be displayed, and the reason will be displayed. You may make it display the screen (not shown) which updates a period and the frequency | count of transfer permission.

  In step S <b> 606, the client terminal determines whether the user has given an instruction to add an address that permits transfer. In the case of Yes, it progresses to S607, and in No, a process is complete | finished. Specifically, the determination is made based on whether the URL is clicked.

In step S607, the client terminal makes an additional request to the mail server. Specifically, by accessing the URL, a request is made to add the corresponding address as an address that permits transfer.
In step S608, the mail server accepts the request.

  In step S609, the mail server performs processing for updating the address management table included in the database. Specifically, since it is possible to identify which user has designated as an address for which transfer is permitted by the accessed URL, it is added as an address for which transfer is permitted in the corresponding user record. Perform the registration process. In addition, when the transfer permission period and the transfer permission count are input from the screen (not shown) for updating the transfer permission period and the transfer permission count, the process of updating each item of the transfer condition management table corresponding to the corresponding address is performed. Do.

  The flow of processing for transmitting summary mail has been described above. By referring to the summary mail, the user can not only know how much mail has been refused forwarding, but addresses that are normally allowed to be forwarded will not be forwarded. If this is the case, simply clicking on the URL included in the body of the mail can be used as an address for which transfer is permitted. In addition, the transfer permission period and the transfer permission count can be easily updated.

  Finally, the content of the mail to be notified when an address managed as “past address” in the address management table is set as “current address” by another user at a predetermined timing is shown in FIG. Shown in

  When the mail server detects that the "current address" is registered by an arbitrary user at an arbitrary timing, the mail server registers the address registered as the "current address" by the user in the past in the address management table. The contents of the user's past address field 404 and transfer permission address field 405 are deleted, and the record of the transfer condition management table for the corresponding address is also deleted.

  In addition, the mail server transmits a mail to notify that it has been deleted. An example of notification is shown in FIG. The mail reception screen 1001 describes that the transfer is canceled when the past address is registered as the current address of another user. By this notification by mail, the user who has set forwarding can know that mail sent to a past address will no longer be forwarded.

  As described above, according to the present invention, it is possible to provide a mechanism for notifying a new address to an arbitrary source address when mail is transferred.

  Although the embodiments have been described in detail above, the present invention can take embodiments as, for example, a system, an apparatus, a method, a program, or a storage medium (recording medium). The present invention may be applied to a system composed of these devices, or may be applied to an apparatus composed of a single device.

  In the present invention, a software program (in the embodiment, a program corresponding to the flowchart shown in the figure) that realizes the functions of the above-described embodiment is directly or remotely supplied to the system or apparatus, and the computer of the system or apparatus Is also achieved by reading and executing the supplied program code.

  Accordingly, since the functions of the present invention are implemented by computer, the program code installed in the computer also implements the present invention. In other words, the present invention includes a computer program itself for realizing the functional processing of the present invention.

  In that case, as long as it has the function of a program, it may be in the form of object code, a program executed by an interpreter, script data supplied to the OS, and the like.

  As a recording medium for supplying the program, for example, floppy (registered trademark) disk, hard disk, optical disk, magneto-optical disk, MO, CD-ROM, CD-R, CD-RW, magnetic tape, nonvolatile memory card ROM, DVD (DVD-ROM, DVD-R) and the like.

  As another program supply method, a client computer browser is used to connect to an Internet homepage, and the computer program of the present invention itself or a compressed file including an automatic installation function is downloaded from the homepage to a recording medium such as a hard disk. Can also be supplied. It can also be realized by dividing the program code constituting the program of the present invention into a plurality of files and downloading each file from a different homepage. That is, a WWW server that allows a plurality of users to download a program file for realizing the functional processing of the present invention on a computer is also included in the present invention.

  In addition, the program of the present invention is encrypted, stored in a storage medium such as a CD-ROM, distributed to users, and key information for decryption is downloaded from a homepage via the Internet to users who have cleared predetermined conditions. It is also possible to execute the encrypted program by using the key information and install the program on a computer.

  In addition to the functions of the above-described embodiments being realized by the computer executing the read program, the OS running on the computer based on the instruction of the program is a part of the actual processing. Alternatively, the functions of the above-described embodiment can be realized by performing all of them and performing the processing.

  Furthermore, after the program read from the recording medium is written in a memory provided in a function expansion board inserted into the computer or a function expansion unit connected to the computer, the function expansion board or The CPU or the like provided in the function expansion unit performs part or all of the actual processing, and the functions of the above-described embodiments are realized by the processing.

101 mail server 102 database 103 client terminal 104 network

Claims (7)

An information processing apparatus that controls transmission and reception of mail,
For each user, a first management unit that manages a current address, a past address, and a transmission source address that allows transfer, in association with each other;
Of the source addresses that allow transfer managed by the first management means, second management means for managing the source address for notifying the current address;
A receiving means for receiving mail;
A determination unit that determines whether there is a user whose address set as a transmission destination of the mail received by the reception unit is managed as a past address by the first management unit;
As a result of the determination by the determination means, if it is determined that there is a user managed as a past address, the transmission source address of the mail received by the mail reception means allows the transfer by the first management means When the sender address is set, the mail is transferred to the current address of the user, and the sender address notifies the current address by the second management means. And a transmission means for performing a process of notifying the transmission source address of the current address of the user. The second management means can manage transfer conditions to be applied to any source address among the source addresses that allow transfer managed by the first management means,
When it is determined that there is a user managed as a past address as a result of determination by the determination unit, the transmission unit is configured such that the transmission source address of the mail received by the mail reception unit is the first management unit. Is set as a transmission source address that allows transfer, according to the transfer conditions managed by the second management means, mail from the transmission source address that satisfies the transfer condition is transferred to the current address of the user. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the processing is performed.   The transmission means performs a process of notifying the user of a transmission source address that has not been transferred due to not satisfying the transfer condition, according to the transfer condition managed by the second management means. Item 3. The information processing device according to Item 2.   When the address managed as a past address by an arbitrary user by the first management means is managed as a current address by another user, the transmission means sends the address to a user who has been managed as a past address. The information processing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein notification of canceling transfer is made. An information processing method in an information processing apparatus for controlling transmission / reception of mail,
For each user, a first management step for managing a current address, a past address, and a transmission source address that allows transfer, in association with each other;
A second management step for managing a source address for notifying a current address among the source addresses that allow transfer managed in the first management step;
A receiving step for receiving mail;
A determination step of determining whether an address set as a transmission destination of the mail received by the reception step exists as a past address managed by the first management step;
As a result of the determination in the determination step, when it is determined that there is a user managed as a past address, the transmission source address of the mail received in the mail reception step permits transfer in the first management step. When it is set as the sender address, the mail is transferred to the current address of the user, and the sender address notifies the current address by the second management step. And a transmission step of performing a process of notifying the transmission source address of the current address of the user. A program that can be executed in an information processing apparatus that controls transmission and reception of mail,
A first management means for managing a current address, a past address, and a transmission source address permitting transfer in association with each user;
A second management means for managing a transmission source address for notifying a current address among a transmission source address that allows transfer managed by the first management means;
Receiving means to receive mail,
Determining means for determining whether there is a user whose address set as the destination of the mail received by the receiving means is managed as a past address by the first managing means;
As a result of the determination by the determination means, if it is determined that there is a user managed as a past address, the transmission source address of the mail received by the mail reception means allows the transfer by the first management means When the sender address is set, the mail is transferred to the current address of the user, and the sender address notifies the current address by the second management means. The information processing apparatus functions as a transmission unit that performs processing for notifying the transmission source address of the current address of the user. An information processing system capable of communicating between a client and an information processing apparatus that controls transmission / reception of mail,
For each user, a first management unit that manages a current address, a past address, and a transmission source address that allows transfer, in association with each other;
Of the source addresses that allow transfer managed by the first management means, second management means for managing the source address for notifying the current address;
A receiving means for receiving mail;
A determination unit that determines whether there is a user whose address set as a transmission destination of the mail received by the reception unit is managed as a past address by the first management unit;
As a result of the determination by the determination means, if it is determined that there is a user managed as a past address, the transmission source address of the mail received by the mail reception means allows the transfer by the first management means When the sender address is set, the mail is transferred to the current address of the user, and the sender address notifies the current address by the second management means. And a transmission means for performing a process of notifying the transmission source address of the current address of the user.

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