JP3676229B2 - Information processing device - Google Patents

Description

[0001]
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to an information processing apparatus and an electronic mail system, and in particular, an information processing apparatus capable of constantly updating address information related to a user of the apparatus between a plurality of information processing apparatuses connected via a network. And an e-mail system.
[0002]
[Prior art]
2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, an e-mail system that transmits and receives e-mail between information processing apparatuses such as personal computers and telephones that incorporate an e-mail transmission / reception function are actively used via the Internet.
[0003]
In general, in order to send and receive e-mail using an e-mail system, it is necessary to first register and set the address information of the user in advance on the user's information processing apparatus side. User address information includes, for example, the user's unique email address (such as xxx@abcd.co.jp), personal identification code (such as AB1111,03-3333-1234), and user name (such as Ichiro Suzuki) ), And the user's address (Kita-ku, Osaka City ...).
In addition, when sending an e-mail to a third party, it is necessary to input the third party's information, at least the third party's e-mail address, or register it in advance and select it. .
[0004]
A program for sending and receiving e-mail has a function of registering or updating such user's own address information and address information of a third party who normally exchanges mail in advance, so-called address book management function. .
[0005]
In addition, a technique (a technique called a directory service) that can search for resources on a network such as a user name and an e-mail address is an ISO x. It has been developed and is currently being used on communication systems conforming to LDAP stipulated by 500 and IETF RFC2251.
These communication systems have been developed based on a so-called client-server model via a network, and in order to use the services of this system, x. 500 servers or LDAP servers are required. However, there is currently no provider that provides such a server for sending and receiving personal e-mail.
[0006]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
Once the user's address information is registered, it can be easily used at any time for subsequent transmission / reception of electronic mail. However, when there is a change in the user's address, etc., the user himself / herself updates the content on his / her own information processing device, so that other users who frequently exchange emails also update it. It is necessary to contact by means of e-mail or telephone. Then, the other users who received the notifications had to update the information registered in their information processing devices by their own manual work.
[0007]
In other words, even if a conventional electronic mail system or a multi-function telephone has an address book management function, if information such as a user's mail address in a group is to be newly registered or updated, All users of the system had to do the same input work independently. In addition, if a user in the group does not know that there has been an update, forgets to update, or updates to incorrect information, it will not be possible to send and receive e-mail. Inconvenience such as occurred.
[0008]
Also, x. When 500 servers cannot be used, it is difficult for a plurality of users who frequently exchange electronic mails to form a group and easily operate a directory service.
[0009]
Therefore, the present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and a user who needs to update address information simply updates the address information with his / her information processing apparatus. To provide an information processing apparatus and an e-mail system in which corresponding address information is automatically updated without performing an update operation in the information processing apparatuses of other users in the same group as the user Let it be an issue.
[0010]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
The present invention receives an address information mail, an address information storage section that stores address information of a plurality of users in a predetermined group, an address information transmission section that transmits data including the address information as an address information mail, and the like. If the address information receiving unit and the address information stored in the address information storage unit match a part of the address information included in the received address information mail, the matched address information is An address information update unit that updates the received address information and an address information deletion unit that deletes the address information stored in the address information storage unit, and the address information of the other party is periodically transmitted. When the address information of a certain user has not been updated for a predetermined period of time There is provided an information processing apparatus and deletes the address information the address information deletion section is not the update from the address information storage unit.
According to this, the users in one group can always keep the address information of the users belonging to the current group in the same state without having to individually update the address information of other users. it can.
[0016]
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
The present invention will be described in detail below based on the embodiments shown in the drawings. However, this does not limit the present invention.
FIG. 1 shows a block diagram of an embodiment of a communication system including the information processing apparatus of the present invention.
The information processing apparatuses (PC1, PC2,..., PCn) of the present invention are connected to the address information exchange mailing list ML via a network. As the network, for example, a global network represented by the Internet and various networks such as a LAN can be used.
[0017]
The mailing list ML for address information exchange is an electronic mail system provided by a personal computer communication or Internet provider, and is constructed in a host computer of the provider, for example.
[0018]
The mailing list is a system that broadcasts the same e-mail to all of the participants who are participating in the mailing list. In particular, the “address information exchange” mailing list ML of the present invention is sent from an information processing apparatus PC1 of a participant. An e-mail (hereinafter referred to as an address information mail) for notifying a change in address information sent is delivered to all other participants.
[0019]
As the information processing apparatus (PC1, PC2,..., PCn; hereinafter also referred to as “terminal”), for example, a personal computer, a workstation, a telephone with an e-mail transmission / reception function, or the like can be used. Here, it is assumed that a user who uses a certain terminal for explanation has one mail account dedicated to the individual when using the mailing list ML. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and one person may have a plurality of mail accounts.
[0020]
The basic operation of the communication system having the configuration shown in FIG. 1 will be described. The address information mail created by the user A who owns a certain terminal PC1 and transmitted to the network is received by the address information exchange mailing list ML. After that, the mailing list ML distributes this address information mail to other members (owners of the terminals PC2,..., PCn) of the mailing list in which the user is participating.
[0021]
Next, main configurations and functions of the information processing apparatuses (PC1,..., PCn) will be described. As the information processing apparatus, a commercially available personal computer can be used. However, hardware such as CPU, ROM, RAM, hard disk, mouse, keyboard, CRT, CD-ROM, FD drive, and character input and display are available. , Printing, internet connection, data transmission / reception and other software.
[0022]
A function (referred to as an address information exchange function) necessary for transmitting / receiving, registering and updating address information according to the present invention is realized by the hardware and software. The address information exchange function of the information processing apparatus is realized by at least four functional blocks as shown in FIG.
[0023]
In FIG. 1, only the functional block of the terminal PC1 is shown, but it is assumed that the other terminals PC2,... PCn participating in the mailing list ML also have similar functional blocks.
[0024]
The address information transmission unit 1 of the terminal PC1 is a part that transmits an address information mail including address information stored in the address information storage unit 4 to the network, that is, the address information exchange mailing list ML by processing to be described later. The address information receiving unit 2 is a part that receives an address information mail sent from the mailing list ML.
[0025]
The address information update unit 3 is a part that updates or newly registers the address information stored in the address information storage unit 4 by processing as described later.
[0026]
The address information storage unit 4 is a part for storing address information including data as will be described later. For example, a rewritable storage device such as a nonvolatile semiconductor memory or a hard disk is used.
[0027]
FIG. 2 shows an example of the contents of the address information stored in the address information storage unit 4. This content exemplifies at least the data that seems to be necessary, and is not limited to this. Data may be added, deleted, or changed as necessary in the mailing list.
[0028]
The mail address 11 is a “mailing list mail address” assigned to each user of the terminal who is a mailing list participant. For example, the data is AAAA@BBB.CC.jp. The personal identification code 12 is unique data that can identify an individual. For example, a telephone number, a member number, or the like can be used.
[0029]
Name 13 is the user's full name, nickname, etc., and address 14 is the current address. The update date and time 15 stores the date and time when the data 11 to 14 are updated. When the data is newly registered, the registration date and time is stored.
The address information (11 to 15) shown in FIG. 2 is data for one user, but the address information storage unit 4 stores this address information for the mailing list participants.
[0030]
FIG. 3 shows an explanatory diagram of the data contents of the address information stored in the address information storage unit 4 of each terminal (PC1,..., PCn). This entire data content is called an “address book”.
Here, if a user of a certain terminal PC1 is a person of “name A”, the data from the e-mail address A to the update date / time A is the data of the user of the terminal PC1, and the data below that line. Is data of users of other terminals.
[0031]
In the present invention, when a part or all of the user's own data in the address information storage unit 4 is updated in a certain terminal, an “address information mail” is transmitted to the address information exchange mailing list ML. When receiving “address information mail” in which a part or all of the address information of the user stored in the address information storage unit 4 is changed in the mailing system ML and other terminals The data of the user of the changed terminal is updated.
[0032]
In principle, all participants should share the same address book, and the same address book is also preferably owned by the address information exchange mailing list ML.
[0033]
In the following, an embodiment of address information mail transmission / reception and address information registration update processing, which is a feature of the present invention, will be described.
Assume that user A of terminal PC1 changes his / her address information, for example, “address A” by inputting characters using a keyboard or the like. At this time, “address A” in the address 14 column of the address information storage unit 4 in the terminal PC 1 is updated to “address A ′”. It is assumed that the address information transmission unit 1 always monitors whether the data of the user A in the address information storage unit 4 has been changed.
[0034]
When the address information transmission unit 1 detects that the address has been updated to “address A ′”, the address information mail 11 includes the address information (11 to 15) of the user A in the address information storage unit 4 as the text content. And send the destination as a mailing list ML to the network. Here, the address information (11 to 15) may be transmitted as “header information” for general electronic mail, or as “attached file” for the electronic mail, instead of the text content.
[0035]
Further, the address information transmitting unit 1 may transmit the address information mail regularly (for example, once a day) even when the address information does not change.
[0036]
Further, the address information mail may be transmitted only when specific data of the address information (11 to 15) is changed, and the address information mail is not transmitted even when specific data which is not important is changed. May be. Further, only the data that should be shared among all the participants in the address information may be transmitted.
The above is the transmission processing of “address information mail”.
[0037]
Next, the “address information mail” sent to the network is received by the address information exchange mailing list ML. The mailing list ML is the same as the received address information mail to the terminals (PC2,..., PCn) of all the other members of the mailing list group including the user A after executing the predetermined processing required here. The contents or the e-mail including the same contents in part is created and distributed.
[0038]
The predetermined processing of the mailing list ML is, for example, updating of data in an address book owned in the mailing list ML.
[0039]
Next, assuming that the address information receiving unit 2 of the terminal PC 2 receives the delivered e-mail, the header part and the text in the e-mail are confirmed, and “address information (11 to 15)” is displayed. If it is determined that it is included, the e-mail itself or the “address information” portion of the content is delivered to the address information update unit 3. The address information update unit 3 of the terminal that has received the “address information” sent from the PC 1 performs the following processing.
[0040]
(1) The mail address 11 or the personal identification code 12 in the received “address information” is the mail address in its own “address information” stored in the address information storage unit 4 of the terminal. 11 or the personal identification code 12, the address information of the user in the address information storage unit 4 is not updated. This is because its own address information has only been sent.
[0041]
(2) Either the mail address 11 or the personal identification code 12 in the received “address information” is stored in the “address information” of another user stored in the address information storage unit 4 of the terminal. If it matches the e-mail address 11 or the personal identification code 12, the “address information (11 to 14)” for the other users in the address information storage unit 4 is received. 11-14) ”and the current date and time are stored as the update date and time 15.
Since the update process (2) is automatically performed without any manual operation of the user of the terminal, the update operation of other users as conventionally performed is completely unnecessary.
[0042]
(3) If both the mail address 11 and the personal identification code 12 in the received “address information” do not match any of the address information stored in the address information recording unit 4 of the terminal, a new registration is made The received address information (11 to 14) is newly registered in the address information storage unit 4 and the registration date / time is stored in the update date / time 15 by determining that it is data. Since the registration process (3) is automatically performed without any manual operation of the user of the terminal, the new registration operation of other users, which has been conventionally performed, is unnecessary.
[0043]
According to the registration / update process of the present invention, it is possible to greatly reduce the burden of address information update work that has been performed by users themselves. That is, the user who needs to update the address information simply performs the update, and the other users do not need to perform the update themselves, thereby eliminating the redundant manual work.
If there is a periodic reception of address information mail, only the update date and time 15 is updated to the reception date and time even in the case of (1) above.
[0044]
In addition, as described above, when the address information transmitting unit 1 periodically transmits its own address information to the mailing list ML, the address information deleting process is performed at the address information exchange mailing list ML and the user terminal of the mailing list. Can be done.
[0045]
For example, if it is known that the address information mail is sent regularly once a day, the address information mail is sent if it can be confirmed that the periodic address information mail is no longer received. It can be determined that the user of the terminal that has been using has stopped using the mailing list or canceled participation.
[0046]
This address information deletion process can be realized by providing the following address information deletion unit in each terminal and mailing list ML. The address information deletion unit constantly monitors the contents of the update date and time 15 column for each user stored in the address information storage unit 4 to determine whether or not the information is regularly updated.
[0047]
If the update cycle is known in advance, such as once a day or once a week, the cycle is stored. If it is determined that the update date and time 15 has not been updated even after the next expected update date and time obtained by adding this cycle from the latest update date and time, the address information deletion unit The address information of the user who should be updated is deleted from the address information storage unit 4. If such address information is deleted, an e-mail can always be delivered to a user who is actually participating in the mailing list, and the address book of the user can be kept in the same state.
[0048]
In the embodiment, the communication system using the address information exchange mailing list has been described. However, the address information mail may be directly exchanged between a plurality of terminals without using the mailing list. It is possible to save labor for updating address information.
[0049]
【The invention's effect】
According to the present invention, since the address information that has not been updated is deleted, the e-mail can always be delivered to the user who actually participates in the group, and the address book of the user is kept in the same state. Can be kept in.
[0050]
In addition, when one user updates or newly registers address information, the updated contents are also distributed to other users' information processing devices and automatically updated or newly registered. Update / registration work is reduced. Furthermore, since address information can be automatically deleted, address information of only users who can actually exchange mail can be shared among users in the group.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram of a communication system including an information processing apparatus according to the present invention.
FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram of an embodiment of address information according to the present invention.
FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram of an embodiment of an address information storage unit of the information processing apparatus according to the present invention;
[Explanation of symbols]
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Address information transmission part 2 Address information reception part 3 Address information update part 4 Address information storage part 11 E-mail address 12 Personal identification code 13 Name 14 Address 15 Update date / time PC1 Information processing apparatus ML Address information exchange mailing list

Claims (1)

  An address information storage unit that stores address information of a plurality of users in a predetermined group, an address information transmission unit that transmits data including the address information as an address information mail, and an address information reception unit that receives the address information mail If the address information stored in the address information storage unit matches a part of the address information included in the received address information mail, the matched address information is received as the received address. An address information update unit that updates information, and an address information deletion unit that deletes the address information stored in the address information storage unit, and knows in advance that the address information of others is periodically transmitted If the address information of a certain user has not been updated for a predetermined period of time, the address The information processing apparatus information deletion unit and deletes the address information not the update from the address information storage unit.

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