JPH02166947A - Mail box managing system in electronic mail system - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To rapidly refer to a mail with high priority by providing a holder to divide the mail stored in a mail box into a class. CONSTITUTION:The file of the mail box which manages the mail is provided with hierarchical structure, and the hierarchical structure is constituted of a mail box route directory 101, a directory hierarchy 102 with a user name equivalent to the name of a user, a directory hierarchy 103 with a class name equivalent to the class name of the mail which forms the holder, and a mail file hierarchy 104 that is a layer in which the file of the mail is stored. By designating the holder provided at the class unit of the mail, the mail in a designated holder can be displayed in a summary list. Also, when the holder is designated, the holder in which the mail exists is displayed, and the holder in which no mail exists is not displayed. Thereby, retrieval time can be shortened, and the mail for which the user desires to receive can rapidly be referred.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [Field of Industrial Application] The present invention relates to a mailbox management method in an electronic mail system of a computer system.

[Conventional technology]

2 Hitachi, Ltd., 1987, “r20500 FIS/MAIL-EV Manual” as a conventional example regarding the display of a list of e-mails in an e-mail system.

Examples include pages 72 to 73. In this conventional example,
There are two email classes: urgent/normal, and urgent emails are explicitly marked by the user in the email list. Additionally, the list of emails is displayed in the order of the newest emails, making it easier to refer to newer emails. However, there is a drawback that as the number of emails increases, the time it takes to search for the desired email from the -%j list increases.

[Problem to be solved by the invention]

First, an outline of a conventional electronic mail system will be briefly described using FIG. 2.

FIG. 2 is a diagram showing one configuration of an e-mail system.

In an e-mail system environment, a mail server 20 manages a mailbox 201 in which received 4M mail is stored.
2 exists, and nodes 204 of each distributed electronic computer system 11 corresponding to users are connected to a network 206 under a mail server 202. Each node 204 has the same user interface software 205.

A mail server 202 manages a mailbox 201 that stores each user's mail. Between these distributed nodes 204, the mail server 202 processes the mail 9. @ is for taking out.

Regarding registration and retrieval of e-mails, for example, when user A sends an e-mail to user B, the e-mail is sent as a file to the e-mail storage area of the user MB in the mailbox 20 via the e-mail server 202. be registered. When the user 1 tB retrieves mail, the mail registered in the mail storage area of user B in the mailbox 201 is retrieved.

User B's node 204b via the mail server 202
sent to.

When the user MB refers to the mail list, information such as the mail name and date other than the document content of all mails of user B registered in the mail storage area of user B in the mailbox 201 is collected. User B via the mail server 202
is sent to node 204b. User B's node 204
．． In b, 0 or more of the information displayed as a mail list is an overview of the e-mail system.

Conventionally, in order to display a list of mails, which is one of the functions of an electronic mail system, information on mails contained in a user's mailbox has been obtained as described above. after that,
It analyzes the information obtained from the user's machine and displays important emails with a priority mark in order to clearly notify the user. In this method, all emails are displayed as a list, so as the amount of emails increases, the time it takes to search for important emails increases.

The present invention aims to reduce the above-mentioned search time and enable users to quickly refer to mails they wish to receive.

[Means to solve the problem]

The above-mentioned idea is to provide folders corresponding to five mail classes for each mailbox which is a place to store mail, and to store mail in the folder corresponding to the mail class. Also, on the user's machine, the goal can be achieved by displaying only the folders that have mail.

[Effect]

In the present invention, when displaying a list of emails, by specifying a folder provided at the class tit of the email, the emails contained in the specified folder are displayed as a list. Also, when the user specifies a folder, folders that contain mail are displayed, and folders that do not contain mail are not displayed.

Therefore, the user can quickly search for emails.

〔Example〕

An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing the hierarchical structure of files of a mailbox that manages mail.

This hierarchical structure has mailbox root directory 101. to mailbox root directory 101. Directory hierarchy 102 of user names that match each user's name. It is composed of a directory layer 103 whose class name matches the class name of the e-mail that is the folder of the present invention, and a mail file layer 104 where the e-mail files are stored.

FIG. 2 is a diagram showing one configuration of an e-mail system.

FIG. 3 is a diagram showing the flow of the user interface software 205 in the embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 4 is a diagram showing the flow of the mail server software 203. Here, the flow in FIG. 3 represents the processing of the user interface software 205 in FIG. 2, and the flow in FIG. 4 represents the processing in the mail server software 203 in FIG.

FIG. 5 is a diagram showing the message format 501 of the mail<4 record sent from the user interface software 205 to the mail server software 20;3. f. Mail registration command 502. 4 users indicating the user's name 503. E-mail name 504 indicating the name of the e-mail to be registered. Email, 9 Registration date and time 505 indicating the date and time of N. A class name 506 indicating the class of the email as a glass name, a receipt name 507 indicating the name of the user who retrieves the email, and an email data size 508 indicating the size of the email data 509. It is composed of mail data 509 which is the mail document itself.

FIGS. 6(a) and 6(b) are diagrams showing message types for mail retrieval.

Message format 60 for retrieving mail sent from user interface software 205 to mail server software 203
1 is a mail retrieval command 602.1 indicating a mail retrieval command. User name 603 indicating the user's name.
Class name 60 indicating the email class as the class name
4. Mail file name 6 indicating the name of the mail file
Consists of 05.

The message format 611 for mail retrieval sent from the mail server software to the user interface software is the content of the retrieved mail, and the mail name 612 indicates the name of the retrieved mail. Registrant 61:3 indicating the name of the user who registered the email.

Registration date and time 614 indicating the date and time when the email was registered Class name 615 indicating the email class as the class name
．． Mail data size 616 indicating the size of mail data 617. Email data 6, which is the email document itself
Consists of 17.

FIGS. 7(a) and 7(b) are diagrams showing the message format of class folder display.

Class holder display message format 7 sent from user interface software 205 to mail server software 203
01 is a folder display command 702.01 indicating a command for displaying a class folder. User name 703 indicating the user's name
It consists of

The class folder display message format 711 sent from the mail server software 203 to the user interface software 205 is the number of class 1 mails 712. which indicates the number of class 1 mail files. The number of class 2 mails 713 indicates the number of class 2 mail files, and the number of class 3 mails 714 indicates the number of class 3 mail files.

FIGS. 8(a) and 8(b) are diagrams showing the message format of the mail list display. User interface software 20
5 to the mail server software 203 - List display message format 801 indicates a command for displaying a list of mails 8021 User name indicates the user's name 803 Class name indicates the name of the mail class 804.

Mail list display message format 81 sent from the mail server software 203 to the user interface software 205
1 is the number of mails 812. which indicates the number of mail files for the class l and b. Email name 8 indicating email name Aij
13. Indicates the name of the user who registered the email. %'lf indicating the date and time when the email was recorded
') Date and time 815. It consists of a mail file name 816 indicating the name of the mail file. Here, the area from the mail name 813 to the mail file name 816 is set continuously for the number of mails 812.

FIG. 9 is a diagram showing a data structure when mail is registered as a file in a mailbox.

The data structure 901 of the mail file includes a mail name 902. which indicates the name of the mail. Registrant 903 indicating the name of the user who KIN'd the email. Registration date and time 904 indicating the date and time when the email was registered. Class name 905, which indicates the email class as the class name; Mail data size 906, which indicates the size of the email data 907. It is composed of mail data 907 which is the mail document itself.

FIG. 10 is a diagram showing a folder menu for displaying a mail list.

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an example of a mail list display screen.

Regarding the registration, retrieval, and list display of mail in this embodiment, the flow of the user interface software in Fig. 3 and the flow in Fig. 4 are as follows.
Fully explain the flow of the mail server software in the figure.

E-mail registration process> The flow of the user interface software first waits for the user to input an e-mail processing command (
301). In Figure 2, when user B sends an email to user A, user #B uses the user interface software 205b.
Enter the registration command in . Analyze the input command (302) L.

Proceed to registration process. Then, the user B specifies the user #A who is the mail recipient, the class, and the mail to be sent, and creates a registered mail (303). Here, it is assumed that user A and class 1 are specified to create a registration email. after that,
The email registration request 30 is sent to the email server software 203 in Figure 2 using the email registration message format 501 in Figure 5.
4.

Thereafter, the process waits for a command again (301).

In the flow of the mail server software in Figure 4, first, the message sent from the user node is received (waiting for fl (401)).
do. When the mail registration request is sent, the command is analyzed (402) L and the process moves to registration processing.

From the email registration message 501 sent in Figure 5, find the user directory in the mailbox from the receipt name (403), find the class directory from the class name (404), and save the mail data as a file under the class directory. Store (405).

FIG. 1 shows an example of the hierarchical structure of files in the mailbox 201 shown in FIG. 2. As shown in FIG.

In this process, a new email is created in the mail file hierarchy under the directory where the directory hierarchy 102 of the user name and the directory hierarchy 103 of the class name match based on the sent information. And it will be registered. Here, since the information sent is usage idea A and class 1, it is stored under the class 1 directory 103a of the user A directory 102a of the mailbox.
A new email will be registered.

After this, in the flow of the mail server software, the server waits again to receive a message sent from the user node (401).

<Mail retrieval processing> To retrieve e-mail, user #A inputs a retrieval command into the user interface software.

The input command is analyzed (302) L, and the process moves to extraction processing.

User A inputs the class and mail file name of the mail to be retrieved, and requests mail retrieval to the mail server software using the mail retrieval message format 601 shown in FIG. 6 (305). Thereafter, it waits for reception from the mail server software, and receives the message 611 shown in FIG. 6 from the mail server software (306). Thereafter, the received message is expanded and displayed as 1 (307).

In the flow of the mail server software in Figure 4, a mail retrieval request is sent from the user interface software in the message format 601 in Figure 6, and from the mailbox 201 in Figure 2 (using the message format 601 in Figure 3). The mail file in which the user name 603, class name 604, and mail file name all match is read out, and the contents of the file are sent to the user interface software 205a in FIG. 2 using the message format 611 in FIG. 6 (406).

E-mail List Display Process> In order to display a list of e-mails, user A inputs a list display command into the user interface software 205a. In Figure 3, the input command is analyzed (30
2) Move to L, - list display processing.

First, in message format 701 for folder display in Figure 7, request the mail server software to display folders for each class (30
Do 8). After that, wait for reception from the mail server software, and receive message 7 from the mail server software in Figure 7.
11 is received 309.

Among the messages 711, for classes in which the number of emails is 1 or more, the folder is displayed as having emails (310). Classes with O number of emails are not displayed.

FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of the display of the folder menu. In this example, the mails of class 1 and class 3 are
It is displayed as a folder, indicating that class 2 emails are not displayed.

In the flowchart shown in FIG. 3, after this display, the user is prompted to select a folder (311). Thereafter, a class name is set from the specified folder and sent to the mail server software in the message format 801 of the mail list display shown in FIG. after that,
Wait for a message from the mail server software to display a list of mail (312).

When the message 811 shown in FIG. 8 is received from the mail server software, the information between the mail name 813 and the mail file name 816 of the message is repeatedly developed as display data for 812 mails, and a mail list is displayed (313).

FIG. 11 is an example of a mail list display that is displayed when a class 1 folder is selected.

In the flow of the mail server software in Figure 4, a folder display request is sent from the user interface software in the message format 701 in Figure 7 as a mail list display under the directory 102a of user #A. Class 1 103a Class 2 103b, Class 31.03
Count the number of each mail file under the directory c, set it to the message format 711 in Figure 7, and send it to the user interface software (407).
. Thereafter, the user selects a folder from the user interface software and waits for the class name sent (408).

When a class name is sent from the user interface software in the message format 801 of FIG. 8, the mail server software sends the data of the mail file under the directory 103 of the class name corresponding to user A of FIG. 1 as shown in FIG. 901
The message type 811 shown in FIG. 8 is read. Do this for all mail files under the directory with the corresponding class name. After that, message 811 in Figure 8 is sent to the user interface software (40
9).

This will only display folders that have emails.

E-mails of a specified class can be displayed immediately.

The classes can be set in various ways, such as class 1 for confidential mail, class 2 for express mail, and class 3 for general mail.

〔Effect of the invention〕

Since the present invention is configured as described above, it produces the effects described below. Folders are divided by class, so you can quickly view high-priority emails.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

Fig. 1 is an explanatory diagram of the hierarchical structure of files in a mailbox according to an embodiment of the present invention, Fig. 2 is a block diagram showing the configuration of an e-mail system, and Fig. 3 is a diagram showing the user interface software of an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 4 is a flow diagram of the mail server software according to the embodiment of the present invention, Figure 5 is a message format diagram for email registration, Figure 6 is a message format diagram for email retrieval, and Figure 7 is a folder display diagram. Message format diagram, Figure 8 is a message format diagram for mail list display, Figure 9 is a data structure diagram of a mail file, Figure 10 is a folder menu screen diagram, and Figure 11 is an example of a mail list display. It is a screen diagram. 1...Figure 1 103. Directory hierarchy of mail class as folder, 2...Figure 7 711. holder't
, the figure\J z figure ■ Figure 5 θ1 Figure Kuzu Figure ■ Figure ■ Figure

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. Mailbox management in an e-mail system having a mailbox for storing e-mails, characterized in that the e-mail system is provided with folders for dividing e-mails stored in the mailbox into classes. method. 2. The mailbox management method in an e-mail system according to claim 1, characterized by having a function of displaying only folders containing mail.