JPH04157945A - Message communication system - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To receive only a required message by storing plural messages, storing each password, comparing it with a password inputted from a terminal equipment and sending a message only when they are coincident so as to limit a transmission destination. CONSTITUTION:In order to obtain a message from a terminal equipment A1a in a message communication system 3 comprising personal computers 1a-1e and a store and forward exchange function, a name of a message, its number and its password are entered from the terminal equipment A1a. When they are coincident with data stored in a password storage section 8, a required message is extracted from a message storage section and sent. Thus, since it is required that the entered data are coincident with the data stored in the section, it is possible to send a message of a specific field to a specific destination only.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [Field of Industrial Application] The present invention relates to a message communication system comprising a plurality of communication terminals having a communication function and a center device having a storage and forwarding function.

[Conventional technology]

In recent years, systems for digitizing e-mails have become popular for the purpose of reducing administrative costs and improving immediacy.

In particular, in systems where each terminal transfers messages via a central device with a store-and-forward function, a wide variety of mail services are provided, such as instant delivery, broadcast, time-specified delivery, confidential, MailHox, and bulletin board. .

Among these services, the bulletin board service is a service that allows messages to be stored in a center device and provided to an unspecified number of parties.

[Problem that the invention is trying to solve]

However, in the past, on this bulletin board, requests could be sent from an unspecified number of terminals, and messages could be sent to any recipient, so if messages were stored on this device, anyone could receive them. This had the disadvantage that confidential information could be known to outsiders.

Therefore, when receiving a bulletin board service, the user may be asked to enter a password, and if the password matches a pre-registered password, the service may be permitted.

However, in this case, all of the messages can be accessed as long as the PIN number matches.
There was a drawback that one department could extract messages (important messages) that were unnecessary for that department.

[Means and operations for solving the problems] The present invention has been made for the purpose of solving the above problems, and includes the following configuration as one means for solving the above problems.

That is, in a message communication system consisting of a plurality of communication terminals having a communication function and a center device having a storage and forwarding function, a message storage means for storing a plurality of messages and a password specified for each message field are used. A means for storing a PIN number, a means for requesting the communication terminal to input a PIN number when a request to send a message is received from a communication terminal, and a means for storing a PIN number input from the communication terminal and a message for which a transmission request has been made. The apparatus includes means for comparing corresponding password numbers, and means for transmitting a specified message when the password numbers match as a result of the comparison.

With the above configuration, a message stored in the message storage means of the center device can be sent only to a specific party who knows the password registered in the center device corresponding to the message.

Also, on the terminal side, since the password differs depending on the field of the required message, it is possible to receive only messages in the field of need.

〔Example〕

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

FIG. 1 is a system configuration diagram of a message communication system according to an embodiment of the present invention. In the figure, reference numerals 1a to 1e designate personal computers having communication terminal functions capable of communicating messages with a message communication system 3 via a public line network 2. 2 is a message communication system 3 and a terminal 1a
-1e, and includes digital data networks, private lines, telephone networks, etc. 3 is a center device of a message communication system that stores and exchanges messages.

In the message communication system 3, 4 is a main control unit that controls the entire message communication system of this embodiment according to a program stored in the main storage unit 6; 5 is a communication control unit that controls connection with the public network 2; Reference numeral 6 denotes a main storage unit that stores a program that performs processing according to FIG. 3, 7 a code input unit that inputs a code to the center device, and 8 a code memory that stores input codes in correspondence with messages. 9 is a message storage section for storing messages to be sent; 1;
0 is an internal bus of the center device of the message communication system of this embodiment.

FIG. 2 is a diagram showing the relationship among the document name, document number, field, and password stored in the code storage unit 8.

For example, to retrieve the organization chart from terminal A (la), enter the document no. "XXXXXX" and the password "1234'".
All you have to do is enter. In addition, in order to retrieve address book A from the same terminal A (la), it is sufficient to input the document number, "×△○××", and the password "5678".

However, in order to retrieve address book A, document no.

Even if "×△○×X" and the password number "1234" are entered, the address book A cannot be retrieved because the passwords do not match.

FIG. 3 shows a control flowchart of the message communication system 3 when there is a request to retrieve a document.

This flowchart is stored in the main storage section 6 and executed by the main control section 5.

In the flowchart of FIG. 3, when it is determined in step S1 that a transmission request sent from a terminal has been received, the process proceeds to step S2, and the document no.
, is received.

If it is determined that document nQ has not been received, the process advances to step S3 and requests the terminal to input document no.

If it is determined in step S4 that a timeout has occurred, the process proceeds to step S5, disconnects the line, and ends the process.

If it is determined in step S2 that document no. is received, the process advances to step S6. In step S6, the terminal is requested to input a password. In step S7, it is determined whether or not a password has been received from the terminal, and when it is determined that the password has been received, the process proceeds to step SIQ.

If the PIN is not received, the timeout will prompt you to enter the PIN until it is received. (S8-S9) In step SIO, the PIN code corresponding to the received document no. When it is determined in step Sll that both numbers match as a result, the received document No. is read out from the message storage section 9,
Send to terminal and end.

If it is determined in step Sll that the numbers do not match, the process proceeds to step S14, and the other party's terminal is notified of the mismatch in the PIN numbers, and the line is disconnected in step S15, and the process ends.

Search for a code that matches the message field code stored in the center device of the communication system. If there is a message whose code matches the field, the process advances to step S5 and the corresponding message is transmitted to the personal computer that has requested transmission.

As explained above, according to this embodiment, in the bulletin board service of a message communication system consisting of a personal computer and a center device having a store-and-forward function, a stored message is sent to a specific person who knows the password corresponding to the message. The message can be sent to the other party, and the receiving terminal can also select the field of the message to be sent and receive it.

In the above embodiment, a personal computer was used as the communication terminal device that communicates with the center device of the message communication system, but it is also possible to use a personal computer as a communication terminal device that can handle workstations and other text information, and that can also communicate with facsimile and teletex terminal devices that have communication functions. The same applies when doing so.

〔Effect of the invention〕

According to the present invention, when a request to send a message is received in the message communication system bulletin board service consisting of a terminal with a communication function and a center device with a storage and forwarding function,
You can send messages in a specific field to only specific recipients.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a system configuration diagram of a message communication system according to an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a table stored in the encryption storage unit 8 of FIG. 1, and FIG. FIG. 3 is a flowchart of message communication processing in the embodiment. 1a to 1e...Personal computer 2...Public network 3...Message communication system 4...Main control section 5...Communication control section 6...Main storage section 7...Code input section 8 ...Code storage section 9...Message storage section 10...Internal bus

Claims (1)

[Claims] In a message communication system consisting of a plurality of communication terminals having a communication function and a center device having a store-and-forward function, a message storage means for storing a plurality of messages and a password specified for each field of messages are stored. A means for storing a password, a means for requesting the communication terminal to input a password when a message transmission request is received from the communication terminal, and a means for responding to the password input from the communication terminal and the message requested to be sent. A message communication system comprising means for comparing password numbers, and means for transmitting a specified message when the password numbers match as a result of the comparison.