JPH06332821A - Electronic mail system - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To reduce the handling time that a user registers the alias of an address and to reduce the loads of a network by automatically converting the complicated address of an electronic mail to a simple alias and registering it. CONSTITUTION:This system is provided with a means 13 for analyzing the contents of a received mail and taking out a caller address, the means 19 for storing the taken out caller address, the means 20 for acquiring address information from a different data base 100 on the network and the means 17 for obtaining the alias of the address from the acquired address information and registering it in relation with the caller address.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an electronic mail system for registering and using a complicated electronic mail address with a simple alias by using the additional information of the received mail and the address database of a remote place. is there.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art With the spread of computers in recent years, electronic mail systems that use computers as communication means are widely used.

The structure of an electronic mail system is generally shown in FIG.
It becomes like. In FIG. 9, 91 is a mail receiving unit for receiving mails, 92 is a mail storing unit for storing received mails, 93 is a mail analyzing unit for analyzing the contents of mails, 9
Reference numeral 4 is an input / output unit for displaying and creating mails, 95 is a mail creating unit for creating mails, 96 is a mail sending unit for performing sending processing, and 97 is an address alias storage unit for registering complicated addresses with simple aliases. , 98 are address conversion units for converting a designated alias into an address.

When creating a mail, the user must specify the mail destination by some method. In many cases,
The address of the mail is specified by a Roman character string together with the mail itself using a keyboard. The UNIX (operating system name, a trademark of AT & T) e-mail system employs this method.

However, according to this method, since a complicated electronic mail address is input in Roman letters one by one with the keyboard, it takes time and is erroneously input.
In order to solve this problem, there is a method of registering a simple alias corresponding to a complicated address, for example, a name in Japanese and using it. The alias corresponding to such an address is stored in the file of each user, or in a database that can be shared. The user, for example, displays the aliases of the e-mail address in a list, and the user selects the destination from the list and specifies it, or the alias of the address is entered by using the keyboard to specify the address itself. It is possible to shorten the input time and prevent errors.

[0006]

However, in the above-mentioned conventional method, each user must register the alias of the address to be used in advance. Further, in the case of having a shared database, in order to use the alias of the address, it is necessary to access the database each time, and the load on the network increases. further,
When the shared database is connected by a network in which the amount of data that can be transferred is small (for example, when it is connected by a public network with a modem), there are problems such as an increase in cost.

The present invention solves the above-mentioned conventional problems by using a complicated electronic mail address by using additional information of a received mail or a remote address database.
It is an object of the present invention to provide an electronic mail system which can reduce the trouble of the user to register an alias of an address and can reduce the network load by registering and using a simple alias. .

[0008]

In order to achieve the above object, the electronic mail system of the present invention analyzes the content of a received mail and extracts a sender address, and stores the extracted sender address. Means for obtaining address information from another database on the network, and means for obtaining an alias of the address from the obtained address information and registering it in association with the stored sender address. .

The present invention also provides a means for analyzing the contents of a received mail to retrieve sender information, a means for obtaining a sender address and its alias from the retrieved sender information, and a acquired sender address. And a means for associating and registering the alias.

[0010]

According to the present invention, with the above configuration, a user can register an address of a complicated electronic mail with a simple alias by using the additional information of the received mail and the address database, and use the alias. It is possible to reduce the time and labor for registering, and further reduce the network load, and to effectively use the electronic mail system.

[0011]

【Example】

(Embodiment 1) Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the configuration of an electronic mail system according to the first embodiment of the present invention. In FIG. 1, 11 is a mail receiving unit for receiving mails, 12 is a mail storing unit for storing received mails, 1
3 is a mail analysis unit that analyzes the contents of the mail and retrieves the sender address, 14 is an input / output unit that displays and creates the mail, 15 is a mail creation unit that creates the mail to be sent,
Reference numeral 16 is a mail transmission unit for sending mail, 17 is an address alias storage unit for storing address aliases, 18 is an address conversion unit for acquiring an address from the address alias and sending it to the mail creation unit 15, 19 is an address The address storage unit 20 stores the address information together with the aliases, and the address information acquisition unit 20 acquires the address information from another database on the network and sends it to the address alias storage unit 17.
An address information storage unit 00 is a database on the network that stores address information.

The contents of the address storage unit 19 and the address alias storage unit 17 are, for example, as shown in FIG. 2A, an alias 21 expressed in Kanji and an address 2 expressed in Roman characters.
Information composed of two sets is stored, and in the external address information storage unit 100, as shown in FIG. 2B, from a set of first and last names as information serving as a registration / search keyword and an actual address. The following information is accumulated.

The mail is received by the mail receiving unit 11,
It is stored in the mail storage unit 12. The user can display the content of this mail via the input / output unit 14. At this time, the display content is taken out by the mail analysis unit 13.

The processing in the address storage unit 19 at this time will be described with reference to FIG. The mail analysis unit 13 extracts an address from the data of the received mail (step 31). The retrieved address is the address alias storage unit 1
It is judged whether it is registered in 7 (Step 3
2) If it is registered, the process ends. If the address is not registered, the fetched address is stored in the address storage unit 1
9 is registered (step 33). By this processing, an address whose address alias is not registered is the address storage unit 1.
9 will be registered.

Next, the address information acquisition unit 20 receives a certain timing (for example, at night when the network load is small).
To start the process. The processing at this time will be described with reference to FIG. In the address information acquisition unit 20, the address storage unit 1
All the addresses registered in 9 are retrieved (step 41), and the address information storage unit 100 is accessed to check whether the address information (for example, first and last name in FIG. 2B) corresponding to the address is registered. Judgment is made collectively (step 42). If it is not registered, the process for that address ends. If it is registered, the address information corresponding to the address is fetched, and the alias of the address is registered in the address alias storage unit 17 by using the information (step 43).

FIG. 5 shows the processing for registering the alias of this address in the address alias storage unit 17. First, the family name is acquired from the address information fetched from the address information storage unit 100 (step 51), and this family name is registered in the address alias storage unit 17 as an alias of the address (step 5).
2). Next, it is checked whether or not a different address is registered in the address storage unit 19 under the alias of this address (step 53), and if already registered, the acquired first and last name is given an appropriate suffix, for example. Then, the real address is registered in the address storage unit 19. If it has not been registered yet, the real address is registered in the address storage unit 19 by using the acquired first and last name as an alias.

In the example shown in FIG. 5, the surname and first name information is used as the alias of the address, but the address, age and other information may be used as the alias of the address. For example, the real address is "G =
Kazuo; S = Tanaka; ... ", and the address information includes" surname: Tanaka, first name: Kazuo, address: Yokohama City, address:
Kazuo; S = Tanaka; ... "
Another name for "Tanaka Nakao" is "G = Kazuo; S = Tanaka;
... "is stored in the address storage unit 19.

When sending a mail, the user is required to input / output unit 14
Enter the mail address etc. via. When the destination is designated by the alias of the address registered in the address alias storage unit 17, the mail creation unit 15 converts the address alias into the real address via the address conversion unit 18 at the actual transmission stage, and the mail transmission unit 16 sends an email.

As described above, according to the present embodiment, the address of the complicated electronic mail is automatically changed to a simple alias by using the address information stored in the address information storage unit 100 which is an external database. However, since it is possible to register, it is possible to reduce the time and effort required for the user to register the alias of the address, and the network load can be reduced by collectively performing the processing.

(Second Embodiment) Next, a second embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 6 and 7. In FIG. 6, 61 is a mail receiving unit for receiving mails, 62 is a mail storing unit for storing received mails, 63 is a mail analyzing unit for analyzing the contents of the mails and extracting sender information, 6
4 is an input / output unit for displaying and composing mails, 65 is a mail composing unit for composing mails to be transmitted, 66 is a mail transmitting unit for transmitting mails, 67 is originator information retrieved from the mail analyzing unit 63 Address information acquisition unit for acquiring the caller address and its alias, 68 is an address storage unit for registering the acquired sender address together with the alias, and 69 is an address alias storage unit for storing the acquired alias of the address, An address conversion unit 70 acquires an address from an alias of the input address and sends it to the mail creation unit 65.

The mail is received by the mail receiver 61,
It is stored in the mail storage unit 62. The user can display the content of this mail via the input / output unit 64. At this time, the display content is taken out by the mail analysis unit 63.

The processing in the address information acquisition unit 67 at this time will be described with reference to FIG. The mail analysis unit 63 extracts the sender address from the received mail data (step 71). Next, the address information acquisition unit 67 determines whether or not the extracted sender address is registered in the address storage unit 68 (step 72), and if registered, ends the process. If not registered, the address is registered in the address storage unit 68 (step 73). Next, it is determined whether or not the mail includes the sender's incidental information, for example, "General Affairs Department Manager" in the example shown in FIG. 8 (step 74). If it is not included, the processing for the address is finished. If it is included, the additional information is taken out and the information is registered in the address alias storage section 69 as an alias of the address (step 75).

When sending a mail, the user is required to input / output section 64.
Enter the mail address etc. via. When the destination is designated by the alias of the address registered in the address alias storage unit 69, the mail creating unit 65 converts the alias of the address into the real address through the address converting unit 80 at the actual transmission stage, and the mail transmitting unit 66 sends an email.

As described above, according to this embodiment, a complicated e-mail address can be automatically converted into a simple alias using the sender information included in the mail and registered. It is possible to reduce the trouble for the user to register the alias of the address.

In each of the above embodiments, the real address and the alias are registered in both the address storage unit and the address alias storage unit, but only the address alias may be registered in the address alias storage unit. . Further, the means for registering the real address and the alias in association with each other may be configured by only one of the address storage unit and the address alias storage unit.

[0026]

As described above, according to the present invention, a complicated electronic mail address is automatically converted into a simple alias by using a database on the network or sender information of a received mail and registered. Therefore, it is possible to reduce the trouble for the user to register the alias of the address and reduce the network load.

[Brief description of drawings]

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

2A is a data diagram showing an example of information stored in an address storage unit and an address alias storage unit in the first embodiment. FIG. 2B is an example of information stored in an address information storage unit in the first embodiment. Data diagram showing

FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing a processing flow of an address storage unit in the first embodiment.

FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing a processing flow of an address information acquisition unit in the first embodiment.

FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing a processing flow of an address alias storage unit according to the first embodiment.

FIG. 6 is a block diagram showing the configuration of an electronic mail system according to the second embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 7 is a flowchart showing the flow of processing of the address information acquisition unit in the second embodiment.

FIG. 8 is a schematic diagram showing sender information of a mail and contents of an address alias storage unit in the second embodiment.

FIG. 9 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a conventional electronic mail system.

[Explanation of symbols]

 11 mail receiving unit 12 mail storing unit 13 mail analyzing unit 14 input / output unit 15 mail creating unit 16 mail transmitting unit 17 address alias storing unit 18 address converting unit 19 address storing unit 20 address information acquiring unit 21 alias 22 address 61 mail receiving unit 62 mail storage unit 63 mail analysis unit 64 input / output unit 65 mail creation unit 66 mail transmission unit 67 address information acquisition unit 68 address storage unit 69 address alias storage unit 70 address conversion unit 100 address conversion unit 100 address information storage unit

Claims (2)

[Claims] 1. A means for analyzing a content of a received mail to retrieve a sender address, a means for accumulating the retrieved sender address, and a means for acquiring address information from another database on a network. A means for acquiring an alias of an address from the acquired address information and registering the alias in association with the stored sender address. 2. A means for extracting the sender information by analyzing the content of the received mail, a means for acquiring a sender address and its alias from the extracted sender information, and the acquired sender address. An electronic mail system having means for associating and registering the alias.