JPH11341049A - Electronic mail reception responce device and its program recording medium - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To inform of receiver's absence in accordance with a mail sender. SOLUTION: A CPU 11 sets up an absence period in an automatic answering information management table AB so as to correspond to management mail addresses. A replay table RP stores the necessity/unnecessity of returning an automatic answering message correspondingly to the sorts of senders. At the time of receiving a mail, the CPU 11 refers to the table AB, and when its destination is absence, determines the necessity/unnecessity of an answer in accordance with its sender, and when an answer is to be returned, reads out a replay message corresponding to the mail front the table RP and returns the message to the sender.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an e-mail reception response device for performing a predetermined process in response to reception of an e-mail, and a program recording medium therefor.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In general, in an e-mail system in a computer network, a sender can send an e-mail even when the other party is absent, and the other party can open the mail that arrived while he was away. Then, the sender checks whether the other party has opened the email, and for a long time,
If the mail remains unopened, an inquiry is made to the other party by telephone communication or the like, or the mail is resent to another person. Also, in consideration of the absence of the other party, the sender specifies a plurality of destinations and distributes the same mail.

[0003]

However, forcing the sender to confirm the open state of the mail places a heavy burden on the sender, and if the confirmation is neglected, the time elapses without being opened and the urgency is reduced. There was a problem that important business requirements could not be communicated. In addition, distributing mail to a plurality of addresses places a burden on a sender and increases communication costs. It is an object of the first invention to enable the sender of an e-mail to notify the absence of a person.
A second object of the present invention is to enable the sender of the mail to change the contents of the absence notification by someone. Third
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is an object of the present invention to make it possible to forward a received mail by a sender when the destination of the mail is away. A fourth object of the present invention is to make it possible for a sender of a mail to change the forwarding destination when the destination of the mail is away.

[0004]

The means of the present invention are as follows. The invention according to claim 1 stores setting means for setting absence information and reply control information indicating whether or not a reply message notifying that the destination of the mail is absent according to the sender of the mail is returned. Control information storage means, determination means for determining whether or not the destination is absent by referring to the absence information when the mail is received, and determining whether or not the destination is an absence by the determination means, Deciding means for deciding whether or not to reply to the absence message by referring to the reply control information corresponding to the sender, and reply means for transmitting the absence message to the sender when the decision means decides to reply. Is provided. In the invention according to claim 1, when the mail is received, the absence information set in advance is referred to. As a result, if the absence is received, the reply control information is referred to and the absence message is sent to the sender of the mail. It is determined whether or not to reply, and when replying, the absence message is returned to the sender. Therefore, the absence of the mail can be notified by the sender of the mail.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided a setting means for setting the absence information, a message storage means for storing a plurality of types of absence messages for notifying that the destination of the mail is the absence of mail according to the sender of the mail, Means for determining whether or not the destination is absent by referring to the absence information when receiving the absence information, and when the determination means determines that the absence is available, the absence of the type corresponding to the sender of the received mail. Reading means for reading a message from the message storage means;
Reply means for replying to the sender of the absence message read by the reading means.
In the invention according to claim 2, when the mail is received, the absence information set in advance is referred to, and as a result, if it is an absence, an absence message of a type corresponding to the sender is selected and the message is sent to the sender. Send back. Therefore, the contents of the absence notification can be changed by the sender of the mail.

According to a third aspect of the present invention, there is provided a setting means for setting absence information, and a transfer control for indicating whether or not to forward a mail according to the sender when the destination of the mail is away and indicating the transfer destination. Control information storage means for storing information;
Determining means for determining whether or not the destination is absent by referring to the absence information when receiving the mail; and, when the determination means determines that the destination is absent, the forwarding corresponding to the sender of the received mail. A device comprising: a determination unit for determining whether to forward received mail by referring to the control information; and a transfer unit for transferring the received mail to the transfer destination when the determination unit determines that the transfer should be performed. It is. According to the third aspect of the present invention, when the mail is received, the absence information set in advance is referred to. As a result, if the absence is detected, the transfer control information is referred to and the mail is forwarded according to the sender of the mail. It is determined whether or not the received mail is to be transferred, and the received mail is transferred to the transfer destination. Therefore, when the destination of the mail is away, the received mail can be forwarded by the sender.

According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a setting means for setting absence information, a destination storage means for storing a plurality of destinations of mail according to the sender when the destination of the mail is absence, and receiving the mail. Means for judging whether or not the destination is absent by referring to the absence information at the time of receiving the message, and, when the discrimination means judges that the address is absent, the forwarding destination is transferred according to the sender of the received mail. And a transfer means for transferring the received mail to the transfer destination read by the read means. In the invention according to claim 4, when the mail is received, the absence information set in advance is referred to, and as a result,
If the user is away, the user selects a transfer destination according to the sender and receives the received mail to the transfer destination. Therefore, when the destination of the mail is away, the forwarding destination can be changed by the sender.

[0008]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS (First Embodiment) A first embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to FIGS. FIG.
FIG. 1 is a system configuration diagram conceptually showing an electronic mail system. The mail server 1 is, for example, a host computer installed in a company. The mail server 1 is connected to terminals / computers TC1, TC2,..., TCn via a LAN (dedicated private line) 2 and the Internet 3 via a telephone line.
And each client computer CL
1. When an e-mail is transmitted from CLn... CLn, the mail server 1 receives the e-mail and
BX, and when the e-mail is received, it refers to the reception response management file LSP to determine whether or not the destination is away.
According to the setting conditions in the above, an answering message is returned to the sender, and the received mail is automatically transferred to a predetermined transfer destination.

FIG. 2A is a block diagram showing the entire configuration of the mail server 1. The CPU 11 is a central processing unit that controls the overall operation of the mail server 1 according to various programs loaded in the RAM 12. The storage device 13 has a storage medium 14 in which an operating system, various application programs, data files, and the like are stored in advance, and a drive system thereof.
The storage medium 14 is fixedly provided or removably mountable.
It is composed of an optical storage medium and a semiconductor memory. The programs and data in the storage medium 14 are loaded into the RAM 12 under the control of the CPU 11 as needed. Further, the CPU 11 receives a program and data transmitted from another device via a communication line or the like and stores the program and data in the storage medium 14 or stores the program and data in a storage medium provided in the other device. Existing programs and data can be used via a communication line or the like. Communication device 15
Is for transmitting and receiving e-mails and the like to / from the LAN 2 and the Internet 3.
The BX is searched, and an e-mail managed for each destination is called and transmitted to the terminal.

FIG. 2B shows a reception response management file LSP in the storage device 13. The reception response management file LSP includes an absence information management table AB, a sender classification table CL, a reply table RP, and a transfer table TR. Configuration. The absence information management table AB stores arbitrarily set absence information of each person.
As shown in (A), the absence information management table AB is configured to store absence information (year / month / day information indicating an absence period) corresponding to a management mail address of each person (terminal side user). Here, the contents of the absence information management table AB are set by arbitrarily inputting the absence information on the terminal / computer TC1, TC2... TCn side. The sender classification table CL classifies the sender into a plurality of classifications, and stores the classification information corresponding to the management mail address of the sender as shown in FIG. 3B. It should be noted that a sender whose management mail address is not defined in the sender classification table CL is classified as another classification. The reason for classifying the sender in this way is to classify the sender according to importance. The reply table RP indicates whether a reply message is to be sent to the sender according to the classification of the sender when the destination of the mail is absent, and what kind of content is to be returned when the reply message is sent. FIG. 4A shows the configuration. The reply table RP stores the necessity of reply and the reply message in association with the sender classification for each destination. The necessity of reply and the content of the reply message can be arbitrarily set by the terminal user. Transfer table TR
Defines whether or not the mail is forwarded according to the classification of the sender when the destination of the mail is absent, and to whom the mail is forwarded, and FIG. 4B shows the configuration. ing. The transfer table TR stores the transfer necessity / necessity and the transfer destination mail address in association with the sender classification for each destination. The transfer necessity / necessity and the transfer destination can be arbitrarily set by the terminal user.

Next, the operation of the mail server 1 will be described with reference to the flowcharts shown in FIGS. Here, programs for implementing the functions described in these flowcharts are stored in the storage medium 14 in the form of program codes readable by the CPU 11, and the contents thereof are loaded into the RAM 12. .
The same applies to flowcharts in other embodiments described later. FIG. 5 is a terminal / computer TC
1, TC2,... In response to an instruction from the TCn side, the absence information management table AB, the reply table RP, the transfer table T
9 is a flowchart showing an operation when arbitrarily setting the content of R. First, when a table setting is instructed on the terminal side, the mail server 1 analyzes the type of the table instructed as a setting target, and if it is the absence information management table AB, the process proceeds to step A2, where the absence information management table A process for setting an absence period in AB is performed. In this case, the absence information management table AB is searched based on the management mail address of the setter, and the received data (absence period) is associated with the corresponding mail address and the absence information management table A
Set to B. When the setting for the reply table RP is instructed, the process proceeds to step A3, where the reply table RP is searched based on the received data (destination, sender classification), and the corresponding reply necessity / non-request and the reply message are transmitted to the reply table RP. Set to. Also, the transfer table TR
When the setting is instructed, the process proceeds to step A4, where the transfer table TR is searched based on the received data (destination, sender classification), and the corresponding transfer necessity / unnecessity and the transfer destination are set in the transfer table TR.

FIG. 6 is a flowchart showing the mail receiving process. First, when a mail is received from the client side (step B1), the received mail is stored in the mailbox MBX for each destination (step B2).
An incoming call notification for notifying the sender that the mail has been received normally is transmitted (step B3). Then, the absence information management table AB is searched based on the destination of the received mail, the absence period is read, and compared with the current system date (step B4). As a result, it is determined whether or not the absence period is within the absence period (step B4). Step B5). Here, if it is within the absence period, the sender classification table CL is searched based on the sender of the mail to determine the sender classification (step B).
6). Then, the reply table RP is searched based on the destination of the received mail and its sender classification (step B).
7) Based on the necessity of reply, it is determined whether or not the sender is a reply target person (step B8). As a result, if the person is a reply target, mail reply processing is performed (step B9). That is, the corresponding reply message is read from the reply table RP and transmitted to the client, the sender. Next, the destination of the received mail and Step B
The transfer table TR is searched based on the determined classification determined in Step 6 (Step B10), and it is determined whether the received mail is to be transferred based on the necessity / non-necessity of the transfer (Step B11). As a result, when transferring, the corresponding transfer mail address is read from the transfer table TR, and the received mail is transferred to this transfer destination (step B1).
2). On the other hand, when it is detected in step B5 that the destination of the mail is not the absence, the process proceeds to step B13, and it is determined whether or not the absence period set in the absence information management table AB in association with the destination has passed. If the absence period has passed, a process of deleting it from the absence information management table AB is performed (step B14).

As described above, in the first embodiment,
When the mail server 1 receives the mail, the mail server 1 refers to the absence period set in association with the destination in the absence information management table AB to determine whether or not the absence is present.
By referring to the reply table RP, it is determined whether or not to send a reply message to the sender of this mail, and when replying, the reply message is returned to the sender. As well as the absence of some senders. In addition, since a plurality of types of reply messages can be set in the reply table RP for each sender type, a message with appropriate contents can be returned depending on whether the sender is a boss or a friend. Furthermore, if the address is not available when receiving the email,
By referring to the transfer table TR, the sender automatically forwards the received mail to a predetermined destination by the sender, thereby preventing the mail from being left unopened for a long period of time. No transfer is performed. Further, for example, the received mail can be transferred to an appropriate transfer destination according to the sender classification, such as to a transfer destination suitable for the sender if the sender is a boss, or to a transfer destination suitable for the subordinate if the subordinate is a manager. . In this case, since a plurality of types of forwarding destinations can be set for each sender classification in the forwarding table TR, the received mail can be automatically forwarded to an appropriate forwarding destination by some sender.

(Second Embodiment) Hereinafter, a second embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. Note that the first
In the embodiment, the absence period is set in the mail server 1 by inputting the absence period on the terminal side. However, in the second embodiment, the absence period is automatically set. Things. FIG. 7A is a block diagram showing the configuration of terminals / computers TC1, TC2,... TCn. This computer has a CPU 21 as a core, a RAM 22, a storage device 23, and a keyboard 2.
4, a display unit 25, and a communication interface 26. Here, when the schedule is input from the keyboard 24, the CPU 21 registers and stores the schedule in the storage device 23 as schedule data.
At this time, when the schedule period is input corresponding to the schedule item indicating a business trip, a holiday, or going out, the period is determined to be an absence period, and is transmitted to the mail server 1. That is, it is determined by referring to the keyword table shown in FIG. 7B whether or not the schedule item indicates absence at the time of creating and registering the schedule, and if the schedule item indicates absence (holiday, business trip, outing), The correspondingly input schedule period is transmitted to the mail server 1. FIG. 7C is a flowchart showing the operation in this case. When the schedule is registered (step C1), if it is a schedule item indicating absence (step C2), the schedule period corresponding to the item is set. It acquires the absence period (step C3) and sends it to the mail server 1 together with the mail address (step C4). Here, on the mail server 1 side, every time the schedule period is transmitted, the absence period is associated with the mail address and the absence information management table AB
Set to. In the second embodiment configured as above, when a schedule item indicating absence is registered at the time of schedule registration, the period is transmitted to the mail server 1 as an absence period and set in the absence information management table AB. Therefore, it is not necessary to input the absence period and set it in the mail server 1 every time the user is away, and the setting can be performed efficiently. In each of the above-described embodiments, the absence period is set in the absence information management table AB in the mail server 1, but the flag indicating absence is turned on / off.
It may be turned off. In this case, the absence flag may be turned on / off by performing an input operation for indicating absence and an operation for canceling each time the terminal is away.

[0015]

According to the present invention, since the sender of the mail can notify the absence by anybody, the sender can take the next best measure and the absence of the mail cannot be known by the sender of the mail. . Further, since the contents of the absence notification can be changed by the sender of the e-mail, it is possible to return a message with appropriate contents depending on whether the sender is a boss or a friend. In addition, when the destination of the mail is away, the sender can forward the received mail by anyone, so that it is possible to prevent the mail from being left unopened for a long time, and also to perform unnecessary transfer depending on the sender There is no. Furthermore, when the destination of the mail is out of the office, the transfer destination can be changed by the sender, so that the received mail can be transferred to an appropriate transfer destination depending on whether the sender is a boss, a friend, or the like.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a system configuration diagram conceptually showing an electronic mail system.

FIG. 2A is a block diagram showing a configuration of a mail server 1; FIG. 2B is a diagram showing a reception response management file LSP in a network 3;

3A is a diagram showing a configuration of an absence information management table AB, and FIG. 3B is a diagram showing a configuration of a sender classification table CL.

FIG. 4A is a diagram showing a configuration of a reply table RP;
(B) is a diagram showing a configuration of a transfer table TR.

FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing the operation of the mail server 1 when setting a table.

FIG. 6 is a flowchart showing the operation of the mail server 1 when receiving a mail.

7A is a block diagram showing a configuration of a terminal / computer in the second embodiment, FIG. 7B is a diagram showing a configuration of a keyword table, and FIG. 7C is an operation at the time of creating and registering schedule data. The flowchart shown.

[Explanation of symbols]

Reference Signs List 1 mail server 11 CPU 12 RAM 13 storage device 14 storage medium 15 communication device CL1, CL2... CLn client computer TC1, TC2... TCn terminal / computer MBX mailbox LSP reception response management file AB absence information management table CL sender classification Table RP Reply table TR Transfer table

Claims (9)

[Claims] 1. A control means storing setting means for setting absence information, and reply control information indicating whether or not a reply message notifying that a mail destination is a reply message is sent according to a sender of the mail. Means for determining whether or not the destination is absent by referring to the absence information when the mail is received; and, when the determination means determines that the destination is absent, according to the sender of the received mail. Determination means for determining whether or not a reply to the absence message is required by referring to the reply control information; and reply means for transmitting the absence message to the sender when the determination means determines that the reply should be made. An e-mail reception response device, comprising: 2. A setting means for setting the absence information, a message storage means for storing a plurality of types of absence messages for notifying that the destination of the mail is absence according to the sender of the mail, Determining means for determining whether or not the destination is absent by referring to the absence information; and when the determination means determines that the address is absent, the message storage means stores an absence message of a type corresponding to the sender of the received mail. An e-mail reception response device, comprising: reading means for reading from the sender; and reply means for returning the answering message read by the reading means to the sender. 3. A setting means for setting absence information, and control information indicating whether or not to forward the mail according to the sender when the destination of the mail is away and storing transfer control information indicating the transfer destination. A storage unit, a determination unit that determines whether or not the destination is absent by referring to the absence information when receiving the mail; and a determination unit that determines whether or not the destination is absent by the determination unit. Determining means for determining whether transfer of the received mail is necessary by referring to the corresponding transfer control information; and transferring means for transferring the received mail to the transfer destination when the determination means determines that the transfer should be performed. An e-mail reception response device comprising: 4. A setting means for setting absence information, a transfer destination storage means for storing a plurality of forwarding destinations of a mail according to the sender when the destination of the mail is absence, and the absence information when receiving the mail. A determination unit for determining whether or not the destination is absent by referring to, and when the determination unit determines that the destination is absent, reading a read destination from the destination storage unit in accordance with a sender of the received mail. Means for transferring received mail to a transfer destination read by the reading means. 5. The electronic mail reception response device according to claim 1, wherein said setting means fetches an absence period registered as schedule information and sets it as absence information. . 6. A function of setting absence information for a computer, a function of referring to the absence information when a mail is received, and determining whether or not a destination is an absence, and determining that the absence is present. Whether to reply to the sender by referring to the reply control information indicating whether or not to reply to the sender of the reply message, which indicates that the destination of the mail is the absence And a program for realizing a function of transmitting an absence message to the sender when it is determined that a reply should be made. 7. A function for setting absence information for a computer, a function for determining whether or not a destination is absence by referring to the absence information when a mail is received; A function to search the message storage means for storing a plurality of types of absence messages notifying that the destination of the email is an absence message according to the sender of the email, and reading the absence messages of the type corresponding to the sender of the received email. A recording medium for recording a program for realizing a function of returning the read absence message to the sender. 8. A function for setting absence information for a computer, a function for referring to the absence information when a mail is received and determining whether or not a destination is absence, and determining that the absence is available. A function that determines whether or not to forward a mail according to the sender when the destination of the mail is absent, and determines whether or not to forward the received mail by referring to the transfer control information indicating the forwarding destination And a recording medium for recording a program for realizing a function of transferring received mail to the transfer destination when it is determined that the mail should be transferred. 9. A function for setting absence information for a computer, a function for referring to said absence information when a mail is received to determine whether or not a destination is absence, and determining that the absence is available. When the destination of the mail is absent, a function of searching for a destination storage means for storing a plurality of destinations of the mail according to the sender, and reading the destination according to the sender of the received mail, Recording medium for recording a program for realizing a function of transferring received mail to a transfer destination.