JP2003114898A - Electronic mail device - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an electronic mail device capable of following up even update information such as address change by storing retrieval conditions in an address book in the electronic mail device. SOLUTION: An address retrieval is selectively performed on an address book screen, an address retrieval screen is displayed, and retrieval items for inputting retrieval conditions are displayed on the address retrieval screen. Users are allowed to input, as the retrieval items, nicknames, names, addresses, and assignments from the operating part 251 of an information terminal 2. The retrieval conditions are inputted on the address retrieval screen, and when a retrieval execution button is selectively executed, a CPU 20 is connected to an address information server 1 through a communication control part 21 to acquire the information on the mail address according to the retrieval conditions from the address information server 1. In this case, the CPU 20 stores, as an address retrieval history, the address retrieval conditions inputted into the address retrieval screen in a RAM 23.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a PC (personal computer), a mobile phone, a personal digital assistant, and an image information transmitting apparatus capable of transmitting image information by electronic mail, which is connected to a network by wireless communication or wire communication. , An electronic mail device that can be used as an image input device, an image management device, and the like.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In recent years, with the spread of networks such as the Internet, electronic mail devices capable of transmitting and receiving electronic mail such as text information and image information via the network have been widely used. Such an electronic mail device is used for a PC, a mobile phone, a wireless communication or a wired communication,
It is incorporated as one function of a portable information terminal, an image information transmission device capable of transmitting image information by electronic mail, an image input device, an image management device, and the like. Generally, an electronic mail device has an address book function as a function of an address book for registering and managing addresses and mail addresses (recipients), and a user has multiple mail addresses for work and private use. Can be used for the address search function, etc. In addition, when a user has multiple email addresses such as a work email address and a private email address, multiple addresses can be assigned to one address or nickname (a name that refers to an individual user). An address book function that can register and manage email addresses as a group is also known.
In addition, recently, an increasing number of electronic mail systems have a function of accessing an external address information server by an electronic mail device and registering a search result obtained by performing an address search from the address information server in an address book in the electronic mail device. ing.

Regarding an electronic mail system having such an address book function and an address search function, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No.
In the 0-30760 publication, attribute data for identifying whether or not it is a group registration is provided for each address information, and for the address information registered as a group, it is identified and displayed based on the attribute data. On the other hand, since the number of destinations registered in the group is displayed, an e-mail device in which the presence or absence of group registration and the number of registered addresses can be seen at a glance and an address information management method used for the device are described. Further, in Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 11-134088, when setting and displaying operation modes for using a plurality of functions, an icon identifiable by category is added and visually displayed, which is convenient for the user. Described are a data transmission device and a method therefor capable of improving performance. Further, in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 11-134163, text information and icons corresponding to categories of destinations are displayed, so that operability and visibility in designating destinations for transmission by various transmission methods are improved. A storage medium storing a data processing device, method, and program for improvement is described. Furthermore, JP-A-11-1364
Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 75-75 stores an image transmitting apparatus, method, and program capable of efficiently performing transmission processing by storing input image data to a plurality of destinations having different functions by storing it in an appropriate format. The storage medium is described.

[0004]

However, in an electronic mail system having a function of registering the search result of the address search in the address book in the electronic mail device, when the search result is registered in the address book, in the address information server, Even if the original managed address information is updated, the update information cannot be reflected in the address book unless the update condition is included as a search condition. Also, when the number of entries (number of registrations) of email addresses registered in the address book or address information server becomes enormous, it is difficult to narrow down the address search only by the address and the destination, so it is difficult to narrow down the address and organization. It is necessary to include incidental information in the address information. When searching for an address, you will be narrowed down by combining conditions such as address, destination, and other incidental information.However, if you want to search for another person in the same organization, change only part of the combination. You may want to perform another address search. If the address search condition is stored in such a case, and a part of the address search condition can be changed and reused during the search, it becomes easy to input the similar search condition, and the operability for the user can be improved.

Therefore, a first object of the present invention is to store update conditions for address search by an external address information server in an address book in an electronic mail device so that update information such as address change can be stored. Is to provide an electronic mail device that can follow a search. A second object of the present invention is to provide an electronic mail device that can facilitate the work when inputting similar address search conditions.

[0006]

According to a first aspect of the present invention, in an electronic mail device capable of transmitting / receiving address information to / from an address information server that manages address information such as a destination and an address, the address information server is provided. A sending and receiving means for sending and receiving the address information, a search instruction for address information managed in the address information server, a search instruction means for urging input of search conditions, and a search condition input by the search instruction means, Search means for searching address information managed by the address information server, and search result presenting means for presenting the search result when the transmitting / receiving means receives the search result by the search means from the address information server, The search conditions input by the search instruction means and the search results by the search means are recorded. Storage means for, by having a, to achieve the first object.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, in the first aspect of the present invention, the storage means adds a heading classification different from a search result by the search means to the search condition input by the search instruction means. The first purpose is achieved by storing the information. In the invention according to claim 3, in the invention according to claim 1 or claim 2, the search condition presenting means for obtaining and presenting the search condition stored in the storage means, and presenting by the search condition presenting means The search condition presented by the search condition presenting means or the search partly modified by the condition changing means. The second object is achieved by searching the address information managed by the address information server based on the condition.

[0008]

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION Preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to FIGS. Figure 1
FIG. 3 is a diagram showing a configuration of a basic electronic mail system using the electronic mail device according to the present embodiment. Figure 1
As shown in FIG. 2, the electronic mail system is connected to the address information server 1 storing various address information, and the information terminals 2 to 4 and the information terminal 2 connected to the address information server 1 via the network 10. The printer device 31 and the portable information terminal 5 are provided. In FIG. 1, as an example, the information terminals 2 and 3 are desktop PCs capable of wired communication, the information terminal 4 is a laptop PC capable of wireless communication, and the mobile information terminal 5 is a PDA (Pe).
rsonal Digital Assistant
s), but not limited to this,
Any information terminal capable of wireless communication or wired communication with the address information server 1 may be used. The address information server 1 is a mail server computer connected to the network 10. In addition to managing the mail address information of each user, it is also possible to manage the mail exchange for each mail address under its own domain.

FIG. 2 is a diagram showing the configuration of the electronic mail device. The electronic mail device according to this embodiment can be applied to each of the information terminals 2 to 4 and the mobile information terminal 5. In the present embodiment, as an example, the electronic mail provided in the information terminal 2 is used. The device 200 will be described. As shown in FIG. 2, the electronic mail device 200 uses the CP
U (central processing unit) 20, communication control unit 21, ROM (read only memory) 22, RAM (random access memory) 23, display control unit 24 for controlling the display unit 241 of the information terminal 2, information terminal The operation control unit 25 for controlling the operation input from the second operation unit 251 is provided. RO
The M22 stores screen data forming a mail screen related to the control program loaded in the CPU 20 and the electronic mail function. The RAM 23 is a memory used as a work area of the CPU 20, and has various storage areas used for mail creation, mail transmission / reception, address book management, and the like. The display control unit 24 uses the information terminal 2
Of the display unit 241 such as the display and liquid crystal screen of the CPU
It controls based on the display control signal from 20 and displays the mail screen related to the electronic mail function. Operation control unit 25
Controls the activation of the electronic mail function, the calling of each menu screen on the mail screen, etc., based on the operation control signal input by the operation unit 251 of the information terminal 2 having a keyboard having various key switches, a touch panel, etc. To do.

Next, the operation of the electronic mail device 200 according to this embodiment will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG. FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing a search condition storage processing procedure of the electronic mail device. Information terminal 2 to which electronic mail device 200 according to the present embodiment is applied
Is connected to the address information server 1 via the network 10 in a wired dial-up manner. When the user selects and executes the e-mail function on the operation unit 251 of the information terminal 2 by a key input using a key switch or a touch input on the touch panel (step 301; Y), a mail screen of the e-mail function is displayed on the display unit 241. It Here, when the address information is not searched (step 302; N), on the display unit 241, the communication control unit 21 has logged on to the address information server 1 via the network 10 and has received the delivery of the received mail. The fact that the outgoing mail has been sent is displayed, and normal sending and receiving of electronic mail is executed (step 307). On the other hand, in the case of executing the mail address search of the electronic mail function, when the portion displayed in the mail screen such as the address book is selected and executed, the address book screen is displayed on the display unit 251. When an address search is further selected and executed on the address book screen (step 302; Y), an address search screen is displayed, and search items for inputting search conditions are displayed on this address search screen. The user inputs a nickname, a name, an address, an affiliated organization, and the like as search items from the operation unit 251 of the information terminal 2. You can also search by keyword.

When each search condition is input on the address search screen (step 303) and the search execution button is selected and executed, the CPU 20 connects to the address information server 1 via the communication control unit 21, and the address information server 1 The information about the mail address corresponding to the search condition is acquired from and displayed (steps 304 and 305). At this time, the CPU 20 stores the address search condition input on the address search screen in the RAM 23 as an address search history (step 306). Although illustration is omitted, it may be stored in an external storage device such as a disk or an HDD (hard disk drive). The address search condition is stored automatically in the form of an address search history when the CPU 20 inputs the search condition on the address search screen. For example, “address search condition storage” is displayed on the address search screen. A button or the like may be displayed so that only the user explicitly specifies the “address search condition storage” button. Also, the address search condition stored by the user is
When it is stored in the RAM 23, it is stored in the same row as the mail address and each group as a search history entry of the address book. In this way, by storing as a search history entry of the address book, it becomes easy to call when reusing instead of address selection. When the search history entry is selected, the search is performed there, and the user is asked to reselect the mail address from the search result.

Further, when the user searches the address information again on the address search screen, the address search conditions stored as the address search history in the RAM 23 can be reused. In this case, "Address search condition use" button etc. are displayed on the address search screen,
When the user designates the "use address search condition" button, the CPU 20 displays the past address search history on the address search screen. By referring to the past address search history, the user can reuse the called address search history or the stored address search condition as the search condition again. Further, the user may change a part of the address search condition and use it instead of directly using the called address search history or the stored address search condition. This makes it easy to input similar address search conditions and improve operability for the user. In addition to the "use address search condition" button, a heading classification or the like can be used as an interface when the user specifies a stored search condition from the address book screen or selects a mail address.

As described above, in the electronic mail apparatus of this embodiment, the past address search conditions are stored in the form of address search history, and the reuse of the stored address search conditions is designated by the user's designation. In this case, the same address search condition can be used for re-searching, so even if the original address information managed by the external address information server changes, it can be obtained as the same search result as before. It is also possible to deal with changes in address information. Further, in the electronic mail apparatus according to the present embodiment, the address search condition stored by the user designation is stored in the same column as the address or group as the entry of the address book. Classification and the like can be used, and user operability can be improved. Further, in the electronic mail device according to the present embodiment, it is possible to present the address search condition to be reused based on the designation selection by the user, and change a part of the presented address search condition. Therefore, it becomes easy to input the similar address search condition, and the operability for the user can be improved.

[0014]

According to the first aspect of the present invention, since the storage means for storing the search condition input by the search instruction means and the search result by the search means is provided, it is originally managed by an external address information server. Even when the address information is changed, it can be obtained as the same search result as before, and the change of the address information can be dealt with.

In the invention according to claim 2, the storage means adds the heading classification different from the search result by the search means to the search condition input by the search instructing means and stores the search condition. When specifying the condition, the condition can be specified by using the headline classification, and the operability for the user can be improved.

According to the third aspect of the invention, the search means is based on the search condition presented by the search condition presentation means or the search condition partially modified by the condition modification means,
Since the address information managed by the address information server is searched, it becomes easy to input search conditions for similar address information, and the operability for the user can be improved.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a configuration of a basic electronic mail system using an electronic mail device according to an embodiment.

FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a configuration of an electronic mail device.

FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing a search condition storage processing procedure of the electronic mail device.

[Explanation of symbols]

1 Address information server 2, 3, 4 information terminal 5 Personal digital assistants 31 Printer device 20 CPU (central processing unit) 21 Communication control unit 22 ROM (Read Only Memory) 23 RAM (Random Access Memory) 24 Display control unit 25 Operation control unit 200 E-mail device 241 Display 251 Operation part

Claims (3)

[Claims] 1. An electronic mail device capable of transmitting and receiving address information to and from an address information server that manages address information such as destinations and addresses, and a transmitting / receiving unit that transmits / receives the address information to / from the address information server, Address information managed by the address information server based on the search condition input by the search instruction unit and a search instruction unit that prompts input of search conditions managed by the address information server. Search means for searching, search result presenting means for presenting the search result when the transmitting and receiving means receives the search result by the search means from the address information server, the search condition input by the search instructing means, and the search condition Storage means for storing a search result by the search means. E-mail device to be. 2. The electronic device according to claim 1, wherein the storage unit stores the search condition input by the search instruction unit by adding a heading classification different from a search result by the search unit. Mail device. 3. A search condition presentation unit that acquires and presents the search condition stored in the storage unit, and a condition change unit that partially changes the search condition presented by the search condition presentation unit. The search means may further include: address information managed by the address information server based on the search condition presented by the search condition presenting means or the search condition partially modified by the condition changing means. 3. The electronic mail device according to claim 1, wherein the electronic mail device is searched for.