JP2000181814A - Electronic mail system - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an electronic mail system by which data of an originating position (an address, for example) are automatically allowed to be included in a document in the case of transmitting the electronic mail. SOLUTION: A transmission side personal computer 10 is provided with a GPS 11 for measuring the present position of the personal computer 10 and a present position data adding means 15a for adding present position data measured by the GPS 11 to an electronic mail text and generating an electronic mail document (the electronic mail text + present position data). A reception side personal computer 20 is provided with a map information storing means 22, a present position data extracting means 23a for extracting present position data from the electronic mail document, a text and map synthesizing means 23b for extracting a map corresponding to present position data from a map information storing means and synthesizing the text in the electronic mail document with extracted map information and a display means 24 for displaying the synthesized text and the map.

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, and more particularly to an electronic mail system in which an electronic mail sending position and the like are added to a document of the electronic mail and the electronic mail is automatically transmitted.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art For example, when a portable personal computer (hereinafter, referred to as a personal computer) is carried away and an e-mail document is transmitted from a destination, the transmission position of the e-mail is also included in the document. You may need to specify it. When a desktop personal computer is used at home, a large number of received e-mails may be received, such as "Mr. A, B, C ...".

[0003]

However, in the case of the portable personal computer, the sender transmits a wrong address (for example, a travel destination) due to a misunderstanding of the transmission position, or conversely, the location name is changed on the receiving side. (For example, even if you simply write "At Misatotaka" in an e-mail document, there is a possibility that "Misutakayama" is present in at least both Gunma and Yamanashi prefectures) Tended to be.

In the case of a large number of incoming calls, for example, when it is necessary to reply with a letter or the like, if the address or the like is specified in the document of the e-mail, it is not necessary to find out from the address book or the like. It is convenient.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is an object of the present invention to provide an electronic mail system in which, when an electronic mail is transmitted, data of a transmission position (for example, an address) can be automatically inserted into a document.

[0006]

According to the present invention, there is provided an electronic mail system comprising a transmitting information terminal device and a receiving information terminal device, wherein the transmitting information terminal device comprises: Positioning means for positioning the current position of the transmitting side information terminal device, and the current position data measured by the positioning means are added to the e-mail text (characters) to form an e-mail document (e-mail text + current position data). Current position data adding means for creating, the receiving side information terminal device includes a map information storing means for storing map information, and a current position data extracting means for extracting the current position data from the received e-mail document. Extracting a map corresponding to the current position data extracted by the current position data extraction means from the map information storage means, and extracting an e-mail text from the e-mail document. And body Map combining means for combining said extracted map information, characterized by comprising a display means for the body-map synthesis means displays synthesized e-mail body and a map at the same time.

In this manner, the receiving-side information terminal device extracts the current position data from the received e-mail document (e-mail text + current position data) by the current position data extracting means, and the text / map synthesizing means. The map corresponding to the extracted current position data is taken out from the map information storage means, the text of the e-mail is combined with the taken out map information, and the text and the map are simultaneously displayed on the display means.

[0008]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS The present invention will be described below based on the illustrated embodiments (examples). FIG. 1 is a conceptual diagram of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a block diagram of a system configuration according to an embodiment of the present invention.

(1) Concept of the Present Invention Prior to the description of the embodiments of the present invention, the concept of the present invention will be described. As shown in FIG. 1, the e-mail system E of the present invention
MS stands for GPS (global positionin) which is a "positioning means".
g system) A transmitting-side personal computer 50 as a “sending-side information terminal device” having a 51 and a receiving-side personal computer 60 as a “receiving-side information terminal device” having an electronic map software 61 as a “map information storage means”. And

In this electronic mail system EMS,
The transmission-side personal computer 50 creates an e-mail text (text), attaches a photograph or the like taken by the CCD camera 53 if necessary, and sends the e-mail document [e-mail text (text) 7
0a + current position data 70b] 70 via the network 80. In this case, the dedicated electronic mail software 52 automatically receives the current position data (latitude / longitude) from the GPS 51.
70b is obtained and added to the e-mail text (character) 70a.

The receiving personal computer 60 receives the incoming electronic mail document 70. Since the current position data 70b is added to the received data, the map information corresponding to the current position data is read out from the electronic map software 61 using the dedicated electronic mail software 62, and the display 63 as a "display means" is read. Then, the text and the attached photo are combined and displayed at the position on the map based on the position information (see FIG. 4).

(2) Embodiment Next, an embodiment of the present invention will be described. As shown in FIG. 2, the transmitting personal computer 10 includes a GPS 11, a document input unit 12 including a keyboard and the like, a photograph data input unit 13 including a CCD camera and a scanner for reading a still image, and an e-mail text (for example, It has a display unit 14 for displaying Japanese sentences) and photographs, and a current position data adding unit 15a for adding the latitude / longitude (current position data) detected by the GPS 11 to the e-mail text input from the document input unit 12. A control unit 15 and a transmission unit 16 for transmitting the added e-mail document [e-mail text + current position data + still image (photograph)] are provided. The control unit 15 performs various controls of the GPS 11, the display unit 14, the transmission unit 16, and the like, in addition to the above-described addition of the current position data.

The receiving personal computer 20 sends the electronic mail document [electronic mail text +
Current position data + still image (photograph)], a map information storage unit 22 storing information on a Japan map and a world map, and a control unit 23 described below. The control unit 23 includes a current position data extraction unit 23a that extracts the current position data of the sender from the e-mail document received by the reception unit 21, and map information based on the current position data extracted by the current position data extraction unit 23a. Storage unit 22
And a text / map synthesizing section 23b for synthesizing the e-mail text with the map by extracting the map information stored in the e-mail.

A display unit 24 displays the electronic mail text and the map synthesized by the text / map synthesis unit 23b.
Reference numeral 5 denotes an input unit used for inputting characters, enlarging / reducing a displayed document / map, and the like.
It is a correspondence table of the address corresponding to the longitude.

Next, the operation will be described. Sender PC 10
The user creates an e-mail text (for example, Japanese text) to be sent from the document input unit 12 to a friend (reception side) while viewing the display unit 14 at a travel destination around Fuji Five Lakes, for example. On the other hand, the GPS 11 detects current position data (for example, latitude and longitude on the northern shore of Lake Kawaguchi). Current position data adding unit 1
5a adds the current position data to the input e-mail text and transmits it via the transmission unit 16. A photograph (still image) photographed by the photograph data input unit 13 including a CCD camera or the like may be added to the e-mail document to which the current position data has been added. FIG. 3 is an example of an e-mail document (e-mail text 17a + current position data 17b + photo 17c) 17 transmitted from the transmission side.

The receiving personal computer 20 receives the e-mail document 17, and the current position data extraction unit 23a extracts the current position data 17b of the e-mail document 17 (for example, the latitude and longitude of the northern shore of Lake Kawaguchiko). Text and map synthesis part 2
3b reads a map of Fuji Five Lakes and surrounding areas (Izu Peninsula, etc.) from the map information storage unit 22 based on the extracted current position data 17b, and as shown in FIG. For example, a photograph (Mt. Fuji) 33 is synthesized and displayed on the display unit 24. In this case, the address corresponding to the current position data (for example, the latitude / longitude of the north shore of Lake Kawaguchi) is extracted from the address table 26 and displayed on the display unit 24.
Can also be displayed at the same time.

Although FIG. 4 does not show the shape 32a of Mt. Fuji on a general map, the shape and photograph of a typical scenery such as Mt. Fuji (mountain, coast, temple, famous place of colored leaves, etc.) are shown. The map may be stored in the receiving side personal computer 20 in advance, and the map and the shape (photograph) may be combined and displayed.

Another specific example is as follows. It is assumed that a person traveled around Hokkaido and went to "Akan Lake" on December 7, 1998, and then to "Showa Shinzan" on December 8th, 1998. Create email body at Lake Akan,
The current position data (Lake Akan) is detected by GPS and stored in the memory. In addition, I created the body of the e-mail in Showa Shinzan,
The current position data (Showa Shinzan) is detected by GPS and stored in the memory.

Then, for example, when an e-mail document (e-mail text + current position data) of Lake Akan and Showa Shinzan is sent from a hotel in Hakodate to the parent's home where the family waits, the receiving side personal computer 20 installed in the parent's home receives the above-mentioned information. As shown in FIG. 5, arrows A and B are drawn from the corresponding positions of Lake Akan and Showa Shinzan, and impressions 27a and 27b at Lake Akan and Showa Shinzan are displayed on the display unit 24 as shown in FIG. indicate.

Further, another specific example is as follows. If e-mail documents (each e-mail text + current position data) from around Mt. Fuji and Hokkaido arrive at the receiving computer 20 at the same time, the receiving computer 2
0, as shown in FIG. 6, both the e-mail document and the map are read from the map information storage unit 22, and can be combined and displayed at an appropriate scale so that they can be displayed on the same screen at one time. is there.

In the above-described embodiment, the case where a still image (photograph) photographed by a CCD camera is transmitted has been described. For example, a moving image (for example, about 15 seconds) may be transmitted, or audio may be transmitted. Good.

In the above embodiment, a personal computer is described as an information terminal device. However, other information terminal devices may be provided with an e-mail function. No.

[0023]

As described above, according to the present invention, a sender can automatically associate and transmit a sender's location (current location data) with an e-mail text without being particularly conscious of the location. In addition, the receiver can grasp the location (current position data) of the sender on the map displayed on the display means.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating the concept of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a system configuration diagram of an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an image of transmission-side data in the embodiment.

FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a specific example of a display screen on the receiving side in the embodiment.

FIG. 5 is a diagram showing another specific example of the display screen on the receiving side in the embodiment.

FIG. 6 is a diagram showing still another specific example of the display screen on the receiving side in the embodiment.

[Explanation of symbols]

 Reference Signs List 10 transmitting personal computer 11 GPS 12 document input unit 13 photo data input unit 14 display unit 15 control unit 15a current position data adding unit 20 receiving personal computer 22 map information storage unit 23 control unit 23a current position data extraction unit 23b text / map synthesis Part 24 Display part 26 Address correspondence table

 ──────────────────────────────────────────────────続 き Continued on the front page F term (reference) 5B089 GA21 GA25 GB03 HA10 HA11 JA31 JB01 JB03 JB04 JB05 KA13 KA18 KC53 LA02 LA12 LA18 LB10 LB13 LB14 LB17 LB23 5K030 GA18 HA06 HC09 JL01 JT09 5K067 AA34 BB21 DD02DD EE32 FF03 HH23 JJ52 KK13 KK15

Claims (8)

[Claims] 1. An electronic mail system comprising a transmitting side information terminal device and a receiving side information terminal device, wherein the transmitting side information terminal device is a positioning means for positioning a current position of the transmitting side information terminal device, Current position data adding means for adding the current position data measured by the positioning means to an e-mail text (character) to create an e-mail document (e-mail text + current position data); The terminal device includes a map information storage unit that stores map information, a current position data extraction unit that extracts the current position data from the received e-mail document, and a current position data extracted by the current position data extraction unit. A corresponding map is extracted from the map information storage means, and a text / map file for combining the e-mail text in the e-mail document with the extracted map information is combined. E-mail system, characterized by comprising means, and display means the text Map synthesis means displays synthesized e-mail body and a map at the same time. 2. The electronic mail system according to claim 1, wherein said positioning means is a GPS for detecting latitude / longitude data. 3. The electronic mail system according to claim 1, wherein the transmitting side information terminal device is a portable type. 4. The electronic apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the transmitting-side information terminal device includes a still image data adding unit that adds still image data to an electronic mail document. Mail system. 5. The electronic device according to claim 1, wherein the transmitting side information terminal device includes a moving image data adding unit that adds moving image data to an electronic mail document. Mail system. 6. The electronic mail system according to claim 1, wherein the transmitting side information terminal device includes a voice data adding unit that adds voice data to the electronic mail document. . 7. The electronic mail system according to claim 1, wherein the map information storage means of the receiving side information terminal device stores Japan map information. 8. The electronic mail system according to claim 1, wherein world map information is stored in the map information storage means of the receiving side information terminal device.