JP2003296210A - Method and apparatus for creating profile setting file - Google Patents

Abstract

(57) [Summary] [Purpose] To easily set up a computer so that it can send and receive e-mails. [Configuration] Client 3 is a profile setting file
There is a template file 14 which has the same data items as 16 and the data to be stored in each data item is blank. The input of the login ID is accepted and transmitted to mail server 2. The mail server 2 stores individual information about each user, and the client 3
Receives the individual information corresponding to the login ID from the mail server 2. Based on the received individual information, the profile creation / read / deletion circuit (program) 12 stores data in each data item of the template file 14 and creates a template setting file 16. A profile is obtained by the profile generator 13 from the created template setting file 16.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

TECHNICAL FIELD The present invention relates to a method and apparatus for creating a profile setting file.

[0002]

[Technical background] Recently, e-mail has become an indispensable contact method in companies. It is a simple communication method, but to actually use e-mail, you must set the server address, user name, etc. (e-mail setting)
Must be done in advance. Since e-mail settings require relatively specialized knowledge, it is difficult for a user who has little knowledge of computers and networks to immediately use e-mail. Even a user who has knowledge of a computer has a trouble in inputting setting data into the computer.

Further, the computer owned by oneself is not always used as the usage mode of the electronic mail. Multiple people may use one computer. In this case, it is necessary to set the network used by the computer (input the setting data) before sending / receiving the e-mail. If you leave the setting data on your computer, other people may be able to see the contents of your e-mail.

[0004]

DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION It is an object of the present invention to enable a user who has no knowledge of a computer or a network to set the computer so that he / she can easily send and receive an electronic mail.

Another object of the present invention is to prevent setting data from being left in the computer for temporary use.

According to the present invention, in a client computer (hereinafter referred to as a client) equipped with a profile generator for generating a profile for controlling the operation of a mailer based on a profile setting file and storing the generated profile in a registry, It is a control method that controls the client to create a profile setting file.

The client stores a template file having the same data items as the profile setting file and the data to be stored in each data item is blank, and inputs a login ID for identifying each user. Is received, the accepted login ID is transmitted to the mail server, the individual information corresponding to the above login ID is received from the mail server that stores the individual information about each user, and the above-described individual information is received based on the received individual information. Store the data in each data item of the template file to create a template setting file, and pass the created template setting file to the profile generator.

A client according to the present invention is a client provided with a profile generator for generating a profile for controlling the operation of a mailer based on a profile setting file and storing the generated profile in a registry. The client has a storage means for storing a template file having the same data items as those of the profile setting file and the data to be stored in each data item is blank, and input of a login ID for identifying each user. Login I to accept
D input means, sending means for sending the accepted login ID to the mail server, receiving means for receiving individual information corresponding to the login ID from the mail server storing individual information for each user, received individual information And a means for storing data in each data item of the template file to create a template setting file, and a means for passing the created template setting file to the profile generator.

According to the present invention, the profile setting file required for generating the profile for controlling the operation of the mailer is created based on the individual information transmitted from the mail server. If the information (data) required for the profile setting file is stored in the individual information, the profile setting file necessary for generating the profile can be created in the client. Since it is not necessary to input detailed setting data for sending and receiving e-mail to the client, even a user who does not have knowledge of computers and networks can easily put the client in a state where e-mail can be sent and received.

In one embodiment, a selection screen for selecting either temporary use or constant use is displayed on the display screen, the selection of either temporary use or constant use is accepted, and the selection of temporary use is accepted. If so, remember that fact. Temporary use refers to temporarily using the client for sending and receiving electronic mail, and constant use refers to continuously using the client for sending and receiving electronic mail.

The profile generator stores the profile in the registry based on the created template setting file. If the temporary use is stored, the profile created by the profile generator from the template setting file is deleted from the registry after the operation of the mailer in operation is completed.

If the profile is left in the client that is temporarily used, there is a risk that another person may send an e-mail including his / her e-mail address or the content of the e-mail addressed to himself may be seen by another person. There is. According to the present invention, since the profile stored in the registry is deleted after the operation of the mailer is finished, the e-mail will not be seen by the user who next uses the client.

[0013]

[Embodiment] In order to send and receive e-mail via the Internet, it is necessary that a mailer (e-mail program) is installed in the client. Furthermore, in order for the user to send and receive e-mail using the mailer, the address of the server (sending mail server) that receives the e-mail sent from the client, the server that sends the e-mail received by the client (reception) Data such as the address of the side mail server) is required. The setting information required to send and receive these e-mails is described in the profile. The mailer sends an email to the sending mail server based on the profile and receives an email addressed to the client user from the receiving mail server.

The profile is different for each individual. By operating the mailer by using a different profile for each individual, the client can receive the e-mail addressed to the individual. The received electronic mail addressed to an individual is stored in the hard disk or the like of the client in association with the personal directory (folder).
A mail box (PO box) is created for each individual on the receiving mail server, and e-mail addressed to that individual is stored in the personal mailbox. A mailer that operates on the basis of a profile receives e-mail stored in a mailbox.

As described above, the operation of the mailer is defined by the profile.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an overall outline of a network configuration of an electronic mail transmission / reception system for transmitting / receiving electronic mail. FIG. 2 is a block diagram of a client having a hardware configuration for automatically creating a profile used by an existing mailer.

The electronic mail transmission / reception system comprises a mail server 2 connected to the network 1 and a plurality of clients 3. The mail server 2 is installed in an information system department of a company or the like. A plurality of clients 3 are placed in each department of a company or the like. The mail server 2 is a sender mail server (so-called SM
TP (Simple Mail Transfer Protocol) server and receiving side server (so-called POP (Post Office Protoc)
ol) server).

The mail server 2 is provided with an individual information database 4 and a mail box group 5.
The individual information database 4 stores information (individual information: details will be described later) regarding users who send and receive e-mails using the mail server 2. The mail box group 5 is a set of data storage areas (mail boxes) assigned to each of users who send and receive e-mail using the mail server 2, and the e-mail addressed to each user is about that user. Stored in the mailbox. The mail server 2 has a function of transmitting and receiving electronic mail (a mail server 2 that receives an electronic mail sent from the client 3 and sends the electronic mail to the destination described in the electronic mail). Receive the email sent to your address,
A function of transmitting the received e-mail based on the e-mail address described in the destination of the e-mail to the mail box) and the information (individual information) about the user of the mail server 2 to the client 3. And so on.

The client 3 is a so-called personal
A computer, a CPU, a hard disk, a memory, a transmitting / receiving device (modem, etc.), an input device 17, a display device 18
Including etc. The hard disk stores a mailer 21 for sending and receiving electronic mail and a mail box 20 for storing electronic mail sent and received by the mailer 21.

Further, the client 3 also has the following specific configuration (a program or a file for realizing the client 3 with the hardware or the specific configuration) for creating, reading, or deleting the profile used by the mailer. .

Collaboration data object
11: An instruction (command) from the client 3 to the individual information stored in the individual information database 4 of the mail server 2.
For downloading based on (program)
Is.

Profile creating / reading / deleting circuit 12: newly creates the above-mentioned profile, reads the profile stored in the registry 19 or
It is a circuit for deleting the profile stored in 19 from the registry 19. It is also possible to store a program for creating / reading / deleting a profile in the hard disk of the client 3 and realize the function of the profile creating / reading / deleting circuit 12 in this program.

Profile generator 13: As will be described later, the profile creation / read / delete circuit 12 (profile creation / read / delete program) creates a profile setting file 16. The created profile setting file 16 describes the data required to generate the profile required by the mailer. The data described in the profile setting file 16 is extracted, and the profile generated from the extracted data is stored in the registry 19. The mailer operates according to the profile stored in the registry 19. The profile generator 13 (program) performs a process of generating a profile based on the profile setting file 16 and storing the generated profile in the registry 19.

The following files necessary for creating a profile are stored in the hard disk of the client 3.

Template file 14: This is a base file of the profile setting file. The profile setting file 16 is generated by describing predetermined data (individual information or the like) in the template file 14.

Initial setting file 15: This is a file in which initial setting data defining the operation of the profile creating / reading / deleting circuit (program) 12 described above is described. The initialization file 15 contains the name of the mail server 2
The user name used to log in to the server 2 and data such as warning message display / non-display settings are described.

FIG. 3 shows an example of the data structure of the template file 14.

As described above, the template file 14 is a base file of the profile setting file 16, and the template setting file 16 is generated by describing predetermined data in the template file 14.

The process of generating the template setting file 16, that is, the process of writing predetermined data in the template file 14, is performed by the profile creating / reading / deleting circuit 12 described above.
Done by Profile creation / readout / deletion circuit
In the process of 12, the program (profile creation / reading / deletion program) is executed by the computer (CP
It can be realized by causing U) to execute. In the following description, the operation of the client 3 based on the profile creation / read / delete program will be described.

4 to 11 are for profile creation / reading / reading.
6 is a flowchart showing a flow of processing of a deletion program (hereinafter, simply referred to as “profile creation program”). When the user of the client 3 inputs an instruction to start the profile creating program from the input device of the client 3, the user profile creating program is read from the hard disk of the client 3 into the CPU, and the processing of the profile creating program is started. 12 and 13 show examples of windows (screens) displayed on the display screen of the display device 18 of the client 3 during the processing of the profile creation program. In the following description, the window displayed on the display screen will be referred to as appropriate.

When the profile creation program is activated, initial processing is first performed (step 31: FIG. 6).

In the initial processing, information (O) about the OS (operating system program) of the client 3 (OS installed in the client 3)
The type of S, the OS version, etc.) are acquired and stored in the memory (step 51), and the initialization file 15 is read from the hard disk of the client 3 and stored in the memory (step 52). As described above, the initialization file 15 does not have the information necessary for logging in to the mail server 2 or the mail box 5 corresponding to the login ID (described later) entered by the user in the mail server 2. In this case, data such as whether to display or not display the warning message is described.

Next, it is judged whether or not the profile creation program has already been executed on the client 3 (whether or not it has been activated in duplicate) (step
53). If the profile creation program has already been executed (being executed) in the client 3, the processing of the newly started profile creation program ends (YES in step 53). If it is not duplicated (NO in step 53), the setting of whether to display the profile selection screen when the mailer is started is the initialization file.
It is set based on 15 (step 54). For example, 1
When a plurality of users jointly use one client 3, the user profiles for the same number of users are required (when all the joint users transmit and receive e-mails using the mailer). In this case, each user will select his own profile. Based on the profile description selected, the mailer accesses the mailbox for that user of mail server 2. In such a usage mode, the initial setting file 15 describes setting data for displaying the profile selection screen when the mailer is started.

Returning to FIG. 4, when the initial process (step 31) is completed, the main screen is displayed on the display screen of the display device of the client 3 (step 32: window W1 in FIG. 12). On the main screen W1, "Create profile" button, "Delete profile" button and "Exit"
It contains three buttons, Buttons.

First, the operation when the "Create profile" button is clicked will be described.

When the user of the client 3 clicks the "profile creation" button using the mouse, the selection screen W2 is displayed on the display screen of the client 3 instead of the main screen W1 (FIG. 5, step 41).

The selection screen W2 includes a check box for selecting either "always use" or "temporarily use" and a "next" button.

As will be described later, the profile creation program is used when "Always use" is checked and when "Always use" is checked, and when "Always use" is checked. The profile created by is still stored in the registry 19 even if you terminate the mailer, but terminates the mailer when "Temporarily use" is checked (Client 3
The profile created is deleted from the registry 19 when the mailer has been terminated by the user of.

First, the case where "always use" is checked will be described.

When "Always use" is checked and the "Next" button is clicked ("Always" in step 42), the selection screen W2 is displayed on the display screen of the client 3.
Instead of, the ID input screen W3 is displayed (step 4
3).

The ID input screen W3 includes a login ID input display field, an "OK" button, and a "cancel" button.

The user of the client 3 has previously received an identification code (login I from the administrator of the mail server 2).
D) is given. The user of the client 3 enters this login ID in the login ID input display field (step 44).

The user inputs the login ID and clicks "OK".
When the button is clicked, the profile creation initial processing is started (step 41, FIG. 7).

In the profile creation initial processing (FIG. 7),
Whether the setting values described in the above initialization file 15 are correct (for example, whether they are described in half-width alphanumeric characters)
Is checked (step 61). If it is not correct, an error message is displayed on the display screen of the client 3.

If the setting values described in the initialization file 15 are correct, the installation path and version information of the mailer installed in the client 3 are acquired and temporarily stored in the memory (step 62). .

Mail based on mailer version
The access method to the server 2 is determined (step 6)
3).

Returning to FIG. 5, when the profile creation initial process ends, the profile creation start screen W4 is displayed on the display screen of the client 3 (step 46). Profile creation processing is started (step 47, FIG. 8).

As described above, the initialization file 15 includes
Information required to log in to the mail server 2 (IP
Address, etc.) is described. The client 3 accesses the mail server 2 according to this address. From the client 3 to the mail server 2,
Login I input by the user using the ID input screen W3
Login information including D is sent.

When the mail server 2 receives access from the client 3 and receives the login information, the mail server 2 searches the individual information database 4 for the individual information specified by the received login information. The individual information (profile name, server name, etc.) retrieved and extracted is transmitted from the mail server 2 to the client 3. The client 3 receives the individual information transmitted from the mail server 2 (step 71). The collaboration data object 11 has a function of receiving individual information from the mail server 2.

Information (environmental variables) such as the path where the OS is installed and the path of the work folder is acquired (step 72). These environment variables are stored in the profile described later.

It is judged whether or not the profile having the profile name in the individual information acquired from the mail server 2 is stored in the registry 19 of the client 3 (step 73).

The profile having the profile name obtained from the mail server 2, that is, the profile unique to the user operating the client 3 is the registry.
If it is already stored in 19 (YES in step 73)
), There is no need to create a new profile. A confirmation screen W5 is displayed on the display screen (step 74).
When the “Yes” button on the confirmation screen is clicked, the profile having the profile name acquired from the mail server 2 stored in the registry 19 is read into the memory of the client 3. After that, the mailer is activated, and the mailer starts transmitting / receiving data to / from the mail server 2 (or preparing for it) using the profile stored in the memory (YES in step 75, step 7).
6). If the "No" button is clicked, the processing of the profile creation program ends (the mailer is also not started).

If the profile having the profile name acquired from the mail server 2 is not stored in the registry 19 (NO in step 73), the process proceeds to create a profile.

First, prior to the creation of a profile, a process for deleting a specific personal address book or the like from the hard disk of the client 3 (step 7).
7). The personal address book or the like is stored in the hard disk of the client 3 in the form of a physical file and is given a file name according to the individual information acquired from the mail server 2. If a file with the same file name (file with the same file name as the file to be created such as a personal address book) exists, that file is deleted.

Individual information acquired from the mail server 2 in the template file 14 (profile name, server name, mail box name, connection method at startup, full path of personal address book file, prompt information, etc.)
The profile setting file 16 is created by embedding (description, joining) (step 78).

The created profile setting file 16 is given to the profile generator 13 (step
79). The profile generator 13 stores all the data in the created profile setting file in the registry 19. The data stored in the registry 19 is the profile.

The profile creation program checks whether the profile is stored in the registry 19 by the profile generator 13 (step 80), and after confirming that the profile is stored, activates the mailer (step 81). The mailer operates based on the profile stored in the registry 19. The profile creation end screen W6 is displayed on the display screen (step 50). The profile creation end screen W6 includes a “return to main screen” button, a “return to creation screen” button, and an “end” button. When the "End" button is clicked, the processing of the profile creation program ends. Clicking the "Return to main screen" button causes the main screen W1
Is displayed again on the display screen, and when the "return to creation screen" button is clicked, the ID input screen W3 is displayed again on the display screen.

As described above, the profile setting program 16 creates the profile setting file 16, and the profile is created from the created profile setting file 16. The user of the client 3 only inputs the login ID. The computer and network settings in the mailer are made based on the individual information received from the mail server 2. The user of the client does not need to perform complicated e-mail setting work.

Even when "temporarily use" is clicked on the selection screen W2 ("temporary" in step 42), the same processing as described above is performed (steps 43 to 4).
7). However, even if the "End" button is clicked on the profile creation end screen W6 after activating the mailer, the processing of the profile creation program does not end.
The profile creation program waits for the mailer to finish (NO in step 48). When the mailer ends (when the user of the client 3 ends the mailer), the profile automatic deletion process starts (YES in step 48).
, Step 49, FIG. 9).

In the profile automatic deletion process, first, the registry is added in the profile creation process described above.
The profile stored in 19 is read into the memory of the client 3 (step 91).

The profile describes the path of data stored in the hard disk of the client 3 such as a temporary file (temporarily used file) as the mailer operates. This path (information: environment variable)
Is obtained from the profile (step 92).

The file created by the mailer and the profile stored in the registry 19 are deleted (step 93). Then, the processing of the profile creation program ends.

Generally, the "temporary use" button is selected when the client 3 is commonly used by a plurality of users. When the transmission / reception of the electronic mail is completed, the profile used in the transmission / reception of the electronic mail is deleted from the registry 19. Therefore, other users who use the client 3 can see the contents of the electronic mail addressed to themselves. You won't be caught.

Next, the operation when the "Delete profile" button is clicked on the main screen W1 will be described.

When the user of the client 3 clicks the "Delete profile" button using the mouse (see FIG. 4,
In step 33, "delete"), profile deletion initial processing is started (step 34, FIG. 10).

In the profile deletion initial processing, the consistency of the setting values described in the initial setting file 15 read from the hard disk of the client 3 in the initial processing is checked (step 101) and then stored in the registry 19. The names of all the registered profiles are read out and temporarily stored in the memory of the client 3 (step 102).

On the display screen of the client 3, instead of the main screen W1, a selection screen W of the profile to be deleted is displayed.
7 is displayed (step 35). Proceed to profile deletion processing (step 36, FIG. 11).

The registry 19 may store a plurality of profiles. In this case, the user selects the profile to be deleted. The names (numbers) of all profiles stored in the registry 19 are dropped on the selection screen for profiles to be deleted.
Displayed in the form of a down list. The user displays the profile name to be deleted on the display screen (step 111) and clicks the OK button on the selection screen W7.

When the OK button is clicked, a confirmation screen W8 is displayed on the display screen for asking the user whether to delete the selected profile (step 112). When the OK button is clicked here,
The process for deleting the selected profile proceeds.

When the profile is stored in the registry 19, a personal address book, an offline folder, etc. are stored in the hard disk of the client 3 in association with the profile. A confirmation screen W9 for deleting the personal address book is displayed on the display screen (step 11).
3). If the OK button is clicked here, the personal address book data is deleted from the hard disk of the client 3 (step 114). Subsequently, the confirmation screen W10 for deleting the offline folder is displayed (step 115).
). When the OK button is clicked, the offline folder is deleted from the hard disk of the client 3 (step 116).

Finally, the profile having the selected profile name stored in the registry 19 is deleted from the registry 19 (step 117). A screen W11 indicating that the profile has been deleted is displayed (step 37). When the "return to main screen" button is clicked on the profile deletion end screen, the main screen W1 is displayed again on the display screen. When the "return to deletion screen" button is clicked, the selection screen W7 for the profile to be deleted is displayed again on the display screen. When the "end button" is clicked, the processing of the user profile creation / readout program ends.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an overall outline of a network configuration of an electronic mail transmission / reception system.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing an electrical configuration of a client including hardware for automatically creating a profile.

FIG. 3 shows an example of a data structure of a template file.

FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing a processing flow of a profile creation / read / delete program.

FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing a processing flow of a profile creation / reading / deleting program.

FIG. 6 is a flowchart showing the flow of initial processing.

FIG. 7 is a flowchart showing a flow of profile creation initial processing.

FIG. 8 is a flowchart showing a flow of profile creation processing.

FIG. 9 is a flowchart showing the flow of profile automatic deletion processing.

FIG. 10 is a row chart showing a flow of profile deletion initial processing.

FIG. 11 is a flowchart showing a flow of profile deletion processing.

FIG. 12 shows an example of a screen (window) displayed on the display screen in the processing of the profile creation / read / delete program.

FIG. 13 shows an example of a screen (window) displayed on the display screen in the processing of the profile creation / read / delete program.

[Explanation of symbols]

1 network 2 mail server 3 clients 4 Individual information database 5 mail boxes 12 Profile creation / read / delete circuit 13 Profile Generator 14 Template files 16 Profile setting file 17 Input device 18 Display 19 Registry 21 mailer

Claims (4)

[Claims] 1. A client provided with a profile generator that generates a profile for controlling the operation of a mailer based on a profile setting file and stores the generated profile in a registry, so that the client creates the profile setting file. A login ID that is a control method for controlling, stores a template file that has the same data items as the profile setting file, and the data to be stored in each data item is blank, and identifies each user.
Is received, the accepted login ID is transmitted to the mail server, the individual information corresponding to the above login ID is received from the mail server that stores individual information about each user, and based on the received individual information , A method for controlling a client, in which data is stored in each data item of the template file to create a template setting file, and the client is controlled so that the created template setting file is passed to the profile generator. 2. When a selection screen for selecting either temporary use or constant use is displayed on the display screen, and the selection of temporary use or constant use is accepted, and the selection of temporary use is accepted. If the fact that the temporary use is stored is stored in the above, the profile generated from the template setting file by the profile generator is deleted from the registry after the operation of the mailer in operation is finished. The method of claim 1, wherein 3. A client having a profile generator for generating a profile for controlling the operation of a mailer based on a profile setting file and storing the generated profile in a registry, the same data item as the profile setting file. And a storage means for storing a template file in which the data to be stored in each data item is blank, a login ID input means for accepting an input of a login ID for identifying each user, and an accepted login ID by mail A sending means for sending to the server, a receiving means for receiving the individual information corresponding to the login ID from a mail server storing individual information for each user, and each of the template files based on the received individual information Store the data in the data item A client that has a creating means for creating a template setting file and a means for passing the created template setting file to the profile generator. 4. A client having a profile generator that generates a profile for controlling the operation of a mailer based on a profile setting file and stores the generated profile in a registry so that the profile setting file is created. Is a program that controls the input of login IDs for identifying each user, sends the received login IDs to the mail server, and receives the above logins from the mail server that stores individual information about each user. Storing data in each data item of the template file that has the same data item as the profile setting file and the data to be stored in each data item is blank based on the individual information corresponding to the ID By ten A program that controls the client to create a plate settings file and pass the created template settings file to the profile generator.