JP2005267178A - Communication terminal - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a communication terminal capable of eliminating waste caused by an attached file.
SOLUTION: A communication terminal connected to a network, which records a combination of means for transmitting mail by connecting to a network, and an attached file format and a transmission mail address when sending a mail, and searches the history from the mail address. Means for converting from one format corresponding to two or more file formats to another format, and tracing a history when a plurality of destinations are instructed for one mail. On the other hand, a communication terminal (TM1, PC2, SCN3) having means for converting into a format when a proven format is found, and means for classifying the destination for each format of the attached file and sending mail.
[Selection] Figure 2

Description

  The present invention relates to a communication terminal connected to a network, and more particularly to a communication terminal that can be transmitted in a more appropriate attached file format by a mail transmission technique and can prevent a meaningless file from being attached.

Currently, in addition to stationary terminals (mainly personal computers, workstations, MFPs, multifunction image forming devices, etc.), mobile terminals (here, simpler as data terminals such as mobile phones than mobile personal computers) However, communication by e-mail is being carried out. Related technologies include the following.
JP 2000-276418 A JP 2002-297500 A JP 2003-150517 A

However, mobile terminals, especially simple terminals such as mobile phones, may not be able to receive or display huge emails or files attached to emails due to performance limitations, and PCs have a large amount of memory and multiple Although it is compatible with other applications, there are also more desirable attachment file formats depending on the usage environment of the receiving side.
On the other hand, it is normal to specify a plurality of addresses for one mail, and even in that case, it is not known whether the attached file format selected by the sending user is appropriate for all receiving users and all receiving environments.
Also, if the receiving side receives a terminal with many functional restrictions such as a mobile phone, the attached file is useless in many cases, and unnecessary communication costs may be generated depending on the charging method.
An object of the present invention is to provide a communication terminal that can eliminate waste caused by an attached file.

In order to achieve the above object, according to the first aspect of the present invention, in a communication terminal connected to a network, the means for transmitting mail by connecting to the network, the attached file format and the transmission mail address when transmitting mail are combined. Means for recording and retrieving the history from an email address, means for converting from one format to another format corresponding to two or more file formats, and a plurality of destinations for one email The most important feature is a communication terminal having a means for tracing a history and converting a format that has a proven record for each destination into a format and a means for classifying the destination for each format of the attached file and sending an email. To do.
The invention described in claim 2 comprises means for designating that there is no attached file for only some of the recipients when inputting a plurality of recipients at the time of transmission, and means for deleting the attached file from the mail to those recipients. The communication terminal described in 1 is a main feature.
The invention according to claim 3 is characterized in that the communication terminal according to claim 1 or 2 has means for prohibiting conversion of attached files other than those designated by the transmission user.

  According to the present invention, transmission can be performed in a more appropriate attached file format, and meaningless files can be prevented from being attached.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.
FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an example of a network environment to which a communication terminal implementing the present invention is connected. In the figure, communication terminals implementing the present invention are TM1, PC2, and SCN3.
TM1 is, for example, a mobile phone or a mobile terminal (such as a laptop computer), and connects to the radio base station (AP) 4 using radio. The PC 2 is a fixed terminal such as a personal computer or a workstation. The SCN 3 is, for example, a network connection type scanner.
In any case, various communications are performed with an external terminal by using a protocol group on TCP / IP. The communication means used in the present embodiment is mainly electronic mail. An external terminal is similarly equipped with a mail function in a personal computer or a portable terminal connected innumerably to the public line 5. In the figure, each of the communication terminals TM1, PC2, and SCN3 is connected to a mail server 7 through a network such as a public line 5 and the Internet 6.
Each of the communication terminals TM1, PC2, and SCN3 is connected to a network and transmits a mail, and when transmitting a mail, the attached file format and the transmitted mail address are recorded together and a history is retrieved from the mail address. And a means for converting from one format corresponding to two or more file formats to another format, and when a plurality of destinations are designated for one mail, the history is traced and the results for each destination are recorded. If a certain format is found, it has means for converting it into that format, and means for classifying the destination for each format of the attached file and sending mail.

FIG. 2 is a processing flow diagram of the communication terminal embodying the present invention. When a transmission file is created, the following processing is performed before transmission. The original transmission file here is character code data + attached file. The attached file can be a still image, a movie, music, or other files. In this example, it can be treated as a still image. Suppose that the attached file of the original transmission file is pdf as two types, tiff file and pdf file.
It is determined whether the attachment file should be sent to the destination specified for the transmission file (S1). For example, when a specific character string (for example, a character string representing the mail server 7 of the mobile phone in the domain) is included in a part of the e-mail address, an attachment file is not transmitted. Judgment is made by sending the attached file but not sending the attached file to the Cc address.
When deleting an attached file, create a file with no attached file, and add the address to it (if a send file without an attached file is created at the email address checked earlier, edit the send file, The address is added to it) (S2).
If it is determined that the attached file should be sent, it is determined whether to follow the history of the address (S3). In the history search, for example, the user may set in advance, or may search for the To address but not the Cc address. If no history search is performed, the next destination check is performed.
In the case of history search, it is confirmed whether there is a record of sending an attached file in the history (S4, S5), and the type of attached file that has been sent (a proven format) is the type to be sent this time (still in this example) It is determined whether or not it should be converted to the same (S6) depending on whether or not the format (tiff or pdf) is the same as the current one.
In the case of conversion (from pdf to tiff), after file conversion is performed (S7), separately from the original file, character code data + attached file (after conversion) is created (S8), and the address is added. That is, if a transmission file of the same attachment file format is created with the previously checked mail address, the transmission file is edited and the address is added to it. Here, the destination may be classified for each format of the attached file, and an address may be added to send the mail. Moreover, you may make it prohibit attachment file conversion other than a transmission user designation | designated.
Then, the next destination check is performed. If there is no need for conversion, nothing is done, the next destination check is performed, and if the last destination is checked (S9), this process is terminated.

It is a figure which shows the example of a network environment to which the communication terminal which implemented this invention is connected. It is a processing flow figure of the communication terminal which implemented this invention.

Explanation of symbols

1 TM (mobile terminal)
2 PC (fixed terminal)
3 SCN (Network-connected scanner)

Claims (3)

  A communication terminal connected to a network, a means for transmitting mail by connecting to the network, a means for recording the attached file format and the transmission mail address together when searching for mail, and searching the history from the mail address; There is a means for converting from one format corresponding to more than one file format to another format, and a format in which the history is traced when a plurality of destinations are designated for one mail and each destination is proven. A communication terminal comprising means for converting into a format when it is found, and means for classifying an address for each format of an attached file and transmitting the mail.   2. The apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising means for designating that there is no attached file for only some of the recipients when inputting a plurality of recipients at the time of transmission, and means for deleting the attached file from the mail addressed to those recipients. Communication terminal.   3. The communication terminal according to claim 1, further comprising means for prohibiting attachment file conversion other than the transmission user designation.

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