Patent ID: 7450932
Filing Date: 2008-11-11
Classification: H04L

Abstract:
1. An e-mail management apparatus, comprising: a first storage unit configured to store a record for each of a plurality of e-mail accounts provided to a communication terminal, wherein the communication terminal is configured to be carried by a customer, wherein each record includes an e-mail account flag for a respective e-mail account of the e-mail accounts, wherein each e-mail account flag indicates a status of the respective e-mail account as active or inactive and a terminal identifier of the communication terminal; a processor in communication with the first storage unit, the processor configured to change the status of any one of the plurality of e-mail accounts in response to a change status request from the communication terminal; a communication interface in communication with the processor, the communication interface configured to receive e-mails; a second storage unit in communication with the processor, the second storage unit comprising an electronic mailbox that corresponds to the terminal identifier, the electronic mailbox configured to store received e-mails as a function of the received e-mails being addressed to at least one of the e-mail accounts; wherein the communication interface is further configured to transmit to the communication terminal, without receipt of a request from the communication terminal for transmission of the received emails, a first e-mail of the received e-mails stored in the electronic mailbox based upon the first e-mail being addressed to a first e-mail account of the email accounts, wherein the status of the first e-mail account is represented as active by the e-mail account flag included in the record that corresponds to the first e-mail account; and wherein the communication interface is further configured to transmit to the communication terminal, in response to receipt of the request for transmission of the received e-mails, a second e-mail of the received e-mails stored in the electronic mailbox and addressed to a second e-mail account of the e-mail accounts, wherein the status of the second e-mail account is represented as inactive by the e-mail account flag included in the record that corresponds to the second e-mail account.