Method and apparatus for sending E-mail, method and apparatus for receiving E-mail, sending/receiving method and apparatus for E-mail, sending program supplying medium, receiving program supplying medium and sending/receiving program supplying medium

An E-mail is sent or received with animated representation as if a pet were going out of or coming into a GUI picture simulating the insides of both a sender's room and a receiver's room for letter delivery and dispatch. Moreover, the electronic pet, represented by animation, is virtually kept. Specifically, agent data updated responsive to experiences acquired by the pet is sent as annexed papers to the E-mail, while the receiver returns only pet data. Thus, an animation is represented on a GUI picture simulating the insides of both a sender's room and a receiver's room for imparting an impression as if a pet were going out of or coming into a GUI picture simulating the insides of both the sender's room and the receiver's room for letter delivery and dispatch. The agent data determining the behaviour of the electronic pet are updated responsive to the mouse actuation by the user, such as caressing the pet or serving refreshments to the pet, for varying the behaviour of the pet, represented by animation, depending on the keeping environment. The operating states of the mouse are reflected on representation of a pointing cursor.

TITLE OF THE INVENTION
 Method and Apparatus for Sending E-mail,-Method and Apparatus for Receiving
 E-mail, Sending/Receiving, Method and Apparatus for E-mail, Sending
 Program Supplying Medium, Receiving Program Supplying Medium and
 Sending/Receiving Program Supplying Medium
 BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
 1. Field of the Invention
 This invention relates to a method and apparatus for sending an E-mail, a
 method and apparatus for receiving an E-mail, a sending/receiving method
 and apparatus for an E-mail, a sending program supplying medium, a
 receiving program supplying medium and a sending/receiving program
 supplying medium, used for exchanging an E-mail between computer terminals
 of, for example, personal computers, over a communication network.
 2. Description of Related Art
 As a configuration of utilizing the Internet providing a global-scale
 communication network environment capable of exchanging the information
 between mutually spaced-apart computers, an electronic mail (E-mail) is in
 widespread use.
 In an Internet E-mail system, mail servers are provided in a distributed
 fashion in each domain. The client user sends or receives an E-mail to or
 from a mail server of a domain to which he or she belongs.
 That is, a sender states the contents he or she desires to send and accords
 a required address and name by a client tool for an E-mail termed a mailer
 (software for sending/receiving the mail) for sending the mail to the
 receiver.
 The mail server of a domain to which the sender belongs sends the mail for
 transmission to a representative mail server of an organization. The
 representative mail server accords an address of the server/node to send
 the address to the network, which then refers to the address to
 sequentially transfer the mail to the mail server to which belongs the
 counterpart of the communication (receiver).
 The receiver recognizes the arrival of the E-mail in his or her post by
 various means such as display of a notice of arrival upon starting the
 mailer so that he or she can read the received mail.
 For delivery of the E-mail, the simple mail transfer protocol (SMTP), which
 is the upper-order protocol of the transmission control/Internet Protocol
 (TCP /IP), is used as the communication protocol. Usually, the format is
 automatically formulated by the mailer. To the leading end of the main
 text of the mail is appended a header made up of rows stating a date
 [Date:], a name of mail sender [From:], an address [To:], a title
 [Subject:] or a carbon copy (blind carbon copy) [Bcc:], in accordance with
 SMTP.
 Although the E-mail system of the Internet is based on the text (letter
 information: character codes), an extension format, configured to enable
 handling of languages other than English or multimedia such as pictures or
 speech, is also defined as multi-purpose Internet mail extension (MIME).
 That is, the still-picture information, moving picture information or the
 speech information is compressed and converted to character codes which
 are assembled in the MIME system into the, text and sent in this form. The
 receiver side automatically interprets the MIME system to check the form
 in which the information is assembled into the text to start a
 viewer/player tool for displaying/reproducing the information.
 Such an E-mail system in which the picture information is annexed to the
 E-mail for enabling sending/reception of the E-mail made up of co-existing
 pictures and letters is known from the Japanese Laying-open Patent
 Application JP-A-5-274233 proposed by the present Assignee. With this
 E-mail system, a terminal keyboard or mouse is operated for drawing or
 writing a main text and a picture on a letter pad displayed on a CRT, and
 the keyboard or the mouse is further operated for issuing a send command
 for an E-mail. It is then judged whether or not the name of the receiver
 is stated on an uppermost row of the text. If the receiver name is judged
 to be entered, an E-mail header made up of the receiver's name, sender's
 name and the current data is formulated. It is then checked whether a
 picture is drawn on the letter pad. If the picture is found to have been
 drawn, the picture information data made up of the page information
 stating the page of the letter pad having the picture, the position
 information specifying the position of the picture and the picture title
 is formulated and appended to the E-mail header. The main text is then
 appended and sent as the E-mail.
 Although the above-described E-mail system is highly convenient if one is
 accustomed to it, the system is unfriendly to a user sending or receiving
 the E-mail for the first time using a personal computer, because the
 system is very different from the usual letter delivery system customarily
 used in everyday life. That is, the E-mail system can be utilized only
 after the user has learned and fully understood the operating method for
 the mailer as the E-mail exchanging software with the aid of a manual.
 Recently, a set-top box, termed an Internet terminal, having assembled
 therein the Internet accessing function, is in the market, such that a
 user not in possession of a personal computer can easily utilize the
 Internet services by connecting the Internet terminal to the television
 receiver in his or her home. However, the mailer operating method cannot
 be intuitively understood even by this Internet terminal user.
 As the graphic user interface (GUI) which brings friendliness to the user
 into account, there is known a desk top metaphor picture imitating the
 desk top which is implemented by the operating system termed a Magic Cap
 (trade name) developed by General Magic Inc., US. FIG. 1 shows a typical
 display of the GUI picture of Magic Cap. This GUI picture displays the
 metaphor of the every-day tools or daily life environment using a desk top
 picture 300 simulating a study. On this desk top picture 300 are displayed
 a timepiece 301 showing the current time, an in-box 302 showing the number
 of received E-mails, an out-box 303 showing the number of E-mails ready to
 be sent and a file cabinet 304 for keeping files. In addition, a telephone
 305, an address book 306, a postcard 307 for formulating a message sent by
 the E-mail, a notebook 308, and a schedule memorandum 309, are displayed
 as being placed on a desk fitted with a drawer so that these can be
 actuated by a pen touch.
 However, although an image simulating an actual postcard is displayed in
 the GUI picture by Magic Cap, the process of receiving and delivering the
 postcard 307 or the process of arrival of the postcard from another user
 is not displayed, such that the user cannot intuitively comprehend the
 delivery process. Thus, the user cannot surmise the process or the
 exchanging method of the E-mails or the operating method from the
 customary letter delivery system.
 Meanwhile, there is disclosed in the Japanese laying-Open Patent
 Application JP-A-3-222033, corresponding to U.S. Pat. No. 5,347,628, a
 technique concerning GUI which enables intuitive accessing to electronic
 data of a desk top metaphor picture simulating a room by a
 moving-picture-like icon, as an interface for a data processing device.
 SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
 It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide an E-mail
 sending/receiving method and apparatus and a sending/receiving program
 supply medium, according to which, under utilization of the
 real-world-oriented GUI, a user can entrust his or her mail as an agent
 acting on his or her half to enable facilitated sending/reception of the
 E-mail by an intuitively comprehensible operation.
 It is another object of the present invention to provide an E-mail
 sending/receiving method and apparatus and a sending/receiving program
 supply medium, according to which an imaginary pet displayed on a
 real-world-oriented GUI picture is used as an agent and a parameter for
 controlling the agent behaviour is appended to the E-mail for sending or
 receiving the E-mail.
 In an E-mail sending method and apparatus and a sending program supplying
 medium, according to the present invention, an agent is displayed on a
 screen and the behaviour of the agent is managed by agent parameters and,
 on accepting a send command for commanding the sending of an E-mail, agent
 parameters determining the behaviour of the agent are annexed to the main
 text of the mail having an appended mail header for sending the E-mail.
 In an E-mail receiving method and apparatus and a receiving program
 supplying medium, according to the present invention, an E-mail is
 received on accepting a receive command designating the reception of an
 E-mail and the behaviour of the agent is controlled responsive to the
 agent parameters annexed to the main text of the received mail for
 displaying the agent on a screen.
 In an E-mail sending/receiving method and apparatus and a sending/receiving
 program supplying medium, according to the present invention, an agent is
 displayed on a screen and the behaviour of the agent is managed by agent
 parameters. Upon accepting a send command designating the sending of an
 E-mail, agent parameters determining the behaviour of the agent are
 annexed to the main text of the mail having an appended mail header for
 sending the E-mail. The E-mail is received upon accepting a receive
 command designating the reception of the E-mail. The behaviour of an agent
 is controlled responsive to agent parameters annexed to the received main
 text of the mail for displaying the agent on a screen.
 In the E-mail sending/receiving method and apparatus and the
 sending/receiving program supplying medium, according to the present
 invention, an agent is displayed on a screen and the behaviour of the
 agent is managed by agent parameters. Upon accepting a send command for
 commanding the sending of the E-mail, agent parameters determining the
 behaviour of the agent are annexed to the main text of the mail having an
 appended mail header for sending the E-mail. Thus, an E-mail can be
 sent/received by an agent acting on the behalf of a user by taking
 advantage of the real-world-oriented GUI by a process which allows for its
 intuitive comprehension by the user.
 That is, according to the present invention, the E-mail exchanging process
 is represented as the behaviour of an agent simulating the behaviour of a
 letter delivery taking place in everyday life thus allowing the user to
 surmise the function or the operating procedure easily. The operating
 method can be learned and exploited easily for a user who first uses a
 computer for exchanging E-mails. Moreover, by sending agent parameters,
 responsively updated according to the experiences of a virtual pet as an
 agent, as annexed papers to the E-mail, and by automatically returning
 only the agent parameters from the receiving side, the E-mail can be
 sent/received with animated representation as if the pet is going out or
 coming into a GUI picture simulating the insides of the sender's room and
 the receiver's room for mail dispatch and mail delivery. Also, by updating
 agent data determining the character or the behaviour of the virtual pet
 responsive to the mouse operation by the user simulating, for example,
 caressing the pet or serving refreshments for the pet for varying the
 behaviour of the pet, represented by animation, responsive to the
 maintained environment, simulating the maintenance of the virtual pet
 represented by animation can be achieved.
 Thus, by exchanging mails by a virtual pet virtually maintained in the
 real-world-oriented GUI picture simulating the insides of both the
 sender's room and the receiver's room, both the sender and the receiver
 have the common consciousness of maintaining virtual pets, thus enabling
 mail exchange with an amicable feeling. In addition, a feeling
 representation function responsive to the new maintained environment can
 be annexed as communication means.
 By storing picture data of the agents representing the animation of the
 virtual pets in personal computers of both the sender and the receiver,
 and by actually sending agent parameters controlling the agent's
 behaviour, the results as if the picture data of the agents were being
 sent are obtained. By sending the agent parameters instead of picture
 data, the user connection time can be reduced to a minimum. If the user
 uses dial-up IP connection, the connection charges for the provider and
 the telephone charges can be reduced. Since the exchanged data may be
 reduced in volume, saving in the resources of the Internet in its entirety
 can be achieved.

DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
 Referring to the drawings, preferred embodiments of the present invention
 will be explained in detail.
 The present invention is applied to an electronic mail (E-mail) system in
 which an E-mail is exchanged between plural personal computers 21, 22
 connected respectively to an Internet 10 via public telephone networks 1,
 2 and via Internet service providers 11, 12.
 The Internet service provider 11 is constituted by a router 11A, a
 communication server 11C and a mail server 11D interconnected by the Local
 Area Network (LAN) 11B. There is provided in the mail server 11D a mail
 spool 11E constituted by a hard disc drive for transient storage of the
 E-mail. The communication server 11C includes a MODEM 11F for connection
 over a public telephone network 1 to the personal computer 21. This
 Internet service provider 11 transfers the E-mail, sent from a personal
 computer 21 of a client user connected by dial-up IP over the public
 telephone network 1 to the communication server 11C, to a mail server 11D,
 which then transfers this transferred E-mail over the Internet 10 to a
 mail server, not shown, of an Internet service provider 12 of the domain
 to which belongs the receiver (counterpart of communication). When an
 E-mail addressed to a client user over the Internet 10 is transferred to
 the Internet service provider 11, the latter stores the mail in a mail
 spool 11E to transfer the mail to the client user whenever a transfer
 request is made from the valid client user. Meanwhile, other Internet
 service providers 12, . . . also have the E-mail storage and transferring
 function basically similar to that of the Internet service provider 11.
 This personal computer 21 of the client user of the Internet service
 provider 11 includes a main body portion 21A, a CRT display device 21B, a
 keyboard 21C and a mouse 21D. The main body portion 21A is provided with a
 central processing unit (CPU) 21a, a read-only memory (ROM) 21b, a
 random-access memory (RAM) 21c, a hard disc drive 21d, a floppy-disc drive
 (FDD) 21e, a CD-ROM drive 21f, a cathode ray tube controller (CRTC) as a
 display controller 21g, a MODEM 21h, an interfacing (I/F) unit 21i and a
 video RAM 21j. The CRT display device 21B is connected to the display
 controller 21g, while the keyboard 21C and the mouse 21D are connected to
 the interfacing unit 21i.
 The personal computer 21 is connected via the main body portion 21A to the
 public telephone network 1.
 The personal computer 21 operates as a mailer by reading out and installing
 an E-mail sending/receiving program stored in the CD-ROM drive 21E.
 Meanwhile, the E-mail sending/receiving program may also be downloaded and
 installed from e.g., http://www.so-net.or.p./postpst/index. html of a
 World Wide Web (WWW) server on the internet 10 managed by SONY
 COMMUNICATION NETWORK KK over the Internet service provider 11 and the
 public telephone network 1.
 Therefore, the program purveying medium within the scope of the present
 invention means not only the recording medium such as CD-ROM 21E but also
 a medium in the broad sense of the term including Internet or digital
 satellite data broadcast.
 In the present embodiment, other personal computers 22 also operate as a
 mailer by having installed therein the same E-mail sending/receiving
 programs as the above personal computer 21.
 If, in the personal computer 21, having installed therein the
 above-mentioned E-mail sending/receiving program, the mailer is started,
 the CPU 21 a generates bit map data corresponding to the graphical user
 interface (GUI) picture simulating a room to write the bit map data on the
 video RAM 21j of the display controller 21g for causing the display
 controller 21g to display the GUI picture 100 of FIG. 3 on the screen of
 the display device 21B.
 For superposed display of a pointing cursor 101 on the GUI picture 100, the
 CPU 21a writes the bit map data of the pointing cursor 101 at a pre-set
 position of the video RAM 21j. This displays the pointing cursor 101 at a
 position specified by the mouse 21D on the GUI picture 100 displayed on
 the screen of the display device 21B.
 On the top of the GUI picture 100, its title 102 is displayed. On the GUI
 picture 100 shown in FIG. 3 is displayed `PostPet (Room)` as a title 102.
 Meanwhile, the post pet and the post pet are trade marks of a mailer which
 is an Internet E-mail sending/receiving program purveyed by SONY
 COMMUNICATION NETWORK KK.
 For superposed display on the GUI picture 100 of a post pet 103 simulating
 a bear doll and a postman 104 simulating a robot doll as agents for
 performing E-mail sending/reception, the CPU 21e writes bit map data of
 the post pet 103 and the postman 104 at pre-set positions on the RAM 21j
 in superposition on the bit map data corresponding to the GUI picture 100.
 This displays the post pet 103 and the postman 104 ' on the GUI screen
 100.
 As characters of the post pet 103, there are provided teddy bear (Momo) 103
 simulating a bear, a tortoise (Sumiko) 103B, a hybrid cat (Furo) 103C, a
 mini-rabbit (Mippi) 103D and a Hatena-kun 103E, as shown for example in
 FIG.4. One of these excluding Hatena-kun 103E can be registered and used
 as the post pet 103, that is as an agent. The post pet 103 has its
 behaviour determined by agent parameters varied by the learning function
 as later explained.
 On the left-side portion of the GUI picture 100 of the `PostPet (Room)`
 shown in FIG. 3 are displayed a mail writing icon 105A, shown in FIG. 5, a
 reception list icon 105B, shown in FIG. 5, a sending list icon 105C for
 commanding display of a GUI picture of a sending list, not shown, and a
 mail check icon 105D for commanding the connection, also not shown.
 The user operates the mouse 21D for moving the pointing cursor 101 on the
 mail writing icon 105A on the GUI picture of the above-mentioned `PostPet
 (Room)` to click the mail writing icon 105A. This causes the CPU 21a to
 write the bit map data, corresponding to the GUI picture 100 of the
 `PostPet (Room)` and a `Write a Mail` GUI picture 110 superposed thereon,
 at a pre-set position on the video RAM 21j, such that the GUI picture 100
 of the `PostPet (Room)` and the `Write a Mail` GUI picture 110 are
 displayed by multiple window representation on the screen of the display
 device 21B.
 On the top of the GUI picture 110 is displayed `Write a Mail` as a title
 112. The upper and lower halves of the `Write a Mail` GUI picture 110
 represent a first display area 113 for displaying the contents of the mail
 header and a second display area 114 for displaying the mail contents,
 respectively. In the first display area 113, there is displayed the header
 information, such as the address [To:], name of mail sender [From], title
 [Subject], carbon copy [Color conversion:] or attachment [Attachment],
 entered by actuation of the keyboard 21C by the user. In the first display
 area 113, there are displayed an icon 115A for handing over to a pet for
 instructing mail dispatch by the post pet 103 and an icon 115B for handing
 over to the postman 104 for instructing mail dispatch by the postman 104.
 In the second display area 114 is displayed the main text of the mail
 entered on keyboard actuation by the user.
 If the user actuates the mouse 21D to shift the pointing cursor 101 over
 the icon 115A of handing over to the pet on the GUI picture 110 of
 `Writing a Mail` and clicks a mouse button, the CPU 21 a executes
 processing of steps SP20 to SP27 of the sending subroutine processing to
 send the pet mail, as will be explained subsequently with reference to
 FIG. 11.
 Specifically, as shown in FIG. 7, the CPU 21 a formulates data of an E-mail
 composed of a main text 202 added thereto with a mail header 201 and an
 agent parameter 203 determining the behaviour of the post pet 103 attached
 to the main text, and sends the data as pet mail to the receiver. The
 agent parameter 203 is each made up of 4-byte data of the sending data
 information 203A specifying the Mail sending date, mail life information
 203B specifying whether or not the receiver has to modify the mail to
 return it to the sender, serial number information 203C specifying the
 number of the mails handled so far by the post pet, and the post pet
 parameter information 203D, such as the information of the environment,
 stimulus or desire information of the post pet.
 The post pet parameter information 203D is made up of inner information and
 outer information, as shown in FIG. 8. The inner information is made up
 of, for example, mail count, age, sex, intelligence, vigour, friendship
 (with the keeper), hunger, happiness, cleanliness, bio-rhythm (indefinite
 element), noise (indefinite element0, friendship (with the counterpart),
 positiveness/negativeness (+/-), cheerfulness/gloominess
 gentleness/coldness (+/-), concentration/diffusiveness (+/-),
 chic/awkward, fashionability, attractiveness or taste for gourmet. The
 outer parameters is made up of, for example, position, comfortableness of
 a room, user action-number of times of hitting, guest action-called, guest
 action-shown friendship, guest action-shown hostility, guest action-giving
 items, and guest action-requesting items. These parameters are entered to
 the feeling unit as later explained to start the behaviour unit to
 determine the behaviour of the post pet 103.
 The above-mentioned agent parameters 203 are converted into Base 64 format
 employing letters of A to Z, a to z and 0 to 9 in accordance with the
 Multipurpose Internet Mail Extension (MIME) of the Internet mail. FIG. 9
 shows an example of the agent parameters 203 annexed to the main text of
 the mail 202. The MIME provides two sorts of the encoding methods. In the
 Base 64 stated in Request for Comments (RFC) 1512, 3 bytes are divided
 into four equal parts to narrow the code width to accommodate the values
 specified by the bytes in 64 numerical figures of from 0 to 63 to which
 letter codes of A to Z, a to z and 0 to 9 are accorded. Further, details
 on RFC are stated in D. Comer, "Internet working with TCP/IP" 1988,
 Prentice-Hall ISBNO-13-470154-2,025.
 If the user actuates the mouse 21D to move the pointing cursor 101 on the
 icon 115B of handing over the GUI picture 110 of `Writing a Mail` to the
 postman to click the mouse button, the CPU 21a executes the processing
 from SP29 to SP33 in the sending subroutine processing as later explained
 with reference to FIG. 11 in order to send the usual mail.
 That is, the CPU 2 la simply formulates data of an E-mail made up of the
 main text 202 of the mail added to with the mail header 201 and sends it
 to the counterpart as the usual E-mail.
 Referring to FIGS. 10 to 13, the operation of the personal computer 21
 having installed therein the above-mentioned E-mail sending/receiving
 program, is hereinafter explained.
 First, steps SP1 to SP13 of the general flowchart, comprehensively showing
 the entire operation of FIG. 10, is explained.
 At step SP1 of FIG. 10, it is judged whether or not the operation by the
 user is an operation on a pet owned by no other than the user. That is, if
 the mouse 21D is actuated by the user such that the operation of
 superposing the pointing cursor 101 shown in FIG.3 on the post pet 103 (on
 the teddy-bear 103A in the case of FIG. 3), shifting the mouse 21D left or
 right or clicking the mouse button is carried out, or if `wash` or
 `refreshments` are selected from the looking-after pulldown menu, as shown
 in FIG. 33, such that the operation of looking after the post pet 103 is
 carried out, these operations by the user are judged to be the operation
 for his or her own pet (the pet owned by the user). In this case,
 processing transfers to step SP2 and, if otherwise, processing transfers
 to step SP4.
 At step SP2, the agent parameters of the user's own pet, read out on
 startup of the E-mail sending/receiving program from HDD 21d and stored in
 RAM 21c, are updated. The processing for updating the agent parameters
 will be explained later in detail with reference to FIG. 13.
 At the next step SP3, the processing for animated representation of the
 behaviour of the user's own pet in association with the updated agent
 parameters is executed before processing reverts to step SP1.
 If, at step SP, the operations are judged as not being the operations on
 the user's own pet, such that processing transfers to step SP4, it is
 judged at this step SP4 whether or not the mail writing icon 105A has been
 clicked. If the result of judgment is affirmative, processing transfers to
 step SP5 and, if otherwise, to step SP7.
 At step SP5, the sub-routine of entering the header of the E-mail to be
 sent or the main text is executed. First, the GUI picture 110 of `Writing
 a Mail` shown in FIG. 5 is displayed, after which the E-mail header or the
 main text is formulated in accordance with the text inputting command by
 the user before processing transfers to step SP6.
 At step SP6, the sending subroutine explained subsequently with reference
 to FIG. 11 is executed, before processing reverts to step SP1.
 At step SP7, it is judged whether or not the reception list icon 105B has
 been clicked. If the result of judgment is affirmative, processing
 transfers to step SP8 and, if otherwise, to step SP9. At step SP8, the
 reception list display subroutine for displaying a GUI picture 120 of the
 `reception list` shown in FIG. 6 is executed before processing reverts to
 step SP1.
 At step SP9, it is judged whether or not the sending list 105C has been
 clicked. If the result of judgment is affirmative, processing transfers to
 step SP10 and, if otherwise, to step SP11. At step SP10, the reception
 list displaying subroutine for displaying the `sending list` GUI picture,
 not shown, is executed, before processing reverts to step SP1.
 At step SP11, it is judged whether or not the mail check icon 105D has been
 clicked. If the result of judgment is affirmative, processing transfers to
 step SP12 and, if otherwise, to step SP13. At step SP12, the reception
 subroutine explained subsequently with reference to FIG. 12 is executed
 before processing reverts to step SP1. At step SP13, other processing
 operations are executed before processing reverts to step SP1.
 Next, the steps SP20 to SP34 of the flowchart of the sending subroutine
 processing of FIG. 11 is explained.
 If the user actuates the mouse 21D to move the pointing cursor 101 on the
 icon 115A of handing over to the pet on the GUI picture 110 of `Write a
 Mail` and clicks the mouse button, as shown in FIG. 20, it is judged that
 the icon 115A of handing over to the pet has been operated, such that
 processing transfers from step SP20 to step SP21 to judge whether or not a
 pet-at-home flag stored in the RAM 21c is `1`. If the user's pet is at
 home, that is, if the pet-at-home flag is `1`, the subsequent steps SP22
 to SP27 are executed to send the pet mail.
 That is, E-mail data composed of the main mail text 202 with the mail
 header 201 appended thereto and the agent parameters 203 determining the
 behaviour of the post pet 103, appended as annexed papers, is formulated,
 and sent as a pet mail to a counterpart of communication.
 In this case, the pet mail can be sent only when the pet-at-home flag is
 `1`, that is, if the user's pet is at home.
 First, if connection is made at step SP22 to the mail server 11D of the
 service provider 11, for requesting mail transfer in accordance with the
 transfer protocol of Simple Mail Transfer Protocol (SMTP), and connection
 is judged at the next step SP23 to have been made, processing transfers to
 step SP24. At this step SP24, the user's own pet (teddy-bear 103A shown in
 FIG. 3) deems the E-mail of the keeper as being a letter and animation
 display is made such that the pet opens a door 107 to go out and recovers
 the letter posted in a mail post 106 for delivery to the receiver. At the
 next step SP25, the agent parameters of the user's pet, stored in the RAM
 21C, is encoded by the encoding method prescribed in Base 64 of MIME. At
 the next step SP26, the encoded agent parameters are annexed to the main
 text 202 as annexed papers. This pet mail is sent to the mail server 11D.
 At step SP27, the pet-at-home flag, stored in the RAM 21c, is set to `0`,
 that is, indicating absence, before processing transfers to step SP28 to
 break the connection to the mail server 11D to complete a series of the
 sending subroutine processing. Then, processing reverts to step SP1 of
 FIG. 10.
 On the other hand, if the user operates the mouse 21D to move the pointing
 cursor 101 on the icon 115b of handing over to the postman on the GUI
 picture 110 of `Write a Mail` to click the mouse button, it is judged that
 the icon 115B of handing over to the postman has been actuated. Thus,
 processing transfers from step SP20 through step SP29 to step SP30 so that
 the processing from step SP30 to SP33 is executed to send the usual
 E-mail.
 That is, E-mail data composed simply of the main mail text 202 having
 appended thereto the mail header 201 is formulated and sent to the
 counterpart as the usual E-mail.
 First, at step SP30, connection is made to the mail server 11D of the
 service provider 11 for requesting mail transfer based on the SMTP
 transfer protocol. If, at the next step SP31, the connection is judged to
 have been completed, processing transfers to step SP32 to display an
 animation in which the postman 104 deems the E-mail of the keeper as being
 a letter to recover the letter posted in the mail post 106 to go out for
 mail delivery, as shown in FIGS. 15 to 19. At the next step SP33, the
 usual E-mail is sent to the mail server 11D, after which processing
 transfers to step SP28 to cancel the connection to the mail server 11D to
 complete a series of the sending subroutine operations to return to the
 step SP1 of FIG. 10.
 If none of the icon 115A of handing over to the pet nor the icon 115B of
 handing over to the postman has been operated at steps SP20 and SP29, with
 the closure box on the upper right side of the GUI picture 110 of `Write a
 Mail` being clicked, the mail writing window is judged at step SP34 to be
 closed, such that processing reverts to step SP1 of FIG. 10 without
 executing the above-mentioned sending subroutine.
 Next, the steps SP40 to SP59 of the reception subroutine of FIG. 12 is
 explained.
 First, at step SP40, connection is made to the mail server 11D of the
 service provider 11, based on the communication protocol of the Post
 Office Protocol Version 3 (POP3) which is the upper order protocol of
 TCP/IP. If the connection has been judged at the next step SP41 to have
 been completed, processing transfers to step SP42 to make inquiry whether
 or not there is a mail addressed to the user in a mail drop of the mail
 server 11D. This personal mail directory is an area for arriving mails for
 personal use, usually termed a mail drop, and has the function similar to
 the private box of a post office.
 If it is judged at step SP42 that there is an arriving mail, processing
 transfers to step SP43. If it is judged that there is no arriving mail,
 processing transfers to step SP50 to cancel connection to the mail server
 11D to terminate a series of the reception subroutine operations before
 processing reverts to step SP1 of FIG. 10.
 If it has been judged at step SP42 that there is an arriving mail in the
 mail drop, the E-mail addressed to the user is received at step SP43 from
 the mail server 11D. At the next step SP44, it is judged, based on data of
 the mail header 201 of the E-mail addressed to the user, whether or not
 the E-mail is the pet mail. If the received E-mail is judged at step SP44
 to be the pet mail, processing transfers to step SP45 to judge whether or
 not the mail received is the return mail to the pet mail dispatched by the
 user.
 If the pet mail sent by the user is automatically reception-processed by
 the receiver, the mail text 202 is deleted and part of the sent pet mail
 composed of the mail header 201 and the agent parameters annexed thereto
 as the annexed papers is returned as the return mail.
 If the received pet mail is judged at step SP45 to be the return mail to
 the pet mail dispatched by the user, processing transfers to step SP46 to
 set the pet-at-home flag stored in the RAM 21c to `1`, that is, to `at
 home`, before processing transfers to step SP47 to decode the annexed
 papers encoded by the encoding method prescribed by the Base64 of MIME.
 At the next step SP48, the agent parameters of the user's pet stored in the
 RAM 21c are updated, based on the decoded agent parameters. At the next
 step SP49, the processing of displaying an animation in which the. user's
 pet opens the door to return home with the behaviour corresponding to the
 updated agent parameters is executed.
 Then, processing transfers to step SP50 to cancel the connection to the
 mail server 11D to complete a series of reception subroutine operations
 before processing reverts to step SP1 of FIG. 10.
 Conversely, if it is judged at step SP45 that the received pet mail is not
 the return mail to the user's pet mail, processing transfers to step SP51
 to execute the updating processing accompanying the addition of new
 arriving mails to the Table-of-Contents (TOC) file.
 The TOC file is a reception list file held on a client's local disc
 (HDD21d), and is a file composed of an extracted portion of the mail
 header 201. Specifically, the TOC file is made up of TO, FROM, CC,
 Subject, priorities, attachment flags indicating the presence or absence
 of the annexed papers, sort flags indicating whether or not the mail is a
 pet mail, and addresses in the local disc of the mail main text 202
 corresponding to the mail header 201.
 When the reception list is first opened, a list of received mails is
 displayed. This list is formulated from the TOC file. If a mail is
 designated from the list, the main text 202 of the corresponding address
 is sliced from the mail file (collective file of the main texts of the
 mail 202).
 For example, if the TOC file reads: FROM: aaaaaaipd.sony.co.jp,
 Subject:Patent for Pos:Pet. . . . Address (from 1100 to 1120), and the
 main text of the mail 202 is to be displayed, the text corresponding to
 addresses 1100 to 1120 of the mail file is sliced and displayed.
 Next, at step SP52, the update processing accompanying the addition of new
 arriving mails of the mail file is executed. After updating the mail file
 having stored therein the main text 202, processing transfers to step SP53
 to decode the annexed papers encoded by the encoding method prescribed by
 the Base 64 of MIME.
 At the next step SP54, the processing of displaying the animation in which
 the pet of the counterpart of communication (teddy-bear 103A in FIGS. 25
 to 28) opens the door 107 to make a call and stays for a pre-set time to
 then open the door to return home. If, during the time the counterpart pet
 stays indoors, the user operates the mouse 21D to superpose the pointing
 cursor 101 over the counterpart pet to move the mouse 21D left and right
 or to click the mouse button, the agent parameters of the counterpart pet
 are updated at step SP55, based on the actuation by the user. Next, at
 step SP56, the agent parameters of the counterpart pet are encoded by the
 encoding method prescribed by Base 64 of MIME. At the next step SP57, the
 encoded agent parameters are annexed as annexed papers to the mail header
 201. The pet mail, this formulated, is automatically returned to the mail
 server 11D.
 Then, processing transfers to step SP50 to cancel the connection to the
 mail server 11D to complete a series of the reception subroutine
 operations before processing reverts to step SP1 of FIG. 10.
 If it is judged at step SP44, based on the data of the mail header 201 of
 the received E-mail addressed to the user, that the received E-mail is not
 the pet mail, but is a usual E-mail, processing transfers to step SP58 to
 update the TOC file. Then, processing transfers to step SP50 to cancel the
 connection to the mail server 11D to complete a series of the reception
 subroutine operations before processing reverts to step SP1 of FIG. 10.
 Next, the steps SP60 to SP67 of the agent parameter update processing shown
 in FIG. 13 are hereinafter explained.
 Referring to the flowchart of FIG. 13, the CPU 21 a monitors at step SP60
 whether or not the pointing cursor 101 displayed on the screen of the
 display device 21B has moved into a window area of `PostPet (Room)`. If
 the pointing cursor 101 is outside the window area of `PostPet (Room)`,
 pulldown menu processing or the like processing is executed at step SP61.
 If the pointing cursor 101 goes into the window area of `PostPet (Room)`,
 that is, into the room, the pointing cursor 101 is changed at step SP62 to
 an open hand shape. Thus, if the pointing cursor 101 is positioned outside
 the room on the GUI picture 100 of the `PostPet (Room)`, as shown in FIG.
 41, the pointing cursor 101 is represented as an arrow, whereas, if it
 goes into the room, as shown in FIG. 42, it is displayed in an open hand
 shape.
 The CPU 21 a judges at step SP63 whether or not the pointing cursor 101 has
 traversed the display area of the post pet image by the reciprocating
 movement of the mouse 21D in the left and right direction. If the result
 of judgment is YES, that is, if the pointing cursor 101 has traversed the
 display area of the post pet image, the CPU 21a deems that the post pet
 has been caressed and executes at step SP64 an update processing routine
 for the agencies A1 to A18 of various desires as later explained. Thus, on
 the GUI picture 100 of`PostPet (Room)`, the pointing cursor 101,
 represented by the open hand shape, is reciprocated in the left-and-right
 direction on the post pet 103 for caressing the post pet 103, as shown in
 FIGS. 43 to 45.
 The CPU 21a judges at step SP65 whether the pointing cursor 101 has been
 moved into the display area of the post pet image and the mouse button of
 the mouse 21D has been clicked. If the result of judgment is affirmative,
 that is, if the mouse 21D has been clicked when the pointing cursor 101 is
 in the post pet image, display area, the CPU 21 a alters at step SP66 the
 pointing cursor 101 to the shape of a clenched fist to execute updating
 processing routines of the agencies A1 to A18 of various desires at step
 SP67 on the assumption that the post pet has been struck. Thus, on the GUI
 picture 100 of the `PostPet (Room)`, the post pet 103 can be struck on the
 pointing cursor 101 displayed in the shape of a clenched fist, as shown in
 FIG. 46.
 When executing the mail sending by the postman 104, the CPU 21a
 sequentially alters bit map data of the postman 104 on the video RAM 21j
 to cause the display controller 21g to display on the display device 21B
 an animation in which the postman 104 moves on the GUI picture 100 of the
 `PostPet (Room)` to recover the mail posted into the mail post 106 to
 deliver the recovered mail.
 Specifically, if the icon 115B of handing over to the postman 104 for
 commanding mail dispatch by the postman on the GUI picture 110 of `Writing
 a Mail` is clicked as shown in FIG. 14, animation display is made such
 that the postman 104 makes debut from the left side on the GUI picture 100
 of the `PostPet (Room)` as shown in FIG. 15 and moves to the site of the
 mail post 106 as shown in FIG. 16, the postman 104 then recovering the
 mail posted in the mail post 106 as shown in FIG. 17 and starting for
 delivering the mail posted in the mail post 106, as shown in FIGS. 18 and
 19.
 Also, when executing the mail sending by the post pet 103, the CPU 21a
 sequentially alters bit map data of the post pet 103 on the video RAM 21j
 to cause the display controller 21g to display on the display device 21B
 an animation in which the post pet 103 carrying the mail moves on the GUI
 picture 100 of the `PostPet (Room)` as shown in FIG. 3 as far as the door
 107 on foot to open the door to go out.
 Specifically, if the icon 115A of handing over to the pet for commanding
 mail dispatch by the post pet 103 on the GUI picture of `Writing a Mail`
 as shown in FIG. 20, is clicked, animation display is made such that the
 post pet 103 moves on the GUI picture 100 of the `PostPet (Room)` as far
 as the mail post 106 as shown in FIG. 21, the post pet 103 recovers the
 mail posted in the mail post 106 as shown in FIG. 22 and the post pet 103
 carrying the mail then moves as far as the door 107 to open the door for
 outing as shown in FIGS. 23 and 24. At this time, a message which reads:
 "Momo (name of the pet) went out for mail dispatching" specifying mail
 dispatching by the post pet 103 is displayed on the lower side of the GUI
 picture 100 of the `PostPet (Room)`.
 It should be noted that mail sending by the post pet 103 sends a single
 E-mail by a single post pet 103, that is, by a single agent, while mail
 sending cannot be executed if the post pet 103 is absent on the GUI
 picture 100 of the `PostPet (Room)`, that is, if the post pet 103 is out.
 Conversely, mail sending by the postman 104 sends one or more E-mails by a
 single postman 104, that is, by a single agent, and can be executed at any
 time. That is, if the post pet 103 is absent on the GUI picture 100 of the
 `PostPet (Room)`, that is, if the post pet 103 is out, mail sending can be
 done by the postman 104.
 The above-described behaviour of the post pet is determined by the agent
 parameters attached to the mail, such that, if, on mail reception by the
 post pet, there are agent parameters, the CPU 21a causes the display
 controller 21g to display on the screen of the display controller 21g an
 animation for indicating that the post pet 103D, for example, on the GUI
 picture 100 of the `PostPet (Room)` opens the door 107 to go into the room
 to put the mail on the table 108 to then walk around in the room by way of
 performing post pet behaviour as defined by the above-mentioned agent
 parameters.
 Specifically, if, upon mail reception by the post pet, there are agent
 parameters, animation display is made in which the door 107 is first
 opened on the GUI picture 100 of the `PostPet (Room)` as shown in FIG. 25,
 the post pet 103A then enters the room as shown in FIG.26 to put the mail
 on the table 108 as shown in FIG. 27, the post pet 103A then walking
 around in the room to then go out to close the door 107 as show in FIG.
 28. At this time, a message reading: "Morno of Mr. Baba has come" is
 displayed on the lower side of the GUI picture 100 of the `PostPet
 (Room)`.
 If the user operates the mouse 21D to click the post pet 103B on the GUI
 picture 100 of the `PostPet (Room)` by the pointing cursor 101 or acts on
 the keyboard 21C, the CPU 21a executes changes pre-defined in association
 with the contents of the operation to process the agent parameters
 determining the behaviour of the post pet 103B. Specifically, the CPU
 processes the agent parameters responsive to the operating of caressing or
 hitting the post pet 103B by the operation of the mouse 21D.
 The CPU 21 a automatically returns the processed agent parameters to the
 sending side.
 On reception of the automatically returned agent parameters, the CPU 21a
 causes the display controller 21g to display on the screen of the display
 device 21B an animation in which the door 107 is first opened on the GUI
 picture 100 of the `PostPet (Room)` as shown in FIG. 29, the post pet 103
 entering the room as shown in FIG. 30 and closing the door 107 as shown in
 FIG. 31. At this time, a message reading: "Momo (pet's name) has come
 back" is displayed on the lower side of the GUI picture 100 of the
 `PostPet (Room)`.
 If the icon 115E for looking after the post pet 103 staying in the room is
 clicked on the GUI picture 100 of the `PostPet (Room)` as shown in FIG.
 32, there is opened a pulldown menu 125 specifying items such as `state of
 the pet`, `wash` or `refreshments` showing the contents of care as shown
 in FIG. 33. If the item `refreshments` is selected, there is opened a
 window 130 showing a list of names of refreshments, remaining quantity and
 quality of the refreshments, as shown in FIG. 34. In this window 130
 showing the list of names of refreshments, there are a `discard` button
 commanding discarding of the selected refreshments and a `serve` button
 commanding giving the selected refreshments to the post pet 103. If any of
 the listed refreshments is selected and the `serve` button 122 clicked,
 the selected refreshment, for example, a candy 109, is put on a table 108,
 as shown in FIG.35. Thus, the candy 109 is given the post pet 103 staying
 in the room. Although there are provided a number of sorts of refreshments
 as default, an up-to-date list of refreshments may be procured, such as by
 downloading from the WWW server on the Internet, and pasted to the
 `refreshments` folder present in the same directory as the PostPet.exe
 which is the execution file or the E-mail sending program by way of adding
 the new `refreshments` file.
 If the item `wash` displayed on the pulldown menu shown in FIG. 33 is
 selected, the post pet 103 takes a bath using a pail 123 on the GUI
 picture 100 of the `PostPet (Room)`, as shown in FIG. 36. At this time, a
 message reading: "Taking Bath" is displayed on the lower side of the GUI
 picture 100 of the `PostPet (Room)`.
 The post pet 103 has become dirty due to going out for mail dispatch or
 taking refreshments. The dirty state is shown by dots on the post pet 103
 as shown in FIG. 37. These dots are removed on selecting the item `wash`
 displayed on the care pulldown menu 125 to get the pet to take a bath.
 If an item `Re-ordering` displayed on the care pulldown menu 125 is
 selected, a `re-ordering` window 135 shown in FIG. 38 is opened. If a
 desired room, such as a hybrid cat set shown netted in FIG. 38, is
 selected, and a -change` button 136 is pushed, the room re-ordering is
 performed, as shown in FIG. 39. Although there are provided a number of
 sorts of room re-ordering as default, an up-to-date list of refreshments
 may be procured, such as by downloading from the WWW server on the
 Internet, such as `http://www,so-net.or.jp/postpet/index.html, and pasted
 to the `plug-in` folder present in the same directory as the PostPet.exe,
 which is the execution file of the E-mail sending program, by way of
 adding the new `room re-ordering` file.
 If an item `state of pet` displayed on the care pulldown menu 125 is
 selected, the window 138 shown in FIG. 40 is opened for displaying the
 state of the pet. Depending on the state of the pet displayed on the
 window 138, the user can recognize the sort, name, sex, age, degree of
 happiness, brain, condition, level of hunger, slimness, pocket money and
 comment. The degree of happiness or brain can be variably represented by
 pet parameter values.
 Between personal computers 22 having the mailer function similar to that of
 the personal computer 21 having the above-described mailer function,
 E-mails can be exchanged by the post pet 103. If the personal computer 21
 executes E-mail sending by the post pet 103A to send the E-mail to the
 personal computer 22, the latter executes the receive subroutine shown in
 FIG. 12 to check the E-mail reception time by the post pet 103A as shown
 by the time chart shown in FIG. 47. If the time is within the mail life,
 the post pet 103A is displayed on the screen of the display device 21B to
 automatically return the processed agent parameters.
 If the sending side personal computer 21 executes the E-mail sending by the
 post pet 103A, the post pet 103 is absent, that is, the post pet 103 is
 out on the GUI picture of the `PostPet (Room)`, until the agent parameters
 of the post pet 103A are returned from the receiver, such that the post
 pet 103 cannot execute mail sending. However, if the agent parameters are
 returned automatically within the mail life, the single post pet 103A can
 be used repeatedly for sending the E-mails one-by-one.
 In the sending personal computer 21, the operation determined by the
 automatically returned agent parameters is executed by the post pet 103A.
 If a further post pet 103B is registered as an agent on the receiving side
 personal computer 22, the agent parameters of the post pet 103B are
 changed, on reception of the E-mail by the post head 103A sent from the
 personal computer 21, by the interaction with the post pet
 103A--performing the operation as determined by the agent parameters
 annexed to the E-mail.
 If, when the personal computer 21 executes the E-mail sending by the post
 pet 103A to send the E-mail to the personal computer 22, the personal
 computer 21 fails to execute the transmission subroutine shown in FIG. 11,
 that is if the personal computer 22 is not connected to the communication
 network, the E-mail is reserved in the mail server on the Internet service
 provider 12 such that the E-mail is received at a time point the personal
 computer 22 is connected to the communication network. In this case, the
 post pet 103A stays in the mail server until the E-mail is received. Thus,
 with the sending personal computer 21, mail sending by the post pet 103A
 cannot be executed, with the post pet 103A being absent, that is, the post
 pet 103 being out on the GUI picture of the `PostPet (Room)`. Therefore,
 the E-mail sent by the post pet 103A is designed to have a pre-set life,
 such that, if the agent parameters of the post pet 103A are not returned
 from the receiving side within the mail life period, the agent parameters
 of the post pet 103A are automatically generated on timeout of the mail
 life period for causing the post pet 103A to appear on the GUI picture of
 the `PostPet (Room)`.
 On connection to the communication network, the receiving side personal
 computer 22 checks the reception timing of the E-mail by the post pet 103A
 to judge whether or not the time is within the mail life period, based on
 the sending data and time information of the agent parameters annexed to
 the E-mail and on the mail life period information. If the time is within
 the mail life period, the processed parameters are automatically returned
 after waiting until entrance to the above-mentioned reception subroutine.
 On the other hand, if the reception timing of the E-mail by the
 above-mentioned post pet 103A exceeds the mail life period, the post pet
 103A is not displayed, while the agent parameters are not returned, even
 if the above-mentioned reception subroutine is executed.
 The pet arrival confirmation mail function, which is an additional function
 of the automatic mail return processing of the step SP57 of FIG. 12, is
 hereinafter explained.
 For making the animation display on the E-mail sending side GUI picture 100
 for indicating the state of the post pet 103 returning home, the main text
 202 of the pet mail received on the receiving side is deleted at step
 SP57. In addition, the agent parameters 203 are processed on the basis of
 actuation by the user so that only the processed agent parameters 203 are
 annexed to the mail header 201 for automatic return mailing. This enables
 the E-mail sending side to make animation display on the GUI picture 100
 showing the post pet 103 returning home as shown in FIGS. 29 to 31 by the
 above-mentioned processing at the step SP49.
 The function of automatic return mailing to the sender for advising the
 effect of arrival of the post pet as a text message of the E-mail, in
 addition to automatic return mailing of the agent parameters 203, is the
 pet arrival confirming function.
 Referring to FIGS. 52 to 55 showing the processing flow, an automatic
 return`mail A` is automatically returned from the receiving side personal
 computer 22 of the user B via mail server 11D to the personal computer 21
 of the sending side user A, as shown in FIGS. 54 and 55. In addition to
 this `automatically returned` mail A`, a `pet arrival confirmation mail`
 is automatically returned from the receiving side personal computer 22 of
 the user B via mail server 11D to the personal computer 21 of the sending
 side user A.
 This `pet arrival confirmation mail` is automatically generated by the
 E-mail sending/receiving program of the receiving side personal computer
 22 of the user B.
 It is assumed that, in a GUI picture 140 of a setup shown in FIG. 56, the
 user A sets `Momo` as the name of his or her pet, while the user B sets
 `Mippi` as the name of his or her pet.
 The following mail is then set as the `pet arrival confirmation mail`.
 That is, a `secret diary` is automatically set as the title (Subject), and
 a main text reading, for example:
 "Today, I went (to the user B).
 I played with Mippi.
 I was hit a little.
 I was hit many times.
 Momo."
 is set automatically.
 This `pet arrival confirmation mail`, in addition to the "automatically
 returned` mail A`, is automatically returned from the receiving side
 personal computer 22 of the user B via mail server 11D to the personal
 computer 21 of the sending side user A.
 This adds the `pet arrival confirmation mail` entitled `secret diary` to
 the reception list of the user A, as is the usual E-mail.
 This `pet arrival confirmation mail`, automatically generated by the E-mail
 sending/receiving program of the personal computer 22 of the user B, has
 the main text corresponding to the act of the user B on the post pet who
 delivered the mail, such as the act of caressing or hitting. This gives
 not only the practical effect of confirming the delivery of the E-mail to
 the receiving side but also the psychological effect that the keeper can
 actually feel the fact that the post pet is serving on his or her behalf.
 It is noted that the behaviour of the post pet is determined by the agent
 parameters 203 as follows:
 Specifically, the relative intensities of the pseudo-desires are determined
 by the environment of the post pet and stimuli from the user. Each desire
 agency has a score and sensitivity, whilst each behaviour unit adds new
 scores with the scores of each desire agency as an input. The behaviour
 unit having the maximum score is manifested.
 The score of the behaviour unit and the desire agency is calculated by:
 new score=old score+(input.times.sensitivity) with the sensitivity being
 the depth of the relation between each desired agency and the behaviour
 unit and the input element. The sensitivity itself is also changed with
 input.
 That is, as shown in FIG. 49, the feeling unit determining the post pet
 behaviour captures changed values of environmental parameters of the post
 pet at step A, determines the behaviour based on the changed environmental
 parameters at step B, judges the behaviour taken at step C and modifies
 the value of the inner parameters at step D by way of performing event
 processing.
 Specifically, referring to FIG. 50, the agencies A1 to A18 of various
 desires receives environmental information items E1 to E7, specifying the
 environment of the input post pet, such as age, intellect physical
 strength, vigour, intimacy, dirtiness or hungriness, and the information
 on stimuli, specifying the stimuli on the post pet from the user, such as
 hitting, kicking or dispatching an E-mail, as input, in order to check the
 environmental information items E1 to E7, through an age checker C1, an
 intelligence checker C2, a physical strength checker C3, a vigour checker
 C4, a like-don't like checker C5, an apparel checker C6 and a hungriness
 checker C7, while directly checking the information on stimuli, for
 calculating respective scores. Each of behaviour units U1 to U25 has the
 scores of the desire agencies, thus calculated, as the input, and the
 behaviour unit having the maximum score is started. That is, the feeling
 unit is made up of a basic agency A, a checker C and a behaviour unit U,
 as shown in FIG. 51 showing the basic units for reaction.
 The above-mentioned desire agencies may be exemplified by a mouse searcher
 A1, desirous to search for a mouse, a food searcher A2, desirous to search
 for food, a toy searcher A3, desirous to search a toy, bathroom searcher
 A4 who wishes to go to the bathroom, a sleep liker A5 desirous to sleep, a
 conversation liker A6 desirous to have a chat, a sampling liker A7
 desirous to make sampling, a writer A8 desirous to write letters, an eater
 A9 having a strong appetite, a recollector A10 desirous to recollect the
 past, a foreseer A11 desirous to make prophets, a rioter A12 desirous to
 make rages, a quietness liker A13 who likes quietness, a quarrelling liker
 A14 desirous to make quarrels, a caressing liker A15 desirous to be
 caressed, a searcher A16 desirous to make searches, a reflection liker A17
 desirous to be reflective and an evaluation liker A18 desirous to make
 evaluations.
 The behaviour units may be exemplified by a walking unit U1 for animated
 representation of the walking motion, a running unit U2 for animated
 representation of the running operation, a sitting unit U3 for animated
 representation of the sitting operation, a sit-and-raise-one-hand unit U4
 for animated representation of the motion of sitting and raising one hand,
 a sit-and-raise-both-hands unit U5 for animated representation of the
 motion of sitting and raising both hands, a standup-and-raise-one-hand
 unit U6 for animated representation of the motion of standing up and
 raising one hand, a standup-and-raise-both-hands unit U7 for animated
 representation of the motion of standing up and raising both hands, a
 calling unit U8 for animated representation of the calling motion, a
 carry-and-walk unit U9 for animated representation of the carrying and
 walking motion, a hand-clapping unit U10 for animated representation of
 the hand-clapping motion, a standup -and -riot unit U11 for animated
 representation of the standing up and rioting operation, a lie-and riot
 unit U12 for animated representation of the lying and rioting operation,
 an eat-and-write unit U13 for animated representation of the eating and
 writing operation, a toilet unit U14 for animated representation of going
 to the bathroom, a hit unit U15 for animated representation of the hitting
 operation, a defence unit U16 for animated representation of the defending
 operation, a sleeping unit U17 for animated representation of the sleeping
 operation, a fall-down unit U18 for animated representation of the
 falling-down operation, a nodding unit U19 for animated representation of
 the nodding operation, a dancing unit U20 for animated representation of
 the dancing operation, a swinging unit U21 for animated representation of
 the swinging operation, an stand-up side-down unit U22 for animated
 representation of the stand-up side-down operation, a put-into-order unit
 U23 for animated representation of the putting-into- order or housing
 operation, a special technique unit U24 for animated representation of the
 showing the special technique, and a carrying unit U25 for animated
 representation of the carrying operation.
 In the present embodiment, about 50 illustrative legends are provided for
 the post pet 103. These legends are ranked depending on the `intellect` of
 the post pet 103. If the eat-write unit U13 is started, an illustrative
 legend belonging to a rank `intellect` at the time point is selected at
 random. The intellect of the post pet 103 is varied depending on the age
 E1 of the post pet 103 as set by the time elapsed since registration in
 the user computer or the serial number information 203 specifying the
 number of mails handled by the post pet 103.
 The selected legends is sent as the E-mail on randomly selecting the
 counterpart of the E-mailing to whom the user has so far sent E-mails,
 including the user.
 That is, the post pet 103A of the present embodiment can voluntarily send
 an E-mail reading: "My name is Momoko-please remember me` to the user or
 to the counterparts of the E-mailing. The scores of the above-mentioned
 eat and write unit U13 are varied with the age E1, intellect E2, physical
 strength E3 or the vigour E4 of the post pet 103 and is reset at a time
 point when the post pet 103 has voluntarily sent an E-mail. The physical
 strength E3 or the vigour E4 of the post pet 103 is varied with the
 stimuli or the contents of experiences from the user or the counterpart.
 For example, the physical strength E3 of the post pet 103 is lowered and
 raised on dispatching an E-mail and on eating or sleeping. The vigour E 4
 of the post pet 103 is lowered and enhanced on being persecuted and
 caressed by the counterpart, respectively. Thus, the post pet 103 can
 voluntarily send E-mails a number of times to the user or to the
 counterpart of E-mailing.
 For preventing the user from disliking the post pet 103 as a result of the
 increased age E1 or intellect E2 of the post pet 103 resulting in the
 increased number of times of dispatching E-mails to the user or to the
 counterparts and in repeated occurrences of the same legends, a `life` is
 set for the post pet 103.
 This `life` set for the post pet 103 is usually set in terms of the number
 of E-mails carried by the pet to 500 mails and is varied with the physical
 strength E3 or the vigour E4.
 The post pet 103, whose life has come to a close, sends the final E-mail
 reading, for example: "Momo now goes to a distant place . . . Thank you
 for taking care of me . . . So long" to the user or to the counterpart to
 stop the function as an agent.
 With the above-described E-mail system, the `post pet` of the personal
 computer 21 of the user A encodes he agent parameters as a mail of the
 MIME format along with the main text of the mail carried by the pet A and
 sends the encoded mail A to the destination, that is to the user B. This
 eliminates the pet A from the personal computer 21 of the user A.
 If next the `post pet` of the user B of the destination executes mail
 check, the mail A is captured by the `post pet` of the personal computer
 22 of the user B, as shown in FIG. 52.
 Then, the `post pet` of the user B records changes in the state of the pet
 A caused by various events occurring in the pet room of the user B and
 sends back the pet A to the user A as the `automatically returned mail A`,
 as shown in FIG. 54.
 If the user A checks the mail by the `post pet` of the personal computer
 21, the `automatically returned mail A` is captured, as shown in FIG. 55.
 Thus, the `post pet` of the personal computer 21 of the user A uses the
 new agent parameters reflecting the events that occurred in the user B.
 That is, by having picture data of the agent on the personal computers of
 the user and the counterpart of the E-mailing of the user, and actually
 sending agent parameters controlling the agent's behaviour, the result as
 though picture data of the agent were being sent is obtained. By sending
 the agent parameters, instead of the picture data, the user connection
 time is shortened, such that, for a dial-up user, the Internet connection
 charges and telephone charges are reduced. Moreover, since the amount of
 exchanged data is relatively decreased, the resources of the Internet in
 their entirety may also be saved.
 Meanwhile, if the post pet is selected first, the GUI picture 140 for
 selecting the pet is displayed, as shown in FIG. 56, such that one of the
 Teddy-bear 103A, tortoise 103B, hybrid cat 103C and mini-rabbit 103D can
 be selected. The parameters of `condition`, `temper`, `brain` and
 `slimness` are varying at all times and are set by the timing of selecting
 (clicking) the pet. However, the parameters as set by the timing of
 selecting (clicking) the pet are initial values, after all, and are varied
 depending on the pet keeping state of the user. The items `pet's name` and
 `your name` can be freely entered by the user.
 In the post pet, picture data of the pet are stored in the local storage
 medium of the user, so that, if the number of pet types is increased in
 the future, these new pets cannot be represented. Thus, picture data of a
 character `hatena-kun` (Mr. Question) 103E shown in FIG. 4 is used. That
 is, if a mail is sent by a post pet of a newly defined character to a user
 having only picture data of Teddy bear 103A, tortoise 103B, a hybrid cat
 103C and a mini-rabbit 103D, the hatena-kun 103E is displayed, as shown in
 FIG. 57. Thus, it is possible with the post pet to cope with an increased
 number of the pets, by using the hatena-kun 103E, for adding new pets.
 Although the foregoing description has been made in connection with
 application of the present invention to the Internet, the present
 invention can be applied to a mail communication system exploiting a
 personal handy phone or other mobile communication terminals capable of
 coping with the mail communication on the Intranet or PHS Internet Access
 Forum Standard (PIAFS), in addition to mail exchange on the Internet.