System, method, program and storage medium for processing electronic mail

In an e-mail processing system with a predetermined limit on the number of destination addresses of a piece of e-mail to be sent, the present invention determines whether the number of destination addresses of a piece of e-mail being viewed to be returned to everyone exceeds the predetermined limit when directed to be returned to everyone for the e-mail being viewed, and generates a piece of return mail creation screen with predetermined addresses in the e-mail being viewed being set as destinations of the piece of return mail when the predetermined limit is determined to be exceeded and generates a piece of return mail creation screen with everyone's address for the piece of e-mail being viewed being set as a destination of the piece of return mail when the predetermined limit is determined not to be exceeded. This configuration improves viewability and operability, for example, when a user directs to create a “Return to Everyone” mail. This configuration can increase the number of users to be provided with the service.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a process of creating a piece of return mail in an electronic mail processing system under a predetermined limitation on the number of destination addresses of a piece of e-mail to be sent.

As the Internet has become widespread in recent years, electronic mail has become commonplace as a communication tool with an information processor such as a personal computer or a piece of e-mail-specific terminal.

At the same time, there have been problems in such a case that a user who employs e-mail by means of an information processor placed at the user's office cannot manipulate the e-mail away from the office.

To enable a user to employ e-mail away from the user's office or house, a system for forwarding a piece of e-mail to an e-mail address which is available from the user's wireless mobile terminal was devised in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2000-244556. However, the above-mentioned e-mail forwarding system has a limit on size or the number of characters of a piece of e-mail to be forwarded depending on the type of destined mobile terminal (e.g., a cellular phone). Accordingly, when a piece of e-mail to be sent is too large, only the beginning part is forwarded or the whole piece of mail is forwarded by being divided into many pieces.

Another WWW (World Wide Web) mail system devised employs e-mail from a personal computer through a WWW browser instead of through e-mail specific application. In the WWW mail system, a user employs e-mail through a WWW browser.

Next, a conventional e-mail system will be described.

Conventional E-Mail System

FIG. 2is a block diagram of a conventional e-mail system with a personal computer.

Reference numeral201denotes client1which is a personal computer connected to an e-mail system over the Internet. Client1includes an MUA (Mail User Agent) program for reading/writing a piece of e-mail and an MTA (Message Transfer Agent) program for distributing a piece of e-mail.

Reference numeral202denotes client2which is a personal computer connected to an e-mail system over the Internet. Client2includes an MUA program which is a mailer program for reading/writing a piece of e-mail. A user can create a piece of e-mail by controlling an MUA program on client2and request an MTA program running on a mail server206of an e-mail system to distribute the piece of e-mail.

A user can also access an e-mail system through POP (Post Office Protocol) or IMAP protocol, capture and view a piece of e-mail for the user existing in the e-mail system by controlling a mailer (MUA program) on client2.

Client2also includes a WWW browser which is represented as Netscape Navigator (trademark) and the like. A user can access a WWW server in an e-mail system and perform a user registration process and an address book process by controlling a WWW browser.

Reference numeral203denotes considered to be a network using such communication network as a public telephone line, ISDN, and satellite communication network.

Reference numeral204denotes an e-mail system which is composed of a WWW server, a mail server, a database server and a charge server. The system provides a user with an e-mail service. The servers are respectively connected via a Local Area Network (referred to as LAN hereinafter) and can communicate data with each other.

Reference numeral205denotes a WWW server, which includes an authentication program, a user registration program, an address book program, and an account generation program. When a user controls a WWW browser and accesses the WWW server, the WWW server generates various WWW screens and sends them to the WWW browser. The user can make respective requests for the WWW server by viewing and manipulating the sent WWW screens.

The WWW server which received the user's request over the WWW starts each program and performs each process.

The authentication program205ais a program for performing user authentication when a user accesses a WWW server by controlling a WWW browser. The user views a sent authentication screen and enters a user ID and a password which are required for authentication. Then the authentication program performs authentication by referring to user information data in a user information database. If the authentication fails, the authentication program displays an authentication error screen. If the authentication succeeds, the authentication program generates an authentication ID and stores the authentication ID in association with the user ID into an authentication database. At this moment, a timer for the authentication ID is set to a specific time period. When a predetermined time period set for this authentication ID timer elapses, the stored authentication ID is deleted from the database.

When the user accesses the WWW server again by controlling a WWW browser after having an authentication ID generated, the authentication program checks whether the generated authentication ID exists in DB. If the authentication ID exists in the DB, the previous authentication is determined to be valid and the access is permitted without performing any user authentication. If the authentication ID does not exist in the DB, the authentication ID is determined to be invalid and an authentication screen for retrying user authentication is displayed.

The user registration program205bis a program to generate a user information registration screen for a user to set the start or end of the employment of the e-mail system or to register user information when the user accesses a URL for user registration of the WWW server by controlling a WWW browser.

When the user views an information registration screen and directs to start employing the e-mail system, the user registration program issues and stores a user ID, a password and an e-mail address for employing the e-mail service into a user information database. Then the user registration program starts the account generation program.

When the user views an information registration screen and directs to finish employing the e-mail system, the user registration program starts the account generation program, while deleting a user ID, a password and an e-mail address which has been used by the user from a user information database.

In addition, the user registration program resets an authentication ID timer each time the user controls the system.

The address book program205cis a program to generate an address book screen for a user to edit or view an address book when the user accesses a URL for address book of the WWW server by controlling a WWW browser.

The address book program stores data on a specific person's name, a telephone number and an e-mail address designated by the user in association with each other into an address book database. The address book data is stored in association with each other for each user ID. The maximum number of address book data pieces allowed for each user to register can be set to a predetermined number.

In addition, the address book program resets an authentication ID timer each time the user controls the system.

The account generation program205dis a program for causing a mail server to generate an e-mail account for a user when the user accesses a URL for user registration of a WWW server by controlling a WWW browser and directs to start employing the e-mail system. The account generation program is also used for deleting the user's e-mail account in the mail server when the user accesses a URL for user registration of a WWW server by controlling a WWW browser and directs to finish employing the e-mail system.

When generation of an e-mail account completes, the account generation program starts a charge program running on a charge server.

The mail server206is composed of an MTA program and a POP/IMAP program.

The MTA program206ais a program for performing management of a mail account for a user who employs the e-mail system and for processing a piece of e-mail for a user who employs the e-mail system. The MTA program receives a piece of e-mail distributed over a communication network for a user who employs the e-mail system and stores the piece of e-mail into a data storage area on a mail server, which is referred to as “mail spool”. At this moment, the MTA program sorts and stores the received piece of e-mail for each user (for each e-mail address).

The maximum capacity for a mail storage area of a mail spool is set for each user. When an amount of storage for a user reaches its maximum capacity, the MTA program stops storing a piece of new e-mail for the user and returns the piece of e-mail to its source.

206bis a POP/IMAP program. When a user accesses the e-mail system through a protocol such as POP (Post Office Protocol) or IMAP (Internet Message Accesses Protocol) by controlling the MUA program, a POP/IMAP program passes a piece of mail stored in a mail spool of a mail server to MUA.

When a user performs a sending process of a piece of e-mail by controlling an MUA program, the MUA program requests the MTA program to distribute the piece of e-mail. The MTA program which received the request distributes the piece of e-mail created by the user through SMTP (simple mail transfer protocol).

A database server207is composed of a user information database, an address book database and an authentication database.

The user information database207astores a user ID, a password, and an e-mail address of a user who employs the e-mail system.

The address book database207bstores an address book for each user who employs the e-mail system. The address book stores data such as a specific person's name, a telephone number and an e-mail address, which are designated for registration.

The authentication database207cstores an authentication ID generated by an authentication program.

The charge server208is composed of a charge program and a charge database.

When a user directs to start employing the e-mail system with a user registration program, the charge program208astores a set date and time as a date and time for service to start in a charge DB. The charge program208ais also a program for storing a set date and time as a date and time for service to end in a charge database when a user directs to finish employing the e-mail system with a user registration program. With the charge program, the charge server calculates the number of days from the starting date and time to the ending date and time for each user who employs the e-mail system and calculates a charge of the e-mail system.

The charge database208bstores the dates and times to start and end the service for a user who employs the e-mail system.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention enables one to employ a WWW mail system from a browser implemented in a mobile terminal such as a cellular phone. Most mailing functions incorporated in cellular phones as standard have strict restrictions on the number of characters for a piece of e-mail owing to VRAM in the cellular phone. The present embodiment eliminates such severe restrictions on the number of characters and the like by employing a WWW browser to implement an e-mail function thereby improving the system usability. However, in employing the WWW mail system from a mobile terminal such as a cellular phone, there was a problem with a mobile terminal in that such terminal is unsuitable for displaying a very large amount of information at a time because of its small display screen. In particular, in the case that too many addresses are set as destinations of a return mail, a user is annoyed in checking which addresses are set.

To solve the above-mentioned problem, an e-mail processing system according to the present invention is an e-mail processing system with a predetermined limit on the number of destination addresses of a piece of e-mail to be sent, having a determination means for determining whether the number of destination addresses of a piece of e-mail being viewed to be returned to everyone exceeds the predetermined limit when directed to return to everyone for the piece of e-mail being viewed, and a generation means for generating a piece of return mail creation screen with predetermined addresses in the piece of e-mail being viewed being set as destinations of the piece of return mail when the predetermined limit is determined to be exceeded and for generating a piece of return mail creation screen with everyone's address for the piece of e-mail being viewed being set as destinations of the piece of return mail when the predetermined limit is determined not to be exceeded.

To solve the above-mentioned problem, an e-mail processing method according to the present invention is a processing method for processing a piece of e-mail in an e-mail system with a predetermined limit on the number of destination addresses of a piece of e-mail to be sent, having the steps of: determining whether the number of destination addresses of a piece of e-mail being viewed to be returned to everyone exceeds the predetermined limit when directed to return to everyone for the piece of e-mail being viewed, and generating a piece of return mail creation screen with predetermined addresses in the piece of e-mail being viewed being set as destinations of the piece of return mail when the predetermined limit is determined to be exceeded and of generating a piece of return mail creation screen with everyone's address of the piece of e-mail being viewed being set as destinations of the piece of return mail when the predetermined limit is determined not to be exceeded.

Other features and advantages of the patent invention will be apparent from the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which like reference characters designate the same or similar parts throughout the figure thereof.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

First Embodiment

An e-mail system according to a first embodiment of the present invention will now be described in detail.

E-mail System with a Personal Computer and a Cellular Phone

FIG. 1is a diagram of a system configuration showing an embodiment of an e-mail system with a personal computer and a cellular phone according to the invention.

An e-mail system with a personal computer and a cellular phone according to the present invention enables one to employ an e-mail system from a cellular phone (referred to as “a cellular phone service” hereinafter) as well as from a personal computer.

InFIG. 1,101is client1, which is a personal computer connected to the e-mail system over the Internet. Client1includes an MUA (Mail User Agent) program for reading/writing a piece of e-mail and an MTA (Message Transfer Agent) program for distributing a piece of e-mail.

102is client2a,which is a personal computer (PC) connected to the e-mail system over the Internet. Client2includes an MUA program which is a mailer program for reading/writing a piece of e-mail. A user can control an MUA program on client2ato create a piece of e-mail and request an MTA program running on a mail server206of the e-mail system to distribute the piece of e-mail.

103is client2b,which is a cellular phone including a function provided by a cellular phone company for sending and receiving a piece of e-mail specialized for the cellular phone, a WWW browser function for accessing a WWW page, and a telephone function. This cellular phone allows a user to employ e-mail via a mail server of the cellular phone company by using a cellular phone-specific e-mail address supplied from the company. A piece of mail sent to such a cellular phone-specific e-mail address is distributed to a user's cellular phone to allow the user to view the mail. In the function for sending and receiving a piece of e-mail specialized for the cellular phone, the number of characters which can be sent and received is considered to be limited to around200.

104is considered to be a network using a communication network such as a public telephone line, ISDN, and a satellite communication network (it is considered to be a public line network including a wireless network in the present embodiment).

105is an e-mail system which is composed of a WWW server, a mail server, a cell-phone WWW server, a cell-phone mail server, a database server and a charge server, providing a user with an e-mail service. The servers are respectively connected via a LAN to communicate data with each other.

106is the WWW server, which includes an authentication program, a user registration program, an address book program, and an account generation program. When a user accesses the WWW server by controlling a WWW browser, the WWW server generates and sends various WWW screens to the WWW browser. The user can make various requests for the WWW server by viewing and manipulating each of the WWW screens sent to the user.

106ais the authentication program, which is a program for performing user authentication when a user accesses a WWW server by controlling a WWW browser.106aincludes a function for starting various programs by accessing a cell-phone WWW server. When a user views a sent authentication screen and enters a user ID and a password required for authentication, the authentication program performs authentication by referring to user information data in a user information database. If the authentication fails, the authentication program displays an authentication error screen. If the authentication succeeds, the authentication program generates an authentication ID and stores the authentication ID in association with the user ID in an authentication database. At this moment, a timer for the authentication ID is set to a specific time period. When a predetermined time period set for this authentication ID timer elapses, the stored authentication ID is deleted from the database.

When the user accesses again a WWW server by controlling a WWW browser after having the authentication ID generated, the authentication program checks whether the generated authentication ID exists in DB. If the authentication ID exists in DB, the previous authentication is determined to be valid and the access is permitted without performing user authentication. If the authentication ID does not exist in DB, the authentication ID is determined to be invalid and an authentication screen for retrying user authentication is displayed.

106bis the user registration program, which is a program to generate a user information registration screen for a user to perform setting the start or end of employment of an e-mail system and registration of user information when the user accesses a URL for user registration of a WWW server by controlling a WWW browser. When a user views the information registration screen and directs to start employing the e-mail system, the user registration program106bissues a user ID, a password and an e-mail address for employing the e-mail service and stores them into a user information database. Then the user registration program starts the account generation program. When a user views the information registration screen and directs to finish employing the e-mail system, the user registration program starts the account generation program, while deleting a user ID, a password and an e-mail address which has been used by the user from the user information database.

The user registration program106bincludes a function for enabling a user to set the start or end of employment of the cellular phone service; a function for starting a cell-phone account generation program when a user sets the start of employment of the cellular phone service; and a function for informing a user of a URL for accessing a cell-phone user registration program when the user sets the start of employment of the cellular phone service.

The user registration program resets an authentication ID timer each time the user controls the system.

106cis the address book program, which is a program to generate an address book screen for a user to perform editing and viewing of an address book when the user accesses a URL for address book of a WWW server by controlling a WWW browser.

The address book program stores data on specific person's name, telephone number and e-mail address designated by the user in association with each other into an address book database. The address book data is stored with associated for each user ID, and the maximum number of address book data pieces which is allowed for one user to register is set to a predetermined number.

The address book program resets an authentication ID timer each time the user controls the system.

106dis the account generation program, which is a program for causing a mail server to generate an e-mail account for a user when the user accesses a URL for user registration of a WWW server by controlling a WWW browser of a PC and directs to start employing the e-mail system. The account generation program is also used for deleting a user's e-mail account in the mail server when the user accesses a URL for user registration of a WWW server by controlling a WWW browser and directs to finish employing the e-mail system.

When generation of an e-mail account ends, the account generation program starts the charge program running on the charge server.

107is a mail server, which is composed of an MTA program and a POP/IMAP program.

107ais an MTA program, which is a program for performing management of a mail account for a user who employs an e-mail system and a process of a piece of e-mail for a user who employs an e-mail system. The MTA program receives a piece of e-mail for a user who employs an e-mail system which is distributed through a communication network and stores the piece of e-mail into a data storage area on a mail server which is referred to as “mail spool”. At this moment, the MTA program sorts and stores the received piece of e-mail for each user (for each e-mail address).

The maximum capacity for a mail storage area of a mail spool is set for each user. When an amount of storage for a user reaches its maximum capacity, the MTA program stops storing a new e-mail for the user and returns the piece of e-mail to its source.

The MTA program107aincludes a function to forward a piece of e-mail for a user to a cell-phone e-mail address of the user in a cell-phone mail server108when the user sets to use a cell-phone service. The cell-phone e-mail address for a user is generated by a cell-phone account generation program.

107bis a POP or IMAP program. When a user accesses the e-mail system through a protocol such as POP (Post Office Protocol) or IMAP (Internet Message Accesses Protocol) by controlling an MUA program, a POP/IMAP program passes a piece of mail stored in a mail spool of a mail server to the MUA.

When the user controls the MUA program and performs a sending process of a piece of e-mail, the MUA program requests an MTA program of the e-mail system to distribute a piece of e-mail. The MTA program which received the distribution request distributes the piece of e-mail created by the user through SMTP (simple mail transfer protocol).

108is a cell-phone mail server, which is composed of a cell-phone MTA program, a cell-phone POP, and an IMAP program.

108ais a cell-phone MTA program, which performs both management of a user's mail account which is set to use a cell-phone service and processing of a piece of e-mail.

The cell-phone MTA program receives a piece of e-mail for a user, which is forwarded by an MTA program of a mail server107and stores the piece of e-mail into a mail storage area on a mail server which is referred to as a “mail spool”.

At this moment, the cell-phone MTA program sorts and stores the received piece of e-mail for each user (for each cell-phone e-mail address). The cell-phone MTA program keeps storing a new e-mail for a user until the entire mail storage area of a mail spool becomes short. The cell-phone MTA program stops storing a new e-mail for a user and returns the piece of e-mail to its source when the entire mail storage area of a mail spool becomes short.

The cell-phone MTA program distributes a piece of e-mail to a designated mail address through SMTP (simple mail transfer protocol) when it is requested to distribute a piece of e-mail by a cell-phone mail program.

108bis a cell-phone POP/IMAP program. When a cell-phone mail program109baccesses through a POP or IMAP protocol, the cell-phone POP/IMAP program passes a piece of mail stored in a mail spool of a cell-phone server.

109is a cell-phone WWW server, which includes a cell-phone user registration program, a cell-phone mail program, a cell-phone address book program, and a cell-phone account generation program.

When a user accesses respective URLs for cell-phone service by controlling a WWW browser of a cellular phone, authentication is performed by an authentication program of a WWW server. Then, various WWW screens are generated in a cell-phone WWW server and sent to the WWW browser of the cellular phone. When a user controls a WWW browser of a PC and performs cell-phone user registration, a URL for a cell-phone user registration program of a cell-phone WWW server is called via a WWW server and a cell-phone user registration is performed on a WWW screen sent from the cell-phone WWW server.

A user can make various requests for a cell-phone WWW server by viewing and manipulating a WWW screen, which is sent to a cell-phone WWW browser or PC's WWW browser.

The cell-phone WWW server which received a user's request starts respective programs and performs processing. Various URLs of a cell-phone WWW server include a URL for cell-phone user registration program, a URL for cell-phone mail program, a URL for cell-phone address book program and the like. When such a URL is accessed, authentication is performed by an authentication program of the WWW server at first. If the authentication is determined to succeed, the access to the cell-phone WWW server will be allowed.

109ais the cell-phone user registration program, which is a program to be called by the authentication program106a,if authentication of a WWW server succeeds, when a user accesses a URL for cell-phone user registration program by controlling a WWW browser.

The cell-phone user registration program109agenerates a cell-phone user information registration screen and makes registration of user information concerning a cell-phone service performed.

In other words, when a user views a cell-phone user information registration screen, enters respective pieces of user information and directs to register the information, the cell-phone user registration program stores respective pieces of information into a user information database and then informs the user of a URL for cell-phone mail program and a URL for cell-phone address book program.

The cell-phone registration program resets an authentication ID timer each time the user controls the system.

109bis the cell-phone mail program, which is a program to be called by an authentication program106a,if authentication of a WWW server succeeds, when a user accesses a URL for cell-phone mail program by controlling a cell-phone WWW browser of a cellular phone103(client2b).

The cell-phone mail program109bgenerates various screens for cellular phone to process a piece of e-mail and send them to the cell-phone WWW browser. The user can control a cell-phone WWW browser of the cellular phone to view those various screens and direct respective processing of the piece of e-mail.

The cell-phone mail program109bperforms respective processing of the piece of e-mail according to the direction sent by the user.

The cell-phone mail program resets an authentication ID timer each time the user controls the system.

109cis the address book program, which is a program to be called by the authentication program106a,if authentication of a WWW server succeeds, when a user accesses a URL for cell-phone address book program by controlling a cell-phone WWW browser of a cellular phone103(client2b).

The cell-phone address book program generates an address book screen for cellular phone to allow a user to edit and view an address book.

The cell-phone address book program provides a common address book which can be shared by a plurality of users and a personal address book which is only available for one user.

The cell-phone address book program associates three pieces of data on a specific person's name, telephone number and e-mail address designated by the user and store the data into either the common address book data storage area or the personal address book data storage area of an address book database.

The address book data is stored in association with each user. The maximum number of address book data pieces which is allowed for one user to register is set to a predetermined number.

The cell-phone address book program resets an authentication ID timer each time the user controls the system.

109dis the cell-phone account generation program, which is a program to be called by a user registration program106bwhen a user accesses a URL for user registration of a WWW server by controlling a WWW browser and sets the start of employing of a cellular phone service.

The cell-phone account generation program generates an e-mail account for cellular phone service of a user who starts employing a cellular phone service in the cell-phone mail server108.

The cell phone account generation program deletes a user's e-mail account for cellular phone service of a cell-phone mail server when the user accesses a URL for user registration of a WWW server by controlling a WWW browser and sets to finish employing a cellular phone service.

When generation of the e-mail account ends, the cell-phone account generation program starts a charge program running on the charge server.

110is the database server, which is composed of a user information database, an address book database, and an authentication database.

110ais the user information database, which stores a user ID, a password, and an e-mail address for a user who employs the e-mail system as well as various pieces of user information for cellular phone service.

110bis the address book database, which includes a common address book storage area which can be shared by a plurality of users and a personal address book which can be personally used by a user.

110cis the authentication database, which stores an authentication ID generated by the authentication program.

111is the charge server, which is composed of a charge program and a charge database.

111ais the charge program, which stores a set date and time as a date and time for service to start into the charge DB when a user directs to start employing the e-mail system by using the user registration program. The charge program is also a program for storing a set date and time as a date and time for service to end into the charge database when a user directs to finish employing the e-mail system by using the user registration program. With the charge program, the charge server calculates the number of days from the start date and time to the end date and time of the service for each user who employs an e-mail system and calculates a charge of the e-mail system.

The charge program111astores a set date and time as a date and time for service to start into the charge DB when a user sets the start of employing a cellular phone service by using the user registration program. The charge program also stores a date and time of ending a cellular phone service into the charge database when a user sets the end of employing a cellular phone service by using a user registration program.

111bis the charge database, which stores dates and times the service started and ended for a user who employs an e-mail system as well as dates and times the service started and ended for a user who employs a cellular phone service.

Each server included in the embodiment is considered to implement the present invention by reading out a program code from a storage medium which stores each of the above-mentioned programs and performing the program code in a computer (CPU). The program may be stored previously on a storage medium of each server or may be stored on a storage medium within each server via a removable medium or a network. Each server may be composed of a single unit or may be composed of a plurality of devices.

Description of Processes

Processes of the e-mail system with a personal computer (PC) and a cellular phone will now be described.

Description of Registration Process of a User Who Uses PC

First, a flow of a user registration process in creating a mail address which can be used by WWW browser of a PC will now be described with reference toFIG. 3.

InFIG. 3,301is a process in a WWW browser running on a PC (client2a),302is a process by authentication program running on a WWW server106,303is a process by user registration program running on a WWW server106, and304is a process by account generation program running on a WWW server106.

For a specific user (referred to as “User 2” hereinafter) to employ the e-mail system, a user registration process must be performed at first.

At step S301, User2accesses the WWW server106of the e-mail system by controlling a WWW browser running on the client2a.Then, at step S302, a user authentication screen is generated and sent to the WWW browser by the authentication program106aof the WWW server.

At step S303, User2views the authentication screen then enters a user ID and a password required for authentication. Then, at step S304, the authentication program performs authentication by referring to user information data within a user information database. If the authentication succeeds, the authentication program generates an authentication ID, stores the authentication ID in association with the user ID into the authentication database, and sets an authentication ID timer to a specific time period. Then the authentication program starts the user registration program, which generates a user information registration page and sends the page to the WWW browser at step S305.

At step S306, User2views the user registration page and performs setting of the start of employment of the e-mail system and registration of user information.

At step S307, the user registration program obtains information entered by the user and stores a user ID, a password, and an e-mail address of the user who employs the e-mail service into the user information database. Then, at step S308, the user registration program starts an account generation program.

At step S309, the account generation program generates a user's e-mail account in a mail server. Then, at step S310, the account generation program starts a charge program running on a charge server. At this moment, the charge program stores the set date and time into a charge DB as a date and time of starting the service.

The process continues to step S312, where the user registration program generates an account generation and user registration end screen and sends the screen to the WWW browser.

At step S313, User2views and checks the account generation and user registration end screen.

A user can use a WWW browser of a PC to send and receive a piece of e-mail by using an e-mail address registered in the above-mentioned manner. The embodiment also enables a user to view a piece of mail received at the e-mail address on a cellular phone or to generate and send a piece of e-mail from a cellular phone. Processes to make e-mail available from a cellular phone will be described below.

Description of Cell-phone User Registering Processes

A flow of a cell-phone user registration process to make e-mail available by cell-phone WWW browser of a cellular phone will be described with reference toFIGS. 4 and 5.

InFIG. 4,401is a WWW browser running on the PC102(client2a) shown inFIG. 1,402is an authentication program running on the WWW server106shown inFIG. 1,403is a user registration program running on the WWW server106shown inFIG. 1, and404is a cell-phone account generation program running on the cell-phone WWW server109shown inFIG. 1.

InFIG. 5,501is a WWW browser running on the PC102(client2a) shown inFIG. 1,502is an authentication program running on the WWW server106shown inFIG. 1, and503is a cell-phone user registration program running on the cell-phone WWW server109shown inFIG. 1.

For a specific user (referred to as “User 2” hereinafter) to employ a cell-phone service, a cell-phone user registration process must be performed at first.

At step S401, User2accesses the WWW server106of the e-mail system by controlling a WWW browser running on the client2ashown inFIG. 1. Then, at step S402, an authentication program106aof a WWW server generates a user authentication screen and sends the screen to the WWW browser.

At step S403, User2views the authentication screen and enters a user ID and a password required for authentication. Then, at step S404, the authentication program performs authentication by referring to user information data within a user information database. If the authentication succeeds, the authentication program generates an authentication ID, stores the authentication ID in association with the user ID into an authentication database, and sets an authentication ID timer to the specific time period. Then the authentication program starts the user registration program.

At step S405, the user registration program generates a user information registration page and sends the page to the WWW browser.

At step S406, User2views the user registration page and then enters a setting of starting the employment of the cellular phone service. At step S407, the user registration program starts a cell-phone account generation program.

At step S408, the cell-phone account generation program generates a user account for User2in a cell-phone mail server. At this moment, User2's e-mail address for cellular phone service is generated. At step S409, the cell-phone account generation program informs the user of a URL for cell-phone user registration program. More specifically, a piece of e-mail containing a URL for cell-phone user registration program is sent to the user's e-mail address for PC.

At S410, the cell-phone account generation program starts a charge program running on a charge server. At this moment, the charge program stores a date and time of starting the cellular phone service into a charge DB.

The process continues to step S411, where the user registration program generates a cell-phone user registration end screen containing the account and sends the screen to a WWW browser of the PC.

At step S412, User2views and checks the user registration end screen.

User2then uses a WWW browser of the PC (client2a) and views a piece of e-mail containing a URL for cell-phone user registration program which is received at the e-mail address for PC.

At step S501, User2accesses a WWW server of the e-mail system by controlling a WWW browser running on the client2ashown inFIG. 1. At step S502, the authentication program106aof the WWW server generates a user authentication screen and sends the screen to the WWW browser.

At step S503, User2views the authentication screen and then enters a user ID and a password required for authentication. Then, at step S504, the authentication program performs authentication by referring to user information data in a user information database. If the authentication succeeds, the authentication program generates an authentication ID, stores the authentication ID in association with the user ID into the authentication database, and sets an authentication ID timer to a specific time period. Then the authentication program starts the cell-phone user registration program.

At step S505, the user registration program generates a cell-phone user information registration page as shown inFIG. 6and sends the page to the WWW browser of the PC.

The cell-phone user information registration page is provided with such input areas for registering 13 entries of cell-phone user information as follows.

(1) Cellular phone number: An area for a user to enter the user's cellular phone number in single-byte number.

(2) Cell-phone mail address: An area for a user to enter a mail address given by a cellular phone company.

(3) Area for entering a cell-phone mail address for confirmation.

(4) Incoming notice setting: An area for a user to perform a setting about incoming notice. This area is composed of an area for setting whether an incoming notice should be sent to the mail address given by the cellular phone company which is set in (2) and an area for setting an interval between incoming notices by time period or by the number of recently received pieces of mail.

(5) Bcc setting: An area for a user to designate whether a sending mail should be automatically Bcc'ed to the user.

(6) Filter setting (sender): An area for a user to perform a setting about filtering based on a sender's name of a received mail. This area is composed of an area for setting whether senders should be filtered and an area for setting a character string (sender) for sender filtering.

(7) Filter setting (title of a piece of mail): An area for a user to perform a setting about filtering based on a title of a received mail. This area is composed of an area for setting whether title filtering should be done and an area for setting a character string for title filtering.

(8) Filter setting (the number of days): An area for a user to perform a setting about filtering by how old a received mail is by the number of days. This area is composed of an area for setting whether filtering by the number of days should be done and an area for setting a character string (the number of days) for filtering by the number of days.

(9) Signature setting: An area for a user to perform a setting about a signature. This area is composed of an area for setting whether a signature should be affixed to a sending mail and an area for setting a character string for the signature.

(10) Standard sentence setting: An area for a user to enter a standard sentence. Up to ten standard sentences can be set.

(11) “Update Basic Information” button: A button for updating information after a user has entered and set all required entries.

At step S506, User2views the cell-phone user information registration page, enters the above-mentioned respective pieces of cell-phone user information and then selects “Update Basic Information” button. When the designation of “Update Basic Information” button by the user is detected, the entered respective pieces of cell-phone user information are sent to the cell-phone user registration program.

At step S507, the cell-phone user registration program obtains the respective pieces of cell-phone user information and stores the information into a cell-phone user information storage area of a user information database.

FIG. 7is a diagram representing details of a cell-phone user information storage area. As shown inFIG. 7, the cell-phone user information storage area is provided with 30 fields for storing respective pieces of cell-phone user information for each user.

Fields from21to30are areas for storing information of ten kinds of standard sentences. Each area for storing standard sentence information is composed of a standard sentence character string area for storing a standard sentence character string, a frequency area for storing a frequency of standard sentence usage, and a latest used date and time area for storing the latest used date and time for a standard sentence.

Then at step S508, the cell-phone user registration program informs the user of a URL for cell-phone mail program and a URL for cell-phone address book program. More specifically, the cell-phone user registration program sends a piece of e-mail containing a URL for cell-phone mail program and a URL for cell-phone address book program to the e-mail address given by a cellular phone company.

The URL for cell-phone mail program and a URL for cell-phone address book program include ID information for identifying the user. By clicking the URL contained in the e-mail, the user is enabled to employ e-mail for the user's cellular phone service as a cell-phone WWW browser of a cellular phone is automatically started, while the user is also enabled to view the piece of e-mail sent to the mail address for PC by using a cellular phone as the piece of e-mail sent to a mail address for PC is forwarded to the e-mail address for the cellular phone service.

Then at S509, the cell-phone user registration program generates a cell-phone user information registration end screen and sends the screen to the WWW browser. At step S510, User2views and checks the cell-phone user information registration end screen.

Description of E-mail Incoming Process

A flow of process where User1sends a piece of mail to an e-mail address for PC of User2and then the mail is saved in a mail storage area for User2in a mail spool of a cell-phone mail server will now be described.

First, User1controls the MUA program running on the client1(101) shown inFIG. 1, generates and sends a piece of e-mail to a destination of e-mail address for PC of User2. Then the MTA program of the client1distributes the sent mail to a mail server107having a mail address of User2through SMTP (simple mail transfer protocol).

When the MTA program of the mail server107receives the piece of e-mail, it saves the mail in a mail storage area for User2in a mail spool and forwards the piece of e-mail to an e-mail address for cellular phone service of User2, i.e. to the cell-phone mail server108shown inFIG. 1.

The cell-phone MTA program in the cell-phone mail server receives the forwarded e-mail and saves the piece of e-mail in a mail storage area for User2in a mail spool. Then the cell-phone MTA program calls an e-mail incoming process of a cell-phone mail program109brunning on a cell-phone WWW server109and finishes the process.

A flow of an e-mail incoming process of a cell-phone mail program will now be described with reference toFIGS. 8 and 9.

When called by the cell-phone MTA program of the cell-phone mail server, at step S801, the e-mail incoming process checks to see if an attached file accompanies the piece of e-mail which have come and is saved. The attached file is considered to be an image, a text, a document file and the like. If the piece of e-mail is determined to be accompanied by an attached file, process proceeds to step S802and deletes the attached file of the piece of e-mail which is stored. The process adds attached file delete information to indicate that the piece of e-mail was accompanied by an attached file into e-mail header information, and then overwrites mail data. The process continues to step S803.

If the piece of e-mail is determined not to be accompanied by an attached file at step S801, the process continues to step S803.

At step S803, the total number of pieces of mail stored in the mail storage area for User2in the mail spool of the cell-phone mail server108shown inFIG. 1is checked to see if it exceeds the maximum number of pieces of mail to be stored for User2. A system administrator can set the maximum number of pieces of mail to be stored at his/her own discretion.

If the maximum number of pieces of mail to be stored is exceeded, the process continues to step S804and examines a date of a piece of mail sent contained in header information on each mail stored in a mail storage area for User2and detects the mail with the oldest date of sending among them. The process forwards the detected oldest mail to an e-mail address given by a cellular phone company of User2and then deletes the mail from a mail storage area. A mail server of a cellular phone company limits the number of characters which can be received and sent to around 200, so that the part of the forwarded mail after the 200th character from the beginning is automatically deleted. Then the process returns to step S803.

If the maximum number of pieces of mail to be stored is not exceeded at step S803, the process continues to step S805.

At step S805, a sum of mail size stored in the mail storage area for User2in the mail spool of the cell-phone mail server108shown inFIG. 1is checked to see if it exceeds the virtual maximum storage capacity for User2. A system administrator can set the virtual maximum storage capacity at his/her own discretion.

If the virtual maximum storage capacity is determined to be exceeded, the process continues to step S806and examines a date of a piece of mail sent contained in header information on each mail stored in the mail storage area for User2and detects the mail with the oldest date of being sent among them. The process transfers the detected mail to an e-mail address given by a cellular phone company of User2and then deletes the mail from the mail storage area. The process returns to step S805.

If the virtual maximum storage capacity is determined not to be exceeded at step S805, the process continues to step S807.

At step S807, the total number of pieces of mail stored in the mail storage area for User2in the mail spool of the cell-phone mail server108shown inFIG. 1is checked to see if it exceeds 80% of the maximum number of pieces of mail to be stored for User2. If 80% of the maximum number of mail to be stored is determined to be exceeded, the process continues to step S809. Otherwise, the process continues to step S808.

At step S808, a sum of mail size stored in the mail storage area for User2in the mail spool of the cell-phone mail server108shown inFIG. 1is checked to see if it exceeds 80% of the virtual maximum storage capacity for User2. If 80% of the virtual maximum storage capacity is determined to be exceeded, the process continues to step S809. Otherwise, the process continues to step S810.

At step S809, a piece of mail warning an overflow of a mail storage capacity is sent to the user's e-mail address given by a cellular phone company. Then the process continues to step S810.

At step S810, an incoming notice function is checked to see if it is set to ON by referring to a value in field11of the cell-phone user information storage area shown inFIG. 7, which is stored in a user information database110aof a database server110shown inFIG. 1. If it is determined to be set to OFF, the e-mail incoming function ends. If it is determined to be set to ON, the process continues to step S811.

At step S811, a value in field17of the cell-phone user information storage area is checked to see if it is 0. If a value in the field17is determined to be 0, the process continues to step S812, where it stores the time of receiving the piece of e-mail (i.e., incoming time of the piece of e-mail) in the field17of the cell-phone user information storage area. Then the process continues to step S813.

If a value in the field17is determined to be other than 0, the process continues to step S813.

At step S813, a value in field18of the cell-phone user information storage area is incremented by one. Then the process continues to step S814.

At step S814, a time period set for sending an incoming notice mail is checked to see if it elapses. More specifically, it is determined whether a value of the latest time of receiving the piece of e-mail (i.e., incoming time of the piece of e-mail) subtracted with a value in field17of the cell-phone user information storage area (time of deference) is greater than a value in field19of the cell-phone user information storage area. If a value calculated is determined to be greater than a value in field19, the process determines that a time period set for sending an incoming notice mail elapses, and continues to step S816. If a value calculated is determined to be less than a value in field19, the process determines that a time period set for sending an incoming notice mail does not elapse, and continues to step S815.

At step S815, it is checked to see if the incoming number of pieces of e-mail reaches the set number of pieces of mail to be accumulated to send an incoming notice mail. More specifically, it is determined whether a value in field18of the cell-phone user information storage area subtracted with a value in field10is greater than 0. If a value calculated is determined to be greater than 0, the process determines that the set number of pieces of mail to be accumulated is reached, and continues to step S816. If a value calculated is determined to be less than 0, the process determines that the set number of pieces of mail to be accumulated is not reached, and the e-mail incoming process ends.

At step S816, to inform the user of incoming of a piece of e-mail, a piece of e-mail containing a URL for cell-phone mail program running on the cell-phone WWW server109shown inFIG. 1is sent to a cellular phone e-mail address of the user.

The URL for cell-phone mail program contains ID information for identifying the user.

Then the process continues to step S817, sets values in fields17and18of the cell-phone user information storage area to 0, and then the e-mail incoming process ends.

In the case that time of receiving a piece of mail is set in field17at step S812and a value in field18is set to 1 or more at step S813independently of a process of step S814, if a predetermined time period (a previously defined time period larger than a value in field9) is determined to elapse without resetting a value in field18to 0, an incoming notice mail is sent and values in fields17and18will be reset to 0.

As described above, in the embodiment, a piece of e-mail received by the mail server107for PC is copied in the cell-phone mail server108. Accordingly, in order to view a piece of e-mail from a mobile terminal, the mail does not have to remain in a mail server for PC. Thus, a piece of e-mail can be viewed from a mobile terminal after the mail has obtained at a PC.

Description of E-mail Process

Processes when User2controls a cell-phone WWW browser of a cellular phone to manipulate a piece of e-mail will now be described by referring toFIGS. 10,11,12,13,14,15,16,17.

Description of Logging in Process

First, User2uses an e-mail address sending and receiving function given by a cellular phone company and views a piece of e-mail sent by a cell-phone user registration program or a piece of e-mail sent through an e-mail incoming process of a cell-phone mail program. Each of the pieces of e-mail contains a URL for cell-phone mail program as mentioned above.

When a URL for cell-phone mail program contained in the piece of e-mail is selected by User2, a cell-phone WWW browser of the cellular phone is started and an access to a URL for cell-phone mail program starts.

When a URL for cell-phone mail program is accessed through the cell-phone WWW browser of the cellular phone, the authentication program106aof the WWW server106shown inFIG. 1is started, which generates a user authentication screen1001shown inFIG. 10and sends the screen to the cell-phone WWW browser of the cellular phone.

When User2views the user authentication screen and enters a password required for authentication, the authentication program searches a user information database and refers to a user information data by using user identification ID information accompanying the URL for cell-phone mail program and entered password information to perform authentication.

If the authentication succeeds, the authentication program generates an authentication ID, stores the authentication ID in association with the user ID in an authentication database and sets a timer for the authentication ID to a specific time period. Next, the authentication program starts the cell-phone mail program109bof the cell-phone WWW server109shown inFIG. 1and passes the generated and stored authentication ID to the cell-phone mail program.

Then the started cell-phone mail program refers to a piece of mail stored in a mail storage area for User2in a mail spool of the cell-phone mail server108shown inFIG. 1to search for an unread mail and extract a title of the mail, generates an unread mail list screen1101shown inFIG. 11and sends the screen to the cell-phone WWW browser of the cellular phone.

Description of Unread Mail List Viewing Process

When User2accesses with a URL for cell-phone mail program by controlling a cell-phone WWW browser of a cellular phone, or when User2selects “Unread Mail List” button on any of an read mail list screen1202, a stored mail list screen1203, or a sent mail list screen1301, or when User2moves from an unread mail list to a mail viewing screen1102shown inFIG. 11and then selects “For List” button, the cell-phone mail program refers to a piece of mail stored in a mail storage area for User2in a mail spool of a cell-phone mail server, and according to a filtering setting thereof, searches for an unread mail, extracts a title of the mail, generates the unread mail list screen1101shown inFIG. 11and sends the screen to the cell-phone WWW browser of the cellular phone.

The unread mail list screen1101is composed of an “area for displaying the number of newly arrived pieces of mail” representing the total number of pieces of mail which have been sent after the last time the user accessed a URL for cell-phone mail program and viewed pieces of mail and logged out (i.e., after the session closed); “Read Mail List” button for moving to a read mail list screen1202; “Stored Mail List” button for moving to a stored mail list screen1203, “Sent Mail List” button for moving to a sent mail list screen1301; an “area for displaying an unread mail list” for displaying titles of pieces of mail which the user has not viewed by ten; “Create” button for moving to a mail creating/sending screen1303; “Screen Update” button for updating information in the unread mail list; “Management Screen” button for moving to a management screen1701; and “Menu” button for moving to a menu screen1002.

User2can check unread pieces of mail by viewing an “area for displaying unread mail list” on an unread mail list screen. Ten titles of unread pieces of mail are displayed for each page. If unread pieces of mail are more than ten, i.e., if the next page exists, a display area at the bottom of the unread mail list screen is changed by adding “Next” button as shown in1101a.If a previous page and a next page exist, “Previous” button and “Next” button are displayed at the bottom of the screen as shown in1101b.On the last page, “Previous” button is added at the bottom of the screen as shown in1101c.That is to say, User2can view an unread mail list across multiple pages by controlling “Previous” button and “Next” button to change the displayed page on the unread mail list screen.

Description of Filtering Process in Generating an Unread Mail List

The cell-phone mail program searches and selects acceptable unread pieces of mail by checking a filtering condition and displays the pieces of mail on an “area for displaying an unread mail list” to generate an unread mail list screen.

First, the cell-phone mail program refers to field15within a cell-phone user information storage area of a user information database110ashown inFIG. 1and checks to see if a number of days filtering function is set to ON. If the number of days filtering function is determined to be set to ON, the cell-phone mail program refers to field8within the cell-phone user information storage area, obtains the date of the number of days filtering, searches and selects unread pieces of mail sent between the obtained date of the number of days filtering and the current date and time as candidates for listing, and stores the pieces of mail into a temporally area.

Next, the cell-phone mail program refers to field14within the cell-phone user information storage area of the user information database110ashown inFIG. 1and checks to see if a title filter function is set to ON. If title filter function is determined to be set to ON, the cell-phone mail program refers to field7within the cell-phone user information storage area, obtains a title filter character string, refers to titles contained in mail header information on unread pieces of mail, checks to see if a title filter character string is contained, and stores the unread pieces of mail which do not contain the title filter character string as candidates for listing in a temporally area. If the number of days filter function is set to ON in addition to title filter function, title filtering is performed on the unread pieces of mail stored in a temporally area as candidates for listing after being filtered by the number of days filter function. If a piece of mail whose mail header information contains title filter character string is found, the mail is removed from the candidates for listing.

Then, the cell-phone mail program refers to field13within the cell-phone user information storage area and checks to see if a sender filtering function is set to ON. If the sender filtering function is determined to be set to ON, the cell-phone mail program refers to field6within the cell-phone user information storage area, obtains a sender filtering character string, refers to senders contained in mail header information on unread pieces of mail, checks to see if the sender filtering character string is contained in the pieces of mail, and stores the unread pieces of mail which do not contain the sender filtering character string in a temporally area as candidates for listing. If at least one of a number of days filter function and title filter function is set to ON, the sender filtering is performed on the unread pieces of mail stored in a temporally area as candidates for listing after being filtered. If a piece of mail whose mail header information contains a sender filtering character string is found, the mail is removed from the candidates for listing.

Finally, the cell-phone mail program displays pieces of unread mail left in the candidates for listing in an “area for displaying an unread mail lists” to generate an unread mail list screen.

Description of Unread Mail Viewing Process

When User2selects a specific mail from the unread mail list on the unread mail list screen1101shown inFIG. 11, the cell-phone mail program reads out data on the selected mail from a mail storage area for User2, adds read information indicating that it is a read mail in mail header information on the mail, generates a mail viewing screen1102shown inFIG. 11and sends the screen to the cell-phone WWW browser of the cellular phone. The mail selected and viewed becomes a read mail, so that the mail is no longer displayed in the unread mail list on the unread mail list screen1101, while displayed in a read mail list on a read mail list screen1202shown inFIG. 12.

The mail viewing screen1102is composed of an “area for displaying sender of mail”, an “area for displaying title of mail”, an “area for displaying date and time of sending mail”, an “area for displaying mail body” which displays512characters on each page, “Return” button for moving to a mail creating/sending screen with a mail sender contained in mail header information being set as a destination, “Return to Everyone” button for moving to a mail creating/sending screen with an address of a mail sender contained in a mail header and an address contained in “to” or “cc” field of the mail being set as destinations, “Forward” button for moving to a mail creating/sending screen with a mail body being set to a body as forward information, “To a List” button for moving to a mail list screen (i.e., a button for moving to an unread mail list screen when a user has moved from an unread mail list screen to a mail viewing screen, and a button for moving to a read mail list screen when a user has moved from a read mail list to a mail viewing screen), “Delete” button for deleting a piece of mail being viewed, “Store the Mail” button for setting the mail being viewed not to be automatically deleted, and “Detailed Information” button for moving to a detailed information on a mail screen.

User2can check a mail body by viewing an area for displaying a mail body. If a mail body consists of more than 512 characters, i.e., if the next page exists, a display area at the bottom of the mail viewing screen is changed by adding “Next” button as shown in1102a.If a previous page and a next page exist, “Previous” button and “Next” button are displayed at the bottom of the screen as shown in1102b.On the last page, “Previous” button is added at the bottom of the screen as shown in1102c. That is to say, User2can view a mail body across multiple pages by controlling “Previous” button and “Next” button to change pages.

Description of Mail Storage Process

When User2selects “Store the Mail” button on a mail viewing screen, the cell-phone mail program adds storage designating information for indicating that it is a stored mail to mail header information for a piece of mail displayed on the viewing screen (a piece of mail added with the storage designating information is referred to as “a stored mail” hereinafter), generates a stored mail viewing screen1103as shown inFIG. 11and sends the screen to the cell-phone WWW browser of the cellular phone.

The stored mail viewing screen1103is composed of an “area for displaying sender of mail”, an “area for displaying title of mail”, an “area for displaying date and time of sending mail”, an “area for displaying mail body” which displays 512 characters on each page, “Return” button for moving to a mail creating/sending screen with a mail sender contained in mail header information being set as a destination, “Return to Everyone” button for moving to a mail creating/sending screen with an address of a mail sender contained in a mail header and an address contained in “to” or “cc” field of the mail being set as destinations, “Forward” button for moving to a mail creating/sending screen with a mail body being set to a body as forward information, “To a List” button for moving to a mail list screen, “Delete” button for deleting a piece of mail being viewed, “Reset Storage” button for deleting a storage designating information on a piece of mail being viewed, and “Detailed Information” button for moving to a detailed information on a mail screen.

Even if a stored mail exceeds a limit of a mail storage area for User2in a mail spool of a cell-phone mail server, the mail is not deleted in the e-mail incoming process of the cell-phone mail program (S804, S806).

A piece of mail which is directed to be stored is no longer displayed in a read mail list on a read mail list screen1202shown inFIG. 12, while displayed in a stored mail list on a stored mail list screen1203shown inFIG. 12.

Description of Reset Storage of Mail Process

When User2selects “Reset Storage” button on a stored mail viewing screen, the cell-phone mail program deletes storage designating information from mail header information on a piece of mail being displayed on a viewing screen, generates a mail viewing screen1102, and sends the screen to the cell-phone WWW browser of the cellular phone.

Description of Mail Details Screen Viewing Process

When User2selects Detailed Information button on a mail viewing screen or a stored mail viewing screen, the cell-phone mail program analyzes information contained in mail header information on the mail being viewed, generates a mail details screen1201shown inFIG. 12, and sends the screen to the cell-phone WWW browser of the cellular phone.

The screen of detailed information on a piece of mail1201is composed of an “area for displaying sender of mail”, an “area for displaying destination of mail”, an “area for displaying CC destination of mail”, an “area for displaying date and time of sending mail”, an “area for displaying title of mail”, an “area for displaying existence of attached file” and an “area for displaying information on stored mail”. User2can view details of mail header information by viewing the screen of detailed information on a piece of mail.

Description of Read Mail List Viewing Process

When User2selects “Read Mail List” button on one of an unread mail list screen, a stored mail list screen, and a sent mail list screen, or when User2moves from a read mail list to a mail viewing screen and then selects “To a List” button, the cell-phone mail program searches for a read mail and extracts a title of the mail by referring to read information in mail header information on a piece of mail stored in a mail storage area for User2in a mail spool of a cell-phone mail server, generates a read mail list screen1202shown inFIG. 12and sends the screen to the cell-phone WWW browser of the cellular phone.

The read mail list screen1202is composed of an “area for displaying the number of newly arrived pieces of mail” for displaying the total number of pieces of mail sent after the last time the user viewed pieces of mail and logged out, “Unread Mail List” button for moving to an unread mail list screen, “Stored Mail List” button for moving to a stored mail list screen, “Sent Mail List” button for moving to a sent mail list screen, an “area for displaying a read mail list” for displaying ten titles of read pieces of mail for each page; “Create” button for moving to a mail creating/sending screen, “Screen Update” button for updating information in an read mail list, “Management Screen” button for moving to a management screen, and “Menu” button for moving to a menu screen.

User2can check the read mail by viewing an “area for displaying a read mail list” on a read mail list screen. Ten read pieces of mail are displayed on each page. If read pieces of mail are more than ten, i.e., if the next page exists, a display area at the bottom part of the screen is changed by adding “Next” button as shown in the screen of1202a.If a previous page and a next page exist, “Previous” button and “Next” button are displayed at the bottom of the screen as shown in the screen of1202b.On the last page, “Previous” button is added at the bottom of the screen as shown in the screen of1202c.That is to say, User2can view a read mail list across multiple pages by controlling “Previous” button and “Next” button to change the displayed page on the read mail list.

Description of Read Mail Viewing Process

When User2selects a specific mail from a read mail list on a read mail list screen1202, the cell-phone mail program reads out data on the selected mail from a mail storage area for User2, generates a mail viewing screen1102as shown inFIG. 11and sends the screen to the cell-phone WWW browser of the cellular phone.

User2can check the contents of a read mail by viewing the mail viewing screen.

Description of Stored Mail List Viewing Process

When User2selects “Stored Mail List” button on one of an unread mail list screen, a read mail list screen, and a sent mail list screen, or when User2moves from a stored mail list to a stored mail viewing screen and then selects “To a List” button, the cell-phone mail program searches for a stored mail and extracts a title of the mail by referring to read information in mail header information on a piece of mail stored in a mail storage area for User2in a mail spool of a cell-phone mail server, generates a stored mail list screen1203as shown inFIG. 12and sends the screen to the cell-phone WWW browser of the cellular phone.

The stored mail list screen1203is composed of an “area for displaying the number of newly arrived pieces of mail” for displaying the total number of pieces of mail sent after the last time the user viewed pieces of mail and logged out, “Unread Mail List” button for moving to an unread mail list screen, “Read Mail List” button for moving to a read mail list screen, “Sent Mail List” button for moving to a sent mail list screen, an “area for displaying a stored mail list” for displaying ten titles of stored pieces of mail, “Create” button for moving to a mail creating/sending screen, “Screen Update” button for updating information in a stored mail list, “Management Screen” button for moving to a management screen, and “Menu” button for moving to a menu screen.

User2can check the stored mail by viewing an “area for displaying a stored mail list” on a stored mail list screen. Ten titles of stored pieces of mail are displayed on each page. If stored pieces of mail are more than ten, i.e., if the next page exists, a display area at the bottom of the screen is changed by adding “Next” button as shown in the screen of1203a.If a previous page and a next page exist, “Previous” button and “Next” button are displayed at the bottom of a screen as shown in the screen of1203b.On the last page, “Previous” button is added at the bottom of a screen as shown in the screen of1203c.That is to say, User2can view a stored mail list across multiple pages by controlling “Previous” button and “Next” button to change the displayed page on the stored mail list.

Description of Stored Mail Viewing Process

When User2selects a specific mail from a stored mail list on a stored mail list screen1203, the cell-phone mail program reads out data on the selected mail from a mail storage area for User2, generates a stored mail viewing screen1103as shown inFIG. 11and sends the screen to the WWW browser of the cellular phone.

User2can check the contents of a stored mail by viewing a stored mail viewing screen.

Description of Sent Mail List Viewing Process

When “Sent Mail List” button is selected on one of an unread mail list screen, a read mail list screen, and a stored mail list screen, when “To a List” button is selected on a sent mail viewing screen1302, or when “To a List” button is selected on a mail creating/sending screen1303, the cell-phone mail program searches for a sent mail stored in a mail storage area for User2in a mail spool of a cell-phone mail server, extracts a title of the mail, generates a sent mail list screen1301as shown inFIG. 13and sends the screen to the cell-phone WWW browser of the cellular phone.

The sent mail list screen1301is composed of an “area for displaying the number of newly arrived pieces of mail” for displaying the total number of pieces of mail sent after the last time the user viewed pieces of mail and logged out, “Unread Mail List” button for moving to an unread mail list screen, “Read Mail List” button for moving to a read mail list screen, “Stored Mail List” button for moving to a stored mail list screen, an “area for displaying a sent mail list” for displaying ten titles of sent pieces of mail for each page, “Create” button for moving to a mail creating/sending screen, “Screen Update” button for updating information in a sent mail list, “Management Screen” button for moving to a management screen, and “Menu” button for moving to a menu screen.

User2can check sent pieces of mail by viewing a sent mail list on a sent mail list screen. Ten titles of sent pieces of mail are displayed for each page. If sent pieces of mail are more than ten, i.e., if the next page exists, a displayed area at the bottom of the screen is changed by adding “Next” button as shown in the screen of1301a. If a previous page and a next page exist, “Previous” button and “Next” button are displayed at the bottom of the screen as shown in the screen of1301b.On the last page, “Previous” button is added at the bottom of a screen as shown in the screen of1301c.That is to say, User2can view a sent mail list across multiple pages by controlling “Previous” button and “Next” button to change the displayed page on the sent mail list screen.

Description of Sent Mail Viewing Process

When User2selects a specific mail from a sent mail list on a sent mail list screen1301, the cell-phone mail program reads out data on the selected mail from a mail storage area for User2, generates a sent mail viewing screen1302as shown inFIG. 13and sends the screen to the cell-phone WWW browser of the cellular phone.

The sent mail viewing screen1302is composed of an “area for displaying TO destination of mail”, an “area for displaying CC destination of mail”, an “area for displaying the titles of pieces of mail”, an “area for displaying mail body” for displaying up to 512 characters for each page, “Forward” button for moving to a mail creating/sending screen with a mail body being set to a body as forward information, “To a List” button for moving to a sent mail list screen, and “Delete” button for deleting a piece of mail being viewed.

User2can check the contents of a sent mail by viewing the sent mail viewing screen.

Description of Mail Creating/Sending Process

When User2selects “Create” button on one of an unread mail list screen, a read mail list screen, a stored mail list screen, and a sent mail list screen, the cell-phone mail program generates a mail creating/sending screen1303as shown inFIG. 13and sends the screen to the cell-phone WWW browser of the cellular phone.

When User2selects “Return” button on one of a mail viewing screen and a stored mail viewing screen, the cell-phone mail program generates a mail creating/sending screen with a mail sender contained in mail header information being set as a destination and sends the screen to the cell-phone WWW browser of the cellular phone.

When User2selects “Return to Everyone” button on one of a mail viewing screen and a stored mail viewing screen, the cell-phone mail program generates a mail creating/sending screen with an address of a mail sender contained in a mail header and other addresses contained in TO and CC fields as destinations, and sends the screen to the cell-phone WWW browser of the cellular phone.

When User2selects “Forward” button on one of a mail viewing screen and a stored mail viewing screen, the cell-phone mail program generates a mail creating/sending screen with a mail body being viewed being set to a body as forward information and sends the screen to the cell-phone WWW browser of the cellular phone.

The cell-phone mail program refers to field16within a cell-phone user information storage area in user information database110ashown inFIG. 1, updates “Signature” check box according to whether a signature function is set or not and generates a mail creating/sending screen. More specifically, if a signature function is set to ON in field16, the mail creating/sending screen is generated with “Signature” check box having a check mark.

The cell-phone mail program refers to field12within a cell-phone user information storage area, updates “BCC to me” check box according to whether a BCC function is set or not and generates a mail creating/sending screen. More specifically, if a BCC function is set to ON, the mail creating/sending screen is generated with a “BCC to me” check box having a check mark.

The mail creating/sending screen1303is composed of “TO” button for editing destinations of a piece of mail, an “area for displaying TO destinations” which have been set, “CC” button for editing CC destinations of a piece of mail, an “area for displaying CC destinations” which have been set, “Title” button for editing titles of pieces of mail, an “area for displaying titles of pieces of mail” which have been set, “Body” button for editing a mail body, an “area for displaying a leading character string of a body” which have been set, “Signature” check box for selecting whether a signature should be affixed to the mail or not, “BCC to me” check box for selecting whether a piece of mail should be BCC to the e-mail address for PC of User2or not, “Send” button for sending a piece of mail, “Save draft” button for storing an unfinished mail, “Read draft” button for reading but an unfinished mail which has been stored, and “To a List” button for moving to a sent mail list screen.

User2can create and send a piece of mail by manipulating a mail creating/sending screen.

Detailed Description of “Return” Process and “Return to Everyone” Process

The mail viewing screen1102and the stored mail viewing screen1103have “Return” button and “Return to Everyone” button for creating a return mail for a piece of mail being viewed. “Return” button is a button for creating a return mail for a sender of a piece of mail being viewed. “Return to Everyone” button is a button for creating a return mail both for a sender of a piece of mail being viewed and to every address but the receiver's mail address of addresses designated in TO and CC fields.

In the embodiment, e-mail is employed by using a mobile information terminal such as a cellular phone, whose display screen is very small and the capacity of the inner memory is also small. For such a mobile information terminal with a limited display area, if an unlimited size of contents is allowed to be displayed, operability for a user is degraded in such a way as it takes time to display the contents required by a user. However, restriction on a mail body size leads to problems such as all of a piece of e-mail body which should be read cannot be displayed. The embodiment limits the number of destination addresses which can be sent to at a time, for example up to 20. Such limitation of the number of destination addresses improves viewability and operability for a user in checking addresses which was set by the user. It also reduces the number of destinations of a piece of mail to be sent to at a time, so that the amount of a memory capacity needed at a time in a server can be reduced. Therefore, such limitation will lead an increased number of users to get a service at the server.

When “Return” button is pressed, the cell-phone mail program performs the following processes.

(1) Obtain an address of Reply-To field of a piece of mail being viewed. If Reply-To field does not exist in a piece of mail being viewed, obtain an address from From field.

(2) Obtain a title of a piece of mail being viewed.

(3) Create a mail creating/sending screen with the addresses obtained at (1) inserted into TO field and a title of a piece of mail obtained at (2) inserted into title field, send the screen data to a cell-phone WWW browser of a cellular phone and have the screen displayed there.1304inFIG. 13is a mail creating/sending screen (a screen at returning a piece of mail) to be displayed on a cellular phone. The address obtained at (1) is input beforehand and displayed at TO field and the title obtained at (2) is input beforehand and displayed at TO field.

Process in the case that “Return to Everyone” button is pressed will now be described.

(1) Obtain an address of Reply-To field of a piece of mail being viewed. If Reply-To field does not exist in a piece of mail being viewed, obtain an address from From field.

(2) Obtain all addresses in TO field of a piece of mail being viewed and create an address list1. Search the address list1for the address obtained at (1). If the address exists, delete the address from the address list1.

(3) Obtain all addresses in CC field of a piece of mail being viewed and create an address list2. Search the address list2for the address obtained at (1). If the address exists, delete the address from the address list2.

(4) Obtain data on a title field of a piece of mail being viewed.

(5) Create data on a mail creating/sending screen, insert the address obtained at (1) into TO field, and insert the addresses listed up in the address lists1and2into a CC field.

(6) Insert the title data obtained at (3) into a title field.

(7) Display the created data on the mail creating/sending screen with the cell-phone WWW browser of the cellular phone. The mail creating/sending screen (a screen at returning a piece of mail to everyone) displayed on a cellular phone is designated by1305inFIG. 13. In the mail creating/sending screen1305, an address obtained at (1) is displayed at TO field and one of the addresses inserted at (5) (i.e., the address listed up at the top of the address list1) is displayed at CC field.

As mentioned above, ways for setting an address to be inserted in TO field and in CC field in a returning mail are different for “Return” button and “Return to Everyone” button.

The above-mentioned “Return to Everyone” process will now be described in detail with reference toFIG. 20.

In the case that too much mail addresses are set in a TO field and a CC field of a piece of mail being viewed, when “Return to Everyone” button is pressed, CC field may have an enormous number of addresses to be inserted. In such a case, the addresses will be displayed across multiple pages on a screen of a mobile information device, which degrades the operability. In addition to being temporally recorded on a hard disk of a server, such information on addresses to be sent is also stored as a part of a mail to be sent which is stored on the hard disk. As the number of users who use a mobile information device which is provided with a cell-phone mail service of the embodiment increases, a size of a storage area used to store addresses to be sent to increases too. For this reason, the embodiment reduces a size of a storage area to be used by limiting the maximum number of destination addresses which can be sent at a time to 20.

FIG. 20illustrates the process from a point that “Return to Everyone” button is pressed to a point that a mail creating/sending screen1305with an address and a title being inserted is generated.

When “Return to Everyone” button is pressed, a list1for addresses contained in To field of a piece of mail being viewed (an original mail) is created at step2001. Then, a list2for addresses contained in CC field of a piece of mail being viewed is created at step2002. Whether Reply-To field is contained in a piece of mail being viewed is checked at step2003. If Reply-To field exists, the process continues to step2004and stores addresses in the Reply-To into a temporally storage buffer1. If Reply-To field does not exist, the process continues to step2005and stores addresses in From field of a piece of mail being viewed into a temporally storage buffer1.

To prevent two copies of a return mail from being sent by accident, it is determined that lists1and2include the same address as one in the temporally storage buffer1at step2006. If the same address is included, the same address as one in the temporally storage buffer1is deleted from the list1(or list2) at step2007.

A body of a piece of mail being viewed (an original mail) is stored in a temporally storage buffer2at step2008.

An address in the temporally storage buffer1is set in TO field on a “return mail to everyone” creating/sending screen at step2009. This will be a returning address. Then, the total number N of addresses included in address lists1and2is calculated at step2010. The total number N is checked whether it exceeds the upper limit of the number of pieces of mail of 20 at step2011. If it does not exceed the upper limit, addresses in address lists1and2are set in CC field on a “return mail to everyone” creating/sending screen at step2012, and an original mail body stored in a temporally storage buffer2is inserted into a mail body field on a “return mail to everyone” creating/sending screen as a quote at step2014.

If a value of the total number N exceeds20(the number of addresses to be set in CC field exceeds 20), the addresses are not set in the CC field, and at step2013, a message indicating that the mail was not returned to everyone is inserted into the mail body field on a “return mail to everyone” creating/sending screen and an original mail body stored in a temporally storage buffer2is also inserted into the field as a quote.

Although an original mail body is described to be inserted into a “return mail to everyone” creating screen as a quote in the illustration ofFIG. 20, the process can be arranged not to insert a quote in consideration of performance and communications costs for a cellular phone.

Description of TO Destination Editing Process in Creating Mail

When User2selects “TO” button on a mail creating/sending screen1303, the cell-phone mail program generates a TO destination address editing screen1401shown inFIG. 14and sends the screen to a cell-phone WWW browser of a cellular phone.

The TO destination address editing screen1401is composed of an “area for displaying a set destination list”, “Add Destination” button for moving to a cell-phone mail address manual editing screen1403, “Address Book Reference” button for moving to a cell-phone mail personal address book list screen1501shown inFIG. 15, and “Send Screen” button for moving to a mail creating/sending screen1303.

User2can add and edit TO destination addresses by manipulating the TO destination address editing screen1401.

Description of CC Destination Editing Process in Creating Mail

When User2selects “CC” button on a mail creating/sending screen1303, the cell-phone mail program generates a CC destination address editing screen1402shown inFIG. 14and sends the screen to the cell-phone WWW browser of the cellular phone.

The CC destination address editing screen1402is composed of a set destination list, “Add Destination” button for moving to a cell-phone mail address manual editing screen1403, “Address Book Reference” button for moving to a cell-phone mail personal address book list screen1501, and “Send Screen” button for moving to a mail creating/sending screen.

User2can add and edit TO destination addresses by manipulating the CC destination address editing screen.

Description of Cell-phone Mail Address Manual Editing Process

When a user selects a blank line at the end of set destination list or “Add Destination” button on a TO destination address editing screen (or a CC destination address book editing screen), the cell-phone mail program generates a cell-phone mail address manual editing screen1403shown inFIG. 14and sends the screen to a cell-phone WWW browser of a cellular phone.

The cell-phone mail address manual editing screen1403is composed of “Name” text box for entering a destination name, “Address” text box for entering a destination mail address, two radio buttons which can be exclusively set for designating whether the entered name and address should be added to just “destination” or to “destination/address book”, “Add” button for adding the entered name and address, “Return” button for suspending a work and returning to a TO destination address editing screen (or a CC destination address editing screen).

When User2selects “Return” button, the cell-phone mail program suspends the process and generates a previous screen (a TO destination address editing screen or a CC destination address editing screen) and sends the screen to the WWW browser of the cellular phone.

When User2enters a destination name in “Name” text box, enters a destination mail address in “Address” text box, selects “Destination” radio button, and selects “Add” button, the cell-phone mail program sets the set destination name and mail address to a destination, stores the data in a temporally area and adds the data to a list on a TO destination address editing screen (or a CC destination address editing screen), and then generates a TO destination address editing screen (or a CC destination address editing screen) and sends the screen to the cell-phone WWW browser of the cellular phone.

When User2enters a destination name in “Name” text box, enters a destination mail address in “Address” text box, selects “Destination/Address Book” radio button and selects “Add” button, the cell-phone mail program generates an address book adding screen of a cell-phone mail address1404shown inFIG. 14and sends the screen to the cell-phone WWW browser of the cellular phone.

Address book Adding Screen of Cell-phone Mail Address

The address book adding screen of a cell-phone mail address1404is a screen for adding address information on a specific person to an address book. This screen is composed of “Name” text box for entering a specific person's name, “Phonetic Expression” text box for entering a phonetic expression for a specific person's name, “Mail Address” text box for entering a mail address for a specific person, “Personal Address Book” check box for adding entered information to a personal address book, “Common Address Book” check box for adding entered information to a common address book, “Add” button for directing to add the entered information to the address book, and “Stop” button to stop a work.

When User2enters a specific person's name in “Name” text box, a phonetic expression for a specific person's name in “Phonetic expression” text box, a specific person's mail address in “Mail Address” text box, selects “Personal Address Book” check box and selects “Add” button, the cell-phone mail program stores the entered information in a personal address book information storage area for User2in an address book database110b. Next, the cell-phone mail program sets the entered destination name and mail address to a destination, stores them in a temporally area, adds them to a list on a TO destination address editing screen (or a CC destination address editing screen). The cell-phone mail program then generates a TO destination address editing screen (or a CC destination address editing screen) and sends the screen to the cell-phone WWW browser of the cellular phone.

When User2enters a specific person's name in “Name” text box, a phonetic expression for a specific person's name in “Phonetic Expression” text box, a specific person's mail address in “Mail Address” text box, selects “Common Address Book” check box and selects “Add” button, the cell-phone mail program stores the entered information in a common address book information storage area in an address book database110b.Next, the cell-phone mail program sets the entered destination name and mail address to a destination, stores them in a temporally area, adds them to a list on a TO destination address editing screen (or a CC destination address editing screen). The cell-phone mail program then generates a TO destination address editing screen (or a CC destination address editing screen) and sends the screen to the cell-phone WWW browser of the cellular phone.

When User2selects “Stop” button, the cell-phone mail program stops the process, generates a cell-phone mail address manual editing screen1403, and sends the screen to the cell-phone WWW browser of the cellular phone.

Description of Cell-phone Mail Personal Address Book Reference Process

When User2selects “Address Book Reference” button on a TO destination address editing screen (or a CC destination address editing screen), the cell-phone mail program calls a cell-phone address book program109c.

Next, the cell-phone address book program refers to address data stored in a personal address book data storage area for User2in an address book database110b,then generates a cell-phone mail personal address book list screen1501shown inFIG. 15and sends the screen to the cell-phone WWW browser of the cellular phone.

The cell-phone mail personal address book list screen1501is composed of “To Common” button for moving to a cell-phone mail common address book list screen1504, an “area for displaying the number of registered addresses” of a personal address book, “Search” button for moving to a search screen to search for data on a personal address book, respective buttons for moving to a cell-phone mail personal address book list for each Japanese syllabary1503by searching a personal address book for each Japanese syllabary (Japanese “A” button, “KA” button, “SA” button, “TA” button, “NA” button, “HA” button, “MA” button, “YA” button, “RA” button and “WA” button for searching by each column of a table for Japanese syllabary, and an alphabet “A” button), and an “area for displaying a list of the last five addresses” for displaying a list of five names of address information which have recently been referred to by User.2.

User2can search and refer to an address book and then add a specific person's name and e-mail address registered in a personal address book to a TO destination (or a CC destination) of a piece of mail by manipulating the cell-phone personal address book list screen.

When User2selects one of Japanese “A” button, “KA” button, “SA” button, “TA” button, “NA” button, “HA” button, “MA” button, “YA” button, “RA” button, “WA” button, and an alphabet “A” button on the cell-phone mail personal address book list screen1501, the cell-phone address book program sorts and searches data on the personal address book for each column of a table for Japanese syllabary (an alphabet “A” button is for a name beginning with an alphabet), generates a list of a cell-phone mail personal address book for the column of a table for Japanese syllabary designated with a button and sends the list to the cell-phone WWW browser of the cellular phone.

The list of a cell-phone mail personal address book for Japanese syllabary screen1503is composed of an address list where names are sorted for each column of a table for Japanese syllabary and displayed by 20 names for each page (for example, when User2selects Japanese “A” button, address data on names which begin with a column of “A” is sorted and displayed), “Next” button for moving to the next page, “Address Book” button for moving to a cell-phone mail personal address book list screen.

User2can check a specific person's address by viewing and manipulating the address list for each column of a table for Japanese syllabary.

When User2selects one of names displayed in an “area for displaying a list of the last five addresses” on a cell-phone mail personal address book list screen, or when User2selects one of names displayed in an “area for displaying an address list for each column” on a cell-phone mail personal address book for Japanese syllabary list screen, or when User2selects one of names displayed in an “area for displaying a list of search addresses” on a cell-phone mail address book search list screen displayed as a result of searching a personal address book, the cell-phone address book program generates a cell-phone mail personal address book viewing screen1502and sends the screen to the cell-phone WWW browser of the cellular phone.

The cell-phone mail personal address book viewing screen1502is a screen for displaying details of specific person's address information. The screen is composed of an “area for displaying name” of a specific person, an “area for displaying a phonetic expression” of a specific person's name, an “area for displaying a name of a company” to which a specific person belongs, an “area for displaying an e-mail address” of a specific person, an “area for displaying a telephone number” of a specific person, an “area for displaying a facsimile number” of a specific person, “Add Destination” button for adding address information on a specific person to a destination, and “Return” button for moving to a previous screen (a cell-phone mail personal address book list screen, a cell-phone mail personal address book for each Japanese syllabary list screen, or a cell-phone mail address book search list screen) by stopping the process.

When User2checks address information on a specific person and then selects “Add Destination” button, the cell-phone address book program informs a cell-phone mail program of specific person's name and e-mail address to set them to a destination and finishes the process. The cell-phone mail program which received the information adds the entered specific person's name and e-mail address to the list on a TO destination address editing screen (or a CC destination address editing screen), then generates a TO destination address editing screen (or a CC destination address editing screen) and sends the screen to the cell-phone WWW browser of the cellular phone.

Description of Cell-phone Mail Common Address Book Reference Process

When User2selects “To Common” button on a cell-phone mail personal address book list screen, the cell-phone address book program refers to address data stored in a common address book data storage area of an address book database110b,then generates a cell-phone mail common address book list screen1504shown inFIG. 15and sends the screen to the cell-phone WWW browser of the cellular phone.

The cell-phone mail common address book list screen1504is composed of “To Personal” button for moving to a cell-phone mail personal address book list screen1501, an “area for displaying the number of registered addresses” of a common address book, “Search” button for searching data on a common address book, respective buttons for moving to a cell-phone mail common address book list for each Japanese syllabary1506by searching a common address book for each Japanese syllabary (Japanese “A” button, “KA” button, “SA” button, “TA” button, “NA” button, “HA” button, “MA” button, “YA” button, “RA” button and “WA” button for searching by each column of a table for Japanese syllabary, and an alphabet “A” button), an “area for displaying a list of the last five addresses” for displaying a list of five names of address information which have recently been referred to by User2.

User2can search and refer to an address book and add specific person's name and e-mail address registered in a common address book to a TO destination or a CC destination of a piece of mail by manipulating the cell-phone mail common address book list screen.

When User2selects one of Japanese “A” button, “KA” button, “SA” button, “TA” button, “NA” button, “HA” button, “MA” button, “YA” button, “RA” button, “WA” button, or an alphabet “A” button on a cell-phone mail common address book list screen, the cell-phone address book program sorts and searches data on a common address book for each column of a table for Japanese syllabary (an alphabet “A” button is for a name beginning with an alphabet), generates a list of a cell-phone mail common address book for the column of a table for Japanese syllabary designated with a button and sends the list to the cell-phone WWW browser of the cellular phone.

The list of a cell-phone mail common address book for each Japanese syllabary screen1506is composed of an “area for displaying a list of addresses for each column of a table for Japanese syllabary” for displaying 20 names for each page by sorting the names for each column of a table for Japanese syllabary (for example, when User2selects Japanese “A” button, address data on names which begin with a column of “A” is sorted and displayed), “Next” button for moving to the next page, “Address Book” button for moving to a cell-phone mail common address book list screen.

User2can check a specific person's address by viewing and manipulating an address list for each column of a table for Japanese syllabary.

When User2selects one of names displayed in an “area for displaying a list of the last five addresses” on a cell-phone mail common address book list screen, or when User2selects one of names displayed in an “area for displaying an address list for each column” on a cell-phone mail common address book for each Japanese syllabary list screen, or when User2selects one of names displayed in an “area for displaying a list of search addresses” on a cell-phone mail address book search list screen displayed as a result of searching a common address book, the cell-phone address book program generates a cell-phone mail common address book viewing screen1505and sends the screen to the cell-phone WWW browser of the cellular phone.

The cell-phone mail common address book viewing screen1505is a screen for displaying details of specific person's address information. The screen is composed of an “area for displaying name” of a specific person, an “area for displaying a phonetic expression” of a specific person's name, an “area for displaying a name of a company” to which a specific person belongs, an “area for displaying an e-mail address” of a specific person, an “area for displaying a telephone number” of a specific person, an “area for displaying a facsimile number” of a specific person, “Add Destination” button for adding address information on a specific person to a destination, and “Return” button for moving to a previous screen (a cell-phone mail common address book list screen, a cell-phone mail common address book for Japanese syllabary list screen, or a cell-phone mail address book search list screen) by stopping the process.

When User2checks address information on a specific person and then selects “Add Destination” button, the cell-phone address book program informs a cell-phone mail program of a specific person's name and an e-mail address to set them to a destination and finishes the process. The cell-phone mail program which received the information sets the set specific person's name and e-mail address to a destination, stores it to a temporally area and adds it to a list of a TO destination address editing screen (or a CC destination address editing screen), and then generates a TO destination address editing screen (or a CC destination address editing screen) and sends the screen to the cell-phone WWW browser of the cellular phone.

Cell-phone Mail Address Book Search Process

When User2presses “Search” button on a cell-phone mail personal address book list screen (or presses “Search” button on a cell-phone mail common address book list screen), the cell-phone mail program creates a cell-phone mail address book searching screen1507shown inFIG. 15and sends the screen to the cell-phone WWW browser of the cellular phone.

The cell-phone mail address book searching screen1507is composed of “Name” text box for entering a name to be searched for, “Phonetic Expression” text box for entering a phonetic expression for a name to be searched for, and “Search” button to start a search.

When User2enters at least either of a “name” to be searched for or a “phonetic expression” for a name to be searched for and then selects “Search” button, the cell-phone address book program refers to address data stored in a personal address book data storage area (or a common address book data storage area) for User2in an address book database110b,searches address data matching the entered “name” (or a “phonetic expression” of a name), and generates a cell-phone mail address book search list screen1508from the result of the search and sends the screen to the cell-phone WWW browser of the cellular phone.

The cell-phone address book list screen1508displays a search address list which is searched and shows a name of an address. User2can check a searched address by viewing addresses displayed on a search address list.

Description of Title Editing Process

When User2selects “Title” button on a mail creating/sending screen1303shown inFIG. 13, the cell-phone mail program generates a title editing screen1601shown inFIG. 16and sends the screen to the cell-phone WWW browser of the cellular phone.

The title editing screen1601is composed of “Title” text box for entering a title and “Set” button for setting a title.

When User2enters a title in “Title” text box on a title editing screen and selects “Set” button, the cell-phone mail program sets the entered title to a title, stores it in a temporally area, and then generates a mail creating/sending screen1303shown inFIG. 13and sends the screen to the cell-phone WWW browser of the cellular phone.

Description of Body Editing Process

When User2selects “Body” button on a mail creating/sending screen1303shown inFIG. 13, the cell-phone mail program generates a body editing screen1602shown inFIG. 16and sends the screen to the cell-phone WWW browser of the cellular phone.

The body editing screen1602is composed of “Page 1” and “Page 2” text boxes for entering 512 characters respectively, “Standard Sentence” button for moving to a standard sentence list screen1606to insert a standard sentence, “Display Whole Body” button for displaying whole of the entered body, and “Set” button for setting the entered body.

The number of characters which can be entered in each text box is considered to be 512 in the embodiment due to specifications of a cellular phone.

To enter a body, User2first enters text in “Page 1” text box. If the number of characters exceeds 512, User2keeps on entering characters in “Page 2” text box. User2can enter the body including up to 1024 characters by using both “Page 1” and “Page 2” text boxes.

More specifically, when User2selects “Page 1” text box on a body editing screen, a display on a cellular phone changes to a body page1editing screen1603for a user to enter into the text box, and when User2selects “Page 2” text box on a body editing screen, a display on a cellular phone changes to a body page2editing screen1604for a user to enter into the text box, so that User2enters a body text on the body page1editing screen or on the body page2editing screen. When User2confirms the entered sentences by such a way as clicking on a confirmation button on a cellular phone when the screen of the phone displays a body page1editing screen (or a body page2editing screen), the entered body is confirmed to be entered in “Page 1” text box (or “Page 2” text box) and the display changes to a body editing screen1602.

Description of Standard Sentence Inserting Process at Editing Body

To insert a standard sentence into a body which is being entered, User2selects “Standard Sentence” button on a body editing screen1602. When the “Standard Sentence” button is selected, a body which have been entered in “Page 1” and “Page 2” text boxes is sent from the cellular phone to a cell-phone mail program and stored in a temporally area. Then the cell-phone mail program reads out fields from21to30within a cell-phone user information storage area for User2in a user information database110ashown inFIG. 1, generates a standard sentence list screen1606shown inFIG. 16and sends the screen to the WWW browser of the cellular phone.

More specifically, the cell-phone mail program reads out character strings of standard sentences and a frequency of use for each standard sentence stored in fields from21to30within a cell-phone user information storage area, generates a standard sentence list displaying standard sentences in descending order of frequency, generates a standard sentence list screen and sends the screen to the cell-phone WWW browser of the cellular phone. In an alternative embodiment, the cell phone mail program may read out character strings of standard sentences and the last used date and time for each standard sentence stored in fields from21to30within a cell-phone user information storage area, generate a standard sentence list displaying standard sentences in the order of date and time, generate a standard sentence list screen and send the screen to the cell-phone WWW browser of the cellular phone.

The standard sentence list screen1606is composed of an “area for displaying a standard sentence list” for displaying a leading eight characters to enable each standard sentence from 1 to 10 to be distinguished.

When User2views a standard sentence list and selects one of the standard sentences displayed in an “area for displaying a standard sentence list”, the cell-phone mail program generates a standard sentence inserting screen1607for displaying the whole of the selected standard sentence and sends the screen to the cell-phone WWW browser of the cellular phone.

The standard sentence inserting screen1607is composed of an area for displaying a whole of the selected standard sentence and “Insert into Body” button for inserting the standard sentence.

When User2selects “Insert into Body” button, the cell-phone mail program adds a body of a standard sentence being displayed to the end of a body which has been entered and stored in a temporally area, then creates a body editing screen1602with the standard sentence being added to a body in Page1text box and Page2text box, and sends the screen to the cell-phone WWW browser of the cellular phone.

In other words, when a body is entered only in “Page 1” text box on a body editing screen1602and “Standard Sentence” button is selected, the display changes to a standard sentence list screen1606. When “Insert into Body” button is selected on a standard sentence inserting screen1607afterwards, the cell-phone mail program generates a body editing screen1602with the selected standard sentence being added at the end of the body which has been entered in “Page 1” text box, and sends the screen to the cell-phone WWW browser of the cellular phone. When “Standard Sentence” button is selected with a body being entered in “Page 2” text box on a body editing screen1602, the display changes to a standard sentence list screen1606. When “Insert into Body” button is selected on a standard sentence inserting screen1607afterwards, the cell-phone mail program generates a body editing screen1602with the selected standard sentence being added at the end of a body which has been entered in “Page 2” text box and sends the screen to the cell-phone WWW browser of the cellular phone.

When “Standard Sentence” button is selected with a body being entered only in “Page 1” text box on a body editing screen1602, the display changes to a standard sentence list screen1606. When “Insert into Body” button is selected on a standard sentence inserting screen1607afterwards and if the total number of characters of a body and a standard sentence which have been entered exceeds 512, the cell-phone mail program divides the standard sentence at the count of (512—the number of characters of a body) by character from the beginning and adds characters of the first part to a body to make the first part entered in “Page 1” text box, while making the latter part entered in “Page 2” text box, and then generates a body editing screen1602and sends the screen to the cell-phone WWW browser of the cellular phone. In such a manner, a standard sentence can be entered without interruption during insertion of the standard sentence, and operability in entering operation is improved.

When a standard sentence is used, the cell-phone mail program increments a value in a frequency of use area in a field corresponding to the selected standard sentence of fields from21to30within a cell-phone user information storage area by one, while storing the date and time of inserting the selected standard sentence as the last date and time of use.

Description of Whole Body Viewing Process at Editing the Body

When User2selects “Display Whole Body” button on a body editing screen1602, each character string entered in “Page 1” and “Page 2” text boxes is sent from the cellular phone to the cell-phone mail program. The cell-phone mail program generates a whole body display screen1605for displaying a whole body by joining each part entered in “Page 1” and “Page 2” text boxes and then sends the screen to the cell-phone WWW browser of the cellular phone.

User2can check the contents of a whole body which the user has entered at a time by viewing characters displayed in a whole body display area.

Description of Selecting of Set Button at Editing a Body

When User2selects “Set” button on a body editing screen1602, the cell-phone mail program sets whole characters entered in “Page 1” and “Page 2” text boxes as a body by joining them, stores the body in a temporally area, and then generates a mail creating/sending screen1303and sends the screen to the cell-phone WWW browser of the cellular phone. The mail creating/sending screen1303displays some of the leading characters of a body.

Description of Save Draft and Read Draft Process

When User2selects “Save Draft” button during creating a piece of mail on a mail creating/sending screen1303, the cell-phone mail program saves information related to a piece of mail stored in a temporally area into a mail storage area in a user information database110a.

When User2selects “Read Draft” button on a mail creating/sending screen1303, the cell-phone mail program reads out information related to a piece of mail stored in a mail storage area in a user information database110a,sets in respective entries, stores it in a temporally area, and then creates a mail creating/sending screen1303and sends the screen to the cell-phone WWW browser.

Mail Sending Process

When User2creates a piece of mail by manipulating a mail creating/sending screen1303as mentioned above and selects “Send” button, the cell-phone mail program starts a mail sending process.

In other words, the cell-phone mail program initially checks “Signature” check box to see if it has a check mark. If the check box has a check mark, the cell-phone mail program reads in a signature character string in field20within a cell-phone user information storage area in a user information database110aand adds the string to the end of a mail body. Next, the cell-phone mail program checks “BCC to me” check box to see if it has a check mark. If the check box has a check mark, the dell-phone mail program adds an e-mail address for PC of User2to a BCC destination contained in mail header information on the created mail.

Then the cell-phone mail program accesses a cell-phone MTA program108aof a cell-phone mail server108and asks for distribution of a piece of e-mail. The MTA program which is asked for distribution of a piece of e-mail distributes the mail through SMTP (simple mail transfer protocol). In From field indicating the source of the distributed mail, an e-mail address for PC is set. In this manner, a piece of e-mail sent to an e-mail address for PC of User2which is added to a Bcc destination can be prevented from being forwarded to a cell-phone mail server.

Description of Management Process

When User2selects “Management Screen” button on one of an unread mail list screen1101, a read mail list screen1202, a stored mail list screen1203and a sent mail list screen1301, the cell-phone mail program generates a management screen1701shown inFIG. 17and sends the screen to the cell-phone WWW browser of the cellular phone.

The management screen1701is composed of an “Incoming Notice Setting” link character string for moving to an incoming notice setting screen1702, a “Filter Setting” link character string for moving to a filter setting screen1703, and a “Signature setting” link character string for moving to a signature setting screen1704.

Description of Incoming Notice Setting Process

When User2selects an “Incoming Notice Setting” link character string on a management screen1701, the cell-phone mail program generates an incoming notice setting screen1702and sends the screen to the cell-phone WWW browser of the cellular phone.

The incoming notice setting screen1702is composed of “Shortest Notice Period” text box for setting how many minuets should elapse from the sending of the last incoming notice mail to send another incoming notice mail, “The Number of Newly Arrived Pieces of Mail” text box for setting how many pieces of mail should arrive since the sending of the last incoming notice mail to send another incoming notice mail, “Notice” check box for setting whether an incoming notice mail should be sent or not, “Set” button for storing a value entered by User2into a database, and “Stop” button for stopping the process and returning to a management screen.

When User2enters values of “Shortest Notice Period” text box and “The Number of Newly Arrived Pieces of Mail” text box, sets “Notice” check box, and then selects “Set” button, the cell-phone mail program stores each value set by User2in each corresponding field (more specifically, fields9,10, and11) within a cell-phone user information storage area in a user information database110a.

Description of Filter Setting Process

When User2selects a “Filter Setting” link character string on a management screen1701, the cell-phone mail program generates a filter setting screen1703and sends the screen to the cell-phone WWW browser of the cellular phone.

The filter setting screen1703is composed of “Sender” check box for setting whether a sender filter should function or not, “Sender” text box for setting a sender filter character string, “Title” check box for setting whether a title filter should function or not, “Title” text box for setting a title filter character string, “Number of Date” check box for setting whether a number of date filter should function or not, “Number of Date” text box for setting a date of a number of date filter, “Set” button for storing a value entered by User2in a database, and “Stop” button for stopping the process and returning to a management screen.

When User2sets “Sender” check box, “Sender” text box, “Title” check box, “Title” text box, “Number of Date” check box, and “Number of Date” text box and then selects “Set” button, the cell-phone mail program stores each value set by User2in each corresponding field (more specifically, fields13,6,14,7,15, and8) within a cell-phone user information storage area in a user information database110a.

Description of Signature Setting Process

When User2selects “Signature Setting” link character string on a management screen1701, the cell-phone mail program generates a signature setting screen1704and sends the screen to the cell-phone WWW browser of the cellular phone.

The signature setting screen1704is composed of “Signature” text box for setting a signature character string, “Set” button for storing a value entered by User2in a database, and “Stop” button for stopping the process and returning to a management screen.

When Use2enters a character string in “Signature” text box and then selects “Set” button, the cell-phone mail program stores a signature character string entered by User2in field20within a cell-phone user information storage area in a user information database110a.

Description of Address Book Operation

The process where User2manipulates an address book by controlling a WWW browser of a cellular phone will now be described with reference toFIGS. 18 and 19.

First, User2selects a URL for cell-phone address book program contained in a piece of e-mail. Then, a WWW browser of the cellular phone starts and initiates an access to a URL for cell-phone address book program. When the URL for cell-phone address book program is accessed by a WWW browser of the cellular phone, an authentication program106aof the WWW server106starts and generates a user authentication screen1001and sends the screen to the cell-phone WWW browser of the cellular phone. When User2enters a password required for authentication, the authentication program searches a user information database by using user identification ID information accompanying the URL for cell-phone address book program and the entered password information, and performs authentication by referring to the user information data. If the authentication succeeds, the authentication program generates an authentication ID, stores the authentication ID in association with the user ID into an authentication database, and sets an authentication ID timer to a specific period of time. Then the authentication program starts a cell-phone address book program109cof a cell-phone WWW server109and passes the generated and stored authentication ID to the cell-phone address book program.

The started cell-phone address book program refers to a personal address book data storage area for User2in an address book database110bshown inFIG. 1, reads in address data, generates a personal address book list screen1801shown inFIG. 18and sends the screen to the cell-phone WWW browser of the cellular phone.

The personal address book list screen1801is also displayed when “Address Book” is selected on a menu screen1002.

Description of Personal Address Book Viewing Process

The personal address book list screen1801is composed of “To Common” button for moving to a common address book list screen1901shown inFIG. 19, an “area for displaying the number of registered addresses” of a personal address book, “Search” button for searching data on a personal address book, respective buttons for moving to a personal address book list for each Japanese syllabary designated by1804shown inFIG. 18with a personal address book being searched by each column of a table for Japanese syllabary (Japanese “A” button, “KA” button, “SA” button, “TA” button, “NA” button, “HA” button, “MA” button, “YA” button, “RA” button and “WA” button and an alphabet “A” button), an “area for displaying a list of the last five addresses” for displaying a list of five names of address information which have recently been referred to by User2, and “Menu” button for moving to a menu screen1003shown inFIG. 10.

Description of Personal Address Book for Each Japanese Syllabary List Viewing Process

When User2selects one of respective buttons for moving to a personal address book list screen (Japanese “A” button, “KA” button, “SA” button, “TA” button, “NA” button, “HA” button, “MA” button, “YA” button, “RA” button, “WA” button, or an alphabet “A” button), the cell-phone address book program sorts and searches data on a personal address book for each column of a table for Japanese syllabary, generates a list of a personal address book for each Japanese syllabary and sends the list to the cell-phone WWW browser of the cellular phone.

The personal address book for each Japanese syllabary list screen1804is composed of an address list for sorting names by each column of a table for Japanese syllabary and displaying 20 names for each page (When User2selects Japanese “A” button, address data on names which begin with a column of Japanese “A” is sorted and the names are displayed in descending order.), “Next” button for moving to the next page, “Previous” button for moving to the previous page, and “Address Book” button for moving to a personal address book list screen.

User2can check a specific person's address by viewing and manipulating an address list for each column of a table for Japanese syllabary.

Personal Address Book Viewing Screen

When User2selects one of addresses displayed in an “area for displaying a list of the last five addresses” on a personal address book list screen, or when User2selects one of addresses displayed in an “area for displaying an address list for each column of table for Japanese syllabary” on a personal address book list for each Japanese syllabary, or when User2selects one of addresses registered in a personal address book displayed in an “area for displaying a search address list” on an address book search result list1909, the cell-phone address book program generates a personal address book viewing screen1802and sends the screen to the cell-phone WWW browser of the cellular phone.

The personal address book viewing screen1802is a screen for displaying details of specific person's address information. The screen is composed of an “area for displaying a name” of a specific person, an “area for displaying a phonetic expression” of a specific person's name, an “area for displaying a name of a company” to which a specific person belongs, an “area for displaying an e-mail address” of a specific person, an “area for displaying a telephone number” of a specific person, an “area for displaying a facsimile number” of a specific person, “Edit” button for moving to a personal address book registration editing screen1805, and “Delete” button for moving to a personal address book delete screen1803.

When User2views a personal address book viewing screen and selects a specific person's telephone number, a telephone function of the cellular phone starts operating and automatically dials the selected telephone number.

When User2views a personal address book viewing screen and selects a specific person's e-mail address, an e-mail function of the cellular phone starts operating and displays a piece of e-mail sending screen on the cellular phone with the selected e-mail address being a destination.

Description of Personal Address Book Deleting Process

When User2selects “Delete” button on a personal address book viewing screen, the cell-phone address book program generates a personal address book delete screen1803and sends the screen to the WWW browser of the cellular phone. The personal address book delete screen1803is composed of an “area for displaying a name” of a specific person to be deleted, “Stop” button for stopping the deleting process, and “Delete” button for performing the deleting process.

When User2selects “Delete” button on a personal address book delete screen, the cell-phone address book program deletes the selected address data from a personal address book data storage area for User2in an address book database110b,and then generates a personal address book list screen and sends the screen to the cell-phone WWW browser of the cellular phone.

Description of Personal Address Book Registration Editing Process

When User2selects “Register” button on a personal address book list screen1801, the cell-phone address book program generates a personal address book registration editing screen1805and sends the screen to the cell-phone WWW browser of the cellular phone. When User2selects “Edit” button on a personal address book viewing screen1802, the cell-phone address book program sets the current address information to corresponding entries and then generates a personal address book registration editing screen1805and sends the screen to the WWW browser of the cellular phone.

The personal address book registration editing screen1805is composed of “Name” text box for setting a specific person's name, “Phonetic Expression for Name” text box for setting a phonetic expression for a specific person's name, “Company Name” text box for setting a name of a company to which a specific person belongs, “Phonetic Expression for Company Name” text box for setting a phonetic expression for a name of a company to which a specific person belongs, “Telephone Number” text box for setting a telephone number of a specific person, “FAX” text box for setting a facsimile number of a specific person, “Address” text box for setting a specific person's e-mail address, “Register” button for directing the set address information to be registered, and “Stop” button for stopping a personal address book registration editing process.

When User2sets respective pieces of address book information on a personal address book registration editing screen and then selects “Register” button, the cell phone address book program stores the respective pieces of set address book information in a personal address book data storage area for User2in an address book database110b.

At this moment, if the cell-phone address book program succeeds in storing the information, it generates a personal address book registration completion screen1806and sends the screen to the cell-phone WWW browser of the cellular phone. If it fails in storing the information, the cell-phone address book program generates a personal address book registration failure screen1807and sends the screen to the cell-phone WWW browser of the cellular phone.

Description of a Common Address Book Viewing Process

When User2selects “To Common” button on a personal address book list screen, the cell-phone address book program refers to a common address book data storage area in an address book database110b,reads in address data, generates a common address book list screen1901shown inFIG. 19and sends the screen to the cell-phone WWW browser of the cellular phone. The common address book is an address book which can be viewed by other users.

The common address book list screen1901is composed of “To Personal” button for moving to a personal address book list screen1801, an “area for displaying the number of registered addresses” of a common address book, “Search” button for searching data on a common address book, respective buttons for moving to a common address book list for each Japanese syllabary with a common address book being searched by each column of a table for Japanese syllabary (Japanese “A” button, “KA” button, “SA” button, “TA” button, “NA” button, “HA” button, “MA” button, “YA” button, “RA” button and “WA” button, and an alphabet “A” button), an “area for displaying a list of the last five addresses” for displaying a list of five names of address information which have recently been referred to by User2, and “Menu” button for moving to a menu screen1003.

Description of a Common Address Book List for Each Japanese Syllabary Viewing Process

When User2selects one of respective buttons for moving from a common address book list screen to a common address book list for each Japanese syllabary screen (Japanese “A” button, “KA” button, “SA” button, “TA” button, “NA” button, “HA” button, “MA” button, “YA” button, “RA” button, “WA” button or an alphabet “A” button), the cell-phone address book program sorts and searches data on a common address book by each column of a table for Japanese syllabary, generates a list of a common address book for each Japanese syllabary and sends the list to the cell-phone WWW browser of the cellular phone.

The common address book list for each Japanese syllabary screen1902is composed of an address list for each column of a table for Japanese syllabary with names being sorted for each column of a table for Japanese syllabary and displayed by 20 for each page (for example, when User2selects Japanese “A” button, address data on names which begin with a column of “A” is sorted and displayed in descending order of Japanese syllabary), “Next” button for moving to the next page, “Previous” button for moving. to the previous page, and “Address Book” button for moving to a common address book list screen.

User2can check a specific person's address by viewing and manipulating the address list for each column of a table for Japanese syllabary.

Common Address Book Viewing Screen

When User2selects one of addresses displayed in an “area for displaying a list of the last five addresses” on a common address book list screen, or when User2selects one of addresses displayed in an “area for displaying an address list for each column of a table for Japanese syllabary” on a common address book list for each Japanese syallabary screen, or when User2selects one of addresses registered in a common address book displayed in an “area for displaying a search address list” on an address book search result list screen, the cell-phone address book program generates a common address book viewing screen1903and sends the screen to the cell-phone WWW browser of the cellular phone.

The common address book viewing screen1903is a screen for displaying details of specific person's address information. The screen is composed of an “area for displaying a name” of a specific person, an “area for displaying a phonetic expression” of a specific person's name, an “area for displaying a name of a company” to which a specific person belongs, an “area for displaying an e-mail address” of a specific person, an “area for displaying telephone number” of a specific person, an “area for displaying facsimile number” of a specific person, “Edit” button for moving to a common address book registration editing screen1905, and “Delete” button for moving to a personal address book delete screen1904.

When User2views the common address book viewing screen and then selects a specific person's telephone number, a telephone function of the cellular phone starts operating and automatically dials the selected telephone number. When User2views the common address book viewing screen and then selects a specific person's e-mail address, an e-mail address function of the cellular phone starts operating and displays a piece of e-mail sending screen of the cellular phone with the e-mail address being a destination.

Description of Common Address Book Deleting Process

When User2selects “Delete” button on a common address book viewing screen, the cell-phone address book program generates a common address book delete screen1904and sends the screen to the WWW browser of the cellular phone. The common address book delete screen1904is composed of an “area for displaying a name” of a specific person, “Stop” button for directing to stop the deleting process, and “Delete” button for directing to perform the deleting process.

When User2selects “Delete” button on a common address book delete screen, the cell-phone address book program deletes the selected address data from a common address book data storage area in an address book database110b,and then generates a common address book list screen and sends the screen to the WWW browser of the cellular phone.

Description of Common Address Book Registration Editing Process

When User2selects “Register” button on a common address book list screen, the cell-phone address book program generates a common address book registration editing screen1905and sends the screen to the WWW browser of the cellular phone. When User2selects “Edit” button on a common address book viewing screen, the cell-phone address book program sets the current address information to each corresponding entry and then generates a common address book registration editing screen1905and sends the screen to the cell-phone WWW browser of the cellular phone.

The common address book registration editing screen1905is composed of “Name” text box for setting a specific person's name, “Phonetic Expression of Name” text box for setting a phonetic expression for a specific person's name, “Company Name” text box for setting a name of a company to which a specific person belongs, “Phonetic Expression for Company Name” text box for setting a phonetic expression for a name of a company to which a specific person belongs, “Telephone Number” text box for setting a specific person's telephone number, “FAX” text box for setting a specific person's facsimile number, “Address” text box for setting a specific person's e-mail address, “Register” button for directing to register the set address information, and “Stop” button for directing to stop the common address book registration editing process.

When User2enters on a common address book registration editing screen the respective pieces of address book information and then selects “Register” button, the cell-phone address book program stores the respective pieces of entered address book information into a common address book data storage area in an address book database110b.

If the cell-phone address book program succeeds in storing the information, it generates a common address book registration completion screen1906and sends the screen to the cell-phone WWW browser of the cellular phone. If it fails in storing the information, the cell-phone address book program generates a common address book registration failure screen1907and sends the screen to the cell-phone WWW browser of the cellular phone.

Address Book Search Process

When User2presses “Search” button on a personal address book list screen (or presses “Search” button on a common address book list screen), the cell-phone mail program generates an address book search screen1908and sends the screen to the cell-phone WWW browser of the cellular phone.

The cell-phone mail address book search screen1908is composed of “Name” text box for entering a name to be searched for, “Phonetic Expression” text box for entering a phonetic expression for a name to be searched for, and “Search” button for directing to start a search.

When User2enters at least one of a name to be searched for and a phonetic expression for a name to be searched for, and then selects “Search” button, the cell-phone address book program refers to address data stored in a personal address book data storage area (or a common address book data storage area) for User2in an address book database110b,searches for address data which matches the entered name or phonetic expression for a name and then generates an address book search result list screen1909and sends the screen to the cell-phone WWW browser of the cellular phone.

The cell-phone mail address book search result list screen1909is composed of a search address list for displaying a name of a searched address.

User2can check a searched address by viewing an address displayed on a search address list.

Description of Session Information Storing Process

The cell-phone mail program and the cell-phone address book program generate session information in generating a first screen, and store the information into a temporally area associated with the screen being displayed. When User2controls the cell-phone WWW browser to move to another screen, the cell-phone mail program and the cell-phone address book program generate new screen identification information to generate a new screen, add the information to session information stored in a temporally area associated with the first screen, and then store the information into a temporally area associated with a newly generated screen.

For each time a new screen is generated in the future, the cell-phone mail program and the cell-phone address book program repeat the above-mentioned process. In other words, the cell-phone mail program and the cell-phone address book program can identify the screen from which the user moved to the current screen by referring to session information stored in a temporally area associated with the current screen.

As mentioned above, the present invention improves viewability and operability at creating “Return mail to Everyone”.

As described in the embodiments, the total number of users to be provided with the service can be increased.