Patent Publication Number: US-2002002589-A1

Title: Method and system for managing access right of E-mail information

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0001] This invention relates to a method and a system for managing access right for storing and managing E-mail information.  
       [0002] The E-mail system has been widely used as a communication tool for conversation like the telephone system. Recently, a decision making method in which a document is electronically prepared by use of a personal computer and an OA software and the information is communicated by means of the E-mail system has been established. The E-mail information that is important as the business activity record has been accumulated, and it becomes important that the E-mail information is used by the organization in common.  
       [0003] Because the E-mail system is served for transmission and or reception usually, the E-mail information is managed in personal unit in a server, and the important E-mail information that should be used commonly by an organization is not managed in organizational unit that is suitable for the organizational management system. Furthermore, because the E-mail system can beused for personal purpose in addition to organizational purpose, a method in which the necessary E-mail information is selectively stored in an external recording medium and the selected E-mail information is managed separately is suitably used. In the case that the E-mail information selected and stored as described hereinabove is referred directly or used by a plurality of users of the organization, it is necessary to manage the access right so that the E-mail information is used by limited users.  
       [0004] As the method for recording and storing the E-mail information for organizational common use, a method in which the E-mail information is commonly used by means of the log management function of the mailing list and a method in which the E-mail information is commonly used by means of registration in the document management system have been known.  
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0005] However, each of these methods has its merits and demerits but cannot realize the following functions in the case that the access right is managed so that users who are involved in transmission and or reception of the E-mail information commonly use the E-mail information.  
       [0006] At first, in the method in which the E-mail information is used commonly by use of the log management function of the mailing list, each of all the users who are mailing list members uses the E-mail information equally as one member of the information common use group without personal discrimination. Therefore, because the set range of the information common use is fixed from the view of the user side of the mailing list, it is impossible to use the information limitedly to arbitrary partial members as required.  
       [0007] Next, in the method in which the E-mail information stored in a document management system is used commonly, it is possible to set the access right for each addresser or addressee in the individual E-mail information unit for common use. “Access right determination system” (Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. Hei 5-88960) and “Access right management system” (Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. Hei 7-244639) have been known as the typical example of such access right management function. However, it is required for users to register, and the setting operation of the access right for common use of the E-mail information between users who are involved in transmission and or reception of the E-mail information is very complex. Because the addressee registers the E-mail information and sets the access right, the setting can be different from that the addresser wants to have. The mis-setting, namely registration without setting of the access right, can occur.  
       [0008] It is an object of the present invention to provides a method, a system, and a recording medium for managing the access right of the E-mail information that are served for setting the complex access right management operation for common use of the E-mail information between addressers and addressees of the E-mail information to be used by the organization easily and correctly.  
       [0009] To achieve the above-mentioned object, in the present invention, a method for managing access right of E-mail information used in the system in which the E-mail information is registered and managed in a storage means comprises a step in which the user information that relates to transmission and or reception is extracted from the E-mail information of registration management target, and a step in which an access right is set to the E-mail information of the registration management target based on the user information.  
       [0010] Furthermore, the method additionally comprises a step in which the E-mail information to be transmitted and or received is acquired from the E-mail system and transferred to the storage means, and the user information that relates to transmission and or reception is extracted from the E-mail information transferred in the above step. 
     
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
     [0011]FIG. 1 is a system structure block diagram of a first embodiment of the present invention.  
     [0012]FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of an access right common use group in the access right group management information.  
     [0013]FIG. 3 is a flow chart for describing the access right setting in registration of the E-mail information of the first embodiment.  
     [0014]FIG. 4 is a system structure block diagram of a second embodiment of the present invention.  
     [0015]FIG. 5 is a system structure block diagram of a third embodiment of the present invention.  
     [0016]FIG. 6 is a system structure block diagram of a fourth embodiment of the present invention.  
     [0017]FIG. 7 is a diagram illustrating an example of the access right common use group in the access right common use group in the fourth embodiment.  
     [0018]FIG. 8 is a flow chart for describing the access right setting in registration of the E-mail information of the fourth embodiment.  
     [0019]FIG. 9 is a system structure block diagram of a fifth embodiment of the present invention.  
     [0020]FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating an example of the access right common use group in the fifth embodiment.  
     [0021]FIG. 11 is a flow chart of the access right setting in registration of the E-mail information of the fifth embodiment. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS  
     [0022] The preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described hereinafter with reference to the drawings. At first, a first embodiment will be described herein with respect to FIG. 1, FIG. 2, and FIG. 3. In the present embodiment, an access right management method in which the E-mail information taken out from the E-mail system and stored in a separate recording means is used by a plurality of users who are involved in the transmission and or reception of the E-mail information will be described.  
     [0023]FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating the system structure of the first embodiment to which the access right management method of the present invention is applied. At first, structural components are described. The system of the present embodiment is provided with an information holding means or program  11 , a registration means or program  12 , an access right setting means or program  13 , and an access right determination means or program  14 .  
     [0024] The information holding means  11  stores and holds the E-mail information  15  supplied through the registration means or program  12 . The information holding means  11  includes a data base, a file system, a system apparatus for storing these database and files, and a recording medium. The E-mail information  15  and the access right group management information  16  are stored in the information holding means  11 . The E-mail information  15  is the information that is transmitted and or received between a plurality of users who are registered in the usual E-mail system. On the other hand, the access right group management information  16  is the information that includes the user information served to permit or inhibit the access to the E-mail information  15 . It is assumed that the access right group management information  16  corresponds to the E-mail information  15  individually.  
     [0025] The access right setting means or program  13  is activated to set the access right to the access right group management information concomitantly when the registration means or program  12  stores the E-mail information  15  in the information holding means  11 . The access right determination means or program  14  refers to the user information stored in the access right group management information  16 , determines whether there is the access right of the access requester or not, and returns the determination result to the access requester when the access request occurs in the E-mail information  15 .  
     [0026] An example of the information stored in the access right group management information  16  shown in FIG. 1 is described with reference to FIG. 2. FIG. 2 shows a storage model example for describing the management of the E-mail information  15  and the access right group management information  16  in the information holding means  11 . The ID  202  and the access right group  203  are stored correspondingly to the E-mail information  201 . The E-mail information  201  is the entity of the individual E-mail information as shown exemplary in FIG. 2. The ID  201  is the information (identifier) for identifying the E-mail information. The access right group  203  is the information that is formed by storing and grouping the user information for permitting the access to the E-mail information  201 . The access right group  203  is one-to-one correlated to each E-mail information, and manages the group of user information having the access right commonly.  
     [0027] Next, a routine for setting the access right concomitantly or accompanying with registration of the E-mail information is described with reference to FIG. or  13 . The flow chart of FIG. 3 shows the routine that is implemented by means of the access right setting means or program  13 . In the present embodiment, the registration means or program  12  registers one E-mail information each time when one E-mail information is indicated to be registered, and the processing shown in FIG. 3 is started when the registration means or program  12  activates the access right setting means or program  13 . Furthermore, the address information of the E-mail is used as the user information of the access requester. As an example of the E-mail information common use method in the present embodiment, the routine for the case in which the E-mail information is used by all the members including addresser [From:] users and addressee [To:, Cc:] users will be described. As a matter of course, arbitrary access right determination rule is selectable, for example, the E-mail information is commonly used only by a user group having the addresser [From:] address or having the addressee [To:, Cc:, Bcc:] address, only by a combined user group of From:, To:, Cc:, and Bcc: addresses, or by a user group of the discriminated access right level.  
     [0028] At first, the address information of an addresser is extracted from the From: part of the header information of the E-mail information  15  (step  301 ). Subsequently, one address information is extracted from To: and Co: part of the header information of the E-mail information  15  (step  302 ). Then, the step  302  is repeated until the address information of all the addressees is extracted (step  303 ). The taken out address information of the addresser and all the addressees is stored in the access right group management information  16  as the user information that indicates whether there is the access right or not (step  304 ).  
     [0029] An detailed example in which the access right determination means or program  14  determines the access request by use of the information stored in the table shown in FIG. 2 and the above-mentioned process result is described herein under. As shown in  204  in FIG. 2, wherein “A” denotes the addresser address information and “B” denotes the addressee address information of the E-mail information  1 , the address information “A and B” is stored as the user having the right in the access right group  203 . In this case, only the users “A and B” are allowed to have the access to the E-mail information  1  through the access right determination means or program  14 .  
     [0030] As described hereinabove, according to the present embodiment, the E-mail information can be commonly used by the user who transmits and or receives the E-mail information.  
     [0031] Furthermore, according to the present embodiment, in the case that the E-mail information is used only by users who are involved in transmission and or reception of the E-mail information, the operational load required for setting the access right is omitted and the access right is set easily. On the other hand, in the prior art, in the case that the access right is set when the E-mail information is stored in a document management system, the complex operation in which a plurality of user information is selected each time when one E-mail information is registered and the access right is assigned to the selected users should be performed so that the E-mail information is used commonly only by users who are involved in transmission and or reception of the E-mail information. The reason is that the user group including an addresser of one E-mail information and a plurality of addressees cannot be specified because the addresser can select addressees arbitrarily for each transmission in the case of the E-mail system and the combination of the addresser and the addressees is changed constantly.  
     [0032] Furthermore, according to the present embodiment, because the access right is set every time according to the right setting rule that has been determined previously when the E-mail information is registered, mis-setting operation is prevented and the access right is set correctly.  
     [0033] Next, a second embodiment of the present invention will be described hereinafter with reference to FIG. 4. In the first embodiment, when, for example, a management user indicates that the E-mail information is registered in the information holding means, the registration means or program  12  registers the E-mail information and the access right is set automatically at that time. However, in the case that the E-mail information to be involved increases, it is troublesome and time-consuming for a management user to perform registration operation of a lot of E-mail information that is generated successively. To solve such problem, in the second embodiment, an example of the access right managing method in which registration and access right setting are automatically carried out with linking to transmission of the E-mail information will be described herein under.  
     [0034]FIG. 4 shows a system structure of the second embodiment. The structural components of the second embodiment shown in FIG. 4 are basically the same as those of the first embodiment shown in FIG. 1. The same structural components used in FIG. 4 as shown in FIG. 1 are given the same characters or numerals numbers as shown in FIG. 1. In the second embodiment shown in FIG. 4, the following structural components are added to the first embodiment shown in FIG. 1.  
     [0035] The second embodiment is provided with a document management server  18  comprising the components used in the first embodiment, a mail server  19 , and a client  20 . The document management server  18  has a search means or program  24  in addition to the structural components of the first embodiment. The mail server  19  has a transfer means or program  21 . The client  20  has a mail client  22  and a browser  23 . The mail client  22  communicates the E-mail information with the mail server  19 . The transfer means or program  21  transmits the E-mail information to the registration means or program  12  of the document management server  18  synchronously with reception of the E-mail information transmitted from the mail client  22 . Upon receiving the E-mail information  15 , the registration means or program  12  of the document management server  18  starts to register the E-mail information  15 . The browser  23  refers the E-mail information  15  through the search means  24  of the document management server  18 . An example of the browser  23  includes the Internet Web browser, the client application of the database, the file management application of the file system, or the online virtual terminal.  
     [0036] Subsequently, the outline of the processing for setting the access right in registration of the E-mail information of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. 4. At first, a user carries out mail transmission operation by use of the client  20 . With this operation as a trigger, the mail client  22  of the client  20  transmits the E-mail information to the mail server  19 . When the mail sever  19  receives the E-mail information  15 , the transfer means or program  21  transmits the E-mail information to the registration means or program  12  of the document management server  18 . When the registration means or program  12  receives the E-mail information  15 , the registration means or program  12  stores the E-mail information  15  in the information holding means  11  and calls the access right setting means or program  13 . The access right setting means or program  13  stores the user information that has been extracted from the E-mail information  15  in the same manner as used in the first embodiment in the access right group management information  16 . Thereby, the E-mail information is registered every time when a user carries out mail transmission operation and the access right of the E-mail information is set without troublesome work of the user.  
     [0037] Next, the outline of the access right determination processing in the present embodiment will be described. A user carries out referring operation to the E-mail information by use of the browser  23  from an arbitrary client  20 . With this operation as a trigger, the browser  23  requests an access to the access right determination means or program  14  through the search means or program  24 . The access right determination means or program  14  receives the access request regarding the user as the user of the browser  23 , and refers to the access right group management information  16  corresponding to the E-mail information  15  that is specified as the access target. The access right determination means  14  compares the user who requested the access with the user information stored in the access right group management information  16  and returns the determination result that indicates whether there is the right or not to the access requester. If the user who requested the access has the access right to the E-mail information  15 , then the access is possible, but on the other hand if the user has no access right to the E-mail information, then the access is impossible. Thereby, only the users who are involved in transmission and or reception of the E-mail can have the access.  
     [0038] As described hereinabove, according to the present invention, it is possible to omit the access right registration operation that is to be carried out by the user by use of the transfer means or program  21  and the registration means or program  12  of the E-mail system.  
     [0039] Subsequently, a third embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. 5.  
     [0040] The third embodiment is a modified example of the second embodiment. In the second embodiment is not described a method for determining whether there is registration right of the user who transmits the E-mail information or not when the E-mail information is registered by use of the transfer means or program  21  and the registration means or program  12  is not described in the second embodiment. In the present embodiment, an example of the access right management method for preventing an undeserved or not permitted E-mail user from being registered will be described herein under.  
     [0041]FIG. 5 shows the system structure of the third embodiment. The system structure components shown in FIG. 5 are the same basically as those of the second embodiment shown in FIG. 4. The same structural components shown in FIG. 5 as used in FIG.  4  are given the same characters as or numerals shown in FIG. 4. The third embodiment shown in FIG. 5 has the following structural components in addition to those of the second embodiment shown in FIG. 4. In detail, a registration right determination means or program  25  is added in the document management server  18 , and a registration right group management information  26  is added in the information holding means  11  of the document management server  18 . Before the registration means or program  12  executes the registration of the E-mail information, the registration right determination means or program  25  that has been called and executes the processing. The user information of the user who is allowed to be registered or prevented from being registered is stored previously in the registration right group management information  26 .  
     [0042] Subsequently, the outline of the access right setting processing in registration of the E-mail information of the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. 5. With the mail transmission operation of a user as the trigger, the registration means or program  12  receives the E-mail information  15  by way of the E-mail server  19 .  
     [0043] The registration right determination means or program  25  that has been called before the registration means or program  12  stores the E-mail information  15  extracts the user information of the E-mail information  15 , and compares the extracted user information of the E-mail with the user information stored in the registration right group management information  26 . Whether or not there is the access right of the user information, namely the addresser address information of the E-mail information to be registered is determined, and if there is the right, then the processing is executed, on the other hand if there is no right, then the processing is brought to an end. Thereby, when a user who has no registration right among E-mail users transmits E-mail information, the registration of the E-mail information is interrupted. Then, the E-mail information is returned to the addresser, and the interruption of registration is informed.  
     [0044] As described hereinabove, according to the present embodiment, the E-mail information of an undeserved or not permitted E-mail user is prevented from being registered.  
     [0045] Subsequently, a fourth embodiment will be described hereinafter with reference to FIG. 6, FIG. 7, and FIG. 8.  
     [0046] In the first embodiment, a method in which only the addresser and addressees commonly use the access right for each E-mail information is described. It is required that all the users included in the E-mail information in a grouped unit use all the E-mail information in a folder in the case that addressers and addressees store the different E-mail information in grouped unit such as folder in a recording unit. A method in which a plurality of E-mail information is registered in one grouped unit and all the E-mail information is used commonly is not described in the first embodiment. An access right management method in which all the users, each of whom is involved in transmission and or reception of any E-mail, commonly use the E-mail information will be described in the present embodiment.  
     [0047]FIG. 6 is a block diagram illustrating the system structure of the fourth embodiment. The same system structural components as used in the first embodiment shown in FIG. 1 are used basically. Only the different point is described. In the present embodiment, a plurality of E-mail information  15  is managed as a grouped E-mail information by use of the information identification unit  17 . The fourth embodiment is different from the previous embodiments in that the access right is set for each above-mentioned information identification unit  17 . The information identification unit  17  is the classification for grouping the E-mail information according to the information obtained by identifying the attribute information or part of a character string or for grouping the E-mail information according to the hierarchy or type of the folder. The access right group management information  16  stores the user information served for determining whether there is the right or not for each information identification unit  17 .  
     [0048] An example of the information stored in the information holding means  11  shown FIG. 6 is described with reference to FIG. 7. FIG. 7 shows a storage model example of the information stored in the information holding means  11 . A plurality of E-mail information  701  shown in FIG. 7 is a group of E-mail information that is classified according to the related content. In the example shown in FIG. 7, the E-mail information that includes “management conference” in the title is grouped into one group, but the E-mail information may be classified according to the keyword included in the text of the mail, or may be classified according to the theme that is involved directly or indirectly in the E-mail information based on the determination by a user collected from the database or mail software that is used for managing all E-mail information. Numeral  702  is an example in which a plurality of E-mail information  701  is stored in the information identification unit  17  as one group. ID  703  and the access right group  704  show an example in which the E-mail information is managed by the access right group management information  16 . In the example shown in FIG. 7, the identification ID for each information identification unit  702  is stored in the ID  703 , and the user information for indicating whether there is the access right to all the E-mail information in the information identification unit  702  or not is stored in the access right group  704 .  
     [0049] A routine for setting the access right concomitantly with registration of the E-mail information will be described with reference to FIG. 8. In the present embodiment, each time when a plurality of E-mail information is indicated to be registered, the registration means or program  12  registers it and the registration means or program  12  activates the access right setting means or program  13  to thereby start the routine shown in FIG. 8. Furthermore, in the present embodiment, the address information of the E-mail information is used as the user information of the access requester.  
     [0050] At first, the first E-mail information is taken out from a plurality of E-mail information that is indicated to be registered (step  801 ). Then, the address information of the addresser is extracted from the From: part of the header information of the E-mail information  15  (step  802 ).  
     [0051] Subsequently, one address information of the addressee is extracted from the To: and Cc: part of the header information of the E-mail information  15  (step  803 ). Subsequently, the step  803  is repeated until the address information of all the addressees is extracted (step  804 ).  
     [0052] Subsequently, the address information of the addresser taken out from one E-mail information and one addressee taken out form all the addressees are compared with the user information that has been already stored in the access right group management information  16  (step  805 ). If the address information has been already stored, then the routine returns to step  805  for doing comparison with the next user information, on the other hand if the address information has not been stored, then the routine proceeds to step  807  (step  806 ). The above-mentioned address information is stored in the access right group  704  of the access right group management information  16  (step  807 ). The routine is continued until all the address information in one E-mail information is processed completely with returning to step  805  (step  808 ). The routine returns to step  801  to take out the next E-mail information continuously until all the E-mail information is processed completely (step  809 ).  
     [0053] The detailed example in which the access right determination means or program  14  determines the access request will be described by use of the information storage example shown in FIG. 7 and the above-mentioned processing result. The example of a plurality of E-mail information of  701  shown in FIG. 7 represents an example in which every user is involved in transmission and or reception of at least any of the collected E-mail information but no user is involved in transmission and or reception of all the collected E-mail information. By applying the routine of the present embodiment to a plurality of E-mail information, the user information that indicates whether there is the access right or not is stored in the access right group  704 . At first, the access right setting means or program  13  stores the address information of the addresser and the address information of the addressees “A, B, and C” of the E-mail information  1  of  705  shown in FIG. 7 in the access right group  704  as the user information concomitantly with registration of the E-mail information  1  of  701  shown in FIG. 7. Subsequently in the following, the users “D and E”, who are not yet registered, are stored as shown in  706  of FIG. 7 when the E-mail information  2  is processed. Furthermore, the users “F and G” are stored as shown in  707  of FIG. 7 when the E-mail information  3  is processed. Thereby, all the users A, B, C, D, E, F, and G, every one of which users is involved in transmission and or reception of at least any one of the E-mail information  1 , the E-mail information  2 , and the E-mail information  3 , can commonly use all the E-mail information. In other words, in the case that the E-mail is communicated only between members who are engaged in solution of the same subject in a large organization, a member who are involved in transmission and or reception of the E-mail at least one time, namely the member who is involved in transmission and or reception of not all the E-mail, can commonly use the related E-mail information together with other members who are engaged in the same subject.  
     [0054] As described hereinabove, according to the present embodiment, the plurality of all the E-mail information that is grouped into a unit can be commonly used by all the addressers and addressees included in the plurality of all the E-mail information. The present embodiment is effectively used for application in which a plurality of E-mail classified according to, for example, the subject such as job or interest, is commonly used by members having the same subject. The troublesome work to change the user group that occurs very often can be omitted in the case that a plurality of E-mail information is commonly used as the grouped unit in addition to the case that the E-mail information is separately stored one by one. In detail, though the user information must be added additionally if the above-mentioned user information is to be added newly when the E-mail information is additionally registered for each group, but the complex operation can be omitted in which whether the user information of all the mail addresses included in the target E-mail information has been already registered or not is confirmed each time when one user right is set.  
     [0055] Finally, a fifth embodiment will be described hereinafter with reference to FIG. 9, FIG. 10 and FIG. 11.  
     [0056] In the fourth embodiment, a method is described, in which the E-mail information that is grouped in the unit of folder or the like is stored in a recording apparatus or medium, and the whole of a plurality of grouped E-mail information is used commonly. However, the high level access right setting method for controlling the access right is not described, in which the order of return and or transfer of a plurality of connected or related E-mail information is distinguished and the common range of the access right is distinguished in the sequential relation of the individual E-mail information in the case that a plurality of returned and or transferred related or connected E-mail information in the sequential relation is included in a group. In the present embodiment, an example of the access right management method for distinguish the access right in the sequential relation of the returned and or transferred E-mail that is in the connected relation will be described hereinafter.  
     [0057]FIG. 9 is a block diagram illustrating the system structure of the fifth embodiment of the present invention. The basic system structural components are the same as those used in the fourth embodiment. Only the different point is described. In the present embodiment, a plurality of E-mail information  15  is managed as a group in the information identification unit  17 , but the access right setting unit is given for each one E-mail information. The access right group management information  16  stores the user information groups that are served for determining whether there is the right or not for each E-mail information in the information identification unit  17 .  
     [0058] An example of the information stored in the information holding means is described with reference to FIG. 10. FIG. 10 shows a model example in which the information is stored in the information holding means  11  to which the fifth embodiment of the present invention is applied. A plurality of E-mail information shown in  1001  of FIG. 10 forms a group that includes the content of sequential relation of transmission and or reception of return and or transfer. In the example shown in FIG. 10, the E-mail information transferred from the E-mail information  1  is the E-mail information  2 , and the E-mail information transferred from the E-mail information  2  is the E-mail information  3 . The example in which the sequential relation of transfer arises from the E-mail information that is delivered latest is described, but the method may be applied to the case in which the transfer is repeated or the case in which return and or transfer branches from the E-mail information on the middle of the sequence.  
     [0059] Numeral  1002  shows an example in which a plurality of E-mail information is stored in the information identification unit  17  as one group. No.  1003  and the access right group  1004  are examples in which the information is stored on the access right group management information  16 . In the example shown in FIG. 10, the identification No. of each E-mail information is stored in No. 1003  and the user information for indicating whether there is the access right or not for each E-mail information in the information identification unit  17  is stored in the access right group  1004 .  
     [0060] A routine for setting the access right concomitantly with registration of the E-mail information in the present embodiment is described with reference to FIG. 11. In the present embodiment, the registration means or program  12  registers a plurality of E-mail information every time when the registration means receives the indication that indicates the registration of the plurality of E-mail information, and the registration means or program  12  activates the access right setting means or program  13  to thereby trigger the starting of the routine shown in FIG. 11. Furthermore, the address information of the E-mail information is used as the user information of the access requester. The registration means or program  12  processes the E-mail information to be registered successively in the order of the mail number that indicates the order of occurrence of transmission and or reception.  
     [0061] In the present embodiment, the routine used in the case that the common use relation is set so that an addresser or an addressee of an E-mail has the access right to the E-mail transmitted and or received relatively after the above-mentioned E-mail is transmitted and or received is described as an example of common use method of the E-mail information.  
     [0062] At first, one E-mail information that is a target to be registered is taken out (step  1101 ). The taking out order is according to the mail number order that indicates the occurrence order of transmission and or reception. Next, the address information of the addresser is extracted from From: part of the header information of the taken out E-mail information  15  (step  1102 ). Subsequently, one address information of the addressee is extracted from To: and Cc: part of the header information of the E-mail information  15  (step  1103 ). Next, the step  1103  is repeated until the address information of all the addressees is extracted completely (step  1104 ).  
     [0063] Subsequently, the access right group  1004  for each of all the E-mail information (E-mail information transmitted and or received before the E-mail information to be registered currently is transmitted and or received) that has been already stored in the information identification unit  17  to be registered is referred, and the user information that has been already stored is taken out (step  1105 ) The duplication is excluded in the address information, namely the user information that has been stored (step  1106 ). The routine returns to the step  1105  and the routine is repeated until all the E-mail information that has been stored is taken out (step  1107 ).  
     [0064] Next, the duplication between all the address information of addressers and addressees taken out from the registration target E-mail information in steps  1101  to  1104  and the address information, namely the user information taken out from the access right group  1004  of the E-mail information that has been stored in steps  1105  to  1107 , is excluded (step  1108 ). The address information collected in step  1108  is stored in the access right group  1004  of the registration target E-mail information (step  1109 ). The routine returns to step  1101  and the above-mentioned processing is repeated until all the registration target E-mail information is processed (in the order of occurrence of transmission and or reception) completely (step  1110 ).  
     [0065] A detailed example of processing in access right setting means or program  13  by use of the information storage example shown in FIG. 10 and the above-mentioned processing result is described herein under. In the example of three E-mail information shown in  1001  of FIG. 10, the order from the E-mail information  1  to the E-mail information  2 , and the E-mail information  3  represents the sequential relation of the transmission and or reception. By applying the routine of the present embodiment to a plurality of E-mail information, the user information described herein under is stored in each access right group  1004 .  
     [0066] At the beginning, the E-mail information  1  that has been transmitted and or received at first is processed. Thereby, the access right setting means or program  13  stores the user information “A and B”, namely the address information of addresser and or addressee of the E-mail information  1 , in the access right group  1005  corresponding to the E-mail information  1 . By processing the E-mail information  2  that has been transmitted and or received next, the access right setting means or program  13  combines the addresser and or addressee user “B and C” of the E-mail information  2  to the addresser and or addressee user “A and B” that has been already registered in the access right group  1005  of the E-mail information  1  and stored the combined addresser and or addressee in the access right group  1006  of the E-mail information  2 . Furthermore, by processing the E-mail information  3  that has been transmitted and or received next, the access right setting means or program  13  combines the addresser and or addressee user “C, D, and E” of the E-mail information  3  to the addresser and or addressee user “A, B, and C” that has been already registered in the access right groups  1005  and  1006  of the respective E-mail information  1  and  2 , and stores the combined addresser and or addressee user in the access right group  1007  of the E-mail information  3 .  
     [0067] Subsequently, a detailed example of processing in the access right determination means or program  14  of the present embodiment is described with reference to FIG. 10. Herein, it is assumed that the users “A, B, and C” are members of budget request sections and the users “D and E” are members of budget assessment sections. In such case, the E-mail information can be used commonly so that the content of the E-mail information  1  and the E-mail information  2  that were communicated between the budget request section users for the purpose of preliminary adjustment cannot be seen by the budget assessment section users “D and E”.  
     [0068] As described hereinabove, according to the present embodiment, the E-mail information can be used commonly so that the E-mail information content that has been transmitted and or received before one user transmits and or receives a specified E-mail in the sequential relation of the E-mail transmission and or reception is hidden and only the E-mail information content that has been transmitted and or received after one user transmits and or receives the specified E-mail can be used commonly by the other user. As described in the detailed example, the present embodiment is effectively used in the application in which the access right is controlled so that the E-mail information content communicated for the purpose of preliminary internal adjustment is hidden from the budget assessment users in the case that E-mail is communicated between sections.  
     [0069] A modified example of the above-mentioned embodiment is described herein under. The address information extracted in steps  1101  to  1104  shown in FIG. 11 (without execution of steps  1105  to  1107 ) is stored in steps  1108  and  1109  in the access right group  1004  of each E-mail information that has been stored (the order of processing of the E-mail information is the order of occurrence of transmission and or reception). Thereby, the access right that is opposite to the above is realized. In other words, the common use is realized easily, in which the E-mail information that is transmitted and or received after one user transmits the specified E-mail cannot be used commonly but the E-mail information that was transmitted and or received before one user transmits the specified E-mail can be used commonly. The above-mentioned modified embodiment is effectively used in the case that only the specified right holders such as the superior or auditor who has received the final report examines the previous history retroactively.  
     [0070] As described hereinbefore, according to the present invention, because the user information that relates to transmission and or reception of the E-mail information and the access right is set, the access right is set easily to the E-mail information and the operational load for setting the right is mitigated. Because the access right is set concomitantly with registration of the E-mail information in the storage means, the access right is set correctly without mis-setting. Furthermore, because whether the registration is allowed or not is determined before registration in the storage means, the needless E-mail information is not registered. When a plurality of E-mail information is registered collectively, the access right is automatically set so that all the users who are involved in transmission and or reception of the plurality of E-mail information can use the plurality of E-mail information commonly. Furthermore, in the case a plurality of E-mail information is transmitted and or received according to connected or related transmission and or reception sequential relation, the access right of each E-mail information can be set based on the transmission and or reception sequential relation.