Patent ID: 7543028

Claim:
An e-mail distribution method for sending an e-mail with at least one attachment file from a server apparatus to a communications terminal, the method comprising: obtaining type information that identifies a type of an attachment file, the type information being indicative of at least one of an attachment file that a user of the communications terminal desires to receive or an attachment file that the user of the communication terminal does not desire to receive; storing the type information in a memory of the communications terminal; receiving an arrival notice from the server apparatus indicating that an e-mail is to be routed to the communication terminal; automatically generating, by the communication terminal, a request for the email destined for the communication terminal, the request including data indicating the type information stored in the memory, the automatically generating being triggered by receipt of the arrival notice from the server apparatus; sending the request that includes the data indicating the type information to said server apparatus from the communications terminal; receiving the data indicating the type information in the server apparatus; comparing, after receipt of the request at the server apparatus, a type of an attachment file of the e-mail identified in the arrival notice, which is destined for the communications terminal and received by the server apparatus, with a type identified by the type information; deleting the attachment file of the e-mail in the arrival notice based on the comparison of the type of the attachment file of the e-mail with the type identified by the type information; and sending from the server apparatus to the communications terminal the e-mail identified in the arrival notice.