Patent ID: 6883016

Claim:
An electronic mail terminal device that transmits and receives information through electronic mail, comprising: a communication unit connected to a network and performing electronic mail data exchange via the network; and a power-saving control unit configured to set the communication unit and said device into a power-saving mode when said device detects that a first power-saving condition is satisfied, and the power-saving control unit being configured to cancel the power-saving mode when said device detects that a second power-saving condition is satisfied, wherein the communication unit is a local area network communication unit that is connected to a local area network and performs electronic data exchange via the local area network, the first power-saving timing condition is that a stand-by state lasts longer than a predetermined period of time, the second power-saving timing condition is that an event occurs, the power-saving control unit cancels the power-saving mode at predetermined mail fetching intervals so as to fetch electronic mail addressed to said device through the local area network communication unit, the power-saving control unit cancels the power-saving mode of the local area network communication unit at the predetermined mail fetching intervals so as to fetch electronic mail addressed to said device through the local area network communication unit, where electronic mail has been fetched, the power-saving control unit canceling the power-saving mode of said device and outputting electronic mail information to said device through the local area network communication unit, and where no electronic mail has been fetched, the power-saving control unit not canceling the power-saving mode of said device, and setting the local area network communication unit back into the power-saving mode after a stand-by state lasts longer than the predetermined period of time.