Patent ID: 8135784

Claim:
An e-mail check method in a communication device accessing a mail server, the e-mail check method comprising: accessing said mail server periodically and acquiring a total number of mails at each access; comparing a total number of mails currently acquired with a total number of mails acquired last time; and judging whether or not a new incoming mail is present and whether or not a different communication device receives a mail from said mail server, based on a result of said comparing, wherein said different communication device is used by a same user as said communications device, wherein when said total number of mails currently acquired is equal to said total number of mails acquired last time, judging said new incoming mail is not present; when said total number of mails currently acquired is more than said total number of mails acquired last time, judging said new incoming mail is present; when said total number of mails currently acquired is less than said total number of mails acquired last time, determining whether or not said total number of mails currently acquired is zero and, judging, based on a result of said determining, whether or not an incoming mail arrives after reception of all mails from said mail server by said different communication device; wherein when said total number of mails currently acquired is equal to said total number of mails acquired last time and when no incoming mail arrives after reception of all mails from said mail server by said different communication device, reporting said new incoming mail is not present; and a content reported when said total number of mails currently acquired is equal to said total number of mails acquired last time is different from a content reported when no incoming mail arrives after reception of all mails from said mail server by said different communication device.