Electronic mail data processing device and method for processing electronic mail data

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9424557-B2
Application number	US-201113316853-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 12, 2011
Priority date	Dec 13, 2010
Publication date	Aug 23, 2016
Grant date	Aug 23, 2016

Abstract

A communication unit connects an e-mail data transfer protocol to transfer e-mail data item via near-field wireless communications with an external device. A retrieval unit retrieves the e-mail data item transferred from the external device when the protocol is connected. A storage unit stores the retrieved e-mail data item. A control unit causes the external device to transfer the e-mail data item in each indication unit of the indication device thereby to cause the storage unit to store the retrieved e-mail data item, when the protocol is connected, and even when a user does not implement a browsing operation of an e-mail list. The control unit further causes an indication device to indicate the e-mail list of the stored e-mail data item when the user implements the browsing operation.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An electronic mail data processing device comprising:
a communication unit configured to connect an e-mail data transfer protocol to transfer an e-mail data item via near-field wireless communications with an external device configured to store the e-mail data item;
an e-mail data retrieval unit configured to retrieve the e-mail data item transferred from the external device when the e-mail data transfer protocol is connected between the communication unit and the external device;
an e-mail data storage unit configured to store the e-mail data item transferred from the external device and retrieved by the e-mail data retrieval unit;
a browsing operation receiving unit configured to receive a browsing operation of an e-mail list implemented by a user;
a control unit configured to implement:
i) an e-mail data transfer processing to cause the external device to transfer the e-mail data item thereby to cause the e-mail data storage unit to store the e-mail data item retrieved by the e-mail data retrieval unit; and
ii) an e-mail list indication processing to cause an indication device to indicate the e-mail list of the e-mail data item stored in the e-mail data storage unit when the browsing operation receiving unit receives the browsing operation of the e-mail list implemented by the user, wherein

the control unit is further configured to implement the e-mail data transfer processing to cause the external device to transfer the e-mail data item in each indication unit of the indication device thereby to cause the e-mail data storage unit to store the email data item retrieved by the e-mail data retrieval unit,
i) when the e-mail data item transfer protocol is connected between the communication unit and the external device, and
ii) even when the browsing operation receiving unit does not receive the browsing operation of the e-mail list implemented by the user;

the external device has a plurality of e-mail accounts, which include a first e-mail account to an n-th e-mail account;
the control unit is further configured to implement the e-mail data transfer processing which, in response to connecting the e-mail data transfer protocol between the communication unit and the external device automatically causes the external device to transfer a plurality of e-mail data items, at least one of the plurality of e-mail data items corresponding to a respective one of the e-mail accounts in each indication unit of the indication device thereby to cause the e-mail data storage unit to store the e-mail data items retrieved by the e-mail data retrieval unit even when the browsing operation receiving unit does not receive the browsing operation of the e-mail list implemented by the user,
the electronic mail data processing device, further comprising:
a selection operation receiving unit configured to receive a selection operation of the e-mail account implemented by a user, wherein
when the first e-mail account is selected from the e-mail accounts by the user during transfer of e-mail data items corresponding to a second e-mail account in the e-mail data transfer processing, the control unit gives priority to transfer of e-mail data items corresponding to the selected first e-mail account over the transfer of the e-mail data items corresponding to the second e-mail account, and first automatically transfers the e-mail data items corresponding to the first e-mail account after which the not-yet-transferred e-mail data items corresponding to the second e-mail account are automatically transferred,
such that in the e-mail data transfer processing, a predetermined number of e-mail data items out of a total number of e-mail data items are first automatically transferred per e-mail account in a specified order of the first to the n-th e-mail accounts after which the remaining e-mail data items are automatically transferred per the predetermined number of e-mail data items per e-mail account in the specified order of the first to the n-th e-mail accounts, and
the predetermined number of e-mail data items is a maximum number of e-mail subjects simultaneously indicatable at once in the e-mail list on an e-mail list screen of the indication device and is common to the plurality of e-mail accounts.

2. The electronic mail data processing device according to claim 1 , wherein the control unit is further configured to determine the e-mail data item transferred from the external device according to an operation history of the user to an e-mail list currently indicated on the indication device.

3. The electronic mail data processing device according to claim 1 , wherein:
in the e-mail data transfer processing, the predetermined number of e-mail data items including a last-received e-mail are first automatically transferred per e-mail account in the specified order of the first to the n-th e-mail accounts after which the remaining e-mail data items are automatically transferred per the predetermined number of e-mail data items per e-mail account in the specified order of the first to the n-th e-mail accounts.

4. A method for processing electronic mail data, the method comprising:
connecting an e-mail data transfer protocol to transfer an e-mail data item via nearfield wireless communications between a communication unit and an external device configured to store the e-mail data item;
causing the external device to automatically transfer the e-mail data item in each indication unit of an indication device thereby to retrieve the transferred e-mail data item and to store the retrieved e-mail data item in an e-mail storage unit;
i) when the e-mail data item transfer protocol is connected between the communication unit and the external device, and
ii) even when a browsing operation of an e-mail list implemented by a user is not received;

causing the indication device to indicate the e-mail list of the stored e-mail data item when receiving the browsing operation of the e-mail list implemented by the user;
the external device has a plurality of e-mail accounts which include a first e-mail account to an n-th e-mail account, the method further comprising:
implementing automatic e-mail data transfer processing which, in response to connecting the e-mail data transfer protocol between the communication unit and the external device causes the external device to automatically transfer a plurality of e-mail data items, at least one of the plurality of e-mail data items corresponding to a respective one of the e-mail accounts in each indication unit of the indication device thereby to cause the e-mail data storage unit to store the e-mail data items retrieved by the e-mail data retrieval unit even when the browsing operation receiving unit does not receive the browsing operation of the e-mail list implemented by the user; and
the electronic mail data processing device, further comprising:
receiving a selection operation of the e-mail account implemented by a user,
giving a priority to transfer of an e-mail data item corresponding to the first e-mail account when the first e-mail account is selected by the user during transfer of e-mail data items corresponding to a second e-mail account;
automatically transferring the e-mail data item corresponding to the first e-mail account selected by the user; and
after automatically transferring the e-mail data item corresponding to the first e-mail account selected by the user, automatically transferring the not yet transferred e-mail data items corresponding to the second e-mail account in the e-mail data transfer processing,
such that in the e-mail data transfer processing, a predetermined number of e-mail data items out of a total number of e-mail data items are first automatically transferred per e-mail account in a specified order of the first to the n-th e-mail accounts after which the rema

Assignees

• Sakata Ryuji
• Saito Soichi
• Matsushita Suguru
• Yamamoto Shinichi
• Hayashi Kazushige
• Sasaki Masao
• Denso Corp
• Aisin Aw Co

Inventors

• Sakata Ryuji
• Saito Soichi
• Matsushita Suguru
• Yamamoto Shinichi
• Hayashi Kazushige
• Sasaki Masao

Classifications

• G06Q10/107 Primary

  Computer-aided management of electronic mailing [e-mailing] · CPC title

• H04L51/22

  Electricity · mapped topic

• H04L51/42

  Mailbox-related aspects, e.g. synchronisation of mailboxes · CPC title