Client/server system and mail reception/display control method

What is claimed is:

1. A client/server system, comprising:

a server which includes storage means for storing information therein; and

a plurality of clients each of which includes transfer means for registering the information in said storage means of said server, and for loading the information from said storage means,

each of said plurality of clients including:

reception detection means for monitoring if the information addressed to each client has been received by said server,

input means for accepting an instruction to display said information addressed to each client, said instruction being provided by a user of each client,

display means for displaying an output indicative of the reception of said information addressed to each client, when said reception of said information addressed to each client has been detected by said reception detection means, and for displaying said information addressed to each client, when said input means has received said instructions,

wherein said input means further accepts a confirmation reply of said reception as the user's instruction when said reception of said information addressed to each client has been displayed by said display means, and

replay control means for directing said display means to display said information addressed to each client, when said reply of confirmation of said reception as said user's instruction has been accepted by said input means, wherein

said server includes a management table which manages said information stored in said storage means,

each of said plurality of clients further includes record means for writing situation information and identification information into said management table, the situation information indicating a selected one of an expression "New" which signifies that said information is to be registered in said storage means and, and an expression "Replayed" which signifies that said information registered anew has been loaded from said storage means by said transfer means, the identification information identifying the addressee client of said information to be transmitted, and being written when said information is to be registered in said storage means by said transfer means,

said reception detection means refers to said management table in order to monitor if said information addressed to each client bas been received by said server, and detects said reception of said information addressed to each client when said expression "New" is borne as said situation information,

said transfer means loads said information addressed to each client and bearing said expression "New" as said situation information, from said storage means,

said record means rewrites said situation information of the loaded information to said expression "Replayed" after said information has been loaded by said transfer means,

said management table further manages any attribute which concerns said information stored in said storage means,

said record means further writes said attribute when said information is to be transmitted to said server by said translet means,

said reception detection means further detects said attribute written in said management table,

said display means displays said attribute as still another output, along with said display output which indicates said reception of said information addressed to each client,

said attribute specifies for the loading of the stored information by said transfer means, either of the timing at which said confirmation reply of said reception as said user's instruction has been accepted by said input means and an alternative timing before accepting said user's instruction, at which said reception of said information addressed to said each client has been detected by said reception detection means,

and said reception detection means directs said transfer means to load said stored information at the timing specified by said attribute, when it has detected said attribute written in said management table.

2. A client/server system as defined in claim 1, wherein

said server includes a management table which manages said information stored in said storage means,

each of said plurality of clients further includes record means for writing situation information and identification information into said management table, the situation information indicating a selected one of an expression "New" which signifies that said information is to be registered in said storage means anew, an expression "Replayed" which signifies that said information registered anew has been loaded from said storage means by said transfer means, and an expression "Not replayed" which signifies that said reception of the new registered information by said server has been detected by said reception detection means, and that said new registered information is not yet loaded from said storage means by said transfer means, the identification information identifying the addressee client of said information to-be-transmitted, and being written when said information is to be registered in said storage means by said transfer means,

said reception detection means refers to said management table in order to monitor if said information addressed to said each client has been received by said server, and detects said reception of said information addressed to said each client when said expression "New" is borne as said situation information,

said record means rewrites said situation information of the received information to said expression "Not replayed" when said reception has been detected by said reception detection means,

said transfer means loads said received information bearing said expression "Not replayed" as said situation information, from said storage means,

said record means rewrites said situation information of the loaded information to said expression "Replayed" after said information has been loaded by said transfer means,

said management table further manages any attribute which concerns said information stored in said storage means,

said record means further writes said attribute when said information is to be transmitted to said server by said transfer means,

said reception detection means further detects said attribute written in said management table,

said display means displays said attribute as still another output, along with said display output which indicates said reception of said information addressed to each client,

said attribute specifies for the loading of the stored information by said transfer means, either of the timing at which said confirmation reply of said reception as said user's instruction has been accepted by said input means and an alternative timing before accepting said user's instruction, at which said reception of said information addressed to said each client has been detected by said reception detection means,

and said reception detection means directs said transfer means to load said stored information at the timing specified by said attribute, when it has detected said attribute written in said management table.

3. A client/server system, comprising:

a server which includes storage means for storing information therein; and

a plurality of clients each of which includes transfer means for registering the information in said storage means of said server, and for loading the information from said storage means,

each of said plurality of clients including:

reception detection means for monitoring if the information addressed to each client has been received by said server,

input means for accepting an instruction to display said information addressed to each client, said instruction being provided by a user of each client,

display means for displaying an output indicative of the reception of said information addressed to each client, when said reception of said information addressed to each client has been detected by said reception detection means, and for displaying said information addressed to each client, when said input means has received said instructions,

wherein said input means further accepts a confirmation reply of said reception as the user's instruction when said reception of said information addressed to each client has been displayed by said display means, and

replay control means for directing said display means to display said information addressed to each client, when said reply of confirmation of said reception as said user's instruction has been accepted by said input means, wherein

said server includes a management table which manages said information stored in said storage means,

each of said plurality of clients further includes record means for writing situation information and identification information into said management table, the situation information indicating a selected one of an expression "New" which signifies the said information is to be registered in said storage means anew, and an expression "Replayed" which signifies that said information registered anew has been loaded from said storage means by said transfer means, the identification information identifying the addressee client of said information to-be-transmitted, and being written when said information is to be registered in said storage means by said transfer means,

said reception detection means refers to said management table in order to monitor if said information addressed to each clients has been received by said server, and detects said reception of said information addressed to each client when said expression "New" is borne as said situation information,

said transfer means loads said information addressed to each client and bearing said expression "New" as said situation information, from said storage means,

said record means rewrites said situation information of the loaded information to said expression "Replayed" after said information has been loaded by said transfer means,

said management table further manages any attribute which concerns said information stored in said storage means,

said record means further writes said attribute when said information is to be transmitted to said server by said transfer means,

said reception detection means further detects said attribute written in said management table,

said display means displays said attribute as still another output, along with said display output which indicates said reception of said information addressed to each client,

said attribute specifies either of an operation of presenting the display of said information addressed to each client, when said reply of confirmation of said reception as said user's instruction has been accepted by said input means, and an operation of presenting said display when said information has been loaded by said transfer means, alternatively without accepting said user's instruction, and

said reception detection means directs said transfer means to load said information addressed to each client as stored in said storage means and also directs said display means to display said information addressed to each client, based on a condition that said attribute written in said management table as detected by said reception detection means specifies said operation of presenting said display when said information has been loaded by said transfer means.

4. A client/server system, comprising:

a server which includes storage means for storing information therein; and

a plurality of clients each of which includes transfer means for registering the information in said storage means of said server, and for loading the information from said storage means,

each of said plurality of clients including:

reception detection means for monitoring if the information addressed to each client has been received by said server,

input means for accepting an instruction to display said information addressed to each client, said instruction being provided by user of each client,

display means for displaying an output indicative of the reception of said information addressed to each client, when said reception of said information addressed to each client has been detected by said reception detection means, and for displaying said information addressed to each clients, when said input means has received said instructions,

wherein said input means further accepts a confirmation reply of said reception as the user's instruction when said reception of said information addressed to each client has been displayed by said display means, and

replay control means for directing said display means to display said information addressed to each client, when said reply of confirmation of said reception as said user's instruction has been accepted by, said input means, wherein

said server includes a management table which manages said information stored in said storage means,

each of said plurality of clients further includes record means for writing situation information and identification information into said management table, the situation information indicating a selected one of an expression "New" which signifies that said information is to be registered in said storage means anew, an expression "Replayed" which signifies that said information registered anew has been loaded from said storage means by said transfer means, and an expression "Not replayed" which signifies that said reception of the new registered information by said server has been detected by said reception detection means, and that said new registered information is not yet loaded from said storage means by said transfer means, the identification information identifying the addressee client of said information to-be-transmitted, and being written when said information is to be registered in said storage means by said transfer means,

said reception detection means refers to said management table in order to monitor if said information addressed to said each client has been received by said server, and detects said reception of said information addressed to said each client when said expression "New" is borne as said situation information,

said record means rewrites said situation information of the received information to said expression "Not replayed" when said reception has been detected by said reception detection means,

said transfer means loads said received information bearing said expression "Not replayed" as said situation information, from said storage means,

said record means rewrites said situation information of the load information to said expression "Replayed" after said information has been loaded by said transfer means,

said management table further manages any attribute which concerns said information stored in said storage means,

said record means further writes said attribute when said information is to be transmitted to said server by said transfer

said reception detection means further detects said attribute written in said management table,

said display means displays said attribute as still another output, along with said display output which indicates said reception of said information addressed to each client,

said attribute specifies either of an operation of presenting the display of said information addressed to each client, when said confirmation reply of said reception as said user's instruction has been accepted by said input means, and an operation of presenting said display when said information has been loaded by said transfer means, alternatively without accepting said user's instruction, and

said reception detection means directs said transfer means to load said information addressed to each client as stored in said storage means and also directs said display means to display said information addressed to each client, based on a condition that said attribute written in said management table as detected by said reception detection means specifies said operation of presenting said display when said information has been loaded by said transfer means.

5. An information reception/display control method in a mail system having a plurality of terminals which transmit and receive information, and storage means for storing therein the information sent from each of the terminals, said method comprising the steps of:

monitoring if the information addressed to each terminal has been stored in said storage means;

producing a display output which indicates that said information addressed to each terminal has been received by said storage means, when the storage of said information in said storage means has been detected;

accepting a confirmation reply of the reception from a user at said each terminal when said display output has been produced;

loading said information addressed to each terminal, from said storage means when said reply of confirmation of said reception has been accepted; and

displaying the loaded information addressed to said each terminal, as an output, wherein

when the information is to be transmitted from each terminal to said storage means, an attribute which specifies an operation of loading said information at the detection of said reception of said information is affixed to said information, and

based on a condition that said attribute is affixed when said storage of said information addressed to said each terminal in said storage means has been detected, said information addressed to said each terminal is loaded from said storage means upon said detection, instead of upon the acceptance of said confirmation reply of said reception.

6. An information reception/display control method in a mail system having a plurality of terminals which transmit and receive information, and storage means for storing therein the information sent from each of the terminals; comprising the steps of:

allowing said each terminal to transmit the information to said storage means, and to affix an attribute to said information,

said attribute specifying either of an operation of displaying said information when said information has been loaded from said storage means, and an operation of displaying said information when a reply of confirmation of the reception of said information has been accepted from a user at the each terminal;

monitoring if said information addressed to said each terminal has been stored in said storage means;

discriminating said attribute, and loading said information addressed to said each terminal, from said storage means, when the storage of said information in said storage means has been detected;

producing a display output which indicates said reception of said information addressed to said each terminal, when said reception of said information has been detected;

displaying said information addressed to said each terminal, as an output at the loading of said information from said storage means, on condition that the discriminated attribute specifies said operation of displaying said information when said information has been loaded from said storage means; and

displaying said information addressed to said each terminal, as an output upon the acceptance of said reply of confirmation of said reception from said user, on condition that said discriminated attribute specifies said operation of displaying said information when said reply of confirmation of said reception has been accepted from said user.

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BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to a client/server system wherein a server equipped with a storage unit for storing items of mail therein is connected with a plurality of clients through a communication line. More particularly, it relates to a mail system wherein items of mail are transmitted and received among a plurality of clients.

2. Description of the Related Art

Heretofore, the transmission and reception of items of mail through the storage unit of a server among clients in a mail system have proceeded as stated below. The area size of the storage unit of the server is divided into areas for the individual clients beforehand. The client on a mail transmission (source or addresser) side writes the item of mail into his/her own area within the storage unit of the server. Subsequently, the mail software of the server transfers the mail to that area of the storage unit of the server which corresponds to the destination of the mail. For the client on the reception (destination or addressee) side, the reception of the mail is detected by the function of a network operating system, a module for monitoring the reception of mail as has been made resident in advance, or the like, and a display is presented on display means to the effect that the mail has been received. Thus, the user on the reception side can determine the arrival of the mail addressed to him/her. Herein, the user starts mail software at his/her convenience, or when he/she is performing any job by the use of another application in the state in which the mail software has already been started, he/she changes-over the applications. Thereafter, he/she loads the corresponding mail stored in the storage unit of the server by the use of the mail software so as to ascertain the content thereof.

The above prior-art technique is stated in, for example, feature articles "Widened Choice of Electronic Mail Software" in NIKKEI COMPUTER dated May 4, 1992, issued by Nikkei BP Inc.

With the prior-art technique, for each client who has received an item of mail addressed to him/her, the fact of the reception can be displayed on the display unit or the like by, e.g., the function of the network operating system or the module for monitoring the mail reception as has been made resident in advance. Therefore, the user can be informed of the mail reception even during the course of a different job.

In order to ascertain the content of the received mail, however, the user needs to expressly start the mail software or change-over the applications even when the mail software has already been started. This poses the problem that the handling of the mail system is inconvenient to the user.

The attributes of the received mail, such as urgency and importance, are discriminated by the function of the mail software. The display of the mail reception merely reports the reception itself, and it disappears when the user has made a reply of confirmation thereto. Therefore, although the user can know of the reception of the mail at the time of the reception, he/she can find out the attribute of the mail only when he/she has started the mail software. Moreover, even when the mail software has already been started, the user can find out the attribute of the mail only after the change-over to the use of the mail software when the plurality of sorts of application software have been started and where the application software other than the mail software is being used. In other words, even when the received mail is urgent, the user on the reception side cannot know the urgency except by ascertaining it through the mail software. This poses the problem that the user might fail to promptly reply to urgent mail, or that, in an extreme case, he/she might even forget having received the mail because of his/her immersion in the other job.

Further, on the side on which the mail has been received, the user ascertains the content of the mail by loading the corresponding mail from within the storage unit of the server. Therefore, when there is much communication line traffic in the case of replaying and displaying an item of animation mail or the like, the prior art involves the problem that a long time is expended on the data transfer, so the normal replaying display is impossible.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

An object of the present invention is to provide a mail reception/display control method and a client/server system in which, when a reception side client has received mail information, the user can readily ascertain the content of received mail.

Another object of the present invention is to precisely replay an item of mail which is otherwise affected by the traffic state of a communication line in the replaying display thereof, irrespective of the traffic state of the communication line.

In order to solve the problems stated before, a client/server system according to the present invention comprises a server which includes storage means for storing information therein; a plurality of clients each of which includes transfer means for registering the information in the storage means of the server and for loading the information from the storage means, and each of the plurality of clients includes reception detection means for monitoring if the information addressed to the each client has been received by the server; display means for producing a display output indicative of the reception of the information addressed to the each client when the reception of the information addressed to each client has been detected by the reception detection means, and for displaying as another output the information addressed to the each client, based on the condition that a user at each client has instructed the display means to display the information addressed to the respective client; input means for accepting, at least, a confirmation reply of the reception of the user's instruction when the reception of the information addressed to the each client has been displayed by the display means; and replay control means for directing the display means to display the information addressed to the each client, when the confirmation reply of the reception of the user's instruction has been accepted by the input means.

It is possible that: the server includes a management table which manages the information stored in the storage means; that each of the plurality of clients further includes record means for writing situation information and identification information into the management table, wherein the situation information indicates a selected one of an expression "New" which signifies that the information is to be registered in the storage means anew, and an expression "Replayed" which signifies that the information registered anew has been loaded from the storage means by the transfer means, while the identification information identifies the addressee client of the information to-be-transmitted, and it is written when the information is to be registered in the storage means by the transfer means; that the reception detection means refers to the management table in order to monitor if the information addressed to the each client has been received by the server, and it detects the reception of the information addressed to each client when the expression "New" is borne as the situation information; that the transfer means loads the information addressed to each client and bearing the expression "New" as the situation information, from the storage means; and that the record means rewrites the situation information of the loaded information to the expression "Replayed" after the information has been loaded by the transfer means.

Alternatively, it is possible that: the server includes a management table which manages the information stored in the storage means; that each of the plurality of clients further includes record means for writing situation information and identification information into the management table, wherein the situation information indicates a selected one of an expression "New" which signifies that the information is to be registered in the storage means anew, an expression "Replayed" which signifies that the information registered anew has been loaded from the storage means by the transfer means, and an expression "Not replayed" which signifies that the reception of the new registered information by the server has been detected by the reception detection means, and that the new registered information has not yet been loaded from the storage means by the transfer means, while the identification information identifies the addressee client of the information to-be-transmitted, and it is written when the information is to be registered in the storage means by the transfer means; that the reception detection means refers to the management table in order to monitor if the information addressed to each client has been received by the server, and it detects the reception of the information addressed to each client when the expression "New" is borne as the situation information; that the record means rewrites the situation information of the received information to the expression "Not replayed" when the reception has been detected by the reception detection means; that the transfer means loads the received information bearing the expression "Not replayed" as the situation information, from the storage means; and that the record means rewrites the situation information of the loaded information to the expression "Replayed" after the information has been loaded by the transfer means.

It is also allowed that: the management table further manages any attribute which concerns the information stored in the storage means; that the record means further writes the attribute when the information is to be transmitted to the server by the transfer means; that the reception detection means further detects the attribute written in the management table; and that the display means displays the attribute as still another output, along with the display output which indicates the reception of the information addressed to each client.

It is also allowed that: the attribute specifies for the loading of the stored information by the transfer means, either of the timing at which the reply of confirmation of the reception as the user's instruction has been accepted by the input means, and an alternative timing before accepting the user's instruction, at which the reception of the information addressed to each client has been detected by the reception detection means; and that the reception detection means directs the transfer means to load the stored information at the timing specified by the attribute, when it has detected the attribute written in the management table.

Alternatively, it is possible that: the attribute specifies either of an operation of presenting the display of the information addressed to each client, when the reply of confirmation of the reception as the user's instruction has been accepted by the input means, and an operation of presenting the display when the information has been loaded by the transfer means, alternatively without accepting the user's instruction; and that the reception detection means directs the transfer means to load the information addressed to each client as stored in the storage means and also directs the display means to display the information addressed to each client, if the attribute written in the management table as detected by the reception detection means specifies the operation of presenting the display when the information has been loaded by the transfer means.

On the other hand, according to the present invention, an information reception/display control method in a mail system having a plurality of terminals which transmit and receive information, and storage means for storing therein the information sent from each of the terminals comprises the steps of: monitoring if the information addressed to each terminal has been stored in the storage means; producing a display output which indicates, at least, that the information addressed to each terminal has been received by the storage means, when the storage of the information in the storage means has been detected; accepting, at least, a reply of confirmation of the reception from a user at each terminal when the display output has been produced; loading the information addressed to each terminal, from the storage means when the reply of confirmation of the reception has been accepted; and displaying the loaded information addressed to each terminal, as an output. In this case, it is allowed that: when the information is to be transmitted from each terminal to the storage means, an attribute which specifies an operation of loading the information at the detection of the reception of the information is affixed to the information; and that, if the attribute is affixed when the storage of the information addressed to each terminal, in the storage means has been detected, the information addressed to each terminal is loaded from the storage means at the detection, instead of at the acceptance of the reply of confirmation of the reception.

Another information reception/display control method may well comprise the steps of: allowing each terminal to transmit the information to the storage means, and to affix an attribute to the information, wherein the attribute specifies either of an operation of displaying the information when the information has been loaded from the storage means, and an operation of displaying the information when a confirmation reply of the reception of the information has been accepted from a user at each terminal; monitoring if the information addressed to each terminal has been stored in the storage means; discriminating the attribute, and loading the information addressed to each terminal, from the storage means, when the storage of the information in the storage means has been detected; producing a display output which indicates the reception of the information addressed to each terminal, when the reception of the information has been detected; displaying the information addressed to each terminal, as an output at the loading of the information from the storage means, on condition that the discriminated attribute specifies the operation of displaying the information when the information has been loaded from the storage means; and displaying the information addressed to each terminal, as an output at the acceptance of the reply of confirmation of the reception from the user, on condition that the discriminated attribute specifies the operation of displaying the information when the reply of confirmation of the reception has been accepted from the user.

In the client/server system, the plurality of clients and the server are interconnected through the communication line of, e.g., Ethernet. On the transmission source (addresser) client side, when an item of mail (information) is to be transmitted to any other client, the mail to-be-transmitted is registered in the storage means of the server, and the name of the mail to-be-transmitted (the file name of the mail) and the attribute of the mail (such as "urgent" "important" or "strictly confidential") is written into the management table for the transmission destination (addressee) clients as recorded in the storage means of the serves. On the client side, the expression "New" which signifies that the information is to be registered in the storage means anew is registered as the situation information.

For each of the clients, the user's the management table of (for each client) as recorded in the storage means of the server is cyclically monitored to check if the mail addressed to the each client bears the situation information "New". In the case where the expression "New" is registered in the management table, each client detects the reception of the mail addressed thereto and reads the attribute of the received mail out of the management table. Herein, in the case where the attribute of the mail specifies that the mail shall not be displayed simultaneously with the transfer thereof, the mail is transferred from the storage means of the server to that of each client. When the mail transfer has been completed, or when the reception of the mail not requiring the mail transfer has been detected, the display to the effect that the mail has been received is presented on the display means, along with the mail attribute registered in the management table. When the mail is not transferred, the situation information is altered to the expression "Not replayed" which signifies that the reception of the new registered information by the server has been detected by the reception detection means, and that the new registered information has not yet been loaded from the storage means of the server by the transfer means. On the other hand, when the mail has been transferred and where the user at each client having received the mail gives the confirmation reply (as the user's instruction) to the display of the mail reception, each client directs the display means to display the content of the received mail, at the acceptance of the user's instruction by the input means. In accordance with the user's instruction, the display means displays the mail transferred to the storage means of each client. After such a replay, the situation information is altered to the expression "Replayed" which signifies that the information registered anew has already been replayed. Meanwhile, when the attribute of the mail specifies that the mail shall be displayed at the loading thereof by the transfer means, each client can direct the transfer means to load the mail addressed thereto as stored in the storage means of the server and can also direct the display means to display the mail addressed thereto, without accepting the confirmation reply of the reception as the user's instruction.

In this manner, at each client, when the mail addressed thereto has been received, the user can know of the attribute of the mail along with the reception thereof. Moreover, the user can ascertain the content of the received mail without expressly starting the mail software or changing-over the application to the mail software. Furthermore, when required in accordance with the attribute of the mail, it is possible to transfer the mail from the storage means of the server to that of each client and to load the mail from the storage means of the each client, thereby normally displaying the mail without being affected by the traffic state of the communication line.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of software which realizes a mail reception/replay control in an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is an architectural diagram of a client/server system which transmits and receives items of mail in the embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 3 is a diagram showing the format of a management table which is included in the software depicted in FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a flow chart of a mail transmission process in which a certain client terminal transmits the item of mail to another client terminal in the client/server system depicted in FIG. 2; and

FIG. 8 is a flow chart of a mail reception process and a mail replay process which are executed in each client unit depicted in FIG. 2.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Now, an embodiment of the present invention will be described in conjunction with the drawings.

FIG. 2 illustrates the architecture of a client/server system for mail transmission and reception to which the present invention is applied. Referring to FIG. 2, the client/server system comprises a server unit 210 (constituting a server) and a plurality of client units 240-a, 240-b, 240-c, . . . (constituting clients or client terminals), which are respectively connected to the server unit 210 through a communication line 230. In addition, the server unit 210 has a storage unit for the server, 220 connected thereto. This storage unit 220 for the server stores therein items of mail which have been sent from the client terminals, and items of shared information which are individually accessed by the client terminals. The shared information can contain a mail management table (100 in FIGS. 1 and 3) for managing items of mail