JP2001036668A - Method for notifying arrival of information - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To easily inform a destination about the arrival of information at a low cost upon receiving information of which destination is specified. SOLUTION: Information with a prescribed destination such as an electronic mail is stored to a server group 34 of a provider among information whose destination is specified and that is transferred via the internet 40. When an electronic mail with a prescribed destination is stored in the server group 34, the provider outputs a tone dial signal or a pulse dial signal including a telephone number corresponding to the destination of this electronic mail to an analog public communication line to start connection processing. Furthermore, the connection processing is terminated and an interruption signal is outputted before the end of a ring back tone signal. Since the telephone number of the provider is supplied to a user denoted in the destination of the electronic mail as a caller telephone number, the user is informed of the arrival of the electronic mail to the server group 34 without being carged with call tariff by utilizing this caller telephone number.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an information arrival notification method. More specifically, from information, for example, e-mail, of a destination transferred via a network such as the Internet, an e-mail of a predetermined destination is stored in a mail server of a provider, and the destination corresponding to the stored e-mail is stored. By outputting a dial signal of the telephone number from the provider to the analog public communication line, it is possible to determine whether or not an electronic mail has arrived by determining whether or not a call has been received from this provider.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, a plurality of servers are connected via a communication network, and various information stored in each server is transmitted between the servers. For example, in the Internet, a plurality of WWW (World Wide Web) servers and mail servers are connected to a communication network.
2. Description of the Related Art Data such as images, sounds, and moving images as well as text data is transmitted. In addition, exchanges of electronic mail and the like are also performed.

In the exchange of e-mails and the like, a mail server is used, and e-mails are transmitted based on requests from clients (hereinafter referred to as "users"), and received e-mails are stored in a mail server. In some cases, a stored e-mail is delivered when requested by a user.

[0004]

By the way, when connecting to the Internet for sending and receiving e-mails, there is a method of always using a dedicated line, or a provider via a general public communication line only when necessary. (Internet connection service provider) is a method of making a dial-up connection. In this dial-up connection method, it is not possible to confirm whether or not the e-mail has arrived unless the user makes a request to deliver the stored e-mail to the provider side.

[0005] When a so-called incoming call notification service is provided by a provider for notifying a user who has received an e-mail that the e-mail has arrived, it is recognized that the e-mail has arrived by receiving this service. You can check. However, the information indicating that the e-mail has arrived is communicated using the D channel of the ISDN line, so communication costs are incurred. In addition, users of the analog public line cannot receive the incoming call notification service.

In view of the above, the present invention provides an information arrival notification method capable of easily and inexpensively notifying the arrival of information to a destination when the information with the specified destination arrives. is there.

[0007]

An information arrival notification method according to the present invention is connected to a network, and stores information of a predetermined destination from information specified for the destination transferred through the network. When the information of the predetermined destination is stored in the information storage means, a dial signal of a telephone number corresponding to the destination of the information is output to an analog public communication line.

In the present invention, an e-mail of a predetermined destination is stored in a mail server from, for example, an e-mail whose destination is transferred via a network such as the Internet. Here, when the e-mail is stored in the mail server, a tone dial signal or a pulse dial signal of the telephone number corresponding to the destination of the stored e-mail is output to the analog public communication line, and the line is connected. Thereafter, a disconnection signal is output before the termination of the ringback tone signal to terminate the line connection. When an e-mail of a predetermined destination is stored in the mail server, output of a dial signal of a telephone number corresponding to the destination of the stored e-mail is prohibited.

[0009]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Hereinafter, a communication terminal device according to the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 shows a configuration of a communication system. A user's computer device 10 is a communication terminal device 1 such as a modem or a terminal adapter.
2 and connected to an analog public communication line (hereinafter simply referred to as “public communication line”) 20. On the other hand, a provider (Internet connection service provider) is connected to the public communication line 20 via a communication terminal device, for example, a collective modem 32, and the collective modem 32 is connected to a server group 34.
Connected to The server group 34 is connected to the Internet 40 via a router 38. The server group 34
, An incoming mail is notified by outputting a dial signal (tone dial signal or pulse dial signal) of the user's telephone number corresponding to the user login name indicated in the mail address of the arrived e-mail. The dial signal output unit 39 is connected.

In order to connect the user's computer apparatus 10 to the server group 34 of the provider by dial-up connection, the communication terminal apparatus 12 is controlled by the computer apparatus 10 and communicates with a predetermined protocol via the public communication line 20. It is connected to the collective modem 32 of the provider.
When the computer device 10 and the collective modem 32 are connected in this way, after the user is authenticated, the computer device 10 and the server group 34 are connected.

Next, the configuration of the communication terminal device 12 will be described. FIG. 2 shows a case where the communication terminal device 12 is a modem, and the modem 12 is connected to the computer device 10 via the DTE interface unit 121. This DTE
The interface unit 121 is for connecting the computer device 10 and the modem 12, and adjusts the signal level and performs signal level conversion so that correct data communication can be performed. The DTE interface unit 121 is connected to a micro control unit unit (hereinafter, referred to as “MCU unit”) 127 described later.

The modem 12 is connected to the public communication line 20 via a line interface 123. The line interface unit 123 connects the inside of the 4-wire modem 12 to the 2-wire public communication line 20 by performing a line capturing process for short-circuiting the line and notifying the use of the line to the public communication line exchange. -Line to 4-wire conversion processing, a pulse dial signal generation processing for generating and transmitting a pulse dial signal to request a connection to a desired access point, and a pulse dial signal generation processing for supplying a connection request to a desired access point. Detects an incoming signal and performs processing such as generation of a call detection signal indicating that a call is being made. The line interface unit 123 is connected to a modem data pump unit (hereinafter, referred to as “MDP unit”) 125 and an MCU unit 127.

The MDP unit 125 performs a demodulation process of converting an analog reception signal supplied from the public communication line 20 into a digital reception signal and then demodulating it, and a modulation process of modulating a digital signal to be transmitted and converting it to an analog transmission signal. Do. Also, it performs signal processing for monitoring various signals such as a busy tone and a ringback tone from the exchange and notifying the MCU unit 127, and processing for generating a tone dial signal for requesting connection to a desired access point.

The MCU unit 127 supplies a control signal CTA to the line interface unit 123 to control the operation of the line interface unit, for example, control of line acquisition and generation of a pulse dial signal. In addition, by supplying a control signal CTB to the MDP unit 125 via an internal bus 130 described later, the modulation and demodulation processing operations in the MDP unit 125 are controlled, and the generation of a tone dial signal and the like are controlled.
Further, the MCU unit 127 interprets the command supplied from the computer device 10 and performs various settings and operation control of the modem 12, and also performs error detection and correction processing, data compression, data packetization, and the like. Also, M
A notifying unit 135 is connected to the CU unit 127, and the notifying unit 135 displays, for example, information such as the arrival of an e-mail by display or voice.

The MDP unit 125 and the MCU unit 127 are connected via an internal bus 130. The internal bus 130 is connected to a ROM section 131, a RAM section 132, and an EEPROM section 133 capable of rewriting data.
Control signals and various data signals are transmitted between the units via the internal bus 130. The ROM 131 stores the modem 12
Is stored in the RAM 1
32 is used as a work area. EEPROM 1
33 stores the setting conditions of the modem 12, such as the communication standard and the compression format. Also, abbreviated number information and the like are stored. Further, the EEPROM 133 stores operation setting conditions of the modem 12 and the like.

FIG. 3 shows the configuration of a server group 34 connected to the Internet 40. The server group 34 is a WWW (World Wide Web) server for distributing information such as characters and images to the Internet 40. 341, a mail server 342 for exchanging e-mails, a DNS (Domain Name System) for converting an IP address and a domain name
m) It has a server 343 and the like. The mail server 342 is an SMTP (Simple Mail Transfer Protocol) server 342
a and a POP (Post Office Protocol) server 342b. Further, a data storage 342c is connected to the mail server 342.

Here, when the user connects to the provider by dial-up connection and transmits an e-mail, the e-mail from the transmitting user is transmitted by the provider's SMTP.
It is supplied to the server 342a. SMTP server 342a
Then, the DNS server 343 is inquired about the IP address for the e-mail address. When an answer of the IP address is obtained from the DNS server 343, an e-mail is transmitted to the IP address via the Internet 40.

When an e-mail arrives, the e-mail arrives at the SMTP server 342a and is stored in the data storage 342c. Here, when the user reads out the received e-mail, the user accesses the POP server 342b, confirms the arrival of the e-mail, and reads out the received e-mail.
The POP server 342b performs a process of reading the electronic mail of the accessed user from the data storage 342c and transmitting the read e-mail to the user. If the setting is made to delete the e-mail stored in the mail server 34 when the user reads the e-mail, the read e-mail is deleted from the data storage 342c. Is done.

Next, the operation will be described. When the e-mail arrives, the mail server 342 of the provider determines the user login name indicated by the address of the arrived e-mail, and the e-mail of the determined user login name is already stored in the data storage 342c. Is detected. If the user login name is not stored, the user login name is supplied to the dial signal output unit 39. The dial signal output unit 39 performs a mail incoming notification process for the user corresponding to the supplied user login name.

FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a mail arrival notification processing operation. When an e-mail arrives and a user login name is supplied to the dial signal output unit 39, the dial signal output unit 39 associates the user login name with the user login name. A tone dial signal or a pulse dial signal of the user's telephone number is output to the public communication line 20. In the exchange 25 of the public communication line 20, the communication terminal device 12 of the user indicated by the supplied tone dial signal or pulse dial signal.
The start signal is supplied after the polarity is inverted. The activation signal is a signal for notifying information such as a calling telephone number, that is, notifying that information of a so-called number display service has been received.

The communication terminal 12 of the user outputs a temporary response signal to the exchange 25 by closing the loop based on the start signal. The primary response signal is the communication terminal device 12
Is detected by the exchange 25, the telephone number of the provider is used as the caller telephone number information.
T Recommendation V. The communication signal is supplied from the exchange 25 to the communication terminal device 12 by a modem signal conforming to 23. The communication terminal device 12 compares the outgoing telephone number based on the modem signal supplied from the exchange 25 with the telephone number stored in the EEPROM 133. Here, by storing the telephone number of the provider in the EEPROM section 12, it is possible to easily determine that a call has been received from the provider. When the communication terminal device 12 completes the reception of the information, it releases the loop to supply a reception completion signal to the exchange 25.

In the exchange 25, when a reception completion signal is supplied from the communication terminal device 12, the call signal is transmitted to the communication terminal device 12.
To supply. At this time, a ringback tone signal indicating that the communication terminal device 12 is being called is supplied to the provider. When the ringback tone signal is detected by the dial signal output unit 39, the communication is terminated by opening the loop and supplying a disconnection signal to the exchange 25 before the termination of the ringback tone signal.
In the communication terminal device 12, the dial signal output unit 39
Before the ring back tone signal is detected and the communication is terminated, the ringing signal is supplied so that the loop is not closed in response to the ringing signal and the secondary response signal is supplied to the exchange 25. It is assumed that the loop is kept in an open state until a predetermined period elapses after the execution.

As described above, the communication terminal 12 of the user keeps the loop open until a predetermined period elapses after the supply of the call signal, and the dial signal output unit 39 of the provider uses the ring back signal. If the communication is terminated before the end of the tone signal, for example, when a ring back tone signal is detected, it is possible to notify the arrival of the e-mail without being charged by calling the provider from the provider to caller telephone number information. You can let them know.

The communication terminal apparatus 12 determines whether the caller telephone number information supplied from the exchange is a telephone number of a provider to which dial-up connection is made, and indicates the caller telephone number information. When it is determined that the telephone number is equal to the telephone number of the provider, the notification unit 135 indicates that an e-mail has arrived using a light emitting diode or a liquid crystal display element. Alternatively, it is indicated by voice using a speaker or the like.

Further, in the communication terminal device 12, when an incoming electronic mail is detected, a dial-up connection with a provider may be automatically performed to download the electronic mail.

FIG. 5 is a flow chart showing the operation for automatically downloading an electronic mail. In step ST1, it is determined whether or not the caller telephone number information supplied from the exchange 25 is a telephone number of a provider for dial-up connection. Here, when it is determined that the telephone number indicated by the caller telephone number information is equal to the telephone number of the provider, the process proceeds to step ST2, and when it is not determined that the telephone number is equal, the download processing operation ends.

In step ST2, the computer 1
0 to start the computer device 10 or switch from the low power consumption mode to the normal operation mode, and automatically execute e-mail software for managing transmission / reception of e-mail.

In step ST3, the e-mail software is executed by the computer device 10, and it is determined whether or not a dial-up connection request has been made from the computer device 10 to receive the e-mail. Here, when a dial-up connection request is made, the process proceeds to step ST4. If the dial-up connection request is not made even after the lapse of the predetermined time, the operation ends.

In step ST4, a dial-up connection process with the provider is executed. When the line is connected, an e-mail is downloaded from the mail server 342 of the provider, and the process proceeds to step ST5.

In step ST5, when the download is completed, the connected line is released and the operation of the computer 10 is terminated. It should be noted that when the download is completed, the line is released or the computer 10
The process of ending the operation may be controlled by the computer device 10.

As described above, when it is determined that the telephone number indicated by the caller telephone number information is equal to the telephone number of the provider, the computer 10 is controlled to automatically download the e-mail. Thus, the user can promptly check the contents of the e-mail without performing an operation of downloading the e-mail by dial-up connection with the provider.

Further, the ROM unit 13 of the communication terminal device 12
1 stores the e-mail software necessary for downloading the e-mail, and also stores information such as the user name and password of the user in the EEPROM unit 133. When it is determined that the indicated telephone number is equal to the provider's telephone number, it is assumed that the processing of the computer device 10 in the above-described flowchart is performed by the communication terminal device 12, and an electronic mail is automatically downloaded and RA
It may be stored in the M unit 132. in this case,
Even if the computer device 10 is not always connected to the communication terminal device 12, for example, a portable computer device such as a notebook personal computer,
Since the electronic mail has been downloaded to the communication terminal device 12, the computer device 10 is connected to the communication terminal device 12, and the electronic mail stored in the communication terminal device 12 is read out. The content of the e-mail can be confirmed promptly without performing the process of downloading the e-mail.

In the above-described embodiment, the e-mail of the determined user login name is stored in the data storage 34.
2c, the provider outputs the tone dial signal or pulse dial signal of the user having the determined user login name, but every time an electronic mail arrives, the tone dial signal or pulse dial signal is output. Of course, the signal may be output from the provider.

[0034]

According to the present invention, when information of a predetermined destination is stored in the information storage means via the network, a dial signal of a telephone number corresponding to the destination of the stored information is transmitted to the analog public communication line. Is output. Therefore, it is possible to confirm whether or not information has been received simply by determining whether or not there is a call from the information storage means.

After the dial signal of the telephone number corresponding to the destination of the information is output to the analog public communication line, the disconnection signal is output before the end of the ring back tone signal.
Therefore, it is possible to notify that the information has arrived by using the caller telephone number notification without being charged. Further, when the information of the predetermined destination is already stored in the information storage means, the output of the dial signal of the telephone number corresponding to the destination of the information is prohibited, so that it is efficiently notified that the information has arrived. Can be.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a configuration of a communication system.

FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating a configuration of a communication terminal device (modem).

FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating a configuration of a server group.

FIG. 4 is a diagram for explaining an incoming mail notification process;

FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing a mail download process.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 Computer apparatus 12 Communication terminal apparatus 20 Public communication line 25 Exchanger 32 Collective modem 34 Server group 38 Router 39 Dial signal output part 40 Internet 121 DTE interface part 123 Line interface part 125 Modem data pump part (MDP part) 127 Micro control unit part (MCU unit) 130 Internal bus 135 Notification unit 341 WWW server 342 Mail server 342a SMTP server 342b POP server 342c Data storage 343 DNS server

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Claims (3)

[Claims] An information storage device stores information on a predetermined destination from information specified as a destination connected to a network and transferred through the network, and stores the predetermined information in the information storage device. An information arrival notification method, wherein when information of a destination is stored, a dial signal of a telephone number corresponding to the destination of the information is output to an analog public communication line. 2. The method according to claim 1, further comprising: outputting a dial signal of a telephone number corresponding to the destination of the information to an analog public communication line, and outputting a disconnection signal before terminating a ringback tone signal. Information incoming notification method. 3. The method according to claim 1, wherein when the information of the predetermined destination is already stored in the information storage means, a dial signal output of a telephone number corresponding to the destination of the information is prohibited. Information incoming notification method.