IP Library Granted Patent US 7,774,415
Granted Patent B2
US 7,774,415 · App. 11/763,193 · Granted Aug 10, 2010

Management assistance device, management assistance method, and computer program for managing responses to e-mails

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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 7,774,415
App. No.
11/763,193
Granted
Aug 10, 2010
Kind
B2
Abstract

A mail sending and receiving unit provided to a terminal for person in charge receives inquiry mails to which uniquely identifiable receipt numbers are added, and reply mails sent in response to the inquiry mails. An e-mail storage unit stores the incoming e-mails received by the mail sending and receiving unit, and the receipt numbers added to the incoming e-mails. The mail sending and receiving unit sends reply e-mails which are created in response to the incoming e-mails stored in the e-mail storage unit, and to which the receipt numbers of the corresponding incoming e-mails are added. A management screen generation unit displays the inquiry mails stored in the e-mail storage unit, and the reply mails, as being associated with each other by use of the receipt numbers of the respective inquiry mails.

Claims (33)

1. A terminal comprising:

a mail sending and receiving unit which receives an incoming e-mail;

an identification adding unit which adds an identification information to the incoming mail;

a mail creation unit which creates a reply e-mail via the mail sending and receiving unit in response to the incoming e-mail to which the identification information has been added; and

a management screen generation unit which generates a management screen which displays the incoming e-mail and the reply e-mail, as being associated with each other based on the identification information.

2. The terminal according to claim 1 , wherein the reply e-mail created by the mail creation unit, contains a handling declaration mail which shows a person in charge who handles the incoming e-mail; and the handling declaration mail contains the identification information.

3. The terminal according to claim 2 , wherein the reply e-mail created by the mail creation unit contains an answering mail in response to the incoming e-mail; and the answering mail contains the identification information.

4. The terminal according to claim 3 , wherein the management screen includes information on a received date and time of receiving the incoming e-mail, the person in charge of handling the incoming e-mail and a received date and time of the handling declaration mail, and sending date and time of the reply e-mail based on the identification information.

5. The terminal according to claim 1 , wherein the reply e-mail created by the mail creation unit contains an answering mail in response to the incoming e-mail and the answering mail contains the identification information.

6. The terminal according to claim 1 , wherein the terminal is one of a plurality of terminals corresponding to a plurality of persons in charge, the plurality of terminals included in a management system corresponding to the plurality of persons in charge.

7. The terminal according to claim 6 , wherein the plurality of terminals have corresponding unique e-mail address registered on an e-mail server.

8. A system comprising:

a terminal comprising:

a mail sending and receiving unit which receives an incoming e-mail;

an identification adding unit which adds a first identification information to the incoming mail;

a mail creation unit which creates a reply e-mail via the mail sending and receiving unit in response to the incoming e-mail to which the identification information has been added; and

a management screen generation unit which generates a management screen which displays the incoming e-mail and the reply e-mail, as being associated with each other based on the first identification information; and

a server coupled to said terminal to provide the first identification information, and a second identification information for said reply e-mail.

9. The terminal according to claim 1 , wherein the identification information is added to a subject line of the incoming e-mail.

10. The system according to claim 8 , wherein the first identification information is added to a subject line of the incoming e-mail.

11. A method for managing e-mail, the method comprising:

receiving an incoming e-mail from an e-mail server to which a first identification information has been added by an identification adding unit in the e-mail server;

sending a handling declaration e-mail which shows a person in charge of handling the incoming e-mail to the e-mail server in response to the receiving the incoming e-mail, the handling declaration e-mail including the first identification information;

receiving the handling declaration e-mail and adding a second identification information to the received handling declaration mail, and sending the handling declaration e-mail to a plurality of terminals of persons in charge of responding to the incoming e-mail;

receiving the handling declaration e-mail which includes the second identification information and creating a reply e-mail in response to the incoming e-mail to the handling declaration e-mail; and

generating a management screen which displays the incoming e-mail, the handling declaration e-mail, and the reply e-mail as being associated with each other based on the first identification information, wherein the management screen includes information on a received date and time of receiving the incoming e-mail, the person in charge of handling the incoming e-mail and a received date and time of the handling declaration e-mail, and sending date and time of the reply e-mail.

12. The method according to claim 11 , wherein the first and second identification information is included in a subject line of the reply e-mail, and information of the person in charge is included in a body of the handling declaration e-mail.

13. A system comprising:

a plurality of terminals, each of said plurality of terminals comprising:

a mail sending and receiving unit which receives an incoming e-mail to which identification information comprising a first identification information has been added;

a mail creation unit which creates a reply e-mail via the mail sending and receiving unit in response to the incoming e-mail to which the first identification information has been added;

a management screen generation unit which generates a management screen which displays the incoming e-mail and the reply e-mail, as being associated with each other based on the first and second identification information; and

a server coupled to said terminal to add the first identification information to said incoming e-mail and a second identification information to said reply e-mail.

Assignments (3)
CHANGE OF NAME Recorded Nov 4, 2010
From: NEC ELECTRONICS CORPORATION
To: RENESAS ELECTRONICS CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 025311/0869 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jun 26, 2007
From: KATOU, TAIJI
To: NEC ELECTRONICS CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 019476/0460 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jun 22, 2007
From: KATOU, TAIJI
To: NEC ELECTRONICS CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 019470/0063 →