Method of communicating e-mail and apparatus using the same

1 . A method of communicating an e-mail, the method comprising:

selecting at least one image file;

generating an index file including an index image of the at least one image file; and

generating an e-mail including the at least one image file and the index file.

2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein a size of an original image of the at least one image file is reduced so as to generate an index image.

3 . The method of claim 1 , wherein a thumbnail image of the image file is extracted so that the thumbnail image is used as an index image.

4 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the at least one image file is a moving picture file including a plurality of frame images.

5 . The method of claim 4 , wherein an index image is generated from any one selected from among the plurality of frame images.

6 . The method of claim 1 , wherein a size of the index file is adjusted according to the number of the image files that are attached.

7 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the e-mail is generated by attaching the index file to the e-mail or inserting the index file into an e-mail text.

8 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising detecting that the e-mail includes the index file.

9 . The method of claim 8 , further comprising displaying the index file when it is detected that the e-mail includes the index file.

10 . The method of claim 9 , wherein the e-mail text is displayed on a main-window, and the index file is displayed on a sub-window.

11 . An e-mail communication apparatus comprising:

an index file generating unit generating an index file from at least one selected image file; and

an e-mail generating unit generating an e-mail including the index file.

12 . The apparatus of claim 11 , wherein the index file generating unit comprises an index image generating unit generating an index image by reducing a size of an original image of the image file or generating the index image by using a thumbnail image of the image file as the index image.

13 . The apparatus of claim 12 , wherein when the image file is a moving picture file comprising a plurality of frame images,

the index image generating unit generates an index image by reducing a size of any one frame image selected from among the plurality of frame images or generating the index image by using a thumbnail image of the moving picture file as the index image.

14 . The apparatus of claim 12 , wherein the index file generating unit comprises a filename combining unit combining the index image with a filename of a corresponding image file.

15 . The apparatus of claim 12 , wherein the index file generating unit comprises a size adjusting unit adjusting a size of an index file according to the number of attached image files.

16 . The apparatus of claim 11 , wherein the e-mail generating unit generates an e-mail by attaching the index file or inserting the index file into an e-mail text.

17 . The apparatus of claim 11 , further comprising an index file detection unit detecting that the e-mail includes the index file.

18 . The apparatus of claim 17 , further comprising a display controlling unit controlling the index file detected by the index file detection unit to be displayed in an e-mail receiving terminal.

19 . The apparatus of claim 11 , wherein the e-mail communication apparatus comprises:

an e-mail server writing an e-mail including the image file and the index file;

an e-mail transmitting terminal transmitting the e-mail; and

an e-mail receiving terminal receiving the e-mail.

20 . The apparatus of claim 19 , wherein the e-mail transmitting terminal comprises the index file generating unit.

21 . The apparatus of claim 19 , wherein the e-mail server comprises the index file generating unit.