U.S. patent application number 11/335004 was filed with the patent office on 2006-06-08 for information processing apparatus and information processing program.
Invention is credited to Hiroyo Suzuki, Syuji Takeshita.
Application Number | 20060123037 11/335004 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 27808424 |
Filed Date | 2006-06-08 |
United States Patent
Application |
20060123037 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Takeshita; Syuji ; et
al. |
June 8, 2006 |
Information processing apparatus and information processing
program
Abstract
In a system that corresponds content to a user and permits the
user to browse particular content corresponding to the user, the
system timely informs the user of a page to which update has been
performed. A content update information obtaining section obtains
content update information showing the update of content, and a
notification mail generation section generates a notification mail
having an e-mail, which is obtained based on browsing-permitted
subject identification code administrated by a content
administration section, as a destination. Further, when it is
detected that the notification mail is non-deliverable, the system
may prevent the user from browsing the particular content.
Inventors: |
Takeshita; Syuji; (Tokyo,
JP) ; Suzuki; Hiroyo; (Tokyo, JP) |
Correspondence
Address: |
PITNEY HARDIN LLP
7 TIMES SQUARE
NEW YORK
NY
10036-7311
US
|
Family ID: |
27808424 |
Appl. No.: |
11/335004 |
Filed: |
January 19, 2006 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
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10401008 |
Mar 27, 2003 |
|
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11335004 |
Jan 19, 2006 |
|
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Current U.S.
Class: |
1/1 ;
707/999.101; 707/E17.116 |
Current CPC
Class: |
G06F 16/958 20190101;
Y10S 707/99943 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
707/101 |
International
Class: |
G06F 17/00 20060101
G06F017/00 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
Mar 28, 2002 |
JP |
JP 2002-090812 |
Mar 28, 2002 |
JP |
JP 2002-092856 |
Mar 24, 2003 |
JP |
JP 2003-080988 |
Claims
1. An information processing apparatus, comprising: a content
administration section that administers plural kinds of content and
browsing-permitted subject identification code that is an
identification code to identify a subject capable of browsing said
content for each content, by associating them; a content update
information obtaining section that obtains content update
information that is information regarding an update of the content
administered by said content administration section; and a
notification mail generation section that generates a notification
mail that is an e-mail, which has notification information that is
information regarding an update of a content as details, based on
said content update information, and which has as a destination an
e-mail address, which is obtained based on an updated content and
an associated browsing-permitted subject identification code.
2. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1,
wherein said notification mail contains details about the update of
a content.
3. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1,
wherein said notification mail generation means comprises: template
obtaining means that obtains a template; and notification
information generation means that generates notification
information by using the template obtained by said template
obtaining means.
4. The information processing apparatus according to claim 2,
wherein said template obtaining means obtains the template based on
said updated content and said associated browsing-permitted subject
identification code.
5. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1,
wherein said notification mail generation section has notification
determination result obtaining means that obtains a notification
determination result that is information to decide whether the
notification mail is generated or not in response to said content
update information, and generates the notification mail in response
to the notification determination result obtained by said
notification determination result obtaining means.
6. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1,
wherein the content administered by said content administration
section is browsable by tracking hyperlinks, and said notification
information includes the hyperlink to be tracked in order to browse
the updated content.
7. The information processing apparatus according to claim 5,
further comprising: a link input section that enters the hyperlink
of the content; an authentication information input section that
enters authentication information that is information for
authentication; a determination section that determines whether an
authentication information corresponding to the browsing-permitted
subject identification code, which is associated with the content
linked to the hyperlink that has been input to said link input
section, and the authentication information input to said
authentication information input section match; and a content
output section that outputs the content identified by the
hyperlink, which has been input to said link input section, when a
determination result in said determination section is that `the
information match`.
8. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1,
wherein said content administration section administrates said
content, said browsing-permitted subject identification code, and
notification mail preferences presence information to specify
whether a user wishes to receive the notification mail to be
delivered to him/her or not, by associating the corresponding
information, and said notification mail generation section
generates the notification mail based on said notification mail
preferences presence information.
9. The information processing apparatus according to claim 7,
wherein said content administration section has: change instruction
obtaining means for notification mail preferences presence
information, which obtains a change instruction that is an
instruction to change the notification mail preferences presence
information; and notification mail preferences presence information
changing means that changes the notification mail preferences
presence information in response to the change instruction obtained
by said change instruction obtaining means for notification mail
preferences presence information.
10. A computer program comprising computer executable code which
when being executed on a computer causes said computer to act as an
information processing apparatus according to claim 1.
11. (canceled)
12. (canceled)
13. (canceled)
14. (canceled)
15. (canceled)
16. (canceled)
17. (canceled)
18. (canceled)
19. (canceled)
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0001] 1. Field of the Invention
[0002] The present invention relates to an apparatus and a computer
program, which, when browsable content is detected for each user,
sends notice via e-mail to the user who is capable of browsing the
updated content.
[0003] Further, the present invention also relates to an apparatus
and a computer program, which determines whether the transmission
of e-mail to an e-mail address assigned to a user having
authorization (authorization by which the user can browse the
above-described content, for example) is undeliverable or not, and
change the authorization.
[0004] 2. Prior Art
[0005] The Internet has conventionally been used for sales
activity. For example, e-mail is used for inquiries from customers
and for responses thereto. A WEB server is used to provide
information to the customers, such as merchandise information,
price information, information of order reception and shipping
status of merchandise, and the like. Further, inquiries from the
customers have also been processed by a template provided by the
WEB server.
[0006] In recent years, particularly, a system has been used which
provides information only to particular customers according to
business records of the customers. In such a system, specific
content is provided to specific customers. For example, when a
customer accesses to the system, specific content for the specific
customer is displayed.
[0007] With such a system, only information that the customer needs
is provided to him/her, and the customer can quickly access the
information that he/she needs. Further, those who provide
information to the customers can provide different information for
each customer, and can quote different prices for a same product to
different customers according to business records, credit rating
and the like for example.
[0008] As described, to present the information unique to the
customer, authentication is performed by identification codes,
passwords or the like, and thus particular details have been
presented for a particular customer.
[0009] Specifically, when a person from a customer company who
accesses to the WEB server of a sales company or the like, a screen
for entering an ID and the password is displayed. When a correct
identification code and password are entered, the particular
information for the person in charge of the company is
provided.
[0010] However, in such a system that provides specific information
to specific customers, the system does not have means to inform the
customers of updated content. If there is an update, the sales
company has to wait for the customers to access the content after
the content is updated, and there is a problem that the system
cannot timely provide information for the customers.
[0011] Furthermore, in the above-described system, it is necessary
to control disclosure of the content, which is to be disclosed only
to the particular customer, in order to prevent it from being
disclosed to other customers while updated information is timely
informed to the customer. For example, it has frequently occurred
that the person in charge of a company moves to other company
without prior contact due to the changes of employment situation in
recent years. For this reason, if the person remembers the
identification code and the password, he/she can browse the
information that should be presented only to the first company, for
which he/she has worked, after having moved to the other company.
Thus, there is another problem that the information that should be
presented only to a particular company is leaked out to those who
are employed by another company.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0012] The object of the present invention is to inform and
disclose information that content has been updated for a person who
can browse the content by transmission of an e-mail or the like,
and also, to prevent a person, to whom the transmission of e-mail
has been non-deliverable due to a reason such as retirement, from
browsing the content, and thus preventing the information from
unauthorized disclosure.
[0013] In the present invention, an information processing
apparatus is provided, which comprises a content administration
section that administers content and browsing-permitted subject
identification code by associating them, a content update
information obtaining section that obtains information regarding
update of the content, and a notification mail generation section
that generates an e-mail, which has notification information update
of the content as details, based on the information obtained by the
content update information section, and has an e-mail address,
which is obtained based on an updated content and an associated
browsing-permitted subject identification code, as a
destination.
[0014] With this, the user, who corresponds to the updated content
and the associated browsing-permitted subject identification code,
is informed of the update by e-mail. Information can be timely
provided, and thus solving the problems.
[0015] Further, according to such an information processing
apparatus, the notice of update by e-mail is made even when the
update of content is caused by correction of apparent errors.
Improvement has been made to this point, in which the apparatus
does not send the notice to the user who does not want to receive
the notice of update, or comprises notification determination
result obtaining means that obtains a determination result whether
the notice of update is sent or not.
[0016] With this, constant notice of update can be restricted,
notice according to the level of update can be performed, thereby
solving the problem.
[0017] To solve the problem that the information is disclosed
without authorization, the identification code, information showing
validity of the identification code, and the e-mail address are
made to correspond with each other, in the present invention, it is
determined whether the transmission of e-mail having an e-mail
address as a destination is non-deliverable or not, and the
information showing validity of the identification code is changed
based on the determination result.
[0018] Accordingly, when it is detected that the e-mail address has
become unreachable after a person in charge of a customer company
moved to other company, the person in charge can no longer obtain
information presented only for the company for which he/she worked
before moving to the other company, thereby solving the
problem.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0019] FIG. 1 is a view showing an outline of the present
invention.
[0020] FIG. 2 is a functional block diagram of an information
processing apparatus in a first embodiment of the present
invention.
[0021] FIG. 3 is an exemplary view showing the state of control in
a content administration section.
[0022] FIG. 4 is an exemplary view of a table by which control is
performed in the content administration section.
[0023] FIG. 5 is a specific example of a processing in the first
embodiment.
[0024] FIG. 6 is an exemplary view of a notification mail to be
generated.
[0025] FIG. 7 is a flowchart explaining the processing in the first
embodiment.
[0026] FIG. 8 is a functional block diagram of the information
processing apparatus in a second embodiment of the present
invention.
[0027] FIG. 9 is an exemplary view of a template.
[0028] FIG. 10 is a flowchart of the processing in the second
embodiment.
[0029] FIG. 11 is a functional block diagram of the information
processing apparatus in a third embodiment of the present
invention.
[0030] FIG. 12 is a specific example of the processing in the third
embodiment.
[0031] FIG. 13 is an exemplary view of a screen for obtaining a
notification determination result in the third embodiment.
[0032] FIG. 14 is a flowchart of the processing in the third
embodiment.
[0033] FIG. 15 is a functional block diagram of the information
processing apparatus in a fourth embodiment of the present
invention.
[0034] FIG. 16 is a specific example of the processing in the
fourth embodiment.
[0035] FIG. 17 is an exemplary view of a table used in a fifth
embodiment of the present invention.
[0036] FIG. 18 is an exemplary view of another table used in the
fifth embodiment.
[0037] FIG. 19 is an exemplary view of the information processing
apparatus in a sixth embodiment of the present invention.
[0038] FIG. 20 is an exemplary view of a screen for obtaining an
update instruction in the sixth embodiment.
[0039] FIG. 21 an exemplary view of another screen for obtaining
the update instruction in the sixth embodiment.
[0040] FIG. 22 is an exemplary view of a screen generated by a WEB
page generation system.
[0041] FIG. 23 is a functional block diagram of the WEB page
generation system.
[0042] FIG. 24 is a flowchart of processing of the WEB page
generation system.
[0043] FIG. 25 is an exemplary view of a state where the
information processing apparatus in the first embodiment and the
WEB page generation system are combined.
[0044] FIG. 26 is an exemplary view of a state where the
information processing apparatus in the second embodiment and the
WEB page generation system are combined.
[0045] FIG. 27 is an exemplary view of a state where the
information processing apparatus in the third embodiment and the
WEB page generation system are combined.
[0046] FIG. 28 is an exemplary view of a state where the
information processing apparatus in the fourth embodiment and the
WEB page generation system are combined.
[0047] FIG. 29 is an exemplary view of a state where the
information processing apparatus in the sixth embodiment and the
WEB page generation system are combined.
[0048] FIG. 30 is a view showing the outline of the present
invention.
[0049] FIG. 31 is a functional block diagram of the information
processing apparatus in a seventh embodiment of the present
invention.
[0050] FIG. 32 is an exemplary view of a table stored by a validity
information storage section.
[0051] FIG. 33 is an exemplary view of another table stored by a
validity information storage section.
[0052] FIG. 34 is a flowchart of the processing in the seventh
embodiment.
[0053] FIG. 35 is a flowchart of another processing in the seventh
embodiment.
[0054] FIG. 36 is a view showing an assumption where an electronic
mail is transmitted.
[0055] FIG. 37 is a view of an operation when referring to an MX
record of DNS.
[0056] FIG. 38 is a view of an operation for determining whether an
e-mail to an e-mail address.
[0057] FIG. 39 is a functional block diagram of an identification
code administration apparatus of an eighth embodiment of the
present invention.
[0058] FIG. 40 is a flowchart of the processing in the eighth
embodiment.
[0059] FIG. 41 is an exemplary view of a non-delivery notice
e-mail.
[0060] FIG. 42 is an exemplary view of the table where message IDs
are associated with e-mail addresses.
[0061] FIG. 43 is an example of a processing where identification
code validity information is invalidated from the message ID in a
text of the non-delivery notice e-mail.
[0062] FIG. 44 is an exemplary view of a screen showing
non-delivery notice e-mail information.
[0063] FIG. 45 is a functional block diagram of the identification
code administration apparatus of a ninth embodiment of the present
invention.
[0064] FIG. 46 is a flowchart of the processing in the ninth
embodiment.
[0065] FIG. 47 is a functional block diagram of the identification
code administration apparatus of a tenth embodiment of the present
invention.
[0066] FIG. 48 is a functional block diagram of the identification
code administration apparatus of an eleventh embodiment of the
present invention.
[0067] FIG. 49 is an exemplary view of a screen for obtaining
change instruction information.
[0068] FIG. 50 is a functional block diagram of the identification
code administration apparatus of a twelfth embodiment of the
present invention.
[0069] FIG. 51 is a functional block diagram of the information
processing apparatus that permits an access to content by
authentication information.
[0070] FIG. 52 is an exemplary view of a state where the
identification code administration apparatus in the seventh
embodiment and the information processing apparatus are
combined.
[0071] FIG. 53 is an exemplary view of a state where the
identification code administration apparatus in the eighth
embodiment and the information processing apparatus are
combined.
[0072] FIG. 54 is an exemplary view of a state where the
identification code administration apparatus in the ninth
embodiment and the information processing apparatus are
combined.
[0073] FIG. 55 is an exemplary view of a state where the
identification code administration apparatus in the tenth
embodiment and the information processing apparatus are
combined.
[0074] FIG. 56 is an exemplary view of a state where the
identification code administration apparatus in the eleventh
embodiment and the information processing apparatus are
combined.
[0075] FIG. 57 is an exemplary view of a state where the
identification code administration apparatus in the twelfth
embodiment and the information processing apparatus are
combined.
[0076] FIG. 58 is a flowchart of the processing in the twelfth
embodiment.
[0077] FIG. 59 is a functional block diagram of the identification
code information administration apparatus of a thirteenth
embodiment of the present invention.
[0078] FIG. 60 is a flowchart of the processing from obtainment of
content update information to transmission of an notification mail
in the identification code information administration apparatus of
the thirteenth embodiment.
[0079] FIG. 61 is a flowchart of the processing from the point when
the e-mail address, to which the non-delivery determination section
5905 has determined that transmission of the e-mail was
non-deliverable, is detected to the point when the identification
code comes to a state where it does not have authorization, in the
identification code information administration apparatus of the
thirteenth embodiment.
[0080] FIG. 62 is a functional block diagram of the WEB page
generation system in which the identification code information
administration apparatus of the thirteenth embodiment is
incorporated.
[0081] FIG. 63 is a functional block diagram of the identification
code information administration apparatus of a fourteenth
embodiment of the present invention.
[0082] FIG. 64 is a functional block diagram of the WEB page
generation system in which the identification code information
administration apparatus of the fourteenth embodiment is
incorporated.
[0083] FIG. 65 is a flowchart of the processing from the point when
the non-delivery notice e-mail is received to the point when the
identification code is invalidated, in the identification code
information administration apparatus of the fourteenth
embodiment.
[0084] FIG. 66 is a functional block diagram of the identification
code information administration apparatus of a fifteenth embodiment
of the present invention.
[0085] FIG. 67 is a flowchart of the processing from the point when
the e-mail address, to which transmission has been determined to be
non-deliverable, is obtained to the point when the identification
code becomes invalid, in the identification code information
administration apparatus of the fifteenth embodiment.
[0086] FIG. 68 is a functional block diagram of the WEB page
generation system in which the identification code information
administration apparatus of the fifteenth embodiment is
incorporated.
[0087] FIG. 69 is a functional block diagram of the identification
code information administration apparatus of a sixteenth embodiment
of the present invention.
[0088] FIG. 70 is a functional block diagram of the WEB page
generation system in which the identification code information
administration apparatus of the sixteenth embodiment is
incorporated.
[0089] FIG. 71 is a functional block diagram of the identification
code information administration apparatus of a seventeenth
embodiment of the present invention.
[0090] FIG. 72 is a functional block diagram of the WEB page
generation system in which the identification code information
administration apparatus of the seventeenth embodiment is
incorporated.
[0091] FIG. 73 is a functional block diagram of the identification
code information administration apparatus of an eighteenth
embodiment of the present invention.
[0092] FIG. 74 is a functional block diagram of the WEB page
generation system in which the identification code information
administration apparatus of the eighteenth embodiment is
incorporated.
[0093] FIG. 75 is a functional block diagram of the identification
code information administration apparatus of an nineteenth
embodiment of the present invention.
[0094] FIG. 76 is a flowchart of the processing from the point when
the e-mail address, to which transmission of the electronic mail is
non-deliverable, is obtained to the point when a template becomes
invalid, in the identification code information administration
apparatus of the nineteenth embodiment.
[0095] FIG. 77 is a functional block diagram of the WEB page
generation system in which the identification code information
administration apparatus of the nineteenth embodiment is
incorporated.
[0096] FIG. 78 is another functional block diagram of the WEB page
generation system in which the identification code information
administration apparatus of the nineteenth embodiment is
incorporated.
[0097] FIG. 79 is a functional block diagram of the identification
code information administration apparatus of a twentieth embodiment
of the present invention.
[0098] FIG. 80 is a functional block diagram of the WEB page
generation system in which the identification code information
administration apparatus of the twentieth embodiment is
incorporated.
[0099] FIG. 81 is a functional block diagram of the identification
code information administration apparatus of a twenty-first
embodiment of the present invention.
[0100] FIG. 82 is a functional block diagram of the WEB page
generation system in which the identification code information
administration apparatus of the twenty-first embodiment is
incorporated.
[0101] FIG. 83 is an exemplary view of the state of access to a
conventional WEB page generation system.
[0102] FIG. 84 is an exemplary view of the state of access to the
WEB page generation system after an employee has transferred to
another company.
[0103] FIG. 85 is an exemplary view of the solving means by the
present invention.
[0104] FIG. 86 is an exemplary view of the state of access the WEB
page generation system in the present invention in the state after
the employee has transferred to another company.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
[0105] The preferred embodiments of the present invention will be
described with reference to the drawings. Note that the present
invention is not limited to the preferred embodiments, but can be
executed in various kinds of mode without departing from the scope
of the invention.
[0106] FIG. 1 exemplifies the outline of the present invention. In
the present invention, a customer is a user who browses the
contents of a website. The customer cannot browse all the contents,
but particular contents are determined for each customer. For
example, when prices of products are determined for each customer,
the customer can browse information of the price offered to the
customer but is not able to browse a price list offered to another
customer. For this reason, when the customer tries to browse the
particular content, he/she is requested to enter the identification
code such as the ID and password, and is permitted to browse the
particular contents only when the identification code is
authenticated.
[0107] An information provider may update the contents stored in
the WEB server, for example. Then, notice that the contents have
been updated is sent bye-mail to the customer who can browse the
updated contents. Accordingly, only the customer who can browse the
particular contents is informed of the update.
[0108] FIG. 30 exemplifies another aspect of the outline of the
present invention. The user is a person employed by a partner
company. The user enters the password in order to show that he/she
has the authorization to browse the information presented only for
the company, which is stored in a server or the like. When the
identification code and password are correct, he/she can browse the
information.
[0109] A mail server transmits the e-mail regularly or irregularly
to the user to determine whether the e-mail can reach the e-mail
address of the user or not, and confirms whether the user is
employed by the partner company. If the user is not employed by the
company any more, the e-mail address of the user is unreachable,
and a mail showing non-delivery is returned to the identification
code administration apparatus of the present invention. The
identification code administration apparatus outputs an instruction
to reject browsing permission if the user tries to browse the
information stored in the server or the like, and the user who is
not employed by the company can no longer view the information.
[0110] To clarify the relationship between the information
processing apparatus of the present invention and the system for
providing information for each customer, a description will be
given for an information processing apparatus or a WEB page
generation system for providing information for each customer.
[0111] FIG. 51 exemplifies the functional block diagram of the
information processing apparatus that enables the user to browse
content such as a WEB page by entering the identification code and
password.
[0112] The information processing apparatus comprises an
authentication section 5101, a content transmission section 5102, a
content database 5103, and a session administration section 5109.
The authentication section stores a table 5104 storing sets of the
identification codes and passwords. When the user who is the
customer tries to browse content 5105 or the like stored in the
content database, he/she inputs the identification code and a
password 5106 to the authentication section 5101 to prove that
he/she has the authorization to browse the contents.
[0113] The `authentication section` 5101 determines whether the
identification code and password, which have been entered, match
the ones stored in the table 5104, and sends an authentication
result 5107 that is the result of determination to the content
transmission section 5102.
[0114] The `content transmission section` 5102 determines the
details of the authentication result 5107, transmits the content
stored in the content database 5103 as content 5108 if
authentication has succeeded, and allows the user to browse the
content.
[0115] Further, the content transmission section receives a content
request 5112 from the user, and may transmit the content in
response to the request. In this case, an information processing
apparatus 5100 receives the content request first, requests the
user for the identification code and password in response to the
request, and may operate to transmit the content after confirming
whether the identification code and password, which have been
entered, match the stored ones or not.
[0116] The `session administration section` 5109 administrates
communication condition between a user terminal 5111 connected to a
communication network 5110 and the information processing apparatus
5100. The session administration section requests the user terminal
for the identification code and password to be input to the
authentication section when the user accesses to the information
processing apparatus from the user terminal, and outputs the
content transmitted from the content transmission section to the
user terminal to which authentication has been performed.
[0117] Note that a table, which relates the contents stored in the
content database to the identification codes, or the like is
further stored in the content database, the authentication result
5107 is made to include not only the result showing whether
authentication has been performed or not, but also information
showing to which identification code the authentication has been
performed, and thus the content transmission section can
automatically transmit the content corresponding to the
identification code.
[0118] FIG. 23 exemplifies the functional block diagram of the WEB
page generation system. In FIG. 23, a WEB page generation system
2300 comprises an authentication section 2301, a page generation
section 2302, an inquiry processing section 2303, a content
administration section 2304, an inquiry database 2305, and a
session administration section 2310.
[0119] The `authentication section` 2301 administers the table in
which the ID, password, browsing-permitted subject identification
code, and mail address are associated with each other. The ID and
password are authentication information for the user to browse the
particular content. The browsing-permitted subject identification
code may be the same as the ID. For example, when browsing of
content having the same details is permitted for the users who
belong to a same organization, the identification code identifying
the organization is the browsing-permitted subject identification
code. The mail address is the e-mail address of the user, and is
used for processing in the processing section described
hereinafter.
[0120] When the user inputs authentication information 2306 that
typically consists of the ID and password, the authentication
section determines whether the ID and password match based on the
data stored in the table. When it is determined that the ID and
password match as a result of determination, the section obtains a
browsing-permitted subject identification code 2307, which is
associated with the ID and password, and sends it to the page
generation section. Further, the information sent from the
authentication section to the page generation section is not
limited to the browsing-permitted subject identification code 2307,
but may include the mail address of the user, which can be obtained
from the entered ID.
[0121] The `page generation section` 2302 generates a WEB page 2308
corresponding to the browsing-permitted subject identification code
based on the information administered by the content administration
section, from the browsing-permitted subject identification code
2307 that has been sent. More specifically, the page generation
section sends the browsing-permitted subject identification code,
which has been sent, to the content administration section first,
and obtains a content identifier and a category, which correspond
to the browsing-permitted subject identification code. Next, the
page generation section generates the WEB page 2308 from the
content identifier and category, which have been obtained, and
transmits it to a user terminal 2312. Simultaneously with the
transmission, the page generation section sends information of the
generated page to the inquiry processing section 2303 for handling
of inquiries (described later). The information of page includes
the mail address of the user, for example.
[0122] Further, the page generation section also receives a page
request 2313 that arises when the user who viewed the details of
the generated WEB page tracks the link shown in the WEB page, and
transmits the WEB page accordingly. The WEB page transmitted in
response to the page request 2313 may be administered by the
content administration section 2304 or by another section.
[0123] The `content administration section` 2304 associates the
browsing-permitted subject identification code with the content. In
FIG. 23, the content administration section not only associates the
browsing-permitted subject identification code with the content
identifier, but also associates the category of the content
identified by the content identifier, and thus controlling them.
The `category` is classification of the details of content, and
`topics`, `catalog` and the like are exemplified in FIG. 23.
[0124] When the browsing-permitted subject identification code such
as `u284729` is sent to the page generation section, the section
obtains information such as `topics, topics-A.html` and `catalog,
cat-X.html` from the content administration section, and generates
the WEB page shown on the upper portion 2201 of FIG. 22. Similarly,
when the browsing-permitted subject identification code such as
`g223121` is sent to the page generation section, the WEB page
shown in the lower portion 2204 of FIG. 22 is generated. The areas
shown by underlines (2202, 2203, 2205 and 2206) are hyperlinks to
each category for the customer, where the customer browses the
content by clicking the areas with a mouse or the like.
[0125] Further, when the user who browsed the generated WEB page
makes inquiry, the inquiry 2314 is sent to the inquiry processing
section 2303. The `inquiry processing section` 2303 obtains the
mail address of the user from the information of the page sent from
the page generation section, stores the mail address and the
details of inquiry into the inquiry database, and transmits a
reception confirmation mail 2309 to the user showing that it has
received the inquiry.
[0126] The mail addresses and inquiry details stored in the inquiry
database are sent to a proper section and a return mail is sent to
the mail address.
[0127] The `session administration section` 2310 administers the
communication condition between the user terminal 2312 connected to
the communication network 2311 and the WEB page generation system.
When the user accesses to the WEB page generation system, the
section requests the user terminal for the ID and password to be
input to the authentication section, and outputs the WEB page
generated in the page generation section to the user terminal of
the user to whom the authentication has been performed.
[0128] FIG. 24 exemplifies the flowchart of processing that the WEB
page generation system 2300 generates the WEB page.
[0129] At step S2401, the system waits until it receives access
from the user. On receiving access from the user; the processing
proceeds to step S2402.
[0130] At step S2402, the system requests the ID and password for
the user, and receives them.
[0131] At step S2403, whether the ID and password, which were
received on step S2402, match or not is determined by the
authentication section, and the processing proceeds to step S2404
when they are determined to match. Otherwise, the processing
proceeds to step S2405, where the system transmits an error notice
to end the processing.
[0132] At step S2404, the authentication section obtains the
browsing-permitted subject identification code.
[0133] At step S2406, the page generation section obtains a page
identifier and category, which are associated with the
browsing-permitted subject identification code, and thus obtains
the page identifier for each category.
[0134] At step S2407, the page generation section creates the WEB
page from the page identifier of each page.
[0135] By performing the above-described processing, it is possible
to generate a page that includes different kinds of content for
each user or each organization to which the user belongs.
[0136] FIG. 2 exemplifies the functional block diagram of the
information processing apparatus according to the first embodiment
of the present invention.
[0137] In the first embodiment, an information processing apparatus
100 comprises a content administration section 101, a content
update information obtaining section 102, and a notification mail
generation section 103.
[0138] The `content administration section` 101 administers plural
kinds of content and browsing-permitted subject identification code
for each content by associating them. Associating them here means
that the section maintains some correspondence between the
plurality of contents and identification codes, e.g. by storing
them in a table, by storing references between the contents and the
identification codes, or the like. Herein the `browsing-permitted
subject identification code` is an identification code to identify
a subject to which content browsing is permitted. In other words,
for those subjects which are authorized to have access to a certain
content their browsing permitted subject identification code is
stored together with the content which they are authorized to
access in the contents administration section. Subjects identified
by the identification code may be natural persons, groups of
natural persons, computers, groups of computers, or any other
devices which may access the content. A number allocated for each
company is an example of such identification code. When the number
allocated for each company is used as the browsing-permitted
subject identification code, the same content is provided for users
who work for the same company. Further, even in the same company,
different browsing-permitted subject identification codes may be
allocated for different sections, then these different sections
will have access to different contents.
[0139] Contents here can for example be webpages, URLs, files,
directories, or any other data which the corresponding subjects are
authorized to access.
[0140] FIG. 3 exemplifies the state where the content
administration section administrates the content and the
browsing-permitted subject identification codes. The ellipses
vertically arranged on the left show the content, and the ellipses
vertically arranged on the right show the browsing-permitted
subject identification codes. In this case, a content
administration section 300 stores the content. In FIG. 3, the line
segments between the ellipses on the left and the ellipses on the
right show correspondence of the browsing-permitted subject
identification code for each content. For example, FIG. 3 shows
that the content called `content A` corresponds to
`browsing-permitted subject identification code 1` and
`browsing-permitted subject identification code 2`, and `content C`
corresponds to `browsing-permitted subject identification code 2`.
The situation shown in FIG. 3 means that content A and content B
may be accessed by those subjects (persons, departments of a
company, or the like) which are identified by subject
identification code 1, and contents A, C, and D may be accessed by
those subjects which are identified by subject identification code
2.
[0141] FIG. 4 exemplifies the table that the content administration
section administers when the content administration section itself
does not need to store the content. In this case, it is assumed
that the content is identified by content identifier, the content
identifiers are stored in the content administration section, and
these identifiers reference the actual contents which are stored
somewhere else. To maintain correspondence of the
browsing-permitted subject identification code for each content,
the content identifier and the browsing-permitted subject
identification code associated with the content, which is
identified by the content identifier, are stored in one line. For
example, in the first line of the table, the content identified by
the content identifier as `A040167.html` corresponds to the
browsing-permitted subject identification code as `u284729`.
[0142] Note that a column showing a category of details of content
identified by the content identifier may be further added to the
table shown in FIG. 4. Moreover, as shown if FIG. 3, more than one
subject identification codes may correspond to a certain content.
For that purpose it is also possible to have additional
columns.
[0143] As another table that the information processing apparatus
of this embodiment should control, there may be a table storing the
details of content with respect to the content, a table storing the
attribute of organizations identified by the browsing-permitted
subject identification codes with respect to the codes, or the
like.
[0144] In the following description, although description will be
made on the assumption that the table storing the details of
content and the table storing the attribute of organizations
identified by the browsing-permitted subject identification codes
are administrated, these tables are not essential constituent
requirement for the present invention.
[0145] A `content update information obtaining section` 102 obtains
content update information. The `content update information` is
information regarding updates of content. The `updates of content`
can be for example be updates of content details, deletion of
content, addition of content, and the like. Although the content
update information can include information as to which content has
been updated, it may also include information as to how it has been
updated. For example, it can include information such that the
details have been updated, deleted, or added. Further, in the case
where the details of content have been updated, the information may
include information as to what kind of details update has been made
(for example a change from a html-file type to a WORD document
type, a price list is update, a specification of a certain product
is revised, etc.).
[0146] A `notification mail generation section` 103 generates a
notification mail based on the content update information. The
`notification mail` is an e-mail having notification information
that is information regarding the update of the content. In a
certain embodiment the update information relates to the update of
the details of the content. The notification mail is directed to an
e-mail address, which is obtained based on an updated content and
an associated browsing-permitted subject identification code, as a
destination.
[0147] For example, when the content update information includes
information as to how the content has been updated, the
notification information may include information as to how and
which content has been updated.
[0148] The e-mail address is obtained based on the
browsing-permitted subject identification code. Based on a
correspondence relationship, the address is obtained based on the
correspondence relationship which is stored somewhere. To each
subject identification code there is one or more corresponding
e-mail address. There is stored a correspondence between a certain
subject identification code and its corresponding e-mail address or
e-mail addresses. For example, a certain subject identification
code may be associated with or may belong to a corresponding
mailing list, and if this is the case, then the notification mail
will be directed to all e-mail addresses contained in the list.
[0149] In order to maintain the aforementioned correspondence
between the subject identification codes and the e-mail addresses,
there may exist a table in which the browsing-permitted subject
identification codes together with their corresponding e-mail
addresses are stored, and the e-mail address may be obtained based
on such a table.
[0150] Note that an operation such as `to generate notification
mail` described here may include transmission of the notification
mail.
[0151] FIG. 25 exemplifies the state where the information
processing apparatus 100 exemplified in FIG. 2 and the WEB page
generation system 2300 exemplified in FIG. 23 have been combined.
The area enclosed by a broken line is the information processing
apparatus 100 of this embodiment. The information processing
apparatus of this embodiment and the WEB page generation system are
combined while they share the content administration section
101.
[0152] Note that the content administration section should store
the content in FIG. 25. Further, a content update section 2501 that
is not shown in FIG. 23 is shown. The content update section
updates the content stored in the content administration section of
FIG. 23. If the content administration section does not store
content, the content update section updates the content in a
section storing the content.
[0153] When the content update section updates the content, the
content update section sends content update information 2502 to the
content update information obtaining section. Sending the content
update information to the content update information obtaining
section triggers generation of a notification mail. The e-mail
address that is the destination of the notification mail may be the
one that the notification mail generation section requests for the
authentication section 2301 and obtains based on the
browsing-permitted subject identification code.
[0154] By combining the information processing apparatus 100 and
the WEB page generation system 2300 in this manner, not only
content browsing and inquiry handling for the users but also
generation of a notification mail for the updated content is made
possible.
[0155] FIG. 5 exemplifies the flowchart explaining a processing of
the information processing apparatus when the content identified by
B70559029.html has been updated in the case where the content
administration section 101 holds the table of FIG. 4.
[0156] At step S501, the content update information obtaining
section obtains `B70559029.html has been updated` that is content
update information.
[0157] At step S502, `u284729` is obtained as the
browsing-permitted subject identification code based on
B70559029.html.
[0158] At step S503, the notification mail generation section or
the like obtains the e-mail address based on `u284729`.
[0159] At step S504, the notification mail generation section
generates notification information having details that
`B70559029.html has been updated`.
[0160] At step S505, the notification mail generation section
generates a notification mail having the electronic mail address as
a destination.
[0161] FIG. 7 exemplifies the flowchart explaining a general
operation of the information processing apparatus in this
embodiment. In the flowchart, it is assumed that a database
administration system administrates association between the content
and the browsing-permitted subject identification codes in the
content administration section.
[0162] At step S701, the content update information obtaining
section 102 obtains the content update information.
[0163] At step S702, the content administration section searches
the browsing-permitted subject identification code, which is
administrated by associating with the updated content. A search
result is generally a set made up of a plurality of
browsing-permitted subject identification codes.
[0164] At step S703, a cursor is set to the browsing-permitted
subject identification codes that have been searched. A `cursor` is
a pointer that points to a element of the set of searched results.
When the cursor is set, it is assumed that the elements are
arranged in order in the set, and the cursor points to a virtual
element before the first element.
[0165] At step S704, the cursor is moved forward. When the cursor
points to the virtual element before the first element, the cursor
points to the first element by moving the cursor forward.
[0166] At step S705, whether the browsing-permitted subject
identification code is pointed to by the cursor is determined. If
the cursor is moved forward after the cursor points to the last
element in the set, then the cursor is in the state where it does
not point to any browsing permitted element. If the
browsing-permitted subject identification code is indicated by the
cursor, the processing moves to step S706. Otherwise, the
processing thus ends since all the browsing-permitted subject
identification codes have been processed.
[0167] At step S706, the e-mail address is obtained based on the
browsing-permitted subject identification code.
[0168] At step S707, the notification mail generation section
generates the details of notification mail.
[0169] At step S708, the notification mail generation section
generates the notification mail having the e-mail address as a
destination.
First Embodiment
Example of Notification Mail
[0170] FIG. 6 shows the example of the notification mail. In the
example, the content is indicated by hyperlink via URLs (Uniform
Resource Locator). FIG. 6 shows that a notification mail has been
generated to a recipient having the mail address foo@bar.com.xyz.
The mail informs its recipient about the fact that the content
indicated by the URL as http://www.foo.bar/topics-A.html was added
and about the fact that the content indicated by the URL as
http://www.foo.bar/ac-adaptor-a347.html was updated.
[0171] A computer can embody the information processing apparatus
of this embodiment. In this case, the computer operates an
information processing program that causes the computer to execute
a content administration step, a content update information
obtaining step, and a notification mail generation step.
[0172] The `content administration step` is a step where plural
kinds of contents and the browsing-permitted subject identification
code for each content are administrated by associating them. For
example, it is the step where the database administration system
storing the table exemplified in FIG. 4 is operated.
[0173] The `content update information obtaining step` is a step
where the content update information is obtained. For example, it
is the step where the content update information, which is entered
by an input device such as a keyboard connected to the computer, is
read.
[0174] The `notification mail generation step` is a step where the
notification mail is generated.
[0175] The content administration step corresponds to step S702
where the browsing-permitted subject identification code is
searched. The content update information obtaining step corresponds
to step S701. Further, the notification mail generation step
corresponds to steps S706, S707 and S708.
[0176] Furthermore, it is also possible to store the information
processing program of this embodiment in a medium such as a
CD-ROM.
[0177] According to this embodiment, since the notification mail is
generated to the e-mail address, which is obtained based on the
browsing-permitted subject identification code corresponding to the
updated content, it is possible to timely notify the users of
update of content. Further, since the notification mail is sent to
the user who is related to the updated content, the updated content
is never sent to those who are not target users.
[0178] Furthermore, in the invention disclosed in Japanese Patent
Laid-open No. Hei10-171700 publication, users who want to receive
the update notice mail need to take time to register their e-mail
addresses, and when even one data file of the registered disc is
updated, the update notice mail is transmitted to all the
registered e-mail addresses. On the other hand, in this embodiment,
the users do not need to register their e-mail addresses. Still
further, the notification mail is transmitted according to
association between the content and the browsing-permitted subject
identification codes, so that the notification mail is transmitted
only to the users who can browse the updated content and thus
wasteful traffic does not occur.
[0179] FIG. 8 exemplifies the functional block diagram of the
information processing apparatus according to the second embodiment
of the present invention. In this embodiment, generation of
notification mail is performed based on a template.
[0180] In an information processing apparatus 800 in this
embodiment, the notification mail generation section of the
information processing apparatus in the first embodiment comprises
template obtaining means 804 and notification information
generation means 805.
[0181] The `template obtaining means` 804 obtains the template. The
`template` refers to a pattern, and is information where areas in
which information should be filled and kinds of information that
should be filled in the areas are determined.
[0182] FIG. 9 shows the example of the template in this embodiment.
The areas enclosed by `{` and `}` show the areas where information
is filled, and character strings enclosed by `{` and `}` show the
kinds of information that should be filled in the areas. For
Example, {mail_address} shows that the e-mail address that is a
destination should be filled therein. Further, {renewal_genre},
{renewal_title} and {renewal_url} show that the category of the
updated content, the title name of the updated content, and the URL
of the updated content should be respectively filled therein. The
content administration section administers the category, the title
name and the like of the updated content, and they may be obtained
from the content administration section, or they are included in
the content update information and the category, the title name and
the like of the updated content may be obtained from the content
update information.
[0183] The `notification information generation means` 805
generates the notification information by using the template that
the template obtaining means has obtained. Specifically, the means
fills appropriate information in the position where the information
of the obtained template is filled. Note that it is not limited
that the notification information generated by the notification
information generation means is filled only by filling the
template, but a part of the notification information may be
generated by means other than filling the template.
[0184] FIG. 26 exemplifies the embodiment wherein the information
processing apparatus 800 exemplified in FIG. 8 and the WEB page
generation system 2300 exemplified in FIG. 23 have been combined.
The area enclosed by the broken line is the information processing
apparatus 800 of this embodiment. The information processing
apparatus of this embodiment and the WEB page generation system are
combined while they share the content administration section
801.
[0185] Note that the content update section 2501 is the one
described in the first embodiment. Further, the notification mail
generation section may be designed to operate so as to request the
authentication section for the e-mail address that is the
destination of the notification mail based on the
browsing-permitted subject identification code, and to obtain the
e-mail address.
[0186] By combining the information processing apparatus 800 and
the WEB page generation system 2300 in this manner, not only
content browsing and inquiry handling for the users but also
generation of the notification mail using the template of the
updated content is made possible.
[0187] FIG. 10 exemplifies the flowchart explaining generation of
the notification information in the information processing
apparatus in this embodiment.
[0188] On step S1001, the template obtaining means obtains the
template. In obtaining the template, the same template may be
always obtained, or the template may be obtained based on the
content update information obtained by the content update
information obtaining means. Alternatively, the template may be
obtained based on the browsing-permitted subject identification
code associated with the updated content. For example, the template
is determined for each browsing-permitted subject identification
code and the determined template may be obtained. Further, the
template may be obtained based on the e-mail address obtained based
on the browsing-permitted subject identification code.
[0189] On step S1002, information filled in the template is
obtained based on the content update information.
[0190] On step S1003, the notification information generation means
fills the template.
[0191] By generating the notification information using the
template, the appearance of the notification mail can be changed
through regularly revising the template. Further, it is possible to
generate the notification mail that fits the destination of the
notification mail. For example, the notification mail using
graphics by an HTML mail is generated for the users to whom a
high-speed Internet line is connected, and the notification mail
that typically consists of only text can be generated to the other
users.
[0192] FIG. 11 exemplifies the functional block diagram of the
information processing apparatus according to the third embodiment
of the present invention.
[0193] In this embodiment, the notification mail is not always
generated when the apparatus obtains the content update
information, but a determination result whether the notification
mail is generated or not is obtained and whether the mail is
generated or not is determined based on the determination
result.
[0194] In an information processing apparatus 1100 in this
embodiment, the notification mail generation section of the
information processing apparatus in the first embodiment comprises
notification determination result obtaining means 1104, and
generates the notification mail based on the notification
determination result obtained by the notification determination
result obtaining means.
[0195] The `notification determination result obtaining means` 1104
obtains a notification determination result that is information for
determining whether the notification mail is generated or not in
response to the content update information. For example, the means
displays the screen exemplified in FIG. 13 to let the user select
either one of buttons (1301, 1302), and thereby obtaining a
selection result of the user.
[0196] FIG. 27 exemplifies the state where the information
processing apparatus 1100 exemplified in FIG. 11 and the WEB page
generation system 2300 exemplified in FIG. 23 have been combined.
The area enclosed by a broken line is the information processing
apparatus 1100 of this embodiment. The information processing
apparatus of this embodiment and the WEB page generation system are
combined while they share the content administration section
1101.
[0197] Note that the content update section 2501 is the one
described in the first embodiment. Further, the notification mail
generation section may operate so as to request the authentication
section for the e-mail address that is the destination of the
notification mail based on the browsing-permitted subject
identification code, and to obtain the electronic e-mail
address.
[0198] By combining the information processing apparatus and the
WEB page generation system in this manner, not only content
browsing and inquiry handling for the users but also generation of
the notification mail of the updated content according to the
determination result is made possible.
[0199] In FIG. 27, an input/output device 2701 is a device used
when the notification determination result obtaining means 1104
outputs the screen exemplified in FIG. 13 and for entering the
notification determination result, and the device comprises a CRT,
a keyboard, a mouse and the like. Further, the input/output device
may not be directly connected to the WEB page generation system
2300 but may be connected to the system via a communication
network.
[0200] FIG. 12 is the flowchart explaining the specific example of
the operation of the information processing apparatus in this
embodiment. In the flowchart, description is made for the
processing when the content expressed by B70559029.html has been
updated.
[0201] On step S1201, the apparatus obtains the content update
information as `B70559029.html has been updated`.
[0202] On step S1202, the content update information is presented.
For example, the apparatus shows which content has been updated by
presenting the screen exemplified in FIG. 13. A person in charge of
sales for the users, who are the target of the updated content, and
an operator of the information processing apparatus can be cited as
a subject person to whom the screen exemplified in FIG. 13 is
presented.
[0203] On step S1203, the notification determination result
obtaining means obtains the notification determination result. For
example, it obtains information as to which of the buttons (1301,
1302) has been pushed.
[0204] On step S1204, determination is made as to whether the
notification mail should be generated or not. If it is determined
that the notification mail should be generated, the processing
proceeds to step S1205. Otherwise, the processing ends.
[0205] At step S1205, the content administration section obtains
u284729 as the browsing-permitted subject identification code
associated with B70559029.html.
[0206] At step S1206, the e-mail address is obtained based on
u284729.
[0207] At step S1207, the detail as `B70559029.html has been
updated` is generated.
[0208] At step S1208, the notification mail having the e-mail
address as a destination is generated.
[0209] FIG. 14 exemplifies the flowchart explaining the general
processing of the information processing apparatus in this
embodiment.
[0210] At step S1401, the content update information obtaining
section obtains the content update information.
[0211] At step S1402, the content update information is
presented.
[0212] At step S1403, the notification determination result
obtaining means obtains the notification determination result
according to the content update information presented, and
determines whether the notification mail should be generated or
not. If it is determined that the notification mail should be
generated, the processing proceeds to step S1404. Otherwise, the
processing ends.
[0213] At and after step S1404, the processing of the flowchart
exemplified in FIG. 7 is performed.
[0214] According to this embodiment, it is possible to determine
whether the notification mail should be generated or not
corresponding to the level of content update (correction of errors,
or essential revision of detail, for example). Thus, a meaningless
notification mail is prevented from being sent to the customers,
and it is possible to prevent the customers from being
inconvenienced.
[0215] FIG. 15 exemplifies the functional block diagram of the
information processing apparatus according to the fourth embodiment
of the present invention. In this embodiment, contents are tracked
by hyperlinks. When the information processing apparatus of this
embodiment receives the hyperlink, the content indicated by the
hyperlink is output.
[0216] An information processing apparatus 1500 in this embodiment
is one in which the information processing apparatus in one of the
first to third embodiments comprises a link input section 1501, an
authentication information input section 1502, a determination
section 1503, and a content output section 1504.
[0217] The `link input section` 1501 enters the hyperlink. The
`hyperlink` is information expressed by the URL. In this
embodiment, a part of the URL may be input into the section. For
example, a part after the domain name out of the URL may be
entered. Note that to `enter` means to read from outside into the
input section.
[0218] The `authentication information input section` 1502 enters
authentication information. The `authentication information` is
information for authentication. It is, for example, an ID and a
password and used to determine whether the person or the device
that entered the authentication information has an authority to
view the contents indicated by the hyperlink entered at the link
input section 1501.
[0219] The `determination section` 1503 determines whether
authentication information corresponding to the browsing-permitted
subject identification code, which is associated with the content
linked to the hyperlink entered by the link input section 1501,
matches authentication information entered by the authentication
information input section 1502. The `content linked to the
hyperlink` is the content indicated by the hyperlink. Note that if
the hyperlink is a part of URL after the domain name, it may be
understood that a domain name allocated for the information
processing apparatus 1500 is specified as the domain name.
[0220] Association between the content and the browsing-permitted
subject identification codes shall be performed by the content
administration section 1505.
[0221] `The authentication information match` means that the
authentication information is correct. For example, when the
information is the ID and password, to match means that the
password specified by the ID and the entered password match.
Further, in this embodiment, determination as to whether the
information `match` includes a determination as to whether or not a
person specified by the entered password may browse the content,
which is indicated by the hyperlink that has been input to the
input section.
[0222] The `content output section` 1504 outputs the content
identified by the hyperlink input to the link input section 1501
when the determination result in the determination section 1503 is
`the information has matched`.
[0223] FIG. 28 exemplifies the state where the information
processing apparatus 1500 exemplified in FIG. 15 and the WEB page
generation system 2300 exemplified in FIG. 23 have been combined.
The area enclosed by the broken line is the information processing
apparatus 1500 of this embodiment. The information processing
apparatus of this embodiment and the WEB page generation system are
combined while they share the content administration section
1505.
[0224] Note that the content update section 2501 is the one
described in the first embodiment. Further, the notification mail
generation section may be designed to operate so as to request the
authentication section for the e-mail address that is the
destination of the notification mail based on the
browsing-permitted subject identification code, and to obtain the
electronic mail address.
[0225] By combining the information processing apparatus 1500 and
the WEB page generation system 2300 in this manner, not only
content browsing and inquiry handling for the users but also
generation of the notification mail of the updated content is made
possible, and access to content other than the content presented by
the WEB page 2308 can be restricted.
[0226] FIG. 16 shows the specific example of the processing after
the hyperlink has been input to the information processing
apparatus of this embodiment. The processing where
http://www.def.ghi/B70559029.html as the hyperlink has been entered
is assumed.
[0227] At step S1601, http://www.def.ghi/B70559029.html is input to
the link input section. Only B70559029.html may be entered, and in
such a case, the processing is moved forward on the assumption that
www.def.ghi has been specified as the domain name allocated for the
information processing apparatus.
[0228] At step S1602, the authentication information input section
or the like requests the authentication information.
[0229] At step S1603, the authentication information is input to
the authentication information input section.
[0230] At step S1604, whether the authentication information
entered and the authentication information associated with
http://www.def.ghi/B70559029.html match or not is determined. If it
is determined that they match, the processing proceeds to step
S1605. Otherwise, the processing ends.
[0231] At step S1605, the content output section outputs the
content indicated by http://www.def.ghi/B70559029.html.
[0232] According to this embodiment, only the person who enters the
matching authentication information can view the particular
content. For example, in the case where different price lists are
presented for different companies, it is possible to prevent the
price lists from being browsed by a person who is not employed by
the companies for which the price lists should be originally
presented.
[0233] In this embodiment, the content administration section in
the first to fourth embodiments administers a notification
preferences presence information that specifies whether or not the
user prefers to receive a notification mail, and the notification
mail generation section generates a notification mail based on the
notification mail preference presence information.
[0234] FIG. 17 is the example of the table of correspondence
between the content and the browsing-permitted subject
identification codes, which is administered by the content
administration section. The content identifiers, the
browsing-permitted subject identification codes, and the
notification mail preferences presence information are stored in
the table by being associated with each other. When the content
update information obtaining means obtains the content update
information, the browsing-permitted subject identification code
associated with the updated content is searched, and the
notification mail preferences presence information is also
searched. Then, the notification mail is generated to the e-mail
address obtained based on the browsing-permitted subject
identification code whose notification mail preferences presence
information is `Yes`.
[0235] For example, when A040167.html is updated, `u284729,Yes` and
`g223121,No` are searched, and the notification mail is generated
for the e-mail address obtained based on u284729 but the
notification mail is not generated for the electronic mail address
obtained based on g223121.
[0236] Further, it is not necessary that one table controls the
content identifiers, the browsing-permitted subject identification
codes, and the notification mail preferences presence information.
FIG. 18 exemplifies the table used in combination with the table in
FIG. 4. The table stores information on which notification mail
that should be generated against e-mail addresses obtained based on
the browsing-permitted subject identification code.
[0237] When the table of FIG. 17 is used, whether the notification
mail should be generated can be decided for each content. On the
other hand, when this embodiment is realized using the table of
FIG. 4 and the table of FIG. 18, generation of notification mail is
generally controlled for the browsing-permitted subject
identification code.
[0238] FIG. 19 shows the functional block diagram of the
information processing apparatus according to the sixth embodiment
of the present invention. This embodiment is one where the
notification mail preferences presence information in the fifth
embodiment can be changed.
[0239] In an information processing apparatus 1900 in this
embodiment, the content administration section of the information
processing apparatus of the fifth embodiment has notification mail
preferences presence information change instruction obtaining means
1901, and notification mail preferences presence information
changing means 1902.
[0240] The `notification mail preferences presence information
change instruction obtaining means` obtains a change instruction
that is an instruction to change the notification mail preferences
presence information.
[0241] For example, when the content administration section
administrates the notification mail preferences presence
information by the table of FIG. 17, the screen exemplified in FIG.
20 may be displayed in order to obtain the change instruction for
changing the notification mail preferences presence information of
each content for a particular browsing-permitted subject
identification code. FIG. 20 exemplifies the screen for obtaining
the change instruction for each content for the browsing-permitted
subject identification code u284729. The change instruction for
each content can be specified by buttons (2001, 2002, 2003, 2064)
or the like, and the notification mail preferences presence
information change instruction obtaining means can obtain the
change instruction when an update button 2005 is pushed.
[0242] Further, when the content administration section
administrates the content, the browsing-permitted subject
identification codes, and the notification mail preferences
presence information by the table of FIG. 4 and the table of FIG.
18, the screen exemplified in FIG. 21 may be displayed. FIG. 21
exemplifies the screen for changing the notification mail wish
presence information of the browsing-permitted subject
identification code u284729. The change instruction can be
specified for the notification mail preferences presence
information for the browsing-permitted subject identification code
by buttons (2101, 2102), and the notification mail preferences
presence information change instruction obtaining means can obtain
the change instruction when an update button 2103 is pushed.
[0243] Note that the screen exemplified in FIG. 20 or FIG. 21 may
be presented for an administrator of the information processing
apparatus 1900 or may be presented for the user having the
browsing-permitted subject identification code.
[0244] The `notification mail preferences presence information
changing means` 1902 changes the notification mail preferences
presence information in response to the change instruction obtained
by the notification mail preferences presence information change
instruction obtaining means 1901.
[0245] Specifically, an operation to update the values in the
column of the notification mail preferences presence information in
the table shown in FIG. 17 or FIG. 18 is performed based on the
obtained update instruction by using the browsing-permitted subject
identification code as a key value.
[0246] FIG. 29 exemplifies the state where the information
processing apparatus 1900 exemplified in FIG. 19 and the WEB page
generation system 2300 exemplified in FIG. 23 have been combined.
The area enclosed by the broken line is the information processing
apparatus 1900 of this embodiment. The information processing
apparatus of this embodiment and the WEB page generation system are
combined while they share the content administration section.
[0247] Note that the content update section 2501 is the one
described in the first embodiment. Further, the notification mail
generation section may be designed to operate so as to request the
authentication section for the e-mail address that is the
destination of the notification mail based on the
browsing-permitted subject identification code, and to obtain the
e-mail address.
[0248] By combining the information processing apparatus 1900 and
the WEB page generation system 2300 in this manner, not only
content browsing and inquiry handling for the users but also
generation of the notification mail of the updated content is made
possible for the user who preferes to receive notification mail of
the updated content.
[0249] In FIG. 29, an input/output device 2901 is a device used
when the notification mail preference presence information change
instruction obtaining means 1901 outputs the screen for obtaining
the notification mail preferences presence information and for
entering the notification mail preference presence information. The
input/output device may be directly connected to the WEB page
generation system or may be connected to the system via the
communication network.
[0250] According to this embodiment, it is possible to change the
notification mail preference presence information. Thus, the
notification mail is not generated for the user who does not prefer
to receive the notification mail and the notification mail can be
generated for the user who prefers the notification mail.
[0251] The outline of embodiments from the seventh embodiment
onward will be described.
[0252] FIG. 83 exemplifies the state of access to the conventional
WEB page generation system. Specifically, an employee 8302 who
works for company A 8301 makes a WEB page generation system 8303
execute authentication processing to himself/herself via the
terminal 8304, and then, he/she can browse content via the terminal
8304. The `content` described here may be content disclosed only
for the company A 8301, for example. Further, the authentication
processing is performed when the employee 8302 enters an
identification code (user ID) and a password, which identify the
employee 8302, for example.
[0253] FIG. 84 exemplifies the state of access to the WEB page
generation system after the employee 8302 moved from company A 8301
to company B 8401 (that is, retired from company A and joined to
company B). If the employee 8302 moves to company B 8401 without
noticing his/her move to the administrative body of the WEB page
generation system 8303, the employee 8302 can make the system
execute the authentication processing to browse the content via the
terminal 8402 even after moving to company B if he/she remembers
the authentication code and the password or has a note where such
information is noted down. Therefore, a problem occurs that
information that should originally be disclosed only for company A
8301 is also disclosed for company B 8401.
[0254] FIG. 85 exemplifies means for solving the problem in the
present invention. In the present invention, amail server 8501
transmits an e-mail 8502 regularly or irregularly to the e-mail
address of the employee 8302, which is administered by the mail
server 8503 of the company A. So the mail server 8501 sends the
e-mail 8502 to the mail server 8503 of company A 8301, and the
e-mails whose destination are the e-mail address of the employee
8302 are distributed from the mail server 8503 to the terminal of
the employee 8302. The e-mail 8502 may be the notification mail in
the first to sixth embodiments, that is, an e-mail that informs of
the update of content browsable via the WEB page generation system
8303, for example.
[0255] FIG. 86 exemplifies the state of access to the WEB page
generation system in the present invention in the state after the
employee 8302 moved from company A 8301 to company B 8401. It is
assumed that the employee 8302 has resigned from company A 8301 to
move to company B 8401 (1). With the resignation, company A 8301
deletes from the mail server 8503 the e-mail address assigned to
the employee 8302 for the purpose of confidentiality and preventing
dishonesty or deleting a region to store the mail address. Then,
the mail server 8501 transmits an e-mail 8502 to the mail server
8503 of company A 8301 (2). Consequently, an error 8601 is notified
from the mail server 8503 because the electronic mail address of
the employee 8302 has been deleted (3). The mail server 8501
detects the occurrence of the error 8601. Then, the mail server
8501 performs a processing to invalidate the authentication
information of the employee 8302 for the WEB page generation system
8303 (4). Thus, even if the employee 8302, who now works for
company B 8401, tries to browse the content browsable via the WEB
page generation system 8303, an authentication processing fails and
he/she cannot browse the content (5). Accordingly, it is prevented
that the information, which should be disclosed only for company A
8301, is disclosed for another company such as company B 8401.
[0256] FIG. 31 exemplifies the functional block diagram of the
identification code administration apparatus according to the
seventh embodiment of the present invention.
[0257] In this embodiment, an identification code administration
apparatus 3100 has a validity information storage section 3101, a
non-delivery determination section 3102 and an identification code
validity information changing section 3103.
[0258] The `validity information storage section` 3101 stores an
identification code, identification code validity information that
is information showing whether one that entered the code or is
identified by the code has particular authorization corresponding
to the identification code, and further an e-mail address
corresponding to a subject identified by the identification code.
The identification code, the validity information and the mail
address are stored in correspondence to each other or associated to
each other.
[0259] The `identification code` is information for discriminating
a processing subject to which a certain processing relates, e.g. by
processing data belonging to the subject identified by the
identification code, or by processing data which somehow relates to
the person thus identified. For example, when the subject
identified by the identification code is a person, then an ID given
to the person, a set of ID and password, a fingerprint, a palm
print, a voice print, an iris pattern, an outline of face, an
entire face, DNA information or the like can be cited as an example
for the identification code.
[0260] The `particular authorization` means that some kinds of
processing is allowed to be performed by the person or in relation
to the person identified by the identification code. For example,
in the case where a lock is unlocked to open a door by entering the
identification code, the processing where the door is opened is the
processing which is allowed to be performed by the particular
authorization. Further, the authorization may mean that the one
identified by the identification code is allowed to electronically
obtain particular information. The particular information may be
information that is in a determined range or on a certain
predetermined location like in a certain directory, path or on a
particular computer, for example. In such a case, the
identification code can be ID and the password to log in or log on
the computer.
[0261] The `identification code validity information` is
information showing whether one that entered the code has the
particular authorization based on the identification code, as
described above. Herein, `whether one that entered the code has the
particular authorization` means that, for example, whether the
particular authorization is allocated or not for a subject (person
or device) for which the identification code has been allocated,
that is, whether particular processing may be performed or not.
`Based on the identification code` means that presence of
particular authorization can be detected by the identification code
with regard to the subject for which the identification code has
been allocated.
[0262] Further, the particular authorization may be an
authorization to view the details of a file that is in a particular
directory or folder in the computer, or may be authorization to
view a particular file. In this case, the particular authorization
may mean that the person identified by the identification code is
allowed to access information determined according to the
identification code. For example, in the information processing
apparatus exemplified in FIG. 51, information such as content
corresponds to the identification codes and the user may be able to
obtain the information corresponding to an authenticated
identification code if the particular authorization allows for it.
It should be noted here that an "authenticated identification code"
means that ID and password (the "identification code") have been
inserted correctly so that authentication has been confirmed. The
"particular authorization" then indicates whether a certain
particular processing is allowed to be performed by or in
connection with the person authenticated by the identification
code.
[0263] FIG. 32 shows the example of the table held by the validity
information storage section. The table has three columns of
`identification code`, `identification code validity information`
and `e-mail address`, where the identification code, the
identification code validity information, and the e-mail address,
which are stored in each row, are associated with each other. For
example, `u284729`, `valid` and `abc@def.ghi` are associated, which
shows that the identification code `u284729` is `valid` and a
person identified by the identification code has the e-mail address
as `abc@def.ghi`.
[0264] An example where the identification code administration
apparatus of this embodiment is used is as follows. As described
later, for example, when the information processing apparatus
exemplified in FIG. 51 performs authentication by the
identification code and the password, which have been entered, it
inquires the identification code administration section whether the
identification code validity information associated with the
identification code indicates the particular authorization, and
when a response is made that for the identification information
there is not the particular authorization, the particular operation
authorized by the particular authorization is made to fail.
[0265] The `non-delivery determination section` 3102 determines
whether the transmission of an e-mail having the e-mail address as
a destination is non-deliverable or not, in other words, it checks
whether or not the mail can be delivered to the e-mail address. The
`e-mail address` mentioned here is an e-mail address stored by the
validity information storage section 3101. As a method to determine
whether the transmission of e-mail is non-deliverable, there is a
method to know whether the e-mail address is valid by requesting
user information to a mail server. The protocol defined by RFC1196
can be used to obtain user information from a mail server by
specifying the e-mail address of the user. If the user information
is obtained from the mail server, it is proven that the user is
registered with the mail server specified by the e-mail address,
and it is made clear that the transmission of e-mail is not
non-deliverable and that the e-mail can be delivered.
[0266] Another method to determine whether the transmission of
e-mail is non-deliverable will be described as follows.
[0267] The `identification code validity information changing
section` 3103 changes the identification code validity information
based on the determination result by the non-delivery determination
section 3102. `Based on the determination result` means `with some
kind of causal relationship with the determination result`. For
example, the identification code validity information may be
changed as soon as the e-mail is determined to be non-deliverable,
or it may be changed after passing a certain period of time. As an
example of the latter, whether the e-mail is non-deliverable or not
is determined again after a few days have passed since the e-mail
was determined to be non-deliverable, and the identification code
validity information may be changed in the case where the mail is
still non-deliverable on the determination after a few days have
passed. Further, the determination result as being non-deliverable
is output, and the identification code validity information may be
changed based on an instruction that is entered due to the output
result.
[0268] Furthermore, `to change` is to make a value be different
from a current value, but it may include conception of an operation
to make the value be the same value as the current value by an
`update` operation or by a `confirmation` that the value is still
the same.
[0269] When the transmission of an e-mail is determined to be
non-deliverable (the e-mail cannot be delivered) by the
non-delivery determination section, the identification code
validity information changing section may change the identification
code validity information, which is associated with the e-mail
address as the destination of the e-mail, from `valid` to
`invalid`. Alternatively, like the identification code validity
information is changed to `invalid` as soon as the non-delivery
determination section has determined the transmission of e-mail to
be non-deliverable, the identification code validity information
changing section may change the identification code validity
information from `invalid` to `valid` if the transmission of
electronic mail is found to be deliverable.
[0270] FIG. 34 exemplifies the flowchart explaining the operation
of the identification code administration apparatus in this
embodiment. In the flowchart, processing is performed to all the
e-mails stored by the validity information storage section.
[0271] At step S3401, the apparatus determines whether e-mail
addresses to be processed exist or not. If they exist, the
processing proceeds to step S3402. Otherwise, the processing
ends.
[0272] At step S3402, one e-mail address to be processed is
fetched.
[0273] At step S3403, whether the e-mail to the e-mail address is
non-deliverable or not is determined. If it is determined to be
non-deliverable, the processing proceeds to step S3404, or step
S3404 is skipped if not.
[0274] At step S3404, the identification code validity information
is invalidated.
[0275] Then, the processing returns to step S3401.
[0276] Note that the flowchart of FIG. 34 is an example of the
processing. The e-mail address to which the e-mail has been
non-deliverable on step S3403 is stored, and the identification
code validity information associated with the stored e-mail address
may be changed later. Alternatively, the processing may be
performed to the e-mail addresses whose identification code
validity information is `valid`.
[0277] Further, on step S3503 (corresponds to step S3403) as shown
in FIG. 35, when the e-mail has been determined not to be
non-deliverable, the identification code validity information may
be validated on step S3505.
[0278] FIG. 33 shows the example where the non-delivery
determination section has determined that the e-mail to the e-mail
address abc@def.ghi was non-deliverable, and the identification
code validity information changing section has been changed from
`valid` to `invalid` on step S3404 or step S3504.
[0279] Description will be made first for how the e-mail is sent to
the destination in order to explain one method to determine that
the transmission of e-mail is non-deliverable.
[0280] FIG. 36 exemplifies how the e-mail is transmitted. The
e-mail is transmitted from MUA 3601, and reaches a mail box 3604
that is a final destination via one or a plurality of MTAs.
[0281] An `MUA` is an abbreviation for a Mail User Agent, and is a
program used when the user performs transmission/receiving of the
e-mail. It is the program generally called a `mailer`, which
usually operates in a personal computer operated by the user.
[0282] An `MTA` is an abbreviation for a Mail Transfer Agent, which
receives a mail from the MUA, further receives the e-mail from
another MTA, relays the e-mail, and stores the e-mail in the
mailbox. The MTA is also referred to as an SMTP server. Typical
MTAs are Sendmail, Qmail, and Postfix. The MTAoperates usually in a
computer that is configured as a server.
[0283] In the case of transmitting the e-mail from the MUA, it
generally passes the e-mail to a predetermined MTA (the SMTP server
provided by an Internet service provider, for example).
[0284] In response, the MTA stores the e-mail received in a mailbox
if the mailbox locally exists in an operating server, or otherwise,
it requests MTA corresponding to the destination of e-mail to relay
the e-mail.
[0285] By referring to an MX record provided by a domain name
server, the MTA decides to which MTA it requests to relay the
e-mail.
[0286] FIG. 37 shows the example of reference to the MX record of
the domain name server. On entering the right part of `@` of the
e-mail address on the sixth line, the MX record corresponding to
the part is shown on and after the tenth line, where the one shown
after `mail exchanger=` is the details of the MX record and is the
name of the server in which the MTA, to which the relay of e-mail
is requested, operates. Therefore, it expresses that the e-mail to
abc@def.ghi should be passed to the MTA operating in mx.def.ghi or
m.times.2.def.ghi.
[0287] FIG. 38 is the view showing the example of communication
details when the e-mail is passed to another MTA. The example shows
the case where the sender of e-mail is newsletter@hij.kl.jpn (refer
to the eighth line) and the destination of e-mail is abc@def.ghi
(refer to the ninth line). On the ninth line, the MTA is notified
of the destination of e-mail by `RCPT TO: abc@def.ghi`, and the MTA
which has been notified of the destination is to return an answer
whether the destination of the mail can be accepted or not. For
example, when it returns `250 abc"ef.ghi . . . Recipient ok`, the
destination of e-mail can be accepted, and when it returns an
answer such as `550 abc@def.ghi . . . . User unknown` where the
number in the 500 to 599 range is attached on the top, the
destination of the e-mail cannot be accepted.
[0288] Therefore, in this embodiment, the following processing may
be performed to determine by the non-delivery determination section
202 whether the transmission of the e-mail having the e-mail
address as the destination is non-deliverable or not. First, the
section obtains the MX record on the right part of `@` of the
e-mail address. It starts communication with the MTA operating in
the server whose name has been obtained by the MX record, the
e-mail address is continuously entered after `RCPT TO:`, whether
the answer attached with the number in the 500 to 599 range is
obtained or not, and the section determines that the transmission
of e-mail is non-deliverable when such an answer is obtained.
[0289] Note that there is a method where the e-mail address is
continuously entered after `VRFY ` or `EXPN ` without using `RCPT
TO:`, and whether the transmission of e-mail is non-deliverable or
not by checking with the answer.
[0290] The fact that the transmission of e-mail is not
non-deliverable may be detected by detecting that the user has read
the e-mail. For example, an HTML mail is transmitted to the user, a
graphics file stored by a server is designed to be displayed when
the user displays the HTML mail. At this point, by specifying a URL
(Uniform Resource Locator) of a different graphics file in the HTML
mail for each user, which user read the e-mail, that is, the
transmission of e-mail not being non-deliverable is detected
through checking with access to the server storing the graphics
file.
[0291] A computer can embody the identification code administration
apparatus of this embodiment. In this case, the computer operates a
program that causes the computer to execute a validity information
storage step, a non-delivery determination step, and an
identification code validity information changing step.
[0292] The `validity information storage step` is a step to realize
the validity information storage section. For example, it is the
step corresponding to the operation of the database administration
system that administrates the table exemplified in FIG. 32 or FIG.
33.
[0293] The `non-delivery determination step` is a step to realize
the non-delivery determination section.
[0294] The `identification code validity information changing step`
is a step to realize the identification code validity information
changing section, which is the step to order a change of
identification code validity information to the database
administration system that administrates the table exemplified in
FIG. 32 or FIG. 33, for example.
[0295] In the flowchart of FIG. 34 or FIG. 35, the validity
information storage step is equivalent to steps S3401, S3402, S3501
and S3502, the non-delivery determination step is equivalent to
steps S3403 and S3503, and the identification code validity
information changing step is equivalent to steps S3404, S3504 and
S3505.
[0296] FIG. 52 exemplifies the functional block diagram of a system
in which the identification code administration apparatus 3100 and
the information processing apparatus 5100 in this embodiment are
combined.
[0297] The tables, which the validity information storage section
3101 and the authentication section 5101 in this embodiment store,
share the values in the column of `identification code`.
[0298] When an identification code and a password 5106 are input to
the authentication section 5101, the authentication section 5101
determines whether the identification code and the password match a
password stored in the authentication section or not. If they
match, the section obtains the identification code validity
information, which is stored in the validity information storage
section 3101 by being associated with the identification code, and
if it is `invalid`, it passes a result as the authentication result
5107 that the authentication has failed to the content transmission
section 5102, thereby preventing the content from being transmitted
to the user.
[0299] Since the identification code validity information is
changed by making determination that the e-mail has been
non-deliverable with this embodiment, information confidentiality
is maintained.
[0300] FIG. 39 shows the functional block diagram of the
identification code administration apparatus according to the
eighth embodiment of the present invention.
[0301] In this embodiment, determination that the transmission of
e-mail is non-deliverable is performed by receiving a non-delivery
notice mail.
[0302] In an identification code administration apparatus 3900 of
this embodiment, the non-delivery determination section of the
identification code administration apparatus in the seventh
embodiment has a non-delivery notice mail receiving means 3903 and
a non-deliverable address obtaining means 3904.
[0303] The `non-delivery notice mail receiving means` 3903 receives
the non-delivery notice mail. The `non-delivery notice mail` is a
mail that informs of non-delivery in response to the mail
transmitted with the e-mail address as a destination. The `mail
that informs of non-delivery in response to the mail transmitted`
is an e-mail informing that the e-mail transmitted having an e-mail
address as a destination has not reached the e-mail address for
some reason.
[0304] The `non-deliverable address obtaining means` 3904 obtains
the e-mail address to which the transmission of e-mail is
non-deliverable based on the non-delivery notice mail received by
the non-delivery notice mail receiving means 3903.
[0305] FIG. 40 exemplifies the flowchart explaining the operation
of the identification code administration apparatus in this
embodiment. The processing of the flowchart is based on the
assumption that the e-mail has been transmitted to the e-mail
address stored by the validity information storage section before
executing the processing. Some contents, which can be obtained
based on the identification code, have been updated are cited as
details of the e-mail transmitted. Specifically, the e-mail
informing that the content stored in the information processing
apparatus of FIG. 51 has been updated is cited.
[0306] On step S4001, the non-delivery notice mail receiving means
waits until it receives the non-delivery notice mail. When the
means receives the non-delivery notice mail, the processing
proceeds to step S4002.
[0307] On step S4002, the non-deliverable address obtaining means
obtains the non-deliverable e-mail address.
[0308] On step S4003, the identification code validity information
changing section invalidates the identification code validity
information.
[0309] On step S4004, whether the processing should end or not is
determined, and the processing returns to step S4001 when it does
not end.
[0310] The flowchart shown in FIG. 40 is one processing example,
where step S4003 is to be performed immediately after step S4002.
However, the non-deliverable e-mail address is stored, and the
identification code validity information may be changed to
`invalid` after it is stored for a certain period of time. Further,
the non-deliverable e-mail address is output, and whether the
identification code validity information should be changed or not
may be determined based on information for an instruction entered
based on the output.
[0311] Herein, the `non-delivery notice mail` is an e-mail showing
that the e-mail transmitted could not be delivered to the
destination. FIG. 41 shows the example of the non-delivery notice
mail. The non-delivery notice mail is sent from the administrator
(the postmaster) of the MTA, which has detected that the e-mail was
not delivered, to a sender of the e-mail. In the case of FIG. 41,
the e-mail address of the postmaster of the MTA that has detected
that the e-mail did not reach is `POSTMASTER@mx.def.ghi`, and the
e-mail address of the sender of e-mail is `newsletter@hij.kl.jpn`
(when a header of the transmitted mail specifies an e-mail address
by Errors-To:, the non-delivery notice mail may be sent to the
e-mail address specified by the header).
[0312] Therefore, when the e-mail address of the sender of e-mail
is made to be the e-mail address allocated for the non-delivery
notice mail receiving means, (or the e-mail address allocated for
the non-delivery notice mail receiving means by Errors-To: is
specified), the non-delivery notice mail receiving means 3903 can
receive the non-delivery notice mail.
[0313] As shown in FIG. 41, since the reason of non-delivery and
the non-deliverable e-mail address are generally written at the
initial part of text of the non-delivery notice mail, the e-mail
address may be obtained from this part. Because there are fewer
types of MTA than those of MUA, it is possible to analyze the text
of the non-delivery notice mails delivered by all MTAs.
[0314] The text of the non-delivery notice mail generally shows the
reason of non-delivery, and the header and text of the
non-deliverable e-mail, as shown in FIG. 41. In the header of the
e-mail, the destination of e-mail is shown by a line starting with
`To:`. Accordingly, it is possible to obtain the non-deliverable
e-mail address when the part starting with `To:` is fetched from
the header of the non-deliverable e-mail, which is shown in the
text part of the non-delivery notice mail (e-mail has a structure
in which a header part and the text part are separated by a blank
line).
[0315] Furthermore, the header of e-mail shows an ID (message ID)
uniquely allocated for the e-mail by `Message-ID:`. Consequently,
there is a method that the e-mail having a different message ID is
transmitted to each user, and which e-mail, for which the message
ID has been allocated, was sent to which e-mail address is
recorded. FIG. 42 is the example of the table showing
correspondence between the message ID and the e-mail address.
[0316] The message ID is brought out from the `Message-ID:` part of
the header of the non-deliverable e-mail, which is shown in the
text part of the non-delivery notice mail, and the e-mail address
associated with the message ID in the table of FIG. 42 may be
obtained.
[0317] FIG. 43 exemplifies the flowchart of the processing in which
the non-deliverable e-mail address is obtained using the message
ID.
[0318] At step S4301, the line of `Message-ID:` in the mail text is
searched.
[0319] At step S4302, the message ID on the right of `Message-ID:`
is fetched.
[0320] At step S4303, the e-mail address as the destination of the
mail is brought out by scanning the table of FIG. 42 based on the
message ID that has been fetched on step S4302.
[0321] At step S4304, the identification code validity information
associated with the e-mail address, which has been brought out, is
invalidated.
[0322] Although the three methods have been cited above, it is not
necessary to use only one of these. These methods may be combined
such that the first method described above is used first, the
second method described above is applied in preparation for the
case where new MTA appears, and the third method is applied when
the second method cannot be applied (some MTAs do not correctly
affix `To:` in the text part of an error notice mail).
[0323] FIG. 53 exemplifies the functional block diagram of the
system where the identification code administration apparatus 3900
in this embodiment and the information processing apparatus 5100
have been combined.
[0324] The tables, which a validity information storage section
3901 and the authentication section 5101 in this embodiment store,
share the values in the column of `identification code`.
[0325] When the identification code and the password 5106 are input
to the authentication section 5101, the authentication section 5101
determines whether the identification code and the password match
the password stored in the authentication section or not. If they
match, the section obtains the identification code validity
information, which is stored in the validity information storage
section 3901 by being associated with the identification code, and
if it is `invalid`, it passes a result as the authentication result
5107 that the authentication has failed to the content transmission
section 5102, and thereby preventing the content form being
transmitted to the user.
[0326] Note that FIG. 53 shows an update notice section 5301. The
`update notice section` 5301 informs the user that a content in the
content database have been updated by an update notice mail 5302.
If the update notice mail is non-deliverable, a non-delivery notice
mail 5303 is generated and the non-delivery notice mail receiving
means 3903. The update notice section may request the e-mail
address, which is the destination of the update notice mail, for
the validity information storage section of the identification code
administration apparatus, and to obtain the e-mail address.
[0327] According to this embodiment, it is possible to detect
almost surely that the transmission of e-mail has been
non-deliverable because the e-mail address is obtained based on the
non-delivery notice mail.
[0328] In this embodiment, non-deliverable e-mail information,
which is information regarding the e-mail address to which
transmission was non-deliverable has been detected, is output, the
instruction whether the identification code validity information is
changed or not is obtained based on the output, and the
identification code validity information is changed based on the
instruction.
[0329] FIG. 44 exemplifies the example of a screen displaying the
non-deliverable e-mail information that has been output. This
example is the case where the e-mail to abc@def.ghi has been
determined to be non-deliverable. When a button 4401 is pushed, the
identification code validity information associated with the
abc@def.ghi is invalidated, and when a button 4402 is pushed, the
identification code validity information is maintained as
valid.
[0330] FIG. 45 exemplifies the functional block diagram of the
identification code administration apparatus in this
embodiment.
[0331] In an identification code administration apparatus 4500 of
this embodiment, the identification code validity information
changing section of the identification code administration
apparatus of the seventh or eighth embodiment has non-deliverable
e-mail information output means 4504 and validity information
change instruction obtaining means 4505.
[0332] When the non-delivery determination section obtains
determination as `non-deliverable`, the `non-deliverable e-mail
information output means` 4504 outputs the non-deliverable e-mail
information regarding the e-mail address determined as
`non-deliverable`. The `information regarding the e-mail address`
may be the e-mail address itself or may be information that can be
obtained from the e-mail address. For example, in the case where
name, address, phone number and the like of a person, for whom the
e-mail address was allocated, are stored by being associated with
the e-mail address, the name, address and phone number may be the
information regarding the e-mail address.
[0333] The `validity information change instruction obtaining
means` 4505 obtains the change instruction. The `change
instruction` is an instruction whether the identification code
validity information of the identification information, which
identifies a subject regarding the e-mail address of the
non-deliverable e-mail information output from the non-deliverable
e-mail information output means, is changed or not.
[0334] In this embodiment, when the change instruction obtained by
the validity information change instruction obtaining means 4505 is
the one that should change the identification code validity
information of the identification code, the identification code is
changed.
[0335] FIG. 46 exemplifies the flowchart explaining the operation
after the identification code administration apparatus of this
embodiment obtains the non-deliverable e-mail address.
[0336] On step S4601, the non-deliverable e-mail information output
means outputs the non-deliverable e-mail information.
[0337] On step S4062, the validity information change instruction
obtaining means obtains the change instruction.
[0338] On step S4603, whether the identification code validity
information is changed or not is determined. If it is determined
that the information should be changed, the processing proceeds to
step S4604. Otherwise, the processing ends.
[0339] On step S4604, the identification code validity information
is changed.
[0340] Note that step S4604 is normally one to invalidate the
identification code validity information. However, the
identification code validity information is invalidated when the
non-delivery determination section determines the e-mail to be
non-deliverable, and the identification code validity information
may be validated on step S4604.
Ninth Embodiment
Relationship with Information Processing Apparatus
[0341] FIG. 54 exemplifies the functional block diagram of the
system where the identification code administration apparatus 4500
in this embodiment and the information processing apparatus 5100
have been combined.
[0342] The tables, which the validity information storage section
4501 and the authentication section 5101 in this embodiment store,
share the values in the column of `identification code`.
[0343] When the identification code and the password 5106 are input
to the authentication section 5101, the authentication section 5101
determines whether or not the identification code and the password
match the password stored in the authentication section. If they
match, the section obtains the identification code validity
information, which is stored in the validity information storage
section 4501 by being associated with the identification code, and
if it is `invalid`, it passes a result as the authentication result
5107 that the authentication has failed to the content transmission
section 5102, and thereby preventing the content form being
transmitted to the user.
[0344] Note that an input/output device 5401 is an output
destination from the non-deliverable e-mail information output
means 4504 and an input destination to the validity information
change instruction obtaining means 4505, and the device typically
consists of the CRT, keyboard, mouse and the like. Further, the
input/output device 5401 does not need to be directly connected to
the identification code administration apparatus 4500 but may be
connected to the apparatus via the communication network.
[0345] According to this embodiment, the change instruction changes
the identification code validity information. Therefore, even if
the e-mail address is generated, which has been determined that the
e-mail was non-deliverable, it is possible to change the
identification code validity information after examining the cause
of the non-delivery of a mail.
[0346] FIG. 47 is the functional block diagram of the
identification code administration apparatus according to the tenth
embodiment of the present invention.
[0347] In this embodiment, information regarding a destination to
which transmission has been determined to be non-deliverable is
output.
[0348] The difference between the identification code
administration apparatus of this embodiment and the identification
code administration apparatuses in the above-described embodiments
is that a non-delivery determination section 4702 has
non-deliverable destination information output means 4703 in this
embodiment.
[0349] The `non-deliverable destination information output means`
4703 outputs non-deliverable destination information that is
information regarding the destination to which transmission has
been determined to be non-deliverable. Specifically, when the
non-delivery determination section 4702 determines that the e-mail
was non-deliverable, the information regarding the e-mail address
is output. Herein, `transmission` means the transmission of e-mail,
and `destination` means the e-mail address that is a transmission
destination. Further, `information regarding the destination` may
include not only the e-mail address but also information obtained
based on the e-mail address.
[0350] FIG. 55 exemplifies the functional block diagram of the
system where the identification code administration apparatus 4700
in this embodiment and the information processing apparatus 5100
have been combined.
[0351] The tables, which a validity information storage section
4701 and the authentication section 5101 in this embodiment store,
share the values in the column of `identification code`.
[0352] When the identification code and the password 5106 are input
to the authentication section 5101, the authentication section 5101
determines whether or not the identification code and the password
match the password stored in the authentication section. If they
match, the section obtains the identification code validity
information, which is stored in the validity information storage
section 4701 by being associated with the identification code, and
if it is `invalid`, it passes a result as the authentication result
5107 that the authentication has failed to the content transmission
section 5102, and thereby preventing the content form being
transmitted to the user.
[0353] Note that an input/output device 5501 is an output
destination from the non-deliverable e-mail information output
means 4703. The input/output device 5501 may be directly connected
to the identification code administration apparatus 4700, or may be
connected to the apparatus via the communication network.
[0354] According to this embodiment, when the non-delivery
determination section determines that the e-mail is
non-deliverable, the information regarding the e-mail address is
output, so that it is possible to immediately start examining the
cause of the non-delivery of the mail as to why the mail became
non-deliverable or the like.
[0355] FIG. 48 exemplifies the functional block diagram of the
identification code administration apparatus according to the
eleventh embodiment of the present invention.
[0356] In this embodiment, when the identification code validity
information is changed, information regarding the change is
output.
[0357] The difference between the identification code
administration apparatus of this embodiment and the identification
code administration apparatuses in the seventh embodiment to the
ninth embodiment is that a validity information holding section has
a validity change information output means 4802.
[0358] The `validity change information output means` 4802 outputs
validity change information that is information regarding the fact
that the identification code validity information has been changed.
The `information regarding the fact that the identification code
validity information has been changed` may be information showing
that the identification code validity information has been changed,
or may be information showing that which identification code
validity information related to which identification code or which
e-mail address has been changed.
[0359] FIG. 56 exemplifies the functional block diagram of the
system where an identification code administration apparatus 4800
in this embodiment and the information processing apparatus 5100
have been combined.
[0360] The tables, which a validity information storage section
4801 of the identification code administration apparatus in this
embodiment and the authentication section 5101 of the information
processing apparatus store, share the values in the column of
`identification code`.
[0361] When the identification code and the password 5106 are input
to the authentication section 5101, the authentication section 5101
determines whether the identification code and the password match
the password stored in the authentication section or not. If they
match, the section obtains the identification code validity
information, which is stored in the validity information storage
section 4801 by being associated with the identification code, and
if it is `invalid`, it passes a result as the authentication result
5107 that the authentication has failed to the content transmission
section 5102, and thereby preventing the content form being
transmitted to the user.
[0362] Note that an input/output device 5601 is an display or the
like that is an output destination from the validity change
information output means 4802. As shown in FIG. 56, the
input/output device 5601 may be directly connected to the
identification code administration apparatus 4800, or may be
connected to the apparatus via a communication network.
Eleventh Embodiment
Effects
[0363] According to this embodiment, when the identification code
validity information is changed, the information regarding the
change is output. Therefore, it is possible to know that not only
the non-deliverable e-mail information has been changed, but also
which identification code validity information associated with
which identification code or which e-mail address has been actually
changed.
[0364] In this embodiment, when the identification code validity
information is changed, it can be returned to the state before the
change.
[0365] FIG. 49 shows an example of the screen to obtain an
instruction for restoring the identification code validity
information to the state before the change. In this example, it is
shown that the identification code validity information associated
with the e-mail addresses, which are abc@def.ghi and hij@kl.stu,
has been changed to invalid one, and for each e-mail address an
instruction whether the identification code validity information is
to be restored or not can be accepted. Checking a button 4901 means
the restoration of the identification code validity information
associated with abc@def.ghi, and checking a button 4902 means the
restoration of the identification code validity information
associated with hij@kl.stu. When a button 4903 is pushed, these
instructions are sent to the identification code administration
apparatus to return the specified identification code validity
information.
[0366] FIG. 50 exemplifies the functional block diagram of the
identification code administration apparatus of the twelfth
embodiment. The difference between the identification code
administration apparatus of this embodiment and the identification
code administration apparatuses in the tenth embodiment or the
eleventh embodiment is that the apparatus of this embodiment has a
restore instruction obtaining section 5001 and a validity
information storage section 5003 has restoration means 5002.
[0367] The `restore instruction obtaining section` 5001 obtains
restore instruction information that is an instruction to restore
the identification code validity information, which has been
changed to `does not have particular authorization` by an
identification code validity information changing section 5005, to
`has particular authorization`. For example, it is means for
obtaining the fact that buttons (4901, 4902) have been pushed on
the screen shown in FIG. 49.
[0368] The `restoration means` 5002 changes the identification code
validity information from `does not have particular authorization`
to `has particular authorization` according to the restore
instruction information obtained by the restore instruction
obtaining section. For example, in the case where the
identification code validity information of u284729, which was
valid in FIG. 32, has been changed to invalid in FIG. 33, the
returning means changes it to valid again as shown in FIG. 32.
[0369] FIG. 58 exemplifies the flowchart unique for the twelfth
embodiment. Specifically, the flowchart of a processing is
exemplified where the restore instruction obtaining section obtains
the restore instruction information and the processing is performed
based on the restore instruction information.
[0370] At step S5801, the restore instruction obtaining section
obtains the change instruction information.
[0371] At step S5802, whether the obtained restore instruction
information expresses an instruction to restore or not the
validity, and the processing proceeds to step S5803 if it does.
Otherwise, step S5803 is skipped.
[0372] At step S5803, the identification code validity information
is restored as `has particular authorization`.
[0373] FIG. 57 exemplifies the functional block diagram of the
system where an identification code administration apparatus 5000
in this embodiment and the information processing apparatus 5100
have been combined.
[0374] The tables, which the validity information holding section
5003 of the identification code administration apparatus in this
embodiment and the authentication section 5101 of the information
processing apparatus store, share the values in the column of
`identification code`.
[0375] When the identification code and the password 5106 are input
to the authentication section 5101, the authentication section 5101
determines whether the identification code and the password match
the password stored in the authentication section or not. If they
match, the section obtains the identification code validity
information, which is stored in the validity information storage
section 5003 by being associated with the identification code, and
if it is `invalid`, it passes a result as the authentication result
5107 that the authentication has failed to the content transmission
section 5102, and thereby preventing the content form being
transmitted to the user.
[0376] Note that an input/output device 5701 is a device for
displaying a screen, where the restore instruction obtaining
section 5001 obtains the restore instruction information, and for
obtaining the restore instruction information. As shown in FIG. 57,
the input/output device 5701 may be directly connected to the
identification code administration apparatus 5000, or may be
connected to the apparatus via the communication network.
[0377] According to the twelfth embodiment, it is possible to
restore the identification code validity information, which has
been once invalidated, to valid.
[0378] The thirteenth embodiment of the present invention relates
to an identification code information administration apparatus
where the information processing apparatus described in the first
embodiment or the like and the identification code administration
apparatus described in the seventh embodiment or the like have been
combined.
[0379] FIG. 59 exemplifies the functional block diagram of the
identification code information administration apparatus. An
identification code information administration apparatus 5900
comprises a content administration section 5901, a content update
information obtaining section 5902, a notification mail generation
section 5903, a validity information storage section 5904 a
non-delivery determination section 5905, and a identification code
validity information changing section 5906.
[0380] The `content administration section`, `content update
information obtaining section` and `notification mail generation
section` are the ones as described in the first embodiment or the
like.
[0381] The `validity information storage section`, `non-delivery
determination section` and `identification code validity
information changing section` are also the ones as described in the
seventh embodiment or the like.
[0382] In this embodiment and other subsequently described
embodiments, as described in the first embodiment and the seventh
embodiment, the content administration section 5901 administers
plural kinds of contents and the browsing-permitted subject
identification code for each content, by associating them. On the
other hand, the validity information storage section 5904 stores
the identification code, the identification code validity
information that is the information showing a person, or a device,
etc. that entered the code has particular authorization based on
the identification code, the e-mail address regarding a subject
identified by the identification code, by associating them with
each other. Under such circumstances, the `browsing-permitted
subject identification code` in the content administration section
5901 and the `identification code` in the validity information
storage section 5904 may be the same. Alternatively, a
correspondence table or the like of the browsing-permitted subject
identification code and the identification code are administered by
the validity information storage section 5904 or the content
administration section 5901, and the browsing-permitted subject
identification code and the identification code may be different.
In the following, description will be made assuming that the
browsing-permitted subject identification code and the
identification code are the same for convenience sake.
[0383] Furthermore, in the thirteenth embodiment, the non-delivery
determination section 5905 stores all e-mail addresses for which
the notification mail generation section generates the notification
mails, and may perform determination regarding non-delivery for
them. Alternatively, the non-delivery determination section 5905
may determine whether the transmission is non-deliverable or not to
the e-mail address associated with the identification code that is
included in the identification code validity information stored by
the validity information storage section 5904 in the state where
the information shall have particular authorization. For this
reason, the non-delivery determination section 5905 may obtain the
e-mail address associated with the identification code that is
included in the identification code validity information by the
validity information storage section 5904 in the state where the
information has particular authorization.
[0384] Further, in the thirteenth embodiment, when the
identification code validity information stored by the validity
information storage section 5904 is changed by the identification
code validity information changing section 5906, the association
between the content administrated by the content administration
section 5901 and the browsing-permitted subject identification code
may be changed. For example, it is assumed that the identification
code and the browsing-permitted subject identification code are the
same. In this case, when the identification code validity
information is changed such that the identification code does not
have particular authorization, the association between the
identification code and the content may end.
[0385] By performing in this manner, even if the content is
updated, it is possible that generation of notification mail is not
performed for the e-mail address, which is obtained based on the
identification code associated with the content.
[0386] FIG. 60 exemplifies the flowchart explaining the processing
flow of the identification code information administration
apparatus 5900 from obtainment of the content update information to
transmission of the notification mail.
[0387] At step S6001, the content update information obtaining
section 5902 obtains the content update information.
[0388] At step S6002, the notification mail generation section 5903
obtains the destination of notification mail based on the content
update information.
[0389] At step S6003, the notification mail generation section 5903
generates the notification mail.
[0390] At step S6004, the notification mail is transmitted.
[0391] FIG. 61 exemplifies the flowchart explaining the processing
flow of the identification code information administration
apparatus 5900 from the point when non-delivery determination
section 5905 detects the e-mail address, to which transmission of
the e-mail is non-deliverable, to the point when the identification
code comes to a state where it does not have particular
authorization (for example, the state where the identification code
is invalidated).
[0392] At step S6101, the identification code validity information
changing section 5906 obtains the e-mail address to which
transmission of the e-mail is non-deliverable.
[0393] At step S6102, the identification code associated with the
e-mail address is obtained.
[0394] At step S6103, the validity information stored by the
validity information storage section 5904 is changed to invalidate
its identification code.
[0395] FIG. 62 exemplifies the functional block diagram of the WEB
page generation system in which the identification code information
administration apparatus 5900 of this is incorporated.
[0396] The WEB page generation system is connected to a user
terminal 6209 via a communication network 6208 such as the
Internet. The information transmitted from the user terminal 6209
to a WEB page generation system 6200 is further transmitted to a
session administration section 6203.
[0397] The session administration section 6203 administers the
communication status between the user terminal 6209 and the WEB
page generation system 6200. For example, when the communication
with the user terminal 6209 is in an authenticated state, the
session administration section 6203 sends the identification code
and a password 6205, which are transmitted from the user terminal
6209, to an authentication section 6201.
[0398] The authentication section 6201 performs authentication to
the identification code and password. During the authentication,
the section refers to the validity information stored by the
validity information storage section 5904, and determines whether
the identification code has particular authorization. Specifically,
even if the identification code and password are authentic,
authentication fails when the identification code does not have
particular authorization. The result of authentication in the
authentication section 6201 is sent to a page generation section
6202 together with the identification code to which authentication
has been performed.
[0399] When a page request 6206 that is a request for browsing a
WEB page is transmitted after the user terminal 6209 has
transmitted the identification code and password, the page
generation section 6202, based on the authentication result in the
authentication section 6201 and the association between the content
and identification code, which are administered by the content
administration section 5901, generates a WEB page 6207 using the
content associated with the authenticated identification code and
sends it back.
[0400] Further, when a content administration section 6204 updates
the content, the information showing the update is sent to the
content administration section 5901 and the content update
information obtaining section 5902. As a result, the notification
mail generation section 5903 generates the notification mail to
transmit it. Since generation of the notification mail is performed
based on the association between the content and the identification
code, the generated notification mail is transmitted to the user
who can browse the updated content but is not transmitted to the
user who cannot browse the updated content.
[0401] In the identification code information administration
apparatus of this embodiment, the e-mail address to which
transmission of the e-mail is non-deliverable is detected and it is
possible not to transmit the notification mail to the e-mail
address. Therefore, traffic increase due to wasteful transmission
of e-mail can be restricted. Furthermore, the notification mail is
prevented from being transmitted to a person who is no longer
employed by a company, to whom the transmission of e-mail has been
non-deliverable due to retirement, and the identification code
given to such a person can be invalidated, so that it is possible
to maintain confidentiality of information, which is intended to be
disclosed only to the company.
[0402] FIG. 63 exemplifies the functional block diagram of the
identification code information administration apparatus of the
fourteenth embodiment.
[0403] The identification code information administration apparatus
according to the fourteenth embodiment is configured such that the
non-delivery determination section 5905 of the identification code
information administration apparatus 5900 of the thirteenth
embodiment further has non-delivery notice mail receiving means
6301 and non-deliverable address obtaining means 6302.
[0404] The `non-delivery notice mail receiving means` and the
`non-deliverable address obtaining means` are the ones as described
in the eighth embodiment.
[0405] Accordingly, the non-delivery notice mail receiving means
6301 receives an e-mail (that is, a non-delivery notice mail)
showing that the e-mail that has been generated in the notification
mail generation section 5903 and has been transmitted cannot be
delivered to the e-mail address.
[0406] The non-deliverable address obtaining means 6302 obtains the
e-mail address, to which transmission of e-mail is non-deliverable,
from the e-mail received by the non-delivery notice mail receiving
means 6301.
[0407] FIG. 64 exemplifies the functional block diagram of the WEB
page generation system into which the identification code
information administration apparatus in the fourteenth embodiment
is incorporated.
[0408] The difference between FIG. 64 and FIG. 62 described in the
thirteenth embodiment is that the non-delivery notice mail
receiving means 6301 of the non-delivery determination section 5905
receives the non-delivery notice mail.
[0409] FIG. 65 exemplifies the flowchart explaining the processing
flow from the point when the identification code information
administration apparatus in this embodiment receives the
non-delivery notice mail to the point when the apparatus
invalidates the identification code.
[0410] At step S6501, the non-delivery notice mail receiving means
6301 receives the non-delivery notice mail.
[0411] At step S6502, the non-deliverable address obtaining means
obtains the e-mail address that is the destination of the
non-delivery notice mail.
[0412] At step S6503, the identification code associated with the
e-mail address is obtained.
[0413] At step S6504, the validity information stored by the
validity information storage section 5904 is changed to invalidate
its identification code.
[0414] In the identification code information administration
apparatus of this embodiment, the e-mail address to which
transmission of the notification mail is non-deliverable is
obtained and the identification code associated with the e-mail
address is invalidated. Therefore, the identification code of a
person, who is no longer employed by a company and to whom the
transmission of e-mail has been non-deliverable due to retirement,
for example, is invalidated, so that it is possible to maintain
confidentiality of information, which is intended to be disclosed
only to the company. In addition, transmission of wasteful
notification mail is restricted and increased traffic can be
prevented.
[0415] FIG. 66 exemplifies the functional block diagram of the
identification code information administration apparatus according
to the fifteenth embodiment.
[0416] The identification code information administration apparatus
according to the fifteenth embodiment is configured such that the
identification code validity information changing section 5906 of
the identification code information administration apparatus 5900
of the thirteenth embodiment further has non-delivery e-mail
information output means 6601 and validity information change
instruction obtaining means 6602.
[0417] The `non-delivery notice mail information output means` and
the `validity information change instruction obtaining means` are
described in the ninth embodiment.
[0418] Accordingly, in this embodiment, information regarding the
e-mail address, which has been determined to be non-deliverable by
the non-delivery determination section, is output, the instruction
as to whether the identification code validity information is
changed based on the output or not is obtained, and the
identification code validity information is changed based on the
instruction.
[0419] FIG. 67 exemplifies the flowchart explaining the processing
flow of the identification code information administration
apparatus from the point when the e-mail address determined to be
non-deliverable is received to the point when the identification
code is invalidated.
[0420] At step S6701, the identification code validity information
changing section 5906 obtains the non-deliverable e-mail
address.
[0421] At step S6702, the non-delivery e-mail information output
means 6601 outputs the non-delivery e-mail information.
[0422] At step S6703, the validity information change instruction
obtaining means 6602 obtains the instruction whether the
identification code validity information is invalidated, and
whether the identification code validity information is invalidated
or not is determined.
[0423] If it is determined to invalidate the identification code
validity information, the processing proceeds to step S6704 and the
identification code validity information changing section 5906
invalidates the identification code.
[0424] FIG. 68 exemplifies the functional block diagram of the WEB
page generation system into which the identification code
information administration apparatus in the fifteenth embodiment is
incorporated.
[0425] The difference between FIG. 68 and FIG. 62 described in the
thirteenth embodiment is that, in FIG. 68, the identification code
validity information changing section 5906 has the non-delivery
e-mail information output means 6601 and the validity information
change instruction obtaining means 6602. Further, they are
different on the point that the WEB page generation system 6200 has
an input/output section 6801.
[0426] The input/output section 6801 is a section for displaying
the non-delivery e-mail information that the non-delivery e-mail
information output means outputs, and obtaining the instruction
whether the validity information is changed or not. For example,
the input/output section 6801 displays the screen exemplified in
FIG. 44 and enters information where the buttons (4401, 4402) are
pushed.
[0427] According to the identification code information
administration apparatus of the fifteenth embodiment, since the
identification code validity information can be changed on
confirming the cause why the transmission of e-mail has become
non-deliverable, the identification code validity information will
not be invalidated when the transmission of e-mail becomes
non-deliverable due to a trouble in the server or the like. As a
result, this embodiment has the following effect in addition to the
effect cited in the thirteenth embodiment. It is possible to reduce
a task that the receiver of the notification mail informs the
administrator of the WEB page generation system or the like of the
fact that the trouble of server or the like caused transmission
non-delivery of the e-mail.
[0428] FIG. 69 exemplifies the functional block diagram of the
identification code information administration apparatus according
to the sixteenth embodiment of the present invention.
[0429] The identification code information administration apparatus
according to the sixteenth embodiment is configured such that the
non-delivery determination section 5905 of the identification code
information administration apparatus 5900 of the thirteenth
embodiment further has non-deliverable destination information
output means 6901.
[0430] The `non-deliverable destination information output means`
is the one described in the tenth embodiment.
[0431] Accordingly, in this embodiment, the information regarding
the destination to which the e-mail has been determined to be
non-deliverable is output.
[0432] FIG. 70 exemplifies the functional block diagram of the WEB
page generation system into which the identification code
information administration apparatus in the sixteenth embodiment is
incorporated.
[0433] The difference between FIG. 70 and FIG. 62 described in the
thirteenth embodiment is that, in FIG. 70, the non-delivery
determination section 5905 has the non-deliverable destination
information output means 6901 and an output section 7001 is
provided for outputting non-deliverable destination information
that the non-deliverable destination information output means 6901
has output.
[0434] According to the sixteenth embodiment, in addition to the
effects of the thirteenth embodiment, it is possible to know which
destination has been determined to be non-deliverable because the
non-deliverable destination information is output. Therefore, the
notification mail is not transmitted to the e-mail address to which
the transmission of e-mail is non-deliverable, for example, and
increased traffic by non-deliverable mail can be prevented.
[0435] FIG. 71 exemplifies the functional block diagram of the
identification code information administration apparatus of the
seventeenth embodiment of the present invention.
[0436] The identification code information administration apparatus
according to the seventeenth embodiment is configured such that the
validity information storage section 5904 of the identification
code information administration apparatus 5900 of the thirteenth
embodiment further has validity change information output means
7101.
[0437] The `validity change information output means` is the one
described in the eleventh embodiment.
[0438] Therefore, according to this embodiment, when the
identification code validity information is changed, information
about the change is output.
[0439] FIG. 72 exemplifies the functional block diagram of the WEB
page generation system into which the identification code
information administration apparatus in the seventeenth embodiment
is incorporated.
[0440] The difference between FIG. 72 and FIG. 62 described in the
thirteenth embodiment is that, in FIG. 72, the validity information
storage section 5904 has the validity change information output
means 7101, and the WEB page generation system is provided with an
output section 7201 for outputting validity information that the
validity change information output means 7101 outputs.
[0441] According to the seventeenth embodiment, it is possible to
know which identification code validity information associated with
which identification code or which e-mail address has been changed
because the validity change information is output. Thus, it becomes
possible to which content browsing is restricted, for example, and
the content that the user does not browse can be deleted. As a
result, in addition to the effect of the thirteenth embodiment, a
storage region for storing the contents can be effectively
used.
[0442] FIG. 73 exemplifies the functional block diagram of the
identification code information administration apparatus according
to the eighteenth embodiment of the present invention.
[0443] The identification code information administration apparatus
according to the eighteenth embodiment is configured such that the
identification code information administration apparatus 5900 of
the thirteenth embodiment further includes restore instruction
obtaining section 7302, and the validity information storage
section 5904 further has restoration means 7301.
[0444] The `restore instruction obtaining means` 7302 and the
`restoration means` 7301 are described in the twelfth
embodiment.
[0445] Therefore, in the eighteenth embodiment, even if the
identification code validity information is changed, it can be
restored to the state before the change.
[0446] FIG. 74 exemplifies the functional block diagram of the WEB
page generation system into which the identification code
information administration apparatus in this embodiment is
incorporated.
[0447] The difference between FIG. 74 and FIG. 62 described in the
thirteenth embodiment is that, in FIG. 74, the restore instruction
obtaining means 7302 is provided for the identification code
information administration apparatus 5900, and the validity storage
section 5904 is provided with the restoration means 7301. Further,
what is also different is that the WEB page generation system 6200
is provided with an input/output section 7401.
[0448] The input/output section 7401 is a section to display the
image as shown in FIG. 49, for example, when the restore
instruction obtaining section 7302 returns the identification code
validity information. Further it is the section for entering
information whether the buttons (4901, 4902) have been pushed or
not.
[0449] According to the eighteenth embodiment, it is possible to
restore the identification code validity information, which has
been once invalidated, to valid. Thus, the identification code that
has been invalidated for some reason, for example, can be
validated, and it is possible to continue sales activity through
providing contents.
[0450] The nineteenth embodiment of the present invention relates
to the identification code information administration apparatus
that is an apparatus where the information processing apparatus of
the third embodiment and the identification code administration
apparatus of the seventh embodiment or the like have been
combined.
[0451] FIG. 75 exemplifies the functional block diagram of the
identification code information administration apparatus according
to the nineteenth embodiment of the present invention.
[0452] The identification code information administration apparatus
according to the nineteenth embodiment is configured such that the
notification mail generation section 5903 of the identification
code information administration apparatus 5900 of the thirteenth
embodiment further has template obtaining means 7501 and
notification information generation means 7502.
[0453] The `template obtaining means` and the `notification
information generation means` are described in the second
embodiment.
[0454] Note that, in this embodiment, the template obtaining means
may be designed to obtain the template based on the
browsing-permitted subject identification code associated with the
updated content. Specifically, the templates corresponding to the
browsing-permitted subject identification codes are prepared, and
when the content is updated, the template obtaining means 7501 may
be designed to obtain the template corresponding to the
browsing-permitted subject identification code that is associated
with the content.
[0455] Further, in the case where the template obtaining means is
designed to obtain the template based on the browsing-permitted
subject identification code associated with the updated content,
when the identification code is invalidated by the identification
code validity information changing section 5906, the template
corresponding to the identification code may be invalidated.
Particularly, when the template is invalidated, the template may be
deleted.
[0456] FIG. 76 exemplifies the flowchart explaining the process
flow from the point when the e-mail address to which the
transmission of e-mail is non-deliverable to the point when the
template is invalidated.
[0457] At step S7601, the non-delivery determination section 5905
obtains the e-mail address to which the transmission of e-mail is
non-deliverable.
[0458] At step S7602, the identification code validity information
changing section 5906 obtains the identification code associated
with the e-mail address.
[0459] At step S7602, the validity information stored in the
validity information storage section 5904 is changed to invalidate
its identification code.
[0460] At step S7603, the template corresponding to the
browsing-permitted subject identification code is invalidated. For
example, the template is deleted.
[0461] FIG. 77 exemplifies the functional block diagram of the WEB
page generation system into which the identification code
information administration apparatus 5900 in the nineteenth
embodiment is incorporated.
[0462] FIG. 78 exemplifies the functional block diagram in the case
where the identification code information administration apparatus
5900 incorporated into the WEB page generation system has: (1) the
non-delivery notice mail receiving means 6301 and the
non-deliverable address obtaining means 6302; (2) the non-delivery
e-mail information output means 6601 and the validity information
change instruction obtaining means 6602; (3) the non-deliverable
destination information output means 6901; (4) the validity change
information output means 7101; and the restore instruction
obtaining section 7302 and the restoration means 7301. Each
section/means of (1), (2), (3), (4) and (5) may simultaneously
exist as exemplified in FIG. 78, or each section/means from (1) to
(5) may exist individually.
[0463] According to this embodiment, it is possible to delete the
template of the notification mail generated for the e-mail address
to which the e-mail is non-deliverable. Therefore, the storage
region for storing templates can be effectively utilized.
[0464] FIG. 79 exemplifies the functional block diagram of the
identification code information administration apparatus of the
twentieth embodiment of the present invention.
[0465] The identification code information administration apparatus
according to the twentieth embodiment is configured such that the
notification mail generation section 5903 of the identification
code information administration apparatus 5900 of the thirteenth
embodiment further has notification determination result obtaining
means 7901.
[0466] The `notification determination result obtaining means` is
the one described in the third embodiment.
[0467] Therefore, in this embodiment, the determination result
whether the notification mail is generated or not is obtained and
whether the notification mail is generated or not is decided based
on the determination result.
[0468] FIG. 80 exemplifies the functional block diagram of the WEB
page generation system into which the identification code
information administration apparatus in this embodiment is
incorporated.
[0469] The difference between FIG. 80 and FIG. 63 described in the
thirteenth embodiment is that the notification determination result
obtaining means 7901 and an input/output section 8001 exist in FIG.
80. The input/output section 8001 displays the image exemplified in
FIG. 13, for example, obtains input to the buttons (1301, 1302),
and outputs the obtained result to the notification determination
result obtaining means 7901.
[0470] According to the twentieth embodiment, when performing a
determination whether or not the notification mail is generated or
not, it is possible to examine whether the e-mail address to which
the e-mail is transmitted is reachable, or whether the
identification code associated with the e-mail is valid or not.
Thus, occurrence of wasteful traffic due to transmission of
notification mail to the e-mail address that becomes
non-deliverable can be prevented.
[0471] FIG. 81 exemplifies the functional block diagram according
to the twenty-first embodiment of the present invention.
[0472] The identification code information administration apparatus
of the twenty-first embodiment is configured such that the content
administration section 5901 of the identification code information
administration apparatus 5900 of the thirteenth embodiment has
notification mail preferences presence information change
instruction obtaining means 8101 and notification mail preferences
presence information changing means 8102.
[0473] The `notification mail preferences presence information
change instruction obtaining means` and the `notification mail
preferences presence information changing means` are described in
the sixth embodiment.
[0474] Therefore, in the identification code information
administration apparatus 5900 of this embodiment, a person who
receives the notification mail administrates the notification mail
wish presence information that is information for deciding whether
he/she prefers to receive the notification mail, generation of
notification mail is controlled based on the notification mail
preferences presence information, and furthermore, it is possible
to change the notification mail preferences presence
information.
[0475] FIG. 82 exemplifies the functional block diagram of the WEB
page generation system into which the identification code
information administration apparatus in this embodiment is
incorporated.
[0476] The difference between FIG. 82 and FIG. 62 described in the
thirteenth embodiment is that, in FIG. 82, the content
administration section 5901 has the notification mail preferences
presence information change instruction obtaining means 8101 and
the notification mail preferences presence information changing
means 8102, and the WEB page generation system is provided with an
input/output section 8201.
[0477] Further, the non-delivery determination section 5905 may be
designed to detect the e-mail address to which the transmission of
e-mail becomes non-deliverable by receiving the non-delivery notice
mail as described in the fourteenth embodiment.
[0478] The input/output section 8201 displays the image of FIG. 20,
for example, reads operation to the buttons (2001, 2002, 2003,
2004), and outputs the result that has been read out to the
notification mail preferences presence information change
instruction obtaining means 8101.
[0479] According to this embodiment, in the case of transmitting a
notification mail having particular content to those who wish to
receive the notification mail, the notification mail is not
transmitted to a person to whom the notification mail has become
non-deliverable, so that there will be less possibility of
unauthorized disclosure of the particular content described in the
notification mail.
[0480] According to the present invention, it is possible to
generate a notification mail suitable for each user when the
content has been updated.
[0481] Further, the notification mail is not necessarily generated
every time when the content is updated, but the notification mail
may not be generated depending on the update of content, and
therefore, generation of the notification mail due to a minor
content update can be prevented. In addition, the notification mail
can be generated while sorting out the users.
[0482] Furthermore, it is possible to allow a particular user to
browse particular content, and thereby preventing an unintended
user from browsing the details of content.
[0483] Still further, when it is detected that the e-mail cannot
reach a destination, the validity of identification code is
changed, so that unauthorized disclosure of information for a
particular customer can be prevented.
* * * * *
References