Information processing device, information processing method, and program

Abstract

The aim is to reduce the effort required to post the content of emails received via email services to chat services. [Solution] The present invention provides an information processing device that provides an email service, and is characterized by comprising: receiving means for receiving emails; receiving means for receiving a user to specify first information, which is information in the email service and is associated with the received email; creation means for causing the chat service to create a chat room with a name that includes the string of characters indicated by the first information; and posting means for transmitting second information contained in the received email to the chat service and posting the second information to the created chat room.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to an information processing apparatus, an information processing method, and a program.

Background Art

[0002] Patent Document 1 describes a technique for generating a video that displays the text information of an email received by a mail server and transmitting it to a chat server.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] In a specific mail service and a specific chat service, a user can issue a URL corresponding to a chat room of the chat service and make a setting to associate it with a predetermined condition of an email received by the mail service. By using this technique and the technique described in Patent Document 1, a user can post an email that satisfies a predetermined condition to the corresponding chat room.

[0005] However, in this case, the user needs to create a chat room in the chat service, issue a URL, and set the condition of the mail service to be associated with the URL. That is, there was a lot of work required to post the content of an email received by the mail service to the chat service.

[0006] The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and an object thereof is to reduce the labor required to post the content of an email received by a mail service to a chat service.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0007] To solve the above problems, the present invention provides an information processing device that provides an email service, and is characterized by comprising: receiving means for receiving emails; receiving means for receiving a specification from a user of first information in the email service that is associated with the received email; creation means for causing the chat service to create a chat room with a name that includes the string indicated by the first information; and posting means for transmitting second information contained in the received email to the chat service and posting the second information to the created chat room. [Effects of the Invention]

[0008] According to the present invention, it is possible to reduce the effort required to post the contents of emails received in an email service to a chat service. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0009] [Figure 1] A diagram showing an example of the overall system configuration. [Figure 2] This diagram shows an example of the hardware configuration of the devices that make up the system. [Figure 3] A diagram showing an example of the software configuration of mail server 200. [Figure 4] A diagram showing an example of the software configuration of chat server 300. [Figure 5] A diagram showing an example of the screen of email client 500. [Figure 6] A diagram showing an example of the chat application 600 screen. [Figure 7] A diagram showing an example of the chat application 600 screen. [Figure 8] A diagram showing an example of the settings screen for email client 500. [Figure 9] A diagram showing an example of the settings screen for email client 500. [Figure 10] Sequence diagram showing an example of processing between mail server 200 and chat server 300. [Figure 11]A diagram illustrating an example of the processing performed by mail server 200. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0010] The embodiments for carrying out the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. However, the scope of the present invention is not limited to the configurations described in the examples. Modifications such as replacing or omitting parts of the configuration or processing with equivalents are permitted within the scope of achieving similar effects.

[0011] In this embodiment, teams, channels, chats, and threads are functions of the chat service provided by the chat server 300, and these are concepts such as those shown below.

[0012] A team refers to a group of people who have come together for a specific project or purpose, and is equivalent to a workgroup or project team. Users participate in a team, and each team is associated with information such as participating users, channels, chat rooms (places where users communicate with each other), and tags used for data management.

[0013] A channel is equivalent to a "subgroup" or "discussion forum" used to organize conversations and information about a specific topic or project. Channels are a sub-concept of teams, managed under the umbrella of teams, and like teams, they correspond to information used for managing users, chat rooms, and data. Teams and channels can be freely created and expanded by users, who can choose the participants.

[0014] A chat is a space where users or bots post messages (strings of text) or data for exchange within a chat room. It's not necessary to have a counterpart to communicate with. Generally, a single chat is posted and displayed as a single object.

[0015] A thread is a collection of a series of posts (replies and comments) regarding a specific topic or message. Generally, in a chat, each post is independently posted and displayed, while in a thread, related exchanges are grouped and posted and displayed together. As a result, even when users are handling various topics simultaneously, since related posts are grouped and displayed, it becomes easier to grasp information.

[0016] Note that the following abbreviations are used: PC for Personal Computer, CPU for Central Control Unit, ROM for Read Only Memory, RAM for Random Access Memory. Also, HDD is the abbreviation for Hard Disk Drive, SSD is the abbreviation for Solid State Drive, LAN is the abbreviation for Local Area Network, and WAN is the abbreviation for Wide Area Network.

[0017] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an example of the system configuration in the present invention. The mail server 200 is a system for sending and receiving e-mails to provide an e-mail service, and performs data transmission and reception with many PCs and servers (not shown) via the network 100. The chat server 300 receives messages and image data transmitted from the mail server 200, the PC 400, the PC 410, and many PCs (not shown), and enables real-time communication by posting them to appropriate destinations.

[0018] The mail server 200, the PC 400, the PC 410, and the chat server 300 are communicably connected via the network 100. The network 100 is a wireless or wired network composed of the Internet, WAN, or LAN.

[0019] As conceptually shown in Figure 1, the mail server 200 and chat server 300 are also called cloud servers. The mail server 200 and chat server 300 may be the same server, or the functions of the mail server 200 and chat server 300 may be performed by multiple servers, as long as they perform the functions described in this embodiment. Also, PC 400 is the same as PC 410, and in this system, the number of PC 400s and other connected devices may be any number.

[0020] Note that mail server 200, chat server 300, and PC400 are examples of information processing devices, and PC400 is not limited to personal computers; it may be a tablet device such as a smartphone.

[0021] Figures 2(a), (b), and (c) show the hardware configurations of the mail server 200, chat server 300, and PC 400 in the present invention. The hardware configuration of PC 410 is the same as that of PC 400 and is therefore omitted.

[0022] CPUs 201, 211, and 221 consist of arithmetic circuits and read programs stored in ROMs 202, 212, and 222 or HDDs 204, 214, and 224 into RAMs 203, 213, and 223, and execute various processes. ROMs 202, 212, and 222 store system programs that provide system startup, hardware control, security functions, and other related functions.

[0023] HDD204, 214, and 224 are storage media that function as memory areas. HDD204 stores various information such as application programs provided by the mail server 200, including functions for sending and receiving emails and account management. HDD214 stores various information such as application programs used for controlling messages, user management, and content management processed by the chat server 300. HDD224 stores various information, and also stores and installs the mail client 500 and chat application 600 described later, which are then executed and processed by CPU221.

[0024] Note that HDD204, 214, and 224 are just examples of storage devices, and the system can be configured with other storage devices such as SSDs.

[0025] Communication units 205, 215, and 225 are interfaces for connecting various devices to the mail server 200, chat server 300, and PC 400, respectively. Based on the control of the CPU corresponding to each device, communication units 205, 215, and 225 enable the PC 400, mail server 200, chat server 300, etc., to communicate with each other via the network 100.

[0026] The control unit I / F 206, I / F 216, and I / F 226 respectively connect the control units 207, 217, and 227 to the CPU and other components in a way that allows them to communicate with each other. The control units 207, 217, and 227 are devices for detecting user input, such as a mouse, keyboard, buttons, and switches.

[0027] Display unit I / F208, Display unit I / F218, and Display unit I / F228 connect display unit 209, Display unit 219, and Display unit 229 to each other so that they can communicate with the CPU and other components. Display unit 209, Display unit 219, and Display unit 229 are devices that display the processing content of the mail server 200, chat server 300, and PC 400, such as a display, so that the user can understand them.

[0028] Furthermore, for example, a touch panel may be used to combine the functions of the operation unit and the display unit. In addition, depending on the function and characteristics of each device, other devices may be included, and it is not necessary for all of the above parts to be included in the configuration if they are not necessary to perform the functions of the present invention.

[0029] Figure 3 shows an example of the software configuration of the mail server 200 in this embodiment.

[0030] The components shown in Figure 3 are software modules that are realized and executed by the CPU 201 executing the main program loaded into RAM 203. The execution of each module, described later, is managed and controlled by the OS (Operating System) within the main program.

[0031] The authentication server 301 controls access to the mail server 200 so that only users with correct credentials can access it. Specifically, the mail server 200 performs authentication based on the authentication information it receives. In principle, if authentication is successful, access is permitted, but if authentication is unsuccessful, access is denied.

[0032] SMTP server 302 receives emails sent by users and forwards them to the destination mail server 200. SMTP stands for Simple Mail Transfer Protocol, a type of communication protocol. It also receives emails sent from other mail servers 200 and delivers them to the local mailbox.

[0033] The email filter 303 filters emails based on rules set by users and administrators. The email filter 303 also blocks spam and detects viruses. The database 304 stores information such as email accounts and user settings, as well as received and sent emails and filtering rules. The database 304 stores and remembers this information on the HDD 204.

[0034] The POP3 server 305 manages the process by which users download emails from the mail server 200 using their email clients, temporarily storing received emails and retaining them until the user downloads them. POP stands for Post Office Protocol, a type of communication protocol. The mail spool 306 temporarily stores emails waiting to be sent or received, and also manages the mail queue.

[0035] Figure 4 shows an example of the software configuration of the chat server 300 in the present invention.

[0036] The components shown in Figure 4 are software modules that are realized and executed by the CPU 211 executing the main program loaded into RAM 213. The execution of each module, described later, is managed and controlled by the OS within the main program.

[0037] The communication server 401 manages messages and connections to enable real-time message (chat) exchange with external devices. It also handles user account authentication and error handling. The database 402 manages user information such as user accounts, stores message history, and manages rooms such as chat groups. User information includes, for example, IDs, passwords, and information about teams the user belongs to, and corresponds to user accounts. A room refers to, for example, a team or channel, or, for example, a chat room corresponding to a team or channel.

[0038] Notification service 403 notifies the user when a new message arrives (is received). It also notifies the user's status and whether messages are read or unread. When notification service 403 sends a notification, the PC 400 (such as a PC or smartphone) may display a pop-up, banner, sound a notification, or vibrate. This allows the user to recognize that a new message has been received.

[0039] The messaging server 404 receives messages sent by users and delivers them to the designated recipient users. Specifically, it manages messages corresponding to the recipient users of messages sent by the sender user, allowing the recipient users to recognize that they have received the message. As a result, notifications are sent by the notification service 403, as mentioned earlier. The messaging server 404 also stores and synchronizes messages.

[0040] Authentication server 405 verifies the username and password when a user accesses the chat server, ensuring that only users with the correct credentials can access it. Authentication server 405 also handles session management and access control, such as determining which resources a user can access.

[0041] API Gateway 406 routes API requests from clients to the appropriate backend service. It converts the data format of requests and responses to ensure compatibility between different services.

[0042] Figure 5 shows an example of the screen of the mail client 500, which operates on PC400 and PC410 and is displayed on the display unit 229. The program that implements the mail client 500 is installed on the HDD 224, loaded into RAM 223 at startup, and executed by the CPU 221 to function. Subsequently, user input from the operation unit 227 is sent to the CPU 221 and processed.

[0043] When a user accesses the mail client 500, an authentication (login) screen (not shown) is displayed, and the user enters their authentication information. The entered authentication information is sent to the authentication server 301 of the mail server 200 for authentication, and if authentication is successful, the user can use the mail client 500.

[0044] In this embodiment, upon successful login, information indicating the logged-in user account is displayed at the top of the screen of the email client 500, which will be described later. Figure 5 shows an example where the account name of a user named Taro Yamada, who successfully authenticated and logged in, is displayed at the top of the screen of the email client 500.

[0045] Authentication information is stored on HDD224 and is also used as authentication information for the chat application described later. Specifically, the authentication server 301 issues a token based on the user's authentication information, which the PC400 receives and stores on HDD224. The user can then use the stored token to access other applications.

[0046] The screen of the email client 500 in this embodiment includes a menu 501, an inbox 502, an email list screen 504, an email header screen 505, and an email body screen 506.

[0047] Menu 501 contains objects such as buttons, including a home button to display the home screen, a send / receive menu button for setting up send / receive, a search menu button for searching for emails, and a settings menu button for various other settings. When these buttons are pressed, the corresponding screen is displayed.

[0048] When the button for Inbox 502 is selected, emails received from the POP3 server 305 of mail server 200 are displayed, and these emails are stored in correspondence with information indicating Inbox 502. This Inbox 502 is a type of folder called the main folder, and users can create subfolders as they wish.

[0049] By pre-configuring (specifying) sorting rules via a settings screen (not shown), users can automatically save (store) incoming emails corresponding to subfolders, instead of saving them in the inbox 502 as a general rule. Users may also specify that incoming emails be associated with information such as tags or labels that indicate the content of the email. In this case, the mail server 200 accepts this and, upon receiving an email, associates the information with the received email according to the user's specifications.

[0050] The folder structure is tree-like, with subfolders existing at a lower level below the main folder. Furthermore, users can define folders arbitrarily and establish sorting rules for each folder. In this embodiment, the configured sorting rules are stored in the database 304 of the mail server 200, and received mail is sorted by the mail filter 303; however, the mail client may also store and sort the mail.

[0051] In the example in Figure 5, the user has selected the Important Subfolder 503 to view emails that have been sorted into that subfolder. As shown in the boxed area, the defined folders are displayed, such as the Inbox 502 and the Important Subfolder 503. Selecting each folder displays a list of emails corresponding to that folder.

[0052] The email list screen 504 displays a list of emails received in the important subfolder 503. When the user selects the second email from the top, email 507, displayed on the email list screen 504, the email header screen 505 displays information contained in the email header, such as the subject, sender, and received date and time of the selected email 507. The email body screen 506 displays the body of the selected email 507. In this way, the email list screen 504, email header screen 505, and email body screen 506 display the information contained in the emails in an organized manner, allowing the user to check the received emails.

[0053] Figure 6 shows an example of the screen of the chat application 600, which runs on PC400 and PC410 and is displayed on the display unit 229. The program that implements the chat application 600 is installed on the HDD 224, loaded into RAM 223 at startup, and executed by the CPU 221 to function. Subsequently, user input from the operation unit 227 is sent to the CPU 221 and processed.

[0054] After the user accesses email client 500, they access chat application 600. At this time, the token issued and stored on HDD224 when accessing email client 500 is sent to authentication server 405 on chat server 300 for re-authentication. This allows the user to access chat application 600 without having to re-enter their login information (single sign-on).

[0055] It should be noted that accessing the chat application 600 via single sign-on is not mandatory; the system may also be configured to require users to re-enter their login information, such as their ID and password, for authentication. Furthermore, this type of single sign-on is a particularly effective authentication method when the email client 500 and the chat application 600 are provided by the same vendor.

[0056] In this embodiment, an example of authentication using the email client 500 is shown first, but it is not limited to this. For example, if the chat application 600 is accessed first, authentication and token issuance may be performed in the chat application 600, and then single sign-on may be performed in the email client 500 using this token. Also, if other applications are provided by the same vendor and a token that can be used in common with them is issued, authentication may be performed in those other applications first.

[0057] The screen of the chat application 600 in this embodiment includes a sidebar 601, chat icons 602, team icons 603, a list view 604, and a channel view 607.

[0058] Sidebar 601 displays icons and shortcuts to various views, for example, to perform different functions. When an icon or shortcut displayed in Sidebar 601 is selected, the corresponding function is executed or the corresponding display is shown on the screen.

[0059] List view 604 displays chat lists and team lists. Specifically, when the chat icon 602 is selected, recent one-on-one chats (individual chats) and group chats (chat with multiple people) are displayed. When the team icon 603 is selected, a list of teams to which the user belongs (including joining and managing teams) is displayed. In addition to the team list, the channels corresponding to the teams are also displayed.

[0060] The chat application 600 screen shown in Figure 6 displays the list view 604 when the team icon 603 is selected. The list view 604 shows an example displaying a list of teams named 456 Departments, Inbox, and Customer Management that the user is a part of (available).

[0061] Each team has a corresponding channel for organizing conversations and information related to a specific topic or project. For example, the inbox team 605 corresponds to important channel 606, as well as a regular contact channel and a project A channel. The inbox team 605 corresponds to the inbox 502 of email client 500, and important channel 606 corresponds to the important subfolder 503 of email client 500. The reason why teams and channels in application 600 correspond to folders in email client 500 is that the user created the teams and channels using the same rules as the folders in email client 500. Alternatively, teams and channels corresponding to email client 500 are created by the processing of this embodiment, which will be described later.

[0062] The channel view 607 displays conversations (messages) within the channel selected in the list view 604, as well as threads containing these conversations. Furthermore, the channel view 607 includes reply buttons 609 and post buttons 610. When the reply button 609 is pressed, an input field (not shown) appears, allowing the user to reply to a message in the thread by typing and posting a message.

[0063] Furthermore, if a message is entered in the input field shown to the right of the post button 610 and the post button 610 is pressed, the entered message will be posted to the channel as a new thread. If a user replies to this message by pressing the reply button 609 in this thread, as mentioned earlier, those messages will be grouped together in this thread.

[0064] In the example in Figure 6, the important channel 606 displays emails received in the important subfolder 503 of the email client 500, each email forming a separate thread. Email 507, selected by the user in the email client 500, is linked to thread 608 in the important channel 606. In other words, this example shows email 507, received in the important subfolder 503 of the email client 500, being posted as thread 608 to the important channel 606 of the chat application 600.

[0065] Thread 608 is a thread containing information from an email received by email client 500. The subject of email 507 is displayed as the thread title, and the subject, sender, and received date and time are displayed in the message. However, the content displayed in thread 608 is not limited to this, and users can also configure it as they see below in Figure 8. Although not shown in this figure, if, for example, the body of the email is also posted, the body of the email will be displayed in the message of thread 608.

[0066] This allows users to check for incoming emails in the email client 500 without opening the email client 500, simply by displaying the chat application 600 screen.

[0067] Figure 7 shows an example of the chat application 600 screen displayed on the display unit 229 when a reply email arrives to email 507 which was sent to the important subfolder 503 of the email client 500. In other words, Figure 7 shows an example where the posted messages are displayed together in an existing thread.

[0068] The sidebar 601, chat icon 602, team icon 603, inbox team 605, important channels 606, channel view 607, reply button 609, and post button 610 of the chat application 600 screen shown in Figure 8 are the same as in Figure 6 and are therefore omitted.

[0069] When a reply email to email 507 arrives in the important subfolder 503 of email client 500, it is posted to important channel 606 not as a new thread, but as reply message 701 to thread 608 corresponding to email 507. By posting replies to emails as reply messages in this way, threads can be displayed without becoming scattered. This suppresses the proliferation of posts and improves usability by grouping related messages together for better visibility.

[0070] Figure 8 shows an example of the settings screen of the email client 500 displayed on the display unit 229 when posting an email received by the email client 500 to the chat application 600. In Figure 8, the important subfolder 802 corresponds to the aforementioned important subfolder 503, the inbox team 804 corresponds to the aforementioned inbox team 605, and the important channel 806 corresponds to the aforementioned important channel 606.

[0071] The user selects the settings menu button from menu 501 of the email client 500. When the user selects the chat integration settings item from the settings menu screen (not shown), the chat integration settings screen 800 is displayed.

[0072] The chat integration settings screen 800 includes the mailbox selection view 801, the destination team selection view 803, the destination channel selection view 805, the display settings selection view 808, and more.

[0073] The mailbox selection view 801 lists the subfolders belonging to the inbox 502. In this embodiment, the only main folder is the inbox 502, so Figure 9 shows an example where the inbox 502 and its subfolders are displayed in the mailbox selection view 801, but this is not the only example. If there are main folders other than the inbox 502, those main folders and their subfolders will also be displayed in the mailbox selection view 801.

[0074] The user selects the folders displayed in the mailbox selection view 801 and checks the subfolders to which they want to post received emails to the chat application. In the example in Figure 9, the Important subfolder 802, the Regular Contact subfolder, the Project A subfolder, the Project B subfolder, and the Short-Term subfolder are checked because posting is configured for them.

[0075] When a user selects a folder displayed in the mailbox selection view 801, the corresponding destination team selection view 803, destination channel selection view 805, and display settings selection view 808 are displayed. For example, when the important subfolder 802 is selected, the destination team selection view 803 displays the teams corresponding to the important subfolder 503. This allows the user to configure posting settings for each folder.

[0076] The posting destination team selection view 803 lists the teams that the account displayed in the account field 810 is a member of in the chat application 600. Specifically, it displays a list of teams in the chat application that are available to users who have successfully authenticated and logged in using the email client 500, and to which this account belongs.

[0077] Figure 9 shows an example of the screen displayed when a user configures the destination for posting to important subfolder 802. The user has selected important subfolder 802 from mailbox selection view 801 and inbox team 804 from destination team selection view 803.

[0078] When Inbox Team 804 is selected, the destination channel selection view 805 displays the channels corresponding to Inbox Team 605.

[0079] Next, the user selects a channel to post to from the channels displayed in the destination channel selection view 805. As a result, emails received in the folder selected in the mailbox selection view 801 are posted to the channel selected in the destination channel selection view 805 of the chat service. Figure 8 shows an example where the user selects important channel 806 as the destination channel.

[0080] When a destination channel is selected in the destination channel selection view 805, the display settings selection view 808 is displayed. Note that the destination channel selection view 805 may be displayed when this settings screen is shown, or it may be configured to be displayed at any time between the display of this settings screen and the selection of a channel in the destination channel selection view 805.

[0081] Display Settings Selection View 808 allows you to select which items you want to display when posting information from an email to the chat service. You can also configure whether emails received as replies are displayed together in a thread within the chat service.

[0082] When a user checks the "Thread display 809" option, reply emails will be posted in a reply thread, as explained in Figure 7. Furthermore, users can configure which information from received emails is posted to the chat service. For example, users can check the subject, sender, date and time received, body, and attachments they wish to post.

[0083] In the example in Figure 8, the subject, sender, and received date and time are checked, and as shown in thread 608 in Figure 6, the subject, sender, and received date and time are displayed in the main chat where the post was made.

[0084] Furthermore, this is not the only way to configure the settings; for example, a setting could be added to determine which item will be used as the thread title. For instance, a checkbox object, as shown in the display settings selection view 808 in Figure 8, could be added to allow users to select the information to be used as the title from the information contained in the email. Moreover, this additional checkbox is not limited to those displayed in the display settings selection view 808; for example, a new title display settings selection view could be created where the settings can be configured.

[0085] Furthermore, this settings screen may allow multiple selections not only in the display settings selection view 808, but also in the destination team selection view 803 and the destination channel selection view 805. In that case, the content set by the user in the destination team selection view 803 will be posted to all channels corresponding to the items selected and configured.

[0086] Figure 9 shows an example of the settings screen of the email client 500 displayed on the display unit 229 when posting an email received by the email client 500 to the chat application 600.

[0087] The screen layout is the same as the chat integration settings screen 800 shown in Figure 8, so it will be omitted here. The user is attempting to set the posting destination for the important subfolder 802, as in Figure 8. As mentioned above, the user selects the important subfolder 802 from the mailbox selection view 801 and the inbox team 804 from the posting destination team selection view 803. At this time, the channels belonging to the inbox team 605 are displayed in the posting destination channel selection view 805.

[0088] Here, instead of selecting a channel, the user can check the automatic channel creation setting 900. The automatic channel creation setting 900 is a setting that automatically creates channels using the names of subfolders created in the mail client 500. For example, when an email arrives in the important subfolder 503, and there is no channel in the inbox team 804, the destination, that matches the folder name "Important" of the important subfolder 802, an important channel will be automatically created and the email will be posted to the newly created important channel. Of course, if an important channel 606 already exists, the email will be posted to important channel 606.

[0089] Figure 10 shows an example of the sequence of events between the mail server 200 and the chat server 300 when the mail client 500, running on PC400, posts a received email to the chat application 600. Note that the user has already accessed the mail server 200 and chat server 300, successfully authenticated, and logged in.

[0090] The CPU 201 of the mail server 200 controls the POP3 server 305 to receive mail (S1001) and temporarily stores the received mail in the mail spool 306 (S1002). The CPU 201 controls the mail filter 303 to analyze the information contained in the received mail and apply the sorting rules stored in the database 304 (S1003). As a result, mail is classified according to the sorting rules set in advance by the user and associated with the respective folders.

[0091] CPU201 controls the mail filter 303 to check the chat posting settings stored in the database 304 and to determine whether the received mail is sorted into a folder set to be posted to the chat application 600 (S1004).

[0092] CPU201 checks whether the channel ID of the configured channel is stored in database 304 if the received email is to be sorted into a folder where it is set to be posted (S1005). If the channel ID is not stored, i.e., the channel does not exist, CPU201 instructs the creation of a channel and a thread using the name (string) of the destination folder (S1006). This causes the chat service to create a chat room with a name that includes the string indicated by the folder. The information contained in the received email is also sent to the chat service.

[0093] In this embodiment, the subject of the received email is specified as the title of the thread to be posted, and S1006 instructs the creation of the thread. At this time, predetermined default display information is also sent as body information. If the email received by the mail server 200 is a reply email, information (message) indicating the email is posted in the format of a reply to the thread indicated by the corresponding channel ID. Specifying this title is optional.

[0094] The API gateway 406 of the chat server 300, controlled by CPU 201, receives channel and thread creation instructions from the mail server 200 and routes them to the appropriate server. The communication server 401, controlled by CPU 211, creates a channel (S1007) and a thread (S1008) based on the instructions from the mail server 200.

[0095] The creation of a thread indicates that the content of the email received by mail server 200 will be posted to the chat service based on the aforementioned settings. This will post the information contained in the received email to the created chat room.

[0096] CPU211 stores information such as the channel ID corresponding to the created channel and the thread ID corresponding to the created thread in database402. Furthermore, if instructed to reply to an existing thread rather than create a new one, it creates and posts the message as a reply to the corresponding thread without creating a new one. In other words, when a reply message is posted, other posts have already been made.

[0097] In other words, if a user receives another email (a reply email) in response to an email after a post has been made, the information contained in the reply email will be posted in association with the original post.

[0098] The notification service 403, controlled by CPU 211, notifies the user when a new channel or thread is created (S1009). This is based on the premise that the user's user account belongs to the team corresponding to the created channel or thread, and the notification is sent when a thread is created in a channel to which the user's user account belongs. Therefore, it is not mandatory for the user to be notified when a thread is created in a channel to which the user's user account does not belong. Furthermore, the S1009 process can be omitted if the user has previously configured not to receive notifications.

[0099] This notifies the chat application 600 and the PC 400 using the chat application 600, allowing the user to know that a message has been posted.

[0100] The API gateway 406 controlled by CPU 211 returns the channel ID and thread ID stored in database 402 due to the creation of channels and threads to the mail server 200 (S1010).

[0101] The CPU 201 of the mail server 200 stores the thread ID and channel ID returned from the chat server 300 in the database 304, associating them with the sorting rules (S1011). Specifically, the CPU 201 stores in the database 304 the subfolder in which the chat posting settings are configured and the channel ID, and stores in the database 304 the information indicating the email corresponding to the posted message and the thread ID. As a result, even in the pattern of replying to an existing thread as shown in S1005 and S1008, the information contained in the reply email received by the mail server 200 is posted to the corresponding thread in the reply format.

[0102] The email filter 303, controlled by the CPU 201, sorts emails received by the email server 200 into the appropriate subfolders based on the configured sorting rules (S1012). This allows users to view not only messages posted to the chat service but also sorted emails through the email client 500.

[0103] Figure 11 shows an example of the processing performed by the CPU 201 of the mail server 200 when the mail client 500 posts an email it has received to the chat application 600.

[0104] The authentication server 301 controlled by the CPU 201 receives an authentication request from the user (S1101). In this embodiment, we will describe an example in which the user accesses the mail server 200 from the PC 400 and sends authentication information such as the user ID and password.

[0105] The authentication server 301 controlled by CPU 201 authenticates the entered information and performs the authentication process (S1102). If authentication is successful (S1103-Yes), CPU 201 stores the token as authentication information in database 304 (S1104). If authentication fails, CPU 201 displays an error message (S1116) and waits for the user to enter authentication information again. As a result, the error message is displayed on the display unit 229 of PC 400, and the user realizes that authentication failed because the entered authentication information was incorrect and they were unable to log in to the service.

[0106] The POP3 server 305 controlled by CPU 201 receives emails sent to user accounts that have successfully authenticated (S1105). The mail filter 303 controlled by CPU 201 analyzes the information contained in the received emails and associates the received emails with folders by applying sorting rules stored in the database 304 (S11106).

[0107] The email filter 303 controlled by the CPU 201 determines whether or not to post the received email to the chat application 600 (S1107). Specifically, the CPU 201 determines which folder to sort the received email into according to the email sorting rules, and whether or not that folder is configured to post to the chat. If the received email is sorted into a folder configured to post to the chat service, the CPU 201 decides to post it to the chat application 600. On the other hand, if the received email is sorted into a folder not configured to post to the chat service, the CPU 201 decides not to post it to the chat application 600.

[0108] If the received email is not to be posted to the chat application 600 (S1107-No), it is sorted into the appropriate subfolder according to the sorting rules (S1115) without being posted to the chat service, and processing is terminated. On the other hand, if the received email is to be posted to the chat application 600 (S1107-Yes), it is checked whether the channel ID corresponding to the folder to which the email will be sorted is stored in HDD204 (S1108). In this case, instead of checking whether it is stored in HDD204, it may also be checked by communicating with the chat server 300 to see if there is a channel corresponding to the folder to which the email will be sorted. Furthermore, if the necessary settings are completed in advance, CPU201 can post the email after receiving it in S1001 without receiving instructions from the user.

[0109] If the channel ID corresponding to the folder to which the email is sorted is stored (S1108-Yes), CPU201 then checks whether the thread ID corresponding to the next received email is stored in HDD204 (S1109). As mentioned above, if the received email is a reply email, the original email may have been received previously. In this case, a thread corresponding to this email has already been posted, a corresponding thread ID has been issued, and it is stored in HDD204.

[0110] Furthermore, whether an email received by the mail server 200 is a reply or a new email can be determined, for example, by the subject line. If the received email has the same subject line as an email already received, or if it has "Re:" followed by the subject line, the CPU 201 can determine that it is a reply. Note that the determination is not limited to the subject line; a configuration using an identifier corresponding to the email is also possible.

[0111] If the thread ID corresponding to the received email is stored in HDD204 (S1109-Yes), that is, if the received email is a reply to an already posted email, CPU201 posts it as a reply to that already posted message.

[0112] Specifically, CPU201 specifies the channel ID and thread ID, and based on the settings in the display settings selection view 808 of the settings screen, sends the information to be posted to the chat server 300, where it is posted as a reply message (S1110). Alternatively, CPU201 may send the channel ID, thread ID, and information contained in the email along with the settings to the chat server 300, and the chat server 300 may determine the information to be posted based on the settings sent.

[0113] If the thread ID corresponding to the received email is not stored in HDD204 (S1109-No), that is, if the received email is a new email (not a reply email), CPU201 will create a new thread and post it as a new message. Specifically, CPU201 will specify the channel ID and, based on the settings in the display settings selection view 808 of the settings screen, send the information to be posted to the chat server 300, thereby creating a new thread in that channel and posting it as a new message.

[0114] In this embodiment, the CPU 201 sends to the chat server 300 a creation instruction to use the subject line of the email as the title of a new thread, the settings in the display settings selection view 808, and the channel ID (S1111).

[0115] In accordance with the message posted in S1111, CPU201 receives a thread ID issued by the chat service in response to the posted message from chat server 300. CPU201 stores the received thread ID in association with the email information and channel ID corresponding to the posted message (S1112).

[0116] If the corresponding channel ID is not stored in HDD204 (S1108-No), CPU201 instructs to create a channel and a thread using the name of the folder to which the received email will be sorted (S1113). At the same time, CPU201 sends to the chat server 300 the display content information previously set by the user in the display settings selection view 808 and the information contained in the email.

[0117] In accordance with the message posted in S1113, CPU201 receives a thread ID issued by the chat service in response to the posted message from chat server 300. CPU201 stores the received thread ID in association with the email information and channel ID corresponding to the posted message (S1114). When sending a message to chat server 300, a token stored in database 304 may also be attached as authentication information if necessary.

[0118] Once CPU201 has finished processing the message to the chat server 300, it sorts the received email into the appropriate subfolder according to the sorting rules (S1115).

[0119] In this embodiment, the mail server 200 repeatedly communicates with the chat server 300 to obtain information about the teams and channels to which the user account is available (belongs). Alternatively, the CPU 201 of the mail server 200 may be configured to obtain information about the teams and channels to which the user account belongs by communicating with the chat server 300 at S1108.

[0120] Note that if a chat room with a name containing the folder name (string) already exists in the chat service when an email is received in S1105, there is no need to create a new chat room. Therefore, in the processing of S1108, this embodiment shows an example where the process of creating a new chat room is not performed in this case. However, the configuration may be such that a chat room is created again if the user deems it necessary.

[0121] In this embodiment, we have shown an example where emails are classified into subfolders according to sorting rules set by the user and posted to the chat service. However, it is also possible to configure the system so that emails that are not registered with the chat service upon receipt are posted through a later operation.

[0122] In other words, in this embodiment, if the settings are complete, emails will be posted to the chat service without any user intervention after receiving them. Therefore, if sorting is not performed when the email is received, it will not be posted to the chat service. However, this is not the intended purpose of this application. For example, if the important subfolder 503 already has settings as shown in Figure 8, the sorting rules will not be applied, and emails corresponding to the inbox folder may be posted after they subsequently correspond to the important subfolder 503.

[0123] This operation includes, for example, when a user moves an email that has been sorted into the inbox folder to the important subfolder 503 using drag-and-drop or similar operations. In this case as well, as explained in Figures 6 and 7, the email will be posted to the chat service, just as when sorting rules are applied upon receiving the email.

[0124] In this system, the mail server 200 and chat server 300 may be located outside of Japan, while the terminal device, PC400 (hereinafter referred to as "terminal device"), may be located within Japan. Even in this case, files and data can be sent from each server to the terminal device, and the terminal device can receive those files and data.

[0125] Even if each server is located outside of Japan, the transmission and reception (sending and receiving) of files and data within this system are performed as a single integrated process. Furthermore, since the system functions by receiving these files and data on terminal devices located within Japan, it can be considered that such transmission and reception took place domestically.

[0126] In this system, even if, for example, the server is located outside of Japan and the terminal device is located within Japan, the terminal device can perform the main functions of the system, and the effects of those functions can be realized within Japan. For example, even if the server is located outside of Japan, if the terminal device constituting this system is located within Japan, it is possible to use the system within Japan using that terminal device. Furthermore, the use of such a system may affect the economic interests of, for example, the patent holder.

[0127] <Other examples> The present invention can also be realized by supplying a program that implements one or more of the functions of the above-described embodiments to a system or device via a network or storage medium, and by having one or more processors in the computer of that system or device read and execute the program. It can also be realized by a circuit (e.g., an ASIC) that implements one or more functions.

Claims

1. An information processing device that provides email services, The means of receiving emails, A receiving means for receiving from a user the designation of first information, which is information in the aforementioned email service and is associated with the received email, A means for causing a chat service to create a chat room with a name containing the string indicated by the first piece of information, A posting means that transmits the second information contained in the received email to the chat service and posts the second information to the created chat room. An information processing device characterized by having the following features.

2. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that the posting means posts information contained in the second email to the chat room when the receiving means has received a second email corresponding to the email after the posting has been made, thereby associating the information contained in the second email with the posted second information.

3. When the receiving means receives the email, if the chat service has a chat room with a name containing the string indicated by the first information, the creation means does not cause the chat service to create a chat room with a name containing the string indicated by the first information. The posting means posts the second information to the chat room that was created. The information processing apparatus according to feature 1.

4. The information processing apparatus according to claim 3, further comprising means for acquiring chat rooms available to the user in the chat service.

5. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the receiving means further receives the designation of the second information to be posted to the chat room from the information contained in the received email.

6. The information processing device according to claim 1, characterized in that the first information is a folder in the mail service.

7. The information processing device according to claim 1, characterized in that the first information is a label in the mail service.

8. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that the second information is the main text.

9. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that the second piece of information is a subject.

10. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that the posting means posts using the information contained in the second information as the title.

11. The system further includes means for associating the received email with the first information in accordance with the received designation, The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that the posting means makes the posting after the email has been received without receiving instructions from the user.

12. By specifying the first piece of information, the rules for storing emails in the email service folder are identified. The information processing device according to claim 1, characterized in that, upon receiving the aforementioned email, the email is stored in a folder identified based on the aforementioned rule.

13. The process of receiving emails, A receiving process that receives from a user the specification of first information, which is information in the email service and is associated with the received email, A creation process that causes the chat service to create a chat room with a name containing the string indicated by the first piece of information, A posting step which includes sending the second information contained in the received email to the chat service and posting the second information to the created chat room. An information processing method characterized by having the following features.

14. The information processing method according to claim 13, characterized in that the posting step, after the posting has been made, and the receiving step has received a second email corresponding to the email, posts the information contained in the second email to the chat room, thereby associating the information contained in the second email with the posted second information.

15. The creation process, when the receiving process receives the email, does not cause the chat service to create a chat room with a name containing the string indicated by the first information if the chat service already has such a chat room. The posting step involves posting the second information to the chat room that was created. The information processing method according to feature 13.

16. The information processing method according to claim 15, further comprising an acquisition step of acquiring a chat room available to the user in the chat service.

17. The information processing method according to claim 13, characterized in that the reception step further receives the designation of the second information to be posted to the chat room from the information contained in the received email.

18. The information processing method according to claim 13, characterized in that the posting step involves posting using the information contained in the second information as the title.

19. The process further includes a corresponding step of associating the received email with the first information in accordance with the received designation, The information processing method according to claim 13, characterized in that the posting step is performed after the email is received without receiving instructions from the user.

20. The process of receiving emails, A receiving process that receives from a user the specification of first information, which is information in the email service and is associated with the received email, A creation process that causes the chat service to create a chat room with a name containing the string indicated by the first piece of information, A posting step which includes sending the second information contained in the received email to the chat service and posting the second information to the created chat room. A program characterized by causing a computer to execute something.

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