# US 8,572,186 B2 · Gateway device, method for controlling the same, and program storage medium arranged to relay transmission and reception of E-mails > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 8,572,186 B2 - Document ID: US8572186B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 12/142,939 - Filed: 2008-06-20 - Published: 2009-02-26 - Granted: 2013-10-29 - Earliest claimed: 2007-08-24 - Assignees: Murata Machinery, Ltd. - Applicants: Kazuhiro Okada - Inventors: Kazuhiro Okada - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US8572186B2 ## CPC - H04L 51/234: for tracking messages - H04L: TRANSMISSION OF DIGITAL INFORMATION, e.g. TELEGRAPHIC COMMUNICATION (arrangements common to telegraphic and telephonic communication H04M) ## Abstract A method for controlling a gateway device arranged between a client terminal and a server, and arranged to relay transmission and reception of e-mails, includes the steps of receiving a first e-mail stored in the server, converting the first e-mail into a second e-mail for temporary storage, transmitting the second e-mail to the client terminal, and managing information on the first e-mail and second e-mail. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A gateway device arranged between a client terminal and a server, and arranged to relay transmission and reception of e-mails, the gateway device comprising: a receiving device arranged to receive first e-mails stored in the server; a converting device arranged to convert the first e-mails into second e-mails for temporary storage; a transmitting device arranged to transmit the second e-mails to the client terminal; and a management table arranged to manage information about the first e-mails and the second e-mails; wherein when the gateway device receives a request from the client terminal to receive the second e-mails, the gateway device sends a request to the server and receives the first e-mails from the server with the receiving device and establishes a connection with the client terminal, and while the connection is maintained, the first e-mails received from the server are converted into the second e-mails by the converting device and transmitted to the client terminal by the transmitting device; and when the gateway device receives a STAT command from the client terminal, the gateway device transfers the STAT command to the server, receives from the server a message including a total byte count of the first e-mails stored in the server, and returns to the client terminal a message including a total byte count of the second e-mails which are converted from the first e-mails. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The gateway device according to claim 1, wherein the management table stores at least a sequence number of the first e-mails, an identification number of the first e-mails, and information regarding a data capacity of the second e-mails. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The gateway device according to claim 1, wherein the management table stores at least an identification number of the first e-mails, and the identification number is a unique ID for specifying the first e-mails managed by the server, or a number that is associated with the unique ID. ### Claim 4 (depends on 2) The gateway device according to claim 2, wherein the identification number is a unique ID for specifying the first e-mails managed by the server, or a number that is associated with the unique ID. ### Claim 5 (depends on 3) The gateway device according to claim 3, wherein after transmitting the second e-mails to the client terminal, the gateway device deletes the second e-mails. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The gateway device according to claim 5, further comprising a unit arranged to limit a sum of a capacity of the first e-mails that can be received at one time. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The gateway device according to claim 6, wherein when the capacity of a single one of the first e-mails exceeds the limited sum, the single one of the first e-mails is received regardless of the limit. ### Claim 8 A method for controlling a gateway device arranged between a client terminal and a server, and arranged to relay transmission and reception of e-mails, the method comprising the steps of: receiving first e-mails stored in the server; converting the first e-mails into second e-mails for temporary storage; transmitting the second e-mails to the client terminal; and managing information about the first e-mails and the second e-mails; wherein when the gateway device receives a request from the client terminal to receive the second e-mails, the gateway device sends a request to the server and receives the first e-mails from the server, establishes a connection with the client terminal, and while the connection is maintained, the first e-mails received from the server are converted into the second e-mails and transmitted to the client terminal; and when the gateway device receives a STAT command from the client terminal, the gateway device transfers the STAT command to the server, receives from the server a message including a total byte count of the first e-mails stored in the server and returns to the client terminal a message including a total byte count of the second e-mails which are converted from the first e-mails. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The method for controlling the gateway device according to claim 8, further comprising the step of limiting the sum of a capacity of a plurality of the first e-mails that can be received at one time. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The method for controlling the gateway device according to claim 9, wherein when the capacity of a single one of the first e-mails exceeds the limited sum, the single one of the first e-mails is received regardless of the limit. ### Claim 11 (depends on 8) A non-transitory digital storage medium having electronically readable control data stored thereon and adapted to cooperate with a programmable computing device such that the programmable computing device performs the method of claim 8. ### Claim 12 A gateway device arranged between a client terminal and a server, and arranged to relay transmission and reception of e-mails, the gateway device comprising: a receiving unit arranged to receive first e-mails stored in the server; a mail storage unit arranged to convert the first e-mails into second e-mails for temporary storage; a transmitting unit arranged to transmit the second e-mails to the client terminal; and a management table arranged to manage information about the first e-mails and the second e-mails; wherein when the gateway device receives a request from the client terminal to receive the second e-mails, the gateway device sends a request to the server and receives the first e-mails from the server with the receiving unit and establishes a connection with the client terminal, and while the connection is maintained, the first e-mails received from the server are converted into the second e-mails by the mail storage unit and transmitted to the client terminal; and when the gateway device receives a STAT command from the client terminal, the gateway device transfers the STAT command to the server, receives from the server a message including a total byte count of the first e-mails stored in the server and returns to the client terminal a message including a total byte count of the second e-mails which are converted from the first e-mails. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The gateway device according to claim 12, wherein the management table stores at least a sequence number of the first e-mails, an identification number of the first e-mails, and information regarding a data capacity of the second e-mails. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The gateway device according to claim 13, wherein the identification number is a unique ID for specifying the first e-mails managed by the server, or a number that is associated with the unique ID. ### Claim 15 (depends on 12) The gateway device according to claim 12, wherein the management table stores at least an identification number of the first e-mails, and the identification number is a unique ID for specifying the first e-mails managed by the server, or a number that is associated with the unique ID. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The gateway device according to claim 15, wherein after transmitting the second e-mails to the client terminal, the gateway device deletes the second e-mails. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The gateway device according to claim 16, further comprising a unit arranged to limit a sum of a capacity of the first e-mails that can be received at one time. ### Claim 18 (depends on 17) The gateway device according to claim 17, wherein when the capacity of a single one of the first e-mails exceeds the limited sum, the single one of the first e-mails is received regardless of the limit.