INFORMATION GATHERING SYSTEM, TERMINAL UNIT, PROGRAM FOR INFORMATION GATHERING, AND PROGRAM FOR A TERMINAL

• US 20100211774A1
• Filed: 11/17/2009
• Published: 08/19/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 02/13/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
• Original Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
• Inventors: Higuma, Hiroko, Fujimoto, Shinichi, Enomoto, Ai
• Granted Patent: US 8,572,365 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 713/162
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/64 Protecting data integrity, e.g. using checksums, certificates or signatures
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/107 Computer-aided management of electronic mailing [e-mailing]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0428 wherein the data content is protected, e.g. by encrypting or encapsulating the payload

Abstract

A host computer adds a keycode to e-mail and a terminal unit leads an information gathering candidate to add reply information to the e-mail. When the host computer receives the e-mail to which reply information has been added, the host computer stores the reply information in one of data storage areas having a memory address corresponding to a memory address associated the keycode of the e-mail.

Claims

1. An information gathering system comprising:

a host unit in communication with a network and including a memory unit, the memory unit having a plurality of data storage areas, each of the plurality of the data storage areas being respectively associated with each of a plurality of memory addresses; and

a terminal unit in communication with the network, wherein

the host unit creates specific data, the specific data including reply requesting information and one or more sorts of identification information, the identification information being associated with one of the plurality of memory addresses in accordance with a predetermined correspondence rule, the reply requesting information being information for requesting a reply of an information gathering candidate,

the terminal unit receives the specific data from the network and displays the reply requesting information on the terminal unit in a state where reply information can be added to the specific data, and

the host unit receives the specific data including the reply information from the network, and the host unit stores the reply information included in the specific data received into one of the plurality of the data storage areas so that a memory address of the one of the plurality of the data storage areas corresponds to a memory address associated with the identification information of the specific data received.

2. The information gathering system according to claim 1, wherein

the host unit sends the specific data to the network in a state where the specific data is encrypted, and the host unit receives the specific data which is encrypted and decrypts the specific data received;

the terminal unit receives the specific data which is encrypted from the network, and the terminal unit displays the reply requesting information in the specific data on a monitor of the terminal unit by decrypting the specific data; and

modification of the identification information is forbidden on the terminal unit at least in a period from a time at which the specific data is decrypted to a time at which the decrypted specific data is encrypted again.

3. The information gathering system according to claim 1, wherein

the host unit sends the specific data to the network in a state where the specific data is encrypted, and the host unit receives the specific data which is encrypted and decrypts the received specific data;

the terminal unit receives the specific data which is encrypted from the network, and the terminal unit displays the reply requesting information in the specific data on a monitor of the terminal unit by decrypting the specific data; and

the terminal unit encrypts the specific data whose reply requesting information is displayed on the monitor of the terminal unit receiving a command to close the displayed image of the reply information of the specific data to which the reply information is added.

4. The information gathering system according to claim 3, wherein the terminal unit displays the reply requesting information in the specific data after decrypting the specific data without instruction of an operator of the terminal unit to open the specific data.

5. The information gathering system according to claim 1, wherein

the reply information is attachment data attached to the specific data, and the attachment data includes a reply of information gathering;

the host unit sends the specific data to the network in a state where the specific data is encrypted, and the host unit receives the specific data which is encrypted and decrypts the specific data received;

the terminal unit receives the specific data which is encrypted from the network, and the terminal unit displays the reply requesting information in the specific data on a monitor of the terminal unit by decrypting the specific data;

the terminal unit encrypts the specific data and the attachment data so as to create an encrypted datum or a set of encrypted data, and the terminal unit sends the encrypted datum or the set of the encrypted data to the network as encrypted specific data; and

the host unit decrypts the encrypted datum or the set of the encrypted data so as to distinguish content of the attachment data from content of the specific data, and the host unit stores the attachment data into one of data storage areas whose memory address corresponds to the identification information of the specific data.

19. The information gathering system according to claim 2, wherein

the host unit sends the specific data to the network in a state where the specific data is encrypted, the host unit receives the specific data which is encrypted and decrypts the specific data received;

the terminal unit receives the specific data which is encrypted from the network, the terminal unit displays the reply requesting information in the specific data on a monitor of the terminal unit by decrypting the specific data; and

the terminal unit encrypts the specific data whose reply requesting information is displayed on the monitor upon the terminal unit receiving a command to close the displayed image of the reply information of the specific data to which the reply information is added.

20. The information gathering system according to claim 4, wherein

the reply information is attachment data attached to the specific data, the attachment data including a reply of information gathering;

the host unit sends the specific data to the network in a state where the specific data is encrypted, the host unit receives the specific data which is encrypted and decrypts the specific data received;

the terminal unit receives the specific data which is encrypted from the network, the terminal unit displays the reply requesting information in the specific data on a monitor of the terminal unit by decrypting the specific data;

the terminal unit encrypts the specific data and the attachment data so as to create an encrypted datum or a set of encrypted data, the terminal unit sends the encrypted datum or the set of the encrypted data to the network as an encrypted specific data; and

the host unit decrypts the encrypted datum or the set of the encrypted data so as to distinguish content of the attachment data from content of the specific data, the host unit stores the attachment data into one of data storage areas whose memory address corresponds to the identification information of the specific data.

6. An information gathering system comprising:

a host unit in communication with a network and including a memory unit, the memory unit having a plurality of data storage areas, each of the plurality of the data storage areas being respectively associated with each of a plurality of memory addresses; and

a terminal unit in communication with the network, wherein

the host unit creates specific data, the specific data including one or more sorts of identification information, the identification information being associated with one of the plurality of memory addresses in accordance with a predetermined correspondence rule,

the terminal unit receives the specific data from the network and causes a printer to print information printed material so that the identification information included in the specific data is printed on the information printed material, and

the host unit reads the information printed material on which the identification information is printed, the host unit converts the identification information printed on the information printed material and written information written in a predetermined position of the information printed material into data, and the host unit stores the data of the written information into one of the plurality of the data storage areas as a reply of an information gathering candidate so that a memory address of the one of the plurality of the data storage areas corresponds to a memory address associated with the identification information printed on the information printed material.

7. The information gathering system according to claim 6, wherein the terminal unit causes the printer to print the information printed material so that the identification information is printed as a two-dimensional bar-code.

8. A terminal unit comprising:

a monitor;

display means for displaying reply requesting information on the monitor of the terminal unit receiving specific data that is encrypted and includes the reply requesting information and one or more sorts of identification information, the display means displaying the reply requesting information in a state where the specific data is decrypted and reply information of an information gathering candidate can be added to the specific data, the identification information being associated with one of a plurality of memory addresses of a plurality of data storage areas of a host unit in accordance with a predetermined correspondence rule, the reply requesting information being information for requesting a reply of the information gathering candidate; and

sending means for sending the host unit the specific data that is encrypted and the reply information added, wherein modification of the identification information is forbidden at least in a period from a time at which the specific data is decrypted to a time at which the decrypted specific data is encrypted again.

9. A terminal unit comprising:

a monitor;

display means for displaying reply requesting information on the monitor upon the terminal unit receiving specific data that is encrypted and includes the reply requesting information and one or more sorts of identification information, the display means displaying the reply requesting information in a state where the specific data is decrypted and reply information of an information gathering candidate can be added to the specific data, the identification information being associated with one of a plurality of memory addresses of a plurality of data storage areas of a host unit in accordance with a predetermined correspondence rule, the reply requesting information for requesting a reply of the information gathering candidate;

encrypting means for encrypting the specific data whose reply requesting information is displayed on the monitor immediately after closing the display of the reply requesting information of the specific data upon the terminal unit receiving a command to close the displayed image of the reply information of the specific data to which the reply information is added; and

sending means for sending the host unit the specific data encrypted by the encrypting means.

10. The terminal unit according to claim 9, wherein the terminal unit displays the reply requesting information in the specific data after decrypting the specific data without instruction of an operator of the terminal unit to open the specific data.

11. An information gathering program for causing a host unit and a terminal unit to gather information, the host unit being in communication with a network and including a memory unit, the memory unit having a plurality of data storage areas, each of the plurality of the data storage areas being respectively associated with each of a plurality of memory addresses the terminal unit being in communication with the network, the program comprising:

means for causing the host unit to create specific data, including reply requesting information and one or more sorts of identification information, the identification information being associated with one of the plurality of memory addresses in accordance with a predetermined correspondence rule, the reply requesting information being information for requesting a reply of an information gathering candidate;

means for causing the terminal unit to receive the specific data from the network and to display the reply requesting information on the terminal unit in a state where reply information can be added to the specific data; and

means for causing the host unit to store the reply information in the specific data which the host unit receives from the network into one of the plurality of the data storage areas so that a memory address of the one of the plurality of the data storage areas corresponds to a memory address associated with the identification information of the specific data received.

12. The information gathering program according to claim 11 further comprising means for causing the terminal unit to forbid modification of the identification information at least in a period from a time at which the specific data is decrypted to a time at which the decrypted specific data is encrypted again upon a first condition and a second condition being established, the first condition being established when the terminal unit receives the specific data that is encrypted from the network, the second condition being established when the terminal unit displays the reply requesting information in the specific data on a monitor of the terminal unit by decrypting the specific data.

13. The information gathering program according to claim 11 further comprising:

means for causing the terminal unit to encrypt the specific data immediately after closing the display of the reply requesting information of the specific data upon a first condition, a second condition, and a third condition being established, wherein

the first conditioner is established when the terminal unit receives the specific data that is encrypted from the network,

the second conditioner is established when the terminal unit displays the reply requesting information in the specific data on a monitor of the terminal unit by decrypting the specific data, and

the third condition is established when the terminal unit receives a specific command, the specific command being a command to close the displayed image of the reply information of the specific data to which the reply information is added.

14. The information gathering program according to claim 13 further comprising means for causing the terminal unit to display the reply requesting information in the specific data after decrypting the specific data without instruction of an operator of the terminal unit to open the specific data.

15. The information gathering program according to claim 14, wherein the reply information is attachment data attached to the specific data, the attachment data including a reply of information gathering, the program further comprising:

first means for causing the terminal unit to encrypt the specific data and the attachment data so as to create an encrypted datum or a set of encrypted data, the first means causing the terminal unit to send the encrypted datum or the set of the encrypted data to the network as encrypted specific data; and

second means for causing the host unit to decrypt the encrypted datum or the set of the encrypted data so as to distinguish content of the attachment data from content of the specific data, the second means causing the host unit to store the attachment data into one of data storage areas whose memory address corresponds to the identification information of the specific data.

16. A program for a terminal unit comprising:

means for causing the terminal unit to display reply requesting information on a monitor of the terminal unit upon the terminal unit receiving specific data, the specific data being encrypted and including the reply requesting information and one or more sorts of identification information, the identification information being associated with one of a plurality of memory addresses of a plurality of data storage areas of a host unit in accordance with a predetermined correspondence rule, the reply requesting information being information for requesting a reply of an information gathering candidate, the reply requesting information being displayed by the means for causing the terminal unit to display in a state where the specific data is decrypted and reply information of the information gathering candidate can be added to the specific data; and

means for causing the terminal unit to forbid modification of the identification information at least in a period from a time at which the specific data is decrypted to a time at which the decrypted specific data is encrypted again.

17. A program for a terminal unit comprising:

means for causing the terminal unit to display reply requesting information on a monitor of the terminal unit upon the terminal unit receiving specific data, the specific data being encrypted and including the reply requesting information and one or more sorts of identification information, the identification information being associated with one of a plurality of memory addresses of a plurality of data storage areas of a host unit in accordance with a predetermined correspondence rule, the reply requesting information being information for requesting a reply of an information gathering candidate, the reply requesting information being displayed by the means in a state where the specific data is decrypted and reply information of the information gathering candidate can be added to the specific data; and

means for causing the terminal unit to end displaying of the reply requesting information of the specific data upon the terminal unit receiving a command to close the displayed image of the reply information of the specific data to which the reply information is added, the means for causing the terminal unit to end display causing the terminal unit to encrypt the specific data immediately after the end of displaying of the reply requesting information.

18. The program for a terminal unit according to claim 17 further comprising means for causing the terminal unit to display the reply requesting information in the specific data after decrypting the specific data without instruction of an operator of the terminal unit to open the specific data.