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

• US 20140006774A1
• Filed: 09/06/2013
• Published: 01/02/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 02/13/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
• Original Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
• Inventors: Fujimoto, Shinichi, Higuma, Hiroko, Enomoto, Ai
• Granted Patent: US 9,172,684 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 713/150
• 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

1-5. -5. (canceled)

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 data storage areas being respectively associated with one of a plurality of memory addresses; and

a terminal unit in communication with the network, wherein

the host unit

creates and encrypts e-mail, wherein

the e-mail includes one or more sorts of identification information, and

the identification information is associated with one of the memory addresses in accordance with a predetermined correspondence rule, and

sends the e-mail that has been created and encrypted to the network;

the terminal unit

receives the e-mail from the network,

decrypts the e-mail received from the network, and

causes a printer to print information printed material so that the identification information included in the e-mail that has been received and decrypted is printed on the information printed material, and

the host unit

reads the information printed material on which the identification information has been printed,

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

stores the data of the written information in one of the data storage areas as a reply of an information gathering candidate so that a memory address of the one 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 two-dimensional bar-code.

8. A terminal unit comprising:

a monitor;

display means for displaying reply requesting information on the monitor wherein the terminal unit receives encrypted e-mail having an attached file including the reply requesting information and one or more sorts of identification information, wherein

the display means displays the reply requesting information in a state in which the e-mail having the attached file is decrypted and in which reply information from an information gathering candidate can be added,

the identification information is 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, and

the reply requesting information is information for requesting a reply from the information gathering candidate; and

sending means for sending to the host unit the e-mail having the attached file and the reply information that has been added, wherein modification of the identification information is forbidden at least in a period extending from a time at which the encrypted e-mail is decrypted to a time at which the decrypted e-mail having the attached file is encrypted again.

9-20. -20. (canceled)