Information gathering system, terminal unit, program for information gathering, and program for a terminal

• US 8,572,365 B2
• Filed: 11/17/2009
• Issued: 10/29/2013
• 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
• Primary Examiner(s): Flynn, Nathan
• Assistant Examiner(s): Su, Sarah
• Application Number:
  US12/619,737
• Publication Number:
  US 20100211774A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,442 Days
• Field of Search: 713/150, 713/189, 726/22, 709/206
• 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. 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 e-mail having an attached file including reply requesting information and one or more sorts of identification information, wherein

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

the reply requesting information is information for requesting reply information from an information gathering candidate,

encrypts at least the reply requesting information, and

sends the e-mail having the attached file with the reply requesting information that has been encrypted to the network;

the terminal unit

receives the e-mail including the attached file with the reply requesting information that has been encrypted from the network,

decrypts the e-mail including the attached file with the reply requesting information that has been encrypted,

displays the reply requesting information on the terminal unit in a state in which the reply information can be added to the attached file,

encrypts at least the reply information of the attached file that is displayed on the monitor of the terminal unit upon receiving a command to close display of the reply requesting information to which the reply information has been added, immediately after closing display of the reply requesting information; and

sends the e-mail with the attached file including the reply information that has been encrypted to the network; and

the host unit

receives the e-mail having the attached file including the reply information that has been encrypted from the network, and

decrypts and stores the reply information included in the attached file that is received by the host unit in one of the data storage areas so that a memory address of the one of the data storage areas corresponds to a memory address associated with the identification information of the e-mail that is received by the host unit.

2. The information gathering system according to claim 1, wherein modification of the identification information is forbidden on the terminal unit at least in a period extending from a time at which the e-mail having the attached file with the reply requesting information is decrypted by the terminal unit to a time at which at least the reply requesting information is encrypted by the terminal unit.

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

the terminal unit displays the reply requesting information that has been decrypted on a monitor of the terminal unit;

and

the terminal unit encrypts at least the reply information that is displayed on a monitor of the terminal unit upon receiving a command to close display of the reply requesting information to which the reply information has been added.

4. The information gathering system according to claim 1, wherein the terminal unit displays the reply requesting information of the attached file, after decrypting at least the reply requesting information, without instruction of an operator of the terminal unit to open the e-mail having the attached file.

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

in encrypting the reply information, the terminal unit creates 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 encrypted e-mail,

the host unit decrypts the encrypted datum or the set of the encrypted data and distinguishes content of the reply information from content of the e-mail, and

the host unit stores the reply information in one of the data storage areas having a memory address that corresponds to the identification information of the e-mail.

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

in encrypting the reply information, the terminal unit creates 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 encrypted e-mail,

the host unit decrypts the encrypted datum or the set of the encrypted data and distinguishes content of the reply information from content of the e-mail, and

the host unit stores the reply information in one of the data storage areas having a memory address that corresponds to the identification information of the e-mail.