Patent ID: 8572365

Claim:
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.