Abstract: A marketing system is provided wherein consumers disclose their purchase demands so that dealers can purchase the disclosed information. A market information registering unit registers market information including the consumers' demands, and a personal information registering unit registers personal information about the consumers. The market information is posted at posting unit, and a dealer, browsing the posted market information, purchases the market information, whereupon a personal information acquiring unit acquires the personal information. Based on the personal information, the dealer accesses the consumer. The personal information acquiring unit includes a prior approval demand determining unit, which determines whether or not the consumer's approval is required before the dealer accesses the consumer. Also, the personal information acquiring unit includes an access confirming unit for seeking the consumer's approval when the prior approval is required.

Abstract: Location information of content information (whose location is unpublished on a network) transmitted by a location unpublished information transmitting unit is stored to a database. A web page (containing a search keyword input field) transmitted by a search keyword input page transmitting unit is browsed by a web page browsing unit. A keyword that is input to the search keyword input field is transmitted to an information searching apparatus. A searching unit searches a database for content information corresponding to the keyword. When the keyword correlates with information transmitted by the location unpublished information transmitting unit, the user can find content information of which the location is unpublished with a user's terminal apparatus.

Abstract: Location information of content information (whose location is unpublished on a network) transmitted by a location unpublished information transmitting unit is stored to a database. A web page (containing a search keyword input field) transmitted by a search keyword input page transmitting unit is browsed by a web page browsing unit. A keyword that is input to the search keyword input field is transmitted to an information searching apparatus. A searching unit searches a database for content information corresponding to the keyword. When the keyword correlates with information transmitted by the location unpublished information transmitting unit, the user can find content information of which the location is unpublished with a user's terminal apparatus.

Abstract: An electronic mail processing system for distributing an e-mail message from a sender to recipients, which encourages the recipients to open, read, and reply to the e-mail message sent from the sender. An original e-mail message sent from a sender via a sender terminal is stored in an outgoing message storage unit. An outgoing mail information registration unit stores a list of recipients to whom the e-mail message should be delivered, as well as storing information on bonus points. A message sending unit encloses bonus point information in the e-mail message and distributes it to the recipients included on the list. Upon receipt of a reply message from one of the recipients, a reception process unit gives a predetermined number of bonus points to the recipient. Each recipient's bonus points are accumulated in a recipient information storage unit, and he/she can redeem his/her bonus points for gifts depending on the accumulated points.

Abstract: A receiver of advertisement information registers an advertisement reception requirement to a distribution host computer through a receiver terminal. A sender registers an advertisement transmission requirement to the distribution host computer through a sender terminal. The host computer references receiver attributes and desired categories of the advertisement recorded in the advertisement reception requirement, and categories and desired attributes for the receivers recorded in the advertisement transmission requirement, and generates a distribution list that satisfies both desire of the receiver and of the sender. An advertisement document is distributed to selected receivers corresponding to the distribution list.

Abstract: A method differentiates simultaneous and sequential key strokes by detecting simultaneous key strokes if two keys are pushed within a judging time T.sub.L. The method includes the steps of (a) measuring a first time T.sub.1 from a time when a first key is pushed to a time when a second key is pushed, and a second time T.sub.2 from the time when the second key is pushed to a time when one of the first and second keys is released, (b) comparing the first and second times T.sub.1 and T.sub.2 with an arbitrary threshold function T.sub.C which is set within the judging time T.sub.L, and (c) differentiating whether key strokes of the first and second keys are simultaneous or sequential based on a comparison result of the step (b).