Abstract: An audio interactive system including a plurality of terminals each having an audio input means for converting voices into aural signals and an audio output means for converting aural signals into voices, the plurality of terminals being connected to a communication line; and a server connected with the plurality of terminals via the communication line to perform collection and distribution of the aural signals, in which a conversation is made through voices between the plurality of terminals. The server comprises a buffer for temporarily storing the aural signals transmitted from the terminals, and a scheduler for controlling the distribution of the aural signals stored in the buffer.

Abstract: There is provided a communication apparatus for exchanging messages while a virtual space and avatars (symbols) of users are displayed on a display screen. The communication apparatus has a viewpoint element inputting unit for inputting a viewpoint element (a viewpoint position and a viewpoint direction). An image of the virtual space is produced on the basis of the viewpoint element inputted from the viewpoint element inputting unit. According to the communication apparatus, it is possible to increase a degree of freedom in plotting the virtual space.

Abstract: A designing and managing system for a communications network having a physical network and a logical network includes a designing system adaptable to a traffic fluctuation through a simple procedure, and a managing system for quickly selecting a suitable communications path in response to a path connection request and a path capacity change request. The designing system has units for respectively determining the topologies of the physical network and the logical network independently of traffic conditions, and units for setting the path capacities of the physical network and the logical network, respectively, based upon a long-term traffic demand and an actual request.

Abstract: A process information generating section produces a communication process information necessary for a communication process. A status predicting section receives a statistically-processed status information from another node when the status of this another node has changed, and produces a prediction information predictive of the statuses of all other nodes, excluding this local node, based on the status information. A routing control section performs control to select a communications path which minimizes a network load, based on the communication process information generated by the process information generating section and the prediction information obtained by a status predicting section.