Abstract: A program structuring device includes a play-list collecting unit that collects a play list for a content in which a time series is defined; a first storage unit that stores cutoff points that appear in the play list and are breakpoints of a program structure of the content, in correspondence with a frequency of appearance of each of the cutoff points; a calculating unit that calculates a level of relevance between scene segments defined by the cutoff points from the frequency of appearance of each of the cutoff points; an extracting unit that extracts multi-level chapter divisions based on the level of relevance; and a second storage unit that stores the extracted multi-level chapter divisions structured into a tree form.

Abstract: An apparatus includes unit acquiring comment information items related to video content, each of the comment information items including a comment, and a start time and an end time of the comment, unit dividing the comment into words by morpheme analysis for each of the comment information items, unit acquiring an estimated value of each of the words, the estimated value indicating a degree of importance used when the scenes are extracted, unit adding the acquired estimated value of each of the words for each of the words during a period of time ranging from the start time to the end time of the comment that contains a corresponding word to acquire estimated value distributions of the words, and unit extracting a start time and an end time of one scene and to be extracted from the video content, based on a shape of the estimated value distributions.

Abstract: An acquiring unit acquires a first search criterion from outside. A first searching unit extracts a first search result that satisfies the first search criterion from a storing unit that stores information to be searched. A first output unit outputs the first search result to a first output device. A changing unit changes the first search criterion to a second search criterion based on a predetermined condition. A second searching unit extracts a second search result that satisfies the second search criterion from the storing unit. A second output unit outputs the second search result to a second output device that is different from the first output device.

Abstract: A content playback system for playing comments and contents synchronously and efficiently includes an acquisition unit for acquiring comment information including comments attached to playback intervals where there are content items to be played in a predetermined order, and interrelating information interrelating the comments with the content items; a selection unit for selecting one or more comment types from several comment types based on the comment information; a decision unit for making a decision as to whether there is an interrelationship between comments based on the playback intervals of the comments and on the contents themselves; a setting unit for setting the display conditions under which the comments are displayed based on the interrelationship information, on the selected comment types, and according to whether there is an interrelationship; and a playback unit for synchronously playing the comments for which the display conditions have been set and content items corresponding to the comments

Abstract: A video distribution system includes plural receiving terminals, a video distribution apparatus, and a common ID issuing and managing apparatus. Each of the plural receiving terminals has a terminal ID, makes a distribution request for video data, and receives the video data distributed in response to the distribution request. The video distribution apparatus distributes video data to the receiving terminal according to the distribution request.

Abstract: A data distribution apparatus includes a data file configured to store video data and advertisement data to be provided to a receiving terminal of a Video on Demand service; a video distributing unit configured to distribute video data in accordance with a distribution request from the receiving terminal; a video presentation confirming unit configured to confirm a presentation state of the video data at the receiving terminal; an advertisement distribution determining unit configured to determine distribution of advertisement data to the receiving terminal when it is confirmed that the video data to be distributed by the video distributing unit is being called; and an advertisement distributing unit configured to distribute the advertisement data.

Abstract: An information processing terminal connectable to a WWW (World Wide Web) server via a public network includes a storage unit that stores content data including image information or sound information with identification information of the content data, an acquiring unit that acquires identification information of content data from the WWW server, a retrieving unit that retrieves content data corresponding to the identification information acquired by the acquiring unit from the storage unit, and a presenting unit that presents the content data retrieved by the retrieving unit.

Abstract: A content management system for managing contents including at least one of a video image and an audio, which are received from a network or a broadcast including a wired or wireless connection and are stored in a storage device for storing the received contents in association with content information, includes a human relationship table which records information relating to a plurality of entries utilizing the content management system, an entry searching section which searches one of entries as a query destination of an evaluation relevant to designated contents stored in the storage device, using the human relationship table, a content evaluation information acquisition section which acquires evaluation information from the query destination with respect to the designated contents, and a content reduction section which determines a method of reducing the designated contents based on the evaluation information.

Abstract: A playlist acquisition unit acquires a playlist including a view segment of contents for a user. The view segment has a start position and an end position in the contents. A copyright information acquisition unit acquires copyright information of the contents from a copyright management apparatus via a network. The copyright management apparatus manages copyright information of each content. A view right information acquisition unit acquires view right information of the user to view the contents. A viewable playlist composition unit composes a viewable playlist by editing the playlist using the copyright information and the view right information. The viewable playlist includes restriction information of the view segment.

Abstract: An information retrieval system, includes speech recognition means for making speech recognition for a spoken question to generate first text information, generation means for modifying the first text information to generate second text information as a interrogative to make a search for an answer to the question, and search means for searching the answer from a document database by using the second text information.

Abstract: A feature-vector generation apparatus includes an input unit configured to input content data including at least one of video data and audio data, a generation unit configured to generate a feature vector, based on information indicating a time at which a characterizing state of the content data appears, the characterizing state being characterized by a change of the at least one of the video data and the audio data, and a storage unit configured to store the content data and the feature vector.

Abstract: An answer support system includes an extracting unit to extract sentences of question made by a questioner, asking back of an answerer to the question, a reply of the questioner to the asking back, and an answer made by the answerer from a plurality of messages exchanged between the questioner and the answerer based on a reply relationship between the messages, a paragraph structure and sentence representation of each message, and a storing unit to store the extracted sentences in association with each other. In response to a new question, plural sets of sentences of question, asking back, reply, and answer stored in the past are searched for a set similar to a sentence of the new question, and a search result is presented in a manner that the sentences of question, asking back, reply, and answer are associated with the set similar to the sentence of the new question.

Abstract: A system and device for sharing metadata that includes a plurality of client media data audio-visual devices and a server. Each of the plurality of client media data audio-visual devices is configured to display media data and metadata corresponding to the media data. The server is configured to exchange data among the plurality of client media data audio-visual devices. Each of the plurality of client media data audio-visual devices includes an audio-visual portion, a metadata storing portion, a communication portion, and a display portion. The audio-visual portion is configured to display the media data. The metadata storing portion is configured to store the metadata. The communication portion is configured to transmit the metadata to the server and to receive metadata from the server to be stored in the metadata storing portion. The display portion is configured to display a time relationship between the media data and the metadata based on time data included in the metadata and in the media data.