Abstract: A picture imaging apparatus includes: an imaging means for imaging a subject picture to acquire taken picture data; a storage processing means for performing a storage process of taken picture data acquired by the imaging means; a motion detecting means for detecting motion of the picture imaging apparatus itself; a manipulating means for manipulating a shutter; and a control means for instructing the imaging means to perform a process in accordance with a shutter manipulation at a timing based on a result detected in the motion detecting means during a period during which the shutter is being manipulated by the manipulating means.

Abstract: The CPU 11 of the personal computer 1 controls the CPU 32 of the adaptor 26 made of a semiconductor ID to compute a hash value of a content-managing music data base recorded in the HDD 21 and store it into the nonvolatile memory 34. When playing back a content recorded in the HDD 21, the CPU 11 computes the hash value of the music data base recorded in the HDD 21, compares it with hash values stored cumulatively in the nonvolatile memory 34, and controls the playback of the content from the HDD 21 based on the result of the comparison.

Abstract: A method of displaying item information related to a plurality of individuals having different properties onto a screen. The method includes the steps of: obtaining information indicating equivalent time in property, which is time corresponding to a property of each individual; setting a time axis on the screen such that equivalent time in property of each individual indicated by the obtained information has the same position and the same display length, or the same position or the same display length in a time axial direction; and displaying item information related to each individual on the screen in relation to the set time axis.

Abstract: A method of displaying windows is disclosed. The method includes, when a first and second windows are displayed on a display screen of a display at the same time and display of the second window is changed with being interlocked with the first window by operating the first window, the steps of: forming a first data table in which input and output data forms are defined with respect to the first window; forming a second data table in which data forms transmitted from the first window to the second window are defined; receiving input to the first window from a user; performing processing of the first window according to the content of the received input; transmitting information of the processing in the first window to the second window associated in advance; and performing processing according to the transmitted information in the second window which received the transmission.

Abstract: A content display method is disclosed. The content display method includes the steps of: accepting an instruction input to create a target calendar; extracting a content that indication information has to be displayed in an elapsed period having already passed and a content that indication information has to be displayed in a non-elapsed period to pass from now on in the target calendar based on the instruction input accepted through the accepting step; and arranging the indication information of each of the contents extracted in the extracting step in a corresponding date in a target calendar and displaying the target calendar on a display device.

Abstract: A method for providing chronologic information that is generated by placing one or more pieces of related information according to information about elapsed time is provided. The method includes the steps of obtaining, by an obtaining unit, (i) basic information associating pieces of the related information with the information about time indicating positions on the chronologic information and (ii) information indicating a display form of the chronologic information; and providing, by a control unit, the chronologic information to a user by displaying the chronologic information in a display unit based on the information indicating a display form of the chronologic information by using the basic information.

Abstract: A content filtering method for selecting a desired piece of content from a plurality of pieces of content includes the steps of associating additional information about each piece of content and reduced image data representing the piece of content with the piece of content and registering the additional information and the reduced image data in a table; retrieving a piece of content having a highest level of coincidence with the additional information from the table by using the additional information corresponding to the reduced image data specified by a user as a search key; and presenting the reduced image data about the retrieved piece of content to the user.

Abstract: An information processing method comprises a storage step in which attribute information indicating an attribute of specific contents carried in content information is stored in correlation to the content information, a generation step in which an attribute information aggregation is generated by extracting at least part of attribute information stored through the storage step, a first decision-making step in which a decision is made as to whether or not a set of content information stored in a storage medium contains any of attribute information constituting the attribute information aggregation and a correlating step in which the set of content information and specific attribute information, judged to be contained in the set of content information among the attribute information constituting the attribute information aggregation, are set in correlation to each other.

Abstract: In a content viewing apparatus, an acquisition unit acquires a content set including one or more contents, and a conversion unit converts each content in the content set acquired by the acquisition unit into a predetermined format. An arrangement unit arranges indication information of each content subjected to the conversion performed by the conversion unit such that the indication information of each content is displayed on a display device in such a manner that indication information of each content is arranged along a time axis according to date/time information associated with each content thereby making it possible to use each content via the corresponding indication information. In accordance with an operation command input by a user, a display control unit controls displaying of the indication information of all contents as a whole, displayed on the display device by the arrangement unit, along the time axis.

Abstract: A table-display method is provided to display an item relating to each of sections positioned on an axis, as a table. The table-display method includes the steps of reproducing and outputting information, as additional information, when the part corresponding to a specific section of the table is displayed in a predetermined area of a display-screen image and the information is set for the specific section and/or an item relating to the specific section.

Abstract: A display scrolling method includes the steps of displaying first and second windows on a display screen of a display; displaying first information in a predetermined order in the first window; displaying second information in a predetermined order in the second window; and scrolling the first and second information in synchronization with each other, wherein the resolution of the scrolling of at least one of the first and second information is set at a magnitude corresponding to the unit of the classification of the information.

Abstract: A method of generating a table in which data having time or period information is laid out at corresponding positions along a chronological axis includes the steps of displaying a table generating screen including a table generating area; displaying the chronological axis in the table generating area; obtaining a plurality of pieces of the data according to a selecting instruction; and generating the table by laying out the plurality of pieces of the data in the table generating area along the chronological axis on the basis of the time or period information of the individual pieces of the data.

Abstract: A display scrolling method for scrolling content displayed on a display screen of a display device according to a user operation includes the steps of, when a pointer of a pointing device is started to be dragged, calculating an amount of scrolling of the content to be scrolled with respect to a unit amount of movement of the pointer on the basis of a distance between the position of the pointer and a predetermined reference point; and displaying the content by scrolling the content displayed on the display screen by the determined amount of scrolling in a direction associated with a moving direction of the pointer.

Abstract: The present invention provides an information presentation method for presenting specific information in a basic presentation frame image on a display, the method comprising the steps of: indicating a time axis in the basic presentation frame image in one direction of the basic presentation frame image; providing a presentation area extended along the time axis in the basic presentation frame image; and presenting the specific information in the presentation area at a location along the time axis indicated by and corresponding to chronological information pertained to the specific information.

Abstract: A client receives encrypted content from content server. The header of the content includes license-identifying information for identifying a license required to utilize the content. The client requests a license server to transmit the license identified by the license-identifying information. When receiving the request for a license, the license server carries out a charging process before transmitting the license to the client. The client stores the license received from the license server. The stored license serves as a condition for encrypting and playing back the content. As a result, content can be distributed with a high degree of freedom and only an authorized user is capable of utilizing the content.

Abstract: After a reproduction program is installed on a PC, a key for CD ripping is furnished e.g., from an FD. With the key for CD ripping, the music contents in a CD can be copied to a PC, however, it is not possible to download music contents from an EMD server for copying on a PD. For storing the music contents distributed from the EMD server on the PD, the reproduction program first acquired a key for EMD different from the key for ripping over the network. By so doing, the contents data distributed over the network may be improved in safety.

Abstract: The CPU 11 of the personal computer 1 controls the CPU 32 of the adaptor 26 made of a semiconductor IC to compute a hash value of a content-managing music data base recorded in the HDD 21 and store it into the nonvolatile memory 34. When playing back a content recorded in the HDD 21, the CPU 11 computes the hash value of the music data base recorded in the HDD 21, compares it with hash values stored cumulatively in the nonvolatile memory 34, and controls the playback of the content from the HDD 21 based on the result of the comparison.

Abstract: The CPU of the personal computer controls the CPU of the adaptor made of a semiconductor ID to compute a hash value of a content-managing music data base recorded in the HDD and store it into the nonvolatile memory. When playing back a content recorded in the HDD, the CPU computes the hash value of the music data base recorded in the HDD, compares it with hash values stored cumulatively in the nonvolatile memory, and controls the playback of the content from the HDD based on the result of the comparison.

Abstract: A client receives encrypted content from content server. The header of the content includes license-identifying information for identifying a license required to utilize the content. The client requests a license server to transmit the license identified by the license-identifying information. When receiving the request for a license, the license server carries out a charging process before transmitting the license to the client. The client stores the license received from the license server. The stored license serves as a condition for encrypting and playing back the content. As a result, content can be distributed with a high degree of freedom and only an authorized user is capable of utilizing the content.

Abstract: A system is provided for preventing recorded data from being illicitly read out and analyzed. An Internet connection interface transmits a program executed by an adapter to an authentication station, whilst receiving the program in an encrypted form from the authentication station. A hard disc records the encrypted program, received from the authentication station. An interface transmits the program recorded on the horizontal direction on the adapter.