Abstract: A management system and a management method according to the invention calculate, on the basis of collected weather information, an operation record of a device, a state value and an acceptable range set for an area where the device is installed, and power-suppression-time during which electric power is suppressed, change-time during which the state value of the area is changed in response to the power-suppression-time by operations of the device, generate, using the calculated change-time, a control-schedule for controlling the device, and control the device. This enables reduction of electric power usage with the state value set for the area where the device is installed kept within the range in accordance with the power-suppression-time.

Abstract: A management system and a management method according to the invention calculate, on the basis of collected weather information, an operation record of a device, a state value and an acceptable range set for an area where the device is installed, and power-suppression-time during which electric power is suppressed, change-time during which the state value of the area is changed in response to the power-suppression-time by operations of the device, generate, using the calculated change-time, a control-schedule for controlling the device, and control the device. This enables reduction of electric power usage with the state value set for the area where the device is installed kept within the range in accordance with the power-suppression-time.

Abstract: An authentication-selection system includes an authentication-means selector 26 which selects one among a plurality of authentication and one or more combinations of the authentication, using at least one of authentication means for authenticating person. Preferably, a combination generator 24 for generating the one or more combinations of the authentication using at least one authentication means for authenticating person; and a calculator 25 for calculating authentication performance for each of the plurality of authentication and the one or more combinations of the authentication are further provided. An authentication system includes the above authentication-selection system and at least one authentication means 11 for authenticating person. Thereby, there is provided an authentication-selection system for selecting one among the plurality of authentication and the one or more combinations of the authentication satisfying target performance required for authentication.

Abstract: A data comparison apparatus includes a cross-correlation table storing unit for storing degrees of match calculated for all possible combinations of two registered data, as a cross-correlation table, a comparison processing unit for comparing a currently-read registered data with an incoming data to be compared to calculate the degree of match between them, a comparison determination unit for comparing the calculated degree of match with a threshold value to determine whether there is a match between the currently-read registered data and the incoming data, and for forcedly finishing a further comparison process for remaining registered data if there is a match between the currently-read registered data and the incoming data, and a registered-data reading control unit for determining one registered data that is to be read next out of the registered-data storing unit, using the calculated degree of match and the cross-correlation table.