Abstract: A content playback apparatus (100) includes: a viewing target content obtaining unit (20) obtaining the viewing target content; a viewer detecting unit (10) detecting a first viewer who views the viewing target content played back by the content playback apparatus; a viewer content selecting unit (204) selecting, from among viewer contents, a viewer content having a matching degree higher than a predetermined threshold, the matching degree indicating an amount of common points between the first viewer detected by the viewer detecting unit and a second viewer who views a same content as the viewing target content under temporally or spatially a different condition, and each of the viewer contents including information of video or sound of the second viewer; and a content playback unit (30) playing back the viewing target content obtained by the viewing target content obtaining unit and the viewer content selected by the viewer content selecting unit.

Abstract: Provided is a remote control command setting device capable of regulating some operations while being easy to handle for children. The device reconfigures a correspondence between an operation for an operation area having multiple operation buttons arranged therein and a control command for an electric device. The device includes an operation history holding unit (180) for accumulating operation history for the operation area, a control command setting unit (200) for reconfiguring an available control command on the basis of the operation history, and an operation area setting unit (210) for reconfiguring a sub-area in the operation area on the basis of the operation history and the available control command.

Abstract: Provided is a remote control command setting device capable of regulating some operations while being easy to handle for children. The device reconfigures a correspondence between an operation for an operation area having multiple operation buttons arranged therein and a control command for an electric device. The device includes an operation history holding unit (180) for accumulating operation history for the operation area, a control command setting unit (200) for reconfiguring an available control command on the basis of the operation history, and an operation area setting unit (210) for reconfiguring a sub-area in the operation area on the basis of the operation history and the available control command.

Abstract: A content playback apparatus (100) includes: a viewing target content obtaining unit (20) obtaining the viewing target content; a viewer detecting unit (10) detecting a first viewer who views the viewing target content played back by the content playback apparatus; a viewer content selecting unit (204) selecting, from among viewer contents, a viewer content having a matching degree higher than a predetermined threshold, the matching degree indicating an amount of common points between the first viewer detected by the viewer detecting unit and a second viewer who views a same content as the viewing target content under temporally or spatially a different condition, and each of the viewer contents including information of video or sound of the second viewer; and a content playback unit (30) playing back the viewing target content obtained by the viewing target content obtaining unit and the viewer content selected by the viewer content selecting unit.

Abstract: In an information providing system connecting between a client to which contents are delivered and an information providing server apparatus for providing contents by a communication network, the client prepares a user file to present contents in a presentation form fitting to a preference of a user. The information providing server apparatus dynamically generates a transforming specification of contents according to the user profile, dynamically transforms contents according to the generated transforming specification and sends them to the client. When the user requests for delivery, the contents are dynamically reconstructed according to the user profile designated by the user. It is accordingly possible to provide contents to the user by a best suited way.

Abstract: The present invention, by storing media of a plurality of different forms for each content, and selecting and distributing media of a form corresponding to a distribution request of a client, distributes to a client media corresponding to content requested by the client in the form requested by the client.

Abstract: According to this fundamental frequency generating method, a fundamental frequency pattern is set from a data base of a fundamental frequency pattern of each accent phrase standardized by the phoneme time length or the time length of the vowel and the vowel corresponding portion, and when the corresponding fundamental frequency pattern is not stored in the data base, the fundamental frequency pattern is generated by interpolating the interval between points serving as the references of the fundamental frequency pattern. With this method, a fundamental frequency pattern having higher naturalness than with conventional methods can be generated.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for synthesizing speech. According to one variation of the method and apparatus, a plurality of speech segment data units is prepared for all desired speech waveforms. Speech is then synthesized by reading out from memory the appropriate speech segment data units, and a desired pitch is obtained by overlapping the appropriate speech segment data units according to a pitch period interval. According to a second variation of the method and apparatus, speech segment data units are prepared for only initial speech waveforms and first pitch waveforms, and differential waveforms. With this variation, subsequent pitch waveforms for speech synthesis are generated by combining the first pitch waveform with the corresponding differential waveform.