Abstract: A communication path switching device is configured to determine whether or not a specified network device where exclusion from a communication path or addition to the communication path is specified through an input device can perform path switching based on the individual pieces of information on a coupling configuration and a presence or absence of an independent control function; refer to a storage device for the individual pieces of information on the coupling configuration and a coupling policy to change the coupling policy according to a result of the determination; and processing of issuing, according to the result of the determination and the individual pieces of information in the storage device, a path switching instruction to a network device having the independent control function and a network device not having the independent control function that are path switching targets on a communication path directed to the specified network device.

Abstract: A network management apparatus is designed so that when reassigning the existing address, the network management apparatus extracts a link with the largest link cost from among links comprising the network based on the network configuration information and specifies a flow routed though the extracted link based on the statistic information; when receiving a path change request and a via link request to request a via link with respect to the specified flow from an external terminal, the network management apparatus selects either one of addresses of an address pair of the specified flow as a change target address; and when changing the selected change target address, the network management apparatus changes the change target address to a candidate address to be assigned by selecting an address, which is routed through a link included in the via link request and has not been assigned, as the candidate address to be assigned.

Abstract: There is provided a management apparatus including a system configuration information management unit that manages coupling of a virtual switch and a network apparatus; a server information management unit that manages a multicast address to be used as a destination address when communication of a virtual server is converted into multicast communication; a multicast tree management unit that calculates a transfer route for a multicast packet on multiple physical routes; and a switch control unit that notifies the virtual switch or the network apparatus of the transfer route for the multicast packet that has been calculated by the multicast tree management unit, and thereby controls the transfer route for the multicast packet.

Abstract: In a service system including client apparatuses for issuing a service request and server apparatuses for receiving a service request and providing service, there is provided a data relaying apparatus for relaying data communication between them. In response to a service request, the data relaying apparatus establishes a connection from the client apparatus to the server apparatus (destination). The data relaying apparatus relays data communication between the client apparatus and the server apparatus by using the established connection. The data relaying apparatus manages a number of connections established to each of the server apparatuses. In response to a service request, the data relaying apparatus accepts or refuses the service request so as to make a number of connections to the server apparatus equal to or less than a predetermined number, and notifies a user refused relaying of a service request that relaying is possible.

Abstract: In communication between communication terminals utilizing a network, a communication apparatus that receives and interprets service contents information described by a tag-type language or the like and performs processing in accordance with the interpretation thereof is disposed between the communication terminals. The communication apparatus can combine a plurality of processing operations in accordance with the described contents of the information to be implemented and can make various service designs. Further, the communication apparatus is characterized to acquire a program for updating a processing method definition connecting the service contents information and the processing operations by means of the Internet so that the processing method definition of the apparatuses distributed dispersedly can be modified promptly and the whole system can cope with modification of service contents promptly.

Abstract: Out of viewers of the same content, multi-user talking service is provided to only viewers who wish to enjoy the content in a large number of people. Only when an address of a terminal 4, 5 that has transmitted a request for participation in multi-user talking is registered in a viewer management DB (which manages viewers of contents), a content distribution/multi-user talking service center 1 registers the above-mentioned address into a participant management DB (which manages participants in multi-user talking) associating the address with identification information of a content that is registered in association with the address in question in the viewer management DB. Then, for each content, respective pieces of talking data received from addresses registered in association with identification information of said content in the participant management DB are synthesized to generate multi-user talking data, and generated multi-user talking data is transmitted to each of said addresses.

Abstract: A metal-graphite brush comprises a brush body which is made by mixing and molding metal powder and graphite powder. 2 mg to 30 mg as amounts of phosphate ion of at least one of phosphoric acid and a phosphate compound is added to 1 g of the brush body of the metal-graphite brush.

Abstract: The object of the present invention is to provide a communication network system that reduces the burden of entering settings for the network system. A service directory server in the communication network system provides unified management of the service information of the service-providing server installed in the network. The service information managed by the service directory server is distributed to the communication nodes either automatically or in response to requests from a communication node. The communication nodes receive packets and, for received packets that are addressed to itself, a service-providing server destination is determined based on the service information provided by the service directory server and the packet is transferred to the server to receive the service.

Abstract: Ag particles produced by chemical reduction and having a mean particle size of 5 &mgr;m are added by 0.05-3 wt % and Zn are added by 2-10 wt % to a Pb-less brush body containing graphite, Cu and a metal sulfide solid lubricant of a metal-graphite brush.

Abstract: In a service system including client apparatuses for issuing a service request and server apparatuses for receiving a service request and providing service, there is provided a data relaying apparatus for relaying data communication between them. In response to a service request, the data relaying apparatus establishes a connection from the client apparatus to the server apparatus (destination). The data relaying apparatus relays data communication between the client apparatus and the server apparatus by using the established connection. The data relaying apparatus manages a number of connections established to each of the server apparatuses. In response to a service request, the data relaying apparatus accepts or refuses the service request so as to make a number of connections to the server apparatus equal to or less than a predetermined number, and notifies a user refused relaying of a service request that relaying is possible.

Abstract: A network system having a plurality of interconnected networks each having a policy server. The policy server sets a quality-guaranteed path in the network according to a policy held in the policy server. The policy server includes a policy holding unit to hold a policy defining a quality that can be guaranteed in its own network, a policy publicizing unit to make public the policy held in the policy holding unit to the policy servers of other networks, a guaranteed quality calculation unit to calculate a quality that can be guaranteed for the path between the local network and the other network, and a quality-guaranteed path setting unit to provide a quality-guaranteed path.

Abstract: There is provided an ATM controller which can support setting or alteration of protocol processing, and more greatly reduce the load (overhead) of software processing. The ATM controller performs the processing of an ATM layer and an AAL layer between a terminal and an ATM network, and comprises cell transmit control means for transferring a packet from a terminal side to an ATM network side while segmenting the packet into data cells, cell reception control means for reassembling data cells received from the ATM network side into a packet and transferring the packet to the terminal side, a rewritable memory for storing a firmware, and a microprocessor for performing a cell analysis and the processing corresponding to the analysis result.

Abstract: A network system having a plurality of interconnected networks each having a policy server. The policy server sets a quality-guaranteed path in the network according to a policy held in the policy server.

Abstract: Switches create and manage routes with route control protocols such as BGP-4, PNNI, etc. and a route management apparatus is notified of the information of the routes, created by these protocols, and the route management apparatus verifies the validity of a route of which the apparatus is notified by a switch based on the route information of the whole network composed of the plurality of pieces of information given by respective switches and the management policy set by a network manager. In the verification of validity, it is confirmed that the transmitted data are able to arrive at the destination securely and the set route is not against the management policy, and the route-usage-permission-notice of a route confirmed of its validity by the route management apparatus is transmitted to respective switches.

Abstract: Ag particles produced by chemical reduction and having a mean particle size of 5 &mgr;m are added by 0.05-3 wt % and Zn are added by 2-10 wt % to a Pb-less brush body containing graphite, Cu and a metal sulfide solid lubricant of a metal-graphite brush.

Abstract: In communication between communication terminals utilizing a network, a communication apparatus that receives and interprets service contents information described by a tag-type language or the like and performs processing in accordance with the interpretation thereof is disposed between the communication terminals. The communication apparatus can combine a plurality of processing operations in accordance with the described contents of the information to be implemented and can make various service designs. Further, the communication apparatus is characterized to acquire a program for updating a processing method definition connecting the service contents information and the processing operations by means of the Internet so that the processing method definition of the apparatuses distributed dispersedly can be modified promptly and the whole system can cope with modification of service contents promptly.

Abstract: A metal-graphite brush comprises a brush body which is made by mixing and molding metal powder and graphite powder. 2 mg to 30 mg as amounts of phosphate ion of at least one of phosphoric acid and a phosphate compound is added to 1 g of the brush body of the metal-graphite brush.

Abstract: Out of viewers of the same content, multi-user talking service is provided to only viewers who wish to enjoy the content in a large number of people. Only when an address of a terminal 4, 5 that has transmitted a request for participation in multi-user talking is registered in a viewer management DB (which manages viewers of contents), a content distribution/multi-user talking service center 1 registers the above-mentioned address into a participant management DB (which manages participants in multi-user talking) associating the address with identification information of a content that is registered in association with the address in question in the viewer management DB. Then, for each content, respective pieces of talking data received from addresses registered in association with identification information of said content in the participant management DB are synthesized to generate multi-user talking data, and generated multi-user talking data is transmitted to each of said addresses.

Abstract: An asynchronous transfer mode (ATM) controller includes a buffer memory, a transfer circuit which transfers packet data between the buffer memory and an internal memory of an associative terminal unit with a data block of predetermined length being a unit therefor, a cell transmit circuit section that subdivides or “slices” the predetermined length data block sent from the terminal memory to the buffer memory into data cells which are then sent forth to the ATM network, a cell receive control circuit operable to reconstruct or re-assemble those data cells received from the ATM network over a transfer path thereby forming in the buffer memory a predetermined length data block, and a transfer control circuit operable to permit or “instruct” the transfer circuit to transfer the predetermined length data block between the buffer memory and the terminal memory and also instruct both the cell transmit control circuit and the cell receive control circuit to transfer the data cells between the

Abstract: An ATM switching system provided with a plurality of call processing devices, a plurality of line interfaces for inputting and outputting an ATM cell, an ATM switch connected to the plurality of line interfaces for switching the ATM cell, and a switch control portion connected to the ATM switch, the plurality of line interfaces and a plurality of call processing devices. Requirement information related to call processing input from line interfaces is collected once in the switch control portion. The switch control portion determines to which of the plurality of call processing devices the requirement information is to be distributed based on the information related to the input-output line, a state of processing capability of the call processing device, etc. The related line interface is set directly from switch control portion through a bus based on the control information from determined one or a plurality of call processing devices.