Abstract: A communication device and method is disclosed for indicating a connection to a network and transmitting a living notification having a term of validity to the network when the device is connected with the network. The disclosed device includes an obtaining unit obtaining a first information representing a device status of the communication device, a determining unit determining a term of validity based on the first information obtained, and a first transmission unit transmitting a living notification having the term of validity determined to the network.

Abstract: An information mediating apparatus has: a mediating condition file in which mediating condition list data describing specific mediating conditions has been stored; and a personal information file in which personal information peculiar to a person, a group, or the like has been stored. A mediation service processing unit reads out the mediating condition list data designated in response to a mediating request from the user from the mediating condition file, notifies a backend server in a service providing server group, collects and selects service information matched with the mediating condition list data, and displays it to the user. The mediating service processing unit is constructed by: a user interface processing unit having an HTML forming function; and a logic processing unit described as an information mediating program.

Abstract: In a communication system environment, access points which transmit/receive information by wireless communication, a mobile terminal which moves in a utilization environment and transmits/receives information by wireless communication, and a wireless tag of a weak radio wave which transmits/receives information by wireless communication of weak transmission power smaller than the transmission power of the access points and the mobile terminal are disposed. The mobile terminal transmits a special CTS frame including a MAC address, which cannot exist in the utilization environment, and transmission planned time upon communication with the wireless tag. The access points which have received the special CTS frame prohibit transmission operation for the transmission planned time in the frame, and, during that period, the wireless tag transmits position information or the like to the mobile terminal without being interrupted.

Abstract: According to an aspect of an embodiment, a communication system comprising: a plurality of service providing devices for providing first service information for identifying service by a first communication protocol; a gateway apparatus for converting from said first service information to second service information, and for sending second service information to said service using devices; and a plurality of service using devices for storing said second service information received from said gateway apparatus and sending a request for executing service in said service providing device to said gateway apparatus in accordance with an user input.

Abstract: A collective retrieval function of a DMC (or DMP) device requests a DMS device having a “sufficient search capability” to conduct retrieval using a retrieval function provided in the DMS device, whereas the DMC (or DMP) conducts retrieval from a DMS device not having the “sufficient search capability” by using “retrieval-by-index” in place of retrieval performed by the DMS device. Thus, because requests for retrieval and retrieval-by-index are actively switched according to whether the DMS device to be subjected to the collective retrieval has the “sufficient search capability”, it is possible to conduct collective retrieval irrespective of whether the DMS device has the “sufficient retrieval capability”.

Abstract: A computer-readable recording medium which records a remote control program for allowing data on a network protected by a gateway device to be transferred to an external device by external remote-control operations; a portable terminal device; and a gateway device. The terminal device transmits to the gateway device an access ticket issue request. The gateway device generates key information and transmits to the terminal device an access ticket including the key information. The terminal device transfers to a data acquisition device a data acquisition instruction including the acquired access ticket. The acquisition device transmits to the gateway device a data request including the key information. When the key information added to the access ticket and the key information included in the data request are the same, the gateway device transfers the data request to a data server device. The server device transfers the data to the acquisition device.

Abstract: A data transfer system including mobile terminals and gateways for transferring data from a secure network to an external network under remote control using the mobile terminals. A first gateway produces and sends a first key to a second gateway through first and second mobile terminals. The second gateway produces and sends a second key to the first gateway through the first and second mobile terminals. Then the first mobile terminal issues a data download command, which is forwarded from the second mobile terminal to the second gateway. In response to this data download command, the second gateway sends a file request including the first and second keys to the first gateway over a broadband channel.

Abstract: A service providing method for allowing a user to select services matching his/her tastes with less personal data. When a service request arrives, a service category presenter extracts and transmits a plurality of service category information from a service category storage unit to a terminal device. When the identification information of selected service category information arrives from the terminal device via a network, a service specifying unit specifies the services associated with the selected service category information by referring to the metadata storage unit. A service providing unit extracts and transmits service data on the specified services from a service data storage unit to the terminal device.

Abstract: When a service apparatus receives a service request from a client apparatus, the service apparatus determines an access propriety based on whether the client apparatus is already registered in a list. If the client apparatus is not registered, the service apparatus acquires meta-information of the client apparatus in question and also other apparatuses. The service apparatus then determines an approving apparatus among the apparatuses based on the acquired meta-information. The approving apparatus is made to display the meta-information of the client apparatus in question and requests an approver to judge propriety of service provision.

Abstract: A first device, a second device, and a plurality of third devices are connected to one network. The second device holds attribute information of all the third devices. The first device sends a discovery request of a UPnP protocol. The discovery request includes a service type corresponding to the device-information providing service realized by the second device. When the second device receives the discovery request, it responds by sending back information indicative of the device-information providing service. When the first device receives the response from the second device, it understands the presence of the second device in the network, and sends an information demanding request for demanding attribute information of the third devices. In response, the second device sends the attribute information of the third devices to the first device.

Abstract: A policy that relates attributes of an agent to a role is distributed to each agent on a network. A field connector generates an internal field in accordance with an instruction of a security manager. A ROLE manager uses attribute information from an attribute manager, and assigns each agent a ROLE in accordance with the attributes of each agent, and installs a ROLE method table and a ROLE execution part. When receiving a message from an external network, each agent searches for a corresponding ROLE by referring to the ROLE method table, and executes the ROLE. Thus, collaboration among agents is realized through a virtual communication channel by means of the exchange of a message.

Abstract: The present invention provides a signal for carrying an interface control program for making a first information processing apparatus let a specific program carry out a processing in response to an operation request from a second information processing apparatus and carry out a processing of transmitting the processed information to the second information processing apparatus when the first information processing apparatus is executing the aforementioned specific program, wherein the interface control program makes the first information processing apparatus carry out the first process for obtaining information about an operation screen of the specific program being executed by the first information processing apparatus and recognizing display elements contained by the information; and the second process for generating screen information on the first information processing apparatus by either the display elements or a combination thereof in response to the operation request from the second information processi

Abstract: The present invention is made to provide an information processing device linkage system capable of assigning different roles to respective terminals in accordance with their characteristics and customizing screen and input in accordance with the characteristics. The information processing device linkage system comprises a plurality of terminals 20, 30 and a shared environmental server 10 that utilizes the plurality terminals simultaneously to perform role sharing. The server 10 comprises: a role table storage section 10c that stores, as a role table, information including role name, role selection condition, and role execution content that correspond to a role set; a role assigning section 10a that assigns roles to the terminals in accordance with their characteristics; and an output selection section 10e that performs output restriction for respective terminals in accordance with their roles.

Abstract: A personal information management apparatus electronically manages users' personal information, and includes a personal information database selection unit and a processing unit. The personal information database selection unit selects a personal information database based on predetermined rules from a personal information storage unit including a plurality of personal information databases respectively storing personal information about different situations of a user. The processing unit processes the personal information database selected by the personal information database selection unit such that the personal information can be read and written. Thus, personal information about different situations can be easily and collectively managed.

Abstract: There is disclosed an information providing system having a mediator adapted for receiving renewal information for an index from information servers or information sources to select the received renewal information in accordance with index selection condition. The mediator sends the selected renewal information to a retrieval engine.

Abstract: There is provided a facilitator having a flexible distributed configuration using cells with enhanced security. The facilitator includes a query cell 20 for receiving a query from a user 60, a transfer cell 30 for transferring data to a predetermined cell, an answer cell 40 for organizing answers to the query from the user 60, and a dual cell 10 having two functions (function of the query cell and the function of the answer cell), wherein respective kinds of cells are organized based on a group 70, and the dual cell 10 is disposed on the border between the groups 70. All the data communicated between the groups 70 passes through the dual cell 10. The user 60 can see the answer cell portion of the dual cell 10, and the server 50 can see the query cell portion of the dual cell 10. Respective elements belonging to different groups are concealed from each other. The arrangement of each cell can be altered only by changing the setting of the dual cell 10.

Abstract: There is disclosed a selection intermediary apparatus which reduces the cost of an intermediary system. The apparatus is provided with a request/response processor 235 which selects and outputs a message based on path information 233a, and path information preparing/propagating section 232 which generates a condition more moderate than a selection condition based on the path information 233a as the selection condition and propagates the generated condition to a client-side agent.

Abstract: A policy that relates attributes of an agent to a role is distributed to each agent on a network. A field connector generates an internal field in accordance with an instruction of a security manager. A ROLE manager uses attribute information from an attribute manager, and assigns each agent a ROLE in accordance with the attributes of each agent, and installs a ROLE method table and a ROLE execution part. When receiving a message from an external network, each agent searches for a corresponding ROLE by referring to the ROLE method table, and executes the ROLE. Thus, collaboration among agents is realized through a virtual communication channel by means of the exchange of a message.

Abstract: A personal information management apparatus electronically manages users' personal information, and includes a personal information database selection unit and a processing unit. The personal information database selection unit selects a personal information database based on predetermined rules from a personal information storage unit including a plurality of personal information databases respectively storing personal information about different situations of a user. The processing unit processes the personal information database selected by the personal information database selection unit such that the personal information can be read and written. Thus, personal information about different situations can be easily and collectively managed.

Abstract: A policy that relates attributes of an agent to a role is distributed to each agent on a network. A field connector generates an internal field in accordance with an instruction of a security manager. A ROLE manager uses attribute information from an attribute manager, and assigns each agent a ROLE in accordance with the attributes of each agent, and installs a ROLE method table and a ROLE execution part. When receiving a message from an external network, each agent searches for a corresponding ROLE by referring to the ROLE method table, and executes the ROLE. Thus, collaboration among agents is realized through a virtual communication channel by means of the exchange of a message.