Abstract: An image file transmitted from a cellular telephone and a user ID indicative of the owner of the image file are associated with each other. To accomplish this, a database server is accessed by the cellular telephone and a connection is established to a Web page for registering image data, whereupon a unique ID is generated by the database server. An HTML file in which the generated unique ID is included as a mail address is generated and transmitted to the cellular telephone. E-mail to which image data has been attached is transmitted to a mail server at a destination specified by the mail address. The mail server detects the unique ID from the mail address. The user ID is found from the unique ID, and the user ID and image data are transmitted in associated form from the mail server to the database server. Image data in association with the user ID can be stored in a database by the database server.

Abstract: A background image wherein areas in which still images are to be rendered have been defined is prepared. Product images are obtained by multiplying mask images and positioned still images together. The background image and the product images are added to obtain a sum image that constitutes one frame of a slideshow. A plurality of still-image portions obtained from a plurality of still images in one frame are contained in the sum image. An advanced slideshow is thus obtained.

Abstract: An advanced slideshow is provided. To achieve this, a slideshow display period is divided into a plurality of units and a number of still images to be displayed is decided for every unit. One cell is selected from among a plurality of cells in accordance with the number of still images decided for each unit. A cell specifies positions at which still images displayed in the slideshow are to be rendered, and a moving image displayed as the background of the still images. In accordance with the cells selected, still images of a number of frames that differs for every unit are displayed in the slideshow.

Abstract: A contents distribution apparatus for distributing distribution data, which is converted by a method according to the difference of addressee terminal, is provided. A distribution apparatus 90 for distributing digital contents to an addressee terminal, which includes a contents storage unit 20 for storing digital contents, a data receiving unit 70 for receiving the type of an addressee terminal from a different requester than an addressee which requests to distribute digital contents, a converting unit 40 for converting digital contents into distribution data based on the type, and a distribution unit for connecting to an addressee terminal in a condition that the converting unit 40 has completed converting to distribution data and for distributing the distribution data to an addressee terminal.

Abstract: A database system is provided with a search unit for searching image attribute information that has been stored in a relational database management system. A search interface is provided between the search unit and a command execution unit, which applies a search command to the search unit. The command execution unit and search unit can be connected in detachable fashion. Thus a search unit that has been connected to the command execution unit can be replaced by detaching it and connecting a search unit that employs another search technique.

Abstract: A number of thumbnail images are displayed in the form of a thumbnail image array and a thumbnail image in which a desired face appears is selected from among these thumbnail images. Portions of the selected thumbnail image that are faces are detected in this thumbnail image, and the detected face image portions are enclosed within displayed borders. Any face image portion is selected from among the face image portions of the displayed subject image. Subject images having a face identical with the face of the selected face image portion are searched and found, and thumbnail images of these found subject images are displayed in the form of an image array. Subject images containing the image of a desired face can thus be found.

Abstract: A disk inscribed with the identification code of a store is distributed to a user. The disk is inserted into the client computer of the user and software, which is for ordering merchandise or the like, stored on the disk is installed in the computer. The identification code is input to the client computer and is transmitted from the client computer to a server computer. The IP address of the store is retrieved by the server computer from a database based upon the identification code, and the IP address retrieved is transmitted to the client computer. When the user enters the content of an order to the client computer, the entered content of the order is transmitted to a store computer located at the store having the IP address that was transmitted from the server computer. Thus the user is capable of ordering merchandise from this store.

Abstract: A private network terminal device issues, to a repeating installation, a relay request for relaying a connection request. A global network terminal device connects with the repeating installation, to transmit the connection request. The repeating installation relays the connection request and relays communication between the terminal devices in an as-is manner. Here, the private network terminal device separately commences new connection with the global network terminal device through direct connection and transmits a replacement request for replacing the connection by way of the repeating installation with this direct connection. The global network terminal device transmits a disconnection request to the repeating installation. The private network terminal device disconnects communication with the repeating installation.

Abstract: When a specific group of computers is created on a network, a first computer applies a group creation command to a center server. The latter generates an identification code corresponding to a new group and transmits the code to the first computer as a file. The first computer transmits the identification code file as by E-mail to other computers (second computers) that create a specific group. Any of these second computers that has received the identification code file is registered with the center server. A computer having a specific identification code becomes a member of the specific group. A computer issues a request for images to computers within the specific group. A computer that has received the request for images transmits the image files to the computer that issued the request. This makes it possible to share content such as imaged within the specific group.

Abstract: Moving-image data is streamed to a large number of client computers even though line band of a streaming server is kept narrow. To achieve this, the address of a relay server closer to a client computer than is the streaming server is transmitted when the client computer issues the streaming server a connection request for moving-image data. The client computer then sends this relay server a request to transmit the moving-image data. When this occurs, the address of another relay server even closer to the client computer than is the first-mentioned relay server is transmitted to the client computer. Since this other relay server is closest to the client computer, moving-image data is streamed from this relay server to the client computer.

Abstract: A search that is efficient and lightens the load on servers is conducted. An original program list containing IP addresses of a number of servers is stored in a center server. The center server supplies the original server list to a client computer, which proceeds to divide the list into a plurality of divided server lists. The divided server lists, together with a search command, are applied to respective ones of master servers. The master servers further divide the divided server lists into subdivided server lists, and each master server transmits the subdivided server lists, together with the search command, to respective ones of slave servers. These operations of dividing the server list and transmitting the divided server lists to subsequent servers are repeated. A search is conducted by the master and slave servers in accordance with the search command, data representing the search results are sent back to a transmit-source server and this server supplies the data to the client computer.

Abstract: Ten representative images are extracted from an image database storing images of a number of frames. The extracted representative images are displayed in a coordinate area, along the coordinate axes of which the image characteristics of the images are plotted, in a form in which the images are distributed in accordance with the image characteristics possessed by the extracted representative images. An image having characteristics resembling those of a required image is designated from among the representative images displayed. Images of ten frames having characteristics resembling those of the designated image are again displayed in distributed form in a coordinate area having image characteristics plotted along the coordinate axes thereof. The coordinate axes of the coordinate area displayed the second time are made more detailed than those of the coordinate area displayed the first time.

Abstract: An image file transmitted from a cellular telephone and a user ID indicative of the owner of the image file are associated with each other. To accomplish this, a database server is accessed by the cellular telephone and a connection is established to a Web page for registering image data, whereupon a unique ID is generated by the database server. An HTML file in which the generated unique ID is included as a mail address is generated and transmitted to the cellular telephone. E-mail to which image data has been attached is transmitted to a mail server at a destination specified by the mail address. The mail server detects the unique ID from the mail address. The user ID is found from the unique ID, and the user ID and image data are transmitted in associated form from the mail server to the database server. Image data in association with the user ID can be stored in a database by the database server.

Abstract: A database system is provided with a search unit for searching image attribute information that has been stored in a relational database management system. A search interface is provided between the search unit and a command execution unit, which applies a search command to the search unit. The command execution unit and search unit can be connected in detachable fashion. Thus a search unit that has been connected to the command execution unit can be replaced by detaching it and connecting a search unit that employs another search technique.

Abstract: Data items of an XML document are stored in a database. Document “b” of document type “B” that is in accordance with the format of the XML document is received by a receiving circuit. Using type-conversion document “BA”, a document-type conversion circuit converts received document “b” to document “a” of document type “A”. Document “a” corresponds to a record of the database. Data items in document “a” can be stored in the database.

Abstract: A contents distribution apparatus for distributing distribution data, which is converted by a method according to the difference of addressee terminal, is provided. A distribution apparatus 90 for distributing digital contents to an addressee terminal, which includes a contents storage unit 20 for storing digital contents, a data receiving unit 70 for receiving the type of an addressee terminal from a different requester than an addressee which requests to distribute digital contents, a converting unit 40 for converting digital contents into distribution data based on the type, and a distribution unit for connecting to an addressee terminal in a condition that the converting unit 40 has completed converting to distribution data and for distributing the distribution data to an addressee terminal.