Abstract: A noun and a verb is mapped as the information about an article to which an article identifier such as a radio tag, etc. is attached and a user activity, thereby estimating a user activity from the article to which the article identifier is attached and providing a user with appropriate information. An article identifier for identification of an article is associated with article information and stored (step S202), and the relationship between a noun relating to the article information and a verb relating to the article are associated with a conditional probability and held in the probability information holding unit (step S207). Upon detection of the article identifier, the probability of the verb to the noun is calculated based on the contents held in the probability information holding unit, thereby estimating a user activity (step S212). Thus, based on the detection result of the article identifier attached to the article, the activity of the user on the article can be estimated.

Abstract: A wireless tag determination system includes a detection information storage configured to store information detected from a wireless tag by a tag reader, as detection information. A determination requesting unit is configured to request a determination for reliability of existence of the wireless tag within a detection range of the tag reader. A reliability determination unit is configured to determine the reliability by use of the detection information, in response to the request.

Abstract: To overcome problems there is to be provided useful information to a user, by counting the number of detected RF tags. As a means for solving the problems an information-providing server 20 according to the present invention acquires IDs of RF tag readers disposed near by the Ferris wheel, when there has been presented to the information providing server 20, as a notifying condition, the condition that a user desires to receive an e-mail on the occasion of the number of persons waiting in line for a Ferris wheel having become seven or less. Then after having acquired the number of plural IDs of the RF tags detected by the RF tag readers having the acquired IDs, the information-providing server 20 acquires attribute information of the RF tags. The information providing server 20 counts the number of IDs of RF tags whose attribute is a person, referring to the attribute information.

Abstract: To group ID tags distributed in a larger area than the coverage of a tag reader, a parameter which represents a measure of the strength of relationship among a plurality of ID tags is stored in a parameter storage database. Values of the parameter are increased and decreased according to the number of pieces of ID information detected simultaneously in the ID tags by a mobile tag reader. A plurality of ID tags are judged as belonging to the same group according to values of the parameter stored in the parameter storage database, thereby making it possible to group ID tags distributed in a larger area than the coverage of a tag reader.

Abstract: The present invention enables character conversion at a low cost for a contents provider and with a high convenience for a user. In a character input assist system, text data assigned with an identifier and indicating the class of text entry field are sent from a Web server, and the identifier is acquired as class information from the text data received by a class acquisition unit of a character input assist device. In a reference unit, dictionary information corresponding to the class information acquired by the class acquisition unit is acquired with reference to a storage unit. Text data with dictionary information embedded therein are output from an output unit to a user terminal. In the user terminal, when text data are acquired and displayed using a browser, and character input is performed, the search is conducted by a dictionary search unit using a dictionary specified by the dictionary information, and conversion candidates are displayed on a display unit.

Abstract: A management system includes a manager determining unit determining a manager who manages an article, a user determining unit determining a user related to the article based upon detection of a wireless tag by a wireless tag reader, and an attribute information holding unit holding a wireless tag identifier, the manager, and the user while associating them with each other. The wireless tag identifier uniquely identifies a wireless tag.

Abstract: A wireless tag determination system includes a detection information storage configured to store information detected from a wireless tag by a tag reader, as detection information. A determination requesting unit is configured to request a determination for reliability of existence of the wireless tag within a detection range of the tag reader. A reliability determination unit is configured to determine the reliability by use of the detection information, in response to the request.

Abstract: When a tag selector 30 receives a plurality of RFID tag IDs detected by an RFID tag reader 10, by a tag ID receiving part 31, it acquires nonspecificities corresponding to these RFID tag IDs from an attribute information DB 41. The tag selector 30 selects an RFID tag ID with a nonspecificity smaller than a predetermined selected tag threshold by a tag ID selecting part 33 and notifies a service determining device 50 of it. A nonspecificity is an index indicating a diversity of use of an article to which a corresponding RFID tag is attached. Therefore, the service determining device 50 determines a service to be provided for the user, based on the RFID tag ID with the low nonspecificity value, whereby it becomes feasible to promptly provide the service very likely desired by the user.

Abstract: In a tag reader/writer 10 according to the present invention, first, a temporary ID receiver 11 receives a temporary ID unit of temporary IDs of RFID tags 41–44, and 47 detected by another tag reader/writer 20, and stores them into a temporary ID storage DB 12. When the tag reader/writer 10 detects RFID tags 41, 43, 45, 46, and 48 within a communication area of its own, a temporary ID acquirer 13 thereof acquires temporary IDs of those RFID tags and stores them into the temporary ID storage DB 12. Thereafter, the tag reader/writer 10 makes a temporary ID comparator 14 compare temporary ID units stored, to specify a temporary ID corresponding to a difference between them, based on the result of the comparison. When the temporary ID is a decrease, it is determined to be a lost article, and a message of the lost article is sent. When the temporary ID is an increase, it is determined to be a newly purchased article, and related advertisement information is provided.

Abstract: A noun and a verb is mapped as the information about an article to which an article identifier such as a radio tag, etc. is attached and a user activity, thereby estimating a user activity from the article to which the article identifier is attached and providing a user with appropriate information. An article identifier for identification of an article is associated with article information and stored (step S202), and the relationship between a noun relating to the article information and a verb relating to the article are associated with a conditional probability and held in the probability information holding unit (step S207). Upon detection of the article identifier, the probability of the verb to the noun is calculated based on the contents held in the probability information holding unit, thereby estimating a user activity (step S212). Thus, based on the detection result of the article identifier attached to the article, the activity of the user on the article can be estimated.

Abstract: When an information providing server 20 according to the present invention acquires attribute information items of RFID tags 51 to 59 detected in a shopping cart and in the vicinity thereof, it transmits these attribute information items to a rule server 30. When the received attribute information items satisfy a predetermined combination, the rule server 30 returns presentation information corresponding to the combination to the information providing server 20. When the information providing server 20 receives this presentation information, it sends the presentation information to a mail address of mobile equipment 70 acquired from the attribute information items. This permits the user to readily figure out a dish that can be made from cooking ingredients put in the cart.

Abstract: A management system includes a manager determining unit determining a manager who manages an article, a user determining unit determining a user related to the article based upon detection of a wireless tag by a wireless tag reader, and an attribute information holding unit holding a wireless tag identifier, the manager, and the user while associating them with each other. The wireless tag identifier uniquely identifies a wireless tag.

Abstract: As an embodiment of the present invention, a place management system reads attributes of commodities from RFID-tags attached to the respective commodities located in a spatial area of a predetermined place, and determines an attribute of the place from the attributes read. The place management system is also able to store attribute inference rule information for determining the attribute of the place from the attribute information of commodities and to determine the attribute of the place on the basis of the attribute inference rule information from the attributes of the commodities recognized. Furthermore, the place management system has a place movement determiner for determining a movement of a place, and the place movement determiner is able to appropriately determine the movement when the place moves.

Abstract: When a tag selector 30 receives a plurality of RFID tag IDs detected by an RFID tag reader 10, by a tag ID receiving part 31, it acquires nonspecificities corresponding to these RFID tag IDs from an attribute information DB 41. The tag selector 30 selects an RFID tag ID with a nonspecificity smaller than a predetermined selected tag threshold by a tag ID selecting part 33 and notifies a service determining device 50 of it. A nonspecificity is an index indicating a diversity of use of an article to which a corresponding RFID tag is attached. Therefore, the service determining device 50 determines a service to be provided for the user, based on the RFID tag ID with the low nonspecificity value, whereby it becomes feasible to promptly provide the service very likely desired by the user.

Abstract: To overcome problems there is to be provided useful information to a user, by counting the number of detected RF tags. As a means for solving the problems an information-providing server 20 according to the present invention acquires IDs of RF tag readers disposed near by the Ferris wheel, when there has been presented to the information providing server 20, as a notifying condition, the condition that a user desires to receive an e-mail on the occasion of the number of persons waiting in line for a Ferris wheel having become seven or less. Then after having acquired the number of plural IDs of the RF tags detected by the RF tag readers having the acquired IDs, the information-providing server 20 acquires attribute information of the RF tags. The information providing server 20 counts the number of IDs of RF tags whose attribute is a person, referring to the attribute information.

Abstract: In a tag reader/writer 10 according to the present invention, first, a temporary ID receiver 11 receives a temporary ID unit of temporary IDs of RFID tags 41-44, and 47 detected by another tag reader/writer 20, and stores them into a temporary ID storage DB 12. When the tag reader/writer 10 detects RFID tags 41, 43, 45, 46, and 48 within a communication area of its own, a temporary ID acquirer 13 thereof acquires temporary IDs of those RFID tags and stores them into the temporary ID storage DB 12. Thereafter, the tag reader/writer 10 makes a temporary ID comparator 14 compare temporary ID units stored, to specify a temporary ID corresponding to a difference between them, based on the result of the comparison. When the temporary ID is a decrease, it is determined to be a lost article, and a message of the lost article is sent. When the temporary ID is an increase, it is determined to be a newly purchased article, and related advertisement information is provided.

Abstract: When an information providing server 20 according to the present invention acquires attribute information items of RFID tags 51 to 59 detected in a shopping cart and in the vicinity thereof, it transmits these attribute information items to a rule server 30. When the received attribute information items satisfy a predetermined combination, the rule server 30 returns presentation information corresponding to the combination to the information providing server 20. When the information providing server 20 receives this presentation information, it sends the presentation information to a mail address of mobile equipment 70 acquired from the attribute information items. This permits the user to readily figure out a dish that can be made from cooking ingredients put in the cart.

Abstract: A program control apparatus 10 is provided with an ID class determiner 12 for determining whether a tag ID read by a tag reader 100 is a service ID to specify a service, or an attribute ID to specify an attribute of an article; and a program controller 14 so configured that when the ID class determiner 12 determines that the tag ID read by the tag reader 100 is a service ID, the program controller 14 runs a program associated with the service ID and that when the ID class determiner 12 determines that the tag ID read by the tag reader 100 is an attribute ID, the program controller 14 notifies a running program of attribute information associated with the attribute ID, to change the behavior of the running program according to the attribute information.

Abstract: To group ID tags distributed in a larger area than the coverage of a tag reader.