Abstract: A conference supporting apparatus acquires structured data recorded with conference content in time series, and acquires information input during a conference. Keywords are extracted from the structured data and the input information. An abstract level of each of the keywords is specified in accordance with predetermined rules. Importance level of each of the keywords is calculated based on the input information. Finally, a heading for each of the abstract levels is specified from the keywords based on the importance levels.

Abstract: A keyword outputting apparatus includes a document receiving unit that receives documents in a specific time period. A keywords analyzing unit analyzes the documents for possible keywords. A keyword extracting unit calculates a score for each keyword and extracts the keywords in order of the score. A keyword-structure generating unit generates a keyword structure by classifying and stratifying each extracted keyword. A keyword outputting unit outputs the keywords in descending order of the score based on the keyword structure.

Abstract: A message exchange unit receives and distributes a message in a community in which a plurality of users participates. A message memory stores the message received by the message exchange unit. An extraction rule memory stores an extraction rule applicable for the message. The extraction rule includes an extraction pattern, an extraction target and a display format. An information extraction unit extracts information from the message stored in the message memory by referring to the extraction rule. An extraction result memory stores extraction result information by the information extraction unit. An extraction result editing unit edits the extraction result information stored in the extraction result memory. A message generation unit generates another message representing editing of the extraction result information.

Abstract: An information retrieval apparatus includes a display which displays document information, an input unit which adds additional information to the document information displayed the display, a first storage which stores mark symbol information specifying a particular symbol used for marking, a detector which detects an input from the input unit and decides whether or not the input additional information is identical to or similar to the mark symbol information stored in the first storage, a second storage which stores the mark symbol information and the additional information which is decided that it is similar to the mark symbol information by the detector, associating with the mark symbol information, and a retrieval unit which retrieves the mark symbol information and the additional information associated with the mark symbol information from the second storage, and a retrieval result by the retrieval unit is displayed on the display.

Abstract: External data acquired via an input device during display of presentation information on a display device is recorded, and feature amounts are calculated from the external data. An importance level is calculated by integrating the feature amounts for each section during the display period of the presentation information. First headline information of a part of the presentation information corresponding to a section having an importance level which exceeds a predetermined threshold is generated, and is presented to be aligned along the time axis. Previous display contents of the presentation information are searched for in response to a selection operation of the first headline information, and are displayed on the display device. Second headline information of a part of the presentation information corresponding to the section when the selection operation was made is generated, and is presented on the display device.

Abstract: A document operation unit operates on a plurality of documents in response to a user's operation request. A document relation data acquirement unit acquires relation data among the plurality of documents. The relation data includes an identifier of the user, a date of an operation, a kind of the operation, and a task as an operation purpose. A document relation data memory stores the relation data. An indication unit indicates a task in response to a user's indication request. A document evaluation unit retrieves the relation data including the indicated task from the document relation data memory, and assigns a value to each document based on the retrieved relation data. A document presentation unit presents at least one document having a larger value.

Abstract: Editing contents for the editing-object document selected from the plural documents that are inputted from the terminal devices connected to the network and that can be owned jointly via the network and corresponding message sentences for the editing contents are received, and a new renewed document is prepared by renewing the editing-object document on the basis of the editing contents, while extracting the renewed contents of the editing-object document by comparing the editing-object documents before and after the renewal with each other, storing at least the renewed contents as the history concerning the renewal of the editing-object document after preparing the contents correspondence with the message sentences, and displaying the renewed contents with the message sentences at a request by the user on the terminal device that sent the request.

Abstract: A relation information generating apparatus includes a detecting unit configured to detect an action done by a user when the user creates or selects a first information resource referring to at least one second information resource, and a relation information generating unit configured to generate first relation information and second relation information according to the detected action and to impart the first relation information and the second relation information to the first information resource and the second information resource to correlate with each other, the first relation information including a first descriptive text to explain a relation from the first information resource to the second information resource, and the second relation information including a second descriptive text to explain a relation from the second information resource to the first information resource.

Abstract: Editing contents for the editing-object document selected from the plural documents that are inputted from the terminal devices connected to the network and that can be owned jointly via the network and corresponding message sentences for the editing contents are received, and a new renewed document is prepared by renewing the editing-object document on the basis of the editing contents, while extracting the renewed contents of the editing-object document by comparing the editing-object documents before and after the renewal with each other, storing at least the renewed contents as the history concerning the renewal of the editing-object document after preparing the contents correspondence with the message sentences, and displaying the renewed contents with the message sentences at a request by the user on the terminal device that sent the request.

Abstract: To members of a user group, messages and documents registered in the user group are presented, while, to other users than the members of the user group, documents preset as available also to other users than the members of the user group are presented, and as a registration destination of the messages, a user group where the contents of the message, or the message and messages and documents that are most similar to the contents of the documents corresponded thereto is searched and presented at request from users.

Abstract: A message input unit inputs a message. A message memory stores the message. An information extraction rule memory stores a plurality of information extraction rules. An information extraction decision unit decides whether at least one of the plurality of information extraction rules is applicable to the message at a decision timing. An information extraction unit extracts information from the message using at least one information extraction rule when the at least one information extraction rule is applicable to the message.

Abstract: There is disclosed a method of extracting a user related to a field corresponding to an inquiry content based on shared documents of a plurality of users and profile information including at least specialized fields of the plurality of users. A degree of communication of the extracted respective users with the user who has made the inquiry is calculated based on a history of communication using a network. The user who can answer the inquiry is selected from the extracted users based on the degree of communication.

Abstract: To members of a user group, messages and documents registered in the user group are presented, while, to other users than the members of the user group, documents preset as available also to other users than the members of the user group are presented, and as a registration destination of the messages, a user group where the contents of the message, or the message and messages and documents that are most similar to the contents of the documents corresponded thereto is searched and presented at request from users.

Abstract: To members of a user group, messages and documents registered in the user group are presented, while, to other users than the members of the user group, documents preset as available also to other users than the members of the user group are presented, and as a registration destination of the messages, a user group where the contents of the message, or the message and messages and documents that are most similar to the contents of the documents corresponded thereto is searched and presented at request from users.

Abstract: A message receiving unit receives a message from a user. A message memory stores a plurality of messages each received by the message receiving unit. A set decision unit decides whether the received message is related to at least one message stored in the message memory. A set information memory stores a message set including the received message and the at least one message if the set decision unit decides that the received message is related to the at least one message. A set information edit unit edits a set relation among a plurality of message sets in response to the user's indication. The set information memory stores the set relation edited by the set information edit unit.

Abstract: A message exchange unit receives and distributes a message in a community in which a plurality of users participates. A message memory stores the message received by the message exchange unit. An extraction rule memory stores an extraction rule applicable for the message. The extraction rule includes an extraction pattern, an extraction target and a display format. An information extraction unit extracts information from the message stored in the message memory by referring to the extraction rule. An extraction result memory stores extraction result information by the information extraction unit. An extraction result editing unit edits the extraction result information stored in the extraction result memory. A message generation unit generates another message representing editing of the extraction result information.

Abstract: A teaching material memory stores teaching material consisting of multimedia data. A teaching material presentation unit presents the teaching material. An operation unit inputs operation information from a learner for the teaching material presented. A condition information input unit acquires condition information representing the learner's condition. A learning condition decision unit decides a learning condition of the learner based on the condition information, presentation situation of the teaching material, and the operation information. A learning condition memory correspondingly stores the learning condition and the presentation situation of the teaching material as time series information. A presentation method decision unit determines a presentation method of the teaching material and the time series information based on the learning condition. A learning condition presentation unit presents the time series information to the learner based on the presentation method.

Abstract: There is disclosed a method of extracting a user related to a field corresponding to an inquiry content based on shared documents of a plurality of users and profile information including at least specialized fields of the plurality of users. A degree of communication of the extracted respective users with the user who has made the inquiry is calculated based on a history of communication using a network. The user who can answer the inquiry is selected from the extracted users based on the degree of communication.

Abstract: To members of a user group, messages and documents registered in the user group are presented, while, to other users than the members of the user group, documents preset as available also to other users than the members of the user group are presented, and as a registration destination of the messages, a user group where the contents of the message, or the message and messages and documents that are most similar to the contents of the documents corresponded thereto is searched and presented at request from users.

Abstract: Editing contents for the editing-object document selected from the plural documents that are inputted from the terminal devices connected to the network and that can be owned jointly via the network and corresponding message sentences for the editing contents are received, and a new renewed document is prepared by renewing the editing-object document on the basis of the editing contents, while extracting the renewed contents of the editing-object document by comparing the editing-object documents before and after the renewal with each other, storing at least the renewed contents as the history concerning the renewal of the editing-object document after preparing the contents correspondence with the message sentences, and displaying the renewed contents with the message sentences at a request by the user on the terminal device that sent the request.