Abstract: A customer-use terminal unit 20 managed by a customer transmits exchange instructing information, which instructs an exchange of valuable points obtained by the customer for communication points used for receiving on-line services, to a central unit 10 that manages the communication points (S202). The central unit 10 transmits valuable point request information according to the received exchange instructing information to a cooperate-use terminal unit 30 that manages the valuable points (S204). The cooperate-use terminal unit 30 transmits valuable points corresponding to the received valuable point request information to the central unit 10 (S206). The central unit 10 exchanges the received valuable points for communication points according to a predetermined exchange rate (S209).

Abstract: A bearing device for a rotary shaft is comprised of a porous sliding bearing and a felt ring fit around the sliding bearing. The sliding bearing and the felt ring are filled with lubricant oil. The felt ring is made of needle-punching polypropylene fibers of 0.4-20 micrometers in diameter. The felt ring is manufactured by shaping the polypropylene fibers into a felt sheet, heat-treating the felt sheet to eliminate fuzz from the sheet surfaces, and punching the felt sheet in a ring shape. The sliding bearing has a plurality of grooves on its outer peripheral surface with which the felt ring contacts. Each groove is formed to extend in a horizontal direction to restrict the lubricant oil from flowing downward.