Abstract: In order to allow an advertisement company to register advertisement information using the Internet and conduct publicity activities aimed at specified target users, profile data of a plurality of users is managed using a database, selection conditions for selecting specific users to whom advertisement information should be distributed are received, specific users to whom the advertisement information should be distributed are selected based on the received selection conditions and the managed profile data, and the advertisement information is distributed to the selected specific users utilizing a digital broadcasting system.

Abstract: A providing apparatus provides information required for secure communication to first and second devices. The providing apparatus includes a receiving unit that receives a first parameter used by the first device for the secure communication and a second parameter used by the second device for the secure communication from a connection apparatus via which the first device is connected to the second device, a generating unit that generates the information required for the secure communication based on the parameters received from the connection apparatus, and a transmitting unit that transmits the information required for the secure communication, generated by the generating unit, to the first and second devices.

Abstract: A providing apparatus that provides information required for a secure communication to first and second devices includes a receiving unit for receiving candidates for parameters used for the secure communication from the first and second devices; a generating unit for generating the information required for the secure communication based on the candidates for the parameters received from the first and second devices; and a transmitting unit for transmitting the information required for the secure communication, generated by the generating unit, to the first and second devices.

Abstract: In a photoelectric conversion device having a plurality of pixel cells each of which includes a photoelectric conversion element, a field effect transistor having the gate area for storing signal charge generated by the photoelectric conversion element and the source-drain path for outputting a signal corresponding to the signal charge stored in the gate, a first power supply line for supplying electric power to the field effect transistor, and a first switch connected between the field effect transistor and the first power supply line, when a reset voltage for resetting the gate of the field effect transistor is Vsig0, a threshold voltage of the field effect transistor is Vth, current flowing through the field effect transistor is Ia, a voltage applied via the first power supply line is Vc1, and a series resistance of the first switch is Ron, each pixel cell is configured to satisfy a condition determined by Vc1?Ron×Ia>Vsig0?Vth.

Abstract: An image signal processing method and system, which can greatly reduce the data size upon transmitting an image signal or storing the signal in a storage medium, and can obtain a high-quality image by preventing image quality after color processing from deteriorating. According to the method for processing an image signal output from an image sensing element, a compression step of compressing the image signal and an expansion step of expanding the compressed image signal are executed without executing color processing for executing at least white balance correction or correction, and the color processing is executed after completion of the compression and expansion steps, thereby preventing occurrence of block noise and high-frequency noise associated with compressing/expanding image data after the color processing of the image signal.

Abstract: This invention is to provide a solid-state image pickup apparatus including a photoelectric conversion unit (PD), transfer switch (MTX) for transferring signal charges from the photoelectric conversion unit, capacitance for holding the transferred signal charges, and amplification transistor (MSF) for outputting a signal corresponding to the signal charges held by the capacitance. The amplification transistor includes a capacitance unit (CFD) having the first capacitance value and an additive capacitance unit (Cox) for adding a capacitance to the capacitance unit to increase the first capacitance value and obtain the second capacitance value. A signal read-out from the amplification transistor has a first read-out mode in which a signal is read out while keeping the signal charges held by the capacitance unit and additive capacitance unit, and a second read-out mode in which a signal is read out while keeping the signal charges held by the capacitance unit.

Abstract: A transmission apparatus connected to a first network obtains information on a device connected to a third network, to which a destination of communication with a communication device connected to a second network is connected, and transmits the obtained information to a device connected to the second network via the first network.

Abstract: This invention is to provide a solid-state image pickup apparatus including a photoelectric conversion unit (PD), transfer switch (MTX) for transferring signal charges from the photoelectric conversion unit, capacitance for holding the transferred signal charges, and amplification transistor (MSF) for outputting a signal corresponding to the signal charges held by the capacitance. The amplification transistor includes a capacitance unit (CFD) having the first capacitance value and an additive capacitance unit (Cox) for adding a capacitance to the capacitance unit to increase the first capacitance value and obtain the second capacitance value. A signal read-out from the amplification transistor has a first read-out mode in which a signal is read out while keeping the signal charges held by the capacitance unit and additive capacitance unit, and a second read-out mode in which a signal is read out while keeping the signal charges held by the capacitance unit.

Abstract: In order to select an image pickup mode corresponding to purposes, there is provided a photoelectric conversion device comprising a plurality of photoelectric conversion pixels; and a control circuit for controlling a first mode for reading out first and second signals from each of the photoelectric conversion pixels, and a second mode for reading out the first signal from each of the photoelectric conversion pixels, wherein the first signal includes a noise signal produced upon resetting each of the photoelectric conversion pixels, and an optical signal produced by accumulating a photocharge, and the second signal includes a noise signal produced upon resetting each of the photoelectric conversion pixels.

Abstract: This invention is to provide a solid-state image pickup element including a sensor unit including a plurality of lines of photoelectric conversion units for generating charges from received light by photoelectric conversion, a memory unit including a plurality of lines of storage units for storing signals from the plurality of lines of photoelectric conversion units, a transfer unit for transferring a signal from the sensor unit to the memory unit, a control unit for causing storage units of an arbitrary block in the memory unit to output an image signal from the photoelectric conversion units and causing the photoelectric conversion units corresponding to the storage units of the arbitrary block to output a noise signal, and a subtracting unit for calculating a difference between the image signal and the noise signal.

Abstract: A transmitter sends a first signal for designating a port number to a connection controller. The connection controller receives the first signal, and sends a second signal to a receiver, the second signal designating a port of the receiver for accepting a connection request from the transmitter. Also, the transmitter may send a third signal including the port number designated by the first signal to the receiver. The receiver receives the second and third signals and selects the port for accepting a connection request by the third signal in accordance with data included in the second signal.

Abstract: A receiver receives first and second signals (first and second receiver signals) and permits connection with a connection request source (transmitter) on the basis of a port number included in the second signal (second receiver signal) when the first signal (first receiver signal) satisfies a predetermined condition. The port for accepting the connection request may be variable. The second signal (second receiver signal) may include data designating a program. A connection controller may receive a first signal (first controller signal) from the receiver and send a second signal (second controller signal) to a transmitter, the second signal (second controller signal) designating the port of the receiver for accepting the connection request from the transmitter.

Abstract: A solid state image pickup device has a drive unit with an all pixel drive mode for reading all pixels in a horizontal direction and a pixel skip drive mode for reading pixels in the horizontal direction by skipping some pixels, and a plurality of read-out systems for reading pixels. In the all pixel drive mode, signals of pixels are divisionally read by the plurality of read-out systems, and in the pixel skip drive mode, signals of pixels are read by one of the plurality of read-out systems. In this manner, in the pixel skip drive mode, the power consumption can be reduced and a difference between output signal levels to be caused by a variation in characteristics of elements of the read-out system can be suppressed.

Abstract: To provide an image pickup apparatus that generates an image signal having a high resolution both horizontally and vertically, the filter arrangement for a color filter array used in the apparatus is so designed that the colors of the filters in a cyclic patterned unit of N rows×N columns (4 lines×4 columns) differ from each other not only on the same line but also in the same column. Thus, from all the pixel blocks, pixel signals for each predetermined pixel block unit can be obtained that are required for the generation of a luminance signal and of color signals.

Abstract: This invention provides an information processing system which executes settlement processing for a plurality of orders all at once. To implement this system, an estimated amount is calculated by estimate calculation modules (115A-115C) for each order received at a printsite (113). A plurality of calculated estimated amounts are received by a photosite (107) and totalized to calculate the charge amount, and charge amount settlement is requested.

Abstract: A terminal service management server compares a host address of a terminal apparatus received from a terminal manufacturing factory site, a network address acquired from a network address retrieval site and an Internet service provider, and a sender address of a packet sent by a terminal apparatus connected to a LAN, and provides a service to the terminal apparatus connected to the LAN in the case in which the host address, the network address, and the sender address coincide with each other.

Abstract: In a photoelectric conversion device having a plurality of pixel cells each of which includes a photoelectric conversion element, a field effect transistor having the gate area for storing signal charge generated by the photoelectric conversion element and the source-drain path for outputting a signal corresponding to the signal charge stored in the gate, a first power supply line for supplying electric power to the field effect transistor, and a first switch connected between the field effect transistor and the first power supply line, when a reset voltage for resetting the gate of the field effect transistor is Vsig0, a threshold voltage of the field effect transistor is Vth, current flowing through the field effect transistor is Ia, a voltage applied via the first power supply line is Vc1, and a series resistance of the first switch is Ron, each pixel cell is configured to satisfy a condition determined by Vc1−Ron×Ia>Vsig0−Vth.

Abstract: Control to read signals from a sensor unit having a plurality of pixels by pixel blocks of a predetermined size, and the read signals are processed into pseudo luminance and color signals by pixel blocks of the predetermined size.

Abstract: In a photoelectric conversion device having a plurality of pixel cells each of which includes a photoelectric conversion element, a field effect transistor having the gate area for storing signal charge generated by the photoelectric conversion element and the source-drain path for outputting a signal corresponding to the signal charge stored in the gate, a first power supply line for supplying electric power to the field effect transistor, and a first switch connected between the field effect transistor and the first power supply line, when a reset voltage for resetting the gate of the field effect transistor is Vsig0, a threshold voltage of the field effect transistor is Vth, current flowing through the field effect transistor is Ia, a voltage applied via the first power supply line is Vc1, and a series resistance of the first switch is Ron, each pixel cell is configured to satisfy a condition determined by Vc1−Ron×Ia>Vsig0−Vth.

Abstract: To optimize the layout of a pixel portion, there is provided a solid-state image pickup device including a photoelectric conversion portion, a charge transfer portion for transferring signal charges generated in the photoelectric conversion portion, and an amplifier portion for amplifying a signal corresponding to the signal charges transferred from the charge transfer portion and outputting the signal, wherein a plurality of photoelectric conversion portions, a plurality of charge transfer portions, and a plurality of amplifier portions are arranged in the row or/and column directions, and the charge transfer portion and the amplifier portion which are closest to each other are connected.