Abstract: In a filtering dispenser container which includes a plug attached to a mouth portion of a bottle thereof and having a liquid discharge passage, and a filter and a check valve provided in the discharge passage, air lock is prevented, even if the container contains a highly percolative liquid, by preventing a very small amount of liquid percolating the check valve from reaching the filter. In the filtering dispenser container, a dam (14) is provided between the check valve (23) and the filter (25) for retaining a very small amount of the liquid percolating the check valve (23) when the check valve is closed. Thus, the filter (25) is prevented from being wetted with the liquid percolating the closed check valve (23) during storage or delivery of the container before the first use of the container.

Abstract: In a filtering dispenser container which includes a plug attached to a mouth portion of a bottle thereof and having a liquid discharge passage, and a filter and a check valve provided in the discharge passage, air lock is prevented, even if the container contains a highly percolative liquid, by preventing a very small amount of liquid percolating the check valve from reaching the filter. In the filtering dispenser container, a dam (14) is provided between the check valve (23) and the filter (25) for retaining a very small amount of the liquid percolating the check valve (23) when the check valve is closed. Thus, the filter (25) is prevented from being wetted with the liquid percolating the closed check valve (23) during storage or delivery of the container before the first use of the container.

Abstract: Provided is a surface-treated pigment that is a metallic pigment composed of plate-like particles of which surfaces are treated with an alkoxysilane compound having at least one glycidyl group and one methoxy group.

Abstract: A method for producing a water-resistant aluminum pigment dispersion includes (a) adding a treatment agent containing a compound of general formula (1) described below to an aluminum pigment dispersion containing aluminum pigment particles dispersed in an organic solvent and reacting a hydroxy group present on a surface of each of the aluminum pigment particles with the compound of general formula (1) described below to form a film on the surface of each aluminum pigment particle, (b) removing at least a portion of the organic solvent, and (c) adding an aqueous solution containing at least one selected from polyoxyethylene alkyl ether phosphate and salts thereof, (wherein p represents an integer of 1 to 3, q represents an integer that satisfies the equation p+q=3, r represents an integer of 2 to 10, R1 and R2 each independently represent an alkyl group having 1 to 4 carbon atoms, and R3 represents an acrylic group, an acryloyl group, or a methacryloyl group).

Abstract: An image distribution method for distributing an image acquired by a camera on a network includes the steps of receiving control information for the camera from an image reception apparatus via a packet-switched network; and sending an image acquired by the camera to the image reception apparatus via a circuit-switched network.

Abstract: A display authorization area corresponding a user is selected from maps stored in a device, only the selected zone is displayed, and a camera which is not authorized for the user to perform information communication is inhibited from being displayed. With this arrangement, a camera control system having so excellent security that any user cannot see a place irrelevant to the user and cannot recognize the position of an installed camera is constructed.

Abstract: A camera server includes a video transmitting part for transmitting a video signal of a video camera to each of a plurality of camera clients in response to their request to acquire the control right of the video camera and their requests to transmit video information of the video cameras, a permission command issuring part for issuing a command to permit control of the video camera in response to the request to acquire the control right of the video camera, and an automatic control part for executing automatic control of the video camera if the command to permit control of the video camera is not issued.

Abstract: In a character provision service system for providing users with characters such as interface agents and virtual characters in virtual spaces on computers or in TV games, charges for use of a provided character is computed according to a motion made by the character. This system enables each user to easily purchase with security a character capable of moving according user's need, and also enables character data providers to collect charges according to motions made by provided characters and to provide various characters without anxiety about unauthorized use of the characters.

Abstract: In a character provision service system for providing users with characters such as interface agents and virtual characters in virtual spaces on computers or in TV games, charges for use of a provided character is computed according to a motion made by the character. This system enables each user to easily purchase with security a character capable of moving according user's need, and also enables character data providers to collect charges according to motions made by provided characters and to provide various characters without anxiety about unauthorized use of the characters.

Abstract: An object of this invention is to provide a camera control system for improving a camera control function at a control terminal. To achieve this object, a camera control system for selecting one or more cameras from a plurality of controllable cameras connected to a network, and performing video display and camera control includes a map display monitor, a mouse for designating one point on a map displayed by the monitor, a camera selection unit for selecting an optimal camera capable of monitoring the point designated by the mouse, and a camera control unit for controlling the camera selected by the camera selection unit.

Abstract: An information output method switching unit (105) checks whether or not an audio output device (103) is connected to an audio output device connection unit (104). When the audio output device (103) is connected to an information service apparatus, the information output method switching unit (105) sends text information stored in an information holding unit (102) to a text-to-speech synthesis unit (106), which generates synthetic speech using a known text-to-speech synthesis technique, and sends the generated synthetic speech to the audio output device connection unit (104). On the other hand, when the audio output device (103) is not connected to the information service apparatus, the information output method switching unit (105) sends text information stored in the information holding unit (102) to an information display output unit (107), which displays the received text information.

Abstract: A display authorization area corresponding a user is selected from maps stored in a device, only the selected zone is displayed, and a camera which is not authorized for the user to perform information communication is inhibited from being displayed. With this arrangement, a camera control system having so excellent security that any user cannot see a place irrelevant to the user and cannot recognize the position of an installed camera is constructed.

Abstract: An image distribution method for distributing an image acquired by a camera on a network includes the steps of receiving control information for the camera from an image reception apparatus via a packet-switched network; and sending an image acquired by the camera to the image reception apparatus via a circuit-switched network.

Abstract: A display authorization area corresponding a user is selected from maps stored in a device, only the selected zone is displayed, and a camera which is not authorized for the user to perform information communication is inhibited from being displayed. With this arrangement, a camera control system having so excellent security that any user cannot see a place irrelevant to the user and cannot recognize the position of an installed camera is constructed.

Abstract: In a system in which a plurality of cameras and microphones, the image pickup directions and audio input directions of which can be remote-controlled, are arranged on a network, when an image pickup inhibited region is set, and when a network client remote-controls a certain camera to pickup a range including the image pickup inhibited region, a portion corresponding to the image pickup inhibited region is not displayed, and sound corresponding to the region is not output.

Abstract: In a character provision service system for providing users with characters such as interface agents and virtual characters in virtual spaces on computers or in TV games, charges for use of a provided character is computed according to a motion made by the character. This system enables each user to easily purchase with security a character capable of moving according user's need, and also enables character data providers to collect charges according to motions made by provided characters and to provide various characters without anxiety about unauthorized use of the characters.

Abstract: A display authorization area corresponding a user is selected from maps stored in a device, only the selected zone is displayed, and a camera which is not authorized for the user to perform information communication is inhibited from being displayed. With this arrangement, a camera control system having so excellent security that any user cannot see a place irrelevant to the user and cannot recognize the position of an installed camera is constructed.

Abstract: In a system in which a plurality of cameras and microphones, the image pickup directions and audio input directions of which can be remote-controlled, are arranged on a network, when an image pickup inhibited region is set, and when a network client remote-controls a certain camera to pickup a range including the image pickup inhibited region, a portion corresponding to the image pickup inhibited region is not displayed, and sound corresponding to the region is not output.

Abstract: A camera control system capable of controlling a video camera of a camera server apparatus according to a control command from clients is arranged not to accept requests for a right to control the video camera from any of clients when the number of clients receiving a video image picked up by the video camera exceeds a predetermined number. If the number of clients is less than the predetermined number, the camera control system, upon receipt of a request for the control right from any of clients, accepts the request to permit the client to control the video camera.

Abstract: A camera control system is disclosed where the control system selects a camera from a plurality of cameras connected to a network, and displays an image taken by the selected camera and further performs control functions on the selected camera. The control system first contains a map display, which represents the relative area where the plurality of controllable cameras are set. The control system next contains a symbol display configuration for representing each camera, and also contains a display-not-permitted area setting configuration, which disallows display functions relative to each network client's status on the network. The control system subsequently transmits each client's respective view and information in accordance to their request and corresponding status.