Abstract: Method and computer program product stored on a tangible medium that store instructions including providing a procedure file, storing and managing a plurality of tickets, each ticket including a first identifier given to a commodity, and searching, based on the first identifier and a ticket request submitted by a user, a ticket of the plurality of tickets corresponding to the first identifier. The method and computer program product then presents information about the commodity included in the ticket, information about a service that provides the commodity, and service provision content information acquired during the search.

Abstract: An object is to implement timely service provision or information provision better suited for users, while decreasing efforts to construct link information or affiliation relation prepared for linkage with many service providers (or information providers), for both the service providers (or information providers) and users.

Abstract: A method and system for topology adaptation. Specifically, one embodiment of the present invention discloses a method for topology adaptation to support communication in a communicative environment. The embodiment of the method begins by measuring at least one performance metric for a plurality of nodes associated with a plurality of collaborators in the communicative environment. Then, the embodiment of the method dynamically adapts a communication topology for linking the plurality of nodes in the communication network to support communication in the communicative environment based on the at least one performance metric.

Abstract: A method for clustering data streams. Specifically, one embodiment of the present invention discloses a method for clustering data streams for use in a virtual environment. The embodiment of the method begins by determining a cluster of receiving nodes in the virtual environment. Each of the cluster of receiving nodes have associated values for at least one clustering parameter that as a set satisfies a test. Then, the embodiment continues by generating a common data stream based on the clustering parameter. Thereafter, the embodiment sends the common data stream from a sending node to the cluster of receiving nodes.

Abstract: An information management apparatus 50 according to the present invention comprises: a database 30d for storing information relevant to a printer 40 therein; output request reception means 20a for receiving an output request transmitted from a portable terminal 14; inquiry signal transmission means 20a for transmitting an inquiry signal on the printer 40 being an output destination to the portable terminal 14; communication means for receiving image data transmitted from the portable terminal 14; recognition means 30b for recognizing the identification information of the printer 40 by analyzing the image data transmitted in response to the inquiry signal; retrieval means 30c for retrieving the information relevant to the printer 40 from the data base 30d on the basis of the acquired recognition information; and printing means 20c for outputting the information to the printer 40 on the basis of the information relevant to the printer 40 retrieved by the retrieval means 30c.

Abstract: An object is to reduce the burden of processing on both a service server and a service utilizing terminal and improve operability for the both. There is provided a storage part 11 for integrally managing service provision information of various service types about an identical commodity, whereby user 50 can receive provision of a desired service by simply outputting a service provision request containing at least a commodity ID to system 1, which reduces the burden on the user who was required before to individually request the service provision from service providers 60 different depending upon the service types. The load of registration and the load of management of service provision information are also lighter than in conventional cases where the service provision information about one commodity was separately registered.

Abstract: A system is provided for printing data with an output device installed at a remote location such as an office where a user occasionally visits. The system comprises an information ticket database for storing one or more information tickets that can be retrieved using an identifier of an object as a search key. The system also includes a service portal that searches the information ticket database to provide service information to a user in response to the identifier transmitted from a user's mobile device through the Internet. The database stores, for each of output devices registered in the system, an access-information ticket containing information for accessing the output device. The service portal searches the database to retrieve the ticket of the output device identified by the identifier transmitted from the user's mobile device and outputs the data specified by the mobile device onto the output device according to the information obtained from the ticket.

Abstract: The system comprises a terminal apparatus that views or plays the content acquired from a data provider which embeds an identifier to the content. The system comprises a database for storing information tickets for each of the identifiers. The terminal apparatus captures the identifier embedded in the content. The system further comprises a service portal that, in response to the identifier which has been captured by and transmitted from the terminal apparatus over the Internet, searches the database and provides a service for connecting the terminal apparatus to a web page associated with the identifier.

Abstract: An image represented by color values corresponding to the pixels of a rendering screen is rendered in response to three-dimensional graphics data. The three-dimensional graphics data include polygon data and texture data. The texture data define a texture and include texture size data and pattern data. The pattern data represent multiple instances of the texture. Each instance has a different resolution. The pattern data constitute a significant majority of the texture data. The polygon data, the texture size data and the pattern data representing the lowest-resolution instance of the texture are initially loaded. An initial rasterizing operation is performed using the polygon and texture size data to generate and to store a texture identifier and texture coordinates for each pixel of the rendering screen.

Abstract: A system for issuing, receiving, authenticating and using an e-coupon uses a hand-held consumer terminal, such as a cellular phone. A user (consumer) finds an e-coupon issue center by reading an ID with an opto-electrical transducer associated with the consumer terminal. A keyboard can also enter the information. The cellular phone communicates with the issue center directly from the ID or through an ID resolution center (or manufacturer) to request issuance of the e-coupon ID. The issue center after checking the ID, issues and transmits the e-coupon ID to the consumer terminal. The consumer uses the e-coupon ID and his own ID at a retailer which accesses the issue center to determine the validity of the e-coupon. The user can receive and use an e-coupon while keeping personal information private by using an anonymous proxy server.

Abstract: A server stores a first multi-resolution texture pyramid and a 3-D geometry object. A client downloads the geometry object and a low resolution texture tile of the first multi-resolution texture pyramid, synthesizes a second multi-resolution texture pyramid from the low resolution tile, and begins rendering images while using the second pyramid as texture. The client downloads additional, higher resolution tiles and replaces synthesized tiles in the second pyramid with the downloaded tiles. The higher resolution tiles are downloaded according to visibility in the images being rendered. Higher visibility tiles are downloaded before lower visibility tiles. The downloading of the tiles from the server is performed in parallel with the rendering of the images. Thus, real texture in the image sequence is progressively increased as synthesized tiles in the local pyramid are selectively replaced with corresponding tiles that have been fetched from the server.

Abstract: An image rendering apparatus that comprises an input path through which the rendering apparatus can receive three-dimensional graphics data, a pixel/depth buffer, a reference buffer and a rendering engine. The three-dimensional graphics data include polygon data and additionally include texture data defining a texture. The texture data include texture size data and sets of pattern data. The pattern data in each of the sets represent the texture with a different resolution. The pattern data constitute a majority of the texture data. The pixel/depth buffer and the reference buffer respectively include first memory cells and second memory cells that correspond to the pixels of a rendering screen. The rendering engine performs an initial rasterizing operation using only the polygon and texture size data to generate and to store in the reference buffer, for each of the pixels of the rendering screen, a texture identifier, a layer depth value indicating a texture resolution, and texture coordinates.