Abstract: A welding program is created for performing spot welding by a program creation device. The program creation device includes a display unit configured to display an image, and an image generation unit configured to generate image data of a product model before being subjected to spot welding in accordance with shape data on a product and display the product model on the display unit, a display control unit configured to make a workpiece having a selected surface in the product model to be semitransparent, a welding portion setting unit configured to set welding portions to be allotted for the selected surface in the product model, and a program creation unit configured to create the welding program including related data for a welding robot with regard to the set welding portions.

Abstract: A welding program is created for performing spot welding by a program creation device. The program creation device includes a display unit configured to display an image, and an image generation unit configured to generate image data of a product model before being subjected to spot welding in accordance with shape data on a product and display the product model on the display unit, a display control unit configured to make a workpiece having a selected surface in the product model to be semitransparent, a welding portion setting unit configured to set welding portions to be allotted for the selected surface in the product model, and a program creation unit configured to create the welding program including related data for a welding robot with regard to the set welding portions.

Abstract: Two data units are selected from main information, such as MIDI data, into which additional information is to be incorporated, to calculate a difference between respective values of the two data units. A particular data segment to be incorporated into one of the MIDI data units is selected from a group of data of additional information. The size of the data segment to be incorporated into one of the data units may be either one bit or two or more bits. Substitute data to replace the content of one MIDI data unit is generated on the basis of a predetermined function using, as variables, the data-related value and a value of the particular data segment, and the content of the data unit corresponding to a predetermined one of the two MIDI data units is replaced by the generated substitute data. Thus, through such an electronic watermarking technique, any desired additional information can be incorporated into the MIDI data without changing the MIDI data format.

Abstract: Two data units are selected from main information, such as MIDI data, into which additional information is to be incorporated, to calculate a difference between respective values of the two data units. A particular data segment to be incorporated into one of the MIDI data units is selected from a group of data of additional information. The size of the data segment to be incorporated into one of the data units may be either one bit or two or more bits. Substitute data to replace the content of one MIDI data unit is generated on the basis of a predetermined function using, as variables, the data-related value and a value of the particular data segment, and the content of the data unit corresponding to a predetermined one of the two MIDI data units is replaced by the generated substitute data. Thus, through such an electronic watermarking technique, any desired additional information can be incorporated into the MIDI data without changing the MIDI data format.

Abstract: Two data units are selected from main information, such as MIDI data, into which additional information is to be incorporated, to calculate a difference between respective values of the two data units. A particular data segment to be incorporated into one of the MIDI data units is selected from a group of data of additional information. The size of the data segment to be incorporated into one of the data units may be either one bit or two or more bits. Substitute data to replace the content of one MIDI data unit is generated on the basis of a predetermined function using, as variables, the data-related value and a value of the particular data segment, and the content of the data unit corresponding to a predetermined one of the two MIDI data units is replaced by the generated substitute data. Thus, through such an electronic watermarking technique, any desired additional information can be incorporated into the MIDI data without changing the MIDI data format.

Abstract: A sound control apparatus is provided in a portable terminal for sounding a music tone in association with operation of the portable terminal, which is controlled by a main CPU. In the sound control apparatus, a memory memorizes music information representing a music tone and configuration information associated to a timbre of the music tone. An information acquiring section acquires the music information and the configuration information from the memory. A tone generating section is configured by the acquired configuration information to create a timbre specified by the configuration information. The tone generating section operates according to the acquired music information to generate the music tone being represented by the music information and having the specified timbre. A dedicated CPU is provided separately from the main CPU for controlling the memory, the information acquiring section and the tone generating section.

Abstract: An electronic musical instrument is constructed to treat music information associated to music tones, and can be coupled to a mobile wireless terminal set communicable with a public communication network. In the electronic musical instrument, a main block processes music information for generation of music tones, the processed music information being transferable for effecting remote generation of the music tones. A memory block is controlled for memorizing music information. A control block controls the memory block to memorize the processed music information and to feed the memorized music information to the mobile wireless terminal set for transfer of the music information through the public communication network. Further, the control block feeds music information received by the mobile wireless terminal set through the public communication network to the memory block, and controls the memory block to memorize therein the fed music information.

Abstract: A user accesses a sound data distribution server by operating a client terminal. The sound data distribution server transmits data for displaying a list of distributable music. The data are displayed on a display unit of the client terminal. While referring to the display on the display unit, the user requests the sound data distribution server for distribution of regular music data. This request is issued from the client terminal. A cellular phone to which the regular music data are to be distributed is specified by data (e.g., a mail address of the cellular phone) input at the client terminal. This enables the sound data distribution server to recognize the cellular phone and distribute the regular music data to the cellular phone.

Abstract: An information producing apparatus is constructed for producing a combination of object information providing substantial contents and performance information providing a music piece in association with the substantial contents. In the information producing apparatus, a source section provides the object information having substantial contents. An extracting section analyzes the provided object information to extract therefrom the characteristic information which is characteristic of the substantial contents of the provided object information. An attaching section operates based on the extracted characteristic information for attaching performance information to the provided object information. On the other hand, an information reproducing apparatus utilizes the attached performance information to provide a performance of a music piece as a music effect in association with the substantial contents when reproducing the object information transmitted from the information producing apparatus.

Abstract: A user accesses a sound data distribution server by operating a client terminal. The sound data distribution server transmits data for displaying a list of distributable music. The data are displayed on a display unit of the client terminal. While referring to the display on the display unit, the user requests the sound data distribution server for distribution of regular music data. This request is issued from the client terminal. A cellular phone to which the regular music data are to be distributed is specified by data (e.g., a mail address of the cellular phone) input at the client terminal. This enables the sound data distribution server to recognize the cellular phone and distribute the regular music data to the cellular phone.

Abstract: In accordance with a request from a portable telephone 60, a sound data delivering server 20 delivers a trial-listening music data to the portable telephone without charging a fee to a user of the portable telephone, or delivers a regular music data to the portable telephone upon charging a fee to the user. The delivered trial-listening music data is actually reproduced by the portable telephone; however, the number of reproduction times is limited, and the trial-listening music data is erased from a memory (RAM 63) of the portable telephone after the trial-listening music data is reproduced for the predetermined number of reproduction times. Thus, a system is provided in which the user of the portable telephone can obtain the trial-listening music data of an incoming call melody without being charged for the fee, and can actually reproduce the trial-listening music data with the use of the user s portable telephone.

Abstract: User enters information of a melody or other musical material and, when necessary, desired parameters. The input information and parameters are transmitted to a server via a network or other communication media. On the basis of the received musical material and parameters, the server creates content by imparting the musical material with an additional value corresponding to the parameters. For example, in the case where the musical material is a melody of a music piece, the server creates, as the content, harmony information, backing information, accompaniment information, musical score picture information, or the like. There may also be created test-listening or test-viewing sample content corresponding to the regular content. The user receives the sample content from the server, and purchases the regular content when the sample content has been found to be satisfactory as a result of the test listening or test viewing.

Abstract: The utilization of various distributed contents is restricted by a simple method, its restriction can be released, and an accurate collection of fees for the contents is made possible. A client terminal 30 sends a request of contents (musical scores) and a key file to a server 10 via a communication line 20. In response to the request of these, a WEB server 11 transmits the contents stored in a database 13, and a key issuing server 12 transmits the key file. The WEB server 11 charges a fee when the key file is requested. A viewer 32 can only display the musical scores in the absence of the key file. With the use of the key file, however, the viewer 32 can print the musical scores as well. The key file is formed in accordance with a random value that is synchronized with the timing of an instruction for purchasing the contents.

Abstract: A sound control apparatus is provided in a portable terminal for sounding a music tone in association with operation of the portable terminal, which is controlled by a main CPU. In the sound control apparatus, a memory memorizes music information representing a music tone and configuration information associated to a timbre of the music tone. An information acquiring section acquires the music information and the configuration information from the memory. A tone generating section is configured by the acquired configuration information to create a timbre specified by the configuration information. The tone generating section operates according to the acquired music information to generate the music tone being represented by the music information and having the specified timbre. A dedicated CPU is provided separately from the main CPU for controlling the memory, the information acquiring section and the tone generating section.

Abstract: A sound control apparatus is provided in a portable terminal for sounding a music tone in association with operation of the portable terminal, which is controlled by a main CPU. In the sound control apparatus, a memory memorizes music information representing a music tone and configuration information associated to a timbre of the music tone. An information acquiring section acquires the music information and the configuration information from the memory. A tone generating section is configured by the acquired configuration information to create a timbre specified by the configuration information. The tone generating section operates according to the acquired music information to generate the music tone being represented by the music information and having the specified timbre. A dedicated CPU is provided separately from the main CPU for controlling the memory, the information acquiring section and the tone generating section.

Abstract: Client is connected to a selected program serving site via a communication network. The program serving site includes a database storing plural types of contents having various different characters and can supply a program file defining a reproducing sequence of a plurality of contents including those of different characters. The client includes a plurality of types of reproduction engines which are capable of reproducing the contents of the respective characters. The client receives a program file from the program serving site and also receives, from the database of the site, contents specified by the received program file. For reproduction of a desired program file, the client reproduces the individual contents in a reproducing sequence defined by the program file, using any one of the reproduction engines which corresponds to the type of each content to be reproduced. The program progression can be fast-forwarded or fast-reversed by fast-forwarding or fast-rewinding a currently-reproduced content.

Abstract: Musical-score-related data set, including musical score information and right-to-use information defining a usable range of the musical score information, is distributed via a network or the like, and such a musical-score-related data set is stored in memory of an apparatus having received the data set. The right-to-use information includes information indicating that storage of the corresponding musical score is authorized or not authorized. When the musical score is to be displayed, the musical score information of the memory-stored musical-score-related data set is read out so that the musical score is visually displayed on a display device.

Abstract: A sound control apparatus is provided in a portable terminal for sounding a music tone in association with operation of the portable terminal, which is controlled by a main CPU. In the sound control apparatus, a memory memorizes music information representing a music tone and configuration information associated to a timbre of the music tone. An information acquiring section acquires the music information and the configuration information from the memory. A tone generating section is configured by the acquired configuration information to create a timbre specified by the configuration information. The tone generating section operates according to the acquired music information to generate the music tone being represented by the music information and having the specified timbre. A dedicated CPU is provided separately from the main CPU for controlling the memory, the information acquiring section and the tone generating section.

Abstract: Two data units are selected from main information, such as MIDI data, into which additional information is to be incorporated, to calculate a difference between respective values of the two data units. A particular data segment to be incorporated into one of the MIDI data units is selected from a group of data of additional information. The size of the data segment to be incorporated into one of the data units may be either one bit or two or more bits. Substitute data to replace the content of one MIDI data unit is generated on the basis of a predetermined function using, as variables, the data-related value and a value of the particular data segment, and the content of the data unit corresponding to a predetermined one of the two MIDI data units is replaced by the generated substitute data. Thus, through such an electronic watermarking technique, any desired additional information can be incorporated into the MIDI data without changing the MIDI data format.

Abstract: In a digital data processing apparatus, a storage section stores data representative of digital contents of audio or video. A reproduction section processes the data to reproduce the digital contents. A reading section reads out the data from the storage section and sends the read data to the reproduction section. A generating section alters the read data to generate latent deterioration in the digital contents. A control section rewrites the data stored in the storage section by the altered data, whereby repetition of reading and rewriting of the data accumulates latent deterioration to finally cause an evident deterioration of the digital contents. Optionally, a recording section records the data read out from the storage section to make a copy of the digital contents. In such a case, the control section may operate when the copy is made by the recording section for clearing the data from the storage section to erase an original of the digital contents.