Abstract: According to an electronic mail system of the present invention, if destination limiting information is included in a header of an electronic mail received from a mail client, a mail server identifies destinations designated in the header of the electronic mail into those within a transmission available area and those outside the transmission available area based on the destination limiting information, and transmits an electronic mail only to the destinations within the transmission available area. In this way, since the electronic mail is transmitted only to the destinations within the transmission available area, even if a destination is wrong, the electronic mail is prevented from reaching the wrong destination and secrecy of information in the electronic mail can be kept.

Abstract: A method of cultivating bean sprouts includes the steps of germinating seeds of bean sprouts in a cultivating container so that bean sprouts grow and turning the cultivating container upside down together with the bean sprouts in the middle of cultivation so that the bean sprouts grow in an upside-down state. The cultivating container has a cylindrical or conical shape, or an elliptical section such that the container has an inner circumference with a gentle curvature.

Abstract: An optical disk includes a user accessible area having a plurality of blocks and flag data recorded on the optical disk. The flag data indicates whether or not each of the blocks is in an erased state in which there is no recorded data. A flag area stores the flag data, and area data indicating that the optical disk has the flag area is recorded on the optical disk.

Abstract: In a method for preventing unauthorized use of a recording medium having a user accessible area and a user inaccessible area, first information is read from the user inaccessible area of the recording medium. The first information is compared with second information concerning a true recording medium (lawfully produced copy). It is then concluded that the recording medium is the true recording medium when the first information corresponds to the second information.

Abstract: The present invention was made in order to provide a file server, wherein a distributing device for storing parts of data to be stored by a server between the server for providing data and a terminal device for outputting data provided by the server, the distributing device reads data and sends them to the terminal device if said data requested to be provided have been stored when receiving the requests from the terminal device, transfers the provision requests to the server if the data requested to be provided have not been stored, and when receiving requested data from the server, it newly registers the requested data and at the same time sends the data to the terminal device.

Abstract: An optical disk includes a user accessible area having a plurality of blocks and flag data recorded on the optical disk. The flag data indicates whether or not each of the blocks is in an erased state in which there is no recorded data. A flag area stores the flag data, and area data indicating that the optical disk has the flag area is recorded on the optical disk.

Abstract: A host apparatus has examination-period changing means for monitoring the state of use of a data input unit, such as how frequently a user is using the keys on a keyboard, and for changing, in dependence upon the monitored state of use, a period at which a check is performed to determine whether a recording medium has been loaded in an external storage unit and medium-loading monitoring means for performing the check, at the checking period decided. The examination-period changing means lengthens the checking period if frequency of use of the data input unit is high and shortens the checking period if frequency of use is low. In a case where a plurality of external storage units have been connected to the computer system, the checking of medium loading is executed only with regard to external storage units in which a recording medium has not been loaded. The host apparatus executes predetermined processing upon detecting that a recording medium has been loaded in an external storage unit.

Abstract: An optical disk includes a user accessible area having a plurality of blocks and flag data recorded on the optical disk. The flag data indicates whether or not each of the blocks is in an erased state in which there is no recorded data. A flag area stores the flag data, and area data indicating that the optical disk has the flag area is recorded on the optical disk.

Abstract: A file management system for a partially rewritable single storage medium increases a Rewritable Zone and an unrewritable Read Only Zone, where a desired number of files and pieces of medium management information, including management information for respective files, are written when the Read Only Zone is manufactured. The file management system comprises a reading device and a creating device. The reading device reads the medium management information written in the Read Only Zone upon commencing the use of the storage medium. The creating device creates, in the Rewritable Zone, file management information necessary for using the storage medium based on the medium management information read from the reading device, according to the usage status of the storage medium.

Abstract: In a method for preventing unauthorized use of a recording medium having a user accessible area and a user inaccessible area, first information is read from the user inaccessible area of the recording medium. The first information is compared with second information concerning a true recording medium (lawfully produced copy). It is then concluded that the recording medium is the true recording medium when the first information corresponds to the second information.

Abstract: An apparatus for making a musical database including a converting unit for converting musical information representing a music piece into note data items, each of note data items being a set of values associated with a period of a single sound denoted by a musical note and a scale level of the single sound denoted by the musical note, a position unit for producing position data items for the note data items, the position data items representing positions at which the note data items are positioned in the musical information, a unit for producing an index indicating relationships between the note data items and the position data items, and a storage unit for storing the index. A retrieval apparatus retrieves a string of note data items from a musical database using the index stored in the storage unit.

Abstract: A character string retrieval system retrieves a character string corresponding to a retrieval key input thereto from a text file including a plurality of characters.

Abstract: A write control method for writing optical disk data wherein pits are written by a write signal composed of mark signal parts and space signal parts, and a length of each pit represents the optical disk data, comprising the steps of: converting the mark signal parts to pulses and generating a series of pulse trains which correspond to lengths of the mark signal parts, respectively; controlling a lengths and/or amplitude of each of the pulse trains in accordance with a length of the space signal part immediately before the mark signal part; and applying successively the controlled pulse trains to a laser irradiation device so that the pits are written.

Abstract: An erasable optical disc medium on which information is recorded and read by using a laser beam, which comprises (i) a phase transition type information recording layer, (ii) an optical interference layer and (iii) an optical reflection layer, formed in this order on a transparent substrate, in such a state that a reflectance of the medium is higher before information is recorded and a reflectance of the recorded portions of the medium is lower after recording.

Abstract: A compatible optical disk in which information can be reproduced by a player normally used exclusively for reproduction, and writing, rewriting and erasure can be performed, comprises a recording film material characterized in that the reflectivity of a flat portion of the disk is lower than 50% in an erased or unrecorded state and the reflectivity of a recorded area is increased by recording by an irradiation of light, a light beam-guiding groove (12) formed on the surface of the disk substrate so that information is recorded or read out along the trough portion (12) or crest portion (17) of the guiding groove, and the reflectivity is enhanced in the crest portion (17) between the troughs or in the trough portion (12) between the crests.