Abstract: A method of detecting and interpreting a path of designated positions is disclosed. The method concurrently detects a plurality of designated positions on a touch panel, again detects the plurality of designated positions subsequent to a travel of the designated positions, determines the distances between each of the current designated positions and the respective immediately preceding designated positions, treats an immediately preceding designated position, closest to the current designated position of interest, as the immediately preceding designated position of the current designated position of interest, and acquires the path of each designated position, thereby recognizing the paths of the plurality of designated positions that move concurrently. A combination of the paths of the plurality of designated positions is interpreted to identify a designation input by a user, and an operation thus designated is executed.

Abstract: A method of detecting and interpreting a path of designated positions is disclosed. The method concurrently detects a plurality of designated positions on a touch panel, again detects the plurality of designated positions subsequent to a travel of the designated positions, determines the distances between each of the current designated positions and the respective immediately preceding designated positions, treats an immediately preceding designated position, closest to the current designated position of interest, as the immediately preceding designated position of the current designated position of interest, and acquires the path of each designated position, thereby recognizing the paths of the plurality of designated positions that move concurrently. A combination of the paths of the plurality of designated positions is interpreted to identify a designation input by a user, and an operation thus designated is executed.

Abstract: A method of detecting and interpreting a path of designated positions is disclosed. The method concurrently detects a plurality of designated positions on a touch panel, again detects the plurality of designated positions subsequent to a travel of the designated positions, determines the distances between each of the current designated positions and the respective immediately preceding designated positions, treats an immediately preceding designated position, closest to the current designated position of interest, as the immediately preceding designated position of the current designated position of interest, and acquires the path of each designated position, thereby recognizing the paths of the plurality of designated positions that move concurrently. A combination of the paths of the plurality of designated positions is interpreted to identify a designation input by a user, and an operation thus designated is executed.

Abstract: In a personal computer, a personal digital assistant or any other information processing device that includes a display screen and a digitizer tablet, thereby accepting handwritten input from a user, a method for simultaneously performing multiple handwritten searches. From handwritten input provided by the user, the method automatically determines that multiple search commands have been given by the user, detects multiple search items specified by the user and simultaneously performs the searches. For each of the multiple search items, the method may assign a weight to each of the multiple search commands based upon the size and position of the corresponding search command. The method also permits the user to delete one or more of the search commands from the simultaneous performance of the multiple searches.

Abstract: A method of detecting and interpreting a path of designated positions is disclosed. The method concurrently detects a plurality of designated positions on a touch panel, again detects the plurality of designated positions subsequent to a travel of the designated positions, determines the distances between each of the current designated positions and the respective immediately preceding designated positions, treats an immediately preceding designated position, closest to the current designated position of interest, as the immediately preceding designated position of the current designated position of interest, and acquires the path of each designated position, thereby recognizing the'paths of the plurality of designated positions that move concurrently. A combination of the paths of the plurality of designated positions is interpreted to identify a designation input by a user, and an operation thus designated is executed.

Abstract: A method of detecting and interpreting a path of designated positions is disclosed. The method concurrently detects a plurality of designated positions on a touch panel, again detects the plurality of designated positions subsequent to a travel of the designated positions, determines the distances between each of the current designated positions and the respective immediately preceding designated positions, treats an immediately preceding designated position, closest to the current designated position of interest, as the immediately preceding designated position of the current designated position of interest, and acquires the path of each designated position, thereby recognizing the paths of the plurality of designated positions that move concurrently. A combination of the paths of the plurality of designated positions is interpreted to identify a designation input by a user, and an operation thus designated is executed.

Abstract: An information processing apparatus prevents or reduces an increase in storage capacity when setting information of a device present on a network is customized and held. Difference information with respect to common information of the setting information on the network is recorded as difference information of the setting information. The common information is obtained from the network. The recorded difference information and the obtained common information are combined together to generate combined setting information. The combined setting information is applied.

Abstract: An information processing apparatus includes an interpretation unit configured to interpret a command written on computerized document data, a creation unit configured to create a graphical user interface (GUI) component used to perform execution of the command interpreted by the interpretation unit, and a display control unit configured to cause a display apparatus to display document data corresponding to target data that represents a target of the execution and to display the created GUI component at a position corresponding to the command written on the document data.

Abstract: Photographs an action performed to an object with an appliance by a photographing device, and records it as video data. When a desired object is specified while the video data is being played back, the object is identified based on information on a position of the object in the appliance and a time the object acted, and operation predetermined against the identified object is enabled.

Abstract: In an information processing apparatus for identifying a plurality of communication devices, grouping and managing the identified communication devices, communication devices that are in a state of communication among devices forbidden are grouped and managed. Then, it acts for obtaining data of another communication device when the data is obtained among the communication devices grouped. The data obtaining proxy is performed when a request to obtain data of another communication device is received from a communication device, and data of another communication device is obtained based on the request, and it is sent to a communication device.

Abstract: In an information processing apparatus, even when a large volume of data is displayed in a limited display area in which the number of data items that can be displayed at once is restricted, rough searching for data and specific identification of data are facilitated. In the information processing apparatus, the number of data items to be displayed is determined. When the number of data items to be displayed is less than or equal to a predetermined number of data items that can be displayed in a display area, the data items are displayed in a first mode. If the number of data items to be displayed is greater than the predetermined number, the data items are displayed in a second mode.

Abstract: A job, or the copy, is transmitted to a designated destination. A transmission job or a printing job is stored in conjunction with a corresponding execution time in the job storage unit, so that a job can be selected from the job list and the execution time for the selected job can be changed. Further, the jobs stored in the print queue are displayed as a list, and a selected job is moved from the print queue to the job storage unit. In addition, the histories of jobs that were executed are displayed as a list, so that a specific job can be selected and re-executed. When logout is instructed, management data are examined in order to determine whether there is an unprocessed job that was previously instructed by the user. If an unprocessed job is found, the user is notified. If the operator is a manager, a menu is displayed so that all the jobs in the print queue can be deleted. When jobs are deleted, the owners of the individual jobs are notified.

Abstract: In response to an instruction by a user, or by performing reception, detection and assumption processing, the presence state of the user is determined, and corresponding presence mode conversion data are acquired and are set as user presence data. When the presence mode conversion data are referred to, and processing that corresponds to the user's presence state is performed: when the user is present, urgent mail is transmitted, and when the user is absent, a message for the user is accepted.

Abstract: Operation history information related to operations performed at a plurality of devices and communication history information related to communications performed between the devices are managed. When an operation accompanied with a communication has been performed at the device, a predetermined action corresponding to the operation accompanied with the communication is executed based on the operation history information and the communication history information which are managed.

Abstract: An information processing apparatus has: an input unit capable of inputting a plurality type of information such as hand-written information, key information and speech information; and a knowledge database storing input information and information necessary for generating a concept instance in one-to-one correspondence. A combination of at least two types of input information is analyzed by referring to the knowledge database to generate a concept instance from each piece of the input information. A plurality type of input information can therefore be understood collectively by correlating the input information each other and considering the input order of the input is information.

Abstract: A control box is provided for a printer to enable additional information processing, such as transmission of a job and transmission of notifications. The control box is fixed to a plate member that is sandwiched between the printer and a pedestal, so that it can be secured to the printer without drastically altering the printer itself. As another method, wheels are provided for the plate member on which is mounted the control box. The control box is normally placed beside the main body of the printer, and when it can be moved as needed, a door or a tray provided on the side of the main body can be used. An operating panel that is used to enter an instruction for the control box is fixed to one end of a flexible strut that is secured at the other end. With this arrangement, pressure applied by a user can be dispersed.

Abstract: An information processing apparatus includes a scanning unit adapted to scan a document on which a signature is handwritten, a handwritten signature extraction unit adapted to extract the handwritten signature from the scanning unit, a handwritten signature authentication unit adapted to authenticate the handwritten signature extracted by the extraction unit, based on authentication information, and a permission unit adapted to, if the handwritten signature is successfully authenticated by the handwritten signature authentication unit, grant permission of a process on the scanned document.

Abstract: An information processing apparatus prevents or reduces an increase in storage capacity when setting information of a device present on a network is customized and held. Difference information with respect to common information of the setting information on the network is recorded as difference information of the setting information. The common information is obtained from the network. The recorded difference information and the obtained common information are combined together to generate combined setting information. The combined setting information is applied.

Abstract: A method of detecting and interpreting a path of designated positions is disclosed. The method concurrently detects a plurality of designated positions on a touch panel, again detects the plurality of designated positions subsequent to a travel of the designated positions, determines the distances between each of the current designated positions and the respective immediately preceding designated positions, treats an immediately preceding designated position, closest to the current designated position of interest, as the immediately preceding designated position of the current designated position of interest, and acquires the path of each designated position, thereby recognizing the paths of the plurality of designated positions that move concurrently. A combination of the paths of the plurality of designated positions is interpreted to identify a designation input by a user, and an operation thus designated is executed.

Abstract: A job is selected from a job list, and is either copied or is extracted from a job storage unit. The job, or the copy, is transmitted to a designated destination. A transmission job or a printing job is stored in conjunction with a corresponding execution time in the job storage unit, so that a job can be selected from the job list and the execution time for the selected job can be changed. Further, the jobs stored in the print queue are displayed as a list, and a selected job is moved from the print queue to the job storage unit, so that the printing of the job in the print queue can be performed. In addition, the histories of jobs that were executed are displayed as a list, so that a specific job can be selected and re-executed. Furthermore, a process that is performed is managed for the user who instructed the process. When logout is instructed, management data are examined in order to determine whether there is an unprocessed job that was previously instructed by the user.