Abstract: An authentication system with a single sign on having less influence on the service performance to provide a service via a network. The authentication system comprises a provider 20 for providing a service, a security token service 40, and a proxy service 30 interposed between the security token service 40 and the provider 20. The proxy service 30 preserves an authentication result of the security token service 40, and vicariously executes the authentication for a client based on the authentication result preserved by itself without transferring an authentication request received from the provider 20 to the security token service 40 under certain conditions. Moreover, when it is clear that a service can be provided to the client based on the service use history of the client 10 preserved by itself, the provider 20 provides the service to the client 10 without making the authentication request.

Abstract: The present invention creates a SOAP message without using DOM by generating a body part by sequentially performing such a process of a message as encryption or signing for each piece of the message, generating a header part by using information acquired during the process, and by combining the body part and the header part. The present invention also breaks a SOAP message without using DOM by acquiring header information with parsing a received SOAP message and sequentially performing decode or verification of a signature of a body part according to the header information.

Abstract: To implement more appropriate QoS control by compressing contents data distributed via a network taking into consideration meaning of contents and preferences of users.

Abstract: The object of the invention is to extract from a moving picture and display at least a portion of team play, especially in a field sport, that is considered to be important for detailed analysis, so that the teamwork involved is easily discerned.

Abstract: An index generator that generates an index, which is data description contents, such as video contents, comprises: an index description device, for defining in advance basic index information concerning an index; a video display device for the input, the display or the output of contents to which an index is to be added; a triggering action input device, for accepting a triggering action in the contents that is displayed or output; and an index determination device, for generating index data based on the basic index information, which is defined by the index description device, and triggering action input history information, which is entered by the triggering action input device.

Abstract: The present invention provides methods for extracting an image region segment from a video image, a system for extracting an image region segment, a program for extracting an image region segment, a method for distributing an extracted video image, and a method for generating content. Motion compensation data is calculated using sequential video images captured by a video camera, and the sequential video images are employed to prepare an estimation of the video camera operation. Based on the estimated camera operation, the center position (xc, yc) of an area that is aimed at in a video image is estimated under predetermined conditions (rules), an image feature is designated in the vicinity of the center position of the target area, and an image segment is specified that includes this image feature.

Abstract: Meta data about content is converted into characteristic values. Each characteristic value is associated with one or more content segments of content. The content can be audio, video, or other data or combinations of data. Importance levels for content segments are determined from content scores. Content scores are generally an indication of how one person would rate a particular characteristic value. The content scores may be estimated by using previously determined scores of similar content segments. The similarity is preferably determined by a particular metric. A user may also supply his or her own content scores for content segments. The user profile content scores can be combined with the determined content scores or completely supplant these scores. Based on the importance levels for content scores for content segments, content segments may be packaged into a content digest that a user may view.