Abstract: In a broadcasting receiver, the receiver is so operated as not to disturb viewing by audiences other than an operator. The broadcasting receiver has an image pickup unit for photographing images of televiewers, a face detection unit for detecting faces of the televiewers from the photographed image, an individual discrimination unit for managing detected faces discriminately, a watching concentration degree calculation unit for calculating degrees of concentration of watching a television in respect of individual discriminated faces and an operation execution decision unit for deciding a television operator and deciding execution of operation in accordance with values of watching concentration degrees of the televiewers other than the operator.

Abstract: An authentication information and a verification information are previously generated and the authentication information is stored to an authentication data generating apparatus, while the verification information is stored to a gateway. When a controller tries to make communication With a customer premises apparatus, the authentication data generating apparatus connected to the controller generates an authentication data using the authentication information and the gateway verifies the authentication data using the verification information. Moreover, the gateway restricts, when connected to the authentication data generating apparatus, the communication between the controller located in the outside of customer premises and the customer premises apparatus. Moreover, the gateway changes, while connected to the authentication data generating apparatus, an address of the customer premises apparatus and stores the changed address to the authentication data generating apparatus.

Abstract: For enabling to deal with various kinds of events, but without knowing the meaning of the event issued by network equipments, an event notifying equipment notifies URL for an event receiving equipment to access a HTML file corresponding to the event, in the form of an event parameter, thereby providing a HTML file for indicating a reason of generating the event and a HTML file for prompting a process corresponding to the event, in response to a request from a Web browser. An event receiving apparatus is able to execute the event process only by accessing to the URL included in the event parameter.

Abstract: A user interface application for an embedded device has a GUI-component general-purpose-structured-data generation section, a GUI-screen edition section, and a GUI-program generation section. The GUI-screen edition section provides to a user a means for creating a GUI screen by using a GUI component represented by the GUI-component general-purpose structured data generated by the GUI-component general-purpose-data generation section to generate, based on the GUI screen created by the user, GUI-screen general-purpose structured data in which any programming language can be used. The GUI-program generation section uses GUI-screen general-purpose structured data generated by the GUI-screen edition section and a program executable in a target device to generate a GUI application executable in the target device. The thus-configured present invention provides a technique for supporting development of a user interface application for an embedded device more easily than with conventional techniques.

Abstract: An object of the present invention is to provide network devices and a network device control method which enable control network devices connected to an IP network, AV devices connected over 1394IF through gateway devices from the IP network, and home devices connected to ECHONET to be controlled without distinction among them. To achieve this object, a network device to serve as a controller comprises a controller application that detects a service of a target network device, using a message complying with an information exchange protocol common to the network, collects information such as an access method for the service, a function name, and parameters, and controls the network device upon request, and an information exchange protocol processing part that exchanges messages according to a protocol common to the network devices.

Abstract: An object of the present invention is to provide network devices and a network device control method which enable control network devices connected to an IP network, AV devices connected over 1394IF through gateway devices from the IP network, and home devices connected to ECHONET to be controlled without distinction among them. To achieve this object, a network device to serve as a controller comprises a controller application that detects a service of a target network device, using a message complying with an information exchange protocol common to the network, collects information such as an access method for the service, a function name, and parameters, and controls the network device upon request, and an information exchange protocol processing part that exchanges messages according to a protocol common to the network devices.

Abstract: The present invention is intended to simplify the user's initial setup operation when connecting a new network device to a network in his/her house/room, and further to prevent connection of a network device that is unknown to that user. A network connection management device, when receiving a network connection request from a new network device, sends the request to other network devices connected already to the network. The request then is displayed on each respective displaying means in order to prompt the user to confirm the request. The confirmation data inputted by the user through the inputting means of any of these network devices is sent to the network connection management device, which then determines whether to permit the connection to said network. When the decision result is “YES” (permit), the new network device is connected to the network.

Abstract: In a system having two or more gateway apparatuses connected to both first and second networks having mutually different address systems, a gateway apparatus is provided with a translation table for associating IP addresses with node IDs. The gateway apparatus inquires other gateway apparatuses whether other gateway apparatuses are administering the same address as an IP address generated for a newly added device. If there is another gateway apparatus that is administering the same address, the IP address is prevented from being registered in the translation table.

Abstract: For enabling to deal with various kinds of events, but without knowing the meaning of the event issued by network equipments, an event notifying equipment notifies URL for an event receiving equipment to access a HTML file corresponding to the event, in the form of an event parameter, thereby providing a HTML file for indicating a reason of generating the event and a HTML file for prompting a process corresponding to the event, in response to a request from a Web browser. An event receiving apparatus is able to execute the even process only by accessing to the URL included in the event parameter.

Abstract: An information processing apparatus is used in a network including an information apparatus compatible with the universal-plug-and-play (UPnP) discovery and control method and an information apparatus compatible with the Web based discovery and control method and includes a browser support unit for converting the Web based discovery and control method to the UPnP discovery and control method and a server support unit for converting the UPnP discovery and control method to the Web based discovery and control method. The information apparatus compatible with the UPnP discovery and control method and the information apparatus compatible with the Web based discovery and control method can acquire device information from each other and control the device by each other.

Abstract: A copyright of a content is protected by preventing creation of illegal copies of the content and the content is prevented from being transmitted beyond a range of personal use in a process to transmit the content through a LAN. Before transmission of a content, a content transmission apparatus and a content reception apparatus perform a determination of authentication information available in a predetermined command accompanying authentication information, or an authentication determination based on a time until reception of a response to a predetermined command request accompanying predetermined authentication information. If the authentication is unsuccessful, the requested content is not transmitted to the content reception apparatus. With such arrangement, it is possible to effectively protect a copyright when a content is transmitted by way of a network.

Abstract: An electronic device connected to a network corresponding to plug & play and hot plug functions and enabled to control other electronic devices is provided with communication route detecting unit for detecting a communication route between electronic devices being used or reserved for communication and notifying unit for notifying the user of a result of detection by the communication route detecting unit. The above-described electronic device is configured so as to detect a communication route between subject electronic devices to be used for communication and notify the user of the electronic devices on the communication route, which must not be disconnected from the network with use of the communication unit. Consequently, the user can be prevented from accidental disconnection of the cable of a subject electronic device, thereby preventing the disconnection of the device from the network.

Abstract: The present invention provides a method and a device, for use in a network over which data may be exchanged among devices, for providing data (executable code unit) for controlling other devices. To achieve this, a DCM Manager of a controller FAV first collects device control data from configROMs of the devices. The DCM Manager uses this information to search for the newest DCM for a new controlled device BAV that has been connected to a network. The DCM Manager reads the newest BAV1_DCM_b from the configROM of the BAV to install the DCM.

Abstract: A gateway as a node of a local network and a wide area network includes a first command processor for processing a first command according to a first network protocol which is used in the local network, a network configuration storing unit for storing gateway specifying information for specifying another gateway connected via the wide area network and a second command processor for processing a second command according to a second network protocol which is used in the wide area network and executing protocol conversion between the first network protocol and the second network protocol, thereby controlling permission or inhibition of communication on the basis of the gateway specifying information stored in the network configuration storing unit.

Abstract: As the number of pixels in a digital camera is increased, the power consumption is increased due to an increased quantity of data to be photographed, which inevitably requires a large capacity of battery and an increased camera weight. In order to enhance a picture quality, an optical system is also required to have a larger scale, with the result that the casing of the camera becomes large. In facilities such as an amusement part, since the user carries the camera for a long time, the heavy, large-sized camera becomes cumbersome to deal with. The camera is installed at a photographing spot in the facilities, the camera is provided with a means for performing wireless communication with a portable device carried by the user, and photographed image data is saved in a recording medium of the portable device or in a server connected between the camera and a network.

Abstract: An authentication information and a verification information are previously generated and the authentication information is stored to an authentication data generating apparatus, while the verification information is stored to a gateway. When a controller tries to make communication With a customer premises apparatus, the authentication data generating apparatus connected to the controller generates an authentication data using the authentication information and the gateway verifies the authentication data using the verification information. Moreover, the gateway restricts, when connected to the authentication data generating apparatus, the communication between the controller located in the outside of customer premises and the customer premises apparatus. Moreover, the gateway changes, while connected to the authentication data generating apparatus, an address of the customer premises apparatus and stores the changed address to the authentication data generating apparatus.

Abstract: In a system having two or more gateway apparatuses connected to both first and second networks having mutually different address systems, a gateway apparatus is provided with a translation table for associating IP addresses with node IDs. The gateway apparatus inquires other gateway apparatuses whether other gateway apparatuses are administering the same address as an IP address generated for a newly added device. If there is another gateway apparatus that is administering the same address, the IP address is prevented from being registered in the translation table.

Abstract: An object of the present invention is to provide network devices and a network device control method which enable control network devices connected to an IP network, AV devices connected over 1394IF through gateway devices from the IP network, and home devices connected to ECHONET to be controlled without distinction among them. To achieve this object, a network device to serve as a controller comprises a controller application that detects a service of a target network device, using a message complying with an information exchange protocol common to the network, collects information such as an access method for the service, a function name, and parameters, and controls the network device upon request, and an information exchange protocol processing part that exchanges messages according to a protocol common to the network devices.

Abstract: The present invention is intended to simplify the user's initial setup operation when connecting a new network device to a network built in his/her house/room and prevent connection of a different network device unknown to said user. A network connection management device, when receiving a network connection request from a new network device, sends the request to other network devices connected already to the network so as to be displayed on their displaying means to prompt the user to make an operation for confirming the request. The confirmation data inputted by the user through the inputting means of the network device is sent to the network connection management device, which then determines whether to permit the connection to said network. When the decision result is YES (permit), the new network device is connected to the network.

Abstract: The present invention provides a method and a device, for use in a network over which data may be exchanged among devices, for providing data (executable code unit) for controlling other devices. To achieve this, a DCM Manager of a controller FAV first collects device control data from configROMs of the devices. The DCM Manager uses this information to search for the newest DCM for a new controlled device BAV that has been connected to a network. The DCM Manager reads the newest BAV1_DCM_b from the configROM of the BAV to install the DCM.