Abstract: An information providing method to be executed by an information providing system includes: a first step of acquiring, by a second terminal, the action data corresponding to the data ID from a management server when the second terminal transmits to the management server a request to acquire the personal information including the data ID; a second step of acquiring, by the second terminal, the personal information from the management server when the second user has access authority for the personal information associated with the data ID; and a third step of transmitting, by the second terminal, the information to the first terminal of a first user identified by the personal information when the second terminal acquires the action data and the personal information.

Abstract: A video camera and apparatus for extracting an object from a video signal. The video camera and the extracting apparatus include units for setting a plurality of different parameters for distinguishing a plurality of areas in an input video signal according to the plurality of different set parameters, a unit for determining an extracting area in accordance with the plurality of areas distinguished by the setting units, and an extracting unit for generating extracting information for the extracting area for the video signal. The video camera includes a unit for controlling an operation of the video camera in accordance with the extracted information.

Abstract: A video camera for enabling improvement in automatic functions such as automatic white balancing and automatic focusing while controlling picture quality of a video image including a specific object of the video image and/or background thereof. The video camera includes an image pickup device and a signal processing circuit responsive thereto for processing the image picked up by the image pickup device and providing a video signal as an output. An extraction unit is provided for extracting a signal representative of a specific portion of the video signal of the signal processing circuit, and a control unit responsive to the signal extracted by the extraction unit effects control of at least one of the signal processing circuit and at least one input control parameter of the video camera in accordance therewith, thereby providing improvement in the picture quality.

Abstract: The present invention provides for designation of a prescribed area within an image as an initial extracting area, extraction of an area which fulfills the conditions determined according to the characteristics of the specific image from an image signal of an image, generation of comparative area signal presenting an area slightly larger than the extracted area which is necessary for fulfilling the conditions from the area extracting signal of the designated initial extracting area, comparison of the comparative area signal that has been generated with the candidate area signal through which the initial extracting signal of the initial extracting area is converted into an area extracting signal, and extraction of an image signal within the area determined by the new area extracting signal.