Abstract: In a subscriber information service system including a plurality of terminal equipment, and an information server for presenting personal information of a called subscriber to user at each of the terminal equipment, the information server being connected to the plurality of terminal equipment through a communication network, the information server has a subscriber information table consisting of a plurality of personal records each including a personal identifier assigned to a subscriber, a name of the subscriber, status information of the subscriber, and a name and an equipment address of the communication equipment which can be utilized by a user, and a facility of transmitting content data of the personal record of the specific subscriber registrated in the subscriber information table to each of the terminal equipment.

Abstract: A system and a user interface make it possible to easily edit important items of a program, such as a conference, in a short time using multimedia information.A retrieving file is generated by extracting a keyword from multimedia information input through a dynamic image input unit such as a camera, a voice input unit such as a microphone, a handwritten character input unit, a pointing unit such as a mouse, and a key-input unit such as a keyboard. A report preparation supporting system and a user interface make it possible to easily edit a report in a short time by referring to the retrieving file and retrieving and editing a scene in which an important item appears when the report is prepared.

Abstract: A real time visual communication system capable of improving a correspondence between a received video signal and a received audio signal in real time and improving reality. An AV signal is separated into a video signal and an audio signal, and the output state of the video or audio signal is controlled by the characteristics of the audio or video signal. For example, the sound field, reverberation, and the like are controlled in accordance with the characteristics of the video signal. A suitable image pickup unit is selected in accordance with the characteristics of the audio signal to make the sights of conversation participants coincide with each other. It is possible to reproduce sounds of audio signals well matching video signals and to provide visual communication having good reality because of the combination of matched audio and video signals.

Abstract: A method for detecting a contour of a given subject to be separated from images utilizing an image separating system. First, a plurality of candidate points which have been input by a user are displayed on a screen. A smooth curve which connects the plurality of candidate points is determined and is displayed on a display apparatus. The intensity of light on a straight line extending in a direction normal to each candidate point is determined. The position of the candidate point is corrected based upon the rate of change in the intensity of light which is determined for each candidate point. A smooth curve which passes the corrected candidate points is determined and is displayed on the display apparatus. The specified image, represented by the smooth curve connecting the corrected candidate points, is then separated from the rest of the image elements.