Abstract: An image sensor repeatedly receives a light from an object through a lens and generates images of the object. A differential image generating unit generates a differential image from at least two images. A detector detects a change cycle or an intensity of an external light. An evaluation unit evaluates an influence of the external light and derives an optimal timing in which a minimum influence of the external light is attained. A controller controls a timing of receiving the light of the image sensor, depending upon the optimal timing derived by the evaluation unit, and repeatedly synchronizes a term of two timings with the change cycle of the external light by shifting the term into the change cycle by a unit of predetermined phase difference.

Abstract: A detecting unit detects at least one of a position and a posture of a real object located on or near a three-dimensional display surface. A calculating unit calculates a masked-area where the real object masks a ray irradiated from the three-dimensional display surface, based on at least one of the position and the posture. A rendering unit renders a stereoscopic image by performing different rendering processes on the masked-area from rendering processes on other areas.

Abstract: A voice recognition search apparatus includes: a dictionary create unit creating a first voice recognition dictionary from a search subject data; a voice acquisition unit acquiring first and second voices; a voice recognition unit creating first and second text data by recognizing the first and second voices using the first and second voice recognition dictionaries; a first search unit searching the search subject data by the first text data; and a second search unit searching a search result of the first search unit by the second text data.

Abstract: A dialogue generation apparatus includes a reception unit configured to receive a first text from a dialogue partner, an information storage unit configured to store profile information specific to a person who can be the dialogue partner and a fixed-pattern text associated with the person, a presentation unit configured to present the first text to a user, a speech recognition unit configured to perform speech recognition on speech the user has uttered about the first text presented to the user, and generate a speech recognition result showing the content of the speech, a generation unit configured to generate a second text from the profile information about the dialogue partner, fixed-pattern text about the dialogue partner, and the speech recognition result, and a transmission unit configured to transmit the second text to the dialogue partner.

Abstract: A dialogue generation apparatus includes a transmission/reception unit configured to receive incoming text and transmit return text, a presentation unit configured to present the contents of the incoming text to a user, a morphological analysis unit configured to perform a morphological analysis of the incoming text to obtain first words included in the incoming text and linguistic information on the first words, a selection unit configured to select second words that characterize the contents of the incoming text from the first words based on the linguistic information, a speech recognition unit configured to perform speech recognition of the user's speech after the presentation of the incoming text in such a manner that the second words are recognized preferentially, and produce a speech recognition result representing the contents of the user's speech, and a generation unit configured to generate the return text based on the speech recognition result.

Abstract: A situation recognizing apparatus has a situation change detecting unit, being provided with situation information, configured to detect a situation change on the basis of the situation information, a first storage which stores a plurality of situation changes detected by the situation change detecting unit, an input unit which is provided with a user operation, and a second storage which combines the user operation provided to the input unit with the plurality of situation changes stored in the first storage and stores the combined user operation and the situation changes as a unique pattern.

Abstract: A situation recognizing apparatus has a situation change detecting unit, being provided with situation information, configured to detect a situation change on the basis of the situation information, a first storage which stores the detected situation change, an input unit which is provided with a user operation, and a second storage which combines the user operation provided to the input unit with the situation change stored in the first storage and stores the combined user operation and the situation change as a unique pattern.

Abstract: An information sharing apparatus comprises extracting unit extracting personal information item from acquired information item which includes personal information item, generating unit generating anonymous information item by deleting personal information item from acquired information item, storing unit storing personal information item and anonymous information item, storing unit storing first access level assigned to group of users who can access only anonymous information item, and to store second access level assigned to group of users who can access both of anonymous information item and personal information item, receiving unit receiving request message for accessing acquired information item, transmitting unit transmitting only anonymous information item when access level predetermined to user is equal to first access level, synthesizing unit synthesizing personal information item with anonymous information item, transmitting unit transmitting regenerated second information item, when access level of

Abstract: A word coinciding with a key word input by speech and a word related to the word are set as retrieval candidate words based on a word dictionary in which words representing formal names and aliases of the formal names are registered in association with a family attribute indicating a familiar relation among the words. Content related to any one of retrieval words selected out of the retrieval candidate words and a word related to the retrieval word is retrieved.

Abstract: A word coinciding with a retrieval object keyword and a word tied to the word are read out from a word dictionary in which words representing formal names and aliases of the normal names are registered in association with a family attribute indicating a family relation among the words. The keyword is expanded by reading out the words and content related to any one of the read words is retrieved.

Abstract: An information processing apparatus includes a plurality of information reforming modules that reform input information input from each information device to common format information, which is a format common to the respective information devices, and a status-information storage unit that stores status information indicating a status for each of predetermined items of the reformed common format information, for each of the information reforming modules. The apparatus specifies the information reforming module that satisfies a use request condition, from one or a combination of a plurality of pieces of status information stored in the status-information storage unit, acquires the common format information reformed by the specified information reforming module, processes the acquired common format information to use information matched with the use request condition, and outputs the processed use information.

Abstract: A screen display processing apparatus used for a portable terminal apparatus includes a moving unit configured to relatively move a plurality of cases of the portable terminal apparatus, a detection unit configured to detect a parameter value representing a degree of relative movement of the cases, a determination unit configured to determine based on the parameter value whether a shape of the portable terminal apparatus changes, and a first control unit configured to control a function about the screen display provided in the portable terminal apparatus in accordance with the parameter value and the change or no change in the shape.

Abstract: An information sharing apparatus comprises extracting unit extracting personal information item from acquired information item which includes personal information item, generating unit generating anonymous information item by deleting personal information item from acquired information item, storing unit storing personal information item and anonymous information item, storing unit storing first access level assigned to group of users who can access only anonymous information item, and to store second access level assigned to group of users who can access both of anonymous information item and personal information item, receiving unit receiving request message for accessing acquired information item, transmitting unit transmitting only anonymous information item when access level predetermined to user is equal to first access level, synthesizing unit synthesizing personal information item with anonymous information item, transmitting unit transmitting regenerated second information item, when access level of

Abstract: A personal authentication apparatus including a facial region extraction which extracts an image of a facial region of a person obtained from image sensing input unit, a guide unit which guides motion of the person of interest, a feature amount extraction unit which extracts the feature amount of a face from the image of the facial region extracted by the facial region extraction unit while the motion is guided by the guide unit, a dictionary registration unit which registers the feature amount extracted by the feature amount extraction unit as a feature amount of the person of interest, and an authentication unit which authenticates the person of interest in accordance with the similarity between the feature amount extracted by the feature amount extraction unit, and a feature amount which is registered by the dictionary registration unit.

Abstract: A predictive robot includes a prediction-related item storage to store terms related to prediction performance, a first communicator which transmits stored prediction-related terms and receives a search result of information search with regard to the prediction-related terms, a search controller to control information search of the prediction-related terms stored in the prediction-related item storage via the first communicator, a media converter to convert the search result into a notification medium, and a notification section to provide the search result by the notification medium. Preferably, predictive information is provided spontaneously.

Abstract: An image input apparatus. A detection section detects a change cycle of an intensity of an external light inputted to a camera. A timing control section synchronizes the change cycle of the intensity of the external light with a plurality of input timings of the camera by changing a phase difference in order. An evaluation section compares each storage quantity of the external light inputted to the camera at the plurality of input timings synchronized by the timing control section for each phase difference. A selection section selects the phase difference whose difference of the storage quantities of the external light is smallest from all phase difference changed by the timing control section.

Abstract: An area image sensor outputs the difference between charges received by light-receiving cells arranged in an array pattern. A system controller generates a timing signal for generating a pulse or modulation signal. A control signal generator generates a control signal for separately controlling the light-receiving timings of the light-receiving cells of the area image sensor on the basis of the timing signal from the system controller. A light emitting controller controls a light source to generate light, the intensity of which changes on the basis of the timing signal from the system controller. A reflected light image processor extracts a reflected image of an object from the difference outputted from the area image sensor.

Abstract: In a service provider system, a service provider provides service information dependent on location information of a mobile terminal to the mobile terminal in response to a service request with the location information sent by the mobile terminal. A communication control unit controls communication between the mobile terminal and the service provider. The communication control unit converts a user identifier of the mobile terminal in the service request to a temporary identifier for the communication.

Abstract: An image processing system includes an illumination unit and an illumination control unit configured to adjust light emitted from the illumination unit so as to illuminate a limited area in a space, the system generates a timing signal for controlling emission/non-emission of light from the illumination unit, captures a first image of an imaging area including the limited area or part of the limited area based on the timing signal, the first image being taken from a position different from the illumination unit when the illumination unit emits light, captures a second image of the imaging area based on the timing signal, the second image being taken from the position when the illumination unit emits no light, and acquires a third image which is a difference image between the first image and the second image.

Abstract: In a service provider system, a service provider provides service information dependent on location information of a mobile terminal to the mobile terminal in response to a service request with the location information sent by the mobile terminal. A communication control unit controls communication between the mobile terminal and the service provider. The communication control unit converts a user identifier of the mobile terminal in the service request to a temporary identifier for the communication.