Abstract: A content material of a first content which is reproducible constantly and content information describing information relating to a reproduction of a second content which is reproducible on a predetermined time and date are stored in a storage unit. A timewise characteristic or a characteristic relating to a reproducing state of the content material and/or the content information corresponding to operation candidate contents are determined. The operation candidate contents are list-displayed for each type of the characteristic, and an execution process corresponding to the characteristic of an operation candidate content is displayed as a processing candidate.

Abstract: A personal authentication apparatus includes 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 recognition apparatus has an image capture section for capturing a range image, an image deformation section for deforming the range image captured by the image capture section, and a recognition section for recognizing the presence/absence of three-dimensional motion of an object by comparing the deformed image obtained by the image deformation section, and a new range image captured by the image capture section.

Abstract: An image recognition apparatus has an image capture section for capturing a range image, an image deformation section for deforming the range image captured by the image capture section, and a recognition section for recognizing the presence/absence of three-dimensional motion of an object by comparing the deformed image obtained by the image deformation section, and a new range image captured by the image capture section.

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 xternal 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: A method of displaying 3D image on a 3D image displaying apparatus that produces a parallax at least in one direction, the method includes displaying by a displaying unit 2D information that is viewed as a 2D content by a viewer in such a manner that a 2D information angle (?_2D) formed with a virtual display surface of the 2D information and a real horizontal plane satisfies ?_D<?_2D?90°, wherein a display surface is arranged at an angle (?_D) formed with the real horizontal plane in a real space, where 0°??_D<90°.

Abstract: The operation characteristics of an image capture unit are changed on the basis of the captured image. If an object does not move, i.e., if the user does not input, the capture timing and the like are decreased to reduce the consumption power. The capturing condition is changed by, e.g., increasing a distance for capturing an image until an image can be captured, and even a plurality of users with different ways of use can use the apparatus without setting again the capturing conditions for the different ways of use.

Abstract: An interface apparatus of an embodiment of the present invention is configured to perform a device operation in response to a voice instruction from a user.

Abstract: A broadcasting receive apparatus includes a digital broadcasting receiving unit that receives a digital broadcasting, a program table obtaining unit that obtains a program table of an analog broadcasting, a channel correspondence storing unit that stores a channel correspondence, the channel correspondence relating a channel of the digital broadcasting to a channel of the analog broadcasting, and a program converting unit configured to convert the program table to a compatible program table with the digital broadcasting according to the channel correspondence.

Abstract: A video distribution system includes plural receiving terminals, a video distribution apparatus, and a common ID issuing and managing apparatus. Each of the plural receiving terminals has a terminal ID, makes a distribution request for video data, and receives the video data distributed in response to the distribution request. The video distribution apparatus distributes video data to the receiving terminal according to the distribution request.

Abstract: A data distribution apparatus includes a data file configured to store video data and advertisement data to be provided to a receiving terminal of a Video on Demand service; a video distributing unit configured to distribute video data in accordance with a distribution request from the receiving terminal; a video presentation confirming unit configured to confirm a presentation state of the video data at the receiving terminal; an advertisement distribution determining unit configured to determine distribution of advertisement data to the receiving terminal when it is confirmed that the video data to be distributed by the video distributing unit is being called; and an advertisement distributing unit configured to distribute the advertisement data.

Abstract: By moving image analysis, acoustic/speech analysis, or text analysis for multimedia information in a database, feature data representing the type of information is acquired, and the feature data is stored into the database added to the multimedia information. A search engine extracts partial images of user's interest from the multimedia information on the basis of the feature data and a user profile data. A link section associates the representative images (still images) of the partial images with multimedia images and displays the list of representative images and feature data. Thus, only a portion of the user's concern is extracted from an enormous amount of multimedia information, and individual information is selectively provided in units of users.

Abstract: A speech dialogue translation apparatus includes a speech recognition unit that recognizes a user's speech in a source language to be translated and outputs a recognition result; a source language storage unit that stores the recognition result; a translation decision unit that determines whether the recognition result stored in the source language storage unit is to be translated, based on a rule defining whether a part of an ongoing speech is to be translated; a translation unit that converts the recognition result into a translation described in an object language and outputs the translation, upon determination that the recognition result is to be translated; and a speech synthesizer that synthesizes the translation into a speech in the object language.

Abstract: A signal acquisition unit acquires a status signal from a home appliance. An expression unit expresses the status signal to a user. A reaction acquisition unit acquires a reaction signal from the user in response to the status signal expressed. A registration unit registers relativity in the status signal and the reaction signal in a storage unit. A first comparison unit compares an acquired status signal by the signal acquisition unit to the stored status signal in the storage unit. If the acquired status signal matches the stored status signal, the expression unit expresses the reaction signal related to the stored status signal. If the acquired status signal does not match the stored status signal, the expression unit expresses the acquired status signal, and the registration unit registers relativity in the acquired status signal and a reaction signal from the user in response to the acquired status signal expressed.

Abstract: A graphic computing apparatus has a shape divider which generates a subpolygon mesh by dividing the unit shape of the surface of an object present in a three-dimensional space into a plurality of subpolygons arranged two-dimensionally and having an arbitrary size, a vertex processor which computes parameters required for drawing in units of pixels with respect to subpolygons for each vertex of the subpolygon mesh generated by the shape divider, a rendering processor for computing drawing data in units of pixels on the basis of the parameters computed by the vertex processor and picture data for texture mapping, and a frame memory which stores the drawing data as picture data, and at least data for texture mapping required for the rendering processor to compute the drawing data.

Abstract: An image capture module and an image capture apparatus for inputting shape of an object in three dimensional space, including a light emitting section which emits light to the object for reflection by the object and imaging of reflected light on a photo-receiving plane of a reflected light image detecting section via an image capture optical system. The reflected light image detecting section detects a reflected light image indicative of a distribution of intensity of the reflected light. The light may be irradiated evenly to the object and the shape of the object may be detected correctly even if the object has irregularity by disposing the light emitting section closely to the image capture optical system. The object may be illuminated evenly by the light from a light emitting section having plural light emitting elements by disposing the light emitting elements symmetrically about the image capture optical system.

Abstract: An image recognition apparatus has an image capture section for capturing a range image, an image deformation section for deforming the range image captured by the image capture section, and a recognition section for recognizing the presence/absence of three-dimensional motion of an object by comparing the deformed image obtained by the image deformation section, and a new range image captured by the image capture section.

Abstract: An image capture module and an image capture apparatus for inputting shape of an object in three dimensional space, including a light emitting section which emits light to the object for reflection by the object and imaging of reflected light on a photo-receiving plane of a reflected light image detecting section via an image capture optical system. The reflected light image detecting section detects a reflected light image indicative of a distribution of intensity of the reflected light. The light may be irradiated evenly to the object and the shape of the object may be detected correctly even if the object has irregularity by disposing the light emitting section closely to the image capture optical system. The object may be illuminated evenly by the light from a light emitting section having plural light emitting elements by disposing the light emitting elements symmetrically about the image capture optical system.

Abstract: An image recognition apparatus has an image capture section for capturing a range image, an image deformation section for deforming the range image captured by the image capture section, and a recognition section for recognizing the presence/absence of three-dimensional motion of an object by comparing the deformed image obtained by the image deformation section, and a new range image captured by the image capture section.