Abstract: The present invention is an information processing apparatus which obtains identification information of an electronic device and makes communication with the electronic device via a network based on the identification information. When a portable telephone (11) is placed on an input display section (2) of a personal computer (1), a reader/writer built in the personal computer (1) reads a telephone number of the portable telephone (11) stored in an RF tag built in the portable telephone (11). Based on the telephone number, a telephone line is connected between the portable telephone (11) and the personal computer (1). Data is interchanged between the portable telephone (11) and the personal computer (1) via the telephone line.

Abstract: The present invention is an information processing apparatus which obtains identification information of an electronic device and makes communication with the electronic device via a network based on the identification information. When a portable telephone (11) is placed on an input display section (2) of a personal computer (1), a reader/writer built in the personal computer (1) reads a telephone number of the portable telephone (11) stored in an RF tag built in the portable telephone (11). Based on the telephone number, a telephone line is connected between the portable telephone (11) and the personal computer (1). Data is interchanged between the portable telephone (11) and the personal computer (1) via the telephone line.

Abstract: An apparatus that controls the action of a pet robot. The apparatus includes a portable terminal (3) having an electrode that may contact a user (2). When the user touches the electrode provided on the head of the robot (1), the user ID stored in the memory section of the portable terminal (3) is transmitted to the robot (1) through the user (2). The robot (1) retrieves the information associated with the user ID it has received, thereby identifying the user (2). The robot (1) may determine that the user (2) touched it in the past. In this case, the robot (1) performs an action in accordance with the information about what the user (2) did to it in the past.

Abstract: The present invention relates to an information providing system, an information providing method, an information processing apparatus, an information processing method, and a communication terminal, for providing requested information in an easy manner. In an information board 1, guides about information which can be provided are displayed on display units 2A to 2D. A PDA 11 includes a non-contact IC card, and a reader/writer is disposed in each of information requesting units 3A to 3D. The information board 1 acquires information to be provided to the PDA 11, depending on which one of readers/writers the PDA 11 is brought close to, and establishes Bluetooth communication with the PDA 11 in accordance with a Bluetooth address, acquired from the non-contact IC card, of the PDA 11. After establishing the Bluetooth communication, the information board 1 provides the acquired information to the PDA 11 by means of the Bluetooth communication.

Abstract: A picture processing apparatus is disclosed which includes: an acquiring device which, apart from a first picture sequence picked up for reproduction purposes, acquires a second picture sequence picked up in synchronism with the first picture sequence, the second picture sequence being made up of pictures wider in angle than those constituting the first picture sequence; a calculating device operable to calculate degrees of similarity between scenes each made up of a predetermined number of consecutive pictures included in the second picture sequence; and a linking device which, after appropriating the degrees of similarity calculated by the calculating device for the degrees of similarity between the corresponding scenes in the first picture sequence, links together those of the corresponding scenes which have high degrees of similarity in the first picture sequence.

Abstract: A picture processing apparatus is disclosed which processes pictures showing subjects wearing devices each assigned identification information. The picture processing apparatus includes: an acquiring mechanism acquiring a first picture sequence formed by the pictures showing the subjects wearing the devices, and a time series of the identification information assigned to the devices; and a clustering mechanism which, based on how the time series acquired by the acquiring mechanism is linked according to the identification information, links together scenes constituting the first picture sequence, the scenes having been picked up at corresponding points in time.

Abstract: A signal transmitting apparatus which makes exchanging information when pouring a liquid possible. A container body 201 of a transmitter side container 20 holds an electrically conductive liquid 402. A display 306 for confirming data reception is attached to a container body 211 of a receiver side container 21. The container body 201 and the container body 211 are electrically connected at a predetermined impedance by the liquid 402. Because digital data is modulated by a carrier of approximately 10 MHz, an electromagnetic field is generated. In particular, a return line 404 due to an electromagnetic near field is generated, and communications from the transmitter side container 20 to the receiver side container 21 becomes possible.

Abstract: The present invention enables to easily perform a graphic processing even when a touch panel is used. When a resistance film unit is pressed with a pen or a finger, output voltages associated with the X coordinate and the Y coordinate position are changed and these output voltages are transmitted as the X coordinate data and the Y coordinate data to a touch panel driver. According to the output from the resistance film unit, the touch panel driver generates an event for supply to a GUI handler. The touch panel driver includes a two-point specification detector which detects two point specifications and causes to calculate coordinates of the two points. The GUI handler generates a message corresponding to the GUI according to the event and supplies the message to an application. The GUI handler includes a processing mode modification block which differently interprets the event when a single point is specified and when two points are specified, thereby modifying the graphic processing mode.

Abstract: A portable information terminal is placed in proximity with an ID recognition unit of a notebook PC. By reading ID from the portable information terminal, the notebook PC is able to identify a network address of the portable information terminal so as to establish a network connection with the portable information terminal. The notebook PC then sends suitable operation information to the portable information terminal via a network. For example, if presentation is running on the notebook PC, screen information for operating the presentation is transferred to the portable information terminal. Accordingly, by using one device connected to the other device by a wired or wireless network, the operation of the other device can be controlled.

Abstract: An electronic device, a communication system and method, an information processing terminal and method, and an information processing apparatus and method capable of easily and rapidly performing communication. When a link pin (21A) is inserted into a VCR (3), the VCR (3) reads a pin ID stored in an RF tag of the link pin (21A) and reports the pin ID and the address to a management server (1). When the management server (1) has already acquired a pin ID of the link pin (21B) read out by a television receiver (5), the management server (1) determines whether a group ID included in the pin ID reported from the VCR (3) is identical a group ID included in the pin ID reported from the television receiver (5). If the group IDs are determined to be identical, the VCR (3) is connected to the television receiver (5). The present invention can be applied to various information processing apparatuses connected to the network.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a communication system and a communication method for simply and quickly starting communication. A cellular phone 52 is loaded with a non-contact IC card that communicates with a reader/writer of a personal computer 51 using an electromagnetic wave. When the non-contact IC card receives the electromagnetic wave emitted from the reader/writer with the cellular phone 52 placed close to the personal computer 51, the cellular phone 52 notifies the personal computer 51 of a card ID set in the non-contact IC card. When the personal computer 51 acquires Bluetooth device names of the cellular phone 52 and PDA 53 with intra-piconet synchronization established between the cellular phone 52 and the PDA 53, the personal computer 51 identifies the cellular phone 52 as a communication partner based on the Bluetooth device names already notified of as the card ID. The present invention is applicable to an information processing apparatus such as a personal computer and a cellular phone.

Abstract: A communication system and method capable of easily identifying a communication mate. A cellular telephone (52) has a non-contact IC card communicating with a reader/writer of a personal computer (51) by an electromagnetic wave. When an electromagnetic wave radiated from the reader-writer is received by the non-contact IC card, the cellular telephone (52) reports the card ID set in the non-contact IC card to the personal computer (51). This card ID includes a Bluetooth address of the cellular telephone (52). When the personal computer (51) fetches the Bluetooth address of the cellular telephone (52) and a PDA (53) upon query, the personal computer (51) identifies the cellular telephone (52) as a Bluetooth device to establish synchronization according to the Bluetooth address reported in advance. The present invention can be applied to an information processing apparatus such as a personal computer and a cellular telephone.

Abstract: The present invention relates to an information processing apparatus and method, recording medium, and program which allow for correct recognition of a connected electronic device. A reader/writer 33-1 is placed near a left vertical side 2-1 of four sides of an input display unit 2. A mobile phone 11 includes an RF tag. When the mobile phone 11 is placed adjacent to the reader/writer 33-1, the reader/writer 33-1 detects the RF tag to detect that the mobile phone 11 is adjacent thereto. An icon 111 of the mobile phone 11 is displayed on the input display unit 2 in a moving manner so that portions of the icon 111 appear step-by-step from the side 2-1 and finally the entirety appears. The present invention is applicable to an information processing apparatus such as a personal computer, a PDA, or a mobile phone.

Abstract: A signal transmitting apparatus which makes exchanging information when pouring a liquid possible. A container body 201 of a transmitter side container 20 holds an electrically conductive liquid 402. A display 306 for confirming data reception is attached to a container body 211 of a receiver side container 21. The container body 201 and the container body 211 are electrically connected at a predetermined impedance by the liquid 402. Because digital data is modulated by a carrier of approximately 10 MHz, an electromagnetic field is generated. In particular, a return line 404 due to an electromagnetic near field is generated, and communications from the transmitter side container 20 to the receiver side container 21 becomes possible.

Abstract: The present invention relates to an information processing apparatus and method, and a program in which information can be reliably exchanged when performing wireless communication by allowing a user to know a communication distance at which devices can be connected. A communication unit 28 performs Bluetooth communication with a communication unit, which serves as a Bluetooth module, provided for a cellular telephone. A CPU 21 displays an image corresponding to the cellular telephone based on the input level of Bluetooth radio waves transmitted from the cellular telephone. For example, when the input level of the radio waves transmitted from the cellular telephone is equal to the maximum input, the CPU 21 sets the level of transparency to be 0, and displays the image corresponding to the cellular telephone on an LCD 32 so that a background image is not transmitted at all.

Abstract: Communication data including actually-photographed pictures is provided. The communication data consists of text data such as a sentence input by a user and a plurality of still pictures obtained by taking a picture of the user a plurality of times. Because the communication data includes visual information provided by a picture of a user, the communication data can more stimulate a user who receives the communication data than text-base communication data can. Furthermore, it is possible to represent a motion using a plurality of still pictures thereby transmitting a large amount of information. Because the motion is represented using only a plurality of still pictures, the data size is much smaller than is required to represent a motion using a moving picture.

Abstract: A transmitter formed of two or more light-emitting sections such as LEDs, which are physically arranged in a predetermined manner, is disposed in the real world object, and each light-emitting section transmits data by flashing at a flashing pattern representing the transmission data of a predetermined bit length. A receiver, on the other hand, includes a photoreceiving section formed from a two-dimensional photoreceiving surface, decodes the transmission data on the basis of the photoreceived flashing pattern, and recognizes the spatial information of an object on the basis of the flashing position on the two-dimensional photoreceiving surface. Therefore, information, such as an ID, can be obtained from the object in the real world, and also, the spatial position of the object can be recognized at the same time.

Abstract: The present invention relates to an information providing system, an information providing method, an information processing apparatus, an information processing method, and a communication terminal, for providing requested information in an easy manner. In an information board 1, guides about information which can be provided are displayed on display units 2A to 2D. A PDA 11 includes a non-contact IC card, and a reader/writer is disposed in each of information requesting units 3A to 3D. The information board 1 acquires information to be provided to the PDA 11, depending on which one of readers/writers the PDA 11 is brought close to, and establishes Bluetooth communication with the PDA 11 in accordance with a Bluetooth address, acquired from the non-contact IC card, of the PDA 11. After establishing the Bluetooth communication, the information board 1 provides the acquired information to the PDA 11 by means of the Bluetooth communication.

Abstract: The present invention relates to an information processing apparatus and method that allow wireless communications to be readily and quickly started. When a cellular phone 1 is placed in proximity to a personal computer 11, a strap ID is transmitted from a contactless IC tag 3 of a cellular phone strap 2 to a reader/writer 12 of the personal computer 11. The personal computer 11 has a table of association between the strap ID and a Bluetooth device name of the cellular phone 1. The personal computer 11, upon obtaining the strap ID, refers to the association table and thereby identifies the cellular phone 1 as a party for carrying out Bluetooth communications therewith. The personal computer 11, by referring to the Bluetooth device name, identifies the cellular phone 1 from among a plurality of Bluetooth devices including the cellular phone 1, and carries out Bluetooth communications with the cellular phone 1.

Abstract: The present invention relates to an information processing apparatus and method, a recording medium, and a program which allow a user to immediately and easily know whether or not transmission of desired data is completed and the direction of transmission of the data. Readers/writers 23-1 through 23-4 and RF tags 24-1 through 24-4 detect an electronic device which is placed adjacent thereto and the direction in which the electronic device is placed. The readers/writers 23-1 through 23-4 and the RF tags 24-1 through 24-4 obtain identification information of the electronic device when the electronic device placed adjacent thereto is detected. A communication unit 22 communicates with the electronic device over a network based on the identification information.