Abstract: The present invention provides a control apparatus and the like capable of performing exclusive control in a network without adding a new configuration to an existing apparatus to be controlled and, even in the case where the apparatus to be controlled or the like drops from the network, capable of maintaining and continuing the original exclusive control state. In a bus system S in which an apparatus C to be controlled and a control apparatus CC are exclusively associated with each other and the operation of one apparatus C to be controlled is controlled by one control apparatus CC, exclusive control information indicating correspondence between operation of each of the apparatuses C to be controlled and a control apparatus CC which controls the operation is stored similarly in all of the control apparatuses CC with respect to each of the apparatuses to be controlled.

Abstract: The present invention provides a control apparatus and the like capable of performing exclusive control in a network without adding a new configuration to an existing apparatus to be controlled and, even in the case where the apparatus to be controlled or the like drops from the network, capable of maintaining and continuing the original exclusive control state. In a bus system S in which an apparatus C to be controlled and a control apparatus CC are exclusively associated with each other and the operation of one apparatus C to be controlled is controlled by one control apparatus CC, exclusive control information indicating correspondence between operation of each of the apparatuses C to be controlled and a control apparatus CC which controls the operation is stored similarly in all of the control apparatuses CC with respect to each of the apparatuses to be controlled.

Abstract: A relay device and the like are provided which are capable of easily transmitting/receiving information among information processors connected on buses whose information transmission standards are different from each other. A bridge B1 for connecting buses BS1 and BS2 whose information transmission standards are different from each other includes: an operation unit (11) for performing an operation of instructing an operation of an apparatus connected to any of the buses BS; a message generator 5 for generating a control message corresponding to the instructed operation; and a packet transmitter/receiver (7, 8) for transmitting the generated control message to a target apparatus via the bus BS to which the target apparatus is connected.

Abstract: A relay device and the like are provided which are capable of easily transmitting/receiving information among information processors connected on buses whose information transmission standards are different from each other. A bridge B1 for connecting buses BS1 and BS2 whose information transmission standards are different from each other includes: an operation unit (11) for performing an operation of instructing an operation of an apparatus connected to any of the buses BS; a message generator 5 for generating a control message corresponding to the instructed operation; and a packet transmitter/receiver (7, 8) for transmitting the generated control message to a target apparatus via the bus BS to which the target apparatus is connected.

Abstract: A method for reserving recording and viewing a broadcast program on a display screen includes the steps of extracting a broadcast program timetable; simultaneously displaying the broadcast program timetable and a viewing reservation timetable; waiting for a selection input to select a broadcast program on the display screen; waiting for an allocation input to allocate a selected program into the viewing reservation timetable; and generating recording instruction to instruct recording of the selected program and reproduction reservation instruction to instruct reproduction of the selected program at a time corresponding to a position at which the selected program is allocated in the viewing reservation timetable.

Abstract: The present invention provides a control apparatus and the like capable of performing exclusive control in a network without adding a new configuration to an existing apparatus to be controlled and, even in the case where the apparatus to be controlled or the like drops from the network, capable of maintaining and continuing the original exclusive control state. In a bus system S in which an apparatus C to be controlled and a control apparatus CC are exclusively associated with each other and the operation of one apparatus C to be controlled is controlled by one control apparatus CC, exclusive control information indicating correspondence between operation of each of the apparatuses C to be controlled and a control apparatus CC which controls the operation is stored similarly in all of the control apparatuses CC with respect to each of the apparatuses to be controlled.

Abstract: The present invention is directed to provide a programming management system enabling the user to certainly recognize a programming conflict state and capable of avoiding the conflict state for the user. The programming management system is a system in which a plurality of programming management apparatuses 2 and 3 for managing programming information for programming an operation of devices 4 and 5 and the devices 4 and 5 are connected to each other via a network 1. The system includes: detecting means for detecting that at least two programming management apparatuses 2 and 3 are connected to each other via the network 1; determining means for determining the presence or absence of a conflict between the programming information registered in the programming management apparatuses 2 and 3 at the time of the detection; and notifying means, when occurrence of the conflict in two pieces of the programming information is detected, for notifying the user of the occurrence of the conflict.

Abstract: A circulation packet is circulated between nodes according to a circulation sequence list. The content of the circulation packet and whether transmission of the circulation packet to the node set as the next node in the circulation sequence list has failed is determined in the first node. When it is determined that execution of transmission of the circulation packet has failed, specifically, when loss of the node corresponding to the next node in the sequence is detected, the identification information of the corresponding node stored in the storage unit is deleted, a new circulation sequence list is generated in which the lost node is skipped in the circulation sequence, and the circulation packet is transmitted to the node that is newly set as the next node in the sequence. The present invention allows nodes to be efficiently confirmed in real time.

Abstract: When start of data recording is set, a CPU (153) establishes an internal connection according to the necessity and makes a contents sending device (120) fetched prespecified data, and the data is transmitted to and recorded in a HD device (130) via a data bus (110). An free space in the HD device (130) is detected during the operation for recording data, and when it is recognized that the free space has dropped to a prespecified value or below, the other data having been recorded in the HD device (130) is transferred to a contents recording device (140) via the data bus (110) to secure a required free space in the HD device (130). With the configuration, data can be recorded smoothly and without fail according to a situation of data recording.

Abstract: On an information recording medium (1), digital information is multi-level-recorded by changing a shape of an information pit in correspondence with the digital information by multiple steps.

Abstract: A WEB page browse reservation managing system by which a user can make a reservation for a time for browsing a WEB (World Wide Web) page. The system includes a registration unit, a timer unit and a notification information transmission unit. The registration unit registers a URL of a WEB page reserved for a browse by a user and a browse time in a browse reservation list. The timer unit detects the browse time or a time just earlier by a predetermined time than the browse time. The notification information transmission unit transmits notification information about arrival of the browse time at a point of time when an interrupt occurs from the timer unit.

Abstract: An electronic apparatus connection system, includes: a plurality of unit systems, at least two of the unit systems respectively including a control section for controlling at least a portion of the unit system to which the control section belongs. The control sections are connected so as to mutually communicate. Each of the control section stores setting as to a use state of the unit system to which the control section belongs. The control section in one of the plurality of unit systems hands the setting to another control section in another one of the unit systems in accordance with location movement of a user.

Abstract: A plurality of programs are broadcast from at least one station. A system for preparing a program viewing schedule includes a program guide extractor for extracting a broadcast program guide. The broadcast program guide includes program characteristic data. The system also includes a frequency data generator for generating frequency data with regard to the program characteristic data, based on a program viewing history and/or a program recording history. A recorded program data extractor of the system extracts recorded program data. The recorded program data includes a time needed to record each program. A broadcast program allocator of the system selects a program from the broadcast program guide, based on the frequency data, and allocates the selected program in the program viewing schedule. A recorded program allocator of the system determines which program has not been viewed among the recorded programs, and allocates the unwatched program into a vacant area in the program viewing schedule.

Abstract: A television signal of a certain TV program is captured for a specified period and memorized in an image memory as a representative image of that TV program. The representative image is read from the image memory when, for example, the same kind of the TV program is found in a TV listing (list of scheduled programs). The representative image is then attached to the program title in the TV listing. Since the representative image presents visual information, a user can learn more about a scheduled program from the TV listing.

Abstract: A method for reserving recording and viewing a broadcast program on a display screen includes the steps of extracting a broadcast program timetable; simultaneously displaying the broadcast program timetable and a viewing reservation timetable; waiting for a selection input to select a broadcast program on the display screen; waiting for an allocation input to allocate a selected program into the viewing reservation timetable; and generating recording instruction to instruct recording of the selected program and reproduction reservation instruction to instruct reproduction of the selected program at a time corresponding to a position at which the selected program is allocated in the viewing reservation timetable.

Abstract: A method for generating a timetable of broadcast programs includes the steps of receiving a broadcast program guidance; identifying at least one tuner for receiving a broadcast program; obtaining the receiving reservation information including a broadcast time frame and a receiving tuner for each of reserved broadcast programs for all of the identified tuners; detecting an unavailable time frame based on the receiving reservation information, the unavailable time frame representing a time period that the reservation time frames of all the identified tuners are overlapped; and generating a display data for displaying the program guidance and the unavailable time frame.