Abstract: A portable display device comprises: a tilt detection unit detecting an angle of rotation, measured between a vertical plane component of a tilt vector of a predetermined reference line in the display and a gravitational vector, as a display tilt; a facial orientation specification unit recognizing a face of a person facing the display and specifying an upright orientation of the face; a terminal orientation determination unit establishing a plurality of angle ranges, and determining whether the display tilt newly detected by the tilt detection unit exceeds a given angle range and enters another angle range, the given angle range including the angle detected by the tilt detection unit upon updating a previous display orientation; and a control unit causing the facial orientation specification unit to begin the specification when the terminal orientation determination unit makes an affirmative determination, and updating the display orientation according to the specified upright orientation.

Abstract: A communication device that can simplify various settings of a display device, such as a TV, that provides information regarding an object (communication device) is provided. An image capturing device (1) has a RF-ID unit (47) for performing proximity wireless communication with a RF-ID reader/writer (46) connected via an infrared communication path to a TV (45). The image capturing device (1) includes: an antenna (21) for the proximity wireless communication; a data receiving unit (105) receiving an input signal from the RF-ID reader/writer (46); a nonvolatile second memory (52) storing at least UID (75) and an execution program (116); and a data transmission unit (108) transmitting the UID (75) and the execution program (116) to the RF-ID reader/writer (46) via the antenna (21) according to the input signal. The UID (75) is used to identify the communication device, and the execution program (116) is executed by the TV (45) with reference to the UID (75).

Abstract: An information display device includes: an image display unit that displays an image according to an orientation of a display screen; a terminal posture detection unit that detects a posture of the device using an acceleration sensor, an angular velocity sensor, and a geomagnetic sensor; and a display direction determination unit that determines whether or not the posture of the device changes, and determines the orientation of the display screen. In the case where the display screen is substantially horizontal and the posture of the device changes, the orientation of the display screen is determined so that, when the device moves by a predetermined angle or more with respect to the orientation (reference orientation) of the display screen before the determination of the posture change, a side of the device at the predetermined angle or more from the reference orientation corresponds to the top of the display screen.

Abstract: A recording device records contents in a plurality of recording media. While the recording device records a content in a recording medium, if a free space of the recording medium runs out, an unrecorded part of the content needs to be recorded in another recording medium. In order to play back all parts of the content, all recording media in which all the parts of the content have been separately recorded are necessary. Particularly, if an internal recording medium included in the recording device has a small space and accordingly a sufficient space is secured by connecting an external removable recording medium to the recording device after the recording has started, parts of the content are separately recorded in the internal recording medium and the external recording medium.

Abstract: The text display device includes: a display control section that displays, on a display device, a text containing a predetermined feature position; an input section that receives an operation performed by a finger of the operator on an input device, and detects a presence of a contact with the finger and XY-coordinates corresponding to a finger position; a calculation section that, when a contact with the finger is detected, associates the detected XY-coordinates with an emphasis display position in the displayed text, calculates a relative distance between the emphasis display position and the feature position, and calculates coordinate values corresponding to the feature position based on the relative distance and the detected XY-coordinates; and a tactile sensation presentation section that provides the operator with a tactile sensation of a protrusion or a depression at a position in the input area indicated by the calculated coordinate values.

Abstract: An NFC device according to the present invention includes the following units. An antenna unit receives radio waves from a reader/writer by NFC. A first power source unit generates power from the radio waves. A second power source unit is a drive power source. A power-supply state holding unit holds information indicating a power-supply state of the second power source unit. An NFC unit performs NFC via the antenna unit to transmit the information indicating the power-supply state of the second power source unit. A power source switch unit switches the second power source unit to the first power source unit according to the power-supply state of the second power source unit, in order to supply power to activate at least the NFC unit and the power-supply state holding unit.

Abstract: A terminal apparatus (M101) includes a terminal unit (M201) and a near-field communication unit (M107). The terminal unit (M201) includes a main memory (M106) that stores operation history information of the terminal apparatus (M101) and a controller (M105). The near-field communication unit (M107) includes a communication control unit (M216) that performs near-field communication with the mobile apparatus (M102) and a near-field communication memory (M215). The controller (M105) stores, in the near-field in communication memory (M215), at least a part of the operation history information stored in the main memory (M106) when a malfunction of the terminal unit (M201) is detected, and the communication control unit (M216) transmits the operation history information stored in the near-field communication memory (M215) is by near-field communication to the mobile apparatus (M102), in accordance with a request from the mobile apparatus (M102).

Abstract: A content output device for outputting contents to be displayed to users, including: a storage unit storing a plurality of contents, each being associated with its attribute; a first output control unit for outputting a predetermined content among the contents to a screen; a related content identifying unit for identifying, among the contents stored in the storage unit, a set of related contents whose attributes are related to an attribute of the predetermined content; a user preference identifying unit for identifying, among the contents stored in the storage unit, contents that match the preference of the user; and a second output control unit for outputting, to the screen, one or more contents that belong to both the set of related contents and the contents identified by the user preference identifying unit, thereby outputting images that are most likely to be desired by thy user.

Abstract: A data processing device (100) includes an input unit (101) which acquires image data, a meaning information extraction unit (102) which extracts meaning information indicating a feature of an object image included in an image represented by the image data, a compression specifying unit (103) which determines an initial value of a compression ratio, a compression unit (104) which compresses the image data according to the compression ratio to generate compressed image data, and a determination unit (103) which determines whether or not the meaning information can be extracted from the compressed image data. The compression specifying unit (103) further changes the compression ratio from the initial value according to a result of the determination by the determination unit (105), and when the compression ratio is changed, the compression unit (104) further compresses the image data according to the changed compression ratio to newly generate compressed image data.

Abstract: The communication device can easily serve as an extended user interface such as a remote controller of a target apparatus without causing any complicated operations to a user. The communication device includes the following units. An apparatus information obtainment unit (203) obtains apparatus information from an apparatus. A position information obtainment unit (206) obtains position information of the communication device (102). An operation information obtainment unit (212) obtains operation information based on the apparatus information. A storage unit (213) stores the position information as apparatus position information indicating as a position of the apparatus, in association with the operation information. A direction sensor unit (207) detects direction of the communication device (102). A directional space calculation unit (208) calculates a directional space of the communication device (102).

Abstract: The present invention is equipped with a plurality of low-cost middle-capacity hard disks that are combined together to realize a large capacity at the same level as a large-capacity hard disk, and performs power-saving management to minimize the power consumption by the hard disks. At the same time, the present invention eliminates delays for accessing the separate hard disks. For this purpose, the present invention puts any of a plurality of drive devices other than a current access-target drive into a power-saving state, and puts the next access-target drive into a stand-by state from the power-saving state during the access to the current access-target drive, by calculating a remaining time until completion of the access to the current access-target drive.

Abstract: A video recording apparatus that prevents screen malfunctions due to playback of incomplete frame image data, even when a power failure has occurred while recording frame image data received via a network to a recording medium, and incomplete frame image data has been recorded. The video recording apparatus includes a reception unit 1001 that receives management information attached to each piece of data, a first recording unit 1003 that records the received video data to the recording medium 1010, and a second recording unit 1004 that records position information of the video data to the recording medium. The video recording apparatus quickly specifies damaged data positions by referencing a file length of the video data file 1005, and a position information file 1006.

Abstract: An access control device for use in a system for providing users with a content access service, the access control device obtaining a content including one or more pieces of personal information, storing a plurality of pieces of personal information in correspondence with a plurality of pieces of first user information each of which indicates one of (i) a user who is permitted by a person related to a corresponding piece of personal information to access a content including the corresponding piece of personal information, and (ii) a user who is not permitted by the person related to the corresponding piece of personal information to access the content, and determining whether or not to give permission to access the content obtained by the obtaining unit, in accordance with a piece of first user information stored in the storage unit in correspondence with the piece of personal information included in the content.

Abstract: A mobile communication device (98b) includes: an appliance information obtainment unit (98n) that obtains appliance information (98n1) by proximity wireless communication (98c1) with an appliance (98a) installed in a home (99), the appliance information specifying the appliance (98a); a position information obtainment unit (98j) that obtains position information (98j1) of the mobile communication device when the proximity wireless communication (98c1) is performed; and a transmission unit (98o) that transmits transmission information (98o1) to a server (98c) in the case where the proximity wireless communication (98c1) is performed, the transmission information including the appliance information (98n1) and the position information (98j1).

Abstract: Setting and operation of a TV, a mobile terminal, and the like are extremely complex to an ordinary user. Even when part of the setting and operation is automatically done, still a change needs to be performed so as to meet the needs of the user according to a use status. In view of this, a RFID tag (8007) of a mobile AV terminal (8006) is brought into proximity of a RFID tag (8007) of a TV 1 to exchange the use status between the terminals, and then a command is generated on the basis of the use status and issued to a server apparatus or the like. Thus, by a simple touching operation (moving the terminal close to the other terminal), it is possible to communicate information for authentication and timing synchronization and thereby meet the needs of the user, with there being no need for the user to perform complex setting and operation.

Abstract: A playback device has a function of playing back, at the time of playing back a playlist from an optical disc, a playitem that is different from a playitem representing an advertisement and embedded in the playlist. In the playback device, a supplying unit holds a desired playitem therein and supplies a requested one of the desired playitem and a playitem that is contained in a playlist stored on an optical disc. A playback unit plays back the playitem supplied from the supplying unit. A judging unit reads playlist information from the optical disc and judges whether or not the playlist information includes a playitem representing an advertisement. If such a playitem is included, a playback path replacing unit rewrites the playlist information to replace the playitem representing the advertisement with playitem representing the desired playitem.

Abstract: A communication device (8802), which can simplify various setting processes, transmits, to a server (8803) via a network, external device information received from an external device (8801) by using proximity wireless communication.

Abstract: A communication device that can simplify various settings of a display device, such as a TV, that provides information regarding an object (communication device) is provided. An image capturing device (1) has a RF-ID unit (47) for performing proximity wireless communication with a RF-ID reader/writer (46) connected via an infrared communication path to a TV (45). The image capturing device (1) includes: an antenna (21) for the proximity wireless communication; a data receiving unit (105) receiving an input signal from the RF-ID reader/writer (46); a nonvolatile second memory (52) storing at least UID (75) and an execution program (116); and a data transmission unit (108) transmitting the UID (75) and the execution program (116) to the RF-ID reader/writer (46) via the antenna (21) according to the input signal. The UID (75) is used to identify the communication device, and the execution program (116) is executed by the TV (45) with reference to the UID (75).

Abstract: The present invention is equipped with a plurality of low-cost middle-capacity hard disks that are combined together to realize a large capacity at the same level as a large-capacity hard disk, and performs power-saving management to minimize the power consumption by the hard disks. At the same time, the present invention eliminates delays for accessing the separate hard disks. For this purpose, the present invention puts any of a plurality of drive devices other than a current access-target drive into a power-saving state, and puts the next access-target drive into a stand-by state from the power-saving state during the access to the current access-target drive, by calculating a remaining time until completion of the access to the current access-target drive.

Abstract: A recording device control apparatus includes a reception unit operable to receive transfer requests and a transfer request specification unit operable to perform transfer criterion judgment processing and same-area judgment processing. When a targeted transfer request fulfills a condition of a negative judgment result in both processes, the apparatus specifies the related data of a targeted transfer request as a transfer target. The same-area judgment process is for judging whether or not a transfer request that has area information identical to area information included in the targeted transfer request was received before the targeted transfer request was received. Furthermore, the apparatus includes a transfer unit operable to transfer the data specified by the transfer request specification unit. By transferring data to the same area in the order specified by the transfer specification unit, inconsistencies are avoided in the data in the recording device control apparatus.