Abstract: The present invention has been made to provide a portable information terminal, an IP address setting program, and an IP address setting method capable of eliminating the need to assign a static IP address to each portable information terminal and eliminating the need to provide a DHCP server for each portable information terminal. A portable information terminal 1 performs a communication using an IP address by connecting to a USB-LAN adapter 2. The potable information terminal 1 has a USB interface 15 that connects to the USB-LAN adapter 2 and a controller 11 that reads an IP address previously stored in the USB-LAN adapter 2 through the USB interface 15 and sets the IP address to the portable information terminal as the IP address thereof.

Abstract: The server/client system comprises a server and at least one client which is connected to said server via a communication line and is provided with at least one I/O port, and is so configured that said server is provided with a device driver for controlling said I/O port, and a virtual I/O port for providing an interface having the same function as said I/O port for said device driver, for transmitting an input/output control signal from said device driver to said client, and for receiving an event from said client to indicate said event to said device driver, and said client is provided with a device handler which is connected to said virtual I/O port via said communication line and controls said I/O port.

Abstract: The present invention is provided with an entry unit for entering a customer's signature on the display unit of the transaction terminal apparatus for executing a transaction with a client. The entered signature is then displayed on the display unit. By having the customer thus sign on the display unit after the shop assistant has taken a transaction medium (such as a credit card) from the customer and had the card information (information for settlement, including card number) read, the shop assistant can quickly match the signatures and then return the transaction medium to the customer. This enables the unease felt by a customer when a shop assistant has taken charge of a transaction medium for a relatively long time to be eliminated.

Abstract: The present invention has been made to provide a portable information terminal, an IP address setting program, and an IP address setting method capable of eliminating the need to assign a static IP address to each portable information terminal and eliminating the need to provide a DHCP server for each portable information terminal. A portable information terminal 1 performs a communication using an IP address by connecting to a USB-LAN adapter 2. The potable information terminal 1 has a USB interface 15 that connects to the USB-LAN adapter 2 and a controller 11 that reads an IP address previously stored in the USB-LAN adapter 2 through the USB interface 15 and sets the IP address to the portable information terminal as the IP address thereof.

Abstract: The present invention is provided with an entry unit for entering a customer's signature on the display unit of the transaction terminal apparatus for executing a transaction with a client. The entered signature is then displayed on the display unit. By having the customer thus sign on the display unit after the shop assistant has taken a transaction medium (such as a credit card) from the customer and had the card information (information for settlement, including card number) read, the shop assistant can quickly match the signatures and then return the transaction medium to the customer. This enables the unease felt by a customer when a shop assistant has taken charge of a transaction medium for a relatively long time to be eliminated.

Abstract: The present invention is constituted so that the elements required to be tamperproof, from among the structural elements of the transaction terminal apparatus for executing transaction processing with a customer, are constituted as a module that is removable from the main body of the transaction terminal apparatus and the module is constituted so as to be tamperproof. In this way, the main body of the transaction terminal apparatus does not need to be made tamperproof because the elements required to be tamperproof are made modular and removed from the main body. The application programs relating to various types of transactions stored in the main body can be easily added to, modified, revised, and updated, and the versatility and expandability are improved.

Abstract: A modem is connected to a terminal equipment and couples to another modem via a transmission line. The modem includes a data transmission and reception part for making data transmission and reception with the terminal equipment, and a modem part for determining a modulation technique, for modulating a transmission signal from the other modem. In addition, the modem includes a data compression and decompression part for determining a compression technique. The compression technique is used for compressing serial data from the data transmission and reception part before supplying the same to the modem part and for decompressing the compressed serial data from the modem part before supplying the same to the data transmission and reception part.