Abstract: A recording method is responsive to a user-initiated single instruction, that includes the steps of copying content data from a storage medium loaded in a first apparatus to a data storage device of a second apparatus; and setting a predetermined check-out count from a predetermined count to the predetermined count minus one, the predetermined check-out count including control information corresponding to a predetermined number of times the content data is allowed to be copied to the data storage device. A storage medium driving apparatus implements the recording method described above.

Abstract: A transferring operation for music contents can be simplified. In addition, a check-out can be performed without destruction of a data structure of music contents. A personal computer 100 manages music contents with an album composed of entities of songs and a play list composed of pointers to entities of songs. When songs are checked out from the personal computer 100 side to a disc drive device 1 side, all songs contained in albums described in a play list are checked out. In addition, the play list is transferred to the disc drive device 1 side. The transferred play list and songs that have been checked out are linked. Thus, the numbers of permissible check-out times for songs become the same in each album. As a result, the transferring operation for music contents can be simplified and a check-out can be performed without destruction of the data structure of music contents.

Abstract: An object of the present invention is to effectively and easily manage and use contents. A disc ID database composed of information correlated with disc IDs unique to individual discs is pre-created. When a new disc that has not been registered to the disc ID database is used or when a check-out or a check-in is performed, the disc ID database is updated. When ripping is performed for a CD, a disc for which a check-out is reserved is designated so that the disc is correlated with a disc ID registered in the disc ID database. After the check-out has been reserved, when a disc having the disc ID that has been reserved is connected, the check-out is automatically preformed. Thus, contents can be effectively and easily managed and used.

Abstract: A CD-R (20) in which the load when a CD player reads-in fringe data may be relieved to shorten the time until display. This CD-R is provided with contents files “00001” to “0000n”, holding respective contents, and database files TRNDB, ARNDB and ALNDB. In the contents files “00001” to “0000n”, data of the supplementary information of the contents, for each of the contents files “00001” to “0000n”, are stored, along with the contents. The database files TRNDB, ARNDB and ALNDB hold data of the supplementary information for each of the contents files “00001” to “0000n”.

Abstract: A storage medium includes a first area configured to have data stored therein in a first recording format; a second area configured to have data stored therein in a second recording format; a management table configured to manage a replacement area for a defect area in a data area in the storage medium, the management table being stored in the second area; an alert track stored in the first area; and a management data configured to manage the managing table and the alert track, the management data stored in the first area, wherein an end position of the first area is set a predetermined distance apart from a start position of the second area.

Abstract: When the drive guide is performed by acquiring the drive route information from the information center, a control unit of the navigation terminal receives the information of a partial drive route in the total drive route connecting the place of departure and the place of destination and starts the drive guide on the basis of the received information of partial drive route, even if the information of the total drive route connecting the place of departure and a place of destination is not received.

Abstract: A library of a PC is easily synchronized with recorded contents of a disc loaded into a recording and reproducing apparatus (PD). The PC has a dynamic group and a database. Contents of the dynamic group are, dynamically changed. The dynamic group is correlated with the ID of the disc on which the contents of the dynamic group have been recorded. When the CP and the PD are connected, the ID of the disc loaded into the PD is read. The database is referenced for the ID of the disc. When there is a corresponding dynamic group, the dynamic group is compared with the recorded contents of the disc. Contents that exist in the dynamic group and that do not exist on the disc are checked out to the disc. In contrast, contents that exist on the disc and that do not exist in the dynamic group are checked in to the PC. In addition, the reproduction order of contents of the dynamic group is reflected to contents of the disc.

Abstract: This invention provides a camera case for stopping degradation of picture quality even if pictures are taken with a camera still in the case. Also, this invention provides a camera case with which it is possible to smoothly remove a strap from the case body. For example, a bent section is provided in a case body. Even if light emitted from a flash enters a thickened part of the case body, the light is diverged to the outside by the bent section. In this way, the amount of light transmitted from the flash to the lens of the camera is reduced. Further, a rib may be provided in the case body. In this way, light emitted from the flash and reflected by the inner surface of the case body is inhibited from reaching the lens of the camera. A strap is also supported by support pieces. If a strong tensile force is applied to the strap, the support pieces are deformed and the strap and the case body are separated.

Abstract: When a moving body (e.g., a car) is entering a roundabout, a navigation machine extracts link data of the roundabout from road map data. The navigation machine detects a route entering the roundabout (i.e., a route the moving body is currently taking), a center of the roundabout, and an exiting route based on the link data to determine an angle of the exiting route with respect to the entering route. A direction mark having the exiting route angle is prepared as a heading direction guidance image. The navigation machine can show an appropriate route (direction) at the roundabout without increasing the amount of stored image data.

Abstract: Decrypting information corresponding to a selected track, file pointer information, and index information are read out from a track information table having the decrypting information corresponding to each track, the file pointer information showing one of a plurality of files with headers, and the index information showing a position in the file. The header of the file with the header is read out on the basis of the file pointer information and position information in the file corresponding to the index information is detected from the header. A part of data of the file is read out on the basis of the position information and the read-out data is decrypted on the basis of the decrypting information.

Abstract: A data editing method by which reduction of the burden of an editing process regarding stream data recorded on a recording medium is anticipated and a higher speed editing operation can be achieved. Stream data recorded on a recording medium are presupposed to be managed as a file by a file system. The stream data are managed in a unit of a track by a track managing data file managed by the file system. Editing of division or erasure in a unit of a track is executed by rewriting contents of track management information which defines each track in the track managing data file. With the configuration, when a division or erasure editing process in a unit of a track is performed, there is no necessity to rewrite the file system.

Abstract: An object of the present invention is to provide a structure of a metal collecting material for use in seawater or river water or industrial wastewater to give the most excellent adsorption efficiency. Another object of the present invention is to provide a process for efficiently separating and recovering valuable metals or noxious metals from a metal collecting material having collected said valuable metals from seawater or noxious metals from river water or wastewater with the least possible waste generation. A metal collector according to an aspect of the present invention is formed by stacking at least partially alternate layers of a fibrous metal collecting material with a spacer for introducing a liquid to be treated into said collecting material, wherein the area of spacer side faces represents 25-75% of the total area of collecting material side faces and spacer side faces in the side faces of the stack.

Abstract: A service body comprises a right server, a content server, and a buddy server. The right server correlatively manages charging information and a unique disc ID of each disc. The content server manages a content that is distributed and information associated therewith. The buddy server correlatively manages a disc ID of an information provider side and a disc ID of an information recipient side. A user loads a disc he or she bought from the service body into a disc drive device, logs in the content distributing server, and obtains information corresponding to the disc ID.

Abstract: This invention provides a camera case for stopping degradation of picture quality even if pictures are taken with a camera still in the case. Also, this invention provides a camera case with which it is possible to smoothly remove a strap from the case body. For example, a bent section is provided in a case body. Even if light emitted from a flash enters a thickened part of the case body, the light is diverged to the outside by the bent section. In this way, the amount of light transmitted from the flash to the lens of the camera is reduced. Further, a rib may be provided in the case body. In this way, light emitted from the flash and reflected by the inner surface of the case body is inhibited from reaching the lens of the camera. A strap is also supported by support pieces. If a strong tensile force is applied to the strap, the support pieces are deformed and the strap and the case body are separated.

Abstract: A communication navigation system is provided with a communication center apparatus (3) and a communication navigation terminal (5), which perform two-way communication on a communication network (1, 2). The communication center apparatus for providing map information is provided with: a search device (74) for searching for a recommendation route with respect to the request of route search from the communication navigation terminal; and a wireless device (73) for wirelessly transmitting guidance position information including information indicating a direction or a route to be advanced and/or information indicating a location of each one of a plurality of guidance positions located on the recommendation route. The communication navigation terminal is provided with a display processing device (43) for displaying the recommendation route by connecting the plurality of guidance positions by interpolation according to the content of the received guidance position information.

Abstract: The track information table has: decrypting information corresponding to each track; file pointer information showing one of a plurality of files with headers; and index information showing positions in the files. A function for adding the header to the track of the index information is provided. The decrypting information corresponding to the selected track, the file pointer information, and the index information are read out from the track information table. The header of the file with the header is read out on the basis of the file pointer information. Position information in the file corresponding to the index information is detected from the header. The latter half data of the file is read out on the basis of the position information and added to the track in which coupling has been instructed, thereby newly forming a file with a header.

Abstract: When the drive guide is performed by acquiring the drive route information from the information center, a control unit of the navigation terminal receives the information of a partial drive route in the total drive route connecting the place of departure and the place of destination and starts the drive guide on the basis of the received information of partial drive route, even if the information of the total drive route connecting the place of departure and a place of destination is not received.

Abstract: A communication system using a leakage transmission path, for sending and receiving signals lying within a passband, which the leakage transmission path essentially has as a conductive line, is provided with a signal generation unit for generating a signal to be transmitted by way of the leakage transmission path, and a relay unit disposed on a way of the leakage transmission path, for relaying the signal from the generation unit, and for converting the signal applied, via a cable, thereto into a signal lying within the passband, which the leakage transmission path essentially has, so as to send out it.

Abstract: When a moving body (e.g., a car) is entering a roundabout, a navigation machine extracts link data of the roundabout from road map data. The navigation machine detects a route entering the roundabout (i.e., a route the moving body is currently taking), a center of the roundabout, and an exiting route based on the link data to determine an angle of the exiting route with respect to the entering route. A direction mark having the exiting route angle is prepared as a heading direction guidance image. The navigation machine can show an appropriate route (direction) at the roundabout without increasing the amount of stored image data.

Abstract: A storage medium initializing method includes the steps of detecting a mode corresponding to a recording format to be loaded on a storage medium; and initializing the storage medium according to the mode detected in the detecting step. A recording and reproducing method and apparatus are configured to detect a type of storage medium loaded onto the apparatus and adjust the recording and reproducing processes accordingly.