Abstract: The present invention provides a distributed system control method information processing apparatus that enables a user to ascertain easily and in real time the environment around such user, that is, the status of other users and of peripheral devices, during use of the distributed system, in particular enabling the user to obtain easily information on peripheral devices the user is permitted to use. In a distributed system in which a plurality of user terminals and peripheral devices are dispersed, information indicating the current status of the users of the user terminals and information indicating the current status of the peripheral devices is stored, updated according to changes in status, and the current status of users of other user terminals and the current status of the peripheral devices selectively displayed on the same display screen at each of the plurality of user terminals.

Abstract: For distributing a user image corresponding to the user position in a virtual space, the invention provides a method of fetching the user image taken with a video camera into the main body of a computer (S1), judging the user position in the virtual space (S2), setting a large quantization coefficient in case of an office view (S3) but setting a small quantization coefficient and an even smaller quantization coefficients for a face area in other cases (S4), then compression encoding the image data with the designated quantization coefficient ((S5) and transferring the image data to a host server apparatus 12 through a network (S6). The user terminal receives images of other users from the host server apparatus (S7), expands the image data (S8) and displays the image data on a display apparatus 44 (S9).

Abstract: The present invention provides a distributed system control method information processing apparatus that enables a user to ascertain easily and in real time the environment around such user, that is, the status of other users and of peripheral devices, during use of the distributed system, in particular enabling the user to obtain easily information on peripheral devices the user is permitted to use. In a distributed system in which a plurality of user terminals and peripheral devices are dispersed, information indicating the current status of the users of the user terminals and information indicating the current status of the peripheral devices is stored, updated according to changes in status, and the current status of users of other user terminals and the current status of the peripheral devices selectively displayed on the same display screen at each of the plurality of user terminals.

Abstract: A reservation information reference apparatus for referencing facility reservation information from a terminal connected to a network is disclosed. The reservation information reference apparatus transmits a request for reservation information for a specified facility and receives the reservation information from a server via a communication device thereof. Subsequently, the reservation information reference apparatus displays, on a screen, a current scene for a terminal associated with the requested reservation information as the facility reservation information received from the communication device.

Abstract: A sharing system is provided in which, when a detecting unit in a server apparatus receives image information from a first terminal apparatus, the server apparatus transmits image information of other terminal apparatuses to a second terminal apparatus from which input of an authentication number indicating a user who is identical to a user who is logged in with the first terminal apparatus is detected.

Abstract: An image processing method for determining an area representing a particular image from a moving image using a genetic algorithm, includes the steps of extracting a current frame image from a series of moving image data, producing a plurality of initial chromosomes indicating the particular image from a frame image previous to the current frame image, and determining the area of the particular image in the current frame image by executing a genetic algorithm on the initial chromosomes. According to this image processing method, it is possible to precisely and quickly determine an area of a particular image from a moving image.

Abstract: With spreads of the Internet network, mobile communication networks, intranet networks within organizations, wireless LANs and other communication networks, there has been broadly prevailed a group information shared system in which user groups share their information with each other by utilizing those communication networks. A problem inherent in the group information shared system is that a user providing a useful piece of information to other users, a user participating in the group many times, a user logging in the group for a long time, are not displayed in conspicuous positions. Such being the case, according to the invention of the present application, order processing is executed based on information such as a receipt count etc of message information, wherein the user providing the useful information to other users is displayed in a visually-easy-to-recognize position.

Abstract: A status information sharing system for sharing status information of users who handle a plurality of user terminal devices is provided, wherein the status information sharing system generates accurate latest status information, for example, a work status, a presence status and a schedule based on a status of a user or a schedule in schedule information of the user and provides the other users of the generated latest status information.

Abstract: For distributing a user image corresponding to the user position in a virtual space, the invention provides a method of fetching the user image taken with a video camera into the main body of a computer (S1), judging the user position in the virtual space (S2), setting a large quantization coefficient in case of an office view (S3) but setting a small quantization coefficient and an even smaller quantization coefficients for a face area in other cases (S4), then compression encoding the image data with the designated quantization coefficient ((S5) and transferring the image data to a host server apparatus 12 through a network (S6). The user terminal receives images of other users from the host server apparatus (S7), expands the image data (S8) and displays the image data on a display apparatus 44 (S9).

Abstract: A virtual space system is structured by a plurality of user terminals and a server device, and arranged to be able to keep the privacy of each of users when the pictorial image of each user is distributed. In this system, when a user A requests the pictorial image of a user B as the status information of the user B, for example, the interuser distance between the user A and user B is worked out, and corresponding to the interuser distance thus worked out, an image process is given to the pictorial image of the user B. Then, it is controlled to display the pictorial image of the user B on the user terminal device of the user A after the execution of such image process.