Abstract: A cloud server includes an equipment information storage that stores equipment table information; an equipment controller that generates control information; an encapsulator that generates control notification information by encapsulating the control information and adding header information for specifying a control device as a sending destination; and a notification information sender that sends the control notification information to the control device based on the header information. Upon acquiring the control notification information from the server, the control device removes the header information from the control notification information and decapsulates to extract the control information, and sends the extracted control information to a controlled equipment.

Abstract: A cloud server includes an equipment information storage that stores equipment table information; an equipment controller that generates control information; an encapsulator that generates control notification information by encapsulating the control information and adding header information for specifying a control device as a sending destination; and a notification information sender that sends the control notification information to the control device based on the header information. Upon acquiring the control notification information from the server, the control device removes the header information from the control notification information and decapsulates to extract the control information, and sends the extracted control information to a controlled equipment.

Abstract: An aspect ratio converting apparatus and method convert a picture having an aspect ratio of 4:3 into a picture having an aspect ratio of 16:9. The cut mode or the wide mode is freely selected in accordance with the state of video signals. When the cut mode is selected, after both end portions of the picture are cut by a predetermined width, the picture is compressed. A side panel image having a predetermined luminance is added to both sides of the compressed picture, thereby producing a picture having a wide aspect ratio. When the wide mode is selected, a side panel image having a predetermined luminance is added to both sides of the compressed picture, thereby producing a picture having a wide aspect ratio. Furher, by detecting the available period in a horizontal scanning period of the picture in which picture information actually exists, it is possible to automatically set the region of the picture which is compressed.