Abstract: A network system is provided that includes a communication terminal including a microphone, a plurality of electronic devices, and a server. The server is configured to transmit a prescribed operation command collectively to the plurality of electronic devices linked to the communication terminal, based on a prescribed voice message from the communication terminal.

Abstract: Provided herein is a network system that includes: a first terminal that includes a speaker; a second terminal that includes a display; and a server that causes the first terminal to output an audio, and that causes the second terminal to display an image concerning the audio.

Abstract: In a remote control system that causes a controlled appliance to perform a function specified with use of a terminal device, a function managing device manages functions including a first function and a second function associated with the first function.

Abstract: The agent server of the present invention includes (i) a conversation monitoring section for monitoring, based on a conversation log saved in a family message board server, comments made by members belonging to a community, (ii) a status information collecting section for collecting status information of the community which information corresponds to (i) a specific member or a combination of specific members and (ii) a specific keyword or a combination of specific keywords which have been detected based on the conversation log, and (iii) a comment making section for outputting, to the server, a comment message which conforms to an event of the community which event is indicated by status information.

Abstract: An agent server determines a posting timing of a message on a family message board on the basis of urgency associated with situation information based on which a message is generated and a posting state, which is obtained by the posting state obtaining section, on the family message board.

Abstract: A smartphone includes: an image display section for displaying images in such a manner as to be selectable by a user, each of the images being associated with (i) specifying information for specifying a cleaning robot and (ii) instruction information for instructing the cleaning robot to execute a predetermined process; and a process instruction section for transmitting, in a case where the user selects at least one of the images thus displayed, image information (2) indicative of said at least one of the images to a server, so as to cause the cleaning robot specified by specifying information associated with said at least one of the images to execute a predetermined process that is instructed by instruction information associated with said at least one of the images.

Abstract: An operation instruction detecting section detects an operation instruction from a message and specifies, as an instruction provider, a member who has posted the message. A report message displaying section causes a message, which (i) reports a result of an operation executed in accordance with the operation instruction and (ii) is explicitly directed to the instruction provider, to be displayed on a family message board.

Abstract: A device-operation management apparatus of the present invention is an agent server for receiving a device operation instruction from a portable terminal via a user's input operation and managing an operation of a house device, and causes an operation button to be displayed on the user's portable terminal so that the user can perform a touch operation, which operation button is for transmitting, to the device, the operation instruction for operating the device in accordance with an operation proposal included in a message which indicates the operation proposal to the home device.

Abstract: The present invention includes function identifying means for identifying, from a functions listing table, a function to be processed so as to be available and function enabling means for processing the function identified, the function identifying means identifying, as a first function, a function selected by a user and further identifying, as a second function, a paired function to be processed, the second function being associated with the first function.

Abstract: An agent server determines a posting timing of a message on a family message board on the basis of urgency associated with situation information based on which a message is generated and a posting state, which is obtained by the posting state obtaining section, on the family message board.

Abstract: An operation instruction detecting section detects an operation instruction from a message and specifies, as an instruction provider, a member who has posted the message. A report message displaying section causes a message, which (i) reports a result of an operation executed in accordance with the operation instruction and (ii) is explicitly directed to the instruction provider, to be displayed on a family message board.

Abstract: The agent server of the present invention includes (i) a conversation monitoring section for monitoring, based on a conversation log saved in a family message board server, comments made by members belonging to a community, (ii) a status information collecting section for collecting status information of the community which information corresponds to (i) a specific member or a combination of specific members and (ii) a specific keyword or a combination of specific keywords which have been detected based on the conversation log, and (iii) a comment making section for outputting, to the server, a comment message which conforms to an event of the community which event is indicated by status information.

Abstract: A smartphone includes: an image display section for displaying images in such a manner as to be selectable by a user, each of the images being associated with (i) specifying information for specifying a cleaning robot and (ii) instruction information for instructing the cleaning robot to execute a predetermined process; and a process instruction section for transmitting, in a case where the user selects at least one of the images thus displayed, image information (2) indicative of said at least one of the images to a server, so as to cause the cleaning robot specified by specifying information associated with said at least one of the images to execute a predetermined process that is instructed by instruction information associated with said at least one of the images.

Abstract: An agent server includes: a conversational message determining section which determines a conversational message to a message on a family message board; an appliance-related message determining section which obtains operation-assisting information for a domestic appliance according to the message; and a message transmitting section which causes the conversational message and the operation-assisting information to be written on the family message board.

Abstract: To add new additional content to the reproduction schedule on the basis of reference content scheduled in a time slot in the reproduction schedule, a digital television in accordance with the present invention includes: an additional content extracting section for identifying, as the additional content, content associated with content information which meets conditions determined on the basis of content information of the reference content; and a placement position determining section for determining, based on time slot determining procedure information based on which a time slot is determined for the additional content related to the reference content, a time slot for the additional content identified by the additional content identifying means. The digital television therefore produces an optimal reproduction schedule to the user.

Abstract: A digital television in accordance with the present invention includes: a state sensing section and a state information update section. The state sensing section senses the process execution state of a process target content in a process executed in accordance with user manipulation. The state information update section updates, in accordance with a sensed process execution state, content state information based on which processing of at least one of the process target content and related content relevant to the process target content is controlled. Therefore, the television does not require the user to perform complex manipulation, but is still capable of controlling content processing.

Abstract: A data creating apparatus creates image data for causing a graphic to be displayed by a displaying device. In the data creating apparatus, an information acquiring unit acquires information on a display characteristic of the displaying device. A storing unit stores information representing a basic portion of the graphic. A creating unit creates gradation information that is information for correcting gradation data of a portion other than the basic portion of the graphic. The creating unit creates the gradation information based on the information on the display characteristic of the displaying device.

Abstract: In a data creating apparatus, stored in a character information storing unit is information representing a basic portion of a graphic. A gradation information creating unit extracts oversampling information, and generates gradation data of a portion other than the basic portion of the graphic by an oversampling process.

Abstract: To add new additional content to the reproduction schedule on the basis of reference content scheduled in a time slot in the reproduction schedule, a digital television in accordance with the present invention includes: an additional content extracting section for identifying, as the additional content, content associated with content information which meets conditions determined on the basis of content information of the reference content; and a placement position determining section for determining, based on time slot determining procedure information based on which a time slot is determined for the additional content related to the reference content, a time slot for the additional content identified by the additional content identifying means. The digital television therefore produces an optimal reproduction schedule to the user.

Abstract: A digital television in accordance with the present invention includes: a state sensing section and a state information update section. The state sensing section senses the process execution state of a process target content in a process executed in accordance with user manipulation. The state information update section updates, in accordance with a sensed process execution state, content state information based on which processing of at least one of the process target content and related content relevant to the process target content is controlled. Therefore, the television does not require the user to perform complex manipulation, but is still capable of controlling content processing.