Abstract: A user management method according to the present disclosure includes: storing (S101) appliance use information including: appliance identification information for identifying an appliance; user information for identifying a user of the appliance; and an operating state of the appliance when the appliance was used; analyzing (S102) the appliance use information stored in the storing (S101) to identify, from among a plurality of functions of the appliance, one or more first functions each having a use frequency less than or equal to a threshold value; and providing (S103) the user with a notice which prompts use of the one or more first functions identified in the analyzing (S102).

Abstract: A user management method according to the present disclosure includes: storing (S101) appliance use information including: appliance identification information for identifying an appliance; user information for identifying a user of the appliance; and an operating state of the appliance when the appliance was used; analyzing (S102) the appliance use information stored in the storing (S101) to identify, from among a plurality of functions of the appliance, one or more first functions each having a use frequency less than or equal to a threshold value; and providing (S103) the user with a notice which prompts use of the one or more first functions identified in the analyzing (S102).

Abstract: A user management method according to the present disclosure includes: storing appliance use information including: appliance identification information for identifying an appliance; user information for identifying a user of the appliance; and an operating state of the appliance when the appliance was used; analyzing the appliance use information stored in the storing to identify, from among a plurality of functions of the appliance, one or more first functions each having a use frequency less than or equal to a threshold value; and providing the user with a notice which prompts use of the one or more first functions identified in the analyzing.

Abstract: Provided is a server device capable of increasing the availability of a device by urging a user who uses the device to perform actions related to maintenance service. In this server device, an information transceiver receives operation information about a device. A remaining life determination unit determines the remaining life of the device or a component of the device based on the operation information. When the determined remaining life reaches a predetermined remaining life or becomes shorter than the predetermined remaining life, a transmission destination setting unit sets a device that is possessed by a person having a predetermined relationship with the user of the device as a transmission destination for the transmission of maintenance service information based on relationship information indicating the relationship between the user of the device and another person who is not the user. The information transceiver transmits the maintenance service information to the transmission destination.

Abstract: A control method of the present disclosure is a control method of an information processing apparatus which includes a storage unit that stores predetermined resource information related to a resource required for a living activity of a user, the method including: an acquiring step of acquiring device information; an estimating step of estimating a living activity of the user; a competition extracting step of extracting a living activity group including living activities for which the resources are likely to compete among the living activities, based on the resource information; a resource judging step of judging whether a required resource has been secured for each of the living activities, based on the device information and the resource information; and an inhibition extracting step of extracting, as an inhibited living activity, a living activity for which it has been judged that the required resource has not been secured.

Abstract: Provided is a server device capable of increasing the availability of a device by urging a user who uses the device to perform actions related to maintenance service. In this server device, an information transceiver receives operation information about a device. A remaining life determination unit determines the remaining life of the device or a component of the device based on the operation information. When the determined remaining life reaches a predetermined remaining life or becomes shorter than the predetermined remaining life, a transmission destination setting unit sets a device that is possessed by a person having a predetermined relationship with the user of the device as a transmission destination for the transmission of maintenance service information based on relationship information indicating the relationship between the user of the device and another person who is not the user. The information transceiver transmits the maintenance service information to the transmission destination.

Abstract: A user management method according to the present disclosure includes: storing appliance use information including: appliance identification information for identifying an appliance; user information for identifying a user of the appliance; and an operating state of the appliance when the appliance was used; analyzing the appliance use information stored in the storing to identify, from among a plurality of functions of the appliance, one or more first functions each having a use frequency less than or equal to a threshold value; and providing the user with a notice which prompts use of the one or more first functions identified in the analyzing.

Abstract: There are included: a step for receiving, through communication, pieces of operation information each including (a) operating state information of a device and (b) user information for identifying a user, in association with each other; a step storing the pieces of the operation information received in the receiving into a first storage unit; a step for reading, from a second storage unit, behavior tendency information including, in association with each other, (c) operating state information of at least one device and (d) a predetermined user behavior tendency of the user; and a step for specifying the predetermined user behavior tendency which corresponds to the operating state information of at least one device, by searching the pieces of the operation information for the operating state information of at least one device which is included in the behavior tendency information.

Abstract: A control method of the present disclosure is a control method of an information processing apparatus which includes a storage unit that stores predetermined resource information related to a resource required for a living activity of a user, the method including: an acquiring step of acquiring device information; an estimating step of estimating a living activity of the user; a competition extracting step of extracting a living activity group including living activities for which the resources are likely to compete among the living activities, based on the resource information; a resource judging step of judging whether a required resource has been secured for each of the living activities, based on the device information and the resource information; and an inhibition extracting step of extracting, as an inhibited living activity, a living activity for which it has been judged that the required resource has not been secured.

Abstract: It is an object of the present invention to provide a wireless communication system which can allow a wireless LAN terminal device (1000) to establish a connection to a wireless LAN through a simplified procedure. In the wireless communication system, a wireless LAN access point (1100) performs wireless communication with a wireless LAN terminal device (1000) having personal identification information (1005) necessary to identify a person as a registered user.

Abstract: Provided is a remote control device capable of remotely operating an Internet home appliance with little burden on the user. A remote control (400) remotely operates a camera (200) which sends self-identification information by an optical signal (510) and a television (300) (Internet home appliance) which sends the self-identification information by an optical signal (520), and has a receiver which receives the optical signal transmitted from the Internet home appliance, which is the remote control target, a network interface which connects to the communication network connected to the Internet home appliance, and a remote control unit which remotely controls an Internet home appliance which indicates the identification information via the communication network when the identification information of the Internet home appliance was received by the receiver when the specified operation was performed.

Abstract: Disclosed that a content media playback apparatus enables creation of viewing histories serving many uses even for complex content like a BD-Java-ready Blu-ray disc and so forth in which playback of moving images and so forth is controlled by a program. Viewing history generating section (1009) generates a viewing history (1011) using times the program content processing section changes the states described in the viewing history template and the states. A viewing history template describes states and transitions between the states that should be recorded as viewing history elements of video and sound contents.

Abstract: It is an object of the present invention to provide a wireless communication system which can allow a wireless LAN terminal device (1000) to establish a connection to a wireless LAN through a simplified procedure. In the wireless communication system, a wireless LAN access point (1100) performs wireless communication with a wireless LAN terminal device (1000) having personal identification information (1005) necessary to identify a person as a registered user.

Abstract: It is an object of the present invention to provide an information transmitting device which can transmit information through a network by using a powerless processor and insufficient storage capacity, and an information distributing system provided with the information transmitting device. The status describing unit 13 of the information transmitting device 1 produces a sentence written in natural language on the basis of the status information stored in the status storage unit 12 in response to the trigger signal from the application executing unit 11, produces a status abstract written in a markup language by marking the sentence, and stores the status abstract in the data holding unit 14. The transmission server unit 16 transmits the status abstract stored in the data holding unit 14 in response to a data transmission request received from the information acquiring terminal 2 through the network connecting unit 15.

Abstract: An interactive voice response system including a terminal and a center apparatus is disclosed. The terminal has a ten-key pad having a plurality of keys, which are so arranged as to emit lights in response to a control signal. The apparatus has a voice response program including one or more menus. The apparatus sends an audio guide for one of the menus to the terminal. The audio guide comprises audio option guides for menu options of the menu. The menu options and corresponding key IDs are extracted from the audio guide and sent to the terminal. Then, the menu options and the corresponding key IDs are displayed on a display device. The terminal also causes keys of the corresponding key IDs to emit lights. In response to an input of one of the keys, a signal associated with the key is sent to the apparatus.

Abstract: A plurality of motive-procedure sets respectively composed of a motive, a condition and a procedure of a message processing edited according to user's intention are stored in advance for each user. When a message sent for a receiver is received in a message switching apparatus, it is judged whether or not one of the motives corresponding to a plurality of motive-procedure sets for the receiver is fired. When a particular motive is fired, a particular message processing of a particular motive-procedure set corresponding to the particular motive is performed in cases where a particular condition of the particular motive-procedure set is satisfied, so that an incoming call of the message is notified to the receiver or the message is transmitted or forwarded to the receiver according to the particular message processing.

Abstract: A plurality of motive-procedure sets respectively composed of a motive, a condition and a procedure of a message processing edited according to user's intention are stored in advance for each user. When a message sent for a receiver is received in a message switching apparatus, it is judged whether or not one of the motives corresponding to a plurality of motive-procedure sets for the receiver is fired. When a particular motive is fired, a particular message processing of a particular motive-procedure set corresponding to the particular motive is performed in cases where a particular condition of the particular motive-procedure set is satisfied, so that an incoming call of the message is notified to the receiver or the message is transmitted or forwarded to the receiver according to the particular message processing.

Abstract: A plurality of boxes are provided in a memory region of the system. Each message is registered and stored in a designated box and fetched from this box. Each box is owned by a user so that a message addressed to this user is stored in his/her box. Predetermined preprocessing and/or postprocessing are executed before and after the message is registered into or fetched from the designated box.