Abstract: A transmission timing control apparatus included in a network node constituting a telecommunications system is configured to use the reception timing of a timing signal from another node to determine the transmission timing of a timing signal of the own node and determine a time slot for transmission of a data signal in accordance with the transmission timing and the reception timing of a timing signal from the other node. A response timing signal transmitter transmits a response timing signal when received the timing signal from the other node. A transmission timing control circuit uses the reception timing of the timing signal and that of the response timing signal to determine the timing at which the own node transmits the timing signal.

Abstract: In a transmission timing control apparatus, a state variable signal affected by a phase representing the data transmission timing of a neighboring node is used to determine the data transmission timing of the own node. A node information transmitter/receiver transmits source identification information particular to the own node and source node information of a data signal received by the own node, and receives node information transmitted from the neighboring node. A neighboring node information collecting circuit collects neighboring node information of all neighboring nodes having received data signals, based upon the source identification information received by the node transmitter/receiver and the source node information.

Abstract: Each node in a communication system transmits and receives state variable signals indicating internal node states or timings, generates transitions in its internal state or timing at a basic rate but at timings adjusted according to the received state variable signals, transmits data in time slots synchronized to the output state variable signals, receives data signals from the other nodes, detects collisions between the received data signals, and changes the timing of its time slots when a collision is detected, by shifting the phase of the transitions, or by inserting additional dummy transitions and transmitting corresponding dummy output state variable signals. The nodes can thereby assign their own time slots and avoid collisions autonomously.

Abstract: Each node on a communication path receives state variable signals from other nodes indicating the internal operating states or internal timing of the other nodes, and transmits a state variable signal indicating its own internal operating state or timing. Transitions in the internal operating state or timing of a node take place at a basic transition rate but at times adjusted according to the state variable signals received from other nodes. The basic transition rate varies according to position on the communication path. The nodes can thereby establish transmitting time slots that follow each other in progression on the communication path, enabling data signals to be relayed from the starting node to the destination node with minimal delay at each intermediate node.

Abstract: Each node in a communication system transmits and receives state variable signals indicating internal node states or timings. A single node may transmit two or more differently phased series of state variable signals. Neighboring nodes interact by adjusting the timing phase at which they transmit each series of state variable signals according to the timing of state variable signals transmitted in other series, and state variable signals received from other nodes. The nodes can thereby establish time slots in which they can transmit data without collisions, and different nodes can receive different total amounts of time slot width by transmitting different numbers of series of state variable signals.

Abstract: A communication timing control apparatus for use in the nodes of a communication system includes a signal communication unit that transmits a state variable signal to neighboring nodes and receives state variable signals from those nodes. An external control signal, such as a beacon signal transmitted by a control node, is also received. The state variable signals indicate internal operating sates or timings of the nodes; the control signal indicates a basic transition rate. A timing decision unit causes internal state or timing transitions to occur at timings responsive to the basic transition rate and the received state variable signals, adjusting the transition timings so as to avoid signal collisions and to adapt to changing system conditions. Use of the control signal enables a steady timing state to be reached quickly.

Abstract: The relationship between documents is detected in consideration of the texts of the documents. A document relationship inspection apparatus which inspects the relationship between constituent elements of a first document and constituent elements of a second document, includes a logical structure parsing section which parses a logical structure of a sentence block including at least one sentence in the constituent elements of the first document and which parses a logical structure of a sentence block including at least one sentence in the constituent elements of the second document, and a relationship detection section which detects the relationship between the sentence block of the first document and the sentence block of the second document on the basis of a parsing result from the logical structure parsing section.

Abstract: A natural-language processing system such as a machine-translation system employs a tree structure of increasingly specialized system dictionaries and attaches user dictionaries to individual system dictionaries in the tree, or helps users edit their user dictionaries by displaying lists of unknown words encountered in translations, or uploads processing programs such as translation engines to a dictionary server to make dictionary access more efficient, or combines a source document and a machine translation thereof into a single document in such a way that the reader of the translation can conveniently see the original source text, or automatically converts contact information in a source document to contact information more suitable for inclusion in a machine translation of the document.

Abstract: An electronic bulletin board system (BBS) having a translation function is provided.