Abstract: A data protection system includes terminals, and an encryption device that encrypts distribution data distributed to each terminal. Each terminal corresponds with one node on a lowest level of a tree structure having hierarchies. A data protection system excludes nodes on the lowest level, determines a plurality of combination patterns that include combinations of two or more of all four nodes that are reached one level below the node, decides an individual decryption key for each determined combination pattern, and decides an individual decryption key for each node on the lowest level. The data protection system prescribes nodes that are reached from the node on the lowest level and a terminal to the node on the highest level that is an invalid node.

Abstract: A gateway (103) determines whether or not voice information collected by a sound collecting device (102) needs to be subjected to voice recognition by a server apparatus (101), and only voice information that is determined to need to be subjected to voice recognition by the server apparatus (101) is transmitted by the gateway (103) to the server apparatus (101). The server apparatus (101) recognizes the received voice information, decides a control instruction, and transmits the control instruction to a household electrical appliance (104) via the gateway (103).

Abstract: A function update method improving household appliance functions by enabling new and existing household appliances to perform cooperative processing. In the method, a server stores registration information listing identification information for each household appliance owned by a user, combination information listing combinations each including household appliances performing cooperative processing, and update information for each household appliance in each combination, for updating a function for performing the cooperative processing.

Abstract: A terminal device 500 that is connected to a key distribution device 400 via a network, and in which a recording medium device 600 is mounted, the key distribution device 400 being for distributing a title key necessary for use of content, the recording medium device 600 being for storing therein the content and the title key. The recording medium device 600 and the key distribution device 400 perform mutual authentication and share shared keys that are identical to each other. The terminal device 500 comprises: a reception unit that receives an encrypted title key from the key distribution device 400, the encrypted title key being the title key encrypted with the shared key of the key distribution device 400; and a transfer unit 513 that transmits the encrypted title key to the recording medium device 600.

Abstract: A destination setting unit (901) receives setting of a destination by the user when a route from a present position to the destination is guided. A user specifying unit (902) judges whether the user who sets the destination is the user who performs program recording reservation. When the user is judged to be the user who performs program recording reservation, a keyword extracting unit (903) extracts a keyword for use in performing program recording reservation based on the destination. A keyword display unit (904) presents the user with the extracted keyword. A keyword selecting unit (905) receives selection, by the user, of the presented keyword. A program selecting unit (906) selects a program associated with the keyword. A program reservation unit (907) reserves recording of the selected program.

Abstract: The present disclosure is an information notification method in an information notification system, including: an acquiring step for acquiring today's required time which is required for traveling from a departure point to a destination included in behavior information; a determining step for determining today's departure time using the acquired today's required time and an arrival time included in the behavior information; a judging step for judging whether or not the determined today's departure time is earlier than a typical departure time included in the behavior information; a notifying step for notifying a notifying apparatus owned by the user of notification information for adjusting the behavior of the user, when it is judged that the determined today's departure time is earlier than the typical departure time; and an output step for causing the notifying apparatus to output the notified notification information.

Abstract: A server apparatus receives a device ID indicating one electrical home appliance among one or more electrical home appliances and a gateway ID indicating that the one electrical home appliance belongs to a same owner, a same group, or a same home as the one or more electrical home appliances, determines whether or not the one electrical home appliance is a newly connected electrical home appliance, using a management database that manages device IDs indicating the one or more electrical home appliances and the gateway ID, and when it is determined made that the one electrical home appliance is a newly connected electrical home appliance, provides an information device, which is associated with the gateway ID and which differs from the one electrical home appliance, with notification information for confirming whether or not it is to be permitted to collect the log information from the one electrical home appliance.

Abstract: A usual setting state in accordance with a current in-house state and a device state is selected using an acquired in-house state and a device state from a plurality of setting states classified in advance in accordance with in-house states and device states. When the selected usual setting state and the acquired setting state differ from each other, a first notification that notifies a user of the difference is performed and a state of an information terminal is transitioned to a state where an input for remotely controlling a second device can be accepted.

Abstract: An information providing method includes: identifying a product in which a viewer expressed interest, by using an input notification; counting the number of viewers who expressed interest in each product, by using a result of the identifying; obtaining an offered price for each product of a product provider, the price corresponding to the number of viewers counted in the counting, and registering the price as product provider information; selecting a product provider that offers the identified product to the viewer, by using product provider information of one or more product providers that wish to provide one or more products; and causing the viewer's terminal apparatus to present the product provider information of the selected product provider and product information of the identified product in an associated manner. In the selecting, the product provider is selected based on the offered price of the identified product and the number of viewers.

Abstract: When the terminal device attempts to use a special content, which has an attribute including information distinguishing the special content from regular contents and which is stored in the recording medium device, the recording medium device refers to the revocation information indicating terminal devices restricted from using the special content. When the recording medium device determines the terminal device as a terminal device to be restricted from using the special content based on the terminal identifying information of the terminal device, the usage information output unit of the recording medium device does not transmit the necessary information for using the special content to the terminal device.

Abstract: A device control method used in a device control system in which an operation terminal is used to remotely operate a device with a server device mediating between the operation terminal and the device, the device control method including: acquiring, upon reception of an operation instruction for operation of the device from the operation terminal, environment information pertaining to at least one of the device and the operation terminal; performing a determination of whether or not to cause execution of processing corresponding to the operation instruction based on whether or not the environment information satisfies a predetermined condition; and causing the device to execute an execution command for execution of the processing when a result of the determination is affirmative, and not causing the device to execute the execution command when the result of the determination is negative.

Abstract: Device control method including: operation receiving step of receiving a device control operation for controlling a device; determining step of determining whether an operation terminal is in a first state or a second state; limiting step of, when determined in the determining step that the operation terminal is in the second state, limiting a range of controls of the device made available to the operation terminal when in the second state so as to correspond to part of a range of controls of the device made available to the operation terminal when in the first state; and device controlling step of controlling the device based on the device control operation. When determined in the determining step that the operation terminal is in the second state, the device is controlled within the range of controls of the device made available to the operation terminal when in the second state.

Abstract: Provided is an information output method that outputs information when swapping a secondary battery for powering a vehicle. The information output method includes comparing a rank related to the performance of a first battery unit (battery unit A) on board a vehicle to a rank related to the performance of a second battery unit (battery unit B) that is installable in the vehicle in place of the first battery unit, and outputting output information according to a result of the comparison in the comparing step.

Abstract: Provided is a server device (101) including: a transmitting/receiving section (201) for receiving, from a household electric appliance (102), an identifier for identifying the household electric appliance (102) and an operation status of the household electric appliance (102); an updating section (207) for estimating a consumption status of a consumer good using the received operation status so as to update the consumption status of the consumer good stored in a utilization information accumulating section (205) based on the estimated consumption status of the consumer good; and a determination section (206) for deciding whether or not to transmit a confirmation message for confirming the consumer good being used with the household electric appliance, based on the updated consumption status of the consumer good.

Abstract: A data processing device for playing back a digital work reduces the processing load involved in verification by using only a predetermined number of encrypted units selected randomly from multiple encrypted units constituting encrypted contents recorded on a DVD. In addition, the data processing device improves the accuracy of detecting unauthorized contents by randomly selecting a predetermined number of encrypted units every time the verification is performed.

Abstract: When the terminal device attempts to use a special content, which has an attribute including information distinguishing the special content from regular contents and is stored in the recording medium device, the recording medium device refers to the revocation information indicating terminal devices restricted from using the special content. When the recording medium device determines the terminal device as a terminal device to be restricted from using the special content based on the terminal identifying information of the terminal device, the usage information output unit of the recording medium device does not transmit the necessary information for using the special content to the terminal device.

Abstract: A control method used in a remote control system according to the present disclosure includes: a step of displaying candidates for a target apparatus to be controlled among apparatuses on a user interface region of a display unit of an information terminal; a step of obtaining, via a network, control indexes used to determine a display mode for the user interface region; a step of displaying, on the user interface region, one or more control menus in a display mode determined based on a selected target apparatus and the control indexes; a step of generating a control signal for causing the target apparatus to perform an operation according to control corresponding to a control menu, when the control menu is selected from the one or more displayed control menus; and a step of transmitting the control signal to the target apparatus via the network.

Abstract: A storage unit 601g of a recording medium device 600g stores a content and a revocation list. The revocation list includes a revocation identifier that is associated with the content and identifies a revoked public key certificate allocated to an apparatus related to use of the content. A controller 602g of the recording medium device 600g is provided with an acquisition unit 621g that acquires, from an apparatus 300g, an acquisition request for the content and an apparatus identifier identifying a public key certificate of the apparatus 300g; a judgment unit 622g that judges whether the apparatus identifier matches a revocation identifier; and a control unit 623g that controls to prohibit output of the content to the apparatus when the apparatus identifier and the revocation identifier match.

Abstract: A content protection data processing system and a playback device determine whether to permit playback of a content recorded in a recording medium, based on a type of the recording medium and a signature type of a signature attached to a program. Additionally, the content protection data processing system and the playback device switch a procedure relating to a digital signature for each signature type of the digital signature, which enables both the protection of the copyright of the content and the efficient manufacturing of commercial ROM media.

Abstract: A control method according to the present disclosure is used in a remote control system including apparatuses and an information terminal that controls at least one of the apparatuses via a network. The control method includes: a step (S2) of displaying, on a user interface region of a display unit of the information terminal, apparatus icons indicating target apparatus candidates among the apparatuses; a step (S3) of obtaining, via the network, (a) apparatus state information related to the apparatuses and (b) sensor information that is a value indicating a spatial environment in which the apparatuses are located; and a step (S4) of (i) determining priorities of the target apparatus candidates based on the apparatus state information and the sensor information, all of which are obtained in the step (S3), and (ii) sorting, according to the determined priorities, the apparatus icons displayed on the user interface region.