Abstract: A user support system employing agent technology is provided. The entrance server identifies the user command by matching it with a collection of anticipated user commands. An index search is performed to identify the contents of the user command. The identified user command is then used to determine which specialized server should respond to the user command. The specialized server contains a collection of action patterns for an agent to use in responding to a user command. An agent supports a user in searching for information and/or navigating to the desired information through friendly conversation with that user. The entrance server is configured as a portal site and a specialized server is provided for each specialized field.

Abstract: A user support system using an agent technology is provided. An entrance server identifies a user utterance by matching it with a collection of anticipated user utterances. A specialized server to respond to the user utterance is determined according to the identified user utterance. The specialized server has a collection of action patterns of an agent for responding to the user utterance. The agent supports the user to search information or navigates the user to access desired information by friendly talking with the user. Information providers can sponsor the agent. When the agent displays information requested by the user, information related to the sponsors, particularly their advertisements, will be outstandingly displayed.

Abstract: A user support function is realized in a user terminal. The function may be implemented in the user terminal or sent from a server. The function helps the user using characters activated by agent programs. Each character has a specific area to cover as an expert. When the user needs restaurant information, a “gourmet” character appears on the screen to respond to the user request. The character analyzes the user request through text search.

Abstract: A user support system using an agent technology is provided. An entrance server identifies a user utterance by matching it with a collection of anticipated user utterances. An index search is performed to identify the content of the user utterance. A specialized server to respond to the user utterance is determined according to the identified user utterance. The specialized server has a collection of action patterns of an agent for responding to the user utterance. The agent supports the user to search information or navigates the user to access desired information by friendly talking with the user. The entrance server is configured as a portal site and a plurality of the specialized servers is provided for each specialized field.

Abstract: It is difficult to attract users to a desired web site, as there are so many sites and web pages to be accessed via the Internet. A prize awarding function is implemented in a mail server. The function communicates with a user. When the user accesses the homepage of the prize provision mechanism, a virtual slot machine starts to rotate. The user can win a prize based on a certain probability, which is adjusted in accordance with the access history of the user to the homepage. The time period necessary to complete the slot machine amusement is also set to a desired value in consideration of what the user wants to do next.

Abstract: A software distributing server in which software is downloaded in a smooth and stress-free manner. The software distributing server segments the software into a plurality of recombinable segment data, and registers them in a predetermined site. A link monitor supervises a link state between a user terminal and the site, and a data transmit-receive unit transmits unsent data to the user terminal every time a link is detected.

Abstract: An information retrieval apparatus that enables users to search information with regionality is provided. When a user inputs search terms for searching, a place-name is extracted from the search terms. Furthermore, the apparatus extracts another place-name of a region that is judged to be within a reachable area from the region indicated by the extracted place-name. Regional information is searched using the extracted place-name and the selected place-name. The user may search life-related information with regionality at his/her residence. The user registers the items of the life-related information beforehand. When the user moves to a new address, the apparatus searches life-related information of the new address based on the registered items and presents the updated information to the user.

Abstract: A photovoltaic device has at least one set of amorphous semiconductor layers forming a p-i-n junction structure, wherein at least one of the semiconductor layers having a given thickness, is doped with nitrogen and oxygen to a depth forming at least part of said given thickness. Such a photovoltaic device is fabricated by depositing on a substrate at least one set of amorphous semiconductor layers which form a p-i-n junction structure, and by doping at least one of the layers with nitrogen and oxygen to a depth forming at least part of the thickness of the doped layer.

Abstract: A method for producing a semiconductor device uses trimethyl boron (B(CH.sub.3).sub.3) of triethyl boron (B(C.sub.2 H.sub.5).sub.3) or a mixture thereof as a p-type dopant and/or a band gap widening source material gas in a process for forming a p-type amorphous semiconductor film. Accordingly, the quantity and the number of different gases which are used can be reduced and also the photoconductivity and dark conductivity can be improved, whereby a semiconductor device suitable for photovoltaic cells, photo sensors and the like using a p-type amorphous semiconductor film having a wide optical band gap can be produced.

Abstract: A method for fabricating a periodically multilayered film having a plurality of amorphous thin layers of different kinds stacked periodically is performed by forming at least one kind of the layers in the stack by a photo CVD method, whereby a more definite periodicity in the composition of the lattice and fewer defects are achieved.

Abstract: A photovoltaic device has a semiconductive multilayer of one conductivity type, which includes a plurality of amorphous thin constituent layers of different kinds stacked periodically to form at least one quantum well. A semiconductor layer of an i-type, which is contiguous to the multilayer so that light may be applied to the i-type layer through the multilayer.

Abstract: A method of making a semiconductor film on a substrate having a non-flat surface, by placing the substrate in a reaction chamber including at least a pair of discharge electrodes, an inlet of a reaction gas for producing a desired semiconductor film, and an outlet for reduced pressure, and performing a discharge in the presence of said reacrion gas for producing said semiconductor film, while arranging said non-flat surface of said substrate outside a plasma region formed between said discharge electrodes and further locating said non-flat surface substantially in a vertical direction with respect to electrode surfaces of said discharge electrodes, thereby semiconductor film being directly and uniformly deposited on said non-flat surface of said substrate, which is of worth in the production of, e.g., roofing tile-shaped photovoltaic devices.