Abstract: An information processing apparatus including a hot folder, comprises: a first determination unit configured to determine whether print processing of the job data stored in the hot folder is executable; a printing unit configured to print the job data determined to be executable; a second determination unit configured to determine whether the printing unit has normally ended the print processing of the job data; a specifying unit configured to specify outline information of a status of the print processing of the job data; an acquisition unit configured to acquire detailed information of the status of the print processing of the job data; and a creation unit configured to create a printing status notification file including the outline information of the status of the print processing of the job data specified and the detailed information of the status of the print processing of the job data acquired.

Abstract: An information processing apparatus including a hot folder, comprises: a first determination unit configured to determine whether print processing of the job data stored in the hot folder is executable; a printing unit configured to print the job data determined to be executable; a second determination unit configured to determine whether the printing unit has normally ended the print processing of the job data; a specifying unit configured to specify outline information of a status of the print processing of the job data; an acquisition unit configured to acquire detailed information of the status of the print processing of the job data; and a creation unit configured to create a printing status notification file including the outline information of the status of the print processing of the job data specified and the detailed information of the status of the print processing of the job data acquired.

Abstract: The present invention provides a distributed system control method information processing apparatus that enables a user to ascertain easily and in real time the environment around such user, that is, the status of other users and of peripheral devices, during use of the distributed system, in particular enabling the user to obtain easily information on peripheral devices the user is permitted to use. In a distributed system in which a plurality of user terminals and peripheral devices are dispersed, information indicating the current status of the users of the user terminals and information indicating the current status of the peripheral devices is stored, updated according to changes in status, and the current status of users of other user terminals and the current status of the peripheral devices selectively displayed on the same display screen at each of the plurality of user terminals.

Abstract: An information processing system includes a first information processing apparatus and a second information processing apparatus which can share display data. The first information processing apparatus includes a first transmission unit to transmit display data to the second information processing apparatus configured to display the display data, an input unit to input an operational restriction applied to an object expressed on the display data transmitted by the first transmission unit, a creation unit to create instruction information based on the operational restriction input by the input unit, and a second transmission unit to transmit the instruction information created by the creation unit to the second information processing apparatus.

Abstract: A user terminal device has a computer, a software for the user terminal device, a telephone, a video camera and a virtual office display device. Generally, working state, condition or the like of another user is displayed on a screen of the virtual office display device. A user's state is recognized on the basis of an image of the user taken by the video camera. In a case where the user continuously looks toward the virtual office display device for a period longer than a time previously determined by the user, the screen of the virtual office display device is switched to a rest room screen, and the user is moved to a rest room in a virtual space. In that rest room, the user can communicate with another user utilizing a cooperative rest tool. The cooperative rest tool includes a voice meeting tool, a character meeting tool and a multiuser game tool.

Abstract: For distributing a user image corresponding to the user position in a virtual space, the invention provides a method of fetching the user image taken with a video camera into the main body of a computer (S1), judging the user position in the virtual space (S2), setting a large quantization coefficient in case of an office view (S3) but setting a small quantization coefficient and an even smaller quantization coefficients for a face area in other cases (S4), then compression encoding the image data with the designated quantization coefficient ((S5) and transferring the image data to a host server apparatus 12 through a network (S6). The user terminal receives images of other users from the host server apparatus (S7), expands the image data (S8) and displays the image data on a display apparatus 44 (S9).

Abstract: The present invention provides a distributed system control method information processing apparatus that enables a user to ascertain easily and in real time the environment around such user, that is, the status of other users and of peripheral devices, during use of the distributed system, in particular enabling the user to obtain easily information on peripheral devices the user is permitted to use. In a distributed system in which a plurality of user terminals and peripheral devices are dispersed, information indicating the current status of the users of the user terminals and information indicating the current status of the peripheral devices is stored, updated according to changes in status, and the current status of users of other user terminals and the current status of the peripheral devices selectively displayed on the same display screen at each of the plurality of user terminals.

Abstract: A reservation information reference apparatus for referencing facility reservation information from a terminal connected to a network is disclosed. The reservation information reference apparatus transmits a request for reservation information for a specified facility and receives the reservation information from a server via a communication device thereof. Subsequently, the reservation information reference apparatus displays, on a screen, a current scene for a terminal associated with the requested reservation information as the facility reservation information received from the communication device.

Abstract: A sharing system is provided in which, when a detecting unit in a server apparatus receives image information from a first terminal apparatus, the server apparatus transmits image information of other terminal apparatuses to a second terminal apparatus from which input of an authentication number indicating a user who is identical to a user who is logged in with the first terminal apparatus is detected.

Abstract: A flesh tone region detection processor (12) detects a flesh tone region from a color still image, and a projective distribution generator (13) generates the projective distribution of the detected flesh tone region. A facial region search processor (14) searches the projective distribution for a parabola using, e.g., a genetic algorithm, and extracts a facial region candidate from the position of the found parabola. A knowledge processor (15) checks based on the aspect ratio of the region, matching with facial patterns prepared in advance, or the presence/absence of a region corresponding to hair if the extracted facial region candidate is a facial region. The user can set the processing time, the number of persons to be detected, and the face area ratio as a search end condition.

Abstract: With spreads of the Internet network, mobile communication networks, intranet networks within organizations, wireless LANs and other communication networks, there has been broadly prevailed a group information shared system in which user groups share their information with each other by utilizing those communication networks. A problem inherent in the group information shared system is that a user providing a useful piece of information to other users, a user participating in the group many times, a user logging in the group for a long time, are not displayed in conspicuous positions. Such being the case, according to the invention of the present application, order processing is executed based on information such as a receipt count etc of message information, wherein the user providing the useful information to other users is displayed in a visually-easy-to-recognize position.

Abstract: Conventional apparatuses and communication application software are not developed to support distributed working, but are developed on the premise of the office and working mode of aggregate working, and it is therefore difficult to use them for an efficient distributed working. Moreover, in the distributed working in which the apparatuses and communication application software are disposed in a conventional home office, working efficiency is deteriorated, and as an additional problem, the amount of communications itself is decreased. Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a distributed office system and a method of managing the system, in which a plurality of user terminal devices installed in different places, and usually one host server device are connected via a communication network, so that a plurality of offices distributed in the different places can entirely function as one office space.

Abstract: A status information sharing system for sharing status information of users who handle a plurality of user terminal devices is provided, wherein the status information sharing system generates accurate latest status information, for example, a work status, a presence status and a schedule based on a status of a user or a schedule in schedule information of the user and provides the other users of the generated latest status information.

Abstract: An information processing method includes a first step of detecting, upon reception of an instruction to start a first program, if a second program which uses a resource to be used by the first program is already being executed, and a second step of terminating the execution of the second program and for starting the first program when it has been detected that the second program is being executed.

Abstract: A color communication apparatus includes a communication device for communicating color data, a color output device capable of outputting a plurality of colors, a generator for generating communication status data, and a controller for outputting the communication status data at least one of the plurality of colors, the color being selected based on the contents of the communication status data.

Abstract: For distributing a user image corresponding to the user position in a virtual space, the invention provides a method of fetching the user image taken with a video camera into the main body of a computer (S1), judging the user position in the virtual space (S2), setting a large quantization coefficient in case of an office view (S3) but setting a small quantization coefficient and an even smaller quantization coefficients for a face area in other cases (S4), then compression encoding the image data with the designated quantization coefficient ((S5) and transferring the image data to a host server apparatus 12 through a network (S6). The user terminal receives images of other users from the host server apparatus (S7), expands the image data (S8) and displays the image data on a display apparatus 44 (S9).

Abstract: A virtual space system is structured by a plurality of user terminals and a server device, and arranged to be able to keep the privacy of each of users when the pictorial image of each user is distributed. In this system, when a user A requests the pictorial image of a user B as the status information of the user B, for example, the interuser distance between the user A and user B is worked out, and corresponding to the interuser distance thus worked out, an image process is given to the pictorial image of the user B. Then, it is controlled to display the pictorial image of the user B on the user terminal device of the user A after the execution of such image process.

Abstract: A user terminal device has a computer, a software for the user terminal device, a telephone, a video camera and a virtual office display device. Generally, working state, condition or the like of another user is displayed on a screen of the virtual office display device. A user's state is recognized on the basis of an image of the user taken by the video camera. In a case where the user continuously looks toward the virtual office display device for a period longer than a time previously determined by the user, the screen of the virtual office display device is switched to a rest room screen, and the user is moved to a rest room in a virtual space. In that rest room, the user can communicate with another user utilizing a cooperative rest tool. The cooperative rest tool includes a voice meeting tool, a character meeting tool and a multiuser game tool.

Abstract: A communicating apparatus to communicate image data such as in a facsimile apparatus comprises: a receiving circuit to receive image information from a distant side terminal; a recognition section to perform the character recognition on the basis of the received information from the receiving circuit; and a transmitting circuit to transmit an abnormal reception signal to the distant side terminal when the recognition by the recognition section cannot be executed. The recognition section discriminates whether the received image information has been obtained by reading an OCR sheet or not. When an unrecognizable character exists on a received document, the unrecognizable character position, the result of the recognition, an abnormal reception signal, the input image data, and a request for retransmission of the image data are sent back from the distant side terminal to the transmitting side apparatus, so that the image data can be automatically retransmitted therefrom by the simple operation.

Abstract: An image transmission apparatus includes a color codec section for performing color image coding of a color image, a run-length codec section for performing run-length coding of a monochrome image, and a switching unit for arbitrarily switching the codec sections and to perform coding in units of pages in one communication cycle depending on whether each page is a color image or a monochrome image. Whether each page is constituted by a color image or a monochrome image is set in advance, and corresponding information is stored in a memory. Coding is performed by a coding scheme set for each page, and the coded data is transmitted. Alternatively, coded data obtained by both the codec sections and are stored in a hard disk, and the data coded by a coding scheme which an apparatus at the other end of a communication line can handle is read out and transmitted.