Abstract: To enable images of game screens concerning a plurality of game programs to be systematically stored in a storage unit and a desired image to be swiftly displayed on a display unit in a later time, a game device of the present invention includes: a program executing unit for executing each of a plurality of game programs; an identification information acquiring unit for acquiring identification information on the game program during execution of the game program; an image acquiring unit for acquiring at least one image of a game screen generated during the execution of the game program; an image storing unit for storing the at least one image into the storage unit in association with the identification information; and a display control unit for reading the image stored in association with any one of the identification information from the storage unit based on a specification made by a user, and displaying the image on the display unit.

Abstract: A log collecting/analyzing system has a log collection terminal device as a client terminal device which collects logs and transmits the collected logs to a log server via a network. The log server receives the transmitted logs and stores the received logs for analysis. According to this configuration, it is possible to obtain useful information, such as information about what play modes are popular in the case of games and so forth, or information about what characters are popular in the case of selecting a character for a game. Therefore, it is possible to make use of the result of log analysis to develop the game.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus in accordance with the present invention are operable to carry out certain functions including: receiving an encrypted program at a processing apparatus; transmitting a machine ID over a network to an administrator; receiving registration data over the network from the administrator in response to the machine ID; transmitting the registration data over the network to a distributor; receiving an encrypted decryption key and an encrypted virtual ID at the processing apparatus over the network from the distributor in response to the registration data; decrypting the encrypted decryption key using the virtual ID, and decrypting the encrypted program using the decryption key; re-encrypting the program using the virtual ID; and storing the encrypted virtual ID and the re-encrypted program in a first storage device.

Abstract: In order to record a program provided by a program broadcasting device, a recorder (5) that receives program identifying information provided by a program information providing device to record the program includes: a program identifying information detector (10) for detecting the program identifying information at least at one timing of start, duration, and end of the broadcasted program; and a recording operation controller (20) for controlling recording operation based on a detection result of the program identifying information detector (10). The recording operation controller (20) includes: a recording start/end determining section (21) for staring and/or ending the recording operation based on the detected program identifying information; and a recorded program determining section (22) for determining the program being recorded based on the program identifying information detected while the program is recorded.

Abstract: A log collecting/analyzing system has a log collection terminal device as a client terminal device which collects logs and transmits the collected logs to a log server via a network. The log server receives the transmitted logs and stores the received logs for analysis. According to this configuration, it is possible to obtain useful information, such as information about what play modes are popular in the case of games and so forth, or information about what characters are popular in the case of selecting a character for a game. Therefore, it is possible to make use of the result of log analysis to develop the game.

Abstract: To enable images of game screens concerning a plurality of game programs to be systematically stored in a storage unit and a desired image to be swiftly displayed on a display unit in a later time, a game device of the present invention includes: a program executing unit for executing each of a plurality of game programs; an identification information acquiring unit for acquiring identification information on the game program during execution of the game program; an image acquiring unit for acquiring at least one image of a game screen generated during the execution of the game program; an image storing unit for storing the at least one image into the storage unit in association with the identification information; and a display control unit for reading the image stored in association with any one of the identification information from the storage unit based on a specification made by a user, and displaying the image on the display unit.

Abstract: A client terminal reads a device ID fixedly assigned to itself, and sends the device ID to an authentication server to make a request for authentication. The authentication server authenticates the device ID accepted from the client terminal. When succeeding in the authentication, the authentication server issues and sends a ticket to the client terminal. The client terminal receives the ticket, and then sends the ticket to a locator server to make a request for registration of an IP address. The locator server verifies the correctness of the accepted ticket. When the correctness is confirmed, the locator server registers an ID and the IP address of the client terminal in a manner that they are associated with each other, and replies the completion of the registration.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus in accordance with the present invention are operable to carry out certain functions including: receiving an encrypted program at a processing apparatus; transmitting at least some identification information related to the processing apparatus over a network to an administrator; receiving an encrypted decryption key at the processing apparatus over the network from the administrator in response to the at least some identification information; decrypting the encrypted decryption key; decrypting the encrypted program using the decryption key; re-encrypting the program using at least some of the identification information ; and storing the identification information and the re-encrypted program in a first storage device.

Abstract: A display apparatus including a communication line connected to a network, an information acquisition device for acquiring in real time at least information relating to a predetermined site on the network via the communication line, the communication line being held by a communication line holding device. The display apparatus includes a display control device for displaying in real time information relating to a plurality of sites acquired by the information acquisition device, and forming symbols corresponding to the plurality of sites, displaying the symbols three-dimensionally in a contrastable state from each other. The information acquired by the information acquisition device is displayed will a symbol, which corresponds to the site, and the information acquisition device acquires at least one of or a plurality of pieces of information indicating congestion status, update status, response, type, popularity, cost, and links of each site, and congestion status of the network.

Abstract: An information perusal program arranges information within a virtual space, where the information is arranged in uniquely specified storage positions. The information perusal program detects a position specified arbitrarily by the user within the virtual space. The information perusal program then detects an arrangement position within the virtual space in an area having a virtual spread in relation to the specified position and acquires information from the storage position corresponding to the arrangement position. Accordingly, the user is able to easily peruse information whose storage position is uniquely specified, such as, for example, a site on the Internet, a local folder and/or file, and so forth without performing complex and complicated input operations in order to specify the storage position. In addition, it is possible to easily realize perusal information without a specific object.

Abstract: Objects which are created in conformity with the data format of objects to be handled in a virtual world are offered to users on the terminal computers of the users independently of the virtual world. The users transmit the offered objects to a server computer which generates the virtual world, while the server computer stores these objects in association with the operators. Since these objects are recorded in a format which can be interpreted by the server computer for generating the virtual world, they can be handled in the virtual world in the same manner as the other objects which have been defined in the virtual world beforehand. Thus, the users are permitted to use in the virtual world objects which are different from the objects which were defined in the virtual world beforehand.

Abstract: In order to record a program provided by a program broadcasting device, a recorder (5) that receives program identifying information provided by a program information providing device to record the program includes: a program identifying information detector (10) for detecting the program identifying information at least at one timing of start, duration, and end of the broadcasted program; and a recording operation controller (20) for controlling recording operation based on a detection result of the program identifying information detector (10). The recording operation controller (20) includes: a recording start/end determining section (21) for staring and/or ending the recording operation based on the detected program identifying information; and a recorded program determining section (22) for determining the program being recorded based on the program identifying information detected while the program is recorded.

Abstract: A client terminal reads a device ID fixedly assigned to itself, and sends the device ID to an authentication server to make a request for authentication. The authentication server authenticates the device ID accepted from the client terminal. When succeeding in the authentication, the authentication server issues and sends a ticket to the client terminal. The client terminal receives the ticket, and then sends the ticket to a locator server to make a request for registration of an IP address. The locator server verifies the correctness of the accepted ticket. When the correctness is confirmed, the locator server registers an ID and the IP address of the client terminal in a manner that they are associated with each other, and replies the completion of the registration.

Abstract: Appliance operation data that is desired to be transmitted is selected from a stored list in which transmission counts of a calling signal are associated with appliance operation data for operating household appliances. A transmitter controls a reading operation to read the transmission count corresponding to that appliance operation data and then transmits the calling signal only a number of times that is equal to that transmission count. A receiver retrieves from a stored list the appliance operation data corresponding to the number of times the calling signal is received, displays that appliance operation data on a display unit, and issues an instruction to operate the household appliance according to the retrieved appliance operation data. Accordingly, household appliances in the home may be remotely controlled under pre-set conditions without establishing a voice communication line between the transmitter and the receiver.

Abstract: A control unit 9 examines the update status of each Web site 11 which are stored as bookmarks in a URL memory 6, the congestion status of a network 2, and the congestion status of a network server apparatus 13 of a user's provider and the like. The control unit 9, based on this examination result, arranges an object corresponding to that Web site by changing the distance (depth) from the viewpoint in accordance with the response of the Web site 11, and displays by changing the height of the object according to the update status. Furthermore, the control unit 9 displays by changing the patterns of each object in accordance with the congestion status of the Web site which corresponds to that object, and displays by changing the weather of virtual space in accordance with the busy status of the network 2. This allows image display of the update status of the Web site to which a bookmark is attached, and the congestion status of the network and the like by using predetermined objects.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus in accordance with the present invention are operable to carry out certain functions including: receiving an encrypted program at a processing apparatus; transmitting a machine ID over a network to an administrator; receiving registration data over the network from the administrator in response to the machine ID; transmitting the registration data over the network to a distributor; receiving an encrypted decryption key and an encrypted virtual ID at the processing apparatus over the network from the distributor in response to the registration data; decrypting the encrypted decryption key using the virtual ID, and decrypting the encrypted program using the decryption key; re-encrypting the program using the virtual ID; and storing the encrypted virtual ID and the re-encrypted program in a first storage device.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus in accordance with the present invention are operable to carry out certain functions including: receiving an encrypted program at a processing apparatus; transmitting at least some identification information related to the processing apparatus over a network to an administrator; receiving an encrypted decryption key at the processing apparatus over the network from the administrator in response to the at least some identification information; decrypting the encrypted decryption key; decrypting the encrypted program using the decryption key; re-encrypting the program using at least some of the identification information; and storing the identification information and the re-encrypted program in a first storage device.

Abstract: A communication device communicates information via a virtual world configured by a server machine to client terminal devices operating characters in the virtual world. It is therefore possible to transmit various information to and to receive various information from the virtual world, even from a place remote from the client terminal devices, which enables a linking between the virtual world and the real world to be realized.

Abstract: A client terminal device at a user side transmits a plurality of IDs in an arbitrary arrangement order to an authentication server machine on a network on the basis of a device environment of the user when a license authentication for software is performed. The authentication server machine performs the license authentication using an authentication program and ID issue program corresponding to the software for which the license authentication is applied, and issues an ID in the ID form corresponding to the software.

Abstract: An information perusal program arranges information within a virtual space, where the information is arranged in uniquely specified storage positions. The information perusal program detects a position specified arbitrarily by the user within the virtual space. The information perusal program then detects an arrangement position within the virtual space in an area having a virtual spread in relation to the specified position and acquires information from the storage position corresponding to the arrangement position. Accordingly, the user is able to easily peruse information whose storage position is uniquely specified, such as, for example, a site on the Internet, a local folder and/or file, and so forth without performing complex and complicated input operations in order to specify the storage position. In addition, it is possible to easily realize perusal information without a specific object.