Abstract: In an inherited communication management apparatus, a storage unit stores viewing information relating to the content viewing state of a user of a terminal. On a request from the user of the terminal for content viewing, a requesting unit requests another inherited communication management apparatus to examine whether or not the other inherited communication management apparatus stores viewing information including information relating to interruption of the content viewing by the user. A receiving unit receives a result of the examination requested by the requesting unit. When the examination result received by the receiving unit includes the viewing information including information relating to the interruption of the content viewing, a transmitting unit transmits information relating to interrupted content based on the viewing information to the terminal of the user that has requested the content viewing.

Abstract: The second content provision system determines, in response to a request by a user from a second terminal belonging to a second network, a second content being a same content as a first content, which is provided to the first terminal belonging to a first network or an alternative content for the first content and matching rights of the user. The second content is provided from the second network to the second terminal and can be used by the second terminal. The second content is determined by using content information specifying the first content which is in-use or which the use has interrupted and ownership information indicating the rights of the user and the content provision system acquires the content information and the ownership information from the first content provision system in response to the request from the second terminal.

Abstract: A continuable communication management apparatus includes a viewing manage that, upon receiving view information representing a reproduction state of video content from an arbitrary view terminal, registers the view information; a video list provider that, in response to a video list request transmitted from a view terminal, accesses a menu server to acquire the video list, determines if there is video content with a suspended state designated by the view terminal in the view information, and if there is the video content with the suspended state, adds the video content with the suspended state as a candidate of continuable viewing to the video list, and transmit the added video list to the view terminal; and a reporting device that finds an information item containing an indication of a view location of the video content with the suspended state from the view information and transmits the information item to the view terminal.

Abstract: A disclosed inheritance communication administrating apparatus including a state administration unit configured to receive a report in a certain timing from a first terminal apparatus, the report includes position data of a content received by the first terminal apparatus, and configured to store the position data, and a list sending unit configured to receive a request for a list from a second terminal, acquire the requested list from a menu server, determine whether there is the content which is being viewed and listened to by a user of the second terminal in reference to the position data, and add to the list the content which is being viewed and listened to as a candidate content and send the list to the second terminal.

Abstract: A method of delivering and playing content includes delivering, through first-group channels, an entirety of content at a content bit rate with a time difference between each delivery commencement, delivering, through one or more second-group channels, only a start portion of the content at two or more times the content bit rate, selecting, from the first-group channels and the one or more second-group channels, a channel through which the start portion of the content is received earliest after a view request, followed by receiving and playing the start portion, and selecting, after receiving the start portion through the selected channel that is one of the one or more second-group channels, one of the first-group channels through which the remainder of the content is received for a first time after a start of the reception of the start portion, followed by receiving and playing the remainder of the content.

Abstract: Re-distribution servers are installed at the branch points of a network for distributing streaming data, and route costs between two re-distribution servers are collected. Then, a distribution route tree from a source to a plurality of clients is automatically generated based on the cost information.

Abstract: In an information distribution/reproduction control apparatus, a plurality of stream servers distribute real-time reproducible stream information to a plurality of clients through a network like the Internet. A transit control server controls the stream servers for the distribution of the stream information, and also controls the clients for real-time reproduction of the stream information.

Abstract: Apparatus and a method of operation manipulates the display of an object on the display surface of a display device in accordance with sensing touching contact on a touch panel, superimposed on the display surface and simulating movement of the displayed object in accordance with the characteristics of the touching contact on the touch panel adjacent to the displayed object image. Further, object data defining the display of the object image for each of a plurality of different states of the object, display information specifying the shape and physical properties of the object and the current display position thereof and file information relating to the stored data are stored and accessed for interpreting the simulated manipulation of the object by the characteristics of the touching contact therewith, for correspondingly manipulating and displaying the thus manipulated object image.

Abstract: A system of the present invention is structured based on a connection between an information distributing unit that processes distributed contents information and a client unit of a user via a network such that they can communicate with each other. The contents information selected based on profile information of the user is transmitted from the information distributing unit to the client unit. The system makes the user input evaluation information relating to the evaluation of the transmitted contents information. The contents information to be distributed to the user is changed based on the input evaluation information.

Abstract: This invention is to provide a technology for preventing information from being leaked from a mobile phone. For this purpose, this invention includes: receiving a request for data to select a calling destination from a first mobile phone capable of executing voice communication and data communication; identifying calling destination candidates registered in a data storage in association with a user of the first mobile phone by identification information other than telephone numbers of the calling destination candidates; and transmitting data to specify and select anyone of the identified calling destination candidates by the identification information other than the telephone numbers of the calling destination candidates, to the first mobile phone. Because the telephone number of the client is not sent to the mobile phone, the leakage of the client information is prevented, even if the mobile phone is stolen.

Abstract: A temporary correction-coefficient calculator of a moving-image correction-coefficient calculating apparatus calculates temporary gamma values to be applied to frames extracted from frames of a moving-image at a predetermined time interval, a storage unit stores the calculated temporary gamma values, and a correction-coefficient calculator calculates gamma values to be applied to the frames of the moving-image based on the stored temporary gamma values.

Abstract: In an information distribution control system, a sync control server adds a time stamp to the stream information JS capable of being reproduced in real time and adds the sync time information to the storage-type information JT, so that the stream information JS and the storage-type information JT are reproduced in temporal synchronism with each other based on the time stamp and the sync time information in a plurality of clients.

Abstract: A system of the present invention is structured based on a connection between an information distributing unit that processes distributed contents information and a client unit of a user via a network such that they can communicate with each other. The contents information selected based on profile information of the user is transmitted from the information distributing unit to the client unit. The system makes the user input evaluation information relating to the evaluation of the transmitted contents information. The contents information to be distributed to the user is changed based on the input evaluation information.

Abstract: Re-distribution servers are installed at the branch points of a network for distributing streaming data, and route costs between two re-distribution servers are collected. Then, a distribution route tree from a source to a plurality of clients is automatically generated based on the cost information.

Abstract: The present invention provides an image display method for quickly displaying animation sequences corresponding to a keyword. The image display method displays a keyword and a still picture of one screen of an animation sequence representing the keyword on a screen, and when one of the keywords is designated, the animation sequences corresponding to the designated keyword are quickly displayed.

Abstract: Apparatus and a method of operation manipulates the display of an object on the display surface of a display device in accordance with sensing touching contact on a touch panel, superimposed on the display surface and simulating movement of the displayed object in accordance with the characteristics of the touching contact on the touch panel adjacent to the displayed object image. Further, object data defining the display of the object image for each of a plurality of different states of the object, display information specifying the shape and physical properties of the object and the current display position thereof and file information relating to the stored data are stored and accessed for interpreting the simulated manipulation of the object by the characteristics of the touching contact therewith, for correspondingly manipulating and displaying the thus manipulated object image.

Abstract: A dynamic image display device which successively reads out each frame from dynamic image data stored as successive frames to display each of the frames at each predetermined display period on a window of a display device. The display period and the display area size of the window are changeable. The dynamic image display device comprises a display area size input device for inputting the display area size of the window, a storage device having a definition correlating the display area size with the display period, a device for reading out from the storage device the display period corresponding to the display area size of the window inputted in the display area size input device, and a device to display each of the frames on the window of the display device during each read display period.

Abstract: A dynamic image display device which reads out each frame from dynamic image data stored as successive frames every predetermined number of skipped frames, to display each of the frames at each predetermined display period on a window of a display device. The predetermined number of skipped frames and a display area size of the window are changeable. The dynamic image display device includes a display area size input device for inputting the display area size of the window, a storage device having a definition correlating the display area size with the predetermined number of skipped frames, a device for reading out from the storage device the predetermined number of skipped frames corresponding to the display area size of the window inputted by the display area size input device, and a device for displaying each of the frames on the window of the display device every read predetermined number of skipped frames.

Abstract: A multiwindow display control method and apparatus for easily controlling a display of a plurality of groups of windows each group including a plurality of windows. The invention includes plural frame memory control units each storing pixel data to be displayed on one of the windows, a first group number of a group of windows to which the window belongs, and a priority number for identifying a display priority among the windows included in the same group of windows. The invention further provides an outline generating unit for generating a second group number each identifying one of the group of windows; a pixel data arbitration unit for determining a group of windows having the first group number which coincides with the second group number, and for determining a window to be displayed having a highest priority number of the determined group of windows; and a display unit for displaying pixel data of the determined window.

Abstract: A dynamic image display device which successively reads out each frame from dynamic image data stored as successive frames to display each of the frames at each predetermined display period on a window of a display device. The predetermined display period is changeable. The dynamic image display device includes a distance parameter input device for inputting a distance parameter between a display screen displaying the window and a person looking at a dynamic image on the display screen, a storage device having a definition correlating the distance parameter with the predetermined display period, a device for reading out from the storage device the predetermined display period corresponding to the distance parameter inputted by the distance parameter input device, and a device for displaying each of the frames on the window of the display device during each predetermined display period.