Abstract: Address information of a mail to be transmitted by a mail communication function is extracted from the mail to be transmitted; a transmission time of the mail to be transmitted is extracted from a portable information terminal; and judgment is made as to whether the address information matches predetermined address information and whether the transmission time belongs to a predetermined time zone. When the address information matches the predetermined address information, and the address information belongs to the predetermined time zone, an activation time at which a household appliance is to be activated is determined on the basis of the transmission time, and a control command for activating the household appliance at the activation time is transmitted to a network.

Abstract: A data providing method is carried out by a computer (460) built in a data processing system (1) which is designed to collect log information from electronic devices through a network (30) and provide services based on that log information for authenticated users.

Abstract: An information management method collects log information of one or more home electrical apparatuses corresponding to service providers. Display screen data is generated which indicates a status of the log information. The display screen data includes groups of information which each contain information on an apparatus, a service provider corresponding to the apparatus, and log information output from the apparatus. Provision of the log information of each group is individually selectable. The display screen data is provided via a network to a display terminal that performs access to a server device. Information is received from the display terminal, which indicates that selection on whether or not provision of the log information is performed. Provision of the log information is stopped on the selected group when a determination is made that refusal of provision of the log information on the selected group is performed.

Abstract: When it is determined that a position of the display terminal is within a range of a prescribed distance from the house and when it is determined that the log information and the information indicating the operational state of the one electric home appliance are not consistent with each other, the server provides the display terminal with information on a possibility of a malfunction of the one electric home appliance while the position of the display terminal is still within the range of the prescribed distance from the house.

Abstract: An information management method includes collecting log information of one or more home electrical apparatuses, generating display screen data indicating a status of the log information of the apparatuses corresponding service providers based on the collected log information, where the display screen data includes groups of information each contain information on an apparatus, a service provider corresponding to the apparatus, and log information output from the apparatus, and provision of the log information of each group is individually selectable, providing the display screen data via a network to a display terminal that performs access to a server device, receiving information from the display terminal, which indicates that selection on whether or not provision of the log information is performed, and stopping provision of the log information on the selected group when a determination is made that the refusal of provision of the log information on the selected group is performed.

Abstract: A data processing method for processing usage history data of at least one electrical device used by a user, including: obtaining first usage history data indicating a usage history of at least one electrical device used by the user; obtaining second usage history data indicating a fixed dummy usage history; generating third usage history data by combining the first usage history data and the second usage history data; and transmitting the third usage history data from a first apparatus to a second apparatus.

Abstract: A battery history information management device for managing history information of a secondary battery includes: a connection determination unit which determines whether a charge/discharge device connected to the secondary battery is (i) a first charge/discharge device connected via a communication network to a server which manages the history information or (ii) a second charge/discharge device not connected to the server; a battery history recording unit which records, when it is determined that the charge/discharge device is the second charge/discharge device, charge/discharge history for second charge/discharge device into battery history data; and a history upload control unit which transmits, when it is determined that the charge/discharge device is the first charge/discharge device, the battery history data to the server via the first charge/discharge device.

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: To aim provide a software update apparatus including an install module group composed of a plurality of install modules. Each of the install modules has a function of receiving, from an external server, a replacement protection control module to be used for updating a protection control module having a function of verifying whether a predetermined application has been tampered with. Each of the install modules simultaneously running is verified by at least another one of the install modules simultaneously running, as to whether the install module has a possibility of performing malicious operations. If any of the install modules is verified as having the possibility of performing the malicious operations, any another one of the install modules that is verified as not having the possibility revokes the any install module verified as having the possibility.

Abstract: A method of managing map information including: attaching a retrieval identifier, according to input information, to map information which is obtained by retrieval based on the input information, the retrieval identifier indicating whether the map information is personal data or public data; storing the map information as the personal data into a storage device, the map information being indicated to be the personal data by the retrieval identifier attached in the attaching, and storing the map information as the public data into the storage device, the map information being indicated to be the public data by the retrieval identifier; and executing a navigation process using at least one of the personal data and the public data which are stored in the storage device.

Abstract: An access control method including: receiving a log information item indicating use history of electrical equipment that is used together with an intended product; receiving product information including information for identifying the intended product; storing the log information item received in the receiving of a log information item and the product information received in the receiving of product information, in association with each other; and controlling whether or not to allow access to the log information item based on the product information associated with the log information item when access to the log information item is attempted.

Abstract: This data providing method is carried out by a computer (460) built in a data processing system (1) which is designed to collect log information from electronic devices through a network (30) and provide services based on that log information for authenticated users. The method includes: receiving a fridge's (100a, 100b) log information through the network; generating display data, representing a trend of change of a recovery time that indicates how long it takes for the fridge's inside temperature to recover a preset operating temperature since the fridge's door was closed, by reference to pieces of information which are included in the fridge's log information and which indicate (i) the preset operating temperature inside the fridge, (ii) the temperature of the ambient surrounding the fridge, (iii) a temperature inside the fridge, and (iv) opening and closing history of the fridge; and providing the display data for an authenticated user's display terminal (130a, 130b).

Abstract: A method used in a remote control system for remotely controlling an appliance by execution of a remote control command contained in a control program stored in an operation terminal device, by which: a first identifier is acquired at a first time point (S801), the first identifier being unique to a portable medium located close to an operation terminal device serving as a remote controller for the appliance; the first identifier is embedded into the control program (S802); a second identifier is acquired at a second time point later than the first time point (S803), the second identifier being unique to a portable medium located close to the operation terminal device serving as the remote controller for the appliance; whether the first identifier matches the second identifier is determined (S804); and remote control of the appliance is prohibited when the first identifier does not match the second identifier (S805).

Abstract: A content management server comprises: a first connection detection unit that detects whether or not the content management server is connected with the content-using device; a content management unit that manages the content according to a result of the detection by the first connection detection unit and holds information on how the content-using device controls the use of the content. A content-using device comprises: a second connection detection unit that detects whether or not the content-using device is connected with the content management server; a second selection unit that specifies a method for controlling the use of the content according to a result of the detection by the second connection detection unit; and a content control unit that controls the use of the content according to the method specified by the second selection unit.

Abstract: Address information of a mail to be transmitted by a mail communication function is extracted from the mail to be transmitted; a transmission time of the mail to be transmitted is extracted from a portable information terminal; and judgment is made as to whether the address information matches predetermined address information and whether the transmission time belongs to a predetermined time zone. When the address information matches the predetermined address information, and the address information belongs to the predetermined time zone, an activation time at which a household appliance is to be activated is determined on the basis of the transmission time, and a control command for activating the household appliance at the activation time is transmitted to a network.

Abstract: A management device 200d comprises: a key share generation unit 251d generating a plurality of key shares by decomposing a decryption key, the decryption key being for decrypting an encrypted application program generated as a result of encryption of the application program; and an output unit 252d outputting each of the key shares to a different one of a plurality of detection modules. The detection modules acquire and store therein the key shares. The protection control module 120d comprises: an acquisition unit 381d acquiring the key shares from the detection modules; a reconstruction unit 382d reconstructing the decryption key by composing the key shares; a decryption unit 383d decrypting the encrypted application program with use of the decryption key; and a deletion unit 384d deleting the decryption key, after the decryption by the decryption unit is completed.

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: The terminal device 600 comprises: a read unit configured to read encrypted content and a content signature from a regular region of a recording medium device 700, and to read a converted title key from an authorized region of the recording medium device 700, the converted title key having been converted from a title key with use of a content signature generated by an authorized signature device 500; a title key reconstruction unit configured to generate a reconstructed title key by reversely converting the converted title key with use of the content signature read by the read unit; and a playback unit configured to decrypt the encrypted content with use of the reconstructed title key to obtain decrypted content, and to play back the decrypted content.

Abstract: A data providing method is carried out by a computer (460) built in a data processing system (1) which is designed to collect log information from electronic devices through a network (30) and provide services based on that log information for authenticated users.

Abstract: When it is determined that a position of the display terminal is within a range of a prescribed distance from the house and when it is determined that the log information and the information indicating the operational state of the one electric home appliance are not consistent with each other, the server provides the display terminal with information on a possibility of a malfunction of the one electric home appliance while the position of the display terminal is still within the range of the prescribed distance from the house.