Sony Corporation

Akiko Asami

Takashi Suzuki

Takashi Takeda

An information processing system, method for use with the system, information providing system, and method for use with the system, an information processing apparatus, method for use with the apparatus, a doll, an object, a program storage medium, and a program for authenticating users reliably are provided. A user acquires beforehand a doll called Pochara the Good Friend incorporating an IC chip that stores a user ID for authenticating the user. When the user mounts the doll on a platform connected to a personal computer, the user ID is read from the IC chip by a reader housed in the platform and transmitted over the Internet to a Pochara service server. The server has a Pochara database holding personal information about users of the service. The transmitted user ID is checked against the personal information in the database for authentication. This invention applies advantageously to servers offering services through networks.

Object device including an IC chip

An information processing system, an information processing method for use with the system, an information providing system, and information providing method for use with the system, an information processing apparatus, an information processing method for use with the apparatus, a doll, an object, a program storage medium, and a program for authenticating users reliably are provided. A user acquires beforehand a doll called Pochara the Good Friend incorporating an IC chip that stores a user ID for authenticating the user. When the user mounts the doll on a platform connected to a personal computer, the user ID is read from the IC chip by a reader housed in the platform and transmitted over the Internet to a Pochara service server. The server has a Pochara database holding personal information about users of the service. The transmitted user ID is checked against the personal information in the database for authentication. This invention applies advantageously to servers offering services through networks.

Information processing system

An information processing system, an information processing method for use with the system, an information providing system, and information providing method for use with the system, an information processing apparatus, an information processing method for use with the apparatus, a doll, an object, a program storage medium, and a program for authenticating users reliably are provided. A user acquires beforehand a doll called Pochara the Good Friend incorporating an IC chip that stores a user ID for authenticating the user. When the user mounts the doll on a platformconnected to a personal computer, the user ID is read from the IC chip by a reader housed in the platformand transmitted over the Internetto a Pochara service server. The serverhas a Pochara databaseholding personal information about users of the service. The transmitted user ID is checked against the personal information in the database for authentication. This invention applies advantageously to servers offering services through networks.

An information processing apparatus and method, information management apparatus and method, recording medium, and program that permit efficient use of hardware resources and distribute contents with ease are provided. When communication can be established via a network (when the line is available), clients-through-, which have acquired contents from a contents distribution server and stored them, transmit the stored contents to remote clients in accordance with destination designation information attached to the contents. For example, client-transmits the contents, which have been acquired from the contents distribution server and stored, to clients-and-, which are designated as destination clients by the destination designation information. The present invention can be applied, for example, to a router or a personal computer providing a communication section and a hard disk or other storage medium.

Apparatus and method for performing contents distribution process

An agent system which provides information for a user, displaying a character, includes: an agent program provided in a user computer connectable to a communication channel network; a user information storage part that stores user information; and a character display data storage part that stores character display data for determining a display form of the character. The agent program performs processing of collecting the user information and information selected by the user information, processing of creating a key word specific to the user based on the user information and the selected information, and processing of providing information, varying the display form related to the character from the selected information and the character display data, for every item of information. That is, a character as a virtual creature is provided in an information communication apparatus such as a personal computer or the like, so that information can be collected with interests and fun through communication between the user and the character.

Agent system, information providing method , information providing apparatus , and data recording medium

An information processing apparatus and method are provided by which the user not only can merely see an album display but also can enjoy the album display satisfactorily as a memory. Image data are stored, and time information and position information are recorded in connection with the image data. Thumbnail icons representative of the image data are displayed in accordance with the time information, and a map image is displayed in concave/concave display. Position icons representative of the time information and the position information are displayed on the map image. The map and the thumbnail icons are moved on the display by at least one of different types of movement including horizontal movement, vertical movement, clockwise or counterclockwise rolling movement, upward or downward pitching movement and leftward or rightward yawing movement so that the user can enjoy various images.

Information processing apparatus, information processing method, program storage medium and program

An information providing system, apparatus, and method, and a data recording medium wherein a user can frequently communicate with an imaginary electronic pet that virtually lives in a piece of electric equipment so that the user can operate the electric equipment with increased interest and happiness. The system includes a plurality of interconnected pieces of electric equipment for transmitting and receiving character data. Each piece of equipment includes a character system for processing the character data, a representation system for representing a character to indicate a representation to a user of the electric equipment, and a connection system for establishing a connection to another piece of equipment. The character system rocesses the character data based on character representation data for providing the character with a predetermined representation, and the representation system provides information from the character to the user.

Information providing system, information providing apparatus and information providing method as well as data recording medium

An information-processing apparatus, an information-processing method and a data recording medium which allow a display to be presented to the user. The apparatus, method, and medium allow the display of a cyclical time concept which includes nature, creatures and integration of pictures and comments and is based on a predetermined cycle typically including a sequence of transitions among the four seasons of spring, summer, autumn and winter, or of a day consisting of morning, afternoon, and night, or a cycle can also be a temperature or humidity cycle.

Image displaying apparatus and image displaying method and program medium

An information processing apparatus and method by which the user can see an album display and can enjoy the album display as a memory. Image data, time information and position information are recorded. Thumbnail icons representative of the image data are displayed along with the time information, and a map image is displayed in concave/convex display. Position icons representative of the time information and the position information are displayed on the map image. The map and the thumbnail icons are moved on the display by at least one of different types of movement including horizontal movement, vertical movement, clockwise or counterclockwise rolling movement, upward or downward pitching movement and leftward or rightward yawing movement; so that the user can enjoy various images.

An information processing apparatus, an information processing method, and an information providing medium that allow a user to check the still pictures of a moving picture to be searched at desired points of time and desired time intervals and in a desired quantity. The user operates a mouse or a keyboard to enter a time and a time interval at which a picture is displayed. On the basis of these time and time interval, the CPU generates picture thumbnails of the moving picture. Then, the CPU simultaneously displays the generated picture thumbnails as arranged in a time sequential manner.

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Shizuoka, Japan

Akiko Asami