Hitachi, Ltd.

Hitachi Software Engineering Company, Ltd.

Hitachi Software Engineering

Hiromichi Ito

Tomochika Ozaki

Tetsuo Shinagawa

Tomoichi Ebata

Masato Arai

Shigeto Oeda

Masato Saito

Yoshihiro Kamata

Satoshi Kikuchi

Keiichi Nakane

Hisashi Hashimoto

Eisaku Nishiyama

Mitsuru Mori

Toshiya Ito

Hiroshi Yamada

Tadashi Kuwabara

Naoki Mori

Isao Nakagawa

Chikashi Okamoto

Yukio Nakata

Akira Naito

Yusuke Hino

Kosuke Takano

Even if a third party intercepts a packet flowing on the Internet, it is made difficult to identify which information processing apparatuses are performing communication with each other. In a communication system, there is provided a virtual address server for pooling a plurality of for-rent-out virtual global addresses to be temporarily used by a communication apparatus. When a first information processing apparatus performs communication with a second information processing apparatus, the first information processing apparatus requests the virtual address server to rent out a virtual global address. Next, based on this request, the virtual address server rents out this virtual global address. Moreover, the first information processing apparatus sends out a communication packet whose transmission-source address is set up by this virtual global address and whose transmission-destination address is set up by the global address of the second information processing apparatus.

Information processing apparatus for concealing the identity of internet protocol addresses

An audio/video storage device using a hard disk speeds up the start of reproduction of an audio/video file and reduces power consumption and a noise level. A data recording/reproducing system of the present invention has a hard-disk drive and a flash memory device. When an audio/video file is recorded, the entirety of the file is stored into the hard-disk drive and a starting section of the file is stored into the flash memory device. When the file is reproduced, the reproduction is started from the starting section of the file that was stored into the flash memory device, and the remaining sections that follow the starting section are reproduced from an internal hard disk of the hard-disk drive.

Data recording/reproducing system, storage device, and file access method

Communication using IPv6 is carried out, and conversion is given to a prefix of an IPv6 address in a firewall. A security channel for mutual authentication with an out-of-home apparatus or the like is carried out by the firewall, and only identification of an in-home apparatus is carried out on an in-home network by the firewall. A PC is connected to a PC in-home network different from the in-home network, and communication between the PC and the in-home apparatus is always carried out via the firewall.

Firewall apparatus

A non-IP device holds an interface ID defined by Ipv6. A gateway generates and holds an Ipv6 address for the non-IP device. The gateway serves to convert the protocol of a packet destined to the non-IP device from a portable telephone or a personal computer coupled to an internet into the protocol for a network connected to the non-IP device and transmit the packet to the non-IP device.

Gateway device and control method for communication with IP and IPV6 protocols

A remote operating system capable of operating a given home electric appliance by simple operation from a portable telephone is disclosed. A service equipment connected to an internet and a public network provides a home page using the function of a portable telephone to browse the internet home pages. An instruction to operate the home electric appliance is given by way of the home page using the portable telephone. Thus, an operating instruction is given through the public network to a remote operation adaptor installed in a home to control the home electric appliance.

Remote operating system

An information processing apparatus, such as might be associated with an in-home audio or video control device or a home appliance operated by a user, is provided with input allowing the user to set accuracy of a log of device operation history and/or to set a ratio of disclosure of the log information. A log accumulation control device efficiently collects the log information and offers users diversified levels of accuracy for the log information. In a further configuration, user-designated information acquired form user operation of the device identifies frequency of viewing and listening to each program, and reproduction of contents is controlled as a function of the user-designated information, e.g. to select among common contents and contents of different classification types.

Log accumulation device with user accuracy setting means and pseudo-information generating means

A key managing system including information transmitting apparatus which transmits a date and time when secrecy protection is ended to a key controlling apparatus. The key controlling apparatus searches a key control table for an encryption key associated with a decryption key and the date and time. The key controlling apparatus transmits an encryption key from the search to the information transmitting apparatus. The key controlling apparatus discloses a decryption key for the present date and time to an information receiving apparatus in response to a request for a decryption key. The information transmitting apparatus, upon receipt of the encryption key, encrypts information using the encryption key and transmits the encrypted information to the information receiving apparatus. The information receiving apparatus, for the present date and time matching with the date and time, acquires a disclosed decryption key and decrypts the encrypted information by using the decryption key.

Key controlling system, key controlling apparatus, information encrypting apparatus, information decrypting apparatus and storage media for storing programs

In an internet having a server for providing service, a client for receiving the service, plural proxy servers for standing proxy for an access to the server done by the client, and a proxy server selecting server for noticing an IP (Internet Protocol) corresponding to a domain name of the client in response to an inquiry with the domain name added thereon, the proxy server selecting server receives a request message with the domain name of the server for providing the target service from the client. Then, the proxy server selecting server notifies the client of the IP address of the most approximate server to the client in place of the IP address of the server, based on the physical/logical location information, and if necessary, the periodically obtained load information of the proxy servers. The client recognizes the proxy server of the IP address given thereto as the server for providing the target service and then makes access to the proxy server.

Proxy server selecting server and proxy server

In an internet having a server for providing service, a client for receiving the service, plural proxy servers for standing proxy for an access to the server done by the client, and a proxy server selecting server for noticing an IP (Internet Protocol) corresponding to a domain name of the client in response to an inquiry with the domain name added thereon, the proxy sever selecting server receives a request message with the domain name of the server for providing the target service from the client. Then, the proxy server selecting server notifies the client of the IP address of the most approximate server to the client in place of the IP address of the server, based on the physical/logical location information, and if necessary, the periodically obtained load information of the proxy servers. The client recognizes the proxy server of the IP address given thereto as the server for providing the target service and then makes access to the proxy server.

According to the present invention, when electronic money is sent from a given network to another network, a money change apparatus performs a money change process to change electronic money current on the given network into electronic money current on another network, and therefore when a user of the given network uses a settling process, by managing this money change process, it is possible to manage the interchange of electronic money between each of the users of the given network and each of the users of another network without affecting the working environment of electronic commerce. Electronic money current on LAN is referred to as local electronic money current only on the network. When a terminal NLU connected to LAN sends money to a terminal NWU connected to WAN , GW for controlling the flow of data between LAN and WAN receives local electronic money sent from the terminal NLU , changes the local electronic money into electronic money current on WAN , then sends the electronic money to the terminal NWU , and when a terminal NWU sends money to a terminal NLU , GW receives electronic money sent from the terminal NWU , changes the electronic money into local electronic money and sends the local electronic money to the terminal NLU

Method and apparatus for managing electronic money and storage for storing an electronic money management program

A distributed database management system includes a communication network, at least a terminal device including an application program execution unit connected to the communication network, a plurality of information processors connected to the communication network, a plurality of physical databases installed in at least one of the information processors, at least a logical database grouping a plurality of the, physical databases, the logical database being defined by logical database information stored in at least one of the terminal device and the plurality of information processors, at least a table stored in at least one of the physical databases, and a table location searching unit installed in at least one of the terminal device and the plurality of information processors, for searching a table stored in at least one of the physical databases based on the logical database information, the table being requested to access on a logical database, from the application program execution unit.

Distributed database management system including logical database constituted by a group of physical databases

A key managing system for implementing simultaneous disclosure of information. The invention includes an information transmitting apparatus which transmits a date and time at which secrecy protection of information is ended to a key controlling apparatus. The key controlling apparatus searches a key control table indicating a relation between decryption keys and decryption key disclosure dates & times for an encryption key that forms a pair in conjunction with a decryption key associated with the date & time transmitted by the information transmitting apparatus. The key controlling apparatus then transmits an encryption key found in the search to the information transmitting apparatus. The key controlling apparatus also discloses a decryption key for the present date & time to an information receiving apparatus in response to a request for a decryption key at a present date and time. The information transmitting apparatus, upon receipt of the encryption key, encrypts information by using the encryption key and then transmits the encrypted information to the information receiving apparatus. The date and time, at which secrecy protection of information is ended is appended to the encrypted information. The information receiving apparatus, upon the present date and time becoming coincident with the date and time appended to the received encrypted information, acquires a disclosed decryption key and decrypts the encrypted information by using the decryption key.

System and method for controlling disclosure time of information

A power supply section includes a capacity detector capable of detecting the remaining capacity in a battery and a controller issuing power consumption reduction instructions to independently operable function devices based on usage priorities thereof. This allows power consumption operations to be performed such as stopping function devices with low priorities first based on the remaining battery capacity. As a result, power to function devices with higher priorities can be maintained. Based on the remaining battery capacity, the controller controls the operations of the function devices and uses a display to show information allowing the operator to identify operable and inoperable function devices as the battery capacity drops.

Growing community of inventors

Yokohama, Japan

Hiromichi Ito