Sony Corporation

Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha

Asahi Kasei Microdevices Corporation

Mikio Kamada

Yusuke Sakai

Naoki Saito

Masumi Ono

Masamichi Asukai

Yasushi Takahashi

Takayuki Hirabayashi

Akira Shinada

Hitoshi Kimura

Tsutomu Imoto

Yoshiaki Shibata

Ippei Tambata

Goro Asai

Katsuhiko Nunokawa

Hiroaki Okajima

Kazuya Sasaki

Masafumi Kizu

Kazunori Ohmura

Yoshinori Ishiai

Masatoshi Miura

An information processing apparatus, an information processing method, a recording medium, and a program for allowing communicating parties at remote locations to view the same displayed content and to point to desired positions on the displayed image of the content. A user A and a user B viewing themselves and the content on a cross-faded mode may point to desired positions on the content image with their fingertips. Motion vectors of the fingertips are then detected in particular areas extracted from the image in a manner containing the detected positions. The detected motion vectors are translated into a pointer for the user A and a pointer for the user B, the pointers being alpha-blended with the content image. The two pointers extracted from a single image are associated with the users A and B by use of different Cyber Codes attached to the fingertips of each user, for example.

Information processing device and method, recording medium, and program

An information processing apparatus and method make it possible for persons at remote places to enjoy simultaneous playback of contents while promoting copyright and privacy protection. A copyright authentication section decides, based on a copyright restriction added to a content and license information stored in a license storage section, whether utilization of the content is permitted. An accounting processing section, in response to a result of the decision, cooperates with an authentication sever to perform accounting. A privacy authentication section decides, based on the privacy restriction and privacy information, whether utilization of the content is permitted. A permission request processing section, in response to a result of the decision, performs a communication process with a communication apparatus, which has a privacy management right in the content.

Information processing apparatus and method, recording medium, and program

There is provided a filter device having a function of adjusting the center frequency of a filter. The filter device includes: a filter core unit () provided with an adder () for outputting an added signal of an input signal and a feedback signal (signal Vf), an AGC circuit for generating an amplification signal in which the added signal is amplified, and a phase shifter () for generating the signal Vf by shifting a phase of the amplification signal; an amplitude comparing circuit () for comparing the reference amplitude and the amplitude of the signal Vf; a gain control voltage generator () for controlling the amplification factor of the AGC circuit () based upon the comparison result; a frequency comparing circuit () for comparing the reference frequency and the frequency of the signal Vf; a phase shifter control voltage generator () for controlling the shift amount of the phase in the phase shifter () based upon the comparison result. The gain control voltage generator () oscillates the filter core unit (), while the amplification factor and the shift amount are being controlled.

Filter device and control method of the same

Content that is simultaneously viewed by users of remotely located communication apparatuses is recorded along with images and sound corresponding to the users, for a synthesized reproduction. Synthesis information including parameters relating to setting a synthesis situation of an image and sound of the content and an image and sound of the users, along with information representative of a standard time, is produced and stored. The content being played back is recorded with the standard time added thereto. Similarly, real-time recording of the users includes the standard time. The synthesis information is produced again and stored when a parameter relating to setting the synthesis situation is changed.

The present invention relates to an information processing apparatus and method, a recording medium, and a program which make it possible for persons at remote places to enjoy simultaneous playback of various contents while promoting the protection of the copyright or the privacy. A copyright authentication sectiondecides, based on copyright restriction information added to a content and license information stored in a license storage section, whether or not utilization of the content is permitted. An accounting processing sectionis controlled in response to a result of the decision so that it cooperates with an authentication server to perform an accounting process. A privacy authentication sectiondecides, based on privacy restriction information added to the content and privacy information, whether or not utilization of the content is permitted. A permission request processing sectionis controlled in response to a result of the decision so that it performs a communication process with a communication apparatus, which has a privacy management right in the content. The present invention can be applied to a communication system which supports remote place communication between users.

An information-processing apparatus operated by a user to carry out communications through a network transmits user-disclosure information to an other information-processing apparatus and receives other user-disclosure information from the other apparatus. The other user-disclosure information includes information about content being displayed by the other apparatus. The apparatus produces a determination result indicating whether a requested connection to the other information-processing apparatus is authorized by the other information-processing apparatus based on a response received from the other information-processing apparatus. The apparatus transmits/receives image and voice data to/from the other apparatus when authorized. The apparatus synthesizes content being displayed by the other apparatus.

Information-processing apparatus, information-processing methods, recording mediums, and programs

An information-processing apparatus including a reproducer for synchronously reproducing content data common to another information-processing apparatus, a user information input for inputting first user condition information including a voice and image of a user, a user information receiver for receiving second user condition information including a voice and image of an other user from the other information-processing apparatus, a synthesizer for synthesizing a voice and image of the content data synchronously reproduced by the reproducer with the voice and image of the second user condition information received by the user-information receiver; an information analysis unit for analyzing at least either the first user condition information input or the second user condition information; and a parameter-setting unit for setting a control parameter used for controlling a process on the basis of an analysis result produced by the information analysis unit.

An information processing apparatus, an information processing method, a recording medium, and a program for allowing communicating parties at remote locations to view the same displayed content and to point to desired positions on the displayed image of the content. A user A and a user B viewing themselves and the content on a cross-faded mode may point to desired positions on the content image with their fingertips. Motion vectors of the fingertips are then detected in particular areas extracted from the image in a manner containing the detected positions. The detected motion vectors are translated into a pointer for the user A and a pointer for the user B, the pointers being alpha-blended with the content image. The two pointers extracted from a single image are associated with the users A and B by use of different Cyber Codes (2D code) attached to the fingertips of each user, for example. This invention applies illustratively to communication apparatuses for permitting communication between remote locations.

The present invention provides an information-processing apparatus including reproduction means for synchronously reproducing content data common to an other information-processing apparatus, user information input means for inputting first user condition information including a voice and image of a user, user information receiver means for receiving second user condition information including a voice and image of an other user from the other information-processing apparatus, synthesis means for synthesizing a voice and image of the content data synchronously reproduced by the reproduction means with the voice and image of the second user condition information received by the user-information receiver means; information analysis means for analyzing at least either the first user condition information input by the user-information input means or the second user condition information received by the user-information receiver means, and parameter-setting means for setting a control parameter used for controlling a process, which is carried out by the synthesis means to synthesize voices and images, on the basis of an analysis result produced by the information analysis means.

The present invention is relative with a reproducing apparatus and a receiving apparatus for affording the impression or evaluation in line with the intention of a content supplier to the audience. The reproducing apparatus reproduces an optical disc () in which the contents and the estimated evaluation values are recorded at the outset. The estimated evaluation values recorded on the optical disc () have been set by the content supplier based on estimated impression or evaluation by the audience on the content. As the reproducing apparatus reproduces the content, the apparatus measures the reaction of the audience by a reaction value inputting unit (), calculates the impression or evaluation by the audience for the content by a recognition evaluation value calculating unit () and compares the recognized evaluation values to the estimated evaluation values read out from the optical disc () in a control evaluation value calculating unit (). Based on the results of comparison, a system controller () changes the picture brightness or the sound level in subsequent scenes or shots to vary the site or sequence of reproduction of the optical disc () to change the ensuing story development. The estimated evaluation values and/or the content can be received by a receiving apparatus over a communication network.

Device for reproducing content such as video information and device for receiving content

An action transmission system, terminal apparatus, action transmission method, and action transmission program are provided. The present invention provides an action transmission system including a first terminal apparatus for detecting a physical variation applied by a first user and a second terminal apparatus for outputting information to a second user as the physical variation. The first terminal apparatus transmits, to the second terminal apparatus, variation information indicative of a variation in physical quantity and intensity information subjectively set by the first user for the physical quantity by use of the physical variation applied by the first user. The second terminal apparatus receives the variation information and the intensity information from the first terminal apparatus, amplifies the received variation information by an amplification factor subjectively set by the second user to the intensity information, and outputs the amplified variation information as a physical variation.

Action transmission system, terminal apparatus, action transmission method, and action transmission program

An information-processing apparatus operated by a user to carry out communications through a network transmits user-disclosure information to an other information-processing apparatus. The user-disclosure information includes a number of other users utilizing the information-processing apparatus. The apparatus also receives user-disclosure information for the other apparatus and controls a process to display the other user-disclosure information. The apparatus produces a determination result indicating that a requested connection to the other information-processing apparatus is authorized or not authorized by the other information-processing apparatus based on a response received from the other information-processing apparatus. The response is based on the transmitted user-disclosure information. The apparatus is also configured to transmit image and voice data to the other information-processing apparatus and receive image and voice data from the other information-processing apparatus in case the determination result indicates that a connection with the other information-processing apparatus is authorized by the other information-processing apparatus.

An information processing apparatus, capable of identifying vital sign information. A learning unit identifies an emotion/state of the user by comparing the generated feature vectors with feature vectors accumulated in a storage unit. Information indicating the resultant identified emotion/state of the user is output to an output unit via an output controller.

Information processing device and method, program, and recording medium

An in-vehicle device, a vehicle, and a vehicle information processing method, which are used, for example, to assist in driving an automobile and can properly communicate a vehicle situation to a driver. Methods and mechanisms express user's handling of the vehicle by virtual feelings on the assumption that the vehicle has a personality, and displays the virtual feelings by facial expressions of a predetermined character.

Vehicle information processing device, vehicle, and vehicle information processing method

An iris authentication apparatus performs authentication based on data generated from a human iris in which camera section and a signal processing section detect an iris state in the form of data. By using a database section, an iris data processing section detects whether the iris state is in a living body state. When the iris data processing section has detected that the iris state is in a living body state, it is judged that the detected data is effective. In this manner, the iris authentication apparatus can reliably prevent a third person from being authenticated by pretending to be a registered person by forging an iris pattern that is a non-living-body iris.

Growing community of inventors

Kanagawa, Japan

Mikio Kamada