Sony Corporation

Justsystem Corporation

Nobutaka Tani

Satoru Maeda

Katsutoshi Sakao

Masahiro Tada

Munehiro Yoshikawa

Mami Uchida

Masahiro Asai

Tadashi Saito

Shinji Okazaki

Hirotaka Sugiyama

Natsuko Yotsumoto

Takaaki Miura

Katsuhisa Takata

The present invention relates to an information processing apparatus with improved operatability. With the information processing apparatus in which the user is capable of watching a television program and connecting to the Internet, the index panelshows channel buttonsto be operated to select a desired program, a site buttonto be operated to make an access to site A available on the Internet and a site buttonto be operated to make an access to site B on the Internet. The present invention allows the user to watch a television program and can be applied to an information processing apparatus such as a personal computer, which can be connected to the Internet.

Information processing apparatus

The invention makes it possible to draw lots for a present in real time in association with a broadcast program. A broadcasting station broadcasts information relating to lot for a present that is associated with a broadcast program by superimposing it on a video signal in vertical blanking intervals. The lot information is decoded by a decoder and viewed by a viewer on a TV receiver. When the viewer commands the decoder to enter the lot for the present, the decoder accesses a present call center and an automatic lots-drawing system draws lots. A drawing result is transmitted to the broadcasting station and announced during the broadcast of the program. A sponsor sends the present product to winner viewers based on winner data.

Information providing apparatus and method, information receiving apparatus and method, lots-drawing system and method and medium

An information processing apparatus with improved operatability in which the user is capable of watching a television program and connecting to the Internet. An index panel shows channel buttons operated to select a desired program, a first site button provides access to site A available on the Internet and a second site button provides access to site B on the Internet. The user is able to watch a television program and can have access to an information processing apparatus such as a personal computer, which can be connected to the Internet.

An information processing method and apparatus for enabling more prompt sign-up. A network management server at step Sreceived am equipment serial number from an information processing apparatus and, at step s, references a database to retrieve a received equipment serial number. If the equipment serial number has not been found, the program moves to step Swhere a command for initiating manual setting is sent to an information processing apparatus. If the equipment serial number has been found, the program moves to step Sto verify whether or not the admittance made or admittance not as yet made, recorded in the database in association with the equipment serial number received is admittance made. If the verified result indicates admittance not as yet made, the program moves to step Swhere the network management server sends an automatic setting initiating command to the information processing apparatus.

Information processing method and apparatus and recording medium for controlling and simplifying a sign-up operation of an apparatus over a network

A television receiver in which a summary of an electronic mail can be displayed along with a television picture. A central processing unit (CPU) receives an electronic mail by an electronic mail function via a modemadapted for connection to an external mail server and extracts the summary of the electronic mail by a summary extraction function to write the electronic mail summary in a display memoryThe CPUcauses the summary of the electronic mail to be superimposed on the television picture by a superimposing function of a television receiving unitto display the electronic mail summary along with the television picture.

Growing community of inventors

Saitama, Japan

Nobutaka Tani