Canon Kabushiki Kaisha

Other

Philip Keith Robertson

Sue-Ken Yap

Seppo Reino Keronen

John Charles Brook

Adam Michael Billyard

Andrew Timothy Robert Newman

Stephen Robert Bruce

David Lau-Kee

Michael King

A computer games apparatus includes a server operable under the control of a computer program to generate and store data defining a 3D game environment. Objects within that environment can be moved and/or changed in response to signals received by the server from player terminals. Those signals may be transmitted via the Internet and/or other networks. The server renders the object data into data defining one or more views of the 3D environment, which data can then be processed into a broadcastable form for receipt by a plurality of observers. The performance of the apparatus is unaffected by the number of observers actually in receipt of the broadcast data.

Computer games apparatus

A method of procuring goods and/or services using a merchant server coupled to a computer network is disclosed. The network () comprises at least one smart card () having a memory device () programmed with access information corresponding to and associated with one more icons () formed on a surface of the smart card (). The smart card () is locatable with a reader device () coupled to the network () to permit a reading of the memory device () to associate the access information with one of the icons () selected by a user depressing a touch panel () of the reader () device overlying the icons (). The method transmits the access information from the reader () to the merchant server () in response to selection of the one icon (). The method utilises the merchant server () to provide the goods and/or services for retrieval by the user according to the access information. The method monitors the transmission of the access information to the merchant server () and invoices at least one user of the network () for costs associated with provision of the goods and/or services.

Networked business system

A user programmable smart card interface system is disclosed having a smart card () and a reader/writer () which is able to read data from, and write data into, an electronic memory () carried by the card. A user terminal () having processing capacity can be used by a user to write customised data into the electronic memory (). The user is then able to utilise his own data to control a data controlled equipment () as the user desires. A storage apparatus () for smart cards and smart cards () with a tactile operating surface arc also disclosed.

User programmable smart card interface system

The method provides services using a smart card(or). The services are provided by a third party other than the original equipment manufacturing (OEM) of the smart card. The method comprises the following steps. The method generatesa plurality of data, where each of the data comprises information for activating a service associated with an electrical apparatus. The method also generatesan indicium associated with each data. The method then programmesa smart card by loading the plurality of data into a memory of the smart card and applying each indiciumto a surface of the smart card. The method also comprises loading the smart card into a smart card readerand selectingany one of the indicia. The method then activates the service by communicatingthe selected data to the electrical apparatus.

Providing services utilizing a smart card

A virtual image album system is disclosed, the system comprising: a card () comprising a substrate () having a memory device () associated therewith, and indicia () formed on the substrate, the indicia () being representative of image data, and function data stored within the memory device () and associated with the indicia (); and a reader () for the card (), the reader () comprising a touch sensitive membrane () arranged to overlay said card () and through which the indicia () are visible, the reader () being adapted to output the specific function data associated with a user selected one of said indicia (), thereby to reference the specific image data.

User programmable smart card interface system for an image album

A customizable user interface system is disclosed, the system comprising: a card () comprising a substrate (), a memory device () associated therewith, and indicia () formed on said substrate () and user interpretable to relate to functions stored within said memory (); and a reader device () for said card (), the reader () comprising a touch sensitive device () arranged to overlay said card (), and through which said indicia () are visible, characterized in that said touch sensitive device () comprises a membrane via which said indicia (), arbitrarily arranged on said substrate (), may be selected.

User programmable smart card interface system having an arbitrary mapping

Disclosed is a read device ( ) for reading a smartcard ( ). The smartcard ( ) has indicia ( and ) formed thereon and a memory ( ) having data stored therein wherein the card ( ) is configured for insertion into the read device ( ). The read device ( ) includes a plurality of user operable switches ( and ) positioned around a receptacle ( ) into which the smartcard ( ) is insertable for reading the data and relation information to associate the data with the switches ( and ). The switches ( and ) are associated with the indicia ( and ) on the card ( ) visually. A processor ( ) is provided for reading the data corresponding to a switch ( and ) pressed by a user based on the relation information, and operates to sending the related data to an external device. The smartcard ( ) also has links ( and ) associated with each indicia and arranged to associate the indicia with at least one of the switches ( and ).

Hyperlink access system

A document creation system and method in which electronic information intended for reproduction and including at least one hyperlink is accessed. The accesses information is formatted into a contiguous localized document in a reproducible format into which is incorporated at least one functional link related to a hyperlink. The functional link is reproducible in a material form in the localized document for replicating a function associated with the hyperlinks. The localized document can then be displayed to reveal the function links which are manually traversable. Display is typically by printing and the functional links may include printed lines, cutouts in the paper or tabs applied to the paper.

Method for non-linear document conversion and printing

A remote control apparatus (,) for accessing a desired resource (,) on a network system (,) is disclosed. The network system (,) typically has a plurality of node sites of which at least one node site includes the desired resource which is uniquely identifiable by a resource identifier (,). The remote control apparatus includes input means (,) for inputting the resource identifier into the remote control apparatus, storage means (,) for storing the entered resource identifier; transmission means (,) and authentication means (,). The transmission means provides for wireless transmission of the resource identifier to an output arrangement (,) to enable the output arrangement to receive the resource identifier and thereby access the desired resource at the network system node identified by the resource identifier for reproduction of the desired resource by the output arrangement. The authentication means provides for verifying that a user of remote control apparatus is a predetermined user thereof and for enabling or disabling the operation of the remote control apparatus accordingly.

Growing community of inventors

Middle Cove, Australia

Philip Keith Robertson