Brother Kogyo Kabushiki-Kaisha

Brother Industries, Ltd.

Xing Inc.

Takamitsu Suzuki

Yuichi Yasutomo

Hirokazu Ogaki

Toshinori Taniguchi

Yoshibumi Kato

Yasuyo Mori

Tatsuo Kato

When the input output controller 22 receives request data through the modem 42, the input output controller 22 controls the memory controller 25 to retrieve an AV stream and a BGV stream from the memories and to transfer the streams to the multiplexer 30. The memory controller 25 retrieves a BGV stream from the BGV memories 26a, 26b, and 26c and an AV stream from the AV memories 27a, 27b, and 27c. When receiving the BGV stream and the AV stream, the multiplexer 30 divides the AV stream into a lyric stream and a music stream. The multiplexer 30 composes the lyric stream and the BGV stream into a video stream. The multiplexer 30 time-divisionally multiplexes the video stream and the music stream and outputs the multiplexed stream as a video/music stream.

Video/audio data supplying device

A computer software vending machine includes an information storage unit for storing user information relating to a particular user when the user utilizes the computer software vending machine. An information reading unit reads various information from the information storage unit. The storing unit stores a plurality of computer software and user information relating to the user when the user utilizes the computer software vending machine. A comparing unit compares the user information stored in the storing unit with the user information relating to the user when the user utilizes the computer software vending machine. A selecting unit selects computer software which has been supplied from the computer software vending machine after the user last utilized the computer software vending machine from the information storage unit, on the basis of the comparison with the comparing unit. The displaying unit displays the computer software selected by the selecting unit.

Computer software vending machine

An apparatus for managing a plurality of software vending machines each connected to the apparatus through a communication line and each arranged so that any software program selected by a customer out of a plurality of software programs stored in the machine is duplicated onto an external storing medium. The apparatus communicates with each of the plurality of software vending machines through the communication line. The apparatus stores at least one sotfware program and can detect the frequency of duplication of each program in each of the software vending machines through information sent on the communication line. Software programs are replaced in each of the software vending machines based on their frequency of duplication for a predetermined period of time. The duplicating frequency is corrected so that the detected value of the frequency of duplication is high in inverse proportion to the length of time elapsed from the registration of that program.

Apparatus for managing software bending machines

A vending system for automatic sale of articles selected by a customer, comprising a display for displaying groups of vending information in respective steps of a vending procedure that are executed to select one of the articles. The vending system comprises an advancing key and a returning key which enable the vending procedure to be advanced from the currently established step to the next, or to be reversed to revert to the preceding step. The vending system further comprises a payment-control device for commanding the display to display a price of the selected article, and for detecting an amount of a payment medium deposited for the selected article. The selected article is delivered when the detected amount of the payment medium is equal to or larger than the displayed price.

Growing community of inventors

Nagoya, Japan

Takamitsu Suzuki