Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Public Corporation

Sony Corporation

Sumitomo Electric Industries, Limited

Sony Computer Entertainment Inc.

Sumitono Electric Inds., Ltd.

Toru Kuwahara

Takao Edahiro

Gotaro Tanaka

Hirofumi Hayaashi

Kohei Yokota

Michihisa Kyoto

Tetsuo Miyajiri

Hiroshi Yokota

Motohiro Nakahara

Naoki Yoshioka

Masaaki Yoshida

Keiji Shiotani

Yoshitsugu Hasumi

Hidehiko Kakinuma

Motoshi Asano

The present invention provides a communication system that enables safe and easy addition of a function for use of credit card settlement services to a portable information terminal. In this system, if a user brings his credit card close to the portable information terminal, the portable information terminal reads a card ID stored in a contactless IC card provided in the credit card. Then, the card ID is transmitted to a card management system which checks whether or not the card ID is valid. If confirming that the card ID is valid, the card management system instructs the portable information terminal to write the card ID thereto. If the user places an order of a merchandize, the card ID written to the portable information terminal is provided therefrom to use credit card settlement services.

Communication system, settlement management apparatus and method, portable information terminal and information processing method, and program

The present invention provides a communication system that enables safe and easy addition of a function for use of credit card settlement services to a portable information terminal. In this system, if a user brings his credit card close to the portable information terminal, the portable information terminal reads a card ID stored in a contactless IC card provided in the credit card. Then, the card ID is transmitted to a card management system which checks whether or not the card ID is valid. If confirming that the card ID is valid, the card management system instructs the portable information terminal to write the card ID thereto. If the user places an order of a merchandise, the card ID written to the portable information terminal is provided therefrom to use credit card settlement services.

A store apparatus stores a point calculation method that is applied usually, and stores also specific combinations of commodities names, as well as a specific point calculation method that is applied to those specific combinations. When an order of commodities is received from an ordering apparatus, it is judged if those commodities are one of the specific combinations of commodities When it is one of the specific combinations, points are calculated using the specific point calculation method. By making the specific point calculation method more advantageous to customers than the usual point calculation method, it is possible to excite customers' will to purchase the specific commodities.

Apparatus and method of receiving order, storage medium, and method of point service

A player moves point value in virtual world into an IC card and a service center updates the point value stored in the IC card based on a result of an event which the player performed in real world. As a result, information concerning the play of the player in the virtual world is updated based on the player's acts in the real world and a part of the virtual world is created based on the acts, which allows seamlessly connecting between the virtual world and the real world.

Information processing system that seamlessly connects real world and virtual world

Using a preset, temporary ID, a user accesses an on-line shop where he is not registered. When the user buys a commodity, the on-line shop sends order data to a money gate. In response to a request from the money gate, a mall-operating company where the user is registered sends the money gate information necessary for settlement such as a credit number. The money gate generates final order data by combining the order data and the information necessary for settlement. Settlement processing with a card company is performed by using the final order data.

Settlement intermediation processing apparatus, storage medium in which a program for settlement intermediation processing is stored, computer program for settlement intermediation, online shop apparatus, and on-line shopping method and system

A process for producing an optical fiber preform in a muffle furnace by hydrolyzing a gaseous glass forming material with a flame from an oxyhydrogen burner and depositing the resulting soot in a rod shape and an apparatus therefor are described, wherein a gas is supplied to the muffle furnace other than from said burner, and the volume supply of said gas is held constant by controlling the amount of a control gas supplied into an intermediate portion of an exhaust pipe through which the gases formed in the muffle furnace and the fine glass particles that do not deposit in a rod shape are discharged.

System for producing an optical fiber preform with gas volume control

A process for producing a porous optical fiber preform by hydrolyzing a gaseous glass forming material with a flame from an oxyhydrogen burner and depositing the resulting soot in a rod form in a muffle furnace is described, wherein the muffle furnace is supplied with a gas other than that from the oxyhydrogen burner, and said gas is maintained at a constant temperature.

Process for producing optical fiber preform

A process for producing high-purity silica glass wherein glass-forming chlorides, hydrogen gas, oxygen and an inert gas are supplied from a glass burner, the chlorides are decomposed by flame oxidation to form fine grains of glass which are deposited on a starting member and the glass deposit is sintered to provide a transparent vitreous substance, the volume ratio of oxygen gas to the sum of the chlorides and hydrogen gas being greater than about 0.6, preferably greater than about 1.0, and less than about 20.

Process for producing high-purity silica glass

A process for producing a preform for glass fiber for optical transmission by heating supply gases to form fine particles that are deposited on a rotating starter member to form an aggregate of fine glass particles which are then sintered to give a transparent vitreous material, characterized by a first heating stage wherein the aggregate of fine glass particles is sintered by increasing the temperature at a constant rate in a gaseous atmosphere which contains a halogen or halide and which has dehydrating activity, followed by holding the aggregate for a given period of time at a temperature in the range that causes considerable shrinkage of the aggregate, and a second heating stage where said aggregate is heated to the vitrifying temperature.

Process for producing a glass preform for optical fiber

A process for producing an optical fiber preform which comprises forming a particulate glass rod in which the dopant concentration gradually increases toward the center of its cross section, and gradually heating the rod starting at a temperature below the minimum collapsing point of the fine glass particles in the center of the rod in such a manner that the softening of the rod proceeds from the center outward, to thereby produce a transparent glass rod.

Growing community of inventors

Kanagawa, Japan

Toru Kuwahara