Abstract: Provided is a person detecting apparatus and method in an intelligent mobile robot. The person detecting apparatus includes a camera, an observation system status input unit, an encoding unit, a decoding unit, and a person detection unit. The camera is mounted on a robot to output image information. The observation system status input unit determines whether the robot or the camera is in motion. The encoding unit receives the image information to output a bit stream including mode information. The decoding unit decodes the bit stream, extracts a block mode value of each macro block, and stores the same in a two-dimensional array. The person detection unit outputs detection information about a moving person using the determination information provided from the observation system status input unit and the block-mode two-dimensional array provided from the decoding unit.

Abstract: Provided are an image matching apparatus and method, and the image matching apparatus includes a determining unit determining whether a node, in which a first pixel of a left image of a subject and a second pixel of a right image of the subject corresponding to the first pixel are calculated, is a matchable region, and an operating unit calculating a disparity value by using the brightness information of a left window composed of the first pixel corresponding to the node and peripheral pixels surrounding the first pixel and the brightness information of a right window composed of the second pixel corresponding to the node and peripheral pixels surrounding the second pixel, when the node is the matchable region as a result of the determination.

Abstract: The system for transmitting and receiving a wideband speech signal includes an A/D converter for receiving an analog speech signal to convert it into a digital speech signal, a transmitter analysis filter for receiving the digital speech signal and dividing it into a baseband signal and an enhancement residual band signal, a standard baseband encoder for accepting the baseband signal and coding it using an ITU-T encoder, an additional baseband encoder for reducing standard coding distortion in the baseband signal, an enhancement residual band encoder for coding a signal obtained by removing the coded baseband signal from the original digital speech signal, and an IP network interface for multiplexing the coded standard and additional baseband signals and enhancement residual band signal.

Abstract: Provided are a stereo vision system and a control method thereof. A stereo vision system includes an image information extracting unit receiving left and right images of the left and right stereo cameras to extract color information for a brightness control of the images from the received images, an image preprocessing unit performing a process for reducing noises of the left and right images using the color information and a prestored calibration parameter, a stereo matching unit performing stereo matching of the left and right images processed by the image preprocessing unit through an algorithm to obtain a depth map, and a matching result measuring unit receiving the depth map obtained by the stereo matching unit to measure a matching degree, and changing the prestored calibration parameter according to a result of the measurement.

Abstract: Provided are a human recognition apparatus and a human recognition method identifying a user based on a walking pattern. The human recognition apparatus includes a detecting unit detecting a vibration according to a user's walking, and outputting an electric signal, a pattern calculating unit acquiring a walker's walking pattern from the electric signal, and a user determining unit comparing the walking pattern with a previously measured reference data by user and identifying the user based on the comparison result. The human recognition apparatus and the human recognition method are robust against peripheral noise and can increase an acceptance rate through a simple structure and procedure by using the waling pattern, which is one-dimensional time information requiring no vast data throughput, as the user identification data.

Abstract: The system for transmitting and receiving a wideband speech signal includes an A/D converter for receiving an analog speech signal to convert it into a digital speech signal, a transmitter analysis filter for receiving the digital speech signal and dividing it into a baseband signal and an enhancement residual band signal, a standard baseband encoder for accepting the baseband signal and coding it using an ITU-T encoder, an additional baseband encoder for reducing standard coding distortion in the baseband signal, an enhancement residual band encoder for coding a signal obtained by removing the coded baseband signal from the original digital speech signal, and an IP network interface for multiplexing the coded standard and additional baseband signals and enhancement residual band signal.

Abstract: A data transmission apparatus of an intelligent robot system and a method thereof are provided. The data transmission apparatus includes a vision processor collector, a communicating unit, and a controller. The vision processor collects images captured through a camera, and performs an image process on the collected image to minimize a quantity of information about unnecessary regions in the collected image. The communicating unit communicates with the robot server, transmits the processed image data from the vision processor to the robot server, and receives corresponding result data from the robot server. The controller controls the image process and the transmission of the processed image data in the vision processor, and a corresponding operation of the robot terminal performed according to result data received from the robot server.

Abstract: A media access control (MAC) apparatus and corresponding methods for guaranteeing quality-of-service in a wireless local area network (LAN) are presented. The MAC method includes the steps of extracting, performing, determining, a first transmitting step, and a second transmitting step. The extracting step includes extracting a user priority from a frame received from an upper layer and separately storing a voice frame and a non-voice frame according to an access category (AC). The performing step includes independently performing backoff operations for the voice frame and the non-voice frame. The determining step includes determining whether the backoff operations for the voice frame and the non-voice frame have simultaneously ended. The first transmitting step includes transmitting the voice frame having a higher priority first and performing the backoff operation for the non-voice frame if the backoff operations have simultaneously ended.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a media access controller, and more particularly, to a media access controller which can adjust operational parameters according to a setting environment of a packet transmission system by re-setting the operational parameters of the media access controller by an external source.

Abstract: A media access control (MAC) apparatus and corresponding methods for guaranteeing quality-of-service in a wireless local area network (LAN) are presented. The MAC method includes the steps of extracting, performing, determining, a first transmitting step, and a second transmitting step. The extracting step includes extracting a user priority from a frame received from an upper layer and separately storing a voice frame and a non-voice frame according to an access category (AC). The performing step includes independently performing backoff operations for the voice frame and the non-voice frame. The determining step includes determining whether the backoff operations for the voice frame and the non-voice frame have simultaneously ended. The first transmitting step includes transmitting the voice frame having a higher priority first and performing the backoff operation for the non-voice frame if the backoff operations have simultaneously ended.

Abstract: A robot vision system for outputting a disparity map includes a stereo camera for receiving left and right images and outputting a disparity map between the two images; an encoder for encoding either the left image or the right image into a motion compensation-based video bit-stream; and a decoder for extracting an encoding type of an image block, a motion vector, and a DCT coefficient from the video bit-stream. Further, the system includes a person detector for detecting and labeling person blocks in the image using the disparity map between the left image and the right image, the block encoding type, and the motion vector, and detecting a distance from the labeled person to the camera; and an obstacle detector for detecting a closer obstacle than the person using the block encoding type, the motion vector, and the DCT coefficient extracted from the video bit-stream, and the disparity map.

Abstract: A media access control (MAC) apparatus and corresponding methods for guaranteeing quality-of-service in a wireless local area network (LAN) are presented. The MAC method includes the steps of extracting, performing, determining, a first transmitting step, and a second transmitting step. The extracting step includes extracting a user priority from a frame received from an upper layer and separately storing a voice frame and a non-voice frame according to an access category (AC). The performing step includes independently performing backoff operations for the voice frame and the non-voice frame. The determining step includes determining whether the backoff operations for the voice frame and the non-voice frame have simultaneously ended. The first transmitting step includes transmitting the voice frame having a higher priority first and performing the backoff operation for the non-voice frame if the backoff operations have simultaneously ended.

Abstract: Disclosed is a communication terminal for a wire and wireless network phone which comprises: a communication service controller, including a RISC processor, for processing protocols that satisfy respective communication interfaces in hardware and software manners; a reset unit for applying a reset signal to be used for the communication service controller; a clock signal unit for supplying clock signals needed for the communication service controller; a memory connected to the communication service controller, for storing a start program, a terminal management program, user data, and various application programs; and an access unit for providing a VoIP telephone function, a DSL access function, an analog telephone function, an Ethernet access function, a wireless network access function, and an EIA232 access function.

Abstract: A method and an apparatus for transmitting a speech signal are provided. A speech signal transmitter includes a quadrature mirror filter, a base sub-band encoder, an enhancement sub-band encoder, and a network connector. The quadrature mirror filter receives a speech signal, divides the speech signal into an enhancement band speech signal and a base band speech signal, and outputs the enhancement band speech signal and the base band speech signal. The base sub-band encoder receives and encodes the base band speech signal. The enhancement sub-band encoder receives and encodes the enhancement band speech signal. The network connector multiplexes the encoded enhancement band speech signal and the encoded base band speech signal based on the kinds of networks over which speech signals are transmitted, and transmits the multiplexed signals to the networks. A speech signal is multiplexed and transmitted by various methods based on the kinds of networks. Thus, the speech signal can be efficiently transmitted.

Abstract: A stereo vision system includes an image pre-processing unit for pre-processing the right and left images, and a stereo matching unit for carrying out stereo matching of the right and left images to acquire low-resolution distance information of the right and left images and high-resolution distance information of the right and left images upon detection of an object within a distance range through the low-resolution distance information.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a media access control (MAC) apparatus and method for guaranteeing quality-of-service in a wireless local area network (LAN). The MAC method comprises: extracting a user priority from a frame received from an upper layer and separately storing a voice frame and a general frame according to an access category (AC); independently performing backoff operations for the voice frame and the general frame; determining whether the backoff operations for the voice frame and the general frame have simultaneously ended; if the backoff operations have simultaneously ended, transmitting the voice frame having a higher priority first and performing the backoff operation for the general frame; and if the backoff operations have not simultaneously ended, transmitting a frame whose backoff operation ends.

Abstract: An apparatus for moving the center of gravity of a robot, and a system and method using the apparatus are provided. The apparatus includes a weight conveyor with a conveyed weight weighing a predetermined amount and disposed within the main body of the robot. The conveyed weight is conveyed in a predetermined direction to move the center of gravity of the robot, thus allowing a non-driven caster of the robot to surmount obstacles in its path and not become stuck while the robot is moving.

Abstract: A method and an apparatus for transmitting a speech signal are provided. A speech signal transmitter includes a quadrature mirror filter, a base sub-band encoder, an enhancement sub-band encoder, and a network connector. The quadrature mirror filter receives a speech signal, divides the speech signal into an enhancement band speech signal and a base band speech signal, and outputs the enhancement band speech signal and the base band speech signal. The base sub-band encoder receives and encodes the base band speech signal. The enhancement sub-band encoder receives and encodes the enhancement band speech signal. The network connector multiplexes the encoded enhancement band speech signal and the encoded base band speech signal based on the kinds of networks over which speech signals are transmitted, and transmits the multiplexed signals to the networks. A speech signal is multiplexed and transmitted by various methods based on the kinds of networks. Thus, the speech signal can be efficiently transmitted.

Abstract: A device and a method for estimating an open-loop pitch in a general speech CODEC are disclosed. The open-loop pitch estimation device includes an autocorrelation function calculation unit which calculates a normalized autocorrelation function from a perceptual weighing filtered speech signal, a maximum autocorrelation function and lag estimation unit which estimates a maximum autocorrelation function and candidates for the maximum autocorrelation function, a pitch candidate decision unit which decides candidates for a pitch by using the ratio of the estimated maximum autocorrelation function to the candidates for the estimated maximum autocorrelation function, and lags of which values are smaller than a predetermined threshold value, and a pitch estimation unit which estimates a pitch between the candidates for a pitch and the lags corresponding to the estimated maximum autocorrelation function by using a pitch of a previous frame of the speech signal.

Abstract: The present invention relates an automatic gain control device, which performs a high-speed gain control operation in high-speed data communication using burst signals, generates a gain code without using a memory or storage device to simplify a system configuration, and establishes a correct gain control operation. The automatic gain control apparatus includes a power detector for calculating a mean power of the output signal of the variable gain amplifier; a gain code generator for receiving a mean power from the power detector, and generating a gain code corresponding to the received mean power; and a voltage generator for calculating a difference between the gain code and a target gain code associated with the output signal of the variable gain amplifier to detect an error code, and generating a gain control voltage for compensating for the difference between the two gain codes on the basis of the detected error code.