Abstract: A drive control apparatus 118 includes a stepping motor 111-a capable of performing a micro step drive having a predetermined division number by using a sinusoidal excitation current, a transmission mechanism 111-c, 111-d configured to transmit an energy generated by a drive of the stepping motor to a focus lens 105 to move the focus lens 105, and a controller 111-b configured to control the stepping motor 111-a so that the number of micro steps in a micro step drive having the predetermined division number in a drive crossing a first phase is smaller than the number of micro steps in a drive crossing a second phase where a rotation angle of the stepping motor 111-a is smaller than a rotation angle in the first phase.

Abstract: According to an embodiment of the present invention, there is provided an information recording apparatus, such as a digital camera, arranged to record information on a detachably mountable storage medium, such as for example to record video data on the storage medium. In one version of the apparatus, when a connection of an AC adapter is cancelled, the storage medium is detected by a storage medium detection unit, and in a case where the storage medium is not mounted to the mounting unit, a warning is issued, for example in an audio output unit or a display unit. Accordingly, the user can find out that the storage medium is not mounted before the digital camera has been brought outside for use. Thus, it may be possible to prevent a failure in which the user first realizes that they forgot to mount the storage medium only when they are already away from home.

Abstract: Crosstalk is reduced to provide a high quality of image display when displaying a stereoscopic image on a plasma display panel. For this purpose, a driving method is provided in which one field is formed of a plurality of subfields each having an address period and a sustain period, image data is set to indicate light-emission/no light-emission for respective discharge cells for each of subfields in accordance with an image signal, and a field for right-eye for displaying an image signal for right-eye and a field for left-eye for displaying an image signal for left-eye are alternately repeated, which thereby displays the image on the plasma display panel. The method is such that, for a discharge cell displaying a gradation not smaller than a predetermined threshold, address operation is prohibited in the last subfield of each of the field for right-eye and the field for left-eye.

Abstract: Crosstalk is reduced to provide a high quality of image display when displaying a stereoscopic image on a plasma display panel. For this purpose, there is provided a method for driving a plasma display apparatus which displays the image on the plasma display panel, by alternately repeating a field for right-eye displaying an image signal for right-eye and a field for left-eye displaying an image signal for left-eye. The method is such that, in a first field and a temporally consecutive second field, for a discharge cell where a gradation displayed in the occurring-temporally-later second field is not larger than a predetermined comparison value, when displaying a gradation not smaller than a predetermined threshold in the occurring-temporally-earlier first field, image data are set where address operation is prohibited in a last subfield of the first field.

Abstract: The plasma display apparatus suppresses addressing failure, enhancing stability of address discharge, and therefore, enhancing quality of display image on the panel. The present invention attains above through the followings: preparing display combination sets each of which having difference in number of combinations; determining whether or not magnitude of image signals, except for a predetermined color image signal, is greater than a threshold; and according to the determination above, selecting a set for the predetermined color image signal from the display combination sets. A display combination set used for the predetermined color image signal when the image signals except for the predetermined color image signal have magnitude not less than the threshold is smaller in number of combinations than that used for the predetermined color image signal when the image signals except for the predetermined color image signal have magnitude smaller than the threshold.

Abstract: A drive method of a plasma display panel that can increase the dark contrast, without causing a discharge failure. When a discharge cell that assumes a black display state in a first field from among first and a second fields that are adjacent in time and switches to a display state representing a brightness other than black in the second field is detected as a lighting transition cell, at least one drive of the below-described first and second forced lighting drives is executed. In the first forced lighting drive, the lighting transition cell is forcibly set into the lighting mode only in the address process of a predetermined subfield within the field in the first field. In the second forced lighting drive, an adjacent discharge cell that is adjacent to the lighting transition cell is forcibly set into the lighting mode only in the address process of the predetermined subfield in the second field.

Abstract: A storing apparatus, equipped with a control unit configured to control the writing of data into a memory and to communicate a notice to an external device with a communication unit if the remaining amount of substitute blocks becomes equal to or less than a threshold value specified by stored threshold value information, includes the control unit configured to change the threshold value information, used for the notice communicated by the control unit, by the use of threshold value information received from the external device with the communication unit.

Abstract: A block noise removal device classifies interpixel differential values by using a block size N of the decoded video signal. The block noise removal device accumulates the interpixel differential values in the pixels disposed in the nth position. The results of the accumulation provide first to Nth block noise values. A block boundary position signal is produced that represents the pixel position in the pixel group that corresponds with the largest block noise value. The larger of two block noise values of the adjacent pixels on both sides of the pixel having the largest block noise value is taken as the phase error block noise value. A phase error signal is generated on the basis of the ratio between the phase error block noise value and the largest block noise value, block noise removal processing is effected, and the phase correction pixel sample value is obtained.

Abstract: A recording apparatus records data in a recording medium which has a plurality of blocks and includes an alternative block for a defect block, in accordance with a recording unit of a set data amount. The recording apparatus sets the data amount of the recording unit based on an alternative block remaining amount in the recording medium.

Abstract: A data recording apparatus records data onto a recording medium having a flash memory in which data can be written in block units using a part of a recording region as an alternative block for a defect block in which normal data writing cannot be performed. The data recording apparatus causes a user to select one of plural recording modes including a first recording mode and a second recording mode in which an amount of data to be processed is larger than that of the first recording mode, then obtains data in the selected recording mode and stores the data onto the recording medium. If an alternative block remaining amount obtained from the recording medium is equal to or less than a threshold value, the data recording apparatus allows recording in the first recording mode and inhibits recording in the second recording mode.

Abstract: A block noise removal device calculates a block boundary correction value which indicates a correction amount for a pixel sample value immediately before a block boundary position and a correction amount for a pixel sample value immediately after the block boundary position for each block boundary position in a pixel sample value sequence. The block noise removal device obtains the block boundary correction value based on at least two consecutive pixel sample values immediately before the block boundary position and at least two consecutive pixel sample values immediately after the block boundary position. The block noise removal device generates a block noise correction signal representing a correction amount for the pixel sample values corresponding to respective pixels in the pixel block by performing interpolation computations based on the block boundary correction value found for each two adjacent block boundary positions.

Abstract: A drive control apparatus 118 includes a stepping motor 111-a capable of performing a micro step drive having a predetermined division number by using a sinusoidal excitation current, a transmission mechanism 111-c, 111-d configured to transmit an energy generated by a drive of the stepping motor to a focus lens 105 to move the focus lens 105, and a controller 111-b configured to control the stepping motor 111-a so that the number of micro steps in a micro step drive having the predetermined division number in a drive crossing a first phase is smaller than the number of micro steps in a drive crossing a second phase where a rotation angle of the stepping motor 111-a is smaller than a rotation angle in the first phase.

Abstract: In one aspect, an impedance component which exhibits a high impedance in a high frequency region is arranged on a high pressure line formed on a secondary side of a transformer. The potential difference generated at both ends of the impedance component is used to detect an abnormal electrical discharge generated in the high pressure line. When the abnormal electrical discharge is detected, a switching operation is stopped by a controlling circuit whereby a protection operation is performed.

Abstract: The data transfer apparatus includes a recording unit which records a plurality of image data on a first recording medium, a management unit which manages the plurality of image data by classifying the image data into a plurality of groups, an addition unit which adds one of the plurality of groups as a group of a second recording medium, a determination unit which determines a group corresponding to the group from the plurality of groups, a search unit which searches the plurality of image data for image data classified into the group determined by the determination unit, a display control unit which displays information of image data found by the search unit, and a transfer unit which transfers selected image data to a recording apparatus for recording information data on the second recording medium so as to record the selected image data on the second recording medium.

Abstract: Prepared is brightness frequency data that indicates the number of pixels, having the same brightnesses in a brightness distribution for each of the fields represented by an input image signal. Based on the brightness frequency data, the number of subfields for emission at each brightness in a brightness region is adjusted for each of at least two brightness regions. As a result, the greater the frequency indicating the total number of pixels at each of the same brightnesses in a brightness region, the larger the number of subfields allocated to that brightness region. Therefore, satisfactory grayscale representation suitable to human visual characteristics is achieved.

Abstract: A scan-pulse generating circuit has a shift resister section that has 2N (i.e. twice the number of the driving-voltage waveforms) resisters and shifts the data of the resisters; an N-bit latching section that retains output from every other resister of 2N resisters of the shift resister section and generates N control pulses for generating scan pulses; and switching section that generates scan pulses according to N control pulses.

Abstract: An image processing apparatus receives an input image signal and performs an enhancement process on a high frequency component included in the input image signal based on a low frequency component of the input image signal. The apparatus extracts a low frequency component from the input image signal and combines a step variation component of the input image signal with the low frequency component to generate a combined wave component. The apparatus performs an enhancement process on the high frequency component obtained by removing the combined wave component from the input image signal.

Abstract: The number of subfields that are to be allocated to a luminance level in an input picture signal is changed in accordance with the peak luminance level in one field's worth of the input picture signal if the luminance level is lower than a predetermined luminance.

Abstract: Values of actual pixels existing on upper and lower scanning lines of a pixels to be interpolated are detected, and a differential of each of the actual pixels is calculated. Each of the actual pixels is weighted in accordance with the differential and both the weighted values of the pixels are added together. The sum of the addition is used as a value of the pixel to be interpolated.

Abstract: A right side interpolation component and a left side interpolation component for each present pixel are calculated. The right side interpolation component of a present pixel on the left side of an assumption pixel to be interpolated is added to the left side interpolation component of another present pixel on the right side of the assumption pixel, thereby obtaining a pixel data for the assumption pixel. The right side interpolation component and the left side interpolation component are calculated based on a pixel data of a central present pixel and pixel data of present pixels around the central present pixel.