Abstract: A vibration control device is provided which enables an awakening effect for a user to be increased while making it difficult to give discomfort to the user. A harmonic signal generating section of a vibration control device is configured to successively output a plurality of alternating signals for driving a vibration unit. By way of the plurality of alternating signals which is successively output and has a frequency ratio represented with a predetermined integer ratio, vibration generated with the plurality of alternating signals can more easily awaken a user while making it difficult to give discomfort to the user.

Abstract: A vibration control device is provided which enables an awakening effect for a user to be increased while making it difficult to give discomfort to the user. A harmonic signal generating section of a vibration control device is configured to successively output a plurality of alternating signals for driving a vibration unit. By way of the plurality of alternating signals which is successively output and has a frequency ratio represented with a predetermined integer ratio, vibration generated with the plurality of alternating signals can more easily awaken a user while making it difficult to give discomfort to the user.

Abstract: An information detecting apparatus which can surely detect specific information such as a digital watermark in high-speed data stream and can be configured at low cost. The apparatus extracts data including specific information from a high-speed data stream, and detects the specific information in the extracted data at low speed.

Abstract: An apparatus for restricting a copy of digital information is provided with a detecting device for detecting a first watermark, which is buried in the digital information and comprises a first signal generated on the basis of a first rule. A burying device buries a second watermark, which comprises a second signal generated on the basis of a second rule and having a structure different from that of the first signal, into the digital information if the first watermark is detected by the detecting device. A recording apparatus is provided with: an inputting device for inputting the digital information; the above mentioned copy restricting apparatus; and a recording device for recording the digital information in which the second watermark is buried by the burying device.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for embedding additional information embeds plural pieces of additional information on a signal as electronic watermark information. In detail, plural pieces of additional information to be embedded on a signal are generated, the additional information is converted into electronic watermark information, the sizes of embedding parts for respective electronic watermark information are defined under control, and the electronic watermark information is embedded on the signal based on the control signal. Therefore, the additional information are embedded so that additional information having a higher significance degree can be more reliably and rapidly detected.

Abstract: In a digital-watermark superposing apparatus and a digital-watermark detecting apparatus, a plurality of DCT coefficients for respective frequency components are generated by subjecting video data to a two-dimensional DCT transform for each pixel block consisting of a predetermined number of pixels, and the value of at least one of the DCT coefficients is quantized in accordance with a quantization rule corresponding to the information so as to obtain a quantized DCT coefficient. A two-dimensional inverse DCT transform is performed with respect to the DCT coefficients in which the at least one DCT coefficient thereof is replaced with the quantized DCT coefficient, so as to obtain digital-watermark superposed video data in which the digital watermark corresponding to the information has been superposed on the video data.

Abstract: An apparatus for generating a recording signal by converting an image signal and outputting the generated recording signal to an external device is provided. The image signal included image data corresponding to an image to be displayed on a display. The image data includes a plurality of data pieces each corresponding to a different one of a plurality of image elements which compose the image. The apparatus includes: a control information placing device for placing a control information piece onto one of the plurality of data pieces corresponding to one of the plurality of image elements that is to be located at an outer edge portion of the image when the image is displayed on the display screen; and a generating device for generating the recording signal including the control information piece. The control information piece includes information to control an operation of the external device.

Abstract: An apparatus for reading record information from a recording disk and outputting the read record information in order to reproduce the record information recorded on the recording disk, is provided. The record information includes: image information which represents an image or a picture; identification information which represents any one of at least never copy and copy free. The never copy indicates that copying of the record information is prohibited. The copy free indicates that the copying of the record information is permitted.

Abstract: A watermark information embedding method, and apparatus, capable of suppressing the quality degradation of contents and increasing the survivability of embedded information. When embedding watermark information in moving picture data formed of a plurality of still picture frames arranged in time series, a motion vector representing a property specific to moving picture is detected for each of image blocks generated by dividing a target frame. According to a motion quantity, a pixel change factor specifying rule is selected for each block. Out of pixels permitted to be changed in luminance depending upon the state of an image in each block representing a property specific to still picture, as many pixels as a number specified by the selected rule are selected. Luminance change processing for forming watermark information is conducted on the selected pixels.

Abstract: An apparatus for reading record information from a recording disk and outputting the read record information in order to reproduce the record information recorded on the recording disk, is provided. The record information includes: image information which represents an image or a picture; identification information which represents any one of at least never copy and copy free. The never copy indicates that copying of the record information is prohibited. The copy free indicates that the copying of the record information is permitted.

Abstract: A system comprising a recording apparatus for recording record information onto a recording medium and a reproducing apparatus for reading the record information from the recording medium and outputting it to reproduce, is provided. The record information includes: image information; a first identification information which represents any one of never copy, one copy and copy free; and a second identification information which represents either the never copy or the one copy. The never copy indicates copying is prohibited. The one copy indicates copying is once permitted. The copy free indicates copying is permitted. The recording apparatus controls recording the record information, and determines whether or not the record information is to be encrypted based upon the first identification information and the second identification information.

Abstract: A redundant picture detecting device includes: a calculator for calculating difference information indicating a difference between a unit picture and a subsequent unit picture having an identical phase for each of the unit pictures; a multiplier for multiplying the difference information of a unit picture preceding an object unit picture by a predetermined first constant to produce a preceding difference information and for multiplying the difference information of a unit picture following the object unit picture by the first constant to produce a following difference information, the first constant being greater than zero and smaller than 1; and a judging unit for judging that the object unit picture is a redundant picture if the difference information of the object information is smaller than both of the preceding difference information and the following difference information.

Abstract: An apparatus for superposing a digital watermark for superposing digital watermark information on an information data signal bearing original information superposes digital watermark information on an information data signal bearing original information, for each unit block consisting of a group of pieces of information data. This apparatus is provided with an auxiliary embedding circuit 10 of or embedding second digital watermark information in the information data; a blocking circuit 12 for dividing into the unit blocks the changed information data signal obtained by the auxiliary embedding circuit; and a main embedding circuit 20 for embedding first digital watermark information in the changed information data signal for each of the divided blocks. The second digital watermark information bears information for identifying the position of the divided unit block in a predetermined section of the information data signal.

Abstract: An information detecting apparatus which can surely detect specific information such as a digital watermark in high-speed data stream and can be configured at low cost. The apparatus extracts data including specific information from a high-speed data stream, and detects the specific information in the extracted data at low speed.

Abstract: An apparatus for superposing a digital watermark for superposing digital watermark information on an information data signal bearing original information superposes digital watermark information on an information data signal bearing original information, for each unit block consisting of a group of pieces of information data. This apparatus is provided with an auxiliary embedding circuit 10 for embedding second digital watermark information in the information data; a blocking circuit 12 for dividing into the unit blocks the changed information data signal obtained by the auxiliary embedding circuit; and a main embedding circuit 20 for embedding first digital watermark information in the changed information data signal for each of the divided blocks. The second digital watermark information bears information for identifying the position of the divided unit block in a predetermined section of the information data signal.

Abstract: An apparatus for superposing a digital watermark for superposing digital watermark information on an information data signal bearing original information, superposes digital watermark information on an information data signal bearing original information, for each unit block consisting of a group of pieces of information data. This apparatus is provided with an auxiliary embedding circuit 10 for embedding second digital watermark information in the information data; a blocking circuit 12 for dividing into the unit blocks the changed information data signal obtained by the auxiliary embedding circuit; and a main embedding circuit 20 for embedding first digital watermark information in the changed information data signal for each of the divided blocks. The second digital watermark information bears information for identifying the position of the divided unit block in a predetermined section of the information data signal.

Abstract: In a digital-watermark superposing apparatus and a digital-watermark detecting apparatus, a plurality of DCT coefficients for respective frequency components are generated by subjecting video data to a two-dimensional DCT transform for each pixel block consisting of a predetermined number of pixels, and the value of at least one of the DCT coefficients is quantized in accordance with a quantization rule corresponding to the information so as to obtain a quantized DCT coefficient. A two-dimensional inverse DCT transform is performed with respect to the DCT coefficients in which the at least one DCT coefficient thereof is replaced with the quantized DCT coefficient, so as to obtain digital-watermark superposed video data in which the digital watermark corresponding to the information has been superposed on the video data.