Abstract: A ceramic body, a ceramic catalyst body, a ceramic catalyst body and related manufacturing methods are disclosed wherein a cordierite porous base material has a surface, formed with acicular particles made of a component different from that of cordierite porous base material, which has an increased specific surface area with high resistance to a sintering effect. The ceramic body is manufactured by preparing a slurry containing an acicular particle source material, preparing a porous base material, applying the slurry onto a surface of the porous base material and firing the porous base material, whose surface is coated with the slurry, to cause acicular particles to develop on the surface of the porous base material. A part of or a whole of surfaces of the acicular particles is coated with a constituent element different from that of the acicular particles.

Abstract: Problems of permutation can be solved with high accuracy without utilizing knowledge about original signals or information concerning positions of microphones and the like when each one of plural signals mixed in an audio signal is separated using independent component analysis. A short-time Fourier transformation section generates spectrograms of observation signals from observation signals in time domain. A signal separation section separates the spectrograms of the observation signals into spectrograms of respective signals, to generate spectrograms of separate signals. A permutation problem solution section calculates a scale corresponding to the degree of permutation, e.g., a Kullback-Leiblar information amount calculated by use of a multidimensional probability density function or multidimensional kurtosis, from substantial whole of the spectrograms of the separate signals.

Abstract: The present invention is intended to provide a text-to-speech synthesis apparatus, including a storage for storing phoneme data of a plurality of speakers; a selector for selecting one of the plurality of speakers in accordance with an operation performed by a user; a searcher for searching the storage for phoneme data of the speaker selected by the selector; a text-to-speech synthesis processor for linking the phoneme data of the speaker retrieved by the searcher to convert input data into a synthetic speech; and a fee-charge controller for controlling a fee-charge operation for the user in accordance with the phoneme data selected by the selector. Consequently, the user can perform text-to-speech synthesis on the desired input data such as drama data by use of the obtained phoneme data.

Abstract: A surrounding conditions display apparatus captures an image of an area surrounding a movable body and displays the captured image. The apparatus includes a CCD camera for capturing an image of the surrounding are, ultrasonic sensors for detecting a distance to an obstacle present in the surrounding area, and a liquid crystal display for displaying the image captured by the image capturing unit. A color image representing an area including the obstacle is superposed on the displayed image in such a manner that the brightness of the color image decreases with increasing distance from the origin of the area.

Abstract: The present invention provides an apparatus for separating audio signals that can dissolve the problem of permutation when separating the plurality of mixed signals by independent component analysis.

Abstract: The present invention is intended to provide a text-to-speech synthesis apparatus, including a storage for storing phoneme data of a plurality of speakers; a selector for selecting one of the plurality of speakers in accordance with an operation performed by a user; a searcher for searching the storage for phoneme data of the speaker selected by the selector; a text-to-speech synthesis processor for linking the phoneme data of the speaker retrieved by the searcher to convert input data into a synthetic speech; and a fee-charge controller for controlling a fee-charge operation for the user in accordance with the phoneme data selected by the selector. Consequently, the user can perform text-to-speech synthesis on the desired input data such as drama data by use of the obtained phoneme data.

Abstract: A needle-shaped ceramic body having as its base material a cordierite porous body having a high specific surface area and superior thermal shock resistance, and a needle-shaped catalyst-ceramic body are provided. The present invention relates to a needle-shaped ceramic body having as its base material a needle-shaped cordierite in which the tips thereof are rounded, a needle-shaped catalyst-ceramic body loaded with a catalyst, and a method of production of a ceramic body in which a portion of a raw material (fluoride) gasified by a reaction between raw materials is grown into a needle like shape on the metal catalyst (Fe), wherein the tips of needle-shaped particles are rounded, using a vapor-liquid-solid (VLS) reaction, in a raw material burning process.

Abstract: The present invention is intended to provide a text-to-speech synthesis apparatus, including a storage for storing phoneme data of a plurality of speakers; a selector for selecting one of the plurality of speakers in accordance with an operation performed by a user; a searcher for searching the storage for phoneme data of the speaker selected by the selector; a text-to-speech synthesis processor for linking the phoneme data of the speaker retrieved by the searcher to convert input data into a synthetic speech; and a fee-charge controller for controlling a fee-charge operation for the user in accordance with the phoneme data selected by the selector. Consequently, the user can perform text-to-speech synthesis on the desired input data such as drama data by use of the obtained phoneme data.

Abstract: In a synchronization control apparatus, a voice-language-information generating section generates the voice language information of a word which a robot utters. A voice synthesizing section calculates phoneme information and a phoneme continuation duration according to the voice language information, and also generates synthesized-voice data according to an adjusted phoneme continuation duration. An articulation-operation generating section calculates an articulation-operation period according to the phoneme information. A voice-operation adjusting section adjusts the phoneme continuation duration and the articulation-operation period. An articulation-operation executing section operates an organ of articulation according to the adjusted articulation-operation period.

Abstract: Disclosed is a medical liquid meter (10) for use with a medical liquid feeding device (30) including an expandable container (31), an inlet port (32) for supplying a medical liquid into the expandable container (31) therethrough, and a feed duct (33) for feeding to a patient the medical liquid discharged from one end of the expandable container (31). The medical liquid meter (10) comprises a weight-measuring mechanism (1). The weight of the medical liquid feeding device (30) is measured using the weight-measuring mechanism (1) so as to quantify a remaining amount of the medical liquid stored in the expandable container (31).

Abstract: In an image conversion method and apparatus, luminance Y3 of each pixel of a converted image is obtained by use of an expression Y3=C1Y1+C2Y2 and from luminance Y1 of a corresponding pixel of a source image, luminance Y2 of a corresponding pixel of a low frequency image, and C1 and C2 which are functions of the luminance Y2. Since C1+C2 is constant when Y2?T2, contrast of a low frequency component can be prevented from decreasing. In a portion in which the luminance Y2 of the low frequency image is low, the low frequency image is enhanced. In a portion in which the luminance Y2 of the low frequency image is high, the low frequency image is suppressed. In a method and apparatus for detecting noise level of an original signal in real time, a plurality of local regions are set on an input image in such a manner that the local regions are distributed uniformly over the entire area of an image. In each local region, determination as to whether or not luminance is saturated is performed.

Abstract: Disclosed is a wavelength division multiplexing (WDM) optical transmission system including: an optical transmitter for transmitting, to an optical fiber transmission path, a WDM signal obtained by multiplexing a plurality of optical signals on the optical fiber transmission path in terms of wavelength, the plurality of optical signals respectively having negative chirps; an optical receiver for receiving the WDM signal from the optical fiber transmission path; and at least one relay node which is provided between the optical transmitter and the optical receiver. Each of the relay node and the optical receiver includes a dispersion compensator for compensating a chromatic dispersion suffered in the optical fiber in the immediately preceding transmission span. Moreover, a dispersion adder for beforehand adding a predetermined positive dispersion amount to the WDM signal before transmission is included in the optical transmitter or at least one relay node.

Abstract: An information processing apparatus performing dialogue processing includes acquisition means for acquiring text data described in a natural language; example storage means for storing a plurality of examples each including an example statement and frame information described using a frame format and corresponding to the example statement; similarity calculation means for calculating a similarity between the text data and the example statement; example selection means for selecting an example corresponding to an example statement whose similarity to the text data is the highest from among the plurality of examples in accordance with the calculated similarity; text data processing means for processing the text data to convert the text data into the frame format in accordance with the frame information corresponding to the example selected by the example selection means; and dialogue processing means for performing the dialogue processing in accordance with the text data converted into the frame format.

Abstract: The present invention provides an optical module and a method for manufacturing the optical module, in which a V-shaped or trapezoidal groove having a first slope and a second slope facing to the first slope is formed at the surface of a silicon substrate by anisotropic etching, an adhesive is applied to a portion of at least the second slope in a region except the first slope of the groove, and lens is fixedly put in the groove.

Abstract: An optical module for use in detecting a plurality of different wavelengths by making use of the multiple wavelength selectivity of an etalon. The optical module includes a semiconductor laser, a lens for converting a beam emitted from the semiconductor laser into a substantially parallel beam, a beam splitter for splitting the converted beam into a reflected beam and a transmitted beam, and a light-receiving element disposed such that one of the split beams is incident thereupon through an etalon, wherein a center of the reflected beam from the etalon occurring as the beam is incident upon the etalon is arranged to return to a region other than a beam-emitting portion of the semiconductor laser.

Abstract: A semiconductor device and a manufacturing method thereof permitting the quality of gate insulating films to be prevented from deteriorating and thereby permitting electrical characteristics of the device to be prevented from deteriorating are provided. In a semiconductor device including a plurality of field effect transistors, an oxidation protection film 21 is formed on a side of one gate electrode 19.

Abstract: In a synchronization control apparatus, a voice-language-information generating section generates the voice language information of a word which a robot utters. A voice synthesizing section calculates phoneme information and a phoneme continuation duration according to the voice language information, and also generates synthesized-voice data according to an adjusted phoneme continuation duration. An articulation-operation generating section calculates an articulation-operation period according to the phoneme information. A voice-operation adjusting section adjusts the phoneme continuation duration and the articulation-operation period. An articulation-operation executing section operates an organ of articulation according to the adjusted articulation-operation period.

Abstract: A semiconductor device and a manufacturing method thereof permitting the quality of gate insulating films to be prevented from deteriorating and thereby permitting electrical characteristics of the device to be prevented from deteriorating are provided. In a semiconductor device including a plurality of field effect transistors, an oxidation protection film 21 is formed on a side of one gate electrode 19.

Abstract: In a synchronization control apparatus, a voice-language-information generating section generates the voice language information of a word which a robot utters. A voice synthesizing section calculates phoneme information and a phoneme continuation duration according to the voice language information, and also generates synthesized-voice data according to an adjusted phoneme continuation duration. An articulation-operation generating section calculates an articulation-operation period according to the phoneme information. A voice-operation adjusting section adjusts the phoneme continuation duration and the articulation-operation period. An articulation-operation executing section operates an organ of articulation according to the adjusted articulation-operation period.

Abstract: It is intended to provide drugs for treating and/or preventing ischemic diseases which are safe and have little side effects. Namely, drugs comprising a combination of an antithrombotic agent and a pyrazolone derivative defined in the description or its pharmaceutically acceptable salt.