Abstract: A two-way conversation assisting device includes a first microphone that enters a first voice, a first loudspeaker that outputs the first voice, a second microphone that enters a second voice, a second loudspeaker that outputs the second voice, and a first echo and crosstalk canceller. The first echo and crosstalk canceller estimates and calculates, using an input signal into the second loudspeaker, a first interference signal indicative of degrees of a first echo caused when the second voice output from the second loudspeaker enters into the first microphone and first crosstalk caused when the second voice enters into the first microphone, and removes the calculated first interference signal from an output signal of the first microphone.

Abstract: A howling removing apparatus according to the present disclosure is a howling removing apparatus to be connected to a microphone and a speaker. The howling removing apparatus includes: a nonlinear converter that nonlinearly converts a sound signal input to the speaker and outputs a nonlinear signal; a delay unit that delays the sound signal by a fixed time and outputs a delay signal; a norm calculator that calculates a norm from the delay signal; a filter coefficient generator that, based on the nonlinear signal, the delay signal and the norm, generates an adaptive filter that simulates a transfer characteristic of a space where the sound signal is reproduced from the speaker and is returned to the microphone; a cancel signal generator that convolves the delay signal and the adaptive filter with each other and generates a cancel signal; and a subtracter that subtracts the cancel signal from the sound signal.

Abstract: A howling removing apparatus according to the present disclosure is a howling removing apparatus to be connected to a microphone and a speaker. The howling removing apparatus includes: a nonlinear converter that nonlinearly converts a sound signal input to the speaker and outputs a nonlinear signal; a delay unit that delays the sound signal by a fixed time and outputs a delay signal; a norm calculator that calculates a norm from the delay signal; a filter coefficient generator that, based on the nonlinear signal, the delay signal and the norm, generates an adaptive filter that simulates a transfer characteristic of a space where the sound signal is reproduced from the speaker and is returned to the microphone; a cancel signal generator that convolves the delay signal and the adaptive filter with each other and generates a cancel signal; and a subtracter that subtracts the cancel signal from the sound signal.

Abstract: An apparatus for decoding surround audio signal, includes a Bitstream De-multiplexer for unpacking a bitstream into spatial parameters and core parameters, a set of Core Decoder for decoding the core parameters into a set of core signal, a matrix derivation unit for deriving the rendering matrix from the spatial parameters and playback speaker layout information, a renderer for rendering of the decoded core signal to playback signals using the rendering matrix.

Abstract: An audio reproducing apparatus includes: an obtainment unit configured to obtain a stereo audio signal including an L channel signal and an R channel signal; and a control unit configured to (i) generate a first audio signal for a speaker disposed at an upper position in a listening space and a second audio signal for a speaker disposed at a lower position in the listening space, using the L channel signal and the R channel signal and (ii) determine a gain coefficient corresponding to a degree of correlation between the L channel signal and the R channel signal and multiply by the determined gain coefficient at least one of the first audio signal and the second audio signal, to approximate a ratio between energy of sound reproduced from the first audio signal and energy of sound reproduced from the second audio signal to a predetermined value.

Abstract: An audio reproducing apparatus includes: an obtainment unit configured to obtain a stereo audio signal including an L channel signal and an R channel signal; and a control unit configured to (i) generate a first audio signal for a speaker disposed at an upper position in a listening space and a second audio signal for a speaker disposed at a lower position in the listening space, using the L channel signal and the R channel signal and (ii) determine a gain coefficient corresponding to a degree of correlation between the L channel signal and the R channel signal and multiply by the determined gain coefficient at least one of the first audio signal and the second audio signal, to approximate a ratio between energy of sound reproduced from the first audio signal and energy of sound reproduced from the second audio signal to a predetermined value.

Abstract: A sound reproduction apparatus includes a sound source localization estimating unit that performs estimates using input audio signals in an acoustic space when the input audio signals are reproduced by speakers placed in standard positions; and a sound source signal separating unit that calculates a sound source localization signal and separates, from the input audio signals, sound source non-localization signals. Additionally, a sound source position parameter calculating unit calculates parameters indicating a position of the sound source localization signal in the acoustic space; and a reproduction signal generating unit uses the sound source position parameters to distribute the sound source localization signal to front speakers placed in the standard positions in front and headphones placed near the ears of a listener and in positions different from the standard positions, by combining the sound source localization signal and the sound source non-localization signals.

Abstract: A battery pack temperature regulating apparatus includes an evaporator configured to cool air inside a battery casing receiving a battery used for driving a vehicle; an evaporator casing receiving the evaporator; and a heater attached to the evaporator casing and configured to heat the air inside the battery casing.

Abstract: An audio reproduction apparatus is provided which is capable of maintaining the sense of dimensions in an acoustic space even when multi-channel input audio signals are reproduced using speakers having different frequency characteristics.

Abstract: The invention provides a vertical turret lathe capable of preventing an inner diameter turning tool attached to a turret tool rest from interfering with a workpiece during machining of the outer diameter of the workpiece. The vertical turret lathe comprises a work table that holds a workpiece W1 and rotates, and a working head 40 having a turret tool rest 50 and capable of moving in X-axis and Z-axis directions. A tool holder 70 for holding an inner diameter turning tool T2 via hydraulic pressure is attached to a part of the tool supporting portions 60 of the turret tool rest. The automatic tool changer apparatus 100 includes a turret-type tool magazine 120 and pistons 160 and 162, which mechanically press the pins 74 and 76 of the tool holder 70 and clamp or unclamp the tool T2.

Abstract: A highlight section including an exciting scene is appropriately extracted with smaller amount of processing. A reflection coefficient calculating unit (12) calculates a parameter (reflection coefficient) representing a slope of spectrum distribution of the input audio signal for each frame. A reflection coefficient comparison unit (13) calculates an amount of change in the reflection coefficients between adjacent frames, and compares the calculation result with a predetermined threshold. An audio signal classifying unit (14) classifies the input audio signal into a background noise section and a speech section based on the comparison result. A background noise level calculating unit (15) calculates a level of a background noise in the background noise section based on signal energy in the background noise section. An event detecting unit (16) detects an event occurring point from a sharp increase in the background noise level.

Abstract: An audio signal reproduction device includes: a signal obtainment unit which obtains channel signals including a channel signal representing a direct sound; a reflected sound signal generation unit which, when a first area includes a sound image of the direct sound and a second area is an area other than the first area, generate a reflected sound signal representing a reflected sound, the reflected sound being a sound which reaches the listener after the direct sound is reflected at a predetermined position in the second area; a signal generation unit which generates, from the reflected sound signal, a signal to be outputted to a corresponding channel so that the listener perceives that the reflected sound comes from the predetermined position, the at least one of the channels corresponding to the at least one of the speakers.

Abstract: In reverberant environments, reflected waves including an echoic sound and a muffled sound affect and disable recognition of sound arrival directions. As a result, the subjective clearness of the sounds deteriorates. In order to enhance the clearness of a reproduced sound in a reverberant environment, a pre-processing filter unit corrects an input sound signal portion having a frequency band relating to human auditory recognition on a sound wave arrival direction, and speakers reproduce the sound signal. The correction involves attenuating an input sound signal in the frequency band portion, based on the relationship between the frequencies of the input sound signal and the magnitude of influence to the recognition of the sound wave arrival direction. This attenuation is achieved by filtering using filter coefficients that are set by a first filter characteristic setting unit using hearing characteristic parameters that are set by a hearing characteristic setting unit.

Abstract: [Object] A thin-film solar cell which can be produced using an inexpensive raw material and has improved conversion efficiency has been desired. [Solution] A thin-film solar cell according to the present invention includes at least one organic semiconductor and a coordination polymer. The coordination polymer contains a repeating unit which includes a complex produced by coordinating at least one ligand to at least one metal ion, the metal ion being selected from ions of transition metal elements, and the ligand being capable of coordinating to the metal ion and selected from sulfur-containing compounds, nitrogen-containing compounds, oxygen-containing compounds, and phosphorus-containing compounds.

Abstract: An audio reproduction apparatus is provided which is capable of maintaining the sense of dimensions in an acoustic space even when multi-channel input audio signals are reproduced using speakers having different frequency characteristics.

Abstract: A highlight section including an exciting scene is appropriately extracted with smaller amount of processing. A reflection coefficient calculating unit (12) calculates a parameter (reflection coefficient) representing a slope of spectrum distribution of the input audio signal for each frame. A reflection coefficient comparison unit (13) calculates an amount of change in the reflection coefficients between adjacent frames, and compares the calculation result with a predetermined threshold. An audio signal classifying unit (14) classifies the input audio signal into a background noise section and a speech section based on the comparison result. A background noise level calculating unit (15) calculates a level of a background noise in the background noise section based on signal energy in the background noise section. An event detecting unit (16) detects an event occurring point from a sharp increase in the background noise level.

Abstract: An IC device includes a base plate, a plurality of terminal pins, a functional component such as an IC chip, and a resin package for protection of the functional component. The base plate is generally flat and formed with a plurality of through-holes into which the terminal pins are inserted. The functional component, disposed away from the base plate, is mounted on a printed circuit board to be electrically connected to at least one of the terminal pins. While enclosing the functional component, the resin package is held in contact with the upper surface of the base plate.

Abstract: An encoding device (200) includes an MDCT unit (202) that transforms an input signal in a time domain into a frequency spectrum including a lower frequency spectrum, a BWE encoding unit (204) that generates extension data which specifies a higher frequency spectrum at a higher frequency than the lower frequency spectrum, and an encoded data stream generating unit (205) that encodes to output the lower frequency spectrum obtained by the MDCT unit (202) and the extension data obtained by the BWE encoding unit (204). The BWE encoding unit (204) generates as the extension data (i) a first parameter which specifies a lower subband which is to be copied as the higher frequency spectrum from among a plurality of the lower subbands which form the lower frequency spectrum obtained by the MDCT unit (202) and (ii) a second parameter which specifies a gain of the lower subband after being copied.

Abstract: An encoding device (200) includes an MDCT unit (202) that transforms an input signal in a time domain into a frequency spectrum including a lower frequency spectrum, a BWE encoding unit (204) that generates extension data which specifies a higher frequency spectrum at a higher frequency than the lower frequency spectrum, and an encoded data stream generating unit (205) that encodes to output the lower frequency spectrum obtained by the MDCT unit (202) and the extension data obtained by the BWE encoding unit (204). The BWE encoding unit (204) generates as the extension data (i) a first parameter which specifies a lower subband which is to be copied as the higher frequency spectrum from among a plurality of the lower subbands which form the lower frequency spectrum obtained by the MDCT unit (202) and (ii) a second parameter which specifies a gain of the lower subband after being copied.

Abstract: An encoding device (200) includes an MDCT unit (202) that transforms an input signal in a time domain into a frequency spectrum including a lower frequency spectrum, a BWE encoding unit (204) that generates extension data which specifies a higher frequency spectrum at a higher frequency than the lower frequency spectrum, and an encoded data stream generating unit (205) that encodes to output the lower frequency spectrum obtained by the MDCT unit (202) and the extension data obtained by the BWE encoding unit (204). The BWE encoding unit (204) generates as the extension data (i) a first parameter which specifies a lower subband which is to be copied as the higher frequency spectrum from among a plurality of the lower subbands which form the lower frequency spectrum obtained by the MDCT unit (202) and (ii) a second parameter which specifies a gain of the lower subband after being copied.