Abstract: A server is disclosed for computing a score of an opinion that a message in a text file is expected to convey regarding a subject to be evaluated, wherein the message is written using literal strings and pictorial symbols. In this server, by the use of a pictorial-symbol dictionary memory storing a correspondence between designated pictorial-symbols to be rated and scores of opinions expressed by the respective pictorial-symbols, at least one of the used pictorial-symbols in the message which is coincident with at least one of the designated pictorial-symbols stored in the pictorial-symbol dictionary memory, is extracted from the message, at least one of the opinion scores which corresponds to the at least one extracted pictorial-symbol is retrieved within the pictorial-symbol dictionary memory, and an aggregate net opinion score for the message is calculated, based on an aggregate opinion score for the at least one extracted pictorial-symbol.

Abstract: A sender produces a background video image 4 from a reference video image 1 and a depth map 3 and synthesizes the background video image 4 in a background buffer 5. A projection converting matrix 6 for synthesizing is calculated. A receiver receives the reference video image 1, the depth map 3 and the projection converting matrix 6. The receiver produces a free viewpoint video image 11 and a background video image 12. The background buffer 13 is dynamically renewed. The free viewpoint video image 11 and the image in the background buffer 13 are synthesized with each other, and the background video image in the concealed regions in the free viewpoint video image are complemented to obtain the complemented image 14.

Abstract: Picture having a band of 6 MHz is distributed to the set-top box (STB) 14 via the compression encoder 11, the distribution server 12, and the network 13. The low-pass filter 151 in the picture quality monitoring apparatus 15 removes high-frequency components of an inputted digital signal and inputs luminance signal, the band of which is limited to 4 MHz, into the PSNR calculator 153. The Y/C separator 152 separates a luminance signal from NTSC analog composite signal, which are sent out from the set-top box 14. The separated luminance signal has a band of 4 MHz. The PSNR calculator 153 calculates PSNR between the luminance signal from the low-pass filter 151 and the luminance signal from the Y/C separator 152.

Abstract: Characteristic amounts in each small region of audio signals transmitted in the working system and the standby system are extracted by characteristic amount calculators 6-1, 6-2. A characteristic amount comparator 7 compares the characteristic amounts and judges occurrence of fault of a fault. Characteristic amount difference calculators 9-1, 9-2, ?D? comparator 10, and faulty system judging unit 11 judges the system having a fault. Majority decision processor 12 and significance judging unit 13 enhance the reliability of the judgement. Delay difference of audio signals between systems is roughly detected by sub-sampling audio signals of two systems and comparing them, and then accurately detected without sub-sampling. Delay difference between audio signals is adjusted by the detected delay difference.

Abstract: A matching section performs motion estimation upon a predetermined processing unit of input video (p) by, e.g., an iterative gradient method. A motion vector (v) obtained by the iterative gradient method is obtained by the expression v=?·?v+v0 (wherein v0 indicates an initial displacement motion vector and ?v indicates a differential vector). A characteristic amount extraction section extracts a characteristic amount from the distribution of motion vectors obtained by the motion estimation. A parameter determination section determines a conversion parameter ? applied to the next processing unit by the characteristic amount. If the characteristic amount is equal to or larger than a predetermined threshold, the conversion parameter ? is determined to be larger (e.g., ?=1). If the characteristic amount is smaller than the threshold, the conversion parameter ? is determined to be smaller (e.g., ?=0.1).

Abstract: A server is disclosed for computing a score of an opinion that a message in a text file is expected to convey regarding a subject to be evaluated, wherein the message is written using literal strings and pictorial symbols. In this server, by the use of a pictorial-symbol dictionary memory storing a correspondence between designated pictorial-symbols to be rated and scores of opinions expressed by the respective pictorial-symbols, at least one of the used pictorial-symbols in the message which is coincident with at least one of the designated pictorial-symbols stored in the pictorial-symbol dictionary memory, is extracted from the message, at least one of the opinion scores which corresponds to the at least one extracted pictorial-symbol is retrieved within the pictorial-symbol dictionary memory, and an aggregate net opinion score for the message is calculated, based on an aggregate opinion score for the at least one extracted pictorial-symbol.

Abstract: Characteristic amounts in each small region of audio signals transmitted in the working system and the standby system are extracted by characteristic amount calculators 6-1, 6-2. A characteristic amount comparator 7 compares the characteristic amounts and judges occurrence of a fault. Characteristic amount difference calculators 9-1, 9-2, ?D? comparator 10, and faulty system judging unit 11 judges the system having a fault. Majority decision processor 12 and significance judging unit 13 enhance the reliability of the judgment. Delay difference of audio signals between systems is roughly detected by sub-sampling audio signals of two systems and comparing them, and then accurately detected without sub-sampling. Delay difference between audio signals is adjusted by the detected delay difference.

Abstract: A sender produces a background video image 4 from a reference video image 1 and a depth map 3 and synthesizes the background video image 4 in a background buffer 5. A projection converting matrix 6 for synthesizing is calculated. A receiver receives the reference video image 1, the depth map 3 and the projection converting matrix 6. The receiver produces a free viewpoint video image 11 and a background video image 12. The background buffer 13 is dynamically renewed. The free viewpoint video image 11 and the image in the background buffer 13 are synthesized with each other, and the background video image in the concealed regions in the free viewpoint video image are complemented to obtain the complemented image 14.

Abstract: A sender produces a background video image 4 from a reference video image 1 and a depth map 3 and synthesizes the background video image 4 in a background buffer 5. A projection converting matrix 6 for synthesizing is calculated. A receiver receives the reference video image 1, the depth map 3 and the projection converting matrix 6. The receiver produces a free viewpoint video image 11 and a background video image 12. The background buffer 13 is dynamically renewed. The free viewpoint video image 11 and the image in the background buffer 13 are synthesized with each other, and the background video image in the concealed regions in the free viewpoint video image are complemented to obtain the complemented image 14.

Abstract: A picture of 625/50 format is converted to a picture of 525/60 format by a format converter provided halfway of the transmission link (1). By thinning scanning lines from the 625/50 format with a scanning line thinning means (2) on an input side of the transmission link (1) and then thinning fields from the format of 525/60 with a field (frame) thinning means (4) on an output side, the formats are matched with each other. After that, a picture quality characteristic amount is extracted by picture quality characteristic amount extracting portions (3), (5) and transmitted to a central monitoring room (6). A comparing means (7) of the central monitoring room (6) compares received picture quality characteristic amount so as to monitor a transmitted picture quality on a transmission link.

Abstract: Picture quality characteristic amounts are extracted with a picture quality characteristic amount extractor and are transmitted to a central monitoring room to monitor a transmitted-picture quality. The picture quality characteristic amount extractor includes a pixel-position interchanger, an orthogonal transformer and a coefficient extractor. The picture quality characteristic amount extrator may further include a PN-series multiplier.

Abstract: Characteristic amounts in each small region of audio signals transmitted in the working system and the standby system are extracted by characteristic amount calculators 6-1, 6-2. A characteristic amount comparator 7 compares the characteristic amounts and judges occurrence of fault of a fault. Characteristic amount difference calculators 9-1, 9-2, ?D? comparator 10, and faulty system judging unit 11 judges the system having a fault. Majority decision processor 12 and significance judging unit 13 enhance the reliability of the judgement. Delay difference of audio signals between systems is roughly detected by sub-sampling audio signals of two systems and comparing them, and then accurately detected without sub-sampling. Delay difference between audio signals is adjusted by the detected delay difference.

Abstract: This invention is intended to reduce a line rate of a monitoring line necessary for transmission of a picture feature without complicating a system. A video signal xi (n0, n1) of each block is subjected to spread spectrum by multiplying the video signal xi(n0, n1) by a PN sequences SPN1 (n0, n1) (in a step S1). The resultant video signal is orthogonally transformed by DFT, DCT, WHT, or the like (in a step S2). An amplitude component Ai=|Xi(SE0, SE1)| of an arbitrary component (SE0, SE1) in a coefficient Xi(S0, S1) obtained by the steps S1 and S2 is extracted (in a step S3), and the extracted amplitude component is quantized with a step size M (in a step S4). The picture feature F[i] is given as a residue obtained under a modulus Nm of a quantized typical value obtained by the quantization (in the step S4) (in a step S5).

Abstract: A matching section performs motion estimation upon a predetermined processing unit of input video (p) by, e.g., an iterative gradient method. A motion vector (v) obtained by the iterative gradient method is obtained by the expression v=?·?v+v0 (wherein v0 indicates an initial displacement motion vector and ?v indicates a differential vector). A characteristic amount extraction section extracts a characteristic amount from the distribution of motion vectors obtained by the motion estimation. A parameter determination section determines a conversion parameter ? applied to the next processing unit by the characteristic amount. If the characteristic amount is equal to or larger than a predetermined threshold, the conversion parameter ? is determined to be larger (e.g., ?=1). If the characteristic amount is smaller than the threshold, the conversion parameter ? is determined to be smaller (e.g., ?=0.1).

Abstract: A matching section performs motion estimation upon a predetermined processing unit of input video (p) by, e.g., an iterative gradient method. A motion vector (v) obtained by the iterative gradient method is obtained by the expression v=?·?v+v0 (wherein v0 indicates an initial displacement motion vector and ?v indicates a differential vector). A characteristic amount extraction section extracts a characteristic amount from the distribution of motion vectors obtained by the motion estimation. A parameter determination section determines a conversion parameter ? applied to the next processing unit by the characteristic amount. If the characteristic amount is equal to or larger than a predetermined threshold, the conversion parameter ? is determined to be larger (e.g., ?=1). If the characteristic amount is smaller than the threshold, the conversion parameter ? is determined to be smaller (e.g., ?=0.1).

Abstract: Picture having a band of 6 MHz is distributed to the set-top box (STB) 14 via the compression encoder 11, the distribution server 12, and the network 13. The low-pass filter 151 in the picture quality monitoring apparatus 15 removes high-frequency components of an inputted digital signal and inputs luminance signal, the band of which is limited to 4 MHz, into the PSNR calculator 153. The Y/C separator 152 separates a luminance signal from NTSC analog composite signal, which are sent out from the set-top box 14. The separated luminance signal has a band of 4 MHz. The PSNR calculator 153 calculates PSNR between the luminance signal from the low-pass filter 151 and the luminance signal from the Y/C separator 152.

Abstract: A multi-view video coding method comprises the steps of: collecting position information of the video cameras, determining one video camera as a base video camera among the video cameras, collecting sequences of synchronism from the video cameras, independently coding a sequence of the base video camera, predictively coding a sequence of a video camera adjacent to the video camera of a previously coded sequence, in reference to the previously coded sequence, repeating the predictive coding step for sequence of an adjacent video camera, till sequences of all video cameras are coded.

Abstract: Feature quantities of a transmitted picture and a received picture are extracted from a first and second block-by-block feature quantity extraction parts which are provided on a transmitting and receiving sides, respectively. The extracted feature quantities are transmitted to a block degradation calculation part which compares the transmitted feature quantities and finds the degree of picture quality degradation for each block. Next, a median filter replaces the degree of picture quality degradation for the each block with a median of the degrees of picture quality degradation among the neighboring blocks of the each block. Then, a degraded block detection part compares the median with a predetermined threshold and detects a degraded block. Finally, a degraded region detection part removes an isolated degraded block and detects a degraded region. According to the invention, local picture quality degradation in a frame caused by transmission failure can be automatically detected with high accuracy.

Abstract: In a transmission chain having series-connected a TSC unit, an encoder, a transmission path, a decoder, and an up-converter, characteristic value extracting units are connected to input/output points A, B, C, and D of these transmission processing units respectively. Each characteristic value extracting unit extracts characteristics like an average value m and a variance ?2 of luminance of a picture, for example. These characteristic values are transmitted to a central monitoring unit via a low-speed line. A characteristic value comparator compares the characteristic values. When a difference equal to or larger than a predetermined threshold value has occurred in the characteristic values, the characteristic value comparator decides that an abnormality has occurred in the image in transmission.

Abstract: Picture quality characteristic amounts are extracted with picture quality characteristic amount extracting means 2 and 2? and are transmitted to a central monitoring room 4 to monitor a transmitted-picture quality. The picture quality characteristic amount extracting means 2 (2?) includes a pixel-position interchanging means 7 (7?) an orthogonal transforming means 8 (8?) and a coefficient extracting means 9 (9?). The picture quality characteristic amount extracting means 2 (2?) may further include a PN-series multiplying means.