Abstract: In an image encoder, a first quantization section which is selected when normal image quality is required performs quantization by dividing a wavelet transformation coefficient by a quantization step size and by thereafter rounding down a fraction thereof. On the other side, a second quantization section which is selected when high image quality is required performs quantization by dividing a wavelet transformation coeffient by a quantization step size, by adding 0.5 to the dividing result, and by thereafter rounding down a fraction thereof. Therefore, the width of a dead zone where coefficients are quantized to a value of 0 is narrower than that in the first quantization section, and higher image quality is obtained accordingly.

Abstract: Provided is a video signal processing method of measuring a noise level of an input video signal, the method including the steps of: setting a plurality of areas in the input video signal and extracting a characteristic amount which is an index of the noise level of the input video signal for each area; detecting characteristic amounts suitable to a measurement of the noise level from among the characteristic amounts of the plurality of areas; and creating a histogram by using the detected characteristic amounts suitable to the measurement of the noise level and detecting the noise level by analyzing the histogram.

Abstract: In wavelet transform encoding, high-quality encoding is to be realized by enabling picture quality control from one fractional area to another. An input picture 100 is read out in an amount corresponding to a number of lines required for wavelet transform and buffered in a memory unit 6. The input picture then is wavelet transformed in a wavelet transform unit 2 and quantized in a coefficient quantizing unit 3. In quantizing wavelet transform coefficients, the wavelet transform coefficients are multiplied by weighting coefficients from one sub-band to another. The weighting coefficients are determined using the analysis information of a specified block area in a picture, such as motion information and texture fineness information. This enables fine quantization control in terms of a picture block as a unit.

Abstract: A video signal processing method includes the steps of processing an input video signal and outputting an output video signal, detecting a temporal feature from the input video signal, smoothing the temporal feature by filtering and outputting the smoothed temporal feature, and controlling processing performed in the processing step in accordance with the temporal feature smoothed in the smoothing step. In this method, the smoothing step switches a characteristic of the filtering in accordance with the attribute of the input video signal.

Abstract: In an image synthesizer (1), code stream analyzers (10, 11), code block extraction units (12, 13) and EBCOT decoders (14, 15) work together to decode encoded code streams (D10, D11) encoded according to the MPEG-2000 Standard and generate quantization coefficients (D16, D17) for each code block. In a cross-fading unit (16), multipliers (17, 18) multiply the quantization coefficients (D16, D17) by coefficients (?(t), (1??(t))) and an adder (19) adds together the results of multiplication to provide a cross-fading quantization coefficient (D20). An EBCOT encoder (20), rate controller (21) and code stream generator (22) work together to encode the cross-fading quantization coefficient (D20) to provide a final encoded code stream (D23). Therefore, the image synthesizer (1) can combine two encoded code streams easily and effectively with a reduced use of a memory capacity.

Abstract: A shelf tag to be attached to a display shelf for displaying commercial products, includes: a commercial product name and a price of the commercial product and a dimensional value indicating a display position of the commercial product to be displayed in a row direction on the display shelf printed on the tag.

Abstract: A video-signal processing method for measuring a noise level of an input video signal includes the steps of detecting an intra-field or intra-frame feature for each region that, is set in the input video signal, the intra-field or intra-frame feature representing a noise level in the input video signal within a field or frame; checking the intra-field or intra-frame feature against a noise-free-region threshold, and excluding regions with which the infra-field or intra-frame feature is less than the noise-free-region threshold from subjects of noise-level measurement; and outputting a result of noise-level measurement by statistically processing the intra-field or intra-frame features of regions remaining without being excluded.

Abstract: In wavelet transform encoding, high-quality encoding is to be realized by enabling picture quality control from one fractional area to another. An input picture 100 is read out in an amount corresponding to a number of lines required for wavelet transform and buffered in a memory unit 6. The input picture then is wavelet transformed in a wavelet transform unit 2 and quantized in a coefficient quantizing unit 3. In quantizing wavelet transform coefficients, the wavelet transform coefficients are multiplied by weighting coefficients from one sub-band to another. The weighting coefficients are determined using the analysis information of a specified block area in a picture, such as motion information and texture fineness information. This enables fine quantization control in terms of a picture block as a unit.

Abstract: A card issuing system that issues a shopping assisting card that provides support in purchasing an item includes a database that stores customer information including a language used by a customer as registered information, item information including items sold at a store as registered information, store information including an item recommended by the store among the items included in the item information as registered information, and format data registered corresponding to a plurality of languages and used for producing the shopping assisting card, a data extracting unit that extracts format data corresponding to the language used by the customer and the item recommended by the store from the database, a data producing unit that produces printing data for the shopping assisting card introducing the item recommended by the store in the language used by the customer based on the format data, and a printer that prints the shopping assisting card based on the printing data.

Abstract: A noise reduction method for reducing noise in an input video signal to output an output video signal includes the steps of generating a motion-compensated reference video signal from the output video signal; delaying the output video signal to generate a non-motion-compensated reference video signal; mixing the motion-compensated reference video signal with the non-motion-compensated reference video signal to generate a reference video signal; subtracting the generated reference video signal from the input video signal to generate a differential signal; compensating the differential signal to generate a noise reduction signal; and subtracting the noise reduction signal from the input video signal.

Abstract: An apparatus for suppressing noise of a video signal. The apparatus includes: a difference-signal generation section generating a difference signal being a field or frame difference between the input and the output video signals; a noise compensation-signal generation section generating a noise compensation signal; a noise-compensation signal subtraction section; and a feedback-ratio control section, wherein the feedback-ration control section includes a signal-level determination section determining a signal level of the difference signal for each area and detecting an abrupt change in an input signal, a count section counting the number of input fields or frames from the time of an abrupt change in a signal level to the subsequent abrupt change, and a feedback-ration setting section setting a feedback ration for the area in accordance with a count value, wherein the feedback-ratio setting section sets the feedback ratio such that the ratio gradually increases as the count value increases.

Abstract: In an image encoder (1), a quantizer (11) makes a quantization-step size set for each of low-frequency subbands whose resolution level belongs to a predetermined resolution level coincide with a quantization-step size set for each subband to encode an original image having the resolution level as it is. A low-pass rate controller (17) provides a rate control for the bit rate of arithmetic code D16 in all code blocks in a low-frequency subband to be less than a predetermined target bit rate. A high-pass rate controller (18) provides such a rate control that the bit rate of arithmetic code D17 in all code blocks in other subbands than the low-frequency subbands will be less than a target bit rate, that is, a bit rate resulted from subtraction of a bit rate D18 having actually occurred in the low-frequency subbands from a final target bit rate.

Abstract: A wavelet inverse transform method includes a decoding object coefficient extracting step of extracting only coefficients necessary for decoding a specified area from wavelet transform coefficients, and a wavelet inverse transform step of inverse transforming coefficients extracted from the decoding object coefficient extracting step. The decoding object coefficient extracting step extracts transform coefficients not only inside the specified area but also those outside the specified area. This enables only an optional partial picture to be decoded without decoding the entire picture. A corresponding wavelet inverse transform device is also disclosed.

Abstract: JPEG-2000 data is formatted into RTP packets for transmission through the Internet. A priority field is provided in the format, and a value indicating the importance of a code stream included in a packet is stored therein. A type field indicates a payload type of a JPEG-2000 code stream. An mh_id field is provided as an identifier of a main header of the JPEG-2000 code stream and indicates a change in the main header. An mh_length field indicates the length of the main header and a fragment offset field stores the number of offset bytes from the start of an image of the packet.

Abstract: A gas spring (7) comprises a cylinder main body (20); a rod member (21) slidable to cylinder main body; a gas filled chamber (23) filled with compressed gas and urging the rod member in a first direction; a rod inserting hole (32) inserting the rod member (21); an annular collar (24) slidable on the rod member at a position apart from the rod inserting hole in the second direction opposite to the first direction; an annular groove (24a) on the annular collar which is open toward the second direction; and a lock ring (26) engaging with an annular ring mounting groove (25) on the rod member (21). In assembling, the lock ring (26) is moved in the first direction together with the rod member, to thus engage with the annular groove (24a) on the annular collar, so that the annular collar for stopping the rod member and the lock ring is stopped by an end wall of the cylinder main body.

Abstract: An image coding device for reducing flicker noise in moving image coding based on Motion JPEG-2000, which applies wavelet transform to an input image, quantizes the wavelet transform coefficients, and replaces quantization coefficients of adjacent frames in accordance with a predetermined judgment condition. The device spreads the finally output quantization coefficients into bit-planes from the MSB to LSB, generates coding passes in each bit-plane, performs arithmetic coding in the coding passes, controls the code quantity to a target code quantity from the generated arithmetic codes, and generates a packet of the image data by attaching a header to the arithmetic codes. The quantization coefficients are replaced based on a difference of absolute values of the quantization coefficients at the same sub-band in the adjacent frames. By further adding the wavelet transform coefficients, erroneous detection in the substitution processing can be decreased and the flicker noise can be suppressed effectively.

Abstract: According to the present invention, not only still images but also moving images can be compressed with high quality. In an image coding apparatus, a wavelet transform unit low-pass filters and high-pass filters an input image signal in the vertical and horizontal directions to hierarchically transform a low frequency component repetitively. In the case of an interlaced image, the wavelet transform unit further decomposes a subband including, for example, a horizontal low frequency component and a vertical high frequency component in consideration of the characteristics of the image signal. A code-block generation unit divides quantized coefficients into code-blocks each having a predetermined size. The code-block serves as a unit subjected to entropy coding. In the case of the interlaced image, each code-block is set to, for example, 32×32 so as to be smaller than each code-block of a progressive image.