Abstract: A video signal processing apparatus and a video signal processing method can switch resolution effectively and efficiently. The video signals coming from an imaging apparatus is converted into digital signals by an A/D converter 2 an compressed by a compressor 3. The compressed video signals are written into a recording medium 5 by means of a write device 4. The compressor 3 encodes the video signals for each group of pictures comprising a plurality of pictures and the camera compression control unit 6 controls the compressor 3 so as encode the pictures of a first group of pictures and those of a second group of pictures arranged temporally adjacent to the first group of pictures, while maintaining the number of pictures of two temporally adjacent groups of pictures that contain a resolution change point of video signals to a constant value, and change the resolution of the pictures of the two groups of pictures.

Abstract: A semiconductor memory card is disclosed which achieves augmentation in design property, promotion of understanding and augmentation in identification facility of the type thereof. A memory card housing is entirely or partially transparent or translucent so that a circuit board, a memory chip and so forth in the inside thereof can be visually observed from the outside therethrough. Or, the card housing is partially opaque or is colored at the transparent or translucent portion thereof. Or else, the card housings of different types of memory cards are formed as different ones of transparent, translucent and opaque housings from each other.

Abstract: A video signal recording and reproduction apparatus comprising a video signal recording block and a video signal reproduction block. The video signal recording block includes a sub information/feature amount detector for detecting sub information and/or a feature amount from a video signal, an identification signal generator for generating identification signals corresponding to respective frames of the video signal in accordance with the sub information and/or feature amount, and a recorder for recording the identification signals together with the video signal in sectors of a program area on a recording medium. The identification signals are recorded in a sub code area in each sector of the program area containing the corresponding frames of the video signal.

Abstract: A switching power circuit having a power factor improving circuit for a composite resonance type converter, wherein a switching pulse is fed back from a tertiary winding, which is coiled around an insulating converter transformer, via a series resonance capacitor. And a rectified current is turned on and off by a fast recovery diode in accordance with the feedback output, hence achieving power factor improvement. In this structure, a smoothing capacitor is charged with the resonance current even during an off-period of the fast recovery diode due to the resonance of a series resonance circuit including the series resonance capacitor. This circuit configuration eliminates the necessity of selection of a higher withstand voltage relative to the primary-side smoothing capacitor by suppressing rise of the DC input voltage in a no-load state.

Abstract: The present invention relates to an information processing apparatus, an information processing method and a recording medium. The information processing apparatus of the present invention includes a hardware-dependent input means having a normal mode in which an event information associated with a user operation is supplied to an application program through an operating system and a quick action mode in which the event information is directly supplied to another hardware-dependent means previously specified by the application program, and a hardware-dependent output means for executing real-time control on hardware associated with the event information upon reception of the event information directly supplied from the hardware-dependent input means.

Abstract: A picture information converting apparatus for generating an output picture signal with a different scanning line structure from an input picture signal is disclosed, that comprises a first picture data selecting means for selecting adjacent pixels with a predetermined relation of positions to a plurality of considered points with a different relation of positions to scanning lines of the input picture signal, a spatial class detecting means for detecting a pattern of a level distribution from picture data selected by said first picture data selecting means and determining spacial class values that represent spatial classes of the considered points corresponding to the detected pattern, a second picture data selecting means for selecting the considered points and adjacent pixels with the predetermined relation of positions to the considered points from the input picture signal, a calculating process means for performing a calculating process for predicting and generating pixels at positions with a predetermin

Abstract: This invention enables coded audio data to be reliably decoded even if an audio signal coded in blocks not in synchronism with the frames or fields of a video signal is decoded on the basis of these frames of fields. By filling an integral number of coded audio blocks in the period of time corresponding to one frame or field of the video signal, this invention forms an array of coded audio blocks in synchronism with the frames or fields of the video signal before transmission. This avoids separating a coded block in transmitted data at a frame or field boundary, and enables the coded audio data to be reliably decoded so as to prevent the occurrence of a period of time in which decoded data is missing even if a switching operation is carried out on the basis of the frames or fields of the video signal.

Abstract: A recording medium retaining data for menu control, a menu control method and an apparatus are provided for creating a menu highly expressive and attractive to the viewer. When operation of a menu button is determined on a menu created with a moving picture with sound, the menu button turns into action highlighting and the color of the button changes into a highlight color. In order to emphasize action highlighting of the menu button, a specific short moving picture with a sound is automatically replayed. After the replay of the moving picture, the display jumps to a chapter of a title selected with the menu button and a replay is started.

Abstract: A video recording apparatus having a storage means to store program reservation data and equipped with a reserved recording function which utilizes program ID superimposed on broadcast signal. This apparatus includes a time difference table to store data of time differences between the sites of broadcasting stations and a receiving site, and when the program ID is to be stored as reservation data, the program ID is corrected with reference to the time difference table and then the corrected data is stored. The program ID inputted as reservation data represents the hour at the receiving site. Therefore, even when PIL data are mutually different due to the time difference between any selected broadcasting station and the receiving site, reserved recording of a desired program can be performed exactly on the basis of PDC or VPS with mere setting of the relevant country by a user, hence enhancing the operability and reliability of the apparatus.

Abstract: This invention relates to a video signal converter, a conversion method of video signal, respectively suitable to be applied when a video signal according to National Television System Committee (NTSC) is illustratively converted to a video signal corresponding to an extended graphics array (XGA), an image display unit using the converter and conversion method, and a television receiver. A signal in each field of a video signal SNT according to NTSC in which the number of lines is 252.5 (effective line number is 240) is converted to a signal in each frame of a video signal SXG corresponding to XGA in which the number of lines is 840 (effective line number is 768). A video signal converter is composed of an image adaptive double-speed conversion circuit for converting a video signal SNT to a video signal S2N according to an interlaced scanning method in which the number of lines is doubled and an interpolation circuit for converting the video signal S2N to a video signal SXG.

Abstract: A security control system comprises n inputs (C1-C128) for receiving video signals from n cameras. A video switcher (2) including a programmable controller (4) is programmable to connect any one of the n inputs (C1-C128) to any one of m outputs (R1-R28) where m is less than n, in any selectable time sequence. A display control means (6, 8) connects the m outputs (R1-R28) of the switcher (2) to p displays (M11-M22) via p channels each associated with m/p of the outputs of the switcher. The display control means (6, 8) has a programmable controller (10, 12) linked to the controller (4) of the switcher to selectively scale and position the images represented by the video signals on the displays in desired display formats and to define sequences of displays.

Abstract: A data transmission apparatus having unit modules connected in cascade in a plurality (x; 2≦x) of stages and a list converting means, wherein each of the unit modules has a recording and/or reproducing means, a first-list generating means for generating a first list indicating the data to be recorded in the recording and/or reproducing means, a second-list receiving means for receiving a second list indicating the data to be reproduced from the recording and/or reproducing means, and a data supplying means for supplying the reproduced data to the next stage unit module; the recording and/or reproducing means of each of the unit modules records the data indicated in the first list generated by the first-list generating means among the data supplied from the outside and reproduces the data indicated in the second list received at the second-list receiving means; and the list converting means converts a first list generated by a first-list generating means of a y(2≦y≦x)th stage unit module to a second l

Abstract: There are provided a storage device for outputting-data in such a manner that whether or not error correction has been made can be discriminated, and a data processing system in which a storage device furnishes data to a data processing device in such a manner that whether or not the area management information has been corrected for errors can be discriminated and in which the data processing device discriminates whether or not the area management information has been corrected for errors in order to perform predetermined data processing. There is also provided a data processing method for the storage device and for the data processing system.

Abstract: The invention relates to an interlaced to progressive conversion method and system by use of an interpolation algorithm (IPC algorithm) which is scaleable with several levels or modes with an increasing computational complexity depending on increasing availability of resources, i.e. computation power, available memory and available memory bandwidth. An IPC mode control can be implemented as a decision table. Peferably, at least five levels of the algorithm can be scaled beginning with line repetition (lowest level), linear interpolation (lower level), median inter-field computation with a three-tap or a five-tap median operator (medium level) and a combination of a linear interpolator and a median interpolator, eventually in combination with edge detection (higher levels of the scaleable algorithm).

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method designed to be used to compute music sequences in all possible contexts and situations, including: Internet adaptive radio, Digital Audio Broadcasting (DAB) with intelligent scheduling, music recommendation systems, and other innovative Electronic Music Distribution (EMD) services in general. These sequences are generated “iteratively”, and step by step. To the above end, there is provided a method of generating incrementally a sequence of items from a database containing said items, characterized in that the sequence is generated by implementing in combination a sequence completion system and a user profiling system, thereby taking into account both sequence coherence and user profile.

Abstract: A magnetic recording and reproducing apparatus detects a first time code in hour-minute-second frame units recorded in a subcode data record area located in a predetermined position of each of the record tracks, which are obliquely formed on a magnetic tape, and detects a second time code in hour-minute units, representing high-order data of the first time code, recorded in a header portion of the subcode data record area. When a user specifies a desired position and starts a search at high speed, a high-speed search is performed up to a predetermined position according to the second time code (in hour-minute units) and then a reduced-speed search is performed from the predetermined position to the desired position according to the first time code (in hour-minute-second frame units).

Abstract: By reducing the number of seek operations in an operation to play back a signal from a recording medium, the amount of data temporarily stored in a read buffer memory employed in a signal recording/playback apparatus is large enough to be output as a playback signal during a seek operation, allowing a continuous playback operation to be carried out. In order to reduce the number of seek operations, a signal is always recorded onto the recording medium in continuous free areas each having a size equal to or larger than a predetermined recording/playback time length which is typically set at 1 minute. If it is necessary to insert an additional signal having a length smaller than the predetermined recording/playback time length into a point of insertion in an area already occupied by an existing signal, a continuous free area with a size equal to or larger than the predetermined recording/playback time length is newly allocated to the additional signal.

Abstract: A laser power control device, optical head and optical recording and/or reproducing apparatus to set and control the output power of laser light radiated from a plurality of laser sources. The laser power control device is provided with plural variable resistors associated with the plural laser sources, a photodetector unit associated with the plural laser sources, and a laser output stabilizing unit for controlling the laser light output power at a constant predetermined level. The resistance values of the variable resistors are set so that the output power of the laser light radiated from the laser sources is at the predetermined level.

Abstract: The robot apparatus of the present invention autonomously makes natural motions. The robot apparatus is provided with a control means 32, which has a feeling/instinct model that causes a motion and changes the feeling/instinct model based on input information S1 to S3 thereby to determine a motion. As a result of this, the robot apparatus 1 can autonomously act based on the state of its own feeling/instinct. A robot apparatus which can autonomously make natural motions can thus be realized.

Abstract: The present invention displays a second mark of the length corresponding to the material length of a specified image/sound material at the corresponding position on the first track in an edited-list creating screen; when a first mark displayed on one of first and second track is specified on the edited-list creating screen, emphatically displays the specified first mark and a first mark displayed on the second or first track corresponding to this in the case where video information and audio information of the video/audio material corresponding to the specified first mark are linked and registered; in obtaining edited image and/or sound, continuously plays back edit material to be played back with the same playback device; in edit-processing a plurality of continuous second edit materials of edit processing period of time is included in a first edit material on the time axis, creates edited data for continuously performing said edit processing on individual second edit materials from the first of second edit