Abstract: An information signal copy managing method for properly protecting the copyright of information signals and, at the same time, guaranteeing user advantages in copying information signals within a limited range. Information indicative of the start and end of each piece of information content covered by copyright is superimposed thereon as electronic watermark information. The resultant information signal is transmitted. When the received information signal is copied, both the information indicative of the start of the information content and the information indicative of the end thereof are detected from the electronic watermark information, determining the completion of copying. Thus, copying of information content is managed.

Abstract: A first information processing unit 100 stores identification information into a storage module 152, stores an encrypted contents signal into a mass storage unit 180, and supplies the encrypted contents signal and identification information to a second information processing unit 200 through a communication section 110. In a receiving unit 170 of the first information processing unit 100, log information generated by a purchase processing module 153 is stored into the storage module 152 every time the contents key is decoded, and the log information is transmitted at predetermined timing to a key management center 30 through the transmission section 110. The second information processing unit 200 receives the encrypted contents signal and the identification information through a communication section 210, and causes a contents processing section 260 to decode the encrypted contents signal and to append the identification information thereto.

Abstract: A data processing device includes a memory interface (I/F) unit and a control unit. When accessing a data storage device such as a memory card having a built-in flash memory, the data processing device sets a block permission table (BPT) as an access permission table in the memory I/F unit, whereby only when the BPT permits a process to be executed does the memory I/F unit access the storage device, and the memory I/F unit does not execute a process when it is out of an allowable range. Regardless of a process type performed by the control unit and a command type, the memory I/F unit always accesses the storage device in accordance with the BPT set in the memory I/F unit. This effectively prevents the rewriting of data in rewrite-prevented recording media.

Abstract: An imaging device is proposed which is adapted for optically imaging an object (O) to be imaged so as to generate object image (OI) and which is adapted for optically projecting a display image (DI) so as to generate a projection image (PI).

Abstract: A tuner component module within a home network based on the HAVI standard, i.e. a tuner FCM, according to the present invention includes the funtionality to provide the capability of the tuner and/or to introduce the DVB/DTV concepts of components and events to the HAVi network. In this context, components could be audio, video, or data streams associated with a service and events could e.g. be information for an electronic programming guide (EPG). The capability of a tuner in this context are all functions supported by the tuner. Therefore, a tuner FCM according to the present invention includes at least one of the following APIs and the corresponding (data/signal) structures necessary to have a proper functionality: GetItemComponentList API, GetEventList API, SelectItemComponent API, GetCurrentItemComponent API and GetCapability API.

Abstract: As an imaging prevention method for interfering unauthorized imaging of a number of visual images projected on a screen, there is employed a method for projecting infrared light to a viewer/audience direction from at least one or more infrared light projector devices. According to the method, infrared light may be directly incident into an imaging apparatus of a person conducting an unauthorized copying act so as to adversely affect the unauthorized copying.

Abstract: A data recording and/or reproducing method and apparatus. The apparatus may include one or more buffer memories, a recorder, a controller, and/or a reproducing unit. Continuous picture and/or speech data may be stored, recorded, and/or reproduced. The size of a recording unit may be controlled such that it corresponds to the amount of picture and/or speech data recorded by the recorder.

Abstract: A communications system connected via a bus capable of transferring combinations of control signals and AV signals as packets while providing an environment which is the same as an environment where connections are made using analog signal lines. A register decided by an address is taken to be a virtual plug for each item of equipment. The plug enable for the input plug is set to 1 and a synchronous communication packet for the AV signal from the channel set by the channel number is received. The plug enable for the output plug is set to one and the synchronous communication packet for the information signal is sent to the channel set by the channel number at a transmission speed designated by the DR (Data Rate) at the bandwidth expressed by “Bandwidth”.

Abstract: An information processing apparatus which pleases a user with a higher degree of entertainment property is disclosed. A graphic chip copies original image data stored in a VRAM into a buffer built therein so that the original image data may be stored into the buffer. Further, the graphic chip reverses those of the original image data in replacement areas of the image horizontally leftwardly and rightwardly and stores the thus reversed image data into the buffer. The graphic chip thereupon performs &agr; blending of the original image data and the reversed image data based on &agr; values of a table.

Abstract: An information recording method and apparatus and an information reproducing method and apparatus in which AV data can be recorded or reproduced temporally continuously without producing fragmentation. To this end, the apparatus includes a storage unit 7 at least including a management information region and a user data region made up of plural logical blocks, and a recording unit 9 for continuously recording information signals from a recording start logical block to a recording end logical block in the user data region of the storage unit 7 and again recording information signals from the recording start logical block.

Abstract: A rotary magnetic head apparatus which can be formed into a smaller size in which signals of a plurality of recording tracks which are recorded on a tape-like information recording medium are reproduced by using a plurality of reproduction heads without depending on the arrangement of the recording tracks in the information recording medium. The rotary magnetic head apparatus includes a rotary drum, a fixed drum, a reproduction signal selection device, a rotor reproduction signal wiring section, and a stator reproduction signal wiring section.

Abstract: An information processing apparatus is connected to another information processing apparatus via a network and has at least one sub-unit for executing a predetermined function. A reservation is made for causing a tuner sub-unit of an IRD to receive a predetermined channel broadcast at a predetermined time and to record it on a VCR sub-unit of a DVCR via an IEEE-1394 serial data bus. Then, a controller of the IRD writes reservation information into a Resource Schedule Board (RSB) built into a Bulletin Board Subunit (BBS) of the IRD and also writes reservation information of the VCR sub-unit into a RSB built into a BBS of the DVCR. With this arrangement, double-booking is prevented.

Abstract: A data read/write apparatus records, in a root directory of a recording medium, a file “MEM*****.ind” indicating the type of the recording medium, a directory “DCIM” for storing still image files, a directory “VOICE” for storing voice files, a directory “HIFI” for storing audio files, and a directory “MS******” for storing information inherent to a vendor. The rules are defined as the method for recording data in the recording medium. Hence, an audio-visual apparatus can determine the type of data stored in the loaded recording medium, recognizes the format of data in a non-conforming format, and erases the data in the non-conforming format.

Abstract: The invention relates to a data recording apparatus in which a shuffling process for enabling a reproduced image to be easily seen in a high speed reproducing mode of a digital VTR is performed to data to be recorded. As a recording unit to perform the shuffling process, (16×16) macroblocks are set. A process for forming line segments to draw cross lines adapted to divide the recording unit into four equal parts and deleting line segments among four macroblocks around a cross point of the cross lines is repetitively performed until a curve obtained by tracing edges of the formed line segments passes through all of the macroblocks. Further, the line segments are concealed at a position where the curve passes through the same macroblock twice, thereby allowing the curve to pass through the same macroblock once. The order of the recording positions of sync blocks on a tape is specified by the order of drawing the curve P2.

Abstract: A legged mobile robot having having at least a plurality of movable legs. This robot includes, in addition to a road surface touching sensor for confirming the ground touching state between the foot part and the road surface, a relative movement measurement sensor for measuring the relative movement between the foot part and the road surface. The robot has its operation controlled on the basis of the amount of relative movement between the foot part and the road surface, so that, when an offset is produced between the intended or scheduled trajectory and the actual trajectory, the operation may be controlled adaptively to execute the robot operation.

Abstract: To provide an information processing apparatus having an antenna with a high sensitivity. There are provided a display unit 3 having a display panel whose rear surface is covered with a metallic panel 3B, an antenna member 35 which is disposed in a notch 37 formed in a part of the above described metallic panel, and covers 41 and 61 of non-metallic members disposed in the above described notch so as to cover the above described antenna member.

Abstract: In a system in which a plurality of devices are connected by using a digital interface bus, in order to readily and easily cope with a specific device when the specific device malfunctions, the system, in compliance with a predetermined digital interface in which a predetermined identification code, a processing target discriminating code, a processing field prescribing code and processing executing information are set, includes means 12, 23 for recognizing the identification code, means 14, 22 for discriminating the processing target when the identification code is recognized and information processing means 16 to 19, 24, 25 for executing the processing in accordance with the processing field if the processing target contains its own device, wherein a defective device can be specified and repaired with ease.

Abstract: The digitized image signal and audio signal are synthesized in a predetermined format by the digital signal processor circuit 6 and the synthesized signal is supplied to the VTR unit 10 for carrying out the digital recording. The image signal from the digital signal processor circuit 6 is supplied to the viewfinder 11 for displaying the processed image signal. The system control circuit 13 is provided which controls the processing operations in the digital signal processor circuit 6 and the VTR unit 10. To this system control circuit 13 is supplied the signal from the standby switch 14 for switching among the power supply off, the VTR mode, the camera (animated picture) standby and the photo (still picture) standby. Also, to this system control circuit 13 is supplied the signal from the push button 15 for controlling the start/stop of recording the camera (animated picture) and the still picture recording.

Abstract: An optical disk having a diameter less than 140 mm and, a thickness of 1.2 mm±0.1 mm, with a plurality of record tracks having data recorded thereon as embossed pits representing information and exhibiting a track pitch in the range between 0.646 &mgr;m and 1.05 &mgr;m; with the tracks being divided into a lead-in area, a program area and a lead-out area. The data includes table of contents (TOC) information recorded in a plurality of sectors in at least one TOC track and user information recorded in a plurality of sectors in user tracks. The user information is comprised of MPEG-compressed video data, which may exhibit any one of difference MPEG formats, and compressed audio data, which likewise may exhibit an MPEG format, a PCM format or the like. The TOC information includes addresses of start sectors recorded in the user tracks and also includes application table of contents (ATOC) information which identifies various parameters for accessing and using the user information.

Abstract: An optical disk having a diameter less than 140 mm and, a thickness of 1.2 mm±0.1 mm, with a plurality of record tracks having data recorded thereon as embossed pits representing information and exhibiting a track pitch in the range between 0.646 &mgr;m and 1.05 &mgr;m; with the tracks being divided into a lead-in area, a program area and a lead-out area. The data includes table of contents (TOC) information recorded in a plurality of sectors in at least one TOC track and user information recorded in a plurality of sectors in user tracks; with the TOC information including addresses of start sectors recorded in the user tracks. The data (both user and TOC information) is encoded in a long distance error correction code having at least eight parity symbols, and is run length limited (RLL) modulated.