Abstract: An image pickup apparatus that includes a body on which an optical system is mounted for facing a subject for an image, a signal generator is rotatably provided for generating an image pickup signal in response to an image of the subject obtained through the optical system, and a rotary driver is mounted for rotating the signal generator in relation to the body on an axis of rotation that is substantially coincident with an optical axis of the optical system. An image pickup signal processor for producing a video signal that represents the subject according to the image pickup signal from the signal generator and a posture detector for detecting a posture of the image generator in relation to the subject.

Abstract: According to the present invention a method and a receiver for high-frequency signals is provided. The receiver comprises a power divider (4) to divide a modulated RF input signal in at least two branches. At least one delay line (5, 6) provides for a delay of the branches relatively to each other by a predetermined delay constant. A calculation circuit (7, 8) calculates at least three power levels based on combinations (12, 13, 14) of the two branches of the input signal relatively delayed (5, 6) to each other. A processing means (10) calculates the phase and the amplitude of a complex signal representing the relation between the two branches of the input signal relatively delayed to each other, on the basis of the said at least three power levels (8). The invention therefore provides for a direct 6-port receiver based on non-coherent detection. The concept of the invention is inherently cheap and features high integration ability and low-cost processes.

Abstract: Temporarily storing audio data to be reproduced in the block form, temporarily storing synthesized audio data in the block form, generating and supplying a reference signal, and calculating the first address of the block of audio data, the editing system of the present invention enables identifying the buffering position of the recording signal and then matching the position to the reproduced signal, resulting in quick editing.

Abstract: An information transmitter includes a signal separator for separating a packet line multiplexed by another transmitting device into a packet line of element data and a packet line of second additional information on the element data; an additional information generator for generating third additional information integrated by combining and regenerating the second additional information and first additional information; and a controller for controlling packet identifiers which are added at encoders and instructing a plurality of encoding to add packet identifiers that are different from each other. Thus, the overlaps of additional information and packet identifier information can be easily avoided with a simple construction.

Abstract: A track format is prescribed so that an ST-AFN indicating the AFN of the streaming start position be written on each track, and at the time of reference value measurement, an append point is detected by monitoring coincidence between the AFT and the ST-AFN on the scanned track. And, on the basis of the detected append point, a reference value is measured for each streaming recorded area, and this reference value is held matched with the recording positional information of the streaming recorded area.

Abstract: A stream whose redundancy has been eliminated using the continuity specified particularly in the MPEG and the like, is interrupted once, and well connected to another stream. An edit point decoding method for reproducing and decoding data from a disc in which an edited MPEG stream is recorded. Before a time for output of an edit-out point is reached, a stream in a section X is decoded and scored. When an outfit time for the leading position of the section X is reached, a stream in a section Z is decoded (not output) while the decoded data from the leading position of the section X is being output. When a time for output of the edit-in point is reached, an encoded data row following the section Z is decoded and output.

Abstract: A video data compression apparatus with which compressed video data of suitable amounts of data can be produced and in addition the time required for processing is short. An encoder control unit performs a preprocessing for compression and coding and, at the same time, produces a flatness and an intra AC as parameters indicating the difficulty of the pattern of pictures to be compressed to I pictures. A motion detector calculates a predictive error amount (ME residual) of the motion prediction. An FIFO memory delays each picture of the input video data. A host computer approximates a real difficulty data Dj indicating the difficulty of the pattern of each picture by the ME residual, flatness, and intra AC and further calculates the target amount of data Tj of the compressed video data from the approximated real difficulty data Dj. The encoder performs the compression and coding so that the amount of data of the compressed video data becomes substantially the target amount of data Tj.

Abstract: A transmitter which allows to reproduce a high quality and smooth dynamic image on the receiving side even with a transmission medium having a low transmission rate is provided. Background plane data representing a still image of a background image of video and one or more motion plane data representing still images of each of moving objects moving on the background image are separated from input digital video signal. The separated background plane data and each motion plane data are stored individually in memories 23BG and 23A1 through 23An. Change data on the still images stored as the motion plane data is detected based on the input digital video signal and output of the memories 23BG and 23A1 through 23An to compress and code it by a coding means 26. Still image data of the plurality of plane data of the memory means 23BG and 23A1 through 23An and the change information from the coding means 26 are transmitted.

Abstract: A television system performs beam convergence in video displays. The system is implemented through one or more convergence sensors, which are exposed to two distinct convergence test patterns. The output signals from the sensors when exposed to the two convergence test patterns are used in beam convergence calculations. The convergence test patterns are selected to reduce the dynamic range requirement for an A/D converter in the television system supplied with the sensor output signals.

Abstract: A data encoding method including an encoding step of encoding data using wavelet transform and a multiplexing/transmitting step of appending the information on encoding used for decoding on the decoder side to a bitstream of data encoded using the wavelet transform for transmitting the resulting information. This enables switching of filters depending on the picture or the computational capability that can be furnished by an apparatus and desirable initial setting depending on the input picture or bitrate to realize good picture quality.

Abstract: A tracking apparatus for tracking an imaging object, includes: imaging means for imaging the imaging object; driving means for driving the imaging means to perform panning and tilting; position detection means for detecting a position of the imaging object in an image outputted from the imaging means; automatic tracking means for calculating a displacement amount between the position of the imaging object detected by the position detection means and a reference position in the image outputted from the imaging means and controlling the driving means based on the displacement amount so that the position of the imaging object may coincide with the reference position to automatically track the imaging object; and reference position setting means for setting the reference position.

Abstract: An editing system having a controller for setting reproducing speed on the basis of reproducing speed data inputted via a user interface to a desired event allows e.g., slow-playback to be set to the desired event and so further realistic image can be easily generated. Thus, an editing system capable of high-speed real-time edition and having further improved usability can be realized. Moreover, when an in point of first video data (V2) is specified, the editing system starts a reproducing operation from a position that is a fixed time before the position of the specified in point and displays thus reproduced second video data (V3) on a display (2b), so that if the specification of the in point is late, the in point can be easily corrected by monitoring the reproducing second video data. As a result, an editing system capable of high-speed real-time edition and having further improved usability can be realized.

Abstract: An editing system having a controller for setting reproducing speed on the basis of reproducing speed data inputted via a user interface to a desired event allows e.g., slow-playback to be set to the desired event and so further realistic image can be easily generated. Thus, an editing system capable of high-speed real-time edition and having further improved usability can be realized. Moreover, when an in point of first video data (V2) is specified, the editing system starts a reproducing operation from a position that is a fixed time before the position of the specified in point and displays thus reproduced second video data (V3) on a display (2b), so that if the specification of the in point is late, the in point can be easily corrected by monitoring the reproducing second video data. As a result, an editing system capable of high-speed real-time edition and having further improved usability can be realized.

Abstract: A data storage apparatus has a plurality p of storage spaces for storing sets of data. Each of the spaces has: available (unused) space x1 for storage; a number x2 of data sets already stored; a number x3 of channels available for transferring data to the space; and a number x4 of times the space is scheduled to be used for reading out sets of data therefrom. An allocation factor Qp=f(ai, xi) is calculated for each space where ai are weighting factors ranking xi in order of importance. A data set is allocated to the space having the “best” (e.g. lowest) value of Qp at the time the data is to be allocated. Once allocation factors determined, then data may be allocated according to usage indices representing the ability of a space to store the data at the time of allocation.

Abstract: The invention provides an information providing apparatus and method by which the amount of data to be transmitted when data of a program table composed of characters and images or the like are to be transmitted is reduced and it is made possible to cope with a change in contents of data rapidly. Data of an electronic program guide to be provided is hierarchized into data (A1 data) which may possibly be changed such as the broadcasting date, the start time and the end time, data (A2 data) which are not changed at all such as a program name, and data (A3 data) composed of still pictures, moving pictures, voice and so forth which have comparatively large data amounts, and for each medium, data of a hierarchy suitable for the medium is provided. Each A3 data is referred to by one or a plurality of A2 data, and each A2 data is referred to by one or a plurality of A1 data.

Abstract: Disclosed is an information signal transmitting apparatus for transmitting and receiving a desired information signal via a network, by which apparatus the work of installing a variety of equipment is simplified. Information indicating an attribute of each equipment and an address of the equipment are transmitted and received via the network between the variety of equipment. Whether one piece of equipment is connectable or not to another is determined based on the received attribute information. The connection between the two pieces of equipment is established based on the determined result.

Abstract: Copy protecting television broadcast program signals which are received and recorded in a format that reserves recording areas for accessory information relating to the format and reserves other recording areas for digital image signals. When the input signals received for recording are determined to be television broadcast program signals, a generation limiting signal inserted therein is set to a copy protect state and is recorded to inhibit copying.

Abstract: The invention provides a reproduction apparatus and method by which main data and sub data for modifying the main data can be reproduced in synchronism with each other readily by simple operation. Main data and sub data which are being reproduced in synchronism with the main data are searched in response to a searching operation of a user based on main data management information to be used for management of the main data or sub data management information to be used for management of the sub data to find out data to be reproduced in a unit of main data or sub data.

Abstract: The present invention enables to obtain an image of a high resolution as reasonable costs by using an adaptive interpolation circuit which is supplied by image data R, G, and B which have been subjected to a white balance adjustment in a DSP and an R-G image is combined in an internal memory. The adaptive interpolation circuit calculates correlation degrees in a vertical direction, a horizontal direction, and diagonal directions. If an interpolation is executed according to the R-G image in the direction having the greatest correlation degree, no LPF processing is executed, i.e., no resolution deterioration is caused in a direction which orthogonally intersects the aforementioned direction. That is, the adaptive interpolation circuit enables to enhance a resolution by executing an interpolation according to the correlation of the image data around a portion to be interpolated.

Abstract: An editing apparatus 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 m