Abstract: A memory device for storing a sequential image data in succession and outputting the stored image data is provided. The memory device comprises a memory unit comprising N memory blocks, each memory blocks being capable of individual serving, a write address generator for generating a write address signal to write into the memory unit and a read address generator for generating a read address signal to read from the memory unit. The memory unit further comprises a controller for controlling the write address signal and the read address signal so that each start address for writing and reading for each image data is shifted as unit of the memory block and the writing and reading operation are not simultaneously performed to same memory block, each image data having a size being equivalent to one of M blocks (M<N).

Abstract: A video processing apparatus includes a selection means (14) for selecting a video signal constituting a main screen and a video signal constituting a sub-screen, a first video processing means (16, 18) for processing the video signal for the main screen selected by the selector, a second video processing means (17, 19) for processing the video signal for the sub-screen selected by the selector, a synthesizing means (20, 21, 22) for setting a video signal obtained when the main screen and the sub-screen are synthesized in one screen by using the video signal processed by the first video processing means and the video signal processed by the second video processing means, and a controller (31) for, when the video signals of the main screen and the sub-screen selected by the selection means are the same video signals, performing control for setting a video signal obtained when the main screen and the sub-screen are synthesized in one screen by using only the video signal processed by the first video processing

Abstract: An optical fiber connecting method and apparatus in which optical communication is performed in a uni-core bidirectional system as optical crosstalk is prevented from occurring. To this end, an optical fiber connector 1 includes a refractive index matching member 2 and an optical fiber connecting unit 5. The refractive index matching member 2 has a refractive index substantially equivalent to that of the cores of optical fibers 101, 102. The optical fiber connecting unit 5 interconnects the optical fibers 101, 102 in a state in which end faces 101a, 102a of the optical fibers 101, 102 are contacted with a refractive index matching member 2 interposed between the end faces 101a, 102a of the optical fibers 101, 102.

Abstract: A commercial sending system that can easily record a non-recorded commercial material is provided. When a play list is input from a creating block or a receiving block, a CM material DB managing block is asked whether or not CM materials included in the list have been recorded in the system. If a non-recorded CM material is included in the list, the non-recorded CM material is displayed on a sending terminal. In addition, a record list creating block automatically creates a record list for the non-recorded CM material. The record list is displayed on a recording terminal. These operations are performed for all CM materials included in the list.

Abstract: DVD reproducing apparatus which transmits variable-bit rate data on a digital serial bus having a predetermined transmission rate. The DVD reproducing apparatus reproduces data from a record medium in accordance with a control signal to produce variable rate data. The data rate of the variable rate data is detected at predetermined intervals of time, a rate of transmission of the variable rate data is established in accordance with the detected data rate, and the variable rate data is transmitted in accordance with the established transmission rate. The DVD reproducing apparatus includes an MPEG decoder which MPEG decodes the reproduced data and which generates the control signal in accordance with amounts of data stored within various buffers, such control signal being utilized to control the reproduction of the data from the record medium. A receiver, e.g.

Abstract: A line number LN is extracted from serial data corresponding to BTA S-004 standard. The line number LN is placed as LN0 and LN1 to each of a luminance signal Y and color difference signals Pr/Pb of a 4:2:2 signal. The 4:2:2 signal is converted into a 3:1:1 signal by a bandwidth-compressing means. In addition, the 3:1:1 signal is re-arranged to two-channel signals Ch0 and Ch1 with the same format at a transmission rate of 46.40625 MHz. Thereafter, the, signals are processed at the transmission rate of 46.40625. The line number LN is placed as LN0 and LN1 at the beginning of one horizontal interval.

Abstract: A soft windowing technique involves the use of a window for vector assisted frame differing, the window being larger than a macroblock of the structure defined over the video picture. The edges of each window taper so that overlapping windows provide the correct pixel weighting at the edges. For a scheme having 16*16 luminance macroblocks and 8*8 chrominance macroblocks, the luminance window is 24*24 and the chrominance window is 12*12.

Abstract: A data recording medium and a data replay apparatus are provided for allowing an automatic return to a menu at the completion point of a replay of one content and allowing an arbitrary jump to the next or previous content during a replay of one content. An entire disk of DVD for a musical product such as karaoke is made up of a single program chain (PGC) and tunes are divided into cells. An instruction to jump to a tune selection menu is written in a cell command (cell CMD) of each cell. On completion of a normal replay of a tune, the cell command is executed and the operation jumps to the tune selection menu.

Abstract: A robot system having a plurality of component units. The robot system includes a first storage device, and a second storage device. The robot system further includes a plurality of control device, with a first component control device provided with the first component and a second component control device provided with the second component wherein the first component control device controls the first component device and the second component control device controls the second component.

Abstract: When any one or ones of at least two cells connected in parallel together is judged to be faulty by a cell failure detector, it is electrically disconnected to the normal other cells. Alternatively, when any one or ones of at least two cells connected in series together is judged to be faulty by a controller, a cell current interrupter is shifted from a connected position to a disconnected position connected in series to the faulty cell to interrupt a current line while a cell short-circuit device connected in parallel to the faulty cell by the cell current interrupter is shifted from a disconnected position to a connected position, thereby shorting a circuit portion corresponding to the faulty cell.

Abstract: A moving picture compression apparatus in which signal deterioration can be minimized on repeated compression/expansion. The moving picture compression apparatus compresses a moving picture signal having a motion vector multiplexed in its blanking portion and includes a motion vector separator 13 for separating the motion vector multiplexed in the blanking portion of the moving picture signal and components from a difference calculating unit 2 to a motion compensation unit 10 for compressing the moving picture signal using the motion vector.

Abstract: A modular robot system is provided with memory means for memorizing task information concerning task of each component unit and the recognition means for recognizing the task of each component unit based on the task information of each component unit. Further, the modular robot system is provided with linkage condition detection means for detecting the linkage condition of each component unit, memory means for memorizing the linkage condition of each component unit every category, of which the configuration of robot system to be assembled is classified into multiple categories according to the linkage condition of each component unit, and judgment means for judging the category of the robot system to be assembled based on the linkage condition of each component unit detected by the linkage condition detection means and the linkage condition of each component unit every category memorized by the memory means.

Abstract: A data processing apparatus and an external storage apparatus arranged to transmit data by using serial signals and capable of reducing the number of signal lines for use to transmit serial data. A CLK line, a control line and a DT line are arranged between a data processing apparatus and a memory card. The DT line is a line through which data and commands formed into serial signals are bidirectionally transmitted. A synchronizing signal is transmitted to the CLK line. A control signal is supplied from the data processing apparatus to the memory card through the control line. In a period of time in which the signal level of the control signal is a high level, data or a command is transmitted to the DT line. In a period of time in which the signal level of the control signal is a low level, a status signal is transmitted to the DT line from the memory card.

Abstract: The present invention provides a storage medium unit, comprising: storage means for storing information data; table means for memorizing data which represent a relation between routing information and said information data; memory means for storing program data for controlling the operation of the storage medium unit; control means for controlling the storage means, the table means and the memory means according to the program data; and at least one interface for transmitting the information data with the routing information for such information data in the form of a packet to routing means.

Abstract: An image retrieval method and an image retrieval apparatus are disclosed in which it is possible to identify in which image-information recording medium or in which group an image to be retrieved is included. The image retrieval apparatus has a recording controller for recording image information on a disk drive or a hard disk drive. A reduction/expansion controller generates an index picture of a predetermined group of the image information. A retrieval-information storage unit generates index picture IDs, medium IDs, and folder IDs while correlating the above different types of IDs with each other, and stores the IDs together with the index pictures. With this arrangement, a desired item of image information is retrieved by using the index pictures, the index picture IDs, the medium IDs, and the folder IDs. It is thus possible to obtain a target image by sequentially checking the index picture visually.

Abstract: Reproducing heads reproduce signals from a tape in advance of recording heads for a time period equivalent to a system delay. An ECC decoder corrects an error of a signal received from each reproducing head. A BRR decoder decompresses and decodes the signal received from the ECC decoder. A concealing circuit interpolates the signal received from the BRR decoder. An output signal of the concealing circuit is sent back to a selector of the recording system. The selector switches between a signal received from an input terminal and the reproduced signal at the end of each field. An intra-field encoding process or an intra-frame encoding process can be selected as an compressing and encoding process. Information that represents the selected encoding process is recorded on the tape.

Abstract: A program-related-information transmission control method adopted on a data distributing side for transmitting program related information for programs to be broadcasted to a data receiving side by way of a data-transmission means, includes the steps of: gathering information on television-watching records obtained in accordance with relevant television-watching operations from said data receiving side; and controlling conditions for transmitting said program related information of said programs on the basis of said information on television-watching records.

Abstract: A signal recorder/reproducer comprising an integrated buffer memory 22 having a memory area for a recording system and a memory area for a reproduction system, the allocation of the memory areas being variable, and a system controller 5 to control, via a recording control signal input unit 2 or reproduction control signal input unit 4, the allocation of the memory areas in the integrated buffer memory 22 depending upon which is designated by the user, a recording or reproduction mode.

Abstract: A delay register section 31 holds SD pixels of a luminance signal and a classification section 33 decides a class, reads a coefficient corresponding to the decision result from a coefficient RAM section 40, and outputs the coefficient to a product-sum section 38. The product-sum section 38 captures the pixel data for 17 taps from the delay register section 31, converts the pixel data into seven taps, and outputs them to the product-sum section 38. The product-sum section 38 performs the product-sum operation of pixel data and coefficients and outputs the operation result as HD pixels. An interpolation pixel operation section 42 applies a simple interpolation processing different from the case of a luminance signal to the pixel data of a color signal component to generate HD pixels of a color signal. Thus, downsizing and cost reducing can be realized.