Abstract: A rechargeable and disposable electronic funds (cash card) issued by a non-financial facility, such as a check cashing facility, a payday loan facility or a short term loan facility, is disclosed where the card substitutes for the cash and is labeled in the name of a bank type financial institution with which the non-financial facility has a relationship. The card can be charged with a variable amount on money. When used at a store for a purchase it can act like a debit card but need not have a name of the holder associated with (or embossed on) it like a gift card, so the user can remain anonymous. The card can be upgraded to a rechargeable or debit/credit card. The card can draw on an account or sub account of the check cashing service or of the bank.

Abstract: In a device for combining a plurality of images having a same photograph range, a position shift between the images having the same photograph range is detected, and the position shift of the images is corrected, and after the position shift is corrected, similarity of the respective portions between the images is evaluated, and the image combining method is changed according to the similarity evaluation. Therefore it is possible to create an image having no position shift due to the shaking of a camera and object blurring due to the movement of the object. Moreover, whether the images are combined or not is determined according to the similarity, hence the processing load is reduced and an image having no object blurring can be created.

Abstract: A license managing device sets a security area for storing a license file, maintains the security area as an encoded file in an inactive state of the security area by encoding the security area, maintains the security area as a directory in an active state of the security area by decoding the security area, and encodes a license file by using a file encoding key according to the user's request and stores the same in a security area in an active state of the security area.

Abstract: A method and an apparatus for transmitting a speech signal are provided. A speech signal transmitter includes a quadrature mirror filter, a base sub-band encoder, an enhancement sub-band encoder, and a network connector. The quadrature mirror filter receives a speech signal, divides the speech signal into an enhancement band speech signal and a base band speech signal, and outputs the enhancement band speech signal and the base band speech signal. The base sub-band encoder receives and encodes the base band speech signal. The enhancement sub-band encoder receives and encodes the enhancement band speech signal. The network connector multiplexes the encoded enhancement band speech signal and the encoded base band speech signal based on the kinds of networks over which speech signals are transmitted, and transmits the multiplexed signals to the networks. A speech signal is multiplexed and transmitted by various methods based on the kinds of networks. Thus, the speech signal can be efficiently transmitted.

Abstract: A semiconductor device in a continuous diffusion region formed on a semiconductor substrate and having either a P-type or N-type polarity includes: a first transistor formed within the continuous diffusion region; a second transistor formed within the continuous diffusion region and in an area that is different from an area where the first transistor is formed; a third transistor formed within the continuous diffusion region and in an area between the first and second transistors, and having a gate electrode to which a fixed potential is applied; and a fourth transistor formed within the continuous diffusion region and in an area between the second and third transistors, and having a gate electrode to which a fixed potential is applied.

Abstract: A method of encoding moving pictures using a plurality of quantization matrices. The method involves selecting one of the plurality of quantization matrices in consideration of an at least one characteristics of an input image; transforming the input image; and quantizing the transformed input image using the selected quantization matrix.

Abstract: Provided are a light scanning unit and an electrophotographic image forming apparatus employing the same. A possible form deviation during fabrication of a cylindrical lens employed by the light scanning unit is reduced by intentionally giving a form deviation to the incident surface and the emission surface of the cylindrical lens in the main scanning direction.

Abstract: A disclosed packaging design supporting device for a semiconductor integrated circuit includes a selection data acquisition unit inputting a change of the selected logic cell; a bulk fix data generation unit generating bulk fix data in which a bulk layer of the semiconductor substrate of the semiconductor integrated circuit has been fixed, arranging a design-change dummy logic cell in a region where no logic cell is arranged in the bulk layer, and generating a design-change logic cell by wiring the design-change dummy logic cell; and a selection cell move determination unit prohibiting the change with respect to the selected logic cell.

Abstract: An echo suppressing system includes: a sound output device for outputting sound based on a sound signal, including a passing section for allowing passage of a component of a different frequency band, and a plurality of sound output sections, each of which outputs sound based on each of the plurality of sound signals passed through the passing section; a summer for summing the plurality of sound signals to generate a reference sound signal; a sound input device for converting input sound into a sound signal; and an echo suppressor for suppressing echo based on the sound output by the sound output device, including an input section to which a sound signal is input from the sound input device as an observation sound signal, and a correction section for correcting the observation sound signal so as to suppress echo included in the observation sound signal.

Abstract: In a pixel interpolation apparatus for interpolating pixels, an edge pixel detection unit detects edge pixels constituting an edge among pixels on lines positioned above/below the interpolation pixel. A continuous edge detection unit detects edge pixels in which two pixels or more consecutively line up among edge pixels detected by the edge pixel detection unit as a continuous edge. A continuous edge pair detection unit determines the combination of the continuous edges detected on each of the lines above and below the interpolation pixel among the continuous edges detected by the continuous edge detection unit. An edge direction determination unit determines the edge direction of the interpolation pixel on the basis of the positional relation of one set of continuous edges determined by the continuous edge pair detection unit. An interpolation pixel calculation unit calculates an interpolation pixel using the edge direction determined by the edge direction determination unit.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus having a plurality of operations and a warming up method thereof, the image forming apparatus including: a user interface to receive a setting of a usage right of a user for a plurality of operations of the image forming apparatus and a login of the user while the image forming apparatus is in a power save mode; and a controller to perform a warming up for at least one operation corresponding to the usage right according to the login.

Abstract: A refrigerator with an ice making device. The refrigerator includes a body defined with a refrigerating compartment, a freezing compartment, and an ice making compartment, the ice making compartment arranged in the refrigerating compartment while being thermally insulated from the refrigerating compartment, a first evaporator arranged in the refrigerating compartment, a second evaporator arranged in the freezing compartment, a refrigerating duct for circulating cold air from the first evaporator to the refrigerating compartment, a freezing duct for circulating cold air from the second evaporator to the freezing compartment, and an ice making flow passage for communicating the second evaporator and the ice making compartment. The second evaporator, ice making compartment, and ice making flow passage form a closed circuit such that the cold air in the ice making compartment does not enter the refrigerating compartment.

Abstract: Provided is an apparatus and method for recognizing characters. The apparatus includes a display unit to display an image in which a region of interest or an error region is indicated, and a character recognition result, a region-of-interest setting unit to set the region of interest in the image displayed on the display unit, a recognition unit to perform character recognition on the region of interest or the error region and provide the character recognition result to the display unit, and an error correction unit to set the error region in the image displayed on the display region, perform image copying on the set error region according to a user input, and provide a handwriting input using the image copying to the recognition unit.

Abstract: An image photographing apparatus, method and medium that can enhance color reproducibility and sensitivity. The image photographing apparatus includes a filter unit having a first filter region to pass at least one band of an incident light signal corresponding to a complementary color of a first color, and a second filter region to pass all bands of the incident light signal, wherein the first filter region and the second filter region are each formed in one of two adjacent pixels, and an image sensor unit to sense an image from the incident light signal that passes through the filter unit, the image sensor unit including a plurality of photoelectric conversion layers each having a different spectral sensitivity.

Abstract: A system for spatial division multiple access using a wireless repeater having a single transmitting/receiving antenna, includes: a base station that selectively transmits a plurality of data stream signals to the wireless repeater within an area through a multi-transmitting antenna for downlink; and at least one wireless repeater that forms a wireless repeater group within the base station area and repeats the data stream signals selectively transmitted from the base station to terminals.

Abstract: Provided are an image encoding and decoding apparatus and method, which can effectively transmit a large capacity image. The image encoding apparatus generates a plurality of actual images with respect to an input image, and generates a difference image capable of predicting another actual image using one actual image, thereby effectively reducing an amount of data before encoding the input image.

Abstract: An automatic washing machine includes a remaining water discharging passage to drain remaining water from a pump case by connecting a drain line with an inner part of the pump case. The washing machine includes a water tub; a pump case; a circulation pump coupled with the pump case that circulates washing water contained in the water tub; a drain line to drain the washing water contained in the water tub; and a remaining water discharge passage connecting an inner part of the pump case with the drain line to discharge water remaining in the pump case.

Abstract: An FPGA configuration device comprises: a read operation control unit which performs control to read configuration data from a configured FPGA; and a configuration data transfer unit which transfers the configuration data read out of the FPGA to a memory.

Abstract: Provided is a method of controlling electric power of a coil which performs induction heating in an imaging apparatus. The method includes: detecting an input current of the coil; detecting a resonant current of the coil; calculating a difference between the detected resonant current and the detected input current; and controlling electric power supplied to the coil based on the difference. These operations are repeatedly performed whenever the detected input current is changed.